Brent Laugesen

We have witnessed a massive change in our market... With this being said a team was formulated from the best of the best. Realtors / Investors / CPA / Architect / Contractors / Bankers /and Manufactures. Out of this lot of professionals we have come up with a product that offers home buyers and a America a chance to fight back. Building a totally Energy Efficient home starting around $150,000. This would include Solar and wind generation, as well as some of the best energy saving products that are offered today. From single family, to town homes, we will build for you.

A new home buyer can call us and schedule an appointment to sit with our team and design their very own dream home, which will offer them Utility savings next to nothing. Imagine owning a home that runs it self, that holds up in 130+ mile hr. winds, that has a quality of air inside lacking mold, and chemical orders from treated woods, and paints. Imagine selling electricity back to the grid, reducing your carbon foot print in your community.

The US has fallen behind the 8 ball when it comes to innovation and technology, and its time we take that title back. These homes will offer each and everyone of us a chance to change the world we live in. In addition to all of the facts mentioned above, our home building system offers you savings in areas you may not have thought possible. HOME OWNERS INSURANCE...That's right, we use a SIPs (Steel Insulated Panel) building system that cuts your insurance in HALF!!! Due to its hurricane rating

So here it is, you build exactly what you want, where you want, your utility bills are next to nothing, your insurance is half of what it would be under a common bricks / sticks construction, your home is safer, quiter, termites won't eat it, and cleaner, and it all begins at a price you can afford. Take a look at our website, and give us a call, we would be more then happy to sit down with you and share how this exciting product can make a difference in your life, and budget!

Learn more details inside our webiste below

http://www.TheFoundationGroupllc.com

Brent Laugesen, Realtor, 727-735-1510

I discovered this article from a fellow agent, and I thought it was worthy to pass along...Everyone should keep a sharp eye these days to Taxes, Politicians, and Terrorists!

There IS a New Real Estate Transfer Tax in the ObamaCare Law

One of the forums in which I participate has had stories on both sides of this issue for a couple of months… with the more conservative members saying that there is a 3.8% sales tax on the sale of homes, and those that are more supportive of the President and his policies saying that there isn’t. Neither side was real specific about their information source… talk radio for some, blogs for others… nobody seemed to be going to the source… the 20,000+ page law signed by the President. In all fairness, there is a LOT of room in 20,000 pages to hide a lot of little Easter Eggs like this. And being fair to the other side, if there isn’t a tax, the bill isn’t going to say “there is not a tax” anywhere… I have an answer… There is indeed a tax on the sale of real estate. It doesn’t apply to many people, but it WILL apply to some people that have profit from the sale of their homes. Starting in 2013, those with incomes over $200,000 will have to pay a 3.8% tax on profit from the sale of their primary residence or investment properties. The exact amount will be based on a formula that includes the profit from the property and the income above $200,000. The tax is not an income tax, but rather it is a “payroll tax”… officially it is a Medicare Tax. It does not just apply to real estate, but also applies to investment income and dividends. The bottom line is that both groups are right… and both are wrong. But… It will drive another nail into the luxury real estate market. It has been in the doldrums for a while. Adding new taxes will not get it going again. And if you are thinking that this only affects ‘the wealthy’, think again. Those homes are not built by ‘the wealthy’. Those homes are not renovated by ‘the wealthy’. Those consumers are more likely to hire contractors to do improvements. And they are more likely to update more often… They are a driver in the housing sector. This added tax is NOT putting gas in the tank…

How do we change what has already been set in place?

Brent Laugesen, Realtor, 727-735-1510

http://www.Clearwaterbeachwaterfronthomes.com

Scientists baffled by unusual upper atmosphere shrinkage

By Derrick Ho, Special to CNN July 17, 2010 12:07 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- An upper layer of Earth's atmosphere recently shrank so much that researchers are at a loss to adequately explain it, NASA said on Thursday.

The thermosphere, which blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, expands and contracts regularly due to the sun's activities. As carbon dioxide increases, it has a cooling effect at such high altitudes, which also contributes to the contraction.

But even these two factors aren't fully explaining the extraordinary contraction which, though unlikely to affect the weather, can affect the movement of satellites, researchers said.

"This is the biggest contraction of the thermosphere in at least 43 years," John Emmert of the Naval Research Lab was quoted as saying in NASA news report.

Emmert is the lead author of a paper announcing the finding in the June 19 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"We cannot explain the abnormally low densities, which are about 30 percent lower" than from previous contractions, Emmert told CNN.com.

The thermosphere lies high above Earth's surface, close to where the atmosphere ends and space begins. It ranges in altitude from 55 miles (90km) to 370 miles (600km) above the ground -- the realm of meteors, auroras, space shuttles and the international space station.

