Colorado Real Estate

Colorado Springs Real Estate - Colorado Springs Homes For Sale - Century 21 Academy Request Info Form | Links | Life @ Home Newsletter Home | Company Profile Property Info | Colorado Springs Info | Military Info | Multiple Listings Service | Mortgage & Financing | Foreclosures | Careers Looking at homes for sale in Colorado Springs ? Relocating to Fort Carson, Schriever Air Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, United States Air Force Academy, or NORAD? Interested in commercial properties or vacant land? Century 21 Academy Realty Inc. and our team of professional and award winning Realtors are ready to meet and exceed your Colorado Springs Real Estate expectations. We have been proudly serving the Pikes Peak Region since 1974. Our Colorado Springs Realtors specialize in first time homebuyers, foreclosure and investment properties. Featured Homes Featured Homes Listing Number: 10250 1695 Colgate Drive Listing Number: 8702 10570 Huntsman Drive CENTURY 21 Academy Realty, Inc. in Beautiful Colorado Springs, CO. Two Locations in the Pikes Peak Region 311 Main Street; 80911 Sales: 719.390.7865 School: 888.574.9701 4760 Flintridge Drive; 80918 Sales: 719.598.2000 Admin: 719.591.9889 "Colorado Springs Real Estate - Colorado Springs Homes For Sale " Created and Maintained by Creative Online Services 2003 Century 21 Real Estate Corporation. © and sm - trademark and servicemark of Century 21 Real Estate Corporation. Equal Housing Opportunity. "Each Office Independently Owned and Operated" A ssociates O nly The Best Sales Associates Find A Home Home Listing #

Selling Home-Made Food Products

Selling Home Made Food Products Online Questions? Just Ask! Home > Start-Up > Questions from Readers > Food Product Regulations Question from reader: What kind of license/health inspections etc. do you think would be involved in selling a home made food product from a web site? Answer from Brett Krkosska: Comply With Regulations Before Selling Home-Made Food Products Online Before starting a home business selling food products it's a good idea to investigate regulations on the local level, as well as state and federal mandates. The Food and Drug Administration is the federal regulatory body who sets national guidelines. More information can be found by visiting their website. You'll need to make some phone calls to research your requirements on the state and local level, as regulations vary with location. State governments vary as to what products may or may not be prepared and sold from home. For instance, canned goods are often prohibited. Many states require a food permit, and inspections from your local health department are to be expected. You may find that a commercial kitchen, or at the very least, a separate kitchen is required for home prepared foods. Call your state and local health agencies for information on permits and regulations that apply to your business. You'll also want to make sure you are in compliance with local zoning and licensing laws. Your county and city clerks are a good place to start. And of course, normal tasks such as registering your business name, registering a trademark, obtaining a sales tax certificate, getting adequate insurance coverage... should all be attended to before opening for business. << More Questions from Readers Search for more information about Selling Home-Made Food Products Web HomeBizTools.com Real-world, common sense strategies for small and home based business success. Your issues... real answers. First Name: Your Email: Your email address is safe. Our Privacy policy .

