Tricks to Keep Your House Cool this Summer

As the temperatures continue to rise this summer, so does the cost of keeping your home cool. While homeowners across the country come to depend on air conditioners to keep the temperature down during the warm summer months, there are other options that will keep you cool while keeping your energy bill low.

Fans and ceiling fans
Shades, drapes or blinds
Internal Heat
Plants

To read more about this article and get great tips to stay cool this summer click here: http://rismedia.com/lowes/8355/8884

Homeowners: 5 Easy Do-It-Yourself Home Maintenance Projects

As we find ourselves in the midst of National Home Improvement month, HouseMaster, one of the first and largest home inspection franchisors in North America provides homeowners with simple tips on how to maintain and update their homes with fixes they can inexpensively do on their own.

“One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is letting small problems turn into big ones,” said Kathleen Kuhn, President of HouseMaster. “Home maintenance is crucial since a home is typically the largest investment an average person makes in their lifetime. Proper home maintenance can alleviate the need for large and often costly repairs.”

To read more of this article and learn 5 Easy Do-It-Yourself click here http://rismedia.com/2010-05-22/homeowners-5-easy-do-it-yourself-home-maintenance-projects/

North Penn proposed budget holds tax increase to 2.9 percent

The North Penn school board recently approved a proposed 2.9 percent tax increase for the 2010-11 budget. Therefore, the average home within the district assessed at $135,000 can expect a tax bill of $2,964, an increase of $83. The homestead exemption from state gambling revenue will come in around $191. The total proposed millage will be 21.9584. A mill is equal to a tax of $1 for each $1,000 in assessed home value. The North Penn school board has placed final budget approval on the June 10 school board meeting agenda. State law requires school districts to have their budgets finalized by June 30.

Source: The Intelligencer; 5/18/10

Philadelphia Inquirer Releases 2010 Report Card on Schools

The Inquirer Report Card on the Schools offers a comprehensive evaluation of virtually every school district and high school in the eight-county Philadelphia region. The Report Card includes

 - School by school Advanced Placement, SAT and state test results

 - Tools to rank schools by spending, scores, salaries and more

- The broadest look ever at science teaching across the region

 - Data on 324 public, private, charter and technical high schools

Check out the report card to familiarize yourself with the school districts in your area. Post a link to the Inquirer Report Card on your website so your buyers can learn more about the school districts they are considering. Don't pass up this all-important resource; check out the Inquirer Report Card today.   http://www.philly.com/philly/education/report_card/   

Montgomery Township named to "Best Affordable Suburbs in America 2010"

Courtesy of http://www.montgomerytwp.org/

Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania- Business Week has just named its top "10 Best Affordable Suburbs in America."The Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors are pleased to announce Montgomery Township has been named fifth on this list. "We have always known Montgomery Township is the perfect place to buy a home and raise a family--it's great that everyone else has caught on," said Candyce Fluehr Chimera, Township Supervisor.  

Business Week evaluated the suburbs using community data, with focus on "communities where families can live well for less and enjoy good schools, low crime, and reasonable commutes."The selected cities were limited to towns within 25 miles from major cities."We are pleased to have this distinction, especially since this year we passed our budget without a tax increase for the seventh straight year," said Michael J. Fox, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.  

"It is great to know we are viewed not only as an affordable suburb, but we are also considered a safe area with a low crime rate," said Robert J. Birch, Township Supervisor.The communities also were evaluated on the state of economy and school districts in the area."It is great to have a wonderful team effort across the board with the North Penn School District who provides a great education for our children and the great business community we have in our Township," said Joseph P. Walsh, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. "This shows that Montgomery Township truly is a great place to live and work," said Jeffrey W. McDonnell, Township Supervisor.