Real Estate Information

For most of us the laundry room is “Out of sight, out of mind.”  When we clean the house the rooms generally tackled first are those we frequent most (like the kitchen and bedrooms) or areas in the home that we might expect visitors to see (like the family room and bathrooms).  If the laundry room is an afterthought, what does that make the unseen accumulation of dust and lint in your dryer vent?  One word: dangerous.  Periodic cleaning of your dryer vent is a great habit to get into.  The problem is you just have to remember to do it – every year.  That or someone has to remind you.

Consider this your reminder.

Over 15,000 fires happen in clothes dryers annually, and the vast majority of them are attributed to poor cleaning and upkeep.  Daily, newspapers around the country run articles about dryer vent fires and their devastating effect on local families.  15 deaths and over 300 injuries happen every year in clogged dryer vent fires in residential buildings.

Experts recommend having your dryer duct and vent cleaned out at least annually.  It’s all too easy to overlook some of these infrequent yet necessary home safety maintenance chores.  Again, the reason for this reminder.  I recommend grouping this task with other annual or semi-annual home maintenance jobs like changing the backup batteries in smoke alarms and emergency flashlights, or inspecting your fire extinguisher.  Schedule this group of tasks into your computer or cell phone calendar, or pencil it in on the tried-and-true printed calendar on the front of your refrigerator.

Have a happy (and safe) new year!

This is a continuation of our last blog, “Packing and the Move (Part 1)”.

1. Use your move as an opportunity to de-clutter.  We all have stuff we have been hanging onto for far too long.  Clothes we no longer wear, or that have been out of style for decades; that old barbershop chair in the basement gathering dust; VHS tapes, rotary phones, vinyl record albums.  Some of it may very well be collectable.  Some of it may just be gathering dust.  Have a garage sale, and donate any leftover stuff.  Now’s the time to pull out everything that really has no business on the back of a moving truck, and no place in your new home.  Use the proceeds from your garage sale to buy pizza for lunch for your moving crew.
2. Have a toolbox handy for taking apart bed frames, tightening loose screws, removing wall-hanging hardware, and the like.  Be sure to have one or more box cutters in the tool set for unpacking, and be sure the toolbox is placed in a central location in your new home on move-in day, like the kitchen, so you don’t have to look for tools when it comes time to reassemble bed frames, for example, at the end of an exhausting day.
3. Use blankets to drape over delicate surfaces like electronics and furniture to prevent breakage and scratching.  Plastic garbage bags full of t-shirts or towels are excellent for stabilizing fragile items in the back of the moving truck, as are couch cushions and bed pillows.
4. Ask for help.  Moving is by all means a daunting job, so don’t be shy.  Friends, neighbors, family – even the children!  If you’re worried about things getting broken then handle the computer monitor and your great-grandmother’s antique full-length mirror yourself.  Enlist more troops to handle the rest of the grunt work.  Children can help more than we often give them credit for.  They can carry smaller boxes, or at a minimum babysit the family dog in the back yard while the adults take care of all the lifting.  Kids love to feel included in all the excitement, and to have their own very special job assigned to them is all it takes.

This by no means is a comprehensive list of helpful tips to ensure a successful move for your family.  Check out this detailed checklist for additional useful information.

It takes more than boxes and tape for a successful move into a new home – it takes planning, organization, and a little help.  Here is the first of two beefy installments with some packing and moving tips that will ensure a minimum-stress, minimum-trouble, maximum-efficiency move.

1. Start early.  Begin saving empty boxes well in advance of the big day.  Visit local grocery stores and ask for their good used boxes; be sure to take a pass on boxes that have produce residue or traces of odor.  Purchase good packing tape; duct tape doesn’t adhere very well to a cardboard surface.  You want to make sure what you put inside the box stays there until you’re ready to unpack.  Visit your dry cleaner and ask for some used plastic garment bags.  These can be used to protect clothing on hangers from dust; and tied off at one end, they double as trash bags.
2. Pack up any off-season belongings you may have first.  If you’re moving in June, go ahead and pack up your Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, and winter weather wardrobe.  The more you can get done ahead of time, the better.
3. Pack heavier items, like books or music CDs in smaller boxes; pack lighter items in larger boxes.  The fewer boxes you have to move the better, however you don’t want to pack boxes so heavy you risk a back injury.  Be sure to securely tape boxes as well.  We’ve already covered this, AND it bears mentioning again.  An over-packed box bursting open on its way to the moving truck is not the way to start moving day.
4. When packing, label the box with a permanent marker for the room it is being moved into, not the room it is moving out of.  You may have two children currently sharing one room who will now each get their own bedroom in the new house, or you may have decided to store some items from your basement into your new spacious garage.  Label individual boxes for the appropriate destination room.

