Qualicum Beach Real Estate::Marc LaCouvee : Technology

Ductless Heat Pumps ~ Qualicum Beach Real Estate

Marc LaCouvee — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:11:00 GMT

Recently I had a client approach me about buying a home but had some concerns about the family room space over the south facing garage. They were concerned that the space would be stifleing hot in the summer and too cool in the winter. I talked to a good friend who has a heating buisiness and he recommended a Ductless Heat Pump.

Ductless heat pumps are good for both new home construction and replacing existing heating units in older homes. They are especially good for replacing out of date wall heaters and baseboard heaters.

One of the main benefits of these systems is that there is no efficiency loss that is often found with duct systems. In many cases, you can lose up to twenty percent of your energy efficiency with ducts. Another name for ductless heat pumps is a mini split heat pump.

Developed in Japan 30 years ago, many heating contractors in the Canada and the U.S. are just now learning about this option. There are only two main components: an outdoor compressor unit and an indoor air handler, which is typically installed high on an outside wall.

A small tube delivers conditioned air directly to the room. Because there’s no long expanse of ductwork, ductless heat pumps operate up to 50% more efficiently than traditional forced-air systems.

The installed price is around $3000 to $5,000 for equipment that handles 1,100 square feet. Many levels of government offer rebates or tax incentives to home owners who are utilizing environmentlally friendly heating and cooling options.

I have attached a couple of links to help you in your search and understanding of the pros and cons of this heating and cooling option.

http://www.hvac-for-beginners.com/ductless-ac-ratings.html

http://www.theheatpumpreviews.com/ductless-heat-pump-reviews/

Qualicum Real Estate - Moisture and Wood-frame Buildings.

Marc LaCouvee — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:32:00 GMT

Even though we live in Qualicum Beach, a relatively dry community on Vancouver Island, we still encounter problems with moisture and wood frame structures. I have seen lots of mold and decay during building inspections. Here is a great publication on how Moisture and Wood frame buildings can be harmonized to produce structures that will last a long time and help reduce the complications of poor moisture control. It is attached as a PDF to this post

Joint publication of FP Innovations – Forintek Division, Société d’habitation du Québec and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 20 pages

Is a Tankless Water Heater Right for You?-Qualicum Beach Real Estate and Energy Efficiency

Marc LaCouvee — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:11:00 GMT

Is a Tankless Water Heater Right for You?

Are you thinking of building a new home or retro-fitting your current home in Qualicum Beach, Parksville, Nanoose or just anywhere in general. Attached you will find the PDF of an article written by Joe Bousquin in House Logic and copyright 2012 from the National Association of REALTORS, of which I am a proud member. I hope you will enjoy the article and it will provide some information or thoughts on the comparative value of installing a Tankless Water Heater. If you log into the HOUSE LOGIC tab on my website, http://www.LaCouveeHomes.com you will find over 650 articles like this to read and download. Although this article is written for the US market, the Canadian Government and the Province of BC have numerous programs to help with funding and tax breaks for the installation of energy efficient options.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/1513

http://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/builders_developers/new_home_program.html

http://www.livesmartbc.ca/incentives/efficiency-home/index.html

http://www.solarbc.ca/install/builders-developers

Warm regards, Marc

Qualicum Beach Parksville Real Estate - Maintaining your HRV

Marc LaCouvee — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:39:00 GMT

Your heat recovery ventilator (HRV)can help make your house a clean,healthy living environment, while keeping fuel bills down. But your HRV can’t do all this without your help.

It only takes seven simple steps to keep your HRV happy . . .

A common question that I have encountered this last year has related to Heat Recovery Ventilator. (HRV) Quite often people have asked me if the units have been serviced or even if they need to be serviced annually. I have attached a copy of a CMHC brochure on maintaining your HRV

QUALICUM BEACH REAL ESTATE - HOME AUTOMATION

Marc LaCouvee — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:02:00 GMT

The philosophy of universal design is that your home should be comfortable, pleasant, safe

and usable by everyone in your family, be it your children, you or your spouse, aging parents

or a relative with a disability.

