smoke detector

The Saint Paul Fire Department is trying to get the word out about project safe haven

The Saint Paul Fire Department invites homeowners to take part in "Project Safe Haven". Those interested will receive a safety checklist and a short form to fill out when completed. When finished, contact us and firefighters will make a courtesy visit to your home to make sure your smoke alarms work.

If needed, they will install a free smoke alarm and/or a digital carbon monoxide detector. The program is FREE and open to Saint Paul owner-occupied single family homes including townhomes and condos.

Call 651-228-6273

Topiary 

Barbed wire 

These pictures may not have been taken in Minnesota but I am using them to illustrate a point.  Landscaping makes a huge difference and is the only home improvement that I can think of that can give up to a 1000% return on the dollar.  For homeowners who plan on selling during the warmer months some hanging baskets, a freshly mowed lawn and carefully trimmed hedges can help your home sell faster and for more money. 

Low maintenance landscaping is best.  Home buyers are sometimes put off by elaborate gardens that they may not have the time, interest or experience to maintain.  The bushes in the top picture are maintained by the gardener which is also an option.  If you need some landscaping advice start at your local neighborhood garden center.   

 
ice dam

If you have not had water leaking into your home yet this winter consider yourself lucky.  Many of us have been plagued by ice dams and roof leaks. They are worse than ever this year because of the heavy snow we got in December that never melted, and is mostly still sitting on the roof.   We started taking on water on Christmas day and have been having problems ever since.  We have lived in the same house for many years and have never had problems with a leaky roof.   

Last week we had an ice dam and some snow removed from one of the roofs.  It stopped the water from coming in but not before a window and a ceiling were damaged. 

The dams are caused by melting snow on the roof and heat leaking out from the house.   The water pools on the roof because the ice dam prevents it from rolling off the roof . . hence the term 'dam'.  It does not matter how new your roof is you can still take on water.

Having ice dams removed costs between $300 and $500 dollars an hour.  Companies that offer ice dam removal are very busy and some are hiring additional help.  

The safest way to have them removed is by using steam.  There don't seem to be any snow rakes left in the Twin Cites. If there were I would also recommend using one to remove snow from the roof to prevent ice dams from forming.  It isn't just snow on the roof that causes ice dams.  The University of Minnesota Extension web site has some great information about what causes ice dams and how to prevent them. 

I write this post every year because October 15th is considered the beginning of the heating season here in the Twin Cities.  If you home is vacant you need to either winterize it your self or hire a pro. The water needs to be turned off and the pipes drained.  Most people can do this themselves by turning off the water and turning on the faucets. Don't forget to drain the toilets. The water heater needs to be drained and that isn't that hard to do either it has a valve on it.  There should also be a valve to shut off the gas to it.

Boilers are another matter.  The water should be drained and I have a forced air unit so I don't know much about boilers. If you use a company to inspect and repair your boiler call them.

Even if the heat is left on your home still needs to be winterized.  If the furnace stops running and the pipes freeze trust me the home will be destroyed.  I have seen how a home looks after a few pipes have burst and it isn't a pretty picture. 

This post is created from questions my children and some of my younger home buyers ask.  There is a learning curve to maintaining a home.  Everything wears out one day but there are some simple things that can be done that cost nothing or almost nothing that can help preserve your home and some of th appliances in it.  I am not a home inspector or an expert but I have owned a home for many years.

Forced air furnace - Change the filter once a month.  Furnace filters are cheap and in general the cheapest filters are the best because they do not constrict airflow.  If you buy the more expensive filters that are supposed to last three months change them once a month anyway.  Furnaces are expensive, gas is expensive, filters are cheap.

Refrigerators – Pulling your refrigerator out and vacuuming the coils on the back of it once a year can the fridge run cooler and last longer.  It can be kind of scary but it is also a great way to find cat toys.

Water Heater – They never tell you this when they put in your water heater but it needs yearly maintenance.  Most people ignore the water heaters and will they fail they can make a mess. Sediment builds up in water heaters through normal use.  In a nutshell they need to be turned off, drained and flushed once a year. There should be instructions in the manual that came with the water heater.  If not there are detailed instructions on the DYI Network site. Cleaning out the water heater is very important but I don't know anyone who does it.

