Harleysville-Lansdale Real Estate and More

Looking for discounted builiding projects for your home improvement projects?  Check out ReStore.  The proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity and you can pick up building materials for a fraction of the retail costs. 

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

ReStore - Discounted Building Materials for Your Home Improvement Projects, Montgomery County PA - Copyright © 2012, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful … oops, I still have holiday music floating around in my head. Maybe that’s because it is getting seasonably cold compared to the warm spells we had in December. 

Our home heaters will be tested this week, however, with the forecast looking mighty chilly.  If you’re like me, I don’t often think of these things until the weather changes. 

There are a few things you as a home owner can do to improve the performance of your heating system while other things should be left to a professional heating contractor. 

Here are a few things you can do yourself:

• Replace or clean your air filter in a forced hot air furnace or heat pump.  This should be done about once per month during the season to prevent dust from blocking the air flow.  If the filter is dirty is puts more strain on the blower which increases your electric bill.  If you’re unsure as to wear the filter is ask the technician who last serviced the unit to show you.  Write down the size of the filter so you can stock up on a pack of filters instead of buying them individually.

• Keep radiators, registers and baseboards clean and unblocked.  You’ll want to make sure they are not blocked by furniture and remove dust frequently.  It is recommended not to cover radiators.

• Bleed trapped air from radiators.  When air is in your hot water system it ends up in the radiators at the top of the house, causing those to be less efficient or cold because water isn’t being heated in those radiators.  Have a technician show you how to bleed the air out.  There is a valve on the radiator that allows you to open it with a special key.  Turn the key slightly to vent out the air. Have a bucket or cup ready to catch any water that may begin to flow. Turn valve off as soon as all the air is out and water starts to flow. Be careful. The water can be hot.

• For steam boilers, drain sediment. The sediment should be removed every 3 weeks during the winter.  If you haven’t done it before, schedule a technician to service the boiler and ask him or her to show how to do it.  Basically, it involves draining a bucket of water from the boiler.  Sediment insulates a boiler from the burner’s flame which will cause some heat to go up the chimney instead of in your house. 

If you heat with oil, have your heating system cleaned and checked once a year.  If you have a gas system, once every two years is recommended for service, and with heat pumps, every two to three years. 

If you take care of your heating system it will take care of you.  Maintaining it will prolong its use, reduce heating bills and costly repairs, and reduce the amount of carbon monoxide, smoke, and other harmful emissions from fossil-fueled furnaces. 

If you are in the market for a new home, you’ll want to ask for the history of the current owner’s heating costs over the last two winters, if possible. The real estate agent for the seller will most likely have this information available upon request.  This may help you decide between homes that you’re considering to purchase. 

Also, if there are different kinds of heating systems in the homes you are looking to buy, you should do a comparison to see which one is more efficient or environmentally friendly. Is there a supplemental heat source like a wood burning stove? Is the wood burning stove newer and EPA-certified or is it an older model? Whatever the system is, do your homework so you can make the most educated decision possible. 

Stay warm!

~Gina

Baby, It's Cold Outside originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Baby, It's Cold Outside - Heating Tips, Lansdale PA - Copyright © 2012, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

The “experts” say that color trends follow the moods of a nation.  The expected mood for 2012 is an overall movement to protect and preserve what we have.

Maybe it is the uncertainty in all the markets (jobs, stocks, housing, global economy, political/taxes), but the prediction is homeowners will seek to protect their families and their assets in 2012.

Colors that evoke feelings of security will prevail.  They can be broken down into four categories:

Heritage—Embracing your background, culture, and traditions.  Earthy natural tones in shades of brown, khaki, red, green, and beige will be popular.  You will see many “National Historical Preservation Colors” when shopping for paint.

Process—Understanding the evolution of where we are today; embracing the journey, knowledge and education needed to have gotten this far and to more forward with increasing reliance on technology, design and engineering.  Think “Academic” colors such as the blue you would find in blueprints and other deeply saturated colors.

Protection—People feel threatened (more in a physical way than a spiritual way).  Metallic colors such as bronze, silver, chrome, gold, and icy colors of blue and gray coupled with deep purples (royalty) will provide a sense of armor to defend ourselves.

Enlightenment—Looking toward the future, the changes we have to embrace for a sustainable future.  Some brighter yellows and silver trim will highlight an emotion of hope.

So maybe not everyone is running out to repaint their homes (heck, there are some homeowners that haven't painted in 25 years), but it is important to understand the moods of consumers and how trends do come and go but also affect our buying decisions.  So for any seller sprucing up to sell, please keep these trends in mind!

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Home Color Trends for 2012: Protect and Preserve - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Front loading clothes washing machines are great.  They use less water, less detergent, and less energy to operate.  But there is a downside (besides the higher cost to purchase a front loading machine).

Many consumers complain that their front loading machines have a strong musty smell and sometimes smells and stains are left on the clothes after washing.  This is usually because water can get trapped in the machine.  If the washer goes unused again for several days, that water will become stagnant and grow mold. 

