5 Ways To Protect Your Home Investment

North Dallas Real Estate Agent offers 5 Ways To Protect Your Home Investment

As HVAC units have increased in size, inside replacements are having to be installed in the attics.

It is very important to have a licensed HVAC tech do the work and I personally think it is important to check with your city about permits and this and other licensed work. It also is important to keep your invoices together in one place.

About permits: I understand that everyone does not agree about the importance of permits, but it places an extra measure of accountability on the installer and can be a good marketing tool when you later sell the property. Permitted work presents you as a responsible owner who makes sure work is done correctly and this can translate to a better sale price and/or fewer repair requests when you are selling your house.

Home inspection reports are showing enough bad, and even unsafe, installation work of HVAC units and hot water heaters to convince me of the value of having the work permitted. This means you may pay slightly more for the permitted work, but think of it as a type of insurance on quality of installation
work. Remember that this is not your weekly grocery list – it is one of your most valuable assets.

About keeping your paper work: Recently, some buyers purchased a house and the home inspector and their HVAC inspector found that when the unit had been replaced several years earlier, the installer used a 5-ton coil in a 4-ton unit.

The work had not been permitted; however, the owner kept his invoice. Without the invoice, it is doubtful the owner would have been successful with the HVAC company, or it would have taken much longer and possibly prevented the sale from closing by the contract date. However, the documentation in hand (showing the correct size written up but different/wrong size installed), probably saved the owner a lot more time and at least $2,000+ if he had paid for the correction work.

Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company
Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
www.50andholding.com

Ask For Permits Upfront, or It Will Cost You $$$ One Day

Ask For Permits Upfront, or It Will Cost You One Day

Buyers’ home inspections have produced some surprises over the years, one of the most frequent being incorrect installation of HVAC systems and hot water heaters. I think much of this has come from work being done without permits. I realize everyone doesn’t agree about the use of permits, but they do provide some accountability on installation which it appears is much needed. And some of the stores I can tell …

About the owner who paid for a new HVAC system but one tiny problem happened along the way. The invoice showed the correct size coil needed, but the installer used the wrong size. The seller wasn’t happy when this was discovered. Would a
permit have prevented this? Possibly.

Or the HVAC system that was incorrectly wired and blew out the electrical panel.

Or the hot water heater where the T&P line had been cut of at the wall and the line was installed differently to empty into, instead of outside, the garage. Would a permit have prevented this? Oh, yes.

Or the hot water heaters that are installed with incompatible metals? See, I’m not a plumber – I’m just repeating what a line of licensed home inspectors and plumbers have said. There is a right way – and wrong way to do this stuff and it seems that I see more of the latter with buyer inspections.

What about a roof [in a community requiring a permit] installed without a permit? Some I have seen looked like a bunch of decals pasted side by side. I’m also not a roofer, but anyone with normal vision and a brain can see the problem with this type of installation.

The point here: Know something about the company who is installing these systems in your home. If you don’t have testimonials from prior customers, at least check them out on Better Business Bureau’s website. And ask that the work be permitted if
it is required by your city. It will probably cost a little more, but you are investing in a larger amount – the property itself. I’ve learned that you pay now, or generally you pay later, and later may end up being the more expensive route.

Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company

Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

www.50andholding.com

5 Things You’ve Always Wanted To Know About Roofs – Home Ownership

5 Things You’ve Always Wanted To Know About Roofs – Home Ownership Tips in Dallas, Texas by Becky Hopkins

Whether you are a buyer or seller, the roof is a significant part of the transaction. An older roof or a poorly installed roof may give the buyer some leverage in negotiating a contract, whereas, a newer, well installed roof is a plus for the seller.

So what about the matter of overlays of which there are still more than a few?

Roof Replacement in Dallas, Texas

Wood shingles were a mid-century version of trendy. When they became dry and split, owners would often install a composition roof over the wood shingles because it was less expensive than first removing the wood shingles. However, about 10-12 years ago, changes in municipal codes required removal of the old decking.

More recently, insurance companies have stopped approving homeowner’s insurance for overlay roofs.

So – this is an important piece of information. If you are a buyer, you want to make sure a property’s roof isn’t an overlay or you can be prepared to replace the roof after you have closed, the title transfers to you, and it is policy renewal time.

Until the closing, the property will be covered by the seller’s insurance. However, even if you can get insurance and financing approval in order to close on your purchase, you still can be denied coverage for the older roof at renewal time.

If the Notice of Seller’s Disclosure says the roof is not an overlay – nevertheless, if the roof is older or looks questionable, it is a good idea to be proactive and have the roof inspected by a home inspector and/or reputable roofing contractor. Or occasionally a seller will agree to having his insurance company inspect the roof for replacement purposes.

