New Homes Utilities/EEPS Service

Builders, Raters, Sponsors, & Lenders of New Homes : ENERGY STAR What is ENERGY STAR? | Newsroom Search Manufacturers Retailers Builders, Lenders, Raters & Sponsors of New Homes Utilities/EEPS Service & Product Providers Businesses Small Businesses Congregations HVAC Contractors PRODUCTS HOME IMPROVEMENT NEW HOMES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PARTNER RESOURCES -- Home > Partner Resources > Builders, Lenders, Raters & Sponsors of New Homes -- -- Builders, Raters, Sponsors, and Lenders of New Homes IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: EPA Releases Final New Guidelines for ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes What are ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes? Homes built to strict energy-efficiency guidelines using tried-and-true technologies and construction practices. Benefits of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes Increased profits, customer satisfaction, and recognition, all while helping the environment. Builders , Raters , Utilities/Sponsors , Lenders , Other Partnering with ENERGY STAR Step-by-step guidance to help you capitalize on your ENERGY STAR partnership. Builders , Raters , Utilities/Sponsors , Lenders , Other Tools and Resources Logos, marketing examples, fact sheets, training presentations, a locator for finding other partners, incentives, and more. News and Policies Find out what's new, apply for an award, or examine program policies. Quick Links Partner Resources Partnership Agreements 100% Builder Commitment 2005 Outreach Partnership Homes Online Submission Tool Local/Regional Resources Partner Locator Regional Web Sites Marketing Resources Lender Resources Achievement Report ENERGY STAR Logos Advanced Lighting Package Sales Toolkit HomeCalc Brochures Presentations Customer Fact Sheets Technical Resources Indoor Air Package Builder Option Packages Manufactured Housing Guides Systems-built Housing Guides Revised Sampling Policy Do Even More with ENERGY STAR: Lighting Advanced Lighting Package Appliances Heating & Cooling Indoor Air Quality Kitchen Products | Home Improvement | New Homes | Business Improvement | Partner Resources Newsroom | Privacy | Contact Us | Site Index EPA Home EPA Search DOE Home DOE Search

Buy Property

BBC - Homes - Property - Buying abroad Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index 29 December 2005 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Lifestyle Homes Property Buying Buying at auction Viewing checklist How to rescue an empty property Buying checklist Money matters checklist Buying a property Buying abroad Auction glossary TV and radio Talk Newsletter Contact Us Like this page? Send it to a friend! Buying a property abroad Buying property abroad is more popular than ever, with increasing numbers of people following their dream in purchasing a holiday home, a buy-to-let, or moving lock, stock and barrel to the sun. If you're planning such a move, read our guide before you buy. In this article Location checklist Professional advice Costs Making an offer Buying in Spain Buying outside Europe Location checklist Before you start looking for a property, it's worth asking yourself a few basic questions, which should save you time and money in the long run: Do you prefer the town or country? Do you want to be inland or on the coast? Do you want to be isolated or in the thick of it? (Most people prefer to be within about an hour's travel time of a town.) How much outside space do you want? How close do you want to be to your neighbours? How close do you want to be to shops, bars and restaurants? Where's the nearest public transport, how often does it run, what time does it end? How far is the beach? How close are you to the nearest airport? How far is it to sports facilities, golf, tennis, swimming, and so on? How good are the local health and social services? Arts and entertainment - what's available in the area? Neighbours - what are they like and how often do you want to see them? If you're relocating abroad, take a look at the Practicalities checklist from Fresh Start to help you get organised for the big move. Professional advice Use qualified professionals to protect your interests and make the purchase of your new home a stress-free experience. Estate agents are a good source of advice. Only negotiate with ones that are officially registered and hold a licence. Ensure you have a good lawyer with an excellent command of English and the native tongue, to deal with the endless stream of rules and regulations. For instance, did you know that if you're buying in Spain you'll need to make out a will in Spanish before buying, or that you can inherit debts from a previous vendor? Costs Research all legal issues and costs involved. Your solicitor/lawyer will advise and assist you. Before you have decided on a property it's important to be fully aware of the legal process and costs involved in your puchase. Obtain professional advice and check your finances, taking account of these additional costs. Be well prepared with your finances; taxes can be high when buying. Set up a direct debit from a native bank account to pay for bills. Be careful not to miss payments and read those red letters; foreign banks are not lenient with those who don't pay up in time. If you're considering renting out the property when it's empty, bear in mind that advertising in the UK for a property abroad could result in tax demands from both the English and foreign authorities. Making an offer Make your offer in writing if possible (of course, subject to contract), and include not only the price, but also the amount of deposit, when you're prepared to pay it, when you're prepared to complete, what you understand to be included in the price (for example furniture and fittings if applicable) and, an often neglected point, that all machinery equipment and installations are in normal working order. For more information about buying abroad, the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has a number of leaflets available. In Lifestyle DIY Living the dream Fresh Start Working abroad Holiday Uncharted Territory Elsewhere on bbc.co.uk Weather Business Languages Elsewhere on the web Buying property abroad The BBC is not responsible for content on external websites About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy

