Home Ownership

Potential Buyers Don’t Want to See, Hear or Smell Your Pets

When putting your home up for sale, it’s crucial to make a plan for your pets. While prospective buyers may love their own pets, they don’t want to see — or smell — yours when touring your home. Here are a few ideas for keeping your pet’s presence low profile....

Arrange for help. Boarding your pets might be cost prohibitive, especially when homes are on the market for extended periods of time. However, it’s crucial that your pets not be inside the home when it’s being shown. When notified of a showing, be prepared to remove the animals. If you work far from home, consider making arrangements with a neighbor, friend or family member to care for them during the showing. If you are selling by owner, insist on scheduled appointments only....

No exceptions. At best, potential buyers will be distracted by your pets, especially barking dogs and free-roaming cats. Even worse, buyers or their children may be frightened by your pets and refuse to go inside. Liability is another concern if a potential buyer were to be scratched or bitten....

Leave no trace. Beds, bowls, litter boxes, crates and toys should also be removed. Pare down your pet’s belongings before your home goes on the market so when you get the call for a showing you only have a few things to grab....

Beware of odors. Ask any experienced real estate agent and they will tell you that unpleasant odors can kill a buyer’s interest. Besides cigarette smoke, pets are probably the leading source of odors. You may have grown so accustomed to your pet’s smells that you don’t notice it. Ask friends or neighbors for their frank opinion....

Have all carpets and rugs professionally cleaned before listing the house. If your pets are permitted on the furniture, steam clean the upholstery. Ask cleaners to use solutions specifically designed to lift pet smells and stains. To keep odors from returning, bathe dogs more often, and clean litter boxes and cages more frequently....

Selling, Selling Your Home,

Turning the Page: 10 Reasons To Sell Your Home

Many situations motivate people to put their homes on the market, but the reasons to sell tend to fall into these 10 categories. Some home sales are for happy reasons, and some are not. ...

Positive and negative reasons to sell your home

Let’s start with the joyful considerations for home sales. ...

Marriage is a significant factor in buying or selling a home. Newlyweds may sell their current home to upgrade to a larger one or to be nearer their spouse’s workplace.
A new baby means a couple may sell to upsize for their growing family.
A job promotion means a couple can afford a bigger home, or they may be selling to relocate due to a job transfer.
A couple may sell their home to move closer to other family members, such as aging parents or adult siblings and their families.
Empty nesters may want to downsize to a smaller home where they can better manage maintenance.

On the downside, some home sales are prompted when sellers face distress....

Loss of a job forces some to sell and step down to a rental until their work situation improves.
Divorce forces some couples to sell.
A death may mean the family must sell the deceased’s home.
Financial distress may force people to sell and pay off debt using home equity.
Some homeowners may be intimidated by home maintenance. It may seem easier to sell than to replace an aging roof or HVAC system.

Your situation

As a seller, you are not obligated to disclose your reasons for selling unless it concerns any condition of the property that you are legally required to disclose or a lien situation that affects the property’s title. ...

As a buyer, you cannot pry into the seller’s situation. It is okay if he or she discloses it voluntarily, but do not press the seller or agent for personal information. The agent is bound by law to be discreet on such matters on behalf of his client....

Related – FAQs for First-Time Home Sellers...

Buying, Buying a Home,

How to Deal With Unpermitted Renovations

When you are buying a home, it’s important to determine whether any renovations or remodeling projects were properly permitted. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to undertake such work without the required permits and government inspections. A professional home inspector will be able to evaluate this as well as the quality of the job, but you can sometimes spot telltale signs of unpermitted work on your own. If you find it, what should you do? Here’s how to deal with unpermitted renovations....

Signs of unpermitted work

Room additions not level with the adjoining house. Sometimes ground slopes in such a way that there is no avoiding a step up or down when adding a room. But if there is little to no grade and the floor and ceiling levels don’t match up, you’re probably looking at substandard work done with no permit.

Cracked drywall around a doorway. This suggests a door was cut from an existing wall and has substandard framing. Particularly if the wall is load-bearing, this can stress the Sheetrock and cause significant, costly damage.

Improper placement of electrical outlets. Rooms cannot have more than 12 linear feet between electrical outlets. In wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, outlets must be GFCI outlets. If either of these standards are violated, the work is likely unpermitted and uninspected.

