Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

By KEN LAHMERSReporter

AURORA The citys landmark commission on Aug. 17 granted certificates of appropriateness, which will allow renovations at three historic district homes.

One of the homes is known by many longtime Aurorans as"the Green Monster." It is the large Queen Anne-style home at 50 S. Chillicothe Road, which has a new owner. It acquired its nickname because of its exterior green paint.

The other structures are located at 432 Eggleston Road and 270 S. Chillicothe Road.

"The Green Monster" eventually might not be green anymore, since new owner Helen Peterson announced she is considering repainting it a blue-gray color with white trim.

The home was built in 1898 and was owned by Willis J. Eldridge, a cheese merchant, in its early years. More recently, it was owned by former City Councilwoman Marcia Colombo and her husband Donald.

Architect George Clemens outlined plans to convert a screened porch in the back into a sunroom, replace some windows and add some railings around the front porch to closer match the houses original look.

Meanwhile, exterior alterations and additions were approved for the Eggleston Road home now owned by Robert and Charlotte Emrick and historically known as the Chauncey Eggleston house. He was one of Auroras early settlers.

Eggleston, a member of the Ohio Senate from 1830-33, built the federal-style brick and stone house in 1831 after he moved to Aurora from Connecticut in 1807. It sets on a 14-acre parcel.

The Emricks plan an addition to the existing garage, adding a breezeway between the house and existing garage and a dormer and building a detached barn/workshop behind the house and garage.

Landmark panel chairman Jeff Clark commended the Emricks for their desire to improve the historic property.

The third certificate of appropriateness was granted to Isaac Pennock for his South Chillicothe Road home. He plans to replace 13 of 21 windows in the house because they are deteriorating.

In another matter, panelist John Kudley, president of the Aurora Historical Society, announced the dedication of an Ohio Historic Marker focusing on the Geauga Lake area will be Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at the Geauga Lake Improvement Associations lakeside property on Route 43 across from East Boulevard.

The public is welcome to attend the dedication.

Email: klahmers@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9400 ext. 4189

Read the original here:
Renovations eyed to historic homes in Aurora - Columbus CEO

County fees are estimated at $18,226 for a one-bedroom, 640 square-foot accessory dwelling unit above a garage in Pajaro Valley. This does not include fees charged by water, fire, sewer and school districts.

Processing: $1,587

Building plan check: $1,412

Permit fee: $1,425

Soil report: $1,573

Environmental plan check: $576

Environmental inspections: $350

Address review: $145

Zoning review: $742

Road review: $433

Drainage review: $970

Roadside improvements: $3,000

Park fees: $1,000

Child care fees: $109

Affordable housing fee: $1,280

General plan & technology: $624

Source: Draft county ADU report

SANTA CRUZ >> Its hard to say how many accessory dwelling units in unincorporated Santa Cruz County have been created without permits.

One estimate is up to 5,000. Another is 1,000-2,000.

Those figures come from a 200-page report going to Santa Cruz County supervisors at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday with a package of recommendations to encourage property owners to go through the countys ADU permit process.

County planners see accessory dwelling units, which tend to be less than 1,000 square feet, as a way to create rentals that are more affordable but county homeowners have been wary, with only 16 ADU permits issued in 2016.

Costs are the biggest obstacle, according to the report.

Building a one-bedroom, 640-square-foot unit above a garage in Pajaro Valley is estimated to cost $181,443 including $18,226 in county fees. Construction costs are estimated at $200 per square foot.

New construction of a two-bedroom 800-square-foot ADU in Soquel would cost more, an estimated $379,914.

This includes $20,353 in county fees and $53,961 in special district fees.

In Soquel, the Soquel Creek Water District requires a second hookup, which costs $13,500. Installation requires hiring a contractor, adding $20,000 to $30,000.

Planning director Kathy Previsich estimates up to half the accessory dwellings is the county were created without permits, based on 650 responses to the countys online survey.

About 150 people attended two ADU workshops, indicating community interest.

Consultants Dyett & Bhatia and Vernazza Wolfe Associates drafted a detailed report on challenges and options to encourage ADUs. Recommendations include:

Establish an ADU team with the building official, a planner, a plan checker and planning technician for consistency in reviewing and processing applications. It can take two months to get county comments now.

