Michel Bird’s Blog

Create a Sun Chart

A sun chart shows you how much direct sunlight you should expect your location to receive over the course of an average day.

) Add a skyline - all those things that will stop direct sunlight from reaching you - buildings, trees, towers and the like.

If you wish to get truly technical, hire a solar pathfinder which lets you work out those times when shade will be an issue.

As the Solar Pathfinder works on a reflective principle instead of actually showing shadows, it may be employed anytime of the day, anytime of the year, in any sort of weather. Even the position of the sun at the time that you conduct the analysis isn’t important. In fact, the unit is easier to be used in the lack of direct sunlight. You can also use it at night, provided there’s enough moonlight to see by.

An essential part of the Solar Pathfinder is a clear, hard plastic dome set on top of a solid base ( the instrument’platform’ ). You look down onto the dome and see a panoramic view of the site reflected on the dome’s surface. Then, a paper sun-path diagram, showing the sun’s route thru the sky for every month of the year and every hour of the day, is placed underneath the dome. Slots in the side of the dome let you trace the outline of the reflected difficulties onto the diagram, revealing exactly what obstructions will shade the selected site and when..
DSIREusa.com is a comprehensive source of info on state, local, use, and Fed. Office of Energy.
Excerpt from SolarEnergy System’s DIY book on energy saving and solar pannels. Read More at : Solar Pannels Energy

Before you go to the cost of greening your house, there are quite a few things you can do to raise the’comfort’ level of living there. The cost savings for a few of these might be unimportant, but your comfort level will definitely increase, which will make the day by day living in your home more delightful.

everyone wants their home to be comfortably warm in winter, and nicely cool in spring, summer and fall.

Even if your house is powered by solar power, you don’t want to waste any of it.

So what are you able to do to both save energy and make your home more comfortable, before you even start working with solar?

Seal your home against air leaks, and let nature help with the rest.
Perform an Energy Audit

Where are all the drafts in your home coming from? Some of them are so huge you can probably feel them yourself when you are sitting in front of your TV, but other drafts, which can cost money in wasted energy, may be so little that you will not know about them unless you really go trying to find them.

The easiest way to do this is to use what’s called a pressure test.
Turn off all heating and/or cooling sources, and close all of the windows and doors. Close any vents or skylights you have, too.
Next, turn on any exhaust fans - the fans that are meant to suck air out of your house and transfer it outside. These are often mounted over the range in the kitchen, and in the bathroom and laundry room. This will assist in creating some negative pressure. ( you might also consider adding some exhaust fans, as they actually help )

After some mins, you’re ready to go around your home feeling for air leaks. Moisten your hand often, then place it next to the sides and bottoms of doors and windows, around electric outlets and ceiling vents, and any place else you can think of.
don’t forget to check under your kitchen and bathroom sinks. Use foam insulation to seal gaps round the plumbing pipes. This will also help to keep out both cold and warm air, and deter rodents and insect life too.

( switch on the light in the attic, then go below and turn off the lights. If you can see the light in the attic, you need to weatherstrip the door. ) Consider placing insulation in your attic if you do not have any.

test your Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning ( HVAC ) system and the ductwork, to be certain they are not leaking.

Although you do not need air leaks in your place, be aware that your attic does have to have some air movement. Check the vent systems to be sure they’re not clogged with dust. If you don’t have any vents - put some in!

Excerpt from Solar Electricity System’s DIY book on energy saving and solar pannels. Read More at : Solar Energy Pannel System

Before you go to the cost of greening your house, there are a few things you can do to raise the’comfort’ level of living there. The cost savings for a number of these might be unimportant, but your comfort level will certainly increase, and that will make the day by day living in your house more pleasurable.
And they want to pay as little as possible to procure that comfort.

So what are you able to do to both save energy and make your home more comfortable, before you even start working with solar?

Seal your home against air leaks, and let nature help with the rest.

Perform an Energy Audit
Where are all the drafts in your house coming from? Some of them are so huge you can feel them yourself when you’re sitting in front of your TV, but other drafts, which can cost you money in wasted energy, may be so small that you will not know about them unless you really go trying to find them.

The easiest way to do this is to use what’s called a pressure test.

The test works best on a cold day, when it’s warm outside. Turn off all heating and/or cooling sources, and close all the windows and doors. Close any vents or skylights you have, too.
Next, turn on any exhaust fans - the fans that should suck air out of your house and transfer it outside. These are sometimes mounted over the range in the kitchen, and in the bathroom and washing room. This can help create some negative pressure. If do not have any exhaust fans, open up one window, and place a movable fan within it, blowing outward. ( you may also consider adding some exhaust fans, as they actually help )

After a few minutes, you’re good to go around your house feeling for air leaks. You can do this just using your bare hand, or, to make it even less complicated to catch even those slight drafts, fill a bowl of water and carry it around with you. Dampen your hand sometimes, then place it next to the sides and bottoms of doors and windows, around electric outlets and ceiling vents, and any place else you can think about. The moistness will allow your hand to feel just that little bit cooler, should you uncover a draft.

do not forget to check under your kitchen and lavatory sinks. Use froth insulation to seal gaps around the plumbing pipes. This can also help to keep out both cold and hot air, and deter rodents and insect life also.