Bedrooms with no secondary means of egress. Fire safety codes require bedrooms to have a secondary means of egress to the outside. There must be either a window of minimum acceptable size or a second door in addition to the interior bedroom door that leads outside. A bedroom without a second means of egress was probably built or remodeled without a proper permit and inspection.

Improper bathroom window glass. Bathroom windows must have safety-grade glass, similar to safety glass on cars.

Sometimes work is done to professional standards, but the contractors do not pull permits. A professional home inspector will check with the city or county code enforcement agency to see if proper permits were pulled and work was inspected and passed. ...

What to do if unpermitted work has been done

If your inspector confirms work was done without permits and inspection, you should talk with your agent about your choices....

If you are applying for a mortgage, the loan underwriter will see the inspection report and flag the unpermitted work. Loan approval will be suspended until the work is inspected and approved. You can insist that the seller get the work inspected after the fact, obtain permits and get the necessary city or county approval. If the work was done well, it should pass, although there may be a fine by the code enforcement agency. If the work doesn’t pass inspection, it will have to be corrected. Should the seller be unwilling to correct the problem themselves, you can ask them for a price concession to reimburse you for doing the work yourself....

If you are purchasing for all cash, you can accept the house “as is” and deal with the unpermitted work later. However, if you don’t correct it, the permitting issue will arise again when you attempt to sell....

Indoor Living, Ownership,

Closing Your Bedroom Door Could Save Your Life

One simple action — closing your bedroom door before going to bed at night — could save your life. A practice known in the fire safety field as “close before you doze,” that simple act gives you precious minutes to escape in a catastrophic house fire....

The facts about fire

Today’s building materials and furnishings are more combustible than in the past because they’re made of synthetics. Additionally, modern homes are bigger than in past generations. These factors have cut escape time during a fire from almost 20 minutes a generation ago to about three minutes. Simple steps can make a big difference in survival. ...

Preventing house fires

No one wants to contemplate the horror of a devastating fire. But with simple preplanning, much can be done to prevent that calamity....

Do not allow flammable material near sources of heat and flame. No kitchen towels and hot pads near the stove, nothing stored close to the water heater, nothing that can ignite next to the fireplace. Do not run electrical cords under carpet, and do not overload plugs into a power strip. Never operate a grill inside the home.
Purchase and place fire extinguishers around potential fire areas: the kitchen, garage and outdoor grill.
Each year, there was no working smoke detector in half of all residential fire deaths, so make sure yours are working. A high percentage of deaths occur in the overnight hours when people are sleeping, making working smoke detectors vital. Test detectors, both for fire and carbon monoxide, several times per year and keep the batteries fresh. Your alarms should be interconnected so that if one alerts, they all do. Replace alarms that are 10 or more years old.
Develop an emergency plan before a fire strikes. You and your family members should plan one or preferably two escape routes to the outside from every room of the house. Coordinate a meeting place for all family members outside. Carry out surprise fire drills to test each person’s readiness.

What to do when disaster strikes

Having your bedroom door closed makes a huge difference in the time you have to respond to a fire. If your alarms are interconnected, a fire elsewhere in the house will sound the alarm in your bedroom....

The temperature in a room with a closed-door can remain at 100 degrees, whereas with the door open it can soar quickly to 1,000 degrees. Smoke and carbon monoxide also skyrocket with an open door. Smoke tends to stay higher in rooms, which means there is less smoke to pass under a closed door. ...

Here are some additional steps to keep your family safe....

Place unrolling ladders in the windows of upstairs rooms to use if escape routes through the house are cut off.
If a pet or family member does not make it outside, do not go back in the house to rescue them. Alert firefighters and they will find the loved ones. They are trained and have the protective gear to do so.

Related – Watch Out for Dryer Fires!...

Buying, Finding a Home,

The Benefits of a Geographically Savvy Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent who knows the area like the back of her hand can make all the difference in finding the perfect home. She’ll have the inside scoop on every nook and cranny of the area, which means you’ll reap many benefits during your home search. Here’s how having a geographically savvy agent is a total game changer....

Get referrals

If you are moving to a place where you already know people, ask them for real estate agent referrals. Check these agents’ online reviews to see what others say about them. Narrow your list to three or four agents, and schedule appointments to meet with them to find the one who’s most knowledgeable....

If you don’t know people in the area you are moving to, search online for good agents and brokerage firms, again using reviews to help you select the best. ...

