Tips for Homeowners Category
15 year fixed now at 3.75%…no kidding
First Time Buyers, Random Thoughts, Tips for Homeowners
Quick note on rates: At this mornings office meeting our in-house mortgage broker gave us todays interest rates. 4.125% on a 30 year fixed and 3.75% on a 15 year. I have to admit I had not checked rates for several days and was taken by surprise at this news. I have to assume that most folks are not aware rates have dropped this low and more importantly what it means to them.
If you are a buyer this is obviously great news. Lower rates, lower payments, higher qualifying price. Your timing could not be better.
If you’re already a homeowner and have some equity it might be the perfect time to refinance into a 15 year loan. The payment could be very close to what you are now paying on a higher rate 30 year.
Here is a link to a Google Ad chart-calculator that looks like a handy tool for checking rates and payments. Keep in mind that local banks and mortgage professionals may very well be able to offer terms just as attractive as any you see online.
PG&E Offers Free Weatherization, Appliances
Random Thoughts, Tips for Homeowners
Perhaps we can’t all go to Copenhagen to work on climate change issues but there is something we can do here at home and it’s free. If you know anyone with a low/mid income or who receives assistance such as SSI or Medi-Cal and lives in a home with PG&E gas or electric service let them know about the Energy Partner Program. Available to both renters or owners the Energy Partner Program helps those who meet income guidelines obtain energy saving assistance free of charge.
Tell your friends who rent, first time home buyers, seniors on fixed incomes, landlords who have qualifying tenants or anyone else who can take advantage of this great program.
Details at http://www.pge.com/energypartners/
Sphere: Related ContentHelp for underwater homeowners
WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration announced details of new efforts to help bring relief to responsible homeowners under the Making Home Affordable Program, including an effort to achieve greater affordability for homeowners by lowering payments on their second mortgages as well as a set of measures to help underwater borrowers stay in their homes. Read entire release
Sphere: Related ContentProtect your pool in freezing weather
Cool A/C Rebates – Enter to Win a Prius!
There are a few days in Redding every year where you just have to have air-conditioning. Today is just one of those days with a high of about 111°.
Everyone who has A/C has it cranked up and are inside keeping cool. That puts a lot of stress and demand not just on home air conditioners but also on the City of Redding and PG&E electrical grids. Because of this both the City of Redding and PG&E offer some very attractive programs and rebates designed to help decrease energy demands during peak periods and conserve the year around. Sounded good to me. So good that Sandee and I installed a new air conditining system on our house last year and we didn’t have a bill to pay for a year while we worked off the City of Redding rebate.
Here are some details; to encourage customers to replace old, inefficient products and technologies with new, energy efficient equipment the City of Redding offers Rebates on everything from High Efficiency Air Conditioning to Cordless Lawnmowers. They also offer their customers Free Energy Audits to access energy usage and help customers conserve energy and save money. Hey, it’s free. Give them a call! (530) 339-7210.
PG&E also has a Rebate Program designed to conserve energy usage. While PG&E no longer has an air conditioner rebate they do have rebates on things like whole house fans, duct sealing, furnaces, appliances and more. In addition to rebates there are Tax Credits available on energy efficient products and improvements. They also have an Energy Audit that you perform on-line.
Another program from PG&E is the SmartAC program which cycles home A/C units between cool and fan only on alternating 15 minute cycles during extra heavy demand periods. It is controlled by a radio signaled switch that is installed on your air conditioner. I don’t think it’s available in our area yet but interesting all the same. Coming soon they say.
As I was researching the PG&E site I also found that you can enter to win a Toyota Prius, no enrolment or purchase necessary. So..while technically it’s not me giving away the car if you enter and win come by and give me a ride in it!
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