Posted By Katie on January 11, 2012

With tax season in full swing and tax day just around the corner, homeowners are looking for breaks for being a homeowner. Chances are purchasing a home is the largest purchase one will make in a lifetime. In today’s economy, everyone is looking for ways to save money and taxes can be a large chunk! Tara-Nicholle Nelson from REThink Real Estate compiled a list of top Tax Breaks for Homeowners.

1)    Mortgage Interest Deduction. If the home is used for your personal residence, 100% of the mortgage interest you own and pay before December 31^st, 2011, is deductible on your 2011 taxes. You will receive a form from your lender outlining this number.

2)    If you are a new homeowner in 2011, chance are you paid some Advance Interest on your home loan at closing, this is also deductible. You can find this information on your HUD-1 statement, which you should have received at closing.

3)    Property Tax Reductions. Again, assuming that this home is your primary residence, you should be able to deduct 100% of the property taxes you’ve paid to your state and/or local taxing agency during 2011.

4)    Closing-Cost Deductions. Discount Points and origination fees paid to your mortgage lender or broker at closing are frequently deductible. However there are rules around this so make sure to ask your tax professional for help to make sure you meet these guidelines. NOTE: According to the Internal Revenue Service Publication 530, “You cannot deduct transfer taxes and similar taxes and charges on the sale of a personal home.”

5)    Home Improvements. There are various home improvements that you can receive state and local tax credits for. This is especially true with items that increase your homes energy efficiency. For instance homeowners who install geothermal systems may be able to claim up to 30% of the installed cost in tax credit in the year the system is placed into services with no cap on the credit. Solar panel systems you can receive a 30% credit of the cost with no cap limit. For a list of all of tax credits you can receive for energy efficiency visit The US Department of Energy’s Website.

As always, it’s recommended that you consult a tax professional or use a reputable tax software program when looking for tax deductions. This ensures you receive all the tax breaks you are eligible for, as well as reduce the chances for an audit by the IRS.

 Potterhill Homes is the leader in the Greater Cincinnati area for energy efficient building. Not only are all of their homes extremely energy efficient, they have been successfully able to build a Net Zero home. A Net Zero home is when the actual cost is offset by the income generated from selling Solar Renewal Energy Credits back to the power company and by the end of the year you utility bills are net zero. For more information on net zero homes and energy efficient homes visit Potterhill homes website or call Potterhill Homes today 513-248-4428.

Category: Cincinnati Home Building, energy efficiency, Energy Efficient Building, Energy Efficient Tips, Energy Star, Geothermal Heating and Cooling, Geothermal Tax Credit, Green Building, Green Living, Home Builder Marketing, Home Improvement Scams, LEED Certification, Net Zero Energy, Potterhill Homes News | No Comments »
Tags: buying a new home, Cincinnati Home Builder, Cincinnati Homebuilder, Construction Quality, energy efficiency, energy efficient home building, energy efficient homes, Energy Star, EnergyStar, green building, Green Homes, Home builder Marketing, Home building, home buying in a recession, NuWool, potterhill homes, Solar Energy

Posted By Katie on December 30, 2011

Selling a home in this economy is hard, much less trying to sell your house in the dead of winter.

Here are a few bits of advice from RE/MAX agents that can help you sell your house in the wintertime!

1)    The best way to battle the gloomy and short days is to turn on every single light in the house. Let the light shine, in every room. RE/MAX agent Marlene Granacki said even turn on the lights in the closets and utility rooms! Stock up on bulbs for all fixtures if some happen to burn out. She also recommended keeping the front lights of the house lit even if there are no showings scheduled. People are always driving by, make a good impression. Who knows, your buyer may drive past at any time!

2)    Make the home easy to enter. Winter showings can become awkward if prospective buyers come in with snow and salt on their feet. “Put a festive area rug at the front door for a great first impression and so visitors can wipe their feet” recommends Babara Hibnick of RE/MAX Showcase.

3)    Keep Odors under control. In the winter it tends to get stuffy in the house when windows aren’t opened often. That can allow for odors to become more noticeable in the house, which can be a turn off for perspective buyers. Use a room fragrance if needed but nothing too strong!

