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No one likes wasting money, especially in these tough economic times. So it certainly makes sense — dollars and cents — to make a small investment of time and supplies to close up those heat-wasting air leaks around your home. It’ll pay back big dividends in reduced energy bills and a warmer, more comfortable house this winter. So let’s look at some of the areas where those drafts may be lurking, and see how to take care of them.

1. Doors and windows: This should be an obvious one. If you can see gaps between your siding and your windows or exterior doors, close them up with a bead of clear or paintable acrylic latex caulk. Larger gaps can be filled with foam backer rod before applying the caulking.

2. Exterior penetrations: Some of these areas are going to be obvious, while some may take a little bit of searching. Some examples of exterior penetrations where air can leak into the house include exterior faucets, dryer vents, exterior electrical outlets, exterior light fixtures, holes that have been drilled for phone and TV cables, conduit penetrations, exit points for plumbing drains, and penetrations for air conditioning lines. Closing these penetrations may require a variety of different techniques, including caulk, expanding spray foam, or, in the case of electrical boxes and fixtures, specific gaskets that are designed to fit the boxes.

3. Exhaust-vent covers: Dryer vents, range hood vents, bath fan vents, and other interior ventilation equipment typically terminate outside the house in a plastic or metal cover that has one or more louvers on it. The louvers are designed to be in the closed position whenever the fan is not in use, so that outside air doesn’t leak in. Check all of these louvers to be sure they’re closing completely, with no air leaks. If they aren’t, you can adjust the spring tension to hold them closed more tightly; add foam weather-stripping tape for a more air-tight seal; or replace the entire vent cap with a new one.

4. Gaps around interior vents and recessed lights: Inside your home, heated air can be leaking out around that same ventilation equipment, where vent pipes pass through the walls or ceiling, or where vent covers meet wall and ceiling surfaces. Recessed light fixtures can also be real air-leakers. Around the vent pipes and recessed light cans, seal any gaps with caulking. For the vent covers and recessed light covers, remove the covers, then adjust the springs and/or add foam weather-stripping tape to create a tight seal between the cover and the ceiling.

5. Heat-duct penetrations: Gaps around heating-duct cans where they pass through the floor or wall allow cold air to enter from the crawl space, while gaps around ceiling-duct cans allow heated air to escape into the attic. To close those drafts, first remove the register, then use a combination of caulking and/or metallic duct sealant tape to close any gaps between the sheet metal cans and the floor, wall or ceiling surface.

6. Fireplaces and wood stoves: Lots of gaps can occur around these appliances. With a conventional fireplace, keep the damper closed except when burning a fire to prevent heated air from escaping up the chimney. Consider investing in a set of air-tight doors, which close off the air leaks and also make your fires more efficient. Look for gaps around wood stove and gas fireplace flue pipes, and air leaks around masonry chimneys. Use a metal collar if necessary around flue pipe penetrations, and seal gaps with heat-resistant sealant specially formulated for this application.

7. Attic and crawl space hatches: These can be real air losers if they’re not weather-stripped, so take care of that with some foam tape. Make sure the hatches are insulated as well.

8. Interior doors to unheated spaces: If you have any interior doors that lead to unheated spaces, including basements, garages or attics, be sure the doors are weather-stripped to prevent air leakage. If possible, replace older, hollow-core doors with solid-core or, better yet, insulated metal doors.

9. Sill plates and penetrations: This one’s not as easy to deal with, but it’s well worth the effort to try to do whatever you can with it. Air can leak both into and out of the house through gaps where the sill plate meets the foundation or the siding, and around plumbing and wiring penetrations drilled through wall plates in various areas. If you have a gap between your siding and the bottom of your exterior wall, especially in older homes where the use of sill sealers was not a common practice, consider closing up this big air gap with a bead of caulking or expanding foam. In the basement, crawl space and attic, if you can access any of the pipes and wires that pass through the wall plates, seal the penetrations with expanding foam.

Remodeling and repair questions? Email Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author’s actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

Source: Inman News™

The first question you need to ask yourself is: Are you emotionally prepared to sell? Selling is a challenge for most sellers, although some markets are better than others. Unless you bought more than eight to 10 years ago and preserved your equity, you may not be able to sell for enough to pay off the mortgages secured against the property and the other costs of selling.

For sellers who have no additional assets, a short sale or foreclosure may be the only option. If so, first look into government programs that might help you out financially. Also, talk to your attorney and tax adviser.

Sellers who have the resources to make up the difference between the sale price and the amount they owe need to ask themselves if they are willing to pay the additional cash in order to sell and move on.
There are two reasons why you might prefer bringing cash to closing. One is that your credit will not be negatively impacted, as would be the case with a short sale or foreclosure. The second is that many buyers shy away from short sales because of the lengthy and uncertain process involved.

The next thing to consider is the condition of your home. Is it ready for the market? The most salable homes are those that are in move-in condition.

