Home Ownership

Danger! What To Do When You Detect a Gas Leak

You won’t have to guess if you have a natural gas leak in your home. That rotten-egg odor rivets your attention. Occasionally, doorbell cameras capture the terrifying scene of an explosion at a nearby house due to a gas leak. Here’s how to safely deal with the emergency before it comes to that....

The nose knows a gas leak

In its original state, natural gas is clear and odorless. A chemical called mercaptan is added to impart its pungent odor, alerting users to any leak. When natural gas is free-flowing into the surrounding air, it can ignite and explode with a tiny spark, especially if the leak has accumulated gas indoors. ...

Most often, the leak will be at a gas-using appliance such as the stove or water heater. Sniffing and listening for a hiss around gas-powered appliances and supply lines—or noting the visual presence of a misty-looking cloud—will help confirm your suspicions....

What should you do?

If you can do so quickly and safely, open windows and outside doors of the house, starting in the area closest to the leak.
It is critical not to turn on any electrical switch or dial. Do not use a landline telephone.
Evacuate the home or building immediately. Take your cell phone. When you are at least 50 yards away, call the gas company’s emergency line. This number is prominently displayed on your bill and on the company website. They will dispatch an emergency crew right away.
Knock on your neighbors’ doors and notify them of the leak. Tell them to avoid flipping any electrical switches and to evacuate and join you at a safe distance from your home.
Stay away from the house until the gas crew says it is safe to return.

Who pays for the repair?

Who shoulders the cost of the repair is straightforward to determine. If the gas leak is on the line up to the house meter, the utility company pays. If the leak occurs after the meter and into the house, the homeowner is responsible....

Gas leak detectors

Sometimes gas can leak in such small quantities that you may miss it or not know where the smell is coming from. Home gas detectors, available online, can give homeowners peace of mind. It’s also a good idea to keep emergency numbers for utility companies and first responders in your phone’s contact list....

Home Energy, Ownership,

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! Is Your Home Heating System Up to the Task?

When winter’s chill arrives, you want your home to be cozy and warm. Certain practices around the house can keep you toasty, while others can give you the shivers. Here’s what you need to know about your home heating system....

A home heating system should keep the cold air outside.

Keeping outside air from infiltrating the indoors is crucial so your heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system isn’t constantly fighting back the outdoors. Keep these tips in mind:...

- Your attic insulation should be at least R-38, the median for any climate, and closer to R-60 for colder areas of the country.
- On a cold day outside, run your hand along the edges of windows inside to see if cold air penetrates. If so, reinforce caulk around the outside edges of windows. Check the weather stripping seal at the bottom of the sash and replace it if worn.
- Check the edges of doors to the outside with your hand. Replace the weather stripping around the door frame and the bottom as needed.

If your home is on a pier-and-beam foundation, do you have insulation between the floor joists under the house? This prevents hard surface floors from giving you cold feet.

Best HVAC practices

Keeping your HVAC system operating optimally is essential to indoor air quality....

Keep return air filters cleaned or changed once per month.
Invest in a smart thermostat and learn how to use it for the most efficient air handling.
Operate ceiling fans in a clockwise direction to create an updraft that will push warm air down from the ceiling. Conversely, in summer, running the fan in a counter-clockwise manner creates a cooling downdraft.

Personal practices

Heating your home reduces indoor humidity, which can dry out your nasal passages and chap your skin. To replace the moisture, run a hot shower for a few minutes and let the steam escape the bathroom into the house. You can also use a humidifier.
Cover windows with heavier drapes in winter or insulated window shades.
Wear layered clothing, mainly made of wool, so you do not have to depend solely on your HVAC.
Use area rugs on hard surface floors.
Fireplaces draw vast quantities of indoor air right up the chimney. Use a glass fireplace screen to get the warmth of a fire without the unintended heat loss.

Outdoor Living, Ownership,

Don’t Let These Lawn Diseases Hamper Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Your front yard gives one of the first impressions of your home, so you want it to be free of lawn diseases. A lush, green lawn provides a vibrant setting for neighbors to view your home. When a disease strikes, you want to restore health and vitality as soon as possible. ...