land for sale agents

Land for Sale in UK - Self Build Home Information Land for Sale UK - Self Build Self Build Land - Welcome! What kind of land buyer are you? In our recent market research, the conclusion was reached that the people visiting our site can be categorised into two main groups. We gave these groups the titles "Land Investors" and "Self Builders". In order to better cater for your particular needs we urge you to read on and decide which category you fall into. Land Investors "Land Investors" are people looking for a good return in the medium to long term. People looking to enter this market can do so for an investment of as little as £10,000 and could walk away with £100,000. The reason for this massive increase of value is dependant upon planning permission being acquired. Land investors buy a plot of land for around £10,000 without any planning permission, and should planning permission be gained the government states that it is normal to get development gains of 300%. The reason why not everyone invests this way is that planning permission is not guaranteed for any bit of land. The best chances of getting planning permission lie with open field plots next to existing housing developments in areas of high housing needs. As plots in such good locations like this are hard to come by we recommend you use an agent that specialises in these high potential plots, such as investment land for sale agents PropertySpy , as we are focused on the self builder market. Self Builders "Self Builders" are people looking for land that already has outline planning permission. The two reasons behind this are that either a particular individual wants to build a house for themselves to their specifications within two years, or they are interested in making a smaller profit in a short time period. A self builder will typically pay from £100,000 for a plot of land with outline planning permission. On top of the initial land investment, the cost of designing and building the house will fall to the self builder. It is important to see that if your motives behind self building are financial that profit is in no way guaranteed in fact a loss may even be made. If, for example, the cost of building overran, or the work took longer than expected, the cost would still fall to the self builder. It is not uncommon for a project to cost £280,000 but the property at the end of it to only be worth £240,000. The self builder looking to create the dream home to whom making a profit would just be incidental is really the perfect candidate for this site and so if you feel that this is you please read on. Those people looking for a profit are best land investing where you gain an asset which you do not need to risk vast amounts of capital on to see either a tiny percentage profit or indeed a loss. As a self build enthusiast with years of experience in sourcing land for self build, I decided it was time to write a small internet site to help fellow self build enthusiasts address the difficult problem of finding a residential plots of land for sale UK. Self builds have grown from 2,000 houses in 1978 to 15,000 in 1999. I believe that they could grow to 40,000 per year if so many were not put off at the first (and highest) hurdle – that of finding a building plots of land for sale. I do not claim to know everything about self build land UK – but I have many years experience. I hope that my advice will help you in buying that plot of land where you intend to build your dream house. Deciding to self build you home is an intimidating prospect. Hopefully this site will help you in finding that plot of land that you scan look to build your house on in the years ahead. The recent prestigious Joseph Rowntree Foundation report on the state of UK self build housing states "Finding and buying the right plot is generally regarded as the most important barrier faced by self-builders". Having advised and helped many people looking to identify land on which to self build homes I am often asked why do people consider self building their house? The simple answer is that for a small bit of planning on your behalf you can save so much money that you can afford to build your dream home! It is a fact that almost all self build homes are detached, and most have four bedrooms. For a bit of forward planning would you like to be able to afford a detached, 4-bedroom brand new house, built to your design and your specifications? With questions like this it is surprising that only 8.3% of new houses built in 1999 were self build houses in UK. In the other 91.7% of new houses we let the Developers make the profit from organising the house building. You have to say that the English are a generous people! Whilst there is now a good deal of support for the financing, planning and building of the self build house, there is still little help for the self builder in identifying and buying the right plot of land. The price of the plots of land for sale in UK is the largest single cost of the self-build and can vary wildly. Whilst the average South East price for a self build plot in early 2000 was over 100,000 it is still now possible to buy a self build plot in the South East for around 15,000 if you are prepared to wait a little longer for planning permission to be granted. Time and patience is something that all self