Living a green lifestyle is slowly being a standard in our society. For those who have not transitioned to be more sustainable, the best place to start is in the home. Unfortunately, most appliances in homes are outdated and use a liberal amount of water and energy. Cutting back on laundry and shower time can be very effective, but you can also buy energy efficient appliances that will save a lot of energy on their own. In combination with buying green and acting green, you can live very sustainable. Let’s compare! Source: eLocal.com   Buying or selling in Pittsburgh? Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-309-1758 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 07/13/2012

  Guest Blog Post: By Andrew Hill @ www.NewHomeSource.com   Technology. It’s all around us. It’s transformed the way we work, think, play, and interact with each other on the most basic levels. It’s led to new businesses and industries while paving the road for the downfall of others. And these effects are not lost on the world of real estate.   It wasn’t so long ago that putting your house on the market meant open houses, flyers, and a ‘for sale’ sign in the front yard. Buying was as simple as talking to a Realtor, looking at the MLS and finding signs on the side of the road that would lead you to your potential home. Those days, however, are long gone. With the internet revolution, real estate has changed dramatically and requires a whole new skill set.   To be successful in today’s f... 06/11/2012

Moving or relocating to Pittsburgh and need someone to assist with your real estate needs?  Contact Liz Caplan, The Caplan Group to assist with your Pittsburgh real estate needs.  Visit our website, www.Pittsburghhomesite.com to learn more about our services or call 412-302-2645 or email today liz@Pittsburghhomesite.com to continue the conversation! 06/04/2012

I love our green city and the people that help make it that way. Tree Pittsburgh is one of those groups and I think they have an idea worth voting for, so please vote for them... Vote for Tree Pittsburgh to Receive $2000     Vote for Seedlings in Schools here!Tree Pittsburgh is in the running to receive $2000 from GOOD Magazine's GoodMaker program. If funded, Tree Pittsburgh will take its urban forestry education to local schools, and teach students about urban forestry, species & genetic diversity, invasive pests, and how to raise a tree from seed, to be planted in future local restoration plantings. We appreciate your vote! Share this link with your friends and social networks! You can vote once per email address, and voting ends Wednesday May 30th. 05/24/2012

Thank you friends, family, past clients and current clients for making us #1. RE/MAX is proud to have helped more home buyers and sellers in 2011 than any other national real estate franchise. The recently released RE/MAX vs. The Industry report shows RE/MAX Agents closed 751,088 transactions last year, 20% more than our closest competitor! http://bit.ly/REMAXvIndustry. 05/09/2012

 This looks like a really fun event being held in Lawrenceville by the people at Penn Future. Learn about the future of Energy Efficiency and have some cocktails too! Click here for registration and more information.   The Electrifying Future of Efficiency Open House and Trivia Quiz What's your EE IQ? Test your knowledge at The Electrifying Future of Efficiency, our open house and quiz show on saving energy. Join usStop by any time between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to learn all about the newest trends in energy efficiency. Enjoy a cocktail whipped up by the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC), sample a selection of delicious hors d'oeuvres and then browse our electrifying vendor stations. Don't forget what you learn, because Quizmaster Dave Mansueto will be puttin... 04/23/2012

A few weeks ago I attended the Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard Planning Meeting held in Lawrenceville. A big part of my interest is that this plan will significantly change the neighborhood near the new Hatfield+Home development that I am marketing, and has the potential to make our homes some of the hottest properties going. What was being presented was a vision for the future of Pittsburgh and especially the city side of the riverfront from Downtown to beyond the city limits, and specifically the area around 43rd Street in Lawrenceville. There were three areas of discussion at the meeting: Transportation, Open Space and Development. After an initial presentation of the plan as it stands now, which you can download here , we broke into three groups and rotated through areas set up... 04/18/2012

Wondering how the county reassessment is going to effect your tax bill? The county was kind enough to publish the average increase for the county assessments (35%) and each municipality and school district. You can take a guess at what next year will bring by figuring out what percentage your assessment increased or decreased, and then comparing it to the averages for each taxing body. If it went up more than the average then you might see an increase, if it went up less than the average or dropped then you will probably see a decrease. Check out the averages here... 03/26/2012

I don't suppose it is easy to retire before you are ready.  What may make it even more difficult is if it is a money issue characterizing why you don't want to retire but are pretty much forced to do so.  Equally difficult, I suppose, is if you still have a passion for your job and/or the company you work for. The next stop for former Pittsburgh Steeler Wide Receiver Hines Ward may well be Canton, the NFL Hall of Fame.  Detractors may say that his stats don't warrant that stop compared to some of the other receivers who haven't made it.  Forget the rings and Super Bowl MVP, I'm really not writing this to debate that subject.  Besides, I'm a bit biased.  Hell, if I was an NFL Wide Receiver ... I'd probably want to be Mr. Hines Ward.  Then again, I'm a Steeler guy. It is hard to feel bad ... 03/20/2012

If you are concerned about the air quality in the area you are moving you might want to check out this recently released tool from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An interactive map featuring data from its greenhouse gas report that lets you see what facilities in your area are the largest suppliers of fossil fuels and highest direct emitters of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Users can search for emitters by region, down to the street level, to see what type of greenhouse gases have been released as of 2010, at what quantities, and by whom. 03/18/2012

