3 Strategies for a Quick Home Sale

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By Brendon DeSimone

Most sellers have a specific goal when it comes to their transaction: a quick sale and top dollar. But sometimes fast action doesn’t align with achieving the highest and best value.

There are multiple schools of thought on this subject and the perspective varies not only with where you are in the country, but also by price point, neighborhood and even down to the block. When it comes to pricing and the search for a quick sale, it’s always best to get help from a local agent.

Here are some strategies you can use to get offers fast.

1. The Theory of Under-Pricing

Under-pricing means that you go to market with a list price that is just below what the comparable sales in your area support.

You can’t pinpoint the exact market value of a home until it sells. But before you list, there’s always a range. If you price your house at or below the bottom of the value range, you are under-pricing the home.

In many West Coast markets this strategy will work effectively. Take this San Francisco home, for example: priced at $1.1 million, it received 10 offers and sold for $1.425 million in less than a week.

Risk alert: If you price your home low, this plan could backfire — big time. If you don’t know your market and this strategy doesn’t work, you’d better be ready to accept that list price.

2. Staging and Market Presentation

Well-priced homes that also show well sell quickly. If you want a quick sale, you need to invest some serious time in getting the house ready.

Prepping the home means taking out large pieces of furniture and personal items, painting, replacing carpets, finishing floors and even doing some minor renovations.

Enlist the help of a home stager and take their advice, and you can be assured a quicker sale. The investment of time and money will pay itself back.

Risk alert: If you go overboard on staging or you don’t spend the time and money in the right places, it could be a waste. Don’t make staging decisions in a vacuum. Focus on kitchens and bathrooms, de-cluttering and cleaning. When in doubt, ask for help.

3. Disclose and Inspect Upfront

In most of the country, sellers complete real estate transfer disclosures and present them to the buyer, and the buyer simultaneously inspects the home — all once they are in escrow.

What often happens is that buyers discover things they don’t like, or uncover issues. When this happens, they may lose confidence in the home or the deal.

By presenting disclosures upfront, and even providing buyers with a copy of a recent inspection report, you can help them get more comfortable with the home. If you price the home to account for whatever work needs to be completed or for disclosure red flags, buyers will feel more confident, and may make an offer much more quickly.

Risk alert: There is little risk in disclosing and inspecting. If you try to hide something and the buyer discovers it later, you can expect the deal to fall apart — or maybe even face a lawsuit down the road.

Selling your home is a major undertaking. Spend time strategizing and preparing the home for the market. Pricing, staging, presentation and disclosure go hand in hand. If you want a quick sale, price it right, present it in its best possible light, and go out of your way to make buyers feel comfortable with all aspects of the home.

 

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House Hunting for Two: How to Find Your Happy Home

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By Vanessa Nix Anthony

While it can be tough enough to find just the right spot to rest your head at night on your own, it can be even more difficult when searching with a partner. Choosing where you’ll live, whether you’re renting or buying a home, is one of the most important and personal decisions you’ll ever make.

It’s the definition of complicated: the extra weight of the long-term commitment that sharing a living space brings. That means good communication is key.

“Moving in together is a huge commitment, perhaps more than a marriage itself, because it’s a substantial financial commitment to each other,” author and counselor Kerry Cohen says. “Any issues each person has around commitment, both in general and with each other, are surely going to come up.”

She advises couples to be prepared when looking for a place together.

“There will likely be arguing or maybe even hurt feelings,” Cohen says. “A lot of who a person is comes to the surface when buying a house — how detail oriented, how controlling, aesthetics, etc.”

Just because the potential is there for emotions to run high doesn’t mean they have to. Not if you take the time to do a little home-shopping prep. Here are a few do’s and don’ts, straight from the experts.

DO: Expect Feelings to Be on the Surface

Every expert we talked to brought up how emotional the home-selection process can be. And that makes sense, especially for buyers. C’mon: we’re talking about one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, in both time and money. Things are guaranteed to get heated.

Setting clear expectations and communicating clearly and kindly throughout the process will go a long way toward defusing volatile emotions.

DO: Communicate Openly and Often

Joan Rogers, a principal broker at the Portland agency Windermere Stellar in Oregon, recommends that clients identify their old emotional pulls before starting the home search. “As with most other emotional processes, people carry all kinds of baggage into buying a home.” Use collaborative tools such as Trulia’s new boards to share properties that you find in real time.

DO: Understand What You Both Want in a Home and Why

Amber Salvador, a clinical psychologist at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital in San Diego, suggests both parties make a list of their top three to five must-haves, then compare their lists and prioritize for budget and neighborhood before heading out on the search.

