Now that we are in the throes of winter and have had our share of snow-I think there is at least 12-14" of snow in our own yard, there is always that chance of warm-up which can create a multitude of problems from flooding to ice dams. I was in our local service station just yesterday and another customer was telling us how her roof leaked into her home down through the walls and it is a huge mess. Why did this happen? Because of an ice dam.
Remember when you were a child and you thought that all those long, shiny icicles were the coolest things you ever saw hanging down from everyone's roof? Well, as an adult, although they may have some semblance of beauty, they can represent a real problem. Some icicles can be so heavy and so large that they actually tear a hole in your roof or severely damage your gutters.
Why do ice dams and icicles form? Because as the weather goes from consistent weeks of snow and freezing temperatures to melt down during the day and then freezing again at night, ice forms at the edge of the roof and blocks the melting snow. So, what can you do about all of this? Be prepared-as we all know, winter continues to show up each and every year.
First, make sure the temperature in your attic remains as close to the outside air temperature as possible, or the snow will continue to melt. All that water cannot escape any other way then finding other paths which usually end up inside rather than outside your home. Make sure your attic is well-insulated and there are no leaks which could cause warmer air to infiltrate the attic. Also make sure any type of fan is vented through the roof and not into the attic-this is cause for concern not just for ice dams, but mold and mildew as well. Also ensure the soffits are not blocked with insulation so proper air flow occurs. Make sure the insulation in your attic is the proper amount and proper rating for your area
I have had several transactions over the past several years with extensive mold issues in the attic. Moreover, the mold was discovered for the first time by the home inspector as part of the transaction - not the place you want to be as a buyer or seller. Having a qualified roofer inspect your roof from inside your attic every few years to ensure that rodents haven't setup shop, leaks are not occurring, insulation is in good working order, proper air flow is occurring, and signs of mold are not appearing - all this can go a long way to avoiding costly mitigation if a problem is uncovered after the fact.
Secondly, after Fall is finally over and the last leaf has been released from the trees, have your gutters cleaned out. This is such an easy thing to do, but yet easily forgotten by homeowners. You are surely asking for trouble if you start the winter off with gutters full of leaves. Even though you may like long, cool-looking icicles, you really don't want them! You also don't want damaged gutters or water coming through your walls-CLEAN THE GUTTERS!
Lastly, when the snow starts piling up, make sure you keep it away from the roof edge and gutters. I have heard there are actually roof rakes for this purpose, although I have never seen one. What I definitely know works, are the snow guards that are commonly seen on homes with slate roofs. We had a home with a slate roof and never had a problem with ice dams or icicles forming. Unfortunately, shingle roofs do not include these and YOU need to be the "guard."
Buyers: If you are viewing homes in the winter, you may not be able to see the roof as it may be covered with snow. However, you can look at walls, ceilings in various places in the upper level of the home and look for tell-tale signs of moisture intrusion. Do you see any patch work that has been done? Recent re-painting? While this MUST be disclosed on the four-page State of Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form, and should be discovered by a competent home inspector, doing your own due diligence if you find that you are interested in a particular home can give you a clue as to how the sellers have cared for their property.
Remember: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don't wait for something to happen and then cry me a river, which is exactly what will be flowing from your roof into your home! Be prepared and be proactive!
Content and photo copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.
So here is the problem-the house is somewhat vacant and you are not sure what to do about that. The main rooms have some furniture, but the bedrooms are sparse and one is actually bare. The house looks "OK" enough, but it is definitely lacking any kind of WOW factor. Here is where you have to think creatively. Don't just throw the sign in the yard and hope that buyers will "use their imagination" or "pretend their furniture is in the house." Go for it, add some real value to your service and think outside the box.
Note: These are actual photographs taken by Chris Olsen in December 2007 for an upper-end home we renovated and staged.
Do you have anything at your own home that you can use to spruce up the house? My wife and business partner, Julie, borrowed her sister's old crib to make up a nursery in one of our homes. She also grabbed a bunch of accessories throughout our home, some in current use and others not, to liven up book shelves in another house. She also used one of our extra shower curtains for another home, not to mention a few other important pieces of furniture which she "borrowed" from our dining room and foyer.
