Here’s everything you need to know regarding the R-22 (Freon) phase-out. Both real estate pros and homeowners have expressed concern about this refrigerant phase-out.
On January 1, 2020, R-22 refrigerant will become illegal to manufacture or import into the United States. Once the existing inventory of new R-22 is exhausted, only reclaimed and purified R-22 may be used to repair an air conditioning system. Why is R-22 being phased out?
R-22—or Freon, as it’s commonly called—is not good for the environment. It’s considered one of the most common contributors to ozone depletion. Currently, new air conditioners are manufactured using R-410A (aka Puron), a more environmentally-friendly refrigerant.
How will the R-22 phase-out affect you? As availability of R-22 slows, prices for R-22 refrigerant will increase. Homeowners can expect to pay up to $125 or more per pound for Freon if a repair is needed. Without the right home warranty, homeowners could face a considerable expense even if their system is repairable.
Bottom line: R-22 is not running out anytime soon, but it will get more expensive.
I’m sure you have questions and I am here to answer those questions about Freon and also home warranties.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
If you have a mortgage it is probably one of the biggest single debts you are likely to have. Being able to properly manage your mortgage is very important especially with so many options when it comes to loans, repayment and refinancing. It can all get a bit confusing and overwhelming. At some point you might hear a lot of talk about is prepaying your mortgage.
Should you prepay your mortgage? Should you focus on other things first? Before rushing into prepayment, make sure you have all of the information first.
What Is Mortgage Prepayment?
Mortgage prepayment is the act of paying some or your entire mortgage principal before it’s actually due. This can take a number of forms, from paying a higher amount than the actual payment that’s due each month to making additional payments in months where you have money to spare. Some homeowners even make a single large additional payment every year after getting a tax return. Regardless of the specific form that prepayment takes, the result is still the same: More of your outstanding mortgage balance gets paid off, resulting in a decrease in both the amount that you still owe and the amount that interest can be applied to.
What Are the Benefits of Prepaying?
There are several benefits to prepaying your mortgage, regardless of how often the payments are made. Consider the following and how they might apply to your mortgage situation:
Faster repayment of the mortgage loan
Decreased cost of the mortgage over time
Equity is accrued at a faster rate
Prepayment reduces principal, making it easier to qualify for refinancing
Essentially, prepayment gives you more control over your loan and helps you to save money, build equity and pay off the loan faster. Since you are paying down your mortgage at a faster rate, you will likely have an easier time refinancing for a better interest rate and loan terms down the road. And since the prepayment is optional, you can always skip prepayments and simply pay the monthly payment due if money is tight. Because of this, many people choose to incorporate prepayment plans into their overall preparations for retirement.
Are There Any Downsides?
While there are definitely benefits to prepaying your mortgage, there are potential downsides as well. Some mortgages, especially those with adjustable rates, are designed to not allow prepayments; if you attempt to prepay on the mortgage, this can trigger a penalty fee. Additionally, some lenders only accept prepayments in certain forms and will apply any other money received as simply an early payment against the next month (which means that the money will go toward interest and principal and not just your principal loan balance.)
Attempting to prepay when you have significant debt elsewhere or don’t have a safety net built up for you and your family is not a good idea. Your mortgage likely has a lower interest rate than most if not all of your other debts, so you may be better off paying them off and building up savings and retirement funds first before you start worrying about prepaying a mortgage.
Should You Prepay Your Mortgage?
Whether or not you should prepay your mortgage depends on a number of factors. You should consider the type of mortgage you have, how much your monthly mortgage payments are and what your interest rate looks like. You should also take a look at your overall finances and how well prepared you are for emergencies and retirement. It’s possible that your money would be better off going elsewhere at the moment. Even if prepayments seem feasible and affordable, make sure that your lender accepts prepayments without penalty and that you know how they prefer to receive prepayments. Those extra payments won’t do much good if your lender simply applies them against interest or charges you a penalty fee because prepayments aren’t allowed by your loan.
It is also advisable to speak with your financial adviser or accountant.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
“Noises Off” at the Super Summer Theatre in the Springs Mountain Ranch will have its run from September 5 – 21. This show has been called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. “Noises Off” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH INC. This production is produced by Poor Richard’s Players and directed by Benjamin Loewy.
