Arch City Homes » Homeowner Tips

Protect Your Home from Water Damage

Karen Goodman — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 03:16:30 +0000

Guest post by Ryan Borland

Water is one of the worlds most import elements.

The human body can only survive 3 days without it.

Water plays an intricate role in our environment and economy. Whether it’s helping farmers grow crops, spinning generators at a hydro electric station or aiding in the circle of life.

But for the great qualities water possesses, it can also be a menacing peril.

Water Damage in Homes:

Every year water damage is responsible for over half of all paid insurance claims.

There are numerous ways water can damage property. Floods can wash homes away, storms allow water to seep in through your roof or cause overflowing sewers. Faulty or old plumbing can also cause extensive water damage.

The effects from water damage can linger for years causing immense monetary repercussions. Over the years we have learned that we cannot control Mother Nature, however, there are ways to protect one of your largest assets, your home, against water damage.

Insurance Riders Can Protect Your Cash:

Water back-ups and sewer overflows are very common occurrences in the St. Louis area and most home owner’s policies do not provide standard coverage. Aside from flood insurance (which by the way is still not available), you can protect your home against water damage to your home by adding a rider to your policy.

For approximately $50 annually, most carriers will provide a rider to your policy which can protect your Midwest home.

I write this from personal experience.

When the storms from Hurricane Ike blew through St. Louis, the sewer systems were not able to handle the amount of rainfall that we received. Even though I had a sump pump, my lower level sustained major damage.

The insurance company reimbursed me for the clean-up and new carpet for the lower level. I was fortunate to have this rider on my home owner’s insurance. I hope you will strongly consider adding a water back-up and sewer overflow rider to your policy.

Ryan Borland is an insurance broker with Guardian Insurance Group. Contact Ryan to discuss your Auto, Home, Life or Commercial insurance needs.

Protect Your Home from Water Damage is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Selling Condos Just Got Harder

Karen Goodman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:05:14 +0000

Getting a loan to purchase a condo has always been harder than getting a loan to purchase a home.

Lenders want to know that they will get their money back if they must foreclose on the property at some point in the future. If they think there is a good chance that the value will drop, then the lender is much less likely to agree to give out a loan.

While the value of single family homes is affected by general market conditions and how well the property is maintained, condos have an added element that affects their value.

Condominium communities are much more affected as a group by what is happening to the other units in the development. Large numbers of rental units tend to lower the value of a community, since landlords don’t invest as much in updating their units as owners who live in their condo, and vacated rental units put up for sale have much more wear and tear than owner occupied units.

Conventional vs. FHA Loans:

There are two basic categories of loans that the vast majority of buyers can obtain for their home or condo purchase.

Conventional Loans – Buyers who have good credit, low debt to income ratios and the funds to put down a 5-10% down payment can get a conventional loan. Conventional loans may have fixed or adjustable interest rates and can range from 10-40 years in length. Since conventional loan buyers are less likely to stop paying their loan than FHA buyers, they get better interest rates and don’t have to pay mortgage insurance once they have 20% in equity on the property.
FHA Loans – Buyers who don’t meet the qualifications to get a conventional loan may qualify for a FHA loan. These loans have lower credit score minimums, require lower down payments and allow for higher debt to income ratios. Since these buyers have a higher risk for default, lenders charge a higher interest rate and buyers are required to pay mortgage insurance on the loan regardless of how much they are putting down. (NOTE: Some buyers who do qualify for conventional loans will find it is a better deal for them to get a FHA loan, so you should check both options if you are planning on purchasing a property)

Condos and FHA Loans:

Since condos often appeal to first time buyers who lack the funds for a big down payment, many condo buyers find that they can only qualify for a FHA loan.

In order for a buyer of a condo to get approved for a FHA loan, the complex must:

be FHA approved
no more than 50% of the units can be rental units
have a certain % of units which do not have a FHA loan attached to the unit

The condo association has no control over how many owners have FHA loans on their properties. However, condo associations can control if the complex has been approved and the number of rental units.

In the past, if a complex had not gone through the process to obtain FHA approval, then a lender could arrange for a spot approval for the unit being sold.

As of February 1, 2010, FHA no longer offers spot approvals for condos.

