When buying a condominium -- whether new construction, building conversion or resale -- you may negotiate price or other features, but condominium fees are not negotiable by an individual. 

Make sure as you search for properties that you find out everything about the fees.  What do they pay for… are they comparable to other complexes in the area?  Will they fit in your budget?  Keep in mind that part of your condo fees may be tax deductible and consult an accountant to get the maximum benefit.

Just imagine what it would be like if every time you shut your curtains, you could capture enough sunpower to run your laptop or television.  Such technology exists, but no one has put it together in an easy-to-use package that you can buy at your local store.

Sheila Kennedy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) believes that solar textiles can create a revolution in the way we collect and use electricity.  She is an architect and professor at MIT and has given much thought to power and light becoming flexible, literally.  Her name for it is "soft power", which comes from the "soft energy path" coined by Amory Lovins in the 1970s to describe renewable energies that would gradually replace centralized grids.

Even if your budget doesn't allow you to buy new appliances, there's no reason you have to let your old appliances look old!  A facelift is easily managed quite cheaply, and will also make them more energy efficient.  Read on for some tips on giving your refrigerator and dishwasher a new lease.  As an added bonus, you can apply these same tricks to other large appliances in your home!

Beginning with the refrigerator, it can always use a top-to-bottom scrub and a good defrost, especially if its an older model.  Clean out the inside of the fridge, removing all of the food, and use a food-safe cleaner.  Use a toothbrush to get inside nooks and crannies and wash the glass with glass cleaner or dishwashing detergent...