builders must have in abundance! The Self Build idea is also evolving all the time. One of the latest ideas is for like-minded self builders to buy adjoining plots of land and then apply for planning permission en mass, often with the help of a communally funded professional planning consultant. This new idea has had most success in London and the South East where Land for sale is hardest to source because the overcrowding and the large profits on offer for House builders. < return to Top of page Useful Self Build Links Finding Self Build Land and Building Land for Sale Plot Browser - 01283 742 970 PropertySpy plc - 0845 123 6444 Want to sell your land? Click here to sell your land Self Build News Display All News Articles > Latest News Articles Investment land gains planning St Albans Greenbelt Development Increasing threat to green belt Green light for greenbelt pub Large-scale developments Luxury Housing Tees Off! Land near Luton Airport One million more homeowners Joseph Rowntree Foundation Self Build Report Future Housing Needs Report More Self Build Information Places to find Self Build Land Land Agents & Self Build Land The Self Build Market Why do people Self Build? The barriers to Self Build Greenbelt Land An overview of Self Build Housing Self Build Information Self Build Useful Links Home Douglas Montague Self Build Consultant

HOME LOAN? The two

Veteran Home Loans from the VA Mortgage Center 800-405-6682 Contact Why a VA Loan? Pre-Qualify VA Loan SHOULD I GET A VETERAN HOME LOAN? The two main reasons for using your eligibility to obtain a VA home loan are because it can save you a great deal of money and it is much easier for you to qualify for one of these loans at a low rate. Pre-qualify now for a VA Loan A VA Home Loan can save you money by giving you an excellent rate, with no monthly mortgage insurance. And since it is easier to qualify for a VA military loan as compared to a conventional mortgage, individuals with poor credit are given a large advantage by using their eligibility for a VA Loan. BENEFITS OF VETERAN HOME LOANS There is zero down payment required when purchasing a home. If you have bad credit, you are likely to get a much lower rate with a VA loan compared to a conventional loan (and if you have been improving your credit history for the past year, you may be able to get the same low interest rates that are available to those with good credit. Even with a Loan-to-Value of 100%, there is no monthly Mortgage Insurance required for a VA home loan. The VA mortgage loan is guaranteed with no money down for any loan up to $359,650. VA mortgage loans are often assumable. VA has released a hybrid ARM product. Veterans now have a choice of a Fixed rate or an Adjustable rate VA mortgage. Individuals with poor credit are more likely to qualify for a loan and, most of the time, you will see significant savings as a result of a lower rate on your loan (the VA also offers extra benefits for disabled veterans). Find out how much you can save with a VA Loan. ARE THERE ANY FEES FOR A VA MORTGAGE LOAN? There is a Funding Fee required by the Department of Veteran Affairs that varies between 0-3.3% of the amount of the military loan depending on your current Veteran Status. The funding fee is added into the total loan amount, so the borrower is not required to pay this out of pocket. To determine the exact funding fee, see the funding fee chart . Benefits for disabled veterans dictate that if you are 10% or more disabled due to active military service, you will not be required to pay a funding fee. Those which are required to have a funding fee may lower their fee by putting money down on their VA home purchase. WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO GET A VA LOAN You will need a certificate of eligibility to qualify. Whether you are a first time user or you have used your eligibility in the past, you must have your certificate. A certificate can be mailed directly to you if you fill out this short form . If you have your Certificate of Eligibility, you can Pre-qualify for a VA home purchase VA LOAN SPECIALIST If you have questions or if you want to determine if a Veteran Home Loan is actually the best financial decision for you, you may get advice from a VA mortgage specialist online or call 800-405-6682 . Read more about the Veterans Benefit Act of 2004 . "This was our first home purchase, but Nathan and the other folks at VA Mortgage Center helped eliminate any concerns we had from day one. They answered all our questions, and qualified us for a home that fit perfectly within our budget. Thank you for helping us take a step towards achieving our financial goals!" Jesse Jacobs- E-2- Private First Class MCB Camp Lejeune- North Carolina Read More Testimonials about VA Mortgage Center VA Loan Information VA Loan FAQs VA Loan VA Loan Qualification Home Purchase VA Refinance Cash-Out Refinance Contact Us Privacy Policy The VA Mortgage Center is a private lender specializing in Veteran Home loans , we are NOT affiliated with any government agency. We originate loans in most states . But in order for us to best serve our customers, the VA Mortgage Center may share customer information with trusted affiliates. We aim to provide you with the best financial advice possible as well as help you determine how you can get the best rates on your loan.

