Common Pests and Your Home

The list of new responsibilities can seem overwhelming when you buy a home or become a first-time homeowner. One responsibility that tends to get overlooked until it becomes a larger issue is that of household pests. A household pest is "a destructive insect or other animal that attacks" your home. Pests range throughout the U.S., but the most common pests are those that have become almost commonplace in our lives. Here are some of the most common pests encountered by homeowners throughout the U.S., and what you can do to help prevent pests in your home.

Most common Spring and Summer Pests:
Termites:

Termites are generally grouped by their nesting and feeding habits: subterranean, soil-dwelling, dry wood, damp wood and grass-feeding. They feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaves, soil and animal dung. Termites can cause significant structural damage to buildings. Those classified as subterranean and dry wood are those that are responsible for the damage to homes.

Ants:

Ants are the most common household pests in the north central states. They are social insects, and they have a wide variety of nesting habits. Ants can build nests in soil, behind moldings, baseboards and counter tops, and some types nest in decaying or moisture damaged wood. Ants will feed on all types of food, and ant damage varies. Most ants cause little damage, but carpenter ants can weaken wood structures similar to termites, and the majority of ants don't transmit diseases.

Flies:

Flies are some of the most annoying pests in the home. They land on almost every surface, and their diet includes a wide variety of foods: human food, animal food, animal carcasses, garbage and excrement. Flies also carry germs and diseases. They are known to transfer over 100 pathogens, some of which include salmonella, anthrax, tuberculosis, and the eggs of parasitic worms.

Spiders:

Spiders are generally not harmful and they do feed on other insects like flies and other spiders. Most spiders found in the home are not venomous, but there are some that homeowners don't want to find inside their house. The Black Widow and Brown Recluse are two of the most talked about spiders homeowners do not want to find in their homes. Black Widows can be found throughout the U.S., and Brown Recluse are predominately found in the Midwestern States, most notably Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. All spiders have the ability to travel to all states by ways of hiding in boxes, packages and produce.

Most Common Fall and Winter Pests:

Stink Bugs:

Stink bugs are found throughout the U.S., and most of the time homeowners don't know they have an issue until early fall, when stink bugs turn up on the sunny side of homes where they can warm themselves. During the summer months stink bugs live outside, feeding on fruits, grains and other crops. During the colder months, stink bugs will hide inside walls or in attics and crawl spaces. These bugs get their name from the unpleasant odor they produce when they feel threatened.


Rodents:

Rodents are warm-blooded and are found throughout the U.S. The most common types of rodents are mice and rats. Both rapidly breed and are capable of squeezing through spaces that appear smaller than their bodies. Rodents seek warm shelter in the cold months, particularly mice, who seek food, water and warmth within homes. Generally, if one rodent is found, many more are hiding nearby.

How to Avoid Pests:

Most home pests can be avoided by doing simple, everyday things. As a homeowner, make sure your doors and windows are closed, as these are the most common ways for pests to enter a home. Make sure window and door screens are in good repair or working order. By eliminating moisture buildup in small areas and basements you reduce the risk of creating hospitable environments for pests. Sealing openings in a home's foundation will help reduce access to your home.

Trees harbor pests -- by keeping tree branches trimmed and away from the home you deter pests (especially spiders) from having easy access to your home's roof. Moisture attracts pests -- direct rain water away from the home and foundation to prevent possible moisture buildup. If you have fire wood, store it at least 20 feet away from the house. Flies and other pests are attracted to garbage, so ensuring that garbage cans are sealed tight and all animal deposits are picked up will help reduce the risks of attracting pests into your home. The best deterrent to pests remains a clean, uncluttered home, where food, crumbs, and anything else that has the potential to attract pests is put away, covered or thrown away.

7 New Year's Pledges for Home Sellers

The New Year is a time for resolutions. If you're thinking about selling your home in 2015, here are some resolutions that could help boost your chances of a quick sale.

Repeat to yourself: "I pledge to…"

1. "Avoid drastic design changes" – Unless you plan to turn your bold color palette into a more neutral one, then it's best not to try and anticipate what buyers want in design and décor. The best approach to freshening up your home for sale is to simplify and depersonalize the look and feel so that potential buyers can picture building their own lives there. If you think repainting a bright purple wall, replacing an old toilet or buffing and restaining kitchen cabinets would help the home sell, by all means make these types of updates. Just be sure to keep your personal preferences in check. Your real estate agent can help you prioritize and remain objective.  

