Solar energy, renewable energy, clean energy, alternative energy, green energy: until recently, everything meant one thing… the sun, but thermodynamics has changed that!

Did you know that currently the number one country in solar power production is Germany, which reportedly produces 38,250 megawatts of its power from renewable sources?

Germany is not known for being the hottest country, however, on April 30, 2017, Germany set a new national record for renewable energy use, where during 1 weekend in May, 85% of all electricity consumed was produced from renewable sources. such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power.

It would seem that there are more photovoltaic solar panels installed here than anywhere else in the world. In 2016, Italy, another European country, was also listed as the fourth most prosperous country in solar power generation, followed by France in sixth place.

The United Kingdom, which is a country economically more advanced than France and Italy, and not far behind Germany in its economic progress, shares a climate similar to that of the north of these countries, with unpredictable weather conditions and many cloudy days, but pitifully so. .. the UK doesn’t even appear on that list!

Then why? What is it about solar power that puts us Brits off?

It’s no secret that the UK is a nation of holidaymakers, we love going abroad, our barbecues and garden parties. If a bit of sun peeks through the clouds, we’ve got our bathing suits on and are sitting in a folding lawn chair with a pimm, faster than you can say “sunburn.”

But if we’re all so eager to make the most of a little sunshine, isn’t it about time we started thinking about how we can take Britain’s weather by the horns and harness some energy from it? – Sun or no sun?

After all, there are 8,760 hours in a year, and the UK averages 1,493 hours of sunshine a year. So if the technology is now available to make the most of the 7,267 hours a year that we don’t see sunlight, along with the days that we do, surely we should seize the opportunity to take advantage of it?

How thermodynamic hot water could change our lives and improve the environment

Shockingly, in the UK, 98% of domestic and commercial greenhouse gas emissions from heat come from conventional methods of heating water and space.

In light of our growing awareness of the damage CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions are causing to our planet, the UK is choosing not to invest in renewable alternatives, fearing there simply isn’t enough sun to recoup the investment.

We can’t change the weather, but there must be something we can use to use the weather we have…

Thermodynamic solar hot water heating systems or ‘solar assisted heat pumps’ such as Solamics Bunsen Air, have been researched, designed and manufactured as low cost, highly efficient systems, purpose built to suit the UK environment, and here is the best. THEY DON’T NEED THE SUN!

Hooray, finally a solar hot water system to suit the UK and its ‘Great British Weather’. These ingenious hot water systems work even at night!

The Bunsen Air heat pump not only provides water that is heated by nature, solar-assisted heat pumps like this one also help us to support and care for our environment: they use ambient energy from natural phenomena, be it snow , wind hail, rain or even subzero temperatures, to heat water.

Since they are totally reliable 365 days a year, they are also a fantastic way to reduce your carbon footprint 365 days a year, along with your energy bills! Leaving users more money to spend on vacations, Pimm’s and BBQ sausages!

How we can make solar power work even without sun, and take advantage of the other 7,267 hours.

It’s actually quite simple, if you have an existing quality water cylinder, the Bunsen Air heat pump will fit, with specialized refrigeration pipes connecting to your existing hot water circuit. If you don’t already have a water cylinder, one is simply installed next to the Bunsen.

Externally, two thermodynamic solar collector panels are installed on a surface that is exposed to the natural elements, and an ozone-friendly liquid refrigerant that moves around the panels, takes ambient energy from any weather at any temperature, while internally, the Bunsen heat pump unit was installed near its water cylinder.

The panels, the unit and the water cylinder all interact with each other to successfully and efficiently transfer heat to your hot water circuit.

And fear not… the Bunsen can comfortably provide enough hot water for a large family every day (not to mention its smart controls and boost function if you ever need a top-up).

Finally…

Traditional solar energy is one thing, but thermodynamic renewable energy is another. We are now in a position where we have access to this innovative technology and we don’t need the sun to create solar power, so pull up your UK socks, find out about the UK Renewable Heat Incentive for 2020 and get to the top. off that list as a nation of economically sound leaders in ‘solar energy’.

