Choosing a quality kitchen range hood - besides removing odors, best units get rid of moisture -- quietly
by Paul Bianchina, Inman News
In most kitchens, there is a simple appliance situated above your range or cooktop that often seems to be mistaken for nothing more than a big light fixture -- and in fact, the "builder's grade" range hood in many new homes really is little more than that. But your range hood serves a couple of very important purposes in the kitchen, and selecting the right one is something that warrants some comparison shopping.
Range hoods come in several sizes, finishes and designs, and that's where most people start when they're shopping for a new one. First of all, it needs to be the correct size to match the width of the opening in the cabinets above the range, and to match the width of the range or cooktop itself. Hoods come in a couple of standard sizes, including 30, 36 and 42 inches in width, with the depth being designed to fit with standard 12-inch-deep upper cabinets. There are some variations available in many of the higher-end models, so knowing the size you're looking for is the first step.
Typically, the next consideration is one of aesthetics. There are several finishes available, the most common being white, almond, black, stainless steel or some combinations of those colors. Then there's the design of the hood housing, which can range from the traditional rectangular box with the sloping front that is commonly see in kitchens of all types, to some very sleek, slender models that almost disappear into the cabinets.
AN EXHAUSTING CONSIDERATION
Size and aesthetics aside, it's time to take a look at what really makes the range hood function in the capacity that it's designed for -- exhausting air. Range hoods utilize a fan to draw air up and into them, through a filter, then through a duct to -- hopefully -- the outside. That air movement serves to remove cooking odors from the kitchen, and that's when most people will turn it on.
But the range hood has an even more important and often overlooked role as well, which is to remove moisture right at the source where it's being generated. Like a bathroom fan, the range hood lives to draw warm, moisture-laden air out of the home's interior and exhaust it to the outdoors before it can do any harm. For that reason, there are three additional things to pay very close attention to when buying and installing a range hood.
First of all, since the hood needs to remove moisture from the room, you want to avoid the temptation of purchasing a recirculating hood. Recirculating hoods do not require an exhaust duct, so they are considerably cheaper and easier to install. But since all they do is recirculate air through a filter to remove some of the grease and odor, they fail completely in their primary task of removing moisture.
Second, the hood has to be vented all the way to the outside. This is now a building code requirement in today's homes, but in years past range-hood ducts were often run into the attic and no further. As many homeowners have found to their shock and dismay, pumping all that warm, wet air up into the attic can cause a whole host of problems, including dryrot, mold, degraded insulation, and even severe structural damage.
Finally, the range hood needs to have adequate power to effectively remove the air. As with all types of ventilation fans, range hoods are rated in cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air movement. The higher the CFM rating, the more effective the fan is at drawing in room air and pushing through the duct. Larger rooms and larger ranges need more CFM to more an adequate amount of air for ventilation, but even small rooms need a greater amount of CFM if the exhaust air needs to be pushed though a long run of duct, or one with a large number of elbows and other fittings.
At their least expensive, hoods utilize a tiny plastic rotary fan on a vertical shaft, sort of like the propeller on an old beanie cap. Even though a massive 42-inch hood looks powerful enough to handle any ventilation chore, if it's equipped with an anemic motor and fan blade, the resulting air movement will be inadequate.
Better range hoods utilize a multifinned horizontal fan called a centrifugal fan, commonly known as a squirrel cage fan for its resemblance to a common animal exercise wheel. Centrifugal fans are much more efficient at moving air, and offer a higher CFM then a rotary fan with the same size motor.
The final consideration with your new range hood is its noise level, because even the best of hoods won't get used if it sounds like a Boeing 747 is headed for a landing on your kitchen counter. Range hoods are typically rated in sones, and the lower the sone rating the quieter the fan. As a means of comparison, one sone is about the noise that your refrigerator makes, and normal conversational levels are about four sones.
