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It is very important that everyone understands that carbon monoxide is a deadly, silent killer. 

So, what is it?  Where does it come from?  How can you protect yourself and your family?

What is carbon monoxide?  Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas.  The gas is created when fuels containing carbon are burned.  The most common fuels containing carbon are coal, wood, oil and gas.  Carbon monoxide is poisonous and extremely harmful to all humans and animals.

Where is Carbon Monoxide Found?  It can be found wherever fuel is burned.  Sources of carbon fuels are wood, coal, charcoal, oil, propane, natural gas, fuel oil and kerosene.  Most applicances, fireplaces and machines burn carbon fuels, as do lawn mowers, grills, bbq’s, generator’s, heaters and cars.

How can I Protect Myself?  Carbon monoxide is not usually harmful or deadly, if an area is properly vented.  Carbon monoxide detectors are inexpensive and can be easily installed in area’s of the home prone to leaks or problems.

What are the Signs of a Problem?  People complain of nausea, headaches and extreme fatigue.  Often, people think they have a flu or bug and do not seek medical treatment until it is too late.    If unexplainable symptom’s present themselves, immediately get outdoors into fresh air.  If you find yourself feeling better, call a professional inspector and stay out of the house.

Wintertime = High Alert.  Carbon monoxide poisoning is responsible for numerous deaths and severe illnesses each year.  Obviously, winter is a time of heightened risk, as heating systems and fireplaces are in use, and windows and doors are closed. 

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Buying a home can be exciting and a little scary at the same time.  Fortunately, you can save yourself a lot of money and trouble by focusing on the 5 Area’s of a home that cause the most reported problems.

5 Trouble Spots You Should Pay Close Attention To

1. Attic:  It is amazing what you can learn about the structure of a home by looking in the attic.  You can easily see the framing, the condition of the roof and decking, and the insulation or lack of it.  The attic is also a great place to find evidence of leaks, past or present, and any mold issues that may have resulted.  Tip:  If you see new insulation in some area’s, it usually means there has been a leak there at one time.
2. Electrical:  The electical system is a commonly reported problem in older homes and new construction.  The best and safest advise here is to rely on the expertise of a good home inspector.
3. Foundation:  Foundation failures are expensive problems to fix.  In addition, they can cause other problems that may be hard to detect.  Although cracks do not always indicate a big problem, you should key in on any cracks in the foundation or siding.   Watch for root invasion from tree’s that are planted to closely to the house.  Also, check to be sure that all the doors and windows open and close properly.  If not, it may indicate that the foundation is or has shifted.  A professional home inspector will be very helpful in determining issues with the foundation.
4. Landscape:  Landscape can be a huge selling feature for any home and it can be an indicator of  potential problems.  If landscaping has been planted closer than 12 inches from the foundation, it is too close to the house.   When plantings are too close, they can cause moisture problems and cracks in the foundation.  Vines which creep up the sides of the house can push siding and brick away from the stucture, weaken mortar and cause staining.  Large tree roots can upheave sidewalks, decking, porches and damage the foundation.  Landscape beds should be elevated and sloped to drain all water away from the house and foundation.
5. Plumbing:   Water leaks are often hard to see and cause of a lot of expensive problems later on.  In addition to undermining wood surfaces and flooring, leaks also result in mold issues that are difficult to treat and expensive to cure.   Tip:  Always look closely underneath sinks and plumbing fixtures to find evidence of mold or past water damage.  Tip:  Don’t forget to move the refrigerator out and look behind it.

The best advise when buying a home is don’t scrimp on your inspector.  Hire a licensed, professional home inspector and follow them around throughout the entire inspection.  The more you know about the condition of the property, the better off you will be.  Remember that common sense, due diligence and a good inspector are invaluable and can help you avoid most of the costly mistakes.

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The new, US economy brings with it, a whole new set of rules for investing in real estate.   In the past, real estate has been a tried and proven method for quickly building wealth, but the current rules for successful investing have changed.

