Realtor ®-The Woodlands Real Estate

When selling your home it is important to keep your home in tip top shape.  One of the most important attributes is Curb Appeal.  You never know when that special buyer will drive by.  Even when a buyer comes to view the property, sometimes the first impression is the lasting impression.

If your lawn is not manicured and the exterior of your home is in need of maintenance, you may as well be telling the buyer to Go Away in Most instances.  The belief is "If the outside is not taken care of, just imagine what the inside looks like."  I have heard this many times from buyers.

The following are some tips to get your Curb Appeal up to par:

• Lawn- In Houston we have Hot, Rainy summers.  Often times even waiting 7 days to mow the lawn is too long.  If your home is active on the market, try to keep it trimmed and manicured...not overgrown.  Don't forget to edge.
• Flowerbeds-  The one thing I dislike most about flowerbeds are the weeds, I don't like pulling them.  But again, try to keep them minimal.  I sometimes pay my daughter to pull weeds.  Nice summer work after it had rained and it keeps the "I'm bored" from coming out for a little while.
• Shrubs- It's amazing how keeping the Shrubs even will make your yard look immaculate.  Try to even them up and not have a few wild limbs growing out of control.
• Exterior Paint-  Paint on the home over time gets dull and sometimes chips.  Not only is that a way to get wood rot, but takes away from the beauty of the home.  Touch up the paint if you need to.
• Windows- Try to clean up those windows and make them shine! 
• Gutters-  Gutters tend to get full of leaves over time.  I have even seen trees starting to grow from gutters.  Get them cleaned out and re-hung if they are starting to fall off.
• Sidewalks and Driveways-  Sometimes renting a Power Washer for the day can help tremendously.  If your sidewalks or driveways are starting to look a little dingy, use the furniture polish for concrete.  Power Washing!

This may seem like a lot of work, but it is worth it!  Put yourself in the buyer's shoes for a moment and think about how you would feel about the home.  With a Sparkling Curb Appeal the exterior of your home will be ready for the spotlight and have your home saying "I'm Gorgeous!" to all prospective buyers.

Every Real Estate transaction is like a Journey.  For this trip I, as a Realtor, will be your tour guide.  As a team we will overcome obstacles thrown our way and make it to the top of the Mountain, your new home.  There are several members of our team.  You as a buyer or seller, myself the Realtor as a tour guide, the Lender that in a sense holds the map, and many others that will represent Landmarks along the way.

To make it to the top it is important to know the team.  It is important to find team members that are the most qualified to lead you.  Let's go through a list of team members you will need and what assets they will bring to the team.

Your Realtor- Or myself if you choose me to be on your team.  Your Realtor will be your guide toward each plateau and use their expertise to keep the pack moving forward instead of falling behind or going downhill.  Here are some of the plateaus for buyers and sellers:

• Listing the home including marketing, photos, pricing, coordinate showings and guidance through what can be the rough terrain of negotiating.
• Finding homes that fit your criteria.  There may be many mountains and trails, but let's find just the right one to take us to the top.
• Contract Deadlines.  There are many checkpoints along the way.  Let's make sure we have just the right tools for our needs.
• We will again see more Negotiating terrain.  Make sure your guide has the knowledge and expertise to get you through.

Your Lender- The lender plays a key role in getting to the top.  There are many trails to choose from here as well.  Choosing the right one from the beginning will get you to the top with less pitfalls.  Make sure the lender you choose holds a compass with the right points.  Ask a lot of questions and make sure the path is right for your needs.

Your Inspectors-  The Licensed Inspectors will help the team know what obstacles to overcome near the top.  Choosing the right inspector is imperative to help the rest of the team (you, your agent and lender) make sure we are still on the right path.  If there are repairs that need to be done prior to closing we may need to change it up a bit.  Also, there may be a canyon up the trail and we may need to find a completely different mountain.  Make sure you choose good, reputable inspectors that will make you feel positive you are making the right decision on the house you are buying.  After we get to the top, the team wants you to be happy and not find any surprises.

