You have now reached an important point in your hunt for a suitable home. You have organized your finances, and in your preliminary search you have come fairly close to finding a house that meets your needs. You will now be approaching the major step of legal processes of making offers and completing the deal.

Before making an offer, however, you have to satisfy yourself that the house is in good condition and that it has no defects that would be noticed only in a professional home inspection. An inspection will show up any structural or roof concerns, plumbing problems or any other issues that may affect safety or trouble free occupancy.

If you are considering a new house after short listing, chances are that you will be reasonably safe on this point. In a new house there is very little chance of hidden damages. Moreover, the property will be covered by the builder’s warranty.

In case of an old house, however, there is always a possibility of defects or damages in the construction and in equipments such as heating, etc. that even the seller may not be aware of, or he may not have divulged them to you. There are two courses open to you:

• Commission professional home inspections to be carried out so that the condition of the house is known to you before you make an offer. The inspector will look at the structure and type of construction and mechanical systems. Depending upon the extent of the inspection desired by you, the inspector will inspect plumbing, waste disposal, water heating, electrical, heating and ventilation system, foundation, doors, windows, roof, floors and walls. He will also check for potential presence of infestations and pests. In case of repair work being required to be carried out you will know the defect and the estimated expenditure. You may then either not make an offer at all or may use this information to get the estimated cost of repairs taken off the price while making the offer.

• The second alternative is for you to make an offer subject to your approving the results of one or more inspections to be carried out after the seller accepts your offer. After the seller accepts your offer, you may then arrange for home inspections.

In any case, you have reached a point at which you have to discuss the matter with your solicitor and chalk out the next course of action which we shall deal with in the next part.

Cranes, excavators, loaders, and any other large equipment you might find on a construction site are considered construction equipment. While some of you might see construction equipment as hammers, saws, and other smaller items they are in fact construction tools. Are you looking for some construction equipment to help you with your next job? If so you need to know a little bit about the equipment available.

Cranes: You can have many types of canes from the all terrain hydraulic crane, to the boom truck. A boom truck is a piece of construction equipment that has a flat bed with a crane on it rather than a smaller cab for the crane with tracks. This crane system can be used to haul the material as well as move the crane about while hydraulic cranes tend to need a trailer and then roll off to be placed on the ground. These types of cranes tend to rotate 360 degrees.

Excavators: These are consider bobcats, and backhoes of the construction equipment. The size you will need is again dependent upon the job you will have. Most construction companies have a variety for the type of work and land they will have. Bobcats usually work out well when you have a little job, where as backhoes are great for digging larger holes.

Loaders: The are also many types of loaders from a front end loader to a wheel loader. Loaders are often seen used for road construction as well as other construction jobs. These are tractors that have a bucket on the front and use a hydraulic system to raise the bucket and dump the material either in a dump truck or off to the side.

Construction equipment is important whether you work on housing sites or road construction. The equipment you choose will depend on the type of work you do and will also be determined by the terrain you work on.

There are four main reasons for this assessment.

The first of these is that British Columbia is enjoying period of unprecedented growth and prosperity. This period of economic prosperity forms the bedrock upon which the Vancouver housing market can consolidate its position.

In the February 20,2007 Budget and Fiscal Plan for 2007/08-2009/10 which was released by the Ministry of Finance , the outlook for the BC economy in general and the Real Estate Market in particular, is exceptionally bright.

The second item to consider is the influx of immigration that is expected to flood into British Columbia the years leading up to the BC Olympic Games. The Council projected that “total net migration” to British Columbia would continue to rise to unprecedented levels. In 2007 alone, projections averaged from a “low of 35,423 people to a high of 55,000 people”. The general expectation is that this trend will continue in to increase in the coming years with the anticipation that “total net migration to average about 47,000 people in 2008, rising to over 50,000 through the 2009 to 2011 period”.

The third area of consideration is the inflation of the Canadian Dollar and its effects on interest rates and the Real Estate Market. The expectation is that Bank of Canada will raise interest rates an average of “4.08 per cent” in 2007. Over the long term the rates should hold fairly steady or even come down slightly. The “Council's forecasts for the Bank of Canada's overnight target rate averaged 4.13 per cent in 2008, falling to 4.01 per cent over the 2009 to 2011 period”.

