Daily Archives: July 21, 2013

Con Ed Warns Armonk Residents To Conserve Electricity Usage | Armonk NY Homes

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Con Edison is asking its Westchester and New York City customers to conserve their electricity usage as sweltering heat and humidity continue to bake the area.

Electricity usage was near an all-time peak, reaching 13,161 megawatts Thursday evening, Con Edison reported of its coverage area.  The all-time electric peak record was set in July 2011 at 13,189 megawatts.

Con Ed said its crews continue to work to restore customers affected by scattered power outages due to this week’s heat wave. When it comes to superior HVAC services in the Jacksonville, FL, area, we’re at the top of our class. From heating and cooling to indoor air quality and maintenance plans, you’ll always receive grade-A service when Buehler Air Conditioning arrives at your front doorstep. If you are looking for the top air conditioning repair companies in jacksonville fl then visit us today.

The power company would like to remind customers to use these energy and money-saving tips:

  • Install a timer or clock thermostat on your air conditioner with the help of United PLumbing Heating Air & Electric, so you can program it to operate and shut-off at a pre-determined time. Air conditioning is among the systems that keeps each and every New York home as comfortable as possible. Especially on hot summer months, air conditioners are among the cores from where the quality of indoor living greatly depends on. So whether you are in Long Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or Queens; it pays to learn more about these types of appliances to maximize indoor comforts, save more money and even help in the reduction of environmental pollution. By definition, air conditioners may refer to single appliances or a whole system that keeps an area cool through extraction of heat and blowing them back as cooler air. When you need a high quality system installed, look no further than Landmark Air. Providing annual services, repairs, replacements, supply and installation for Canberrans ducted and split systems. For landmark air services, you can check out LandmarkAir.com.au site.
  • This cycle is known as refrigeration. The process that these appliances do makes up the complete HVAC system that results to a more livable home. Preparing your home for the scorching summer months or brutal winter months is crucial. Taking the time to inspect your appliances, schedule maintenance checks, and invest in HVAC repair will prevent a crisis. Checking the air filters on an HVAC will help keep the appliance running well. Along with regularly changing the air filter, it’s important to check fuses and capacitors. A HVAC repair professional can fix any of these small problems, as well as any larger issues if you don’t feel comfortable fixing it yourself. While it’s important to keep your appliance running in great shape, so is making improvements around the house to prevent drafts and lower energy cost.
  • If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block off the vents for un-used rooms. The room air conditioning appliances is Also known as window air conditioner units, these appliances ideally provide cooling for small spaces only. Though their efficiency may be considered lower than other types, the operating costs are not as expensive. These types are commonly used by hotels, inns and other hospitality businesses and for rooms in the house that are seldom used due to its plug in and out feature-providing cooling only when needed.
  • Plan cooking, baking or other household activities that produce heat and humidity for the cooler times of the day and night.
  • Use a portable or ceiling fan to circulate the pre-cooled air in your air-conditioned home. A fan uses about 90 percent less energy than an air conditioner.
  • In very humid weather, adjust your air conditioner’s fan to a low setting. It’ll take longer for the air conditioner to cool your home, but your unit will bring in steamy air at a slower rate and make you feel more comfortable. Appliance repair is inevitable, especially when your appliances get old or are excessively overused. Of all the appliances AC, HVAC, and Refrigerator are the most heavily used equipment that often breakdown. Although there could be many service providers that offer AC repair, HVAC repair, and Refrigerator repair not all of them can be trusted with these expensive pieces of machinery.
  • Pull your curtains and shades on windows to block out the heat.

Con Ed Warns Armonk Residents To Conserve Electricity Usage | The Armonk Daily Voice.

Turn your historic building’s facade into a tax break | Mt Kisco Real Estate

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If you happen to own a historic building, you could be sitting on a tax deduction gold mine. If you meet various strict IRS requirements, you may be able to donate a facade easement to a charity and reap a substantial charitable tax deduction.

However, you need to be careful. Due to past abuses by some property owners, the IRS tends to be very suspicious of facade easement deductions.

A facade easement is a legally binding agreement that the owner of a historic structure enters into with a charity whose mission includes historic preservation. The owner gives up the right to demolish or make other destructive alternations to the exterior of the building.

The easement, which must run with the title to the property forever, gives the nonprofit the right to review and preapprove any changes to the building exterior.