Your Title Company-  The Title Company plays a subtle yet important role in the transaction.  The Title Company is in charge of getting relevant information to the lender to process your loan in a timely fashion.  They also run title searches to make sure the mountain you are about to own is free and clear of Dark Clouds at closing.  If there are liens on the property, you need to know now.  Efficiency of the Title Company will help make the transaction more desirable.

Your Homeowner's Insurance Company-  All of your Homeowner's Insurance needs must be planned prior to closing.  Actually, I recommend this part of the team join in during the inspection period.  If there are any surprises in Rates, let's find out while we are still close to the bottom.  Call your insurance company early on to make sure you are getting a good rate and a desirable Insurance Package.

As a team we will make the Journey a Positive one to remember.  Every one of these team members play a key role in your happiness at the top.  Before, During and After you sell your home and move in to the new one, your team will be behind you 100%.  Make sure you choose the right team before you get to the Mountain.   

The other day I wrote The Difference Between a High Performance Home and a Green Built Home.  Honestly, I did not expect the response I got from it.  Before I go any further here, I just want to say one thing.  The point of that post was to be able to understand the difference between a home that is advertised as either a High Performance Home or Green.

You will find a wide variety of homes..with a variety of different features.. for a variety of different reasons.  The features you will find on these types of homes lies solely with the person building it.  Whether that be the buyer or builder.  People have different reasons for taking a step toward being GREEN.  I just wanted to touch on this subject.

If you notice the Poll that I have going on this page, It asks "What would your main reason be for Building a Green or Sustainable home?"  These are typically the underlying reasons.  This is where you are going to see different features in homes.  It's not because it is a different style of home or one is better than the other, it's simply the passion is behind the motivation.  (Sort of like asking a seller what their motivation is to sell. Ultimately they want to move, but it might be for different reasons.)

So, to help clear up a little confusion, I am going to go through these main points.  Again, you will find people that want more than one of these but you will probably find that they lean more to one than another.

Because it's Healthier- People that have Allergy and Asthma symptoms, or just want a healthier Indoor Air Quality. Not necessarily building because of Green aspects. Here are a few features:

• Whole House HEPA Filter
• Low VOC Paints (less toxic fumes and allergens)
• Special Carpets or Flooring (same thing.  There is some nasty stuff in carpet like Formaldehyde)
• Building Materials that do not gain moisture as much as wood, fiberglass insulation, and sheetrock.  (Less of a chance for mold and mildew)

Because it will help the Environment- People that want to do their part in reducing GreenHouse Gases..a true Green Building.  Here are a few features:

• Rain Water Harvesting
• Manufactured Woods
• Recycled Flooring
• Solar Panels
• Recycled Insulation
• GeoThermal Units
• Dual Flush Toilets  (You have the option for a "small flush" or a "big flush")

Because of the Energy Efficiency- People that are Dollar Driven and are willing to invest in a future with lower utility bills.  Here are a few features:

• Higher R-Value Insulation
• Thicker/Concrete Exterior walls
• Higher SEER A/C and Heat Units
• Solar Panels
• Tankless Water Heaters
• Gas Appliances
• Dual Flush Toilets (Ultimately reduce the water bill)
• Metal roof

Because I need a quieter home- People that live near a Freeway, Airport, Shopping Centers.  Here are a few points that you also saw in Energy Efficiency:

• Higher R-Value in attic and walls
• Thicker/Concrete exterior walls

So, here we have it.  To prevent Greenwashing a TRUE Green Built home should have a minimum number of features from the "To Help The Environment" section.  If you mix enough of these together, you may not have that many Recycled or GREEN Products, but you would ultimately put off less GreenHouse Gases.  This would be considered a system..but I'll leave that for another post.  I hope this was able to clear up any confusion.

The other day I received an email VIA Active Rain regarding Green Building.  The person was sharing their thoughts on the issue as to what they thought the down side was of Building Green. This was not a hostile e-mail, he was simply sharing his views.

