Protect your Tallahassee home from mold

Here in Tallahassee, Florida, we have high humidity, and humidity that settles in the home for long periods to time equals: MOLD.

Homes today are well insulated, and air cannot get in or out easily. Homes were not always so airtight. Think of the older homes before double pane glass, when air entered the home easily. Todays airtight home is good in some ways, relating to energy, and heating and air conditioning. However, moisture builds up in closed spaces, especially in the bathrooms. Over time, without any air movement, mold can develope to a danger point. Mold does not like air movement. In these airtight homes, ceiling fans, bathroom exhaust fans, and air conditioners need to be running, throughout the year. There is a mold danger in vacant homes sitting for a period of time without any air ventilation. Remember, we are in a high humidy zone.

I was speaking with a company that specializes in mold removal. The representative was saying that in this region, mold is everywhere, inside and outside, but is not dangerous unless it is or becomes a certain type of mold. I did not realize that there are thousands of different kinds of molds. He also stated that just opening windows to air out the rooms, does not help in Tallahassee, since there is little wind here, and the humidity in the air, just enters in the home, with mold pores.

If the home does get into an issue where mold removal is necessary, the cost will typically be $6,000 or more, much more. Let’s do what we can to protect our homes from the dangerous mold. Keep the air circulating, wipe up water from shower or bath walls, make sure there are no water leaks.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd, Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753
Blog  http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Web  http://KennethFach.com

Each office in independently owned and operated.

Successfully buy a Tallahassee area home without liens

Homebuyers are out now, looking for homes, as this is spring, and spring brings out those looking to purchase Tallahassee real estate. Word of caution: Homebuyers need to be aware of potential issues when they see a home they like, and want to make an offer on. Watch out for a “cloud on title,” or what is called, a lien on the property.

Potential “clouds on title” are: construction lien, income tax lien, property tax lien. There could also be the issue of encroachment, easement infraction, zoning violation, incorrect name on deed, error in the legal description, and missing or incorrect signatures.

A good source to go to in order to make sure there are no issues like those stated above, is the title company, who will be researching the title on the property before you purchase it. Also, the real estate agent is a good source for information as well. You can also go online to the public records, such as the clerks office, to see if the names on the deed match with the names in the real estate transaction you are in or wanting to be in. You can check the legal description, and make sure it is correct on the Purchase Contract for the home. The tax collectors website is a good source to see if the owner has been paying property tax on time, and there are no issues there.

Here are some useful website to assist you with researching your Tallahassee, or Leon County home:

www.clerk.leon.fl.us
www.co.leon.fl.us/property.asp
www.tlcgis.org

Other useful sites:
www.maps.google.com
www.housefront.com
www.trulia.com
www.talgov.com

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753 
Blog http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Web http://KennethFach.com   

Each office is independently owned and operated.

What Tallahassee homebuyers want

HomeBuyers have their real estate needs, desires and abilities. When homebuyers are interested in looking to buy a home, it is  lifestyle they are wanting to buy. Homebuyers want a lifestyle with a certain amount of space, in a certain geographic area, and with certain lifestyle home features.

I like to speak with buyers, first, about their needs, both lifestyle and financial, before even showing them the merchandise: the homes. We all have needs, specific to our lifestyle, and finances. My job as a Tallahassee real estate agent, is to determine what kind of lifestyle will best fit my buyers, reflected in a home that matches that Tallahassee lifestyle.

Once I can determine what the homebuyer has to have in a home, to fit their lifestyle,  the next focus is on what would be desirable. However, needs and desires, don’t amount to much without ability, that is, the financial ability to put desires and needs into a home. Buying a home is a big expense, and for most people, the biggest expense they will ever have.

 I ask basic questions, and I base my whole homebuying strategy around those answers. I ask what the needs are:

How much home is needed? How many bedrooms, and baths? How many square feet? Are handicap facilities needed? How far from work is the buyer willing to live? How much is buyer willing to put down as a down payment? What is the timeframe for buyer to have be in a home? Are walk-in closets needed? You can see why these are the needs.

Next, I ask what the desires are: These are features, usually.  After determining how much space and number of bedrooms and baths are absolutely necessary, we can work down to the desires; what is  strongly liked, and longed for. These are things that buyer can live without, but maybe would not be happy without them.  Many features can always be added later on too, provided the spacial dimensions, are adequate.
What home features are necessary?  fireplace, open floor plan, loft, built-in entertainment center, spacious kitchen, hardwood floors, a florida room, a big yard with a fence, a pool, an office, built-in bookshelves, kitchen counter, granite counter tops.

