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Pros' guide to window screen replacement
It's getting to be that time again. The windows are open, and the bugs are clamoring at the window screens, trying to come in and join the party. If a few too many of these uninvited guests are getting in, it's probably time to get that damaged screening replaced. Luckily, this is a great do-it-yourself project that you can take care of in no time.
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Spring into home maintenance
Spring is always an ideal time to be checking the exterior of your home and catching up on any maintenance items that have come to light since last summer. As always, maintenance begins with a stroll around the house and a careful examination of its condition. Take a tablet with you, make some notes as you go, and then sit down and work up a list of things to take care of -- sort the list in order of the most pressing items first -- and then list the tools and materials you'll need for each task. By sorting and organizing your list in this manner, you can take what may sometimes be a long list of projects and make it a lot easier to undertake.
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Short sale success strategies
Some buyers have made offers on short sales, then waited as long as six months to a year, only to be denied lender approval. Approval from the seller's lender(s) of current loans secured by a short-sale listing is necessary if the proceeds from the sale aren't enough to pay back the lender and cover the seller's closing costs. About one in three short-sale listings never sell.
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Roof shingles to rave about
When it comes to shingles, there are choices galore. But one of the most attractive from a number of standpoints is the laminated composition shingle. Durable, reasonably priced, and compatible with a wide range of architectural styles, laminated shingles long ago destroyed the notion that composition shingles are suitable only for lower-end housing.
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The lot-line shocker
DEAR BENNY: I purchased my home in September 2000. My survey indicated that my fence was encroaching on my neighbor's property by three feet. My home was built in 1955 and I am the second owner. The four-foot chain-link fence has encircled this property for approximately 40 years, and my neighbor (who inherited his home from his parents) indicated that he had no plans of erecting a fence because his companion is claustrophobic.
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CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
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Rebecca Alvarado Broker Associate, GRI
REALTOR®
Prudential California Realty
540 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena,
CA
91101
323.240.9219
626.685.1131
Contact Me
Visit My Web Site
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It still pays to remodel
The home-sale market has taken a beating in the last few years, which begs the question: Does it makes sense financially to invest in home improvements?
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Final walkthrough a buyer's best friend
Imagine this. You move into your new home for the first time after closing and, although you transferred the utilities into your name, the lights don't turn on. There isn't a single light bulb left in the house, the yard is overgrown, and the leaky faucets the sellers were to have fixed still leak.
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Mortgage payoff in a divorce
DEAR BENNY: My wife and I are in the process of getting a divorce. I am prepared to give her the family home so that our children will not be disrupted any more than they already are. I know that our mortgage lender will not relieve me of our joint obligation to make the monthly payments, but hopefully that will not be a financial problem for us. We have been advised that a lender can use the "due on sale" clause in the mortgage documents to block this transaction. Can this happen? --Tom
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Tax time over, but many credits still available
If you’re a homeowner, it’s a given that you claim the mortgage interest deduction on your tax returns. If you are a green-minded homeowner, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit if you purchase or have purchased (keep those receipts) an energy-efficient product or a renewable energy system for your home.
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Closing costs vary by location
Closing costs, the costs associated with buying or selling a home, can add up. It's wise to get an estimate of how much you're likely to pay in closing costs before you make an offer to buy a home or accept an offer to sell.
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No benefit to refi with current lender?
DEAR BENNY: I am shopping for a new mortgage (I will refinance about $160,000 remaining on a condo worth about $300,000) and discovered my mortgage holder wants about $2,200 in closing costs. I just financed with this bank three years ago and have stellar credit. There seems to be no special benefit for refinancing with this lender. Their broker told me as much. I don't understand why they wouldn't want to keep a good customer. Any insight? --Janelle
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Not all woods absorb stain the same
Q: First-time homeowner and first-time stainer here! I had a small porch made out of untreated wood built last summer that I would now like to stain. I like the redwood look I see throughout the neighborhood, what I think of as the most common color of stain around!
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Six ways to green your pool
It’s always a good time for pool owners to think about ways to save both money and water. Not only are utility companies offering rebates for “green” upgrades to existing pools, also many states, including California, are on the verge of droughts and the state will soon call on homeowners to ration their water usage. In response, we’ve complied a few ways you can green your pool, which will benefit both your pocketbook and the environment.
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Water conservation tips
It seems you can hardly open a newspaper these days without reading the headline "Water is the new oil." But what does that mean exactly? In fact, water shortages may cause more severe problems than oil shortages: our lives literally depend on water, plus there are several alternatives to fuel but none really to water. We can technically "make" more water through techniques like rainwater catchment and desalination, but few individual homeowners have their own catchment tanks and even fewer are likely to rig up their own desalination plant. Even if such things were easy, it would still behoove us all to reduce our water usage first, not only because water is scarce, but also because we could all stand to shave a few dollars off our water bills. With that in mind we compiled the following tips to help you do exactly that.
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Six ways to boost curb appeal
If you're thinking of listing your home this spring, now is the time to be thinking about one of the most important elements of real estate marketing: Curb appeal. It's your one and only chance to make a first impression on a potential buyer, so make it a good one! Here are some suggestions to make your home stand out from the rest:
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