All other rights and obligations of ownership, such as the right to sell or lease the property, and the duty to maintain it, remain with the owner. The owner may also make any changes he or she desires to the building interior.

Why would a homeowner want to grant a facade easement? Two reasons: (1) it ensures that the historic character of the exterior of their structure will be preserved; and (2) it may result in a tax deduction — a deduction that could be substantial.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/19/turn-your-historic-buildings-facade-into-a-tax-break/#sthash.5jyTvXoj.dpuf

 

 

Turn your historic building’s facade into a tax break | Inman News.

Will 2015 be the year ‘normal’ returns? | Pound Ridge Real Estate

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As the housing industry makes a slow climb back to pre-boom character, household formation trends, rising home values and low interest rates make 2015 a candidate for the year “normal” will happen, according to Patrick Stone, president and CEO of the title and real estate services firm Williston Financial Group.

In the boom period from 2001 to 2006, Stone said, housing vacancy in the U.S. rocketed up to 2.9 percent from a historical equilibrium of 1.7 percent as builders put up 2.3 million more homes (single-family homes and multifamily units) than households were created.

That oversupply led to falling home prices, a great slowdown in new-home construction and a bunch of underwater homeowners, he said.

Patrick Stone

Patrick Stone

In the last five years, household formation outpaced housing construction by 1.1 million, Stone said, but housing, now at 2.1 percent vacancy in the U.S., won’t reach a supply-and-demand “equilibrium,” given current trends, for two or three more years.

“I don’t think new-home construction will catch up to household formation before then,” Stone said.

In the last 12 months, Stone said, equity in U.S. homes rose $2 trillion, to $9.1 trillion, which still falls short of 2007′s equity level of $10 trillion. Rising home values will continue to bring more homes on the market, he said.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/19/will-2015-be-the-year-normal-returns/#sthash.vkbvAc81.dpuf

 

Will 2015 be the year ‘normal’ returns? | Inman News.

Realtors lose bid to throw out rival application for ‘.MLS’ domain | Waccabuc Real Estate

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An arbitration panel has rejected a plea from the Canadian Real Estate Association to throw out a competing application for a .MLS top-level domain on the grounds that “MLS” is a generic term in English-speaking countries.

Last year, CREA — the National Association of Realtors’ counterpart in Canada — applied to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to create and manage a new .MLS top-level domain. CREA’s application has the backing of the MLS Domains Association, a nonprofit group of 55 U.S. multiple listings services representing more than 600,000 agents and brokers.

In early 2011, ICANN, which manages the Internet’s domain name system, launched a process to allow the creation of potentially hundreds of new top-level domains. Examples of top-level domains common today include “.com” and “.org.”

If ICANN approves a “.MLS” top-level domain, CREA and the MLS Domains Association want CREA to be in charge of managing it. Consumers, the groups say, should have a way of distinguishing between websites operated by industry professionals from those maintained by third parties.

Although the MLS Domains Association had originally planned to file an application with ICANN to create and manage the .MLS top-level domain, CREA is taking the lead because CREA’s ownership of the trademarks for “Multiple Listing Service” and “MLS” in Canada were thought to make the trade group a stronger applicant. NAR has applied to ICANN to create and manage several new top-level domains including “.Realtor,” a term it has trademarked.

If granted authority to manage the “.MLS” top-level domain, “only members of CREA and its foreign affiliates will be permitted to register .MLS websites,” CREA said in its ICANN application.

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2013/07/19/realtors-lose-bid-to-throw-out-rival-application-for-mls-domain/#sthash.5JwkCYdd.dpuf

 

 

Realtors lose bid to throw out rival application for ‘.MLS’ domain | Inman News.

Power Outages Hitting White Plains, More Possible | Chappaqua Real Estate

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Scarsdale Village officials notified residents Friday that Con Edison reported a power outage Thursday night and more blackouts are possible.

“The Con Ed sub-station located off Tompkins Road near the Public Safety Building, is not functioning as designed and is causing periodic outages in the north end of Fox Meadow and the Greenacres neighborhoods as well as a portion of White Plains (800-900 customers),” John D. Goodwin of the village manager’s office said in an email to residents. “The sub-station is designed to operate so that if a main feeder line is lost the sub-station trips to an alternate line or back-up line.  The problem is that when the feeder line is lost due to the current excessive heat issues, the sub-station is “over-tripping” breaking the whole system down resulting in power loss to the resident.”

Goodwin said the system has been fixing itself over a two to four hour time period, though the problem is re-occurring.

