Always Ask for Sue and Ken

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Before You Leave on Vacation

Ask a trusted friend - to pick up your mail and newspaper and keep the yard free of trash and advertisements.The last thing you want to do while you're on a trip is to worry about someone burglarizing your home. Use this checklist to add some peace of mind to your travel plans.

Stop your mail but maybe not your newspaper - you can easily handle this online by going to the US Postal Service's Hold Mail Service. A recent story implicated an employee from a major newspaper who was passing customer hold requests to burglars.

Don't post about your trip on Facebook and Twitter until you return - some burglars actually look for this type of announcement to schedule their activities.

Do notify police and/or neighborhood watch - especially if you're going to be gone for more than just a few days. Let your monitoring service know when you'll be gone and if someone will be checking on your home for you.

Light timers make it look like someone is home - use several set for different times to better simulate someone at home.

Do unplug certain appliances - TVs, computers, toaster ovens that use electricity even when they're off and to protect them from power surges.

Don't hide a key - burglars know exactly where to look for your key and it only takes them a moment to check under the mat, above the door, in the flower pot or in a fake rock.

These easy-to-handle suggestions may protect your belongings while you’re gone while adding a level of serenity to your trip.

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Sue Lawrence and Ken McCormick can be reached at 806-355-9601. Prudential, Ada REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company, an Equal Housing Opportunity.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Maintaining Comfort

Periodically some people refer to the heating and air conditioning systems as the "comfort systems." If you've ever had to be without one in the dead of winter or the heat of summer, lack of comfort may be an understatement. Simple maintenance with a HVAC checklist is something that every homeowner can perform.

Change your filter every 90 days; every 30 days if you have shedding pets.
Maintain at least two feet of clearance around outdoor air conditioning units and heat pumps.
Don't allow leaves, grass clippings, lint or other things to block circulation of coils.
Inspect insulation on refrigerant lines leading into house monthly and replace if missing or damaged.

Annual, in spring

Confirm that outdoor air conditioning units and heat pumps are on level pads.
Pour bleach in the air conditioner's condensation drain to clear mold and algae which can cause a clog.
Avoid closing more than 20% of a home's registers to keep from overworking the system.
Replace the battery in the home's carbon monoxide detector.

Even with the attention that performing this list will provide, it is recommended that you have your units serviced annually by a licensed contractor. Furnaces can be inspected for carbon monoxide leaks and preventative maintenance may help avoid costly repairs. Click Here if you'd like a recommendation.

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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Cut Refinancing Expenses

Every single day, homeowners who are excited about lowering their rate have a tendency to ignore the refinancing costs because they’re being rolled back into the new mortgage. If the payment is lower than what they’re currently paying and there’s no money out of pocket, it seems like a good deal.

Refinancing your home because a lower rate is available is one thing but the closing costs associated with that new loan could add several thousand dollars to your mortgage balance. By following some of the suggestions listed below, you may be able to reduce the expense to refinance.

• Tell the lender up-front that you want to have the loan quoted with minimal closing costs.
• Check with your existing lender to see if the rate and closing costs might be cheaper.
• If you’re refinancing a FHA or VA loan, consider the streamline refinance.
• Shop around with other lenders and compare rate and closing costs.
• Credit unions may have lower closing costs because they are generally loaning deposits and their cost of funds is less.
• Reducing the loan-to-value so that mortgage insurance
• Ask if the lender can use an AVM, (automated valuation model), instead of an appraisal.
• You may not need a new survey if no changes have been made.
• There may be a discount on the mortgagee’s title policy available on a refinance.
• Points on refinancing, unlike purchase, are ratably deductible over the life of the loan.
• Consider a 15 year loan. If you can afford the higher payments, you can expect a lower interest rate than a 30 year loan and obviously, it will build equity faster and pay off in half the time.

A lender must provide you a list of the fees involved with making the loan within 3 days of making a loan application in the form of a Good Faith Estimate. Every dollar counts and they belong to you.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Consider the Light

House Hunting?

Look carefully at the light.

Consider windows, skylights and the sun in any potential home, lest you end up facing down the dark.

1. What direction does the house face?

2. What rooms do you use the most and when?

3. What is the window situation?

Read the full article at

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/8745893/list/House-Hunting--Look-Carefully-at-the-Light

by Allison Hodgson

Monday, April 29, 2013

Boomerang Buyers

It's estimated that 10% of the homes sold in 2013 will be to buyers who lost a home in the past five years. Approximately 500,000 buyers who may have thought they wouldn't own a home anytime in the near future will be homeowners again.

It's estimated that several million of these previous homeowners will purchase again in the next eight years. This kind of activity will contribute significantly to the housing recovery.

Some people thought that the housing crisis would cause a shift in values placed on owning a home but the boomerang buyers definitely don't support that theory. Having a home of your own, where you can raise your family, share with your friends and feel safe and secure is still part of the American Dream.

The rising rents, increasing prices and low, low mortgage rates are also influencing buyers into the market. In many cases, it is cheaper to own that to rent.

All new buyers, including those who have experienced foreclosures or bankruptcies, must have good credit history and the ability to repay the loan. It just may not take as long to reestablish the credit as some would-be buyers might have thought.

Friday, April 12, 2013

5 things that can make your home safer

1. Fire extinguishers. Put one on every floor of your home, plus an extra in the kitchen where the majority of home fires start. There are a lot of different types of extinguishers, but multi-purpose A-B-C extinguishers put out all types of fires. Make sure you check each fire extinguisher on a regular basis (when the time changes take place) and when the pressure gauge drops have them recharged.

(Some insurance companies will even give you a discount if you have them.)

2. Upstairs escape ladders. Put one under a window in each upstairs bedroom. Make sure you purchase a high enough quality to handle the weight of those people who are to use them. Practice using them so you will know how in an emergency.

3. Wireless water alarms. Install them under sinks, behind the refrigerator, by your washing machine - anywhere water would collect if there is a water leak.

4. Automatic shutoff valve for water heater. This device will cut off the water supply as soon as it senses a water leak.

5. Sump pump alarm. This alerts you to a rapidly rising water level that could mean a flood and resulting water damage to your property.

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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Selecting the Right Color

Have you ever picked a color from the myriad of paint samples available, put it on the wall and decided that it was all wrong? It shouldn't have to be that difficult but trying to pick the perfect color from those little swatches is just not that easy.

Painters and decorators suggest you buy a small amount of the colors you're considering. Your paint store should be able to mix them in any brand and any color. Once it's on the wall, it will be easy to determine if it needs to be lighter or darker or if it's completely wrong.

Take them home and paint a 2' x 2' area on the wall. If you're concerned about testing the colors on your wall, you can paint some sample boards that can be easily moved around to see how they'll look with the furniture, floors and other items in the room.

Instead of guessing what it's going to look like, you'll actually see how it looks during different times of the day, in natural and artificial light.
While $30 to $40 a gallon for paint may seem like a lot of money, the cost in time and labor to put it on the wall is even more. It's worth taking the time to test the color on the wall before you buy all the paint needed.

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