Chris Hounchell REALTOR

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Award-winning Florida real estate Broker PROUDLY SELLING IN PINELLAS, HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, MANATEE & SARASOTA COUNTIES since 2004.

Tips For Closing Your Pool For the Season

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While the temperatures may still be warm, summer is quickly winding down and fall with its cooler temperatures will be here before you know. Don’t let closing your pool become an afterthought. Having a pool is a huge investment in your home and one that needs proper maintenance in order to avoid it becoming a huge problem. Closing your pool isn’t as intimidating a project as many homeowners think either. Follow our tips for a smooth closing and good winter maintenance.

Tips-For-Closing-Your-Pool

  • Treat your water. Five to seven days before closing your pool, test your water and then treat it accordingly to bring the calcium, pH, and alkalinity into the correct range. Shock the pool with chlorine to kill any bacteria. Let the chlorine levels come back down to normal range before proceeding with your closing.
  • Clean and clear your pool. Scrub the walls of the pool and then vacuum the pool. This will help keep algae at bay and make opening easier. Remove all accessories such as ladders, handrails, slides, vacuums, etc. from the pool and store them in a shed or garage away from the winter elements.
  • Lower your water level. Using your filter or a separate pump, reduce the water level to below the skimmer. In the event of freezing, this will provide enough room for the water to expand without damaging your pool.
  • Backwash and drain your filter system. Backwashing the filter will remove all the water in the filter. Drain all of the water lines and blow them out using an air compressor.
  • Cover the pool. Using a solid, opaque cover for your pool keeps debris out of the water and reduces the ability of algae to form in the water. It also helps keep unwanted guests, namely children and animals, out of the water although you should still practice proper pool safety even in the off season.

Closing your pool the correct way will allow for an easier opening once temperatures warm back up in the spring and allow you to enjoy your pool sooner.

Fall Events In Tampa Bay – 2015

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School’s back in session, everything is pumpkin spice flavored that must mean fall is here (or almost here). Sure summer is quickly becoming a distant memory but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do. The Tampa Bay area is bursting at the seams with events for residents and visitors of all ages and interests. We’ve compiled a list of fall events in Tampa Bay for the next three months. Enjoy the season!

Fall-Events-In-Tampa-Bay

September

October

November

 

 

Most Common Reasons Closing Is Delayed

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You’ve signed your real estate contract that included a specific date for closing. You’ll meet all the parties at the closing table on that date, right? Wrong…maybe. The closing date agreed upon in the real estate contract is tentative until the mortgage company and title company/attorney confirm it. There are times when that date may come and go without an end in sight. Why is that? Below we’ll examine the most common reasons closing is delayed.

