September 2007 Newsletter                               View an index of all our newsletters
 

Autumn Advice

“It is important to periodically monitor the overall condition of a home,” says John Ghent, past-president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. “Simple wear and tear from weather and age occurs in every home. It is wise to fix any problems before they lead to extensive and costly repairs.”

This is especially true at the end of the summer and winter, our two most extreme weather periods.

Homeowners should be thinking about  working on their home this fall in preparation for colder weather. Anyone contemplating putting their home on the market for sale this fall or winter should also use the next few weeks to put their home in the best possible condition. And more importantly, routine maintenance could mean ensuring your family's safety when it comes to things like the heating system.

Now is a good time to do some do-it-yourself  inspection, fixing, cleaning and preparing. Homes can become a victim of damage by air, moisture, and water penetration, which may eventually cause structural problems if basic maintenance is ignored. Professionals, such as a plumber, electrician, and heating contractor, should be utilized for mechanical systems. Routine homeowner and contractor preventive maintenance goes a long way to increase a home’s (and its components’) efficiency, life- pan, value and ultimately – ability to sell.

Listing Realtors should advise their clients to  address the following maintenance items this fall to prevent minor problems from turning into major expenses and selling obstacles. Homeowners should heed the same advice. Here's a comprehensive list of the top chores to tackle before the weather turns on your home, as suggested by the Insurance Information Institute, the American Society of Home Inspectors, the National Association of Home Builders, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

1. Maintain your gutters. Remove all debris so water can properly drain, which minimizes standing water and slows the freeze/thaw expansion process that occurs in cold weather. Consider installing “gutter guards,” which are screens that prevent debris from entering the gutter.

2. Trim your trees and remove dead branches. Inclement weather can cause weak trees or branches to break and damage your home, car, or utility lines. Keep an eye out for large dead branches in trees; detached branches hanging in trees; cavities or rotten wood along trunks or major branches; mushrooms at the base of trees; cracks or splits in trunks. If you see any signs of hazards, call a professional tree service.

3. Maintain your steps and handrails. Repair broken stairs and banisters so nobody falls and hurts themselves.

4. Inspect your roof and chimney. Using binoculars, check for damaged, loose or missing shingles. Also, look for gaps in the flashing where the roofing and siding meet vents and flues, and for damaged mortar around the chimney. Visually inspect the flashing around roof stacks, vents, skylights and chimneys as possible sources of water leakage.

5. Inspect your home's exterior walls. Look for possible weather-related damage, like cracks and loose or crumbling mortar. Wood trim and siding can suffer from deteriorating paint or become loose. Windowsills may be cracked, split or decayed. Summer heat easily damages the home’s woodwork and siding.

6. Weatherstripping. Check all doors and windows for proper caulking and weatherstripping. Remove and replace worn or decayed materials and reapply new material. Last month’s newsletter dealt with how to repair or upgrade the weatherstripping around windows and doors.

7. Water. Drain exterior water lines, hose bibbs, sprinklers and pool equipment.

8. Heating System. Have your heating contractor perform the annual maintenance inspection and servicing. Specifically, check for the emission of carbon monoxide. Replace the batteries in carbon monoxide detectors. If none are installed in your home, buy two carbon monoxide detectors, one for over the furnace or boiler and water heater and one in your bedroom.

Alban is proud to offer FREE Continuing Education Courses in Real Estate Offices!
Call Tina to schedule one of our educational seminars, for additional information, or to schedule our services at 800-822-7200 or 301-662-6565.

From the Desk of
Arthur Lazerow

Vacation Over

The kids are back to school. Routines are
reestablished. Interest about the baseball
season is peaking. Football season has
hardly started and we remain optimistic
since our favorite team has not yet fouled
their entire season. Traffic is as bad as
ever and we anxiously await cooler fall
weather to prevail.

But, what about the real estate market?
The market for home sales should be just
fine. Media indications, however, point to
the opposite. What am I missing?
Employment and income statistics remain
positive. We are near full employment.
Mortgage interest rates are at acceptable
levels, historically speaking. The subprime
mortgage market, with gimmicky
rates and lax underwriting standards,
represented about 15% of sales, which
leaves the remainder of the market intact.

Sales prices have leveled off, and in many
cases, sellers are highly motivated and
willing to negotiate price and terms. For
the buyer, this may not be the perfect
storm but it certainly is an advantageous
time to upgrade their housing or purchase
the first home. Condominium buyers
should be drooling over builder’s
incentives. It also may be an excellent
time to look for investment opportunities
for prospective rental property owners.

During my radio show one Saturday in
September 2005, I said that I smelled a
shift in the market as August and
September active listing numbers around
the region began to increase as the sales
numbers began to decline. By December,
we were all convinced that a change had
occurred. Today, after many months of
declines, the winds should shift again.
Realtors need to push the media to
publicize the advantages of the current
real estate market. Until buyers believe
this is the right time, they will continue to
be resistant to purchasing. 

Damp and Smelly Places

Adequate ventilation, moisture reduction,
sunlight and cleanliness are ingredients for
improving conditions in damp, smell places. A dehumidifier will help keep moisture out of the air during warmer months, but many
dehumidifiers do not work well at temperatures are below 65 degrees.

When it is too cold to use a dehumidifier, a
small fan can help keep air circulating and will often improve conditions. On fair, dry days in all seasons, open windows and doors in basements and crawl spaces to admit fresh air and light. Ventilating for even a short time on fair, cool days can help reduce mustiness.

Moisture seepage through walls often
contributes to mustiness even when there is no standing water. To check for seepage, tape squares of aluminum foil to several places on the walls. Leave the foil squares in place for a few days, then remove them and check the backs for moisture. Condensation on the backs of the foil means there is seepage. Seepage can often be reduced by correcting outside grading conditions, gutter and downspout problems, etc. outside, and coating the walls with a waterproofing paint such as Drylock or Thoroseal.