When searching for homes, make sure your list reflects who you are now as well as who you think you’ll be in five years, rather than clinging to old ideas of who you once were. The key component to success in agreeing on living arrangements is to make sure you truly understand why you want what you think you want.

DO: Be Willing to Compromise

“Be flexible. It’s important to be collaborative and work together versus against one another,” offers Salvador.

As Mick Jagger sings, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes,” with a little compromise and understanding, “you might find, you get what you need.”

DON’T: Be Impulsive

“Impulsive decisions are typically made based on emotions,” says Salvador. “A major financial decision such as buying a home requires thought, preparation, and planning to carefully decide the most appropriate home given the couple’s budget, lifestyle, and needs.”

DON’T: Spend More Than Your Budget

The heightened emotions during the home search can also persuade you to spend more money than your budget may be able to bear. This can lead to long-term consequences in the partnership. Salvador says it’s essential that you choose a new home together based on rational decision making instead of emotional desires.

DON’T: Manipulate Your Partner to Get What You Want

Your home should be a place where you both feel comfortable. Manipulating, lying, or bullying your partner to get more of what you want in a home can lead to resentments down the road when money is needed for repairs or upgrades to features that weren’t jointly agreed upon.

 

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How to Shop for a Mortgage Online

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By Gerri Detweiler

Ron Milman refinanced his mortgage in early 2015. A resident of an Atlanta suburb, Milman says he saved money, closed quickly, and except for one quick trip to a local bank to meet a local attorney to finalize paperwork, he never left his home office. Working strictly online and by phone, he says getting his mortgage online was a painless process for him. “I really don’t like going into an office,” he says. “It’s so much wasted time and effort.”

If you’re in the market for a home loan, whether for a purchase or refinance, you may have toyed with the idea of using an online lender. But you may be wondering what getting a mortgage online is like. How is the process different?

“The Internet provides the most convenient way for consumers to compare mortgage service offerings; as a result, a growing portion of mortgage originations are anticipated to be completed online in the years to come,” says Stephen Hoopes, an analyst with research firm IBISWorld.

It’s important to first understand that shopping for a mortgage online can be different than getting a mortgage online. In the first scenario, you may be using a service that doesn’t actually make loans but helps connect you to lenders. In the latter case, you actually apply for and complete the process largely online.

With that in mind, here are some of the differences when you get an online mortgage:

The Internet Holds Answers

Aren’t sure about a mortgage term? Need help deciding which type of loan to get, or whether to go for a longer-term loan or a shorter one? You can take a break to research it before you decide without giving a loan officer a blank stare or feeling like you are being put on the spot. Not that you can’t do that before you shop for a mortgage anyway, but apparently quite a few consumers don’t fully educate themselves on all their options when getting the largest loan of their lives.

A recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that almost half of borrowers seriously consider only a single lender or broker before deciding where to apply. The CFPB also says that most borrowers rely heavily on those who have a financial stake in the transaction, and less than half get a lot of their information from outside sources such as websites, financial and housing counselors, or friends, relatives or co-workers.

Of course, researching online can be a double-edged sword. You need to make sure you are getting information from reliable sources, such as independent educational websites. The CFPB is one source of free education through its Owning a Home initiative.

Do It on Your Own Time

Need to dig up a bank statement for your lender? Want to check on the status of your appraisal? With an online lender you can usually take care of those things whenever it’s convenient for you. Information about the status of your loan will be available to view online, and if you have a question, employees may be available to review your loan file and answer questions outside of the standard banking hours. “You can see (your information) 24/7 and you are not locked into business hours getting a hold of your loan officer or processor,” says Bob Walters, chief economist at Quicken Loans.

Whatever Works

While virtually the entire process can take place online, you aren’t tied to your computer. If you have to provide documentation and don’t have a fax machine or scanner, you should be able to overnight bank statements, tax returns or other documents to the lender. Certain documents will have to be notarized, and the notary will come to you or meet you in a convenient location, such as a local coffee shop. Most closings for purchase transactions take place at a title company, while closings for refinance transactions can take place anywhere you choose.

Some Things Never Change

Of course, whether you decide to work with a local lender or an online mortgage company, certain things don’t change. You will want to get your free annual credit reports to make sure they are accurate. Do this at least six weeks before you plan to apply, or earlier if possible, to give yourself time to correct mistakes. In addition, getting a free credit score will help you understand whether your credit is excellent, fair or poor. (You can get two of your credit scores for free on Credit.com.) While you are at it, if you hope to buy a home, it’s a good idea to get pre-approved for a mortgage.

