3 Smart Tech Options That Bring Value to Your Home

Today I want to talk about adding value to your home. Smart technology is a great way to achieve this in today’s market.

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As we all know, technology is becoming more and more integral to our daily lives. This is true also of home technology, which is a rapidly growing industry.

Today, I want to share three different tech options that can add value to your home:

1. Google Home or Alexa. Using either of these, you can set your lighting, thermostat, or even play music. These are all things we can demonstrate for buyers who are looking at your home.
   
   
2. Smart thermostats. Probably the best-known version of this technology is The Nest. Using this or another similar product, you can set and adjust the temperature of your home. Smart thermostats will even learn your habits and your lifestyle to better accommodate you through the temperature in your home. Ecobee is another brand of smart thermostat. This particular thermostat actually has sensors that can detect motion and adjust the temperature according to where you are in the home.
   
   
3. Video-capturing doorbells. This technology allows you to see exactly who is visiting when they ring your doorbell. This also acts as a security measure. 

All of these things are relatively inexpensive, but they add a lot of value to your home. Tech-savvy buyers will especially appreciate these items.

Tech-savvy buyers will especially appreciate these items.

As a final note, I’d like to address people whose homes have flooded recently. If you find yourself in this situation and are wondering how to recover and make repairs, remember to think about how long you plan on living there. 

If you will be there short-term, think of your home as an investment. If you are going to be there for a medium length of time, still think of it in terms of an investment but also remember you’re still going to be living there. You want to make sure you don’t hate your living situation. 

If you plan on being in your home for the long-term, make repairs in any way you want. You don’t need to worry too much about what future buyers might like. By the time you plan on selling, you’ll likely need to replace many of the features you’re adding at the moment, anyway.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Tips for Anyone That May Be in or Near Flood Areas

It’s no secret that recent flooding has devastated homes in the Houston area. Flood insurance has become a hot topic as of late, so we invited Mr. Li-Hsi “Leash” Yu, the president of Agency Yu, Inc., to come and talk to us about some benefits of having flood insurance that you may not even know you have. 

It’s easy to say everyone should buy flood insurance, so today we’re going to discuss the severe repetitive loss database. If your home has flooded multiple times in the past, it may be on this database. It sounds bad, but it was created by FEMA to watch your claim activity and has some great benefits. If your home has flooded more than four times since 1978 and two of those floods were within 10 years of each other and repairs costed more than $5,000, your house is more than likely already on the list.

If your home is on the list, FEMA may provide funds to raise your home, buy it back, or make it less susceptible to floods in general. It would behoove a homeowner or a person that’s about to buy a home to see if the address is on the severe repetitive loss database. It could be very beneficial in the decision-making process.

If you are on the list, you should have gotten notice at renewal.

If you are on the list, you should have gotten notice at renewal of your flood insurance. If you haven’t received one or you’re curious if your home may be on the list, ask your insurance agent. If you’re buying a home and getting a flood insurance quote, it should disclose whether or not the home is on the database. 

This isn’t a new program, it’s been around for quite a while. However, with the recent multiple floods, we think it’s a good thing for you to keep on your mind. One important note about the severe repetitive loss database is that if two floods happened within 10 days of each other, FEMA only considers that as one claim.

If you or someone you know has had to deal with repetitive flooding, you should give Leash a call. He can be reached at (713)-688-8881 or Leash@AgencyYu.com

If you have any other questions for us or if you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Houston, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Could Your Stucco Be Damaging Your Houston Home?

There are many great Houston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 832-428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We've had a lot of questions lately about stucco from buyers and sellers in Houston, so I wanted to address the topic today. Today I'm joined by Kevin Harbison from Stucco Spec, our go-to guy for home inspections.

First we want to differentiate between the two types of stucco: cement-based (which we refer to as real stucco) and synthetic stucco (referred to as EIFS) which is made out of foam and a thin rendering of cement. The real stucco is actually concrete, and is thicker.

Most people don't dislike stucco as a material itself but tend to dislike the way it is applied and maintained. The problem with stucco is water intrusion. For example, if a window is not caulked properly, water can get in behind the stucco and cause structural damage. Another important detail on homes for preventing water intrusion is flashing, which kicks away water and keeps it away from the house.

"Windows should be resealed every five to six years."

Heat plays a factor here in Houston as well. It takes a toll on caulking, so windows should be resealed every five to six years, according to Kevin. There are specific sealants used, so he recommends always using a professional waterproofing company. If you have a stucco home that hasn't received maintenance in six to 10 years, you want to walk around the home for a self-inspection. Check that your sealants are intact and soil is not touching the bottom of the stucco walls. You can always hire a proven professional like Kevin to make sure the inspection is done right.

