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| Real Estate News from Melanie Wright |
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Desirable West Fairfield Large home in West Fairfield! Brand new interior paint, carpet, vinyl & kitchen appliances! $315k! |
Articles and Advice |
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| Nothing seems to fix low shower pressure By Paul Bianchina Q: I have a shower in my master bath that has had low pressure since we built the home five years ago. I've taken the head off and the pressure is still weak. All the other water sources in the house have very good pressure. A friend mentioned that the cartridge could be the culprit. Does that sound right? Is it hard to replace? I'm pretty handy and have fixed a bunch of stuff in previous homes. A: If you have good pressure everywhere else, then I would agree with your friend that the cartridge is probably the problem. Since it's been doing this since the house was new, it probably has a small piece of dirt, solder or other debris in it. Changing the cartridge is not difficult, although the exact procedure will vary between faucets and manufacturers. First, shut off the water supply. Since it's unlikely that you would have individual shutoffs for the shower alone, you'll need to shut off the main supply to the entire house. To remove the old cartridge, pop the plastic cap off the center of the handle to access the screw underneath. Remove the screw, and remove the handle. Behind that is a trim plate -- remove the screws and remove the plate. That should give you access to the cartridge, with will be held in place with screws or a threaded ring. Take the old cartridge to any retailer of plumbing supplies, and they can fix you up with a new one. Complete reinstallation instructions will be included with the new unit. Incidentally, you can also buy repair parts to rebuild the existing cartridge, but I would recommend spending a little extra and simply replacing the entire cartridge unit. Before installing the new cartridge, I would recommend flushing the valve to be sure you've removed all the debris inside. With the cartridge still out, have someone slowly turn the water back on. Don't turn it all the way back on, because that will generate quite a stream. Watch the water as it comes back on, and you should see a strong, steady flow begin. Assuming it does, have your helper shut the water right back off again, then proceed with the cartridge replacement. If the cartridge replacement doesn't fix the problem, then you could have some type of obstruction in the water lines leading to the shower. In that case, I would recommend having a good plumber come and take a look -- if possible, use the same person who plumbed the house originally, since they'll know right where to look. How do I get that old epoxy paint off? Q: I hired a contractor to put an epoxy on my garage floor. When the epoxy was being installed the contractor asked if I wanted it to end at the point the garage door hits the concrete or run to the end of the concrete slab, which extends about 4 inches beyond the point the garage door touches down. I opted to have the epoxy extend beyond the door. The problem now is that the 4 inches of epoxy outside the door has discolored (yellowed) and now looks poor. My question is -- is there a way to remove the 4 inches of epoxy? Thanks for any help; I really enjoy your column. A: One of the great things about epoxy paint is that it's virtually a permanent coating. In a situation like yours, however, that's also its drawback -- it's very tough to remove. Epoxy garage-floor coatings are also not suitable for exterior use, so I'm a little surprised that the contractor even suggested painting it in an area that's exposed to the elements. Since we're not talking about a large area, my suggestion would be to sand the epoxy off. Use a pad sander or orbital sander with 60- or 80-grit paper, and use a strip of wood or other material to create a straight line that you can sand up to where you want the paint to stop. Be sure to wear both eye protection and a respirator while sanding. After sanding and cleaning the strip of concrete that will extend beyond the garage door, you can apply an exterior concrete sealer to it that will both protect the concrete and enhance its appearance. I also would suggest that you consider installing a vinyl garage-door sill strip on the concrete where the door meets the floor. This will create a visual break between the inside and outside, as well as providing you with some additional wind and water protection at the bottom of the door. Garage door sills are available at many home centers, as well as through garage-door dealers. They're easy to install -- simply cut the material to length and glue it in place. Complete instructions will be included with the sill strip. |
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| Final walkthrough a buyer's best friend By Dian Hymer Imagine this. You move into your new home for the first time after closing and, although you transferred the utilities into your name, the lights don't turn on. There isn't a single light bulb left in the house, the yard is overgrown, and the leaky faucets the sellers were to have fixed still leak. Most homebuyers aren't faced with such an unpleasant surprise. You can gain some degree of control over the situation by completing a walkthrough inspection of the property within five days of closing. Your purchase contract should include a clause that grants the buyers permission to do a final walkthrough inspection sometime close to the closing date. A final walkthrough provides the buyers an opportunity to verify that the property is in substantially the same condition it was when the sellers accepted their offer. The walkthrough is not a contingency of the contract that gives the buyers the right of approval or disapproval. Your purchase contract should require the sellers to maintain the property in its present condition until closing. So, if a window breaks before closing, the sellers would be responsible for fixing it, depending on the verbiage in the contract. During the walkthrough, the buyers can also confirm the completion of any work the seller agreed to do before closing. Ask the sellers to provide you copies of invoices for work done before closing. Keep these documents in your house file for future reference. If sellers made repairs themselves, they should provide an itemization of work completed that describes what they did. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: It's a good idea to have your REALTOR® accompany you on the final walkthrough and take notes as necessary. If the property isn't in the same condition it was when you agreed to buy it, put this in writing and have your REALTOR® contact the sellers' agent to inform them of the items remaining to be done before closing. Your purchase contract should include a provision for the sellers to deliver the property to the buyers free of personal property and debris, unless otherwise agreed to in writing. For example, the sellers might have agreed to leave the washer, dryer, and refrigerator with the house, and the buyers accepted the offer. These items are usually considered personal property, unless they're built in. If the sellers moved these items out or the movers did by mistake, they would need to be returned by closing unless you make other arrangements with the sellers. It can be very helpful if the sellers agree to do a walkthrough with the buyers to show them things about the home that the buyers would have difficulty figuring out on their own, like the location of obscure light switches or how to operate retractable skylights. If something is disclosed about the property that should have been disclosed earlier, put it in writing. If it's something significant, talk to your real estate agent or attorney about how best to resolve the issue. Keep in mind that most real estate agents are not licensed to practice law. Also, seller disclosure laws vary by state. Doing a final walkthrough to verify the condition of your new home can be complicated if it's tenant-occupied. If you are buying a tenant-occupied property to live in, your contract should provide for the property to be vacant several days before closing. THE CLOSING: That way you can walk through the property free of tenants' belongings before you close the deal. Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author. |
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| Multiple home inspections pay off By Dian Hymer Buyers often assume that if a house is new there's no need to inspect it. What could possibly be wrong with a brand-new house? You'd be surprised. Following the 1991 firestorm that destroyed thousands of homes in the hills above Oakland, Calif., contractors from around the country moved into the area to take advantage of rebuilding opportunities. The planning department was overwhelmed. Inspectors rushed from one job to another. Problems that showed up mere years after these new homes were completed were often due to faulty installation of windows and doors, improperly flashed decks over finished living areas, and lack of proper ventilation. One elderly homeowner rebuilt her home in Oakland's Upper Rockridge neighborhood after the fire. The house looked great, better than it had looked before the fire. However, it wasn't built as well. When the owner decided to move to a retirement facility, she sold the house. To her surprise, the termite report revealed that the one-story front stair system was severely damaged by wood pests and needed to be replaced at a cost of more than $20,000. The waterproof membrane had not been installed properly; there was no flashing and no ventilation. Water penetrated the stair system. The area under the stairs couldn't dry out. The damp wood frame provided an ideal environment for wood pests to do their damage. Several years after rebuilding, another homeowner discovered that the doors, windows, and terraces hadn't been properly installed. The house exterior, windows, exterior doors, and terrace had to be rebuilt. The homeowner successfully sued the contractor, but it was a time-consuming hassle, and necessitated moving out of the house during the rebuilding process. Many real estate agents provide forms for their clients to read and sign. These include strongly worded advisories to inspect the property thoroughly. Many inspection reports specify what is and is not included n the inspection. For example, wood-destroying pest (also known as "termite") reports usually don't cover mold. Home inspectors often don't inspect spas, irrigation systems or security systems. And they usually don't check the permit record. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Most buyers don't read reports and contract documents carefully. It is important to do so. This means: Read over every word, including disclaimers. If an inspector or your agent recommends a further inspection, follow through and hire the appropriate professional to check out the system. Check directly with the local planning or zoning department for answers to pertinent questions that might affect your decision to buy a property. A further inspection could yield good news, as home inspectors tend to err on the side of caution to limit their liability. For example, one home inspector who inspected a home in the Oakland Hills reported that the older roof needed to be replaced and recommended consulting a licensed roofing contractor. The roofer said the roof needed repairs but didn't need replacing. In another instance, the buyers' inspector reported that the furnace needed repair to keep hot air from escaping into an area that didn't need heat. The seller recently paid a heating contractor to make repairs to the furnace. The work was still under warranty. There was no repair cost incurred by either the buyers or sellers. Failing to complete a further inspection can have serious consequences. You could have a difficult time getting financial help from the sellers after closing if a further inspection was recommended and you did not have it done. Some buyers don't want to pay the cost of a further inspection, especially if the cost is high. In some cases, the sellers might be willing to share the expense of a further inspection with you. THE CLOSING: Weigh the cost of the further inspection against the possible cost to repair the defect. The cost may be minimal seen in that context. Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author. |
