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Produced ByAdvertising Editorial Staff

lubbockonline.com homes.lubbockonline.com LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

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Where did you grow up? Levelland, Texas

Why do you live in the Lubbock area? What do you like most about it?

I moved to Lubbock in 1975 to attend Texas Tech University and after I gradu-ated in 1979, I got married. We both got jobs here, so we stayed and are still here. The best thing about living in Lubbock is the people. I know that everyone hears that all of the time but it is so true.

How long have you worked in real estate?

Seven years.

What did you do before that?

I have an undergraduate degree in Horticulture, and there is not a big demand in this area for people with that degree. So I ended up going back to Texas Tech to get my teaching certificate, and at the same time I got a gradu-ate degree in education. I taught junior high science and health for 11 years, then decided I needed a career change so I decided to get my real estate license.

What is your specialty? My specialty is in residen-

tial real estate – both exist-ing construction and new construction.

What designations do you have and what does that mean for the people you work with?

My designations are GRI (Graduate, Realtor Insti-tute), SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist), and ASR (Accredited Seller Represen-tative). I also have my real estate broker’s license. For clients that I work with, by having these designations, I have “skin in the game” so to speak. If I expect my clients to trust me with such a large financial investment, such as a home purchase or sale, then I need to invest in my career as well. In acquiring the designations that I have, quite a bit of time and money are involved, and the knowl-edge that I have gained has proven to be invaluable.

What is the most unique property you’ve listed?

The most unique property that I’ve listed was one that had been built and was owned by a local family phy-sician and his wife. It was unique in that the owners had the abstract of title for the land that the house was built on dating back to 1878.

What are the most gratify-ing and most challenging aspects of what you do?

The most gratifying aspect of what I do is to help people have a fresh, new start. Whether it is someone buy-ing their first home or some-one selling their last home

to move to a retirement community or something in between, it is always fun to be able to get to know the people that I work with and their families and be a part of their lives.

What tips do you have for

someone looking to buy or sell a home? For someone looking to buy or sell, they need to make sure they have a competent, expe-rienced Realtor who is willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure the transaction moves along as smoothly as possible.

What do you see in the future for real estate?

We are lucky to live in an area that doesn’t experience the extreme highs and lows of the real estate market. Our market typically remains fairly steady, although the past two years we have seen a correction in prices from the previous few years of steadily rising prices. This year, homes sales are already on the rise compared to the pre-vious year, and I think that it will continue throughout the year. With interest rates at such a low level, now is a great opportunity for anyone looking to buy.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

We are season ticket hold-ers for Texas Tech football, basketball and baseball. I also love animals, and while my children were growing up, our house was home to quite a variety – from iguanas to guinea pigs to even hissing cockroaches! We have always had the usual pets like cats and dogs and still do, along with several box turtles that live in our backyard.

Jan Alexander RE/MAX LUbbock806-789-9325 (cell)janalexander@remaxlubbock.com

Realtor Revealed

Jan Alexander, RE/MAX LubbockPhoto by Misty Setzler

GRI, SRES, ASR

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The South Plain’s #1 Real Estate Source ● Visit our mobile site @ m.homes.lubbockonline.com

2 SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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ReAl eSTATe SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL 3homes.lubbockonline.com

(ARA) – Maintenance and improvement are both essential realities of home owner-ship. From windows and skylights to gas ranges and front doors, everything in your home will eventually need some work. But how do you know when something simply needs repair, or merits being replaced?

Of course, each situation will be as unique as the home in which it occurs – and as in-dividual as the homeowners themselves. A few good rules of thumb, however, do ap-ply in most cases. When you’re considering repair or replacement, ask yourself these questions:

• How old is the malfunctioning item?• How extensive/pervasive is the prob-

lem?• Will the cost of repair approach the cost

of replacement?• Which course – repair or replace – will

yield the maximum energy efficiency?• How does the cost of repair measure

up to the value it will provide? How does replacement stack up using the same mea-sure?