Five common lawn diseases, how to recognize them, and how to treat them

Dollar spot can affect any type of lawn grass in any part of the country. It presents as brown spots, a few inches across, that expand and often merge with other patches. It is caused by a lack of nitrogen, and when moisture is retained too long in the soil and the thatch of a lawn. Apply an extended-release nitrogen fertilizer; you may not need to treat with a fungicide, but if you do, use a broad-spectrum product. Water the lawn less frequently but for a longer duration.
Brown patch also affects lawns nationwide, particularly fescue and ryegrass. Recognize it by extensive areas of brown grass, with some patches growing large enough to merge with others. In this case, excessive nitrogen and watering can cause and exacerbate the disease; reduce both.
Necrotic ring spot also causes patches of brown grass, but sometimes green grass rallies in the center of the patch, giving it an “eye” appearance. This disease is prevalent in the northern states on Kentucky bluegrass. Reduce the nitrogen content of your fertilizer and aerate the lawn to treat the problem.
Leaf rust presents a distinctive pattern of red spots on the leaves of your grass. Particular to ryegrasses, it is caused by a lack of nitrogen, low moisture, and high humidity. Although it does not harm the grass, it is certainly unsightly. Treat with time-released nitrogen fertilizer and sufficient watering.
Powdery mildew affects lawns in cooler regions with high humidity and minimal air circulation, typically in consistently shady areas. The grass takes on white, powdery, or web-like spots. Trim back overhead tree branches to admit more light and reduce watering to allow the grass to dry.

You may notice common themes across these: too much or too little nitrogen and too much or too little watering. Best practices include understanding your grass’s needs and following appropriate fertilization and watering protocols....

Home Improvements, Money, Ownership, Saving Tips, Selling, Selling Your Home,

Show Me the Money: Home Remodeling that Pays Off

If you’re talking about a potential home renovation project, it’s important to know if the money you put into the project will translate into more money down the road when, or if, you sell your house. Some projects will pay off handsomely while others will not. And, sometimes, it’s how you do the project that makes the difference....

Do you DIY? One of the keys to making a remodel or renovation project pay off later is keeping costs down. For most homeowners, this means doing the project themselves. Hiring a contractor means paying for labor and markups on materials. The question is, can you do the project yourself? Does it require special skills and tools?...

Today, the greatest resources available for DIY projects are Youtube and Vimeo. Search their databases for the DIY project at hand and you are almost assured of finding the right videos. Detailed tutorials on laying tile, refinishing cabinets, painting techniques — you name it — can all be found online. For special tools you may need, check with the rental department of your local home improvement store. Don’t buy expensive tools you may only use once....

With that in mind, let’s look at several projects you can probably do yourself and reap the rewards when it comes time to sell....

Updating your kitchen. The kitchen is the most popular choice for a remodeling job. It can also be one of the most expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. While gutting a kitchen would most likely involve hiring a contractor, modest upgrades can be handled by many a DIY-er. With the help of online videos and rented tools, homeowners can sand and refinish cabinet facings and doors, re-tile floors and back splashes, replace sinks and faucets, and install new appliances. Doing it yourself translates into a much bigger payoff at resale.
Freshening up bathrooms. Do-it-your-selfers will likely reap a good return on a bathroom project by refinishing cabinets and tearing out old tile floors and replacing them with a fresh new look. Replacing tile in a shower is a little trickier, however. New fixtures and fresh paint are also well within the repertoire of a DIY-er.
Improve curb appeal. Replace overgrown shrubbery, trim trees, weed flower beds and reseed your lawn. Seek help from a landscape design specialist at a local home improvement store, regarding plant choices and proper placement. Fresh paint or power washing, shutters, a new front door, or a new garage door are all modest investments that could also pay off big later.
Energy efficiency projects. Improving energy efficiency by adding attic insulation, re-caulking windows, installing a programmable thermostat, installing low flush toilets and low volume shower faucet heads are all examples of modest home-improvement projects that will pay off handsomely when you sell your home. They will also slowly pay for themselves through monthly utility savings.

Selling, Selling Your Home,

When a House Sells, What Stays and What Goes?

When a home seller and a buyer come to an agreement on a sale, more than just the house and land are involved. Misunderstandings sometimes arise over elements of the home that the buyer thought were staying and the sellers intended to take with them. These decisions revolve around three legal concepts: real property, personal property and fixtures. What do they mean and why do they matter to you?...

Defining the three terms....

Real property is the most fundamental concept in real estate law. Real property in most states is defined as land and structures affixed to it. The things attached to the land are immovable including landscaping such as trees and turf. This is the primary property that is bought and sold in a real estate transaction and is transferred by a deed.
Personal property is movable and is the kind of thing you expect the seller to be taking with them such as furniture, tools, automobiles and the like.
Fixtures are personal property that an owner attaches to the real property in a permanent way. However, “permanent” can be a little gray in some cases. Usually, if something is bolted to a wall, floor, cabinet or counter, it is considered a fixture, but sometimes sellers want to take such items. This is where disputes arise.