Making money in real estate is still a possibility, but investor’s must pay very close attention to the changes that this ecomonic cycle brings.  Today’s investors need to reexamine their criteria for buying, selling or holding property.  They also need a lot of patience and flexibility, along with complete and detailed research, before they jump in and take advantage of some of the best bargains seen in years.

NEW RULES FOR INVESTING IN TODAY’S REAL ESTATE MARKET

NEW RULE #1:  LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.   For the baby boom generation, the suburbs were “the” location for profit and life style.  Fuel was cheap, commutes were short and the ‘burbs’ offered the big house, with picket fenced yards and the image of the Leave It to Beaver lifestyle.   Not so much, today.  Today, it is the urban scene that is making a comeback.   While homes in downtown area’s are generally more expensive on a price per square foot basis, buyer’s today are willing to pay a bit more money for less square footage.   Urban center living eliminates long commutes, urban sprawl, expensive fuel bills and provides nearby ammenities without the need to drive.

NEW RULE #2:  STAY PUT AND DO NOT REMODEL WHEN THE MARKET IS SLOW.   In the past, many homeowners gained equity by renovating their old home while the market was slow.   The improvements added value to their real estate, while they waited for more favorable market conditions.  In the 2008 housing market, any major renovations should be analyzed purely from a return on investment perspective.   According to Remodeling Magazine, which just published its Cost vs Value Report, homeowners should be warned that they will not recover as much of their costs for remodeling as they did in the past.   The best investment today’s homeowner can make in terms of renovating fall in the category of paint, landscape and green, energy saving features. 

NEW RULE #3:  Technology and Networking are the Key to Locating Great Properties.   Home listings, valuations and other crucial information for real estate investment used to be available only through a real estate agent.  Now, the genie is out of the bottle and the best sources for real estate information can be accessed with nothing more than the click of a mouse.   More technology has also made it possible for home seller’s to list their property on the powerful, national MLS, without listing with a agent.  Companies like Why 6 Percent.com, and its national network of broker’s, list property for seller’s, investors and builders who want the exposure the MLS provides, but do not want to pay 6 percent of their sales price for the priviledge.   Technology has changed the way buyer’s and seller’s connect, and the way that property is advertised.   Smart investor’s should take advantage of this new alternative, as it offer’s accuracy, speed and control unmatched by the traditional route of buying and selling through agent’s only.

New Rule #4:  BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER.  In the past, agent’s and home builder’s advised buyer’s to purchase as large of a home as they could possibly afford.  As a result, home size in the 1970’s averaged about 1700 square feet, with 3.1 people in the average family.  In 2004, the average size of a home was around 2400 square feet with only 2.6 occupants on average.   Today’s lending and energy crisis has changed our thinking and bigger is not necessarily the best investment.  Buyer’s are looking for a home that meets their needs without paying for space they don’t need.   Today’s investor needs to adapt their thinking and focus on useable living space, energy saving ammenities, security and conveniences instead of targeting the over blown McMansion.  Another demographic also backs up the theory that smaller may be better.  For the next two decades, retiring baby boomers will be scaling out of their McMansions, now that their families have left the nest.  The boomer’s will favor smaller homes with more ammenities, located in convenient neighborhoods that are clean and safe.

New Rule #5:  FLIPPING IS OUT. BUY AND HOLD IS IN.   Today’s falling prices and the huge inventory of unsold property means that potential bargains are plentiful.  Smart Investor’s will take advantage of the current market and lock themselves into a good deal now, and hold the property until stability returns.  Prospective investors should be warned that the crash we are experiencing will not turn around anytime soon.  Prices will continue to fall, though not as dramatically as we have seen in the recent past.  As prices firm and inventory is sold, the patient investor will see gains, but they should plan on waiting five years to ring the register.

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Every offer to purchase a home will contain a repair contingency.   The contingency will outline the options for seller and buyer, in the likely event that repair issues are discovered during the buyer’s property inspection. 