The last piece of information needed to navigate in the complex Real Estate Market, is the forecast for Real Estate Market movement in British Columbia and its implications for you as a home-buyer. The news is good, according to the bi-annual press release published by The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA). In the Housing Forecast Report, Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist gives us this insight, “The market has shifted away from strong sellers’ conditions and is expected to operate in a band between a strong balanced and weak sellers’ market over the forecast horizon.

You might have a dream of building a lake home for retirement, for enjoying summers at the lake or for an investment. No matter what your reason for owning a lake home by starting out with a good builder and knowing some of the basics about home building, you will be able to have a positive experience during the home building process.

Start by looking in your area for a builder that suits your needs and has a good reputation in the area. Make sure that the builder is sensitive to your needs and will listen to what you want in a lake home. Notice whether promises are kept or broken. Some contractors are skilled at giving good impressions early but lack the character to do what they say. You can save yourself many headaches by learning to spot this deficiency early on.

Ask your builder the following questions:

1. How many years of experience do you have in building lake homes?
2. What special skills and qualifications do you have to offer?
3. What happens if the project goes over-budget?
4. What type of homes do you normally build?
5. How much input will we have into the design of the home?
6. Are you licensed and insured?
7. Who is responsible to get building permits?

Take your time when looking for a builder. Some of the best builders in the area may be booked up several months in advance, but they also may be able to fit you in as many times builders work on several homes at one time. For instance, as the concrete is drying and setting up at one location, they may be doing the framing on another home.

Have a one-on-one meeting with the builder and see if he/she is open to your ideas and suggestions. Does the builder give you his/her complete attention? Or is he busy taking phone calls during your meeting? If so, the builder might not devote his/her full attention to your project. Then ask to meet some of the key staff who will be working on the home. Do the employees seem professional and interested in their work?

By taking your time when looking for a builder, you will go a long way in the process of having what you want in your lake home. Make your dream home a reality by taking things one step at a time - and starting with a qualified builder.

Mobile homes are becoming more popular than ever. People are opting for mobile homes around the country, including the state of California, for many reasons. Mobile homes are more affordable than traditional style homes, and they can be moved if necessary. If you need a mortgage loan for a mobile home, you will need to find a lender who specializes in this. Mobile home lenders are individuals and/or businesses who provide loans to qualified buyers. You will find that the majority of loans for mobile homes in California are high interest. This is because they are not regulated by the United States government.

Even though these loans may be high interest due to lack of government regulations, this may work in your favor if you have less than ideal credit. The loan is going to cost more, but for people who have had problems obtaining low interest loans they can be worth the money. If you want to own your own home but have had trouble obtaining a traditional mortgage loan for a traditional style house, buying a mobile home can make your dream of home ownership a reality. It might not be exactly what you pictured, but as you'll discover today's mobile homes are quite spacious and attractive. There are often land-home packages that help you buy not only the mobile home but a nice lot to put it on as well.

Lenders for mobile homes do have a few regulations even though they are not governmentally imposed. For example, the mobile home for which you are getting the loan for must be your main residence. The term of a loan for a mobile home can range anywhere from 10 to 25 years on average. It all depends on what kind of monthly payment you can afford and the amount of money you borrow. If you are interested in purchasing a California mobile home, many companies that sell mobile homes also provide loans for their customers. If they don't, they can possibly refer you to one or more lenders who can help you.

How’s this for a challenge? Create a zero net source energy (as opposed to site energy) home as defined by the Department of Energy’s Building America program. Design it to operate in the extremes of Denver’s unpredictable climate, using off-the-shelf, readily available technologies. Keep the mechanical systems as simple and uncomplicated as possible. Incorporate energy-efficiency strategies that don’t require the home owners to be experts in sustainable building operations or conduct any maintenance beyond that required of a ‘normal’ home.

Not overly difficult, you might say? Add that the design must be replicable for future Habitat for Humanity homes, utilize low-cost construction materials, and allow volunteer- friendly construction techniques. Still with me? The clincher: The target market is the affordable housing sector. Impossible, you might say? Challenging yes, but not impossible for an integrated design team of NREL engineers and Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers. The finished product is a 1,200 square foot, three-bedroom reduced income home that actually produces more source energy than it consumes!