Eliminate the affordable housing impact fee for ADUs involving converting space; the fee is not charged on remodels.

Offer property owners an assessment of changes to legalize an ADU, with amnesty and privacy for those who do not pursue it.

Offer 20-year loans of up to $40,000 toward ADU costs in exchange for deed restrictions for below-market rent to households with up to 80 percent of median income. Rent for a one-bedroom unit would be capped at $1,044 for a two-person household earning $64,550.

Advertisement

Allow ADUs above garages with height averaging 21 feet, currently 19 feet, and a maximum of 24 feet, currently 22 feet.

Allow larger ADUs, up to 800 square feet on parcel up to 10,000 square feet outside the urban services line.

Allow additions of up to 150 square feet for a conversion ADU to make conversions easier.

Allow up to 2 percent more lot coverage and floor area ratio on parcels 6,000 square feet and smaller to make conversions easier.

Create an ADU design book to help property owners through the permit process.

Develop a program with Habitat for Humanity to do one ADU construction per year for seniors aging in place.

To homeowners who want to lower costs, the report noted a conversion ADU of a garage or existing space in the home is less expensive than new construction.

Fire sprinklers are required for new construction but not if sprinklers are not in the main home.

Additions under 500 square feet are exempt from some permit reviews and fees, which could make that approach more cost effective.

Lighthouse Bank, which offers construction financing and home equity loans, has financed six ADUs in nine years. Bay Federal Credit Union offers home equity loans but not construction financing.

The research included interviews with housing advocates Don Lane and Tom Burns, tenant advocates Cynthia Berger and Zav Hershfield and two property owners Denise and Lydia.

City of Santa Cruz: Architects Mark Primack and Jacquie Low created prototype designs in 2003. Tandem parking is allowed. Permit process takes two weeks to six months when plans are inadequate. Reducing the minimum lot size to 4,500 square feet and changing required setbacks for existing buildings encouraged legalization.

Capitola: Administrative process takes one month; two permits a year. Most lots do not qualify due to 5,000-square foot minimum lot size. Soquel Creek Water hookup cost is a deterrent.

Watsonville: Application process is over the counter. Garages are being converted without permits to living space.

Link:
ADU options going to Santa Cruz county supervisors Tuesday - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Computers generate heat when they are turned on. All the electric energy they receive eventually turns into heat: thats the rules of thermodynamics. And if you pack your IT load in tightly to save space, you have to get rid of that heat, or the whole thing will melt.

Thats a problem. But heat is not a bad thing in itself. We all use heat. Its been humanitys friend for millennia longer than the artificial brains we build in racks. We warm ourselves, we cook food, and enjoy the comfort of hot baths and showers.

Source: Nerdalize

In the data center, heat is a by-product. It is inevitably produced and it has to be removed. The drive to make data centers more efficient is a movement to get more computing out of a given amount of input energy. This means reducing the amount of heat produced if possible, as well as the amount of energy used in getting rid of it.

Even at the highest levels of efficiency imaginable, there is still heat to be expelled. Thats a problem - but some people want to see that problem as an opportunity. Why not treat that heat as a useful output? Why not harness it? The trouble was, data centers arent generally built amongst mass housing. They arent near to potential users of heat: so the heat has to be transported,

Most data centers are cooled by air, and air isnt great for transporting heat. By the time that hot air has been piped somewhere useful, its normally cooled down to a useless temperature. There are exceptions, such as the district heating systems available in some countries - for instance, Stockholm has one, which includes an H&M data center among its heat suppliers. But lets leave those for another time, because theres another, more radical idea for re-using the heat.

If you cant take the heat from the data center to the homes and offices where it could be used, why not take the data center into those places?

Microsoft coined the term data furnace in 2011, to describe a networked processor sitting in a home, providing heating and hot water while performing tasks sent to it by a service provider. A network of these systems could become a distributed data center. Its heat energy would be harnessed,

Its taken a cohort of enthusiastic start ups to begin to put this into practice, Cloud & Heat in Germany puts a rack in the basement of apartment blocks. Qarnot in France puts a heater on the walls of Parisian flats - inside it a processor does financial and image processing work, and the heat gets used in the building.