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Happy Shopping! For Lowes discounts and a FREE Ideas Magazine subscription, email kat@katparker.com with LOWES in the subject line!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Land and Homes For Sale
301 Bowen Bend near Emerald Mountain in Wetumpka
$188,000 4 Br/2 Ba large lot with storage building
Beautiful inside and out!
MLS # 245145
Land on Seth Johnson Drive in Redland Community of Wetumpka
NEW SCHOOL COMING FALL 2009
$55,500 0.65 +/- acres wooded lot in River Ridge
MLS # 246642
Land on Hwy 229 / Red Hill Road near Castaway Island
You can see the water through the trees!
9.3 +/- acres VERY CLOSE to Lake Martin!
MLS # 240924
$188,000 4 Br/2 Ba large lot with storage building
Beautiful inside and out!
MLS # 245145
Land on Seth Johnson Drive in Redland Community of Wetumpka
NEW SCHOOL COMING FALL 2009
$55,500 0.65 +/- acres wooded lot in River Ridge
MLS # 246642
Land on Hwy 229 / Red Hill Road near Castaway Island
You can see the water through the trees!
9.3 +/- acres VERY CLOSE to Lake Martin!
MLS # 240924
Thursday, October 18, 2007
How to Hire a Builder or Remodeler
from the Alabama Home Builder’s Licensure Board
Having your own home is the American dream. It is your own little corner of the universe. Don’t trust its construction or remodeling to just anybody. As much time and attention should be spent interviewing and researching a prospective builder or remodeler as would be spent searching for a home or automobile or employee.
As a consumer you have the right to ask certain questions and request certain pieces of information. With the remodeling industry exceeding $118 billion spent during 1997, you can tell that there is a lot of remodeling that goes on all over the United States. Every year thousands of Alabama citizens remodel and repair their homes.
While most residential contractors operate honest businesses, the number one complaint filed with the Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs Division is regarding home repair fraud. There are important steps that consumers can take to protect themselves before ever hiring a remodeler. Don’t be afraid to ask certain questions or to request references.
Any remodeler running an ethical business will not be offended by your inquiries about licensing, insurance and references. Below you will see a bulleted list of information that should be obtained when you are in the process of hiring a builder or a remodeler.
Whether you are making minor repairs, adding an addition to your home or building a new home, arm yourself with the information necessary to choose the right contractor.
How to Protect Yourself from Fraudulent and Unlicensed Contractors
· Verify the contractor’s name, address and phone number. Be wary of workers who give you pager numbers rather than landline phone numbers, or post office boxes rather than street addresses.
· Request references on similar work performed by the contractor. Ask to see a job in progress, and ask for the name and number of a customer who had work done over a year ago.
· Obtain two or three bids. When comparing estimates, be sure each one is based upon the same set of plans, specifications, and scope of work.
· Check with professional associations and licensing boards (see listing below) to verify the worker’s records. Ask to see the contractor’s pocket sized license card.
Visit http://www.hblb.state.al.us/consumer-info.html for more information. Happy remodeling!
Having your own home is the American dream. It is your own little corner of the universe. Don’t trust its construction or remodeling to just anybody. As much time and attention should be spent interviewing and researching a prospective builder or remodeler as would be spent searching for a home or automobile or employee.
As a consumer you have the right to ask certain questions and request certain pieces of information. With the remodeling industry exceeding $118 billion spent during 1997, you can tell that there is a lot of remodeling that goes on all over the United States. Every year thousands of Alabama citizens remodel and repair their homes.
While most residential contractors operate honest businesses, the number one complaint filed with the Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs Division is regarding home repair fraud. There are important steps that consumers can take to protect themselves before ever hiring a remodeler. Don’t be afraid to ask certain questions or to request references.
Any remodeler running an ethical business will not be offended by your inquiries about licensing, insurance and references. Below you will see a bulleted list of information that should be obtained when you are in the process of hiring a builder or a remodeler.