Untold Secrets: How the Real Estate Market Really Works By Kerry D. Bodily, Gabriel Publications, 14340 Addison St., #101, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, ISBN 160026011X, 978-1600260117, $19.95, 160 pages, 2006

Untold Secrets: How the Real Estate Market Really Works is Mr. Bodily’s companion book to his software system that prices and prices all forms of real estate. His value model presents the use of current competition versus the existing use model of comparable properties sold yesterday. Written in an easy-to-understand style, laymen outside of the industry can glimpse important strategies to implement when buying or selling a home. The author’s trio of chapters on wearing the hat of buyer, seller, and agent places the reader in all three modes, which are often downplayed by tunnel-visioned real estate transaction participants, are especially relevant.

Chapter titles include: History, Folklore and Key People of the Day, Apply Common Sense and Expose the Nonsense, Wear the Buyer’s Hat, Wear the Seller’s Hat, Wear the Agent’s Hat, All Properties Speak for Itself How Price and Value Really Work Measuring Emotions, Feelings, and Perceptions Using Scoring System and Worksheet Searching for Competitors and Identifying Factors Gathering and Interpreting Data Raw Land Apartments Properties commercials, Farm and Ranch and Arcade, Fast Thoughts, Down and Dirty, Free and other stuff. Additional features are acknowledgments, a preface, an introduction, an afterword, a disclaimer, and an author biography.

Recommended for home buyers or sellers, agents, appraisers, brokers, educators, and franchise managers in transitioning real estate markets. I found this book to be a good guide for real estate consumers to get an overview of the residential real estate industry.

We are often asked if the tax liability for the sale of a vacation home can be deferred using IRC section 1031 procedures. The answer to this question is found in the 2008-16 Admissions Procedure.

The general rule of thumb for ALL 1031 exchanges is that the property must be held primarily for investment or use in trade or business. To prove that your vacation home is held primarily for investment, and therefore 1031-eligible, rather than for your personal use, the IRS has set specific parameters you must follow. This is known as a “safe harbor.” Those parameters are:

For Relinquished or Old Vacation Ownership you must have:

You owned the property for at least two years, and;

In each of those two years, the property must have been rented for 14 days or more at the fair market rate.

For Replacement or New Vacation Ownership

You owned the property for at least two years, and;

In each of those two years, the property must have been rented for 14 days or more at the fair market rate.

In addition to these “safe harbor” requirements, there are additional requirements:

Your own use of the 1031 exchange vacation homes must not exceed 14 nights or 10% of the days rented per year, whichever is less, but not including time spent on the property for repairs and maintenance.

The term “safe harbor” means that the IRS will not contest your 1031 tax deferral claim if you can prove these facts. The burden of proof always falls on the taxpayer. If you exchange 1031 vacation homes and cannot prove these precise facts, your 1031 exchange may still be honored. But it will be subject to increased scrutiny by the IRS. When you do not meet the “safe harbor” test, you can still prove investment intent by other facts and circumstances. Some of the best ways to demonstrate investment intent are:

Keep an analysis of the investment potential of the property when you buy it. Market trends and resale potential are important parts of this analysis,

List your vacation home on your tax return under your Schedule E,

Take the depreciation,

Show property income,

Keep track of your personal usage time, and remember that time spent on repair and maintenance does not count as personal usage time.

Make improvements to the property that will maximize your investment potential,

Do not include the property on Schedule A of your tax return.

Showing why you sold the property in less than two years makes sense from an investment standpoint.

Keep in mind that where advance planning is possible, most taxpayers convert their personal-use vacation property to property held primarily for investment under the safe harbor rules above before making a 1031 exchange. A second home it can be converted to an investment property, changing the character by placing the property in a rental pool, reducing personal use, and itemizing the property on Schedule E on the tax return.

Vacation properties held in a 1031 exchange may be converted to a primary residence, in which case it may qualify for tax exemption under IRC section 121. A second home can be converted to an investment property by changing the character by placing the property in a rental pool, reducing personal use, and itemizing the property on Schedule E of the tax return.

All other section 1031 exchange requirements apply to vacation home exchanges.