Most-Common-Reasons-Closing-Is-Delayed

  • The mortgage company hasn’t completed their underwriting. After the mortgage crash in 2008, lenders became much more strict in their underwriting guidelines. Buyers are now required to provide solid proof of employment, cash flow, debt information, and savings. Once the mortgage underwriters receive all of this information they need to complete their own verification process which can take time and if changes in the Buyer’s credit report or bank statements take place it may cause the underwriting process to start all over. The mortgage company will also require an appraisal and most likely a home inspection report. If the appraisal comes back lower that the agreed upon price the mortgage company will require a lower sales price or not the loan. If the home inspection report lists repairs are needed the mortgage company may not agree to lend the money until the repairs are made and reinspected.
  • There are issues with the chain of title. Running concurrently with the mortgage underwriting process, the title company is underwriting the title to the house. They are responsible for issuing a clear title to the Buyer, which means they need to account for the mortgage(s) being paid off at closing, ensure taxes are current (or will be paid at closing), and the owners listed on title are the same owners attempting to sell the property. Issues arise when a prior mortgage still shows of record, the chain of owners is incomplete or incorrect, the legal description to the property is incorrect, or any other questionable information that is discovered in their research of the public records. Because the contract states that the Seller will provide a clear title to the Buyers at closing, closing cannot take place until all issues are resolved and depending on the issue will dictate how substantial the delay may be.
  • Communication between all parties is lacking. All of the parties (or their representatives) need to communicate throughout the process. The mortgage company may have a last minute requirements they need the Buyer or title company to fulfill or the title company may not have availability for the closing date or time originally requested. Simple issues can turn into big headaches if communication breaks down.
  • The Buyer or Seller runs into money troubles. It takes a lot of cash to buy a home and even if the Buyer is mortgaging the property he or she will still need to bring money to the closing table. Many Buyers rely on the funds from the previous home to fund their new home. If the previous home doesn’t close by the time their home is they will most likely won’t have the funds readily available to close. On the flip side, if the Seller was expecting to simply break even on the property they may need to scramble to find available funds to cover any unexpected costs.
  • The final walk-through uncovers new problems. Sometime within 24 hours of closing, the Buyer and Seller (along with their agents) will complete the walk-through and sometimes it can unveil issues that were either hiding during the showings and inspection (holes in the walls, stains/rips in the carpet or gouges in the flooring) or the Sellers did a less than stellar job when they moved out leaving behind garbage or a house that’s in less than “broom swept” condition. If the Realtors and their clients cannot come to a quick resolution to the issues it can result in a postponed closing.

So what should you do if you’re closing is subject to a delay? First, stay calm. What’s done is done, there’s no point focusing on what should have been done only what can be done now. Try to respond to any requests from the lender or title company immediately and keep in touch with your Realtor and/or attorney throughout the entire process. If a situation arises that requires additional negotiation for a repair or credit at closing attempt to find some middle ground with the other party that will resolve the issue quickly and keep the ball rolling towards the goal of a closed and completed transaction.

Seller’s Closing Checklist

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You’ve found a buyer for your house and the contract is signed. Congratulations! You may find yourself looking around and wondering “now what?” We have the answers you’ll need to get from contract to closing table. Follow our Seller’s Closing Checklist for a guided and smooth closing process.

Seller's-Closing-Checklist

After Signing the Contract

  • Provide the name of the mortgage company(ies) and account number(s) to the closing agent/title company so they can obtain the necessary payoff information.
  • Notify the HOA or Condo association of the tentative closing date and if there any processing fees to change their owner records and obtain copies of the bylaws.
  • Schedule the survey.
  • Schedule the home inspection with Buyer’s agent.
  • Schedule  the occupancy inspection with local municipality.

Four Weeks Before Closing

  • Schedule movers or make moving truck reservations.
  • Begin packing.
  • Make repairs agreed upon during the home inspection process.

Two Weeks Before Closing

  • Contact utility companies and arrange final readings and provide a forwarding address for the final bill.
  • Request a change of address with USPS.
  • Cancel or transfer reoccurring services (cable, pest control, landscapers, etc.).

One Week Before Closing

  • Confirm closing date and time.
  • Schedule Buyer’s final walk through.
  • Complete packing.
  • Clean the house.

Day Before Closing

  • Review preliminary HUD-1 settlement statement.
  • Provide final utility readings to the closing agent/title company.
  • Complete final walk through with Buyer.

Day of Closing

  • Empty the house of your belongings.
  • Complete one last sweep of the house, making sure to check all cabinets, closets, and drawers.
  • All titled owners to the house need to attend closing.
  • Provide keys, garage door remotes, and any other pertinent information to the Buyer.
  • Once closing is complete, cancel or transfer your homeowner’s insurance.

Take a look at our moving timeline as well!

How Do You Know You Found the Right House?

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Buying a home is a major investment, both financial and personal. You’re going to spend a consider amount of time in a house, making memories and living life, you don’t want to do that in a house you’re less than enthused about from the get go. Looking at house after house over the course of a few days or weeks can make your options start to blur together but you do eventually need to make a choice. So, how do you know you found the right house?