Before we begin to address the repair issues, I would like for all sellers and buyers to remember that there is no perfect home.  Every house, new or old, will most certainly turn up a list of repairs.   If you are a buyer searching for a perfect house, you can stop searching.   There are no perfect houses.

The purpose of home inspections is to identify safety issues or serious (ie: expensive) problems that are in need of repair, before the buyer complete’s the home purchase.  The buyer will use an inspection report to compile a list of repairs that they want the seller to fix, before closing.   Since both parties desire to maximize their cash, sellers are often left to make a decision about which repairs are necessary or reasonable, and which are not. 

So, what helpful facts should sellers and buyers know about handling repair requests?

1. First, all Buyers should have an independant, professional home inspection and seller’s should only accept inspection reports done by a qualified, home inspector.  Sellers are not obligated to accept the opinions of the buyer, the buyer’s friend or cousin, or any non-professional, for that matter.
2. The Buyer should provide a copy of the inspection report, along with the list of items they want the seller to fix.   If the seller hasn’t received a copy of the report, they should ask the buyer to provide it, before responding to the buyers repair request.
3. The Buyer should not “nit pick”.  A request for repairs should focus on major problems and safety issues.   The buyer should not ask the seller to fix cosmetic problems, such as a bad paint job or peeling wallpaper.  The buyer should have addressed those issues in the purchase offer, during their initial walk through.
4. If a seller receives a long list of repairs, they can consider offering a home warranty that covers major defects.  This insurance can save a deal by easing the buyer’s fear that the home is a money pit.  For a few hundred dollars, companies such as American Home Shield, provide an insurance policy at closing, which  covers major items and gives the buyer peace of mind.
5. In a buyer’s market, they often want everything fixed.  Sometimes the seller can ascertain inside information about which “big ticket” items are the most important to the buyer, but the seller should always keep in mind that they risk the buyer walking, if they don’t agree to complete the entire list of repairs.
6. When a seller is presented with a lengthy repair list, they should remember that known problems become material facts.  If a seller declines to fix buyer requested repairs, the problems are now “known” and must be disclosed to any future purchaser, in the event the buyer walks and the deal falls through.
7. If a seller wants to cooperate with a buyer, but is unable or unavailable to oversee repairs, the buyer might be willing to accept a cash credit at closing to cover the expense estimates.   Many buyer’s are comforted by the fact they can use the seller’s money and hire their own contractors to make the repairs in a way the seller may not have done.

What Repairs Requests are Deal Breakers?  Which are Reasonable for the Seller to Refuse?

1. Lender Required Repairs-Any problem noted on an appraisal, such as a bad roof or structural problem, is grounds for the bank to refuse to lend money on the property until the problem is fixed and the structure is properly protected.   Sellers are advised to make all repairs noted on an appraisal.  They affect the buyer’s ability to borrow funds and complete the purchase.
2. Leaking Pipes-It is not unreasonable to ask a seller to repair water leaks and the damage which the leaks may have caused.  Unrepaired leaks raise mold issues and other problems seller’s don’t want to have if the deal falls through.
3. Water Penetration-Sellers should address water penetration issues.  Most are caused by improper drainage of water away from the home.  Adjusting the grade or installing a french drain is usually the fix. 
4. Roofing System-As stated in item #1, the seller should expect to repair or replace their roof, if deferred maintanence has caused water penetration issues.   If your roof is in good shape, sellers can aleviate problems ahead of time, by providing the buyer with a roof certificate, since most inspectors do not cover roof inspections.
5. HVAC and Hot Water Heaters-Usually, age is a good indicator of whether the seller should replace these systems.  The average life expectancy of a HVAC system is about 20 years, and about 10 years for a water heater.  It is not unusual for the buyer to ask for new systems, if the existing ones are on their last legs, but these are big ticket items for the seller to repair, so no easy answer here. 
6. “Tar Paper” Sewer Lines, aka “Orangeburg” Sewer Pipes-These pipes, which are made from tar paper, are famous for collapsing.  Generally, they last about 30 years before they disintegrate.  While replacing sewer lines is expensive, they are an item most sellers will replace.
7. Unsafe Decking or Handrails-Sellers should generally fix any items that effect the safety of the occupants, or are matters of local code enforcement.
8. Galvanized Water Pipes-Many homes built 30 years ago have galvanized, steel water pipes.   These pipes become clogged with minerals overtime, which is often the cause of low water pressure.  These type of pipes are also prone to rust and leaks.  While it isn’t unreasonable to expect the seller to fix leaks, few sellers are willing to replace all the plumbing lines.
9. Electrical System-The electrical panel should be safe and not overloaded.  The breakers should be marked with the name of the area of the home that they service.  Sellers, again should expect to repair any safety or fire issues that are found during the inspection.   If your home was built before 1960, it is likely the electrical service is Ungrounded, meaning the plugs have only two outlets.   Most sellers will refuse to rewire a house, simply because the service is Ungrounded, since it does not cause any problems.  A tip might be for the seller to offer to run “Romex” from the electrical panel to any new receptacles that the buyer intends to use for sensitive electronics and large appliances.  As a general rule, buyers who require grounded wiring should be looking for newer homes.
10. Foundation or Wet Basement-These are difficult issues that effect the very structure the home is built on.  These homes are best purchased “as is” at a steep discount.   Buyers should always think twice about purchasing a home with this type of problem.  Problems with or repairs to these systems never go away.  These are material defects and must be disclosed to any future purchaser.