By,

ESQ Steven Hickox

The word “illuminated” says a lot about a reticle rifle scope. If you’re a shooter or a hunter, then you know what you’re talking about. An illuminated reticle riflescope features an internally integrated light source. This light source illuminates the reticle or crosshair to make shooting easier in low-light conditions. However, there is always this great debate about Illuminated vs. Non-illuminated reticle sights. The only reason illuminated reticles are recommended is because they are a great help for shooting in low light or in the dark. If you use a non-illuminated reticle scope in the dark, shooting will become a hassle for you. In this regard, Nightforce illuminated reticles are suggested by hunters and shooters around the world. But you can also look for other brands, like Leupold.

These rifle scopes can be classified into 2 types: general purpose scopes for hunting or recreational shooting, and tactical scopes used in self-defense, military, and law enforcement applications. And it is the light source that differentiates the two types. Tactical sights use radioactive tritium lamps or a passive light-gathering fiber optic. On the other hand, hunting scopes use the battery powered LED (Light Emitting Diode). There are several benefits that illuminated reticle scopes offer over traditional iron sights.

First of all, the scopes used by hunters have a higher magnification than iron scopes. When you look through the illuminators, they can bring targets closer even though they are at fairly long distances. Normally an iron sight would produce blurry images for such long ranges. Tactical sights, on the other hand, offer a wide-view image that makes it possible to shoot instinctively even under pressure.

Second, the usual glass sights are not replete with proper light-gathering facilities. This causes the crosshair or reticle to disappear in low light conditions. In this sense, the illuminated reticle rifle scopes are a great help for shooters and hunters who want to use it in low visibility conditions.

When it comes to their design, Nightforce illuminated reticles follow basic design patterns similar to those of traditional optical devices. There is an additional mechanism associated with these types of scopes. A separate light source is built into these scopes. On all standard reticle scopes, the illumination can be changed and is positioned behind the reticle. The LED is powered by one or more discharged batteries that are used in a clock. These are also available with various power settings for lighting. You can choose according to your needs in low light conditions.

Regarding the color of the reticles, red is the most used. This is because it is the easiest color to track in low light conditions. However, there are several visors that are available in green, yellow, and amber shades.

However, there is one problem you may face with this type of scope and that is excessive lighting. In such a condition, the reticle glows so brightly that you have a hard time placing the target. Therefore, it is recommended that you do your research well on the brands that offer these products. It will help you choose a suitable illuminated reticle.

Knowing when to walk away from a situational scenario that does not look promising is not a prophetic science. Without a doubt, some of the flips I closed and bought from builders in 2005 were clearly no-deal stragglers that I should have steered clear of. And I mean that literally. At the trust closing signing table, I could, but did not, just get up and walk away. And it’s not like I’ve never done that before. One of my first changes in 2003 resulted in exactly that result, in which the terms of the loan were not explicitly as they were supposed to be. Three days later, when the loan terms were amended to my liking, I went back into escrow, gave up the loan documents, flipped the house over, and made a quick $68,000.

As to why more caution was not exercised on the five fast-changers planned in 2005, three in Southern California and two in Las Vegas, which were targeted for a quick profit, can easily be answered. Greed. It was greed that got the better half of me. Although Gordon Gekko may have said that “greed is good”, I can tell you the gospel, and that is that “greed is destructive” if not handled correctly. Think of greed as fire. You can use it to heat your shelter and provide comfort for your family, or you can misuse it and it will burn down your shelter and kill you and your family! It sounds crude, but I don’t know how to make it clearer. In terms of time frame, all five homes were purchased during 2005 and should have been off the books for the first half of 2006 (given an average time to market of three to six months), but instead were not fully off the books until early 2007.

