Friday, September 21, 2018

Get Your Home Ready for Fall

Want to make sure your home is ready for fall? This fall project checklist will help you tackle 10 tasks that will protect your home and save you money.

1. Repair Your Roof

Small roofing issues can turn into big problems if they’re not fixed ASAP. If your home has a few missing shingles or was subjected to nasty storms over the summer, it’s a good idea to have a pro inspect your roof for any potential problems.

2. Fall Lawn Maintenance

If you want a green lawn in the summer, you need to properly prep it in the fall. Now is the time to aerate, rake, fertilize, weed and overseed your lawn. If you have underground sprinklers, have them blown out and winterized before the temperatures drop below freezing.

3. Furnace Tune-Up

Just because your furnace is running smoothly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it tuned up. Having a heating pro take a look will ensure your furnace runs at peak efficiency throughout the winter. Having your furnace tuned is the key to keeping your overall utility costs down.

4. Upgrade Your Windows

Tired of dealing with condensation, drafts and exorbitant heating bills? Now is the time to upgrade your windows. Besides improving the overall comfort of your home, new windows will also improve its looks and value.

5. Increase Insulation

If you’re like many homeowners, you probably haven’t given a second thought to your home’s insulation. But neglecting your insulation can prove to be a costly mistake. Insufficient insulation is one of the biggest budget-busters when it comes to your utility bills.

6. Interior Painting

Whether your interior walls are looking worse for wear or you simply want to change things up a bit, fall is a perfect time for painting.

7. Carpet Cleaning

Regular cleaning will prolong the lifespan of your carpets. Consider hiring a professional if it has been awhile since your carpets’ last cleaning.

8. Hire a Handyman

Your house is subjected to a lot of wear and tear throughout the year, which usually results in a few minor repairs. Hire a handyman to tackle any small problems around your home.

9. Remodel Your Bathroom

Dreaming of remodeling your bathroom? Fall is the best time to finish your project before you have a house full of holiday guests.

10. Clean Gutters

Fall means lots of debris in your gutters. Removing the leaves and other debris from your gutters will ensure proper water drainage and prevent damage to your roof and other parts of your home.

Northern Colorado Real Estate

You will find a wealth of useful Northern Colorado Real Estate information for home buyers and sellers at my website! Before you buy or sell a home in Northern Colorado, be sure to either contact me or view the current market information here within my website.

My web site is intended to supply you with the most recent Real Estate market information for Wellington, Fort Collins, Windsor and Loveland and the surrounding areas.

I feature a free, up to date and current NORTHERN COLORADO Real Estate search that will allow you to search just like an agent. There are many places out there to search, the challenge is finding a place that offers current listings like our website. All the data is fed directly from the MLS.

As a current resident in Northern Colorado I am fully aware of the current market trends and what it takes to get a great deal on a listing or get top dollar for your current home. When it comes to getting the job done right, you can count on me.

I have a lot of connections within the Northern Colorado area. Please don’t hesitate to call and ask me any questions you might have. This process is all about you and your needs. Real Estate is a big investment and I understand that. One thing you will get with me is a personal relationship, In the end, that goes a long way.

Northern Colorado is a great place to live! For more information, please give me a ring or email me today. I would love the opportunity to earn your business and partner with you in regards to your Real Estate needs.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Stay Safe in a Flood

How to Stay Safe in a Flood —and Safeguard Your Home

All eyes are on Hurricane Florence and the ensuing flood this weekend, and if the devastation has you thinking about what you can do to protect yourself should you ever be in the path of a storm—or should you suffer a flood in your home for some other reason—this will help.

Many flood safety tips concentrate on what you can do to prevent one, but the most immediate concern for those who are in the path of rising waters is what to do to remain safe, protect others, and maybe even safeguard their cherished things at that very moment.

The most important tip to Stay Safe in a Flood

The single most important thing to do leading up to any storm in which flooding is a concern is to listen to officials. Heed warnings to evacuate; as we have seen in countless other storms and during the coverage of Hurricane Florence, those who stay behind put themselves, and those who then have to attempt rescues, in danger, and use up resources that are needed elsewhere.

Stock up on food and essential items

Let images of empty bread shelves in the days before a serious storm hits be a warning: The grocery store is going to be ravaged. Be the one to do the ravaging before everyone else gets there so you’re stocked up should roads be impassible and stores be inaccessible for a period of time.

“Once there’s a hurricane warning, don’t wait until the last minute to buy groceries,” said National Flood Experts. “Stock up on non-perishables, water, and basic first aid items. Failing to do this will probably ensure that by the time you get to the store, you’ll be met with empty shelves. While you’re at it, also buy an external battery pack for your cell phone.”