Basically, anything related to space is a necessity: space to store boxes, clothes, collectibles. Space for each member of the family, space for an office, space to put the books. Space to entertain, space for cooking, space to play outside, space for a garden. Space is alway a popular issue. It is the necessity it seems, for our Tallahassee buyers. So many buyers ask about walk-in closests, I find. That really is important. I have seen so many closets stuffed full of everything imaginable. Closets today are crucial elements: the must-haves.

Now, the issue of where is the money coming from? We need to consider mortgage loan, or how buyer will get the home. We need to discuss the best options, and in the case of first-time homebuyers, we need to discuss down payment assistance programs. Some good ones are the Tallahassee Lendors Consortium, Nehemiah, and FHA.

My job is to fit your lifestyle to a home. Please call me, or post a comment about what kind of lifestyle home you want, and what you are looking for. Write down your needs, and desires in a home based on the above. There is homework involved in buying a home. I do most of the work for you, however, in the process of buying your Tallahassee home.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd, Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753  Blog http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Web http://KennethFach.com

Each office is independently owned and operated. 

Some Practical Tips for Homeowners

We homeowners can sometimes need a review of things we can do for our real estate. We can learn new tips to better maintain our property.

I would like to share seven useful suggestions or tips for your home and garden. They work for me.

To clean my Garbage Disposal this is what I do:
I pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain. Next I pour 1 cup of white vinegar. Then, I pour hot boiling water from a tea kettle. This process cleans and kills odors. I am very happy there is baking soda and that it is so cheap.
I also want to keep my disposal blades in top condition. I take ice cubes, and
fill the drain 1/2 full with then before running the cold water as hard as it will come out. Lastly, I turn the system on. I don’t do this much since I try to not use water if not necessary.

Tip number two is to keep wood, and leaves or straw from touching the bottom foundation of the home so as to help prevent insect or termites from getting inside the home. termites and other organisms like wood. Most homes have wood inside the walls as part of the foundation.

Keep your used coffee grounds for enriching the soil of your flower or vegetable garden. I keep a compost pile in my garden and periodically spread the food substances there to have a healthier soil body.

Contact an air conditioning/heating company to arrange for a regular maintenance plan. I just started doing this. They come out twice a year to inspect and service the system ans at other times they come by with air filters. Filters need to be changed monthly if you use the system daily.

One way you can give your home a new home smell, is by painting the walls, at least a few walls or a few rooms. As time progresses, there will be odors in the home. Paint solves that problem, but don’t neglect to shampoo or replace the carpet if necessary. Oh, I forgot, who has carpet anymore!
When I paint my home, I think of a theme and color scheme. I get my inspiration from the surrounding nature and outdoor colors. I want the inside to transition smoothly to the outside.

If you have a two story home, remember, heat rises. It is warmer upstairs in the winter. Blow some of that heat down stairs by keeping the upstairs ceiling fans on. Depending on home’s layout this may not be possible. Remember, bigger homes theoretically consume more energy, but a smaller home that is not energy efficient, does not keep in heat in the winter, could waste more energy than a bigger home.

If you have vertical blinds, keep the panels facing up when you close, not down. If they face down it is easy for people to look in at night when the lights are on inside. This is a security tip.

If you have some home tips to share, let me know and I will probably add them and if you want, even give you the credit of providing them.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
Tallahassee, Florida
Direct/Text 850-339-5753 Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Bigger Kitchens but Fewer Cooks

I see many new and older homes in and around Tallahassee and Pensacola, Florida. I have observed that homebuyers want bigger kitchens and that the kitchen is very much the center of activity, conversation and planning. It is used as an office, decorative piece, place for preparing checks to pay the bills. It is a place to read the mail, the coffee house, a location for viewing the television or listen to songs. Some even have a computer in the kitchen. The kitchen is bigger, no doubt, than many kitchens in the days of the popular ranch styles homes of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Many of those homes however, had bigger food closets, pantries.

Today, people are cooking less it seems. There are more restaurants, more eating out, and the dishes people do prepare at home are not of the quality or richness of the meals prepared by our parents and grandparents. Times are different of course. Foods are often less healthier, filled with preservatives, and people are too busy and overworked to cook complete, healthy, or interesting dishes. We often cook the easiest, fastest dishes possible for ourselves and those we entertain. Yet, we buy bigger bigger homes with bigger kitchens, and many of these beautiful kitchens (and they are beautiful) have small pantries, or no pantries at all to store food items. Another example of less emphasis on cooking at home.

