It’s hard to believe, but between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week. Here are some suggestions of ways to go green this holiday season, and you just might save some green in the meantime.
Start with your gift giving. Giving an experience, like tickets to a movie or ballgame can create much less waste than toys and gadgets. And some of the best gifts can be homemade like cookies and cakes.
As you do begin wrapping up those presents for family and friends, consider reusing gift bags, tissue paper, and bows.
If you need to ship your presents this year, avoid Styrofoam packing peanuts and try using crumpled up newspaper instead.
As you search for that perfect tree, keep in mind that if you purchase a tree from a tree farm you’re not damaging forests. Artificial trees are also a good choice since they are reused every year and that saves on the gas you would use driving to the tree farms.
If you’re buying lights, be sure to purchase Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. These lights have been around a few years and are 90% more efficient than traditional Christmas lights. They also last longer.
And start the New Year off on the right foot try treecycling. By recycling your fresh tree you can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of ending up in a landfill, Christmas trees can be ground into wood chips and be reused as mulch gardens, or to prevent erosion.
And remember….have a very Merry Christmas
Well, here’s another program designed to help home owners in loan trouble. I hope it helps, but I’m not so sure lenders will go along with the idea of being landlords.
Fannie Mae last week announced a new Deed for Lease™ program. The new program allows borrowers to voluntarily transfer their property back to the lender and then lease back the house at market rate. The lease period is for up to 12 months, with month-to-month contract extensions after that period. The program is designed for borrowers who do not qualify for or have not been able to obtain other loan-workout solutions, such as loan modifications.
To participate in the program, borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens on the property. Homeowners interested in this lease program must be able to document that the new market rental rate is no more than 31% of their gross montly income.
Homeowners thinking of participating in the Deed for Lease™ program should visit Fannie Mae’s loan lookup
website at http://loanlookup.fanniemae.com/loanlook… to see whether their loan is owned or guaranteed by Fannie. Mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration and other government agencies are not eligible for the Deed for Lease ™ program.
To read the full story, please click here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/11/06/qa-how-to-rent-your-home-from-fannie-mae/
Reprinted with permission of the Calif. Asso.of Realtors. Nov. 2009
~ Barry Ripp
7 Ways to Save Money
And Energy This Winter
Since money is tight this winter, homeowners need to become
more cautious with their spending on energy and heat. Here’s how:
1-Install programmable thermostats
They can save you up to $180 on annual energy bills, says the
Environmental Protection Agency.
2-Use Energy Star rated appliances
They use between 10 and 50 percent less energy and water than standard models.
3-Change doors
Energy Star rated doors with built-in weather stripping offer five times
the insulation value of solid wood doors.
4-Update windows
Save up to $465 yearly on energy costs by replacing windows.
5-Install dimmer switch and motion detectors.
Dim lights by 25 percent and save an average of 15 percent on energy
costs — and extend incandescent bulb life by four times.
Motion-sensor lights save energy since they activate only when motion is
detected and cut off during the daytime.
6-Seal
Use caulk, sealants and weather stripping.
Try DAP Side Winder Caulk on doors and windows to fill gaps and leaks,
and save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs.
7-Insulate
Cut costs by up to 20 percent by adding insulation to attics, crawl spaces
and basement rim joists.
For more energy saving tips, check the EPA website:
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/home.htm#energy
Now you can stay warm and happy this winter.