Whether you are making minor repairs, adding an addition to your home or building a new home, arm yourself with the information necessary to choose the right contractor.
How to Protect Yourself from Fraudulent and Unlicensed Contractors
· Verify the contractor’s name, address and phone number. Be wary of workers who give you pager numbers rather than landline phone numbers, or post office boxes rather than street addresses.
· Request references on similar work performed by the contractor. Ask to see a job in progress, and ask for the name and number of a customer who had work done over a year ago.
· Obtain two or three bids. When comparing estimates, be sure each one is based upon the same set of plans, specifications, and scope of work.
· Check with professional associations and licensing boards (see listing below) to verify the worker’s records. Ask to see the contractor’s pocket sized license card.
Visit http://www.hblb.state.al.us/consumer-info.html for more information. Happy remodeling!
Friday, October 12, 2007
US Real Estate Market
Getting Back on Track
by Lawrence Yun, Vice President, NAR Research
The summer has been tough – historically high temperatures in many parts of the country, Midwest floods, and almost everywhere major airline flight delays. Housing didn’t have such a great summer either, with home sales and price appreciation still waiting to recover. The subprime mortgage mess didn’t help either. So everyone wants to know: now that the summer is over, when can we expect the housing sector to get back to normal? There’s actually a sequence of events we should look for that need to happen before housing is back on track, and as each of these occurs, the closer the housing recovery will be. Let’s take a look at them.
Mortgage Rates Will Stablize Favorably
Despite the headline news coverage of turmoil in the mortgage market, mortgage rates have actually been falling for borrowers who take out prime conforming loans. Because these borrowers account for the majority of home buyers, affordability conditions for most buyers have improved. FHA loans – the traditional financing vehicle for low-and-moderate income households – have also begun to build market interest and momentum. FHA loans offer very attractive rates nearly comparable to those of conforming loan rates and save homeowners a bundle – about $180,000 in lower interest payments over a 30-year loan cycle compared to high-interest rate subprime loans. A near-certain legislative change that will allow higher FHA loan limits in high cost areas will further free up the mortgage market to offer safer alternative products (i.e., FHA loans) and away from subprime loans. It is important to note, though, that subprime loans may make sense for some home buyers such as young couples with large income potential but little downpayment. But the subprime market share at most should be no more than 5% rather than the 20% market share of recent years.
While mortgage rates look good for conforming and FHA loan clients, the same is not true for jumbo loan borrowers. Without the backing of a guarantee by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, bond investors are shying away from jumbo loans. As a result, interest rates on these large loans have increased and will significantly hold back home sales in the high cost housing areas like California. The whiplash will be short-term, however. After sorting through the numbers, bond investors will likely conclude that jumbos are quite safe – even without the government guarantees. A million dollar borrower generally has solid credit and pays bills on time. Any temporary legislative change in raising the loan limit well above the current $417,000 or in permitting the GSEs to purchase jumbos loans to include in their portfolios will mitigate the crisis. (The median prices will artificially trend lower during the period of jumbo loan crisis just due to fewer higher priced home sale transactions).
Pent-Up Demand Will be Unleashed
Consider this – four million net job additions in the past two years during the housing market slump. Yet, home sales have fallen. As home sales fell, people doubled and tripled up because apartment rents increased at their highest pace in five years. These people are waiting to buy a home. Then there are the approximately two million marriages that occur each year. Those newlyweds are waiting to buy a home. About four million babies are born each year – forcing some families to consider trading up from a smaller house or condo to a larger one.
Homebuilders Take Heed
The inventory of both new and existing homes is at high levels. Builders have already cut back production and are encouraged to cut back even further. The market needs less inventory additions in a time of transition. Wall Street should and will punish any builders who add to inventory in the current market. Why build only to lose money on the home? With builders cutting back, inventory will fall. Some home owners of vacant homes will also consider the juicier rent growth and take their “empty” home off the market. In addition, many owners are in a no hurry to sell their home that they actually occupy (except perhaps for those in the few areas of the country that are losing jobs), and they may also choose to delay listing their home for sale or de-list it. Unleashing of that pent-up demand for home buying will also eat into inventory.
