Our Sincere Thanks Go to :

Stephen Genzale, P.E.
610-596-7046

National Property Inspections®
America’s Premier Inspection Service
For allowing us to print the following article.

Chimneys and Fireplaces

The winter months are a popular time to curl up in front of the fireplace. Make sure that your fireplace is in proper condition for this winter.

Wood burning fireplaces are generally considered to be extremely inefficient heat sources, but that doesn’t deter many homeowners from wanting them in their homes. There are two basic types of wood burning fireplaces: masonry and metal insert. A masonry fireplace is made of brick or mortar, and a metal insert fireplace is a prefab unit with masonry surrounding it. The chimney is the most important part of the fireplace system and should be cleaned yearly by a qualified chimney sweep to ensure it is in good working order and free of debris.

Chimneys have to be lined to provide a smooth, unbroken passage for the smoke to rise and leave the house.  This keeps the flames and gases from entering the home and causing sickness, death or fire.

As part of an inspection, a National Property Inspections professional will check the fireplace for any major cracks in the masonry, operate the damper to ensure the flue is working properly and verify that the flue has a liner. A NPI inspector will also observe the general condition of the chimney; note the materials of its construction, the height of the chimney and any unsafe conditions.

To locate an NPI professional in your area, visit National Property Inspections.

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Be Advised

Electrical holiday lights and displays attract adults and children alike. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), it is estimated that 12,500 people go to hospital emergency rooms for falls, cuts, shocks and burns related to holiday decorating.

Before stringing lights, inside or out, become familiar with this safety-watch list for your holiday season:

• Use only lights that have been tested for safety from an independent testing laboratory.

• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. 

• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per extension cord. 

• Never run extension cords through water, even those labeled for outdoor use.

• Install automatic timers to ensure lights do get turned off before leaving or going to bed, and to save electricity at the same time.

• Brown or brittle needles are prone to fire, so always buy a fresh wreath or tree. Make sure artificial trees are flame-retardant.

Protect yourself, your family and your home by following safety procedures to ensure a safe holiday season.

For more holiday safety tips, visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters, also known as “instantaneous” water heaters, are up to 34 percent more efficient than storage tank water heaters. Tankless water heaters heat water as needed, unlike conventional storage heaters that heat water and store it in a tank where it cools and is reheated until it is used.

According to a Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory study, households waste 6.35 gallons of water a day just waiting for water to heat up. Tankless water heaters can deliver hot water in as little as five seconds, while storage tanks take 30 seconds or more. These water heaters can save you money in the long run.   

Before you purchase a tankless water heater, do your homework. Find out what your groundwater temperature is. Tankless water heaters draw directly from underground supply lines, and knowing the temperature will help determine the number of degrees the water will need to be heated as it moves from underground to your tap. Think about how many hot water appliances you may run at the same time (dishwashers, washing machines). Add up the gallons of water you will use at peak demand, and buy a water heater that can heat them to your desired temperature.

For more information, go to the Green Guide.

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Extension Cords

Extension cords are used and abused, and can be great annoyances, especially during the holiday season. The tangles and knots caused by improper extension cord usage and storage can not only be a problem for you during holiday decorating, but they also promote safety risks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year. Follow these tips to make sure you’re using and storing your extension cords safely.

Proper use:
• Make sure you are using extension cords labeled for outdoor use.
• Never place an extension cord under rugs or through doorways where it can be damaged by heavy foot traffic.
• Don’t use staples or nails to attach extension cords to a baseboard or other surface – this could damage the cord and present a shock or fire hazard.

Proper storage:
• After taking down decorations, coil up the extension cord.
• Avoid wrapping the cord around your hand and elbow- this can kink the cord and result in a tangle.
• One method to wrap up a cord is to hold the cord in one hand and make successive loops.
• Another method is to use a device called a cord rewinder or retractor.

For more information on extension cord safety, go to This Old House.

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Maintenance Matters

Winter is a popular time for extended vacations because of the holiday season and people relocating to second homes in warmer locations during the cold winter months. The main risks associated with leaving a home unheated over a cold winter season include freezing water and the movement of framing, drywall, plaster and flooring.

Before you leave your home for a majority of the winter, make sure you follow these tips to ensure a proper shut-down:

• Properly securing the water system involves much more than turning off the water. You must also secure anything that may contain water, including drain traps, piping, water heaters, dishwashers and clothes washers. Open up the piping at several locations to drain water.

• Fill drain traps and toilets with specialized antifreeze to keep sewer gas from entering your home, and to prevent freeze damage.

• Turn off the washing machine supply lines, and remove and drain them. To clear water from the washing machine pump, run the washer on the fill part of its cycle, set to warm water. For a dishwasher, remove the inlet hose and open the supply valve after you have turned off the water supply to the house. Operate the dishwasher to clear the valve; remove the drain hose.

• Unplug all electrical appliances to prevent any damage from power surges or lightning strikes.

• Keep the heat turned on, at a low setting to avoid the risk of structural damage of your home.

• Rain gutters, downspouts, sump pumps and appliances can malfunction during a long winter absence. Security is also a major concern- find someone to check on your house to avoid these risks. Contact your insurance company to find out their requirements.”

Now is the time to start thinking about the winter months, and how you maintain your furnaces.

“The most common type of forced air furnace provides heat by burning a fossil fuel to warm the air around the furnace’s “heat exchanger,”  then distributing the warm air throughout the home via ductwork. Typically, the fuel is natural gas, propane or oil.