Edge processing could reconnect data centers with people, feeding our primal need for warmth

In Amsterdam, Nerdalize has a deal with a power utility to install similar units. Its just completed a successful pilot (see picture above). And back in France, Stimergy is heating a swimming pool while performing HPC calculations. These are small outfits, performing niche jobs. But so called edge resources, close to users and devices are necessary.

Edge facilities wont replace centralized data centers, running efficiently on renewable power. Qarnots business model accepts that - the company has had investment from French data center operator Data4 which offers Qarnot processing alongside its own. But its a mighty promising field, and it could lead to data centers reconnecting with people, as part of that resource moves into our homes and feeds our primal need: for friendly warmth.

A version of this article appeared on Verne Globalssite

Read the original here:
Turning heat into a friend - DatacenterDynamics

Roadwork seems to be happening everywhere, preventing motorists from easily traveling from Point A to Point B. Work on the Church Creek culvert replacement project under State Route 532 between Interstate 5 and Stanwood is one example.

Washington State Department of Transportation wants residents to know the Strider Construction crews are making great progress on installing the new culvert.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 17, DOT reported half the culvert had been installed the day prior and the other half was expected to be in place by Thursday.

They are working as quickly as they safely can to get SR 532 back open as soon as possible, the DOT spokesperson said in the news release.

The road was closed Aug. 11 and Aug. 25 is the target reopening date.

Detour reminders

While the highway is closed, motorists need to remember which detour to use, depending on their vehicle and which direction they are going.

Trucks, RVs, etc. Use exit 221 and go through Conway. The turn radius and size of the bypass lane on the passenger vehicle detour cannot accommodate large vehicles and drivers doing so risk a ticket.

Westbound passenger vehicles Take the detour at 36th Avenue Northwest to 72nd Avenue Northwest if youre headed toward Camano Island.

Eastbound passenger vehicles Follow the detour signs and take a right on 64th Avenue Northwest, just after the bypass lane to get back on eastbound SR 532.

While the detours take a little longer, following signs and speed limits keeps everyone moving. To follow the construction progress, WSDOT has posted photos in its Church Creek fish passage Flickr album (link at wsdot.wa.gov).

Other roadwork

Another nearby culvert project on northbound Interstate 5 near Conway is very near completion. Interwest Construction crews were working last week to remove the bypass lane from the middle of the highway. This week they plan to begin some stream work to help restore the area under the bridge to its natural state.

SR 534 East from Conway: A sinkhole temporarily closed State Route 534, a busy truck route that connects SR 9 to I-5 in Skagit County. The sinkhole started in late July as a dimple in the road, but WSDOT workers soon learned a leaking culvert under the highway was washing away the roadbed, leaving nothing for the asphalt to sit on. The crew dug up the damaged area, filled it with gravel then added asphalt. The temporary repair created a bump but the road was reopened in five hours. A permanent repair is being planned.

SR 20 East: Contractor crews from Lakeside Industries crews have finished grinding and road repair on the 2 mile stretch of highway between the hospital and Food Pavilion west of Sedro-Woolley. Nighttime paving will happen this week, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Friday morning with periodic road closures.

The highway-resurfacing project between Sedro-Woolley and Concrete is mostly finished.

Suquamish ferry superstructure arrives in Seattle

Another construction milestone has been reached on Washington State Ferry fleets fourth Olympic Class ferry, according to WSDOT.

The Suquamishs 1,110-ton superstructure, which took 18 months to construct at Jesse Engineering in Tacoma, arrived in Seattle early Thursday morning, Aug. 17. The process of joining it to the hull was expected to take about 12 hours on Friday.

The 144-car Suquamish will join the fleet in fall 2018 and operate on the Mukilteo/Clinton route from mid-May until mid-October, when ferry travel is at its peak. The rest of the year, it will serve multiple routes as a maintenance relief boat for both the Super class and other Olympic class.

Excerpt from:
Church Creek culvert work under SR 532 going well - Stanwood Camano News

Posted: Tuesday, August 22, 2017 12:00 pm | Updated: 12:01 pm, Tue Aug 22, 2017.

New construction up, additions down Staff journalpatriot |

Wilkes County Building Inspections Department permit records reflect a recent shift from additions to constructing new homes and other structures.

The department issued 111 permits for 203,436 square feet of new construction valued at $16.25 million in the first seven months of this year, up from 85 permits for 139,415 square feet of new construction in the same period of 2016.

