I have had a heartwarming few days, despite the snow and rain plaguing us here on the east coast. I am constantly reminded of the genuine warmness and caring values of people here, and it is one of the most appealing things about living in the Maritimes.
I recently heard a story of several Nova Scotians that were travelling with an upper level show horse from Quebec, they encountered truck trouble in Northern NB trying to stay ahead of the most recent storm and were desperate to find a place that they could stop with their horse, get the truck fixed and bed down for the night to ride out the awful weather. Not an easy task late at night!
The girls put out a plea on social media asking for help and through an outpouring of support, found someone in Edmunston NB that went above & beyond for these total strangers. The homeowners were working at the time but enlisted the help of a nearby neighbour to meet them several kms away and guide them to a place where the horse could rest safely, allowed the girls to their home and a local mechanic even let them bring the truck in at 10pm!
I have travelled quite a bit in my life and I can honestly say that Maritime hospitality is among the warmest anywhere in the world! I am so very proud to be from a place that can extends such genuine caring to anyone and everyone, especially in negative circumstances. Having lived in several provinces and states in my adult life, I have never felt more at home than here in Nova Scotia.
If you are thinking of making a move to Nova Scotia (as an astounding number of people are from many places recently) I would love to help you find a community and property that makes you feel as at home as I do here. You won't find a warmer welcome anywhere else!
Megan
Monday, January 21, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Energy & Carbon
Going in as many homes as I do and talking with both buyers and sellers about home heating is a big part of my day to day routine. You may know that I am a huge fan of heating with wood (full disclosure, my husband owns a Hearth store locally so I know my stuff when it comes to the ins & outs of heating).
Did you know that burning wood is actually the only net zero carbon emissions way to heat your home? There is a lot of false impressions that burning wood is dirty or bad for the environment. Think of it this way, a tree in a forest contains a finite amount of carbon. That carbon will be released into the atmosphere no matter if the tree falls over and rots or if it is burned for home heating in a wood stove. And the sustainable management of woodlots allows smaller trees to absorb more carbon as they grow when older trees are harvested. Oil and coal on the other hand will not release the carbon they contain unless they are extracted from underground.
Oil pipelines and sustainable energy are hot topics as of late and there can be a lot of misinformation floating around, get educated on what type of heating is going to be the most desirable for your family and energy requirements. Perhaps it is a combination of sources, perhaps a passive solar home design would suit, look into where and how the electricity that a home draws from is produced when considering a property to purchase.
If you are thinking of relocating to Nova Scotia from out of province, you will need to get information on the local trends and costs of heating sources as they can differ significantly from other areas.
Lastly I will touch on efficiency, insulation, windows, doors etc. There isn't much point in talking about heating without talking about heat retention! There are many different programs in NS offering rebates to homeowners to offset the costs of heating and efficiency upgrading. Additionally there are different ways to structure a mortgage to allow extra money to do necessary work up front, so if we find a home that fits your needs but could use some efficiency work, don't cross it off the list before we have a chance to talk about getting these programs and products working for you!
Do you have questions about buying or selling? Get in touch, I am here to help! 902-680-2736
Megan White REALTOR®
Did you know that burning wood is actually the only net zero carbon emissions way to heat your home? There is a lot of false impressions that burning wood is dirty or bad for the environment. Think of it this way, a tree in a forest contains a finite amount of carbon. That carbon will be released into the atmosphere no matter if the tree falls over and rots or if it is burned for home heating in a wood stove. And the sustainable management of woodlots allows smaller trees to absorb more carbon as they grow when older trees are harvested. Oil and coal on the other hand will not release the carbon they contain unless they are extracted from underground.
Oil pipelines and sustainable energy are hot topics as of late and there can be a lot of misinformation floating around, get educated on what type of heating is going to be the most desirable for your family and energy requirements. Perhaps it is a combination of sources, perhaps a passive solar home design would suit, look into where and how the electricity that a home draws from is produced when considering a property to purchase.
If you are thinking of relocating to Nova Scotia from out of province, you will need to get information on the local trends and costs of heating sources as they can differ significantly from other areas.
Lastly I will touch on efficiency, insulation, windows, doors etc. There isn't much point in talking about heating without talking about heat retention! There are many different programs in NS offering rebates to homeowners to offset the costs of heating and efficiency upgrading. Additionally there are different ways to structure a mortgage to allow extra money to do necessary work up front, so if we find a home that fits your needs but could use some efficiency work, don't cross it off the list before we have a chance to talk about getting these programs and products working for you!
Do you have questions about buying or selling? Get in touch, I am here to help! 902-680-2736
Megan White REALTOR®
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