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5 Home Maintenance Tasks You Cannot Afford to Forget

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Once you own your own home, you quickly learn that house maintenance never ends. However, good maintenance means fewer home repairs and lower house maintenance costs overall.

Make the effort to perform these 5 maintenance tasks. Your home will thank you for it!

1. Flush Your Water Heater

Flushing out the water heater is one of those house maintenance chores that slip many people’s minds but it should be done once a year. If it’s not done, mineral sediment can build up inside the tank, causing banging, popping or rumbling noises. That layer of sediment will make it harder to flush the water heater. Eventually, the sediment layer will cause the bottom of the tank to rust, and you’ll need a new water heater before too long.

2. Inspect Your Roof

Another house maintenance task that should be done at least once a year is inspecting the roof. Some homeowners do this while cleaning their gutters. The roof is your home’s primary line of defence against the elements, and damage to it could cause a legacy of problems including long-term mold problems.

When checking your roof, look for cracked, broken or missing shingles, or black grit in the gutters which means that your asphalt shingles need to be replaced. Moss or algae growing on the shingles, dry rot, rust or damaged caulk are all bad news.

3. Clean Your Dryer Vent Duct

Lint build-up in dryer vent ductwork is a leading cause of house fires, and that’s why cleaning your dryer vent ductwork every six months should be at the top of your house maintenance list. Lint build up can also extend drying times and create a bad smell in the house.

If the ductwork is extensive, you might need the help of a professional to clean it out, especially if it has a lot of bends and turns. However, if the ductwork leads directly outside from where it connects to the dryer, you can probably manage it singlehandedly.

Disconnect the ductwork from the back of the dryer and use a vacuum to suck built-up lint out of the duct. Check the vent where it exits the house, too. Sometimes, birds or other small animals nest in the opening of the duct outside, so make sure it’s covered so they can’t access it.

4. Clean Your Windows’ Weep Holes

Weep holes are the row of tiny holes along the bottom of the window frame on the outside. They provide a drainage mechanism for water that leaks into the window frame’s inside channel.

Dirt and debris can collect in these holes, and insects often find them an ideal place to live. Use an unbent paper clip to clear debris out of the weep holes every six months. This will stop any blockages and allow the holes to drain efficiently.

5. Dust Your Refrigerator Condenser Coils

House maintenance extends to some major appliances too, including the refrigerator. The condenser coils remove heat from the refrigerant to cool the inside of the refrigerator. But when those condenser coils get dusty, they can’t function as well.

Dusty condenser coils can shorten the life of one of the most expensive components of your refrigerator, and if you don’t clean them off every few months, you could end up buying a new refrigerator sooner than you planned to. Luckily, cleaning them is easy – simply pull your refrigerator away from the wall and wipe the coils with a dust cloth.

Buyers’ Checklist

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After weeks or months of anticipation, nobody wants lengthy delays when it comes to closing. I’ve put together a simple, no-nonsense checklist for all your closing requirements.

BEFORE CLOSING

✓ Provide a fully executed Contract of Sale to Urban Green Realty with the Earnest Money check.

✓ Provide a copy of the Contract of Sale to the mortgage company making your loan which has been receipted by Urban Green Realty.

✓ Call your Loan Officer and make a formal loan application.

✓ Schedule inspections of the home with the inspector and seller as soon as possible. A termite inspection is required on all VA loans. Any bills to be paid at closing must be provided at least one week prior to scheduled closing date.

✓ Contact an insurance company to obtain homeowners insurance. Supply information to Urban Green Realty at least one week prior to closing.

REQUIRED AT CLOSING

✓ Drivers License or other photo identification for borrower and co-borrower (if applicable).

✓ A cashiers check is required for payment of funds over $1500 at the time of closing (made payable to Urban Green Realty). *You may also wire funds for closing. Contact Urban Green Realty office for wiring instructions.

✓ Bring any required documents to your closing that your lender has requested you provide at the closing table.

AVOID CLOSING DELAYS

✓ If you wish to review your loan documents prior to closing, please request that your mortgage company provide the documents to Urban Green Realty at least three business days prior to closing, so that copies can be provided for your review. If you will not be present at the closing to sign documents and intend to use a POA (Power of Attorney), the following must occur:

✓ Urban Green Realty and your lender must approve the POA prior to closing.

✓ The original POA must be delivered to Urban Green Realty before closing for recording with the County Clerk’s office.

✓ We must contact with you via telephone on the day of the closing to be certain you are alive and well and have not revoked the POA.

You can download a printable version of this list by clicking here

Texas Markets in January 2021

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48 average days on the market

1.6 total months of inventory

According to the Texas Real Estate Research Center, 6 to 6.5 months is considered a balanced market

Months of Inventory for Major Metros:

  • 1.9 Houston
  • 1.6 San Antonio
  • 0.4 Austin
  • 1.4 El Paso
  • 2.2 Corpus Christi
  • 1.8 Laredo
  • 1.1 Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington

12.7% Texas median price increase year over year

$262,000 median price

A Very Special Bond

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Anyone who knows me, knows how important our native Opossums are to me. They are such beautiful, intelligent creatures.

I was very honored to get to know Mel the Opossum and his human and assist when he needed medical attention from trying to survive in his wild urban home.

He never became tame and would only tolerate my assistance, but he deeply loved Michelle, his human.

Take a moment out of your day to watch Mel’s uplifting journey.

