“Most of us are looking for ways to extend our living space to outside. Creating an inexpensive shaded area is an easy way to to that.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Not all shady deals are bad. These patio shade projects are each under $300. Read
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Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
“This is a common question for us, and it’s not always a simple answer. Take a read and learn how to help make your last longer with just a little maintenance.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Buying a home with a mature AC unit? Learn how long most HVAC systems tend to last and how you can maintain it better.
Chronological age isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to determining how long your HVAC system should last. Your furnace should last longer than your air conditioner, but you can extend the life of your entire HVAC system with regular maintenance and timely repairs.
The average lifespan of a furnace today is about 15 to 20 years. A heat pump should last about 16 years, and an AC unit should last 10 to 20 years.
Regular HVAC maintenance can help you identify potential problems before they become serious enough to shorten the life of your system. You can do some maintenance tasks, such as changing your HVAC filter, yourself. If you have pets, or if someone in your home has allergies, change it every month. Otherwise, change it every three to six months.
Other tasks, such as a yearly furnace and AC tune-up, are best left to the professionals. An HVAC contractor can clean the condenser and evaporator coils on your AC unit and examine it for signs of damage. If your AC needs repair, it’s best to figure that out before it fails completely. If you have a home warranty with American Home Shieldâ, you can relax knowing our contractor network can help with your AC maintenance.
Routine AC maintenance should take place early in the spring, so your unit will work properly from the very first day you turn it on and so you can avoid breakdowns during the summer, when you depend on your AC to keep you comfortable. The same goes for maintaining your furnace. Schedule an HVAC tune-up for your furnace before cold weather sets in, so you can avoid breakdowns that will leave you in the cold.
If your AC unit is more than 15 years old or if your furnace is more than 20 years old, it may be time to upgrade to a new system, especially if something breaks. When you figure in the cost of labor, some repairs, like replacing a condenser or evaporator coil in your air conditioner, can be just as costly or even more expensive than replacing the unit entirely.
Homeowners in some areas face the prospect of upgrading a legacy HVAC system to a more modern one. For example, you may have a coal or oil furnace that was installed 50 years ago and should have been replaced 20 years ago. Replacing this system will do more than save you from coping with an unexpected breakdown. It may also significantly lower your heating costs, especially for systems that rely on fuels that are now very expensive, like heating oil.
Likewise, you may want to replace your heat pump or evaporative cooler with a new AC unit, which will last about as long, perhaps even a little longer, than your old system. It will also function more efficiently, saving you money. The sooner you replace your legacy system, the sooner you can begin reaping the benefits of lower energy bills.
There are many factors that can affect the lifespan of your system. These days, the climatic conditions most units must deal with have changed from 20 or 30 years ago. The weather is getting warmer, but that’s not the only issue. Off-gassing – the release of airborne particulates from common household products – often occurs with chemicals in newly constructed or newly renovated homes and cleaning supplies, all of which can affect your unit’s lifespan.
The chemicals used in the manufacture of building components today can cause the copper condenser coils inside of indoor AC units to corrode more quickly. Modern building methods also mean that houses aren’t as drafty as they once were, so there’s less air flow through your home. While that’s great news for your energy bill, it also means that chemicals from cleaning products and new building components can remain in your home longer. For these reasons, outdoor air conditioning units tend to last longer than indoor units.
Of course, another big factor that affects the life of your HVAC is how you use it. In many parts of the country, homeowners only use their air conditioning for a few months out of the year. An AC unit in Pennsylvania, for example, that only gets used for four or five months of the year will last longer than one in Arizona that gets used 24 hours a day all year long. That second air conditioner simply experiences more wear and tear in a shorter period of time because it’s used more.
“This is a problem that we all dread, but it can be taken care of.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Originally Published by American Home Shield
Standing water can be caused by many things: soil that doesn’t absorb water, grading issues, etc. Try these drainage solutions to keep your yard above water.
Keeping your lawn green and pristine is a matter of pride. So it can be upsetting to find a growing puddle of standing water in your yard. Not only is stagnant water unsightly, but it can also kill your grass, damage ornamental plants, compromise your home’s foundation, become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and be symptom of larger problems.
What causes water to accumulate on your lawn? What are the best methods of eliminating standing water? Here’s what homeowners need to know.
When stagnant water forms on your property, it can be a sign of either easily correctable habits or more fundamental design flaws.