Drawing Down the Inventory
The law of (lower) supply and (higher) demand will then firm up home prices. The media will be forced to report on the price gains. Many potential buyers, with solid financial wherewithal, will regain confidence. The wheels of housing turn faster and faster. The full unleashing of the pent-up demand could mean about two million additional homeowners. Such absorption into the marketplace will bring down the current existing-home inventory of four million units and the new home inventory of one million units to a total of three million homes (new and existing) available for sale. That level of inventory equates to a 5-6 months’ supply – generally considered a balanced market condition.
Balanced Gains Ahead
As the housing market recovers, potential home buyers (both first-timers and repeat purchasers) will gain more confidence in the housing sector. This, in turn, will drive more demand for homeownership, helping to keep inventory at or slightly below market balance and spur additional increases in home price appreciation. In sum, a closing of the subprime market does not directly mean equally lower home sales. FHA/VA and conforming government-backed loans will pick up a large chunk of the former subprime market. The jumbo loan concerns will be mitigated over time with better market knowledge, and will be assisted by changes in legislation permitting higher loan limits. Pent-up demand is strong. Inventory will move in the right direction. Builders are assisting by holding back production. A market recovery in 2008. Back-to-the-historical norm in 2009.
by Lawrence Yun, Vice President, NAR Research
The summer has been tough – historically high temperatures in many parts of the country, Midwest floods, and almost everywhere major airline flight delays. Housing didn’t have such a great summer either, with home sales and price appreciation still waiting to recover. The subprime mortgage mess didn’t help either. So everyone wants to know: now that the summer is over, when can we expect the housing sector to get back to normal? There’s actually a sequence of events we should look for that need to happen before housing is back on track, and as each of these occurs, the closer the housing recovery will be. Let’s take a look at them.
Mortgage Rates Will Stablize Favorably
Despite the headline news coverage of turmoil in the mortgage market, mortgage rates have actually been falling for borrowers who take out prime conforming loans. Because these borrowers account for the majority of home buyers, affordability conditions for most buyers have improved. FHA loans – the traditional financing vehicle for low-and-moderate income households – have also begun to build market interest and momentum. FHA loans offer very attractive rates nearly comparable to those of conforming loan rates and save homeowners a bundle – about $180,000 in lower interest payments over a 30-year loan cycle compared to high-interest rate subprime loans. A near-certain legislative change that will allow higher FHA loan limits in high cost areas will further free up the mortgage market to offer safer alternative products (i.e., FHA loans) and away from subprime loans. It is important to note, though, that subprime loans may make sense for some home buyers such as young couples with large income potential but little downpayment. But the subprime market share at most should be no more than 5% rather than the 20% market share of recent years.
While mortgage rates look good for conforming and FHA loan clients, the same is not true for jumbo loan borrowers. Without the backing of a guarantee by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, bond investors are shying away from jumbo loans. As a result, interest rates on these large loans have increased and will significantly hold back home sales in the high cost housing areas like California. The whiplash will be short-term, however. After sorting through the numbers, bond investors will likely conclude that jumbos are quite safe – even without the government guarantees. A million dollar borrower generally has solid credit and pays bills on time. Any temporary legislative change in raising the loan limit well above the current $417,000 or in permitting the GSEs to purchase jumbos loans to include in their portfolios will mitigate the crisis. (The median prices will artificially trend lower during the period of jumbo loan crisis just due to fewer higher priced home sale transactions).
Pent-Up Demand Will be Unleashed
Consider this – four million net job additions in the past two years during the housing market slump. Yet, home sales have fallen. As home sales fell, people doubled and tripled up because apartment rents increased at their highest pace in five years. These people are waiting to buy a home. Then there are the approximately two million marriages that occur each year. Those newlyweds are waiting to buy a home. About four million babies are born each year – forcing some families to consider trading up from a smaller house or condo to a larger one.