The problem gets compounded if the last load was exceptionally dirty, left in the washer too long after the cycle, or you added too much detergent.  The low water usage may cause the machine to not rinse properly in these cases.  The residue from the wash cycle can cause a mold growth inside the drum, along the door gasket, in the detergent dispenser drawer, and in the discharge plumbing.

This is a situation that you want to avoid if you can because some consumers report that it is difficult to get rid of the odor problems once they appear.  Usually the most effective solution is to add a cup of bleach to the washer and run an empty wash cycle on the hot water setting.  Some people worry that the bleach may not fully rinse out and affect the next load of laundry.  If in doubt, run the cycle twice or use 2 cups of vinegar in place of the bleach.

To avoid the problem:

1. Leave the door ajar after each use to allow water left inside the machine to evaporate. 

2. Wipe down the door gasket after use to speed the drying process.

3. Use a minimal amount of detergent.  Avoid fabric softeners; use dryer sheets instead.

4. Run a cleaning cycle periodically according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If problems persist, contact your manufacturer about warranty/replacement as some designs have proven to be more prone to mold growth than others.  If you are looking to purchase a machine, read consumer reviews carefully to identify the models where this is a persistent problem.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Does Your Front Loading Washing Machine Stink? - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Its the holidays!  Time to clean the house and get your food shopping done if you’re hosting any parties.  You may also have kids coming home from college or relatives visiting for a few days or a few weeks!  Let the fun times begin. 

Is Your Home Like a Water Park? By our team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Is Your Home Like a Water Park? - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Old man winter reared his impersonating head on Halloween weekend with snowy weather in our area.  This probably had many homeowners thinking about the winter season being just around the corner a little sooner than usual.  It got me thinking about what I can do to make my home more energy efficient. 

Did you know a federal consumer energy efficient tax credit still exists for 2011?  There are limitations of course, and it’s less than the $1500 energy tax credit that was in place in 2009-2010. 

Much of the information I provide here can be found on www.energystar.gov with more detail.  The tax credit is now a lifetime credit of $500. which began on January 1, 2011.  What this means is that if you were given a tax credit between 2006-2010, it counts toward your lifetime limit and you can’t exceed the $500 credit. 

There are improvements that are not limited to this cap or the previous $1500 tax credit cap.  They are:solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, solar energy systems, small wind energy systems and fuel cells.

One of the most cost-effective energy efficient improvements you can make to your home is with added or new insulation.  The recommended insulation rating or “R” value, for our region is R38 if you are adding to 3 or 4 inches of existing insulation in your attic.  The R value is the measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. 

Something less obvious is products that air seal or prevent air leaks, like weather stripping, spray foam in a can, caulk designed to air seal, and house wraps.  You must use products that come with a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement in order to get the tax credit.  The tax credit does not include the cost of installation, but you can do some of this work yourself. 

For insulation and the other types of weather sealing I mention here, you get 10% of the cost of the product up to $500 as a tax credit.  By the way, if you have an investment property or a second home and are thinking about doing energy improvements to it and want the tax credit, I have to burst your bubble.  The federal government only approves of these credits for your principal residence.

Windows, doors and skylights are also on the list for an energy credit, but they must be Energy Star rated.  For windows, you don’t have to replace all the windows in your home and it can be a new winder where there was not one before.  Keep in mind, the tax credit is less for windows.  It is capped at $200.

Know Your Home Energy Tax Credit by our team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Know Your Home Energy Tax Credit - There is Still Time! - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

 Gina Wherry of the Scott Loper Team recently received NAR’s (National Association of Realtors) GREEN Designation.  This designation is the only nationally recognized real estate designation for agents to help educate and guide consumers on issues of energy efficiency and sustainability in various facets of real estate.

We are getting into the middle of autumn now and enjoying some nice October weather.  Pumpkins are on doorsteps and porches waiting to turn to jack-o-lanterns and glow later this month.   Soon we will be indoors a bit more.  Which leads me to the topic of indoor air quality or commonly referred to as IAQ, and ways to be “green” about the air you breathe and the effects on the environment overall. 

The quality of indoor air in your home affects your health and the environment.  There are things that you can do to help improve the air you breathe and cut back on green house gas emissions.  Let’s start by defining green house gases.  These are emitted gases that are trapped in the atmosphere and contribute to atmospheric warming.  These gases can come from VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds such as formaldehyde, methylene chloride and benzene found in products such as paints, lacquers, carpet, cleaning supplies, pesticides, furniture, cabinets and adhesive removers. 

If you getting your home ready for the market and your real estate agent suggested you give a few rooms in your home a fresh coat of paint, there are several things to consider and good products to choose from.   First, oil-based paints have higher VOC-content.  Also, glossy paints contain more solvents which translate to higher VOC content.  Lastly, even if you choose a no VOC paint, most tints boost VOC levels.  How to approach painting:  the lighter the tint, the flatter the finish, the lower VOC content.  And, most buyers will want a neutral or light color on the walls anyway.