And be prepared to be 100% truthful and supply documentation your loan officer may need — including copies of bank statements, tax returns, pay stubs, etc. Just because you scan documents doesn’t mean you won’t have paperwork! But you may save a few trees — and save yourself a few headaches — this way.

It goes without saying that you should make sure you are dealing with a reputable lender with a secure website. No one should be emailing a copy of your tax return or credit report back and forth to you. The last thing you want is for this kind of sensitive information to fall into the hands of a scammer.

And while rates are very important, Scott Sheldon, a loan officer with Sonoma County Mortgages and a Credit.com contributor, warns that you may get what you pay for. “Internet lenders are priced incredibly thin. Their pricing and rates can be fantastic, but they operate solely off of volume.”

He is concerned that going this route can be especially risky for homebuyers with unique circumstances or a less than “squeaky clean” file. What happens to your home purchase if the “underwriter denies your file because it wasn’t packaged properly upfront by the loan officer whose is also working on 50 other loans simultaneously?” he asks.

For Milman, at least, the process that started with a phone call in December resulted in a closed loan by mid-January. “It makes a whole lot of sense to do this online,” he says.

 

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How to Handle Living in a Community With a HOA

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apostol_8/GettyCondos and many newer communities require paying dues and following the Homeowners Association’s rules.

By Teresa Mears

If you buy a condominium, townhouse or single-family home in a newer development, you’re likely to become a member of a community association.

About 20 percent of Americans live in a community governed by a condo association, homeowners association or co-op board, according to the Community Associations Institute, which educates volunteer board members and association management professionals. The number of communities covered by associations has grown from about 10,000 in 1970 to more than 333,000 today.

Community associations come with rules that determine everything from the number of pets you can own to what color you can paint your front door. Some include amenities such as pools, clubhouses and golf courses, while others provide services such as road maintenance and streetlights.

The associations are set up by developers and then turned over to a volunteer board of homeowners once all the units in the development are sold. Those volunteers are responsible for making sure facilities are maintained, collecting maintenance dues and enforcing the rules.

“This is the ultimate form of democracy,” says Frank Rathbun, vice president of communications for the CAI.

While stories of homeowners associations that deny permission for a disabled child’s playhouse or won’t allow veterans to fly flags on the wrong kind of pole may steal the headlines, CAI statistics show that 64 percent of residents are satisfied with their community association experience and 26 percent are neutral, with only 10 percent dissatisfied, according to a 2014 survey.

But the same survey shows that almost a quarter of residents have experienced a significant disagreement with their association, with landscaping and parking being the two most common causes, followed by finances and architectural issues.

Whether you like or hate the rules that come with community association life, once you’ve bought or rented in an association, you’re committed to it. Being a member of an association ties your fate to your neighbors in ways that living in a traditional neighborhood does not.

“You have to overcome that ‘my home is my castle’ issue,” Rathbun says.

Rules are designed in part to protect property values, and 70 percent of the respondents in the CAI survey believe they do, while 26 percent believe they make no difference. Disagreements over which rules are required to protect property values often lead to conflicts that can cost residents both time and money if they’re handled poorly.

“People ought to know that being in a condo is a give-and-take kind of thing,” says Patrick Hohman, author of “Condos Townhomes and Home Owner Associations: How to Make Your Investment Safer” and a longtime volunteer board member who is now a part-time, on-site manager at a condominium near Louisville, Kentucky. He also runs an educational website called www.CondoHOAinfo.com.

“It’s a nonstop process of building trust and maintaining trust,” Hohman says. “You learn to be forgiving of others and forgiving of yourself. You deal with people where they are and as they are. It’s kind of like dealing with your extended family at Thanksgiving.”

One challenge for associations is that volunteer board members with no property management experience are charged with maintaining hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of property. About two-thirds of associations hire professional managers, but the rest are managed by the residents themselves.

“Board members are almost never trained in property management,” says Richard Thompson, who publishes The Regenesis Report, a weekly newsletter for board members and developers. He also writes a syndicated column for Realty Times and just published the book “Trade HOA Stress for Success.” He recommends professional management — hiring trained and experienced property managers to oversee operations — for most associations. “If the board hires competent people, they’re going to stay ahead of the curve and not put fires out,” he says.

Communities are dependent upon the skills and personalities that residents and board members bring to the table. Some people are better than others at working with their neighbors, and residents with poor people skills can create problems for everyone, especially if they are elected to the board.

Experts say that communication and transparency — being very clear about where the money goes, welcoming residents at board meetings and sharing information about how decisions are made — go a long way toward building community harmony.

“There is no substitution for communication between the association and the residents,” Rathbun says.

Here are seven tips for getting along in a homeowners association.