How Does the Elimination of FHA Spot Approvals Affect Homeowners?

Bottom line…if a condo complex has not been FHA approved, it means that no buyer can get a FHA loan to buy a condo in that community.

If you own a condo that is valued below $250,000, the vast majority of buyers are going to need to get an FHA loan to purchase, and that means that they won’t be able to buy your condo if you tried to sell.

Fix the Problem Now Rather than Waiting until You want to Sell:

If you live in a condo community, you need to know if your association has obtained approval. You can check the link here to see if your community is on the FHA list.

HUD Website – FHA Condo Approved List

You can also call your association trustee or management company and ask them if your complex is approved.

If the community is not approved, you need to insist that they apply to get approval unless your community clearly doesn’t meet the approval guidelines. The process may take 6-8 weeks to obtain approval, so don’t wait until you want to sell or you may find yourself with a contract that falls apart rather than closes.

It is also a good idea to know if you are close to the 50% rental rate. If you are, you may want to consider changing the community rules & indentures to cap the percentage of rental units allowed in the community.

Not planning on moving anytime soon…the value of your condo is affected by sales that happen now. If your neighbors have trouble selling because they can’t sell to a buyer who needs a FHA loan, then they will sell for less, and your condo’s value will drop.

Protect your investment and get your complex approved regardless of whether you plan to stay or sell.

Selling Condos Just Got Harder is a post from: Arch City Homes

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12 Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

Karen Goodman — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:57:44 +0000

Guest Post by Kim Hibbs

With much of the country experiencing a break from winter’s deep chill, you may think the worst of winter is behind us.

That’s probably not the case.

Long range forecasts indicate February could be as cold and snow as early January. That means there’s still time to winter proof your home.

Here are some simple do-it-yourself (DIY) projects that can really make a difference.

Locate air leaks using a lit incense stick around electrical outlets, recessed can lights, between floor joists, windows, doors and any penetration coming into the home. Use caulk, foam, foam gaskets or plastic plugs to block the leaks.
Adhere fiberglass batt insulation or foam board to your attic hatch.
Add insulation to your attic. R30 minimum, R38 recommended for the St. Louis area.
Seal heating/cooling duct connections with mastic or metal backed tape.
Change worn door sweeps on exterior doors.
Add storm doors.
Install Energy Star rated programmable thermostats.
Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket and water lines in foam insulation.
Make sure your fireplace flue or dampers are tightly shut and install tempered glass doors.
Operate ceiling fans in reverse direction to move warm air down from the ceiling.
Install CFL bulbs in the most used light fixtures in your home.
When buying new appliances, look for Energy Star label.

Building certified green homes in the St. Louis area, these practices have become second nature to our crews.

However, you don’t have to be a pro, anyone can tackle these DIY projects that can help you save money on your utility bills and improve the comfort of your home.

Kim Hibbs of Hibbs Homes builds custom green and energy star rated homes in the St. Louis area. He writes a blog, It’s The Custom, covering green tips, home building and St. Louis.

12 Tips to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Transform Your Kitchen through New Lighting

Karen Goodman — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:03:03 +0000

When I bought my first home, I was on a tight budget. I found a great fixer upper in Rock Hill and proceeded to spend the next few years going from one project to another. When I was ready to upgrade to a bigger home, I knew that I wanted a home that wouldn’t need as much work.

Almost Move-In Ready

I was lucky. I found a house that gave me just about everything I wanted. The house was renovated 5 years earlier, so most of the big projects were finished. No house is perfect, so I did end up redoing two bathrooms as soon as I moved in. Later I added a backyard patio, landscaping, and finished the basement.

One of the reasons I was excited about the house was because the kitchen was already renovated. My last house had 1950s cabinets and appliances that I never got around to replacing (though I did have the avocado green oven painted black!). My new house had walls removed so that the kitchen opens up to the adjacent living and dining areas, maple cabinets, tons of counter space and new appliances.

The only thing that it was missing was decent lighting. The prior owners chose a center light that isn’t bright enough for the space and the lighting over the island was hung off-center.

Three years later and I still haven’t gotten around to fixing the lighting.

CSN Lighting to the Rescue

I was really excited when I was contacted by CSN Lighting about featuring a story on my blog that could show how lighting could transform a space. They offered to provide me with some lights for my kitchen so that I could show you the difference that it really makes.

