Saskatchewan

Please help me welcome my 80th Invitee to the ActiveRain Community: Eragorn Northe.

Eragorn is from, uh, well, his last name says it all: The North -- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada.

It's pretty obvious that Eragorn has that Canadian propensity to misspell certain words, like not knowing how to spell North! I suspect he likes to add extraneous U's to words like favor and honor, and probably even misspells check.

Nonetheless, since Eragorn is a fellow member of the world's largest -- and best -- association for home inspectors -- THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED HOME INSPECTORS -- with over 9,000 members, I'm quite confident that not only does he do a great job providing his Clients with a thorough home inspection, I'm sure he'll make a great addition to our ActiveRain community.

He already has many blog posts up, so go check them out, tell him hello, and tell him Russel Ray sent you his way.

Our ActiveRain community will be the more powerful and better for all if we can make newbies feel welcome and get them significantly involved in our community.

You can even encourage him to vote in the ActiveRain Nature & Marketing Contest, join groups (send him an invitation from your favorite groups), blog, comment, meet new people, learn, teach, and have fun!

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Click here to see the contest entries and to vote.

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Fifteen most recent posts

1. Sibling love between young flamingos at the San Diego Zoo
2. San Diego home inspection FAQs with Russel Ray: Do you have any advice for renovating the property?
3. Where to go when you come to the 2009 NAR Convention this November
4. How to include cartoons and comics in your ActiveRain blog
5. A slide show of one specific flower at the San Diego Zoo
6. Even if times are tough, don't strangle yourself
7. What you can see if you walk slowly....
8. Smoke from fires create beautiful sunsets
9. San Diego home inspections with Russel Ray: Exploding your water heater
10. Is playing with matches a rite of passage for young boys?
11. Landscaping with Russel Ray: Petunia slide show
12. Wildlife with Russel Ray: Kingfishers slide show
13. Do you ever regret helping someone?
14. San Diego home inspections with Russel Ray: Keeping in touch
15. Foto Friday: Feral parrots

Need help with marketing? Join the Guerrilla Marketing Tactics Group.

Inspired by nature? Join the Inspired By Nature Group.

Classical music lover? Join the Classical Music Group.

Want to share a good book? Join the Active Rain Book Club.

Making the decision to buy a home and make a move is a big one. Here are 6 ways to tell whether you are ready to take the plunge and move.

1. You have outgrown your neighbourhood or it is declining fast. When you first moved into your hip borough, you loved the lifestyle of the nearby clubs and the convenience of shopping just blocks away. It was fun to have your neighbour's stereo loud - the party atmosphere made for fun times. Now, you long for some peace and quiet, a renewed sense of safety, and more space

2. You have a never ending list of home improvement projects, but never seem satisfied. Sometimes no amount of renovation cures what is really wrong about the home you're in.

3. Your family is growing. If you're finding that you are growing out of your current home, that is a sure sign it may be time to consider a move. And, if you are in an area that isn't as family friendly as it could be, you'll want to make the change sooner rather than later.

4. Your job has changed, and your commute is not what it used to be. If you find that you are now spending too much time getting to and from work, it may be time to consider finding a closer place that will give you what you are missing - time.

5. Your home is too big for you. If your family has changed because the kids have moved away, you may not need all that extra space. While leaving the home where you've built family memories may be difficult, downgrading to a smaller home will pay for itself, both by freeing up your finances, and saving you extra work (less bathrooms to clean!).

6. You look for open houses and scan the paper for homes for sale. If you're dreaming about moving or looking to see what is out there, you may just be ready for that bigger or smaller home, with the location you've often wished for.

It's time to find a professional real estate agent to help you find what you're looking for.
Whether you're looking for your first home or your next, give Clair Whittington a call. I am an expert in the Regina real estate market and make it my priority to offer you the best service available. I am also backed by Exit Realty Fusion, one of Canada's largest growing real estate companies. I'm here to serve you!

Green Lumber

by Nick Gromicko, Rob London and Kenton Shepard
"Green lumber" is another term for wet lumber, which is wood used in construction that has a moisture content of more than 19%. Moisture Content

Green lumber is more commonly used in arid regions of the United States, such as Arizona and parts of California, because the wood will dry more quickly. Damper regions often require kiln-dried wood, which must have a moisture content of 19% or less. The additional expense of kiln-dried wood is the reason it is used in only a small portion of construction.

Freshly cut wood will gradually lose moisture until it reaches equilibrium with its surroundings, which is referred to as its "equilibrium moisture content" (EMC). As it dries, the wood will shrink in size. Wood will continue to lose moisture until it reaches EMC, at which point it's said to have reached its "in-service condition."

