Sunrise Homes & Renovations, Inc.

How To Keep Your Pet Safe When Moving

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How To Keep Your Pet Safe When MovingMoving with pets can be strenuous, especially for the pet. Oftentimes pets might even go missing on moving day or shortly before or after. Many pets, such as dogs and cats, are sensitive and acutely aware of when big changes are taking place within the home.

They might even sense the need to escape the source of stress by running away. Here are a few safety tips for moving with your pet.

On Moving Day

While movers are busy moving furniture and boxes, frightened cats or dogs might run out the door and go missing. On moving day, keep your pet secured in a separate room where they cannot escape. A bathroom is ideal since it will not have furniture or boxes that the movers need to get to.

Place a sign on the door to alert the movers that the pet is in there, and not to open the door. Make sure to put food, water, bedding (and a litter box if necessary) inside the room so your pet is comfortable.

While On The Road

While driving to your new home, your pet may experience fear and/or stress from being in a moving vehicle, especially after a stressful day of moving house. Cats in particular are sensitive to the unusual sensation, and may try to hide under a seat of the car or even crawl up under the dashboard. Prevent this by purchasing a pet carrier and placing it on the floor of the back seat. This will keep the carrier from tipping from excess movement or sharp turns.

If you prefer to keep your pet unenclosed, make sure they have a collar and leash on. When you open the door they may try to escape and the collar and leash will help prevent this. 

In The New Home

When you finally move into your new home, keep your pet indoors for between a few days and a week. This allows your pet to relax and build an understanding of the new environment.

If you let your pet outdoors too soon, they may get lost or instinctively try to go back “home” to the old house. 

These few tried and tested tips will ensure your pet is safe on moving day and throughout the move. Once you arrive safely in your new home, your pet will soon be able to enjoy it just as much as you!

 

Should You Buy A Fixer Upper?

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Should You Buy A Fixer Upper?If you’ve expressed any interest in buying a home that you can work on, your real estate agent may present you with one or two fixer upper properties for your consideration. Fixer upper homes can offer good value for certain kinds of homebuyers.

But not everyone should buy a fixer upper. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.

There May Be Unforeseen Conditions

Until you actually get in there and start renovating, you cannot know exactly what is behind those walls. Fixer uppers could have unforeseen conditions that could blow away your renovation budget.

If you do decide to forge ahead with an offer, consider hiring a structural engineer, a pest control technician and a mold expert to carefully inspect the property first.

Will You Be Able To Live There During Renovations?

Sometimes a fixer upper requires a complete overhaul. Other times there are a few inhabitable rooms you can stay in while completing the rehab.

Consider whether you and/or your family can be comfortable during the work, or if you will need to rent an apartment or stay with family.

This will heavily impact your fixer upper experience.

How Handy Are You – Honestly?

This is the time to be really honest with yourself. How much of the work can you actually do? Are you a wannabe handyman, or do you truly possess the skills and experience to complete quality work? If everyone you know is astonished that you want to work on a fixer upper house, it is a smart idea to take stock of your abilities. 

Can You Afford To Hire Workers?

Just because you buy a fixer upper does not mean you have to do the work yourself, either. Maybe you have the money to hire a contractor or workers to get the job done. If hiring others is part of the plan, make sure you budget accordingly. Do not forget to budget for the unexpected because with a fixer upper, you can expect the unexpected.

Finally, if the only house you can afford is a fixer upper and you really want to buy now, then maybe you should go for it. After all, when you finish the rehab, you could be in a position to take some equity out of the house after a new appraisal.

For the right person in the right circumstances, a fixer upper can be a viable choice.

 

How Do Real Estate Agents Make Their Money?

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How Do Real Estate Agents Make Their Money?If you are planning to buy or sell a home, you will want to enlist the services of a real estate agent. But sometimes homebuyers and homeowners worry about paying for the services of a real estate agent.

After all real estate agents put an enormous amount of time and energy working for clients. They deserve to be compensated, but where does the money come from?

When You Buy A Home

When you contract with a real estate agent to buy a home, you do not pay the agent anything at all. In fact, they do not make a dime unless you actually end up buying a home. The buyer’s real estate agent makes money from the seller’s agent.