2. "Stop neglecting the drippy faucet" – This applies to any repairs you might view as minor but actually could be a symptom of a larger system problem. Addressing things like plumbing leaks, poor ventilation and cracks in walls helps everyone avoid surprises from the inspection report and avoid the delay or even cancellation of a sale. When you have the information, you can either make the fixes or work with your agent to adjust pricing during negotiations with the buyer.

3. "Price my home reasonably" – It's understandable to think your home is the best on the block and worth more than all the others – especially if you've invested in key upgrades and remodels. And, frankly, you might be right. But the only way to truly know is to consider recent sales of comparable homes in your area. Your real estate agent can provide you with the latest information and help you list at a competitive price that's appropriate for your area and the local real estate climate.

4. "Make my home inviting" – This starts with creating curb appeal. The condition of your home's exterior is a big part of getting buyers in the door. Maintaining the yard, sweeping the porch and driveway, replacing the tattered welcome mat, replacing missing house numbers, and removing clutter all are things that can help improve curb appeal. 

5. "Thin out the clutter" – The best time for making tough decisions about what stays and what goes is BEFORE you put your home on the market. By the time the for-sale sign goes up, the home should be clutter free. You can either toss things you don't want, sell these items, or move the more personal ones to storage. The types of items to remove include your prized knick-knack collection, clothes overflowing from the closets, and family photos. You want all closets and cupboards to appear as spacious as possible. When they're jam-packed, it gives the impression that storage is limited even if that's not the case.

6. "Clean like I've never cleaned before" – Think about under, behind, around and between. It's easy to focus on cleaning the major surfaces, high-traffic areas, and areas that are visible. But what about the dust on top of the refrigerator? How about the slats in the window blinds? Have you cleaned the cabinets under the kitchen or bathroom sink recently? Did you notice the cobwebs behind the guest-room door? Look high and low for the dirt. 

7. "Nail down my next step" – Don't let your new plans and new place get lost in the shuffle of selling your old place. Determine where you'll go next before your home goes up for sale. Are you prepared to move if your home sells quickly? Although it might not be typical, a quick sale is certainly possible. On the other hand, are you prepared if your home doesn't sell quite so quickly? Be sure to talk with your real estate agent about your relocation needs and timeline.

DO’S AND DON’TS WHEN APPLYING FOR A MORTGAGE

DO

1.      Save ALL pay stubs.  A mortgage application requires one month of consecutive pay stubs.

2.      Save ALL bank statements.  A mortgage application requires two months of your most recent bank statements.  You must provide every page of each statement even if the last page is blank!

3.      Keep credit card balances around 30% of the available limit.  Once you exceed this amount it could lower your credit scores!

4.      Provide documents to your loan officer as quickly as possible to avoid closing delays.  You will need to provide documents before and during the mortgage application process.

5.      Check your email frequently for communications. Questions and documents will be emailed to you during the mortgage process.

6.      Shop for homeowner’s insurance right away after your purchase agreement is accepted.  Provide the name, phone and email address of the homeowner’s insurance agent that you obtained your quote from to your loan officer as soon as possible.

7.      Let your loan officer know any changes to your debts or income.  This could positively or negatively affect your debt ratio.

8.      Be careful with “fixer uppers”.  Mortgage lenders are looking for properties to be “move-in condition”.  So, if the property is missing light fixtures, kitchen cabinets, sinks, carpet/flooring, has a damp basement, water stains on the ceiling, etc.  There is a good chance that those items will cause appraisal and underwriting issues.

DON’T

1.      Deposit any funds that do not come from your employer without speaking with your loan officer.  Most other deposits are not acceptable to be used towards your closing costs. Gifts from immediate family members are okay with a fully executed gift letter and a proper paper trail. Retirement funds are acceptable with a documented paper trail and the terms and conditions of withdrawal from your retirement account holder.

2.      Transfer money from one account to another unless absolutely necessary.  This can cause delays as each transfer must be proven to come from one of your other accounts.

3.      Open any new accounts or have your credit pulled.  This will negatively affect your debt ratio and possibly result in a denial!

4.      Change jobs if at all possible.  You will need to provide a pay stub with one month year to date earnings which may cause a delay in the processing of your loan application.

5.      Co-sign for another loan.  This will negatively affect your debt ratio and possibly result in a denial!

6.      Miss any payments on accounts you currently have.  One missed payment could lower your credit score as much as 100 points!

