Baby, It’s Cold Out There….

Prevention tips for frozen pipes

• Disconnect garden hoses and shut off the water supply to those faucets.
• Turn off and drain water from any above ground exterior pipes, drip lines or pool supply lines.
•  Insulate exposed pipes. If your garage isn’t heated, remember to wrap any exposed pipes in there, too.
• Keep your thermostat set above 55 degrees at all times.

If you lose power during a winter storm and the temperature starts to drop in your home, allow a slow trickle of water to flow through faucets. This can help prevent pipes from bursting.

Stop ice dam damage – insulate, ventilate and mitigate

• Insulate, seal or weather-strip all attic access doors.

•  Keep your attic well-ventilated to outside air.

•   Make sure your attic floor has adequate insulation to minimize the amount of heat escaping into the attic from the house. (An added benefit is lower heating costs.)

•     Prevent ice dams by removing heavy accumulations of snow from your roof. This allows water from the melted snow to reach the gutters and drain to the ground. Consult a roofing professional for assistance. Do not climb on your roof.

Julie Coover has been an agent for American Family Insurance since 2008.  Her office is located at 32565 Lexington Ave Ste B, De Soto, KS, 66018.  Julie can be contacted at (913) 583-1219, jcoover@amfam.com or online at www.juliecoover.com. Above content provided by Julie Coover.

If your pipes do freeze, the following may help unfreeze them:

Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.

Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.

Frozen pipes can be extremely costly if they break.  Depending on the location it could require tearing out sheet rock and multiple other costly and inconvenient repairs.  It is extremely important to heat your home if the outside temperatures reach extremely lows.

Holiday Light Tour in Kansas City

I have been watching The Great Christmas Light Fight the last two Mondays on ABC and was inspired to post a YouTube video of few homes who have fantastic displays.  If you get the chance its worth checking out the ABC Christmas Light Fight.  These people are extremely dedicated to putting on the most fantastic light shows for the community.  You would probably hate to be the neighbors but fun to drive by as a member of the community.

 

 

If you and your family are still wanting to enjoy some light displays in the Kansas City Metro area below are some good places to visit:

 

Make your own Light tour

 

Commercial Displays

• Plaza lights
• Mayors Christmas Tree at Crown Center
• Kansas City Power and Light
• Union Station
• Christmas in the Park- drive through light show at Longview Lake
• Downtown Marriot
• Legends at Village West
• Vince and Associates- Metcalf and 103rd St- Overland Park

Residential Displays

• Christmas Card Lane- 151st Street to Ridgeview Road- on Butterfield Place
• Musical Christmas Light House- 132nd and Roe- Overland Park
• Paulie's Penguin Playground- 16617 Indian Creek Parkway- Olathe
• Christmas Place- 131st Place west of Antioch Road
• Candy Cane Lane- 7900 block of Outlook Lane- Prairie Village
• Bender Christmas Light Path- 12303 W 105th St- Overland Park
• 92nd Street- 5500 w 92nd Street- Overland Park
• Haskins Street- 8007 W Haskins St- Lenexa
• Goddard Street- 9319 Goddard Street- Overland Park
• Preston Evans- 13109 Pennycross Rd- Lenexa
• Trossen- 12716 Pawnee Lane- Leawood
• Curtis Christmas Lights- 9508 w 117th St- Overland Park
• Ultimate Holiday Tree- 13800 Switzer Rd- Overland Park

For MORE holiday light locations in Johnson County KS visit here!

 

Happy Holidays!



Dont Forget to Notify the Following Companies When You Move....

Utility Companies
-Electric
-Telephone
-Cable
-Water
-Gas

Government
-Post Office
-School
-IRS
-Library
-Veterans Administration

Insurance
-Auto
-Health
-Life
-Home
-Accidental
-Renters

Professional Services
-Doctor
-Dentist
-Lawyer
-Accountant

Subscriptions
-Magazine
-Newspaper

Business account
-Bank
-Cell phone
-Department Stores

Miscellaneous
-Dry Cleaners
-Hairstylist
-Drug Stores
-Fitness Gym

Most Importantly Family and Friends

Upgrading VS Maintaining Your Home

This can be extremely complex to understand for some. I have come across this situation on several occasions, sellers not understanding an upgrade to the home versus maintaining the home.  They tend to think that maintaining the home counts as an upgrade. 

