Top Ways to Winterize Your Home

 Winter can be a very harsh environment for your home. Your home has to work very hard to keep the inside cozy and perfect for those cold winter nights. Here are the top things you should do to winterize your house for the winter.

1. Clean your gutters — but be careful!

This can be a hard and tricky job so you need to be careful. You want to make sure your gutters are clear and clean of any debris to get ready for rain, snow or ice. You will want to clean out all of the leaves, twigs and dirt so that the ice or rain will not clog your gutters. Clogged gutters can not only harm your gutters but also your roof. This job includes using a ladder so if you are not comfortable hire a professional.

2. Inspect your furnace

It is a good idea to have a heating and cooling company to do maintenance service on your systems. A service technician knows what to look for and will go over your furnace with a fine tooth comb. The worst time to find out your furnace is not running efficiently is during a cold winter day.

3. Insulate your pipes

Most anyone should be able to do this step. There are foam insulation tubes designed for covering pipes. All you will need to do is cust the length and pop them on. Insulating your pipes close to the outside walls will prevent them from freezing.

4. Seal your doors and windows

A good test and indicator that you need to do this is to see if you can see daylight around the edges of your doors or windows. If so, they need o be sealed with caulk. Another step even further is to put up storm windows during the winter which will keep the heat inside.

5. Reverse your ceiling fans

This should be an easy one. Heat rises so you want the fans to push the heat back down. This will keep your house toasty during the winter. There is a switch on most ceiling fans that can be switched so that the fan will go counterclockwise.

6. Get your chimney swept

A fire is a great way to stay cozy and warm during the winter. If you have a fireplace, then you need to make sure it is in working order. A good way to do this is to get your chimney swept. Creosote can build up in your chimney and can actually cause a fire so this can be dangerous.

If you follow these tips for winterizing your home, then you should be comfy and warm all winter.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Homes Sales Dropped For The 9th Consecutive Month October 2022

 Among these sale price drops seen in the past nine months, rising mortgage rates and high prices are two of the catalysts of the current situation. Buyers are getting fed up with this and are backing out of the housing market.

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops are down 28.4% from October 2021. Every region in the country saw a decline. This is the longest decline seen in home sales since 1999.

Home sales have been the weakest we have seen since May 2020 during the height of the pandemic. Current homeowners are not wanting to sell because of the uncertainty in the market. This is keeping the inventory low which is not helpful.

October reported 1.22 million units for sale. This is down from the month before and a year before. Currently, it would take only 3.3 months to get through what is currently on the market. A balanced market has around 4 to 6 months of supply. “Inventory levels are still tight, which is why some homes for sale are still receiving multiple offers,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist added.

Yun also reports that household incomes have not risen enough to keep up with home prices. “First-time buyers are really struggling with high prices, the high bar to get into the market and high mortgage rates,” Yun says.

“This is why more new home construction is needed, as well as more rehabilitation of disused buildings into residential units,” said Yun, noting that while construction of apartment buildings remains robust, single-family starts are below one year ago and well below historical averages.

“In the meantime, mortgage rates are falling from the peak levels of last month and the gate is opening for more homebuyers to qualify for a mortgage.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Eco-Friendly Tips To Refinishing Hardwood Floors

 Hardwood floors are a beautiful touch to your home, but they can be high maintenance. If your wood floors look worn then refinishing them can give them a whole new fresh look. Hardwood floors can be refinished without the use of products with harmful toxins. If you are worried about harmful toxins, then follow these five tips to make sure you are keeping the process healthy for home.

1. Get Your Game Plan in Place

Whether you want to change the color of stain or just bring back the original look to your dull wood floors, you need to have a plan in place before you start the job. Start by researching products to make sure the ones that you want to use are not harmful. Many companies will list all the specifications of their products on their website for you to research.

You will also want to plan what style or color you will want to use for the new look. You want to research different refinishing companies and flooring pros before choosing the right one. Once you have done this, the pros can bring in samples and give you recommendations. Many company websites have a floor visualizer tool that can help you get a digital picture of what your design will look like in your space.

2. The Finish Makes All the Difference

Research wood floor finishes because many finishes will leave behind toxic fumes for your household to breathe in. Less expensive finishes such as Swedish finishes have a high level of volatile organic compounds. These organic compounds can have huge effects on your indoor air quality. These finishes are acid-cured finishes that have formaldehyde as an ingredient that can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. Waterborne (water-based) finishes are an environmentally friendly solution for your hardwood floors.

“For me, focusing on eco-friendly products just makes sense from an environmental and health standpoint for myself and my family. Knowing I am making a good choice that benefits everyone feels good, especially because the results are just as good, if not better, from floors to paint to furniture,” says Krissy Peterson of K. Peterson Design.

3. The Right Contractor is Key

After your research, it is important to now find the right contractor for the job. When choosing a contractor, you need to hire a certified craftsmen who will  guide you through the process and deliver your game plan without shortcuts or compromises.

“The most important aspects of the refinishing process for me were minimal down time and a quality result and color. I have two you kids, so being out of our house was going to be hard. Selecting a company that I knew would do a quality job set us up for success right from the beginning,” says Peterson.