Texas Land Office Announces

EERE State Activities and Partnerships: Texas Land Office Announces "Wind Rush" Search Help More Search Options Search EERE Information Center Printable Version Back to News Texas Land Office Announces "Wind Rush" December 03, 2003 The Texas Land Office hopes to spur leases of the rights to develop wind energy resources on state lands and thus increase revenue to the state's educational fund. Credit: Texas Land Office Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterson announced on October 23 the availability of leases for wind power generation on state lands. Calling it a modern-day "wind rush," Patterson said, "The 'open for wind business' sign is hanging on the door of the Land Office." He plans to open bidding for leases of state lands along the Gulf Coast and in western Texas, where there are excellent wind resources. The proceeds from the sales will go to the state's schools. Under the Texas Constitution, the Texas Land Office is responsible to maximize assets on state lands to fund the Permanent School Fund. As of October 2003, the office provides $700 million per year to the fund. Patterson believes Texas has advantages over other states for quickly developing wind power along its coast. The waters off the Texas coast are shallower than those of nearby states, and Texas owns the land out to 10.3 statute miles. There are many abandoned oil and gas platforms in the gulf that he believes developers could one day use for wind power generation. And by allowing wind developers to deal with one landowner (on state lands), terms for the leases will be standard and predictable. For details, see the land office's announcement . Printable Version Skip footer navigation to end of page. Webmaster | Security & Privacy | EERE State Activities & Partnerships Home | EERE Home U.S. Department of Energy Content Last Updated: May 24, 2005

Real Estate Listing

House Rent

Housing - Ownership and Renting Resource Renting header Navigation TOPIC AREAS About The House HomeWorks News Rent Smart Publicaciones en Español Download a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print information provided as PDF files. RENT SMART Background Rental property managers are often faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, they want to keep their units full, they want to meet their fair housing obligations and, as good citizens, they want to provide housing to people who need it. On the other hand, in order to stay in business they need to rent to people who are likely to pay their rent and maintain the property. One way to address this dilemma is with a community program that provides high-risk tenants with practical training to help them succeed as tenants. Rent Smart is a teaching guide designed to be the core of a community tenant education program. It was developed by staff from the University of Wisconsin-Extension in consultation with the Wisconsin Apartment Association, the Wisconsin Trade and Consumer Protection Division, the Tenant Resource Center, the Apartment Association of Southeast Wisconsin and other housing and tenant support groups. It was field tested in several locations before publication. What's Included? Rent Smart stresses information that can help participants succeed as tenants and avoid confrontations and legal hassles. The publication is intended for trainers and includes reproducible fact sheets and worksheets for participants as well as masters for overhead transparencies. A model certificate, designed to be awarded to participants who successfully complete the training, is also included. A key feature of Rent Smart is that it stresses learner participation. Each of the lessons is organized around a series of activities so that participants are actively involved in the learning. Materials are provided to help the instructor use the activities successfully. Local Partnership Needed In addition to the curriculum, a successful tenant education program requires a local partnership. Involvement of local rental housing providers in design and delivery of the local program is essential. When this is the case they may be willing to take greater risks with applicants who have completed the program and may even provide financial incentives such as a reduced security deposit. Involvement of local housing authorities and other tenant service providers is also essential. They have contacts with households who would benefit from the program, may be able to help design the program so it meets specific client needs and may have incentives they can provide participants. In one county an agency obtained a grant to provide a partial rent payment to participants who completed the program. In many communities, extension staff members have been available to assist in developing this partnership, developing the initial tenant education program and offering some of the instruction. The Lessons 1. Where Does the Money Go? - Determining monthly income and tracking expenses 2. Developing an Spending Plan - Planning spending and reducing expenses 3. Making the Most of Your Credit Report - Understanding credit reports and ways to improve credit. 4. Finding a Place to Live - Determining apartment needs and understanding search strategies. 5. Checking Out the Landlord and the Place - interviewing and checking up on landlords 6. The Rental Application Process - Completing a rental application and knowing what landlords look for. 7. Understanding Rental Agreements - Reading and understanding rental agreements. 8. Home Care: Who Is Responsible for What? Understanding when tenants are responsible for maintenance. 9. Home Care: Keeping It Clean and Safe - Understanding why cleaning is important and ways to do it more efficiently 10. Communicating With Your Landlord and Neighbors - Saying what you mean and resolving conflicts. 11. Moving On: Giving Notice, Security Deposits and Evictions - Ending a tenancy properly and understanding why it is important to do so. Ordering Information This sample contains the Table of contents and the first Chapter. To order a CD containing the complete text plus files to make transparencies, please contact: Extension Publications 877-WIS-PUBS cecommerce.uwex.edu footer 2002-2004 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, doing business as the Division of Cooperative Extension of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. If you have any questions regarding this site's contents, trouble accessing any information on this site, require this information in an alternative format or would like to request a reasonable accommodation because of a disability email: flp@uwex.edu