Quality brick home sitting on nearly 2/3 of an acre lot. This home offers an oversize living room, beautiful oak kitchen with lots of cabinets, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 1.75 baths, family room with gas replace, 4th bedroom or craft room, nice size laundry room, attached double garage. Outside o ers a large yard, patio which o ers lots of privacy, and a gazebo. Priced at $239,900. Call Gery Cook @ 515-570-6208. MLS #25912
3133
11TH AVE. NORTH FORT DODGE
Don’t miss out on this lovely split foyer in Knollcrest! This home is on a cul-de-sac near the aquatic center and middle school. You will like the oversize living room, dining room with french door leading to a deck and the fenced-in back yard, eat-in oak kitchen, main oor bath has dual entry, 3-bedroom, large family room in LL with laundry and 1/2 bath. Replacement windows, and shed. Priced at $214,900 Call Regency Realtors or Gery Cook for a private showing 515-570-6208. MLS #25940
BEING SOLD AS IS! CALL FOR CODE. A little work and this gem could be yours. With 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, appliances included call for your showing today. Priced at $44,900. Contact Marcie Welter at - 515-269-7907 for your private showing. MLS #26232
Think that’s scary?
Sharks can be terrifying.
But what’s really scary, and even deadly, is distracted driving.
Eyes forward. Don’t drive distracted.
Outdoor improvements that boost home value
Whether home improvement projects are design to improve the interior or exterior of a house, focusing on renovations that make the most financial sense can benefit homeowners in the long run. The right renovations can be assets if and when homeowners decide to sell their homes.
So how does one get started? First and foremost, speak to a local real estate agent who is knowledgeable about trends in the community. While a swimming pool may be something coveted in one area, it may impede sales in another. It also helps to study generalized trends and data from various home improvement industry analysts to guide upcoming projects.
The following outdoor projects are just a few renovations that tend to add value.
• Fire pit: A fire pit is a great place to gather most months of the year. Bob Vila and CBS news report that a fire pit realizes a 78 percent return on investment, or ROI.
• Outdoor kitchen: Many buyers are looking to utilize their yards as an extension of interior living areas. Cooking, dining and even watching TV outdoors is increasingly popular. Outdoor living areas can be custom designed and built. In addition, prefabricated modular units that require a much smaller commitment of time and money are available.
• Patio: Homeowners who do not already have a patio will find that adding one can increase a home’s value. Patios help a home look neat, add useable space and may help a home to sell quickly. The experts at Space Wise, a division of Extra Space Storage, say that refinishing, repairing and building a new patio offers strong ROI.
• Deck: Deck can be as valuable as patios. A deck is another outdoor space that can be used for entertaining, dining and more. Remodeling magazine’s 2018 “Cost vs. Value” report indicates that an $11,000 deck can add about $9,000 in resale value to the home, recouping around 82 percent of the project’s costs.
• Door update: Improve curb appeal with a new, high-end front door and garage doors. If that’s too expensive, a good cleaning and new coat of paint can make an old door look brand new. These easy fixes can improve a home’s look instantly.
• New landscaping: The National Association of Realtors says an outdoor makeover that includes wellthought out landscaping can net 105 percent ROI. Installing a walkway, adding stone planters, mulching, and planting shrubs are ideas to consider.
Many different outdoor projects can add value to a home.
The basics of home inspections
The process of buying a home involves a number of variables that present at various times throughout buyers’ search for a home. For instance, real estate professionals typically advise buyers to receive a mortgage preapproval prior to beginning their search for a new home. Once such preliminary measures have been taken care of, buyers can then search for a home and ultimately make an offer.
One of the more critical steps buyers can take when making an offer is insisting that the offer is contingent upon a home inspection. Home inspections offer a measure of protection
• You choose your own inspector. Buyers will choose their own home inspector, so it can pay dividends to start asking people you trust for recommendations even before you begin searching for a new home. Realtors also may recommend inspectors they’ve worked with in the past. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors® (nachi.org) also can help buyers find a home inspector.
that can save buyers from investing in properties that may look nice to the naked eye, but feature a host of costly problems beneath the surface. Individuals new to home buying may not know what to expect of the inspection process. In such instances, the following rundown can shed light on home inspections.
• Recognize inspection may be mandatory. Though it’s not always the case, home inspections may be required by mortgage lenders. Lenders want to ensure borrowers can repay their loans, which might prove difficult if a home is in need of considerable repairs. That’s why home inspections tend to be mandated by lenders, even if they’re paid for by buyers. Estimates from HomeAdvisor indicate home inspections cost between $279 and $400 on average, but that cost is well worth the peace of mind of knowing you won’t unknowingly be buying a money pit.