4. It’s Dustless or Bust

The dusty process of the job can also be harmful to your health. The dust particles will not only cover your furniture and electronic devices but can get in your lungs causing allergic reactions and asthma. Every job will have dust, but how you handle the dust is the important part. Make sure the contractor uses a tested dust-containment system. This system will cut down on the spread of dust in your home.

5. Keep an Eye on the Upkeep

There is still some upkeep once your floors are completed, remember to use only water-based products and cleaners. This will ensure that your home is safe for you and your pets. A light touch is all it takes to clean your hardwoods. Do not use mops or vacuums as they may cause damage. Also be sure to use cleaning products tailored to wood floors that will gently remove dusts, dirt and grime without harming the floors or leaving behind a dull residue.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

The Market Is Seeing a Decline in Home Prices

 For two years we have seen a boom in the housing market when it comes to price appreciation. We have finally seen the peak, as the prices are now declining.

Prices will keep declining in the near future but will not drop as far as they did during the recession. From the peak in 2006 all the way through to 2012 there was a 27% decrease in home prices.

“It was different in 2008, 2009 because that drop in prices was because of a push from sellers,” said Jeff Tucker, senior economist at Zillow. “Because of foreclosures and short sales there were a lot of extremely motivated sellers who were willing to take a loss on their homes.”

“I would be surprised to see prices anywhere drop below where they were in 2019,” said Tucker. “There was some overheating in the housing market in 2021 through this spring that pushed prices higher than what the fundamentals would support. Now they are coming down.”

With the soaring mortgage rates along with elevated home prices and slow increases in wages, home buying is not in most potential buyers’ future. According to Goldman Sachs we should see a decline of around 5% to 10% from the peak, Wells Fargo predicts a 5.5% decrease. This means the median home price will fall to $364,000.

“The primary driver behind the housing market correction thus far has been sharply higher mortgage rates,” the Wells Fargo researchers wrote. “If our forecast for Fed rate cuts is realized, mortgage rates are likely to fall slightly just as cooling inflation pressures boost real income growth. A modest improvement in sales activity should then follow, which will reignite home price appreciation heading into 2024.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Aldi Opens In Covington Soon

Covington residents can see that construction has already begun on the new Aldi grocery store. It is planned that the store will open this winter. The new store will be located at 123 Holiday Boulevard in Covington.

This will be the second location on the north shore and the sixth location in Louisiana. The stores will be supported by a regional distribution center that opened in July in Loxley, Alabama.

Aldi is a German discount chain of grocery stores that are in the United States. The store began in Essen, Germany in 1961. The U.S. headquarters are in Illinois and there are 2,100 stores in 38 states. Most of the products sold at the store are private label which allows the prices to stay low.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

A Decline in Home Prices

September 2022 saw a dip in home values after a two-month 0.4% decline. Those in the industry say that the dip comes from a reaction to the drop in mortgage rates this summer. The future will also see a decline in the housing market due to the rise in mortgage rates since the summer.

The United States has seen declines as follows: Phoenix (-2.3%), Las Vegas (-1.9%), New Orleans (-1.0%), Riverside (-0.9%), and Austin (-0.9%). There has been a rise in prices in the following: Richmond (0.6%), Miami (0.6%), and Indianapolis (0.6%) markets. The greatest year-over-year was in Miami (25.7%), Orlando (23.4%), Tampa (23.2%) and Jacksonville (22.6%).

Fortunately, active listings have risen 3% from this time last year but they are still well below norms before the pandemic. This still is good for buyers as it means there are more options.

Even though there are fewer sales, pending listings dropped 29% compared to September 2021. This is due mostly to the rise in interest rates. Offers to accepted offers also went from 11 days in September 2021 to 19 days in September 2022. Many sellers began to cut the price of their homes to create a since of urgency.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Questions For Your Real Estate Agent at an Open House

 Looking for a new home can be exciting and fun, but it is nice to have a real estate agent who can help you along the way. One of the most exciting parts is visiting open houses. Your real estate agent can be a big asset when it comes to open houses.

An agent knows the right questions to ask during an open house and can help stay informed. You can see the house and see where you stand as a potential buyer. They can also help you weigh the pros and cons of the open house.

When you walk into a home and everything looks great, you still need to do your due diligence. Ask about any testing that has been done or any potential issues that the home has or might have. If the home was built before 1978, an agent will know what to look for including mold, asbestos, radon, lead paint and soil. Other questions you might find helpful are what’s the flood zoning, how old is the roof, furnace and major appliances, what are the average utility costs, and have there been any major renovations to the home? An agent can help you decide if it is worth putting in an offer on a home depending on the answers to the above questions.

A home might have great curb appeal and be your dream home inside, but if it is in a bad area, that is not good. A listing agent may not have specifics on an area but they can direct you to websites that have the answers. Agents can tell you about nearby parks, restaurants, and shopping.

Remember choosing a real estate agent is one of the most important steps. An agent can help you with the important questions to ask when at an open house.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.