I am a 22 year old African American college graduate.

Working up the list, I've heard so much good information and the encouragement I get from these is immense.

Fire Tax Dues Forgiveness/Exemptions Is Illegaly Being Withheld From African American Property Owners Who Are Elderly Or Disabled !!!

It honestly bothers me immensely that both myself and the homeowners around me get quoted higher pricing than someone in another county. 

The amount of time/energy saved by masking and spraying (when approached correctly) is immense and you will justify this cost in a single interior/exterior repaint.  

@Joe Villeneuve thank you immensely for this response.

I'm going to list off some of the lowest hanging fruit from that perspective below:Attic/ceiling space often can be helped immensely by blowing in additional cellulose insulationWindows and all wall terminations should be examined and caulked/filled with expanding foam insulationWalls can often be supplemented with additional insulationRim joists, basement walls Look into selectively upgrading your main appliances (water heater, air conditioning, furnace) with high efficiency unitsOld fridges use a lot of electricity - you might take a look at what you have there and consider upgradingSome utilities have programs to offer rebates/incentives for upgrading much of the above so I'd look into that if I were you!

@David ArshakyanThat depends on an immense number of factors.

There are a lot of lenders/banks that offer this loan, but you want to find someone in your local market that specializes in them because the lender having experience with these loans will help you immensely throughout the process.

Not to mention, real estate here is still immensely desirable by so many.