• 2 gallons of water is used to wash your hands.
• 2 gallons of water is used to brush your teeth. (if you leave the water running)
• 2 to 7 gallons of water is used to flush a toilet.
• 9 to 12 gallons of water is used to wash dishes in an automatic dishwasher.
• 20 gallons of water is used to hand wash dishes.
• 25 to 50 gallons of water is used for a five minute shower.
• The average person uses 120 gallons of water per day!
• You can not hear a "running" toilet until it
  is losing 250 gallons of water per day.   

More investors are finding a sweet spot in flipping foreclosures, but it’s not the same type of house flipping seen during the real estate boom.

During the housing boom, investors would take advantage of skyrocketing real estate prices and loose lending regulations by buying a property, remodeling, and then selling it for profit.

Today’s flippers are buying at ultra-low prices — mostly in cash deals — and are doing mostly only minor repairs, such as repainting, replacing appliances, and sprucing up the landscaping. Their profits aren’t as large when they sell, but they may sell more properties in a year, says Penny Boling, the broker-in-charge of Century 21 Boling and Associates in Myrtle Beach.

The 'Street Sweepers'
Keith Gamble has made foreclosure flipping a full-time job. He purchases properties at a monthly foreclosure sale and usually has about four properties at any given time.

“Some people’s bad fortune is other people’s opportunity,” Gamble says. “I know that sounds callous — I know people doing what I’m doing at the courthouse each month are there to take advantage of that opportunity, but I also feel we provide a backstop to the market.”

The flippers are often taking the neighborhood’s blight and helping to fix up the homes that had been badly trashed from the previous owner. Boling says the investors’ abilities to also pay cash will help the market get through the abundant foreclosures that are plaguing sales.

“They’re kind of like the street sweepers,” Boling says of the property flippers. “They’re part of the cleanup committee of this marketplace.”

Source: “Foreclosures Offer New Twist on Old Game: Flipping Houses," RISMedia (April 4, 2011)

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011040402?OpenDocument

The Kunkel Group is well-known for its projects with the city and it is ready to begin the next phase for the massive manufacturing plant.

City leaders say there isn't a more attractive place for companies looking to share more than a million square feet of manufacturing space, than inside one of Evansville's most infamous landmarks.

"It is 70 years old, so it has it's limitations, but its really the only facility in the Evansville area with that type of space," mayor Jonathan Weinzpfel said. Mayor Weinzapfel says with the deal done, the real work begins.
He says the city will work on tax abatements or other incentives to draw companies here.
"We can really roll up our sleeves and make sure we are attracting businesses and investment right into that facility," Weinzapfel said.

The Growth Alliance For Greater Evansville's president Debbie Dewey was part of the team who helped finalize the sale.

"There were a lot of details to work out when you have something that's been there that long, it's not going to be something that happens overnight, but we are excited that it's final," Dewey said.
And now that this sale is final-- the building's manufacturing days are likely not over.
 Dewey says companies are looking very seriously at the space, but it's too early to speculate exactly what companies those might be, or approximately how many jobs it create

Source: http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=260786

The Solid Waste District conducts tire recycling programs each year in the spring and fall for the residents of Vanderburgh County. 

These programs provide an environmentally proper method of disposal of used tires so that they are kept out of the landfill and are not illegally dumped. 

There is a $1 per tire fee for car & light truck tires.  Semi tires are $10 and tractor tires are $25.  Tires from businesses are not accepted. 

The District accepts an unlimited number of tires free of charge from neighborhood associations and other civic groups who collect unwanted tires from alleys, roadsides and ditches.

2011 PROGRAMS     Civic Center Parking Lot    8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Saturday, April 16

The do-it-yourself home improvement market has faced a 21 percent drop from 2005-2010, according to the latest research from market researcher Mintel. Yet, that’s not due to lack of will on home owner's part, but more about lack of money, according to the survey.

More than a quarter of DIYers surveyed said they would undertake a major home renovation or addition to their home if they had the funds.

Nearly 40 percent of DIYers say that making a major home improvement is the best long-term investment they can make.

However, with the sagging housing market, many home owners have opted to put off major renovation projects, but forecasters are already seeing signs that is changing.

“We forecast growth to accelerate in 2011 and, presuming a stabilization of the housing market, to remain positive through 2015,” says Bill Patterson, senior analyst at Mintel. “Pent-up demand, ongoing need for repair and maintenance, retro-fitting, and renovations from boomers approaching retirement and demand from millennials should all propel DIY spending.”

Source: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011040106?OpenDocument

A Russian investor paid $100 million for a 25,500-square-foot home in Los Altos Hills, Calif., which marks the highest price paid for a single-family home in the U.S.

Billionaire Yuri Milner, 49, who heads Digital Sky Technologies and whose investments include Facebook Inc., Groupon Inc., and Zynga Inc., has no immediate plans to move into the French chateau-style mansion and has a primary residence in Moscow.

The $100-million home features views of the San Francisco Bay, indoor and outdoor pools, a ballroom, and a wine cellar.

The high-price purchase is another sign in the growing strength of the luxury real estate market. Sales volume of homes more than $1 million increased nearly 4 percent in February year over year, the National Association of REALTORS® reports. Meanwhile, sales volume for homes priced between $100,000 and $250,000 have dropped nearly 8 percent.

This marks the highest known price anyone has paid for a single-family home. Investor Ron Baron in 2007 paid $103 million for 40 acres of vacant land in East Hampton, N.Y.

Source: “Home Brings $100 Million,” The Wall Street Journal (March 31, 2011)
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011033105?OpenDocument