Cost per Unit: multi family housing is generally cheaper. The cost of a duplex is less than the cost of two homes. Less debt and therefore less risk also means you have the potential to own more of your property than the bank.

Vacancy Rate

By definition, a multi family property is never 100% vacant, meaning there are always some renters helping to pay expenses. What happens if you lose your tenant in your single family house? You lose all of your income and you have to pay the mortgage out of your savings. If you lose a tenant in a three family house, you’ve only lost one third of your income. The other two units will help cover your mortgage until you rent the vacancy. One reason why owning small apartment houses is smarter that owning single family homes.

Easier to Finance

Get financing more easily. Money for commercial units was available even during the recent mortgage freeze. For a few weeks in late August to Early of 2007. I think that this is due to less risk, because multi family is less expensive per unit and because there are always some tenants helping to cover costs.

Financing is more available for multi family because investment property can be analyzed using financial ratios like cash flow or cap rates. Lenders love to be able to assess the investment value of a property. You can price a property according to the return on cash flow or gross rents and create benchmarks. Its not emotional.

Maintenance

Although, you may have more toilet flapper problems to deal with, because you have more toilets, there is still only one roof and one foundation. This remains the same whether you have two unit duplex or a ten unit property. Costs can be spread out and the cash flow of a well run building will help support maintenance much easier than if it were a single family home with only you paying the bills.

The Market Today

1. We have a housing recession, mainly in the single family home sector. Sales are slowing and will probably get worse before they get better. Rental rates, however are booming. There are a few reasons why: For a start, when homes become to pricey, the monthly carrying cost of ownership starts to look very unfavorable compared to a monthly rental. When mortgage rates were very low, the monthly mortgage was often less or equal to a rental. That made home buying very attractive but the opposite is true today.

2. Mortgage money may be easier to get for a well priced apartment building, because its an investment and more transparent than buying a single family home because the cash flow is a good measure of the true value of a property.

1031 Tax Advantages

Rental houses or business property (but not your personal residence) can be swapped, tax-deferred for other investment real estate. IRS Section 1031 makes it possible to exchange and even trade up from a small rental property into a larger investment property investment property worth far more, with little or no erosion of capital gains because its possible to avoid the capital gains tax. The Government will effectively let you use the tax owed to them towards a greater down. Now 1031 exchanges are complicated and you should always have a qualified advisor before attempting one of these.

Disadvantages

Time Consuming: Multi family ownership is a job. It needs management skills such as dealing with people, tenant screening and all the necessary business skills and legal issues make it difficult. You need to assess your own skills and see if you have the desire to manage people and property. It can be very time consuming. A larger property, say 10 units or more may allow you to hire and actually be easier that 2 or 3 units, where there isnt enough coming in for an owner to hire more than necessary.

Equity Appreciation: Multi Family doesn’t appreciate in market value as rapidly as single-family house investments. The reason is apartments are valued by their “cap rate” or net operating income divided by the property value. For example, a small apartment building producing $10,000 annual net operating income (excluding mortgage payments) and an asking price of $100,000 for the property equates to a10 percent “cap rate.” or a 10% rate of return.

Rent Control: The laws designed to protect the more vulnerable puts a limit on the rental increases allowed in any given year. Therefore some properties should be bought only if an equity increase is in the cards. The one work around is when a rent controlled unit becomes vacant. Then the unit can be brought up to market rent. If a tenant has been there for many years that can be a significant increase.

Thanks for Reading

Howard Bell for http://www.yourpropertypath.com

We believe that knowledge should be free and freely shared.

With this in mind, the time to buy an agency that comes up for sale may be when the real estate business is in the doldrums. A hot real estate market will make an existing firm worth more, as their income will be higher during this period of time. Of course if you follow this course of action, you will have to wait out the slow down in the markets. Another factor in the purchase or start-up a real estate company is the state licensing requirements.

Most states have serious requirements for real estate agents and brokers. Brokers have a much stiffer requirement in most states than an agent. The requirements include passing exams and a fixed number of educational hours for both agents and brokers. There is also a requirement for continuing education. These state mandated steps to a career in the real estate business would have to be met before an agency could be purchased or started. Since this industry is regulated and has strong legal steps to comply with, this licensing plus experience would be an initial step to being an owner in this field. This is not a business that can be stepped into by just paying out some money.