With a properly operating system, the combustion byproducts, such as gases, are safely drawn out of the home through a chimney or vent pipe. All furnaces should be serviced annually to assure safety and proper operation.”

Read more about them by going on: lehigh-npi@verizon.net

“Garbage.

Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less. Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle. That’s why our editors spent time investigating the state of waste management in our country, putting this list togther for you, explaining how we can get serious about the three R’s — reducing, reusing, and recycling — and divert more waste away from landfills.

1. Appliances:

Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org.

2. Batteries:

Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com.

3. Cardboard boxes:

Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they Boxcan use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale

Keep Cool Starting from the Top
by Phoebe Chongchua

With summer coming and temperatures rising quickly, many people are already turning the air conditioner on. But did you know that what’s atop your home may or may not be helping you stay cool?

“Clay and concrete tiles have been around for thousands of years. They are the original green product. They are recycled material. They come from the earth — clay and concrete mines that come from the ground. They have a reflectivity quotient that’s above and beyond any other roofing product that’s on the market,” says Dave Mann, President of Patriot Roofing.

Roofing tiles are the only materials that possess two inherent qualities necessary for energy reduction; not only do they contain natural thermal resistance in the raw materials but also the installation of the individual tiles creates a natural airspace around the tiles allowing for ventilation that helps cool air to circulate through the roof. Mann says this can greatly reduce the amount of heat going in and out of a home, resulting in less air conditioner usage and lower electrical bills.”

This article was posted in Pardoncheney.com

Please read the following very carefully. It could save your life, if you’re in this situation.

“Have you ever been in a hotel during a fire? It’s a frightening experience, and you should start thinking about it. For instance, how would you have acted if you had been in one of these fires? %

An Inspector turned Realtor ? Thank you Tracy Griffin from Inspect-it First.

No matter how well you can picture your dream house and communicate your ideal to a Realtor, the house you finally fall in love with may have little resemblance to the image you started out with. But you have to begin somewhere, and a detailed wish list is a great head start. When you start looking at houses, this information will be valuable to a Realtor as he or she matches your requirements to available houses.

Now that you have an idea of what you can afford, you can focus on whether you’re in the market for a condominium, co-op, townhouse, single-family detached home or – hey, it happens – a mansion that will accommodate 20 of your closest friends.

Any Real Estate questions ? Please call this Realtor: Gladys, at 610-972 3545

According to (CNNmoney.com)

“Sales by homeowners increased more than expected in July, as median prices fell 7% from July 2007.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Sales of existing homes rose in July, according to the latest reading on the battered housing market by an industry trade group released Monday.

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales by homeowners in July increased to an annual pace of 5 million, up from the revised June reading of 4.85 million.

That’s better than the annual pace of 4.9 million that economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected, and it’s the highest pace since February. Still, July sales were down 13.2% from a year earlier.

Home sales were helped by falling prices. The median price of all single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops sold during the month fell 7.1% to $212,400 from $228,600 a year ago. Before the start of the current housing slump, it had been 11 years since prices fell compared to a year earlier.

At the same time, the single-family home median price fell 7.7% from a year ago to $210,900. The trade group has tracked those sales prices going back to 1989.

“Home prices generally follow sales trends after a few months of lag time,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “Still, inventory remains high in many parts of the country and will require time to fully absorb.”

Even as sales picked, up, the excess supply of homes on the market still rose in July. Realtors estimated that there are now 4.67 million homes available for sale, which represents an 11.2 month supply.

That is up from the 11.1-month supply in June, though NAR said the rise in inventories was due to a sharp jump in the number of condominiums on the market. Inventory of single family homes declined slightly, falling to a 10.6 month supply from 11 months in June.

“We expect more balanced conditions in 2009, and will eventually return to normal long-term appreciation patterns,” added Yun.

As a result of a battered market, President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act late last month. The bill includes a temporary tax credit of up to $7,500 for first-time home buyers who haven’t purchased a home in three years. (Please read more on the Tax Credit, in our Archive)

Qualified buyers must earn less than $75,000 – or $150,000 for a couple – after which point the tax credit begins to phase out. The Senate Finance Committee estimates that about 1.6 million people will use the credit.

“We hope the new tools in the hands of home buyers from the recently enacted housing stimulus package will spark a sustained sales uptrend in the months ahead,” said NAR President Richard Gaylord. “Buyers who’ve been on the sidelines should take a closer look at what’s available to them now in terms of financing and incentives.” “

The MLS stands for “Multiple Listing Service”. In our Area, for an example, we have The Lehigh Valley Association Of Realtors. In every part of the country, they have an Association of Realtors. All local Associations are under the Umbrella of The National Association of Realtors.

Realtors pay dues to the Association and it provides tools like a Multiple Listing Service, that is the Local MLS. It advertises to other Realtors the details of each listing (such as address, number of bedrooms, square footage, and whether the home has garages, a pool, a finnished Basement etc.) Other benefits, not limited to, continuing Education, Legal Support.

Some Realtors although few, don’t belong to the Association, therefore don’t get the Benefits it has to offer such as RPAC (Realtors Political Action Committee) etc…

A Reliable Association Realtor with Access to the MLS,  can look up the pricing history, days on markets, and all the details related to a specific property that has been advertised in the MLS. 

That information is made available to the public on some search engines. Some Information remains confidential labeled for Agent Only. 

For further question on this, or any other Real Estates concern, please call this Realtor, Gladys at 610-972 3545.