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!