Century 21 Wimco Realty, Inc. Blog

Oil spill fears? Beware of fraud
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – May 5, 2010 – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum issued a consumer advisory regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

As with any natural disaster, scam artists see an opportunity to make money off other people’s losses. However, fraud is illegal, and McCollum asked anyone seeing fraud to report it to Florida’s fraud hotline at: (866) 966-7226.

According to McCollum, it’s too early to know the extent of the problem since oil continues to escape into the Gulf of Mexico and attempts to stem the flow have been unsuccessful. As a result, Floridians should not waive any rights or sign any settlement documents from companies or corporations until they know the full extent of their loss, which could be significantly higher than the money offered initially.

Additionally, in what could be one of the most significant environmental clean-ups in Florida’s history, Attorney General McCollum clarified that Florida statutes provide no cap on recoveries related to natural resources. During the past weekend, Attorney General McCollum met with the Attorneys General of Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi to discuss a number of legal options to ensure costs and damages to Gulf coast states, businesses and residents are recouped.

Consumers can find more information on the Attorney General’s website at http://www.myfloridalegal.com. Additional information on the State Emergency Response Team’s efforts can be found at http://www.floridadisaster.org.

© 2010 Florida Realtors®

Tax credit doesn’t expire yet for military

WASHINGTON – April 28, 2010 – Members of the military, foreign service and intelligence communities may have an additional year to buy a home and claim the homebuyer tax credit – up to $8,000 – that expires for most Americans on April 30.

To qualify for the extended tax credit deadline, service members must have served on official extended duty outside of the United States for 90 days or more at any time between Jan. 1, 2009, and April 30, 2010. If so, they have until April 30, 2011, to sign a sales contract, and until June 30, 2011, to settle and close on the home. The rule includes both the $8,000 first-time and $6,500 repeat homebuyer tax credit.

Under the law, “qualified service members” includes those serving in the uniformed services of the United States military, a member of the Foreign Service of the United States or an employee of the intelligence community.

The rule that requires buyers to repay the credit if they move out of their home within three years has also been waived for qualified service members if they must sell their home after receiving government orders for extended duty service.

Florida Realtors Approved for MyCAA Program

Florida Realtors® has been approved as an authorized institution by the Department of Defense as part of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program. This program will provide up to $6000 of education assistance to eligible spouses of active-duty military members. The program will allow any member of Florida Realtors® who take advantage of this program to register for any Florida Realtors® sponsored course (GRI, CE Express or Convention) with no out-of-pocket expenses, including Florida Realtors® sponsored courses at their local board.

More information will be available from Florida Realtors® as soon as the details are finalized. For answers to any questions about the MyCAA program, click here.

Low-Flow Toilets: How to Choose

Replacing an old water-guzzler with a new low-flow toilet can shave as much as $90 off your annual utility bill and send thousands fewer gallons of water down the drain.
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A lot has changed since 1994, when low-flow toilets became the law of the land. Early versions created a bit of a stink, because while they were good at saving water—using only 1.6 gallons per flush versus as many as 7 gallons—they weren’t necessarily good at doing a toilet’s main job.

Today’s low-flow models don’t have those problems. Not only are they much better performers, some also use even less water than the federal standard. So if you’re in the market for a new throne, it pays to consider a high-efficiency toilet (HET). You’ll save a bundle: According to the EPA, replacing pre-1994 guzzlers with new HETs will shave more than $90 off your annual utility bills. Plus, you’ll be sending thousands fewer gallons a year down the drain.

Look for high performers
The EPA’s WaterSense label on the box identifies HETs that have been certified by independent laboratories. They’re rated according to Maximum Performance (MaP) testing protocols, which measure the toilets’ ability to remove waste. MaP scores range from 250 to 1,000, based on the number of grams completely evacuated in a single flush. The EPA has adopted 350 grams as its minimum performance threshold, and “anything over 500 is very good,” says Terry Love, a plumber in Washington state who conducts his own thorough testing of low-flow toilets.