To help you get an idea of how these rules apply, here’s what some experts have to say about home elements that frequently raise the repair/replace question:

SkylightSWhile many modern skylights are ener-

gy-efficient, qualify to use the Energy Star mark and are leak-free, if you have an older, plastic model it’s probably a good idea to replace it. Not only are these older plastic bubble-type skylights often faded and un-sightly, reducing visibility, they are not UV resistant, are not energy efficient, and are much more likely to leak.

“There are millions of those unattractive, cracked and yellowed plastic skylights still out there,” says Ross Vandermark, national product manager of VELUX America. “Re-placing them with new energy-efficient, dou-ble-pane (insulating) glass models is quick and easy. They don’t leak, they look better, they reduce UV rays and provide substan-tial energy savings.”

In fact, based on an estimate of 15 cents per kwh/hr, replacing an old plastic sky-light with an Energy Star-qualified VELUX skylight can save a 2,000-square-foot home about $194 a year on cooling costs, a compa-ny study shows. Add skylight blinds and the energy savings can be enhanced even more. What’s more, depending on the age and con-dition of even older glass skylights, it’s not a bad idea to consider a modern, more energy efficient model. To learn more about replace-ment skylights, visit www.veluxusa.com.

WindoWSRecent research shows that skylights and

vertical windows can work well together to effectively daylight a home while contribut-ing to heating and cooling energy savings.

Like skylights, windows have vastly im-proved in energy efficiency over the past few decades. Leaky, inefficient windows can be a major source of heat loss in a home, boosting energy bills and decreasing the comfort level indoors. Window manufacturer Pella points to these signs that old windows need to be replaced:

• They’re difficult to open or close.• You can feel air leaking in or out around

them.• Condensation or fogging occurs on or be-

tween glass panes.• You can see chipping, deterioration

or water stains on the window or the wall around it.

• Cleaning is a major chore.• It’s difficult or impossible to find replace-

ment parts for the old windows.The Efficient Windows Collaborative

(www.efficientwindows.org) site also pro-vides extensive information on selecting both windows and skylights, including fact sheets and computer simulations for typical houses using a variety of windows in a num-ber of U.S. cities.

heating and air coolingFurnaces and air conditioning units are

among the most important parts of your home’s infrastructure; they’re directly re-sponsible for the comfort level and air qual-ity inside your home. They’re also among the more costly items to repair or replace.

So how do you know when it’s time to re-place part of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system? EnergyS-tar.gov offers these guidelines:

• If your heat pump or air conditioner is older than 10 years.

• Your furnace or boiler is more than 15 years old.

• Your energy bills are spiking.• Equipment needs frequent repair.• Some rooms are too hot while others are

too cold.• The HVAC system is very noisy.• Your home is very dusty.Replacing older HVAC systems with

newer, Energy Star-qualified ones can sig-nificantly impact your heating and cooling costs, according to EnergyStar.gov. An Ener-gy Star-qualified heat pump or AC unit can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs, the website says. You can learn more at www.energystar.gov.

Replace or repair? That’s the home improvement question

4 SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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ReAl eSTATe SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL 5homes.lubbockonline.com

Most open houses are held to attract potential buyers. However, when your home is open to the public, anyone can stop by for a peek… even casual observers looking for decorating ideas. Your Lubbock Real-tor can help you decide if an open house is right for you and can walk you through the process. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making your decision.

Why hold an open house? An open house is an opportunity

for you to market your home di-rectly to potential buyers. Visitors can take their time walking from room to room and ask questions about the home’s features. Poten-tial buyers can the inside of the home in a way that just isn’t pos-sible from flipping through photos online.

Hosting an open house is also a good opportunity for you to get honest feedback on your home. You can count on at least a few of the attendees to offer candid comments about what they do and don’t like. Your Realtor can collect this information during the open house and share it with you afterward. You may even decide to make minor improvements or highlight certain amenities based on visitors’ input.

Isn’t It a lot of Work?It’s actually very easy to host

an open house, as long as you do

the prep work ahead of time. Your Realtor will discuss with you what day and time is best to host the event. Most open houses are held for a few hours on weekend after-noons, but he or she may suggest hosting one mid-week so buyers can observe the area’s school or rush-hour traffic patterns.