Check back next week for Part 2 of “Packing and the Move” for more tips.  In the meantime, here’s a great comprehensive moving checklist to help keep important tasks from falling through the cracks.

Mortgage rates fell to their lowest point ever at 3.91% for 30-year fixed loans.  15-year fixed rates matched last week’s at 3.21%.  Fees/Points were at .7 and .8 respectively.  The previous historic low mark for the 30-year fixed was back in 1971.

Although the country’s ongoing foreclosure problem continues to depress home resale values there have been signs that the overall housing market is poised for a rebound.  The question is, When?  Many experts seem to believe it might be 2013 before we see things really begin to turn around.  Regardless, the simple fact that the debate is happening seems to have helped nudge rates down to their current point.

Overall home prices fell 2.8% in the month of October 2011 compared to October 2010.  We’ll have to wait for November’s final numbers to come out.  The bottom line though does look promising.  The national free-fall in home values that started in 2006 is slowing, more support for the argument that the rebound, though long in coming, is around the corner and in the distance.

Pergo laminate flooring is a popular alternative to hardwood nowadays.  It’s easy to install, easy to keep clean, and very affordable.  Yet compared to the natural beauty of a stained hardwood floor, detractors will insist, “It’s just not the same.”  Today’s Do-It-Yourself enthusiasts should consider the pros and cons of both products before committing to cover their floor with either.  Here’s how they stack up against one another:

Hardwood

Pros:    Can be sanded and refinished if damaged

            Adds to property resale value

            Can last well beyond 20 years

            Completely unique natural wood-grain non-repeating pattern

Cons:   No warranty

            More expensive

            Installation must attach to subfloor

            May need finishing once installed

Pergo

Pros:    Generally 15 year warranty against stains and fading

            More affordable

            Stronger than wood

            Lasts up to 20 years

            Resistant to wear and scratches

            Easy floating installation

Cons:   Cannot be refinished

            Must be replaced if damaged

            Print pattern on finish repeats after several boards

The choice between hardwood and Pergo has as much to do with personal taste as it does cost, ease of installation and maintenance, or resale value.  Ask yourself, “What is the norm in my neighborhood?”  Not to keep up with the neighbors, but if hardwood floors are the norm then that may very well be an expectation of incoming buyers for your home in the future.

Everyone deserves a nice long vacation, and if you’re fortunate enough to be able to take the time off during the holidays then by all means pack up and go!  Yes, sometimes it’s nice just to stay home, watch a movie, complete the little renovation project on the powder room you started last spring, or maybe just catch up on some sleep – whatever suits you.  That’s not what I’m talking about here.  I’m talking about hitting the road, getting away, and in particular traveling during the holidays.

Whether you’re venturing cross-country or just across the state, one thing to keep in mind when traveling during the holidays is the safety and security of your unoccupied home while you’re gone.  That brings up two main concerns, accidents and burglary.

Accidents are the easiest to mitigate.  Start with turning off the main water supply valve in your home.  One of the top insurance claims throughout the year is water damage, and a burst pipe while no one is home to take care of it right away is no way to start the new year.  Also, turn off your water heater and its gas supply.  Not only does this prevent potential gas leaks, you’ll save money on your energy bill.  Everyone’s equipment is different, so refer to manufacturer’s directions first when considering any of these practices.  Here’s a complete checklist of things you can do to minimize the chances of an accident occurring while you’re away.

The best way to deter burglary is to minimize opportunity while making it appear the house is operating just as it would any other day.  Stop newspaper delivery for the time you’re away so papers don’t start to pile up on the front porch.  Put house lights on timers.  Park a car in the driveway.  Remember, Business as usual.  That’s the message you want to broadcast to the outside world.  Even then, burglars are always out during the holidays looking for opportunities.  Don’t make it easy on them.  Hide spare car keys, jewelry, and other valuables in shoeboxes or behind the canned vegetables in the pantry.  Have a trusted neighbor stop by periodically to monitor the house, or consider hiring a house sitter for the week!

Take a few extra steps for your peace of mind before your vacation and enjoy the holidays!

The most common place for a fire to start inside the home is the kitchen; the garage and laundry room come in at second and third.  It makes sense though, right?  The kitchen’s the room that’s home to the range top, the oven, and multiple electric appliances.  But not all in-home fires are the same.  The kitchen is not only the most likely place for an accidental fire, it is also the location most susceptible to the widest variety of fires.  Before I go any further, if you have an in-home fire and your clothes happen to catch fire STOP, DROP, AND ROLL! And if the flames are high and out of control GET OUT OF YOUR HOUSE AND GET TO SAFETY FIRST, THEN CALL 911!  Don’t risk your life.  There’s no sense in anyone getting hurt.  Things can be replaced; people can’t.  That said, here are the three most common types of small in-home fires and the best method for putting them out.