There are 20 products with the Green Seal stamp of approval.  Here are a few brands you may recognize:  Benjamin Moore Eco Spec, which is odorless and does not harm the environment.  There are paints specifically made for a baby’s room, such as Healthy Homes Baby HealthyHues.  It does not contain any harmful solvents or toxic chemicals.  Another product is Olympic paint and stains.  These are zero VOC paints that are odor free.  Be aware that even low VOC or zero VOC paints may contain ingredients that are toxic.  Be sure to follow the instructions on the paint can label.

Since there are pollutants in low VOC paints, and of course, regular paint that contribute to the ground level ozone or smog.  Breathing ozone is not healthy.  It can cause respiratory problems.  When planning to paint you should try to start the project during dry weather so you can leave the windows open for 2 or 3 days.  Take fresh air breaks when you are painting.  If you have window mounted box fan, use it to pull the odor out of the room.  Also, never use exterior paints for indoor spaces.

Your Realtor can also list the low or zero VOC paint feature when marketing your home.  More and more buyers are becoming aware of the green products available and look for these features when deciding on a purchase.

~Gina

Being 'Green" With Paint by our team member Gina Wherry originally appeared in the Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Being 'Green" With Paint - Benefits of Low VOC Paint - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Robert Frost wrote in The Mending Wall...

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out

And to whom I was like to give offense.

Good advice.  There are a few guidelines or etiquette to follow if you want to put up a fence between you and your neighbor.  A fence would include any type of wall or a row of privacy trees or hedges.

Do Your Homework

Stay within Your Boundaries:  Nothing will upset a neighbor faster than putting a fence on their property (or what they think is their property).  Get a survey if you are not sure.  Fence companies usually like to place a fence a foot inside the property lines to be safe.

Follow Local Zoning and Homeowners Association Rules:  Get a permit from your township and permission from the HOA.  Follow all the rules/regulations for height, style, setbacks, etc.  It is your job to find out what restrictions may apply.

Keep Peace with the Neighbors

No Surprises:  Let your neighbors know ahead of time about your plans.  Review the property lines with them to ensure they won’t dispute the placement of the fence.  A survey should settle any disagreement.  However, you don’t necessarily have to share the design of the fence with the neighbors.  They may try to persuade you to built a different type of fence, and unless they are paying for it, it is your decision, not theirs.  Stay strong and don’t let them bully you.

Face Outward:  As a courtesy to neighbors, it is common practice to put the nicer/more finished side of the fence facing outward toward the neighbor’s property and the street.  With some fences you can’t tell the difference but with others, there can be a big difference.  Consider what everyone gets to look at, not just you.

Finish and Maintain What You Have Created:  Nothing is worse than a job half done or a neglected fence.  Powerwash, scrape and paint or stain the fence (both sides) as needed.  Repair any parts of a fence that are leaning or broken.  Cut the grass and weed whack on BOTH sides of the fence.  If the fence is really a row of tree or hedges, properly care for the plantings.  Replace dead or dying trees/bushes, mulch, trim and prune as needed.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill; And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Fence Etiquette - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Solar panels on roofs have been around for a while now and are starting to become more popular. However, the solar technology (a photovoltaic system) is now available in roofing shingles. You can shingle all or part of your roof depending upon how much power you want to generate.

The advantages of solar shingles include:

>  One roof; one system. With solar panels, it is recommended to install a new roof prior to installing the panels as any problems with the roof will require the removal of the solar panels to complete the repairs.

>  Solar shingles offer the same protection, durability and flexibility of asphalt shingles.  They are lightweight and easy to install with regular roofing nails.

>  They are visually appealing and blend in better than solar panels.

>  Like solar panels, solar shingles have a minimal impact on the environment.  They require no fuel to operate; they generate no noise or pollution, and the energy they produce is infinitely renewable.

A normal installation can save a homeowner up to 60% on their electric bill. Some installations could cover almost 100% of the electric usage and even generate additional power that could be sold back to the electric utilities. If you plan to go completely “off the grid,” it is still recommended to have a backup source of power for your home in the event of any system failure or prolonged periods of overcast days. One option is to store excess electricity in whole house batteries.

In general, a 10’x12’ area of solar shingles is needed for a small home and a larger home may need up to 1,000 sq. feet. Any solar roofing system is still very expensive but significant tax incentives are still available and within a few years, hopefully, the cost will be come more affordable for the average homeowner.

What a bright idea!

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Home Technology Trends - Solar Roofing Shingles - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.

Home Technology Trends: Heat Pump Water Heaters

The technology of a heat pump which has traditionally been used for HVAC units is now being applied to hot water heaters. These high efficiency units were introduced to the market in late 2009 and throughout 2010; they are estimated to use only 1/2 the electricity of standard electric hot water heaters.

The unit draws heat from the surrounding ambient air and transfers it to heat the hot water. Subsequently, colder air is transferred back into the room. Therefore, a warm room (such as where the furnace is located) is an ideal place to install this type of hot water heater.

The federal tax credit is still applicable for the full year of 2011 at 10% of the cost (the 30% credit ended at the end of 2010) for select home improvements. An Energy Star heat pump hot water heater (EF >2) is eligible for a flat $300 rebate which would come from your electric supplier, such as PECO. Popular makers include GE and AO Smith.

Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County of Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.

Home Technology Trends: Heat Pump Water Heaters - Copyright © 2011, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.