The idea behind this setup is that the buyer’s agent is bringing a deal to the seller. For that service, the buyer’s agent receives a percentage of the money that is paid to the selling agent. 

When You Sell A Home

When you hire a real estate agent to sell your home, the agent gets paid by commission on the selling price. No money actually comes out of your pocket ahead of time. When they do get paid, it is all through the paperwork at closing. Your final check from the sale will be less their commission.

Real estate agents charge varying commissions that range from 2% all the way to 6%, depending on the brokerage firm, the region and other factors. You should ask your real estate agent when you interview them what their rate is. 

Where The Money Goes

When your real estate agent does get paid, they do not get to keep all of it. Their brokerage firm gets a percentage and the seller agent gets a percentage. On top of that, many agents around the country choose to donate a small percentage of all their commissions to a favorite charity.

What Real Estate Agents Do not Charge For

Real estate agents do a lot to earn their pay, plus extras that they do not charge extra for, like:

  • hosting open houses
  • providing food and drinks during open houses
  • driving you around in your car to view homes
  • marketing your home online and in print advertisements

When it comes to hiring a real estate agent, you do not need to worry about paying for services. It is a system that works well for everyone involved in the home buying and selling process.

 

 

Should You Buy A Home Warranty?

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Should You Buy A Home Warranty?When you buy a new house, the first thing you want to do is protect your investment. You already have property insurance. Should you also buy a home warranty?

What Is A Home Warranty?

A home warranty is not the same thing as insurance. Home warranties are service contracts. If a covered item breaks down and it is covered in the terms of the warranty, the home warranty company will pay to fix or replace that item.

What is Covered Under A Home Warranty?

Every home warranty contract is different but generally, a home warranty may cover items like major kitchen appliances, HVAC components, sump pump, in-home sauna or spa tub, and/or ceiling and exhaust fans.

Often, a homeowner can get an extended warranty contract that covers items like the washer and dryer, garage door opener, septic system and swimming pool components.

Understand The Costs

A basic home warranty costs between $350 and $500 annually, depending on what coverage you get. However, if something does break, you will also be on the hook for incidentals like service call fees or a deductible.

Know The Benefits

There are considerable benefits to having a home warranty contract in place, especially when something expensive breaks down, like a furnace. There is a lot of peace of mind knowing that you will be able to quickly get something fixed in your home.

You Might Already Be Covered

Your homeowner’s insurance policy might cover some of the same things that are covered with a home warranty. So you could be paying for duplicate coverage on some items. However, your homeowner’s insurance likely will not cover a dishwasher that needs to be replaced or a fridge that suddenly goes out.

There Are Alternatives

Finally, before you pay for a home warranty, remember that there are alternatives. For example, most HVAC companies offer financing options to buy a new furnace. Most appliance stores also offer financing on major purchases like refrigerators and dishwashers. You could save your $500 or so a year and put it in a savings account for a rainy day instead of gambling that you might have a major repair or purchase that year.

There are pros and cons to home warranty plans. Just be sure you fully understand both sides of the issue before you sign on the dotted line.

 

The Most And Least Expensive Cities In America

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The Most And Least Expensive Cities In AmericaThe cost of living in America varies widely in different parts of the country. In general, it is less expensive to live in the country than in the cities.

However, there are many cities where the cost of living is modest compared to others where the money needed to live there is outrageous in comparison.

These rankings came from comparing the monthly cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment, utilities, the price for gasoline, and the cost of groceries.

The Ten Lowest-Cost Cities For Renters

From Texas and Ohio to New Mexico and Arizona, there are some nice cities in this low-cost group.

The top ten lowest-cost cities are:

  1. El Paso, Texas
  2. Lincoln, Nebraska
  3. Toledo, Ohio
  4. Wichita, Kansas
  5. Louisville, Kentucky
  6. Tulsa, Oklahoma
  7. Memphis, Tennessee
  8. Lexington, Kentucky
  9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
  10. Mesa, Arizona

For the top ten lowest-cost cities, the total monthly expenses for two adults ranges from just under $1,200 per month in El Paso to just over $1,500 per month in Mesa. These cities are a great deal when compared to other cities.

