Archive for June 2009

Avoiding Leaks When Installing Vinyl Retrofit Windows

These days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west. The number one argument that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks.
Sealant And Costs:
That's true if you don't do it properly. But, if you do a complete tear out of your old window down to the studs, you're going to have water leak issues there as well if you don't install the new window properly If you are installing retrofit frames against a stucco house, you want to put a thick bead of sealant right on the outside face of the old window frame, all the way around. Latex caulk should work fine, but if you want to spend a little more to get the best sealant available, use 100% silicone. Depending on the number of windows you will be doing, this extra cost can add up. You pay approximately $1 for a tube of acrylic latex caulk, and $4 or more for a tube of 100% silicone. You are going to use 1-3 tubes per window, depending on the size. So you can see how it could add up.
How To Save Money:
Here is a trick to save a little money; The most vulnerable part of your installation is the top of the window, because gravity will have the water running down from the roof to the ground. It's not likely that water is going to find it's way through the sides or bottom. So, carry two caulking guns, and load one with the silicone, and the other with the acrylic caulk. Run the silicone across the top of the old frame, and caulk the sides and bottom. Then, put your new window into the opening and have a helper hold it firmly in place while you plumb and level it, then screw it into place. After you have the window completely installed, your final step should be to caulk where the retrofit lip meets the stucco You now have a double barrier against water infiltration. After about a week, check the sealant around each window for signs of cracking. Because stucco is usually uneven, there could have been gaps that were larger in some areas than in others. If you don't force the caulk into the gap to completely fill it, the caulk can sag before drying, causing a crack to form. Simply recaulk over any cracks that you see. You can check the silicone on top as well, but because silicone dries like a rubber substance, you shouldn't see any cracks there.
More Instructions:
OK, what if the replacement windows are going between wood trim surrounding the opening? If you are using the retrofit lip, and trimming it to fit between the wood, then you still apply the heavy bead to the old frame before installing the window. But, instead of sealing where the retrofit lip meets the stucco, you seal where it meets the wood. Then, you want to be sure to seal above the window, where the top piece of wood meets the stucco. Again, use silicone up there. Now, no water can run down the stucco wall and get under the top piece of wood. Sometimes, though, you might decide not to use a retrofit style frame between the wood, choosing a block replacement frame instead. If you choose to do it this way, you have to add trim to the outside. You still want to apply the sealant to the old frame, then apply your trim so it contacts the new window as well as the sealant on the old frame. If you follow these procedures, you won't have to worry about any water penetrating into your home.

I Pull Out All The Stops To Sell Your Home
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Email:
snyder@kw.com
Website: http://www.callsnyder.com/
Blogsite: http://renton-real-estate.blogspot.com/
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington’s Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.
Oh, By The Way. . . . . I AM NEVER TOO BUSY FOR REFERRALS.

Acting as Your own General Contractor when Building your Dream Home

This article is intended for the DIY (Do It Yourself) home builder; however, it is very useful information for the new home buyer to understand what processes you can monitor even if you are not acting as the general contractor and hiring a general contractor. For the inexperienced DIY homebuilder, acting as a general contractor is one of the most stressful things anyone can undertake. After that statement, you ask yourself "Why would anyone really want to be the general contractor for his or her new home?" Well the number one reason is to save money, and in our society it's all about the money isn't it? It doesn't necessarily mean that you are building the home (but with this approach sweat equity has a whole new meaning), you are only managing the sub- contractors. Successful general contactors are either born good, or have been trained to be good. You, as your own general contractor, do not have the time to be as good as a contractor who makes their living building homes. For this reason, I will give you some guidelines to help you out and feel a bit more comfortable managing your new dream home as your own general contractor:

Define Your Project Home

Floor Plan Designing
Home Floor Plan Designing for Your Future Home. Once you have decided on the floor plan and all the associated up front planning projects, such as: · finding the right plot of land · gathering information on building codes and permits · having signed construction drawings, etc. You have to apply for the building permits. With the homework of gathering this entire information prior the application process and having your construction drawings drawn to comply with city, county and state codes this process is just a paper work issue. If you have not properly done this entire process prior to the application, this will slow your time frame down considerably. Most DYI builders wait for the building permit application to find out what is needed. Make it easier on yourself and do it first.
Execution Of The Project

Getting Accurate Quotes
Now that you have a clearly defined project you can get accurate quotes from the contractors. The construction disciplines you will need are as follows: · Electricians · Plumbers · HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) · Framers · Concrete · Drywall · Finishers · Painters · Roofers · Siding · Landscaping · Windows and Doors · Garage door. etc. Keep in mind that most contractors will have multiple disciplines and will try to combine them as much as possible either with their own work force or they may hire out subcontractors as well.
This is how you execute the project:
1. Do your homework on the contractors that you will want to work with on your home.
2. Ask people who you know that have recently built homes who they have used as contractors.
3. Actually any resource on contractor evaluation is helpful.
4. Have them evaluate the experience.
5. With this process you can then get three to five contractor references from trusted resources without involving any salesmen.
6. Have a set of construction plans ready for each of the contractors that you are going to have bid from the list you have generated.
7. Make sure that all the disciplines will be bid upon.
Deciding Who To Hire As A Subcontractor

