James Hurt's Blog

Energy Star is a system of analysis which indicates whether a product or building qualifies as an energy efficient building that meets the current standards. The most commonly recognized association of the familiar star logo is found on appliances. Appliances that are able to operate under the st...

Low VOC paint is a version of interior paint that has significantly reduced levels of VOCs, which means volatile organic compounds. It's pretty easy to guess that compounds that are volatile probably aren't very good for you. And they are not. Unfortunately, most of the paints on the market have ...

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a program designed to encourage and reward forward thinking in building design to help reduce waste, conserve energy, and meet the Green standards for building and construction. This is a program that has gained international re...

R38 is probably the most commonly recommended level of insulation. When you select insulation you have to base your decision on variables. Homes in different regions need different types and thicknesses of insulation in order to be effective. If you live in the Southern warmer areas you aren't qu...

Preventative maintenance can make a huge difference between having a mildly efficient home and having a fully efficient home. Air conditioners, furnaces, and even washers and dryers need to be well maintained in order to operate at their best. It is much less difficult or time consuming to mainta...

Buying good carpet starts with knowing that the sales people will often try to offer you a run down of the type of carpeting they carry in the store. Often you will hear lots of references to problems like stains, shredding, and wear. When you understand what has actually been said you will becom...

  The question that is at the heart of a home appraisal is whether or not the asking price of the home you want is worth that amount. How much a lender will give you to buy a house or piece of property is determined by the value or worth of that particular piece of real estate. Having a home appr...

  With the holiday season drawing near you may want to make your home smell more like the holidays. Any time of year the holiday smells are welcoming and joyous. The months of November and December the aromas that are etched in the mind for the season are almost an essential.   The main smells th...

  To make your home more energy efficient this winter you can do several things that do not take a lot of time or money. Creating efficiency is usually about effort. It takes a little effort to find the areas where the efficiency is lacking. Once you find the most deficient areas it is much easie...

  A title company, also known as an abstract company, is a third party used in the sale of real estate. Essentially, their job is to make sure that the transactions between the buyer and seller are not interlaced with potential problems when it comes to the deed or title. Unknown issues can arise...