Design Considerations

The combination of energy engineers, a construction manager a real estate development manager and Habitat volunteers on the design helped strike a balance between engineering ideals based on energy modeling, cost realities inherent in affordable housing, and considerations involved in a volunteer construction crew.

Habitat’s volunteer labor advantage steered the design team to approaches that favored low materials costs and high labor costs. While this approach minimizes the substantial labor cost, when combined with the affordable housing requirement it restricts the range of sustainable strategies available. For example, strategies such as structured insulated panels (SIPs) and insulated concrete forms were not considered because of their high cost. Similarly, the requirement for volunteer-friendly construction techniques and ease of replication eliminated the option of using Straw Bale. The design simplicity requirement eliminated the possibility of a combined solar space heating and water heating system. Finally, the zero energy requirement, given Denver’s cold climate and the current high cost of PV systems, required some trade offs that some ‘purists’ might consider controversial.

Design Approach - Envelope

Given the considerations described above, the design team decided to focus first on reducing the home’s energy load as much as possible, and then size the PV system to meet the remaining electricity needs. The first place to look? Yes, you guessed it – a passive solar orientation with a ‘super insulated’ envelope. Starting with a standard Habitat three-bedroom, 26 x 46 square foot design with a crawlspace, the team increased the South-facing glazing area and reduced the North, East and West facing glazing area. Next, a double-stud wall with fiberglass batt construction was selected to take advantage of it’s relatively low cost, volunteer-friendly technique and Habitat’s low construction labor cost. Blown fiberglass installed in the attic achieved an R-60 rating and insulated floors achieved an R-30 rating. While the double stud wall design, with exterior structural studs spaced at 16 inches O.C. might not achieve LEED Homes Advanced Framing Techniques points, the interior studs spaced at 24 inches O.C. certainly meet the requirement. The R-3 fiberglass batts in the exterior wall cavities and the R-13 filling the space between the exterior and interior walls as well as the interior wall cavities definitely help optimize energy performance. An outer vapor-permeable house wrap and fiber cement siding, with and an inner poly vapor barrier plus drywall adds to a very ‘tight’ whole-wall-R value. Blower tests yielded a natural infiltration rate result of 0.15 ACH, a very ‘tight’ indication.

Heating and Ventilation

With the house’s heating energy needs drastically reduced through this super-insulated shell, the design team then focused on the heating and ventilation system. Note that I didn’t mention heating, cooling and ventilation system. Yet another design challenge! Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver has a policy of not equipping its homes with air conditioning. This meant that the final design had to maximize heat reduction (for example by maximizing solar gain) without increasing the cooling energy load.

To supply a proper amount of fresh air to the house while minimizing potential for energy loss, the team opted for an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system with efficient electronically commutated motors. The system exhausts air from the kitchen and bathroom, and supplies fresh air to the living room and bedrooms. Heat loss from ventilation is reduced because the ERV system heats the incoming air with warmth from the exhaust air.

The design team soon discovered that a very low heating load is a double edged sword. On the one hand very little energy is required to heat the house. On the other hand, most commonly available heating systems are oversized for such low heating needs, and overly complicated or expensive systems cannot be cost-justified. After carefully considering a variety of high-efficiency heating systems, and much internal debate, the team decided to follow a hybrid approach of electricity from the PV system, and natural gas.

Controversial Approach

Some of us who are ‘purists’ may turn up our noses at the thought of a zero energy home using natural gas. However, the economics involved convinced the design team that a hybrid approach was the best solution (see side bar)

The PV system selected by the design team uses the local utility grid for storage, thus eliminating the substantial cost of the storage battery. When the system is producing more energy than is being used, it delivers energy to the grid. When the system produces less energy than it produces, it draws electricity from the grid.

When the system draws electricity from the grid, it is likely drawing fossil-fuel generated electricity. Although a larger sized PV system may minimize the volume of electricity drawn from the grid, the cost of larger systems is prohibitive. The design team opted to include natural gas in order to reduce the size of the PV system by 1.1 kW, making it much for affordable for a Habitat Home. The team designed the system to offset the natural gas used, thus achieving, and even surpassing, the goal of net zero source energy.