Ultimately, these were five quick deals (after having successfully done about thirty or thirty Five properties in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Riverside before them) that I should have steered clear of. Although these five houses alone were not the main reason for the financial collapse, they substantially depleted my cash reserves at the time, which had a ripple effect and was a contributing cause of defaulting on the mortgage debt of the nine condos that he had recently purchased. . In short, it was too much too soon. And simply put, I was over my head. At my pinnacle I had about a dozen properties either in contract to purchase, under development, or in escrow on the other side. My level of activity was probably equivalent to that of a small property management company or a local developer. The speed of the activity, which I was working over sixty hours a week and logging over 25,000 thousand miles a year on my car between trips to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Riverside, on a more reasonable level should have taken a three. one year period to develop, instead of the eighteen months I squeezed it into during the five years that Potter Equities was actively in business.

All told, these five deals, or rather lagging, cost me nearly a quarter of a million, which is a quarter of a million dollars that I’ll never see again. Much of that monetary loss was primarily due to servicing the mortgage debt on the five investments, which I may have netted $15,000 on those five properties, but almost wrote a check on escrow to close, which is always a painful experience. I hope you never experience writing an escrow check. It’s a horrible, sick feeling.

The other half of the collapse was the nine condos that should never have been bought. Without going into bitter detail, the nine deals on paper just didn’t come together as a whole.

But almost scarier, and three years after successfully launching new homes in tranches for 2005, my best investment being a $104,000 investment in Moreno Valley, was that at this point I had already walked away from at least five or six deals that They were clear and demonstrative. no textbook deals. So, the past experience and decision-making was there, the discipline was there, the common sense, balls, and Machiavellian ruthlessness to walk away from a deal was there, so why didn’t I walk away? In short, it’s complicated. And frankly, I’m not sure. It’s like asking a compulsive gambler why he didn’t get up from the roulette table and walk away, but just gambled away his daughter’s college tuition money. Or it’s like asking why an alcoholic gets drunk when he knows the destructive impact he has on his own life and his family’s. As you can guess, a clear explanation is complicated.

However, I know with absolute clarity, and somewhat to my personal disappointment, that I strayed from a successful business plan that had created me substantial wealth in a short period of time. The fact is that remodeling new homes was and can be a successful investment strategy for the small real estate investor. And just because my mistakes contributed substantially to my inability to continue selling, it doesn’t undermine the validity, soundness, and time-tested practice of selling new homes for a quick profit.

Potential and existing homeowners for sale should take the ongoing rhetoric from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) with a grain of salt. The NAR has a significant interest in how you choose to sell your property. Did you know that approximately $60 BILLION in real estate commissions are paid out annually (an increase of 19 billion since 2000)? In a well-planned and well-funded effort to justify their services and the astronomical fees they collect, the NAR spends millions of dollars each year deluging the average homeowner with propaganda.

Real estate agents would have you believe that it is totally impossible to successfully market and sell your own home. The reason they propagate this fallacy is painfully obvious, but it’s shocking how convincing they can be and how often homeowners fall victim to their ploys.

Let’s put some of the most common NAR rhetoric to sleep:

FSBOs are not sold for less

FSBOs take no longer to sell

FSBOs do not inadvertently expose themselves to potential thieves, rapists, or murderers

FSBOs can effectively market their own property

FSBOs can effectively sell their own property

FSBOs can save thousands of dollars in commissions

In truth, the National Association of Realtors does some things very well. First, they collect, compile, and distribute very accurate real estate-related data that can be very helpful when creating a For Sale By Owner marketing plan. This data is drawn from hundreds of thousands of home sales, so the data is highly accurate. Most of the data, if not all, is available on the Internet. This data includes, but is not limited to, average number of days on market (DOM), average and median sales prices (compiled monthly and seasonally adjusted), unit sales by region, and unit sales by “Metro Areas.”

The NAR also collects statistics related to “Buyer” and “Seller” trends, these statistics are generated through surveys of both buyers and sellers. Some of the data says a lot, for example, more than 70% of home buyers in 2006 used the Internet to find the house they finally bought, before hiring a real estate agent. Second, 18% of homebuyers said the first display of the home they bought was a FOR SALE yard sign. Do the math: That means over 88% of “BUYERS” found the property they ultimately bought without the help of a real estate agent, but 85% used an agent to facilitate the purchase, who say marketing doesn’t works.

