Top 10 Ways To Weatherize Your Homes

By: David Fielder, Rehab Specialist, NHS of Baltimore

1. Install blown-in insulation or fiberglass insulation in your attic. Also, cut foam insulation to fit in between floor joists if the room is over a crawl space. You will need some adhesive to make the foam stick in place. The insulation keeps the warm air in at winter time and the cool air in at summer time.

2. Close up any air leaks with spray foam or caulk. When the forecast is for wind, check doors, windows and around basement walls for air leaks. You may also want to call Baltimore City’s Weatherization program at 443-984-1066 for assistance in sealing air leaks and other energy saving measures. This is a FREE program to income eligible folks.

3. Install weather stripping around doors and windows. You can find many products at the hardware store to take care of air leaks. These products mostly have adhesive backs that you can peel and stick on windows and doors. Another good product is the sheet of plastic that covers your windows. Applying this to your window takes a little patience but when done correctly no one will know it is there.

4. Wrap hot & cold water pipes with foam insulation & install a hot water tank blanket. The insulation prevents the hot water pipes from losing heat and will keep the cold water pipes from freezing. The hot water tank blanket will prevent the tank from losing heat.

5. Install programmable thermostat. Decrease the thermostat 2 degrees in winter and increase 2 degrees in summer. This will save a few dollars each month that will add up over the year.

6. Have your furnace checked and cleaned each year. Most energy providers provide a maintenance service to customers. If you have a boiler, you should drain water once a week. This keeps the boiler clean and free from rust which shortens the life span of the boiler.

7. If you have a forced air furnace with duct work, insulate the ductwork. The U.S Department of Energy reports that a heating system can lose 60% of the heated air before reaching the vents in your rooms. If you have old ductwork, having the system cleaned will help your indoor air quality.

8. Clean the gutters from leaves and debris. Make sure the water is flowing from the gutter to the downspout an out. In cold weather ice dams can build up at the gutter. Melting ice water has no place to go but in to your house and down your walls. Keeping gutters clean will prevent this from happening. Water damage walls can be costly to fix.

9. Reverse the direction of ceiling fans. There is a switch on the body of the fan to reverse the direction the fan rotates. When you reverse the direction of the fan, it will push the warm air down. Don’t forget to reverse it in the summer.

10. Make this the season to check you smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Baltimore City has had several large fires recently. This should be enough incentive to make sure all detectors are working and have fresh batteries. Better yet, have a certified electrician install hard-wired detectors in your house one per floor. You will not have to check batteries again.

Is Buying a Home One of Your New Year's Resolutions?

By: Raevyn Jones, Marketing Coordinator, NHS of Baltimore

Due to the fact that many homebuyers look to purchase in the summer months, there can be many advantages to purchasing at the end of the year. During this time you can take advantage of motivated sellers trying to meet a quota before the end of the year, also you will have readily available moving help because movers are not typically busy during this time.

If you close on your new home by December 31st, you can deduct your equity costs and property taxes on your income tax return. Because you are bound to pay a lot of interest at the beginning of the year, this can save you a lot of money. As the year comes to a close, most builders and realtors off excellent incentives to buyers so that they can sell as many houses as possible. Buyers should definitely take advantage of these types of offers.

Another benefit to home shopping at the end of the year is that many current homeowners sell their homes around this time in an effort to get a tax deduction that will help them purchase a newer home. This is where the prospective homebuyer has to put their negotiation skills into play. Because these current homeowners are so eager to sell their homes, you may be able to get them to go down on the asking price. If you feel that it is risky to handle the deal on your own, you should consult with a HUD certified homeownership advisor or a real estate professional.

If you are seriously considering purchasing a home before the year ends, it is important that you don’t wait until the last minute to start looking into your options. If you wait too late, your choices will be very limited. You should begin looking around September to give yourself enough time to find the right home. Also during the month of September, you should consider attending Live Baltimore’s Homebuying Fair. If you are looking to move into the Baltimore City area, this program offers tours and great incentives.

Regardless of when you plan on buying a home, you should always make room to take a homebuyer education course and get counseling from a HUD certified homeownership advisor. This will make your process a lot less stressful, and will be beneficial in the long run as well.