E-Newsletter Archive

September 2004

Even though it seems like your tomato plants will never stop producing, it is already the time of year to start winterizing your home. Here is a list of things you should be doing every year: Have chimneys swept and woodstoves cleaned Load up wood or fuel stores Check propane level Service heating and hot water systems Replace batteries in smoke detectors Check insulation on exposed pipes Prepare to drain lines and store hoses at end of season Perform maintenance on snow blower Soon say good-bye to the end of summer and its wonderful flowers and say hello to changing seasons and cooler, wetter weather.

How do you find a home to buy when listings are in short supply? Finding a home to buy where there is a shortage of homes for sale can be frustrating, to say the least. But there are measures you can take to increase your odds of buying sooner rather than later. more When and why to disclose Is the purpose of the disclosure statement to provide a history of all repairs and past problems or to disclose current defects? more It's in the air - Manufactured homes and indoor air quality concerns In the last decade or so, the process of designing and constructing manufactured homes has undergone some tremendous changes. more

How do you find a home to buy when listings are in short supply?

Finding a home to buy where there is a shortage of homes for sale can be frustrating, to say the least. But there are measures you can take to increase your odds of buying sooner rather than later.

First, make sure you get your finances in order. Then when the right property comes along you'll be prepared to make a strong offer. When listing inventories are low and the demand for homes is high, buyers often find themselves competing for housing. Buyers who are pre-approved for the mortgage they'll need to complete the purchase have a leg up on the competition.

Next, find an energetic, trustworthy agent who specializes in the area where you want to buy. Sometimes listings sell before they hit the open market. An out-of-area agent probably won't hear about new listings as soon as they become available. You should work with someone who'll call you about new listings before the public hears about them.

Carefully analyze what you need and want in a home. Prioritize the list, putting the features that are essential at the top. Buying a home requires making compromises. It's unrealistic to expect to find all the features you desire in one property. Usually buyers need to see some of the local housing stock in order to know how to prioritize their housing wants and needs.

Make sure that your agent knows what you are looking for. If your priorities change, let your agent know about it. From time-to-time you should reconsider listings that you liked but discarded because they didn't match your criteria. Such a listing might be worthy of another look if your priorities have changed since you last viewed the property.

For example, you might have initially wanted a home that you didn't need to renovate. After looking for a while with no success, you might decide to consider a home that only needs a cosmetic redo. In this case, it might be worth reconsidering a cosmetic fixer that you passed on initially if it's still on the market.

FIRST-TIME TIP: Ask your agent to see if there are any expired listings that might work for you. An expired listing is one that didn't sell during the listing period. Sometimes expired listings are re-listed, but often sellers decide to take a break from marketing. This is particularly the case over the holiday season, or during the winter months. Even though an expired listing isn't actively being marketed, it may still be for sale.

An Oakland couple had difficulty finding a home that suited their needs. Their agent remembered an expired listing that had the features these buyers were looking for and contacted the listing agent. The sellers were getting their home ready to go back on the market. They were happy to show it a little early. The home was a good match and the buyers bought it.

The more flexible you can be in your search criteria, the easier it'll be to find a home. For example, buyers who are open to several architectural styles have more options available to them. If several neighborhoods are acceptable, you'll have more listings to choose from. Buyers who are willing to make cosmetic improvements increase their odds.

Be diligent about looking at every listing that might work for you. Don't simply look at the outside. You could be pleasantly surprised by what's inside.

THE CLOSING: Consider foregoing the perfect home this time around. Just make sure you buy a good home that will be easy to resell.

Dian Hymer is author of "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books, Revised 1998. Copyright 1999 Dian Hymer Distributed by Inman News Features

When and why to disclose

Dear Barry,

Is the purpose of the disclosure statement to provide a history of all repairs and past problems or to disclose current defects? I'm preparing to sell my property and am wondering if a long hairline crack in the basement wall that a general contractor repaired by injecting a special epoxy into the crack should be disclosed. It was a rather simple operation, and the crack has remained unchanged for the past six years. But should be included in my disclosure statement to the buyers. Is it necessary to mention the epoxy-filled crack, or will this disclosure needlessly alarm buyers?