The hybrid approach allowed the team to size the PV system that is affordable, offsets the use of natural gas as well as any grid generated electricity, and thus allows the home to achieve (and even surpass) the goal of net zero source energy. The hybrid space heating system combines a pointsource direct-vent natural gas furnace in the dining room and living area, with small baseboard electric-resistance heaters in the bedrooms.

Water Heating

The design team selected a solar water heating system – rather than a combined space/water hearing system – for simplicity, backed up by a natural gas tankless water heater. The team calculated that the 96 square foot collector area and 200 gallon water storage would result in an annual solar-savings fraction of 88%. They opted for the tankless natural gas back up heater after finding that the tankless system uses zero heating energy whenever the solar water tank is at or above 115 degree water delivery temperature.

The Crowning Element

Having reduced all possible energy loads as much as possible, the design team zeroed in on the lighting, appliances and miscellaneous electric loads (MELs). They installed compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout the house, and ENERGY STAR label appliances. This left the miscellaneous electric loads, from TV, hair dryer, toasters, computers, and anything else that could be plugged in by the occupants. Using Built America benchmark assumptions on MELs, the team settled on a 4kW PV system. Because the Built America assumptions on based upon a national average of a ‘typical’ American household, the actual occupant use and local climate may either block the home from achieving zero energy usage, or propel it to the ranks of ‘net energy producer’.

The Verdict

Initial test results were encouraging. From the February to July of 2006, the PV system produced 1,600 kWh more electricity than the house consumed. Factoring in the natural gas used for space heating and water heating backup, the house produced 75% more source energy than it consumed. Although a longer testing period is required, it’s a safe bet to say that the house will be an annual net energy producer rather than just achieve net zero energy user. However, this could change if the occupants begin using more than the average calculated into the Built America benchmark.

And the home owners? While it is true that the house is a net energy producer, they unfortunately are not free from utility bills. There is the monthly charge for the natural gas, as well as fixed charges for the electric grid and natural gas connection fees. From October of 2005 to May of the 2006, the owners shelled out an average of $18.25 per month in energy bills. Because the fixed monthly charges averaged 80% of those bills, in actuality the family used on average $14.60 worth of energy.

For those of us who suffered through $200+ monthly energy bills during that same period, those results are very compelling.

KEY RESIDENTIAL SUSTAINABLE FEATURES

Energy and Atmosphere

Passive Solar Design
• The house was designed with increased glazing area on the long South facing side, and reduced glazing area on the North, East and West facing sides.

Renewable Energy
• 4kW Photovoltaic system using utility power grid storage to eliminate need for and associated high cost of, storage battery

Insulation
• Raised heel trusses in attic allow 2 ft of blown fiberglass insulation, achieving R-60 rating for thermal envelope top
• Floors insulated to R-30
• R-3 fiberglass batts in outer 2 x 4 structural stud wall cavities, and a second, interior 2x4 stud wall with R-13 fiberglass batts placed horizontally between stud walls and vertically in interior wall cavities
• Outer vapor-permeable house wrap and fiber cement siding
• Inner poly vapor barrier and drywall

Space Heating
• Hybrid natural gas/electric heating system, combining a pointsource direct-vent natural gas furnace in the living room and dining area, and small baseboard electric-resistance heaters in the bedrooms. This combination provides the added bonus of zone heating, as each appliance has its own independent thermostat.

Water Heating
• Solar water heating system with 96 square feet collector area and 200 gallon water storage tank as primary water heating system, with natural gas tankless water heater as a back up system

Windows
• Double – glazed, low –e glass installed in South facing windows, with U-factor of 0.3 and SHGC of 0.58. For the East, West and North facing windows, Double – glazed, low – e glass was also used, with a U-factor of 0.22 and SHGC value of 0.27. The U-factors of all windows exceed (ENERGY STAR requirements by 20%). Appliances
• ENERGY STAR® appliances were installed.

Lighting
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs deployed throughout the house

Indoor Environmental Quality

Local Exhaust
• Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system with efficient electronically commutated motors, exhausts air from the kitchen and bathroom, and supplies fresh air to the living room and bedrooms.

Outdoor Air Ventilation
• The ERV system heats incoming fresh air with warmth of the exhaust air, thus significantly reducing heat loss from ventilation. Materials and Resources

• Advanced Framing Techniques: Walls consist of inner 2x4 stud wall, 24 inches O.C.