After a long struggle, I decided to start with undercabinet lighting. Eventually I will replace the ugly center light with a canned light, and have pendants installed over the island, but the most immediate need was to get better task lighting in the kitchen. Undercabinet lighting will definitely solve that problem.

In the next few weeks, I’ll be getting my new lights installed. When I do, I’ll follow up this post with some pictures that show the difference undercabinet lighting can make.

If your kitchen lighting can use some improvement, take a look at the tips below from CSN Lighting to help you transform your kitchen.

Renovating Your Kitchen with Lighting

Whether you’re looking to make a major improvement to your kitchen or are looking to find a way to optimize your existing space, lighting is one feature that is guaranteed to please your needs. Incorporating this type of update in your home not only will enhance the look and feel of your kitchen but it will also help you in your culinary routine while you’re preparing a family dinner or entertaining guests. Lighting certainly sets the tone in any room which is why it’s important to familiarize ourselves with the latest and greatest fixtures in the market today.

One section of our kitchen that is often overlooked is the cabinetry that holds an assortment of cookware, bakeware, and various cooking ingredients needed on a daily basis. While we’re cooking, there is a lot of time dedicated to tracking down a cooking utensil or appliance and this can be attributed to poor lighting. Many items get pushed to the back of the pantry, making it impossible to find something when we really need it. A great way to keep tabs on all of our kitchen appliances and accessories is by installing undercabinet lighting either with a plug-in puck lighting system that is easy to set up in an existing cabinet or with a hard wired lighting system that can be installed within your kitchen walls.

Once you’ve taken care of the dark corners of your kitchen, it’s time to hone in on the most popular space used for prep work and cooking: the kitchen island. While recessed lighting installed above this area works nicely, the addition of pendant lighting is sure to turn your space into a stunning space. With the variety of pendant lighting styles that range in any design from traditional and modern to rustic and casual, you’re sure to find the perfect light fixture that will accommodate your home’s existing style while illuminating your cooking space. Add a set of pendants that include three to five fixtures depending on the size of the lamp shade and the length of your kitchen’s island countertop in order to fit nicely within the area and provide enough lighting during your cooking routine.

As mentioned earlier, recessed lighting is a great option to consider for your kitchen island but can also be used in a number of different areas when you’re looking to add a simple, clean lighting design. Many homeowners prefer this type of task lighting as one switch can control a small portion of the kitchen, which therefore cuts down on the energy of having to use one large light source to illuminate the entire room. Depending on where you are preparing your next meal, you’ll be able to control the perfect amount of light and energy you need with recessed lighting at the flick of a switch.

Transform Your Kitchen through New Lighting is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Don’t Let Winter Weather Damage Your Home

Karen Goodman — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:38:17 +0000

Protect Your Home from Freezing Pipes

My broker sent out an email yesterday morning reminding all of The Kelsey Group, REALTORS agents about the importance of winterizing vacant homes.

Over the weekend it got cold enough that a pipe froze and broke at one of our company’s vacant listings. The problem is that water expands when it turns to ice, causing pipes to break. As soon as the temperatures warm back up, that ice turns back into water and the floodgates open up.

Who Needs to Winterize Their Home?

If you own a property that is vacant (either a rental or a home for sale) or you travel during the winter months, you need to take steps to make sure that you don’t end up with frozen pipes.

If the inside of a home gets as cold as it is outside and temperatures are below freezing, your pipes are likely to freeze.

Tips for Winterizing Your Home

The first step is to keep the heat on in vacant properties. Paying a small utility bill for minimal heat is a lot less expensive than the damage done from rushing water which often that isn’t discovered for days or weeks.

Do not turn off the heat in vacant properties unless you have taken steps to winterize the plumbing systems. Instead, set the heat at 55° in your vacant property and make sure that all garden hoses are disconnected (this applies to occupied homes too!).

If you plan to be away for awhile, or live far from your vacant property, ask a neighbor to check on it after extreme cold spells. A broken furnace can result in thousands of dollars in water damage if the pipes freeze and crack and you don’t discover it before they thaw and start shooting water everywhere.