I appreciate that.  This is one way how I know what topics need to be discussed.  One of the statements I was quick to disregard at first:

"So, I guess one might ask the question:  Why should a house appraise for more because its constructed to the codes? Its required by law!"

The more I thought about this, I realized that many consumers would not understand why I disregarded this statement.  There are a couple of misconceptions here.  One big one and that is what I am going to talk about.  I am going to refrain from saying this is true about ALL High Performance or Green Homes because as I mentioned in another post, these terms are sometimes used loosely and I can't speak for all builders around the globe.  Just the many that build true to terms.

Why should a house appraise for more because its constructed to the codes?

This is a great question and the answer is simple.  The Majority are NOT built to code.  They are for the most part built ABOVE codes.  Again, we run into some confusion regarding Green Homes and High Performance Homes...for the sake of conversation I will use the High Performance Home as an example as I believe that is what the consumer was referring to.  Again, this is just one example.

I contacted a builder that is part of the Green and LEED community in Houston today to get his opinion on the statement above.  I am going to do my best to quote..I was driving when I had the conversation.

"You can build a home to Codes at $100,000 or you can build it at $10 Million-homes can be built to code but it does not guarantee performance. Codes have to do more with Safety than they do Performance"

This is why the term is used.  If it were simply a little more energy efficient, Energy Star would be a better term.  By 'High Performing' it will be a step above.  I will use just a few Houston Building Codes for an example:

• Exterior Walls- Building code asks for an insulation factor of R-13.  You are more likely to see a Minimum of R-15 or higher.
• Attic Insulation- Building code asks for an R-30.  You are more likely to see an R-38 or higher.
• A/C Seer Rating- The new minimum is 13 Seer that is manufactured.  You are more likely to see a 15 Seer or higher.  Buyers with the money will choose 20 Seer or higher. (The higher the Seer, the higher performing)

There are many, many other aspects of building Green or High Performance Homes.  I felt as though these 3 topics would be a great, easy way to explain.  These homes do not cost/appraise more because they are built to code.  They cost/appraise more because they exceed. 

Now, the cost.  How much more are we talking about?  Well, that's for another post.  Let's just say that it's another slight misconception that needs to be put to rest. 

As Green Building begins to reach out and grasp the attention of consumers, builders, lenders, etc. - The terms commonly used appear to be getting used interchangeably.  I think this is creating confusion and misunderstanding.  It is very important to understand the marketing behind the words. 

I was speaking with a builder earlier today about Residential Construction in the Green Community and we were talking about the differences between certain products.  I thought it would be a good topic to write on.  Here are the items that jumped out at me.

When Green Building first started it brought together many topics.  Environmentally Friendly, Energy Efficient, Recycled Products, Low Toxin and other products that are considered to make a Healthier Environment.  Now that the number of products available grows, we are seeing various new categories develop:

• Energy-Efficient- a good example would be Energy Star
• High Performance- a good example would be one built with ICF's
• Green- built with a variety of products
• Homes with a mix of these.  One example would be LEEDwhere it starts with design like a High Performance Home and can use Green products such as Low VOC Paints, Recycled Flooring, Solar Tube, Solar Panels, etc.  Follow the link above to learn more about LEED Certified homes.

Now, for the difference between a High Performance Home and a Green Home.  Can a home be both of these, absolutely, and often times they are.  The purpose of this post is to be able to understand what the difference is between a home marketed as a High Performance Home and  Green Home.

JaneAnne Narrin of EcoSteward Realty in North Carolina wrote and excellent post on High Performance Homes that I invite you to read.  To summarize, the High Performance Home starts with design.  These homes are going to be a very Tight Construction called the "envelope".  Due to the tight "envelope" the home will need more attention to Air Circulation and transfer of indoor/outdoor air.  Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).  Here are the some of the key points for a High Performance Home:

• Energy Efficiency
• Water Efficiency
• Indoor Air Quality Efficiency
• Site Planning and Lot Development
• Homeowner Education

These homes are what I would call, with my slang, an Ultra Efficient Home.  You will see a difference in your Utility Savings and there should be a significant reduction in allergy and asthma symptoms.  Believe it or not High Performance Homes built with Insulated Concrete Forms have shown that the larger the home, the more efficient it is.  Typically these will not have Wood Framing which also makes the Fire Rating of these homes amazing.

