Value of Double Pane Windows...

The Value of Double Pane Windows

Windows, one of the most attractive elements of your home, can also be one of the biggest energy wasters. In the United States, nearly 50% of homes have inefficient single pane windows. Relatively inexpensive to purchase, they are costly in terms of increasing utility bills; energy loss through single pane glass may account for up to 25% of a heating bill. That is why, although a bit pricey, it is wise to suggest installing double pane windows to your clients.

There are generally two main types of double pane windows: gas filled with low-emissivity coating, which reduces heat loss by reflecting heat into the room rather than out of the house (recommended for colder climates); and spectrally selective coated glass, which holds in cool air and reduces the amount of heat let in from the outside (recommended for warmer conditions).

After installation, these windows can reduce heating bills by 34% and decrease cooling costs by 38% or more. Also, when it comes time to sell, buyers are more apt to purchase a home with this valuable upgrade. Upfront costs can be considerable for double pane window installation but, spread out over the life of the home, is well worth it when total energy savings are factored in — not to mention increased resale value!

Prices for dual-pane windows start at about $1,000. Popular brands include Sears, Andersen and Milguard, whose websites include interactive design tools for selecting different window shapes, sizes and styles. Installation costs vary according to the age of the building; the type of exterior cladding, siding and/or brick; and the window product selected.

Courage...

This my friends is a repost, however, I couldn't let it go unnoticed...

Courage

• Courage is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty or pain without being paralyzed by fear.
• If you're experiencing problems with getting results in regards to your money, family, agreements or questions --- stand up and speak up.
  
• If you need help --- stand up and speak up.
• If you see injustice or a need --- stand up and speak up.
• If someone is taking your kindness for weakness --- stand up and speak up.
• If you're feeling pressured to do something against your values or time constraints --- stand up and speak up.
• If you are not clear and feeling anxious about what others are asking or expecting from you --- stand up and speak up.
• If you want to turn your life around in a positive direction --- stand up and speak up.
• If someone is taking advantage of your time, money, body, trust, love or friendship --- stand up and speak up.
• If there is something in life you want to accomplish --- stand up and speak up.

by Jewel Diamond Taylor


Your constant companion... ~deirdra

Goals... Goals... Goals...

Self-esteem comes from knowing you're making the effort to grow. If you are making your best effort, you can live with a deep sense of satisfaction.

Remember these important steps to achieve your goals:

Write down clear and specific goals. Review them often with expectation.
Focus on progress, not perfection. Every step you take counts.
Ask for help and accountability.
Associate with people who can push you up your mountain.
Pray for strength, courage and discipline.
Think big. What you see --- is what you get. Visualize your success.
Discernment is critical. Guard your goals. Don't talk about them to everyone.
Train your brain for success. Read and listen to messages to keep you moving beyond momentary motivation.
Obstacles, distractions and delays will happen. Pump up your determination, optimism and your "I can" attitude.
Keep the main thing....THE MAIN THING! Don't give up.
Overcome the success blockers of fear, procrastination and depression...

~deirdra

Architects Believe in Intelligent Design...

Architects Believe in Intelligent Design

You've helped your clients find the perfect lot or teardown to build their ideal home, but how do you help them find the perfect architect for their project? Pass along these tips:

Choose a home to fit your life. What architectural style do you like? How much space do you need? How many rooms? What's your budget? What can't you absolutely live without? If you don't have all the answers, no worries, but be prepared to give your architect as much input as you can.

Build a list of potential architects. Gather names of architects who have designed projects that you admire. Obtain recommendations from friends, relatives, or acquaintances who have worked with architects. Consult the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for additional names of firms best suited for your project.

Call each firm. Describe your project and ask the firm if it has the expertise, experience, time, desire and resources to design it. Ask for partner bios, brochures and photos of past work, and references.

Interview your top three. Before the interview, ask if there is a fee for the consultation. At the interview, determine if the firm's design philosophy matches your own. Discuss the range of fees and budget you can anticipate. Ask if you can see a completed project. Furthermore — and this is absolutely critical — ask if they enjoy a great and long-term working relationship with a contractor who can both execute their design and bring the project in on budget.

Go with your gut, but get it in writing. Chemistry and comfort level will largely determine your final selection. Once you've made your decision, put in writing all the terms of your agreement, such as scope of work, services, schedule, construction budget and architect's compensation.

~deirdra

--as shared with me...

The Faithful Will Abound in Blessings...

I received this from a friend & I just had to do my duty as an Ambassador & pass this on.. I hope you enjoy

~deirdra


"Inspiration for People On-the-Grow"

You are on the verge of a breakthrough. The blessings of God are flowing your way. Don't allow any one, any thing or any issues in your life to distract, tempt or discourage you. Do the right thing. There is an anointing/blessing over your life and it could easily be taken away when you are weak in your flesh, mind and spirit. Don't listen to the whispers of temptation or fear. Don't fall for the tricks and traps of the enemy.