The second thing they do very well is market real estate; this is done through their proprietary data service, the Multiple Listing Service better known as MLS. This real estate listing data, while proprietary, is not restricted to real estate agents, it is available to virtually anyone with internet access. Realtor.com, the consumer-oriented website is a by-product of the MLS, this premier marketing tool for Realtors is also available to virtually anyone. Owners for sale can invest in Flat Fee MLS. The concept is simple: Instead of the “listing agent” taking a commission based on the sale of their home, the owner agrees to pay a fixed fee to a registered real estate agent; This fee typically ranges from $399 to $699 depending on your geographic location. area and level of service. The agent simply agrees to list his property on the MLS. This exposes your property to all real estate agents through the MLS database and to most potential buyers through Realtor.com (remember that over 70% of buyers found the property online BEFORE hiring an agent) enjoying over 7 million monthly visitors generating over 350 page views. BEWARE: Not all flat rate MLS are created equal; make sure you know what you are buying and that there is some level of support.

One of the biggest problems I’ve always had with real estate agents (apart from their high commissions) is that they have a different mandate than the typical homeowner. The mandate of a real estate agent is to sell “a” house and receive payment of his commission. The owners mandate is to sell their home. How often do you think a prospective buyer calls to schedule a viewing for a specific property (your property) and the agent says, “sure, we’ll schedule an appointment,” but while we were looking at that property, let’s look at those “others” that I think you might be interested in.” Personally, I don’t blame them, that’s how they make their living; I’d do the same thing, it’s called “hedge betting.” The inherent problem is that a real estate agent can be successful without the A great example of this is “Open Houses” in my opinion they are simply a lead generation platform for the listing agent “Visitors” come to see your home the agent takes their name and contacts them to sell them any house, they have simply used your property and your time as a hook.

I always have to defend myself, and I want to be clear, I don’t hate realtors. They definitely perform a service that some people are incapable of performing. However, I do have a problem with the fees they charge and their relentless attack on FSBOs. I’ve always felt that if someone had to run in the competition in an effort to justify themselves, that was a sign of weakness.

Simply put, you can sell your own home and save thousands of dollars; don’t be swayed by the NAR and their unsubstantiated claims. Don’t believe something just because you saw it on TV – it’s a shameless effort to protect themselves, their association and a livelihood that is under significant pressure to justify their fees. It is not a coincidence that the US Department of Justice is currently investigating the industry for antitrust violations. Change is coming, and it will shake the very foundations on which this association was founded. The internet has changed the way people buy and sell real estate – it’s time real estate agents accepted that fact and either adjusted accordingly or went the way of the Dodo bird.

What are liquid chalk markers?

They are a unique and fun way to write on multiple non-porous surfaces such as windows, mirrors, glass, plastic (not chalkboard painted surfaces or porous surfaces however), whiteboards, LED boards and more.

That contain?

Liquid chalk markers contain a liquid made up of water, resin, and pigment, which writes like a marker, but when it dries it looks like chalk. But the best part is that it writes smoother than chalk and there is no dust like chalk.

There are sets of four, six, eight, nine, and ten liquid chalk markers that include a variety of bright neon colors: black, brown, red, orange, pink, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white.

Characteristics of these fantastic markers

• They are completely free of dust so they can be used by allergic and asthmatic people.

• They can have tips of different sizes from 2 mm to 15 mm. The nib can be bullet, chisel or reversible. What does a reversible tip mean? That you can use either chisel or bullet point in the same design and makes fine and bold work easier and offers more choice for everyone who uses them.

• Each marker contains 4-8 grams of high quality ink that is odorless and non-toxic. They have US and European certifications that meet all standards for art products.

• They are washable. Use only a damp cloth and remove colors easily and completely.

• They are safe for children 3 years and older.

• You can use them for any non-porous surface for endless fun. The only limit is your creativity.

What makes liquid chalk markers different from regular chalk?

Regular chalk or dry erase markers can be dull, dull, or just scratchy. Liquid chalk markers have a variety of bright fluorescent markers that set them apart from any other chalk.

Some 10-color sets have features that distinguish them from other liquid chalk markers:

• They have high quality glossy ink

• They are loaded with 8 grams of ink so they last longer than others.

