Using Pinterest to plan our new swimming pool deck

While we were removing the existing pool, I created a Pin Board in Pinterest so that Kay and I could share ideas about the deck designs we liked. During this time, everything was fair game. We would see a particular deck or even a particular feature and we would send it to our shared Pinboard. Kay and I created a shared Pinterest board with swimming pool deck ideas that we liked. This went on for several weeks and we would talk about what we liked and didn't like over our morning coffee. Pinterest was a great way to curate ideas and narrow down our design plans. We tagged deck … Continue reading...

Time to replace our old swimming pool and deck

Kay and I have lived in our current home for over 25 years. Right after we moved in, we installed an above-ground swimming pool and hired a contractor to build a deck around the pool. Fast forward two decades and it was time to replace our pool. We thought about an in-ground pool but decided the cost was prohibitive and we had been really pleased with the longevity and usefulness of our previous pool, so we decided to simply replace our existing pool with one just like it - a 28' round Doughboy pool from Leisure Time Pools and Spa's in OKC. Our prior Doughboy pool gave us a solid 20 years … Continue reading...

Looking for home renovation financing?

As the COVID pandemic drags on, more people are staying put in their home and choosing to renovate rather than upgrade to a bigger or updated home. Paying for renovations to your existing home, especially for homeowners without substantial equity in their home, is a challenge. The traditional method to finance renovations is to use a home equity line of credit. However, this requires a substantial amount of equity in your home to qualify for a loan. For example, if you owe $300,000 on a $400,000 home, traditional lenders will typically loan up to 80% of the equity of the home, meaning the … Continue reading...

When do I need to replace my roof?

Oklahoma weather is hard on roofs. The extreme temperature shifts from summer to winter, along with strong winds, can cause shingles to crack and split. If these cracks are not repaired, ice and snow during the winter can cause the crack to expand and eventually cause the roof to leak. Strong winds in particular are challenging on Oklahoma roofs. Wind can lift the edges of poorly installed or worn shingles and peel the layers of shingles, causing leaks and damage. In most cases, you can expect a well-installed asphalt shingle roof to last anywhere from 15-30 years, depending on the quality … Continue reading...

What a Home Inspection CAN’T tell you

You hire a home inspector to look over the house you want to buy with a fine-tooth comb and tell you what issues they uncover. A good home inspector WILL thoroughly examine your home and will always find something - but there are limits. Home inspectors are bound by a set of rules that limit what they can and cannot tell you. I highly recommend every buyer get a home inspection, but there are certain things a home inspector CAN'T tell you. Here is what a home inspector CAN'T tell you: Whether to by this house You would think this would be an easy question, and I often hear buyers … Continue reading...

The downside of listing your home “as-is”

You are ready to move. You have already picked out your new house, the movers are scheduled, and you don't want to spend any time - or money - on fixing up the house you are selling. You just want to be done with it. So just list it "as-is", right? Let the new buyers choose the carpet they want, paint the walls whatever color they choose, and remodel the kitchen to their liking. All of those items may cost you $30,000 and you can just reduce the price by $30K and let the new buyer pick what they want. And you don't have to mess with it, right? Sure, you can do that, but you are going to … Continue reading...

Your Second Home Showing – What to Look For

Roof You have looked at several homes and have narrowed it down to one or two favorites. Things are getting serious now. You have scheduled your second showing and want to spend more time looking at your potential new home. You have seen the home once. What do you look for on your second visit? Now is the time to pay close attention to, among other things, the roof. It can be quite expensive to replace or repair a leaky roof. It is best to consider the condition of the roof before making an offer so you can calculate that into your offer. Fortunately, even if you aren’t skilled in … Continue reading...

HUD to announce long-awaited FHA Condo rules

HUD logo

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expected to release updated guidance on FHA-insured condominium financing. The new rules should benefit buyers by making low down-payment mortgages on condominiums more available to first-time homebuyers, small families and those who live in urban areas. “Condominiums are often the most affordable option for first time home buyers, small families, and those in urban areas,” said NAR President John Smaby, in a statement issued to the media Wednesday morning. “We are thrilled that (HUD) Secretary (Ben) Carson has taken this … Continue reading...

Watch Edmond Liberty Fest Parade at RE/MAX Platinum

Edmond's annual Liberty Fest Parade, one of the largest annual parades in Oklahoma, is July 4 in downtown Edmond, and one of the best spots to watch the parade is right in front of my office in downtown Edmond at Broadway and Hurd - 19 N. Broadway to be exact. The parade starts at 9 am and normally runs until about 10:30 am. Parking is at a premium, so if you would like to watch from our lawn, plan to arrive from the west off Fretz no later than 8:30 am. Bring lawn chairs and a blanket and come enjoy the fun. We will be there with refreshments and our bathrooms will be open if … Continue reading...

Pay Attention to Details When Looking at Homes

I often see home buyers walk into a home and within 2 minutes say "WOW, THIS IS THE ONE!" First impressions are very important for sure, but with such important financial investment, it is a good idea to spend a bit more time taking a close look at details before deciding to make an offer on a home. Sure, you can always back out after inspections uncover major problems, but by then you have already spent quite a bit of money to pay for inspections. Why not spend a bit of time looking into potential problems before making the offer? Even if the home IS perfect, doing a bit of sleuthing up front … Continue reading...