WNC Homeowners Resource Guide, Spring/Summer 2018

WNCHomeowners.com Spring/Summer 2018

WNC’s Destination Garden Center

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Granite Countertops • Plumbing • Heating & Air • Pools & Spas • PostConstruction Cleaning & Containers • Pressure Washing • Garden Centers & Landscaping • Lighting • Home Organization & Move Management • Electrical Contracting & Generators • Radon Testing & Mitigation • Homeowner‘s Insurance • Home Security • Duct Cleaning…and MORE!

The Art of Stone

417 Kingdom Place • Zirconia, NC 28790 (828) 692-0451 • www.scgigranite.com

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Connect with local home furnishings and service providers online at www.WNCHomeowners.com

P.O. Box 6751 • Hendersonville, NC 28793

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P R E P A R I N G Y O U R YA R D P R E P A R I N G Y O U R YA R D

for for Summer Summer

Enjoyment

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ow has returned, returned, it’s it’s ow that that warm warm weather weather has time annual cleanup cleanup time to to safely safely begin begin the the annual to of summer summer to prepare prepare your your yard yard for for months months of enjoyment.

With the help of a professional enjoyment. With the help of a professional landscaper, ready and and looklooklandscaper, your your yard yard will will be be ready ing inggreat great in in no no time. time.

Start Look for for bald bald Start by by evaluating evaluating your lawn. Look spots sparsely and and spots where where grass grass has grown sparsely needs areas that that may may needs reseeding, reseeding, or or uneven areas needto to be be fifilled lled and and leveled. need Before you you take take steps steps to correct Before correct any any probproblems, you'll you'll need need a clean slate. lems, slate. Call Call your your landscaper to to help help you you clear clear the landscaper the yard yard of of any any leaves, rocks rocks or or sticks sticks that that may leaves, may have have accuaccumulated. Then Then cut cut the the grass grass as mulated. as short short as as pospossible.

Your landscaper will then break sible. Your landscaper will then break up up the the soil in in bare bare spots spots to to create create an soil an environment environment thatwill will be be hospitable hospitable to to new new seed. that seed. Lawn Lawn soil soil will then be added to level the surface. will then be added to level the surface.

An herbicide will also need to be applied to An herbicide will also need to be applied to treat weed-infested areas. Allow the weed treat weed-infested areas. Allow the weed killer to work for about a week then rake again killer to work for about a week then rake again to remove dead weeds. to remove dead weeds.

Then you're ready to over-seed or spot seed, Then you're ready to over-seed or spot seed, depending on your lawn's needs. Your clidepending on your lawn's needs. Your climate will determine the best grass varieties mate will determine the best grass varieties for your yard, and your landscaper will help for yard, the andappropriate your landscaper will help youyour lay down sod or seed.

Be you lay down the appropriate sod or seed.

Be sure to also select a fertilizer that is consissure to also select a fertilizer that is consis-

tentwith withyour yourgrass grasstype typeand andwater water thoroughtent thoroughto promote promotedeep deeproot rootgrowth, growth,which whichcan can lyly to helpyour yourlawn lawnwithstand withstandextreme extremeconditions conditions help astemperatures temperaturesrise. rise. as Yourlawn lawnisn't isn'tthe theonly onlypart partofofyour youryard yard that Your that needs attention attention though. though. Your Yourgarden gardenand and needs owerbeds bedsmay mayneed needsome somecare carebefore before they, flflower they, too, are areready readytotoburst burstwith withnew newbounty bountyand and too, color. color.

Begin Begin by by clearing clearingyour yourgarden gardenand andbeds bedsof of any any debris debrislike likeleaves leavesand andother othermatter matterthat that piled Gently turn piledup upduring duringmonths monthsofofneglect. neglect.

Gently turn the thesoil soiland andwork workininfresh freshfertilizer. fertilizer.