You Use Your Imagination

As you tour a house, you start to imagine living your life inside those walls. You can imagine your furniture filling the rooms and hosting your friends and families for parties and holidays.

It Meets Your Criteria

No matter how amazing a house is, if it has even just one item on your deal breaker list it’s not the house for you. Whether your deal breaker is a school district, commute, or something else that isn’t easily fixed, don’t attempt to “live with it” for the sake of a house. You decided on those deal breakers for a reason, stick to them. But if a house meets your basic needs (number of bedrooms/bathrooms, lot size, location, etc.) then this may be the one for you.

How-Do-You-Know-You-Found-the-Right-Home

You Can Overlook the Flaws

This one is tricky because if you fall in love with a house that needs a complete remodel it may not be the right house for your budget. But if you find a house that has a few flaws that are a relatively easy and inexpensive fix or you can live with them and you can see the house for it’s worth before and after the flaws then it may be your house.

You Can Afford It

Rule number one of house hunting is don’t look at a house you can’t afford. It’s almost a guarantee you’ll end up in love with the house that is way out of your price range and every other house you see just won’t measure up.

Trust Your Gut

Many people say they know within a few minutes of being in a house that it’s the home for them. If your instincts are telling you “this is the one” and nothing stands out to raise a red flag, follow your intuition.

Don’t feel like you should ever settle for a house. A good Realtor will listen to your wants and needs and work with you until you find “the one”.

5 Home Selling Safety Tips

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Imagine you invite a complete stranger into your home and give them almost unlimited access to every room, all while you’re not there. It sounds like a crazy scenario, right? That exact scenario is what will happen when you list your home for sale. Completely strangers will walk through your door and imagine living in your home and the majority of sellers think nothing of it. The idea that a “for sale” sign out front provides you with a sense of security is one that you should re-examine.

The majority of potential home buyers are legitimate and looking for nothing more than to find their new home but there are those people who look for an opportunity to take advantage of the access a home for sale provides. With that in mind, we have five home selling safety tips for you to follow when your house goes on the market.

5-Home-Selling-Safety-Tips

Valuables. This is the most obvious tip. Secure your jewelry, computers, hard drives, cameras, and any other items that are either valuable or irreplaceable. Some sellers choose to take these items out of the house for each showing while others will ask a trusted family member or friend to hold on to them until the house is off the market.

Medications. Prescription medication abuse is a serious and fairly common form of drug abuse. It’s best to secure any prescriptions behind lock and key or remove them from your home during showings. Many prescriptions are difficult to replace before the next refill is due because of laws designed to prevent abuse. Other over the counter and behind the counter medications can be used to make street drugs and you may want to consider hiding these with prescription medications as well.

Personal Information. In addition to making your house look neat and clean, you should file away any paperwork that has credit card numbers, billing information, and identifying information to deter anyone who may be tempted to commit fraud using your name. You should also put away information related to your children’s schools or daycare.

Showings. All showings should be scheduled through your Realtor’s office. Never allow a person into your home that you weren’t expecting or who simply knocks on your door after seeing the sign in your front yard. All potential buyers should be accompanied by a Realtor during a showing.

Protect the Buyer. Make sure your home is free from obstructions that may cause injury to any visitors. Sidewalks and driveways should be level, bushes should be trimmed back from doorways, and pets should be secured in a crate or taken out of the home during showings, for the safety of both the buyer and your pet.

If you ever feel that a situation isn’t right, call your Realtor right away. Being cautious is always the safest course of action.

 

 

Moving Timeline

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You’ve found your new house or you’ve sold your old one, either way you need to put together a plan to move yourself and your belongings from one house to another. Having a well thought out and detailed plan will help ensure your move with be as smooth as possible. Follow our moving timeline to help you have the best move possible.

moving day -2

Two Months Out

  • Contact a moving company for a detailed estimate or reserve a moving truck if you’re moving yourself.
  • Take inventory of your belongings; be sure to note serial numbers of large ticket items; take pictures if possible.
  • Begin sorting through your items into three categories: keep, donate, trash.