Some sellers are just not able to pay for a full-fledged staging of their home or just don't have the important or special items that create or finish a room. And, others will gladly pay for some things, but it may not be enough. All of this is fine, because this is where our value-added philosophy comes in...we are in this profession to make a product appealing to the public. We do not "sell" the product, we "create" the product.
I still don't understand why this industry does not get a handle on this whole "sell" thing. Agents do not actually "sell" homes, they present them. A buyer and a seller actually sell a home. Yes, I know, we are very important in the equation, but I am not sure that agents know where that importance comes in. The actual selling part is a ton of paperwork , inspections, and phone calls-basically, administrative clerk work. The true part of being an agent is in the actual value you add to achieving the sale. It is no different in any other type of sales work, it is all about presentation. Although price is always a consideration, I would still bet my last dollar that if two homes had the same square footage, basic footprint , and were in the same neighborhood, the one that was more expensive would be purchased because it was updated, staged, and clean.
Yes, I am well aware of location, location, location, but with the changing population, more home-based work styles, and transient nature of our work force, location isn't the main determinant these days, and I am running across this on a regular basis, so it's not just an idea of mine. All things being equal, a home in great condition, staged well, clean, and emotionally-appealing will win every time, even if it has a higher price tag, even in a strong buyer's market with high inventory levels. We listed and sold two homes recently and had multiple offers on both of them.
So, what is the moral to all of this? Be a resource, think creatively, go above and beyond the old ways and truly add value for your clients. It can be as easy as paint or as hard as calling a friend and asking to borrow her now-in-college daughter's bed and dresser, or a few of your sister's paintings from her art class, or your own decorative pillows or plants, or kids' clothes that are too small and can hang in an empty bedroom closet. There are so many creative things you can do to transform a house into a home, you just have to start thinking how to present, not how to sell.
Content and photos are copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.
I just finished taking a Photoshop Elements course at the Cleveland Photographic Society, located in Broadview Heights, Ohio. Lore has it that this is the second oldest photography club in the nation. The CPS was started in 1887. This incredible institution has obviously changed and adapted over time, from the beginning of photography, to film photography and now to mostly digital photography.
I am also taking a Fundamentals of Photography class which is 12 weeks long and covers just about everything a beginning or intermediate photographer needs to learn to become a competent photographer.
The collegiality of the members of this club, from the president, various officers and numerous members who are on hand for every session of every class is beyond impressive and helpful. I have never attended a training of this type where the environment has been so accommodating to the various levels of the students, to the helpfulness of all the members, to the quality of the instruction and printed materials, is simply outstanding.
Many photography clubs throughout the nation meet in libraries and other places. The CPS has it's own dedicated space, complete with comfortable seating, a large scale projector, with a computer attached for live demonstrations, PowerPoint, infrared laser pointer, task lighting, and more. The fees for the various classes provide the revenue to have the dedicated space in the building in which to operate - a rare thing among photography clubs.
I ran across this wonderful organization via a small printed ad in a local newspaper and checked out their CPS website and knew that these were two courses I wanted to take to become a better photographer in general, and to expand on my solid foundation already so I can better serve my real estate sellers with exceptional digital photography!
Just another wonderful example of a truly local gem serving the Greater Cleveland Akron metropolitan areas.
Content copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.
Note: This is for the State of Ohio, where I practice real estate, as I am not familiar with the particulars of each individual state.
Please note: I, nor my real estate company, incur any financial benefit from any title/escrow company, nor from Commerce Title Company (mentioned below).
In the State of Ohio, a buyer and sell pays title and escrow fees at closing -- and some of the fees are fixed, and some of the fees are variable.
