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Saturday, August 28th, 2010Tree-Killing Beetle Makes It To Monroe County
Saturday, August 28th, 2010The green adult beetle lays its eggs on the bark of ash trees from May through July. Larvae hatch from the eggs then burrow into the bark of the tree. Those larvae feed on the interior tissue of the tree, growing and creating pathways under the bark. These damaged areas affect the tree’s ability to get water & nutrients needed from the soil. The larvae spend the winter inside the tree and mature into a beetle that emerges through a chewed hole in the spring to mate and lay a new set of eggs. The harm done by the larval feeding under the bark is hard to detect, and by the time tree damage is visible, it is generally too late to save the tree.
Learn how you can protect your trees from the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle on PSR, with Gary Raffel of Genesee Tree Service, Saturday at 9am. 950 ESPN.
FHA Changes and How They Will Affect You
Saturday, August 21st, 2010FHA Changes and How They Will Affect You
The Government continues to tighten regulations on the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) implementing new legislation involving higher costs and stricter guidelines geared to keep FHA solvent. While these new rules are still in a formulation process, these changes are expected to take effect as soon as next month.
FHA loans allow borrowers a more flexible avenue for Mortgage Lending, with lower credit score requirements and cash reserves needed to close. As the economy is still reeling from bad mortgage loans, a sluggish housing market and high unemployment rates, FHA has become the primary source for first time homebuyers and for those who do not have the higher down payments and credit scores needed to go with Conventional Financing.
In order to cover the higher risk of these loans, FHA charges a one time upfront fee and a monthly fee to pool into one large insurance fund. This fund is then used to secure and cover any default mortgages. As of midyear of 2010, Capital Reserves for the FHA program are down to $3.5 Billion from $19.3 Billion in September of 2008. Concerned with the loss of $15.5 Billion in available capital reserves, Congress has implemented new initiatives to prevent the need for taxpayer bailouts, as well as strengthening FHA’s overall credit portfolio. While these new efforts by Congress are seen as the necessary direction needed to keep FHA solvent, many are concerned that these changes will stifle an already depressed housing market.
What does this mean for you?
Higher Monthly Fee’s: FHA will raise the monthly MIP (Mortgage Insurance Premium) Fee from .55% to .9% initially; with plans to raise it as high as 1.5%. The loan balance is multiplied by the MIP percentage and divided into 12 monthly payments. On a $150,000 loan, this will potentially raise your monthly payment by $44 initially; $119 if or when Congress settles on 1.5%.
While the monthly MIP is increasing, Congress has decreased the Upfront MIP Fee from 2.25% to 1%. This change will allow consumers to finance less money and thus lower their overall amortized payments. Using the same example of a $150,000 purchase, consumers would finance $1875 less with this new change. However, coupled with the monthly MIP increase, total overall payments will still increase.
These MIP initiatives project to generate $300 Million per month towards the FHA capital reserves, allowing it to replenish its funds much faster than under previous legislation.
Credit Score Requirements: Since its inception, FHA has never placed a restriction on Credit Score Requirements, despite individual Lenders previously doing so. New proposals require a minimum of a 500 credit score for FHA to insure the mortgage and a 580 to keep the Down Payment requirement at 3.5% of the Purchase Price. Borrowers with credit scores under 580 will have to increase their Down Payment to at least 10%.
This change however, will not affect most consumers. Lenders have long since placed their own credit score restrictions on top of FHA loans, usually requiring a 620-640 minimum. Compared to Conventional requirements of 740 credit scores, FHA will still remain a flexible option for homebuyers.
Reducing Seller’s Concessions: Seller’s Concessions are a set percentage of the purchase price (represented in a dollar amount) that the seller agrees to contribute towards the closing costs. These concessions will be financed into the mortgage and paid out of the Mortgage Proceeds to the Seller. FHA currently allows 6% of the Purchase Price to be financed into the Mortgage and paid on behalf of the buyer. New legislation will curtail Concessions to 3%, in an effort to avoid over inflation of home values in order to cover the contributions.