• They are designed with premium quality fiber tips that will not distort or dry out prematurely. As long as you follow the basic care instructions.

Finally, you can use these fantastic markers in a variety of projects: children’s projects, brainstorming in your workplace, your coffee menu or message boards, or creating art at home. I hope you enjoy using your liquid chalk markers.

It’s now easier than ever to shop for used shipping containers. They are available in most countries of the world. You can easily choose a seller and model and make an inquiry online. At the same time, investing in such large items requires special care. Use some top tips on how to secure the best deal for you.

Provide a thorough inspection.

Whether you plan to use shipping containers for their original purpose, for storage, housing, or business, you need to make sure they are in good condition. Otherwise you will just waste your money. You must provide a full inspection or have a professional inspector do it for you. In either case, you need to make sure that there is no physical damage such as teeth, cuts, and leaks. Units should not show signs of corrosion, as this is the main threat to their strength and durability. Also check the paint. It must be weather resistant. It should not have cracked or peeled.

In addition to carrying out the inspection, you must verify the previous use of the containers. The fewer trips they have taken, the better their condition must be. Age is also an important factor, but it may not have as big an impact on the condition of the drives. You should pay attention to the type of steel the items are made of to confirm that they are highly resistant to corrosion and impact.

Plan for transportation and installation.

Standard 20-foot shipping containers weigh 2.25 tons, while their 40-foot counterparts weigh almost twice as much. Given their size and weight, the units are difficult and expensive to transport from one location to another. That’s why it makes sense to get them from a vendor located as close to you as possible. You will also benefit from units being delivered with a roll-capable tipper truck. In this way, they can roll straight to the ground. This saves time, effort and money too.

Decide on modifications in advance.

Most companies that offer used shipping containers also offer modifications. In this way, you can have the units delivered directly to you with the modifications you require. Some of the main options available include doors and windows, ventilation system, security locks and shelves. You should find out if it will be more convenient and more cost-effective for you to make these modifications in advance.

Finally, you need to make sure that you are working with a reputable and reliable seller of used shipping containers.

The use of ICF construction and SIP walls is the subject of strong debate in the sustainable construction industry. Both wall systems are highly energy efficient and create super insulated walls that meet LEED accredited standards developed by the US Green Building Council. Both products will build a space so tight that heat recovery ventilation systems are needed to produce airflow. These systems must be installed with care to eliminate thermal breaks in the super insulated space. Traditional wood frames can claim up to R-20 walls. This, however, only considers the highest-rated component in the wall, the insulation. Other lumber and utility members in the wall contribute to thermal bridging, which is a major factor in heat gain and loss. Both ICF and SIP wall sections contain solid insulation material that will effectively eliminate conduction and convection in the building. In addition to energy efficiency, one of the biggest benefits shared by both systems is the ability to build quickly and accurately.

It’s obvious that these two wall systems provide sustainable construction, but when it comes time to build, which one should you use? As with most construction decisions, it all comes down to cost. When looking at the cost of these wall systems, it’s important to understand that the price varies based on design, availability, and installation. This topic is discussed by representatives of the company on the Internet. I am not a SIP or ICF vendor so please consider this a fair analysis.

Cost per square foot?

It is very difficult to provide a cost estimate based on square footage. There are many factors involved that can only be accounted for in the exact specifications of the architect’s plans. A general cost per square foot of gross wall area may be convincing as a feasibility estimate in theory, but more factors must be involved depending on the design to make an adequate estimate. One can research and find a wide range of cost estimates from vendors and builders. The average of these values ​​should not be considered to estimate the cost since they are from people trying to sell you a product. Instead, I trended these values ​​to find that the difference in these prices suggests that SIP construction costs 5-10% less than ICF construction per square foot.

Design

The location and shape of windows and doors must be considered when fabricators cut into panels or shapes. In this process waste is produced while labor is involved and cost increases. In some cases, cost can be optimized in home design by strategically sizing the home, including window sizes and wall lengths according to dimensions suggested by multiples of panel or shape sizes.