To find out more about tips to prevent pipes from freezing in non-winterized homes (and what to do if they DO freeze), check out these State Farm tips.

The easiest way to winterize a home is to call a plumber. Sutter Plumbing winterizes St. Louis region homes for $155-195, depending on the number of bathrooms and where it is located. They don’t have a website but if you email me I will give you their contact info.

If you are a DIYer, take a look at this post by Hammerzone.com. They included lots of pictures to show you how to winterize your home yourself. Though this article recommends draining the hot water heater, I’ve been told by many plumbers that there is no need to drain the tank, since it has too much water in the tank for it to freeze. Since draining it could result in rust inside the tank, the plumbers I’ve spoken to prefer to leave it filled.

I suggest that you call your favorite plumber and decide for yourself what to do about the hot water heater tank.

Don’t Let Winter Weather Damage Your Home is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Keep Your Heating Bills Low This Winter

Karen Goodman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:44:36 +0000

With the current economic market, I was pleased to hear that the rates charged for the natural gas used to heat Missouri homes will be lower this year.

Earlier this year, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved a decrease in Laclede Gas rates. The lower rates are expected to save homeowner’s 2%, approximately $18, on their heating costs this winter.

10 Easy No-Cost Tips to Save More on Your Energy Bills:

Close the fireplace damper when not using the fireplace.
Seal off unused rooms by closing the doors and heat registers. But, do not seal off more than 20% of your living space or your furnace may not operate properly.
Lower your thermostat. For every degree lower you set your thermostat, you will save 4-5% on your heating bill. Don’t forget to lower the temperature by 5% while you are sleeping and away at work. If you are leaving for vacation or extended periods, lower the temperature to 55%.
Arrange furniture so that it does not block the heat registers.
Open draperies during sunny days to allow solar energy to help heat your home. Close them at night to keep the heat inside.
Don’t pre-heat the oven for general cooking (baking does require pre-heating for recipes to turn out right).
Thaw food for quicker cooking and cook several dishes at the same time in the oven.
Cover your pot when boiling water and it will boil faster, using less energy.
Lower the temperature on the hot water heater to normal or low, which is hot enough for most people.
Since heating water is the 2nd largest use of energy outside of heating your home, save water on hot water by running full loads when using the dishwasher and washing machine, and taking showers instead of baths.

Click here for more energy saving tips.

As a child of the 1970s with soaring inflation, I also grew up being told to turn off the lights when you left a room. If you have a house that has old aluminum or single pane windows, you should make sure to use the storm windows or consider sealing the windows with plastic. You may even consider doing more of your cooking with a small toaster oven instead of using the higher energy stove.

What other tips do you have to save money without making home improvements?

Leave a comment and share your ideas with the rest of us.

Keep Your Heating Bills Low This Winter is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Builder Quality Work for Your Renovation Project

Karen Goodman — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:04:40 +0000

A couple of days ago I wrote a post about how difficult the current market is for new home builders in the St. Louis area.

My broker, Shawn Kelsey, has been representing a local builder, Jacaty Construction, for about 10 years. Together, Shawn and Jack Jacaty have sold over 25 homes totaling over $10,000,000. Jack primarily builds inventory homes (homes that he builds prior to having a contract with a buyer). His homes sell because he builds quality homes with the features that buyers want.

However, the current market conditions have made it more difficult for new construction builders to obtain financing for inventory homes. While Jack is working on selling his current inventory homes and lining up financing for future projects, he has a some extra time available.

The current financing challenges for builders might just be a great opportunity for you. If you have been thinking of renovating your current home or building an addition and would like builder quality construction services at a reasonable rate, Jack just might be the answer for you. Jack is available for moderate to large scale projects throughout the St. Louis area. Give Jack a call at 314-220-5304.

(*** Please note that I am not receiving any compensation for promoting Jack’s services. I’m simply trying to help a builder through the current market and provide a service to my readers that might be looking for a contractor. This post is not an endorsement of Jack’s services, and you should interview him before deciding if you want to hire him.)

Builder Quality Work for Your Renovation Project is a post from: Arch City Homes

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The Utility Company Really Can Come Dig Up Your Yard

Karen Goodman — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:39:50 +0000

This morning I woke up to the sound of construction equipment.