Before racing to the hardware store, ask your Realtor about how much competition there would be for your home if you put it on the market before the holidays. Some areas are shy on inventory of good homes on the market. If so, now could be a good time to sell.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: The supply/demand ratio plays a significant role in the health of a local real estate market. No matter what is said about the housing market nationally, it’s the local picture that tells the tale in terms of the possibility of selling your home at any given time.

Most sellers don’t put their homes on the market during the last or first couple of months of the year. The inventory of homes for sale tends to dwindle during the winter months. Interest rates are low. So, if there are buyers in your local market, you may be at an advantage selling when most sellers are waiting.

Some sellers feel that if they’ve waited this long to sell, they should put the process on hold until spring and get the house ready in the meantime. Certainly, it’s not a good idea to put your house on the market until it looks great. But if you and your house are ready to sell, move ahead.

The market in general tends to slow down over the holidays. But rather than pull your house off the market and miss a likely prospect, change the showing procedure to require advance notice. And enjoy your holidays. A sale before year end could be a great holiday gift.

There is a lot of pent-up demand, on both the buyer and seller sides. Sellers have been waiting for a better time to sell. Buyers have been waiting for more quality inventory and a sense that prices have bottomed or are close to it.

THE CLOSING: Recent projections call for another five or so years of bouncing along close to the bottom of this market cycle. Many experts believe that the big price declines are behind us.

Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years’ experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of ‘House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers’ and ‘Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer’s Guide.’

Source: Dian Hymer Inman News™

Here are the phases: 

1) Pricing the property to ensure the likelihood of stimulating offers.  Many people try to set a high price thinking they can come down later.  That’s a big mistake because above-market pricing stifles showings and discourages offers of any kind, usually netting the homeowner a lower price than they planned on getting. 

2) Marketing the property to attain the highest number of showings from qualified buyers.  Check your agent’s marketing plan carefully to ensure they have the ability to do more than just place it in MLS and hold a few open houses. 

3) Creation and Negotiation of the purchase contract.  A good agent’s negotiating skills can make or break a purchase contract. Check their experience in these matters.  Ask questions about past transactions they handled. 

4) Managing the escrow process.  During this phase, your agent must be on top of all the escrow functions: inspections, appraisals, financing, contingencies, and more. It is often said that the real work starts after the contract is written. You won’t find much argument to that here.

When interviewing real estate agents, make sure you address each of the four phases of the selling process.  Your dialog will be pivotal in establishing trust and a personal chemistry that is crucial between you and your agent. 

If you have a question about selling your home, please call me at 256-520-5191, or, email me at Jeff@JeffYorkTeam.com.

As a seller, your best vehicle for peace of mind would be a pre-approval letter accompanying the offer to purchase.  A pre-approval letter is a firm commitment to lend money and is issued only after verification of the crucial financial items mentioned above. 

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next year, please call me at 256-520-5191, or email me at Jeff@JeffYorkTeam.com for important information that could save you thousands in the process, and avoid unwanted surprises like the sellers above experienced.

AND… if you’re thinking of buying or selling, and you just need a little helpful “guidance,” ask for one of my Free Consumer Reports.

If you’re thinking of selling your home, how you “position” it can mean the difference between getting a top-dollar sale, and having it sit on the market for a long time.  If you’re thinking of selling soon, you must call and get my Free report, “44 Money-Making Tips For Preparing Your Home To Sell.”  Just call me directly at 256-520-5191, or email me at Jeff@JeffYorkTeam.com. 

Here are a few quick pointers…

•  First impressions are lasting.  Look at your home as if you were driving up to it for the first time.  What does the home look like?  The driveway?  The lawn or landscaping?  Pay particular attention to the entry walkway and the front door area.  Make sure all curtains are open and lights are on.

•  Get rid of any odors.  They’re a big turn-off.  Smoking and pets are the most likely cause.  Have carpets cleaned and home deodorized before showing it.

•  A coat of paint in critical areas (kitchen, master bedroom and baths) can do wonders to change the appearance and make the home look more valuable.

•  Get rid of that clutter!  The way you live in a home, and the way you SELL a home are two different things.  You have to move anyway, so pack up all your clutter and get it out of the way.  An uncluttered home looks bigger and more appealing.   Make your home look like a model home. 

Please Call Me With ANY Real Estate Question At: 256-520-5191

         Do you find yourself getting that urge to drop-into Open Houses, even when you’re busy?  You’re not alone.  Many homeowners visit open houses to get design ideas, or to see how their home compares in the neighborhood.

         But if you find yourself attracted to Open Houses frequently, you might want to ask yourself “why.”   You might just find that, even though you’re happy with your current home, you might be subconsciously searching for your dream home.  Perhaps you want a bigger yard.  A quieter street.  A gourmet kitchen.

         Whatever the reason, I can help.  My computerized “Home Search” system can scour the market finding the exact home you want – automatically. I can get you daily updates on the newest homes on the market, and there’s never any pressure when working with me, just great service.  Even if you’re just “thinking” and want to know what’s “out there,” call me at 256-520-5191.

