Avenue Mortgage, LLC

NMLS #1115220

Make Your Home Green This St. Patrick’s Day

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Make Your Home Green This St. Patrick’s DayYou’re ready to make some changes to your home, but you want to be smart with your money and see a positive return on your investment.

While most homeowners don’t see that return until they sell their home, you can start seeing the benefits now through conserving energy by making your home green.

So in honor of the upcoming green holiday, stop searching for that pot of gold. Get inspired by St. Patrick’s Day to go green to cut your energy costs with the environmentally friendly renovations below. You’ll soon see the savings building up at the end of the rainbow.

  • Use Reclaimed Wood For Flooring

    • Instead of chopping down more green for your floors, reclaim wood that’s already been cut. While prices vary depending on they type of wood and how it was transformed, you can get a unique look and conversational piece that no one else will have.

    Just think, you could be standing on the Jackson’s old barn or a dismantled ship.

  • Green Your Latrine

    • Install a low-flow toilet, which according to www.ConsumerReports.org could save you money. Older toilets use about 3.5 gallons per flush, while newer low-flow toilets can use less than 1.3 gallons.

    If you don’t want to dish out the dough for a new toilet, then add pebbles or a sealed water bottle into the back tank to displace water and reduce consumption.

  • Install A Programmable Thermostat

    • This is something you can easily do on your own. Purchase a programmable thermostat at any home improvement store for around $50, shut off power to the room you’ll be replacing it in, unscrew your old one and connect the wires to the new one.

    Finished! Now you won’t have to worry about remembering to turn the air down at night and you’ll save money monthly.

  • Replace Old Kitchen Appliances

    • If your refrigerator or dishwasher is more than 10 years old, then consider replacing them with newer energy efficient models. Look for appliances that have Energy Star labels, as these machines have passed strict energy requirements.

    While this upgrade might cost you up front, you’ll quickly be saving energy and leaving more green in your bank account. Don’t get pinched this St. Patrick’s Day! Instead of just wearing green, surround yourself in it by making environmentally friendly renovations.

    By taking your home green, you’ll reduce your energy usage and see savings in your monthly bills!

    Legal Secrets For Homeowners

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    Legal Secrets For HomeownersBeing a homeowner is exciting. It can be financially rewarding, too. Unfortunately, it can also put you in a tough legal position.

    Between the complexities of owning a house, having to deal with lenders and the risk that comes from owning something valuable, keeping yourself legally protected is a good idea.

    Here Are Some Risks And Some Ways To Handle Them

    1. HOAs. If you own a condo, townhome or other property in an association, the homeowner association is extremely powerful. Not paying their dues, violating their rules, or doing just about anything else to end up on the wrong side of them could leave you subject to fines or even foreclosure.
    2. Neighbors. Whether or not good fences make for good neighbors, bad neighbors make for legal problems. Before dealing with your neighbors, research your community’s laws to see what options you have to deal with their unlicensed backyard dog breeding facility, teenager that steals your oranges or their tree that keeps breaking your window. It’s good to know what your responsibilities are as a neighbor, as well.
    3. Legal Paperwork. Part of having a house is having paperwork. Keeping it in a safe place where you can get to it when you need it is always a good idea.
    4. Being A Landlord. If you’re thinking about moving out and turning your house into a rental, take the time to see if you can really do it. Your mortgage, your homeowner association bylaws and your community’s laws can all either prevent you from renting out your house or can impose conditions or extra costs.
    5. Financial Scams. When you own a house, you’re at risk of being the victim of mortgage scams. If you also have strong credit, you could also be a target for identity thieves that want to steal your good name to steal money.
    6. Insurance. Your insurance does more than pay if something happens to your property. It can also give you liability protection that pays off if you harm someone at or away from your home. Given that you could lose your house in a suit, this protection is particularly valuable.

    Being a homeowner requires more than just mowing the lawn and painting on occasion. You will also want to pay careful attention to your legal exposure and manage it.

    A little bit of care could save you a lot of money and trouble down the line.

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    100 Independence Place, Ste. 308
    Tyler, TX 75703