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| Deferred maintenance often a deal-breaker By Dian Hymer Three years ago, when the home-sale market peaked, buyers frequently bought "as is" regarding deferred maintenance, like wood-destroying pest or "termite" work. Home prices were rising in many areas, and buyers were flush with cash and could line up a mortgage even if they didn't qualify. Today, prices are still declining with a few exceptions; many buyers are cash-strapped; and they need to put more cash down and go through a rigorous qualifying process to get a mortgage. In the hot seller's market of several years ago, many sellers invested money to make their homes look pretty in order to attract multiple buyers and drive the sale price up. But they usually didn't spend much curing deferred maintenance, because buyers bidding in competition often bought "as is." Sellers focused their fix-up-for-sale efforts on cosmetics -- paint, staging, and replacing outdated light fixtures and flooring. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: A home still needs to look good to sell in today's market. However, a difference between this and the previous market is that a property that has a lot of deferred maintenance can be hard to sell unless the price is discounted significantly. And, even at a discounted price, it may be impossible to sell if there is a lot of inventory of similar homes on the market that don't require as much work. One issue from the buyers' perspective is the hassle of getting the work done. A more restrictive concern is finding the cash to pay for the work. The ideal way around this problem is to have defects that might impede the sale of your home corrected before you put your home on the market. This requires planning in advance and finding a way to pay for the work. Sellers who don't have cash readily available should look into using a home equity line of credit (HELOC). For instance, Charles Schwab offered a HELOC with an interest rate of 3.99 percent as of mid-May 2009. However, there must be sufficient equity in the property to qualify for a HELOC. Marketing a listing with a clear "termite" report or a new roof can help sell your home. Buyers don't have to worry about how they'll pay for these necessary repairs because the work has already been done. Sellers may object to paying to correct defects on a home they're leaving. However, home maintenance is an integral part of homeownership. Sellers who keep their homes well maintained usually don't have a large deferred-maintenance bill when they sell. It's wise to have presale wood-destroying pest and home inspections done months before you plan to sell. Ask the inspectors and your real estate agent to help you prioritize the work that needs to be done. Then, take the most cost-effective approach. For example, if the roof is old, you could replace it. But, if it's not leaking, and a roofer says the roof is serviceable, consider doing a roof maintenance that might include replacing cracked and missing shingles, sealing vent pipes and skylights, and replacing deteriorated gutters and downspouts. If all the wood-pest work doesn't need immediate attention, do the work that's critical, like a deck that's deteriorated to the point that it's dangerous. At least the buyers won't have to worry about how they're going to find the cash to have the work done soon. They can save over time and budget for than less urgent items. THE CLOSING: Another argument in favor of correcting glaring defects before you sell is that even if the buyers accept the property in its present condition, the appraiser might not. Then you'd have to try to get the work done before closing or lose the deal. Dian Hymer is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author. |
| Staging could land sellers in trouble By Dian Hymer Fixing your house up for sale is highly recommended in the current market if you hope to sell within a reasonable period of time and for an acceptable price. Today's buyers want turnkey houses that they can move right into without having much work. In addition to repairing defects that might turn a buyer off, your house should be clean, tidy and look attractive. From a marketing point of view, most homes contain too much furniture and knickknacks that make it difficult for buyers to appreciate what the place has to offer. If your home is too personalized with your own belongings, buyers might have difficulty envisioning living there. To enhance appeal, many sellers hire a stager, which is a decorator who specializes in presenting homes for sale. Stagers help rearrange furniture and artwork. They also recommend work that needs to be done, such as painting; suggest what should be removed; and bring in furniture, house plants and accessories. The point of all this is to generate enthusiasm for your home. Real estate agents prefer to show homes that look great. The more showings your home receives, the higher the likelihood it will sell. Turning your home