Get the Word out Holding an open house requires

more marketing than just putting a sign in the front yard. Your Texas Realtor’s marketing plan may include advertising the open house in the classified section of your local newspaper, on her website or other online media, and directional signage in the neighborhood.

ready, set, shoW

It’s important to help your home look its best before holding an open house. It just takes a few steps.

• Create some curb appeal

– The more appealing a property looks from the outside, the greater chance a potential buyer will choose to drop in.

• Clean the house – First, put away anything that will distract buyers from the property, such as personal photos and other knick knacks. Second, scrub the house from top to bottom. Nothing is less appealing than a dirty home.

• Freshen it up – A little paint goes a long way to brighten a room. If you do paint, choose neu-tral colors. They are much more appealing to buyers.

• Eliminate the odors – To help alleviate the smells, deodorize upholstery and carpets.

• Perform minor repairs – If you can fix it easily, do it. Check for squeaky doors, leaky faucets, faulty lights, etc. If you have repairs that require more work, talk to your Lubbock Realtor to determine if the repair is worth

the cost. • Keep yourself and your

belongings safe – Secure your valuables, prescription medica-tions, and personal items before the open house.

Work WIth a professIonal Don’t be surprised if your Real-

tor recommends that you be out of the house during the open house. While it may be tempting to stay, some buyers feel uncomfortable with you there while they open bedroom closets and kitchen draw-ers. Your Realtor will work on your behalf to field the questions and point out the home’s assets.

Talk to your Realtor to deter-mine whether an open house should be part of her plan to market your home. For more infor-mation about buying and selling in Lubbock, I invite you to visit LubbockRealtors.com and Texas-RealEstate.com.

Is an open house in your future?

RuIz

LocaL ReaL estate News – Lubbock associatioN of ReaLtoRs

BY Debora Perez Ruiz, PresidentLubbock Association of REALTORS®

Pending home sales increased in March and are well above a year ago, another signal the housing market is recovering, according to the National Association of Real-tors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 4.1 percent to 101.4 in March from an upwardly revised 97.4 in February and is 12.8 percent above March 2011 when it was 89.9. The data reflects contracts but not closings.

The index is now at the high-est level since April 2010 when it

reached 111.3.Lawrence Yun, NAR chief

economist, said 2012 is expected to be a year of recovery for housing. “First quarter sales clos-ings were the highest first quarter sales in five years. The latest contract sign-ing activity suggests the second quarter will

be equally good. The housing mar-ket has clearly turned the corner. Rising sales are bringing down inventory and creating much more balanced conditions around the county, which means home prices will be rising in more areas as the year progresses.”

The PHSI in the Northeast slipped 0.8 percent to 78.2 in March but is 21.1 percent above March 2011. In the Midwest the index declined 0.9 percent to 93.3 but is 16.9 percent higher than a year ago. Pending home sales in the South rose 5.9 percent to an

index of 114.1 in March and are 10.6 percent above March 2011. In the West the index increased 8.7 percent in March to 108.0 and is 9.0 percent above a year ago.

The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the hous-ing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing. The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing

about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In devel-oping the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activ-ity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the follow-ing two months.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined as well as the first of five consecutive record years for existing-home sales; it coincides with a level that is historically healthy.

March pending home sales rise, market recovering

YuN

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ReAl eSTATe SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL 7homes.lubbockonline.com

6519 72nd St. – Primrose Pointe

Featured Floorplan – odyssey Homes

Today’s Featured Home is sponsored by the West Texas Home Builders Association in cooperation with the Lub-bock Avalanche-Journal. Located at 6519 72nd Street, this Featured Home is currently under construction by Odyssey Homes.

Located in southwest Lubbock, this Featured Home is in the Primrose Pointe neighborhood and is in the highly acclaimed Frenship school district. Scheduled for completion in June, this lovely 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage home by Odyssey Homes has approximately 2,013 square feet of living space. One of the highlights of this front entry floor plan is its exqui-site curb appeal. Featuring a French country look, complete with a brick, stone, and cedar elevation, this home stands apart from its neighbors.

The following will describe the home as it will look when completed in June:

As you enter through the front door you will notice the open-ness of the family, dining, and kitchen areas. The family room features 10-foot ceilings, crown molding, and recessed can lighting. Also featured is the corner stone fireplace.