This is a very important distinction to make and also understand, both from a real estate agent's understanding as well as the consumer. It amazes me that many agents who have been in the business for more than 10 or even 20 years, do not understand this distinction and how it impacts the costs the individual buyer and seller pay at closing. What is even worse than this, is by the very nature of real estate, there is no easy way for a buyer and seller to understand this as well, as much of real estate remains a mystery to buyers and sellers, even after going through the process of buying and selling one or more homes. I have had numerous buyers and sellers who have had several real estate transactions before in the state of Ohio who did not understand this distinction, let alone Affiliated Business Arrangements (ABA), Joint Ventures (JV), agent share ownership of title/escrow companies, etc.
Fees that are "fixed", by definition, do NOT change so it does not matter which title/escrow company a buyer and/or seller select, as the fees will be the same.
Fees that are "variable", by definition, are different among the various title/escrow companies in the State of Ohio, and this is where a buyer and seller would be wise and prudent to do their homework (or know an agent who is truly looking out for their financial bottom line versus their own (an agent's and their real estate company may benefit from various arrangements with title/escrow companies and this will be addressed in a subsequent paragraph.
So...these variable fees can mean the difference of the buyer paying (or saving) $500-$1,000 in a typical real estate transaction.
Some agents will say that their real estate brokerage, by providing their own title/escrow services through their ABA, provides the convenience for the consumer and this arrangement and additional cost is worth it, and it really isn't that much money. My answer to this is: how hard is it for the agent to explain the details of this, and say, if the buyer and seller want to use title/escrow company ABC which will save them $500 - $1,000, I will e-mail the paperwork over as PDF and it's done. I mean, come on, how hard is it to e-mail a PDF document over (I can tell you it takes less than 5 minutes of my time). So, what really is the "convenience" factor here? <note: the same concept applies to affiliated lenders owned by the real estate company as an affiliated business arrangement, although agents are not allowed to profit with lenders>.
There are many other statements agents make, but this is a really simple, no-brainer solution, no matter how someone tries to spin it.
When clients of mine, after I explain (in a detailed spreadsheet so they can compare, fill in the blanks if they so desire) how to compare title/escrow companies and how everything works, I have never, I repeat, never, had a client who did not want to save money. And guess what? There wasn't anything extra they had to do!
Now...onto some specifics...
Here are some examples of "fixed" title/escrow fees in the State of Ohio:
Here are some examples of "variable" title/escrow fees in the State of Ohio:
Out of all the title/escrow companies in Northeast Ohio that I have encountered and researched, one company stands out from all the rest, in regards to having both exceptional customer service, professional compentencies, and the absolute best/lowest "variable" title/escrow fees around and that is Title Commerce Company in Hudson, Ohio.
Their variable fees for sellers are $250 for the title exam and $10 for the deed preparation and an extra/optional $50 if you want to sign the papers outside their office, so if a seller signs the papers in their office, their total fees are $260.
Their variable fees for buyers are $50 for the title binder/commitment fee and $50 for the recording service fee and an extra/optional $50 if you want to sign the papers outside their office, so if a buyer signs the papers in their office, their total fees are $100.
If you are interviewing agents to potentially represent you as a listing agent (for sellers) or as a buyer's agent (for buyers), ask them these questions and you may be shocked at the answers (or lack thereof) on what you hear:
Here is a trick these agents who either have a financial benefit themselves or their company has an affiliated arrangement will tell you: Our company will "match" any other company's fees out there, so don't you worry about this. Here are two questions that should make you wonder:
The answer to question #2 above on title/escrow companies making profit on lowering their variable fees with the snap of their fingers requires some further exploration here, so dig in and learn some inside real estate secrets here: Title/escrow companies make the BULK of their profits off of the title insurance premium which the buyer and seller split evenly in cost (local custom in Northeast Ohio). In fact, many title/escrow company's profits are 80-90%. I wish I made that kind of profit margin on a HUGE and LARGEST line-item for title/escrow fees. This is the very reason why some companies will sometimes agree to match, as they will make A LOT of money off the buyer and seller. The Ohio State Insurance Commissioner sets the title insurance premium calculation/fees and it doesn't matter which company you go to as it is a "fixed" fee.
