Tax Credit Updates

One-of-a-Kind Recycled Home Décor

Eco is not just home building it can also be reclaiming old products and giving them a new life! Check out some of these products that got a new life!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycled-home-decor-47090203

What the heck is a GREEN building?

What the heck is a "green building"? It doesn't mean it's painted green. (Although it could be.)

To the exasperation of some people, there is no standard definition. Some builders may do little more than erect townhouses that increase urban density rather than building a highly energy-efficient product that's truly light on the land, as the "green" term implies.

At the other extreme, buildings may be packed with environmentally friendly features, such as solar technology that generates electricity or heats water. More examples: toilets that are flushed by using water captured from the shower drain, thanks to a "gray water system"; and "green roofs" featuring grasses and plants that soak up some rainwater before it can pick up pollutants and flush them into local waterways.

It may come as a surprise to hear that buildings are energy hogs that consume more energy than cars and trucks. Commercial and residential buildings in the US are estimated to consume 65 percent of all electricity, as well as 12 percent of drinkable water and 40 percent of all raw materials, according to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an international organization.

One problem: Homes are becoming humongous. President Abe Lincoln was born in one-room log cabin that might be smaller than your living room (16 feet by 18 feet). Today, the average new single-family house is nearly the size of nine Lincoln cabins. Lots of homes are even bigger. Big homes require more energy and building materials. A 5,000-square-foot house is estimated to consume three times as much material as a 2,085-square-foot home, even though its square footage is only 2.4 times larger, according to an analysis by Environmental Building News.

If the point behind the green building movement is to shrink every person's footprint on the planet, then the societal shift toward 3,500-square-foot or larger homes runs counter to that spirit. Smaller homes are lighter on the land.

So what's a consumer to do? Don't accept a "green" label at face value. Ask questions about features. There are voluntary green-building rating systems--some local, a few national -- such as perhaps the most predominant one, U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (www.usgbc.org/LEED/). All rating systems require buildings to earn a certain number of points to earn "green" certification, and they don't give too much weight to home size. The National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Program addresses house size by awarding four points for building smaller, says Alex Wilson, president of Vermont-based BuildingGreen. That's out of a 300-point rating system.

For more info:

Wonder how much of an impact your home and lifestyle have on the environment? To determine your family's "carbon footprint" and learn ways to shrink it, check out the calculator at CarbonFootprint.com. To figure out how many Earths would be needed if everyone in the world lived a lifestyle similar to yours, go toMyFootprint.org.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/green-building#ixzz0Vu9deZGT

GREEN Tips from Edward!

Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units but not to block the airflow. Place your room air conditioner on the north side of the house. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

KY Standard Ad 09.18.09

Betty Seay On the Radio

Catch Betty on WBRT Radio. The 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at 11:30 a.m.!!!
"Class is in Session" Learn great information on topics ranging from buying your first home to buying foreclosure properties! This 1/2 hour show is packed with everything you need to make a successful real estate purchase or sell a property in a challenging market! For more information email bettyseayteam@bellsouth.net

New Home Tax Credit

The New Home Tax Credit is a nonrefundable credit, up to $5000, against individual income tax allowable to a qualified buyer, provided a cap of $25,000,000 for all approved New Home Tax Credits has not been met.

Click here for additional clarification about this credit in a new administrative regulation, 103 KAR 17:150.

You Can Claim the Credit if All of the Following Apply:

1. Your qualified principal residence is a single family dwelling;
2. Your qualified residence is purchased to be the principal residence of the qualified buyer(s) for a minimum of two (2) years;
3. You purchase a new home after July 25, 2009 and before July 26, 2010; and,
4. You meet qualifications and receive approval from the Department of Revenue.

Call the Betty Seay Team. Take advantage of once in a lifetime tax credits, grants, low interest rate, and more! Julie Moore, Betty Seay Team 502-349-0051