The reduction of Seller’s Concessions from 6% to 3% will affect homebuyers whose cash flow is tight to begin with. In our example, the loss of 3% on a Purchase of $150,000 will yield $4500 less in Concessions available for the homebuyer.
While these changes will make it more difficult for the homebuyer, it should not affect too many consumers in their goal of homeownership. However, higher monthly payments and less financial assistance for closing costs may place homeownership out of the reach of those buyers who just squeak by. You should contact a Lender to see how these FHA initiatives will affect you, especially if you have already been Prequalified and have yet to put in a contract offer.
Tune in this morning at 9am to hear Robert Everhart
First Rochester Mortgage Corp./ Mortgage Consultant. Call in with your questions and feedback. 222-6397. PSR 950 ESPN!
Clam Boil-Wow your guests with this easy dish!!
Friday, August 20th, 2010Bag of Raw Shrimp
Bag of Clams
Bag of Mussles
Cooked Sausage
Corn on the Cob
Small Red Potatoes
Dry White Wine
Chicken Broth
2 TBS Old Bay Seasoning
Place all ingredients in Deep Foil Pan, Cover with Foil and place on hot grill for 30 mins. Yum!!!
Make Your Own Beer at Home with Sunset Hydroponics and Home Brewing!
Friday, August 13th, 2010Home Brewing – Basically we like to say that if you can boil water you can make your own beer! With only a minimal investment on equipment (we recommend the Maestro K-1 Beer kit) that you will use over and over, it pays for itself in no time at all. It is a 2-week process from start to finish for most styles of beer, and with the kits we have in our store it’s almost fool-proof! The major thing we stress is STERILIZATION & CLEANLINESS! Contamination from not sterilizing equipment and bottles properly is usually the only major downfall of beginners. If you’re a wine person, all you have to do is stir because there is no boiling involved! We recommend starting with the Gold Equipment kit K-2 or a K-5 (also a minimal investment that you will reuse for years), we always have a large selection of wine kits that include the yeast, chemicals & grape juice required to make a certain type of wine. Just pick your favorite and get started! All kits come with detailed instructions and as always our knowledgeable staff is here with any questions you may have. Wine takes between 35 days and 3 months from start to finish depending on your selection. In the end you will end up with a wine that has an award-winning taste for only a few dollars a bottle! You can make your own customized labels for the bottles and enjoy them anytime! Both the kits and finished bottles make great holiday gifts too!
Hydroponics -Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral solutions in water, without soil. There are several different techniques for delivering this solution to the plant. Which technique you use will depend on what you want to grow, how much space you have, etc. Have a green thumb? Well living in Western NY and having four seasons is great for everything but gardeners! Why not enjoy those fresh vegetables, herbs & flowers you have in the summer all year long? You can if you set up a grow room indoors. Our staff can help you design & set up the perfect year-round grow room! Just come in with a few ideas, such as: what you want to grow, how much space you have to grow in and how much you want to spend! We can help you fit something into just about any budget, not to mention all the saving you will be doing at the grocery store & in the kitchen! You can grow indoors with soil or hydroponics, although hydroponics does have many advantages over soil growing. Hydroponics is:
Faster – Supplying the roots with constant access to water & nutrients makes for a faster growing plant;
More Economical – The water & nutrient solution is recycled & reused; and
More Precise – You get to control the water & nutrient solution that the plant has access to.
Indoor growing also requires the use of HID (High Intensity Discharge) lighting or high-output fluorescent.
Join Pat and Brenna on Property Source Radio this Saturday at 9am to learn more about Hydroponics and Home Brewing with the experts from Sunset Hydroponics. Call in with your questions 585-222-6397.
Energy Basics: Understanding Your House
Thursday, August 5th, 2010True Energy Solutions with Tony Karpovich
There are a number of factors that lead to energy use & loss from your house. In the building sciences, we tend to look at the exterior of the house (the ’shell’ or ‘envelope’ of the house) in terms of how well it blocks drafts into & out of the house (air flow) & how well it slows heat loss (commonly…insulation).