Make sure everything is clear. Appliances such as built-in microwaves and sink disposers are fixtures because they are bolted to the property. But a refrigerator can be unplugged and taken. Technically, a drop-in stove could be moved, but it would be unusual. Attached shelving which was added after the house was built is a fixture. A decorative mirror that is bolted to a wall would be considered a fixture, especially if removal would damage the wall. However, it may be of value to the owner, in which case the seller would need to repair any wall damage....

For any items that are not clear, the best way to know what stays and goes is for the buyers to ask the sellers for anything they are interested in keeping. Any items that are determined to stay with the home for the new buyer are said to “convey” in the transaction. Once the buyer and seller reach an agreement, those terms should be clearly spelled out in the sales contract. Any agreed upon personal property will be transferred to the new owner via a bill of sale....

After the closing, any property left in the house, including personal property the seller intended to take but overlooked, no longer belongs to the seller. Any such fixtures are considered part of the real property, and any personal property is considered abandoned by the seller....

Home Energy, Ownership,

How to Safely Shut Off Your Utilities

You may need to shut off your home’s utilities in the event of a repair, suspected leak or an emergency. Here’s what you need to know about shutting off utilities safely....

Cutting the water supply

The main water valve is adjacent to the water meter, often in the same valve box in the ground. The valve may have a rubber-coated handle. The valve is open when the handle is turned parallel to the supply line. To cut the water, turn the valve perpendicular to the line. ...

Turning the water back on can cause a pressure leak. To avoid that, before restoring the water, open a few faucets around the house so that air trapped in the plumbing can be pushed out of the lines. Then, gradually open the valve for a minute or two....

Safety tip: Before reaching into the valve box in the ground, look inside to ensure some creature like a snake, rodent, or spider hasn’t made a cozy home inside. It would even be wise to put on a protective glove. ...

Cutting the electricity

Locate your circuit breaker box. This box is often next to the utility meter on an outside wall but can also be in the home or basement. The main breakers are two large switches at the top, with two columns of smaller sub-breakers below that connect to specific systems such as the air conditioner, water heater, lights and electric sockets. ...

To cut power to those specific systems, use those smaller switches. To shut down the whole house, shut off each sub-breaker and then the main two breakers....

Reverse this process to restore power. Turn the main breakers on first, then turn the sub-breakers back on one by one. This avoids sending a surge of electricity to all systems at once. ...

Cutting the gas

Dealing with gas is a different situation that requires extra caution. You should rarely if ever have to cut off gas. A construction project or an emergency such as an earthquake are the only exceptions. It is best to call a plumber or the gas company to shut off the gas. If you must do so yourself, always notify the gas company to send a technician to restore service and check for leaks....

The cut-off to the gas supply is typically on a pipe rising from the ground and leading to the meter. The valve has a rectangular tab about a half-inch thick by one-and-a-half inches wide. Less frequently, there may be a ball valve with a rubber-coated handle. When the valve handle is in line with the supply pipe, the valve is open and gas flows. Turning it perpendicular to the line cuts the gas. ...

If you smell gas in your home, leave the house immediately and call the gas company. Do not attempt to cut the gas off yourself. Leave the door open to vent some of the gas buildup. Do not turn on or off any light switches, which could ignite the gas....

Related – Circuit Breaker Basics...

Ownership, Shopping Guides,

Watch Out for Hidden “Junk Fees” Draining Your Wallet

So-called “junk fees” – also known as service charges, termination fees, convenience fees and administrative costs – can take you by surprise, turning a good deal into a ripoff. While the federal government has recently taken aim at such fees, it’s up to you, the consumer, to read the fine print and beware of hidden charges. Here are a few tips....

Where to look for junk fees

Hidden fees are often buried in the tiny type of an agreement. Many show up at the end of the transaction. ...

Service charges are tacked onto the advertised price. Essentially, the company hides the actual price of the good or service by offering a discount, then regaining the real cost with added fees.
A package of additional products or services the consumer didn’t ask for is “already installed” and cannot be removed. Car dealerships are prone to this.
Early termination fees if a consumer isn’t satisfied with the service and cancels.
Airlines may charge extra for luggage, seat assignments, food and other amenities once considered part of the regular ticket price.

