Eric Thomson

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I have just recently added a foreclosure search option to the sidebar of my blog at <a href="http://blog.yourconroehome.com">Blog.YourConroeHome.com</a>. Although I like to advertise primarily the Lake Conroe and The Woodlands areas, this is a good tool to have because it allows you to search the entire country to find great deals on foreclosed homes instead of HAR which only gives you the option to search for Realtor-listed foreclosures in the Houston area. With this tool you can search by state, county, city, and/or zip code. It has a lot of great mapping features, including bird's eye shots of the properties for sale. If you're interested in finding a good deal on real estate, start your search with these foreclosure listings.

<a href="http://www.yourconroehome.com">www.YourConroeHome.com</a>

The International Residential Code, which is the minimum standard for the building code followed in Texas, has recently passed a mandate which will require all new construction homes beginning January 1, 2011 to come fully equipped with a sprinkler system. But don’t be misled. These sprinklers are not to protect your lawn from the sweltering Texas heat. Instead, these sprinklers protect your family. That’s right. Fire sprinklers (very common to commercial properties) will now be required in all residential properties. The code does not apply to existing homes or even additions or remodeling projects.

Evidence shows that fire sprinklers give a person more time to exit a building and also prevent rooms from reaching the point of “flashover” (a temperature so high that all flammable items will catch fire).

Although this new madate will cause the cost of homes to rise (estimates range from $.36 to $3.66 - with an average of $1.61 - per square foot) many insurance carriew offer discounted premiums (ranging from 1-10%) on homes with these safeguards.

Visit my website at YourConroeHome.com