If you have an attic, make sure you check the door or hatch to see that there are no leaks there, too. Put weatherstripping around the door or hatch as well . ( switch on the light in the attic, then go below and switch off the lights. If you can see the light in the attic, you need to weatherstrip the door. ) Consider placing insulation in your attic if you do not have any.
take a look at your Heating, Ventilating and air-con ( HVAC ) system and the ductwork, to make certain they are not leaking. Hot water pipes must be well insulated.

Check the vent systems to be sure they’re not clogged with dust. If you do not have any vents - put some in!

Excerpt from Solar Energy System’s DIY book on energy saving and solar pannels. Read More at : Solar Pannels Energy

With the price of homes fallen so much over the past year or so, many home owners who’re looking to sell their houses are warily eyeing up what they perceive as fat commissions that realtors are claiming.

Depending on the market in your area, realtors could be more than happy to cut their commission a bit to have the additional business.

With so many loans underwater at this time, many home owners owe a ton more than their homes are worth and are struggling to get every cent that they can manage out of these homes.

Your best shot for success when selling your house is to search around for realtors and take under consideration not only the commission that agents are asking for but also their qualifications, references, and expertise. A low rate of commission doesn’t help you if a realtor takes a year to sell your home when you might be paying a touch more for much more effective service. Be prepared to strike a balance between the expertise of your realtor and the price of having them work for you ; this can help both of you be OK with the arrangement.

Many of us have poor pictures of realtors either due to past associations that have left them with a nasty appalling bad impression or because they do not know what a realtor does ; if you are not mindful of all the work that a good realtor does then it can be simple to be less prepared to agree to the asked for commission rate. Don’t ask a realtor to chop their rate because you don’t think that they’re a valuable part of the process, you’re likely to either end up with no realtor or have yours not willing to work very hard for you.

Jax real estate guide is a fabulous resouce for real estate investing. Real estate investment by Jax States.

Property repossession and the number of repossessed homes is on the increase in this time of recession. This guide is meant to help understand the stages of repossession, why it happens and the things that you can do if you are faced with this issue.
if you’re now paying a mortgage on your property and are falling into debt, your lender has got the right to start repossession proceedings. Normally a bank has the right to start repossession after 2 months of arrears, but most lending organisatons will work with you to attempt to clear the arrears and thus avoid action in the courts against you. This is done in order that they can take charge of the property and gives them the legal right to sell the property and recover the outstanding balance on the mortgage.

events to start repossession will generally begin after six or more months of arrears and with the barristers representing the lending organisation issuing repossession proceedings thru the local county court. A hearing date will be set by the court and its advisable that you attend.

At the court the person presiding over the hearing ( often a judge ) can judge whether to do a variety number| selection} of things :

one ) Adjourn the hearing - You will receive a new hearing at this point and this customarily happens in the case of absence or the need of more info. two ) indefinite Adjournment or Dismissal - this routinely occurs if full payment of the balance have been made.
Even at this time there are options for you to take in order to sell your home quickly and stop property repossession.

4 ) postponed Possession Order- in this example the order is postponed following the payment of the present installment and a jointly concluded amount towards the arrears .

The final option is an auspicious position for all parties as it gives you a further chance to clear the balance and gives the lender some security that payments will be made. However if you default on the payment or the accord the lender has the right to seek possession of the property by way of a possession warrant or notice of eviction.

They can possibly write to you demanding that you pay the balance in full or giving you warning that you are going to face repossession of your property if the arrears aren’t cleared and the account is not brought recent. Always contact the solicitors and propose a mutual contract agreement or arrangement to clear the arrears .

you will find more help and techniques to make money with real estate following: Real estate investment

Property repossession and the number of reclaimed houses is on the increase in this time of recession. This guide is intended to help understand the stages of repossession, why it occurs and the things that you can do if you’re faced with this issue.

Routinely a lender has got the right to start repossession after 2 months of balance, but most lending organisatons will work with you to attempt to clear the arrears and so avoid court action against you. The smartest thing is to keep speaking to your bank and update them on your current situation. If you’re unable to keep up repayments or your bank is not pleased with your proposals then the lender will take court action by going through the local county court.

A notice of eviction or possession warrant is occurs if you fail to meet the factors of the postponed possession order or if you’re still occupying your property after the time frame for order of possession has lapsed. A bailiff of the court will attend your property accompanied by a representative of the bank as well as a locksmith. Even at this stage avoiding property repossession is not too late.
It’s vital that you have all your documentation concerning your home loan account and your account history as a part of your preparation for the hearing.

At the court the person presiding over the hearing ( often a judge ) can decide whether to do a selection number| selection} of things :

Even at this stage there are options for you to take in order to sell your home quickly and stop property repossession. four ) postponed Possession Order- in this case the order is suspended following the payment of the current installment and a mutually agreed amount towards the debts. However if you welsh on the payment or the agreement the bank has got the right to seek possession of the property by way of a possession warrant or notice of eviction.
If your account remains unpaid for 4-6 months or more, the your account will be referred for action in the courts to a firm of solicitors. They will doubtless write to you demanding that you pay the arrears in full or warning you that you are going to face repossession of your property if the balance are not cleared and the account isn’t brought recent.

You can find more help and tactics to earn money with real estate following: Estate Investment