Grapevine’s Hidden Gem

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If you’re out and about in the Grapevine area, I can highly recommend you stop by at MiDia Restaurant. They have THE best iced tea, a fabulous grilled salmon salad, and knowledgeable and attentive wait staff.

Chef Gabriel DeLeon has created a truly harmonious menu, fusing traditional Mexican City recipes with modern Santa Fe and Tex Mex flavors. I am very lucky, not only to have this fabulous eatery right on my doorstep, but to have formed an excellent friendship with the proprietors who always go the extra mile when it comes to satisfying their clientele.

Order on line or book a table by clicking here

Seller Required Items for Closing

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Not sure what you need for closing? See my comprehensive list below!

You will need to provide the following items:


✓ Daytime contact information, email, current mailing address and a forwarding address.
✓ Your Social Security or Taxpayer ID numbers.
✓ Your current mortgage contact information and loan number.
✓ Home Owner’s Association contact information.
✓ Existing survey and the Residential Real Estate Property Affidavit AKA “T-47”.
✓ A current US Government issued picture ID; drivers license, passport.
✓ Your Marital Status. A copy of a Divorce Decree or Separation Agreement, if applicable.
✓ A copy of your Family Trust, if applicable.
✓ A copy of a Probated Will, if applicable.
✓ Information concerning a bankruptcy, IRS liens, unpaid child support liens, if applicable.
✓ Current “Home Warranty” information, if any.
✓ If one of the parties will not be at closing, alert our office to prepare a Power of Attorney or prepare for a remote closing.

You can download a printable version of this list by clicking here

Moving Home Checklist

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Love it or loathe it, moving house can be stressful experience. Here are some of my top tips for those of you who want to get organised!

1 – 2 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

✓ Keep, sell, give or trash
✓ Make arrangements to hire a mover or rent a truck
✓ File a change of address form at the post office or online at moversguide.usps.com
✓ Change address on any subscriptions
✓ Organize school records
✓ Transfer medical, property, fire & auto insurance
✓ Create a binder of important information & documents
✓ Plan what will go where in your new home
✓ Collect boxes & packing supplies

2 – 3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

✓ Cancel/transfer utilities
✓ Confirm travel plans
✓ Forward medical records
✓ Make babysitting and/or pet care arrangements for moving day
✓ Transfer/update your bank account
✓ Pack up items in the garage, attic & storage areas
✓ Confirm arrangements with movers

1 WEEK BEFORE YOUR MOVE

✓ Begin packing boxes, labeling as you fill
✓ Empty and clean your refridgerator, freezer and stove
✓ Set aside things you’ll need on the first night in the new house

THE DAY BEFORE YOUR MOVE

✓ Prepare a box of supplies for move day. Don’t forget: cleaning supplies, toiletries, bath/bedding, disposable dishes, pet food, chargers, prescriptions, eyeglasses, etc.
✓ Check closets, cabinets & drawers
✓ Get cash on-hand for the move
✓ Take out all of the trash
✓ Fully charge cell phones
✓ Make final confirmation with movers

ON MOVING DAY

✓ Keep jewelry & other valuables with you
✓ Turn off the furnace/air conditioner
✓ Turn off the sprinklers
✓ Turn off the light switches
✓ Turn over or leave your keys/ garage opener(s)

REMEMBER TO BE EXCITED! YOU’RE MOVING TODAY!

You can download a printable version of this list by clicking here

Is Now the Time to Buy?

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There’s been so much going on in the world recently and property prices are only increasing. Does that mean that now is a bad time for potential buyers? Perhaps not!

Watch this short video to learn the Pros and Cons of buying in the current climate.

Aerial Spraying

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As a West Nile survivor from 2012, I would never want aerial spraying to be a solution to mosquitoes.

Broadcast spraying MIGHT hit the intended target but it WILL fall on people’s lawns, pools, bird feeders, beehives, and possibly pulled into the attic air space of homes through the soffit and gable vents.

As children and pets roll and play in the grass will the residual absorb into their skin?

One solution to the issue is using nature itself.  The following wildlife species are particularly helpful because they are excellent at consuming mosquitoes!

Dragonflies

Dragonflies can stop the problem before it begins! Mosquitoes lay eggs in bodies of standing water, and dragonfly larvae happily eat the mosquito larvae before they develop into mature adults. Dragonflies on the wing also eat adult mosquitoes.

Bats

Mosquitoes are easy targets for bats to catch, their sonar skills make them the perfect predator for hunting tiny insects. A University of Wisconsin study found evidence of mosquito consumption in over 70 percent of the guano samples from little brown bats, suggesting that bats in their natural habitat eat far more mosquitoes than previously thought.

Common Nighthawk

With their wide, bristle-lined mouths adapted to easily scoop prey from the air, and long, pointed wings and tails for precision aerial manoeuvring, the common Nighthawk is a huge threat to mosquitoes. Other birds known to dine on mosquitoes include purple martins, Eastern bluebirds, red-eyed vireos, yellow warblers, downy woodpeckers, house wrens, Baltimore orioles, and hummingbirds.

Red Spotted Newt

They may not be able to fly, but that doesn’t stop the Red Spotted Newt from being a dangerous predator for mosquitoes.  Insects are a mainstay of their diet and these newts help control mosquito populations from Nova Scotia south to Georgia and as far west as western Tennessee by eating mosquito eggs and larvae.

I recently came across an article where a reporter commented that aerial spraying would have to occur if “Mother Nature doesn’t step up”. Maybe Mother Nature could gain a foothold if we stop poisoning the insects they eat.