Blog


Solar Eclipse vs. Solar Power

Aug 21
9:09
AM
Category | Events

Today, Monday, August 21, 2017, is the day many of us will get to experience a total solar eclipse. Even if you’re not in the path of totality, this experience is still incredible. The moon covering the sun isn’t something we see every day, and many have wondered, what happens to the solar power if the sunlight is missing during that time?

Well, after some research, here are some answers.

 

In California, the eclipse is expected to wipe out six gigawatts of solar electricity, which is enough to power several million homes. If you’re on the path of totality like California, Utah, and North Carolina, there will be some issues with solar energy that is provided by solar panels and they will have to use a combination of other energy sources to make up for the loss. 

Our home office in Avon, Connecticut, has had solar panels installed back in May of 2015. We have 572 panels and five inverters on the roof which helps reduce cost and also allows us to derive clean and pure energy from the sun, reducing our carbon footprint. It’s simple, we care about our planet and try to save as much energy as possible. Going green is a great way to go. 

What does this mean for our office during the solar eclipse? Well since Connecticut is not in the full path of totality, we probably won't see much change to our solar energy but there is also a chance that since the sun is missing for the most part, so will solar energy, but only for a short time. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in a few hours.

Since it took over 35 years for this solar eclipse to arrive, we highly recommend checking it out. However, as all the warnings have stated, please don’t look directly at the sun. You can cause severe damage to your eyes and may not even realize it until days later.

Be safe and happy viewing!


Eli Pascon’s Hummus!

On our first episode of Norcom Cooks, ValueQuest’s, Eli Pascon, shares his recipe for his famous hummus. It’s a simple and healthy, yet delicious, recipe that is sure to be a hit at any get together! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas

¼ cup tahini paste (or sesame paste) *

1 clove peeled garlic

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Drain some of the water from the can of chickpeas into a glass. You can use the water to change the consistency while making the hummus.

Put the chickpeas, tahini paste, garlic, and lime juice in a food processor, blend until you produce a smooth puree. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Drizzle some olive oil on top and serve with pita chips or Naan bread.

* Can be found in the international isle at your local grocery store.


Spring is near and with the weather we’ve had, you would think it was already here. However, the spring housing market is just beginning and before anyone goes out looking for a home, consider getting pre-approved first. You might be wondering why getting pre-approved is so important. It’s actually surprising to know how many people searching for a home don’t bother getting pre-approved. They end up wasting their time which makes them put house hunting to the side because they realized what they thought they can afford, isn’t going to work. This is a type of issue where getting pre-approved can help you avoid altogether.

Getting pre-approved allows you to shop for a home with confidence. You will already know how much you can afford and your time won’t be wasted looking at houses that are way out of your budget. Norcom’s pre-approval program allows you to tackle the loan process before you even begin your hunt for a new home. This will give you complete confidence to shop in your price range and even allows the seller to feel confident knowing your offer won’t fall through when it comes time for closing.

When you have an idea of how much you can afford before buying a home, the search for a new place becomes a lot more exciting. You’ll know that every house you visit can potentially be yours. Your realtor will help you find the perfect house in your price range, which will end up saving you a lot of time and frustration that those buyers who don’t get pre-approved go through.

Online calculators can be deceiving. You might be able to get a rough estimate of what you can afford but it won’t be as accurate as getting an official pre-approval from your lender. Getting pre-approved gives you the confidence in knowing that your offer will be accepted on a house you dream of owning.

A pre-approval will verify not only your credit, but bank statements and tax returns as well. This is a crucial step when it comes to getting pre-approved because you and your realtor will know that the amount you get pre-approved for, is completely accurate. Knowing that your key information has been reviewed by an underwriter ahead of time will give you, and the seller, confidence that you’re offer won’t fall through.

The Norcom JumpStart pre-approval program allows you to tackle the loan process before you even start house hunting, so you can shop with total Norconfidence. Every JumpStart pre-approval is reviewed by an underwriter to prepare you for success and get you closer to finding the right home for you and your family.

Visit our website, https://norcommortgage.com/pages/jumpstart-pre-approval, to learn more about our program or you can call us today to get started!


Selling Your Home in the Winter

Dec 2
8:45
AM
Category | General

Selling your home during the holiday season can be stressful, but it does have its advantages. Homebuyers will take the process a lot more seriously and competition won’t be as tough as in other seasons of the year because there aren’t as many houses on the marketing during the holidays or winter months.

Here are some tips to help you sell your home quickly and easily:

Since the holidays are here, most of us will have our homes decorated a little more with trees, wreaths, and garland. Make sure you don’t go overboard with the décor because it can overwhelm a buyer and might make them move onto another home. If there are too many distractions, your home will probably not sell as quickly as you hoped.

If your home feels welcoming, buyers will be willing to buy. Cold winter months along with the holidays is a perfect set up for making your home feel cozy and warm. This will attract buyers and help them picture themselves living in that home.

Find a real estate agent who will be available all throughout the holidays and will do anything they can to help you sell your home. You’ll feel less overwhelmed if the listing agent takes over the process and lets you enjoy your holidays without the stress.

During the winter months, those searching to buy a house are mainly doing it in the comfort of their own homes. When it’s cold out or even snowing, not many homebuyers want to go out and search for a home in person. Try to take photos that will impress a buyer online. Make these photos appeal to the buyer and if they see what they like online, they might make the trip out of their home to come see yours. It might even help if you made a video tour of your home. It’s simple and easy and it lets the borrower walk through your home without actually being there in person.

Your listing agent should be able to help you find buyers who are motivated to purchase a home this time of year. The best homebuyers to search for are college students, anyone relocating for a job, and even military personnel, if you happen to live near a military base.

If it’s that time of year where the leaves have fallen off of trees, your home is exactly what will be catching everyone’s eye. Try to keep up with maintenance around the home. Clean your gutters of any leaves and even paint the outside of your home if it needs to be updated. Also make sure your walkway and driveway are clear of snow or ice especially during those cold winter months.

 

 

 


By Day: Tracey has been with Norcom for over 2 years where she works up front as a Receptionist and Final Document Specialist. She has many different tasks every day which include answering phone calls and transferring these calls to the appropriate departments. Tracey also works closely with the Post Closing Department where she helps with sending and receiving final documents. She loves her job at Norcom because of the people she gets to associate with each day and the diversity that comes with the position. The interaction she has with her coworkers makes her job exciting and fun because she gets to meet so many people.

By Night: Outside of work, Tracey’s day consists of going home and having dinner with her husband, Roy. She then heads off to the gym and when she gets back home she continues working on her second job, Ebay. Tracey has been selling products she finds at estate and tag sales for over 17 years, where her daughter jokingly calls it, “hillbilly handpicking”.  She really enjoys the connection she makes with people through this business as well as being on the hunt for items that are often requested. When it comes to having some fun, Tracey loves to try new restaurants and going on long drives with her husband where they have no particular destination to get to, just wherever the road takes them. Tracey’s husband and her children mean everything to her and she could not imagine her life without them. 


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