Before seller’s make a judgement about what items they will, or will not, repair, they should strongly consider that we are in a buyer’s market.  Buyers are hard to come by and they have a lot of home choices available to them.  If you need to sell, you should realize that it is likely the buyer will walk, if you refuse to address reasonable problems with your home.  In addition, if another buyer comes along in the future, it is likely they will ask that the same items be fixed.  Smart sellers should take a deep breath, and if you have to err, do it on the side of caution.   A qualified buyer has a great deal of value in this marketplace.  Please don’t lose your deal over a small deferred maintanence issue.

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Another unforeseen problem buzzing around foreclosures and the bad economy is the dramatic increase in the mosquito and garden pest population. 

Many entire neighborhoods now feel the sting, as millions of vacant properties, along with those owned by cash strapped homeowners, have turned overgrown lawns, swimming pools, hot tubs, water gardens and koi ponds into insect breeding grounds.   

Before you light the citronella candles or coat yourself in insect repellent, consider heading to your local garden center for relief.   Some plants are natural insect repellents and keep summer bugs away, while improving the curb appeal of your home.

NATURAL “BUG OFF” PLANTS

Marigolds–Marigolds don’t have the greatest smell, but mosquito’s and other pests literally hate it.  The bright, inexpensive and easy to grow annual is a proven workhorse in deterring pests around patio’s porches and vegetable gardens.

Catnip– In addition to being a favorite of your beloved feline, catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET when it comes to repelling the universally hated and dangerous mosquito.   The annual plant grows easily in a sunny, dry location like the one found around most patio area’s.

Lemon Thyme–  Smells and Tastes Great to Humans.  Its lemon scent is a wonderful to smell as you walk or brush by and its lemon flavored leaves can be used in salads or recipes calling for lemon or lemon zest.  This perennial grows great in most climate zones, requires little to no watering and thrives with a little sunshine.

Lemon Basil–  Is another plant that smells great to people and is delicious to eat with summer tomato’s.  Lemon Basil is a tender annual that needs watering.  It is does self sow, but buy starter plants versus sowing seed packets for the best results with this yummy option to a pest problem.

To learn more about natural insect deterrents and repellents click here.

  I have recently addressed the benefits of landscaping and a fresh coat of mulch as it applies to curb appeal and home sales.   In doing my research for the blog, I received a warning about the potential danger of a mulch, made from shredded cocoa shells, that poses a lethal threat to our four-legged friends and I felt compeled to pass the info along to all well meaning homeowners.