An agent can have the goal of owning their own firm, but it will take planning and meeting the state rules to make this happen. Once a potential owner has these steps out of the way, finding an existing business to buy will be in order. A quick check of real estate business listings reveals that they are usually found in larger cities and the asking price is significant. There are also resales of franchise companies. Just typing into a search engine, “Real estate businesses for sale”, came up with this quick check. A buyer could also check with business brokers and real estate brokers in their city. Another source worth checking out would be a franchise connection. An in place real estate business is advantages as the name is already known and will get clients due to this. When you start a company from the ground up you do not have this advantage. An existing business with several locations will come with a higher price tag than what you could start your own business for.

Another way to gain ownership would be buying into an existing business. This could work if you have a solid relationship with the current owner. The problem is you will not have the final say in most decisions unless you are buying controlling interest.

Specialty real estate firms

Most people think about a firm that helps with the buying and selling a home. There are several other areas of specialization. A real estate firm could become expert in buying and selling commercial property, farmland and farms, farm product processing plants, rental properties and shopping centers. Actually a broker could cut out a niche market from many that are available in the real estate business. If you have an area of expertise, this could become something that could be marketable and cut out a lot of competition in certain situations. Some real estate firms have unique departments that handle certain types of real estate marketing. The decision you must make is what kind of a firm are you going to own. You may have to start your own in order to make it happen.

You could also get into real estate management and the buying and selling of these rental properties, which is a very unique part of the industry. Shopping center related firms could be in from the start of a project. They can help with the formation of the firm to build and own the property and then handle the rentals and day-to-day management of the center.

The point of all of this is there are areas of real estate specialization that lend themselves to a business that just works in this real estate category.

Finding the money to make your dream happen

You may not have the total purchase price for an existing business. The question is how do you come up with the balance to make the deal. Finding a source to lend you the money is one way to come up with the needed funds. There are businesses that offer loans to new owners of businesses. These can be found on the Internet by just doing a search. Family and friends could be another source of money. One way to get the needed money is to take in a partner for the business. If you have a friend in the business maybe they would be interested in owning part of the existing company. All of these possible money suppliers will have different requirements for paying the money back.

Make sure you can see your way clearly on how you will accomplish the pay back. This business can be adversely affected by interest rates so you would need a second way to make the payments. A person thinking about ownership in this field must remember that it can be feast or famine as far as sales and commissions go. This is not like being in the restaurant business or owning a printing company. Successful brokers can make considerable money in a good market. They can also have periods that are very tight as to sales. The brokers that succeed have a policy of putting away some of their earnings during good times to cover the less profitable times. Doing this just shows the broker has a realistic view of the business.

Conclusions

This business can be extremely profitable during low interest rate economies. The legal and state requirements make the ownership of a brokerage firm more difficult to own than is the case with other businesses. Buying and selling a real estate business is somewhat more difficult due to the restrictions that are placed on the owner of a real estate firm. You must have the appropriate licenses in place before you can begin operation. This is true whether you buy a company or start one up from scratch. Finding a firm you can afford will take some time and research on your part. Hiring a professional business broker may speed up the search.

Deciding early on if you want to be a specialist will set other decisions in place. Niche areas that you are an expert in will help cut the competition somewhat. A general real estate business will have the potential for more clients, but will need and ongoing advertising campaign to gain listings and clients looking to buy. The start-up is cheaper to open, but will have little cash flow like an existing firm. Money flow is the one huge advantage buying an existing business offers to the new owner.

Author: Bill Henthorn
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

There are many different ways to invest in Real Estate. Many people understand the importance of investing, especially in Real Estate, but don’t know the many different opportunities that are available in this magnificent field.

Every week there are many more Real Estate deals that show up at my office than either I or my staff can handle. It is like sifting for gold. Many are discarded. The possible deals that are left have preliminary research performed and the gold starts appearing. If the deal doesn’t fit my buying criteria, I will sell the Purchase Agreement to another investor who will end up owning the property. Of the deals that I close on, I package some of them up and sell them to other investors with seller financing in place.

All these properties will need to be financed. Some investors don’t want anything to do with the “hands on” aspect of Real Estate but have money available in retirement accounts, savings accounts, or mattresses that are not producing good returns. Most people don’t realize that these assets can be invested in mortgages on Real Estate with annual returns ranging from current bank mortgage rates to double figures. Actually, there are many more people who invest in Real Estate Mortgages than those who find, repair/renovate, and/or rent for income. It is a great passive way to have your money working for you as you pursue other goals and enjoy a more luxurious life. The best thing about this type of investing is that it can be totally “hands off”. Your IRA, 401k, or other retirement account funds can buy or place these mortgages – without paying income tax and other penalties for withdrawal of the funds. If you have a Roth IRA, an added benefit is that all the income made on these mortgages is tax free!

