Grren Tip Of The Week - 9/23/2010

Consider wood chips, nutshells, gravel, or other materials for your patios, walkways, and paths. These porous materials allow water to seep back into the earth, preventing runoff, erosion, and water pollution.

Housing Affordability At High Level

Housing affordability remained near its highest level nationwide for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to the most-recent National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).
The HOI indicated that 72.3 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the second quarter of 2010 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400.

Re-Using Moving Boxes

If you are preparing to move, you need boxes. If you recently moved, then you need someone to haul those pesky boxes.Shareabox.com does both, connecting people and boxes. Share a Box was created by two green-minded REALTORS® who believe every box is begging to be used again, again, and again. Visit http://www.shareabox.com/ for more details

Saving Energy

Turning off the lights saves energy, but unplugging unused appliances, cell phone chargers, and lights saves more, because these devices draw energy even when plugged in.

Staying Green Through Your Move - What To Do With Your Old Mattress

Used mattresses are the bane of a landfill's existence. They take up a lot of space, give off noxious gases as they decompose, and their springs can damage the machinery used to flatten them.So what if, for a small fee, you could have your old mattress picked up by an environmentally friendly charity, which would then tear it apart and find new uses for about 90 percent of the materials?

The recycling process involves stripping the mattress down to its individual components — the quilted topper, the polyurethane foam, the steel springs, the wooden frame and a rough-hewn interior pad that feels as if it is made of horsehair. Those components, in turn, can be baled and sold for use in everything from carpet pads to garden mulch to car engines.

6-Month Personal Finance Poll

Slightly more than one-third of Americans (37 percent) expect to see their personal finances improve in the next six months versus less than half (46 percent) who expect to hold onto what they currently have and 16 percent who expect to lose money.

Differences In House-Hunting Priorities

Survey reveals differences in house-hunting priorities for men, womenA recently released survey by ZipRealty found men often seek luxurious bathrooms, guest bedrooms, dining rooms, and views in homes, whereas women most-often desire home offices when searching for a home to purchase.