If you have more questions about stucco or you're interested in a stucco inspection, you can reach Kevin through Stucco Spec's website. If you have real estate questions or are thinking about buying or selling a home, give me a call and let's talk soon!

How to Avoid Paying Higher Taxes on Your Houston Home

There are many great Houston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 832-428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Tax season is here, and the biggest questions we’ve received lately have to do with protesting your taxes. If you’ve seen what I’ve seen, property tax assessments in the Houston area have gone up again. My short answer? Yes, you should protest your property taxes! I do every year because I want to keep my bases low.

There are a few options out there for people who want to protest their taxes. First, you can do it on your own, which means you’re going to go, sit down with HCAD, and try to convince them why your property taxes are too high. I don’t have the time to do this, so I usually hire a third party to do it for me. I have had some mixed success going that route, but I feel it’s worth it.

Although we’re in a normalizing market, property taxes have continued to go up. If you have a homesteaded property, they can go up no more than 10% plus any improvements you’ve made. In some cases, improvements to your home can increase your tax burden substantially. Even if you haven’t made improvements, these higher assessments will cost more and more money as the years go by.

In short, we highly recommend that everyone contests their property taxes, especially if you have the time. If you’re interested in a third party to protest your taxes on your behalf, I would be happy to put you in touch with a great company I use. They typically charge 50% of what they end up saving you; if they don’t save you any money, you don’t have to pay them anything, so it’s not a bad deal.

If you have questions about this or any other topic, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you soon!

3 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Guests this Holiday Season

There are many great Houston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 832-428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, Claudia Sundin from CS Designs joins us to offer some advice on preparing your home for guests this holiday season.

There are a few things you can do that don't require a lot of work. For example, add fresh flowers for the table. For Thanksgiving, consider holiday colors when choosing your flowers. Get furniture reupholstered. Switch out your rugs to set up a new color scheme in your home. These are things you can do in a quick time frame, and you don't have to spend a lot of money because you use furniture you already own.

If you want to update your home, paint! A couple of years ago, everyone painted their homes in beige or camel colors. Now, gray is the latest trend. Be careful when picking out your gray; different shades of gray come with tinges of green, blue, or purple.

Now that your house is all updated, how can you keep guests from congregating in the kitchen? Spread out the food and beverages. Don't just have one food and beverage station. The way your furniture is set up also affects the flow of the room, but having different food and beverage stations will definitely encourage people to keep moving throughout the party.

If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. Happy holidays! We look forward to hearing from you!

How Can You Avoid Winter Weather Damage to Your Home?

There are many great Houston area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at 832-428-6453 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, I want to briefly discuss three things you need to do when preparing your home for winter. John Onofrey of Top 2 Bottom Inspections joins us today to share his top tips:

1. Check plumbing lines: You need to make sure your plumbing lines are protected and insulated from freezing temperatures. This includes your outside water supply and any exposed pipes in your attic.

2. Service your furnace and drain your water heater: This is a great time of year to do it. Doing it sooner rather than later is a good idea!

3. Seal up excessive gaps and crevices outside your home: This will keep cold winds from drafting into the home.

These aren't the only things you should do when getting your home ready for the winter. If you want additional tips to help get your home ready for the colder weather, you can reach John at (281) 565-4677 or http://www.texasinspectors.net/.

As always, if you need real estate assistance of any kind, we're also always available to help. We would love to hear from you!

Home Improvements and Renovations Part 2

Thanks for joining me again today! In the last video we talked about how you can improve your home and get the most return on renovations. Today I wanted to bring you a few more tips if you’re thinking about updating your home.

Layout - Is the space being utilized in the best way possible? The last thing you want to do is finish a project and find you could have done it a better way.

Replace your windows - If you change out your single-paned windows to double-windows, not only will the windows look better in the eyes of the buyer, but it saves hundreds of dollars in energy efficiency. You can expect around 86 percent return.

Replace your Roof - This sounds like a big task and it is; that’s why most buyers won’t consider a house that needs roof repairs. You will get a 75 percent return.

If you have any questions about a specific project you have in mind, give me call. I’d love to help you!

Thanks for watching!

Home Improvements and Renovations Part 1

Thanks for joining me today!

I have a good friend who is renovating his home. He asked me what he should be doing to improve his property. That’s an interesting question and the answer depends on what the purpose is. Are you remodeling for enjoyment? Are you improving the home to sell it?

If your goal is to increase the value of your home, it’s important to know what investments you will get the most return for. The two best renovations you can make then, are the kitchen and bathroom. We have found you will get 80-86 percent return on your investment.

You want your home to conform to the neighborhood. Know the price range and what will make your home a competitor. If you don’t upgrade, often homes do not sell.

If you have any questions, please give me a call. I’d love to help you find the best ways to improve your home.

Thanks for watching!