Before Before you you get get your your landscaper landscapertotoplant plant new shrubs and fl owers, new shrubs and flowers,it itisisthe theideal idealtime time to to make makerepairs. repairs.Check Checkedging edgingforforany anydamdamage, age, replace replacerotted rottedwoodwork woodworkand andcomplete complete any other maintenance tasks.

This any other maintenance tasks. Thisis isalso alsoa a great time to explore and add new landscapgreat time to explore and add new landscaping features, such as a retaining wall, pond, ing features, such as a retaining wall, pond, or stone pathway. Your landscaper will help or stone pathway. Your landscaper will help you choose the features that will go best with you choose the features that will go best with your home. your home.

By getting some of your lawn and garden care By getting some of your lawn and garden care taken care of now, you will be able to take full taken care of now, you will be able to take full advantage of sunny summer days outside. So advantage of sunny summer days outside. So reach out to your local lawn service or landreach out to your local lawn service or landscaper today! scaper today!

6 Must-Do Plumbing Maintenance Checks

Lint Trap It may seem unrelated to the plumbing system, but lint buildup can block the drain of your washing machine if left unattended. Clear your lint trap (typically found on the internal recess of the unit) or hire a plumber to install a wire trap filter to improve drainage.

Supply Hoses Inspect hoses that connect to appliances, such as your dishwasher, icemaker and washing machine. Look for bulging or other signs of leakage. If you spot a leak, call your plumber to make repairs or come replace your hose with a stainless steel hose right away.

Sinks Hard water deposits can clog the faucets in your kitchen and

Routine maintenance can save homeowners thousands in potential repairs, especially when it comes to plumbing.

There are several steps homeowners can take to check for red flags in their plumbing systems, says Patricia Bonacorda of Spartan Plumbing.

She recommends these conducting these six maintenance checks at least once a year.

bathrooms, reducing energy-efficiency. If you notice mineral buildup, unscrew the screen at the tip of the faucet (the aerator) and soak it in vinegar overnight.

If your house has an issue with hard water, talk to your plumber about installing a water softening system. It can help make heating your water more efficient, help you use less soap and detergent when washing dishes and clothes, and preserve the look of your faucets and fixtures.

Toilets Conduct a DIY litmus test by adding a few drops of food

coloring to the tanks of toilets in your home. If the water in the bowl changes colors after a half an hour, call a plumber to assess the problem.

Water Heater Check the thermometer to make sure the temperature is lower than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Increase the longevity of your unit by draining a few gallons of water from the tank to eliminate corrosion-causing sediment.

Depending on whether you have an electric or gas water heater, you’ll need to turn off the electricity or cut off the pilot light. But if you’re not as comfortable working with gas or electricity, don’t hesitate to call a plumber and have them do it. While they are at your house they can perform other checks as well!

Sump Pump If your home’s basement is protected from flood-

ing by a sump pump, test the unit by pouring a few buckets of water into the sump pit. It should activate automatically and shut off when the job’s done. For an added layer of protection, have your plumber install a flood alarm.

By performing regular checks and having a plumber fix any issue as soon as they arise, you can keep your plumbing system functioning properly for years to come!

HE’S AN EXPERT

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HE’S PROFESSIONAL • Fast service 24/7 • There’s a reason they call us Mr.* • Know the price before we start • Fixed right the first time • Clean service professionals • Scheduled appointment times • Workmanship & parts guarantee

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Rock Creek Containers 828.692.9017 417 Kingdom Place • Zirconia, NC 28790

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GRANITE INTERIORS, INC.

Helping to Make Your New Home Move-in Ready!

Specializing in Post-Construction Clean-Up Services for new Homes or Those Under Construction

Our services include but not limited to: • Cleaning cabinets and drawers inside and out.

• Cleaning counter tops and sinks, fixtures polished and removing labels or other packaging.

New home construction comes with lots of dirt, dust and debris. After the building is done, let us take care of the clean up so you can focus on what’s most important – enjoying your new home!