What your real estate agent should know about the area

The agent you select should know the following about your target area....

Home values. Every agent should know comparable values in specific subdivisions and the broader area where you are looking.
Local schools. Your agent should know all about the area’s public school districts as well as the elementary, middle and high schools that kids in particular neighborhoods attend. She should also know about the area’s private schools, including how much they cost.
Local shopping. Your agent should know about local grocery shopping, clothing, furniture and more.
Insurance. Homeowner policies can be significantly higher in areas of elevated risk, such as coastal hurricane zones. Your agent should be able to tell you if an area is prone to severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail or whether there is an earthquake risk.
Unique building codes. Areas that are higher risk could also have specialized building code requirements, such as hurricane strapping for roof structures or reinforced strapping for the framing of foundations in earthquake-prone areas.
Zoning laws. Are there zoning laws that could impact property values? Your agent should know, for example, whether there are commercial zones nearby or proposed changes to zoning that could affect residential areas.
Future developments. Your agent should be aware of future residential and commercial developments as well as road construction that could impact a home you might be considering.
Homeowners associations (HOAs). An agent should know whether there is an HOA for each neighborhood and be familiar with the rules buyers need to know. For example, if you’re interested in buying a home to use as an Airbnb, your agent needs to know whether a particular HOA allows short-term rentals.
Local mortgage lenders. Your agent should know local mortgage lenders, who themselves should know the housing market in your area. A knowledgeable agent and lender can help you make the best decisions.
Property taxes. The agent should have an excellent working knowledge of property taxes and appraisals in the area. She should also know the district lines that divide different jurisdictions from one another.

An agent who is an expert in these areas will give you confidence that you’ll be making a fully informed decision about buying a home....

Investment, Money,

From Your Family to Another: Selling Antiques

Those antiques your grandmother left are lovely, but you may nonetheless choose to sell them. Perhaps you don’t have space for additional furniture, or maybe grandma’s style just doesn’t fit with your own. You may simply need some easy cash. Where’s the best place to sell family heirlooms? How can you be sure to get what a piece is worth? Here are some tips for valuing and selling antiques....

Determining value

Valuable antiques include furniture, accessories, jewelry, coins, guns, tools, pocket watches, Victrola record players, sports memorabilia and many other pieces....

Value is determined by age, rarity and condition. A piece might be old, but there may be many of them out there. Yours may not be in great condition. Some antiques may be replicas of much more valuable originals....

To determine the value of what you have, begin with what you know from the family about the antique’s origin and history and how the family acquired it. Are there any past appraisals that provided a valuation at one time?...

You can often find additional valuation information by researching online....

Searching for specific design features, such as filigree settings on jewelry or furniture finishes such as birdseye maple, can often lead you close to the object of your search.
With coins, the denomination, design stamp and year are enough to get you off to a good start.
On furniture, art and accessory pieces, look for labels, stickers and artist signatures to aid your online search.
Baseball cards and other sports memorabilia are practically a category to themselves. Cards and balls signed by famous athletes from many years ago fetch good prices if you can authenticate them.
If your search terms aren’t producing results, try a Google reverse image search using a photo of the object.

With jewelry, consult with at least three local appraisers. You can find appraiser referrals online. An appraiser often will buy jewelry from you if he thinks he can resell it. With other antiques, you can also contact local antique auction houses about the appraisal. They might be interested in helping you sell at auction or might even buy the piece outright....

Where to sell antiques

Websites such as Heritage Auctions can give you an online appraisal and conduct a virtual auction. An online auction opens your market to the nation or even the world. EBay also exposes your item to the world but does not help with appraisals. Keep in mind that if you sell larger pieces such as furniture online, you may have to charge your buyer significant shipping costs plus insurance....

Craigslist can help you sell locally, as can Facebook Marketplace. Buyers on these sites often are looking for more common objects, not pricier antiques, but you may still find a buyer. Be sure to read Craigslist’s tutorial on avoiding common scams....

Local appraisers and auction houses can help you sell your goods on-site. Another selling source is stores that sell collectibles and antiques on consignment. These places put your item on display at their showroom, and if it sells, split a percentage of the sales price with you. Before consigning, research the store. How long has it been in business? What are the store’s reviews like? Does it have a good Better Business Bureau profile? Consignment stores should sign a contract with you spelling out the price split, how much negotiating room you’re allowing the dealer, and whether an item’s price drops incrementally if it doesn’t sell over time....

