EQUITY FIFTY-FIVE REAL ESTATE
THE MIKE FIX TEAM

                                                                   Quarterly Newsletter from The Mike Fix Team.



Team Updates:

Things are going good.  We closed over $6,000,000.00 in 2009 and would like to say Thank You to everyone who allowed us to assist
them with the buy or sell.


BUYING A HOME

The tax credit offered by the Government has been extended.  For information on the credit, go to our home page and click on: Tax Credit
Still Available.  This is general information, and as always, check with your tax preparer prior to doing anything.


Home Updating:

Replacement Windows
Average return at resale: 89.6 percent


Replacing 10 3x5 ft. windows runs about $9,700. On average nationally, you’ll get back $8,700 when you sell, a recoup rate of nearly 90
percent.

Big city window replacements pay off. The average homeowner recoups more than she spends on replacement windows in San
Francisco, Seattle, Orlando, Miami, Chicago, New York City and Boston.

For hot climates, there’s low-e glass that reflects heat. And for maximum efficiency, add argon gas inside the pane to prevent heat and
cold transference within the window.

Replacing windows doesn’t pay in all hot climates. You’ll recoup only 62% of your cost in the Las Vegas desert.

Taken from hgtv.com


Ways to Implement Green Into Your Home

7 Easy Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Follow these simple steps to avoid IAQ problems at home:

Turn on hood fans when cooking to help expel fumes. Cooking, especially on a gas stove, releases chemicals
that can contaminate the air, such as carbon monoxide. Use the fume hood fan when cooking and make sure
it is vented directly outside the house.

Turn on the exhaust fan when showering to limit moisture build up. Run the bath fan during showers to remove
the heat and humidity; if you don’t have a bathroom fan, a small portable fan will do the trick. And keep the shower
curtain or bathtub sliding door open after bathing to increase air circulation.

Clean regularly to prevent dust, dirt, and pet-hair accumulation. A clean house is a healthy house. Every day, dirt
and dust collect in our home. We track it in on our feet and shed it from our clothes and skin. These
particles can become airborne, contributing to the pollutants and biological contaminants in the air.

Regular cleaning can help limit the problem.

Install low emitting furniture and finishes.

New or recently installed building materials and furnishings can emit VOCs. Look for products that are certified
for low chemical emissions, and open windows when using paints, adhesives, sealants, and other materials
that tend to offgas during installation.

Use cleaning products that do not emit chemicals into the air. Many products used to wash floors, countertops,
and windows can offgas toxic or irritating chemicals. Avoid dangerous chemicals by selecting products that are
certified for low levels of chemical emissions.

Open windows to allow fresh air into your space. To achieve energy efficiency, we seal up our buildings and tend
to keep our windows shut, trapping pollutants inside. From time to time, it’s good to open the windows and allow
fresh air to move through our spaces, flushing out any stale or polluted air.

Maintain your HVAC filters as instructed. Check, clean, or replace furnace and air filters regularly, at least every two
months. Consider installing a “high efficiency particulate” (HEPA) filter.

Taken from: greenlivingideas.com
This site developed, created and maintained by The Mike Fix Team