It issued 40 permits for 20,362 square feet of additions worth $2.01 million in the first seven months of 2017, down from 49 permits for 75,502 square feet of additions worth $4.63 million in the same period of 2016.

Permits were issued for additions to 29 single family homes in the first seven months of 2017, down from 33 in the first seven months of 2016.

The numbers dont include North Wilkesboro because that town does its own inspections.

New single family home construction increased 45 percent, with 58 permits issued for new single family homes in the first seven months of this year and 40 in the same period of 2016.

The 58 permits issued through July of this year were for new homes with 102,269 square feet under roof valued at $11.58 million. The 40 issued in the first seven months of the prior year were for 72,760 square feet valued at $7.84 million.

New construction permits were also issued in the first six months of 2017 for two churches (new sanctuary, classrooms and bathrooms for Journey of Grace Baptist Church and a shed for church buses for Maple Springs Baptist Church), two school buildings (two dugouts and press box for East Wilkes High School and an athletics building with storage space, locker rooms and concessions area for Wilkes Central High School), two stores (Aldis grocery in Wilkesboro and wine tasting facility for Roy Lowe), one dormitory (for Eckerd Youth Alternative in Boomer for 10 people), 18 residential garages/carports, 25 residential or non-residential storage buildings and three non-residential other.

In the first seven months of 2016, new construction permits were also issued for one school building, one store, one motel/hotel, 17 residential garages/carports, 17 residential or non-residential storage buildings, one parking garage, one amusement/recreational building, one tank/tower and four non-residential other.

Posted in News, Wilkes Journal-Patriot on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 12:00 pm. Updated: 12:01 pm. | Tags: Wilkes County Building Inspections Department Permit Records, 111 Permits For 203,436 Square Feet Of New Construction Valued At $16.25 Million, 40 Permits For 20,362 Square Feet Of Additions Worth $2.01 Million, New Construction Up, Additions Down

'); //$("#newPost .author a").text(" "); //$("#comment-log-in-area h2 span.username").text(""); });

The rest is here:
New construction up, additions down - Wilkes Journal Patriot

Repairs are underway on the bell tower at St. Johns Episcopal Church at 42nd & Sheridan in Linden Hills. Members built the church about 100 years ago. Photo by Nate Gotlieb

One-hundred years of deferred maintenance was how Rev. Susan Barnes described a project to repair the bell tower at St. Johns Episcopal Church at 42nd & Sheridan.

Its basically tilting and falling, church member Barb Nicol explained.

So this year, church members undertook a capital campaign to fix the tower and renovate classrooms in the church basement. They set a $1.7-million fundraising goal and aimed to complete the work by September, in time for the 100th anniversary of the first service in the church.

Theyre not only on track to complete the project next month, but theyve also surpassed the fundraising goal by about $300,000. Thats also given them a jump start on a social justice fund created as part of the campaign to be used for local causes.

We are very happy that at this place in our history we can do this work, Barnes said. The generosity of members at all levels of capacity has been very moving.

Its a generosity thats ingrained in the churchs history, members and leaders say. According to church archives, in 1903 members donated about $36, or about $937 in todays money, for a new hospital. They had $17 in the treasury at the time.

Later, church members were leaders in the sobriety movement and were on the forefront of marriage equality, according to member Craig Gudorf, who ran the capital campaign.

We just feel like our tradition kind of calls us to engage and not just talk about it but do something about it, he said.

The church has a healthy track record of service work both domestically and abroad, according to member Mark Lindberg, who is chair of the Outreach Committee deciding how best to use the new fund. Its work includes efforts related to shelter, housing and food.

Lindberg said theyd like to find a shorter-term opportunity and a medium-range goal for using the fund. He added that hed like to engage younger members of the church in the grant-making process, citing a Minneapolis Foundation model for doing so.

The committees work wont get started in earnest until closer to 2018, Lindberg said. In the meantime, church members are preparing for the construction work to be completed. Theyre planning a celebration to dedicate the new bell tower and preparing for the new classrooms to open this fall. Linden Hills Child Care rents the space.

Theyll also be opening a time capsule inside the churchs cornerstone that was laid about 100 years ago, Barnes said.

