ADVICE FOR HOMEOWNERS TOP TIPS FROM LOCAL EXPERTS
YOUR REALTOR SHOULD BE A RESOURCE When Dave and Eileen Green decided to sell their home of over 25 years — a home they raised their family in — the last thing they wanted was to spend thousands on renovations just to put it on the market. They were thrilled when their Realtor, JoAnn Zyph, told them not to spend money they wouldn’t ZYPH recoup, and instead recommended minimal — but just right — updates. The house sold in 40 minutes. In the winter. “When it’s appropriate, I would much rather have my clients spend their money on their new home rather than the one they’re leaving,” Zyph said. The Greens said Zyph’s connections proved invaluable as they looked to build a new home. With new construction, a floor plan can be challenging to visualize, but Zyph was able to show them a home that had already sold using
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SIX YEARS IN A ROW
a floor plan they were interested in. That enabled them to make customizations specific to their health and lifestyle needs. “She added such a personal touch, and she never let us down from beginning to end,” Eileen Green said. The experience left her clients knowing that if they needed any recommendation for a home-related issue, their first call would be to Zyph. And that’s exactly how she would have it. “One of the things I enjoy most about being a Realtor is being able to be a source for clients long after their home has closed,” said Zyph, who markets herself accordingly as “Partner. Advocate. Realtor.” She said the connections and relationships she has formed with vendors over the past 15 years truly makes her an “all-things-homes” adviser. “In the case of the Greens, I was a resource for a whole house, but for others, it could just be a kitchen or bathroom remodel,” she said. “It’s not that I have all the answers, but I have a great web of relationships in the industry, so if I don’t personally know a resource, I can certainly source one that comes highly recommended.”
“It’s a privilege I take seriously to not only be involved in one of the largest financial transactions for my clients, but to help them create that special place they will call home,” JoAnn said. For more about JoAnn Zyph, see ad on page 21.
TOP 3 WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY THIS SUMMER When the temperature outside is extreme, the amount of energy required to regulate the temperature inside your home can lead to costly bills. Avista Chief Efficiency Engineer Tom Lienhard recommends three ways to save energy — and money — this summer. And here’s a bonus: he said these tactics for keeping homes cool in the summer also keep them warm in the winter.
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Things have a way of coming full circle. One of Zyph’s resources is now the Greens themselves. Zyph took a couple through the Greens’ home not long ago, and they are now building on that same floor plan with their own customization.
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Proper insulation and air sealing techniques around windows and doors successfully keep the heat outside in the summer and inside during the winter. A good way to find leaks around doors is to have a helper outside the door in the dark with a flashlight and have them run the light around the door. Where you see light you have issues. A one-quarter inch gap at the bottom of a door or an one-eighth inch gap around the whole door is the equivalent of a softball-sized hole.