The first step in saving energy in your house is to keep your heat/cool in the house as long as possible…we airseal to stop the hemoraging of air you paid to condition & we insulate to reduce heat loss through the walls & ceilings.
The next step is to look at high energy USE appliances in the house: inefficient Heating & Cooling, hot water systems, electrical appliances, lighting, ect.
Click on the link below to see diagrams showing some of the principles of energy loss in YOUR house:
http://www.trueenergysolutions.com/energybasics.html
Tune into Property Source Radio Saturday August 7, 2010 to hear the Energy Experts from True Energy Solutions. Call in with your questions 585-222-6397
Ray Sands Glass Go Green, Save Green
Friday, July 9th, 2010
Panorama Window Films Performance Results
Friday, July 9th, 2010
CASE STUDY – New Castle Airport Traffic Control
Friday, July 9th, 2010
When New Castle Airport’s Tower Operations discovered fog blooms inside the lites of glass, they put out a call for a replacement immediately. Little did they know, they would end up with an environmental innovation that saved months on delivery, and tens of thousands of dollars.
On July 28, 2007 Fog Busters of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, an authorized Crystal Clear Window Works Dealer, successfully removed moisture from a failed thermal pane unit at New Castle Regional Airport, a Class-IV-certified FAA facility.
At 56 sq. ft, and over 500 pounds, this dual pane insulating glass unit with 1/2” thick glass presented a challenge, considering it was situated atop the 112 ft. Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT).
Both the facility project manager and replacement contractor, recognized the significant costs, risks and logistics associated with replacing the unit. Installation was estimated at over $40,000…on a unit that was only seven (7) years old! Most notably, how to proceed without disruption to tower’s staff, and how to resolve the problem in a timely fashion in a place where reduced visibility has life or death implications.
Ultimately, the installer declined and recommended the local Crystal Clear Window Works dealer. Enter Fogbusters, window restoration specialists who use a variety of applications to restore failures depending on conditions, climate, unit characteristics and construction, source of failure, and many other influences. Key to their assessment of the insulating glass unit at the control tower was:
1. the unit was experiencing early stage failure. The moisture problem was restorable but would quickly deteriorate and damage glass if left untreated.
2. a southeast orientation was protected from traditional moisture sources like wind driven rain and accelerants like direct solar energy.
3. the degradation of sealant about the exterior and interior of the unit would serve as conduits for moisture.
4. manually operated ‘climate control’ and a higher than average interior humidity could negatively impact curing conditions for the unit.
5. exceptional environmental conditions including wind loads often above 25 mph, with common peak gusts of 60 mph, along with anomalies like air vibration, seasonal temperature deltas, and of course, higher than average interior humidity.
THE SOLUTION
Fogbusters owner Herb Ingram and Head Technician Steve Cahill recognized they would have to address potential moisture conduits located on the exterior. Using a combination of ladder work and daring, but secure, mountaineering techniques, Cahill applied new seals to the exterior of the unit.
They calculated that the unit could cure itself by introducing a venting valve oriented toward the semicontrolled interior environment. The resident moisture would vaporize during the heating cycles of passing days, and be expelled through the vent. Once pressureequalized, the IG would no longer experience the atmospheric conditions that infuse moisture and humidity into the unit.
They recognized higher than average interior humidity level could present issues, but figured that the level would not be sufficient to bring enough moisture into contact with the system. Given the volume of moisture inside the unit, and the anticipated temperature of interior glass, there would be no dew point at which condensation would develop over the curing period, so they would be able to keep the unit clear.
Fogbusters chose a flexible, evolutionary application that combined sash maintenance and CCWW’s VMax authorized procedure to optimize insulating value. Cahill applied a dry-drilling technique, introducing little to no net new moisture into the unit, and chose to let the unit dry itself. Because the size of the unit could negatively impact the drying, he is prepared to enhance cross-
ventilation as required with additional venting chambers to accelerate curing.
