A simple guide to starting you in the direction of creating a better, more sustainable home

Adding water or energy efficient appliances can be more expensive, but how much more expensive is it? Is having a green home a luxury item? Maybe we should re-evaluate the messages of the green building movement.

The following is a guest post from Laura Zanskey. She discusses five important questions that you should be asking your future Realtor in order to know who will be helping you sell or buy a home.

My electric bill came in lower this past month, which caused me to reflect on all of my efforts to work on making my home more sustainable.

A guest article that is a resource of information on asbestos in the home with an emphasis on home inspectors.

We want bigger homes. To improve the square footage of an older home, we add onto the space with new rooms that require new roofs.

Have you ever wondered if your house will last as long as you need it to last? If you are buying a historic home, will you have more problems because of the age?

Is there a trend of not maintaining our homes growing? Do we see houses a places to stay, or as our homes?

Do you think about how to get out of your house in case of a fire? Windows are meant to be quick exits, but we block them with burglar bars and window screens that are attached into place.

Your home needs repairs. You know it, and the potential buyers will see them. What do you do?

If you are looking to sell your home, you may want to consider these trends to help your home sell faster.

“Real luxury means living in a house which perfectly suits your habits and way of life.” by Johan van Lengen in The Barefoot Architect

Need to understand the latest in home construction techniques? Well, there is a site for you.

What happens to the report after you buy the home may have consequences to your home’s condition in the future.

Taking a look back at a series of posts from last year, and how things have changed for home buyers

Ants found in your electrical

Your home’s insulation may not be complete, causing you to loose money.

There is more to the name change, so what is a Microgrid?

Solar Water Heaters are making a come back as homeowners look for ways to reduce their energy bills.

Being green is not just about energy; lowering your water usage by using greywater from your home is also eco-friendly.

A home inspector’s look at often overlooked items which could cause damage during a windstorm.

A new online app from a firm in the Netherlands offers a great option for people looking at their home’s design.

Energy storage devices will be the key for residential smart grids, but so will new energy efficient appliances.

Looking into solar lighting for a home’s exterior, you will find there are more options now than you might believe.

The most consistent problem found during a home inspection is not one that would cause great concern for most home buyers, but it is annoying: design mistakes which look bad.

During my Houston home inspections, I find non-working equipment, mainly alarm systems. When I check, product manuals for these home accessories are missing. The internet can help.

New info on the Ebooks page that readers should know.

An expanded version of the post that I wrote for HomeFinder.com. I wanted to deal with some details for home inspectors and home buyers on this green building program.

As a home inspector, I always give advice on how to reduce energy costs to my clients; however rising prices means that reducing your energy consumption does not necessarily mean lower cost. Here is a method that I use to see if I am on target to saving money.

A home inspector’s insight into how do it yourself home maintenance jobs should be done.

A Houston home inspector looks at a step towards a green home conversion that a homeowner can take, when they have an attached garage.

For a small business targeting a local area, a blog can be an effective tool. You do not need to work on it like many other blogs to have it drive clients to you.

A post disputing some articles about going into the home inspection business at this time.

With new rules concerning home inspections going into effect February 2009, here is a checklist that home inspectors and real estate investors can use.

During a home inspection, I found an unusual air flow system.

Passive cooling is not part of our design methodology, but we can incorporate some ideas into our homes to reduce energy costs.

Smaller homes provide better energy efficiency due to less heating or cooling required, but you need to find ways to store your stuff in some creative ways.

Discussing air flow versus temperature to create comfort in a green home.

This is the time of year when home sales decrease, but there may be more to it than the season. Look at these posts to see the Houston Real Estate market.

Going over some financial numbers to determine which REIT is best.