Homebuilders Take Heed
The inventory of both new and existing homes is at high levels. Builders have already cut back production and are encouraged to cut back even further. The market needs less inventory additions in a time of transition. Wall Street should and will punish any builders who add to inventory in the current market. Why build only to lose money on the home? With builders cutting back, inventory will fall. Some home owners of vacant homes will also consider the juicier rent growth and take their “empty” home off the market. In addition, many owners are in a no hurry to sell their home that they actually occupy (except perhaps for those in the few areas of the country that are losing jobs), and they may also choose to delay listing their home for sale or de-list it. Unleashing of that pent-up demand for home buying will also eat into inventory.
Drawing Down the Inventory
The law of (lower) supply and (higher) demand will then firm up home prices. The media will be forced to report on the price gains. Many potential buyers, with solid financial wherewithal, will regain confidence. The wheels of housing turn faster and faster. The full unleashing of the pent-up demand could mean about two million additional homeowners. Such absorption into the marketplace will bring down the current existing-home inventory of four million units and the new home inventory of one million units to a total of three million homes (new and existing) available for sale. That level of inventory equates to a 5-6 months’ supply – generally considered a balanced market condition.
Balanced Gains Ahead
As the housing market recovers, potential home buyers (both first-timers and repeat purchasers) will gain more confidence in the housing sector. This, in turn, will drive more demand for homeownership, helping to keep inventory at or slightly below market balance and spur additional increases in home price appreciation. In sum, a closing of the subprime market does not directly mean equally lower home sales. FHA/VA and conforming government-backed loans will pick up a large chunk of the former subprime market. The jumbo loan concerns will be mitigated over time with better market knowledge, and will be assisted by changes in legislation permitting higher loan limits. Pent-up demand is strong. Inventory will move in the right direction. Builders are assisting by holding back production. A market recovery in 2008. Back-to-the-historical norm in 2009.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Wetumpka area 12 MLS Statistics
39 Homes closed, or SOLD during the month of September!
24 Homes became Sale Pending from Sept 1st to Oct 1st!
Highest price of all homes sold in the greater Wetumpka area was a: 4,000+/- sq ft home on Ann St in Eclectic, which sold for $335,000 after 33 Days on Market.
Your home can sell, too!
Ask me how I differentiate YOUR home from the others on the market so your home sells FASTER and for MORE $$$!
With all the properties on the market, only the top "move-in ready" and "smart buy" homes are moving fast. Make your home IRRESISTABLE.
Here are the top 3 things you can do to make a difference in your home sale.
1) Leave the home for all showings. If you absolutely must be present, stay in the back or front yard during the showing.
2) Keep your home and furniture clean.
3) Remove all unnecessary items from the floors, shelves and closets. Pack as many things as you can, and place these boxes in an attic, garage or off-site storage location.
Contact me for more tips on selling your home!
24 Homes became Sale Pending from Sept 1st to Oct 1st!
Highest price of all homes sold in the greater Wetumpka area was a: 4,000+/- sq ft home on Ann St in Eclectic, which sold for $335,000 after 33 Days on Market.
Your home can sell, too!
Ask me how I differentiate YOUR home from the others on the market so your home sells FASTER and for MORE $$$!
With all the properties on the market, only the top "move-in ready" and "smart buy" homes are moving fast. Make your home IRRESISTABLE.
Here are the top 3 things you can do to make a difference in your home sale.
1) Leave the home for all showings. If you absolutely must be present, stay in the back or front yard during the showing.
2) Keep your home and furniture clean.
3) Remove all unnecessary items from the floors, shelves and closets. Pack as many things as you can, and place these boxes in an attic, garage or off-site storage location.
Contact me for more tips on selling your home!
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