4)    Encourage a Festive look! Decorate the house in appropriate decorations, Christmas and even Valentine’s Day.  This can help give the house a cheerful look during the winter months.  These small little details can help sell the house but make sure to not go overboard!

5)    Don’t ignore the outdoors. Buyer’s first impression of the house will often be how they remember the house compared to other houses. Maintain a neatly maintained yard. Walks and steps should be kept clear, especially of snow and ice.

For a complete list of things to help sell your home in the winter, visit www.rismedia.com.

A final tip to leave you with: Buyers looking at homes in December or January are quite serious about buying! Although there are fewer showings, those showings are more productive and fewer showings are needed to sell the property.

Looking to build a new home when you sell your current home? Potterhill homes can build your new homes in 90 days or less! Plus Potterhill Homes is Cincinnati’s leading Green Builder!

Category: Cincinnati Home Building, energy efficiency, Energy Efficient Building, Energy Star, Green Building, Home Builder Marketing, Home Building Industry News, New Home Financing, Potterhill Homes News, Selling your home | No Comments »
Tags: buying a new home, Cincinnati Home Builder, Cincinnati Homebuilder, energy efficiency, energy efficient home building, green building, Green Living, home builder, Home builder Marketing, home buying in a recession, potterhill homes, recession perks

Posted By Carolyn on December 23, 2011

10 Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe From Intruders while You are Traveling

1. Hide your hide- a – key somewhere other than under the front door mat. Simple, yes, but you’d be surprised how many people still do this.
2. Keep bushes around doors and windows trimmed so it is difficult to hide behind them.
3. Install motion detector lights in your backyard/ around your garage area
4. Install an alarm and use it.
5. When travelling, have your neighbor take out your garbage cans on garbage day and bring them back in that night.
6. Discontinue mail and newspapers when you are away from home or have someone pick them up every day.
7. Have someone mow your lawn while you are gone.
8. Use timers on lamps inside your home so that different lamps are on at different times of day/ night.
9. Make sure your exterior doors are well braced: dead bolts for doors and strong bars for sliding glass doors.
10.  Don’t leave out tools that could help an intruder enter your home. Be sure to lock up ladders, hammers, saws and other tools so criminals don’t use your own tools against you.

This public service announcement is brought to you by your friends at Potterhill Homes.

Category: Ask the Expert, Potterhill Homes News, Unrelated to anything | No Comments »
Tags: buying a new home, Cincinnati Home Builder, how to keep my home safe from intruders, potterhill homes

Posted By Carolyn on December 21, 2011

Think Potterhill Homes energy efficient homes won’t save you big bucks on your utility bills? Think again…

Article originally printed in the Hamilton-Middletown Journal

Area electric bills soar 33 percent in 5 years

Officials blame increase on new state limits, mandates, cost of coal.

Nick Daggy/Pulse-Journal

By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer, Hamilton-Middletown Journal Updated 7:51 AM Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ohio’s average electricity rate has gone up 33 percent in the past five years, a reversal from previous decades when electricity costs remained fairly stable, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis.

The increase means higher bills for local customers, many of whom are paying above state and national average rates.

Local energy company officials attributed the recent price hikes to increased costs for power distribution and meeting environmental limits, among other factors.

The average Ohio residential price for electricity jumped to 11.32 cents per kilowatt hour in 2010, up from 8.51 cents in 2005, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. That rate is below the 2010 U.S. average of 11.54 cents per kilowatt hour.

Dayton Power & Light’s average residential rate increased from 9.4 cents per kilowatt hour in 2006 to 13.11 cents so far this year, a 39 percent increase.

Coal is used to generate most
of DP&L’s electricity and higher costs for the fossil fuel were a factor in the company’s higher electricity rates, said spokeswoman Lesley Sprigg. State-imposed energy efficiency standards and renewable mandates that began in 2009 accounted for another 5 percent increase in residential bills, Sprigg said. “We work to hold or reduce those costs that we can control to ensure affordable electricity for our customers.”

Duke Energy officials also cited higher fuel and environmental costs as factors in their residential rates.

Duke’s rates jumped from 9.81 cents per kilowatt hour in 2006 to 13.49 cents in 2010, a 37 percent jump.

