DECEMBER 13, 2017 • Volume 12 • Issue 50
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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Don’t see your home in the
RE WEEKLY Then contact a Realtor® today, because you are missing out on over 39,000+ potential buyers seeing your property for sale. STORY TY COUN
PMENT ERCIAL • AREA DEVELO GE • FARM • COMM RESIDENTIAL • ACREA Street, Ames 99 • 317 5th ® licensed in the State of Iowa 515-233-32 are REALTORS ® within All REALTOR ads
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Projects to help your home weather the winter
Secure your home the smart, affordable way
Some of the best home winterization projects are also ones that will improve energy efficiency. Here are some recommended by Chris Williams, merchandising director at Lowe’s. • Seal any cracks or openings where pipes exit the home, and fit unprotected pipes with pipe sleeves. Insulating pipes can reduce heat loss that makes your water heater work harder and use more energy, and raise water temperature 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. • If your home is drafty, adding weather stripping to seal air leaks can reduce heating bills as much as 20 percent, the DOE says. Identify places where air leaks occur in your home, and choose the right weather stripping for each area.
DIY home security systems make it cost-effective to keep your smart home safe and secure during the holiday season and throughout the year, according to Iris by Lowe’s. Professional monitoring of a smart home security system from traditional players and well-known brands can cost nearly $50 a month — and then lock you in for four to five years or longer. DIY systems typically offer the same components, such as security cameras, motion sensors and smart locks, but without the costs of professional installation and the long-term contracts.
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Luxury home products made in the United States
DIY tips to get your home ready for winter
Peruse any home improvement media and you may get the impression you just can’t build, renovate or decorate a quality home without relying on foreign-made products like granite from Italy for countertops, cherry hardwood flooring from Brazil or textiles from India. However, you don’t have to sacrifice quality and luxury in order to buy American for your home; some of the finest home decor products originate right here in the U.S. For example, Ann Sacks tiles are handcrafted in its Portland, Oregon, headquarters. Other luxury items made in America include plumbing fixtures, smart medicine cabinets and mirrors, custom-made mattresses, carpeting and furniture.
The best way to keep your family warm and toasty while the wind, snow and sleet rage outside is to ensure your home and its building envelope — the thermal barrier between the interior of a home and the exterior environment — is properly sealed. To maintain a well-sealed building envelope check for air leaks around these areas, according to http://www.dap.com/: • The interior windows and doors • Cracks and gaps where walls meet floors and ceilings • Exterior windows and doors • Around pipes and vents Most cracks and gaps less than a half inch in width and depth can be filled with a sealant. Before you apply, make sure to remove any old sealant that remains to ensure the new sealant can adhere properly and form a tight thermal barrier for your home.
BRANDPOINT
DEAR MONTY
How to negotiate a new-home purchase
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: I’m looking at a brand-new house. It was built by a fairly large builder in a new neighborhood. Trying to figure out if a buyer’s agent can save me money, or will cost me money because of the 3 percent the onsite agent is going to lose. Also,
when buying a new home from a large builder, how much do they normally deal off asking price? I’ve seen a very wide range of dollars per square foot in this neighborhood, and I’m not sure where to start an offer, or what’s realistic. I don’t have a realtor, or buyer’s agent. Would I be wise to get one? Or would I get the house for less money just dealing with the listing agent selling this neighborhood exclusively? Monty’s answer: The areas that can help you figure all this out are: 1. The definition of a large builder is unclear. Understanding the relative size and operations of the builder may offer
clues as to their policy on negotiations. Like all other businesses, home builders can make mistakes, or market conditions can change, in which cases policies can be compromised. 2. A new neighborhood often means multiple contractors. How many total lots are available now and how many new lots are in the works? Is the developer of the lots selling exclusively to one builder? Is the builder also the developer? Have you compared this builder to builders in other developments? Understanding the master plan, the sales rate of the new construction, and any competition between builders provides an edge. Contact the municipality or the county to gather helpful information.
