Green Revolution Realty

Emily 267-269-6288
Bryan 215-768-2521

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Mortgage Rates Continue to Encourage Home Buyers

With mortgage rates priced near their most agressive levels of the year, buyers are becoming serious about their house hunting.  Even though the tax credit deadline has passed we are seeing an influx of buyers eager to take advantage of the low rates.  Since we don’t know how long the rates will continue to stay low, it makes sense to purchase now and lock in a great rate!  

Mortgage rates as of 5/25/2010

 30 year fixed- 4.58%     15 year fixed – 3.72%   5/1 ARM – 3.42%

Keller Williams Realty Inaugurates “Red Day”

With corporate bailouts and stratospheric executive compensation dominating the headlines, it’s helpful to be reminded of companies that remain focused on giving back to their communities. 

Committed to setting a new standard in business citizenship, on May 13, Keller Williams Realty Center City will devote the day to volunteering at the Jane Addams Place in West Philadelphia for Red Day.  ”Red Day” short for “Renew, Energize and Donate,” was created by Keller Williams Realty Inc. to give back to its communities across the United States and Canada.  With 73,000 Associates in 690 offices participating in various volunteer efforts all on the same day, the company will unite its regional offices to make an international  impact

Each Keller Williams Realty office has picked a one day civic project with the goal of showing that one day can make a difference to a community.   Locally, our Market Center will be volunteering at the Jane Addams Place which is a comprehensive emergency center for women and children.  On May 13 from 9:30-3:00 local Keller Williams agents will be volunteering their services to improve the facilities, provide landscaping, donate supplies, as well as offer classes on nutrition and home ownership.

Whether donating time at a local shelter, or cleaning up a park, we expect this to be the biggest community service event in the real estate industry and in Keller Williams  Realty’s history.

Go Green Tips

 

Ten Tips to Go Green

1) Turn down the thermostat. Lowering it by just one degree can reduce heating energy costs by about four percent.

2) Use ceiling fans in the summer AND winter. By reversing the direction of the blades, warm air is pushed down, helping to keep rooms warm in winter.

3) Conserve energy by purchasing major appliances with an Energy Star rating. Compared to a 1990 model, an Energy Star-qualified refrigerator would save enough electricity to light a home for more than four and a half months.

4) Repair leaky fixtures: one drop per second from a leaky faucet can waste as mush as 10 gallons of water each week.

5) Install low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets. Low-flow faucets reduce water consumption and the cost of heating water by as much as 50 percent; using a low-flow toilet can save Americans 2.1 trillion gallons of water and $11.3 million nationwide every day.

6) Choose carpeting, rugs, window treatments and other textiles made from natural fibers, such as cotton or wool, which are untreated and free of toxins, such as pesticides or chemical cleaners.

7) Ask for flooring products made from rapidly renewable resources, such as bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fasted growing plants in the world, requiring no replanting and little fertilization or pesticides.

8) Select solid woods harvested from sustainably-managed forests, when possible, for furniture or cabinetry, rather than pressed woods or composites that may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals that may be toxic and hazardous to your health.

9) Eliminate waste by choosing products that are biodegradable or recyclable. Consider the “lifecycle” of furnishings and accessories before purchasing: Are they made of materials that can be reused or recycled when the item eventually wears out or is no longer needed?

10) Recycle packing and shipping materials from any newly purchased items, and safely dispose of paint cans and other containers with contents that could potentially contaminate the ground or water supply. ::National Building Museum

How to easily find Philly Open Houses!

Check out this great, new website!

greaterphillyopenhouse.com

The newest, most effective way to find open houses in Philly!   As well as being easy to search, if you know the MLS# of a property you’d like to see, enter it onto the site and you’ll be notified by email when that property has an open.

Benefits of LEED Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council is a national nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C. composed of the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

There are both environmental and financial benefits to earning a LEED Certification.

LEED Certified buildings are designed to:

  • Lower operating costs and increase asset value
  • Reduce waste sent to landfills
  • Conserve energy and water
  • Minimize strain on local infrastructures and resources
  • Be healthier and safer for occupants and improve quality of life
  • Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions
  • Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities.
  • Demonstrate an owner’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Tax Credit for Move-Up & New Home Buyers

1.First time home buyers qualify for the $8,000 tax credit. Who is eligible for the $6,500 tax credit?
Qualified move-up or repeat home buyers purchasing any kind of home.   Both first time and move up home buyers must have a signed agreement of sale on or before April 30,2010 and must settle on the property on or before June 30, 2010.

2. What is the definition of a move-up or repeat home buyer?
A person who has lived in the same home for a least 5 consecutive years of the 8 years prior to purchase date.  For married taxpayers the law applies to both spouses.  Repeat home buyers do not have to purchase a home that is more expensive than their previous home to qualify for the tax credit. Read the rest of this entry »