I thought this topic was especially interesting after talking with a number folks that had the unfortunate experience of water penetration due to ice dams this winter.
Most of them, thought as I did, that bleach is your first defense in the clean up of mold. But, is it? I guess not!
Porous Sufaces
While it could possibly be used on non-porous materials such as counter tops, tiles and tubs, a safer option would be old fashioned soap and water!
Non-Porous Surfaces
It most certainly is not recommended for porous materials such as drywall, wood, and flooring. In fact using bleach on those materials may be counter productive! It could just remove the mold that is on the surface, not touching the underlying roots and it will return!
Anyone that knows me, knows I love Bleach.... the smell makes me think clean, fresh and crisp. but, after reading Ciavattieri's post, and similar articles.. ..I think I'll just confine it to the laundry.
( and, I guess that opens another can of worms, doesn't it??? )
We all know that this is a great market if you are making a purchase. Interest rates are low and prices are great. So, this is the "no brainer" ...If you have the credit, some cash and a job... today, right now is the time for you!
Listings showing activity courtesy MAPass.com shows activity pretty consistent over 6 months minus the expected drop over holidays
here is the tricky one! if you are looking to sell, you have tons of competition, not only from your neighbors, but from banks looking to unload foreclosed homes and folks trying to sell short, offering their properties out at artificially low prices...
is the time right for you to put your property on the market? that depends... but, consider this....
if you are looking to sell your home and buy another.... well .. your current home may not be worth what is was years ago... BUT neither is the home you will be buying! it's basically a money shuffle AND if you are looking to get into a new home.... this is the time to do it as you will pick up a low interest rate and a good price on your new place. if you wait for the market to come back .... that new home is going to be offered at a higher price, likely the interest rates will be higher as well....
so in this scenario.... yea... a great time to sell too!
rental properties are moving quickly.... if you are looking to rent, don't hesitate if you see a property you like.. if you are thinking of renting out your property... make sure you know the laws, and get to know your prospective tenant.
Title 5 calls for an on site septic system to be up to current code. An inspection is triggered in certain situations..
you are selling a home
you are changing your home
you system has failed
you are required by the Board of Health
the inspection
must be performed by a state certified inspector...if it passes... the inspection will be documented with the board of health. if it fails, a repair will need to be made or you will be required to install a new, up to date system. this will be inspected and documented with the agency as well.
time frame
the inspection will be good for 2 years (when a system is pumped on an annual basis and the pumping records are available, an inspection is valid for three years.)
if you are selling in the middle of winter, and weather conditions prevent an inspection prior to the sale...it may be done up to 6 months afterwards providing the seller notifies the buyer of same in writing.
responsibility
when selling a home, the responsibility for inspection and/or repair usually falls on the seller. the law doesn't dictate this... but the reality is that a buyer's lender will not allow them to take the responsibility on. in rare cases the buyer's lender and attorney will agree to hold back a sum of money from the seller in order to facilitate an installation or repair..but,.. this is quite rare.
if your system does not pass... figure that you as a seller will need to make the change.
compliance
know that if you have an inspection results are sent to the board of health within 30 days. If the system fails,... in most instances, you will be required to make the upgrade within 2 years after the inspection even if you decide not to sell.
Thinking that you may want to sell your home, but are afraid that your system won't pass? fear not.... you can have a
voluntary inspection
you may have a voluntary assessment of the system. Results of voluntary inspections do not have to be submitted to the board of health or mass Dep.
I know we are still under an amazing amount of snow.... but "Spring" market has started and we are out there! Buying, Selling, Renting, or Investing.... Get a jump on the competition! Call me 508-494-9061
President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal established the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) in 1938 as a federal agency in the wake of the Great Depression.
Its purpose was to bring liquidity, stability and affordability to the U.S. housing and mortgage markets.
Congress converted Fannie in 1968 to a publicly held corporation to help balance the federal budget.
To compete against Fannie Mae's domination of the secondary market and further lower housing costs, Congress chartered the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) as a public corporation in 1970.
Freddie and Fannie have similar Congressional mandates, charters and regulatory structures.
Both entities buy mortgages from lenders and package them into mortgage-backed securities that are sold to investors with a guarantee against default. This creates a secondary market, allowing mortgage lenders to use the freed-up funds to make more home loans.
The Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) was established by Congress in 1968. Unlike its GSE siblings, Ginnie does not purchase loans, but guarantees investors the timely payment of principal and interest on mortgage-backed securities containing federally insured loans — mainly FHA and VA loans.
Recently
In September 2008, the U.S. government rescued Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the brink of economic failure and placed them into conservator ship with the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Some members of Congress have called for the gradual elimination of Fannie and Freddie to leave mortgage finance completely in the private sector. A Treasury Department report on the future of Fannie and Freddie will be delivered to Congress in the first half of February 2011.
Another tragic news story tugs at our hearts and reminds us to be aware of this dangerous gas..
Do you know that you are required by the Commonwealth of MA to have CO detectors in your home?
If your home is equipped with fossil-fuel burning devices you are! This includes but is not limited to a furnace, boiler, water heater, fireplace or any other apparatus or appliance......or has an enclosed parking within the structure?
In March 2006, Nicole's Law was adopted here in the Commonwealth...
Nicole's Law
It calls for a home to have a CO detector on each finished level.. and there must be a detector placed within 10 feet of the bedrooms. They don't necessarily need to be hard wired and an can be as simple as a plug in with battery back up.
Nicole's Law was adopted after young Nicole Garofalo perished in January of 05 .. a result of Carbon Monoxide build up in her home ..... a heating vent was blocked by drifting snow.
What makes this so deadly?
CO is a colorless, orderless gas... it can sneak up on people without them even knowing it. Symptoms include headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, chest pain and a cherry red coloring of the skin......
What to do if you suspect CO poisoning?
Get out of the house and into fresh air.... that includes everyone including pets!.... then get to a medical facility for treatment.
What types of Detectors are acceptable?
What ever alarm you purchase must be approved by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL). Be sure to look for the approval label when buying alarms. The CO detectors may be:
•Battery operated with battery monitoring; or •Plug-ins with battery back-up; or •Hard-wired with battery backup; or •Low voltage system; or •Wireless, or •Qualified combination (smoke/carbon monoxide alarm)
When Selling your Home
You need to know that the local Fire Department will need to inspect & certificate your home for CO and smoke detectors... No certificate, no closing...
If you are looking to make a move or have any Real Estate questions... give me a shout!
In our Multiple Listing Service, you will know it is a "Short Sale". You will see this disclosure.
The term "short sale" or "bank owned" on a property certainly generates a lot of buyer interest. So buyers must believe that the short sale is a deal... but is it?
If you have the Time and Patience, and the right players involved.. then, it may be.
We know that someone offering a "short sale" is attempting to avoid foreclosure. We also know that the lender accepting a short sale is attempting to minimize their loss. We also know that a good Realtor will price their listing ahead of the market, because they know that it is going to take time and a buyer may have to wait a long time for this property.
So, Is it for you? Here are some things to consider...
The Seller/Realtor priced the property aggressively but also knowing that the bank may not accept the price....the agreed upon offer price will have to be supported by BPO's (brokers price opinion) or appraisals.. in other words validated by others not involved in the transaction.
There is a possibility that the bank will say no... alot of time could be wastedwaiting for the banks response.... no problem you say ... but experience tells me that come month two with no word, a buyer will start to worry about interest rates and missed opportunities...
If there is a second lender on this property (very likely)..this second lien holder has less motivation to agree to remove their lien...
This process really can't begin until the seller accepts an offer on the property.... it can and will take months.... again, just because the seller accepts the offer doesn't mean bank(s) will.
Who is negotiating the "short sale"... is it someone experienced? Is the Sellers paperwork in order... Do they have a bonafide hardship?
If you can deal with the unknown and the possibility of not having it happen.. then you may make out okay and get a "deal". You will also need to understand the Banks position here. Their attachment to the home is strictly financial...They will do their due dilligence and research market value.... Are they really going to sell this out substantially lower than the market will bear at this point in time? If you need to find something more immediate or are worried about interest rate changes effecting your payment, then you might want to skip looking at these types of listings.
In my market, the "short sale" is disclosed in the listing.
If you do decide to go the "short sale" route... get your inspections done and financing in order early in the process....
You don't want to go all this time waiting to find out that it is not the home for you after all....