Most “hands on” investors would rather receive mortgage loans from private “mortgage money” investors for several reasons. When a great deal comes by, they need to act fast. Banks may take 30 to 60 days to close. The investor usually must close quickly or face losing a great deal. When a private investor is involved, he can close within a few days. “Hands on” investors are also looking to save up front cash that can be wasted in the form of unnecessary closing costs, points, and bank fees. Private mortgages can much more inexpensively create a win/win solution for both the “hands on” investor and the “mortgage money” investor. Some great partnerships are formed when “cash or credit” investors partner up with “hands on” investors.

I watch current markets. Right now in most areas of the country, there are record numbers of foreclosures. I get excited when the Real Estate market is headed down, especially involving foreclosures. There are many ways to profit from the high foreclosure rate, the decline in property values, and the current “buyer’s market.”

You can buy by yourself, buy with partners, own a portion of a deal, invest cash or credit into loans on properties or projects, or invest in notes and/or mortgages on individual properties.

If you have not set goals, or even if you have, I would challenge you to set one of your goals to be at least a millionaire within the next five years. This is the market, the time, and the place to do this! Yes – even part time! Of course I can’t say for sure that you’ll make it, but if it is ever going to happen, this is the easiest time in history.

Take advantage of the educational opportunities available. There are more seminars and courses available than ever before. Other materials abound, including books by myself and other experts, CDs, podcasts, teleseminars, and much more. Get out there and see what is available. This type of education will save you decades of learning the hard way.

Alan is a millionaire real estate investor with over 25 years of experience. He is an author, speaker and educator specializing in creative and traditional real estate investing. To sign up to hear Alan’s next teleseminar packed with practical know-how, visit http://www.hearthecall.net for free access.

Watch the Wording of Your Ads

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) may appear to be common sense, and most people would never think of discriminating against people of different races or religions, or on the basis of gender. However, it is important to note that the FHA extends beyond the screening process, and into advertising as well. This is where many landlords and property managers make fatal mistakes. After all, there are people who scour the classifieds looking for inappropriately worded ads so that they can pounce on them and threaten a lawsuit. While someone must have standing to bring suit, these scoundrels often work in coalitions to ensure that all of their bases are covered.

For example, if you own a rental property in a predominantly Jewish community, its proximity to the local synagogue could be a major feature. But if your ad says “within walking distance from the synagogue,” you could be sending the message “gentiles need not apply” – even though this wasn’t your intent. And keep in mind that you may not discriminate on the basis of whether a couple is married, whether or not children are to live in the unit, or on the basis of age. Novice landlords may not be aware of these areas of concern, and while it’s a good thing that citizens are more aware of their rights today, it can be a very bad thing for well-meaning landlords who are out of step with the times.

Be Aware of Your Local Laws – And Use Good Business Sense

State law and local ordinances can extend similar protections granted under the FHA to other groups. For example, California, Minnesota, and North Dakota prohibit discrimination based on source of income – in other words, a landlord cannot discriminate against would-be tenants who rely on public assistance. Putting the political perspective of the landlord aside, such discrimination makes very little business sense, since people on welfare or social security are virtually assured of a fixed income.

Some cities make it a crime for a landlord to discriminate against lesbians and gay men. If you are uncomfortable renting to same-sex couples and you live in a community progressive enough to pass ordinances protecting their rights, then you are either in the wrong line of work or the wrong town. There can be little rational argument in favor of discriminating against same-sex couples in an accepting locale.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against the disabled, and also requires landlords to make “reasonable accommodations” to disabled tenants. Who decides what’s reasonable? Typically, judges, if it comes to that. But while most landlords are aware of the ADA and would never stoop so low as to discriminate against a person in a wheelchair, many are unaware that the ADA also protects mentally disabled tenants. A mental disability could also include recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. The downside of this is that these types of people are prone to relapse and if they do, can cause serious problems for you and other tenants. Everyone deserves a second chance, and many recovering addicts go on to be productive members of society. The ones who are unable to recover typically have other problems, and thus it is vitally important that you document additional reasons for rejecting their rental applications if you decide to do so.

The Name of the Game is “Wealth Protection”

If you own rental properties in your own name, you are asking for a world of pain – it’s the equivalent of wearing a giant “kick me” sign on your back. Instead, own your properties in corporate, limited partnership, LLC, or trust form. That way, even if you are the victim of a discrimination suit, or any other type of judgment, your personal assets may be protected against the liens of creditors.