Duke Energy customers
should see lower rates starting in January after a three-year rate plan for the supply and pricing of electric generation service expires on Dec. 31, said Sally Thelen, a company spokeswoman.

The previous rate was approved before the economic recession, when there was higher electricity demand from large industrial customers, she said.

“We are anticipating an average residential customer that uses 1,000 kilowatt hours on average a month is going to see an 11 percent decrease, or $14 on their bill,” Thelen said.

Ohio Edison, which has customers in Clark and Greene counties, increased rates 4 percent from 2005 to 2008, but are now 2 percent below 2005 rates, said Mark Durbin, a spokesman for Ohio Edison. He attributed the reduction to lower electricity generation rates from alternative suppliers in an open market.

Ohio Edison’s current residential rate is 11.25 cents per kilowatt hour, down from a high of 12 cents in 2008, Durbin said.

The wholesale price of electric power has been lower at recent energy auctions because of “an excess glut of generation on the market, so that has translated into lower prices for consumers who choose to shop,” Durbin said.

He said people can help lower their electric bills by reducing energy use at home, such as turning off computers and televisions when they are not in use.

Area customers typically use between 750 to 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, officials said.

Energy consumption by household appliances nearly doubled between 1978 and 2005, according to the Energy Information Administration. Increased use of consumer electronics has partly offset the efficiency gains of major appliances, officials said.

“If somebody had a bill from five years ago or even 10 years ago, they would notice that they are using more kilowatt hours per month, which would translate obviously into a higher electric bill,” Durbin said.

Teresa Campbell of Dayton has seen a “noticeable”
increase of about $10 a month in her electric bill during the last several years. Campbell runs the same appliances as usual, but “the bill has been a little higher,” she said. The higher cost has forced Campbell to cut back on her budget. “I am more conscientious of turning off the lights and unplugging things,” she said.

 http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/area-electric-bills-soar-33-percent-in-5-years-1301583.html

Category: Cincinnati Home Building, energy efficiency, Energy Efficient Building, Energy Efficient Tips, Energy Star, Potterhill Homes News | No Comments »
Tags: buying a new home, Cincinnati Home Builder, Cincinnati Homebuilder, energy efficiency, energy efficient home building, Energy Star, EnergyStar, green building, manage electric bills, potterhill homes

Posted By Carolyn on December 20, 2011

Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Potterhill home before December 31, 2011

1)      Buy before December 31^st 2011 and get ½ off options*.  It’s our way of saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! What a perfect time to upgrade to geothermal heating & cooling OR solar panels!

2)      The 7 year warranty supplied by Potterhill Homes will expire December 31^st 2011- this warranty covers all electrical, plumbing, mechanicals and appliances purchased with the home and will no longer be available in 2012!

3)      We will continue to be the industry leader in EnergyStar built homes (more energy efficient homes for your pocket book and for the environment), but there will be additional cost to build this way that could lead to price increases in 2012

4)      We have a great referral program! When you as a Potterhill home owner refer your friends to us, we’ll pay you a $500 gift card after they close as our thanks to you! (Of course we do not pass on that cost to your friends!)

5)      Current interest rates are now below 4% for a 30 year fixed rate.  Consider this: if you buy a $180,000 home at a 4% interest rate, your payment would be approximately $859 per month (P & I).  When rates go back up to 5%, that same home would cost you approximately $966 per month (P & I).

* restrictions apply, see a Potterhill Homes representative for details. Valid only on new contracts written before December 31, 2011. Not valid with any other offer. Potterhill Homes reserves the right to cancel this promotion at any time for any reason.

Category: Cincinnati Home Building, energy efficiency, Energy Efficient Building, Energy Star, Green Building, Green Living, Home Building Industry News, New Homes in Northside, Potterhill Homes News | No Comments »
Tags: buying a new home, Cincinnati Home Builder, Cincinnati Homebuilder, cincinnati new homes, energy efficiency, energy efficient home building, energy efficient homes, Energy Star, EnergyStar, green building, Home building, homes for sale, homes for sale cincinnati, New Homes Cincinnati, potterhill homes