Gudorf said people feel a strong connection to the church. It has a thriving youth program, he said, and people want to see their kids raised in a church thats healthy.

Im not surprised that our congregation was really generous, he said.

More than 250 families and individuals are members of the parish, which is part of the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The churchs pillars are children and service, Barnes said, and the community gathers around them.

Its a really warm, welcoming place, she said.

The church began as a Sunday school back in 1897, and children have been at the center of church activities ever since, according to member Jane Gilgun, who is working on a church history. The Sunday school provided a place for parents to leave their children as they toured the area looking for lots around Lake Harriet.

The congregation bought the first of three lots on which St. Johns stands in 1904. The church was incorporated as a parish in November 1916, and building began that year. The first service was Sept. 16, 1917.

This years renovation work included excavating the entire north side of the building. The church is creating a new entrance there and is renovating the classrooms used by the daycare. The new daycare area will include new windows and new toilets for the preschoolers, Barnes said.

The rest is here:
St. John's church restoration nears completion - Southwest Journal

MCALLEN,Texas (CNS) -- Three years ago, a humanitarian crisis engulfed the city ofMcAllen as tens of thousands of asylum seekers from Central American countriesentered the border city each day -- often arriving exhausted and traumatizedfrom the long journey north.

Manyof them were fleeing extreme violence and poverty in their home countries ofHonduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

SisterNorma Pimentel, a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, who is executivedirector of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, recognized the need tohelp the refugees -- mostly unaccompanied children and women with children -- whowere pouring into the city on their way to meet family members in other partsof the United States to seek political asylum.

Sheapproached Sacred Heart Church in McAllen about using its parish hall for a fewmonths to create a waystation for these asylum seekers to get a shower, freshclothes, and supplies for infants and children.

Threeyears later, the Humanitarian Respite Center has served 74,000 people -- and theparish is finally getting its hall back.

Anew building one block from Sacred Heart Church will be constructed to housethe respite center, thanks in part to a $100,000 grant from nonprofit CatholicExtension presented by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, who is chancellorof Catholic Extension.

TheChicago-based organization is the leading national supporter of missionary workin poor and remote parts of the United States.

"Youhave welcomed strangers and made them to feel like family," Cardinal Cupichtold Sacred Heart parishioners during a Mass celebrating the Aug. 15 feast ofthe Assumption. "The immigrant is not a statistic. Each one has a story, avoice, a history."

CardinalCupich traveled to McAllen to officially grant $100,000 to the Diocese ofBrownsville for the construction of the new building. The funds were raised ata benefit dinner at the Vatican Museum organized by Catholic Extension on the dayof the Chicago prelate's elevation to the College of Cardinals in November2016.

"TheHoly Father asked that the new cardinals not have big celebrations that drewattention to ourselves, but rather that we would do something that would helpthose at the periphery of society," Cardinal Cupich said. "I'm delighted to bewith you today to dedicate the funds that Catholic Extension raisedspecifically for this event for the Diocese of Brownsville."

Standingat the future site of the new facility after Mass, Cardinal Cupich presented aplaque to Sister Pimentel and Bishop Daniel Flores of the Diocese ofBrownsville, commemorating the occasion.

"Iaccept this gift from Catholic Extension and Cardinal Cupich as being very mucha part of this great venture, which is our common venture in the Churchofgiving witness to Christ, especially in the most vulnerable," BishopFlores said.

The$100,000 raised by Catholic Extension for the new respite center is the latestgrant in the organization's more than 110 years of funding to the state ofTexas. Catholic Extension's historical funding of Texas totals more than $173million when adjusted for inflation, including 1,860 church construction orrenovation projects across the state.

Inaddition to the funds for the respite center, Cardinal Cupich's consistorydinner raised another $75,000 that was granted to Sacred Heart of Jesus Parishin Hidalgo, a rapidly growing parish located blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border.Cardinal Cupich personally presented those funds to the parish Aug. 15 as well,which are earmarked for the construction of a new church building.

Thework of the respite center in McAllen received national attention in September2015, when Pope Francis acknowledged Sister Pimentel during a "virtual papalaudience" at Sacred Heart Church televisednationally by ABC News.

CardinalCupich and a delegation from Catholic Extension toured the current respitecenter, which is in the process of moving out of the parish hall and to aninterim location while the new building is constructed.

