JANUARY 23, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 4
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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• AREA DEVELOPMENT • FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE 317 5th Street, Ames State of Iowa 515-233-3299 • ® licensed in the
RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL 515-233-3299 • AREA DEVELOPMENT • 317
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TIPS OF THE WEEK DECOR
HOME OFFICE
SAFETY
STYLE TRENDS FOR 2019
CLEAR THE CLUTTER
LADDER INJURIES
A survey by 1stdibs, a website for interior designers, revealed what interior styles are expected to reign in 2019.
Did you know that a cluttered workspace can make you feel unhappy and stressed? That’s according to a recent study by Kelton Global for National Business Furniture. The company’s free “Clear the Office Clutter” e-book offers easy solutions that can help you combat negative vibes in your home office.
Many top designers noted their clients are moving toward warmer and brighter colors, especially jewel tones. Modern styles (Scandinavian, mid-century, Art Deco and American) will stay strong, as artisanal and one-of-a-kind pieces are becoming more popular. Natural materials such as wood, metal and brass are expected to stay in vogue.
Be careful while tackling your 2019 home repair list. An analysis by Porch, a home repair and maintenance website, found ladders are the tool responsible for the most ER visits (nearly 200,000) every year in the U.S. — More Content Now
The e-book is available via the National Business Furniture’s website and includes an activity to help you determine which of four clutter personalities you are (from the Procrastinator to the Hider), along with solutions tailored to each.
DEAR MONTY
Landlord confused by agent’s rent-up procedures month’s rent on the 15th next month. Something doesn’t seem right about this. Where is our first-month rent? Can you please explain all this?
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: We rented our home to a couple who gave us a month and a half for security. They also paid their real estate agent a month’s rent. Their agent split the month’s rent with our real estate agent. However, we didn’t get a month’s rent before our tenants moved in. They took occupancy on the 15th, and our agent is telling us that we will get our first
Monty’s answer: Without reviewing the contracts, it is not possible to know what has transpired. Here is a likely scenario: • You signed a contract when you hired the agent and agreed to pay them a fee for locating a tenant. It appears you agreed that the first month’s rent was the agent’s commission. The second month’s rent and future months will go to you, the landlord. You can verify this by determining the total compensation you agreed to pay in your contract. The contract states the amount you agreed to pay the agent and when the fee was payable.
• The second contract is the rental agreement between you and your tenant. Compare the amount of rent the tenant paid to see that it matches the amount the agent would earn in the fee agreement. Your story is unusual because your tenant paid the rent to their agent, instead of paying you or your agent. Typically, the listing agent pays the tenant’s agent their fee from the tenant’s first-month rent. When a real estate agent accepts deposits from tenants, they go into a trust account. Then your agent disburses funds from the trust account. If you are correct that the buyer’s agent split the rent they collected from your tenant directly with your agent, does your contract relieve you from paying your agent under your contract? Is the tenant’s security deposit now in your
personal account or is it in your agent’s trust account? It appears there is a lack of communication between you and your real estate agent. You need to ensure the contract language matches the actual events. Consider speaking to the agent’s broker to seek understanding and resolution. If you achieve no clarification, seek legal assistance. You can complain to state regulators if you learn the agent took questionable shortcuts. Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Follow him on Twitter at @dearmonty, or find him at DearMonty.com.
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REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, January 23, 2019 • Page RE5
Good timing
Find out the best month for particular renovations By Laura Firszt More Content Now
A
ir conditioning contractors worked overtime this November in my northeastern city. No, we weren’t having a late-autumn heat wave. (Thank heaven — summer was bad enough.) Instead, they were busy helping smart homeowners who wanted to beat the rush and install A/C for next year … during what’s normally offseason for HVAC pros. Want to know the best month for house renovation? Forget feng shui and elaborate predictions? Here are the practicalities that matter: • When you’d like to get the work done • If the weather will permit • When contractors are available Find out more with our guide to the best month for particular house renovations:
FREEPIK IMAGES
JANUARY
MAY
OCTOBER
Flooring. Doesn’t “new floors for the New Year” have a nice ring to it? Flooring tends to go on sale this month — and since the installation process is an indoor job, you won’t have to wait for warmer weather to hire a contractor.
Deck. Start the countdown to barbecue season by hiring a contractor to build a deck or patio in your backyard. Are you watching your budget? Tackle a DIY refurbish — sanding a deck is inexpensive and relatively easy.
Roof. Repair or replace that worn-out roof before chilly breezes and snow flurries head your way. By October, a lot of reliable roofing companies are winding down from their summer rush and may be able to fit your job in much faster.
FEBRUARY
JUNE
NOVEMBER
Garden planning. Do you have big dreams for your yard? Get a headstart by meeting with a landscape professional and talking about how to bring those dreams to beautiful, blooming life. To do: Design the garden layout; then reserve a time slot for your landscaper to prepare the soil and put in your new lawn and flowers.
Garage doors. Hardworking garage doors tend to be taken for granted … until they suddenly stop functioning right in the middle of a snowstorm. Warm weather makes it easy to tune up, repair, or replace your garage doors in comfort, so next winter you won’t get shut out in the cold.
Plumbing. Coming soon: Heavy snowfalls, often followed by disastrous home flooding. Safeguard your basement; hire a plumber to install a sump pump. While you’re at it, protect your household plumbing against freezing. Repair leaky faucets (which otherwise might ice up your drain) and insulate pipes.
MARCH Paint and prep. Once the worst of winter’s done and you can open the windows again, get going with a new interior paint job. Not only is this a great way to refresh your spirits, it’s the perfect first step toward staging your home for sale. (According to real estate experts, spring is the best time to sell.)
APRIL Air conditioning. If you weren’t able to book a pro for this home improvement last fall, now is the time. April is the offseason for HVAC, between the busy periods of winter furnace installation and repair, and summer air conditioning needs. Global warming or no, you’ll be ready for those heat waves to come.
JULY-AUGUST Remodeling. The best month for house renovation on a grand scale, such as a major kitchen remodel is July to August, when it’s simple to head outside (or to a vacation getaway) to escape the chaos inside. No kitchen? No problem. Cook on the grill. Summer is prime time for contractors, though, so find a reliable crew and book them well in advance.
SEPTEMBER Concrete. September’s mild climes are just right for pouring concrete to complete an outdoor project like a driveway, garden path, or pool surround. Ideal conditions for concrete to cure properly are a stretch of several dry days, with temperatures steadily above 50 degrees.
DECEMBER Built-ins. Contractors are often more available in December, when many homeowners are busy with holiday entertaining. Take this opportunity to have a carpenter custom-make built-ins for your house - like a closet for that bonus room or shelves to organize books and toys. You’ll be all set to make your New Year’s resolution: “Get my house in shape for the coming year!”
Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
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