Keep in mind that some antique items, such as figurines, are difficult to sell at an attractive price. Unless a figurine is rare, in perfect condition, and was made by a famous designer, it probably will not fetch much....

Buying, Financing a Home,

Parents Helping With Home Purchases: Smart Ways to Assist With Your Child’s First Home

Buying a first home isn’t easy these days, as rising mortgage rates and student loan debt keep many young adults on the sidelines; that’s why more families are turning to parents helping with home purchases. Here’s what parents and their kids need to know before making this big move....

How are parents helping with home purchases today?

There are a variety of ways parents can help their young adult kids buy their first home, from gifting down payments to co-signing or co-buying. These forms of support can be life-changing, but they come with legal and financial implications. ...

Gifting money toward a home purchase: rules and tax tips

The most straightforward way to help is by gifting money to the kids. Current gift tax law allows each parent to gift up to $19,000 without the gift being reported by the parents for tax purposes. If you are married, you and your spouse can combine your exclusions. This effectively doubles the amount you can gift: $38,000 per child in 2025. However, if only one spouse makes the gift and exceeds the $19,000 limit, they must file a gift tax return (Form 709), and the other spouse must consent to the gift splitting. Since the taxable estate exemption threshold is almost $14 million, taxes are very rarely an issue for the parents. The recipient children owe no taxes, nor must they report the gift. ...

If the children are depending on the gift for a down payment on a mortgage, the lender may require a copy of a gift letter from the parents to the children. ...

Co-signing a mortgage: what parents should consider

Co-signing the mortgage is another way parents can help. This comes with an obligation on the children to make payments consistently and on time. If a payment is late, the lender’s collections representative will contact both the child and the co-signing parent. Late fees and default notices affect not only the child’s credit but also the parent’s, as a credit report on the parents reflects their co-signer status for the loan. ...

Co-buying a home with your child: shared ownership basics

Increasingly, parents are assisting by becoming co-buyers with their kids. In this scenario, an equity partnership is established, with co-ownership divided by percentage based on the kids’ and the parents’ respective contributions to the purchase. ...

Setting clear boundaries

When aid to the child’s home purchase is in the form of a gift, boundaries and expectations may be few or nonexistent....

However, parental co-signing or shared equity requires setting out in writing the requirements for all parties. It is not a matter of trust, but of clear communication to avoid disputes later about what was agreed upon. Money disputes have driven wedges between even close families....

In a co-signing situation, the children must make timely payments. There should be a written agreement between the children and parents for repaying the parents in the event of late payments, default, or short sale. The parents’ credit will be damaged, so the consequences must be clear.
In a shared equity situation, an agreement should outline the percentage of shared ownership by parties, who has decision-making rights for remodeling or leasing out the property, what to do if anyone wants out of the deal, how to handle a future sale, and any other decisions that affect the condition and value of the property.

When to involve a CPA or estate attorney

Parents and children should consult with a CPA and, if necessary, an estate attorney to understand how their decisions may affect everyone involved....

Outdoor Living, Ownership,

Winterizing Your Vegetable Garden for a Bountiful Spring

A chill is in the air, the leaves are falling, and the scent of pumpkin spice is in the air. It’s time to finish your last vegetable harvest and winterize your garden for the frosty months ahead. Fall maintenance lessens the amount of work you’ll have to do come spring and will make your garden more productive....

Final harvest

Before the first freeze, comb through your garden and harvest the last tomatoes, zucchini and other vegetables. If some aren’t entirely ready to eat, store them in a paper bag on the kitchen counter to finish ripening....

Weed

Winterizing your garden requires removing and tossing weeds and grass that may have infiltrated during the summer. It’s best to trash or burn these invaders rather than add them to compost, where they can end up infesting your garden again next spring....

Clear, compost, and mulch

Cut and clear old plants from the garden rather than letting them stay and rot during the cold winter. If they are healthy, cut them up and put them into your compost, or mulch them into the rows of the garden. Do not compost or mulch any plants that are diseased or moldy....

Add mulch made from fallen leaves to planting beds as you are winterizing your garden. Cutting them up with the mower first will help them break down more easily. Add a layer of bagged mulch for a final insulating layer to retain moisture in the soil....