Did you know? From what other title/escrow individuals have told me, in southern Ohio, the variables fees are mostly ZERO, and about half as much in the Columbus area as what exists in Northeast Ohio.
That said, when I am in a real estate transaction, and my buyer or seller, after having all this explained to them on day 1, and it is their desire to use Commerce Title Company so they and the other party can BOTH save money, usually the other party takes their cue from their agent, and if the agent wants to protect their own affiliated company, or if they have their own profit motive, this negotiation on who to use becomes a ping-pong match, and the other party's client oftentimes isn't even aware of why this is being negotiated so much. This is how truly warped and mis-informed this particular piece of the real estate pie is, from a consumer's viewpoint. That said, whenever these variable fees have been presented to affiliated title/escrow companies, the other agent comes back and says: we can't match it, go ahead and use your client's title/escrow company.
Here is another question for you, the consumer: Why do you want your agent make additional profit (can be as much as 25-100K per year for top producing agents) for something that they add no value to the transaction in? I know I wouldn't if I were the consumer.
This is why title/escrow companies have "account executives" who market their services to real estate agents as they know who recommends their services. I don't have a problem with the concept, but I do take issue with real estate companies and individual agents profiting off of title/escrow business for which they do nothing more than send business their way. Is it legal, currently, the answer is yes, although the waters are getting murkier by the day as the Justice Department cracks down on title/escrow companies and brokerages who push the envelop too far and break the rules. I am not saying this is not legal, in fact it is.
My point is simply that consumers should be in the know, should understand how these relationships work, who really makes what off of them, since they are the ones driving the bus here, and we are their service providers.
I have very good friends and fellow agents who strongly disagree with me on this and I have seen how they benefit, but it's simply not for me and my clients appreciate the transparency, the information, the knowledge, and most of all: the extra $500 - $1,000 they usually end up in their pocket if this tricky element can be successfully negotiated.
Lastly, I am NOT implying ALL or even a MAJORITY of agents benefit financially from these above described arrangements. There are many good agents out there, and some of them do have these financially beneficial arrangements with a title/escrow company, and I am in no way passing any kind of judgement on their business decisions, this is simply an explanation of this often mysterious part of the real estate process which I have found that even very well educated, savvy and experienced home buyers and sellers most oftentimes, do not understand.
Transparency, knowledge, information, and effective communication is always a desirable business trait.
Content copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.
Photo responsibility used free of charge with no acknowledgement required from owner.
It's Sunday, February 1st, 2009 and the sun is shining, the temperature is actually above freezing (first time in about forever) and the world is right....for sled riding. Load up the kids, the dog, the sleds, and venture down the road a whopping 1 mile! Yes, one of the best sledding hills around is a mile from our house in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We discovered it when we moved to Brecksville during one of those winters when a record was set for the most snow - 155" or something like that!!!!
The nice thing about this rather large hill, is that you are never competing for space, as generally there are either few or no other people around or someone has just left---and fortunately for us, built a really cool jump ramp! The other nice thing is that the hill is pretty high, so when the kids get tired of walking all the way up, they can manage to find other places to start from that still provide a satisfying ride.
What is the coolest thing about this hill? When you do make it to the top, you can see the Cuyahoga National Valley all around and on a sunny, "warm," day, there is nothing like it! Even the kids take the time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds them. The dog? Well he is very busy running up and down and through the snow because there is nothing like snow for a Labrador Retriever!
I cannot believe our good fortune in living in such a beautiful place and having the ability to drive down the street and take advantage of such a unique place. Thanks to the people who came before us and recognized the importance of land conservation and preservation. Thanks to Mother Nature for providing such a beautiful winter day! Oh, what is the name of this special place? It has no name, it is just "the sledding hill" to us.
Content and photos are copyrighted by Chris Olsen and protected by CopyScape.
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Broker/Owner of Olsen Ziegler Realty. Expert home staging. Technology expert (B.S. Computer Science). Innovative, progressive, transparent. Professional designations: CRS, CLHMS, ABR, ASP, e-PRO, GSA.
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