Don't forfeit your blessings and your destiny for temporary pleasures or bursts of anger, fear and impatience.

You've come too far to throw it all away.
No life, job, child, boss, friends, parent or mate is perfect.
Dig a little deeper to find your courage, patience, love and faith.
You can do it. You can make it.

Do the right thing. Stay in the God's light. Stay in peace. Stay focused. Stay under the spiritual covering of God.

God can cover you with His grace, provision, power, guidance, comfort and peace. Every day you are led and fed by the Spirit of the Living God.

Do what's best for your life, your family and your future.
Every morning new mercies you will see.

"The faithful will abound in blessings." Proverbs 28:20

People...

As I sit here I begin to realize how fragile a society we are... how intolerant we of one another - how afraid we are to connect... Why are we so afraid of intimacy? What are we so desperately holding onto?? or guarding??



I encounter this in my everyday dealings with people that I come across... Wow! and I'm referring to the American Society.



As an "American" myself - I find it very hard to identify with "this culture"

I feel like a stranger, an alien, a border crosser in my own country...

Safety Tips for Halloween...

SAFETY TIPS FOR HALLOWEEN

° Children shouldn't snack while they're out trick-or-treating. They should wait until they get home and parents have had a chance to inspect the goodies.

° To help prevent children from munching, give them a snack or light meal before they go--don't send them out on an empty stomach.

° Tell children not to accept--and, especially, not to eat--anything that isn't commercially wrapped.

° When children bring their treats home, discard any home-made candy or baked goods.

° Parents of young children should also remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys.

° Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

° If juice or cider is served to children at Halloween parties, make sure it is pasteurized or otherwise treatedto destroy harmful bacteria. Juice or cider that has not been treated will say so on the label.

Source: Food and Drug Administration

Real Estate Corner... Free Credit Reports...

Real Estate Corner

. Your Access to Free Credit Reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s consumer reporting companies.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to consumer reporting companies. A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy.

Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. Here are the details about your rights under the FCRA and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Act, which established the free annual credit report program.

How do I order my free report?

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can print it from ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months.

-Federal Trade Commission

Expanding Your Horizons...

Expanding Our Horizons.....

-As we can see - the Real Estate market is going through some "Ups" and "Downs", however, I remain optimistic... I'm also very aware that in my profession - it's very wise to keep your options open as well as your mind... "The Mind is Like a Parachute - if you Don't Open It - It Won't Work" (as told to me by a very good friend)...

- With that in mind - I went to work.... looking for something Extraordinary that would assist me in moving forward... & as I believe in the Philosophy of Helping Others to Grow - as you Grow.... allow me to share... My Broker exposed me to a wonderful opportunity that would allow me to do something we all Love & Work Hard for an at the same time allow yourself to Make Money - & that happens to be....... TRAVEL... You ask, "How can you do that?" Allow me to share with you as it was shared with me.... visit my website for a complete overview - & as I am bound by "our" Code of Ethics.. I carry this with me in everything that I do..... visit my website: http://www.deirdra.worldventures.biz/

- Drop me a line & let me know what you think... and let me not forget to mention - my fabulously easy website where you can search for everything from flights to cruises... check it out... there is no obligation - just an easier way to book online... Hot Deals

Ciao for now,

~deirdra

Be The Change You Wish to See in Others...

- May today there be peace within me...
- May I trust God that I am exactly where I am meant to be...
- May I not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith...
- May I use those gifts that I have received, and pass on the love that has been given to me...
- May I be content knowing I am a child of God...
- Let God's presence settle into my bones, and allow my soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love...
- It is there for each and every one of us...

- May everyone who comes in contact with me leave feeling better about themselves - I believe in Being that Change That You Wish To See in Others!! I believe it starts with "Me"

Testing, testing...

hello there,,, just dropping in... sitting in my car - waiting for my boy to get out.. truly i just wanted to check out how go@blogger worked... it worked!!! till next time..

Your Choice....

TWO WOLVES...

A Cherokee Elder was teaching his grandson about life. He said to him, "A fight is going on inside of me...it is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, fales pride, superiority.The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. This fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person." He though about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "which wolf will win?" The old man replied, "the one you feed."

Which will You Feed????

~deirdra

Isn't HE Humorous... My God is Awesome!!!

I have to tell you...

Yesterday I was writing some notes down & these are the notes that I wrote to myself:
Tomorrow I am: to walk with Purpose in every one of my steps... running towards my goal....

& I get my Email forwarded to my cell phone & this morning I wake up to this on my Email:
1 Corinthians 9:26 So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. (NLT)

Meditation: Today make a goal to do something that will bring a smile to God's face. Write it down on your "To-do" list -- and then do it. What are some of your goals for your family? What are some of your work goals? What are your spiritual goals?

