Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Pimping My Attic
Radiant Barriers: Hype or Hope? Part 2
We are well into June now and the electric bills are starting to reflect that. I’ve heard of electric bills as high as $700! Some say their last bills doubled past the previous month. Our bill jumped $100. The squeeze is on and we’re all trying to cut what we can and still maintain our lifestyles.
I appreciate Home Depot. That’s why I looked into this offer in the first place. A good name and a business I already trusted, how could I go wrong. The radiant barrier sounded like a great idea on so many levels. It still is a great idea, but not from Home Depot.
Call me a skeptic, but I wish there was a door scan which every “salesperson” had to walk through before they entered our homes. This scan would automatically de-scam the visitor and allow them to deal with me in an honest and upfront manner. Since the De-Scammer” does not exist, I attempted to peel the layers back on my own to see what I could find. It really is a shame I have to take this stance, but better safe than sorry. It’s all part of being a careful shopper during tighter economic times.
Home Depot sent out a consultant from EAS. Nice guy; sorry deal. I led “Tye” upstairs and he walked in every room, approximating attic size. He then climbed the ladder to the attic and spent some time walking around. So far, so good… this is pretty much what I expected him to do. What I didn’t expect was the price tag. Home Depot requires you to purchase at least $500 worth of insulation, but mine came in over $900. If you do so, they will cut the price of the radiant barrier in half. The price for the “radiant barrier” would be well into the $900’s also(half price?). Sigh… so I’m looking at $1900 for both; the attic floor insulation, which sits on top of the insulation already there, and the sprayed insulation on the attic roof.
That’s when I decided I could do this on my own. Hiring Home Depot, at this time, seems like a luxury. This can be done for less than a $1000 in most cases. The downside of that decision is that I’ll have to wait. The attic is not where you want to be during a Texas summer.
For me, this deal is hype, but the radiant barrier offers hope. I hope I can save the 30% on my electric bill, like all the experts say I will.
More info and pics...
We are well into June now and the electric bills are starting to reflect that. I’ve heard of electric bills as high as $700! Some say their last bills doubled past the previous month. Our bill jumped $100. The squeeze is on and we’re all trying to cut what we can and still maintain our lifestyles.
I appreciate Home Depot. That’s why I looked into this offer in the first place. A good name and a business I already trusted, how could I go wrong. The radiant barrier sounded like a great idea on so many levels. It still is a great idea, but not from Home Depot.
Call me a skeptic, but I wish there was a door scan which every “salesperson” had to walk through before they entered our homes. This scan would automatically de-scam the visitor and allow them to deal with me in an honest and upfront manner. Since the De-Scammer” does not exist, I attempted to peel the layers back on my own to see what I could find. It really is a shame I have to take this stance, but better safe than sorry. It’s all part of being a careful shopper during tighter economic times.
Home Depot sent out a consultant from EAS. Nice guy; sorry deal. I led “Tye” upstairs and he walked in every room, approximating attic size. He then climbed the ladder to the attic and spent some time walking around. So far, so good… this is pretty much what I expected him to do. What I didn’t expect was the price tag. Home Depot requires you to purchase at least $500 worth of insulation, but mine came in over $900. If you do so, they will cut the price of the radiant barrier in half. The price for the “radiant barrier” would be well into the $900’s also(half price?). Sigh… so I’m looking at $1900 for both; the attic floor insulation, which sits on top of the insulation already there, and the sprayed insulation on the attic roof.
That’s when I decided I could do this on my own. Hiring Home Depot, at this time, seems like a luxury. This can be done for less than a $1000 in most cases. The downside of that decision is that I’ll have to wait. The attic is not where you want to be during a Texas summer.
For me, this deal is hype, but the radiant barrier offers hope. I hope I can save the 30% on my electric bill, like all the experts say I will.
More info and pics...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A word from a Preferred Lender...
Shopping for a Mortgage
In theory, finding the right mortgage should be a fairly simple process. After all, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from, including Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate, Hybrids, and Interest Only loans, to name just a few. Mortgages are available with interest rates ranging from an introductory rate of 1.00% to well over 10.00%. Borrowers can even finance up to 100% of their home's value and, in some cases, their closing costs as well.
In reality, however, this vast selection of mortgage products has made choosing the right one a challenging endeavor, to say the least. Without sound advice from an experienced mortgage professional, consumers are at the mercy of a complex financial decision that could impact their lives for years to come. At a minimum, home buyers should consider the following questions before putting any mortgage into place:
• How long do you anticipate living in your new home?