1. Know the rules before you move in.

Too few prospective residents understand the rules before they buy or rent. It’s particularly important to be able to live with policies on pets, parking, rentals, noise and architectural guidelines. “Folks buy into a homeowner association without any clue of what they’re obligated to do,” Thompson says. “Few prospective buyers research these things before they close the deal.”

2. Follow proper procedures.

Boards should set up clear procedures for everything from getting permission to paint your front door to rental applications to installing a satellite dish, and homeowners should expect to follow those procedures.

3. Go to your neighbor before you go to the board.

The board is there to make sure the rules and regulations of the development are followed, but if your neighbor’s loud music annoys you, talk to your neighbor first before taking your complaint to the HOA board.

4. If you don’t like a rule, get your neighbors together to change it.

Changing circumstances may make some rules outmoded, and boards should review the rules every few years to make sure they’re all serving the community. If you don’t like a rule, talk to your neighbors and petition the board collectively for a change.

5. Volunteer to help your community.

It’s not always evident from the outside exactly what work the board of directors is doing and what issues the community faces. Once you move in, volunteer to help with a project or serve on a committee, and expect to serve on the board at some point. “Get involved. Don’t wait until you’re dissatisfied about something,” Rathbun says.

6. Try to stay out of court.

Every community has a few people who think the rules don’t apply to them, and some would rather fight than comply. A court battle can be costly, both in money and in emotional turmoil within the community. “Win, lose or draw, we are still talking about neighbors who have this bigger wall between them,” Thompson says. Adds Rathbun: “Be reasonable: That applies to both the homeowners and the volunteer homeowners who serve on the board.”

7. Have a long-range plan. State laws regarding reserves and planning vary, but it always makes sense to plan for items you know will have to be replaced or repaired, such as roads, roofs and pools. If the community has no reserves and no plan, a roof leak at a condominium complex could mean a surprise assessment of thousands of dollars for each homeowner. “If the board had been collecting money and planning for this … every member along the timeline would have been paying some portion,” Thompson says.

 

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How to Get Rid of Unhealthy Black Mold

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Greg801/GettyThe disgusting stuff on your wall could be mold, black mold or mildew. Figuring that out is the first step in getting rid of it.

Removing black mold from your home can sound like a daunting task. Just the term “black mold” sounds scary enough. If you’re willing to buy the proper safety equipment and can stomach scrubbing and removing mold damage for up to a few weeks, you can save hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars.

Deciding when to call in a professional is a personal decision, but there are two signs that black mold has progressed too far to easily remove it yourself, says David Olson of PuroClean, a property damage restoration company.

“When the odor is becoming so bad that it’s giving them a headache,” or a finger can be pushed through drywall damaged by black mold, Olson says.

Removal is charged by the square foot and varies by where you live, he says. Removing mold from and repairing a standard shower can cost from $1,600 to $4,500, Olson says.

To avoid such costs, here are some ways to remove black mold in your home on your own:

1. Determine What it Is

The musty smell under a sink may not be black mold — which is a mold that has been left for quite awhile — and may just be simple mold, Olson says. The difference is that mold is a live spore, while black mold could be toxic. Mildew, for example, is often confused with being mold, but it can be easily cleaned with bleach or other surface cleaners.

Not all visible molds that are black are dangerous, and mold testing may be needed to confirm if toxic spores are in your house, according to the website BlackMoldRemoval.com.

Homeowners should test their homes every three to five years for potential mold problems, says Caroline Blazovsky, a healthy home expert.

Not all mold problems are visible,” Blazovsky says. “Sometimes, you get lucky and see mold growing on areas like basement walls or bathroom walls to know there is a problem. But, many times mold is in between walls behind showers, underneath flooring and under kitchen appliances — places we cannot get to.”

She recommends doing a mold air test with a professional air pump sampler, either with a certified inspector or a DIY kit.

2. Find the Source and Stop the Damage

If you see or smell black mold in your house, it’s probably in an area of high moisture, such as a bathroom that isn’t vented well enough, or from a water leak such as a leaking pipe. Repair the leak before deciding if you’re going to repair the damage yourself.

Once moisture from water damage or condensation has been provided, mold will use a food source such as insulation, fabric, drywall or carpet to grow and cause damage.

3. Get an Inspection

Hiring a professional to determine the amount of damage can be the safest way to figure out how much black mold is in your home and help you understand how to fix it. An industrial hygienist can test rooms other than where the mold was found to determine if it has grown to other areas.

If you decide to go with a professional mold removal company, their experts will tell you what steps to take next, such as possibly leaving the house while they do their work. To protect your family’s health, a professional mold removal company is the best way to go. If you decide to do the work yourself, continue the following steps.