Maintaining:
For instance, if your roof is leaking and you pay to have a new roof put on, you are maintaining your home. Had you not put a new roof on the home you would have significant costs associated with rain and weather damaging your home. 
If your windows have lost their seal or have moisture in between the pains and decide to replace them, you are maintaining your home.
If the a/c or heater goes out and you get a new high efficient unit you are again maintaining your home. Without the repair you would not have heat or a/c. 
If you have plaster walls instead of sheet rock and you change to sheet rock you are maintaining your home.  You are bringing your home to the standards of a majority of other homes on the market to what people are expecting
Same if you have stains on your carpet and decide to replace it, you are maintaining you home.
Painting walls would be maintaining- keeping the home fresh and new. 

By maintaining your home you are keeping up normal repairs associated with living in the property. (also considered normal wear and tear)

Upgrading:
If you have a functioning bathroom sink and vanity with no repairs needed and you decide you want to put in a new vanity with a vessel glass sink, you are upgrading your bathroom sink/vanity. You are making the bathroom more desirable and likely appeal to more buyers since your bathroom is trending with the newer homes updates. 
If you have decent kitchen counter tops and decide you would like to replace with granite counter tops you are upgrading your kitchen.  You are creating a value add to the home by making it more sell able or desirable. 
If you change outdated features of the home to more modern or "with the times" updates you are upgrading the home. (this would not be damaged or broken items/repairs, only fully functioning items that are replaced to keep with the times)

You cannot expect to be reimbursed above and beyond for maintaining your home, where as upgrading may warrant additional money (not a $1 for $1 return). It is expected that home owners are to keep their house in average to good condition to hold their value.  By not maintaining your home you will eventually have significant repairs, nothing lasts forever without upkeep.

What is your homes IQ?

This world is becoming extremely technology dependent. Why not make your home do everything at a touch of a button from your smart phone or a remote control? By connecting your homes devices and appliances you easily start the oven from the office to preheat while on your way home, turn lights on and off while on vacation, control the directions of the exterior cameras, flip the alarm on, turn the heat or ac on within seconds, etc. There are many benefits to getting a “Smart” home: energy efficient savings, lights can be programmed to turn off automatically when the resident leaves a room, obtain the full movie theater experience with sound and auto dimming  programmable climate controlled settings specific to each room in the house, tracking devices help the elderly in case of a fall, systems can remind residence of programmed reminders, several different users that have different abilities to access settings, ability to lock doors and gates remotely, programmable yard watering/sprinkler system start-stop, the potential goes on and on for what your home could do with the technology.  Although the system is impressive there are some down falls such as technology literacy by residents that are not as tech savvy, hackers- they are getting smarter every day, system failure/programming issues, extremely expensive- few can afford the top of the line whole house automation. The thought of a “Smart” home appears to be similar to the creator of the Jetson’s cartoon home. Check out the below video of a smart home and everything it can do.  Technology homes of the future, Bill Gates home:

Protect Your Family From Lead





National Lead Information Center:

www.epa.gov/lead

www.hud.gov/office/lead

1-800-424-LEAD (5323)

EPA Safe Drinking Water:

1-800-486-4791

Consumer Product Safety Commission Hotline (CPSC):

1-800-638-2772

www.cpsc.gov 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Decking the Halls, Keep Fire Safety in Mind

Some of the things that make the holidays special – lights twinkling on a Christmas tree, brightly burning candles – are also potential fire hazards. To ensure your holiday season is a safe one, take a minute to review the following fire safety tips.

Candles. Candles are a major cause of household fires during the holidays. They should be kept away from your tree and any flammable decorations. They should also be extinguished before leaving a room.

Heating sources. Home heating equipment, such as wood stoves, space heaters and fireplaces, cause nearly one-third of all home fires according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

When starting a fire in your wood stove or fireplace, use hardwood logs cut the season before. Do not toss wrapping paper or branches from your Christmas tree into the flames because flash fires can result. Chimneys and wood stoves should be inspected annually for creosote and cleaned regularly. Stockings should not be hung from your fireplace mantle in the path of sparks and flames. 

Decorative lights. Inspect your lights before they go up to make sure they’re in good condition. Don’t plug too many into the same electrical circuit or overload extension cords. You should use no more than three light sets per extension cord. Unplug all lights when you leave the house and before going to bed.

Christmas trees. Live trees smell heavenly but, if they dry out, they become giant sticks of kindling. Make sure your tree stand is filled with water, and any lights and candles nearby are used safely.

Home evacuation. Perhaps the best thing you can do this holiday season is to develop a home evacuation plan. Make sure everyone knows all of your home’s exits and you have a designated outdoor meeting place to regroup. If a fire does start in your home, stay as low as possible while heading for an exit to reduce your chance of smoke inhalation. If you do catch on fire, stop, drop and roll. 

