Archive for April, 2011

Rich Levin and The Housing Council on PSR – Listen NOW

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

House and Coyne have a full plate on Property Source Radio this Saturday with 2 guests. Rich Levin, a real estate “success” coach, and Joel Kunkler from the Rochester Housing Council.

Rich Levin is a nationally recognized real estate coach and shares some of his insights on both the Real Estate profession and the local real estate market. Even if you are not a real estate agent, you can apply a lot of his teachings to your own profession. If you would like more information about Rich Levin Success Corp – visit his website: RichLevin.com.

Joel Kunkler from The Housing Council talks about the upcoming Landlord Expo on May 7th at MCC Conference Center. The expo is filled with useful info for the Seasoned landlord to those looking to get into the business.

• Attend workshops with experts in their fields.
• Explore the exposition hall filled with a wide variety of products and services for your business.
• Meet Scott Mcgillivray from Home & Garden Television’s “Income Property”.
• Get the latest news to help you do business.

For more information and to pre-register for the expo – visit their website.

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Lana Torre on Property Source Radio – Listen Now

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

With Pat Coyne off this week on assignment, House and Haley bring in Lana Torre of Evergreen Interiors. Lana is an interior decorator with TONS of knowledge. Lana can be seen on WHAM TV 13 as the designer for “Room in a Rush” and other programs. Lana writes design articles for the Property Source. You can read her monthly articles on this Blog.

One of the hottest color trends these days is Greige which is a combination of both Grey and Beige. Weigh in on your thoughts!

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Take the Guess out of the Guest Room

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

I know we are all pondering the same question. Where do we have Aunt Frannie stay when she comes to visit this summer? Do we have her sleep on the sofa in the family room, or do we break the budget and put her up at the nearest econo-motel?

The answer is pure and simple and you will love it! Why not make over the spare room or enclosed porch to accomplish a number of tasks. Your guests will have almost everything they need, and you, hostess warrior, will have a space to do all those tasks that demand extra space.

I am talking duplicity and multiplicity. By that I mean, having and using your furniture for one or more purposes.

Let’s start with the bed. If you or your better half needs an alone spot to watch football, we could purchase a futon. This will give your guy a huge space to relax, lie down, and view his sports thing, while you have control in the family room to watch HGTV. When guests arrive, simply pull down the futon to bed position and grab the linens. It is the perfect bed and sofa, all in one. Remember to have that extra tv on top of a dresser here.

Do you have an extra table in the garage? Use a small kitchen table in the guest room for needed lap top space. When guests leave, you can use this table for crafts, a wrapping station, or your own computer space. Available now is a new round, high-low kitchen table or round coffee table. It is a super product made by Harden Furniture [made here just north of Syracuse], use it lowered in your family room as a coffee table or raise it to 30” kitchen height. Bring it into your guest room as that extra table space, make it pretty, add a vase of fresh flowers and an iron base lamp. Make it charming by adding a wooden chair with a plump cushion. If you just can’t find that extra table, open up the closet, push all the clothes to one side and slide in your child’s old desk. It will probably be a great fit, and you have just created an office nook.

Remember to supply all the needed toiletries for Aunt Frannie, soaps, bath gels, tissues and towels. Any local magazines are perfect accessory to put next to the bed, noting local museums and wine trails.

Make Aunt Frannie’s stay comfortable and short, and at the end of the day, you will have your own quiet and alone space, I am sure you will need it.

The Annual Home Maintenance Issue

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Ladies lets face it, most of your husbands, or as they say “significant others,” what ever that means, aren’t getting it done when it comes to maintaining your home. What does it take to get people to do proactive maintenance? A step by step blueprint? Ok here it is. Follow the steps as laid out below and you can’t go wrong. Pay attention!

Quarterly: that’s every three months.

Plumbing:
• Faucets and shower heads: Check all faucets for leaks and mineral deposit build-up. Replace washers and aerators as needed.
• Drains: Poor water down unused drains, including drains in the basement floor. Unclog slow drains by removing traps can cleaning by hand. Inspect all plumbing pipes for leaks. Check under all vanities for leaks.
• Toilets: Check for movement on the floor. Check for a good voracious flush.
• Water Heater: Check for leaks and corrosion at supply pipes. Drain 5 gallons from the bottom of a new water heater every three months.

Inside your home:
• Seal wood cabinets with a water proofing sealer.
• Lubricate squeaky door hinges.
• Inspect garage door for free movement and lube as needed.
• Inspect and lubricate window latches and rollers. Use spray silicone on hard to operate window sashes.
• Inspect your basement and / or crawlspace for cracks, leaks, and signs of wood destroying insects. Learn to identify carpenter ants, termites, and powder post beetles.
• Check and clean your ceramic tile grout while checking for cracks.
• Check the refrigerator drain pan and clean. Check refrigerator lights, and proper temperature in the freezer and refrigeration area.. Wipe the door gaskets clean of mold and dirt. Put the unit out from the wall and vacuum the rear coils and top.
• Check the dishwasher for leaks. Remove the bottom panel and inspect while running.
• Check and test all smoke alarms. Replace batteries if needed.
• Check all electrical plugs and extension cords for wear and tear. Replace if any abnormalities are noticed.
• Remove grease for the kitchen vent fan blades and motor. Clean the range hood filter.
• Test all GFCI outlets in your home. If they do not trip, replace them.
• Look up into your fireplace chimney. Check for creosote build-up, blockages, and cracks in the chimney liner.
• Check bathtub surround and kitchen countertop tile grout for cracks, voids, and signs of water damage. Re-grout or re-caulk as needed.
• Take a trip to your attic to search for leaks, broken framing, and any signs of fire hazards.
• Replace all non-working light bulbs.

Outside your home:
• Inspect for cracks, holes, and signs of water damage.
• Check for a proper slope away from the foundation.
• Wash and clean your deck. Remove all mildew.
• Check your roof for missing shingles, signs of lifted or raised shingles.
• Check your chimney for signs of spalling, frost damage, and signs of a worn or cracked crown.
• Commence cleaning, maintenance, and adjustment of all gutters.
• Clean windows.
• Check for loose, cracked siding panels, peeling paint and general condition of the siding. Check vinyl siding for cracks and impact damage.
• Inspect all incoming power, phone, and cables lines on the exterior of your home.
• Check all door and window weather-stripping. Replace as needed.

In conclusion: Did you detect a trend? Yup, check and inspect! If you spend quality time walking around and observing your home you will find the items that need to be addressed before they turn into a nightmare.

Tool Time
Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape.  Anything else is just unnecessary stuff to make you feel good! Let’s Get ‘er done!

Ladder Safety
Oh, Just another boring lecture from Jim you might be thinking. Ladder safety is no laughing matter. You can be seriously hurt falling off of a ladder and from only the first or second steps up! This time of year is even worse. An extension ladder leaned up against the gutters trying to chop away an ice build-up can be life threatening. Make sure you place the bottom of the ladder securely into something. The ground is best and asphalt is the most dangerous. A blacktop driveway can be extremely slippery and even more so if it’s covered with a driveway sealer. Plant that ladder on something you know will not move. Be safe!

Expert Craftsmanship
Use the Right Wire ! It occurred to me one day that the only reason I know which type and size of electrical wire to use on a particular project it that I did the trial and error method. Over the years I have had the occasion to wire just about everything that one would find him or her re-wiring in their home. If you are wiring outlets, lights, and any other basic household branch circuits then 12/2 with ground with the letters NM stamped on the side is the all purpose wire for you. When in doubt use 12-gage wire. If you are wiring lighting circuits sometimes you can use a 14-gage wire. Beware the price of copper wire has gone up dramatically in the past few months. I just paid $80 for a 250’ roll of 12/2 with ground. UF wire is rated for direct burial in the ground. UF is much harder to strip and work with, however it allows you to run a wire to the garage underground with out running conduit. Your 30-amp dryer would use a 10/3 with ground and your 50-amp range would use a 6/3 wire. Your electric water heater also uses a 10/3 with ground and any appliance with a motor like the garbage disposal, dishwasher, or microwave uses the 12-gage wire. The object is not to burn your house to the ground!

The Top 20 Tips to HOME STAGING YOUR YARD

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Hopefully it’s getting safe to say that it’s stopped snowing in Rochester. Use these tips and ideas to make your house outshine all the others on the real estate market.  The warmer weather has brought everybody outside including home buyers.  As soon as a listing comes up, perspective buyers are going to drive by homes to decide which ones they’re interested in.  It is a particularly difficult time of year to make your yard look beautiful.  Here are some ideas to help your home look appealing and well cared for by both realtors and buyers.

1.      Be certain your house can be clearly seen from every direction of the yard.  If there are bushes or trees blocking windows trim them back.

2.     Have your curtains/blinds all uniform in color from the outside.

3.     Wash your windows.

4.     Power wash the exterior of your home and all decks and sidewalks.

5.     Schedule your driveway to be sealed as soon as weather permits. If you have a stone driveway, put down a new fresh layer of stone.

6.     Paint your front door.

7.     Add new mulch and edge your yard.

8.     Repair all cracked and chipping paint on the exterior of your house.  A buyer may look past this defect.  A mortgage appraiser particularly for VA and FHA loans will demand that the deteriorating paint is repaired  or they will not give your buyer a mortgage.

9.     Clean the gutters.

10.  Rake your yard to remove all dead leaves and debris

11.  Cut back all the dead brown remains from last season’s perennials.

12.  If you have a front porch highlight it with a pair of chairs to sit on.

13.  Display an American flag.  All other decorative flags should be avoided.

14.  Remove lawn ornaments.

15.  Replace your mailbox if it is not in mint condition.

16.  Make sure your house number is large and clearly visible.

17.  Park in your garage with the garage door/s shut. Your home will appear bigger.

18.  Buy a simple new front door mat.

19.  As long as it is safe, add new light bulbs with a brighter wattage to your porch lights.

Keep your yard as clean as if it was another room in your house

Carolyn Stiffler & City Living Sundays on PSR – Listen Now Online

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

Join Steve Hausmann and Pat Coyne as they welcome Carolyn Stiffler, President of the GRAR and Associate Broker with Keller Williams Realty, to Property Source Radio on Saturday 4/2/11 (Show available now online – Click here to listen). Carolyn talks about the Rochester Real Estate market conditions, City Living Sundays and new technology for today’s Real Estate professionals.

Have you seen this image before?

You are going to see a lot more of this in print ads and real estate signs. With the smart phones, you can take a   photo of this image and it will take you to a website where you can get all the information on the home for sale. Kurio is developing the site for agents to use these bar codes. Tune in to the show for more info.

The Final weekend of City Living Sundays is this weekend, where they focus on Eastside properties. If you are interested in buying a home, now is the time! Don’t miss City Living Sundays from 12-4 at East High School. City Living Sundays is an event put on by the City of Rochester and showcases City Homes and City Living! Find homes for sale in Neighborhoods like:

- South Wedge
- Browncroft
- Park Avenue
- Culver Winton

Click here for all City Neighborhoods and Quadrants

Click here to see a list of the Open Houses scheduled!

If you are thinking of buying – this is a great opportunity to meet Realtors, Lenders and Insurance pros to get all of your questions answered. See image below for Locations and Times of the event! GRANT INFORMATION AVAILABLE ALSO!

Listen to this past show now.

Happy House Hunting!