Make your home as safe as possible

Hidden dangers in your house could prove disastrous during a flood. “If a flood is imminent, take the following steps as soon as it’s safe: Shut off electrical, furnace, gas and water, and disconnect appliances if safe,” said The Co-Operators. “Move valuables from the basement to upper floors. Raise large appliances up on wood or cement blocks. If items can’t be raised, consider anchoring them and protecting them with a floodwall or shield.”

Get to higher ground

If you happen to be out on the road when flooding occurs, “get to higher ground,” said Weather.gov. “Get out of areas subject to flooding. This includes dips, low spots, drainage ditches, canyons, washes etc.”

If you’re at home, go to a second or third story. In some cases, you may need to go even higher to escape the rising tide. During 2017’s historic flooding in Houston, officials made it a point to discourage anyone from entering the attic, and climbing onto the roof instead.

“Officials are advising people to get on the roof of their home to escape extreme flooding inside,” said WeatherNation. “Those trying to escape the floodwater in their homes are instructed not to stay in the attic, because you could become trapped.”

Take your emergency supplies

You don’t want to get stuck on the roof of your home with no emergency supplies and no way to communicate that you’re in danger. As you move to higher ground, bring your emergency stash with you, if you can do so safely. And remember: Don’t risk your life going back for things that can be replaced. According to Esurance, a flood kit should include: “three days’ worth of water (one gallon of water per person, per day), three days’ worth of non-perishable food, a hand-crank radio, which also operates as a flashlight and cell phone charger (these are manually powered and can be purchased at most electronic stores), a flashlight and extra batteries, and a first-aid kit.” You can see the rest of the list here.

Tread lightly

Once the waters recede, the danger isn’t over. In fact, the condition your home is in could be hazardous to your health. “The initial damage caused by a flood is not the only risk. Standing flood waters can also spread infectious diseases, bring chemical hazards, and cause injuries,” said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “After you return home, if you find that your home was flooded, practice safe cleaning. Remove and throw out drywall and insulation that was contaminated with flood water or sewage. Throw out items that cannot be washed and cleaned with a bleach solution: mattresses, pillows, carpeting, carpet padding, and stuffed toys. Homeowners may want to temporarily store items outside of the home until insurance claims can be filed. Walls, hard-surfaced floors, and many other household surfaces should be cleaned with soap and water and disinfected with a solution of one cup of bleach to five gallons of water.”

Sign up here to get on our mailing list for our quarterly newsletter with seasonal home advice & tips!

My web site is intended to supply you with the most recent Real Estate market information for Wellington, Fort Collins, Windsor and Loveland and the surrounding areas.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

SOURCE: REALTY TIMES / WRITTEN BY JAYMI NACIRI

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Smart Home: Backed-Up Your Fridge Lately?

Computers may make life easier, but they don’t necessarily make things simpler or automatically safer.

This is very true for smart home technology or intelligent home automation which aims to combine internet-connected computers with every aspect of home life. According to Digital Journal, “the smart or automated home applies new technology to control and automate heating, ventilation, air conditioning and security, but can involve appliances as well such as refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and many other items.”

As Fall Home Shows start to roll out, expect to see familiar and new smart home technology showcased as the latest “must-haves.”

According to Statista.com, smart home household penetration is 32.0% in 2018 and is expected to hit 53.1% by 2022. The global market is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 14.5% between 2017 and 2022 to reach $53.45 billion by 2022.

Smart, connected appliances and systems can make life easier and more convenient for families, but not automatically simpler or safer.

Each year, smart technology appears in more incarnations, but we are a long way from industry-wide standards with significant cross-compatibility, avid consumer adoption, and problem-free systems and technologies.

When you explore smart home potential at a Home Show or online, here are key issues to consider:

1. Hacker target : Instead of being locked out of your computer if you don’t pay a cyber ransom, what if you were locked out of your smart house unless you paid up? Computers operating with out-dated software, like older versions of Microsoft’s Windows Operating System, are easy targets for hackers. These problems are further complicated by interconnectivity: infection spreads quickly through computers and networks, locally and globally. How will you ensure the nasty things that hackers can make happen to your laptop or smartphone won’t happen to the smart technology running heating, cooling, or security systems in your home—all of which

will probably be controlled by your laptop or smartphone?

2. Code flaws : The software driving smart home technology consists of millions of lines of code which, by their sheer number and complexity, are vulnerable to glitches and failures—many of which are hard to detect before significant damage occurs. Will software and system manufacturers take responsibility for ongoing investigation into glitches, correcting them, and providing online patches to reduce downtime and keep systems at top efficiency?

3. Multitasking systems : Before smart technology took hold, if the fridge died, you’d lose a tub or two of pistachio ice cream. As refrigerators become increasingly complex equipment—which may also monitor family wellness, check food inventory, pay bills, and fulfill other functions—cyber attacks may have even more impact on families. Back-up systems may be essential precautions. Home insurance will provide some security, but limitations will exist. Just as home policies may not pay on problems caused by poor maintenance or unlocked doors, out-of-date software may invalidate claims if home smart systems fail and cause damage.