Isn’t it humiliating?  You’re sitting in your car at a busy intersection during rush hour.  You’re at the front of a long line of cars all eager to get going, and you can feel the tension. 

As you sit there, you’re thinking of all the things you need to do as soon as you get home.  Then it happens.  Sputter, chug…stop!  Your engine quits.  Your dash is lit up with glaring red and yellow lights. 

 Quickly you turn the key…but nothing happens.  Right then, the traffic light turns green.  Cars on all sides of you start rushing by.  You can feel your hands sweating as you fumble around your controls, trying to get your car going. 

 The car behind you surges forward.  He starts to holler obscenities at you, as if you could control what’s happening.  Through the glaring of horns, the pressure of people cursing you…you wonder why this happened. 

Most people don’t think about their cars much — until there’s a problem.  And they usually surface at the most inappropriate time.  Short of filling up the gas tank…perhaps only when it drops below “empty”…some people don’t give their cars a second thought.

But cars are like any other mechanical device.  To keep them in good shape, experts offer some tips on making sure your ride is dependable.  Here’s a list of 10 check-ups you can do to avoid those stressful, embarrassing moments when your car decides to die at the most inappropriate time.

Tip #1:  First, change your oil frequently and regularly.  Experts say the most important thing you can do to extend the life of your car is to change the oil every 3,000 miles or three months.  A quick stop at a Fast-Lube shop can extend the life of your car by years, and save thousands of dollars in the process.

Tip #2:  Once a month, look under the hood.  This 15-minute investment can prevent 70 percent of the problems that lead to highway breakdowns.  Check the fluid levels of oil, coolant, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid, break fluid and windshield washer fluid. If you don’t know where to find these items, learn more about them by buying a how-to book or look up car maintenance on a website such as www.ehow.com.  

Tip #3:  Never let your gas tank go to almost empty before filling up.  The bottom of your fuel tank is loaded with deposits, dirt, and residue that’s not good for your engine, fuel injectors, or carburetor.

Tip #4:  Check tire inflation weekly, and alignment every six months.  Properly inflated and aligned tires last longer, save money, and are safer.

Tip #5:  Change your vehicle’s filters.  Changing the air, fuel, and oil filters extends the life of your car, and makes it operate more efficiently.

Tip #6:  Change your engine coolant at least once a year, preferably every six months.  But be careful, coolant can be toxic and harmful if ingested by children or pets.

Tip #7:  Lubricate moving and rubber parts.  This includes windshield wipers, door rubber, and exposed gaskets. 

Tip #8:  Get rid of rust immediately.  Rust will eat away your car, causing a premature demise.  If you find a rusty spot, scrape it away and sand the area.  Then protect the bare metal with primer and paint.

Tip #9:  Wash your car frequently and keep it out of the sun.  Driving a clean car (with clean windshield) improves visibility and enhances your safety.  Plus, ultraviolet rays can harm paint, especially metallic paints. 

Tip #10: Most important: Schedule regular maintenance every 12,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first.  Scheduled maintenance will keep warranties valid and maximize the value of your warranty.  Plus, it prolongs the life of your vehicle, and will increase the value of your automobile when you decide to sell it.

Frequent auto maintenance can save you thousands, increase your car’s value…and most certainly remove the risk of sudden, embarrassing moments in traffic!

Years ago, buyers didn’t worry about financing their home purchase until after they found the home they wanted to buy.  Once they had an accepted offer, they’d shop around for a week or so and then submit a loan application.

Home buying is highly competitive in some areas.  To compete, many buyers are now getting pre-approved for a mortgage.  This way, the buyer is seen as more stable, has greater influence in negotiating a purchase price, and can act quickly when they find a home the really love.  A pre-approved homebuyer is considered almost as strong as a cash buyer. 

 There are two parts to mortgage approval:  1) approval of the borrower, and 2) approval of the property.  Mortgage pre-approval is a process whereby the borrower is approved for a specific mortgage amount.  The approval is usually good for a period of time.  A property approval is one with satisfactory appraisal and a clear title report.  Final mortgage approval also requires a purchase agreement that is signed by the buyer and the seller.

Think of it this way, you wouldn’t go to the grocery store and fill a cart with food if you had no idea how much of it you could afford. The same applies to shopping for your home. It is best to know what you can afford before you start trying to make your decision.

If you’d like free advice on getting the very best financing for your home, or how to get pre-approved for a mortgage (or even refinancing or a home equity loan), please call me at 256-520-5191.

       The first decision in purchasing a new water heater is the fuel source.  A natural gas unit will cost less to operate than an electric unit will, and the price difference can be paid back in energy savings in a few months.   If you have an unshaded, south-facing location, you might consider a solar water heater, which is environmentally friendly.

       Instead of concentrating on size, estimate how much hot water your family uses.  Here are the average gallons of hot water per use:  Bath or long shower (20 gallons), dishwasher (12 gallons) and washing machine (32 gallons).  Remember, doing research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that meets your specific needs.