1. Wood, paper, cloth fire: Put out the flames with water or a class A fire extinguisher.
2. Grease fire: Use baking soda or a class B extinguisher.  If the fire is in a pan, slide a lid over the top first to smother the flames and turn off the heat.  DO NOT USE WATER!  Water will only make a grease fire spread.
3. Electric fire: Baking soda or a class C extinguisher.  Again, no water.

Home fire extinguishers should have an ABC rating to cover most home fires.

Create the plan – Practice it with your family – Minimize risks

It’s crazy to think that most families do not practice their emergency escape plan, let alone have a plan in place.  Statistically speaking, the most common home emergency requiring a family to evacuate is the house fire, so any emergency plan should take into consideration fire contingencies.  Here are a couple key pointers for your family’s emergency escape plan:

1. Plan your escape.  Create a plan that quickly and efficiently gets your family out of the house.  Designate primary and secondary exits, as well as a neighbor’s house as the destination everyone should head to for safety and for placing the call to 911.
2. Practice your escape.  This is as crucial a step for adults as it is for children.  Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.  Children can be easily confused in an emergency.  Add the emotional trauma of an unexpected fire in the house and even mature adults can panic.  Practice the escape plan from the fire alarm all the way to your neighbor’s doorstep.
3. Minimize risks in the home.  Test fire alarms and CO detectors, and change out backup batteries.  Clean build-up out of the bottom of your stove and grill, and never leave pots and pans unattended on range burners.  Get a fire extinguisher, make sure everyone knows where it is in the house (in or close to the kitchen), and have it inspected regularly.

The US has been using low flow shower heads to varying degrees of success since the 1990s when the federal government legislated their use.  The early models did decrease water usage from 5-7 gallons a minute to the mandated 2.5 gallons a minute; however, the problem back then was that decreased water flow also often meant decreased water pressure.  So when it took you longer to rinse off soap residue due to low water pressure, your shower time became longer, in turn bringing water usage back up – kind of self-defeating.

Today’s low flow shower heads not only decrease water consumption, they stabilize water pressure and save you money on your water heating bill since you’re heating less water.  Check out these comparisons of the pre-1990 shower heads to the various incarnations that followed.  How does the shower head work?  There are two kinds of low flow shower heads, aerated and non-aerated.  The first kind uses air to pressurize the water stream, while the second maintains water pressure by pulsating water through separate water jet streams.

Let’s say your family takes a conservative total of three showers a day.  If you switch from a 2.5-gallon-per-minute fixture to a 1.5-gpm fixture, that’s a savings of 21 gallons every day.  And what if your shower head is still one of those pre ’90s water wasters?  You could be saving over 100 gallons a day by replacing it with a low flow unit.  Let’s see, in a thirty-day month that comes to 3,000 gallons of water NOT down the drain!

Whether you’re a first time home buyer or you’ve been through the home buying process many times before, do yourself a favor.  Make speaking to a mortgage lender one of your first priorities when beginning your new house hunt.

Unless you have substantial savings and liquid assets, you’re probably like most people and need to get a mortgage in order to move into that dream house.  There are many reasons for speaking to a mortgage lender or mortgage broker up front.  A professional who deals everyday in these types of loans will know what the current rates are.  They will take into consideration your credit scores, monthly income, available savings for a down payment, and best available interest rate based on all your information to come up with the loan amount you qualify for.

Please understand the primary benefit here: education.  This is a process not to be taken lightly.  The lender’s job is not to put you into the biggest house (and by association the biggest loan) possible.  Their job is to counsel.  Through the interview process they learn about your financial situation and determine your expected ability to repay the loan over the five, fifteen, even thirty year term.  The lender can also let you know whether there are some items on your credit reports that are getting in the way of your getting a better interest rate, or simply getting in the way of your qualifying for the loan altogether.

The mortgage market has changed over the last few years, and it has become more difficult to get that ideal loan.  Today you need more money for the down payment than you may have needed in the past, and guidelines for qualification are stricter than ever.  Speak to a mortgage professional you trust.  If you don’t have one, speak to friends, family and neighbors.  Ask who they have used in the past and what the experience was like.  Ask your friendly neighborhood Realtor® for a list of reputable candidates.  The last thing you want to happen is to find your dream home, write and have your offer accepted by the sellers, then discover you can’t get the mortgage to complete the purchase.  Get pre-qualified first, and house hunt with confidence.