--Rashid

Dear Rashid,

The primary purpose of the disclosure statement is two-fold: The most obvious is to inform buyers of the condition of the property they are buying. The added benefit, often overlooked, is the liability protection provided for sellers. In this respect, the disclosure statement helps to minimize the likelihood of claims, disputes or law suits occurring after the close of escrow. Reasonable buyers are not likely to be troubled or concerned about a repaired hairline crack, but lurking in the shadows of the marketplace are those litigious individuals against whom one must be ever vigilant. It is not so much a matter of whether you are required to disclose the crack. Rather, it is to your advantage to disclose it. In doing so, that condition becomes one less issue with the potential to incite future conflict. In the unlikely event that a problem regarding the crack should ever arise, your defense would be strengthened by the fact that you had made full disclosure. The process is actually quite simple. Just declare in writing that the crack was evaluated and repaired by a reputable licensed general contractor, and include a copy of the paper work that you received from the contractor. This should reassure, rather than alarm, most potential buyers.

Dear Barry,

The doorway to our basement is located below ground and there's a small drain just outside the door. Whenever rains are heavy, the drain gets clogged with debris. As long as I sweep material away from the drain, it's fine. But when I'm away, leaves and stuff build up and water seeps into the basement. I've heard there's some type of screen that prevents clogging of the drain but haven't been able to find one at the hardware store. Can you suggest a solution before my basement is ruined?

--Carol

Dear Carol,

The screen you seek is made especially for roof drains. It appears to be a small dome-like cage, about 5-6 inches tall. When placed directly over a drain opening, on roofs, entry landings, decks or other locations, it catches leaves and debris, thereby preventing clogging. Look for this item with the roofing supplies at your local building supply store. If they don't have it, call a roofing contractor.

To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at http://www.housedetective.com/.

Copyright 2003 Barry Stone Distributed by Inman News Features

It's in the air - Manufactured homes and indoor air quality concerns

In the last decade or so, the process of designing and constructing manufactured homes has undergone some tremendous changes. Offering huge open floor plans, vaulted ceilings, and even second stories, today's manufactured homes are a far cry from those of 30 or 40 years ago, and they are offering a great alternative for many home buyers.

Due to some of the differences in how manufactured homes are constructed and some of the materials that they use, questions have arisen in recent years concerning indoor air quality and whether the air in a manufactured home is more "polluted" than that in a site-built house.

For allergy and asthma sufferers and those with other related health problems, those questions can lead to some real fears. Manufactured homes are assembled in a factory in a shorter time frame then a site-built house, and as a result there has been some concern that the gasses and odors that are naturally emitted by many building materials do not have sufficient opportunity to escape the structure. Potentially compounding that problem is that fact that manufactured homes utilize a number of adhesives and sealants in the assembly process to keep outside air infiltration to a minimum, and a "tighter" house has more potential for indoor air quality problems.

While manufactured homes do utilize many of the same building materials as those used in site-built houses, they also typically use a significantly higher amount of materials that contain resins - plastics, acrylics and, in particular, particleboard. Particleboard is made with resins that contain a form of formaldehyde and is found in manufactured home sub-floors, underlayment, cabinets, built-ins, shelving and many other areas. Depending on the manufacturing processes and materials used, some types of particleboard readily release the formaldehyde gas into the air as it cures - a process called "outgassing" - and in tightly closed areas with a lot of particleboard present, this can gather in high enough concentrations to affect some people.

As a result, manufactured homes post a warning label that reads, in part: "Some of the building materials used in this home emit formaldehyde. Elderly persons and young children, as well as anyone with a history of asthma, allergies, or lung problems, may be at greater risk. Reduced ventilation resulting from energy efficiency standards may allow formaldehyde and other contaminants to accumulate in the indoor air."

As with a lot of the overwhelming number of warning labels we are bombarded with daily, this label has some basis in truth but has also raised a lot of unnecessary concerns, and the manufactured home industry has taken significant steps to eliminate the problem. The particleboard used today has a different resin composition that has greatly reduced outgassing. Also, almost every home manufactured today has a ventilation system in place that introduces controlled amounts of outside air into the structure to help dilute and flush out potentially dangerous accumulations of indoor air pollutants. Outgassing is a short-lived process, and only presents a major problem in situations where there are a lot of building materials that are outgassing into a tightly enclosed, poorly ventilated space.

While it is unlikely to present a significant health hazard to the average person, the warning label shouldn't be ignored either - if you have health concerns about the air quality in a manufactured home, or in any new home, you should always consult with your doctor. To get a complete copy of the warning label or to obtain other information about manufactured homes, contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), whose authority extends to the regulation of manufactured homes.

Copyright 2003 Inman News Features Distributed by Inman News Features