December 2008 Newsletter                               View an index of all our newsletters
 

From the Desk of
Arthur Lazerow

Rough Year,
Optimism Abounds

Each year as the holiday season approaches, the year past comes to mind. Anyone associated with real estate would probably like to forget 2008.Unfortunately, most of the lessons we learned were difficult lessons. We found that any business, no matter how well established, can contract. We learned that it is no consolation that others were experiencing the pains that we were. We learned to live with less, less work, less income. Looking back, 2008 will go into the record books as Alban’s most difficult year.

Looking forward, there are reasons to be optimistic. The federal government has hit the panic button and is gushing our grandchildren’s money to solve key problems, from Wall Street, to Detroit, to banks encouraging lending, and to solve home foreclosures on Main Street. At some point during 2009, all this money which is being pumped into the economy should jump start a recovery out of the current recessionary economy.

Here’s the best economic lesson I ever learned. The smartest man I have worked with or for these past 40 years said that to understand the economy, simply watch 300 million hands on the spigots of consumer spending. He was so right. Up until last July, while consumer spending held up, there was no downturn in the economy. Presently, consumer spending is depressed, and so is the economy.

The Holidays are here! We wish everyone a fabulous holiday season. Our inspection staff, Quintin Satterfield, Roberto Montiel, Marty Blackwood, Rodney Shull, Lee Eyler, and Joe Dempsey, and our administrative staff, Sandy Watkins (general manager), Terry Toms (accounting), and Tina Yarborough (scheduling) join me in wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays and a joyous New Year.

From Joe Dempsey,
Alban Energy Auditor
Energy Saving Water Heaters

A significant chunk of your home’s total energy cost comes from water heating. Raising the temperature of cold water to 120 degrees, or hotter, takes a lot of energy. Next time you shower, think about your money spraying out the showerhead. Maybe you won’t linger so, but that’s another story.

Joe Dempsey, Alban’s home energy auditor specialist, found the following interesting article in a recent journal. Richard H. Karney, P.E., is Energy Star products manager at the Department of Energy and wrote:

“Energy Star Water Heaters: The Energy Star residential water heater program includes five different types of technology: high-efficiency gas storage, whole-home gas tankless, gas-condensing, heat pump, and solar. The Energy Star criteria for these technologies incorporate requirements for energy efficiency, hot water delivery, safety, and warranties.

DOE’s long term goal is to transform the residential water heater market to advanced energy-efficient technologies, which in turn will achieve significant national energy savings. The program takes effect January 1, 2009. At that time, DOE will launch residential water heater product pages on the Energy Star Web site. The information on these pages will focus on consumer education.”

After January 1, 2009, visit the Water Heater Criteria page: www.energystar.gov/waterheaters

Fireproof Your
Christmas Tree
 

Everyone loves the sights and smells of Christmas, especially those of a fresh Christmas tree. Even my friends who decorate artificial trees place fresh cut evergreens around their homes to provide that wonderful aroma. This elicits childhood memories of our earliest Christmases and hopes to duplicate these wonderful images.

For many reasons, fresh-cut Christmas trees still predominate, but few people effectively fireproof their tree. Over the years, we have reprinted the formula of household products that, when mixed together and fed religiously to your tree, will act as a fire retardant.

Needless to say, exercise safety during Christmas, especially with electricity. Before you start stringing lights and other electrical goodies on the tree or around your home, check wires to ensure that there are no frayed or loose wires. Limit the number of extensions used. Also have a fire extinguisher within quick reach.

A common and effective recipe for a fire retardant fluid was developed by the scientists at Fermi Laboratories. It seems the scientists had some time on their hands after playing with all that nuclear material and published the following in the Official Fermilab Cookbook. Most of the ingredients are grocery store products, but drug stores sell Epson Salts and the iron can be found in garden shops.

Besides fire safety, trees treated with the Fermi formula have been found to have enhanced evergreen aroma and the needles tend not to drop off. If you are interested in an experiment, when you remove the tree from your home after New Years, break off a branch and try to set it on fire, only OUTSIDE.

Have a wonderful and a safe Christmas.

Fireproof Christmas Tree

Ingredients:

• Two cups of Karo Syrup

• Two ounces of liquid chlorine bleach

• Two pinches of Epson salts

• One-half teaspoon Borax

• One teaspoon chelated iron

• Two gallons of hot water in a larger bucket (5 gal. drywall spackle bucket works well)

When you bring the tree home, mix all the ingredients, stirring to dissolve and mix them. With a saw, cut an inch off the bottom of the trunk. Stand the tree up in the bucket, allowing the trunk to soak up the solution for 24 hours. Then install the tree in a tree stand with a well for liquids. Place the tree in its final position and pour some of the solution from the bucket into the well, filling it. Everyday thereafter, you should top off the well under the tree with the fire retardant solution.

Alban is proud to offer FREE Continuing Education Courses in Real Estate Offices!
Call Tina to schedule one of our educational seminars, for additional information, or to schedule our services at 800-822-7200 or 301-662-6565.