7.      Consolidate credit cards.  This will cause a delay in waiting for the new credit card statement that the other cards were consolidated to and proving the other accounts are paid off.

8.      Payoff any collection accounts unless your loan officer specifically asks you to.  This could actually lower your credit score!

9.      Close credit card accounts.  This could actually lower your credit score!

 

Increase Client Satisfaction with Contractor Connection

Find top-quality contractors for your buyers and sellers from Contractor Connection, a new RE/MAX

Contractor Connection is a free service available to RE/MAX Affiliates and their clients. It has a network of more than 4,500 credentialed contractors in all 50 states who provide residential and commercial remodeling services.

Contractor Connection is an easy solution for agents whose clients need high-quality professionals for their property-improvement projects. All Contractor Connection companies in the network go through rigorous credentialing to ensure they’re financially stable, licensed and insured. Their on-site employees have also undergone background checks.

In addition to providing access to a variety of contractor services, Contractor Connection offers:

• A three-year contractor workmanship warranty
• A thorough courtesy review of your contractor’s estimate by the experienced Contractor Connection Estimate Review team
• Concierge-level customer service

For more information, visit contractorconnection.com/remax. To start using Contractor Connection, simply enter your zip code and submit your project.
Approved Supplier.

RE/MAX Affiliates may share this article, provided they do not charge for it and this notice is included. All other rights reserved.

RE/MAX National Housing Report March 2014

Get the run-down on the U.S. Housing Market from this month's #REMAX National Housing Report in 40 seconds.

Home Prices, Sales End Year Higher

Despite the traditional winter slow down, both home prices and sales inched higher in December. RE/MAX National Housing Report, a survey of MLS data in 52 metropolitan areas, found the December median home price of $185,400 was 11.9% higher than the median in December 2012. After double-digit growth in home sales during the summer, sales cooled off, but December still saw a 0.7% year-over-year increase. Slower sales growth is associated with a limited inventory of homes for sale coupled with increased lending requirements and mortgage fees. At the rate of home sales in December, the Months Supply of inventory rose to 5.9 months, nearly equal to the 6.0 supply that defines a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers. Although the national inventory situation remains tight, it appears to be trending in the right direction. With a 12.0% drop in inventory from December 2012, the percentage of year-over-year inventory loss has shrunk for nine consecutive months.

“It’s great that improving market fundamentals continued through the normally slower winter months, and we ended the year on a strong positive note.”
 Margaret Kelly, RE/MAX CEO

FURNACE EFFICIENCY, SAFETY & MAINTENANCE

Furnaces in homes throughout North America are cranking up for a long winter season. It is especially important to have furnaces inspected and maintained to ensure that they run efficiently and safely as we head into the colder months.

SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

By some accounts, home heating, especially gas furnaces, can represent half of a typical home’s winter utilities bill. Efficient operation can mean lower energy bills and a more comfortable home. For example, programmable thermostats can be used to automatically turn heat up or down at specified times, so that the temperature is lowered overnight or while no one is at home. Thermostats should be calibrated occasionally to avoid “off cycle” heat loss; a properly calibrated thermostat will result in more even heating between the on/off cycles, which is both more efficient and comfortable.

SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE

Safety is also an important factor in furnace operation. Gas furnaces can be a source of carbon monoxide if there are leaks or cracks do not let them go unnoticed or unrepaired. The furnace flame should be steady hot blue flame; if not, this should be addressed immediately. A qualified contractor or inspector can detect these types of problems and recommend needed action.

Simple furnace maintenance includes checking and replacing disposable air filters and cleaning electronic style filters, as well as keeping dust, hair, and lint away from the burner compartment and air intake. No matter what  type it is, a well-maintained furnace will not only last longer, but can save energy, money, and help a home’s overall air quality and comfort.

CONSIDERING A NEW FURNACE?

If a new furnace is necessary, it is a good opportunity to evaluate the various types of furnaces available and how well they might meet a home’s specific situation. Furnaces are defined  as Conventional,  Mid Efficiency, and High Efficiency. There are advantages and drawbacks to each type, some are better suited to older homes, for example, and cost may be a factor in considering various types of systems. However, the ability of some new furnaces to reduce off cycle heat loss, eliminate the need for an always-on pilot light, etc. make replacing a furnace worth considering if a current system is in need of repair or functioning poorly.