Many manufacturers consider the dead and live load structural analysis of the design when estimating cost. This analysis of the plans will explain more precisely what thickness is needed, where and how much. ICF materials are more expensive; that is, the concrete per square foot. In addition, a precast product is not delivered to the site, so labor cost is higher when installing ICF walls. The total cost of materials and installation for an ICF wall system can be estimated at approximately 30% more than traditional poured walls.

By comparison, an ICF wall must be thicker than a SIP wall to achieve the same R-value. Thicker walls mean more material which also contributes to higher cost compared to SIP construction.

local availability

Local availability can contribute to the variation of the price and the level of green construction. Not all contractors build with SIP or ICF, but as this construction and production become more popular, the price of both will drop. Contractors and manufacturers are most abundant in the Midwest and Southwest of the United States, making these regions cheaper to build using SIP and ICF. Find out which contractor and manufacturer (SIP or ICF) is more local; this makes the project more sustainable and more likely to offer lower prices. However, beware of inexperienced contractors because it is a new construction practice. Granted, more experienced contractors can usually charge less.

Return

Sustainable construction is encouraged by the return on investment. A super-insulated, airtight home created by any of these wall systems allows for lower operating costs due to monthly utility bills. Plus, the HVAC equipment needed to heat and cool this super-insulated home doesn’t have to be as powerful, saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in upfront HVAC costs. While these savings are the same between the two systems, other returns are not. Homeowners insurance savings range from 15-25% for ICF construction due to fire protection and disaster resistance ratings. However, there are no significant capital gains when it comes time to sell. At this time, there are no tax benefits for the construction of LEED projects, but it is expected that they will exist in the future. If you consider a LEED scorecard in your decision, the SIPs will score higher because it is a pre-built panel assembly.

Conclusion

SIP construction is generally considered less expensive when deciding which sustainable building envelope to use. However, each project varies in the price of each depending on the design specifications. The design can be optimized to the standard dimensions of each wall system to encourage lower costs. Any product that is made closer to the site is more sustainable and will cost less compared to each average cost. Considering this, the cost difference between the two may increase or decrease. ICFs may cost more, but generally offer more return in terms of insurance deductions. In general, it is important to investigate all of these aspects when deciding which will be less expensive.

Gone are the days when man depended on agriculture. There’s a new kind of farming and that’s real estate. As the world’s population continues to increase, one can be sure that this population will need a place to stay and you can be involved in ensuring that they have beautiful and decent houses as their abode.

You may be tempted to buy stocks, but you shouldn’t look back as the recent global economic downturn was a huge downfall for all those who had invested in stocks as their prices went down because it was no longer a bull market and the downtrend continued to grow. . So what are the benefits of investing in real estate?

The first benefit is that your capital grows. Because? This is because real estate increases in value as the years go by, so if you want something that will increase the value of your money; real estate is the way to venture.

When you invest in a property, you will get a rental and that is a good source of income. You see, houses are basic necessities and therefore very marketable. As soon as you buy an investment property, you get money within three weeks.

Do you want to have control over your investment? Well, you should be breathing a sigh of relief because in real estate the property owner has a say. If they want to raise the rent or make any improvements, they can do it without inhibition.

In the real estate business, the risk is not as high as that of venturing into stocks. It’s easy for stock prices to fluctuate, but the real estate market can’t be shaken easily, so you can rest easy knowing your property will hold its value for a good period of time. The other benefit, or should we say bonus, of buying a property is that there are some tax benefits that come with it, meaning you won’t be paying a huge amount of tax like everyone else. Another thing is that you can use your property as collateral when looking for a loan. The bank will simply need to know the value of the property.

When it comes to inflation, property increases at a faster rate than it does. A successful case study is that of Australia. Finally, when you invest in real estate, you are investing in something that is tangible. This means you’re investing in something you can see and touch, plus you have the documents to prove it. That is why many people have the confidence to invest in real estate. Real estate is not based on psychology or emotions. It is a real market where you simply buy a property and enjoy its benefits. All you have to do most of the time is a good maintenance and you will be good to go. So if you have good money in the bank account, you can consider investing it in some good real estate.