“Con Edison engineers are working on a permanent solution. In the meantime, Con Ed has made some temporary changes to the sub-station to prevent over-tripping and, as a back-up, has a generator in the area in case the sub-station fails again prior to a permanent solution,” he said.

 

 

Power Outages Hitting White Plains, More Possible | The White Plains Daily Voice.

California Is Proof That Energy Efficiency Works | Cross River Real Estate

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California’s 40 years of remarkable success in using energy efficiency to avoid dirty power generation and save utility customers billions, as detailed in a new NRDC fact sheetreleased this week, offers valuable lessons to help meet President Obama’s climate action plan.

Cutting energy waste by improving the efficiency of America’s homes and businesses — and the appliances and electronic devices within them — is essential to reduce the nation’s need to build new power plants and to cut dangerous emissions from existing ones. Power plants are the largest source of America’s carbon pollution, and the president is ordering his administration to take steps to help curb it.

California’s energy efficiency achievements over the past four decades can serve as a model for how to avoid those dirty emissions. And, as we know well in California, investing in energy efficiency programs to allow us to do more with the same or less energy — such as upgrading our lighting or weatherizing our homes — also costs less than half the price of fossil-fuel alternatives. Efficiency also drives innovation and creates jobs.

NRDC is publishing a new fact sheet that highlights the enormous economic and pollution reduction benefits California has reaped thanks to its longstanding and bipartisan commitment to energy efficiency. Our paper also busts some of the myths about the reasons behind the state’s significant progress.

Efficiency’s huge benefits

California’s energy efficiency efforts over the past several decades have helped:

  • Save residents and businesses more than $65 billion
  • Make household electric bills 25 percent lower than the national average
  • Create a more productive economy, generating twice as much economic output for every kilowatt-hour consumed compared to the rest of the country
  • Decrease utility bills for millions of low-income households
  • Cut as much climate-warming carbon pollution as is spewed from 5 million cars annually

Despite the state’s clear success, some naysayers incorrectly claim that it all would have happened even without our efficiency policies. But California policymakers and utilities know the facts: that’s why they continue to invest around $1 billion every year to expand on the state’s success with energy efficiency.

Utilities are required to turn first to energy efficiency to “keep the lights on” before investing in more expensive sources like natural gas-fired power plants. And the state sets standards for new buildings and appliances to minimize energy waste. Thanks in part to these efforts, California’s per capita electricity consumption has remained nearly flat over the past 40 years, while the rest of the United States increased by 50 percent.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

California’s efficiency success can’t be “wished away”

Nonetheless, there are those who try to “wish away” California’s efficiency success by trying to prove that energy efficiency isn’t the only factor responsible for our flat per-capita consumption. Everyone knows multiple factors affect electricity use, but energy efficiency is a critical one. And just as you don’t have to be an only child for your parents to love you, efficiency doesn’t need to be the only contributor for it to represent an invaluable example to other states looking to cut utility bills and curb pollution.

 

 

California Is Proof That Energy Efficiency Works : Greentech Media.

Q&A: Painting Popcorn Ceilings | Bedford Hills Real Estate

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Q.Several of my customers have “popcorn” ceilings that are old and dirty. Is there any way of painting them short of spray-painting?

A.Dan Greenough, a painting and finishing contractor in the San Francisco Bay area, responds: I always spray-paint popcorn — or blown-on acoustic — ceilings. When you roll them, the material breaks loose and clogs the roller.

If you have to roll them, look for a special textured foam roller cover designed for acoustic ceilings. These covers have slits and cross-hatchings that allow the foam to better conform to the irregular ceiling surface. The idea is to apply the paint with the least possible pressure to prevent the ceiling material from breaking loose.

Cutting in the corners can also be tricky. If you try to cut in with a brush, you will have to work hard to avoid lap marks. It may be faster to mask the walls and roll right up to the edge.

It will take several coats of paint on the entire ceiling to produce an even finish. Be advised that the water in the paint will wet the popcorn surface, causing it to roll off with the roller. Apply the first coat and allow it to dry thoroughly before you try to backroll or apply additional coats.

One reason people often want to repaint acoustic ceiling is to hide water stains caused by plumbing or roof leaks. But those stains are water soluble and will telegraph through new paint. To prevent that, always use several coats of a shellac primer to lock in the stain and prevent it from bleeding through.