Mills River, NC 828-891-8800 www.cleanstreakinc.net

• Cleaning bathtubs, shower stalls, toilets, and shower doors.

• Mirrors and all glass cleaned and polished.

• Vacumming of all carpets.

• Washing all windows, interior and exterior, and cleaning all tracts.

Serving Asheville, Hendersonville & surrounding areas

Getting Your A/C Ready for Summer Having an air conditioning unit that’s running at peak efficiency can decrease energy costs by as much as 20 percent. However, if the unit is not properly maintained, your bills and runtimes will likely skyrocket. By taking the proper precautions during the months leading up to summer, you’ll lower your energy bills and turn your house into a more comfortable home environment with healthier surroundings.

In preparation for the summer heat, follow these simple steps to ensure the A/C is completely functional and efficient.

1. Change the Filters

At least once a month, be sure to check the air filters in your home and change or clean them as needed. Whether your A/C model comes with a disposable filter or not, it’s very important that you make this cleaning part of your routine on a monthly basis.

2. Check & Clean the Outdoor Unit

Also known as a condenser, your home’s outdoor unit should be wellmaintained and checked for debris regularly. Before cleaning, though, always remember to turn off the thermostat. Then, gently clean the coil from the fins using a brush or clean cloth. Do this with as little force as possible so the fins are not bent. Taking these precautions will prevent plant growth, debris, or grass clippings from clogging and damaging your unit. After everything is said and done, you’ll end up with significantly reduced resistance within the outdoor unit.

3. Maintain Outdoor Unit’s Fan Belts

Within your outdoor air conditioning unit, you’ll find important pieces of hardware that are responsible for ensuring that your A/C runs efficiently - fan belts. These fan belts play a large role in lowering your energy bills, and are easily found at your local home improvement store. Unless you Article continues on page 14.

want a big hole in your wallet, it’s crucial that you inspect the outdoor unit’s fan belts on a regular basis and replace or re-adjust them as often as necessary.

4. Indoor Ductwork Upkeep

Since your home’s ductwork is located inside the walls and ceiling away from plain view, we highly encourage you to hire a professional instead of tackling indoor duct cleaning all on your own. You can, however, keep the ducts dry by removing registers and wiping whichever part of the duct is visible, and inspect for any water damage. Ductwork should always be kept clean and dry because once moisture accumulates, water damage or mold and fungus growth can occur. If you ever find yourself in that type of predicament, call a professional right way. Do not try to repair the issue on your own!

5. Schedule Seasonal A/C Tune-Up

Before summer is in full swing, we encourage you to get everything checked out by a professional to ensure your A/C is in complete working order. By maintaining, upgrading or repairing your air conditioning system by an expert, you’ll prevent larger issues from developing down the road.

Source: Centralhtg.com; Popular Mechanics

Quality Lighting that Stands the Test of Time

Come enjoy the showroom experience of finding in-stock specialty lighting.

Shealy Electric has shades, parts, and bulbs to fit all lamps, and offers on-site restoration.

Serving Hendersonville and neighboring communities for 55 years

412 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville, NC 828-692-9125 417 Kingdom Place • Zirconia, NC 28790 www.shealyelectricco.com (828) 692-0451 • www.scgigranite.com GRANITE INTERIORS, INC.

Make Your Home’s Property Look New Again!

BEFORE

AFTER

Got well water? No problem – we bring the water on-site for your cleaning project.

No job is too big for us to handle!

Cleaning services include: • Decks • Walkways • Driveways • Siding • Roofs • Fencing • Playground Equipment Contact us for a free estimate!

Ask about our low-pressure, soft touch pressure washing process.