Be careful of overwatering your lawn. If your home is equipped with an automatic sprinkler or irrigation system, you may need to make certain adjustments to address a problem with standing water. Try watering your lawn less frequently and/or for shorter periods of time.
If altering your gardening and maintenance habits doesn’t correct the issue, further investigation may be necessary. The following are common culprits in cases of standing water.
Grading. Lawns should be graded (or leveled) to ensure proper drainage. The slope should trend away from the house and direct run-off down towards the street, alleyway or storm sewer. If your landscaping doesn’t take the proper angle, water may collect on your lawn faster that it can drain. Improper drainage can also cause natural low spots in your yard to accumulate more and more water with each rainfall.
Thatch. Proper drainage also depends on your lawn’s permeability. A permeable lawn allows water to seep into the earth instead of collecting on the surface. If grass clippings or leaf litter clog on your lawn, they can prevent the soil from absorbing water as it would under normal conditions.
Soils. Hard, compact soils and heavy, sticky clay soils are also less absorbent and prevent surface water from seeping into the ground.
Hard subsoil. Hardpan is a thick layer of impervious subsoil. Hardpan can be naturally occurring, or it can be the result of construction equipment densely compacting yards and lawns which are then topped with a layer of topsoil, disguising the issue. Once water percolates down to the hardpan, it has nowhere else to go and begins pooling.
High water table. As rain seeps into the earth, it becomes groundwater. This groundwater forms a water table, a completely saturated level of subsurface soil and rock. In some instances, however, the water table can rise very close to the surface, creating waterlogged conditions.
Fortunately, you don’t have to live with standing water. Depending on the ultimate cause of your standing water problem, you can take immediate action to boost your lawn’s ability to shed water.
Re-grade. Consult with a professional landscaper on re-grading the terrain around your home. Be sure to request that the landscaper provide a survey of your lawn’s low-lying points, natural channels and drainage outlets.
De-thatch. You can remove heavy thatch using a dethatcher, vertical mower, or even a simple lawn rake. Once you’ve removed the plant debris, pierce the turf with a garden fork or a lawn aerator. The small holes you make should be at least 4 inches deep and spaced 2 inches apart. Aerated soil is not only soil that drains properly — it’s also healthier soil.
Break it up. In order to make your lawn more amenable to water absorption, work organic matter into your soil. Garden compost, leaf mold and manure will all open the soil up and create more minute channels through which water can escape.
Dig. For hardpan problems, a shovel may be the best solution. If the hardpan is less than 2 feet thick, wait for a dry spell and then dig up as much as you can. If you can’t break up the hardpan yourself, consult with a professional contractor who specializes in drilling through densely packed subsoil.
Make accommodations. A high water table is a much more difficult issue to address. Instead, it’s a fact of life that you will likely have to work around. However, you can still improve drainage by increasing the depth of your lawn borders. You can also add layers of soil to create raised beds. Finally, you can landscape using more shallow-rooted plants capable of surviving wet conditions.
Install a French drain. A French drain (also known as a curtain drain) is actually a comprehensive drainage system made from rather simple materials. A graded trench directs the flow of water away from the home. The trench is then filled in with gravel, which lets gravity do the work of channeling the water into a perforated pipe that sits at the trench’s base.
Don’t let standing water keep you and your family from enjoying the outdoor areas around your home. By identifying the cause of your drainage problem and relying on good common sense, you can ensure that gray clouds don’t linger even after the storms have passed.
“It’s that time of the year when we want to get outside as much as we can to take advantage of the nice weather. Here are some ideas to make your deck just a little nicer!”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
Want to upgrade your deck but watching your budget? Here are 5 easy deck makeover ideas, many well under $300. Read
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Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
“The warm weather is finally here and you’re ready to do some landscaping, but you don’t want to under take a HUGE project. Here are some that won’t take several weekends, break the bank, or your back!”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
No need for fancy DIY skills, a lot of money, or a ton of time to pull off these yard upgrades. Read
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Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
“As Spring approaches you might be looking into a larger home project, that could cost several thousands of dollars. A Home Equity Loan might be a good answer for how to pay for it.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
A home equity loan allows homeowners to borrow against the equity they have in their home, or the difference between what they owe on their home and what their home is worth.