 

Julie Coover has been an agent for American Family Insurance since 2008.  Her office is located at 32565 Lexington Ave Ste B, De Soto, KS, 66018.  Julie can be contacted at (913) 583-1219, jcoover@amfam.com or online at www.juliecoover.com. Above content provided by Julie Coover. 

 

I have used Julie personally for home insurance and highly recommend her company!  It is extremely important to have home owners insurance in case any of the above situations starting a fire in your home.  Even when it is not the holiday season you want to be covered for any situation, you never know what may happen.  The weather has been unpredictable and you never know if someone will get hurt while on your property.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

14 Excellent Reasons To List During The Holidays

1 ~ There is less competition for buyers.

 

2 ~ Winter prospects are more serious buyers.

 

3 ~  Homes shows better when decorated for the holidays

 

4 ~  Buyers are more excited during the holidays.

 

5 ~ One of the highest ratios of “Listings Sold” to “Listings Taken” occur during this time of year.

 

6 ~ You may receive more money for your home because there is less competition.

 

7 ~ Throughout the holiday season you may restrict showings during personal family gatherings.

 

8 ~ Buyers have more time to look at homes during the holiday season, especially during vacation time.

 

9 ~ January is traditionally the biggest transfer month and you must be “available” to capture the market.

10 ~ By selling now you can have a delayed closing or extended occupancy until the beginning of the year.

 

11 ~ If you sell during the winter, you may chose to purchase during the spring when there are more homes to choose from and more competitive prices.

12 ~ You may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated buyers.

13 ~ Corporate transferees, who need to buy a home now, can’t wait until spring to purchase.

14 ~ Bottom Line- By listing NOW you may have fewer showings, but more qualified and motivated buyers, which should result in a quicker sale and better price for you!!!

Contact me today to get your home on the market!

Should you RENT or BUY?

Should I rent or buy?

This calculator compares the cost of renting versus the real cost of buying a home.

Rent Information
	Monthly rent
	Monthly renter's insurance
	How much will rent increase each year?
Purchase Information
	Home price
	Down payment	%$
	Interest rate
	Loan Term	MonthsYears
	Points
	Closing cost for buying
Home Information
	Annual property taxes	%$
	Average monthly maintenance
	Monthly homeowner's insurance
	How much will your home appreciate each year?
	Other monthly costs (Association dues, etc...)
Personal Information
	State and Federal tax rate
	Investment rate of return (or bank account savings rate)
	How long will you stay in this property?	MonthsYears
Sale Information
	Real estate agent commission	%$
	Closing cost for selling

Show gain vs term graph

ANSWER If you buy, you could save $84,567.85 over the next 5 years. Check out your numbers!

Purchase Terminology

Abstract
A document detailing the financial history of the property, including ownership changes, title changes, mortgages, liens, forfeitures, etc.

Addendum
A document detailing changes to a contract.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)
A mortgage with a rate that varies according to an established benchmark, such as the prime lending rate. Many have a cap and may include a one-time option to lock the rate at a set amount.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
The yearly interest cost of a loan. Monthly mortgage payments include an interest rate equal to 1/12 the APR.

CC&Rs
Codes, Covenants, and Restrictions are the rules stating your rights and duties regarding your property when you purchase property that includes property held in common with other owners in the subdivision or building.

Closing 
The meeting at which the money and property title change hands. Closing costs include fees for the title search, appraisal, survey, loan origination, points, deed recording, credit report, notary, and possible other charges as well. Also called settlement.    
           
Construction Loan
A short-term loan to finance the construction of a home. The lender makes periodic payments directly to the builder as work progresses. These loans are more expensive than mortgages, and are converted to mortgages as soon as the building is completed.

Contingency
A condition(s) that must be met for the contract to be valid. Common contingencies attached to purchase offers include sale of buyer's existing home and outcome of a home inspection.        
      
Conventional Mortgage
A loan based on the applicant's credit and collateral (usually the property being purchased). Not insured through the FHA or VA.

Covenant
A written restriction on the use of the property. Homeowners' Associations often enforce covenants governing architecture and maintenance of houses in a subdivision.

Disclosure Statement
A document listing known defects, such as water problems, roof damage, and the like. Required by law in some areas.

Earnest Money
A good faith down payment made when the purchase agreement is signed by both parties

Escrow
Money held by a disinterested third party until the terms of an agreement are met.

Fixture
Any item attached to the house, lights, sinks, woodwork, etc., is considered to be part of the property and included in the sale of the property.

Good Faith Estimate (GFE)
An estimate of closing costs provided by the lender to the buyer.          
     
Joint Tenants
Two unrelated people who jointly own a property that will pass to the survivor when the other dies, even if this is not stated in a will. See also Tenants in common.

