Comedian George Burns was born on this day. He and wife Gracie Allen made us laugh, but one thing they took seriously (as all of us should) was the ever-present danger of carbon monoxide. Why? It is odorless, tasteless, invisible — and no joke. Carbon monoxide symptoms include headaches, dizziness and nausea. Carbon monoxide can kill you. Where does it come from? It is a natural byproduct of combustion in furnaces, fireplaces and gas appliances such as cook tops, water heaters and dryers — especially ones not working properly. How can you detect this invisible threat? Look for telltale signs like yellow flames and soot on burners, and install a carbon-monoxide audible alarm. There are battery-operated ones, or better yet for a few extra bucks, ones that plug in the wall. You should put one on every level in you home. When you do, you can say “goodnight Gracie,” as George Burns did. You’ll sleep peacefully, knowing everyone is safe and sound.
Balanced Central Heating
Fall means putting away white clothes and firing up the furnace to warm up chilly nights. This year, take a few minutes early in the season to fine-tune your system for maximum efficiency, minimum energy consumption and balanced warmth in every room. First, open dampers in main ducts near the furnace, lining the handle with the duct in the open position. A furnace operates best with all dampers open, allowing maximum air flow. After a few hours, check to see if any rooms are too warm. If so, close the dampers leading to that room. Wait another hour or two and check again. Small rooms heat up faster and big rooms with high ceilings take a while. Keep tweaking damper settings for each, until temperatures equalize. You can also vent louvers to fine-tune air flow to eliminate hot and cold spots, improve comfort and save energy dollars
3400 Home Inspections
This week I completed 3400 home inspections since July 3, 2003. I want to thank all my past clients that some have become friends. I have seen many types of homes from Lake Michigan lakefront homes to a single bedroom cabin up north. The clients were as interesting as the homes. Some had plans to enlarge before they own the place. Mostly first time buyers are so excited to have their first home they have paint samples in hand. All inspections triggers a change with a new beginning for both the buyers and sellers. If you know someone that wants to know more about a building big or small have them contact me.
Thank you for all your support,
Bob
Housing Market Update
New-home construction in the U.S. climbed in June to the second-highest level since November 2007 as builders stepped up work on apartment projects.
Housing starts rose 9.8 percent to a 1.17 million annualized rate from a revised 1.07 million in May that was stronger than previously estimated, figures from the Commerce Department showed Friday in Washington. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was a 1.11 million rate. Ground-breaking on multifamily dwellings jumped 29.4 percent.
Building permits for single and multifamily properties, a gauge of future construction, climbed to an almost eight-year high, the report showed. Steady job gains, low mortgage rates and a gradual easing of lending standards are propelling sales, indicating housing will become a bigger source of strength for the economy.
“They’re pretty positive numbers,” said Lewis Alexander, chief economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York. “You’ve got decent employment growth that’s been particularly good for young people, you’ve got relatively low interest rates, somewhat easing of credit standard — all of those things are helping.”
Estimates for housing starts in the Bloomberg survey of 76 economists ranged from 1.03 million to 1.23 million. The May figure was revised up from 1.04 million.
The gain in starts of multifamily homes followed a 16.9 percent decrease the previous month and a 37.5 percent April surge. Data on these projects, which have led housing starts in recent years, can be volatile.
Single-Family Homes
Starts of single-family houses eased to a 685,000 rate from 691,000 a month earlier, the report showed.
Three of four regions had a decrease in single-family construction in June, paced by a 27.3 percent drop in the Northeast and a 7.1 percent decline in West, according to the report.
Building permits increased 7.4 percent in June to a 1.34 million annualized rate, the highest since July 2007. They were projected to fall to 1.15 million.
Applications to begin work on single-family projects rose to 687,000 in June, the most since January 2008. Permits for construction of apartments and other multifamily dwellings rose 15.3 percent after a 20 percent jump the previous month.
Builder Confidence
The starts and permits data are consistent with a report Thursday that showed builders are increasingly confident in the outlook. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo said its sentiment gauge held July at the highest level since November 2005.
Builders and lenders alike are benefiting from an improving housing market.
“Housing activity has been especially encouraging with second quarter position to be the best quarter for home sales since 2007,” John Stumpf, chief executive officer at Wells Fargo Co., said on a July 14 earnings call. Employment opportunities and higher consumer confidence make “me optimistic that the economic expansion will sustain momentum into the second half of the year, and Wells Fargo should benefit from the increase in economic activity.”
A steadily strengthening job market “is perhaps the most important near-term driver for the homebuilding industry,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Drew Reading wrote in a July 10 research note. Even though average monthly payroll gains have slowed this year to around 208,000, that “may continue to provide a boost to demand,” he said.
Young Adults
Job gains among young adults — those 25 to 34 years old — may also help propel sales of entry-level homes, Reading wrote, especially as they set off on their own to form households. That could improve the outlook of companies such as LGI Homes Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. and KB Home, which have the most exposure to the entry-level market.
