Maine Modular & Custom Home News

We’ve all heard the terrible statistics about the housing market.  Foreclosures abound and the resale market keeps slipping.  The government has responded with the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  The following is a summary taken from the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

First Time Home Buyer Credit

• Establishes a first-time home buyer refundable tax credit equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of a principal residence, not to exceed $7,500.
• Phases out the credit for taxpayers with incomes over $75,000 ($150,000 for joint returns).
• Prevents credit from being allowed to any taxpayer for any taxable year if:

 1. The taxpayer receives the District of Columbia first-time home buyer credit.

2.  The residence is financed by the proceeds of a tax-exempt MRB.

3. The taxpayer is a nonresident alien.

4.  The taxpayer disposes of such residence before the close of the taxable year.

• Allows the credit for purchases on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009.
• Requires taxpayers receiving the credit to repay it over 15 years in equal installments by imposing a surcharge on the taxpayers’ annual income tax.

Check with your financial institution to see if you are qualified to take this first time home buyer credit.

How can you tell if your home is green?  I found this quick quiz on the National Geographic site the Green Guide. It will help you get oriented to make sure you are checking in the right places.  Whether you are looking to build a new home or upgrade an existing home, these are the items you want to inspect.  The quiz gets you to think about if you know the correct answer.  It really doesn’t matter if you choose correctly or not, the answer is explained either way.  You might surprise yourself at how much you already know about being green…try it out here. 

Your new home is all built, but you have one problem, too many mosquitoes.  Well, it’s time to build an addition then - a bat house.  This is the original green solution to pesky mosquitoes, wasps, beetles and moths.  Did you know that a single bat can consume over 600 mosquitoes in just one hour?  That’s what I call pest control.  Forget the chemical sprays, invite the bats to play!  Bats like small dark spaces to live.  Building a bat house can be fun and it can be a family project.  Here are some easy directions from This Old House - so get started today.  Build a new bat house! 

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago has a great exhibit for the green enthusiasts.  It is a 2500+ square foot home that the museum touts as “the greenest home in Chicago.”  It first caught my eye because it was built using modular building technology.  Comforting to know that we are definitely on the right track when we say our systems built homes are inherently green.  This particular home was built with all of the latest technology and you can learn all about it at the Museum’s website.  The one item I loved more than anything was what I have deemed the green machine.  It’s actually known as a trek bike, and you can see it in the children’s bedroom at the museum.  The idea is fantastic.  The children have to peddle the trek bike approximately 30 minutes to generate enough power to play their favorite video game.  Now that’s what I call a win-win situation.  Exercise first, then play the video game.  Motivating - fun - and totally green!  I wish it had been available when my children were younger.  Read everything about the greenest home.

I just ran across this incredibly comprehensive green check list.  It is from a company in Seattle Washington, so some items are listed as a Washington state standard, but the list is helpful for anyone trying to get a handle on green building.  There is so much to learn and so many ways we can go green, it can be overwhelming. This checklist puts everything you can think of in a nice orderly manner.  It reminds us that green building isn’t all about the structure we are building, but it’s also about maintaining the site and water at the building location.  Review the checklist. - it will give you a lot to think about.

What’s that?  It’s the newest in solar power where the conversion into electricity is immediate, as opposed to creating water power which then converts into electricity.  The demand for this renewable energy systems is going up by 20-30% per year so they must be doing something right.  If you would like to read additional information about photovoltaic systems click here on the free informational site Toolbase Services.  They offer some great information that’s not boggled in technical details, plus additional links to get further information.

We all know what the buzz is these days…..saving on gas mileage.  A lot more employers and employees are reaching agreements for one or more days of telecommuting.  Once upon a time everyone always went into the office from 8am-5pm, but times are changing.  With secure and fast internet connections, we can work from our computers at home.  So, now we’re left figuring out how to incorporate a home office into a home that may not have space for one.  I found that the website for My Home Ideas had some very creative thoughts on how to put an office space into places you never would have considered.  They have ideas for the more traditional offices, also, and if you are building a new home don’t forget to incorporate some of these great ideas.  If your boss has not agreed to let you stay home to work yet, it’s still great to have a space to become more organized in paying bills and keeping track of appointments.  If you have the space ready for personal use, then when the boss does suggest telecommuting, you’ll be one step ahead!

Some green building has hidden benefits - the incentives, tax rebates and tax credits that are hard to keep track of.  The Green Made Simple website lets you search for all kinds of free bonus and incentive programs for making your home more green.  All you need to do is put in your zip code and search by category and you will be enlightened to all kinds of savings and benefits you never knew existed.  It’s like shopping a super sale…gotta love that.  Check it out at Green Made Simple.

Well, not really…just a little friendly competition.  When two celebrities try to make their homes more green, it becomes a contest to see who will do the best job.  Read the story about Begley vs. Nye to find out who’s ahead.  What a great way to bring attention to the importance of trying to make our planet healthier, and have a little fun, also.

Or VOCs as they are fondly referred to.  VOCs are found in the off gassing of harmful chemicals and pollutants commonly found in solvent-based finishes, adhesives, carpeting, particleboard, and many other building products.  One of the more common ways that VOCs escape into our living habitat is through paint, stains and sealers.  Safecoat paints and primers offer a full range of ecologically safe enamel paints as well as other safe sealants and stains.  The paints are taintable with zero VOC colorants in a variety of shades.  Their products are fully LEEDS certified and they are available throughout the U.S.  The air we breathe is polluted enough with everyday toxins.   Check out the Safecoat website at www.safecoatpaint.com, to view their full range of environmentally safe products.  They offer downloadable spec sheets on their products so you can compare them to other products you might be considering.   Using zero VOC paints and stains can help our immediate surroundings to be a little more healthy - and that’s a good thing.