Choose a flush mechanism
Like standard low-flow toilets, HETs come with different flush options. The one you choose depends on how “green” you want to be, how much you’re willing to spend, and your tolerance for noise. Most residential toilets in the U.S. are gravity-flush, which, as the term implies, relies on the weight of water flowing into the bowl to help remove waste. Pressure-assist toilets compress air at the top of the tank to increase flush velocity, so they can do the job with as little as 0.8 gallons of water. While this turbocharged action makes for a powerful flush, the loud whoosh! may cause small children to jump out of their socks. (Somewhat counterintuitively, these also require good household water pressure to work properly.)

Some low-flow designs, like the minimalist Kohler Hatbox—so streamlined that it doesn’t even have a tank—flush with the aid of an electric pump. While that delivers a powerful flush without the noise, unlike a standard toilet it requires electricity, which can make for more complicated installation and costlier maintenance.

Calculate your savings
Toilets account for about 27% of a household’s indoor water usage, so trading up to a high-efficiency toilet can yield big savings. According to the EPA, a family of four that replaces its home’s older toilets with WaterSense-labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets. You can pocket even more by taking advantage of rebates and vouchers offered by many states and municipalities. The city of Austin, Texas, for example, gives residents up to three HETs for free, though there is a modest fee for certain design features, such as an elongated bowl or a seat that meets the ADA-required height of 17 inches.

And, of course, you’ll be saving a lot of water. Pre-1994 toilets send between 3.5 and 7 gallons down the drain with every flush. For a family of four, that adds up to about 76 gallons a day. And if the toilet leaks—that is, if it continues to run after you’ve flushed or sometimes trickles mysteriously on its own—it could be chugging up to 200 extra gallons daily.

To maximize water savings, consider a dual-flush HET. The tank has two buttons that let you choose between a half flush and a full flush, depending on whether liquid or solid waste needs to go down. Caroma, a brand made in Australia (where dual-flush is mandatory), started selling these in the U.S. about a decade ago and offers nearly a dozen dual-flush lines.

Do some comparison shopping
The good news is that all this efficiency comes at a reasonable price—about $200 on average, no more than a conventional low-flow toilet. Keep in mind that price doesn’t always guarantee quality or correlate to MaP score. Before you make a purchase, check consumer reviews for specific models, noting track records for maintenance and common gripes that crop up about specific brands. Once you find a model you like, it’s easy to compare prices at Web sites such as pricegrabber.com, shopzilla.com, and nextag.com (be sure to factor in shipping and return policies). Certain features, such as elongated bowls and high-tech finishes like Toto’s SanaGloss, might add 20% to the price, but considering how long it will be until you buy your next toilet, that extra bit of ease and comfort is quickly amortized.

For the greatest savings, switch to compact fluorescents
CFLs remain the go-to choice for energy efficiency. They last longer and consume less electricity than a standard incandescent. A 13-watt CFL, for example, gives off the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent and burns for 10,000 hours, compared with 1,000 hours for the conventional bulb. A typical CFL saves about $30 in operating costs over its lifetime.

Early CFLs didn’t always deliver on light quality or convenience, but aesthetic performance has improved vastly in recent years. They now come in warm, neutral, and cool “colors,” and major manufacturers like GE have started enclosing the telltale spiral in a conventional bulb shape so it’s less obtrusive.

You get the biggest bang for your buck with CFLs in places where you would otherwise use incandescent bulbs: floor and table lamps and standard overhead fixtures. They last longer when they’re not flipped on and off constantly, so they’re especially good in rooms that see a lot of activity throughout the day, such as a kitchen or a playroom. A couple of caveats: CFLs can be glary, so they’re not the best choice in downward-pointing fixtures like chandeliers, and most don’t work with dimmers or timers. Because the bulbs contain mercury, they can’t be thrown out in the regular trash. If you bought them at a home center, you should be able to return them there for recycling, or log on to recycleabulb.com to find a disposal center near you.

Cost and savings: Expect to pay $2 to $15 for a CFL, versus 50 cents to $1 for a comparable incandescent, but the CFL will last at least 10 times longer and cost up to 75% less to operate.

