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Home Performance? Lessons: Istanbul to Vienna

Home Performance? Lessons: Istanbul to Vienna Greetings PlanetSavers, OK maybe not "Home" performance... But at least it was a "Performance." Belly Dancing is a Turkish specialty, left over from the days of entertaining the Sultans of the Empire. It was interesting to see who was there and who seemed to be enjoying the performance the most. Tonight I'll share my observations from our recent trip from Istanbul to Bucharest and then along the Danube River upstream to Vienna and then a quick stop in Amsterdam. Some of it will be related to Home Performance.  But some of it will be observations about how blessed...Continue Reading!

Creating Flyers with Word or Pages

Creating Flyers Microsoft Word & Mac Pages By request tonight we'll take a look at how to create a professional flyer using simple programs like Microsoft Word and Mac Pages.  We'll answer any questions you may have and examine how to: Customize Templates: Select and edit templates provided with Word and Pages... Add Photos and Graphics: Adding and editing size, color and effects for photos and graphics... Find and Add Information: Using the internet to add additional content. Effects: Color, text boxes and shading. Printing and Email: Optimize print and email options... If you have a flyer you're working on in either Word or Pages I'll be happy...Continue Reading!

Property Evaluation Schedule

Property Evaluation Schedule Purchase, Remodel and ROI Spreadsheet By request we'll be continuing our Back Office Series. The last couple of weeks we've reviewed some time-task management tools, filing, backups and spreadsheets. Tuesday let's take an in depth look at GEE's Property Evaluation Schedule (PES). Frustrated at trying to remember to evaluate dozens of aspects that could impact the remodel budget and therefore the bottom line, I created the PES spreadsheet to track the following: Property Details: List price, days on market, beds/baths, size, amenities, average comps & rents... Remodeling Requirements: Everything from the condition of the front and back yard, fences, sprinklers and pools...Continue Reading!

Getting Organized Part 2

Getting Organized Part 2 Filing, Backups & Spreadsheet Tips Last week we took advantage of Dave's river cruising in Turkey to discuss some of the best tools in our time-task management tool box in regards to hardware, programs and apps for computers and portable devices (click here to view). As Dave continues cruising his way to Vienna, tonight we'll continue the Getting Organized series focusing on filing, backups and spreadsheets: Filing: Neat Receipts (receipts and documents). Backups: On and off site backups.  Best uses for Clouds, Photo-Bucket and Drop Box including uploading and sharing large files. Regarding Spreadsheets we'll be looking at creating tools for tracking...Continue Reading!

Getting Organized: Part 1

Getting Organized Part 1 Devices, Programs & Apps Tips Dave's River Cruising in Istanbul Turkey, enjoying the fruits of his wife Luelle's labors. Given he may not have access to reliable Internet, it's an opportune time to discuss organizational skills, tips and tricks. In a multi million copy best seller "How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life" Alan Lakein observes "Time = Life; therefore, waste your time and waste your life, master your time and master your life." Tonight let's discuss the best tools in our time-task management tool box: Hardware: The best use of laptops, tablets and smart phones. Programs and Apps:...Continue Reading!

Creating Your Home Performance Ninja Team

Home Performance Ninja Team Creating Ninjas from Novices Greetings PlanetSavers, Tonight we'll discuss a recent article I wrote on how with the right motivation and goals, tools and team consensus even those new to home performance can achieve remarkable results. Having listened to and spoke with many green building professionals I've noticed some seem to be satisfied with less than stellar results. With this mind, much of the discussion tonight will center around a question I invariably hear at energy conferences and seminars, namely:  How can we get crews trained to do EXCELLENT work?  After all, it’s not like they are working in air conditioned...Continue Reading!

What Would You Do? #2

What Would You Do? 756 Ponderosa Lake Tahoe CA Greetings PlanetSavers, Tonight we'll interview Eric Fulda, who has a new Home Performance project going.  There will be photos, diagrams and an interview with Eric about his plans for the property.  At this point, no decisions have been finalized, and he is looking for input.  All these areas are up for discussion.  We'll identify the "low hanging fruit" to prioritize the renovation: HVAC:   BTW the project is in Lake Tahoe,   lot's of Heating Degree Days Water Heating System: Will a heat pump make sense.  Sealing this 4 level home.   Where are the expected big leakers and...Continue Reading!

Home Performance Ninja Team

Creating The Home Performance Ninja Team Of course most Americans know little about Home Performance, or CFM50’s, Blower Doors or why any of those matter. … But folks who would be reading this know and care a lot about those things.    And when we gather (at ACI conferences or the various forums online) … one complaint sooner or later comes up in the conversations.   How can we get crews trained to do EXCELLENT work?   After all, it’s not like they are working in air conditioned offices,   and they probably aren’t being paid as much as the HVAC...Continue Reading!

Assembling Your “A-Team”

Assembling Your "A-Team" Residential Flipping and Leasing Tonight we will talk about team building.   Building the team to find, buy, renovate and rent or sell the finished products. As you know, I now live 3,000 miles away from most of the work that GreenEarthEquities has done and is continuing to do. So the only way I could possibly do this is with a great team. Even with my new operation in Virginia, all of the work has been done by the great team I have been blessed to find. We've had a lot of questions like, "How do you find a good contractor that...Continue Reading!

What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? 13 Cedar Round Hill VA The plans have changed on our Virginia Test House. Due to budgeting issues the house has been moved over to be a research project of NREL. The 1700 square foot, two story house is finished with a very tight envelope... but has been waiting for a decision about HVAC to move ahead.  NREL will be doing the monitoring of this home, similarly to the Fresno Test House. Their research will primarily focus on humidity, which will be measured in many locations under all types of simulated loads and times of the year. It...Continue Reading!