Serving Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina

A Servant’s Touch PRESSURE WASHING SERVICES

828-290-3661

www.pressurewash-carolinas.com

Ready To Respond To Your Plumbing Needs Serving WNC with a full range of quality professional residential and commercial plumbing services

• Commercial construction / plumbing service • Residential construction / plumbing service • Water Heaters • Water Filters • Gas Piping

• Fixture Installation

• Bathroom & Kitchen Remodeling

Family Owned & Operated for over 40 years 828.693.1007 925 Greenville Highway Hendersonville NC 28792

www.summeyplumbing.com

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Get Your Lawn Ready for Spring

Springtime is right around the corner, but not to worry, if your lawn isn’t ready there’s still time. Once you’re finished, you’ll have the best curb appeal on the block!

But before you put those gardening gloves on, however, it’s important to tune-up your lawn tools and equipment. This includes items such as your lawn mower, leaf blower, pruner, rakes, and anything else you may need for spring cleanup. Now it’s time to get started.

1. Remove debris.

Give your lawn a fresh start in the spring by raking away all leaves, sticks, and anything else that collected over the fall and winter months.

Raking your lawn will even encourage healthy airflow by loosening the soil’s surface.

2. Heal your grass.

Grass seed is extremely helpful for areas of your lawn that have weak grass growth or dead grass.

Open the surface with a strong rake then mix the grass seed with new soil to be spread over the surface. You can even speed up the grass growth by watering.

3. Add mulch.

Even in my personal gardening projects, mulch is always my finishing touch. Mulch adds a huge benefit to your lawn by providing a protective

covering on soil that locks in the moisture. You’ll keep your plants warm by simply spreading it around the bases of trees, shrubs and in your fresh spring flowerbeds.

4. Water wisely.

It’s more beneficial to water your lawn only when it needs it, and with a lot of water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, watering sparingly and deeply trains your grass roots to dig deeper into the soil. On the other hand, watering lightly and constantly will keep the roots closer to the surface.

5. Let’s get mowing.

Mow your lawn high with a sharp blade, and keep it frequent. Remember that keeping your grass long while mowing often will keep it thick and healthy.

Source: Preparing Your Lawn for Spring, WeedManUSA

Make A “Neat” Move

• Specializing in home moving assistance including complete move-out & move-in process • Home staging to get you ready to list, show, and sell • Organize and pack your belongings in your garage, storage, or business • Sort through unused household clutter or unnecessary items • Arrange donation services to pick up unwanted items • Arrange for moving services • Move in to your new home organized and clutter-free • Always respectful of your treasures & memories • Professional, organized, & experienced ANITA BURNS

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How to Get Approved for a Home Improvement Loan

By Jason Caruso

W

hether you're building an addition, completely remodeling or just finishing your basement, a home improvement loan can help add value and comfort to your home. There are a variety of loan options available that we detail later in this article, but before you explore those, there are four steps you should take to ensure that you'll get the money you need: Understand Your Credit History With any type of loan, a higher credit score will give you better terms for your loan. But if you have a low credit score, that doesn't mean a home improvement loan is out of reach. There are government loans, private lenders and co-signing opportunities that may be available to you.

1

Evaluate Your Equity Home improvement loans are largely dependent on the homeowner's equity, since this becomes collateral for the loan.

2

Even if you have a decent amount of equity, you will need to prove that you're capable of paying your debts plus the added debt of the home renovation loan. The final terms of your loan agreement will be determined by your ability to pay back the loan on time.

Get an Appraisal The lender needs to know the overall value of your home before agreeing to certain loan terms. Not every lender will require an appraisal of your home, but it helps to be prepared in case it's requested.

3

Estimate Your Project Cost Before you apply for a loan, you should establish a baseline of estimates from professional contractors to determine how much your home improvement project could potentially cost. This will give you a good idea of how much you'll need to borrow. Seeking out contractors for estimates will prepare you for what your project could entail. For example, you might be unaware that there's mold in your walls which is something you'll definitely need to take care of—and this will add to the amount you'll need to borrow.

4

While you're figuring out the cost of your project, be sure to request estimates from several contractors so you can shop around for the best price.

What Are Your Home Improvement Loan Options?

