Our Environment

Many current home owners in the US and UK are approaching the adjustment period on the ARM’s (adjustable rate mortgages) that were used to purchase homes during the housing boom in the early 2000’s. Once again, although due to different economic circumstances, interest rates are at historic lows and the mortgage industry is struggling to retain customers.

There are many options available when re-financing. Green mortgages are becoming very popular since they give you a benefit for energy efficiency upgrades made to your home.

Here are some common questions asked about green mortgages:

What types of green mortgages are available?
The most common is the energy efficiency subsidy that actually discounts your interest rate for meeting the requirements. Also available is the donation type green mortgage. This usually involves a donation by the lender to an ecological organization that will in turn plant trees for carbon offset or promote other sustainability programs.

How can I qualify for a green mortgage?
In the US, you will need to make sure that your home is Energy Star compliant. This means that the home uses 15% less energy than the minimum federal requirements. If your home was built energy start compliant, you will most likely have a sticker on the breaker box of the home.

Can I get a green bad credit remortgage?
Yes, even with a low credit score you may be able to qualify if your house meets the energy efficiency requirements.

Where can I learn more?
Visit the Green Mortgages Guide for more details about qualifying for a green mortgage or remortgage.

Since many of my friends know that I run several environmental related web sites and that I am always up to speed on the various issues affecting the environment, I am often asked to weigh in on these topics. Recently I was asked by a colleague to write several custom essays dealing with the environment and various sustainability issues. Unfortunately, with my hectic schedule, I could not find the time to help him out with the project. I have, over the years, hired copy writers for various marketing projects and felt that I would be qualified to give him some pointers on finding a custom writing service that would meet his needs.

Before you buy an essay or contract anyone for writing services, there are a few things that you should consider:

Are the essays written from scratch?
The last thing you want to do is turn in a plagiarized work. You can use sites like copyscape.com to search the internet for text that has already been published.

Do they guarantee turnaround time?
If you have a deadline to meet, you need to know that the work will be done in a timely manner. Make sure that there is a published guarantee on their web site.

Are the works released to you?
This is important. The work you have done should become your property and should never be used by the contracting writers again with out your written consent.

Does the Service Guarantee Quality?
A legitimate service will let you view the work for approval and guarantee a certain number of rewrites in order to meet your needs.

These are the most important factors to consider. Remember that when you buy essay from the cheapest service you may be sacrificing quality and you run the risk of purchasing work that belongs to some one else.