• Do you foresee any changes over the next few years, such as expanding your family or having children go off to college?
• Do you anticipate any adjustments in income due to promotions, relocations, retirement, inheritance, or pensions?
• Are you expecting a change with regard to your investments?
• When it comes to investment strategies, are you conservative, aggressive, or somewhere in between?
As a mortgage professional, it's my job to match clients with the mortgage product that best serves their changing goals and needs. I take pride in helping each and every client succeed.
Aaron Duca
Mortgage Loan Expert
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company
Phone: (972)370-5626
Fax: (866)607-1547
aduca@primelending.com
http://www.ducamortgage.com
In theory, finding the right mortgage should be a fairly simple process. After all, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from, including Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate, Hybrids, and Interest Only loans, to name just a few. Mortgages are available with interest rates ranging from an introductory rate of 1.00% to well over 10.00%. Borrowers can even finance up to 100% of their home's value and, in some cases, their closing costs as well.
In reality, however, this vast selection of mortgage products has made choosing the right one a challenging endeavor, to say the least. Without sound advice from an experienced mortgage professional, consumers are at the mercy of a complex financial decision that could impact their lives for years to come. At a minimum, home buyers should consider the following questions before putting any mortgage into place:
• How long do you anticipate living in your new home?
• Do you foresee any changes over the next few years, such as expanding your family or having children go off to college?
• Do you anticipate any adjustments in income due to promotions, relocations, retirement, inheritance, or pensions?
• Are you expecting a change with regard to your investments?
• When it comes to investment strategies, are you conservative, aggressive, or somewhere in between?
As a mortgage professional, it's my job to match clients with the mortgage product that best serves their changing goals and needs. I take pride in helping each and every client succeed.
Aaron Duca
Mortgage Loan Expert
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company
Phone: (972)370-5626
Fax: (866)607-1547
aduca@primelending.com
http://www.ducamortgage.com
Monday, June 2, 2008
Radiant Barriers: Hype or Hope?
I’ve been researching “Radiant Barriers” for the last few days; wondering if they can contribute to our home energy saving efforts. We called Home Depot to schedule a consultation. I hoped to eliminate the constant barrage of questions I would normally have; especially since prior to the call, I knew absolutely nothing about radiant barriers. I only knew it sounded good in theory.
Most do-it-yourself radiant barriers are of the rolled foil type, either applied to the rafters or the attic floor. EAS (Efficient Attic Systems), a partner to Home Depot, list how they create a radiant barrier in your attic. I did not see foil in any of the pictures, and I wonder if this sprayed on gunk will reflect well and have low emissivity.
Here are some links I found helpful.
http://www.radiantbarrier.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_barrier
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4776142.html
For in-depth Department of Energy information on Radiant Barriers click here . Although this is dated June 1991, there is still plenty to learn and digest.
Before doing my research, my first 2 questions would have been:
how much?
and how much will it save me?
After doing some research and gaining some rudimentary knowledge of the subject; my first two questions remain:
How much?
and how much will it save me?
They may have to be my last 2 questions answered. Whoever they send out must see the space and find out what & how much before they can give me an estimate.
I’m eagerly awaiting the consultation. I have questions and I’m confident they will have the answers. I’ll post my findings here after the appointment.
Most do-it-yourself radiant barriers are of the rolled foil type, either applied to the rafters or the attic floor. EAS (Efficient Attic Systems), a partner to Home Depot, list how they create a radiant barrier in your attic. I did not see foil in any of the pictures, and I wonder if this sprayed on gunk will reflect well and have low emissivity.
Here are some links I found helpful.
http://www.radiantbarrier.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_barrier
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4776142.html
For in-depth Department of Energy information on Radiant Barriers click here . Although this is dated June 1991, there is still plenty to learn and digest.
Before doing my research, my first 2 questions would have been:
how much?
and how much will it save me?
After doing some research and gaining some rudimentary knowledge of the subject; my first two questions remain:
How much?
and how much will it save me?
They may have to be my last 2 questions answered. Whoever they send out must see the space and find out what & how much before they can give me an estimate.
I’m eagerly awaiting the consultation. I have questions and I’m confident they will have the answers. I’ll post my findings here after the appointment.
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