Mold and How to Cope With It

After giving it much thought we decided to blog about an important subject that many of us may be facing in the coming weeks. Mold is in the future of many of us caused by the very wet snowy winter months. Wet basements and damp moist areas are breeding grounds for mold. We found this article recently that we think could be helpful in eleminating it. Many of us are allergic to mold and mildew and it can be debilitating. Here is some of what was written in the article :

Mold has been around forever, in thousands of shapes and forms. It’s as common as air and earth (in fact, both will most likely have mold spores in them). The one type of mold that has gathered so much publicity is actually rare.
Stachybotrys Chartarum is known as black mold, even though Stachybotrys isn’t always black, and there are many other types of mold that are also black in color (go figure). The goal is eliminate mold in the home, which in theory (and usually in function) is simple eliminate the moisture, and the mold cannot live.
For mold infestation, you need three things:
1. Mold spores (easy to find, since they’re everywhere)
2. Porous, organic materials (drywall, paper insulation, carpeting, wood - parts of your home)
3. Moisture (leaky faucets, sweating pipes, poor or blocked foundation drainage, bathroom ceiling fans that are vented into the attic and not outside, a dryer vent that blows into an enclosed area, etc.) Eliminate the moisture, and the mold problem is also eliminated. Plain and simple.
Now, let’s say you have a moldy area, and you’ve removed the water issue. Here are a few tips for permanent cleanup:

* If you’re sensitive to mold, use gloves, protective clothing and a mask to prevent the inhalation of excessive mold spores.
Remove moldy materials such as carpet, drywall, wood, etc. and replace with new materials after cleaning and disinfection.
* If the area is in a crawl space, line the gravel or dirt with heavy-duty plastic to prevent ground moisture from rising.
* For dark areas in bathtub or on shower caulking, spray a commercial mildew remover on the areas as needed.
* Make sure your furnace and air conditioner condensation lines, dryer vents, stove fans, and bathroom ceiling fans are all directed to areas outside the home. Problems have occurred in the past in attics and crawl spaces with improper installation.
* Immediately fix any cracked or loose tiles in the shower or tub area. Moisture will get behind the tile into the drywall and mold will grow.

We hope you find this helpful.

The Importance Of A Home Inspection

We hope that everyone had a peaceful and happy Easter yesterday. Easter and spring is a wonderful time to reflect and give thanks for all our wonderful friends, family, clients and business associates. We are blessed in all of our associations with the people we are lucky to have in our lives.

We have been working with several great home buyers as well as sellers. This week we decided to explain why we recommend to our buyers the importance of hiring a home inspector. A home inspection only takes a few hours and can save you heartache and headaches in the future. They usually cost approximately $250.to $350. and it is well worth having them examine all the systems and components to your future home. It is also helpful to have them explain problems and how to prevent them. There is a large list of home inspectors on line. Some of the important things that could be hidden such as radon, mold, environmental hazards like asbestos, lead paint and insect infestation just to name a few can be detected and corrected before you get to the closing table. We are committed to helping our clients find the home of their dreams and to try to avoid any unforeseen nightmares.

Curb Appeal Helps Sell Houses

It is just as important to stage the outside of your home as well as the inside, this is called curb appeal. The art of curb appeal can be as simple as planting a border of flowering plants along the walkway or replacing a rusted old mailbox with a new one with the address number on it. Other easy on the eye fixes would be a large planter with flowers at the base or top of the steps or a beautiful spring wreath on a nicely painted door. The first impression that prospective buyers see helps them picture themselves as owners of the property. The neater the property appears without clutter and toys the more inviting it is to the home itself. We can't stress enough how important an inviting entry way into a home makes such an impact to what is to come. Everyone enjoys being in a clean, clutter-free space, especially a potential home buyer and hopefully that is what will be found as they enter into the home.

Spring Market Ready to Bloom

The Spring Market is well on its way to being a busy buyers market with the many affordable homes for sale. This market provides a wide variety of homes for a wide diversity of consumers. We are just approaching the month of April which was Fair Housing month, we as Realtors have made a commitment to removing barriers to home ownership and a consumer's right to choose where they live. It is as basic and as important as the right to equal education, equal employment opportunity, and the right to vote. To real estate professionals, fair housing means equal access and equal housing opportunities. A person's ability to rent or own should be limited only by how much he or she can afford. It is the largest and most important purchase that most people will make and it should be done with the client's best interest in mind.

Ways Too Protect Your Family From Home Invasion

Ways Too Protect Your Family From Home Invasion

It is a sad state of affairs that it has become all too common that there is a rise in this terrible crime. The sanctity of our home is at risk. There are some safe guards that we can all find useful. Of course an alarm system would be the best precaution but not every one can afford one. So here are some other ways to help protect your family.

1. 
   Most people own cell phones and they should be brought into the bedrooms at night and can be used to call for help.
   
2. Have more than one lock on each door, and lock all windows as well.
   
3. Never answer the door at night even if it is a woman or child begging for you to open the door, instead call the police and tell them you have called. This could be a ploy they use to get into your home.
   
4. Install a motion light that will illuminate the yard, they would not want to be seen by neighbors or people passing by.
   
5. Get a dog. They have a keen sense of hearing and their bark will scare them off and wake you up.
   
6. Even if you don't have an alarm buy a sign that states that your home is protected by one. Post them at the front and back doors
   
7. Sliding doors should be locked and place some sort of thick piece of wood that runs the length of the slider track.
   
8. Buy a door alarm for each door. They're affordable and when opened it sets off a loud warning. The last one to go to bed should set it.
   
9. Always lock your doors - day or night!