Who Is Most Qualifed?
You do not always have to take the lowest bid! You want the contractor that is the most qualified and most prepared to build your home. It is highly suggested that each of the contractors break down the categories and itemize how they arrived at their price. Communicating this up front before receiving their price best does this. Once you have all this information, evaluate the prices according to their breakdown. Rate the contractor on their responses on a scale of 1- 10 with 10 being the highest rank. If the bids are close then it's a matter of what contractor you favor the most. If there is a large gap in the prices, you need to determine why. This is where your breakdown of the work performed and the associated prices can help you determine this. This is also where you find out which contractors are the most serious and most qualified and which contractors are easier to work with. This might lead you to conclude that the best contractor isn't always the lowest price. You get what you pay for!
Managing The Subcontractors

Time Scheduling
If you thought deciding whom to hire, as your subcontractor was difficult, try managing them! To help you in your management, have a schedule ready during the bidding war between contractors. Have this presented at the time you present the construction drawings. In fact, have three schedules! What this will generate is three different prices from each contractor. Use this as part of your evaluation as mentioned in the previous paragraph. Your long schedule, medium schedule and short schedule will generate different responses. You want this information up front so that when it comes time to sign a contact with the subs, you can put in clauses that if they do not hold the schedule there are financial burdens placed on them. This will protect you from mismanagement on their part. After all the schedules and contracts are agreed upon, you become more than the customer, now you are the boss. Everyday you need to communicate with the subs and get an updated detailed report on what, where, when, how and why they are on or off schedule. Manage the project by the schedule. Keep in mind that the schedule will change if you decide to change your scope of work by issuing change orders (example: changing the cupboard or cabinet size, the flooring, or appliance). Keep in mind that during this time, this is a small business and your profit is represented by how close you come to your original agreed upon costs associated with the schedule after the contract signing. We could talk about management all day long. In fact there are training courses on this subject that cost thousands of dollars. Hopefully this bit of information will get you on the right track and help make a smooth transition from concept to actually building your dream home. Remember this rule of thumb, the more you prepare the better you will be when handling the bumps in the road. Gathering information prior to needing it will actually save you more money, time and stress than you can probably calculate.

Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Email:
snyder@kw.com
Website: http://www.callsnyder.com/
Blogsite: http://renton-real-estate.blogspot.com/
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington’s Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.
Oh, By The Way. . . . . I AM NEVER TOO BUSY FOR REFERRALS.

A Thorough Cleaning Can Make Your Home Look Like New

In this newsletter, you will learn what a difference a detailed cleaning can make! We hope you continue to learn about home maintenance in the upcoming newsletters. Thank you for your time!
Considering Home Improvement?
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Warmer weather means home improvement for many Americans. But, before you hire workers or purchase expensive tools to transform your home, consider the little things you can do that may make a big difference.
Do you need to renovate, or will a new coat of paint or thorough cleaning do the trick? Nearly 75 percent of Americans set aside a specific time for a yearly top-to-bottom cleaning, and most say it takes a whole weekend to complete. With a few quick and simple tips, you can easily improve the look of your home.
Get Organized!
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Get organized! Spend a few minutes in each room you plan to improve and make a list of everything that needs to get done. Include everything from the obvious, like making a bed, to the not-so-obvious, like cleaning a dusty light fixture.
Color Change. Instead of revamping an entire room with new furniture or carpeting, spruce it up by changing the color of the walls. A fresh coat of paint, which you can apply in a day or two, will liven up a room without too much expense or hassle.
Flip Or Dip!
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Flip or Dip. When you change the bedding or launder the bedspread, turn over your mattress. Experts say mattresses should be flipped at least twice a year to prevent dips in the middle. Closet Close-up. Change in season is the perfect time to store away your winter wardrobe and take out your warm-weather clothes. Remember, overlooked stains can become permanent over time, and there is nothing worse than getting out your favorite shirt for the season, only to realize last year's red wine stain has left some remnants. Take out your bleach pen before storing to conquer the stain. It can target those hard-to-remove spots, especially between stripes. · Clean Routine. For the most thorough and sparkling clean, start at the top of the room and work your way down to the floor. Wipe down light fixtures, clean mirrors, wipe down cabinet doors and dust off baseboards. · Got Mold? Instead of replacing what looks like permanently moldy or mildewed grout, try using a convenient cleaning tool to scrub and whiten. Use the Clorox Bleach Pen to remove stains on grout and reach pesky tile corners in the kitchen and bath. The scrubber tip of the pen works wonders on stubborn spots, while the fine point is great for targeting stains in tight spaces around sinks and drains.


Helping Hands: Almost half (49 percent) of Americans engage their spouse or children in cleaning tasks around the home. Make a list of chores and give everyone an assignment.
Diligent Donator: Installing new kitchen appliances but reluctant to throw away your old ones, which are perfectly good? When cleaning out areas of your home -- closets, cupboards and cabinets -- put items to donate aside. Check with your local donation organizations for lists of needed/accepted items.
Do Disinfecting. Instead of using germy sponges, dishrags and paper towels, use a disposable disinfecting wipe so you can clean and disinfect in one easy step. Small places are easy to forget and often harbor the most germs. Don't forget to wipe down toilet flushers, light switches, cabinet handles and doorknobs.


