Finance Article Directory

We all want to conserve energy. This saves your family money and has a significant positive impact on our environment. Regardless of your motivation, purchasing a newly built Energy Star qualified house helps ensure great energy efficiency.

What precisely is an Energy Star new house? Is all new construction “green” and good for the environment? How can I know whether the home that I’m purchaseing is truly energy efficient?

The federal government has set out standards as to what constitutes an Energy Star rated new home. This is critical because buzz words such as “green” have no clear definition. Is a new homebuilder claiming to be green simply because he used energy-efficient lighting? Is it really “green” just because the house has insulation? While are good things, it does not make your new house “green.”

To be sure that new construction you’re looking at is truly energy efficient, look for the official “Energy Star” certification that is only awarded to certain qualified houses.

Government guidelines at www.energystar.gov, list the criteria a home must meet to become Energy Star qualified:

First, the new home must make use of effective insulation that is both properly installed and inspected. Insulation should be used in the walls, floors and attics to ensure level temperatures throughout the new house. This can drastically lower energy use and provide greater comfort in your house as it maintains level temperatures.

Second, the structure should be built with tight construction and well fitted duct work. Small cracks and holes can cause cold air in and warm air to escape, greatly reducing the energy savings of your house. A gap the size of a quarter can be a problem.

Next, the new house should use efficient windows with protective coatings and improved window frames. The goal here is to prevent cold air from coming in in the winter and to keep the warm air out in the summer. A good UV coating on the windows also prevents fading of furniture, carpets and paint in your new house.

Fourth, only Energy Star appliances should be used in the house. These appliances use less electricity, oil and natural gas, and produce much less waste vs. their non-rated counterparts.

Next, Energy Star rated appliances should be used in the home, including compact fluorescent bulbs, fans, lighting fixtures, appliances, air conditioning, refrigeration, dishwashers and washing machines. The more energy efficient appliances you have, the lower your electric costs will be.

Finally, Energy Star home builders can go through a third-party verification process to verify that the houses built attain these standards. This is done to ensure that builders are reputable and are delivering on their energy-efficient promises.

Craig Axelrod is one of the partners from Emmy Homes. Emmy is which is one of Long Island’s most established home developers. Emmy’s Commack real estate features new construction in Commack. Visit EmmyHomes.com for more details.

The real estate market, including the market in Commack New York, has been hit hard over the last several years. This nationwide recession has absolutely had an impact on the real estate market, creating opportunities for those who are ready to purchase.

Interest rates remain at historic lows, making real estate in Commack more affordable than ever. Interest rates typically range from 4 to 6%, about half of what the rates were just a decade ago.

If you’re getting ready to buy a home , whether you are a first time home buyer or moving from an existing home, there are many questions to ask yourself:

Is buying a house now a smart long-term investment? Given that the real estate market has fallen 20 to 30%, you’re purchasing a house at deep discount to prices from three or four years ago. You’re buying at $.70 on the dollar. When prices return to normal levels, you will see an appreciation of almost 50%.

Are you a good investor? Most people are not. They lack the discipline to make long-term investments, and often hold off investing and saving-until it is too late. When you invest in a home, you are making a long-term commitment. This, in a very real sense, represents forced savings. Every month, you have the opportunity to build equity in your house as you pay into your mortgage. Historically, real estate appreciates significantly over time. Taken with a long-term view, real estate remains one of the best investments available.

Am I purchasing in the right area? Commack New York is a beautiful area to live in and to raise a family. An established community, it provides the resources of a major suburb with high quality of living standards. With new construction, you are able to get the house of your dreams. The builders have designed beautiful homes, and very often you are able to customize to suit your taste. Given the current economic conditions and reduced real estate prices, now is a great time to buy your first home or your next home.

Are there advantages in purchasing new construction? Yes. New construction tends to be larger, more current and can easily be customized to suit your taste. In contrast? When buying an existing house, you must very often go through expensive renovations to customize that house to your taste. New construction offers you the opportunity to make those changes before the houses built. Usually, it cost 2 to 4 times as much to make changes to an existing structure as opposed to simply modifying the plans on a house that is yet to be built.

What questions should I ask of a home builder?

If you’ve never bought a new house before, there’s several questions that you can ask the builder:

1. Does the builder have experience within the county? To build a house, you need permits, zoning approvals, and compliance with county and local ordinances. An experienced builder is aware of these requirements; and inexperienced builder is not. Mistakes here can be very costly and presents massive delays.

2. Does this builder put up one home at a time, or have experience in building developments? Often, you are better off with the builder who works on multiple projects at once. While this may sound counterintuitive, a small builder who only handles one task at a time works with a limited crew. If any member of the crew-a plumber, carpenter or electrician-is unavailable, your construction may come to a stop for weeks. In contrast, a larger builder has multiple craftsmen available to him, and can deliver a steadier construction project.

3. Do you want to be in a new community or a single renovated home within an old neighborhood? The neighborhood around you not only impacts the resale value of your house, but also impacts your lifestyle. If you are in a community with dilapidated homes, and yours is the only new construction in the area, your home will feel out of place. If the builders will bring a new community, and you are one of the new homeowners in that new community, there is a much better fit for you and your home. Additionally, all of the people living in that development will be moving in at about the same time and will have the opportunity to develop friendships and relationships. If you are moving into a block with families that have lived there for years, you may be the outsider and maybe quite some time for you to “fit in”-if at all.