Now, a GREEN Home.  We have gone in past years from GREEN being only Environmentally Safe Products, then Green was affected some by Greenwashing, and now Green Products are even more environmentally safe than typical products (i.e. recycled, less wasteful manufacturing, etc) and we are finding they are better for us too.   Thus making the difference between a High Performance Home and a GREEN Home.  Here are some things you might find on/in a GREEN Home:

• Some WILL have wood framing
• Bamboo or Recycled Flooring
• Perhaps Recycled Insulation
• GreyWater System (capturing rain water for household use)
• GeoThermal Technology
• Special Roofing Materials

This is just a SHORT list.  But you will see that a GREEN HOME uses materials that are really GREEN, like the recycled products.  These will also be Energy Efficient while utilizing Environmentally Friendly Products.

As I said earlier, there will be homes that combines features from both systems. I hope that I have cleared up some of the confusion so that now when you see High Performance Home or GREEN Built Home, hopefully you will have some ideas on what to look for.  If you are wanting to build, pick out the aspects that are most important to you.  It doesn't have to be one or the other.  It could be Hybrid so to speak.

For an update on this post, Please CLICK HERE.

GREEN RESOURCE DIRECTORY Resource Efficiency and Energy Efficiency

Natural/High Efficiency Lighting

• Installers
• Designers
• Online Links

Task Lighting

Energy Efficient Heat and A/C Systems

• Installers
• Suppliers
• Online Links

Thermally Efficient Building Shell

Roofing and Wall Finish Materials

• Vendors
• Suppliers
• Misc. Links and information

High R-Value Insulation

• Installers
• Manufacturers
• Suppliers
• Misc. Links and Information

High Performance Window Installers/Manufacturers

Heat Loss/Gain Pros

Photovoltaics and Fuel Cells

Renewable Energy Sources

Please leave a comment with information regarding Experienced and knowledgable professionals in the above areas.  Feel free to leave the link for a post or any other contact information.

I am working from home for most of the day today.  Since I Re-Insulated my Home and with all of the rain lately I have noticed a few critters inside the house.  I was here waiting for the Pest Control Company to show up.  Because we have cats and small kids, we use a company that uses a product that is supposed to be the safest available.  They don't even use a spray inside if they don't have to..and if they do they say that an animal or kid would have to drink at least 2 cups of it to affect them. 

You may also know that I suffer from allergies.  That is one of the reasons why EcoBroker appealed to me.  Promote Healthier, Allergen Free Living and Healthier Indoor Air Quality...a small part of it. 

Well, as I was sitting here trying to figure out what to post about today, the company shows up.  Because I have noticed some bugs, he decides to use the spray today.  Ok, fine with me.

As he sprayed the product about 5 feet away, immediately my eyes started to swell and water, my breathing became heavier, and I even felt a little dizzy for a couple of minutes.  What the heck?

They use a product called Phantom.  (The one that is supposed to be so safe)  I decided to Google it and found the MSDS Sheet for it.  Doesn't sounds too safe on their.  Simply inhaling the mist it recommends contacting 911 for a respirator after moving the person to fresh air.  He has been gone for 20 minutes now, sprayed it over 1/2 an hour ago and I'm still breathing heavy and feel a little light headed.  Think I might ought to go outside and get some fresh air?  :)

Okay. Posting from outside now. 

The reason I am writing this is, Do we all understand the adverse affects of Pesticides?  Are there some Allergen Free Pesticides out there that are effective for basic quarterly service?  I am going to do some research on this, but if anyone knows...please fill me in. 