Today, the numbers of the people served by the respite center have greatly decreased,but it continues to welcome families traveling from their home countries inCentral America who are escaping life-threatening situations. The three most-representedcountries are still Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Inaddition to attending to the physical needs of its guests, the respite centeralso provides phone services so asylum seekers can contact family members, aswell as information on how to safely travel and live in the United States. Mostrefugees spend less than 24 hours at the center before boarding buses toreunite with their relatives and await their asylum court hearing.

CardinalCupich praised the tireless work of Sister Pimentel and the numerous volunteers-- including parishioners from Sacred Heart Church -- who have staffed therespite center over the past three years. He stressed the need for the CatholicChurch to extend a welcoming hand to the marginalized immigrant and refugeecommunities who pass through the center's doors each day.

"TheCatholic Church has a very important role to humanize and put a face on thestranger and the vulnerable," he said, "especially those who sufferand whose dignity and rights are compromised or threatened."

Read more:
Chicago cardinal thanks Texas parish for 'welcoming the stranger' - Catholic News Service

Its the first word of our companys name, and its the first thing on our minds as we deliver quality and dependability to all of our clients.

We know log homes and their unique issues, and we understand the importance of keeping your home protected and looking good for years to come.

Even the most weathered and damaged log homes can be restored to their original beauty or updated to provide a new look with protection that lasts.

The wooden exterior of a log home has special needs to protect it from weather, UV light, and insect invasion. We can restore and repair your homes exterior so it looks as good as new. Ask about our Maintenance Program to keep your home in great condition.

We dont stop with the outside of your home. Our employees can take care of any interior restoration or remodeling, too. Walls, windows, floors, and more. We will update, repair, and/or remodel rooms so the inside looks as amazing as the outside of your home.

Let us put premium log-look vinyl siding on your garage or other buildings for a uniform look to your property. We also can help with porch and deck construction and/or finishing and door and window replacement.

The wooden exterior of a log home has special needs to protect it from weather, UV light, and insect invasion. We can restore and repair your homes exterior so it looks as good as new. Ask about our Maintenance Program to keep your home in great condition.

We dont stop with the outside of your home. Our employees can take care of any interior restoration or remodeling, too. Walls, windows, floors, and more. We will update, repair, and/or remodel rooms so the inside looks as amazing as the outside of your home.

Do you have a building that isnt a log structure, but youd like it to look like it is? We can do that! We can apply a log siding product that looks great.

We are licensed, insured, bonded, and covered by Workers Comp.

Read more from the original source:
Your Log Home Restoration Partner - Reliable Log Home ...

Two former Texas A&M University at Galveston students, Michael Cordray, Class of 2006 and his wife, Ashley, Class of 2009 have returned to Galveston, Texas to reclaim and showcase the islands history in their HGTV pilot, Saving Galveston.

From working corporate jobs just a few years ago to officially starting their company, Save 1900, the Cordrays are no strangers to taking risks to achieve their goals. Before officially opening Save 1900, Michael was often encouraged by his wife to quit his corporate position in order to chase their dreams.

Ashley probably asked me everyday for about a year or year and a half when I got home from work, if I quit my job today, Michael said. I dont know many wives that ask that.

Shortly after establishing their company, the calls and messages began to come from production companies affiliated with HGTV.

Finally I just decided to quit the job because we wanted to start working on more, Michael said. And then just two, three weeks later, one of the production companies called. We were talking to 15 to 20 production companies in a week, out of the blue.

HGTV production companies were in search of coastal homes selling for less than $500,000, which can only typically be found in specific regions of the United States.

Its really limiting on the east coast and the west coast, Ashley said. So I think it really drove [HGTV] down here and we got a ton of calls that week.

The show follows the couple throughout their creative process of planning and restoring historic

Galveston homes, while also sharing useful tips for home restoration. Galveston is also home to one of the largest concentrations of pre-1900 built homes in the nation.

Will Wright, director of communications and special events for the Galveston Historical Foundation said that efforts such as Saving Galveston, bring attention to Galveston and all that it has to offer and are finally giving the city the recognition it deserves.

[Saving Galveston] is a great way to educate people or showcase to people outside of Galveston what all is down here, Wright said. Its the kind of thing that advertising cant buy.