I Pull Out All The Stops To Sell Your Home
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Email:
snyder@kw.com
Website: http://www.callsnyder.com/
Blogsite: http://renton-real-estate.blogspot.com/
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington’s Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.
Oh, By The Way. . . . . I AM NEVER TOO BUSY FOR REFERRALS.

Homes for sale: $200,000 or Less

Looking for homes that are under$200,000?
Here is a free list of them.
Click here.

Looking for anything else? Just ask.
Click here.

Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Email:
snyder@kw.com
Website: http://www.callsnyder.com/
Blogsite: http://renton-real-estate.blogspot.com/
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington’s Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.Oh, By The Way. . . . . I AM NEVER TOO BUSY FOR REFERRALS.

selling older homes as historical homes

In this newsletter, you will learn how to approach selling older homes as historical homes. We hope this information is useful and look forward to sending you more information on various topics concerning homes and inspections.
The Age Of The Home
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In the new homebuying paradigm, old equals problems and new equals luxury. Sprawl has become tempered by higher building costs and traffic problems, which have driven homebuyers back toward community cores and older homes, but they don't necessarily like what they see - smaller square footage, outdated floor plans, and the previous owner's imprint. This situation has real estate agents acting more as apologists than salespeople. As agents list older homes, they downplay the age of the home, which is a losing strategy, say some experts. "The age of the home is the first thing the buyer wants to know and the last thing the listing agent wants them to know," says Dave Burrell, president and CEO of Historical Insights, Inc. "To you, it's a regular old house, but look at it from the buyer's perspective. That's not how people buy homes. It's much better to create an emotional connection with the house."
Historical homes prove that a property can bring more if buyers can connect with the past. "If you found out you wanted a house where someone lived who was in politics or changed aviation," suggests Burrell, "it's more important to you, so people do care. You want to present the home so that the buyer can relate to what's it like to live in the house, and feel more important because of it."
Leather Bound Histories
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In Denver, Colorado, where Burrell provides leather- bound histories for local homes, there are more than 93,000 pre-1950 homes (2000 Census,) and over 1000 are for sale in an average month, he says. "It's clear how large this potential market really is," suggests Burrell. Histories can include everything from the type of home - ranch, how that type of home served society at that time, to who lived there to what changes were made to the home over the years.
Getting histories can be a challenge, but there are ways that don't take a lot of time. "A couple of starting points would be city directories that go by street names or addresses and you can find out who lived in that house and from what dates. Second is to go to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps which you can find at local archives like the public library. They go from the late 19th century to about 1970. This company created maps for insurance companies and they would create maps and streets and show what buildings were there, they'd show the exits, doors and windows. You can see the house change from when it had a stable to when it acquired a garage. You can see if they had an outhouse and when it was torn down. You can get them from various years. In Denver you can get them from 1893, 1903, 1905, 1925. One problem is if your house was built in 1911, you can't confirm much between 1905 and 1925."
Things That Personalize The Home
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Burrell points to his own home as an example. "In my personal house, there was a small porch in 1925, but a large porch was added by 1929," says Burrell. "It's the little things that are interesting and it personalizes the home to the seller or the buyer because they know something no one else knows." You can go to the public records, but approximately 30 to 40 percent of homes in Denver are incorrectly dated, says Burrell. "I found my house was incorrectly dated," he says. "My house was supposed to be built in 1900, but it wasn't in the 1903 or 1905 maps, but it was in the 1907 map."
Another way to assign a date to an older home is to look at the local "TAP" records - when the house was connected to the local water system for running water. Or you can commission a home history, such as Burrell provides, for as little as a report fee to as much as $400 for a leather-bound copy. Home histories can be a great listing tool, a great closing gift, and a great legacy for referrals. "When everyone is looking to find a Realtor," says Burrell, "caring about the history of homes is something that can differentiate one Realtor from another. Most Realtors aren't going to think about how to market the home. By getting a book likes this, you are going to give a physical manifestation of the house that helps them enjoy their home. When they resell, they have a collection of information with the Realtor's name and information. They won't throw this away. They will show it to all their frineds, and it has your name on it. "The underlying principle is simple," says Burrell. "Since so much of the mystery of old homes lies in their connection with the past, a home history can highlight that connection very vividly. This is especially the case today, with so many transplants seeking to grow roots within their communities. And because emotions are such a key part of the homebuying process, helping buyers make a personal leap into the living experience of the home quickens the purchasing decision." It's well worth it. Not only are older homes a tangible record of cultural changes, old homes in Denver sell for 8.9 percent more than their more modern counterparts, says Burrell.


I Pull Out All The Stops To Sell Your Home
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Email:
snyder@kw.com
Website: http://www.callsnyder.com/
Blogsite: http://renton-real-estate.blogspot.com/
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington’s Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.
Oh, By The Way. . . . . I AM NEVER TOO BUSY FOR REFERRALS.