As you move into the kitchen and dining areas, you’ll notice custom cabinetry, granite countertops, tile flooring, tumbled marble backsplash, and black Whirlpool appliances. The kitch-en also features a large island with granite tops and room for barstools. An abundance of natural light fills the dining room and kitchen, which features a large twin window, full-view back door, and corner sink.

This home has an isolated master bedroom complete with a 10-foot ceiling. The master bath is equipped with custom cabi-netry, marble vanity with two sinks, and a 3’ x 3’ tile shower and garden tub. The master bath also features his and hers walk-in closets.

The three guest bedrooms have ample space and share a tiled bathroom, also with custom cabinetry, tub and shower combination and a marble vanity.

This home will also include Bermuda sod, automatic sprin-kler system, and landscaping. Also included are the quality components and craftsmanship and the same attention to detail found in all Odyssey homes.

Located at 6519 72nd Street, this Featured Home is priced at approximately $177,900. This home is under construction and will be completed in June.

To view this home, please visit the David Rog-ers Homes model home located at 6316 76th Street. The model is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Odyssey Homes also offers available homes of different sizes and price ranges and an assortment of floor plans that you can choose from that would suit the needs of your family.

Real estate8 SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL lubbockonline.com

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(MS) – Standard slate gray or bold terra cotta? Solid brown or a blend of three warm brown tones? For some homeowners, the question of what color to cap off their homes is more challenging than the decision of what roofing product to use.

“Our research clearly pointed us toward polymer slate roofing tiles for their durability and resistance to severe weather,” says Tim Wahl of Kansas City, Kansas. “But I was surprised that the deci-sion of what color or blend to select sort of paralyzed me. I was afraid of making the wrong decision and then having to live with my choice for decades.”

According to color expert Kate Smith, CMG, Wahl’s experience is not unusual. “Selecting exterior build-ing product colors can be daunting for some people specifically because of the long lifespan of those products,” says Smith. “A roof may have a 50-year warranty. That’s a long-term color investment. So, while it’s fairly easy and inexpensive to repaint the interior of a room, you want to maximize your roofing investment by se-lecting a color you can live

with for many years. Many people need some sup-port and guidance when making those larger color decisions.”

Smith, a nationally-known color expert and the owner of Sensational Color, offers these tips for homeowners determin-ing what roofing colors to select.

Tip #1 – Take time and do your homework. Don’t rush a decision. Try to envision a home exterior that you will like next year, five years from now, and then 20 years from now.

Tip #2 – Consider your options. While a solid color roof may work for some home styles, a blend of several colors may offer a “softer” look with more ac-cent options. Pre-bundled roofing color blends can be made with two, three, four or five different color blends that complement each other.

Tip #3 – Investigate the different roofing color

options available to you online. Use a Color Design tool, such as the one avail-able at www.davinciroofs-capes.com, to create your own custom color blends or to see a company’s stan-dard color blends.

Tip #4 – Request life-sized samples of your favorite color roofing tiles to hold up against your current roof to see the change that a new color will make for your home.

Tip #5 – Look at the other homes in your neighborhood. Your home should blend in or stand out from other homes, but never clash with the rest of the homes in your com-munity. A roofing color can help achieve a harmonious look.

Tip #6 – Get assistance from a professional. Just as selecting the roofing product is a big decision requiring assistance of a professional, so is the choice of the roof color. Consult a color expert and use the color tools offered

by experts and product manufacturers to gain a strong comfort level for your color choice.

After considering his options, Wahl selected a color blend for his home. “I felt like the color blend offered me so many more long-term options than a single color,” says Wahl. “This blend has rich, warm grays, stone, green and purples that combine to

create a striking roof. I can choose several complemen-tary colors for our home’s trim, shutters and siding, so we can change our pal-ate over the years as the home ages.”

Wahl’s home renovation was so impressive that it received the Remodel of the Year project award from Kansas City Homes & Gardens magazine.

“One hundred percent of

the interior and exterior of this home was renovated, and the results are awe-some,” says Wahl, presi-dent with Develop KC, a company that remodels homes and apartment complexes throughout Kansas City. “The roofline really attracts attention. I’m glad we took the time to consider a color blend because the resulting look is truly outstanding.”