NEW HOMES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

News Room : ENERGY STAR What is ENERGY STAR? | Newsroom Search History Partners News Archive Awards Media Resources PRODUCTS HOME IMPROVEMENT NEW HOMES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PARTNER RESOURCES -- Home > News Room -- -- News Room ENERGY STAR in the News What's New: Program Highlights Half of the States Join ENERGY STAR Challenge (December 2005) Half of the states across the nation are joining with the EPA to address critical energy issues in our communities in conjunction with EPA's ENERGY STAR Challenge. Through the ENERGY STAR Challenge, state governments will offer a variety of programs to help building owners assess how much energy their buildings use now, establish efficiency improvement goals of 10 percent or greater portfolio-wide, and make efficiency improvements wherever cost effective. EPA Press Release List of Participating States (87KB) More Information Businesses: Save on Energy Bills this Winter (November 2005) American businesses are experiencing higher than ever energy prices, which are expected to continue this winter. EPA has advice almost any business can take to save 10% or more on their energy bills this winter. The advice shares lessons learned from EPA's ENERGY STAR partners who have saved through simple steps and adopted longer term energy management strategies with even greater savings. If every business in the US saved 10% on their energy bills, Americans would save about $10 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15 million vehicles. EPA Press Release Advice for Saving Energy EPA Recognizes 18 Leading Organizations for Efforts to Cut Energy Bills (October 2005) On October 26, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson recognized 18 organizations as ENERGY STAR Leaders for achieving significant energy savings and leading their industries in responding to EPA's ENERGY STAR Building Challenge. The ENERGY STAR Commercial Building Challenge, launched in Spring 2005, encourages building owners and managers to make their buildings at least 10% more efficient. EPA Press Release Fact Sheet (66KB) Leader Profiles (36KB) More Information on the ENERGY STAR Challenge Save Energy this Winter with help from ENERGY STAR (October 2005) In the face of higher energy bills this winter, the EPA encourages everyone to take action in their home to be more energy efficient. The average American household spends $1,500 annually on energy bills — a number that may go up as much as 50 percent this year. EPA offers five places to look and practical advice for home energy savings. EPA Press Release Home Energy Quiz (240KB) More Information K-12 Schools take the ENERGY STAR Challenge (October 2005) Ten leading associations representing state school boards, superintendents, principals, facility planners, parents, and teachers are joining with the EPA to address critical energy issues in our nation's K-12 schools. Currently, the nation's more than 17,000 K-12 schools spend $5 billion on energy bills each year. However, school districts can save up to 30 percent on their energy bills through cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. Through the ENERGY STAR Challenge, school decision-makers assess how much energy school districts use now, establish efficiency improvement goals of 10 percent or greater district-wide, and make efficiency improvements wherever cost effective. EPA Press Release Fact Sheet (82KB) Participants List (62KB) More Information EPA and DOE Announce ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day (October 2005) EPA and DOE, together with more than half of US Governors, declared October 5th ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day, and encouraged every American to change a light in their home to one that is more energy efficient. Lighting accounts for 20 percent of a home's electricity costs. ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs reduce household energy bills because they use one-third the energy of traditional lighting and last up to 10 times longer. This small step can make a big difference for our nation's energy resources and environment. EPA Press Release Campaign Fast Facts (98KB) Governors Declaring ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day (307KB) 250+ Participating Organizations (628KB) Take the Pledge EPA Raises the Bar for New Homes to Earn ENERGY STAR Label (September 2005) Builders of new homes in the United States will have to significantly increase the energy efficiency of their homes to meet the new ENERGY STAR requirements which take effect July 1, 2006. To qualify under the revised ENERGY STAR specifications, new homes must have higher levels of insulation inspected for proper installation; complete framing and air barrier assemblies that enable insulation to perform at its full rated value; windows that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements; high-efficiency and properly sized heating and cooling equipment appropriate to the climate; and more energy-efficient water heating, lighting and appliances. EPA Press