Air Conditioning – Repair or Replace?

September 4, 2007 - South Florida Water Management District

FPL states that you’re A/C system can account for 50% of your electric bill during peak heating and cooling months.

According to Trane, during its lifetime, it's only logical to assume your home comfort system might need an occasional "tune up" along the way. Would you drive your car 100,000 miles without oil changes or some kind of maintenance? The same holds true for your home comfort system.

Regular preventative maintenance is the best way to ensure trouble-free operation and peak performance. It also keeps your system running at its optimal efficiency levels, which keeps energy usage - and your energy bills - in check. But just as important, preventative system maintenance gives you peace of mind.

Q. Air Conditioning and Heating System Maintenance - When To Do It ?

A. According to Trane, if your air conditioning system both heats and cools your home, you should have maintenance performed in the spring and fall. If you have an air conditioning-only or heating-only system, maintenance should be performed at least once a year prior to the heating or air conditioning season.

Q. Should I repair or replace my Air Conditioning system?

A. According to FPL, If your system is 10 years old or older and you answered yes to any of these questions:

• Does your system undergo frequent repairs?
• Has your system experienced a major component failure?
• Are you continually receiving high electric bills?
• Is you’re A/C unit not cooling like it used to?

Homeowners can be liable if trees, bushes cause traffic accident

Nov 21, 2007 By BILL KACZOR, AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Homeowners who let bushes, shrubs and trees extend into the public right of way may be held liable if the foliage contributes to accidents by blocking motorists' view, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The high court's 4-3 decision came in the case of a fatal crash in Orlando. It was alleged that foliage from a residential property blocked the view of a dump truck, which broadsided a car, killing the driver.
The justices, though, unanimously agreed the Orlando property owner cannot be held responsible for the crash because her vegetation did not extend beyond her property lines.

The majority said residential property owners could be forced to pay damages if foliage that overlaps into the right of way causes a foreseeable hazard by obstructing cross traffic or traffic signs and signals. That standard already applies to commercial property.

"We simply cannot ignore the fact that every year highway accidents kill thousands and injure millions of our citizens, while inflicting economic costs in the billions of dollars," Justice Harry Lee Anstead wrote in the controlling opinion.

Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis disagreed. He wrote the majority unnecessarily and inappropriately imposed the "foreseeable zone of risk" standard on residential property.

"It is foreseeable that drivers may not only travel at, but may exceed, the speed limit and, therefore, under the majority's approach, the clear cutting and leveling of all forms of trees and other vegetation may be required in a near limitless fashion," Lewis wrote.

That shouldn't be the case, Justice Raoul Cantero responded in a concurring opinion. Cantero, part of the majority, noted Orlando has an ordinance saying foliage usually will obstruct a driver's vision, if at all, only between two and six feet above street level.

"Oak trees, for example, may have branches 20 feet high that rise over the street, but block no one's view of traffic," Cantero wrote. "In fact, our state is home to many 'canopy roads,' some of which are considered historic, whose charm is precisely the thick green foliage that hangs over the road like a ceiling."

The decision doesn't jeopardize such landscaping as long as it doesn't create a traffic hazard, Cantero concluded.

The ruling resulted from the 1997 Orlando crash that killed Twanda Green. The truck collided with the car Green was in as she made a left turn.
Cecilia Davis, personal representative of Green's estate, sued Beverly Williams, who owned property at the intersection.

Solutions for the 'ifs" in Life

by Met Life

Find out what kind of life insurance you may want to consider:

• If you say “I do”.
• If you are having a baby
• If you are buying a home
• If you are on a budget
• If you don’t know what you need

If you have a significant other, life insurance can help you:

• Provide for your loved one, no matter what.
• Keep your surviving spouse out of debt.
• Plan your future together.
• Fill in the gaps.

A few reasons to get life insurance if you have a little one on the way:

• Provide for those who depend on you
• Keep your surviving spouse out of debt
• Keep your family in your home
• Send your child to college

A few reasons to get life insurance if you're about to become a homeowner:

• Keep your family and your home
• Cover major improvements

Thoughts for the New Year

By Nancy Feldman
The Art of Placement
TheArtOfPlacement.cc

I’m at one of my clients homes in The Excelsior in Boca Raton. We’re accepting deliveries and managing our workmen who are installing built ins…our client is expecting all to be done before her 2:00 p.m. arrival today! Welcome to the Holidays!

Installs are when you find out exactly how off your walls are,
how uneven your floors and ceiling turn out to be and why the draperies may not go in exactly the way you planned.

While we’re pulling together this spectacular ocean front pied-e-tere, we have three other projects rushing towards completion again, prior to the holiday!

What everyone of these clients have in common is that each and every one of them have decided is that, come hell or high water their home is going to make them feel great when they walk in and they all want to enjoy it for the season this year!

Regardless of whether some purchased new, upgraded, downsized or couldn’t sell and decided to stay put; no one wanted to feel like they were surrounded by the turmoil or unfinished karma that the world is facing right now.

This year we’ve been busier than ever trying to fulfill everyone’s dreams and maybe because of our enthusiasm and the fact that we are well equipped to handle a diverse clientele we’ve been lucky enough to weather the storm of this downward market.

Each of the clients I mention today are perfect examples of what we in the Interior Decorating field are now experiencing. Our client in Addison Reserve came to us because we do decorate partial homes not just full homes. By that we mean if you have a realistic budget to do over your master bedroom suite or your main living area we can work with you. Some companies still only want to do the entire home.

Our Stonebridge client decided that she was staying put but wanted an entire facelift for her home. We transformed that home from its 70’s look to sleek and modern. They love it. They’ll be there forever, no senior living for them!

Every one of my clients who aren’t moving now want a new look. They want to breathe new life into their environment and enjoy it before they do someday decide to sell. We all agree; why have the next person enjoy your home more than you did? Renovating may become a huge part of accomplishing your goals, remember, this enables you to enjoy the fruits of your labor while you live in this space. It also (as many of my Realtor friends are trying to explain to their clients) positions you well in the market place giving you the competitive edge when the market starts to turn. We at The Art of Placement, Inc. are well seasoned in staging homes for sale and believe me it makes a difference between you and everyone else out there.

In Hollywood, we’re creating a “family compound” for generations to come. We’re incorporating treasured pieces from the past and buying items that are timeless for the future generations to enjoy. Memories are to be cherished and whether you’re making them where you live now or you’re inheriting a home that you want to update as this client is doing; you want to make sure you have the right team in place to ensure an enjoyable experience.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s to honor yesterday, today or tomorrow, we’d love to help you accomplish your goals. If you’d like a consult or want to tackle a huge project straight on give us a call at 561-479-2290 and remember, have a great holiday!

Save on Your Homeowners Insurance

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise
Allstate rewards customers who protect their investment. If you protect your home with central burglar and fire alarms, fire extinguishers and/or dead bolts on your exterior doors, then you may qualify for a Protective Device Discount. Extend the life of your home by making renovations to your roof, plumbing, electric, heating or cooling systems and you might receive the Renovated Home Discount. Plus, Allstate offers money-saving discounts to many of our valued customers, including new home buyers and retirees who are 55 years of age or older.

Click on Insurance on the menu on the right and select either Allstate insurance agents