FEBRUARY 26, 2020 • Volume 12 • Issue 47
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
Online at www.AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
Page RE2 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, February 26, 2020
HOME HELP HOME BUYING
HOME TIPS
GARDENING
FEWER AMERICANS PUTTING 20% DOWN ON MORTGAGE
THREE WAYS TO REMOVE A BROKEN LIGHTBULB
HOW TO SAVE MONEY GARDENING THIS YEAR
Putting down 20% on a mortgage has been the standard for years. According to data from the National Association of Realtors, however, 76% of Americans who bought a home in December 2019 put down less than 20%.
Have you ever struggled to remove a shattered lightbulb from its socket? BobVila.com has three methods of extracting a broken bulb. Before attempting any of these techniques, disconnect the power.
For gardeners looking to save money this year, OregonLive has some advice:
Twenty percent is the minimum payment some lenders require to avoid paying private mortgage insurance, according to Business Insider.
1. With a pair of needle-nose pliers, grip the edge of the bulb’s metal base and bend slightly inward and attempt to unscrew it. If it doesn’t turn at first, bend more of the base in and try again.
Banks will charge the insurance (which can cost 0.3% to 1.2% of the loan’s principal balance) to borrowers who put down less than 20% for protection if the borrower stops making payments. Some real estate agents, however, suggest that paying a higher rate for private mortgage insurance might be worth the price for a smaller down payment. “I had a client that bought a house at the beginning of 2018 and they didn’t put any money down,” said Christian Morrison, a real estate agent with Keller Williams in South Dakota. “They had to have PMI on it, which cost them an extra $86 a month.”
2. Cut a raw potato in half crosswise and pat the open ends dry with a paper towel. Press one half the potato onto the bulb’s base, as deep as possible. Turn the potato counterclockwise. The base should begin to unscrew. 3. You can buy a tool specially designed for removing broken light bulbs for about $10 online and at most home improvement stores.
• Don’t use starts. Though you will have to buy trays, lights and planting mix, using seed will save you money in the long run. Reuse this equipment and take advantage of the fact that some seed packs contain as many as 100 seeds. • Opt for smaller plants. Consider buying a 4-inch pot instead of a 1-gallon one. • Create your own compost. Mix kitchen scraps, gardening waste and animal manure, and let it decompose until there are no pieces of recognizable bedding left. • Participate in plant and seed swaps. Share your plants with other gardeners. • Buy used tools. Rather than buying brandnew equipment, go to garage sales and second-hand stores for recycled tools. More Content Now
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, Febr uar y 26, 2020 • Page RE3
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Piece by piece
Pros and cons of using pavers to spruce up your yard By Laura Firszt
More Content Now
T
ime to get your hardscape in shape for outdoor living! Paver installation is not just a great way to make your yard look amazing, it’s also long-lasting, flexible and simple to maintain. I recently spoke with Joe Raboine, director of Belgard Residential Hardscapes. The result of our conversation? The following guide to paver installation — pros, cons, prices, maintenance and more.
What types of pavers are available?
Materials Four core types of paving materials are used for residential hardscapes. The oldest is stone pavers, then clay, and most recently interlocking concrete pavers. There are also porcelain pavers, new within the last five years.
Shapes The most common shape is a rectangle, which runs the gamut of sizes. The small rectangular pavers resemble handmade cobblestones like you’d see in European cities. Those get progressively
larger, up to what’s called a “slab size,” typically 12x12 inches or even larger. The biggest are 2 feet by 3 feet. In addition, there are hexagons and trapezoids for a slightly more contemporary look.
Colors An almost endless variety of colors is available, both solid and blended. Solid colors have really caught on over the last few years but the blends are still the most popular choices. I think those blended colors will always be popular because they mimic local natural stone, varying across the country.
Where are pavers used? Use pavers for your patio, walkway, pool decking or outdoor living room. Paver installation is great for driveways and other vehicular applications, too. In some markets — Texas, for example — paver driveways have almost become the norm.