Neighbors may also be a good source. 3. Research the cause of these wide ranges in price to pick comparable sales. 4. The relationship the listing agent maintains with the builder may be a factor. Larger builders often pay licensed agents differently to represent their product, and no other products. 5. The key is understanding two important factors. You have to know how the market is behaving, and you have to know the “range of value” the home you are interested in buying occupies. — Send Richard Montgomery questions at DearMonty.com.
REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, December 13, 2017 • Page RE7
Smoke detector troubleshooting
FREEPIK.COM
Find out why it’s beeping, and how to fix the problem Replace the battery.
Laura Firszt More Content Now
A low battery will usually result in a smoke detector chirping sound at regular intervals of 30-60 seconds, hy is your smoke alarm beeping and chirp- depending on the manufacturer. This chirping will ing up a storm? There’s no fire in your continue until the battery dies completely, unless you house, thank goodness ... not even the take care of it. (Experts recommend changing your smoke teeniest wisp of smoke. But still you keep alarm’s battery at least every 6 months. To help jog your hearing that annoying (and frightening) smoke detector memory, schedule this vital task for spring and fall, when beeping sound. To stop all the racket and restore your we change the clocks.) Try replacing the battery with a peace of mind, here are DIY troubleshoots. fresh one.
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Clean the unit. Dirt or grease on the smoke detector cover, and dust or even tiny insects inside the sensor, may be interfering with the unit’s air flow … and causing that infernal smoke detector beeping sound. To clean a smoke alarm cover, remove the cover, wipe gently, and screw it back into place. To clean the sensor, use a vacuum cleaner hose or compressed air spray to remove any obstruction.
Examine the battery. Make sure that the pull tab of your smoke alarm battery has been removed and that the battery is securely positioned so that it is in full contact with the detector’s terminals. If the battery drawer is even partially open, it will prevent proper contact. Ensure that the negative and positive symbols on the battery are placed as indicated on the diagram inside the alarm.
Press the test button. Even after you change the battery, your home fire alarm may still register an error message, resulting in beeping or chirping. When this happens, disconnect the alarm, remove the battery, and press the test button steadily for 15 seconds minimum. You may then reinsert the battery. This process resets the device, erasing any error messages. (You will hear a single chirp when the battery is reinserted, but this should be followed by blissful peace and quiet.)
these is the case, flip the breaker to the off position and see whether this works to stop the commotion.
Consider the temp. Your smoke alarm is designed to react to high heat and humidity. If it is hung in an exceptionally “hot spot” – near your kitchen stove or living room fireplace (even a gas or electric fireplace produces concentrated heat), for example – it will beep. Ditto if it is in a damp area, such as next to a bathroom door. Repositioning the detector will eliminate this problem.
Look at the age. Smoke detectors typically last for up to 10 years. As they near the end of their lifespan, these devices frequently start to produce beeping sounds. In this case, you will need to have a new alarm installed. If you’re not sure of your alarm’s age, unscrew it from the ceiling and check manufacturing date on the back.
When to contact a professional electrician:
Check your electrical supply.
OK, let’s say that you’ve tried all the troubleshoots and your smoke detector is still beeping away. If you have a hard wired smoke detector and there’s no At this point, you’d be wise to hire a licensed electrismoke in its vicinity, check to see whether the alarm is signaling “no power” due to either: A) an electrical outage cian to investigate potentially serious problems with your home’s electrical wiring. in your home, either complete or partial (a blackout or brownout) OR B) a tripped circuit breaker. If neither of
Make sure that the pull tab of your smoke alarm battery has been removed and that the battery is securely positioned so that it is in full contact with the detector’s terminals.
Page RE8 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Realtors, do you want to reach a wider group of potential buyers? Advertise in the RE Weekly. In print and online.
Call Ali Eernisse 515-663-6956
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