The homeowner's 15-point money saving checklist – PLUS the pros and cons of 6 different driveways

Fifteen things you can do to reduce energy and maintenance costs: 1. Turn down the hot water heater to 120°F. It's a waste of energy to heat water hotter than most people can stand. 2. Get a water heater blanket. Many older water heaters and even fairly new ones aren't well insulated. A water heater blanket saves money by keeping the heat in. 3. Wrap insulation around exposed hot water pipes. Good quality pipe insulation makes the water 2° to 4° warmer and delivers it quicker. The first three feet leaving the heater and the last few feet coming back are key. 4. Check for running toilets, leaky faucets and under sink plumbing. They cost you money and lead to mold. 5. Check attic insulation. If you have an unfinished attic, have at least 6" of insulation, (more in the northern U.S.). 6. Put in a programmable thermostat. This automatically adjusts temperature, so you only pay for heating or cooling the house when you're actively using it. 7. Install ceiling fans. Their air circulation effect lets you put your thermostat 1° or 2° higher in summer and 1° or 2° lower in winter. Set to blow air down in summer and up in winter. 8. Replace the air handling filter. This is behind a slotted panel in the air handler. Note the size and stock up. A dirty filter makes the system work harder. Check every two months. 9. Clear all air vents. Make sure vents aren't blocked and look in to see they're dust bunny free. 10. Air-dry some laundry. Put up a rack in the laundry room or a clothesline outside. Air-dry a third of your laundry and you're running the dryer a third less of the time. 11. Choose reliable, energy efficient appliances. Paying a little extra for quality and reliability will save you lots over the long haul. 12. Seal out air. Air leaks are money leaks. Look for them around windows and doors, and then seal them up. 13. Monitor foundation cracks. If you have cracks in basement walls, cover the ends with masking tape with the date. If the cracks grow, call in a specialist. Foundation problems are way cheaper to fix sooner than later. 14. Plant shade trees near your home. They cool the house in summer, saving money on air conditioning, and add value to the property. 15. Write down a home maintenance checklist. Include tasks you should do monthly, quarterly, and annually. Review each month. You'll save tons of money over time. 6 WAYS TO DRIVEWAYS 1. Gravel. Loose stones come in different sizes and colors, make the least expensive surface, and allow water to drain into the soil. Water runoff, traffic, and plowing will move it around, so it may need annual touch ups. 2. Tar & Gravel. Also called surface treatment or double shot, this looks like gravel but the tar helps hold it in place. You need new stone every 7 to 10 years to keep the gravel color. 3. Asphalt. This is the least expensive solid surface driveway and great for kids to play on. But you have to re-seal it every few years, especially in northern climates, to keep water from getting into crevices and freezing. 4. Concrete. This needs less maintenance than asphalt and offers interesting options. The least expensive is installed as slabs with expansion joints to minimize cracking. Exposed aggregate concrete costs more and features a rough gravel surface. Decorative concrete comes in many different colors and stamped patterns and costs the most. 5. Concrete pavers. There are many styles and colors, from bricks to squares to octagonal patterns. The cost is similar to decorative concrete but individual pavers are easily repaired. 6. Natural stone. Cobblestones, Belgian blocks, and slate paving are beautiful, but expensive. If you're looking to drive up to your first home, a larger one, or a downsize, we can help you with the financing. We're happy to answer any questions, whenever you're ready to take advantage of the opportunities in today's housing market. We can also help with refinancing your current home or funding home improvements. Please call or email us any time. We're always here for you... Have a great day! P.S.: Mortgage rates remain at historically attractive levels. When buying or refinancing, it's smart to start the process early. Please call or email us to explore the appealing options available now.