Historically low borrowing costs, combined with rising rents, may also may home-buying more compelling. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.04 percent in the week ended July 9, compared to an average 9.4 percent in the 30 years leading up to the recession, according to data from Freddie Mac in McLean, Virginia.
June National Home Ownership Month
For many Americans, owning a home represents freedom, independence, and the American dream. During June the National Homeownership Month, we highlight the benefits of owning a home and encourage our fellow citizens to be responsible homeowners.
During National Homeownership Month and throughout the year, I encourage all to take advantage of financial education opportunities to explore home ownership. By practicing fiscal responsibility, We all can contribute to the strength of our neighborhoods and our cities.
Join me in recognizing the importance of homeownership and building a more prosperous future for themselves and their communities.
Air Conditioning Homeowner Tips
Local cooling and heating experts say now is the time for homeowners to make sure their air conditioners are in working order before the summer rush. Air-conditioning companies get a burst of calls when it hits 90 degrees or 100 degrees.
Local experts say there are two main ways homeowners can be proactive when it comes to air-conditioner maintenance.
First, change the unit’s filter every month. A dirty filter can reduce a unit’s airflow, causing the inside of the system to freeze up, Homeowners also need to cut back weeds and bushes, which can block airflow, away from condensing units that sit outside the house. “The outside unit has to breathe,” When a unit’s flow of air is blocked, it not only damages bigger, more expensive parts but can also create larger electric bills and shorten the unit’s lifespan.
A homeowner’s other main defense against summertime air-conditioner breakdowns is having the unit inspected by a professional at least once a year — preferably in the spring.
Technicians don’t want to be crawling around in attics doing basic inspections when it’s 100 degrees out, especially when there are customers whose units are completely broken, he said.
It’s often also less expensive to get an inspection in the spring.
Homeowners should also have their air conditioners inspected even if the units are only one or two years old. That’s because there may be loose connections that create heat, putting stress on motors or compressors.
The sooner homeowners get an inspection, the better off they are. “I think average people procrastinate until they remember or have problems.
3 Important Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Home or Commercial Property
Despite a long, harsh winter, it seems that spring is finally in the air. While that means melting snow and rising temperatures, it also signifies the start of one of the most dreaded and well-known unofficial seasonal events: spring cleaning.
Trying to tackle an effective spring maintenance and cleaning project for a large commercial or industrial facility can seem like a daunting task. Here are three things to keep in mind so you don’t overlook any of the important points this spring.
1. Pest management
Flowers and children aren’t the only ones that will be poking their heads outside more this spring. The seasonal thaw means that we’ll once again start seeing an increase in pest activity. Whether it’s insects crawling or flying their way into your facility or rodents making themselves unwanted house guests, the emergence of spring is the perfect time to beef up your defense against pesky critters.
Many of these are simple, such as reducing the number of attractive factors pests may latch onto. For example, if you want to keep bees and wasps away, reduce the amount of colorful, fragrant flowers around your facility, since insects flock to these types of vegetation for feeding purposes. Similarly, roaches, ants and mice can all be enticed to make an appearance by the presence of nearby garbage and food. Consider keeping your dumpsters as far away from your building as possible to reduce the chance that pests drawn to your trash end up inside.
A big part of pest management is choosing a removal method that’s both effective and safe. While chemical pesticides and fumigation can eliminate the majority of insects, they can have negative side effects on your building’s occupants. For this reason it may be a better idea to explore non chemical means of pest management, such as sticky traps or electric bug zappers.
2. Grounds Keeping
Now that the snow is gone, facility managers can once again interact with their lawns, parking lots and other outdoor areas. Chances are much of your grass didn’t make it through the winter, and early spring is the prime season for planting new seed. HGTV recommended helpful tips to ensure you get the most out of your landscaping efforts. For example, one of the most important factors in preparing your lawn for warmer weather is the soil itself – be sure to test it to make sure the pH levels are ideal. Proper watering practices are also important, since overwatering or under watering your grass can have equally detrimental effects. According to the source, you likely only need to water your grass once a week – but be sure to water deeply, so the roots are properly irrigated.
Make sure you don’t neglect your other outdoor spaces. The cold winter temperatures and the subsequent thaw may have left your parking lots or sidewalks frackured with cracks due to weather-related expansion and contraction. Make sure to note these in your maintenance reports in your CMMS so you can address them in your upcoming building maintenance schedules.
3. Equipment and infrastructure
Just as you’ve been hiding away from the cold weather indoors all winter, so too has much of your maintenance equipment and essential infrastructure been hibernating the past several months. This can be your lawn care tools or it can mean more fundamental infrastructure like your HVAC system and air conditioning. Regardless, before you use any of your seasonal equipment, make sure you conduct a thorough inspection to make sure everything is in working order and nothing needs to be repaired or replaced.