4. Support failings : To reduce service costs, manufacturers rely on internet-connectivity for product maintenance, remote diagnostics, and online software updates. As the human-touch of tech support is replaced by AI (artificial intelligence), will homeowners receive the support they need to make living with smart home systems as effortless as expected? Privacy issues could be more far-reaching than those associated with laptops and smartphones since manufacturers value saleable user data. Subscription fees for apps and external monitoring may prove costly.

5. Equipment failure : Using a smartphone or iPad as a smart controller, homeowners can change room temperature, turn on the oven, or unlock the front door from miles away or as they pull into the driveway. However, if that mobile-computing device is lost, stolen, broken, or batteries die, there are two concerns: 1. could those and other essential smart-systems still be turned on or adjusted by the family, and 2. who else would have access to this information and your home? What back-ups are necessary when power fails? The other flaw in home security could be you. If you don’t set alarms, manage passwords, review data about system efficiency, and carry out maintenance system-wide and with individual equipment, your failure may undermine the security and efficiency of the smart system.

6. Transaction precautions : When smart technology is included as part of a home purchase or rental agreement, a detailed inventory of this equipment is essential. Model numbers and age are among the details necessary for estimates of value. If you are selling your home with its smart technology intact, erase your user, security, and payment profiles from each appliance and system by restoring factory settings, so you leave no data trail.

Soon it will be hard to buy an appliance that doesn’t incorporate smart technology, but integrating appliances and systems may remain a smart home challenge for a while.

Northern Colorado Real Estate

Sign up here to get on our mailing list for our quarterly newsletter with seasonal home advice & tips!

My web site is intended to supply you with the most recent Real Estate market information for Wellington, Fort Collins, Windsor and Loveland and the surrounding areas.

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

SOURCE: REALTY TIMES / WRITTEN BY PJ WADE

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Fall Home Maintenance

5 Fall Home Maintenance Items To Check Off Now Before The Cold Kicks In

Summer is on its way out – even if it doesn’t feel like it! – and fall is on the horizon. That means it’s time to start thinking about how to get your home ready for winter. “Summer hasn’t quite wound down yet, but fall isn’t as far away as it seems,” said Forbes. “Doing a round of simple Fall Home Maintenance chores now can save you time, money, and stress when the cold weather comes. ”

Here are five fall home maintenance activities to start thinking about this weekend.

Clean your gutters

Depending on your climate, you may have to get up in those gutters more than once to clear out leaves and other gunk and keep your home safe from flooding and damage. Giving them a look before the leaves fall will help ensure there is room for all that foliage. Once they fall, making sure to clean them out before the first freeze can limit clogs and keep dangerous ice dams away.

Check your chimney

Make sure everything is in order before the first fire of the season. “Creosote buildup causes chimney fires,” said Family Handyman. “You should have your chimney professionally inspected or cleaned after every 70 fires. If you burn wet wood (which you shouldn’t), have it inspected or cleaned every 50 fires. Don’t remember the last time you had it cleaned by a pro? A quick way to tell if your chimney needs cleaning is to run the point of your fireplace poker along the inside of your chimney liner. If you find a 1/8-in. layer (or more) of buildup, call a chimney sweep.”

Check your roof

Storms, wind, and other weather conditions over the past year could have done damage that you’re not aware of. You definitely don’t want to wait until the first heavy snow to find out you have a leak. If you’re not comfortable on a ladder or just want a professional eye, a pro roofer will typically charge you under $100 to check it out.

Seal it up

There are three important reasons to make sure your home is air tight: 1) Keeping moisture out; 2) Keeping critters out; 3) Keeping warm air in. “Fall is when critters often enter our homes to build a nest and ride out the cold weather,” said Forbes. “So walk around the exterior looking for ways small animals can enter your house and seal them off. A mouse can wriggle through an opening as small as a dime, so look carefully for those small holes.”

Sealing up holes and cracks can also make your home more efficient so it takes less effort and money to keep warm in the winter. All you need in most cases is weather stripping and caulking.

Last but not least. one of the most important Fall Home Maintenance tasks:

Disconnect garden hoses from faucets

As soon as the weather dips, it’s time to disconnect those hoses. This simple task can potentially save you a lot of heartache later. “Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets,” said HouseLogic. “Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes. Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.” Be sure to also “Turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet.”

If you are looking to purchase, I can show you how to save a lot of money, as much as 10% on the purchase and finance of your next home.

Contact me today to learn about ALL of my strategies to get you the BEST price for your home in the SHORTEST possible time, with the least amount of Brain Damage!

Paul Ross 970-217-3245

RESIDENT REALTY

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SOURCE: REALTY TIMES / WRITTEN BY JAYMI NACIRI