So, you need some money – and a lot of it. Maybe you have medical bills to pay, or college tuition bills for your children. Maybe you need to update, renovate or make repairs to your home. Whatever the reason, you’ve been wondering whether a home equity loan is right for you. Such a loan could let you borrow a large amount of money, and because it would be secured by your home, it’d be easier to get than a personal loan.
But, before you call your mortgage broker, you need to know the ins and outs of these financial products. What are home equity loans, and how do they work? What are the pros, cons and alternatives? And what are the best ways to protect yourself and your family when you take out a home equity loan? Read on to learn the answers to these questions, and more.
A home equity loan is basically a type of mortgage. Like the mortgage you took out when you purchased your home, a home equity loan is secured by the home itself.
Homeowners can and do use home equity loans to fund repairs, updates, renovations and improvements to the home. If you use a home equity loan to fund certain home improvements, you may be able to deduct the interest from your taxes. However, once you have the money, you can do whatever you want with it – pay for your kids’ college, start a business, or buy a second property, for example.
A home equity loan usually allows you to borrow between 80 to 85 percent of the difference between what you owe on your home and what it’s worth. For example, if your home is worth $300,000, and you owe $100,000, you should be able to borrow up to 80 to 85 percent of the difference – or about $160,000 to $170,000.
However, a home equity loan is a second mortgage, and it’s structured just like a purchase mortgage. You’ll have to put in an application and your lender will assess your ability to repay the loan. You’ll pay closing costs, and your home will secure the loan. You’ll make monthly payments over a fixed number of years, but your interest rate should be fixed for the life of the loan. Home equity loans are amortized, which means that each payment will reduce both some of the interest and some of the principal of the loan.
Like any other loan product, home equity loans have their pros and cons. It’s generally pretty easy to get a home equity loan, because they’re secured by your home. Interest rates are typically much, much lower than they are for credit cards, personal lines of credit and personal loans, and if you’re currently paying a low mortgage rate, you don’t have to jeopardize that with a cash-out refinance. Payments are the same every month, so they’re easy to fit into your budget, and closing a home equity loan is faster than a cash-out refinance.
However, home equity loans can be inflexible – you have to take a lump sum of money at once, which can be inconvenient if you need to use the cash incrementally, such as for college tuition payments or a renovation project. You’ll pay interest on the money even if you’re not currently using it. Home equity loans can also represent significant debt, and they come with closing costs and fees. Of course, because your home secures the loan, you could lose your house if you don’t pay it back.
As an alternative to traditional home equity loans, many banks now offer home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs. Instead of receiving a lump sum in a specific amount, you can get approved for a maximum amount of available credit, and just borrow what you need against that amount. A HELOC offers more flexibility if you need to spend the money incrementally, or if you otherwise need to borrow multiple times. That way, you only pay interest on the money you actually spend. You may even be able to make smaller monthly payments in the beginning.
Cash-out refinances are another option for homeowners who find that their home is worth much more than they owe. This involves taking out a mortgage for more than you owe and pocketing the difference. It’s a good idea if you need a large sum of money for renovations, home improvements, college tuition, or other expenses, and it can be especially beneficial if you’re able to secure a lower mortgage rate.
A home equity loan can be a wonderful tool, but a wise homeowner uses caution when wielding it. Just as with a mortgage, you should shop around for the best rates before choosing a lender.
Before you take out a home equity loan, make sure you understand the terms. Don’t borrow more than you can pay back, and don’t sign up for high monthly payments that are unsustainable. If you choose a HELOC instead of a home equity loan, be careful; some HELOCs require the borrower to borrow a minimum amount, whether they need it or not. Of course, you could still make such an arrangement work for you, as long as you have the discipline to pay back the difference between what you need and the minimum loan amount.
Most importantly, don’t treat your house like an ATM. It can be tempting, especially with a HELOC, to just keep borrowing money. Your home should be a means of building wealth, and continually borrowing against your home equity undermines that. Use your home equity in ways that can help you grow or protect yours and your family’s wealth (such as by funding improvements, renovations, repairs, or the purchase of more property) or your potential to create wealth (such as by funding higher education, or starting a business).
If you’re a homeowner, you could be sitting on a source of cash to cover major expenses in the form of your home’s equity. But, while home equity can be a great resource, it’s vital to know exactly what you’re getting into with a home equity loan, so that you don’t end up regretting a second mortgage.
