When it comes to keeping your home comfortable in the summer, there are a number of ways to accomplish your goal without breaking a sweat over your cooling costs. Believe it or not, the price of heating and/or cooling a home often accounts for more than 50 percent of a homeowner's energy bill. What does this mean for you? As a budget conscious individual, it's time to cut your cooling costs with these money-saving tips.

When the sun is up, consider pulling your shades down. Close your curtains, blinds or whatever window treatments you use to keep the sun's rays from heating up your home. This will help to keep the interior of your home cool, which can help to cut your energy costs by not making your air conditioner work harder simply because the sun is causing excess heat. Solar screens for your windows and a radiant paint barrier for your attic are effective ways to block much of the sun's UV rays.

If you use an air conditioner to cool your home, make sure that you adjust the temperature when you leave the house. Otherwise, you are just wasting energy on a home when no one is there. Additionally, you can also turn the unit down at night when the temperatures typically tend to cool off. This is true whether you are using a window unit for an individual room or a central system that's used to cool the entire home.

It's important to clean your filters and/or replace them as recommended by the manufacturer. In addition to possibly resulting in dust and other allergens being circulated into the air, neglecting your filters could prevent the cool air from properly getting into your home. Have your air ductwork inspected on a regular basis for leaks and clogs to insure your system operates at peak performance.

Not every summer day is a hot one, which means you can often take advantage of the temperatures by using a standard fan instead of your air conditioner. The latter uses a great deal more energy than a fan, so consider your needs on a daily basis when choosing how to cool your home. You can install a ceiling fan for added air circulation, or you can use a standard rotating fan.

And finally my wife's personal favorite tip

Your kitchen oven can heat up your home in a hurry, which can make your air conditioner work harder to keep your house cool. This, in turn, results in higher cooling costs. Instead of using the oven, consider popping something in the microwave or on the outdoor grill for a change. While this may not be possible every day, it's certainly something to consider on those sweltering summer afternoons.

Spring is here, and it's time to truly make your landscape shine! After all, one of the joys in owning your own home is attending to and personalizing your own yard! Since the focal point of most landscaping is the lawn (also one of the trickiest things to maintain), I'm including a special list of tips and tricks to help you whip your lawn into perfect shape. Giving special attention to the lawn now will help to keep it healthy throughout the summer; I hope you find this list to be as helpful as I have!

Please remember that if you have any need for household advice or tips-or would like to discuss any real estate questions-I'm always available at 334-341-3901 or visit my Web site at www.BrackinRealEstate.com .

Sincerely,

St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday that is celebrated every year in March, but it's not just the Irish that enjoy this festive occasion. In fact, people around the nation celebrate St. Patrick's Day with parades, green attire and even parties that bring family and friends together. Speaking of family, there are a number of ways that you can make St. Patrick's Day a festive and fun-filled family holiday.

Take Part In a Parade

Whether you are involved directly or simply enjoy watching a St. Patrick's Day parade from the sidelines, make sure that you attend at least one. These festive events include everything from music to floats and local residents coming together to celebrate this annual holiday. You can enjoy a parade with your family by participating together, or simply by watching from afar.

Dress The Part

One of the longest standing traditions for St. Patrick's Day is the requirement of green attire. Whether it's a shirt, shamrock pin, pants or even a jacket, not wearing green often means you get pinched from good-natured family and friends. If you want to join in on the celebration as a family, make sure that everyone is wearing green before leaving the house.

Have A Party

If you really want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, do so by hosting a party in your home. You can invite family, friends, neighbors and other local residents who share in your festiveness. Because the color green is so commonly associated with St. Patrick's Day, it's only natural that you would want to serve lime JELL-O, ice cream and even green KOOL-AID to your guests. Don't forget to decorate with the green theme in mind by using holiday plates, cups and napkins, table coverings, streamers and even balloons.

Festive Dining

For Thanksgiving, many families eat turkey. For St. Patrick's Day, many families eat cabbage because, well, it's green. Green beans, vegetables, spinach, fruits and other green foods also remain popular choices for those looking to dine with the green theme in mind.

Look For Luck

When it comes to luck, the four-leaf clover is a very common symbol and it is also associated with St. Patrick's Day. This means that one of the best ways to enjoy family fun on this festive holiday is to go out in search of four-leaf clovers. Children especially love this and they feel a great sense of accomplishment if they locate the rare find. One of the greatest places to start looking is in your own backyard.

The decision to purchase a home is exciting and a major investment for your future. Because there is only so much of it to go around, real estate is the top choice for many investors and the desire for most families. This article is designed to highlight some of the many benefits of home ownership and how buying a home can often turn the American Dream into a reality.

One of the most profitable markets in real estate is rentals, which means that many families are paying to live in a home that isn't their own. In some cases, renting a home is necessary. For all others, the money that would be spent on rent could instead be used to pay a mortgage. In fact, monthly rent payments often exceed that of a typical mortgage payment. One of the greatest benefits of home ownership is putting money into something that you can call your own and knowing that the monthly payments are going toward your home's equity.

Speaking of equity, many properties experience a growth in value as more development moves into the area or the economy strengthens through an increase in job opportunities. If this happens, home values soar and owners can bask in the glory of their newfound profit. When you purchase a new car, it depreciates the moment that you drive off of the lot. When you buy a home, however, it has the potential to appreciate year after year. There are few things in life that can offer you a return above and beyond your original purchase price, but a home can.

When you own a home, you will enjoy the freedom of decorating and making any changes that you choose without needing the permission of a landlord or property owner. In addition, you may even be able to use your home's equity to finance some needed improvements and/or repairs. In some cases, these changes may even increase the value of your home. An upgraded kitchen or bathroom, hardwood flooring or an additional room are examples of changes that could result in added value.

Another advantage of home ownership is the tax benefits that are available. The interest paid on a home mortgage as well as most property taxes paid are tax deductible. For additional information on deducting mortgage interest and property tax, consult the IRS or a tax professional.

In addition to providing yourself and your family with a feeling of stability and permanence, home ownership can also help strengthen your credit profile through timely mortgage payments and a steady financial history.