For more information on setting up a proper business entity, check out the Wealth Protection Boot Camp

William Bronchick, CEO of Legalwiz Publications (http://www.legalwiz.com), is a Nationally-known attorney, author, entrepreneur and speaker. Mr. Bronchick has been practicing law and real estate since 1990, having been involved in over 1,000 transactions. He has trained countless people all over the Country to become financially successful, speaking to audiences of as many as 16,000 at “Get Motivated” events sharing the stage with names like Rudy Guliani, Steve Forbes, and Colin Powell.

His best-selling book, “Flipping Properties,’ was named one of the ten best real estate books of the year by the Chicago Tribune. William Bronchick is also the author of the highly acclaimed books, “Financing Secrets of a Millionaire Real Estate Investor”,”Wealth Protection Secrets of a Millionaire Real Estate Investor”, and his latest work, “Defensive Real Estate Investing”.

William Bronchick is the co-founder and President of the Colorado Association of Real Estate Investors (http://www.carei.com). He is admitted to practice law before the bars of New York and Colorado.

This real estate business plan will serve a number of different purposes, and it is important for any would be real estate investor to understand just how important such a plan can be.

Attracting Capital To Close The Deal

On the one hand, a well thought out, professional and polished real estate business plan will help the real estate investor to attract the capital he or she needs to close those once in a lifetime deals.

The secret to success in the world of real estate is that so many of the transactions can be done using other people’s money, and that is where the real estate business plan comes in. The real estate business plan will detail to all those would be investors and money lenders just how the business is destined to succeed.

Using Your Business Plan To Help Guide The Business As It Grows

In addition, a well written real estate business plan can also serve as a blueprint and a guideline as the real estate business moves forward.

It can be quite difficult to get such a business off the ground, especially when a slowdown in the market makes the world of real estate a bit more challenging. Having a real estate business plan at hand will help to guide the business as it grows.

Getting Help From Qualified Professionals

Preparing a high quality real estate business plan is well within the means of most real estate investors, but it is a good idea to ask for help from qualified professionals when preparing such an important document.

For instance, having an accountant or other tax professional take a look at the real estate business plan can provide some much needed insights.

In addition, having the real estate business plan reviewed by a qualified real estate or business attorney can ensure that the document is legally sound and that it contains no errors or omissions. After all, this real estate business plan will form the cornerstone of the new enterprise. It is important that it be a quality document.

Author: Shaunta Pleasant
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

History of Reits :
The concept of Reits originated in the USA. These products grew in popularity over a period of time, as the returns generated by these funds were much better than that from other forms of investments such as bonds, government savings schemes and the like. Now, such products will be soon available in India with SEBI having taken the first few steps to allow mutual funds to set up such funds.

Functioning of a Reit :
A typical real estate investment trust will be structured like a mutual fund. It will pool resources from investors and will invest in different forms of real estate such as commercial complexes, the housing sector, land bank and so on. It is also possible that such funds will have rental income from real estate owned by it. They will not be allowed to invest in equity and debt securities of real-estate companies; they must invest only in real estate directly. The income generated from these investments will be distributed amongst various investors who buy units of these funds or trusts. These are essentially income-earning rather than capital-growing instruments. These funds also have to declare their net asset values on a daily basis and the units are close ended and traded on the stock exchange.

Advantages of investing in Reits :
The benefit of real estate investments is long term appreciation, which can negate the ill effects of inflation on your income. In fact, research has proved that after stocks, real estate generates the highest real long term and sustainable returns. It is even better than gold and of course, way above the returns generated by debt instruments and similar investment tools. Stability of returns is also assured as the property market is relatively less volatile than the stock market. So, even those who do not have the nerve to see their investment gyrate up and down on a daily basis can invest in these funds.

Reits are a long term investment bet :
Real estate investments require patience and a longer time horizon to give you decent returns. This is because it takes time to buy a property, develop it, make it ready for generating income by way of rentals or resale, manage it, etc. Hence, it may take a longer time period for your fund to start generating income for you. However, the wait is worth all the efforts as you would be sitting on a good portfolio at the end of the day. So, if you are still thinking of what to do with that extra income which you want to invest, consider real estate investment for your benefit. It is bound to increase in the long run.

The auction begins with the auctioneer reading a variety of legal notices and legal descriptions of the property being sold. The opening bid is set by the foreclosing lender. Most usually this bid is equal to the outstanding balance on the loan, the interest accrued, and attorney fees with any other fees connected with the sale. If no bids are higher than the opening bid set by the lender, then the property will be bought by the attorney carrying out the sale for the lender.