The use of technology and automation can help create living spaces that are convenient

and energy efficient, minimize the potential for accidents and result in a house that is able to

adapt to life’s changes—whether caused by changing family composition or the changing

abilities of family members. Attached is an excellent article on home automation from CMHC

Qualicum Beach votes to become a "Solar Hot Water Ready" community

Marc LaCouvee — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:45:00 GMT

I have come across this timely article on the 2nd largest energy demand in our homes - Hot water! On Monday, October 3, 2011, Qualcum Beach voted to become a "Solar Hot Water Ready Community. Under the provincial program, participating communities will require new single-family homes to have "Pre-piping" for a solar hot-water system. This will add about $200 to the cost of an average new home and $500 to a large home, compared to retrofitting costs of $1500 to $3000, according to a staff report.

October 6th, 2011
By Vivian Martin

In our energy efficiency series of articles featured each Thursday, we provide strategies or information on how to make your new home energy efficient and comfortable.

Hot water demands the second largest amount of energy in our homes, after space heating, and it represents about 30 per cent of total energy use in our homes.

Solar hot water is smart and cost effective technology that can supplement up to 60 per cent of the water heating energy needs for a typical family of four. This comes from the fact that in Canada there is enough solar energy to generate an average of 2500 kWh of energy per year!

Domestic solar hot water systems are designed to last 20 to 40 years, minimize environmental impacts, and promote community economic development through the building of a sustainable industry economy. So you’ll be contributing to a healthier environment, and making a difference!

On July 12, 2011 the federal government announced the return of the ecoENERGY Retrofit for Homes Program. The program provides homeowners with grants of up to $5,000 for making their homes more energy efficient. Included in the list of grants is $1,250 for installing a year-round solar hot water system. (Residents may also be eligible for regional grants. BC residents also apply for the $500 grant for solar hot water installations available from LiveSmart BC, they can save $1,750 in total.)

Both the ecoENERGY program and the LiveSmart BC program require the homeowner to have a pre- and post-retrofit energy evaluation. To qualify for ecoENERGY funding, purchases of energy saving equipment must be made after June 6, 2011, and retrofits and the post-retrofit evaluations must be completed by March 31, 2012. For LiveSmart BC funding, retrofits must be completed within 18 months of the pre-retrofit evaluation or before March 31, 2013, whichever comes first. LiveSmart BC funding is provided on a first come, first served basis.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for BC residents to install solar hot water systems, save on their energy bills, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”, says SolarBC Manager, Julia Roberts. “I recommend that residents act on this opportunity quickly as the timelines are tight and we saw LiveSmart BC grants snapped up last year”.

Read more about the ecoENERGY Retrofit for Homes Program

The complete list of available ecoEnergy grants can be found here

You can review details of the LiveSmart BC program here.

(Information above courtesy of SolarBC)

For more information on being Solar Ready, we are providing some links which you may find helpful:

Natural Resources Canada
CMHC Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA)
SolarBC
Solar Energy Society of Alberta (SESA)
Solar Heating Initiative for Today (SHIFT) Saskatchewan
Manitoba Hydro Solar Water Heating Program (includes video)
Ontario CANSIA Solar Ready guidelines

Parksville Qualicum Beach real estate - Exposed wood structures #fb

Marc LaCouvee — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:40:00 GMT

This bulletin from the Homeowners Protection Office provides guidance on the review and maintenance of exposed wood to help ensure that these components achieve their intended service lives and maintain their appearance. Need more information about buying or selling your home in the Parksville or Qualicum Beach area? Log into http://LaCouveeHomes.com or call me at 250-752-2466

A HELPFUL GUIDE TO THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF APPLIANCES

Marc LaCouvee — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:57:00 GMT

Here is a handy little guide of life expectancy of appliance from the Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components The study lists everything from building materials to technology and is current for 2007 items. Technology has already changed a bit in just three years, but it's still pretty accurate in terms of lifespan. Many of our major household appliances and gadgets will last over a decade, which is excellent when it comes to keeping what we have for as long as possible. It notes items such as:

Appliances:
* Dishwasher: 9 years
* Food Waste ("Garbage") Disposer: 12 years
* Microwave Oven: 9 years
* Electric Range: 13 years
* Gas Range:15 years
* Range/Oven Hoods: 14 years
* Compact Refrigerator: 9 years
* Standard Refrigerator: 13 years
* Freezer: 11 years
* Washer: 10 years
* Electric Dryer: 11 years
* Gas Dryer: 10 years
* Furnaces: 15 to 20 years
* Tankless Water Heater: 20+ years
* Electric Water Heater: 11 years
* Gas Water Heater: 10 years

Devices:
* Built-In Audio System: 20 years
* Security Systems: 5 to 10 years
* Heat/Smoke Detectors: 5 to 10 years
* Wireless Home Networks: 50+ years
* Home Automation Systems: 50+ years

WHAT IS MLS®

Marc LaCouvee — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:59:00 GMT

The MLS® System

To attain its high reputation, Vancouver Island Real Estate Board's Directors and committees have had to work together and co-ordinate their expertise. Members of the public usually interact with individual members of the Board – REALTORS® - and not the VIREB itself.