This groundbreaking, environmental application on an ATCT preserved a quarter ton of perfectly good glass from going to the landfill. The restoration deflected the carbon burn of manufacturing a replacement unit and will generate energy savings of 10-15% for the unit. The service is already being evaluated as a preventive application on other FAA units to prevent future failures. Clear for Take Off New Castle!
THE PARTNERS
• FogBusters of Lancaster PA: Herb Ingram Owner; 717-669-4721
• New Castle Airport. Gary Mascelli, Project Manager (302) 571-6375.
• FAA. Jean Young at Jean.Young@faa.gov
• Crystal Clear Window Works USA. 800-4-FOGOUT ext 113.
CASE STUDY – Museum of Contemporary Art
Friday, July 9th, 2010
When the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver discovered moisture blurring their ultra-modern, glass marquee, they used an innovative, environmentally-friendly solution that kept an important construction deadline on track and on budget.
On September 28, 2007 Get the FOG Out of Denver, an authorized Crystal Clear Window Works Dealer, successfully removed moisture from a failed thermal pane unit at the world-class Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver.
Pushing 140 sq. ft, and over 1000 pounds, this dual pane insulating glass unit features 2 pairs of laminated 13/16“ tempered glass boards with a total width of 2 5/8 inches. The unit would not be easy to remove or replace, considering it was installed some 30’ above ground
The glass contractor for the project was in front of a logistical and costly problem. Heavy equipment was scheduled to be moved offsite within days. Ordering a custom replacement unit might take weeks. The cost of this alternative would exceed $25,000. So he contacted the local Crystal Clear Window Works dealer.
GTFO Denver specializes in the on-site restoration of failed, foggy and damaged windows. They use a variety of proprietary, innovative techniques to fix different types of failure depending on climate, unit construction, sources of failure, and many other conditions. Assessment Specialist Jim Baker found that specific to this particular failure were:
1. The unit may have experienced elevated structural stresses through transport to and around the worksite, compromising seal integrity.
2. The moisture problem was restorable but would rapidly affect clarity if left untreated and bring damage to the glass.
3. Vapor pressurization estimates drawn from what they knew about the exterior atmosphere and controlled interior, pointed to a drying period of 3 weeks and in advance of the Museum opening.
4. Unit seal is fully exposed to precipitation and runoff projected 1” beyong building facade.
5. The unit does not require thermal optimization, it only needs clarity.
Baker and head technician Mark Alvarado decided they could dry the unit naturally. They would apply a series of air sieves to create an air flow venting across the span of the unit to significantly accelerate curing.
Baker recognized they would have to be able to keep the unit clear. Estimating the volume of moisture inside the unit and the expected rate of expulsion with limited solar exposure and early, Colorado fall temperatures, they forecast a 4 week curing period and a dew point low enough that no condensation would develop to impair visibility at launch date.
GTFO used CCWW’s V2Clear authorized procedure for tempered glass. Because of the size of the unit, they are prepared to enhance cross-ventilation as required with additional venting chambers to accelerate curing, as required.
The direct exposure to precipitation and the moisture conduits located along the perimeter presented their greatest challenge. The unit would be sealed with a clear marine epoxy bond to maximize moisture deflection, and ultimately capped by the contractor.
Once pressure-equalized, the IG will no longer experience pressurization that infuse moisture & humidity into unit.
In the end, all deadlines and expectations were more than met and all partners content, including the city of Denver that kept a 1/2 ton of glass out of its municipal waste stream!
THE PARTNERS
• Get the FOG Out of Denver: Marylee Hause Owner; Jim Baker, Project Lead
• Trainor Glass. Kelsey Little, Project Manager
• Crystal Clear Window Works USA, Corporate Franchisor and authorized license distributor of glass restoration and window defogging technology.