Lien
A financial claim made against a property that must be settled before the title can change hands.

Loan-To-Value Ratio (LTV)
The amount of the loan in ratio to the assessed value of the property. If the LTV is more than 80% mortgage insurance will likely be required by the lender.

Lock, or Lock In
The point prior to closing at which you commit to a mortgage interest rate so long as the mortgage closes within a specified time period. If the lock period expires prior to closing, lender and would-be mortgagee must negotiate a new deal.

Maintenance Fee
The monthly amount paid by owners of condos, townhouses, and other commonly owned properties to cover the repair and maintenance of common areas including lobbies, grounds, and exterior surfaces.           
    
PITI
Principle, interest, tax, and insurance. The elements that comprise a monthly mortgage payment. (Lenders frequently collect and escrow money to pay the insurance and property taxes when the LTV is over 80 percent.)

Point
The amount paid to the lender to secure a lower interest rate. A point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount.

Special Assessment
Charges for projects such as street lighting, paving, and sewer work that must be settled at closing.

Tenants in Common
Two unrelated people jointly own a property without right of succession. In other words, if one owner dies, his/her share of the property passes to heirs, not necessarily the co-owner.

list and definitions provided by pbs.com

Ways to Protect Your Home From Getting Burglarized

Your safety is number one.  You always want to create an appearance that someone is home all day every day.  Intruders may stalk your home on several occasions to find your patterns and daily routines to find the best time for them to break in.  If you really think about it most people get up at the same time every day, leave the same way to work, come home around the same time without deviation.  We are creatures of habit and routines which makes it easy for the intruder to determine the best time to break in.  Below are some updates you can easily complete on your home to help confuse the intruder:

-Make sure shades are down and closed, along with drapes or window treatments

-Installing motion sensor lighting on the exterior of your home, over the garage and/or near the front door

-Prune shrubs and manicured lawn to eliminate hiding spots for intruders to hangout

-Keep windows and doors locked when not in use, along with the garage door closed and secure sliding doors

-Adopt/purchase a dog to stand guard, if you don’t want a dog put up BEWARE dog signs on fences and add some dog bowls to the yard or the front porch

-Put up surveillance cameras to monitor your exterior

-Purchase an alarm system or place alarm signs in your yard to indicate you have the services (even if you do not subscribe)

-Do not advertise large purchases in your weekly trash pickup, example: empty flat screen TV boxes etc.

-Install a dead bolt if you do not already have one on your front and back doors

-Set indoor timers that turn on different items in your home throughout the day, example: lights, radios, TV’s etc.

-Put up 3-6 ft. privacy fence, one more thing the intruder would have to maneuver around

-If you are leaving town, stop the mail and newspaper services so you don’t show everyone you are not home

-If you are a single female living alone put a large pair of male shoes on your front porch to give the illusion a male is living at the home and you are not alone

-Self-defense items locked away in a secrete place where only you and your husband know

Although the above list is not all inclusive, it’s a good start.  You should always have a plan of what you and your family would do if this situation ever happened while you are home so you are prepared. You never know in this world.  With an economy that is up and down and people without stability, break ins are becoming more common. Make your home safer TODAY!

Craigslist- Buyer beware

Craigslist has been a great free avenue for people to post items to sell, housing for sale, job opportunities in the metro, ways to find people that you can relate to and so much more.  I have purchased several items from craigslist and had mostly successes.  I have purchased everything from appliances to a pool rack to a riding mower (husband purchased).  While I have had success I have heard some horror stories such as people selling items that do not work, not showing up for appointments, and not getting what you paid for.  While there are some negatives it’s a great place to get items for the home at a discount. You can re-purpose the purchased items as I have shown in a previous post, be creative.  Not every item posted is bad, there some good people selling great quality items at a discount. During some of my searches on craigslist for specific items, I have come across some interesting finds to say the least, enjoy:
By far the best find to date. How would you like that hanging on your wall? Probably a piece I would recommend taking down before selling your home.  $150 what a steal? Not sure how I came across this ad, I have never searched for this specifically.

I found the next two ads under the free section.  While most of the items under the free section are "junk" in my opinion there are a bunch of free firewood ads which is awesome. However, not all of them are particularly "good" for use as firewood.  In the Overland Park ad they had to add an arrow so you know which "free" wood you are cutting down.  Both tress are super tiny.  If you cut it up it would be more like twigs. While this would add some fuel for an outdoor bond fire, its not going to keep your house warm.  I feel the ad is more of a please cut and haul this away I have zero tools.