Make roofing color choices with confidence

THe WARM MOSAIC OF TAn and gray colors on this synthetic slate roof is ac-centuated by striking purples reminiscent of provincial Tuscan hillsides.

Practical advice from Color Expert Kate Smith

Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Universal Design is related to aging-in-place remodeling and a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) can help you remodel your home using universal design concepts. The nAHB Remodelers in col-laboration with the nAHB Research Cen-ter, nAHB 50+ Housing Council, and AARP developed the CAPS program to address the growing number of consumers that will soon require these modifications. While most CAPS professionals are remodelers, an increasing number are general contrac-tors, designers, architects, and health care consultants.

To find a CAPS remodeler in your area visit www.nahb.org/designationsdirectory.

What makes a home “universal”? It’s sim-ple. everyone can use universal design! It doesn’t matter if you are young or old. You could be short or tall, healthy or ill. You might have a disability. Or you may be a prize-winning athlete. Because of universal design, people who are very different can all enjoy the same home. And that home will be there for all its inhabitants even when their needs change.

Here are some of the more common uni-versal design features that are also incorpo-rated into aging-in-place remodels:

no-step entry. no one needs to use stairs to get into a universal home or into the home’s main rooms.

One-story living. Places to eat, use the bathroom and sleep are all located on one level, which is barrier-free.

Wide doorways. Doorways that are 32-36 inches wide let wheelchairs pass through. They also make it easy to move big things in and out of the house.

Wide hallways. Hallways should be 36-42 inches wide. That way, everyone and ev-erything moves more easily from room to room.

extra floor space. everyone feel less cramped. And people in wheelchairs have more space to turn.

Some universal design features just make good sense. Once you bring them into your home, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. For example:

Floors and bathtubs with non-slip surfac-es help everyone stay on their feet. They’re not just for people who are frail. The same goes for handrails on steps and grab bars in bathrooms.

Thresholds that are flush with the floor make it easy for a wheelchair to get through a doorway. They also keep others from trip-ping.

Good lighting helps people with poor vi-sion. And it helps everyone else see better, too.

Lever door handles and rocker light switches are great for people with poor hand strength. But others like them too. Try using these devices when your arms are full of packages. You’ll never go back to knobs or standard switches.

What are Universal Design and Aging-in-Place?

(ARA) – Vegetable and herb gardening is in and studies in-dicate it will continue to grow in popularity. If you’re not growing your own yet it’s time to start. Why? The reasons are as varied as the people who garden.

Some do it to save money. Others want to ensure their food is chemical-free, and as safe as possible. Still others grow their own vegetables because fresher is just better. Many do it because gardening is good for you and some because it’s still fun to play in the dirt.

Whatever your reason for opting to join the 7 million Americans who grabbed their gardening gear and grew their own vegetables and herbs last year, your road to success is basically the same as everyone else’s – planting at the right time, making sure your soil’s in shape, weeding and watering responsibly, and feeding and nurturing your plants. This season, you won’t have to buy your fresh herbs and vegetables from a farmer’s market; you can grow them on your own, and you don’t need a farm-sized backyard – or pocketbook – to do it.

Avid gardener Stan Cope, president of Bonnie Plants, the largest producer of veg-etable and herb plants in north America, growing locally in 75 locations nationwide, offers some time-saving tips to make the growing easy:

• Survey your soil – Your first step is to decide where you’ll put your vegetable and herb garden. Good soil is key. The best soil is loam, a soft, dark, crumbly dirt. Loamy soil holds water, allows for drainage and is easy to dig. If you encounter clay or sandy soil, add peat moss and bone meal so that these soils can also be produc-

tive gardening bases.• Size up your space – When

plotting out the size of your garden, you’ll want to be sure it’s big enough to yield a good harvest to make your efforts worthwhile. But if you’re limit-ed on yard space – or have none at all – you can grow vegetables and herbs in containers on a deck, terrace, balcony or even on the windowsill.

• Let the sunshine in – Your plants need plenty of sun – at least six hours a day. A sunny and open location is your best bet for producing a plentiful harvest.