This co-operative MLS® system enables all members of the Board to share information about properties listed for sale. The Board is the nucleus, or operating heart, of the MLS®, which provides a sound, fast and fair merchandising structure to the buying and selling public and a sales tool that is one of the greatest benefits a licensee could possibly have.

Basically, the MLS® is a professional network involving all VIREB's 1,000+ REALTORS®, representing approximately 80+ offices within the Board jurisdiction. The VIREB MLS® maintains information on between 4800-7000 active listings of property for sale on the Island. Listings range from undeveloped lots to business opportunities or special properties.

Networking

Through the use of MLS®, the computer and services of the Real Estate Board in concert with the expertise of the salesperson and the real estate firm, the marketing of property extends beyond the normal geographic boundaries of the community where the property is located. There are approximately 2,300 REALTORS® on Vancouver Island, including Victoria, who know and cooperate with their colleagues in other communities. In addition, there are over 80,000 REALTORS® spread across Canada - of which most have computer facilities similar to this Board, meaning direct access is available.

MLS® Listings

On the average, the Board receives approximately 77 listings per day which are being updated virtually every minute of every working day. The minute a listing is entered into the database, it becomes available to all members. REALTORS® are able to customize a house search specifically for their potential buyers simply by connecting to the VIREB MLS® at any time of the day.

MLS® Listings on the Internet

All listings on the MLS® are also given Internet exposure, through the www.REALTOR.ca site. This site, which is updated each business day with new listings and changes to existing ones, enables the public to search through all MLS® listings across Canada (over 80 Board listings are included) - and makes contacting the Listing Representative easy and convenient - from anywhere in the world! Statistics show that the number of VIREB's property feature sheets viewed on the Internet each month are constantly on the rise.

VIREB's Catalogues

REALTOR® and Supplementary MLS® catalogues are also available to REALTOR® members - updated and published weekly. Where the REALTOR® catalogue is only available to REALTORS®, the Supplementary Catalogue has been designed specifically for REALTORS® to purchase from VIREB for distribution to the public. VIREB iteself does not sell catalogues to the public, they must be obtained through a REALTOR® member. Both catalogues are important marketing vehicles for REALTORS®. These catalogues contain the largest and most comprehensive inventory of homes available for sale on Vancouver Island. A photograph and informative description of each home is included, as well as listing information for condominium townhouses and apartments, mobile homes, land and commercial properties. Everything considered pertinent to the sale of a property is in these catalogues; ie. property features, price, location, wheelchair access, schools etc.

REALTORS®' access to the MLS® means that properties listed for sale receive wide exposure thus increasing the opportunity for quicker sales and fewer problems. Through either direct computer access or via the printed MLS® catalogue, REALTORS® have a superior marketing tool at their fingertips when working to match sellers with buyers. The MLS® sales data also provides valuable statistical analyses of the local housing market.

VIREB's Computer System

The MLS® is made possible through sophisticated computer systems provided by VIREB and other contributing real estate boards across Canada.

VIREB began its conversion to computerization in August 1980, by going "live" on its new computer running the VANDAT software. This first phase entailed the processing of listings, sales, membership control and the Board's general administrative operation. The second phase in September 1980 introduced the full "on-line" inquiry system to the general membership and the third and final phase was the introduction of the complete catalogue system in January 1981.

Over time the system was enhanced including providing, better, more user friendly access for REALTORS® to gather information for their clients.

In 2000 the option of accessing via the Internet rather than a direct dial phone line became available.

In the spring of 2003 a new "front-end" software was made available to members and in November of 2004 the option to access MLS® data via browser based web access was also made available.

At the end of 2006 VIREB began the process of moving all functions off the in-house computer and moving them to the back-end system of the current MLS® system provider. This will allow for even more effective and efficient tools to be made available to member REALTORS® and through them, to their clients.