“Recently attended the ‘Remodeling and Garden Show’ and saw a number of ideas that are right in line with these trends. Many of these were really not that expensive when you look at the return.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – Dc Metro Realty Team
The latest home renovation trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space. Read
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Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
“Mold and Mildew are common occurrences from time to time. However, you can get rid of it and take steps to prevent it in the future.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
What is mold? And why is it in your bathroom? Mold and mildew are enemies that constantly need to be kept under control. AHS is here to help get your bathroom mold problem under control.
Mold and mildew are enemies that constantly need to be kept under control. The presence of mold can cause health problems, including coughing, skin and eye irritation, and serious lung infections in people that have breathing problems or other chronic illnesses. Some level of mold is always around in your house, due to the outside mold spores coming and going. But if you discover mold in areas with moisture, warmth and darkness — like your shower — there are things you can do to keep that shower mold (and bathtub mold) under control. Let’s look into ways to control and prevent mold in bathrooms.
We hear a lot about mold these days. But what is mold? It’s not a plant or an animal; rather, it’s a type of fungi. Mold spores are very small and light, and they actually float in the air. This is what allows them to spread and be inhaled. All molds, including the dreaded toxic black mold (in bathrooms and other areas of your house), can feed on organic building materials found in your house if they have been exposed to the right environmental conditions: moisture, warmth and darkness. What are some common spaces with these conditions? Attics, basements and crawl spaces, to name a few, especially if there are roof leaks or leaking water and drain pipes. The showers and tubs in your bathrooms also provide what mold needs to grow, when the conditions are right. There’s, off course, moisture from the water you use to bathe and shower, not to mention the warmth –– unless you’re into cold showers –– and subdued lighting. In a nutshell, your home could easily make for a “home sweet home” for mold.
As homes and buildings are being designed and built for more energy efficiency, they are more airtight. This traps the warm, moist air inside. Without proper ventilation, mold could likely be a problem.
Although mold can grow in virtually any conducive conditions, it especially loves to grow in the grout of the shower, which is porous and holds moisture longer than the tile, as well as around the shower drain. The same goes for bathtubs and sinks.
The first thing you want to do when it comes to knowing how to get rid of mold in showers and other bathroom areas? Assess the damage. If your mold problem covers less than 10 square feet, you should be able to handle it on your own. (If it’s a larger area, you need to call a professional as soon as possible.) And if the grout around your shower, tub and sinks is compromised — that is, broken, cracked, missing sections, overrun with mold, etc. — you’ll need to remove it and recaulk after the mold is removed.
Next, gather these supplies:
American Home Shield® Insight: If you are planning on using bleach or a commercial cleaner, open a window or run the ventilation fan. You should also wear gloves and a mask to protect yourself from fumes. Likewise, never mix bleach with other cleaners.
Now, let’s get to the cleaning:
If you have an operable window in your bathroom, open it and leave it open for a while after showering. Note: This is not a solution, however, if the air outside is very hot and humid. The bathroom vent fan should also be running during baths and showers and for thirty minutes afterward. In addition, air conditioning systems reduce humidity. The goal for relative humidity in your house to keep mold at bay is 50 percent or less. If you struggle to reach that percentage, a dehumidifier will also do the trick. And, of course, wiping the surfaces down after using them will certainly help. Remember: Moisture is one of the top requirements for mold.
Fortunately, light is one of our weapons against mold. Open those blinds. Replace heavy curtains with something more sheer. Let the light in. Many of our showers are at the end of a dead-end bathroom with no window. If this is the case, you may have to use artificial lighting, or consider putting in a skylight. Also, keep the shower doors open or shower curtains drawn back to allow light into the shower –– when you’re not using it, of course. Basically, try to avoid creating a dark environment for mold to thrive in.
Once your bathroom is squeaky clean, keep it that way. Spray or wipe the shower and bathtub surfaces with a solution of white vinegar and a little water. You can add a drop or two of essential oils to lessen the vinegar smell, if you’d like. And if you want to keep mold from becoming your unwanted bathing partner, make sure you do this quick and easy chore at least once a week.
“Ready to changes things up in your Living Room or Family Room? Take time to measure a few things before you get too far along in the process.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
“If you want to help make your house sell quickly, these are several key items that you must address if you want to attract the best buyers.”
Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team
The most critical things to do to increase your home’s value before putting it on the market. Read
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Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®