They will then begin taking bids on the foreclosed property as set by the opening bid from the lender. If a bidder has not already been pre-qualified by the auctioneer before the auction began, he/she will be asked to give their deposit check to the auctioneer. Most residential auctions require a deposit check of $5000. The auctioneer will then ask for the bidding to continue to get a higher price. This is usually done in increments of $100, $500, or $1000.

Bidding continues until the auctioneer assesses that the bidding has stopped and the highest price has been bid. He/she will then announce “going once, going twice, going three times, sold!” The auction is then ended.

Foreclosure deeds and purchase papers are drawn between the new purchaser of the property and the mortgage holder. A grace period to allow the purchaser to line up financing will be given. Most of the time this is thirty days.

Once financial arrangements have been secured, closing will take place and the new owner will officially take title to the property.

The auction of foreclosed property will usually be in front of the home being sold. However, this auction can be at the county clerks office as well. Auctions for back taxes are usually held on the courthouse steps. Check with the sheriff’s department or the auctioneer handling the auction for details on where the auction will be held. Come early, you will have competition.

Joe Pahl

Experts predict all-time highs in foreclosures over the next few years. Learn how to buy homes at pennies on the dollar, and quickly build your personal wealth. Go to http://www.ForeclosureCash.info to discover exactly how.

Fha purchase financing is financing insured by the Federal Housing Administration which is a government owned organization that works to extend mortgages to people who do not meet traditional lending criteria. The Fha was established under the National Housing Act, with their goal being to extend financing to people with repayment abilities who otherwise lack the ability to get a traditional loan. The FHA does not provide the finances necessary to fund a loan, however, they insure the loans of those buyers who use their programs allowing lenders who would not otherwise be able to extend them financing to give buyers a loan.

Because the Fha insures loans against default, they have opened up the prospect of homeownership for people who had previously been unable to get a loan. First time homebuyers, minority borrowers, buyers with a poor credit history or a lack of credit, and prospective homebuyers who do not have a lot of money for a down payment or closing costs can purchase a home because of Fha purchase financing.

Fha mortgages have many benefits. The major benefits to Fha mortgages are that they require a low down payment, usually 3% of the home’s purchase price which is much lower than the conventional 10 to 20%, closing costs can be included in the loan, credit requirements are much lower than with traditional loans, and other requirements such as cash reserves may not have to be met like with traditional lenders.

If you are trying to purchase a home and have had trouble attaining financing you should speak with a Fha approved mortgage broker. They will be able to tell you the details of Fha purchase financing and what qualifications you will have to meet in order to get financing. Fha approved mortgage brokers can help you navigate the process of home buying and find a loan that is compatible for your unique situation.

Yanni Raz is a mentor for many in the Real Estate Mortgage industry, Yanni Raz is been tutoring many homeowners in California and help some also to save their homes.
current mortgage interest rates

But before you hire any real estate property advisor, make sure that you check his/her credentials. He or she must have hands-on real estate and capital market experience. Apart from that, it is of paramount importance that real estate property advisor has dealt with investment of real estate funds.

In an ideal scenario, overall investment strategy of your real estate property advisor would be based on exploiting the linkage between the high demand and liquidity for stabilized, core real estate assets. In case of low demand, real estate property advisor should have strong real estate skills.

An ideal real estate property advisor is the one who prepares solid plan of action so that investments can be made at an attractive cost basis. In addition, real estate property advisor increases the investment value with help of intensive operational and financial management.

The main objective of a real estate property advisor is to assist the property buyer in understanding real estate thoroughly, with help of insider’s knowledge. Furthermore, real estate property advisor will play a prominent part in letting you buy your first home or rental get a brilliant loan deal. It has been noticed that real estate property advisors also play a crucial role in finding a top-notch real estate agent. It’s the job of real estate property advisor to give you all the information regarding agents, lenders, appraisals, and rental properties.

The best real estate property advisor is the one who explains all the methods and procedures associated with real estate in simplified manner to the real estate investor. Dealing with the right kind of people is quite mandatory when buying properties. In other words, referral is the keyword in the real estate market. Taking this into account, real estate property advisors offer you the names of mortgage brokers, agents and inspectors.

Thus, the role of real estate property advisors is a very crucial one as they can help an investor make a decision about a piece of property worth hundreds and thousands of money.