4. Wear Protective Gear

According to BlackMoldRemoval.com, you’ll need to start by buying mold removal gear to protect yourself from airborne mold spores. Use an N-95 respirator, available online or at a local hardware store for from $20 to $50. You’ll also need gloves, goggles, long-sleeved shirts and pants. Everyone else should leave the house during cleanup.

5. Seal Affected Areas

Water damaged rooms and rooms with potential mold growth should be sealed with heavy-duty plastic sheets to contain airborne spores. Force mold spores out windows with negative pressure from an exhaust fan.

6. Discard Water-Damaged Material

After the water damage has been contained, allow the area to dry for up to 48 hours. Porous materials such as carpet, drywall and fabric may retain moisture. Toss water-damaged materials that show signs of mold growth.

7. Scrub Away

Visible mold can be scrubbed off hard surface with water and detergent. Then allow the surfaces to dry thoroughly. If mold has dried, lightly spray the area with water before cleaning to prevent the release of airborne spores.

Commercial mold removal products can be used, but the EPA discourages using chlorine bleach to remove mold. Natural mold removal agents include hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, tea tree oil, and baking soda.

There are a lot of misconceptions about how to get rid of and prevent mold, with one of the most popular being that bleach is best, says Pete Duncanson, a mold remediation expert at ServiceMaster Restore. Bleach has a reputation of killing mold and everything else, but it doesn’t because the mold doesn’t die. It only goes dormant, Duncanson says.

“Consumer products reduce discoloration and the appearance of mold,” he says, “but the only way to truly get rid of mold is to cut it out of an area,” or call in a professional to manage larger issues such as mold in an HVAC system.

8. Clean All Surfaces

To prevent mold from returning, clean all surfaces thoroughly to remove residual spores. Allow all surfaces to dry. Dry vacuum the room with a HEPA filter vacuum to remove embedded spores.

9. Toss Mold-Cleaning Equipment

Put anything that was used in the black mold cleanup in a heavy duty, sealed garbage bag. This should include clothing, sponges and other cleaning material.

When to call a professional? Olson’s recommendation is when mold returns after you’ve made numerous attempts to clean it yourself. That’s a clear sign that something you’re doing isn’t working.

 

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For Earth Day: 22 Shades of Green

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For Earth Day story by Sheri Koones. THIS USE ONLY
Courtesy of MandibuleThe Positive Energy ECOXIA House in Yerres, France, is a certified Passivhaus, built for sustainability and efficiency.

There are many options available for those who want to build a “green” house. The number of sustainable and energy-efficient options used in the construction is dependent on budget, taste and the level of desire to be independent of the grid and utilize sustainable practices.

Here is a checklist of things to consider when building or remodeling a home to be sustainable and energy efficient:

1. Insulation
First and foremost, use excellent insulation. Be sure there is adequate insulation, whether it is spray foam, cellulose, fiberglass, etc. The foundation, attic and exterior walls must all be properly insulated.

2. Air Sealing
Be sure to check for air infiltration. This can be done with a blower door test that will show where outside air is coming into the house. A tightly sealed home requires less heating and cooling.

3. Windows
Buy the best windows you can with your budget. Today there are many options in design, frame material, color and efficiency of windows. There are double and triple-pane windows, as well as gas-filled ones. Even frames can be insulated. Also, when designing a home, it is wise to have more windows on the south side of the house to take advantage of solar gain. Having fewer windows on the north side of the house prevents solar loss in those areas.

4. Appliances
Use ENERGY STAR-rated appliances. They consume far less energy than non-rated ones. That saves energy and dollars throughout the life of the appliance.

5. Non-toxic Materials
Make sure all stains, finishes, paints and adhesives are no-VOC or low-VOC. These toxins can continue to seep into the air and can cause illness and discomfort.

6. FSC-certified Wood
Using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council helps provide healthy forests for future generations.

7. Passive Solar Orientation
Orient the house for optimal solar gain, if possible. This limits the need for artificial lighting and saves money on electricity, while also reducing energy costs.

8. Footprint
Limit the hallways in the house. Space should be used efficiently so there are fewer square feet to heat and cool. When a house is well designed, less space can still provide all the areas and functions desired.

9. Multi-functional Rooms
For example, a guest bedroom can easily work as an office or playroom when friends or family are not visiting.

Courtesy of Jim TetroThe 4D House built by Team Massachusetts for the Solar Decathlon has a partition wall that can be closed for privacy in the bedroom or opened to increase the entertaining area.

