Home Maintenance Before Fall

Home Maintenance before Fall

Through the years and attending many Home Inspections I have created a list of items that I know get called out on the request for repairs during many real estate transactions. What I know is that if you keep your home secure now then you will have little to do when it is time to sell.   

1. Roof: Check the roof and around vents, skylights, and chimneys for leaks. Repair as necessary.

2. Windows and Doors: On a windy day stand near windows and doors to check for leaks.  Repair with rope caulk or weather stripping. 

3. Rain Gutters: Clean the gutters and drain pipes so leaves won’t clog them and be sure they drain away from the house. (Fall: In cold-climate areas) Drain outside faucets.

4. Fireplace: Clean the fireplace of ashes. (Fall) Check the chimney for loose or missing mortar. Have the chimney professionally cleaned. Make sure the damper closes tightly. (Spring) Leave the damper open for improved ventilation if the home is not air-conditioned.

5. Air Conditioner: (Fall: In cold-climate areas) Remove window air-conditioners, or put weatherproof covers on them.

6. Refrigerator: Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, the latch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced. In addition, if you have a coil-back refrigerator, vacuum the coils at least twice each year. Your refrigerator will run more efficiently with clean coils. Also, stock up! A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.

7. Faucets: Check for leaky faucets in the kitchen and bathroom(s). Replace washers as necessary.

8. Storm Windows and Screens: (Fall) Take down screens (if removable type) and replace with storm windows. (Spring) Remove, clean, and store storm windows (if removable). Check and patch all door and window screens. Put screens up (if removable type).

9. Siding and Paint: Look for cracks and holes in house siding or paint. Replace caulk if necessary. Spot paint where necessary. 

10. Raised Foundation: Check the basement walls and floor for dampness. 

11. Heater: Change filters.

12. Hot Water Heater: (Fall) Drain the hot water heater. Remove sediment from the bottom of the tank.

Important Items: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriate devices as needed, or at least twice each year. Check and clean the dryer vent, air conditioner, stove hood, and room fans. 

Contact Tami Winbury Keller Williams Realty for any additional information.  805-798-3412  www.TamiWinbury.com

Around Town with Tami Winbury- Cullen the Electrician

Sunset School Oak View K-8

House For Sale- My New Listing!

Home For Sale in Ojai Valley.
Call Tami Winbury Keller WIlliams Realty 805-798-3412 Today!
For Sale: 3BR/0BA Single Family House in Oak View, CA, $439,000

Bedrooms:	3	Bathrooms:	1
Home Size:	1,152 sq.ft.	Garage:	1
Lot Size:	12,160 sq.ft.	County:	Ventura
Property Type:	Single Family Home	Year Built:	1948
Property Description
Taken down to the beams and built back to perfection less than 2 years ago. In 2011 this home was given a New Kitchen with Granite counters and Stainless Steel Appliances, New Bathroom, New Plumbing, New Electrical, New Oak Floors and a New Garage Door, New Insulation through the walls and attic and Ceiling Fans.The beautiful home also offers a Newer Roof, Large Laundry Room (which could easily be turned in to a second bathroom), Two Driveways - Great for Boat or RV Parking, 12,000+ SF lot flat and very usable. An outside covered patio, raised garden bed, detached garage, completely fenced yard for children, dogs and privacy. Located in a quite neighborhood walking distance to the distinguished Sunset Elementary School K-8.
Features List
• 12,000+ sqft. Lot • Granite Counters • Remodeled 2011 • New Bathroom • Fenced & Private • Large Laundry Room • Quite Neighborhood • Oak Wood Floors • New Electrical • RV/Boat Access • New Plumbing • Stainless Appliances

