Capital City Inspections - Austin, Tx
 
 
 Excellence in Home Inspections

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Unsubscribe   Forward to a friend   Privacy Policy                                July 2010 Volume 6 Issue 7

http://www.capcityinspections.com | mikeb@capcityinspections.com | Archives 

Brought to you by:
 
Michael Boyett (512) 577-2579
Certified Licensed Professional Real Estate Inspector TREC #7290
NACHI, ABOR

In this issue...

TIPS

NEWS

FAST FACT

Capital City Inspections
Excellence in Home Inspections

2034 Verbena Dr
Austin, TX 78750
512-577-2579

Thanks for helping make 2009 a banner year for Capital City Inspections. I look forward to helping you in 2010. We can also provide Austin's new, required energy audits for Seller's and Buyer's. Please contact me for more information.

Visit my Web Site:
http://www.capcityinspections.com

Send E-Mail To:
mikeb@capcityinspections.com

This issue of HomeHints eNews is provided by:
Michael Boyett (512) 577-2579

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Tips

10 Ways to Reduce Your Summer Utility Bills

Now that the summer heat--and summertime utility bills--are making you sweat, you might want to consider making a few changes to cut your energy consumption. You can shave dollars off your monthly bills without sacrificing comfort, as long as you plan ahead and get creative. Here's US News and World Report's room-by-room guide to saving money this summer and benefiting the Earth at the same time.


Know Your Home Remodel ROI

An often-used measure to evaluate the financial feasibility of a project is “return on investment” or ROI, a calculation of how much of the cost of the investment can be recovered. The National Association of Realtors suggests seven projects that will give you good ROI. Although the data is updated annually, these 2009 approximate figures should give you a general idea of what return you'll get on your improvements:

Improvement Job    Cost       Value     % Recouped
Kitchen Minor         $17,950     $15,250           85%
Windows (Wood)    $11,040       $9,400           85%
Bathroom               $12,900     $10,970           85%
Windows (Vinyl)      $10,160      $8,500           84%
Two-story Add       $105,300     $87,650          83%
Kitchen Major          $54,250    $43,600           80%
Attic Bedroom         $44,100    $35,250           80%

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Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator

You probably know that refrigerators are typically the most energy-hungry appliances in your home, so the more efficient your refrigerator the more money you can save. Older refrigerators are usually two to three times more costly to run than newer models. If you still have a fridge from the 1980s, replace it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model and save over $100 each year on your utility bills. Replace a fridge from the 1970s and save nearly $200 each year! If you are wondering whether replacing your refrigerator is a good decision for you, ENERGY STAR Savings has a calculator you can use to find out exactly how much money you'll save by replacing your existing refrigerator.

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Truths and Myths of Dryer Fires

Consumer Reports says: "Here's a frightening claim: Fabric-softener sheets can burn out the heating unit of your clothes dryer and possibly cause a fire. That's the warning in an e-mail message sent to one of our readers, who asked us whether it's true. The short answer is no, though dryer fires are a real hazard and there are ways to protect yourself." See the complete article for a few tips to keep your clothes dryer running safely and efficiently and to let their experts set the record straight.

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NEWS 

Most families with young children live within a mile of a public elementary school. The most common home heating fuel in the U.S. is gas. Only a third of American homes have a working carbon monoxide detector. These are just some of the findings of a comprehensive national sample of the more than 130 million residential housing units released July 1, 2010 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD's 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS)is the most thorough look inside the homes of millions of Americans and reveals everything from the square footage of the unit to how many homes have front porches, garages or even usable fireplaces. The 2009 survey reveals that significantly more American homes are larger, are more air conditioned and have more bedrooms and bathrooms than homes from the initial 1973 survey.

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Fast Facts

  • Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th." Next one? May 2011.

  • The thigh bone is largest by volume and the longest and strongest in the human body. It is stronger than concrete.

  • You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult they have fused to only 206.

  • Ants make up about one tenth the earth's total animal biomass. About the same amount as humans.

  • Bamboo plants can grow up to 36 inches in a day. 

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