In the mean time, here are some links regarding Indoor Air Quality and Pesticides.  I recommend reading them as they are very interesting:

• Amazing facts and Dangers on Pesticides
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Environmental Protection Agency

Any other links you know of with Environmentally Safe or Allergen Free Pesticides will be much appreciated!

As you can see...I'M BACK!  What a great time we had at Disney World!  Florida was beautiful just the way I remember it from so many years ago.  It rained a little each day, enough to keep the temperature down some.  Except Friday, it rained for a long time late afternoon, but that was ok.

The kids had a great time.  The picture is from the 4th of July Fireworks at MGM.  My son's first time to see Fireworks. Ahhh.  I thought I would share some photos with all of you. 

We left early Monday morning.  Our flight was late taking off and the whole flight left a lot to be desired.  But that is another post.  Let's focus on the fun, positive parts.  :)  We went to Downtown Disney Monday evening and did some shopping and ate at Planet Hollywood.  We thought it would be a good idea to get to bed early for some fun the next day.

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter.  I did some research before I chose it. It is one of the smaller hotels on site (I don't like huge crowds), it has a Food Court with kid friendly food, first stop for the buses to the park (didn't have to stand on the way to the parks), and it has a really neat pool.  :)  Our room had a nice view of the water and we got to watch the boats go by.  Right across was the Golf Course I guess from Old Key West.  Couldn't quite figure that one out.  Great view.

We went to Animal Kingdom and Epcot the next day.  With a nap in between for my little man.  I think all of the animals were out. If not, I can't imagine what we didn't see.  There were a lot!  The kids loved Camp Minnie Mickey and got to meet lots of characters.  My daughter ended up with close to 20 autographs throughout the week and my son screamed when he couldn't get close enough to hug them.  So cute. 

We spent the morning of July 4th at Magic Kingdom and the night at MGM.  My hubby and daughter loved the Star Wars Simulator.  I thought it was pretty neat myself.  My son was bored all evening and we had to play a lot of tickle feet to keep him happy.  We went on Space Mountain early in the day.  Courtney being 10 loved all of the rides!

We stayed for Extra Magic Hours that night and did the Dance Party with Playhouse Disney.  This was so neat.  If you have young kids you have to do this!  Dancing with Mickey, Goofy, JoJo, Goliath....wow.  Party kiddo style.

The Weather was not too hot which made it great!  Humidity was pretty low also, at least compared to Houston. 

We went over to Typhoon Lagoon in the morning on Thursday and went on Crush N Gusher.  Then headed over to Epcot again in the evening.  If you haven't seen the show they do at night there...it's awesome!  The wait for Test Track at one point was 200 minutes. No, I didn't put too many 0's.  No more Fast Passes available for the day.  It got down to 90 minutes but we didn't think it would be worth the wait. 

We also did the Dining Plan.  If you want to do Character Meals I HIGHLY recommend this.  This was the Play N Dine Breakfast at MGM.  Without the Dining Plan it would have been $75.  Holy Cow.  Most expensive buffet I have ever been to.  :)

We went back to Magic Kingdom that afternoon in time for the Parade and stayed late.  Last night there so we thought we would make the most of it. It rained cats and dogs Friday afternoon and evening, my son sounded like he was coming down with a cold so we left after the fireworks. 

We hit the kid rides this time.  Oh, and we did Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Woo Hoo!  My daughter was ticked that I was making her do a train ride...until she found out it was a roller coaster.  Hee Hee.  She was happy again. 

We didn't have time to do a whole lot on Saturday.  Our flight left at 2:55 pm so we just hung out around the hotel in the morning. Dang it was humid yesterday!  Glad we stayed indoors and not in one of the parks! 

The flight home was MUCH better...until of course when we were about to land (literally as we were descending) my son unloaded his stomach.  Not a pretty sight.  Atleast it was at the end of the flight.  :) 

It was so nice to get home.

We did SO much while we were there. I didn't want to bore all of you with the detailed, details.  My daughter wants to go back next year.  Might have to drive next time.  :)