New Energy Star Standards set for TV's

Because you are putting them in your new kitchens, GetWithGreen.com reported to you months ago that the ENERGY STAR team was working on new energy usage requirements for TVs that are powered “ON”.

As you may know if you read our review of 50″ plasmas, the ONLY thing ENERGY STAR offers today for is a review of the power TVs use when they are turned “OFF”.

Today, ENERGY STAR announced that on November 1, 2008 TVs will be required to use 30% less power in the ON mode - if they want to claim Energy Star compliance! The requirement for televisions over 50 inches would be 318 Watts when turned ON. In our recent review you will see that today’s ENERGY STAR televisions do not meet the standards, so we are in for some improvements!!

Here is what ENERGY STAR had to say:

(Washington, D.C. - Feb. 5, 2008) Today EPA is announcing a revised Energy Star specification for televisions. Effective Nov. 1, 2008, TVs that carry the Energy Star label will be up to 30 percent more efficient than conventional models and will save energy while they are on and when they are off. The new modifications are expected to prevent greenhouse gas emissions while offering U.S. consumers the very best in terms of feature-rich, high-quality TVs.

Energy Star’s new specifications for televisions are turning the channel on energy guzzling sets – making them go the way of rabbit-ears and the black and white TV,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

After the new specification goes into effect, if all TVs sold in the United States meet the Energy Star requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $1 billion annually and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of about 1 million cars.

According to recent market research, North American shipments of TVs will top 36 million units in 2008. These TVs will typically be larger, in use more hours a day, and offer more vibrant pictures and other great features than their predecessors. However, these enhancements can come with a hefty energy price tag.

TVs first earned the Energy Star label in 1998 and ever since, TV manufacturers and EPA have worked together on efficiency improvements. The United States now has more than 275 million TVs in use; they consume over 50 billion kWh per year.

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Products that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. government. In 2006 alone, Energy Star helped Americans save about $14 billion on their energy bills while doing their part to protect our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 25 million vehicles.

This article is courtesy of: www.getwithgreen.com

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Pepsi Super Bowl Deaf Commercial
You have to see this! This PepsiCo ad, featuring PepsiCo employees, will be aired on February 3, 2008 during the Super Bowl pre-game program. It is slated to air on the FOX network and is designed to bring greater awareness of the American deaf community to a wide audience. PepsiCo will also sponsor captioning of the entire Super Bowl broadcast. I hope it wins the Best Super Bowl Commercial contest - that is, if there is one! (Note: The video has no sound and is captioned for HEARING persons so there is nothing wrong with your speakers.) Enjoy!



P.S. I don't drink much soda but if I do, I prefer Pepsi over Coke!

A Year To Remember

In 2007, it was either a great year or horrible year for real estate depending on which end of the rope you held. With so much press on the real estate and mortgage industry here in NH, taking a look back can be frustrating for some and a relief for others.

It was a bad 2007 if you were pre-approved for a mortgage and found your dream home only to face the loan requirements increased unexpectedly and see your dream come to an end. It was also a bad year if your house payment increased due to taking out an ARM previously and not being able to refinance your current mortgage. An even worse scenario, if you lost your home due to foreclosure in 2007.

On the other side of the coin, many home buyers enjoyed the abundance of homes on the market in NH to choose from and the deals were often mind boggling. Home buyers walked into feasible mortgage payments on great homes due to the purchase price being lower than expected, and being able to buy more than they would have in earlier years. Low interest rates and FHA helped many achieve the opposite side of the newsworthy pitfalls. 30-year fixed rates with instant equity going in.

Many home buyers found the home of their dreams in 2007 and will continue to in 2008. Yes, the market is still slow for appreciation but while talking with many, they understand the reality of the market and will be residing in their new homes for years to come. To them, they have a great home at a great price and no worries about a higher payment in the future when interest rates may climb and home prices will gradually increase.