Article submitted by Sophia K webmaster for Dubai Real Estate Property Advice website, which helps you decide where you can invest in Real Estate Properties in Dubai

1.  When you replace light bulbs go for the energy efficient variety.  These use a different system to produce the light, using a fraction of the energy used by traditional bulbs and they also last up to twelve times longer.  Lighting is estimated to make up between 10 and 15% of your energy bills so there is a large saving to be made here.

2.  Up to a third of the clean drinking water we use in our households is flushed down the toilet every day.  On average each flush uses eight litres of water.  You can easily fit a save-a-flush bag into your toilet cistern which will reduce water usage by approximately one litre for each flush.  Often your local water company will provide these so it need not cost you a penny to fit.

3.  When replacing appliances look out for their energy efficiency ratings.  Do some research online to see how each appliance compares with each other.  Ask your plumber to use fittings with energy efficiency in mind, these range from baths that retain heat to taps that regulate water flow.

4.  On a larger scale you could invest in a rain water harvesting system.  This uses rainwater to flush toilets and use in the garden, saving your fresh drinking water uses to the minimum.  This helps your pocket and the environment.

5.  There is ongoing debate about how long a solar panel will take to pay for themselves through savings in energy bills but an often quoted number is a decade.  While this sounds like a long time the savings to the environment by using sustainable energy is substantial and with ongoing energy prices rises, the return may well be a lot quicker.

6.  Contact your local authority to see if there are any grants or subsidies available for energy saving home improvements.  These range from help with replacing old windows to insulation and solar panels.

7.  When replacing or upgrading your heating system, research some environmentally friendly alternatives.  For example Eco Heat Pumps work through a deep borehole close to your property and work by converting a small amount of heat in a large area to a greater amount of heat in a smaller area.  Heating your water and under floor heating in this way will save you substantial amounts of money on your energy bills.

8.  Are you looking to build a house or purchase a new one?  Put at the top of your wish list a green eco home.  If you are building one yourself include all our top tips in the initial planning stages and use as many local suppliers as possible.  You may well be lucky and find one already built and utilising all these energy saving systems.

ou would need to have been living on Mars if you had not heard of global warming and the negative effect we are having on our environment.  As a result many people have become leaders in green living and spend much of their day devoted to ensuring they are reducing their carbon footprint.  Whilst not all of us are this devoted there are a number of things that we can do to make our homes more environmentally friendly which can often save us money as well.  Here we have listed some top tips for you to try. 1.  When you replace light bulbs go for the energy efficient variety.  These use a different system to produce the light, using a fraction of the energy used by traditional bulbs and they also last up to twelve times longer.  Lighting is estimated to make up between 10 and 15% of your energy bills so there is a large saving to be made here. 2.  Up to a third of the clean drinking water we use in our households is flushed down the toilet every day.  On average each flush uses eight litres of water.  You can easily fit a save-a-flush bag into your toilet cistern which will reduce water usage by approximately one litre for each flush.  Often your local water company will provide these so it need not cost you a penny to fit. 3.  When replacing appliances look out for their energy efficiency ratings.  Do some research online to see how each appliance compares with each other.  Ask your plumber to use fittings with energy efficiency in mind, these range from baths that retain heat to taps that regulate water flow. 4.  On a larger scale you could invest in a rain water harvesting system.  This uses rainwater to flush toilets and use in the garden, saving your fresh drinking water uses to the minimum.  This helps your pocket and the environment. 5.  There is ongoing debate about how long a solar panel will take to pay for themselves through savings in energy bills but an often quoted number is a decade.  While this sounds like a long time the savings to the environment by using sustainable energy is substantial and with ongoing energy prices rises, the return may well be a lot quicker. 6.  Contact your local authority to see if there are any grants or subsidies available for energy saving home improvements.  These range from help with replacing old windows to insulation and solar panels. 7.  When replacing or upgrading your heating system, research some environmentally friendly alternatives.  For example Eco Heat Pumps work through a deep borehole close to your property and work by converting a small amount of heat in a large area to a greater amount of heat in a smaller area.  Heating your water and under floor heating in this way will save you substantial amounts of money on your energy bills. 8.  Are you looking to build a house or purchase a new one?  Put at the top of your wish list a green eco home.  If you are building one yourself include all our top tips in the initial planning stages and use as many local suppliers as possible.  You may well be lucky and find one already built and utilising all these energy saving systems.

Anna Barrington writes for Percy Williams & Sons, builders of innovative environmentally friendly developers of the latest houses for sale Cornwall. For more information please visit new homes cornwall.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/how-green-is-your-home-1771016.html