If you ever thought that strangers couldn’t suddenly show up one day and just dig up your yard, you are wrong!

Most properties have at least one utility easement within their boundaries. I happen to live on a street with 50 to 80 year old homes. The utilities access the homes via telephone poles. Having your electric and cable exposed among all the mature trees does make me and my neighbors more likely to lose power during a major storm than my friends living in the newer subdivisions with underground utilities, but you might think that it also means there is no reason to come dig up our yards.

Not true!

I happen to live on a street that has streetlights. Apparently something broke and they aren’t working. So, the electric company is here digging small holes in the front yards of about 12 homes so that they can run new electric and get the lights back on.

I’m actually lucky. The streetlight happens to be in my next door neighbor’s front yard and they are fixing the line from the other direction. So, even though the construction equipment will be blocking my driveway all day, they won’t be digging up the expensive stone path and landscaping lighting that I installed last year. It never even occurred to me when I put in my landscaping that it was probably in an easement and could be removed at any time if the utility company needs to do some work.

Next time you are thinking of installing landscaping, decks, patios…you really should locate the survey you obtained when you bought your house and see if there are utility easements on your property.

The Utility Company Really Can Come Dig Up Your Yard is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Fire Destroyed my Childhood Home

Karen Goodman — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:22:36 +0000

I found out a couple of days ago that there was a major fire in my childhood home last week.

My parents bought the house when I was 2 years old. My mom sold it 4 years ago after 35 years of proud ownership. It was sad for me and my siblings to see her move, but the time was right for her to move into a villa with a main floor laundry and a homeowner’s association that would deal with all the outside yard work and maintenance.

The fire destroyed at least the garage, attic and roof, kitchen and breakfast room. According to one of the neighbors, the plan is to tear the house down to the foundation. It’s hard to imagine the house that holds all of my childhood memories won’t exist anymore.

Fire can do terrible things to a home. Luckily, the family was unharmed. But, the current owners operated a dog rescue business out of the house and two of the dogs died. Take a look at these tips on how to prevent house fires, plus this article that includes information on what to do to escape if you get caught in a fire.

On more than one occasion, I’ve had to talk buyer’s out of buying a home in which one of the ‘bedrooms’ was in the basement. There is a reason that rooms in the basement don’t qualify as bedrooms unless they have an egress size window. Without a means of egress directly to the outside, house fires like the one in my childhood home often turn into family tragedies. Please take care of your family, and never turn a basement room with just those tiny little windows into a bedroom.

Fire Destroyed my Childhood Home is a post from: Arch City Homes

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Make Sure your Stove is Safe by Installing an Anti-Tip Bracket

Karen Goodman — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:35:13 +0000

This week it was announced that Sears settled a class-action lawsuit over injuries and deaths that were due to stoves tipping over because they weren’t securely attached to the wall or floor. For more information on the settlement and to see if your stove is covered, check out the lawsuit information details.

When a home sells in the St. Louis area, the standard contact usually calls for the seller to obtain a passed Laclede Gas utility inspection. One of the most common reasons for this inspection to fail is when a gas stove does not have an anti-tip device to prevent it from tipping over. (NOTE: Electric stove’s should have an anti-tip attached too and the buyer’s building inspector can check to see if the stove has one installed).

Think about it. If the oven door is open, and a child climbed on it or you lost your balance and fell on it, the stove could come toppling over on you or that small child. Even if it didn’t completely crash down on you, it could tip enough to dump the hot contents cooking all over you.

The solution to this problem is really simple. Every stove comes with a small metal bracket called an anti-tip device. The device is usually attached to the floor or wall, and one of the rear metal feet on the stove is slid into the bracket. If the stove starts to tip forward, the bracket holds the foot in place preventing it from moving more than a few inches. If your stove doesn’t have an anti-tip installed, you can pick one up at any large hardware store.

Regardless of whether you qualify for the Sears class action lawsuit settlement, every homeowner should check their stove and make sure that it has an anti-tip device installed correctly.

And while you are at it, make sure that your GE or Kenmore microwave doesn’t qualify for the recent microwave recall.

Make Sure your Stove is Safe by Installing an Anti-Tip Bracket is a post from: Arch City Homes

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