If you are an owner planning to sell your house, one piece of information you should be prepared to disclose is whether the roof is an overlay; and if you have an older roof or a cheaper overlay job, you may need to budget for replacing that roof prior to
placing the property on the market. And, sellers, a new, well installed roof is a pretty big bargaining tool when you find your buyer.

Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company

Direct: (469) 568-7654

www.50andholding.com

Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

Termite “Season” Is Any Time – Home Improvement Tips

Termite “Season” is any time – Home improvement tips in Dallas, Texas by Becky Hopkins

Those little buggers are everywhere all the time, either devouring our homes or planning their next meal.

We checked our house last spring with no signs of munching bugs, but in November we found signs of activity and those guys had been snacking on my house.

The point here is – do the house check more often than in the spring – and catch any uninvited guests early. Look for signs other than the spring swarming. Sometimes, their presence is detected by what looks like little spit wads (yuck) in the corners of your walls, both floor level and above. Also watch for a change in appearance of wood surfaces.

Precautions:

Divert water away from your foundation with downspouts and gutters. Don’t store mulch, firewood and wood chips near the house.
Make sure shrubs, vines, etc. aren’t planted too close to the house or over vents. Get rid of gaps and cracks in areas like attic vents, window joints and roof eaves. Remove old tree stumps and roots that are near the house.

I have a really good termite guy, but you also can go to www.pestworld.org.

Becky Hopkins, REALTOR®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company

Direct: (469) 568-7654

www.50andholding.com

Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

Wow! Look At That Beautiful Roof, I Wish I Had One Of Those! Home Improvement

Home improvement help in Dallas, Texas by Becky Hopkins

A roof is a roof – not something we normally covet. Really — have you ever driven through neighborhoods saying, “Wow! Look at that beautiful roof – I wish I had one of those”? Of course a roof that looks like a bad case of teenage acne will catch your eye. If shingles are missing or there has been a poor patch job, we notice, but otherwise this is not at the top of the shopping list for most of us.

Eventually, however, a roof will become your next decision and following are suggestions for gathering information to help with that decision:

- Color samples and styles of shingles (consider the color of brick and other
colors you will be using on trim).

- Grade or weight of shingles to be considered

- The amount of ventilation in the attic which helps control attic temperature in Texas’ hot months

- Radiant barriers. That is a subject all its own but also important in your decision toolbox. One company that has been recommended by happy customers is www.txatticman.com.

- Installation. Do you want the basic, handyman special that is after all, a lot cheaper to install? A bad roof job may cost less on the front end, but consider the likelihood of extra maintenance, the greater risk of having leaks after a hard rain or high winds, and a shorter life because of poor installation and the cheaper roof might not be such a great buy. Good installation is really important. Ask for referrals. Check Better Business Bureau for reputable companies. Centennial Roofing checked our roof every 3-5 years and did minor maintenance to stretch the roof’s life and then last year we decided it was time for replacement. The company has been serving the Metroplex since 1983 and their website has other helpful information when making a roofing decision. Go to www.centennialroofing.com.

To be continued …

Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company

Direct: (469) 568-7654

www.50andholding.com

Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

Making Smart Decisions About Improving Your Property’s Value

Recent survey statistics from RisMedia show the following percentages of return on costs when updating and remodeling your home:

• Steel entry doors, still in the #1 position – 102.1%
• Mid-range garage door – 83.9%
• Upscale fiber cement siding replacement – 80%
• Vinyl replacement windows – 72.6%
• Wood deck (when joined to a minor kitchen remodeling job) – 72.8%
• Home office remodel – 45.8%
• Sunroom addition – 48.6%

While these numbers can give you some ideas about updating your present home, it also is important to consider your individual situation; for example,

(i) what is the overall condition of your property,
(ii) what are conditions in your particular neighborhood, and
(iii) do you have some idea of how long you will remain in your home?

The caution is against over-improving your house or spending a significant amount immediately prior to selling it.

As part of home improvement suggestions, a just released article thru RisMedia goes on to talk about the importance of Curb Appeal. Have you looked around your neighborhood lately? Exterior appearance isn’t important to everyone, but it is a huge influence for a lot of buyers when they are checking out a neighborhood. Over a period of time, consistent buyer interest in an area helps stabilize and even increase property values in that area.

Becky Hopkins, Realtor®, SRES, GRI
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company
E-mail: beckyhopkins@judgefite.com
Office: 469-568-7654
Serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex