Free software that flawlessly converts PDF files to Word doc files.

click here

The following are links to useful information from government agencies and NAHB that will enable you to monitor the housing market.

To access the latest information available, simply click the links.

• U.S. Census Bureau Construction Price Indexes
• NAHB’s Housing Forecast
  Housing starts, sales and interest rate projections through 2009.
• Latest Home Mortgage Interest Rates
  Contains current and historical data on fixed and adjustable mortgage rates. Updated weekly.
• Characteristics of New Housing
  Highlights the latest data on new-home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department. Includes links to the complete Census report and other trends researched by NAHB.

  Additional breakouts of this data and other trends researched by NAHB are available at www.nahb.org/constructionstats under “Selected Characteristics of New Housing” (dated 4/3/2008).

• Housing Starts
  Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
• New and Existing Home Sales
  Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
• New and Existing Single-Family Median Home Prices
  Updated monthly.
• Home Price Index
  The index measures average home appreciation in more than 250 metropolitan markets. Updated quarterly.
• Metro Home Building Permits
  Local and state data on housing construction rates. Updated monthly.
• Employment Trends for Metro/State Markets
  Provides metro and state employment data nationwide. Updated monthly.
• Local Economic Impact of Housing
  Shows how building 100 homes benefits a typical metropolitan area.
• Home Building’s Direct Impact on the Economy
• Housing’s Contribution to Gross State Product
  Measures how much housing contributes to the economic output of each state.
• Housing Market Statistics from HousingEconomics.com
  Full array of statistical categories available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.
• In-Depth Analysis from HousingEconomics.com
  Full array of analysis of factors affecting housing and the impact on the industry available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.

Keep current on upcoming building industry, energy efficiency, green building, photovoltaic events, seminars, tradeshows, and workshops:

Events Calendar

We use this site a lot.  A fast easy way to find the least expensive and more better way to send packages.  A simple application that let’s you enter in your originating and destination zip codes, package weight then displays a table that details shipping costs by carrier or courier and by shipping option (same day, next day, ground, etc).  It compares rates from Fed-Ex, UPS, DHL, U.S. Postal Service and a variety of local same day couriers in your area.  You can also make changes to the zip codes and watch the chart update itself in real time and view the shipping route on a map.

ShipGooder.com

Looking to convert that .dwg file into a .pdf or that gif into a jpg? This site will convert dozens of file formats.  It’s free.  Zamzar

The free version has a 100mb limit on file size.  Conversion time varies depending on user traffic.

Another option is OpenOffice.org

Placing an Image (Certificate of Compliance, etc) on a PDF Page

Acrobat Professional version 8.0 and up can place following image types directly on a page:

• JPEG (.jpg)
• Bitmap (.bmp)
• GIF (.gif)
• TIFF (.tif)
• PCX (.pcx)
• PING (.png)

Follow these steps to import and place an image on a PDF:

1. Open the PDF file on which you want to place the image
2. Choose Tools->Advanced Editing->Touchup Object Tool
3. Right-click and choose Place Image…
   
4. A standard file dialog will appear:
   
5. Select an image file and click Open

Adjusting the Appearance of the Imported Image

Acrobat allows you to make a number of changes to the image once it is placed.

When the Touchup Object tool is active (Tools->Advanced Editing->Touchup Object Tool), right-click to see the following options for your placed image:

Selecting an Image

Click once with the Advanced Editing Tool to select an image.

If multiple images and objects are nearby, it can be a challenge to select the right one.

Control-Shift-Click (Option-Shift-click on the Mac) to cycle through the stacking order of images.

Moving an Image

1. With the placed image selected, click and drag.
   

President Barack Obama signed the 1,073-page “stimulus” act into law on Feb. 18, 2009. The tax section is entitled “American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 and includes several provisions that modify and expand the scope of the energy efficiency and renewable energy incentives. Many of these provisions carry over from another bill President Bush signed into law on Oct. 3, 2008, which extended many of the Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives first enacted in 2005 but that expired at the end of 2007 or that were scheduled to expire at the end of 2008.