• Pick your plants for your plot – Grow vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store or at the farmer’s market, such as tomatoes and peppers.

A tried-and-true prolific producer, the Bonnie Original Tomato, was developed exclu-sively for Bonnie Plants in 1967. They come in environ-mentally friendly, biodegradable pots that you plant right into the soil. Recent trials, plant-ing five of these tomato plants in 25-gallon containers, aver-aged 100 tomatoes each at an average of 37 pounds per plant. Another tomato that will tip the scales is Bonnie’s Sun Sugar tomato, a yellow cherry type. Trial garden plants averaged 1,228 tomatoes each.

If peppers are your passion, the Yummy Bell Pepper, ripen-ing from green to apricot or-ange, is a best bet. Trial garden testing of five plants averaged 248 peppers per plant during the summer growing season.

• Time-saving transplants – When you’re ready to begin planting, opt for transplants – seedlings that have already been started – rather than starting from seed. Trans-plants will buy you lots of time

because plants are six weeks or older when you put them in the ground, and you’ll begin harvesting much sooner.

• Feed your food – Your vegetable plants will need food and water to survive and grow. When feeding plants, try to avoid chemical fertilizers that could potentially seep into groundwater. Look for organi-cally-based formulas instead.

Give your garden a good watering once or twice a week, although some crops may need more water, especially if your climate is very hot. A thorough soaking, allowing the water to penetrate 4 to 6 inches into the soil, is better for plants than frequent shallow watering.

Gardening is rewarding. It will bring great pleasure as you bring your produce from plot to plate so you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor.

For more information on vari-eties and gardening advice, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

‘Veggin’ out’ is so in!

WHen PICKInG PLAnTS for your plot, try to grow vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store or at the farmer’s market, such as tomatoes and peppers.

GARDenInG IS ReWARDInG. It will bring great pleasure as you bring your produce from plot to plate so you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Tips for starting your own veggie garden

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ReAl eSTATe SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL 9homes.lubbockonline.com

You’ve gotten through shopping for a home, the closing process, and even unpacking your boxes. But it’s not time to put your feet up and relax just yet! There are a few more things you should do shortly after moving into a new home to make sure you and your family will have a safe and healthy place to build lifelong memories in.

1. Create a home mainte-nance checklist.

To make sure your home stays safe and healthy for you and your family, you should regularly check, clean and/or test a wide variety of interior and exterior

systems and structures. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a Home Maintenance Checklist that you can download from their website www.hud.gov. It provides basic guidelines for keeping your home dry, clean, well-ventilated, free from contaminants, pest-free, safe and well-maintained.

2. Make sure you have enough insurance coverage.

At a minimum, you need to pur-chase a home owners insurance policy to cover the house and all of your family’s belongings inside. To determine how much insur-ance you need, find out how much it would cost to rebuild your house today on your existing lot. Your personal property coverage should then be anywhere from 55 to 75 percent of that amount.

Damage caused by natu-ral disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes are not covered by regular home owner’s policies, so depending on where you live, you may want

to consider additional coverage. Your insurance agent can help you figure out the right amount of coverage and suggest upgrades or additional policies that would be appropriate for your specific situation.

3. Protect your home from break-ins.

If you bought an existing home, you should rekey the locks right away. You never know who the previous owners gave keys to. The National Crime Prevention Council recommends that every exterior door should have a dead-bolt lock with a one-inch throw. They should be at least 1 3/4 inch metal or hard wood with the hinges on the inside.

Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer – not a chain – in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Sliding glass doors can be secured by placing a long piece of wood at least one inch thick in the track. Keep all entrances and doors well-lit, and prune shrubs

so they don’t provide hiding space for someone who wants to break in.

4. Prepare an emergency kit.

In the event of a disaster, local officials and relief workers may not be able to reach your home immediately, so you should have an emergency kit on hand.

Basic services such as electric-ity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even weeks, so you should be prepared. The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends stockpiling at least three days’ worth of food and wa-ter for your family. Their website www.ready.gov offers a list of items to include in a basic emer-gency preparedness kit, as well as guidelines on food and water storage and protecting yourself from airborne contaminants.

5. Improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Even if you’ve purchased a

brand new home with the latest energy-efficient building materi-als and techniques, there are still some improvements you can make to save even more money on utility bills. For example:

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with longer-lasting CFL or LED bulbs.

• Install a programmable thermostat that can be set to automatically adjust the heat or air when the home is most or least used.

• Increase the insulation in your attic, on exposed water pipes and around your water heater.

The U.S. Department of Energy has an online Home Energy Saver™ tool for home owners at www.hes.lbl.gov that recom-mends energy-saving upgrades that are appropriate for the home, the climate and local en-ergy prices.

Even if you haven’t just moved, these suggestions will help you protect your family and maintain your investment for years to come.

Five things new homeowners should do right away

STRONG

LOcaL ReaL eSTaTe NewS – weST TexaS HOme BuiLdeRS aSSOciaTiON

BY Trey Strong, PresidentWest Texas Home Builders Association

McGraw-Hill Construction, part of The McGraw-Hill Companies, released its latest SmartMarket Report: New and Remodeled Green Homes: Transforming the Residen-tial Market at the National Asso-ciation of Home Builders’ (NAHB) National Green Building Confer-ence and Expo. The report includes McGraw-Hill Construction’s esti-mate that the green homes’ share of the construction market was 17 percent in 2011, equating to $17 billion, and expected to rise 29-38 percent by 2016, potentially a $87-114 billion opportunity, based on the five-year forecast for overall residential construction.

The report reveals that two of the key factors driving this mar-ket growth are the fact that green homes are seen as having higher quality and that they save con-sumers money.

“In the current residential mar-ket, there is an enormous need to differentiate your homes for con-

sumers,” says Harvey Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Insights and Alliances at McGraw-Hill Con-struction. “When builders are able to offer homes that not only are green, but also offer the combina-tion of higher quality and better value, they have a major competi-tive edge over those building tradi-tional homes.”

This report, produced by McGraw-Hill Construction in conjunction with the NAHB and Waste Management, is designed to provide key insights into product and market opportunities in the single-family home building and remodeling industries. It is backed by proprietary research surveys and the power of the McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge database.

“NAHB builder and remodeler members were surveyed on their green building practices, which allowed us to shine a light on the state of the green market in this new report,” said NAHB Chair-

man Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “The results highlight the tremendous growth in green building, and the potential market opportunities that lie ahead. As more projects seek green certification, NAHB and the NAHB Research Center stand ready to meet the demands of this exciting and ever-changing market.”

Factors driving the growth in the green home building and remodel-ing market include:

• Higher quality for both new home builders and remodelers. For those doing a high volume of green homes (at least 60 percent of the homes they build), its importance is magnified, with 90 percent who regard higher quality as an im-portant trigger for building green, compared to 72 percent of builders overall.

• Customers are strongly val-ue-driven – around two-thirds of builders and remodeler respon-

dents state that customers request green homes or remodeling proj-ects in order to lower their energy use or save money, more than twice any other factor.

• Higher first costs for building green are noted by a much lower percentage of builders as an obsta-cle now than they were reported in 2008.

The study also reveals the key practices and technologies taking over in the residential market-place as a result of the shift toward green:

• More than 80 percent report that energy efficiency is making today’s homes greener compared to two years ago. Use of energy-ef-ficient features is pervasive in the market – the top practice by nearly all surveyed builders and remod-elers, regardless of their level of green building activity.

• Indoor air quality is growing in importance and focus for home builders; 60 percent of home build-

ers believe that efforts to improve indoor air quality make homes greener than they were two years ago, and 95 percent of high volume home builders report including features that impact air quality.

• More than half consider du-rable materials one of the most important features in their homes today. In particular, remodelers emphasize this key aspect of their projects. Durability and better ma-terials are key reasons why green homes and remodeling projects are considered of higher quality.

“These findings confirm the shift we’ve seen in the market,” says Jim Halter, Vice President, Con-struction Solutions for Waste Man-agement. “Builders and remodel-ers are placing more emphasis on energy efficiency, increases in sus-tainability focused waste manage-ment practices and more products made from post-consumer materi-als. These important factors are pushing our industry forward.”

Quality, value driving growth in the green building market

10 SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL homes.lubbockonline.com

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