10. Flexible Rooms
Walls can sometimes be moved to open up space for entertaining, as seen in a house built by students at the University of Massachusetts for the Solar Decathlon, a competition staged by the U.S. Department of Energy.

11. Ventilation
To maintain a healthy indoor environment, a tightly built house requires adequate ventilation. Heat recovery ventilators and energy recovery ventilators are systems that continuously exchange the stale inside air with fresh outside air, while retaining the warmth or coolness already created in the house.

12. Low-flow Faucets and Showerheads and Dual-flush Toilets
Both of these substantially reduce the water being used in the house.

13. Recycled, Reused, and Reclaimed Materials
This limits our depletion of natural resources as well as the amount of material that goes into landfills. There are many types of recycled, reused and reclaimed materials — including countertops made with recycled glass, reclaimed flooring and antique furnishings.

14. Lighting
LED and CFL lighting uses less energy than incandescent bulbs and the bulbs last much longer. The cost of these efficient bulbs is going down, and the variety of bulbs available has expanded.

15. Large Overhangs
Large overhangs around the house block the sun’s heat in the summer months when the sun is high in the sky. In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky (in the northern hemisphere), overhangs allow the sun to come in through the windows and help heat the house.

16. An Efficient Water Heater
Traditional water heaters maintain a tank full of warm water and are continuously using energy. Tankless water heaters heat water on demand.

17. Native Plant Landscaping
Using plants indigenous to the area limits the need for irrigation and fertilization.

18. Permeable Paving
Using paving materials that are permeable, such as gravel, allows rainwater and melted snow to return to the water table.

19. Solar Hot Water Panels
The cost of solar panels is coming down and there are subsidies available to reduce the cost further. Hot water panels can be used to heat the household’s water or be used as part of a radiant heating system.

20. Photovoltaic Panels
PV panels can be used to reduce or eliminate the electric load. While connected to the grid, they can provide electricity when it is needed and receive electricity when the sun is not out. Extra electricity can also be returned to the grid to reduce electric costs.

21. Thermal Mass
Stone and other high-mass materials can be used to absorb energy when the sun beats down on them. That heat (or coolness) can later be released when it is needed. Some houses have stone around the periphery of the room where the sun is most likely to hit.

22. Heating System
A heating and cooling system that limits the energy consumed should be used. Heat pumps are becoming more popular in this country and quite popular around the world. They can be used successfully when the house is built with a very energy-efficient envelope.

 

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5 Mowing Mistakes to Avoid to Improve Curb Appeal

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Curb appeal can be important in selling a house, giving potential buyers a first look at the outside of what could be their new home. Whether it’s new paint, flowers or a new lawn that you’ve put down yourself, having a clean, well-kept front of a home can make a good first impression that encourages house shoppers to come inside.

If you’ve laid down sod yourself for your front lawn, it can be enough work to get it right and make sure the grass grows and doesn’t die. But more than just watering is required afterward, and some homeowners make mistakes with a new lawn that can hurt their home’s curb appeal. (If you live in an area affected by drought, low-water landscaping is an option.)

Here are five mowing mistakes to avoid if you want your lawn to give a great first impression to home buyers, according to Mark Schmidt, a principal scientist at John Deere:

1. Cutting too short: Each time you mow, only remove about one-third of the grass blade. Shorter clippings break down more easily, allowing some of the natural nitrogen to return to the soil. If you cut too much at one time, the long clippings can cause stress on the grass, inhibiting healthy growth.

Removing only a small amount of the blade each time you mow is a good practice and will give you the best quality turf.

2. Mowing pattern monotony: Mowing your lawn in the same pattern all year is one habit worth breaking. Mowing grass in the same direction all the time can mat down the turf and inhibit growth. By varying the pattern in which you mow your grass, you will avoid missing or double mowing areas and reduce wear on the turf. The will encourage a healthier, more beautiful lawn.

3. Bagging it: Though bagging clippings is a common practice, mulching is much more beneficial to your lawn. Mulching returns essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, back to the soil.

Removing only a small amount of the grass blade each time you mow produces shorter clippings that can decompose more quickly and discourages the development of fungus disease. Many mowers have mulching capabilities. If you do decide to bag, be sure to compost your clippings and reuse on site.

4. Ignoring the roots: A common mistake is managing only the parts of the lawn you can see. Caring for the grass roots and soil is one of the most important things you can do to ensure healthy year-round growth year.

Consider taking a soil sample and having a local university extension program or landscape supplier provide a soil analysis. The results will give a measure of fertility based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels, and can help determine the best type of fertilizer to use throughout the year.