Release More information ENERGY STAR Annual Report Released (September 2005) EPA recently released its annual report summarizing the success of ENERGY STAR and other voluntary climate protection programs. The report summarizes the accomplishments of these programs for 2004. For example, Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 20 million automobiles – up from 18 million in 2003 – while saving $10 billion on their energy bills. EPA Press Release 2004 Annual Report (1.27MB) New Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency Announced (July 2005) On July 11 the EPA, DOE and HUD announced a new multi-agency effort, the Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency, to bring greater energy efficiency to the U.S. housing market to save 10 percent or more on home energy bills over the next decade. A 10 percent savings would total almost $20 billion a year, help increase the affordability and comfort of homes, reduce demand for natural gas by more than 1 quad, avoid the need for 40 power plants and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 25 million vehicles. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR plays a large role in delivering these savings to consumers. EPA/HUD/DOE Press Release Report: Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (3.00MB) Overview Fact Sheet: Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (247KB) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (141KB) ENERGY STAR Products for American Homes (186KB) Quality Installation for Air Conditioning Equipment (109KB) Case Studies: Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Aurora, CO (137KB) Austin, TX (131KB) Fresno, CA (214KB) Ithaca, NY (216KB) Manlius, NY (88KB) St. Louis, MO (146KB) Suwanee, GA (108KB) EPA Announces Energy Performance Indicator for Auto Assembly Plants (June 2005) The energy efficiency of automobile assembly plants can now be rated on a national basis. EPA has recently made available a tool to help the automobile industry evaluate the energy performance of its assembly plants. This tool, the first of its kind for a manufacturing facility, compares the energy efficiency of any assembly plant producing passenger cars, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans in the U.S. to that of the entire industry. EPA Press Release Auto Assembly Plant Energy Performance Indicator EPA Offers Smart Ways to Stay Cool this Summer (June 2005) Energy use escalates when hot summer days set in across the nation. EPA's ENERGY STAR program is offering advice this summer on how to save money, remain cool and comfortable and help reduce the risks of global warming – all at the same time. Advice includes keeping your air conditioner maintained, using a programmable thermostat, sealing up gaps and cracks in the home envelope, and replacing old equipment with products that have earned the government's ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency. EPA Press Release EPA's Guide to Energy Efficient Heating and Cooling (663KB) Cool Your World Fast Facts (English) (150KB) Cool Your World Simple Steps (English) (44KB) Cool Your World Fast Facts (Spanish) (68KB) Cool Your World Simple Steps (Spanish) (49KB) New Water and Wastewater Industry Focus Announced (May 2005) EPA is launching a new initiative to increase the energy efficiency of U.S. drinking water and wastewater systems, with participation from more than 20 leading organizations. The new ENERGY STAR Water and Wastewater Industry Focus will work over the next year to develop an energy performance rating system, a guide to assessing energy efficiency opportunities, strategies for superior energy management, and innovative approaches to financing energy efficiency projects for each of the two industries. This new ENERGY STAR focus is part of a series of efforts to improve the energy efficiency of selected industries. EPA Press Release Fact Sheet (55KB) EPA announces ENERGY STAR Building Challenge (March 2005) EPA joined with more than 20 leading associations, States, and businesses to announce a national challenge for the owners of commercial and institutional buildings across the country. The ENERGY STAR Challenge encourages building owners to improve the efficiency of their buildings by 10 percent or more and to capitalize on the environmental benefits and cost savings that will result. EPA Press Release List of organizations partnering with EPA More information 2005 ENERGY STAR Awards (March 2005) EPA and DOE are recognizing 50 organizations as winners of the 2005 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards. These organizations have made outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. EPA and DOE sponsor these awards annually to recognize energy efficiency investments made by ENERGY STAR partners that saved consumers money while helping the environment. The Partners of the Year are selected from the over 7,000 ENERGY STAR partners based on their efforts to utilize energy-efficient technologies, communicate the benefits of energy savings to consumers and businesses, and encourage others to partner with ENERGY STAR. This