I have found a bunch of appliance ads that should have been re-titled, "SCRAP METAL" due to the condition.  I am not sure if people are joking when they place these ads or if they have nothing to do during the day, they are a bit odd. In the Independence ad they didnt even clean the fridge, they added verbiage to bottom of the add will clean for full price.  Really... you are willing to clean it if you get full price?

Again not sure if people have too much time on their hands to take the time to post these. 

In this photo it looks like they are using a furnace temperature gauge box on the stove....

Another ad under the free section, judging by the other photos the double wide is not salvageable... but free to anyone who will move!

One of the most entertaining internet sites I have been on over the years is www.DontEvenReply.com.  If you have some spare time it’s worth checking out. You will fall out of your seat laughing, its hysterical.  They use a lot of craigslist ads to mess around with people. Let me know what you think of the site!

What Does a Home Mean to You

How do you define a home? A place of happiness, comforting, peace, unconditional love, chaotic, entertaining, quite, secure. Below are some great home quotes:

May you always have walls for the winds, and a roof for the rain. laughter to cheer you & those you love near you.
Irish Blessing 
 
Home is any four walls that enclose the right person.
Helen Rowland

A house is made of walls and beams,
A home is made of hopes and dreams
Unknown

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Peace be unto this house.
St. Luke 10;5

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. 
Benjamin Franklin
 
There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. 
Jane Austen

Home is where your story begins 
Unknown

Having a place to go is HOME
Having someone to love is FAMILY
Having both is a BLESSING
Ali Bassam

There is no place like home.
Dorothy
 
 

The Home Buying Process- Start TODAY

The Home Buying Process-
Know your time line of when you need to be in a home, so you know how long you will have to search and if you need to make additional accommodations if you don't find the right place:
1.Select a Qualified Real Estate Agent
2.Meet with a Lender to obtain Pre-Approval (Steps 1 and 2 are interchangeable)
To obtain Pre- Approval a bank/lender will need- verification of employment, check your credit, taxes filed from previous years, bank statements, etc. 
Getting Pre-Approved will let you know how much home you can afford.
3. Define needs and wants with your agent to start the home search process
4.View properties that match your criteria
5.Write an offer
6.Negotiate offer terms, Once the offer is accepted this makes a contract
7. Conduct Inspections (Re-Negotiate contract terms based off inspection findings if significant items came back)/Conduct Title Search/Obtain Title Insurance/Remove Any Encumbrances/Obtain Mortgage Financing (credit check, underwriting, appraisal, survey, insurance)
8.Complete final walk through to make sure repair items were completed/make sure the home is in the same condition as you saw the home
9.Close on the Property
10. Take Possession and move in!
11. Celebrate- Throw a house warming party and invite all your friends/family/co-workers/neighbors

From the acceptance date of contract to closing typically takes 30-45 days when a buyer is using bank financing depending on the loan type. (this could take a little more or less time depending on the circumstances; talk to your loan officer to get a better time line)  If you are purchasing using cash you can close as soon as the title company verifies title and/or any inspections/appraisals are completed.

Start TODAY!

Happy House Hunting

How Much Mortgage Might YOU Qualify For?

How much mortgage might I qualify for?

Most lenders base their home loan qualification on both your total monthly gross income and your monthly expenses. These monthly expenses include property taxes, PMI, association dues, insurance, and credit card payments.
Note: This calculator should be used for estimation purposes only.

Income
	Combined gross annual income
Monthly Expenses
	Minimum monthly credit card payments
	Car payments
	Other fixed monthly debt expenses
Loan Information
	Down payment	%$
	Interest rate
	Loan term	MonthsYears
Payment Information
	Monthly insurance and other costs
	Monthly association dues (if any)
	Annual property tax	%$

The following table shows the calculation methods for figuring out the highest payment you could qualify for based on credit rating

Medium Credit The lesser of 28.000 % of gross income or 36.000 % of gross income less fixed monthly expenses

Good Credit The lesser of 36.000 % of gross income or 42.000 % of gross income less fixed monthly expenses

Using the calculation methods above, you could qualify for

Medium Credit Finance Amount $322,882.27 Down Payment 10.000 % Total Home Worth $358,758.08 Principal and interest $1,833.29 Property tax $373.71 Association dues $0.00 PMI $113.01 Insurance and other costs $80.00 Total payment $2,400.00

Good Credit Finance Amount $395,948.14 Down Payment 10.000 % Total Home Worth $439,942.38 Principal and interest $2,248.15 Property tax $458.27 Association dues $0.00 PMI $138.58 Insurance and other costs $80.00 Total payment $2,925.00

Fill in your own numbers on the link below:

http://www.timevalue.com/products/tcalc-financial-calculators/mortgage-qualification-calculator.aspx