If you one of the few who take the time to cook nice, healthy, complete meals, and want to stock up on food and ingredients, be sure that the home you like with the big kitchen also has a decent size pantry. You will determine what is decent size, but most home cooks like a big pantry and will complain of lack of storage space if there is not a place to keep the essentials. A cook without the ingredients for the desired dish is not a happy cook. I know, I get irritated when I forget to by baking soda, or other items for a recipe that I must prepare at the moment of inspiration. I do have a nice pantry too. Some builders of new homes with big kitchens put in very tiny pantries, sometimes, even in upper priced neighborhoods. If the kitche is so important, you may want to make sure that it is not only big, but complete. Something that I like in my kitchen is a place to hang a bulletin board. Not all new kitchens in contemporary style homes have wall space for a bulletin board, or even pictures. These are open kitchens, that swiftly flow into the surrounding rooms.

When looking at homes, you may not want to rule out the older homes since many of the older homes, including ranch style homes, have big pantries, and plenty of functionality, even if not as attractive or elegant.

Kenneth Fach, REALTORm ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS- Anchor
1607 Village Square BOULEVARD, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Direct/Text 850-339-5753
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated

Considerations for homebuyers

 Buying a home is a serious life task. Most of us will go through this event multiple times in our lifetime.We buy, but we want to buy right. Below are some considerations for homebuyers.

1. Know your financial situation. Speak with three  mortgate professionals starting with  your bank, or mortgage company and see what the options are for purchasing a home. Check on your credit score, and get a copy of your credit report. Look at your debt to income, and make sure you have emergency funds stored away somewhere.

2. Know what kind of home or lot you want. Learn home styles, and see what style fits your lifestyle: ranch, cape cod, contemporary, traditional, etc. Think of location, location, location. Learn as much as you can about the neighborhood, using the internet to research as well as getting out and talking with neighbors in the area you are interested in. Determine what five features your home must have. Is one required feature a loft, or a fireplace, or an enclosed patio? You know what you like and don’t like. Be realistic however.

3. Know what services your real estate agent provides. Find out about neighborhoods, and properties via the internet, real estate websites, and blogs. Reading blogs is a great way to get descriptions of communities and neighborhoods, and feelings from people about living in those communities. Have the real estate agent email you regularly with market conditions, and homes that meet your lifestyle needs. Make sure the agent provides instructions on how to get out to the homes that you are interested in. Get all the photos you can. Trulia.com is a good source of information on homes for sale, and homes that have recently sold.

4. Know what a home inspector will look at and be proactive, walking around the property noting issues you may have. Also take photos.  Even though in Florida you are not required to get a home inspection, it is always a good idea, even if it is a new home. New homes can have serious issues. Bring up any material issue with your home inspector. Be present during any home inspection as well as the final walk through inspection. Inspectors usually like explaining things about the home.

5. Know that no house is perfect, and there is always one or more issues. The home inspector will usually find some issue, probably minor, however. The inspector’s job is to find anything that is not perfect.

5. Know what the closing costs are, and how they are broken down. Know what you will be required to pay, and what the seller will be required to pay. closing costs can be 3% to 6% of the total purchase price. Be prepared to have funds set aside to pay the closing costs, or see how much of that your lender will finance if you prefer to have as much financed as possible. Taxes, and insurance are prorated items. Make sure the seller cancels the old insurance policy and you get a new insurance policy on the home. Mortage interest is paid in arrears.

6. Know the meaning of the clauses in the real estate Sales Contract. Get a copy of the contract from the agent, via email or on paper. The Sales Contract is essential to a safe and harmonious closing. It is the guide post that the lender, title agency, seller and buyer have to follow. Ask your real estate agent anything in the contract that you want clarification on.

7. See me with your real estate related questions. I am always happy to discuss real estate with people.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Direct/Text 850-339-5753  Blog: KennethFach.wordpress.com

EAch office is independently owned and operated.

A Lovely Tallahassee Ranch style Home For Sale

Homebuyers: Looking for the right place to call home? Make a wish come true.
Remodeled ranch style home in desireable Eastgate neighborhood, in Tallahassee, Florida.  3/2, nice fenced back yard.
Offered at $189,900.  Seller willing to assist with closing costs for
Buyer.  

There are many more ranch style homes available as well. Get back into a ranch.

Call Ken Fach, REALTOR, 850-339-5753  http://KennethFach.com
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor, 1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, Florida

Each office is independently owned and operated.