Submitted by Sandra Hanis

Start out with buyers tips at www.roblevy.com

If you've been renting for awhile, you probably haven't given a lot of thought to the type of heat source you want in your home purchase. Did you know heating and cooling accounts for 44 % of a home's energy use? It is not likely that that figure will go down in the years ahead!

In the Northwest you have many choices... electric, gas, oil, wood or propane. Often a buyer is so focused on the appearance of a home that they neglect to see what the heat source is. Our team of agents will note and point out the heat in a home as well as check with you to see if you have a preference. If you are from another area, you may not realize we need to be aware of buried oil storage tanks and that there are important things you need to do to minimize any future liability on a property. I am always surprised to see a recent purchase in the last 5- 10 years when a client was not advised of that by their agent...something we in the Portland area have been aware of for many years...especially in homes older than 1950.

You can easily research and be aware of heating issues and more such as: Insurance, lead paint, insulation, asbestos, windows as well as find buyer tips, financial information and more all at: roblevy.com You can always feel free to call any of our experienced agents for a free consultation to discuss your options in home ownership. 503-906-1444