into a showcase makes good sense. Just make sure you don't cross the line between fix-up and concealment. Seller disclosure laws vary from state to state. However, the trend over the last decade or so has been to disclose material defects. Sellers often fear that if they tell all about their homes, it will keep it from selling. Or if the house does sell, the price will be low. This is usually an overreaction. Buyers prefer to know about defects before they buy a home, not after. Put yourself in the buyers' shoes: Would you rather know before or after closing that the basement floods in heavy rainstorms? If you receive advance notice, you can research remedies and find out how much it would cost to keep the basement dry. This could result in a buyer asking the seller for a credit or modification in the price. The seller can decide whether to grant a concession. However, sellers who paint the basement walls and floor to conceal signs that there was water in the basement could be in for big trouble. One seller finished a basement room with Sheetrock walls and a carpeted floor and staged it as a den. The first time it rained after the buyers moved in, the den was so water damaged that it had to be torn out. The buyers sued the sellers and won. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: It's a good idea to make a list of all the defects you are covering or correcting before you do the fix-up work. Taking before pictures is not a bad idea. Then make sure the prospective buyers have the opportunity to review your list before they make an offer. This way, the buyers have a good idea of the property condition before the seller accepts your offer. Sellers often wonder what they should disclose. Generally, if you're wondering whether you should disclose something, it's probably something you should disclose. For instance, if your house sits on clay soil, cracks may develop on the interior walls as the soil expands and contracts during the wet and dry seasons. You might decide to paint the walls before selling the house so that it shows nicely. If so, you should also disclose that stucco cracks appear from time to time and that you recently painted the interior. THE CLOSING: Consult with your real estate agent or attorney if you have any questions regarding what should be disclosed. Dian Hymer, a real estate broker with more than 30 years' experience, is a nationally syndicated real estate columnist and author of "House Hunting: The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers" and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide." |
| Early mortgage payoff protocol By Benny Kass DEAR BENNY: I am going to pay off my 30-year mortgage at the end of this year, which is 10 years early. When I contacted the mortgage company to ask for a payoff amount, the representative said there would be some fees included. Someone else told me that there should be no fees and to refuse to pay them. What should I expect when paying off my mortgage? Should I also get the original deed? --Jay DEAR JAY: Permit me to explain the mortgage process. When you first obtained your mortgage (also called a deed of trust) 20 years ago, among a large number of papers involved, you signed a promissory note and a mortgage (or deed of trust). The note is the IOU -- "I promise to pay the lender 'X' dollars, at 'Y' interest rate, due in full in 30 years." Your lender wanted security, just in case you were unable to make the necessary payments. So you also signed a document entitled a deed of trust, which was recorded among the land records in your county or state. Some states still use mortgages, but the majority of loans are secured by deeds of trust. The deed of trust basically states that you deed the property in trust to a trustee appointed by your lender. If you are in default -- and depending on the foreclosure laws in your state -- the trustees have the right to sell your property at a foreclosure sale. You are not in default, and now want to pay off your mortgage. Since it was recorded on the land records, it must now be released. Typically, the appropriate recorder of deeds will charge a fee for recording -- usually nominal, ranging from $35 to $100. And someone -- usually the lender when you are not selling the property -- has to prepare the appropriate release document. Lenders typically charge a small fee to prepare and send you the payoff amount. So, the answer to your question is that there will be some fees associated with the payoff of your loan. Ask the lender to provide you with the specific charges. But more importantly, the loan is not paid off in full until the lender actually receives the money. If you are told that you will owe "X" amount on a certain date, your check must be there on that date or additional interest will accrue. Lenders will provide you with a "per diem" amount -- which means that you have to add the daily interest charge to make sure you are really paying off your loan. If you are dealing with a legitimate lender, I recommend sending them three to five days' additional interest -- just to make sure that you have paid off the loan. The lender will calculate what is actually owed and should send you back any overage. You asked about getting the deed back. You should have received that when you first bought the house. You want the lender to send you (1) the original promissory note, marked "paid and canceled," and (2) the original deed of trust (or mortgage document), again marked "paid and canceled." And don't forget to advise your insurance company and your real estate taxing authority that you no longer have a mortgage and that all future communication should go directly to you. Benny L. Kass is a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. No legal relationship is created by this column. |
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