Four Real Estate Deal Killers

Four Real Estate Deal Killers

Don't be caught off guard when you decide to sell your home. The market is changing and seller's are beginning to gain control of the market. Contact Tami Winbury Keller WIlliams Realty 805-798-3412 www.TamiWinbury.com for all your Real Estate needs.
Many news reports point to the sub prime lending mess as the cause for the housing slump. But home sellers should know that plenty of people with good credit are simply cautious buyers, which can keep sales down.
In most areas it's a buyer's market, so people can be picky. "Most buyers in this market will try to re-negotiate based on the findings of their home inspection. If the seller is unwilling to make repairs or lower the price, they may walk away because they knew other properties are available," says Kathleen Kuhn, president and CEO of HouseMaster.
With approximately two million home inspections collectively performed by its franchise offices, HouseMaster is aware of a number of conditions that are more likely to scare buyers away.
But sellers do not have to stand by with their fingers crossed to secure a fair sale.
"More and more home sellers are getting a pre-listing home inspection that helps identify potential deal-breaking issues before the house is listed on the market," Kuhn says. "This way, sellers can fix problems and worry less about a buyer walking away late in the deal process."
According to Kuhn, the following are "The Fearsome Four" when it comes to real estate deals:

• Roofing Concerns: A new homeowner does not want the expense of roof replacement shortly after closing. Many sellers believe that if their roof is not presently leaking it is in acceptable condition. But an astute buyer knows that a worn roof needs to be replaced before it leaks.
• Electrical Problems: Older panels are often undersized and might even pose a fire hazard. Although an upgrade is usually straightforward, the potential fire risk can be scary for prospective buyers.
• Structural Issues: Major structural issues are one of the least common defects found in homes, but when they do occur, they can be costly to repair, and can really stop a buyer in his tracks. Fortunately, there are often repair options that will make the sales process go smoother. But it will often require another inspection by a structural engineer or repair professional, and additional time, to determine what can be done.
• Synthetic Stucco or Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS): Overall EIFS can be effective, economical alternatives to traditional stucco. Unfortunately improper installation can lead to trapped moisture behind the siding. This can cause structural damage and mold, and can cost tens of thousands of dollars to correct.

"Sellers lose some advantage when they are caught off guard by issues, even minor ones. In a market where every edge counts, sellers can use tools like pre-listing home inspections and repair records to show that they are conscientious and have taken appropriate steps to sell responsibly and competitively," Kuhn says.
Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More home safety and maintenance information is available online at www.housemaster.com.

housemaster.com
Contact Tami Winbury Keller WIlliams Realty 805-798-3412 www.TamiWinbury.com for all your Real Estate needs. DRE#01878369

Before Buying a Home- Must Read

Before Buying a Home

Home prices in most parts of the country are just about as affordable as they are likely to get, and mortgage rates remain super low. Together, those factors mean that many people are thinking about buying a home. Some will be first-time homebuyers, while others will be “boomerang” buyers who lost their homes in the housing meltdown but are now hoping to get back in. Still others may see this as the best time to upgrade to a larger home, downsize to a smaller one, or to move to the retirement locale of their dreams.

Whatever your motivation for buying a home, unless you are going to pay cash for the property, there’s one essential step you must take first: get preapproved for a loan.
The reason? Your lender will help determine what type of home loan financing you can get, and the interest rate you’ll pay. You’ll want to have plenty of time to dispute credit report errors if you find any, and get them fixed. The last thing you want is to find out at the last minute that you can’t buy your dream home because of something on your credit report that shouldn’t be there.
If you will be buying and financing a home with someone else — a partner or spouse, for example — you’ll each want to get your credit reports and scores. Get them from all three major credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, as they each collect their own data and don’t share corrections with each other. You can do this for free once annually at AnnualCreditReport.com.

You’re Not Just a Number
The three-digit number that represents your credit score will be important when it comes to buying and financing a home. A difference of a few points could make a difference in the rate you’ll pay for your mortgage. Mortgage lender, Bob Brenner will typically use the middle of the three credit scores to determine the rate/program for which you qualify.
But that doesn’t mean you need to obsess about your score. Doing so can cause you unnecessary grief. After all:

• Trying to tweak your scores based on what you think may help improve them can sometimes have the opposite effect.

• There are many different loan programs with different credit score requirements. Loan officer, Bob Brenner will help you shop around to find the right program to meet your needs.

What’s in a Number?
If focusing on the number that represents your credit score isn’t the most important thing, then what is? Understanding the elements that make up your scores can be much more important. Our Credit Report Card, for example, assigns a grade to each of the main factors that go into a score:

• Payment History
• Debt Usage
• Credit Age
• Account Mix
• Inquiries

Within those, we recommend you put your efforts toward the things you can control.

What Can Your Score Do For You?
When it comes to buying a home, your credit scores can help you secure the financing you need to buy the property and pay it off over time. Your credit scores are a tool to help you achieve your personal and financial goals. If you can get the loan you need with the credit scores you have, then be satisfied with that — even if you don’t have the best score your loan officer has seen!
And finally, it’s important to put your scores in context. Mortgage lenders will look at other factors, like your debt-to-income ratios, employment history, and down payment. As any loan officer can tell you, even a perfect score can’t get you a loan if — for example — the appraisal comes in too low, or if you can’t document your income.
Gerri Detweiler Credit.com's Personal Finance Expert

Contact Tami Winbury Keller Williams Realty 805-798-3412 DRE#01878369 today for help in your search to purchase a home and all your real estate needs.

Low Inventory: Homes to Sell Needed!

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It's true! The housing inventory is at an all time low. Supply and Demand is proving true as we

watch homes receive multiple offers and bidding wars on the rise. Call Tami Winbury Keller Williams Realty

today to list your house implementing her Marketing Arsenal. 805-798-3412

We’ve heard it on the street, we’ve seen in on Facebook(Follow Tami Winbury) and Twitter(Follow Tami Wnbury), and we’ve seen it in our own neighborhoods: low inventory is a major story in the real estate market right now. While it is not a universal condition, a low inventory of homes on the market seems to be prevalent in many desirable areas. Inventory levels, the amount of time it would take to sell all existing homes on the market without any new homes being added, are dropping below normal (it varies by market but six months is often considered a good indicator). The low inventory situation exists both major cities and in some suburban areas. Let’s take a look at a few recent stories:

Denver, Colorado

From the Denver Post: The number of showings per listing has risen as the housing inventory has fallen. During a stable market a typical inventory level would be around five to seven months, Boulder County’s inventory is 3.4 months.

Portland, Oregon

From Oregon Live: In the Portland area December closed with fewer than 6,400 homes listed for sale. At that month’s sales rate it would only take 3.6 months to work through that supply. Average inventory level for the area is generally six months.

Seattle, Washington

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Sales of houses and condos In King County last year rose 19.9 percent, while the number of homes on the market fell by 36.9 percent. The inventory level fell from 6.7 to 3.4 months.

Los Angeles, California

From the Los Angeles Daily News: Warren Snyder, who co-owns Carriage Realty & American Broker Loans in Rolling Hills Estates was quoted as saying: “The short inventory count is causing people to pay more for the house. It’s supply and demand.”

Lubbock, Texas

From the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: For the first time in several years, the Lubbock market’s existing months of inventory for December dropped below 1,300 homes or 4.5 months and officially transitioned from a buyer’s to a seller’s market, carrying last year’s strong recovery trend into 2013. Last year during this period the inventory level was around 6.5 percent.

West Palm Beach, Florida

From the Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County Realtors have said one of their biggest challenges in recent months is a low inventory. T 4.7 in November, a 54 percent decrease from the same time in 2011. Condominium supply was at 4.8 months, down 47 percent from November 2011.

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

From the Triangle Business Journal: The Triangle MLS in North Carolina which covers an area including Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill areas, reported in December that the inventory of homes and properties listed on MLS in the region hit a new low with 11,802 homes listed for sale in December, which is about a 5.9-month supply level.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

From Fosters.com: The single family homes available for sale in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire at its lowest level since at least 2010, according to the Seacoast Board of REALTORS monthly survey of the 13-sample Seacoast towns.

New York, New York:

From NY1.com: The prediction for New York City is that inventory will remain low in 2013, especially because many sellers cannot afford to trade up or qualify for financing, so they are opting to stay put.

So what is a potential homebuyer to do? In our recent post on smart moves to make in 2013, Realtors® gave advice on backup offers and other strategies. If there is a home you like, be ready to take action because, from what we are seeing out there, it looks like it may not be on the market long.