HILL CRAFTSMEN LLC • 10 CHESTNUT STREET • STONEHAM, MA 02180 • WWW.HILLCRAFTSMEN.COM • INFO@HILLCRAFTSMEN.COM10 CHESTNUT STREETSTONEHAM, MA 02180(617) 474-0309WWW.HILLCRAFTSMEN.COMINFO@HILLCRAFTSMEN.COMMA# 149737CS# 094605HILL CRAFTSMEN NEWSMARCH, 2009 • ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 2GOOD NEWS!There are people who areundoubtedly having a tough time ofit during this current economicstate. But keep in mind that this isnot a return to the GreatDepression! Presently, 92% ofAmericans have jobs, while in theGreat Depression theunemployment rate was nearly30%. Concurrently, there is goodnews to be told, particularly in thereal estate sector.The Stimulus Package allowsnew home buyers to save $8,000.Even prior to this package beingunveiled, a Housing IndustryAssociation survey showed that newhome sales increased by more thaneight percent in January of 2009.And despite the doom andgloom you may have heard aboutthe housing market, did you knowthat over half of the United States(28 states) had positive quarterlygrowth in housing prices for thefourth quarter of 2008 (according tothe Office of Federal HousingEnterprise Oversight Price Index).And how about the fact that the 30year fixed rate fell to 5.01%, it’slowest level on record! Now is thetime to refinance your home!Also a new study rightfully takesissue with the media coverage thatforeclosures are dangerouslywidespread. William Lucy and JeffHerlitz note in an article that 62percent of the foreclosures in 2008were in four states; and none ofthese were in the North East.Locally, we have witnessed clientshaving success in the real estatemarket – both buying and sellingproperty. We have been happy tobe apart of the work which helpedsell a home, and look forward to theopportunity to do work on arecently purchased home.As you can see, there is plenty ofgood news and benefits out therefor home owners, particularly, thosewho invest in their most valuableasset – their home. Theenhancement of your home will forcertain elevate the value of yourhome as well as the spirits of youand your family.TheChineseSymbolforGoodNews. “I’m sure it was the stacked stonewall and glass powder room thatwas the tipping point on the sale.”HILL CRAFTSMEN NEWS MARCH, 2009 • ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 2 PAGE 210 CHESTNUT STREETSTONEHAM, MA 02180(617) 474-0309WWW.HILLCRAFTSMEN.COMINFO@HILLCRAFTSMEN.COM© 2009 Hill CraftsMen LLC. All Rights Reserved.Energey Conservation Tips1) Use heat from the sun to your advantageOpen curtains on your south-facing windowsduring the day to allow sunlight to naturally heatyour home, and close them at night to reduce thechill you may feel from cold windows.2) Install a programmable thermostatThese are easy to replace with your existingthermostats and make it easy to keep your houseat the temperatures needed for various times ofthe day and according to the season.3) Seal air leaksThese are most common around doors, windowsand floors. Caulk or weather-stripping can beused in most applications to prevent these airleaks.PRODUCTSPOTLIGHTThere is a change you can make toyour home for $400 that aprofessional can do in 1 hour and cansave a family of four, $90 and 4,000gallons of water a year and $2,000over the product’s lifetime.High-efficiency toilets (HETs) havebeen around for some years now, butare now much more reliable atactually being able to flush wastewithout any problem. An HET is atoilet that uses no more than 1.28gallons per flush, which is 20% lessthan a conventional toilet.Being that toilets consume around30% of a house hold’s waste and thereturn on investment is there, thisquick improvement may be somethingfor you to consider.We would be happy to refer you to anexcellent plumber to get this done foryou.