City of Madison Helps Homebuyers & Owners

In the Isthmus, the City of Madison ran an article stating that home improvement loans are available (some restrictions apply). 

Home Buyers: links to down-payment assistance

Investors: rental rehabilitation allowances.

Current Owners: Low rate loans supporting improving energy efficiency. Don’t forget to factor the increase in federal energy tax credit. “Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 & 2010” (energystar.gov)

Check it out! City of Madison Residential Housing Programs

Bi-Weekly Mortgage Payments

Like many Americans in this economy, we are all looking for ways to stretch the dollar. If you are looking long-term, this is a quick and painless way to make one additional mortgage payment per year without feeling it in the wallet.

“The basic result is that instead of making twelve monthly payments during the year, you make thirteen. The extra payment reduces the principal, substantially reducing the time it takes to pay off a thirty year mortgage. ”  (www.realestateabc.com/glossary)

Communicate with your lending institution to set up this payment program.

Energy Assessment

So you woke up today with another -17 degree morning. Are you cringing at your upcoming utility bill?  Our bill nearly doubled during our last billing cycle.

I recently had an energy assessment done in my own home. Brian Paull from Premier Inspection used a thermal imaging camera to find the cold spots in my house.  We followed him around the house looking over his shoulder at the camera. We saw that some of the insulation had blown back in a corner of the bedroom, the outlets on the outer wall and one light fixture need insulation, the uninsulated garage door needs to be replaced, and obviously the upstairs windows need to be replaced. As a bonus, he offered some ideas on sources for remedies. Even making some of the smaller changes will make a difference.

MG&E is a great resource for other energy conserving ideas. Visit their website and review Saving Energy.

Once we have made the changes, I will post the improvement in the utility bill during our next chilly billing cycle.  In the meantime, it’s off to Home Depot!

Hosta Fundraiser for The Road Home.

It’s taken me a while to get this into blog form, but the Hosta Fundraiser for The Road Home was a huge success!  The recommended contribution was $5 per plant and we raised $500!

Expect to see this as an annual event with more publicity this coming spring!

Thanks to all that participated in this event, there will be a homeless child that benefits from your support.