While you’re at the paint store, inquire about ceiling paints that are engineered especially for acoustic ceilings. Such paints have less resin density than standard smooth-wall paints and will help maintain the acoustic qualities of the rough, textured surface.

 

 

Q&A: Painting Popcorn Ceilings – Painting, Walls, Paints, Finishes And Surfaces, Acoustics – JLC Online.

What $1,800/Month Can Rent You Around New York City | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Welcome back to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various New York City neighborhoods. Is one man’s studio another man’s townhouse? Let’s find out! Today’s price:$1,800/month.

↑ On Eighth Avenue at West 132nd Street in Harlem, a newly gut-renovated 2BR/2BA is going for $1,895/month. It has central air, recessed lighting, and a big skylight.

↑ In Midtown East, a spacious, 625-square-foot first-floor 1BR is available for$1,850/month. In addition to the over-200-square-foot living room (completely separate from the bedroom and kitchen) there are three closets.

↑ Located more or less on the border of Crown Heights and Flatbush, acolorful, 950-square-foot 2BR on the third floor of an elevator co-op building is asking $1,850/month.

↑ Live in a cool computer hacker (or music producer) bedroom in this 440-square-foot studio with “defined bedroom space” on the Upper East Side. It’s asking $1,800/month and is a walkup on the fourth floor.

 

 

What $1,800/Month Can Rent You Around New York City – Curbed Comparisons – Curbed NY.

Monetize Your Platform, How to Grow Sales With Your Online Platform | Armonk Realtor

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Have you built your own platform?

Are you wondering how to monetize it?

To learn how you can use your platform to generate real revenue for your business, I interview David Siteman Garland for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.

More About This Show

Social Media Marketing Podcast w/ Michael Stelzner

 

The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner.

It’s designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.

The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).

In this episode, I interview David Siteman Garland, who is the host ofThe Rise To The Top podcast. His video and audio podcasts are focused on equipping bloggers, podcasters and YouTubers to grow a sustainable business with their platforms. He also wrote the book Smarter, Faster, Cheaper: Non-Boring, Fluff-Free Strategies for Marketing and Promoting Your Business.

David shares how he grew his platform and the various ways he has monetized it.

You’ll learn how to get started generating revenue and the price points you need to look at.

Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!

Listen Now

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

You can also subscribe via iTunes, RSS, Stitcher or Blackberry.

Here are some of the things you’ll discover in this show:

Platform Monetization

Why people struggle to make money with their platform

David says it’s a classic problem for most people. The platform space falls into two different categories.

The first one is when it’s a hobby. Here people have great content but don’t know what to do with it.

The second one is where you have the classic “Internet marketers” who have figured out how to make money but their content isn’t great.

David’s advice to those who have great content but struggle to make money is you have to remember that you’re positioned extremely well. If you have great content that’s a side hobby, you can turn it into a legitimate six-figure–plus business.

David started out the exact same way. What he and his friends have achieved shows that it’s very attainable.

the rise to the top home page

David’s platform, The Rise To The Top.

You’ll discover why it’s a good position to be in if you’re a blogger, podcaster orYouTuber.

A lot of the time, people lack strategy on how to generate revenue. In David’s eyes, the hard part is building your audience, community and trust. Once you have all this in place, the monetization angle can be brought in pretty easily.

The hardest challenge is to start with no platform and no product. If you already have the platform, then you are 50% of the way there.

Listen to the show to find out how you can use technology to accomplish what traditionally businesses had to pay a lot of money for.

What is the platform you have built? 

David started his platform The Rise To The Top in 2008, when it was a simple interview show for entrepreneurs. His show now focuses primarily on what he callsmediapreneurs, who are people with a platform.

He currently has over 7 million community members.

the rise to the top interviews

The Rise To The Top started out as an interview show for entrepreneurs.

When David was on the journey of building his platform, he realized he was pretty good at creating content, building his audience and getting out there. The main struggle for him was how to turn it into a sustainable, long-term business.

There are many ways to monetize a platform. It doesn’t come down to which one will be best, it’s more about which one you are really excited about and want to do. You have to feel comfortable with it.

You’ll discover the many ways you can monetize your platform.

From a content perspective, David publishes two brand-new shows every week on his platform. One is an interview and the other is a video for his The Rise To The Top and DSG TV YouTube channel. You’ll discover what both of these involve and the areas he focuses on and why.

 

 

Monetize Your Platform, How to Grow Sales With Your Online Platform | Social Media Examiner.