year's award winners include Lowes Companies Inc., Food Lion, Pardee Homes, USAA Real Estate and 3M. EPA Press Release List of 50 award winners (15KB) More on Awards EPA's Public Service Announcement (PSA): 2005 ENERGY STAR Awards (2.84MB) International Power Supply Design Competition Winners Announced at Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), Austin, TX, March 6-10, 2005 (March 2005) On March 7, 2005 at APEC's plenary session, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Energy Commission announced the winners of Efficiency Challenge 2004, an international design competition for power supply efficiency. Twelve winners were selected, including two Grand Champions: Power Integrations in the Market Ready Category and Hong Kong Polytechnic University in the Open Category. All the winning entries are more energy efficient, and in many cases radically smaller than typical power supplies on the market today, demonstrating what is possible in future consumer electronics products. Efficiency Challenge APEC Presentation (62KB) Andrew Fanara, EPA, Andy Williams, ON Semiconductor, and Peter Schwartz, representing the California Energy Commission Andrew Fanara, EPA, Balu Balakrishnan, Power Integrations, and Peter Schwartz, representing the California Energy Commission Andrew Fanara, EPA, Speaking at APEC 2005 Product Picture, Power Integrations, Winner of Best in Class A1, Market Ready Grand Champion EPA Efficiency Challenge Press Release (62KB) Judging Criteria Fact Sheet (55KB) Efficiency Challenge 2004 Judge Bios (33KB) Efficiency Challenge Winner Fact Sheets (162KB) ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Near 10 Percent of Housing Starts Nationwide (March 2005) Nearly 10 percent of all homes built in 2004 earned the ENERGY STAR label. According to a recently released report, A Decade of Change in Home Building with ENERGY STAR (2.36MB), since 1995 over 360,000 of the Nation's new homes have earned the ENERGY STAR, saving homeowners an estimated $200 million and eliminating approximately 4 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. EPA Press Advisory Report: A Decade of Change in Home Building with ENERGY STAR (2.36MB) More information on ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Almost 2,000 Buildings Have Earned EPA's ENERGY STAR (January 2005) As of January 1, 2005, almost 2,000 of the nation's most energy efficient buildings, representing almost 400 million square feet, have earned EPA's ENERGY STAR designation for superior energy performance. The buildings qualifying as ENERGY STAR use about 40 percent less energy than average buildings without compromising comfort or services. Press Release List of buildings (2.14MB) More information ENERGY STAR Awareness Climbs to Over 60 Percent (February 2005) Public awareness of ENERGY STAR has jumped to 64 percent of U.S. households, according to a recent nationwide survey. In many major markets where local utilities and other organizations use ENERGY STAR to promote energy efficiency to their customers, public awareness of ENERGY STAR is even higher, averaging 74 percent. EPA Press Advisory (14KB) Survey Report (1.58MB) Energy-Efficient External Power Adapters Can Now Earn the ENERGY STAR (January 2005) On January 6, 2005 EPA announced that the ENERGY STAR is now available for qualifying external power adapters. Power adapters, also known as external power supplies, are used to power many electronic products such as cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, routers and other electronics and appliances. As many as 1.5 billion power adapters are in use in the U.S. – which is about five for every person. The new guidelines for power adapters will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions; in the U.S., more efficient adapters have the potential to save over 5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and prevent the release of more than 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions the equivalent to taking 800,000 cars off the road. Press Release More on Power Adapters Photos: CES Show , EPS Booth New ENERGY STAR Monitor Specification (January 2005) Beginning January 2005, computer monitors must meet more energy-efficient requirements to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. For the first time, the specification addresses energy consumption while monitors are in use, as well as while they are idle. Many models on the market already meet EPA's new specifications. By 2010, EPA estimates that the new requirements will result in carbon emission savings of almost 5 million metric tonnes (carbon equivalent), or the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road. The previous computer monitor requirements called for only a "sleep mode" energy-saving function. Press Release More Information News Archives Press Contact: Maria T. Vargas, (202) 343-9451 Consumer Contact Information: energystar@optimuscorp.com 1-888-STAR-YES Products | Home Improvement | New Homes | Business Improvement | Partner Resources Newsroom | Privacy | Contact Us | Site Index EPA Home EPA Search DOE Home DOE Search