Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Negotiate With Contractors

- How To Negotiate With Contractors And Keep Your Cool One of the most frustrating aspects of getting an investment property ready for resale is DIY Construction - DIY Construction Frequently Asked Questions I am considering a DIY construction project by adding a new room to my home. Do I need a contractor’s license to build on to my current home?Home Project Contractors - Hiring a Contractor for Your Home Project Do not be afraid to contact and investigate local references from previous customers. Ask questions regarding their satisfaction with the contractor’s work,

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Property Management for Your Rental Homes

Home rental property management must be able to address key issues concerning property investments, that of repair and maintenance and the tenancy agreement. Tenancy agreements can be a tad complex. There are statutory provisions that hold the power to overrule codified tenancy agreements. As thus, home rental property management must consider relevant statutory provisions when closing a tenancy agreement.Some of the key factors to consider are the terms explicitly expressed by the tenancy agreement, the terms expressed by the statutory provisions, and the less weighty terms implied by the common law. Any violations made against these terms are tantamount to a breach of contract. As for the issue of repair and improvement, the home rental property management must see to it that codified clauses explicitly express who is liable for what. The responsibility may lie in the hands of the landlord or the tenant, depending on the clauses stipulated in the tenancy agreement. If in case the tenancy agreement places the weight of the responsibility on the tenant, the question of enforceability depends on the nature of the repair and the length of tenancy.

If the tenancy period is short (less than seven years), obligations for repair lies in the landlord by virtue of existing statutory provisions. Also, an explicit distinction between "repair" and improvement" must be made. Improvement covers the addition of features that are yet to be in existence while repair refers to the more essential replacement or renewal of auxiliary features of the property. The law does not impose any obligation on improvements, unless stipulated by the tenancy agreement. Another issue, which concerns the home rental property management, is the problem of condensation. Tenancy agreements usually have clauses in place for the special purpose of ensuring that the tenant is ensured proper ventilation.

The problem of condensation is something that requires attention as it can cause damage to both the landlord and the tenants. It becomes a problem on the part of the landlord when the poor ventilation results to the formation of mould or when it causes damage to the plasterwork. All these can result to the need for costly repairs. With costly repairs come many complex issues such as the question of who holds responsibility for covering the costs-something the home rental property management must keep away from.As for the installation of property essentials such as the water supply, electricity, gas, room, water heating and sanitation, tenancy agreements do not obligate the landlord to install them. The landlord's obligations are simply to repair and maintain those that already exist.

Clean Renewable Solar and Wind Energy Ideas

Wind and solar energy ideas are exciting topics that were once discussed as part of the future. Well, the future is here. The advances in this technology are breath taking and we are only at the tip of a very important iceberg. Scientists and engineers all over the world are on the cusp of discoveries that will take these renewable fuels off the back burner and deem them competitive with fossil fuels all while being a friend to the environment.

Climate change is forcing a serious discussion about clean, and renewable energy ideas and we should all be listening. Geopolitical considerations are an important component to the discussion as well. When in history has a war been fought over sunshine or wind? As the middle east breaks down, this conversation will only get hotter and more and more citizens of the world will force their governments to get off their addiction to oil. While oil will always serve a purpose in our societies, renewable fuel like wind and solar power is the future. The US House of Representatives has already passed a bill stating that utility companies must get 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2020. It is a good start. Chances are this will be increased by future political leaders. Other political angles are possible like new requirements for construction of new homes and buildings in the future. It is entirely likely that eventually standards will be put into place that requires new construction to include solar and wind power. Eco-friendly buildings are the future and it is vital that future start soon. With all the discussion of renewable fuels it is easy to get caught up in other alternatives like bio diesels but it is vital to remember that growing crops requires a lot of water which is likely to become harder to get than oil. Virtually all alternative fuels have environmental impact except solar and wind power. They are pretty much impossible to run out of. We destroy nothing getting them and very little natural resources like water is wasted to get them.

It is time for the citizens of this world to put this topic in front of our elected leaders every day. Climate change/global warming is not going away and we can only hope to hasten it. The internet holds vital information for those who want to explore this topic and find a way to introduce solar and wind power into their lives.