One Month Out

  • Submit a change of address form with the post office.
  • Contact utility companies to end service at your old residence and begin service at your new residence.
  • Arrange insurance policies for new residence and make any necessary changes to your automobile coverage.
  • Obtain records from schools, doctors, dentists, attorneys, and accountants.
  • Register children with new school district; notify current school of your plans.

Three Weeks Out

  • Begin packing items that don’t see a lot of use.
  • Begin using items that can’t be moved such as frozen and canned food.
  • Arrange transportation for yourself, children, and pets.
  • Coordinate cleaning of your new home before you move in.

Two Weeks Out

  • Have your cars serviced.
  • Pack all about essential items.
  • If moving into a building, schedule use of the elevators with the building’s management.

One Week Out

  • Pack essentials and take them in your car; don’t load them onto the truck.
  • Close bank accounts and safety deposit boxes.
  • Confirm movers packing, pick up, and drop off dates.

Day Before

  • Empty your freezer and refrigerator.
  • Set aside items you will carry yourself.
  • Arrange to deliver the keys to the new owners after the you move out.

Day Of

  • Make sure someone is available to supervise and answer any questions the movers may have.
  • Once your belongings are loaded onto the truck, walk through the house to make sure no items were left behind.
  • Do a quick clean of the house to leave it in broom swept condition.
  • Say “goodbye” to your former home.

 

How to Avoid Contractor Scams

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You may be able to handle small home maintenance or improvement projects but when it comes to a large undertaking, like an addition or remodel, or an emergency repair, you’ll most likely seek the assistance of a professional contractor. So how do you choose a contractor and how do you avoid contractor scams?

Getting Started

It’s best not to google “contractors in Florida” and start calling for prices. Instead, ask friends and family that have had work done in the past year or two for recommendations. Also drive around your neighborhood and look for any homes that may have signs outside advertising ongoing work and evaluate the work being done. Is the project on the same scale and style as you are planning? Are the workers keeping the property relatively neat and safe?

Interview

A reputable contractor won’t simply quote you a price over the phone. An experienced contractor will come out to your home to evaluate the project firsthand, take measurements, discuss what types of materials will be used, and the timeline for completing the project. You most likely won’t be quoted a price the same day; the contractor will need to price out the materials and labor costs after meeting with you. After discussing the specifics of the project you should ask for proof that each contractor is licensed with the state and holds the appropriate insurance coverage. Don’t just take their word for it either, verify the information with the state before you sign a contract. You should be suspicious of any contractor that discourages you from seeking estimates from other contractors in the area. A reputable contractor will have no worries that his work and price will speak for themselves.

How-to-Avoid-Contractor-Scams

Prices and Payments

Contractors who offer “specials” or extremely low prices should be met with a good amount of suspicious. If it sounds too good to be true than it probably is. Any contractor who asks for a large down payment should be scrutinized as well.  Some custom projects such as cabinets, tile, or flooring may require larger initial payments but as a rule the down payment should be no more than twenty percent of the total project cost. Additionally, a contractor should be the person to purchase all the materials and the cost should be factored into the final price quote. Your final payment should be made only after you are one hundred percent satisfied with the work. And any contractor that only accepts cash should be crossed off your list.

Materials

A home improvement project is an investment in your property and one you want to last. Make sure the contractor is using the materials agreed upon in the contract and that they are new. Questionable contractors may offer to give you a discount to use left over materials from prior projects but you have no guarantee of the quality or condition of those materials. Additionally, you want to make sure the equipment being used is in good condition. If a contractor isn’t taking care of the tools needed to make his living imagine what kind of care he’ll take of your home.

The Contract

Once you choose a contractor make sure a contract is drawn up. Contracts protect both parties but you should still have it reviewed by an attorney prior to signing. The contract should include a start and an end date, the details of the project, the materials used, and a payment schedule. Never sign a contract that has any blank spaces.