The water that fills wood cells is known as "free water," which accounts for most of the water weight of a tree. Cell walls also contain water, which is known as "bound water." The weight of the water can account for more than half the mass of a tree in some species when it is cut down. Ideally, the lapse between the time the tree is first cut until the tree's wood is used in construction will allow for most or all of the free water to evaporate, but this does not always happen. Shortly after wood is processed in mills, it is bundled and wrapped in plastic, which retards evaporation. The wood has little chance to dry until the bundle is unwrapped and the framing process begins at the construction site.

Why is green lumber used?

• It is relatively inexpensive.
• Green lumber is softer than seasoned wood. It can be cut more easily, is not as likely to split, and nails can be driven into it more easily.

Problems associated with the use of green lumber:

• nail pops. Where wood frame members shrink, a gap is created between the nail and the drywall. If the drywall and nail are pushed together, the nail may force the drywall surface to elevate. A common place for nail pops to occur is at the base of vaulted ceilings near external walls. Although unsightly, they usually do not affect the building's structural integrity. Homeowners who wish to fix this problem can simply push the nail further into the wall;
• mold. Mold can begin to grow on green lumber before it is even used in construction. Airborne mold spores are found almost everywhere, and they can easily cause mold growth on wet wood surfaces, especially while it is being transported long distances by train;
• difficult to paint or stain. Low-permeability paint can prevent water vapor from exiting the wood, resulting in bubbling of the painted surface;
• sap. Sap and other liquid substances within the wood's interior can ooze out and cause discoloration.
• gaps in exterior trim can be created during shrinkage. This is especially true at the fascia.

In summary, a number of problems can result from the use of green lumber. Wood decay
For the best inspector in your neighborhood, visit: www.InspectorSEEK.com More inspection articles like this.

In today’s housing market, if you’re looking for a home in Regina that is both comfortable and environmentally friendly, you’re in luck. It is definitely a growing trend right now for home builders to consider how they can make homes more energy efficient and eco-friendly, while still delivering affordability. And, if you own an older home, there are more and more options for you to make changes that can save you money and make less impact on the environment at the same time.

Canadian builders are waking up to the demand for green housing, and the environmental movement is gaining steam throughout the country. The government is offering incentives for energy efficiency, and homebuyers are taking notice as they are looking for features during their search for the right house. As a potential home buyer, eco-friendly builders urge you to make sure that you do your research, and see that the home uses Energy Star appliances and has been evaluated by an independent third party certification program, such as BuiltGreen. This way, you are ensuring that your home is really as eco-friendly and energy efficient as possible. Some newly built homes are advertised as “net-zero,” which means they are so energy efficient that they produce as much energy as they use (some even produce more).

For home buyers who are looking at existing homes, but also have an interest in living green, there are lots of changes that can be made to get closer to that goal. For example, if you're going to paint, repainting with no VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint makes a difference. Homeowners can also replace appliances with energy efficient models, replace toilets with those that use less water, change out a water heater with a tankless model, and replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. While you could drop a lot of money on a complete eco-friendly overhaul, simply putting some thought into your renovation projects can positively impact the environment and your checkbook, in the long run.

As consumer demand grows, so will the availability of eco-friendly housing options. If you’re ready to start looking, give me, Clair Whittington, a call! As a real estate agent who is backed by Exit Realty Fusion, Saskatchewan’s only real estate company boasting an Ecobroker, I am well qualified to help you go green and find your dream home in the process!

Mortgage rates are at their lowest in years. Here are a few issues to consider, whether you are taking a new mortgage on a home purchase, or re-newing your mortgage term.

You want to make sure you get the best interest rate. If you go to the financial institution you are currently dealing with, you will most likely be quoted the "posted rate". This rate is generally up to 1% higher than you should have to pay. Doing some competitive market research before hand can be helpful to negotiate a better rate.

Open vs Closed Mortgages

When selecting a mortgage, you can choose to pre-pay it in part of full at any time without any penalty. This is called an "open" mortgage. You pay a slightly higher rate for an open mortgage, as the lender has no certainty if you will pay it off before the end of the term. Alternatively, you can lock a mortgage for a period of time at the same rate, e.g. for 3 or 5 years. This is called a "closed" mortgage. If you pre-pay a closed mortgage before the term is over, you will have to pay a penalty.

Fixed vs Variable Interest Rate

When you take out a mortgage, it could be at a fixed interest rate for the duration of the term, e.g. 5% for the 5 year term, or it could be at a variable rate. This is generally set at the prime bank rate or below that, and can vary weekly based on any change in the prime rate. Generally, a variable mortgage is lower than a fixed mortgage. Some people prefer rate certainty for the term so they can budget accordingly. Others prefer to monitor mortgage rates and convert to a fixed rate mortgage if the rates start going up.

Monthly Payments vs Accelerated Mortgage Payments

Many people routinely pay their mortgage payments monthly. However, if you pay more frequently than that, e.g. every 2 weeks or every week, your savings on interest over time is phenomenal.