The thermosphere interacts strongly with the sun and hence is greatly influenced by the sun's solar activity, which occurs in cycles.

When solar activity is high, solar extreme ultraviolet rays warm and expand the thermosphere. When it's low, the opposite occurs.

The collapse occurred during what's known as a "solar minimum" from 2007 to 2009, during which the sun plunged into an unprecedented low of inactivity. Sun spots were scarce and solar flares were nonexistent, NASA reported.

Still, the collapse of the thermosphere was bigger than the sun's activity alone can explain.

Emmert suggests that the increasing amounts of carbon dioxide making its way into the upper atmosphere might have played a role in the anomaly.

Carbon dioxide acts as a coolant in the upper atmosphere, unlike in the lower atmosphere, shedding heat via infrared radiation. As carbon dioxide levels build up on Earth, it makes its way into the upper levels and magnifies the cooling action of the solar minimum, Emmert said.

As carbon dioxide gradually builds up, "we expect every solar minimum to be a little lower, and then this solar minimum comes along, but instead it's a lot lower. And that's pretty surprising," said Stanley Solomon, a senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research who wasn't directly involved in this research.

But, Emmert said, even taking into account the solar activity and carbon dioxide buildup doesn't fully account for this abnormal collapse.

Despite the puzzling anomaly, the collapse of the thermosphere is unlikely to have a direct effect on our daily lives, said Solomon.

"It's not going to affect the weather, or you won't be able to tell that this is going on by looking at the sky. It's not going to look any darker," he said.

But the contraction of the thermosphere can affect the drag on satellites and space junk orbiting at those levels.

"Debris that's up there stays up longer. The amount of orbital debris is a concern for space navigation. There is concern that space debris is building up," Emmert said.

The abnormal change in the thermosphere may also affect other layers of the atmosphere, and though less certain, can result in slight disruptions of satellite communications, including global-positioning system signals, Solomon said.

Emmert said there were still other possibilities unaccounted for that could have contributed to this phenomenon.

"It could be that we're underestimating the effects [of carbon dioxide] somehow. It could be because there were some physics that we're missing in the region of the atmosphere below the thermosphere, which quickly affects the thermosphere," he said.

The researchers say they will continue to monitor the upper atmosphere, which is already rebounding.

"So we're probably going to work in the next couple of years to try and unravel this," Emmert said.

Brent Laugesen, Realtor, 727-735-1510

http://www.Clearwaterbeachwaterfronthomes.com

THE REPORT FROM CNN BELOW...LETS KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED!!

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New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- For the first time in nearly three months, oil has stopped flowing into the Gulf of Mexico as BP proceeds with a highly anticipated test designed to measure pressure within its ruptured oil well.

The move is being lauded as a positive step, accompanied by a strong note of caution that the cutoff is simply part of the test, as BP and government experts assess how the well is holding up.

The test got under way Thursday after two days of delays, first as government scientists scrutinized testing procedures and then as BP replaced a leaking piece of equipment known as a choke line.

The oil stopped flowing early Thursday afternoon, according to BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells. And a series of cameras below the surface clearly showed the halt -- a far different scene from the images day after day of a relentless flow.

The data are being particularly closely scrutinized at six-hour intervals. Higher pressure readings mean the well is containing the oil, while lower pressure means some is leaking out.

The "well integrity" test could end after one of the six-hour periods if the results are disappointing. But it could go on for 48 hours. The longer it goes, the better indications are that the well is holding with a custom-made sealing cap.

Video: How new oil cap works Video: Reaction: 'It's the best of the 87 days'

• Gulf Coast Oil Spill
• BP
• Gulf of Mexico

BP cautioned that the oil cutoff, while welcomed, isn't likely to go beyond the 48 hours.

Valves are expected to open after that to resume siphoning oil to two ships on the surface, the Q4000 and Helix Producer, as government and BP officials assess the data and decide what to do next. Two more ships are due to join them in coming weeks, bringing containment capacity to 80,000 barrels of oil a day, more than high-end estimates of how much oil had been leaking.

"It felt very good to see no oil going into the Gulf of Mexico," Wells said in a briefing. He said company officials are "obviously very encouraged" but they are "trying to maintain a strict focus" on remembering the whole purpose of the test, which is to gather data and decide how to proceed.

"I don't want to create a false sense of excitement," he said. "We want to move forward and make the right decisions."

And BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said on CNN's "Situation Room" that while no leaks were apparent, it's too early to celebrate. However, that did not stop residents from being cautiously optimistic.