In America, the median rent of $1,566 per month is more than the total amount needed to live in these low-cost cities.

The Ten Highest-Cost Cities For Renters

It is not surprising that the biggest metropolitan areas are on the high-cost list.

The top ten highest-cost cities are:

  1. San Francisco, California
  2. New York, New York
  3. San Jose, California
  4. Oakland, California
  5. Boston, Massachusetts
  6. Jersey City, New Jersey
  7. Washington, D. C.
  8. Los Angeles, California
  9. Seattle, Washington
  10. Irvine, California

For the top ten highest-cost cities the total monthly expense for two adults ranges from just over $2,000 per month in Irvine to over $4,200 per month in San Francisco. For those wanting to live in the “City by the Bay” of San Francisco, both of the people in a couple better have an incredibly well-paying executive position to be able to afford to live there.

What About Home Buying?

The national median home price in America is $229,000. The city with the highest median home price is San Francisco at $1,352,000. New York is only $672,000 in comparison. The median home price in El Paso is $129,800; however, El Paso does not have the lowest-priced homes in the country.

The Top Ten Cities With The Lowest-Priced Homes

There are many cities where the homes sell at bargain prices for under $100,000, these include:

  1. Detroit, Michigan — Median home value: $42,800
  2. Dayton, Ohio — Median home value: $66,500
  3. Cleveland, Ohio — Median home value: $67,600
  4. Lansing, Michigan — Median home value: $77,100
  5. Buffalo, New York — Median home value: $77,800
  6. Toledo, Ohio — Median home value: $78,600
  7. Rochester, New York — Median home value: $79,400
  8. Akron, Ohio — Median home value: $80,100
  9. South Bend, Indiana — Median home value: $81,100
  10. Brownsville, Texas — Median home value: $85,900

Conclusion

There are bargains to be found in many parts of America for those that do not have to live in the big cities.

Many younger people are now part of the “gig” economy. They do all of their work online and can work from anywhere that has a decent Internet connection. For these young people, finding a lost-cost city in America to live in and finding a modestly-priced home to buy is not limited to any particular area.

How To Tell If A Home Has Been Well-Maintained

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How To Tell If A Home Has Been Well-MaintainedAs a homebuyer, your real estate agent will do their best bring you to see homes that meet the criteria you asked for. However, there’s no guarantee that a home will have a history of being properly cared for.

Your real estate agent can choose the homes you see, but they have no control over the property owner’s homeownership habits.

Why Home Maintenance Matters

Home maintenance should matter to you as a homebuyer and later on as a homeowner. A home needs consistent and proper maintenance in order to run efficiently, and that doesn’t only apply to moving parts like the HVAC system. If a home isn’t looked after, it begins to run down and then break down.

Just as a poorly maintained vehicle will eventually strand its owner on the side of the road, a poorly maintained home will eventually fail to properly house its occupants.

How To Tell If A Home Has Been Well-Maintained

A home that hasn’t been cared for will easily give up its secrets to a discerning homebuyer. Conversely, you can tell if a home has been cherished and well-maintained over the years.

  • Home maintenance warranties in place would be a selling feature and indicates the owner understands the power of proactive maintenance.
  • Solid, quality flooring indicates that the owner has shored up the subfloor beneath tile, removed carpet spills expeditiously and replaced cracked, peeling or missing planks or tiles.
  • No signs of basement water damage may signify that owner has installed sufficient sump pump or other drainage solutions, applied basement waterproofing or taken other steps to ensure a dry basement.
  • Finished basement shows that owner has taken care to improve the home where possible and that the owner trusts their basement possessions will be safe from water damage.
  • Straight roof lines mean that there is likely no sagging roof problem that hasn’t already been addressed.
  • Mature, healthy plantings are a sign that the owner has given thought and care to the surrounding landscape over a long period of time.
  • Sound gutters in good condition show that the owner has taken steps to ensure proper roof drainage to water damage.

These are all positive signs for a prospective homebuyer. Of course, you must still pay attention to the home inspection report. But odds are if you see all these signs, you’re probably looking at a new home that will serve your needs for many years to come.