What you can do about hidden fees

Research companies before hiring them. Check online reviews but be savvy about it. A 5-star average on 400 reviews means something, but a 5-star review from a handful of customers doesn’t hold as much weight.
When negotiating with a salesperson for a product or service, ask for a complete list of fees, taxes and service charges that will be added on to the advertised price.
Challenge any surprises and be willing to walk away from the deal. The prospect of losing the deal often motivates a seller to waive some charges.
After the salesperson gives you a final price, carefully read the agreement before authorizing it. Don’t be hurried into signing before reading the fine print.

After the agreement

Keep your records. If the agreement is signed digitally, request a digital copy and file it for safekeeping. ...

With any monthly service, such as cable or cell phone coverage, read your bill each month to ensure you didn’t miss anything during the sales process. Call customer service and dispute any surprises. ...

When you have a complaint

Contact the vendor and request a financial remedy. If that doesn’t work, ask to speak with a supervisor. Always maintain your composure. Finally, document your conversations, including names and dates. ...

If these steps don’t work, go outside the organization. The Better Business Bureau, the consumer arm of your state attorney general’s office or a state agency that regulates the business in question are all potential resources. ...

For example, if you file a complaint with the BBB, the organization will contact the business and seek to mediate a settlement. Cooperate with that process. If the offending business makes a reasonable effort to work with you, even if it means a compromise agreement, the BBB will note that for future consumers visiting its site. The complaint history is on the BBB site for future consumers to see. ...

The Federal Trade Commission, which is currently working on making it easier to cancel monthly subscription services, also offers tips, sample complaint letters, and other ideas on handling problematic businesses....

Outdoor Living, Ownership,

Common Tree Diseases: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Tree Diseases

Keeping your property healthy is important, and watching for signs of tree diseases is essential. Trees offer a majestic presence in our landscape, and healthy trees represent 5%-20% of a home’s value. Here is a basic primer on tree diseases....

Four ways tree diseases attack the landscape

Like the human body, a tree can be attacked by different diseases. ...

Diseases can attack a tree’s foliage, its leaves or needles, harming respiration and photosynthesis.
Diseases can attack a tree’s bark and wood.
Diseases can attack the tree’s root system, affecting water and nutrient uptake.
Finally, disease can affect a tree’s vascular system, much like arterial disease in humans affects blood circulation.

Examples of tree diseases in each system

Among diseases that affect a tree’s foliage, powdery mildew and anthracnose can be managed both by pruning to improve air circulation and by applying fungicides. Pines and other needle species can develop blights and casts caused by fungal pathogens, which require fungicide treatment followed by reduced watering.
Diseases of the bark and wood often take the form of cankers, such as aspen canker, Thyronectria canker, and chestnut blight. Treat with proper fertilization and by pruning away diseased branches.
Examples of systemic and vascular diseases include oak wilt and Dutch elm disease, which can be managed by avoiding pruning during certain times of year, spraying for bark beetles, and removing diseased trees to help isolate the disease from others.
Finally, root diseases are characterized by poor growth and wilted leaves despite good watering. Examples are Armillaria root rot and Heterobasidion annosum root rot. Treat by aerating the soil and, in some cases, with fungicides.

Investment, Money,

Comparing Wills and Trusts: Which Do You Need?

Proper estate planning can be a dreaded task but think of it as a gift to your heirs. Two primary legal entities are used in estate planning: wills and trusts. This summary provides a general comparison. Please consult an estate-planning attorney and financial adviser on your specific situation....

Basics of wills

A will is a legal document that directs how someone wants his or her assets handled upon death and who should be the guardian of minor children or other dependent persons. A will becomes effective when the author of the will, known as the testator, dies....

For a will to be valid, the testator must be an adult of sound mind acting freely and independently. It must be signed by the testator and witnessed by other adults. The number of witnesses varies by state....

If a person dies without a will, he or she is said to die intestate. In that case, a court determines the disposition of the assets and the guardianship of minors under that particular state’s laws....

A will designates a person as executor or executrix of the estate to carry out the terms of the will. The estate enters a legal process called probate in which the assets and guardianships are executed. Probate can be a lengthy and costly process....

Types of wills include:...

A simple will, also known as a testamentary will, designates the distribution of assets and guardianship of minors.
The most common example of a joint will is the will of a husband and wife. With this type of will, the spouses designate each other, as the surviving spouse, as full heir.
A pour-over will designates assets that have yet to be titled to a trust to become so upon the person’s death.

Basics of trusts

A trust is both a legal and a fiduciary arrangement for the holding and management of assets of an estate for the benefit of its creator, known as the grantor, and any third parties named by the grantor. It is created while the grantor is still living and assets are placed in the trust. Once assets are placed in the trust, it becomes effective. Assets can include real estate, bank and securities accounts and other valuable assets. The grantor sets requirements for how assets are to be distributed upon their death. The grantor usually designates a person known as a trustee to manage the trust assets if the grantor becomes incapacitated....