Leave perennial plants that will return next spring. Research which need pruning, such as asparagus and blackberries, and which should be left for another season, such as blueberries....

One last task for winterizing your garden is to test your soil’s pH and mineral content. If the soil is acidic, add lime to balance it in time for spring planting. You can also add mineral-rich natural fertilizer to enrich the garden soil....

Plant winter crop and spring bulbs...

Early fall is the time to plant winter crops such as kale, beets and carrots. Plant garlic and other bulbs for a spring crop. Cover crops when a winter freeze or snow is in the forecast....

Related – Mulch is a Gardener’s Best Friend...

Outdoor Living, Ownership,

How to Transform Barren Yards with Winter Plants

In most climates, after fall’s riotous hues fade, landscapes become dreary and devoid of color. Whether you live in a snowy or moderate climate, here are some tips for transforming your barren yard with winter plants....

Problems winter plants can solve for you

Problem: Your grass is hibernating, and your yard looks brown and drab....

Solution: You can’t do much for dormant grass. However, placing winter plants in containers around the yard will draw the eye to something else. Use around the base of trees, in gardens, next to walkways, and on patios or porches....

Problem: Overwintered spring and summer plants make your garden look bleak and lifeless....

Solution: Using winter plants that have blooms or colored foliage will give your landscaping variety. Evergreens, conifers, and even berry bushes add color to your garden during colder months. Bonus: Berry-producing bushes typically attract birds....

Problem: Outdoor seating areas look drab and lonely during the winter months....

Solution: Add a fire pit, then place planters next to the seating area. Use some of the trees and flowers described below in brightly colored pots....

Winter plants worthy of consideration

In contemplating which winter plants to purchase, look for colorful or textured bark, interesting branch patterns, or evergreen foliage. Here are some suggestions....

The bark of the red osier dogwood varies in shades from red to burgundy. It also produces white blooms and fruit in springtime. Extremely resilient, it can grow to a height of six feet to 10 feet. In a large container, surround the base of this tree with potted winter flowers. Or plant it in the ground.
The compact American cranberry bush viburnum grows red berries that birds love. In the spring, you’ll see its white flowers first and then red fruit. During the fall, the leaves turn from red to purple, making this a plant that gives all year. It can reach heights of four or five feet with a width of three to four feet.
Spring or winter heath Scotch yields flowers in white, pink, red, or lavender. This carpet of evergreen leaves works amazingly as ground cover during cold months, especially on sloped landscapes.
Flowers that bloom in winter include hellebore, phlox, winter jasmine, snowdrops, and Algerian iris. Most of these flower through the fall and winter, then hibernate during spring and summer.

Keep them pruned and looking tidy, but most require little to no maintenance. Planting a few varieties of these will keep your landscape looking bright, colorful, and alive even during the coldest seasons....

Outdoor Living, Ownership,

What Are Burn Bans? Protecting Homes and Land from Wildfire Risk

Parts of the US, particularly in southern and western states, have experienced prolonged droughts over the past few years, prompting local governments to issue burn bans to prevent wildfires. Beyond the devastation to agriculture, one danger is evident from news reports of wildfires sweeping hundreds of acres and torching homes. What is a burn ban, and what must you know if one is issued in your area?...

Causes of wildfires

The National Park Service estimates that human actions cause 85% of wildfires:...

Neglecting campfires
Burning trash and debris
Discarding cigarettes
Operating equipment improperly
Committing arson

Naturally caused fires sometimes occur after lightning strikes, even when no rain is falling, igniting dry grass and brush....

Burn bans protect areas from wildfires.

Most state governments work with local and national weather services to monitor drought conditions. Counties issue bans meant to mitigate the start of human-caused wildfires. ...

Burn bans, when properly obeyed and enforced, can drastically reduce the wildfire threat....

Here’s what a burn ban typically entails:...

The use of open flames, such as for burning trash, debris, or brush piles, is forbidden.
Some spark-inducing activities may be allowed with precautions.
Care must be taken when mowing. A spark from the blade hitting rocks could start a fire.
Gas grills are okay to use.
Even when a ban gets lifted, you may be required to obtain a permit to incinerate trash or debris piles.

Violations of burn bans can result in misdemeanor penalties. However, should a wildfire result from a breach, fines can be much more severe, including liability for damage to structures and property....

Related – Save Your Home from Wildfires...

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