This play was originally produced in 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it came in 1970, when Frayn was watching from the wings a performance of The Two of Us, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, “It was funnier from behind than in front, and I thought that one day I must write a farce from behind.” The prototype, a short-lived one-act play called Exits, was written and performed in 1977. At the request of his associate, Michael Codron, Frayn expanded this into what would become Noises Off. It takes its title from the theatrical stage direction indicating sounds coming from offstage.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The Las Vegas Valley is in the middle of summer when the temperature stays in the 100s most days and we all know what that means – HIGHER electric bills. Air conditioning is a MUST, but it takes a lot of energy which causes our electric bills to spike. Here are some tips to help you keep your house cooler without breaking the bank.
[Some of these tips might seem a bit silly, but their silliness makes them memorable!]
Grill outside more. When using the appliances in your kitchen in the middle of the summer can raise the temperature in your home by upwards of 15 degrees during each meal. By using your outdoor grill you’ll give your heat-inducing indoor appliances a break – plus everything tastes better from the grill!! Use this as an opportunity to create deliciously healthy meals and spend time outdoors with your friends and family!
Keep your lights off.
Light bulbs of all varieties can generate a lot of heat in a room. To keep rooms cooler, turn the lights off and keep them off. Reserve your electric energy for when you truly need it. Research has also shown that darker rooms tend to seem cooler than they are, so give your eyes and your wallet a rest.
Try this fan hack! Place a mixing bowl filled with ice directly in front of a large stationary or circulating fan and keep the fan on or as close to the floor as you can. The air from the fan will flow over the ice, creating a refreshingly cool breeze rolling gently through your house. A wet washcloth over the front of the fan will also work if you’ve used all your ice for refreshing drinks!
Trade out your sheets.
Switching out your bedding seasonally can freshen up your space and keep you cool during those hot summer nights. Put away your winter fleece and flannel sheets and blankets and opt for cotton, as cotton fabric breathes easier and stays naturally cooler by several degrees. Buckwheat pillows (yes, those exist!) can also help keep you cooler when you sleep. The naturally occurring space between the buckwheat hulls allows the pillow to circulate air, unlike thicker pillowcases and other linens.
Mind your doors. Unused rooms? Close them off to keep airflow in only the parts of the house you are using (and close the vents in those rooms).
Close your blinds.
This is a simple but overwhelmingly effective tip. It’s reported that up to 30% of unwanted heat comes directly from your windows and using blinds and drapes results in drastically lower temperatures. Heat gain can be reduced by up 33% with drapes and up to 45% with highly reflective blinds. Cover windows to avoid a greenhouse-type effect in your home, especially those windows that face to the south and the west.
Be strategic about your landscaping. Are you ready for new landscaping? Be mindful where you plant tall bushes, trees, and other plants. If you want a shadow over a certain window of your house, ask your landscaper or make specific plans for that to happen. Trees are a great way to naturally block the sun from your home and give back to the environment. Be sure to use a tree that sheds it leaves in the winter, though, so you still get the sun‘s warmth in the colder months, when you want it.
The heat can be both expensive and dangerous, so be safe and mindful as we head into the final stretch of summer!
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Looking to buy a condominium? You could be eligible for a government-backed loan by the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) with a lower down payment under new rules that were announced Wednesday.
The new regulation and policy guidance set a new condo approval process and allows for some individual condos to be eligible for an FHA mortgage even if the condo project isn’t FHA approved. The loans only require a 3.5% down payment and allow for lower credit scores than conventional loans according to The Wall Street Journal.
Officials said the new rules would make it easier for condo buyers to apply for FHA-insured financing and open up more mixed-use projects to FHA backing. “Today we are making certain FHA responds to what the market is telling us,” FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery said. “This new rule allows FHA to meet its core mission to support eligible borrowers who are ready for homeownership and are most likely to enter the market with the purchase of a condominium.”
The FHA stated that 84 percent of condo buyers it backs had never owned a home before getting their FHA loan. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said the change will open homeownership to new first-time buyers as well as seniors. “Condominiums have increasingly become a source of affordable, sustainable homeownership for many families and it’s critical that FHA be there to help them,” Carson said.
Only 6.5% of the 150,000 condo projects in the U.S. are currently approved for FHA’s mortgage insurance programs. Officials said the new policy, which will go into effect on Oct. 15, will open somewhere between 20,000 and 60,000 condo units to FHA-backed financing each year, which means more choices for home shoppers.
For an individual unit to be eligible for approval under the new rules, officials said it will have to be located in a completed project that is not approved. For projects with 10 or more units, no more than 10 percent can be FHA-insured. Projects with fewer than 10 units can have two FHA-insured units.