Outdoor faucets - Before the freezing weather sets in, disconnect all hoses, turn on the outdoor faucet, go in the house and shut off the water to the faucet.

Cloths Dryer – most people but not everyone knows that the lint filter in the dryer needs to be cleaned after each load of wash.  There is one more lint filter you might want to check and that is the filter outside where the dryer vents. Once that baby gets all clogged up you may notice that it takes an eternity to dry a load of wash and like I said early gas is expensive.  If the dryer isn't drying check the vent.

If you are a home buyer reading this it is best to make any offer on a home inspection contingent.  A good home inspector will go over some of these basic maintenance tips with you or provide a CD or booklet with information.  The inspector will also show you some very important things that you need to know like where the main water shut off is located and where the power shut off is located. They will often mark water supply pipes and shut off valves.  You should also ask the sellers for any manuals and warranties they have on the appliances. It is nice to know how old they are too. Newer appliances tend to be more energy efficent.

If your home will be empty this winter now is the time to winterize it. That means turning the water off and draining the pipes and the water heater and the furnace if it is a hot water unit. Water can destroy a home very quickly.

 by G. Sax, @gsax

Hiya. I was gone but now I'm back. Madison was great. Chicago was great. San Francisco was great (both times). My lawn is still green, but there's landscaping to be done, some shelves and floors to finish, and a basement to try harder to seal moisture out of so I don't kill my third dehumidifier in three years.

I could use a tree trimming, about 24 feet of new fencing, a complete gutter cleanse, some new cabinets, some new doors and all new windows throughout the house. And sometimes I wish I had central air.

Yes, I'm a homeowner. In deep now, too. I don't feel like a veteran yet, but I'm seasoned enough to move up in the batting order. I know some things, and what I don't know, I learn quicker than before.

But I learned the other day that someone on the Interweb doesn't think I'm a real homeowner. In a story called "I Wonder If This Homebuyer Is Feeling Lucky Now," which was posted at something called housingdoom.com, there was a commentary on a story in which I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as a fresh-faced buyer with no money down.

I know. Zero down? Unheard of today. I took advantage of what was available to me at the time, okay, and I actually kinda sorta knew what I was doing and what was about to happen to the market and lending when I bought in 2007. I also knew the neighborhood I bought in very well and felt I was getting a good deal even if prices fell further. I didn't predict that rates would stay so low for so long, but that's a different story.

I wanted to comment directly to the blog post, but as of this writing, the entire housingdoom.com website is down. Luckily, the story was picked up by several other blogs, including this one, so you can read what was written about me.

Basically, the writer thinks me a fool because: "According to Zillow, the median home price for St. Paul in March 2007 was $199K. In May 2010 the median price was $144K — a 28% drop in value." He claims that I'm still basically a renter because a bank owns more of my home than I do. By that definition, aren't many homeowners really just renters who also have to play property caretaker?

I love the follow-up: "If he had stuck to his old rental...he'd own 0% of his home instead of -28% like he does now. I wonder if he's still feeling 'lucky' these days?"

I'll answer that question right here and hope the Google seed catches it and puts it somewhere near the original story.

Q: Do I feel lucky?
 A: You better believe it.

I think Zillow is a decent enough real estate product, but you can't make sweeping generalizations about median price in a city as large as Saint Paul. In October 2007, I bought a house that was well below the median quoted in the article. I should specify: well below the May 2010, $144K median specified. And I bought a decent 5-bedroom, 2-bath, 2-car garage charmer with that price.

I'll admit that I've likely lost some "value" right along with a lot of other people in the nation, but the value of my quality of life these past three years has been through the (in great condition) roof.

I feel lucky because I've enjoyed doing whatever I want to my home for the first time in my life. We could never afford to own when I was a kid, so I learned to get used to white walls and decorating with posters. I am evidently a corny representation of The American Dream, because it was huge for me to take this leap.

I feel lucky because I live in the heart of the city I love. Well, maybe in the smelly belly button, but it's my smelly belly button, dammit! I live in a neighborhood with "character." And, wouldn't you know it, I fit right in.

I am a visible pillar in a neighborhood that needs more pillars and fewer uninvolved, uninterested renters. I'm no idealist, but I'm an alright guy and I care about my community and getting to know my neighbors. I rented long enough in my life.

by G. Sax (@gsax) and The City of Saint Paul