Grayson Hodge

After blogging about green energy savings tips, it's time to blog about a major green event - St. Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. In celebration of his day, local festivities include the 27th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, a 5k run and traditional Irish music and food. See details below.

March 14

Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival

Downtown Raleigh

http://www.raleighstpats.org/

St. Patrick's Day Block Party

Hibernian Restaurant and Pub

Raleigh and Cary locations

http://www.hibernianpub.com/news.php?id=41

March 16

St. Patrick's Day 5k Run

Tir Na Nog Irish Pub & Restaurant

218 Blount Street, Raleigh, NC

http://www.tirnanogirishpub.com/default.asp?id=3&mnu=3&title=Events

March 17

Full Irish Menu all day and Live Music

Napper Tandy's

126 N. West St., Raleigh, NC

http://nappertandysirishpub.com/raleigh/raleigh.html

Irish Music, Food and Festivities

James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant

912 West Main Street, Durham, NC

http://www.jamesjoyceirishpub.com/html/calendar.html

If you are going to be outside this weekend, you might want to bring an umbrella. It's looking like rain in the Triangle.

Whatever you do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

Know of any other St. Patrick's Day events? Please share.

I'll continue our list of green tips to save energy in your home. If you missed last week's tips, please look at my post from 2/24/09. With the recent cold weather that hit the Triangle, we could all benefit from saving some money on our heating bills. With that in mind, you may want to read the tip about thermostats from last week.

5. Insulation - If you are paying a lot for your energy bill, you may need insulation especially if you live in an older home. The recommended areas to insulate are attic, floors, walls and crawl space or basement. There are a few green products on the market including non-toxic foam sprays and insulation made from recycled jeans.

6. Air Leaks - Look for drafts around windows, doors and pipes. Once you find the air leak, you can caulk it or use weatherstripping.

7. Heating - If you need to replace your heating system in the near future, look for one with the Energy Star logo. Keep filters and air ducts clean. Make sure vents are not blocked by furniture or drapes.

While some of these projects are DIY, you may need to consult with a contractor. For referrals on reputable contractors in the Triangle area, contact your local real estate agent. For non-toxic products, check with home improvement stores that specialize in green building supplies.

Please join me next week for the third in a series. As we are getting closer to spring, I will share some energy efficient cooling tips.

Are you debating buying a home? Now is a good time to buy. Interest rates are the lowest they've been in 37 years and the Raleigh housing market is healthier than most major cities. (See Friday, February 20, 2009 Blog)

Don't feel discouraged by the new mortgage guidelines for 2009. As in the past, lenders are looking at your credit score, debt-to-income ratio and the amount you can afford to put down. The higher your credit score, the less debt you have and the more savings you have may increase your chances of getting a better rate.

Allow plenty of time for the application process. It may take up to 30 days or longer. Lenders are carefully screening applications, which protect you as well as them. In addition some financial institutions are short-handed.

Do your homework. Research the different types of mortgages and make sure you understand each, especially the adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). Part of the reason some homeowners are losing their homes is because they did not understand how the ARM worked or were taking advantage of with the subprime loans. Consult with a reputable mortgage broker.

Have you recently applied for a mortgage in the Triangle? Feel free to share any additional tips.

Looking to save some cash and help the environment? Join us for a series of blogs filled with quick and easy tips on how to green your home and save money. This week is part one.

1. Thermostats - During cold months, lower your thermostat if even by one degree (i.e. from 70 to 69) to save on heat. During warm months, raise it by a degree to save on A/C (i.e. 78 to 79). If you will be gone for a long period of time lower or raise it accordingly. Please keep pets in mind. Consider a programmable thermostat, which you program to automatically adjust the heating and cooling in your home according to your schedule.

2. Natural light - Use natural light as much as possible. Open your blinds on sunny days. If it gets too hot in the summer then close them to conserve energy.

3. Light bulbs - As your light bulbs burn out replace them with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Although CFLs cost more than incandescent lights, they are more energy efficient and may save you money. Turn off lights that you are not using. Use timers for porch and garage lights.

4. Electronics - Even if your electronics are turned off, they can still burn energy. Unplug your electronics when they are not in use, especially televisions.

You can buy CFLs and programmable thermostats at your Triangle area hardware or home improvement store.

Please join us next week for the second in a series. Feel free to share your own energy saving tips.

Raleigh, NC, is listed as the 6^th healthiest housing market in the U.S. for 2009 according to a recent article in Builder Magazine. This comes as no surprise. The Raleigh-Durham area consistently ranks in the top 10 best U.S. cities to live.

According to the article in Builder Magazine, they analyzed the top 75 housing markets in the country. The top 15 markets were listed in the article. Ten of the 15 are Southern cities, including Wilmington, N.C., (ranked 14) and Charlotte, N.C. (ranked 13). The article looked at population trends, job growth, home prices and number of building permits to determine the top markets. The article noted what the healthiest housing markets have in common, including close proximity to the ocean, mountains or major universities and no substantial increase in the price of homes. The Raleigh area has all these attractive qualities plus the four seasons, a comfortable climate, affordable cost of living and more.

This newly published article is further proof that the Raleigh area is doing well and serves as a nice lead-in. We were just discussing how the Raleigh housing market is doing better than the rest of the country for our upcoming article. Want to learn more? Watch for our article next week.