HE knows just what we need.......... in every aspect.. even before I give life to it in my thoughts or vocabulary.. with HIS help, of course... '-)

I just wanted to share that.......... I was overcome - because even in the silence HE is talking to me - even when I feel like nothing has changed... HE's working........ I know that I know - that soon my Breakthrough will come!! It's on the other side & I will continue to push through...

P.U.S.H (Pray Until Something Happens)

God Bless..................... my fellow buddies..

Battle of the Wills...

Though these may not be my own written words.. they speak profoundly to my heart & I wanted to share them by passing them on...

~deirdra

The Battle of the Wills..
by Jon Walker

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 NAS)
Do you respond to God's direction, even when you don't understand what's going on?
Part of the strength God gives you to "do all things through him" is the ability to choose to do his will, even before you know the full implications of what that means. He will begin to change your "wanter," developing within you more and more of a 'want' to do his will.
But this is where we often stall in our steps toward being more like Jesus. We get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his plan first, and only then - when we have a full understanding of his plan - will we decide to respond, or not.
But that has us walking by sight, and not by faith, the exact opposite of how God teaches us to walk: "We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
Am I willing to decide - in advance - that I will do what God asks me to do, no matter what it is? Am I abandoned to him and his will, believing he will strengthen me to do all the things he asks? Or do I behave as if I believe I am the final judge of what is best for my life: "God, show me the whole plan, wait for me to understand, and then I'll decide whether or not to do what you ask."
The Good News is that, even if you're not ready for immediate obedience, God will give you strength to be honest with him. He already knows about your hesitancy, so he won't be surprised by prayerful confession, such as: "Father, I'm not sure I'm ready to do your will. I don't know if I want to do it or not."
Yet God is gracious and patient. Tell him, "I don't know that I'm willing to step out in faith without first knowing everything that's going to happen, but I'm willing to be made willing."
So what?
· Build your confidence in God - Each time you take a step of faith, your confidence in God will increase, as you see that he is waiting for you on the other side of your decision.
· Polaroid vision - Each time you take a step of faith, God will reveal more of his plan to you. It's what Rick Warren calls "Polaroid vision:" You can see God's picture developing, but not all of it is visible right away.
· Grow into God's vision - You may be frustrated that God hasn't shown you the whole picture of his vision for you, but he may be holding it back because he knows you will be overwhelmed by what you see. He's calling you to a God-sized mission, one that will appear impossible for you to complete. But that's the point - there's no way you can fulfill your mission without God and his strength working within you.
· Relax in God's will - If you think discovering and following God's will depends entirely on you, then you'll probably start getting nervous, wondering, "Am I taking the right step here? Have I missed something?" God doesn't need you to figure it all out; he'll provide the answers as you need them.

We Were Created For Fellowship.. We Are A Salesman First of Ourself...

We Were Created For Fellowship..... We Are A Salesman First of Ourself...

In all that we do... We Were Created for Fellowship......

"Human beings do not thrive when isolated from others.
A key to your health, sanity, well-being and yes, success, is the quality of your relationships with others.

You may not have the mate of your heart's desire. You be disconnected from family because of pain, death, distance or drama.

No man or woman is an island. We all need each other.
Make a sincere effort to create healthy and loving relationships with others. Create an extended family. Make time to create memories.

You are limiting yourself if you do not understand the power of forgiveness, networking, serving others, generosity, integrity, love and diversity. Extend yourself and life will give back to you in wonderful ways. Along with the grace of God, I am eternally grateful to family, friends, associates and customers who have added to my life.

You cannot experience the fullness of life if you are shy, judgmental, gossipy or afraid of sharing your ideas or opening your heart to new love and new friendships. You may have experienced pain or betrayal in the past but you can learn to heal. If you isolate yourself, you limit yourself.
Some relationships will last for a season. Some relationships will bring life lessons or love.

If you are: looking for a new job or promotion, want to travel, learning a new skill, building your business, moving to a new city, attending college, seeking the best deal for a new home or car, need comfort after loss, ready to date again, want to avoid depression and loneliness, need mentoring, seeking parenting help, seeking a new church home, a mechanic, a lawyer or new friends --- develop your people skills. No man or woman is an island.

The Ability to Move Forward...

The Ability to Move Forward.... '-)

"Stop kicking yourself about your past regrets and disappointments."
You can choose to: fault yourself, get depressed, get angry, second guess your faith and possibilities, live in fear, put yourself down and always live in the dead past, feel like a victim, focus on your pain, seek to be perfection instead of progress or ---- You can choose to: be bold and move forward, forgive yourself, shake it off, make amends, own your choices and say, "the next time I'm in that situation I will choose wiser", move to plan B, choose progress, optimism, faith and gratitude, accentuate the positive and focus on what's next." "When you change the way you SEE things, the things you see CHANGE."
~deirdra