The real estate market in New Hampshire for 2008 is expected to stay pretty much the same. While steps are being taken to repair or at least attempt to slow foreclosures, my best advice is to keep your credit rating high, (or work on it)

your debt low, and save money for a down payment or repairs. There will be fabulous home buying deals to come this year.

I personally have had a wonderful 2007. I’ve worked with many great people. It’s been a better than average year for Keller Williams even with the market reports being what they are.

Thanks to everyone involved with Keller Williams! I couldn’t work with a smarter, funnier, or a more determined group of agents.

House Votes to Eliminate Phantom Tax!

When I received my "Daily news" today from Realtor Magazine, I was SO EXCITED to see that Congress passed a bill yesterday that will positively impact a lot of homeowners that lose their home due to foreclosure or having to agree to a "short sale". The Senate has a similar bill in the works and hopefully will pass it as quickly.

Here is the article:
House Votes to Eliminate 'Phantom Tax' The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to get rid of a tax burden for home owners who have had a loan forgiven or foreclosed on their home because they were unable to make their mortgage payments. The Mortgage Cancellation Tax Relief Act, H.R. 3648, passed by a vote of 386 to 27. Similar legislation is making its way through the Senate.

Since the early 1990s, NAR has supported such measures to eliminate the "phantom tax" on financially-strapped home owners. “Congress made a good decision that will affect many Americans who find themselves in a truly bad situation,” says NAR President Pat V. Combs. “Changing the IRS code is an issue of fundamental fairness. It would relieve a tax burden at a time when an individual or family has experienced a true economic loss arising from the sale or loss of their home. These families are already in financial distress and are most likely unable to pay additional taxes.”

The current tax code requires a lender who forgives debt to provide a Form 1099 to the IRS stating the amount the borrower has been forgiven. This disclosure applies whether it is a short sale, foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure or any similar arrangement that relieves the borrower of the obligation to pay some portion of their debt. If the property is sold at foreclosure or is sold for less than was borrowed, that difference is considered income and is subject to the tax.

H.R. 3648 would ensure that any amount forgiven on mortgage debt secured by a principal residence will not be taxed. The legislation has a provision to safeguard against abuses. That provision is similar to one that already exists for commercial real estate owners and would treat commercial and residential property equally.

"This is not only about the subprime turmoil we are currently experiencing," Combs says. "This is also about families who have lost their home or a need to sell that home for less than the amount owed on their home mortgage because of job loss, divorce, health issues, a decrease in the value of the home or other unfortunate circumstances. Clearly it is unfair to tax people on phantom income when they most likely have no cash with which to pay the tax."

In other news, another bill has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee that would revise the bankruptcy code to allow judges to order mortgage lenders to ease terms for home owners in bankruptcy proceedings. Currently, mortgage lenders can foreclose against a home owner in default 90 days after the filing of bankruptcy.

Welcome to my new blog! I'm really excited about starting this means of communication for my Real Estate business as well as sharing helpful "Tips and Tricks" I've learned about Gardening along the way.


My first article is about Gardening. With Fall fast approaching (Sunday September 23rd), it's time to start tidying up things here in NH and prepare for the eventual snow that will blanket all of our green grass and flowers!


September Gardening Tips:

• Fertilize your roses one last time


• Fertilize lawns to stimulate winter root development


• Now is the time to patch those bare spots, just remember to keep the seeds wet!


• If rain is still lacking, remember to water so that your lawn and gardens receive 1" per week.


• Transplant herbs into pots to bring indoors for winter use.


• Remove and compost spent annuals and fallen leaves.


• Cut your perennials that are starting to die back and if the foliage has any disease DO NOT COMPOST them! Put them into a garbage bag and removed to the dump instead.


• Plant Spring-flowering bulbs, but wait until late October to plant tulips or they'll sprout too soon.


• Sow parsley, radish, lettuce, carrots and onion in your garden for later fall harvest.