Florida Yards & Neighborhoods

www.FloridaYards.org
view complete handbook

FYN is an educational program and not a regulatory agency; however, the FDEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and local governments strongly support the program. The best part is that practicing these principles benefi ts both the environment and you saving you valuable time and money.

This integrated approach to landscaping emphasizes nine interrelated principles:

• Right plant, right place
• Water efficiently
• Fertilize appropriately
• Mulch
• Attract wildlife
• Manage yards pest responsibly
• Recycle yard waste
• Reduce stormwater runoff
• Protect the waterfront
  

Deciding Whether or Not to Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned

By United States Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov

Knowledge about the potential benefits and possible problems of air duct cleaning is limited. Since conditions in every home are different, it is impossible to generalize about whether or not air duct cleaning in your home would be beneficial.

If no one in your household suffers from allergies or unexplained symptoms or illnesses and if, after a visual inspection of the inside of the ducts, you see no indication that your air ducts are contaminated with large deposits of dust or mold (no musty odor or visible mold growth), having your air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary. It is normal for the return registers to get dusty as dust-laden air is pulled through the grate. This does not indicate that your air ducts are contaminated with heavy deposits of dust or debris; the registers can be easily vacuumed or removed and cleaned.

On the other hand, if family members are experiencing unusual or unexplained symptoms or illnesses that you think might be related to your home environment, you should discuss the situation with your doctor. EPA has published Indoor Air Quality: An Introduction for Health Professionals and The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality for guidance on identifying possible indoor air quality problems and ways to prevent or fix them.

You may consider having your air ducts cleaned simply because it seems logical that air ducts will get dirty over time and should occasionally be cleaned. While the debate about the value of periodic duct cleaning continues, no evidence suggests that such cleaning would be detrimental, provided that it is done properly.

On the other hand, if a service provider fails to follow proper duct cleaning procedures, duct cleaning can cause indoor air problems. For example, an inadequate vacuum collection system can release more dust, dirt, and other contaminants than if you had left the ducts alone. A careless or inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements. Read the complete brochure from EPA.

Please contact the duct cleaners listed in the menu for more information or to request a quote.

Hurricane Preparedness 2007 Sales Tax Holiday

June 1 through June 12, 2007

This sales tax exemption applies to each eligible item, regardless of the number of items sold on the same invoice to a customer. If the sales price of a qualifying item exceeds the allowable threshold amount (listed below) this tax exemption will not apply and the total purchase price is subject to tax. The exemption DOES NOT apply to the leasing of a qualified item.

The following items are specifically identified as eligible for this special sales tax holiday for hurricane
preparedness:

Qualifying items selling for $10 or less:

• Reusable ice or items sold as artificial ice

Qualifying items selling for $20 or less:

• Any portable self-powered light source
• Battery-powered flashlights
• Battery-powered lanterns
• Gas-powered lanterns (including propane,
• kerosene, lamp oil, or similar fuel)
• Tiki type torches
• Candles

• Any gas or diesel fuel container (including LP gas and kerosene containers)

• Batteries, including rechargeable (listed sizes only)

• n AAA-cell
• n AA-cell
• n C-cell
• n D-cell
• n 6-volt (excluding automobile and boat batteries)
• n 9-volt (excluding automobile and boat batteries)

• Coolers (food-storage; non-electrical)
• Ice chests (food-storage; non-electrical)

• Any cell phone charger

• Tarpaulins (tarps)
• Visqueen, plastic sheeting, plastic drop cloths, and other flexible waterproof sheeting
• Ground anchor systems or kits
• Tie-down kits (items that are advertised or normally sold as a tie-down kit)
• Bungee cords
• Ratchet straps
  

• Any cell phone batteries

• Radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
• Two-way radios (self-powered or batterypowered)
• Weather band radios (self-powered or battery-powered)
• Any carbon monoxide detectors
• Any package consisting of two or more of the previously listed qualifying items.

• Storm shutter devices (defined as materials and products specifically manufactured, rated, and marketed for the purpose of preventing window damage from storms)

• Portable generators that will be used to provide light, communications, or to preserve perishable food in the event of a power outage.

Read the complete brochure

Florida Economist Predicts Housing Ready to Recover

Orlando - May 31, 2007
Florida Association of Realtors
www.FloridaRealtors.org

A top Florida economist has declared the housing slump a done deal. It will take another 18 months or so before closing volumes reach more normal levels, but the worst is behind us, says Hank Fishkind.

Fishkind says the turn-around is important to everyone, attributing housing troubles to the recent 75 percent drop in GDP (gross domestic product). The current 1.3 percent rate is down from the historic 4 percent pace, but Fishkind says that dropoff would go away completely when housing simply returns to normal evels.

With (the number of home) starts below (the number of) closings, the inventory of new but unsold homes is slowly being absorbed, says Fishkind. Sales of existing homes are the best leading indicator for national housing markets. April sales were off sharply, falling below 6 million at an annual rate. At these levels it will take 8.4 months to sell all the homes that are for sale. However, prices remain stable. And the sales levels, while down this month, were up sharply earlier in the year.

What all of this means, is that we have seen the worst for housing markets, Fishkind says.