Every year the American Psychological Association takes a look at the leading causes of stress in the U.S., and publishes an annual report. According to this years report politics are a major stressor. I can relate to this but try to stay focused on other things.
“Seven out of 10 adults say the future of the nation is a significant source of stress in their lives and the issue crosses party lines: 80% of Republicans rated it a top stressor, so did 79% of Democrats and 73% of Independents.” – Read more about it on the NPR website.
I think it is wonderful that we have so much in common across party lines.
This tip is mostly for new homeowners or people new to Minnesota or are new to owning a home.
It is almost time to turn off the water to the outdoor faucets and disconnect any hoses. A light freeze or two probably won’t hurt your water spigots but when the temperatures get down into the 20’s watch out.
Here is what you need to do:
1. Turn off the water from the inside of the house.
2. open the spigot on the outside.
What happens if you don’t turn the water off? Pipes can freeze and faucets can be destroyed by ice. . . and it isn’t pretty. Frozen pipes can burst and ice can damage faucets resulting in the need for expensive repairs.
Leaving a hose attached can damage the spigot even if the water is turned off. I learned this lesson the hard way.
The good news is if you don’t know how to turn off the outdoor spigots you have time to find shut-off valves or call a plumber.
Teams are popular in real estate. They are made up of real estate agents and administrative staff. Teams are a great way to defuse responsibility. When something goes wrong, one team member can point to another as the responsible party.
Most teams have some kind of a “transaction coordinator”, which seems to be a bottleneck in the system. An agent representing a buyer will tell me that I need to wait for the transaction coordinator for a signed document. In my world everything is electronic and I can send out any document and get it signed within minutes even if I am away from my desk.
There are buyer’s agents on teams; all they do is represent home buyers. The buyers are leads that the team “captured”. A buyer’s agent can have many transactions in a year and they have to work that way because they often only get a small percentage of the commissions they earn. The rest of it goes to the team lead and the broker.
If you call one team member to ask about a home the team has listed for sale, the team member doesn’t know anything about it and will pass your call along to the listing agent.
Selling real estate isn’t really a team sport. The whole point of the team is profits for the leader at the expense of the broker.
Don’t be too impressed if you are a home seller and a real estate agent tells you they are part of a team and that the whole team will work for you. They won’t.
This may sound like a cliche but when I work with a buyer or seller the buck stops here. I take responsibility for the home sale or purchase. I do work with others as I pass contracts along so that the sale can be closed. I know inspectors, lenders and people who can fix things. In a way, they are all part of my team yet I am the one who is responsible and all my clients only need one contact.
Nothing like the Minnesota State Fair and it starts today (August 22th) and ends on Labor Day. I go to the fair every three to five years. Our state fair is the largest in the county by average daily attendance and the second largest in the country by total attendance. It is a big deal if you have never been you should go.
State Fair time is also a great time to check around for sales. I have purchased major appliances and gotten some great deals. Look for siding, window, and roofing sales. Visit the home improvement building at the State Fair.
For me, the best days to go to the fair are the first couple of days when everything is still fresh. Going after dark or getting there when it opens is fun too. The State Fair changes a little every year but never really changes. I still remember going with my parents and grandparents when I was 5 years old. My dad and Grandfather would head for Machinery Hill and the livestock barns.
My favorite exhibits are in the Creative Activities building, which isn’t for everyone. I won’t get to go to the fair this year but there is always next year.
If you want to know who is on your ballot you can get a sample ballot and look it over ahead of time. As for how and when to vote go to your county website for the details.
In Minnesota, you can register at the polls on election day. Find out how.
This is a great opportunity to register to vote on November 5th 2024.
Your vote does count and so does mine and I always vote.
I have met homeowners who believe air ducts need to be cleaned regularly. I am sure it doesn’t hurt to clean air ducts but it might not be necessary.
According to the EPA Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems. Neither do studies conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. This is because much of the dirt in air ducts adheres to duct surfaces and does not necessarily enter the living space.
However, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends air duct cleaning every 3 to 5 years.
If there are rodents in the air ducts or mold or some other air quality problem related to the air ducts they may need to be cleaned.
Air duct cleaning is sometimes sold along with furnace tune-ups. Furnace inspections and tune-ups should be part of yearly home maintenance. In most cases, duct cleaning is an optional add-on.
