Jennifer Spivey Atlanta Real Estate

With temperatures dipping below freezing, many homeowners are getting a different kind of energy audit.  The real-time, this is not a drill wake-up call known as the gas bill.  There is no longer a question if the windows are leaky or if there is enough insulation in the walls.  To add insult to injury, the Georgia Public Service ...

UPDATED 3/1/2010 The federal tax credit for first time homebuyers has been extended until April 30, 2010 and a new repeat homebuyer credit of $6500 has been added to the pot. What many home buyers don't realize is that you must be under contract by April 30, 2010 to receive the tax credit.  Most buyers are using FHA loans ...

This year the ENERGYSTAR and WaterSense tax free holiday is October 1 through October 4. You can purchase any ENERGYSTAR(R) or WaterSensesm appliance or product under $1500 and not pay local or state taxes.  In addition most major retailers (Lowes, Home Depot, Sears) will be running sales. So, if you are looking to update ...

Governor Signs Housing Tax Credit BillOn Monday, May 11, Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation into law that creates a new state income tax credit for home purchases in Georgia.  The tax credit will apply to purchases of eligible properties between June 1 and November 30, 2009, and is expected to spur activity in the housing market.  ...

Do you anxiously await your monthly fix of Dwell magazine like I do?  Can you just envision yourself in a modern home with clean lines, great light, and cutting edge “green” building technology?  That dream home is in Amsterdam or Prague, right?  Wrong.  Friend and fellow LEED AP, Jeff Demetriou, has built an ...

 There has never been a better time to add solar to your home.  One of the easiest, most cost effective ways to start going solar is by adding solar water heating to your home.My parents recently invested in a VELUX solar water heating system.  They couldn’t be happier.  My dad has become an unofficial spokesperson ...

The only incentive to buy built green - other than the fact that you will use 15-30% less energy, use less water, have better indoor air quality, reduce your impact, etc...is the energy efficient mortgage (EEM).  A great website to find out all about it is www.myenergyloan.com.  The founder of My Energy Loan is a friend of mine ...

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM The original version of the the Stimulus Package's "Home buyer Program" - introduced by Georgia Senator Johnny Isacson- called for a $15,000, tax credit for all home buyers.  When that proved too costly for Congress, we ended up with a revised and improved first-time home buyer program.  ...

What is your idea of living green?                                          Is it living off the land? Living in the heart of the city above ...

Today, in an effort to jump start the stagnate housing market, the Senate unanimously passed an amendment to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The amendment, if it makes it through Congress, will give every home buyer who purchases a primary residence a $15,000 tax credit.  In the amendment's current form, the ...