Madison, MS

Before the days of gun powder and lead the mighty shield was used for protection from unwanted elements during battle.

In our struggle to save energy consider using one of the most protective and cost effective "shields" developed. The Radiant Barrier.

It's a foil backed product that's placed in the attic of your home, foil side down, to help protect you from the sun's radiating heat that drives your energy use up and the size of your pocket book down. A radiant barrier:

• is placed foil side down in your attic (opposite of the way you think a shield should face!)
• will lower the cost of your cooling dollars by 40%
• will not effect your roof warranty (when installed as roof sheathing)
• can be installed directly onto your attic insulation
• lowers the negative effects of high heat on stored articles in your attic
• can be installed by you, the homeowner, with little or no experience (however, always take special care when working in the attic)
  

Coupled with caulking and sealing your home's air leaks the radiant barrier has immediate payback.

For more information on energy savings and home inspections call Gary Smith toll free at 877.809.6139 or visit him on the web: http://www.garynsmith.net

If you were shopping for a home and found one that was…

• well-built
• comfortable
• had lower-than-average monthly energy costs
• was easy to maintain
• required no additional income to pay for it

Would you stop shopping? I have good news! This kind of home is being built today.

How can you afford the purchase? That’s Easy! Get an EM - Energy Mortgage. The mortgage is unfamiliar to many homebuyers and believe it or not to many real estate agents.

How does it work? An EM increases your buying power by enabling the mortgage lender to count the monthly energy bill savings that a home’s energy efficient features deliver as extra income. There are two kinds of energy mortgages:

Energy-Efficient Mortgages

• Credits the savings from a home that is already efficient into the loan qualification process and capitalizes the improved features into the appraisal.

Energy Improvement Mortgages

• Increases the buying power of a consumer by financing energy improvements that are shown to be cost-effective and capitalizing the ensuing monthly savings into the mortgage loan.

All of the national secondary mortgage markets--conventional as well as federally insured programs--offer energy mortgage products.

Call Gary Smith for more info on Living Green at 1-877-809-6139 or online: http://www.garynsmith.net

Alot of people that I have talked to in the past couple of weeks have been confused between the differences of FHA and Conventional loans. So, I hope this simple explanation helps with all of your questions dealing with mortgage loans.

FHA requires less money down - 3.5%. Conventional (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) loans require at least 5% down.

FHA’s monthly mortgage insurance is much cheaper than conventional loans, usually about half and much more in many cases.

FHA’s interest rate is not tied to credit score. If you have a 620 or better you are eligible for the best FHA rate. For conventional loans you need at least a 720 score for the best rate and scores less than 720 have higher rates. Or you pay more points to get best rate.

FHA loans can only be used to buy your primary residence, not second homes or rental houses. Conventional loans can be used for principal residences, second homes and investment property.

FHA loan limits are approximately $271,000 and conventional loan limits are $417,000.

FHA loans are assumable. Conventional loans are not.

FHA loans have an upfront funding fee (1.75%), which is financed into the loan amount, not paid at closing. Conventional loans do not have a funding fee.

FHA loan qualifications are governed and set by the federal agency, Federal Housing Administration, a division of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Underwriting guidelines and parameters for conventional loans are set forth by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government sponsored entities (GSE's).

I usually recommend FHA when a buyer puts down less than 5%. I usually recommend a conventional loan when someone puts down more than 10%. Each case is different. Credit scores and down payment money play a bigger part on the type of loan chosen in today’s mortgage market.

This article was written by Richard Martin with Residential Mortgage for the sole purpose for www.jeffreydillonsells.com. You can contact Richard with any mortgage questions at...

Did you know that bath fixtures made before 1992 can waste up to 3 gallons of water each minute you spend in the shower? The shower and the toilet are the two areas in the bathroom where you can keep your money from going down the drain!

Take an empty gallon pale and turn your shower on full blast. Wait 2 minutes and check the pale. If it's overflowing you're wasting water! Change the shower head to a low flow model. Shower heads start at about $10.00 and changing it is a very simple task.

Plumbing leaks account for about 15% of water usage. It's a good idea to check your toilet for leaks. Here's how: Lift the tank cover and drop about 5-10 drops of food coloring into the tank. Now don't flush yet! Wait about 15 minutes, lift the toilet seat and check the water color. A leaky toilet will show in the bowl as colored water and you'll need to mend the leak.

Now for the most productive water saver! Just look into the mirror. Here are a few tips that you can use to help save water.

* When you brush your teeth, turn the water off.
* Toss trash into the waste can rather than flushing it down the toilet.
* Save 7 times the water by taking a shower rather than a bubble bath.

For more information on energy saving construction and green living contact Gary N Smith at www.garynsmith.net or call toll free at: 1-877-809-6139.