Market Update

QUOTE OF THE WEEK... "The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it." --Arnold H. Glasow, American humorist INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... It's taken a bit of patience to see Pending Home Sales go up after months of stagnant activity. But go up it did in March. The Pending Home Sales index of contract signings shot up 3.4% for the month, its first gain in the last nine months. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) chief economist explained: "After a dismal winter, more buyers got an opportunity to look at homes last month and are beginning to make contract offers." Looking ahead, the NAR economist was upbeat: "Sales activity is expected to steadily pick up as more inventory reaches the market, and from ongoing job creation in the economy." Some of that added inventory could be from sellers coming off the sidelines as home prices continue to recover. The Case-Shiller/S&P 500 index of home prices in 20 key metros went up 0.8% in February (seasonally-adjusted). This widely followed reading shows prices up 12.9% in the past year. BUSINESS TIP OF THE WEEK... Experts say if you tend to get nervous before a presentation, rehearse it as much as you can. Practicing in front of a mirror builds confidence and helps you put more flow into your delivery. >> Review of Last Week GOOD ECONOMICS, BAD GEOPOLITICS... It was another one of those paradoxical weeks where investors had to react to things going in both directions. Biggest of the economic uppers was the April jobs report, coming in with a way better than expected 288,000 new payrolls, the biggest gain in two years. But geopolitics sent stocks down, as the Ukraine crisis made Wall Streeters nervous. Although suffering a down day Friday, all three major market indexes finished ahead for the week. The Unemployment Rate dropped to 6.3%, but this positive was actually a negative, caused by a record 806,000 people leaving the labor force in April. Also a downer was the Preliminary GDP reading for Q1, which showed the economy growing at a barely perceptible 0.1% rate. But ISM Manufacturing and Pending Home Sales bested expectations, while Personal Spending came in with its strongest reading since 2009, up 0.5% for the month. This shows that consumers are continuing to drive the 70% of the economy they support. The week ended with the Dow up 0.9%, to 16513; the S&P 500 up 1.0%, to 1881; and the Nasdaq up 1.2%, to 4124. Worries over Ukraine were strong enough to rally bonds, in spite of the surprising April jobs report and the Fed trimming its monthly bond purchases another $10 billion on Wednesday. The FNMA 4.0% bond we watch finished the week up .86, at $105.03. National average fixed mortgage rates dipped back down in Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending May 1. This followed the release of the disappointing Q1 GDP number. Remember, mortgage rates can be extremely volatile, so check with your mortgage professional for up to the minute information. DID YOU KNOW?... Overall private residential construction spending in Q1 was up 16.7% over a year ago. Single-family private construction spending in March was up 13.2% (seasonally adjusted) versus last year. >> This Week’s Forecast SERVICE SECTOR GROWING, PRODUCTIVITY AND TRADE DEFICIT SHRINKING... A quiet week as far as economic reports go, with the familiar good news, bad news theme. ISM Services should show continued expansion in April in the sector of the economy that creates the most jobs. But the Trade Balance is projected to be a bit bigger in March and the Preliminary Productivity reading for Q1 is forecast to shrink, which is bad news for that measure.

8 Ways to Speed Up Your Blog Writing

Do you find writing a new blog post a time-consuming and maybe even painful experience? Here are 8 tips from people who write for a living on how to get the word out a lot more quickly, with a lot less trouble. 1. Think first. It's been said that writing is thinking. So if you're having trouble getting the words down, stop and check your thinking. Go through in your mind exactly what it is you want to say. If your ideas are clear to you, the words will come out more easily, and your writing will begin to flow again. 2. Don't procrastinate. A famous author once said, "My best friend is my desk and my biggest enemy is my couch." When it's time to get a new piece out, don't suddenly come up with other things that demand your attention, or decide that you first need a moment to relax on that sofa. Boot up the computer or go old school and pick up a pencil and pad. Either way, just sit down and write. 3. KISS to grab readers. KISS stands for Keep It Short and Simple. When it comes to blog posts, that's the key to getting readers. Break up your writing with headers and bullets. Remember that busy readers will be skimming for key points. Make 500 words your absolute maximum. 4. ABC: Always Be Clear. Business writing is never about showing how big your vocabulary is or how artfully you can craft a sentence. You want to express your ideas clearly and quickly get to the point. The reader should instantly understand what you're saying, without needing a long explanation. 5. Don't try to be perfect. Going for perfection is a great way to get nowhere. Instead, just focus on writing clearly and letting a little of your natural personality come through. Once you're there, stop. 6. If you get stuck, try "automatic writing." When the words simply aren't coming, just start putting down whatever comes to mind. Don't worry about how the sentences are structured, or how well the ideas flow. Just write freely, which is known as "automatic writing." When you've run out of things to say, go back and edit. Try to get everything working from your main point, which may be one you've come up with during this free writing exercise. 7. Try this simple structure for your post. Here's a formula for getting a point across that's been attributed to the U.S. Marines and has been used by countless business presenters: Tell them what you're going to tell them Tell it to them Tell them what you told them You can use this outline over and over for lots of topics. 8. Don't worry about selling. Your business blog post is obviously targeted to customers and prospects. But that doesn't mean it always has to be about something that might retain a customer or make a sale. Focus your blog writing less on promoting your business and more on sharing something interesting with your readers. Talk about how your business does business, things you've observed, or insights you can offer. The more blog posts you post, the better for your business. Keep working at it. Like anything else, the more you write, the better you'll get at it, and the faster you'll produce the piece. Here's to your continued success in blogs and in person, as you keep putting together your best year ever... Enjoy a great month!