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...

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...

Spring Clean your Air Conditioner

Summer in Oklahoma is right around the corner and now is the time to clean and prepare your air conditioning unit for the hot summer months. You can call an HVAC company to clean your unit, or you can roll up your sleeves and do most of the work yourself. Step 1 - Turn off your A/C unit Always turn off your A/C unit before doing any cleaning. For the inside furnace and air handler, this can often be done by simply unplugging the unit from the wall outlet. In some cases you will need to turn off the unit at your breaker box. Step 2 - Clean or replace air filters Most central HVAC … Continue reading...

Tips for keeping your lawn mower ready for spring mowing season

Kay and I live on 2.5 acres in north central Edmond. We love the large yard but that means mowing is VERY important to keeping our home and yard looking nice. When we first moved in I purchased a 61” Snapper commercial zero-turn mower and have used it every year in the 24 years we lived here. I have had to do a few minor repairs over the years such as replace a seat, replace a fuel pump, and sharpen blades, but for the most part it has been a very reliable, powerful mower that allows me to mow our yard in about an hour each week. Each year I pull my mower into my shop and use a grinder to … Continue reading...

Five common mistakes buyers make when searching for a home

Purchasing a home is typically the most expensive investment most people make. It is a big decision fraught with legal paperwork. A poor home choice can cost you big time - a house with hidden problems, paying more than you need to, problems with resale value later. Below are 5 common mistakes inexperienced home buyers make when choosing a real estate agent to help them with their home purchase: Below are 5 common mistakes home buyers make when searching for a new home. 1. Contact a friend or family member who you “heard” was an agent. This can be a hit or miss proposition. There … Continue reading...

Real estate phishing scams

The National Association of Realtors - NAR - recently issued a warning about phishing scams that are targeting the real estate business. A recent report from the cybersecurity firm eSentire found that real estate was the second most-targeted industry hit by malware events in the second quarter of 2018. These scams target both Realtors and clients and are quite diverse in nature. Many of them attempt to get the email recipient to wire transfer money, often using Western Union. In one growing scam, for example, scammers infiltrate the email account of a real estate professional - a Realtor, … Continue reading...

Moving into your home checklist

Congratulations on moving into your new home and this beginning of a new and exciting stage in your life. It’s not every day that you get to move into a new home. You have every right to be proud of this move.  Unfortunately it is way too early to celebrate with that bottle of champagne you saved just for such occasion. There is still plenty of work to do around your new house. The good news is that now you have the opportunity to organize your home exactly how you want it. You can celebrate later, but now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Inspect moving boxes … Continue reading...

Interactive map of crime data in Moore

The City of Moore Police Department is now reporting crime data to CrimeReports, allowing anyone to see an interactive map of recent crimes in the city. Viewers can see detailed information about the crime and report a tip directly to the police department. User can zoom in and out, search by address or location, and see recent crime trends in the area. Users can also create an alert for a particular area, letting them know if a crime has been committed in their neighborhood. Hopefully more cities will be reporting crime information to CrimeReport, allowing citizens to easily see and map … Continue reading...

Clean your windows before listing your home

First impressions are important, and clean windows are critical to making a great first impression. Every window in your home should be cleaned inside and out so that buyers don't notice dust, bugs and grime when they look outside - or peek inside. Cleaning takes a bit of time to do it right, but the benefits to home sellers is well worth the effort. Here are a few tips on cleaning your windows from professional window cleaner Tim Jarvis, owner of Jarvis Enterprises. Remove screens prior to cleaning your windows. If the screens are dirty, wash them with a water hose. Use … Continue reading...

Include a home inventory with your disaster kit

Oklahoman's are no strangers to disaster. Many prepare a disaster kit for their families that includes food, water, batteries, and medical supplies. But it is also a great idea to include an inventory of your home in your kit. This can prove important when it comes time to file your insurance claim. Even small items such as dishes, pots and pans, and furniture can be claimed on insurance, but you need some type of way to remember it all and a way to prove that you had it. An easy way to conduct a home inventory is to shoot a video of the contents of your home, then upload that to "the … Continue reading...