5. Blunt mower blades: A dull mower blade will shred grass blades, resulting in a poor quality of cut and potentially creating entryways for disease.

Keep the mower blade sharp for the best cut and to help promote a healthy turf. Also, be sure the blade is balanced to produce a clean cut and avoid damage to the mower.

With those tips in mind, your lawn should be one of the first things a home shopper notices when walking up to the front door. From there, let the rest of the house help make the sale.

 

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7 Home Maintenance Problems That Could Cost You Big Bucks

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Faucet
Jarih

By Lars Peterson

Owning a home sometimes feels like owning a never-ending to-do list: Fix this, replace that. When does it end? For responsible homeowners, it never does. But overlooking the small stuff can add up to big repair bills later.

With winter finally subsiding, spend some time and a little money giving your home a checkup. It could save you from spending much more down the road.

1. Inspect kitchen and bathroom caulk.

The caulking in kitchens and bathrooms keeps water from seeping into the crevices and crannies around sinks and tubs. Once the water gets in, mold proliferates (especially in damp areas around showers and tubs). Worse, infiltrating water could lead to wood rot in the structural framing beneath. Recaulking old or mildewed caulking is a basic home repair, requiring only a few tools and inexpensive materials. Replacing rotten flooring, joists and wall studs is a much, much bigger job.

2. Fix plumbing leaks.

Fixing leaky faucets and other common household plumbing leaks can save the average homeowner about 10 percent on water bills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leaks or burst pipes that allow water to find its way into walls, floors and foundations can lead to significant damage, with repair costs reaching thousands of dollars. It’s easy to notice — and fix — a leaky faucet. Finding other kinds of leaks can be a lot more difficult, even with regular inspections.

3. Clean and seal outdoor decking.

The weather will take its toll on outdoor decking. A few gallons of sealant will set you back $50 or less and a weekend afternoon of effort. Allowing your decking to go untreated for a season or three is likely to result in damaged decking — and damaged ties and joists underneath. Those repairs are a much bigger job that would require more time and effort, and cost a lot more money for materials.

4. Inspect for termites and other bugs.

Many pest control companies offer home termite inspections for free, but the typical inspection costs $65-$100, according to costhelper.com. The average homeowner who finds damage caused by termites spends $3,000 on repairs, Termites.com reports. Whole house fumigation could cost more, depending on the size of the home. But infestations caught early can be treated with spot treatments and bait, and the associated damage is likely to be much less severe.

5. Inspect the roof and clear gutters.

Once again, water is the enemy here. Check the areas around roof openings, including chimneys, exhaust flues and skylights, which are all candidates for leaks. You’ll also need to climb into your attic and peer closely at roof beams and joists near those openings. Dark spots indicate leakage. Leave roof repairs to the professionals.

Gutters clogged with debris (or ice, during winter), can cause water to back up and seep under shingles and siding. Keeping gutters clear is an easy job, and an inexpensive one — under $200 even if you rely on a pro to do the dangerous ladder work.

6. Inspect exterior paint and siding.

Your exterior paint keeps your house looking sharp. More important, it keeps your house’s worst enemy — yes, water again! — from damaging key structural components beneath. Look for areas of dry, chalky paint and cracked, flaking or peeling paint. Small areas, especially trim around doors and windows, can be sanded and repainted by most homeowners. For bigger jobs, like for an entire home, professional painters might charge up to $5,000, depending on the size of the home. The longer you wait to repaint, the greater the likelihood that water and pests can cause much more damage.

Other types of exterior siding — vinyl, Masonite, stucco — should be inspected and repaired regularly, too.

7. Inspect foundation and concrete slabs for cracks and fissures.

When concrete cures, it shrinks slightly. Over time, it can develop slight hairline cracks and fissures. Such cracks are unsightly, of course, and can allow water and insects to infiltrate and lead to more significant damage. Most homeowners can repair smaller cracks and fissures with a variety of inexpensive products.

For larger, recurring cracks and bulges, contact a professional home inspection engineer who can identify the problem, suggest appropriate solutions and advise you on associated costs.

 

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How to Lay Sod Yourself and Save Money

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Laying sod for new lawn
Brebca

I’m not a fan of doing backbreaking work, so I usually hire a professional to do yard work and any other dirty work outside. After researching the prices of laying sod so I can have a lawn worth mowing, I may change my mind on outdoor work because of the opportunity to save money.

Laying sod yourself can save 50-75 percent of the cost of a professional doing it. A 2-foot-by-5-foot piece of sod might cost $2-$3, while a landscaping company will charge $8 or more just for the sod plus add in service charges and labor, says Luke Belding, web manager for Arlington Power Equipment in Palatine, Illinois.

