Posted By Carolyn on May 18, 2013

New laws mean fewer incandescent bulbs.

Ever wonder how to pick the right LED or Compact Florescent light bulb?  Here’s an article from Builder Magazine that de-codes all of the new vocabulary in lighting…

A New Age for Light – by Builder Online

With a government edict providing the push, household light bulbs as we’ve known them are rapidly becoming historical curiosities. Their replacements not only use less energy and last longer but also let us manipulate light in an entirely different way.

For starters, think lumens, not just watts. Wattage is a measure of how much electricity a bulb uses, and that’s what got conventional incandescents into trouble in the first place. They used too much electricity for too little light—roughly 90 percent of the power they consumed went into heat, not light.

Lumens is the amount of visible light a bulb produces, and that, rather than wattage, is the new metric for specifying brightness. An old-style 100-watt incandescent, for example, produces about 1600 lumens—and that’s what to look for on packaging when you buy a replacement.

What’s forcing widespread changes in lighting is the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Although it didn’t ban conventional incandescents, it did toughen energy efficiency standards. Some types of old bulbs are exempt from the new requirements, but the law leaves three alternate technologies for most residential lighting: halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). All three of them are more efficient than old-style bulbs while lasting up to 50 times longer.

Less Power, More Light

All three new alternatives are more efficient, or, in industry talk, have a higher efficacy than conventional incandescents. According to DOE figures, for example, to get the same amount of light as a conventional 60-watt incandescent (about 800 lumens), you can use a 43-watt halogen incandescent, a 15-watt CFL, or a 12-watt LED. Annual energy costs for that bulb—based on two hours of use per day and energy costs of 11 cents per kilowatt hour—drop accordingly, from $4.80 for the standard incandescent to $3.50, $1.20, and $1, respectively.

There are two other factors that go into choosing a light source: color temperature and color rendering. Conventional incandescents cast a relatively warm light, roughly 2700 degrees Kelvin. Higher color temperatures mean cooler, whiter light.

If you want colors to appear exactly as they would under an incandescent light source, look for a color rendering index of 100.

Halogens, CFLs Most Affordable

LEDs: The Future of Light

Working With Digitized Light

Discover the future of lighting by reading the entire article.

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Posted By Carolyn on May 15, 2013

Beginning on May 20th through May 30th we will ask you to post your pictures of your summer gardens showing your homes curb appeal!

Curb Appeal Contest
Winner will receive $100 Visa Gift Card

Here is some inspiration to encourage you to participate.  Does your home look better than this?

You will have 10 days to post your favorite pictures of your home and then to get the most votes for your hard work!

You must be our Fan on Facebook to enter the contests – click here to become a fan.

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Posted By Carolyn on April 9, 2013

April 9, 2013 - During New Homes Month in April, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is showing home buyers why they can afford a higher-priced home-if it’s new construction. Using data from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2011 American Housing Survey, NAHB found that buyers can purchase a more expensive newer home and achieve the same annual operating costs as an older, existing home.

“Home buyers need to look beyond the initial sales price when considering whether to buy new construction or an existing home,” said NAHB Chairman Rick Judson, a home builder from Charlotte, N.C. “They will find that with the higher costs of operating an older home, they can often afford to spend more to buy a new home and still have annual operating costs that fit their budget.”

NAHB’s study first looked at how utility, maintenance, property tax and insurance costs vary depending on the age of the structure. It found that homes built before 1960 have average maintenance costs of $564 a year, while a home built after 2008 averages $241. Similarly, operating costs average nearly 5 percent of the home’s value for pre-1960 structures, while they average less than 3 percent when the home was built later than 2008.

The study then compared the first year after tax cost of owning a home by the year the house was built, taking into account the purchase price, mortgage payments, annual operating costs and income tax savings. This data showed that a buyer can afford to pay 23 percent more for a new house than for one built before 1960 and still maintain the same amount of first year annual costs.

While mortgage payments will be greater with the higher purchase price of a newly-built home, the lower operating costs mean the home buyer will have annual costs that are about the same as if they’d bought a lesser-priced, older home with a smaller mortgage payment and higher operating expenses.

Other benefits of new homes include open space floorplans, creative storage options and entertainment resources that cater to modern lifestyles, as well as the safety consideration that the structure was built and wired to modern codes and standards.

“For a family working with a fixed annual budget, new-construction homes offer outstanding comfort, convenience and overall cost savings,” said Judson. “Put that together with today’s near-record low interest rates and competitive prices, and the time has never been better to buy a new home.”

Home buyers can access home buying and home building information and resources on NAHB’s website atwww.nahb.org/forconsumers.

Category: Potterhill Homes News | No Comments »
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Posted By Carolyn on March 29, 2013

WALNUT CREEK OF LEBANON | GRAND OPENING 4/13 Several New Home Designs

FEATURES | VIEW ALL City of Lebanon New Playground Picnic  Area $146,990 – $249,990 1,080 – 2,778 sq ft 2-4 Bedrooms | 2.0-3.5 Baths Community Details A brand new lineup of home designs is coming soon to Lebanon. Join the Interest List to be amount the first to see the designs.  Grand Opening Celebration (Open to the public starting April 13th)   Enjoy gourmet appetizers and tour the new phase of Walnut Creek in Lebanon Event Date: Saturday, April 13th Event Time: Noon – 4:00 Location: Walnut Creek Sales Office @ 92 Raintree Trail, Lebanon, OH 45036 RSVP to:  513-899-2054 Caroline Kilbane or CKilbane@PotterhillHomes.com       Inglenook From $162,990 1,741 sq ft 3 or 4 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms 2 Story Home         Sinatra From $213,990 2,251 sq ft | Full Basement 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms Single Level Home

Category: Community News, Potterhill Homes News | No Comments »
Tags: grand opening, Walnut Creek in Lebanon

Posted By Carolyn on March 23, 2013

Watch this Bloomberg video talking about lumber material prices.

http://bloom.bg/ZKPyMX

Basically, over the past year, lumber prices have risen 45%.

Year to date in 2013 (Jaunuary-mid March), lumber prices have risen 10.3%.

This video is worth watching so you can stay informed on the coming prices increases.  There is no way around more price increases, it’s just a matter of how long we’ll be able to hold current prices.

The good news is that consumers who buy now are getting in before inflation really kicks in.  And, they can be assured that they are getting in at lower prices than we’ll see in the near future. If you have been waiting on the fence should jump in now.

Category: Economy | No Comments »
Tags: home building costs, lumber costs