"I was excited. I was happy about it," New Orleans resident Michael Jackson, 50, said of reports that the gushing oil well had been capped. "But who's to say that cap's going to hold?"

Jamie Munoz echoed his sentiment. "See the smile? That's my reaction," he said. "But it's cautious optimism. Obviously I'm very happy. It's [stopping the leak] been our goal for 88 days now. It's been a long run. But hopefully we get it done right and begin the cleaning. That's the most important part. Let's clean up and get our fishermen back to work."

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is overseeing the government's response to the spill, said in a statement it "remains likely" that sending the oil to containment ships will be the avenue officials decide to pursue after the test until the ultimate solution is readied -- sealing the well by pumping mud and cement through one of two relief wells being drilled. The wells are expected to be completed in August. The second one serves as a backup to the first.

In some earlier briefings, Allen had mentioned the possibility of leaving the cap closed after the test. Allen said experts also will examine options for shutting off the well again temporarily if there's a hurricane.

The catastrophe in the Gulf began when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and triggering the relentless spill.

Sherri Revette, the widow of chief driller Dewey Revette, applauded the development. But it will not bring the 11 workers back, she said.

"I wish we had never gone through this in the first place. Our prayers have finally been answered. I hope it stays capped, and that we can get the rest of the mess cleaned up. But it doesn't bring my husband back or any of the 10 other men."

The Revettes were married 26 years and have two daughters.

Meanwhile, state and local officials around the Gulf warned that the cleanup from the spill could take years.

"Hallelujah. It's a step in the right direction," said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, who's been outspoken about the damaged caused by the spill. But he noted, "My goodness. This has taken us three months. We've been hurt and hurt badly."

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a statement he was "cautiously optimistic" as the test proceeds. But he said work will not be done until coasts and communities are clean and restored.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist sounded a similar note.

"While I am pleased that oil no longer is flowing freely into the Gulf of Mexico, there is more work to do to help families, businesses and communities on the Gulf Coast as they recover from this disaster,"

Florida Real Estate

BRENT LAUGESEN, REALTOR, 727-735-1510

http://www.Clearwaterbeachwaterfronthomes.com Great source for buying and selling Real Estate

I recently procured a very interested buyer for a listing of mine on the beach. This was a client who could pay all cash, and willing to close in as short a time frame as possible. Once I established this buyer was legit, and found that this was a perfect fit for them, I proceeded to help them put the numbers together.

These new clients asked me "how much would it cost to make it our own?" (Remodel top to bottom + add a balcony). Well I said my company has special relationships with contractors over the last 20yrs, so we can give you the royal treatment for 20-50% less then any other contractor or supply store can touch. I proceeded to put the numbers together, scheduled all the contractors, and had the estimates turned in with in 2.5 short days. Needless to say they were blown away when I produced what I promised. It helped me bring the offer from 100k less the asking price to within 95% of the asking price.

I presented this offer to my seller (client). She laughed and said I'm not dropping my price one cent. I gave her all the stats, showing how much she has earned on her investment (Nearly 2.5 times the amount she purchased it for just 10 years ago), I also showed her how the average selling price was 80-90% lower then asking prices. I produced a schedule as to what she should expect to repair over the next 2 years if she chose not to except this offer. I showed her how we are beating the average "Sold" sq ft price by $6 a sq ft!! Everything I showed her was to her benefit, and yet she still refused to budge... Going back to my buyers, they too were stuck on their number.

Then I got creative. I addressed "Seller financing" with both of them, explained how she (Seller) could get a large down payment (nonrefundable) to cover the value of the home+, and set her rate, and terms as she feels comfortable. The buyer gets their dream home, the seller earns her asking price...win win.. right?

uh uh.. NO go, nodda...No mater how many angles I tried, these stars were not aligning..

After all of that work, and all the late night phone calls, I just could not bring these two to terms... So my new clients (buyers) moved on to another listing I have down the beach..."Round two" :)

Moral of the story? If there is one side to a deal that refuses to compromise, there isn't enough time or efforts in the world to pull it together. This market is one of the toughest to come down the pike, and people have to be willing to "try" and make it work if they want to buy or sell their Real Estate. There are so many choices for buyers still, that you truly have to stop and think as a seller, and look around your neighborhood. Listen to the facts, soak them in, but having the ability to bend a bit, can bring you great success.

I wrote about this experience, to give the newbies, and strong willed a peak into a world some may have yet to fully understand. Every deal is so different, yet it always boils down to personalities.

And thats all I have to say about that :)

Brent Laugesen, Realtor, 727-735-1510

http://www.Clearwaterbeachwaterfronthomes.com