  Metro Scale Up is inviting Pittsburgh homeowners to attend a FREE energy conservation session in Squirrel Hill. Professionals in the residential energy, weatherization and financing industries will educate residents about the environmental, social and economic benefits of home weatherization.           East End Efficiency Education Session   Wednesday 3.21.2012 - 6pm   Jewish Community Center - Levinson Hall   5738 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217   Free and open to the public - Refreshments will be served       The Metro Scale Up Community & Education Campaign is a widespread community engagement and education campaign, kicking off in Squirrel Hill then moving on to Penn Hills, Hazelwood and Wilkinsburg.   The Metro Scale Up Community & Education Campaign is a partnership of ACTI... 03/16/2012

If you live in Allegheny County you are eligible for a break on your taxes but you must apply. The Homestead Act (Act 50) is a program that reduces your market value by $15,000 for County taxes only. To qualify, you must be the owner and occupy the dwelling as your primary residence. The application deadline is March 1 of each year. Once you have applied you get the exemption and do not have to apply each year. Once you have filed, your exemption will remain in effect until you sell/transfer the property or change your occupancy. Make sure if you buy a home to take care of this paperwork and save yourself some money. More information and the application are available here... http://www.alleghenycounty.us/opa/FAQ_act50.aspx 03/15/2012

If you haven't heard the news then let me be the first to tell you that Pittsburgh is "IN". That is according to the Washington Post's 2012 in and out list. And in Austin they even named us as one of America's next hipster cities. That really should come as no surprise, as a city we had a very good 2011, ranking us in the Top 5 markets in the country, according to MSN. All this praise is thanks to our affordable housing, lower than average unemployment, great art scene, a diverse and growing employment base and a whole list of other reasons. A recent reportplaced Pittsburgh in the top echelon of cities that have already recovered the jobs lost during the recession, and projects overall growth by the end of the year. The buying and selling season seems to have come a bit early this year,... 03/13/2012

Here is a good website to check out... Pennsylvania residents have the right to shop for their energy supplier. This means you can find a supplier that has a lower price or one that generates their power from green or renewable sources. www.PAPowerSwitch.com gives you the information you need to make the best choice.   Buying or selling in Pittsburgh? Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-309-1758 (direct) or visit my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com. 03/09/2012

Are you looking for the best deals in town? Foreclosures are happening in all areas of town. If you would like a FREE list of foreclosures and Short Sales in; Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and/or Mercer County all you have to do is send an email with areas of your interest. Also if you would like to search for properties on the MLS for free at your convenience just like Realtors do we can set you up with that too. It's all free. Just email us with where you would like the information sent to.       02/17/2012

This program offers an ideal beginning to students was wants to learn about or re-visit the basics of yoga.Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline that originated in ancient India, whose goal is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. It is also a useful tool for simple exercise and general health improvement.Warm-up exercises will be performed to improve flexibility and strength. For more information, call (724) 485-9556. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/events/#ixzz1kR8ggYi0 I did Yoga for years when I was big into martial arts and loved it.  It truly improves the bodies strength and flexibility. 01/24/2012

I am excited to announce that I recently published my Home Buyer's Guide and Home Seller's Guide on my website. Both guides were intended to help Pittsburgh buyers and sellers understand the details and decisions of buying or selling a home. These are not generic guides, but instead something that I put together and includes great Pittsburgh area resources and information. Covering Allegheny, Butler and Westmoreland counties with links for more information on a variety of real estate subjects. You can download either guide, for free, from my website at www.bestpittsburghhomes.com, just click on the "Planning to Buy" or "Ready to Sell" links to get the guide. I hope you find the guides helpful and feel free to call me with any questions about buying or selling your home in the Pittsburgh... 01/23/2012

Every year there is a Starving Artists Convention at three different locations here in the Pittsburgh PA area.  Last year was the first year I went and it was three Saturdays in a row.  Well this year it was only one Saturday and that Saturday was today.  There are not paintings over $69.  I picked up three paintings.  Two big ones and a small one.  It was well worth the $167.99. The first two are for me and the last one is for my mom and dad.  01/07/2012

Relocating to Pittsburgh Pa and looking for a great real estate agent?  Our team of Realtors® are knowledgeable relocation experts, experieinced working in all areas of Pittsburgh and can help with all your relocation and moving needs.  Look for an agent who is experienced and works in the area/s or niche market you are interested in buying.  I'm licensed in the state of PA, but I specialize in several niche areas in Pittsburgh such as Downtown, Sq. Hill, Shadyside, Mt. Washington, South Side, Fox Chapel, Oakmont and other surrounding suburbs. Before relocating to Pittsburgh do your homework, research on-line which Realtors® specialize in the area/s you are interested in.  Working as a buyers agent requires a lot of COMMUNICATION, trust and commitment.  Personalities must also align, yo... 01/05/2012

There is a lot of confusion related to the new Allegheny County Reassessments that will be presented to county residents in the near future. Unfortunately a large amount of the information you hear will also be wrong. Here is a bit of the truth... Myth: The reassessment will cause my taxes to go up. Fact:  Reassessment is a re-evaluation of what your house is worth. Because of the states' anti-windfall law, the taxing bodies are not allowed to get a huge revenue boost when they do new assessments. In fact they are MANDATED to reduce the tax rate (millage) to keep the total amount of tax collected in line with the previous year. If your assessment goes up, but the millage goes down, you may actually end up paying exactly the same amount, or even less. However, if you live in an area that... 12/27/2011