• You can, and should, attend a home inspection. It’s wise for buyers to attend a home inspection. Doing so allows them to see potential issues firsthand. Some seasoned home inspectors even prefer clients to attend an inspection so they can point out issues as they go through the house and answer questions directly rather than later on over the phone or via text or email. Though inspectors typically will answer questions off-site, it’s easier for both buyer and inspector to discuss issues in person on the day of the inspection. And for buyers, this can be a great way to become more informed about the home inspection process.
• Expect to spend a good deal of time at the inspection, and not necessarily with the sellers present. The National Association of Realtors indicates inspections can take as long as three hours, so this won’t be an in-and-out excursion. Buyers don’t want to rush the process, so block out ample time on your schedule to attend the inspection. In addition, sellers typically are not home during an inspection, though it can happen. Buyers who don’t want sellers present can request that they are not on the premises while the inspection takes place. There may not be anything to compel sellers to be off-site, but it can’t hurt to ask.
Home inspections are a vital component of the home buying process. It’s imperative that buyers take inspections seriously so they can feel confident they are not investing in a flawed property.
Grill safely this summer
Plenty of people can be found working their grilling magic year-round. But the vast majority of people do the bulk of their grilling over the summer, when warm temperatures contribute to a relaxed atmosphere that makes outdoor cooking and dining that much more appealing.
The relaxing nature of summer can make it easy to overlook safety, particularly when grilling. However, the right safety measures when cooking over an open flame can prevent home fires and other accidents that can cause injury and even death. In recognition of the many things that can go wrong when grilling, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration offer these simple fire safety tips that every grillmaster can keep in mind as summer grilling season hits full swing.
• Only use a grill outside. Grills should never be used indoors, and that includes in garages with the doors open. Before lighting a flame, make sure the grill is at least three feet from siding, deck rails and eaves.
• Establish a safe zone around the grill. A three-foot safe zone around the grill can decrease the likelihood that pets will run into and potentially tip over the grill. Kids can be taught to respect this zone as well so they avoid being burned.
• Open a gas grill before lighting it. Charcoal grills, hybrid grills and smokers cannot be lit unless the lid is lifted. That isn’t the case with gas grills, but gas grills should never be lit with the lid closed. If a gas grill is lit with its lid closed, gas can build up inside and that could cause an explosion. Even if there’s some summer rain falling, open the lid on a gas grill before turning the ignition switch.
• Keep an eye on the grill at all times. It’s tempting to walk away from a grill while food is cooking, but someone should always be tasked with staying close to the grill. If cooks must walk away, ask another adult to stay close to the grill until you return. All it takes is a few seconds for a fire to start.
• Clean the grill regularly. Regular cleaning of the grill is both healthy and safe. Cleaning helps to ensure the cooking surface is clean and unlikely to cause food poisoning. But a grease-free grill also poses less of a fire hazard than one that hasn’t been cleaned.
• Let coals cool before discarding them. Coals from the grill should be given ample time to cool before they’re removed from the grill and discarded.
• Remember to turn the gas valve to the off position after cooking. When cooking with gas grills, cooks must remember to turn the valve to the off position once all the food has been cooked.
Simple safety measures can ensure summer grilling season goes off without a hitch.
the Date! the Date!Save Save
What: What:
When: When:
Time: Time: Board wide Open Houses! Board wide Open Houses! Sunday, August 17th Sunday, August 17th
1:00 - 3:00 pm 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Join realtors from all local offices next month as they come together to provide an opportunity for potential buyers to tour a full variety of homes!
Whether you have questions about the process, are just starting your search, or have been patiently waiting for your dream home to pop up - this will be a great chance to meet different agents, see some great properties and maybe find “the one!”
A full list of open homes will be posted to our Facebook page Monday, August 11th
Be sure to like & follow so you don’t miss out!
If you have a fi replace that burns wood, you know that it loses all of its heat up the chimney. Rick Titus has a wood burning insert that will burn with the effi ciency of a wood stove and fi t inside your fi replace so it keeps your fi replace look, heating up to 1,000-2,000 sq. ft. The insert could heat up to 2,000 sq. ft. and burn a third of the wood!
If you have a gas log in your fi replace it also sends all of its heat up the chimney. Rick has Vent-Free gas logs that can burn as effi ciently as a gas cookstove and burn with the damper closed, thus keeping all the heat in the house, heating up to 1,000 sq. ft. of your home
So no matter what kind of fireplace you may have, Rick has an efficient solution for it. Call Rick or email him at yahtitus@gmail. com or go to his website below. Rick even has new fireplaces and wood stoves that can heat your home even during a power outage.