The majority of home improvement contractors are reliable and genuine in their work but there are still those out there willing to take advantage of home owners who are in a rush or uninformed. Taking a little time to research your project and potential contractors can go a long way in protecting you from contractor scams.

Swimming Pool Safety

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Florida is known for it’s moderate climate and the opportunity to enjoy the water almost year round. Many homeowners decide to bring the water to them and install pools in their backyards. To ensure a swimming pool is enjoyable every time, homeowners and swimmers should practice swimming pool safety every time they are near water.

Swimming-Pool-Safety

Maintenance

The pool water should be cleaned regularly by removing debris and using the proper chemicals and the pH balance maintained at the recommended levels to prevent rashes, earaches, chemical burns, and bacteria that can lead to illness.  Make sure filter and drain covers are in good condition and not cracked or missing. All electrical wires and parts should be maintained and repaired by a licensed electrician.

Security

A four foot fence with a self-closing & latching gate should surround the pool area and be locked when not in use. Pool covers also help keep the water clean and secure when not in use. If children live in the home, pool owners should consider a water alarm on the pool and alarms for doors that lead to the pool. If a child ever goes missing, the pool area should be the first place searched.

Buddy Up

No one should ever swim alone. Even the most skilled and experienced swimmers could encounter an emergency situation that lessens their ability to stay above the water or exit the pool quickly. For adult swimmers, another adult should check in intermittently. Children should never be in the water alone and should always be within arms reach of an adult.

Always Be Prepared

Pool owners should become certified in CPR, for both adults and children, and water rescue techniques. The Red Cross offers training and certification. A floatation device and wireless telephone should be in the immediate vicinity of the pool at all times. A first aid kit should also be available.

These simple and easy to practice steps will make for safe and enjoyable use of a swimming pool every time.

 

Fire Pit Safety

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As with everything else, trends come and go when it comes to homes and their features. In recent years, homeowners have stepped up their entertaining game and upgraded their kitchens, living areas, and backyards with more space and tools used to make their guests comfortable. Backyard entertaining has increased as well and no longer will just a patio or deck with some seating make do; now it’s about turning their backyards into outdoor living spaces and the newest and most often added upgrade in the home fire pit.

While fire pits make an inviting addition to any backyard and allow for use of the area even in the cooler months, it’s important to practice fire pit safety every time a fire is lit.

Fire Pit Safety

Materials &  Assembly

It’s important that you select the appropriate materials and assemble according to the manufacturer’s instructions or in the case of a homemade fire pit, you construct it using fire proof materials that are not damaged. Make sure the fire pit is placed on a level fire proof base such as sand, concrete, or a composite.

Fuel

Most fire pits will use wood but some professionally installed and some box store models can use natural gas or propane. If using wood, make sure the wood is dry (avoid pine and cedar types of wood) and pieces are small enough to fit into the vessel of your fire pit. Never use gasoline, lighter fluid, or any similar combustible to start a wood fire; scrap newspaper and kindling are the best ways to start a fire but many stores sell fire-starter logs for under ten dollars. If your fire pit uses natural gas or propane always check the valves and hoses before starting the fire. Be sure to turn off all gas sources after you’re done using the fire pit.

Location

It’s important that you set up your fire pit in accordance with local and state laws as well as within the requirements of your homeowner’s insurance policy. It’s recommended that a fire pit be a minimum ten feet away from any building. In Florida, state law requires that any fire be a minimum of twenty-five feet away from brush or trees. Further, fire pits should not be placed under any covering such as a tent or lenai.

Enjoyment

Make sure all children and pets are supervised by an adult at all times around any fire. Flames should be no more than a foot high. If winds are stronger than 10 mph consider extinguishing the fire. Keep a safe distance, about four feet, away from the fire at all times. A fire extinguisher rated for wood or liquids (depending on your type of fire) should be readily available at all times.

A fire pit can warm up any backyard area and be a safe way to enjoy another area of your home year round.