Assets that designate beneficiaries, such as IRA and 401K accounts, as well as life insurance payouts, bypass probate and trusts and are independent of them since a beneficiary is named while the owner is still alive. The same applies to financial assets set up as “Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship” or JTROS accounts. ...

A trust cannot designate guardianship, which can only be done with a will. Thus, trusts are often set up in combination with a will....

Types of trusts include:...

A living, inter vivos, revocable, or revocable living trust allows the grantor to title assets to the trust and designate a trustee while the grantor is still living. It can be changed and updated throughout the grantor’s lifetime.
A testamentary trust is named in a will and is created upon the testator’s death. It can hold assets payable to the heirs under conditions set by the testator, such as upon children reaching a certain age.
Irrevocable trusts are used to place assets of high-net-worth grantors to avoid estate taxes.
Charitable trusts designate that property in the trust is given to a charitable cause upon the grantor’s death. This fulfills the grantor’s wishes to benefit the cause and avoids taxation of the assets.

Comparing wills and trusts

Living trusts are created and your wishes established while you are still living, whereas a will takes effect upon your death. Only a testamentary trust becomes effective upon your death.
Assets under a will can languish in legal limbo, leaving heirs waiting for probate to conclude. The terms and outcomes are public information. Assets held in a trust are available to heirs without going through probate according to the terms created by the grantor, and the information is private.
Assets in a living revocable trust are still considered owned by the grantor. Assets under an irrevocable trust are out of the grantor’s name. As such, irrevocable trusts shield assets from creditors. Revocable living trusts do not.
The preceding conditions protect a large estate from estate taxes under an irrevocable trust.
Guardianship of minors must be designated in a will.
Wills are afforded secondary consideration to trusts due to the ongoing nature of trusts.

Related – Can You Disclaim an Inheritance?...

Buying, Financing a Home,

How Tariffs Might Affect the Housing Market

The new administration in Washington, D.C., has announced trade tariffs, causing confusion and turmoil in various markets. Economists warn that tariffs will mean higher prices for a host of goods, including houses. How might tariffs affect the cost of a home?...

What are tariffs, and who pays them?

Governments impose tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods, to make foreign products more expensive and to give domestic businesses a competitive advantage. The idea is to encourage US companies to buy products made in America; however, tariffs can significantly raise the costs of goods for American consumers. As an example, if the US imposes a tariff on steel imported from China, then buyers of Chinese steel in the United States will have to pay more for that steel. If auto makers use Chinese steel to manufacture cars, then the higher production costs are passed on to the customer, who ultimately pays the increased price....

How do tariffs affect the housing market?

Higher prices for materials such as lumber and metals (and even appliances) raise the cost of new construction. Prices may not just rise, but they may also fluctuate, creating instability:...

New home builders raise the price of homes due to rising costs for construction materials.
Homeowners’ insurance costs rise because the potential insurance payout for a loss increases.
Some potential buyers get priced out of the market by the increases.
Opportunities arise for buying pre-owned homes that are not subject to rising materials costs. But as this demand rises, so do existing home prices.
Discouraged buyers opt for the rental market. Increased rental demand raises lease rates.
Sellers in a soft market and with high interest rates stay put and don’t try to sell.
In turn, the softening of demand causes home prices to retrench. Home builders may offer incentives to attract buyers. Thus, conflicting factors cause prices to become unstable.

Financing may go through a similar cycle:...

The increase in the cost of materials and subsequent increase in new home prices could cause the Federal Reserve to hold the line on the high interest rates of recent years, or even raise them slightly, trying to dampen rising inflation.
Higher rates dampen demand as the cost of homeownership rises, pricing many buyers out.
As demand softens, the Fed decides to dial back rates, trying to “fine-tune” to prevent a recession. This is known as a “soft landing” for the economy, which is difficult to accomplish.

What should home buyers and sellers do?

In uncertain times, buyers and sellers alike need to simply stay vigilant. Prices rise and fall due to fluctuating market conditions. Therefore, it is essential to research current market trends, interest rates, and your local housing market’s performance. ...

Two practical steps to take are to have a real estate agent already on board, briefed on what the buyer’s or seller’s goals are, ready to move quickly on an opportunity. Second, buyers should have a mortgage preapproval already in hand to be able to act quickly at the right opportunity....

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