Irrigation systems & spigots
In spring, sprinkler heads should be checked for proper working condition. A weak or nonfunctioning sprinkler is likely a sign of a split line or popped connection.

With the system running, examine that all areas of the landscape are receiving equal amounts of spray. Heads that are spraying excessive amounts of water on driveways and sidewalks should be adjusted or replaced. Cost: $3 to $15 per replaced head, $2 to $5 for a coupling to repair a leak. Allow two hours to check the system.

A hard freeze often catches Southerners unprepared. In spring, take care that garden hoses are disconnected in the event of sudden frost. In the fall, exterior spigots should be drained and garden hoses disconnected and stowed. Homeowners with automatic lawn sprinkler systems should drain the lines and shut off the water source. Water that’s left in the lines and allowed to freeze can crack hoses or burst pipes.

Fences and gates
Wood fences generally require more attention than their chain-link and vinyl counterparts. Every other year or so the wood should be painted or sealed, unless the wood is left to weather naturally.

All wooden fences should be inspected for rot and insect damage every few months. Popped boards need to be nailed back in place; warped ones should be replaced. Pay special attention to posts, which are susceptible to rot.

Doors and windows

Leaky doors and windows not only decrease a home’s comfort and efficiency, they can invite moisture, insects and rot. Routinely check caulking and weather stripping to ensure tight seals. Inspect wood sills and trim for peeling paint, insect damage, and moisture penetration.

Fogging in double-pane windows is a sign that the seal has failed, resulting in the loss of insulating qualities. The window will need to be repaired or replaced. Cracked window panes, missing storms, and ripped screens should be replaced or repaired.

Hope everyone had a good Mardi Gras! Here is some info for you revellers to help you out the next 40 days:

Ash Wednesday, in the Western Christian calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days (forty days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as 4 February or as late as 10 March.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are typically gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens[1] (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the minister who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his or her own forehead and then on those of congregants. The minister administering ashes recites the words: “Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”, or “Repent, and believe the Gospel.”

Brought to you by Wikipedia!

Realtors pick nine green improvements to close deal

WASHINGTON – Jan. 14, 2010 – A new poll of nearly 1,000 Realtors offers a glimpse at the top “green” improvements recommended by real estate professionals to help move a sale property off the market.

The upgrades – which include planting native greenery, replacing air filters, staging the home with recycled or reusable props, weather-stripping doors and windows, installing programmable thermostats, installing low-flow showerheads, using turn-off power strips, replacing standard lighting with CFL or LED bulbs, and choosing low-VOC paint – are all fairly inexpensive investments.

And while three of those nine options get back at least twice as much in sale price gains as they cost, none have a bigger return on investment (ROI) than the top five traditional upgrades suggested by realty practitioners in a November survey. Cleaning and de-cluttering a home before it goes on the market, for instance, will cost the owner less than $200 to complete but bumps up the property’s sale price by almost $1,700 – for a staggering ROI of 872 percent.

Other high-ROI traditional improvements recommended by the real estate community include home staging, lightening/brightening, landscaping and plumbing repairs.

Although they do not offer a great ROI, HomeGain says eco-improvements are becoming more popular; and with their energy savings and low cost of investment, they probably should be considered by all homeowners – not just those preparing their unit for sale.

Source: USA Today (01/14/10)

Bathroom upgrades pay off

WASHINGTON – Oct. 6, 2009 – More than 80 percent of new single-family homes have at least two bathrooms, which occupy an average of 300 square feet of floor space, or 12 percent of the total area, according to a study by the National Association of Home Builders.

The home builders’ study reports a major return on value for extra bathrooms: “When the number of bathrooms is approximately equal to the number of bedrooms, an additional half-bath adds about 10 percent to the home’s value, and one additional bath adds about 19 percent.”

A mid-range bathroom remodel, which costs $10,500 on average nationwide, repays a homebuyer at least 100 percent of the outlay when the property is sold, the homebuyer study concludes.