Since Saving Galveston is still aired as a pilot, the couple will know the status of their show sometime in mid to late August. If the show receives the green light, it will be aired as a full series on HGTV.

In the meantime, Ashley and Michael Cordray will continue to grow their company and restore homes throughout Galveston. They are currently working on three projects throughout the city and have five or six projects pending, should they receive the green light from HGTV.

Whether the couple is able to continue airing Saving Galveston or not, the exposure from the show has presented a number of opportunities for both Save 1900 and the city of Galveston.

Its all about just making the town as good as it possibly can be, Michael said. Its all about Galveston. The attention from the show could really be great for Galveston.

Michael said that if they are able to continue the show, viewers will definitely be seeing some maroon and white on their TV, but for now he will just have to settle for flashing his Aggie Ring.

Couple saves local houses through their own business Saving 1900

More here:
Former students host Saving Galveston, rebuild historic Galveston homes - Texas A&M The Battalion

Window replacement grant opportunities exist for both home owners and business owners looking to renovate their property with window repair replacement. A window replacement grant is money that is given by government departments to those who qualify as part of the energy savings incentives. It will cover some or all of the costs of buying and installing windows. Installing new windows is a cost effective and energy efficient way to lower your heating and cooling costs and reduce your carbon footprint. In most instances, you will not have to pay back the money received from a window replacement grant.

One of the window replacement grant programs to look into is the Weatherization Assistance Program, sponsored by the Department of Energy. This program helps low-income families update their home and renovate their current windows. There are over 38 million homes eligible for weatherization services which includes repair of windows among other energy savings renovations. Applicants must be low-income families well below the poverty line to qualify for the grant money. The money is distributed by state and local governments.

Another excellent window replacement grant to check out is the Self Help Homeownership Opportunity Program, sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This government-sponsored grant is available to low income home owners who help build the house themselves. In order to qualify for this window replacement grant of $15,000, you will need to prove your low income status and demonstrate serious financial need.

The Home Repair Loan and Grant program is another window replacement grant that can help those in need. There is both a loan as well as a grant program available, both sponsored by the government. Low income homeowners that cannot get funding from other financial institutes can apply for a $20,000 loan over 20 years at a one percent low-interest rate to use for any home replacement windows. Low income homeowners may also qualify for the $7,500 window replacement grant if they can demonstrate that their need to replace their windows for health and safety reasons.

Keep in mind that, in addition to the above grants, there is also the Energy Star incentive program that all tax payers can qualify for. You may be eligible for a tax savings this year if you replace windows either through DIY or through a contractor. Both window glass replacement and vinyl window replacement jobs will qualify for the tax credit cash back incentive. This government initiative was established as a way to get homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Replacing windows is one of the easiest ways to reduce your electricity input and thus your carbon footprint.

Replacement window costs aside, there are a number of other valid reasons to look into new windows apart from the grants and tax credit programs available. Replaced windows can make any home look like new again and can add several thousands of dollars to the resale value of your house. Even if you are not planning on selling your house anytime soon, you will be surprised at how any older home can be brought back to life with vinyl replacement windows. You will love coming home to a home that screams with style and aesthetic beauty.

New windows can also provide a sense of security and privacy to your home. With high quality and durable material, you can be sure that the only thing that is coming through your windows is natural light. You can stop intruders and poor weather from coming in all the while enjoying the beauty and natural light through your new windows. New windows come in all shapes, colors, styles, materials and designs. You can customize your own scheme or opt for some of the popular styles and sizes. Choose from materials such as vinyl, glass, wood and metal. Create a design that complements both the interior and exterior of your home. You can choose double hung or single hung windows, casement or awnings, sliders, picture or garden windows or bay and boy windows. Mix and match or use the same materials and designs for the entire home. The beauty of any new windows project is that the possibilities are endless.

If you are considering replacing windows, then you most likely want to know more about the window replacement costs as well as any window replacement grant programs that you might be eligible for. With an online search of grant programs, you can find out all you need to know about any grant project as well as the additonal costs involved. Browse through the offers, compare contractors and design a style that suits your home. If you have been considering a home renovation, then now is the time to take the leap and see what you have been missing.

View post:
Window Replacement Grant - Replace Your House Windows with ...