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot and other garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called “Theobromine”.   Theobromine is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate, especially dark or bakers chocolate, all of which are highly toxic to dogs.

Cocoa Mulch is known for its fine texture and sweet smell, which makes it an attractive choice for landscape.    Sadly, the ingredient that provides the nice chocolate smell also attracts pets.

Cocoa beans contain stimulants that may cause gastrointestinal upset, increased heart rate, restlessness, seizures and DEATH.   Puppies are curious by nature and are especially at risk.

Word of Caution:   Check what you are using in your gardens and be aware what your gardener is using around your pets.    If you smell Chocolate Pop Tarts, remove the mulch and reapply with a safe, bark or synthetic mulch.

Most home buyers believe they focus on the interior features of houses more than the landscape, but the truth is, that buyers will not get out of their car if the front landscape lacks interest and upkeep.  The landscape should arouse the buyer’s interest and lure them inside to view the interior.

To get the highest return on your landscape dollar, utilize the principles found in Landscape Design Psychology.  Landscape Psychology is based upon scientific research into the effects that the landscape has on home buyers.   These proven idea’s will help your home sell faster, and for more money, by working on buyer emotions and senses.

The Power of Color

Coordinate the colors of your flowering foliage.  Consider your selling season and plant flowers that perform well during that period.  Use plants that support your atmosphere and climate.   Also, use no more than 3 colors to give continuity and form to your landscape.

   Colors also have psychological power.  Green suggests freshness, coolness and vitality.   White shows up at night and conjures feelings of cleanliness.   Yellow is the first color our eye processes, so a spot of yellow by the front door will draw the eye to your entrance.   Red, yellow and Orange are all Hot colors, which excite and pick up the mood of any weary house hunter.

About.com: Landscape is a great website for the average homeowner.   The site provides idea’s and advice from professionals including a plant selector, great photographs, color scheme screener, DIY tutorials and helpful tips about hedges, fences, sidewalks, lawns and more.

Another great resource for help in creating an outdoor paradise can be found at HGTV.   

The Power of Smell

Realtors advise sellers to bake cookies or burn vanilla candles before showings or Open Houses because a comforting and pleasant aroma has the power to influence minds and moods.

In addition to color psychology, smart home owners give thought to the use of scents when planting a landscape.  They take advantage of the power of smell, especially near pathways and entry doors, that provoke a desired emotional response.  

     A few inexpensive and easy to grow suggestions that add a touch of scent to any landscape include lemon scented geraniums, jasmine, rosemary, lavender, basil, roses, hostas, honey suckle, gardenia or heliotrope.   In addition to providing months of enjoyment, many of these plants perform in a vareity of places such window boxes, planters, planting beds, hanging baskets or pathways.

When it comes to selling homes, a smart psychology landscape design can give you a huge advantage over your competition.   If buyers feel good while they look at your home, you will sell it quickly and for top dollar.

Home sellers or rehabbers who are considering a move   should focus their efforts on the home exterior for the highest pay back.

Remodeling Magazine, in cooperation with Realtors in 65 markets, issue their 20th Annual report of “Cost versus Value”.  The report named 6 home improvements that return greater than 80% of the cost, and of the 6, only one featured an interior upgrade.

The 6 improvements with the greatest returns are:

1. Siding Replacements using fiber cement materials returned 88.1% of the cost.
2. Wood Deck Addition returned 85.4% of the cost.
3. Midrange Vinyl Siding Replacement 83.2%.
4. Minor Kitchen Remodel return 83%.
5. Midrange Wood Window replacement 81.2%.
6. Upscale Vinyl Siding 81%.

Projects at the bottom of the cost recovery scale included home offices (57%), back up power generator (58%) and adding a mid-range sunroom (59.1%).

The remodeling report results verifies our belief that curb appeal is a crucial element for sales success in today’s real estate market.  

In a highly competitive environment, home sellers should take an objective look at their house from the street to determine if the look is one that welcomes or turns buyers off.

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