After you've completed the above four steps, you'll be ready to look into your loan options: Home Equity Line of Credit With a home equity line of credit, you're able to withdraw money as you need it during a time limit that the lender has specified. Much like a credit card, as you pay some of the balance off, your credit will revolve and you can start to withdraw again.

This line of credit can have fluctuating rates that can be higher than the rate you'd get on a fixed-rate loan, making them more risky. But there is more flexibility with a home equity line of credit than a fixed-rate loan.

Home Construction Loans When it comes to home construction loans, lenders need to place a lot of trust in the builder, meaning they are usually very cautious about giving out these loans.

If things go wrong, the lender could quickly realize they've made a bad investment.

Because of the risk for the lender, there are precise qualifications for this type of loan, including: » Proof of good credit and financial health » A comprehensive list of project details (floor plans, materials, etc.) » An estimated home value from an appraiser » A large down payment—usually 20-25 percent » Working with a builder that's approved by the lender Home Equity Loans A borrower uses the equity of their home as collateral under a home equity loan. The value of your property will need to be determined by a licensed appraiser, and this will determine the loan amount you are eligible to receive.

Usually this requires good credit and can end up being more costly than other loan options since additional fees associated with the appraisal, originator, title and closing process can come up.

FHA 203(k) Loans The federal government backs FHA 203(k) loans, which were established with the intention of revitalizing struggling neighborhoods. Under this loan, borrowers can purchase a property with the cost of repairs and upgrades included. The required down payment is as low as 3.5 percent in most instances.

Make sure to follow the above steps and do your research on loan types as you're planning to renovate your home!

Jason Caruso has over 15 years of experience in the financial sales and service industry. He is currently a loan officer with an independent mortgage broker serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut. Caruso has a degree in business administration and marketing.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of RISMedia.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2018. All rights reserved.

A GUIDE TO MORTGAGES, HELOCS & MORE Whether you're looking to make a first-time purchase, refresh an existing home or simply leverage built-up equity for other reasons, it's important to figure out which path is right for you and understand the lending options available.

First-time buyers must start with determining what is affordable.

In addition to the mortgage payment, housing costs will include property taxes, homeowners insurance and fees, such as homeowner association dues. Altogether, costs should be no more than 28 percent of monthly gross income and should leave room to continue servicing other debt, such as student loans, credit cards or auto loans.

When preparing to buy a home, work through credit pre-approval to be ready with a strong offer when the opportunity arises.

In addition to reviewing credit history, a loan originator will consider the amount of the down payment. A down payment typically ranges from 3-20 percent, and one that is less than 20 per-

cent may require you to purchase mortgage insurance. A mortgage originator, however, can provide a variety of lending options to optimize your investment, from 15- and 30-year mortgages to fixed and variable terms.

If planning to make some improvements to a much-loved residence, consider financing the updates through a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Eligibility depends on how much equity has been built up in the home and the lender's loan-to-value ratio. A HELOC works much like a credit card and offers flexibility. A minimum amount is paid monthly, and interest applies to the amount borrowed.

Before embarking on a remodeling project, do some homework.

Start with the lender to determine the value of the home and the loan amount available. Then, establish a budget, leaving room for unexpected expenses. Work with a reputable professional to define the project and its requirements, and shop around for bids and recommendations to

confidently select a contractor.

Some lenders offer checklists to help get the most from the investment.

Another option for financing a project through a home's equity is a home equity loan (HELOAN).

As with a mortgage, the loan is granted as a lump sum and is paid back in installments over time, typically 10-15 years and at a fixed rate locked in at the time of securing the loan. A HELOAN works well for a one-time goal to improve the value of a home. Be mindful that either a HELOAN or a HELOC introduce some uncertainty, as monthly expenses will increase and must be maintained to avoid foreclosure risk.

Remember to consult a professional for advice applicable to your specific situation. Start with a lender who can help you identify financial options available to home buyers and owners today.

With careful planning and budgeting, the financing you need may be well within reach.