For that amount of savings, it might be worth it to plant your own lawn. After all, laying sod should be a technically easy thing to do without a specialized base of knowledge — it’s just rolling out patches of sod, for crying out loud. But one mistake can compromise an entire lawn, according to SodGod.com, which details how to lay sod and how much it should cost.

The potential heartache of watching all of your work die off because you didn’t hire a professional shouldn’t deter you. But before we get to the basics of how to lay sod like a pro, you should first have an idea of sod prices.

Variety of prices

The price of sod depends on the type, location of source, quantity, area where you’re laying it, and whether you’re hiring a pro or doing it yourself.

Location is one of the biggest factors. It costs more to ship longer distances, and some types of sod aren’t grown for long shipping times.

Sod is typically priced per square foot, requiring you to measure your lawn and make sure you have too much sod left over instead of not enough. Going back to buy smaller pieces of sod to fill spots you didn’t measure for will cost more in the long run.

Prices can range from 8 cents to 30 cents per square foot, bringing the total price of a 2,000-square-foot project to $160-$600.

Delivery charges will range from being free and included in the price to more than half of the total cost of the sod. Other expenses include tools (which we’ll detail later), fertilizer, seeds for spot seeding, and labor. That last big cost — labor — can be eliminated if you’re willing to do the work yourself so you can save money.

Costs of a professional

Sod is heavy, difficult to work with and dirty. That alone may be enough to get you to hire a pro, no matter how much money you would save by doing it yourself. They do this for a living, allowing you to avoid a mistake that can kill an entire lawn.

There are some factors that cause hiring a professional to be much more expensive than doing it yourself:

  • Higher costs per square foot of sod: 14-60 cents, pushing our 2,000-square-foot lawn up to $280-$1,200.
  • Lawn shape: A large, flat square is easier for a contractor to install sod on than an irregular shape.
  • Slopes: If the lawn area has slopes or obstacles, the price will rise.

How to lay sod yourself

The work really begins before you even get your hands dirty. Here are some steps to installing sod yourself:

1. Pick the best grass for your lawn.

Along with researching the type of grass that has the look and feel you want, find out which grass will do well in your climate. Some types of grass need constant care, while others can do well with a mowing once a month or so. Pick the grass that matches your maintenance routine.

2. Shop around.

Shop for the best price for sod in your area. Mary Hart, an avid do-it-yourselfer in West Palm Beach, Florida, says that while shopping for sod at big-name nurseries, she found a local market that had the freshest and healthiest-looking sod. When Hart called, a worker was cutting up new sod in the field, so she drove over and bought some.

3. Do the prep work.

You’ll need some tools, which may require borrowing, renting or buying if you don’t already own them. Start by removing the existing ground cover. Till the soil and level the ground with a rake, with the goal of getting the ground as flat and even as possible.

Water the ground so it’s moist and not soggy or dry. Water it deeply one to two days before delivery. The last step of prep work is to spread fertilizer on the ground.

4. Keep it cool.

On the day of delivery, start laying the sod early in the morning, especially if your area has extreme temperatures. Keep the sod cool and moist to the touch, sprinkling it lightly with water to keep it cool.

5. Start at the edges.

Lay the first piece of sod along a straight edge, such as a sidewalk or side of a building. Get the sod as tight to the edges as possible so it doesn’t dry out and the roots die.

Lay the second piece of sod as close to the first without overlapping or crowding. Don’t stretch the sod.

6. Keep leveling.

Continue to level the ground as you lay sod, using the back of a rake to prevent bumps.

7. Cut ends of rows cleanly.

At the end of a row, roll out the sod over the edge and cut off the excess with a knife. Don’t tear the sod, which could damage other areas.

8. Fill the gaps the right way.

If you’re laying sod around in-ground sprinklers, trees or other obstacles, cut holes for these items. Put soil or other organic material such as peat moss in any gaps or seams. Don’t use leftover pieces of sod because they’ll dry out quickly.

9. Roll it.

Use a roller — you’ll likely have to rent one — filled with water over the sod, being careful not to push down on the roller. The roller helps make sure the ground is level and the soil and roots are in good contact.

10. Water your new lawn.

Water deeply so that there is wet soil six to eight inches below the sod. Check the depth of water with a stiff wire for several days or until the roots take hold.

As a DIY project, laying sod is high on the money-saving scale while not being too technically difficult. But the backbreaking work could leave you wishing you had a smaller lawn.

“Enjoy the fresh air, soak up some sun, and once you are finished with your project you have the satisfaction of knowing you accomplished your new yard all on your own,” says Hart, who installed her front lawn in Florida.

 

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