What are the major advantages of pavers? 1. Beauty. Pavers look awesome and add a lot of landscape design appeal to your yard or driveway area. Blended colors will harmonize with their surroundings because they reflect the shades of indigenous local stone. 2. Flexibility. Because a slab of
concrete will move, shift, and ultimately break, you have to add expansion and control joints. By contrast, pavers are a flexible system, which acts like a blanket that’s placed on the earth. 3. Longevity. Pavers have been around since the Romans used them to build roads... and some of those are still in existence today. They’re considered a flexible pavement. Due to their flexibility, paver installation lasts 50+ years if done as recommended. That’s true in any climate — even one with harsh winters or very hot, dry weather. In fact, because they’re strong and manufactured in a controlled environment, concrete pavers often carry a lifetime transferable warranty. You would never get a warranty like that on poured-in-place products! 4. Ease of repair. Another great thing about pavers is that they’re easy to repair. If you drop something extremely heavy on a paver and crack it, or you spill oil on it, you can take out the damaged paver and put in a new piece. The simplest way to remove a paver is to crush it with a hammer and break it out of there. Once you replace it with a new one, you can just sprinkle in some polysand, brush it off, and you’re good to go.
And the disadvantages? 1. Potential problems from faulty installation. Just like any other build-
ing material, you ideally need to
have someone that’s been professionally trained and certified to install large-scale paver projects. Substandard installations will cause issues. 2. Cost. Because there’s more prep time, pavers will cost more than concrete (or asphalt, for a driveway) but since they’re so durable, they end up costing you less in the long run.
What’s the cost to install concrete pavers? Essentially the cost to install concrete pavers is between $5 and $25 a square foot, which is kind of a crazy range. But there’s a reason. In Southern markets like Florida, you may get pavers installed for $5-$10 a square foot, because of the sand subsoil and because you don’t get hard freezethaw cycles. In the North, where you need a thicker substrate to lay them on, cost starts at $10 and can go up to $20 or $25 per square foot. Consider the cost of the paver material itself as well. Between the less expensive and the higher-end pavers, there may be a $3-$5/sq. ft. difference. Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, February 26, 2020 • Page RE5
DEAR MONTY
Annexation foils a move to the outskirts
R
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
eader question: Three years ago, we purchased a new home from the developer of a small suburban subdivision. We moved outside city limits to avoid the high property taxes and drama at city hall. We just learned that the city is now annexing our new town. Everyone in our subdivision learned of this in the newspaper.
The developer never mentioned it. Do we have a say in this? Can we sue? Who can tell us what is going on? Monty’s answer: Governments operate under different rules than individual companies and citizens. Each state legislates the regulations that empower the county and local governments. It would not be shocking if the developer were not aware of the annexation. Neighboring communities do not always get along. They argue over boundaries, shared services, natural resources and more. Depending on which state and which city you live in, it is possible the acquiring municipality surprised their neighbor with their intent. It is also likely that no notices were required. In my state, smaller towns can stymie such annexations by changing their
structure from a town to a village. Some towns do not want to be acquired. Some states allow annexation without notice. When the “no notice” rule exists, the acquirer may be very quiet about their intent, to reduce the likelihood of a counter-action by the neighbor to their acquisition efforts. On the other hand, if the developer knew, and it can be proven, it could cast a different light on the situation. Financial harm to the residents would be the driving reason to consider going to court. It may be challenging and expensive to prove the annexation harmed you. If you could show such damage, it would not reverse the annexation. If the annexation was common knowledge in the community, a judge might not be favorably impressed with
the neighbors’ argument. The timing of these events is also essential.
Some options If you have a compelling reason to feel financially damaged, you will likely need the support of your neighbors. A lone voice in the storm carrying the burden of legal fees, plus the time and the aggravation, is a very risky bet. Your first challenge is to gather a number of your neighbors. Ask everyone to chip in some cash for a consultation with an attorney. Other alternatives to consider are to pick up stakes and move out of the jurisdiction one more time or get used to the idea. Find Richard Montgomery at DearMonty.com.
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