So you want to build your own home. Have you considered everything you need to in order to undertake this challenge? If you feel you are ready to start home building then read the following eight tips to see if you really are or not. These tips will really help you consider everything that must be considered before you begin building your own home.

Tip #1 Organization
You must be organized in order to build your own home and you need to have everything laid out in a step by step way to help you along the way. Takeoff software will help you stay organized so this is a good investment early on.

Tip #2 Construction Crew
You won’t be hammering every single nail and installing every single faucet by yourself, or at least most won’t be. So, a construction crew is important. Know who to choose to be on your construction team in order to make your home building project a fun and enjoyable one not to mention one that is successful!

Tip #3 Finances
You need to know how much the home will cost so you know what you can afford in regards to style, framework, style, and the like. Use construction estimating software to help you in this area if you are not good at estimating.

Tip #4 Budget
If you will be applying for a mortgage or construction loan you will need to have a very detailed budget. Your construction estimating software will come into play here as well and help you create an estimate and stick to it.

Tip #5 Style
There are a lot of choices to make when it comes to the style of your home. This includes the foundation and everything else. So, be prepared to choose the styles you like best.

Tip #6 The Perfect Plan
A perfect house plan is important if you are building your own home. You will want to know where you want to go and a guide to get you there. Your house plan will work wonders.

Tip #7 Home Structure
If you have a lot of experience building homes then you are probably well aware of home structure and the internal and external elements. If you are not be sure to do your research ahead of time to avoid all potential problems. It is guaranteed you will run into problems if you are not prepared.

Tip #8 Use Quality Materials
You want to use quality building materials in your home so make sure you are aware of where you can find them. DO a little research to find the best quality materials and the best prices.

This section follows advice given in my previous piece "Property-Buying-Tips-Part-2" and assumes that you have done some preliminary searching and are attracted to a particular location or neighborhood. A very good, but often unconsidered source of information is your local law enforcement office. Be warned that they might give you a somewhat negative view of a neighborhood since that is the nature of their profession. Once you have explained that you're considering a property in an area, they may tell you some very useful information such as problems with neighbors or in the locality.

The realtor / estate agent will have informed you of other amenities such as transport, shopping, access and leisure facilities such as parks and open space. Your legal people should have checked any factors likely to affect your future property such as local authority planning applications, road and other proposals. Similarly, your legal team should check for hidden costs such as service charges (particularly in shared facilities such as apartments, etc), or basics such as water and sewage systems and charges.

Now that you are attracted to an area and are reasonably happy about the neighborhood, what other factors should you consider? If you have children or are considering a family, you will already have checked the local schools and colleges. Another useful way of picking up information about an area is to apply to the local school as a prospective parent; you will be surprised how much information you can get from enthusiastic head teachers! Their school bulletin or prospectus will have some relevant information. While you're visiting the area, don't forget to see i there is a local newspaper. Many localities have free newspapers delivered and some have long-established titles; you should ask in the local shops for these. You will have probably checked internet sources such as bulletin boards to get a feel for an area but don't forget to post a question on Yahoo Answers about particular areas since there are some very helpful people on this free service.

Finally, the often forgotten factors in home purchasing. You have probably asked about facilities such as TV, cable and broadband provision but don't forget to switch on your cellphone and check reception! Another forgotten factor is the effect of light during various parts of the year. This is not so crucial where you are searching in areas nearer the equator, but more important in more northerly or southerly regions. Since the property-viewing market tends to revolve around summer, you might be viewing during the best possible time of the year when daylight is long and the sun's elevation is constantly high. Imagine the effect of the winter sunshine when the angle of the sun is much lower. Conversely, you might be searching in a hot country and looking for shade! The opposite applies - if you're viewing in winter, check the possible trajectory of the sun in summer when that tree or building in the distance will make no difference.

I hope you have enjoyed this series - this is the concluding article. If you found these suggestions useful, please explore and support my websites below.

A musicologist by profession, Dr Scott writes two travel guides in his spare time. _Hidden Dublin_ contains over 200 unique pages, giving advice and tips of many aspects of his native Dublin (Ireland). _Hidden Italy_ is a more recent venture, offering an alternative look at regional Italy. He was awarded his PhD by the University of Durham, UK in 2005 and also holds the Associateship of the Royal College of Organists diploma.