The strategy behind these tax incentives is to improve the overall energy efficiency of the existing housing stock. It was realized that improvements in energy building codes for new construction was not reducing energy consumption enough to meet Federal goals and guidelines established by the Department of Energy. Why? The average existing home was constructed in 1976 and many were built long before that. This was long before any state or federal energy building code existed. This large stock of existing homes use a tremendous amount of energy, very wastefully. In many sunbelt states single pane windows are common, walls are under insulated, furnaces and water heaters are old and inefficient. The 2005 tax incentive bill was enacted to provide a “carrot” or incentive for homeowners to upgrade their windows, change out their furnace and install more energy saving insulation and weatherstripping.

The “carrot” however was perceived as too small to be much of an incentive, or even noticed by most. According to a recent survey conducted by insulation manufacturer Johns Manville, just 23% of American homeowners took advantage of federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements in 2006. This, despite the fact that 78% of homeowners surveyed reported that their heating and cooling costs increased by 5% or more in 2006, and a full 74% of homeowners knew the credits were available under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The shortcomings of this initial incentive programs were obvious, the incentives need to be increased if they could realistically be expected to provide the push needed to motivate homeowners to action. The new 2009 Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives provide a much larger and attractive “carrot”. Some examples:

Replacement windows/doors/skylights with an U-factor and SGHC of 0.30: Tax credit of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500.

Upgraded insulation that meets 2009 IECC minimum guidelines: 30% of cost up to $1,500.

HVAC with a 95% AFUE furnace and 16 SEER A/C: 30% of cost up to $1,500

Replacement Tankless water heater with an energy factor of 82%: 30% of cost up to $1,500

Solar Water Heater: 30% of cost with no cap

Photovoltaic Systems: 30% of cost with no cap

A key restriction is the $1,500 cap on window, insulation, HVAC, water heater costs. This the maximum tax credit for all of these improvements combined. There is no maximum credit cap for solar water heaters or photovoltaic systems, a simple 30% of whatever the total system cost is your tax credit.

It’s important to note that these are tax credits, not tax deductions. A tax credit reduces your federal tax liability directly. Subtracted from your tax liability (taxes owed), it’s taken after all other reductions are made. A tax deduction, by contrast, provides tax relief in a more oblique manner. A tax credit reduces the tax you pay, dollar-for-dollar. Tax deductions – such as those for home mortgages and charitable giving – lower your taxable income.

These upgrades and improvements must be “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010 and the home must be the taxpayers primary place of residence. Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes using IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version) This form should be available late 2009 or early 2010

The new program also includes improvements to existing commercial buildings but involve a different method of calculating the incentive which is a tax deduction, not a tax credit. Instead of an itemized list of qualified upgrades, existing commercial building owners need to demonstrate that the building overall will perform 50% better after all the energy saving improvements which can include window, door, insulation upgrades, HVAC replacement, and more efficient lighting fixtures. This will require a energy use simulation calculation to establish the energy consumption of the building before and after the upgrades to demonstrate the 50% improvement in overall energy efficiency of the building. The tax incentive using this approach is $1.80 per square foot. These tax deductions are available for upgrades placed in service between January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2013.

More details are available on our website, www.energycode.com as well as the EnergyStar website, www.energystar.gov

	Click for larger image.

When I’m working on a punch list, I often keep plenty of fasteners and related paraphernalia on hand to keep my “gofer” runs to a minimum.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my solution for toting all these items — what I call my personal hardware store.

It’s a double-decker tray for carrying assorted screws and nails and it holds almost every kind of fastener in one compact, organized ? and sometimes heavy — unit.

• I made the rig from garden variety 1x pine, with an upright member in the center that acts as a bulkhead and a carrying handle.
• The dimensions are based on an industry-accepted standard unit of measure ? a cardboard milk container.
• Since milk containers are 3 inches square, the inside dimensions of the upper trays measure 9 inches by 9 inches so I can fit each tray with nine containers.
• I made the inside dimensions of the lower trays 9 inches by 9-3/4 inches to allow for 18 more containers.The extra 3/4 inch enables me to stack the upper trays and provides extra space for staples on one side and precut sandpaper strips for my sanding block on the other.
• Because each container lifts out, I never have to dig my fingers into the sharp points of the fasteners. I can just pour a few into my hand or onto my workbench.

I try to keep only a handful of each type of screw in each container to get me through the day. I refill the containers as needed when I get home.

I also hold assortments of similar fastners in each container, which gives me more variety and items to choose from for each job.

The key, however, is keeping everything organized. Every type of fastener has its own spot, so I know just where to find it.

— Phil Miller, Medina, N.Y.

Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.