This is wonderful news for first time buyers that want to purchase a condo.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Those of us that live on the west side of the Las Vegas Valley are so happy to live near Downtown Summerlin. In the few years since its opening Downtown Summerlin has grown and evolved to being an area that truly has something for everyone.
The Howard Hughes Corp. has listened to suggestions to make Downtown Summerlin a place everyone wants to come to and I’m sure we will see more events and growth in future years.
This year we are seeing the return of Fitness On The Lawn in Downtown Summerlin with TruFusion Summerlin, Pure Barre, lululemon, and Dance Dynamics! Classes are FREE and welcome all levels. Bring your mat, towel and water and end the day with practice facing the Red Rock Canyon to the backdrop of the sunset in the mountains. This community event is focused on wellness and an active outdoor lifestyle, a hallmark of the Summerlin Life.
The weekly fitness classes started on April 2nd and will run through the end of September. Enjoy a different class each week on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.! Enjoy yoga, boxing, dance fit, circuit and more! Bring your mat, towel, and water and end the day with a workout, Summerlin® style. My family & I have attended a couple of these too and it’s a nice change of pace from the usual classroom workouts.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website
Downtown Summerlin hosts the 12th Annual Cox Back to School Fair on Saturday, August 10 from 10am-3pm under The Pavilion. The event features a one-stop-shop for resources and information about getting kids and families ready for the new school year.
Cox Back to School Fair serves as the source for both students and parents to be ready for getting back to school. There are over 30 Booths including: CCSD Representatives from Transportation, Food Service, Safekey and more!
One of the services is Wal-Mart for immunizations that are required for students. Anthem Pediatrics and representatives from the CCSD will be on hand to answer any questions you might have from enrollment, meal programs and registration.
There will be representatives from community agencies such as the YMCA, Project 150, Olive Crest, Nevada PEP and the Clark County Parks and Recreation Safekey.
Through the “Open Schools Open Doors” agreement, Clark County Parks & Recreation Safekey Before and After School Programs are offered to students in grades K-5 at 84 Clark County School District schools located in unincorporated Clark County. The Safekey program offers a healthy environment where participants will engage in, but not limited to, indoor/outdoor individual and small group games, arts & crafts, the Apple Core reading program, an afternoon snack, all designed to enhance your child’s social growth and development. This program is only available when school is in session – not during the summer or holidays.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The Cockroach Theatre began with a midnight performance of LINE by Israel Horovitz in December of 2002. Friends for years, and having studied together in the theater department at University of Nevada Las Vegas they decided to produce the type of theatre that hadn’t been seen in Las Vegas. Directed by the late local critic Tony DelValle, Israel Horovitz’ LINE was an unexpected critical and popular success.
Here we are many years later with Bleach Presents Neon Nights – which is a long form improv comedy show. Long form improv is theater made up on the spot inspired from an audience suggestion. These shows are not scripted. They have never been performed before and will never be performed again.
The performances will take place at 8p.m. Sun Aug 11, 2019, Sun Aug 18, 2019 and Sun Aug 25, 2019. The Cockroach Theatre is located at 1025 South 1st Street 89101- right next to The Art Factory and Ninja Karaoke.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
This is such a great idea -Las Vegas Ballpark won’t just be for baseball games anymore… On Wednesday the ballpark spokespeople announced that they will be hosting “Flicks on the Field” movie night on select dates starting in August and will run to October.
The movie nights will be open to the general public starting at 7:05 p.m. and tickets will cost $2 per person. Children ages two and younger will get in for free. Tickets can be purchased at the main box office or online at www.thelvballpark.com.
Concession stands will also be open around the ballpark so you can buy food and drinks and then sit down and watch the movie on the jumbotron screen.
Las Vegas Ballpark said in their release that the schedule of movies is subject to change and pending weather.
Here is the upcoming schedule of films:
Aug. 8 – Top Gun
Aug. 22 – The Sandlot
Sept. 12 – Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Sept. 26 – The Goonies
Oct. 3 – Ghostbusters (original version)
Oct. 17 – Jurassic Park (original version)
Nov. 14 – Pick-A-Flick holiday movie to be selected by the general public. Information and details forthcoming.
The master-planned community of Summerlin is always thinking of ideas to give their residents (and residents in Las Vegas) another amenity to enjoy that includes your entire family. Showing again that the community of Summerlin has an active outdoor lifestyle in mind for everyone, an attitude the developer has always believed in.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail space? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
