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Showing posts from 2014
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Insulated Garage Doors This time of year it's easy to get advice on "winterizing" your home, but one area I rarely see mentioned is your garage door!  It's one heck of a big "hole" in your outside walls if you have an attached garage.  Here's a bit of information that might help if you have an existing door you want to upgrade rather than buying a new factory-insulated door.   How to Insulate a Garage Door By:  Lisa Kaplan Gordon  - National Association of Realtors - houselogic Garage insulation cuts energy bills and street noise. Here’s how to insulate your garage door. Garage door insulation can make your life warmer, cooler, and quieter. It lowers energy bills, acts as a barrier between you and street noise, and brightens an otherwise dreary space. Garage door insulation is an easy DIY project; it’ll cost you about $200 to insulate two 9-foot-wide doors. Types of insulation Any insulation type will increase the energy eff

Open Floor Plans -- Pros and Cons

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I got to thinking recently about how open floor plans are currently so popular and wondered how people felt about the idea that have lived in open-plan homes, or think they might want to.  My first thought at the time was “Aw, man, I’ll need to keep the kitchen clean!  No more piles in the kitchen sink!” The mindset used to be that the more rooms a house had, the more attractive, compartmentalized, and functional it was. But designers and homeowners alike started realizing that homes with open floor plan designs could fit more usable living space into the same amount of square footage.  Fast forward maybe 20 years, and spacious homes with fewer walls are more popular than ever.  Just for starters, I’m sure you’ll find that people agree that living rooms tend to be underused, and creating a “great room” by combining the kitchen and living or family room (or both) can help the living room get more use and the kitchen gain some much-needed extra space.   Beyond that basic

Hold Income-Producing Real Estate In An IRA?

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It might be one of those “best kept secrets”, but it’s true, you CAN i nclude real estate investments in IRAs and gain the benefit of diversification plus the deferral or elimination of taxes on annual investment income and gains from sales.   What it takes is a “Self-Directed” IRA (SDIRA) and meeting specific IRS requirements.  The SDIRA can be traditional or Roth type, but instead of being administered by a large investment firm or bank, you use a specialized SDIRA custodian approved by the IRS.  You can roll over funds from an existing IRA when setting up an SDIRA. Interested?  Read more from  Tierra Grande Journal of The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. January 2014 Then call me! JIM AT THE TOP Jim Pedicord RE/MAX Top Realty http://jimatthetop.com jimpedicord@remax.net   281-610-7847 Cell  713-558-2537 Direct  713-773-3700 x 2537 Office    713-773-3311 Fax        2911 S. Sam Houston Pkwy. E. Houston, TX 77047

The Pros and Cons of Adding a Pool to Your Home

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Since it is "unofficially" summer now that Memorial Day is past, you may be thinking about how to keep kids occupied after school is out, and if one way you are thinking about would be adding a pool, here is some great information.   AND, if you are thinking about buying a home with a pool, this is worth looking at as well.  Of course I would be glad to help you find that perfect home with or without a pool.  Just let me know or use the exclusive interactive tools available at my website: http://jimatthetop.com Anyone have any personal experiences to share?  Feel free to comment!  Thanks! (If you saw this from me previously, sorry!  I screwed up the first try, lost the photo then the whole thing kinda went wacky. So, hopefully this will work without being repetitive !) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Pros and Cons of Adding a Pool to Your Home Does a pool add value to a home? N

Your IRA Could Be The Key To Owning Real Estate

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Did you know that a penalty-free IRA withdrawal may be used to help with your down payment to buy a home if you meet certain guidelines, regardless of age?  If you fit the definition of “first time homebuyer” (which the Internal Revenue Service defines to be anyone who has not owned a home during the prior two years), you might be closer than you think to your “dream home”! If you are considering buying and fit this description, or you know someone who does and might be ready to buy, check out the info I have at my web site: “Penalty-Free IRA Withdrawal” And, please feel free to keep an eye on my site jimatthetop.com to find the latest residential and commercial property listings, real estate news, market updates and special real estate opportunities.  Let me know what I can do to help you and yours get moving! JIM AT THE TOP Jim Pedicord   RE  /  MAX   Top Realty http://jimatthetop.com jimpedicord@remax.net 281-610-7847 Cell 713-558-253

Tankless Water Heaters – A Few Issues

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These days it’s all about being “green”, sustainable and energy conscious, so it isn't hard to find a lot of advice about how to incorporate features into a new home or remodeling project to reduce our adverse impact on the environment, not to mention our pocket books.   One popular improvement suggested is installing a tankless water heater rather than the traditional tank type units.  When we were adding on to our house, we had planned on changing out to one or maybe two of them.  But, we found that there are some misconceptions and misunderstandings about these devices and the big savings they promise.  Typical promises are: Unlimited (continuous) supply of hot water Instantaneous hot water if installed at point of use Reduced water-heating costs Small amount of space required for installation (usually wall-hung) Are they accurate?  Well, sorta, kinda. Unlimited? Not exactly – there are a variety of units on the market with differing capacity rating