Things That Can Damage The Roof Of Your Home

Your roof is the thing that separates you from the rest of the outside world. Without it, you don’t truly have a home. While a roof can seemingly last a lifetime, there are a surprising amount of things that can damage it and shorten its overall lifespan. It’s incredibly important to have your roof inspected regularly if you want to make sure that it’s in good condition.

 

Not sure about our claims? Check out some of the top culprits of roof damage and you’ll likely change your mind.

 

 

1. Wind

Wind is the leading cause of damage when it comes to roofs. If winds are strong enough, they can lift up the shingles on your roof, leaving everything underneath exposed. If you are living in an area with strong winds, it’s important to check your roof more than often, especially after windy days. A good sign of damage is if you see shingles or pieces of roofing on the ground after a storm, whether from your house or others in the area.

 

 

2. Debris

If you live in an area with lots of trees and foliage, you may have a lot of debris on your roof. Debris can be anything from branches to pine needles. Unfortunately, those things aren’t even the worst of your problems. The main culprit of damage in this instance is the moisture that collects on those pieces of debris. It can wear down the shingles on your roof over time if you don’t constantly check.

 

 

3. Animals

Think about all of the animals that you see in your neighborhood. Most suburban areas are home to squirrels, birds, rats, raccoons, and opossums. These animals can eat away at your shingles, not to mention claw and chew their way into your house through the walls. If you check your roof and find animals either living or congregating up there, it may be time to call pest control.

 

 

4. Sun

Yup, your roof is no match for the power of the sun and its unholy UV rays. The more exposure your roof has to UV rays, the more damage and rot can come about. Unfortunately, you may not notice this type of damage right away, and there’s not much you can do about it besides maybe planting a few trees over the top of your home. If you live in a sunny climate such as a desert or beach, you may need to check your roof more than the next person.

 

 

5. Snow and Ice

When temperatures reach levels below the freezing point, ice can form. Ice, much like wind and sun, can be unavoidable depending on where you live. When the ice melts, water forms and can damage your shingles if it pools there. We recommend getting your roof inspected after every winter if you are living in an area with snow.

 

 

Conclusion

We hope that by now you understand how important it is to have your roof inspected and repaired to prevent further and greater damage. Your roof is the one thing that separates you from the outside world. Without it, you’d essentially be living in a giant, square bucket.

 

Have you ever had your roof inspected or repaired before? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments!

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How to Improve Your Home’s Earthquake Resistance

There’s nothing scarier than being in your home when a natural disaster hits. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you’ve probably already experienced some of those frightening tremors yourself. A serious quake can be downright terrifying, and, if you’re not careful, a disaster for your property.

 

Luckily, thanks to modern tools and technology, we now have more tools and resources at our disposal to help improve our home’s earthquake resistance. If you’re in a quake-prone area, you need this guide. Let’s talk about how to improve your home’s earthquake resistance so you can have some much-needed peace of mind. With an estimated 500,000 detectable earthquakes happening around the world each year, you can never be too careful.

 

 

What Causes Earthquake Damage?

What exactly causes your home to move and shake so much during an earthquake? While you probably already know how the tremors shake the ground from movement in one of the Earth’s fault lines, what exactly happens to your home?

 

The most damaging motion, believe it or not, is not the vertical component of the Earth moving up and down. In fact, it’s the horizontal movement. Your home wants to stay in a single place as the Earth shifts from side to side, and this creates a lot of sideways forces on the walls, pointing them in a diamond shape. This is known as “shear forces,” and it can lead to your walls crumbling down.

 

Now, let’s identify clear ways to make your home more “earthquake proof.” It’s important to note that no building will ever be 100% safe from natural disasters, but you can take preventative steps both when building your home and styling it.

 

Improve the Flexibility

The more mass a structure has, the higher the shear loads will be in the case of an earthquake. If a structure has “flex” and “give,”  it’s much more likely to absorb the seismic energy. This is what’s been used with much success in places like Japan where there’s a high chance of experiencing an earthquake.

 

One of the materials with the greatest flexibility is fiberglass. These fiberglass composites have a high strength-to-weight ratio and flexibility, making them very strong in the case of an earthquake.

 

Reinforcing Existing Walls

If your home is built with materials that are known to handle poorly when there are ground tremors, you still have options. What materials are notoriously bad with earthquakes? Older masonry, concrete, and earth materials are very poor choices.

 

That being said, these materials can be improved with reinforcing steel, bond beams, and roof diaphragms. This is definitely an investment needed to improve the longevity of these materials. Always avoid unreinforced masonry walls which are prone to collapsing.

 

Check the Foundation Moisture

Your foundation moisture affects the land around the base of your house. This base is especially affected by things like moisture and water, so you should try to keep these conditions constantly.

 

Always keep your gutters and the area around your home clean. Don’t let any rainwater pool on the ground. It could be worth having your home inspected to look for any moisture problems.

 

Use Flexible Utilities

While it’s not possible to make sure everything in your home is flexible in the case of an earthquake, you can still take measures. There are such things as flexible pipe fixtures that can be used to avoid gas or water leaks. These will be a lifesaver if your utilities are damaged during a disaster.

 

Move Furniture and Decorations Away From Beds

Hanging pictures over your bed might be fine if you’re in a place that isn’t prone to earthquakes. However, these can quickly become a danger if they fall down on you during any ground shaking.

 

Things like bookshelves, large furniture, and electronics, as well as decorations, can become a danger once an earthquake strikes. Not only should you properly secure these things to your walls, but you should also keep them away from places you’re likely to be resting, like chairs and beds.

 

Better Safe Than Sorry

Protecting your home from an earthquake doesn’t have to involve any big overhauls. It’s easiest to look for properties that already have sound, flexible construction in place to cut down on these problems. However, even if you live in an older home, you have options.

 

It’s all about being safe rather than sorry when it comes to the best ways to improve your home’s earthquake resistance. Your build and property can have a big impact on your resistance, so it’s important to take these tips seriously.

The post How to Improve Your Home’s Earthquake Resistance appeared first on National Cash Offer.

source https://nationalcashoffer.com/how-to-improve-your-homes-earthquake-resistance/

The Top 5 Home Staging Mistakes

Home staging is a critical part of the home selling process. It’s important to do it correctly in order to generate interest in your property.

 

However, home staging isn’t as easy as you might think. It’s not quite as simple as making sure your house is clean and presentable. There are a number of additional things you should be sure to do and not do.

 

By avoiding these five common home staging mistakes, you can help make sure that potential buyers have a great experience.

 

1. Bold Colors

Experimenting with bold colors on your wall and furniture can be fun, but it’s not the best idea when you’re trying to sell your home.

 

The reasoning is pretty simple: buyers want to be able to imagine your home as their own. If your living room walls are bright orange, it can be very off-putting for buyers that prefer neutral or dark colors.

 

When you’re staging your home, it’s best to stick to inoffensive colors like grey, beige, earth tones, and similar colors.

 

2. Personal Items

Personal items, like family photos, should be cleared out when you are staging your home.

 

These items can be very distracting as they remind buyers that the house they’re touring belongs to somebody else. This can make them feel uncomfortable as they may feel like they are intruding in someone else’s home.

 

In order to make sure guests feel comfortable when viewing your home, be sure to put away any and all personal family items.

 

3. Clutter

One of the most important aspects of home staging is decluttering. This applies to everything from furniture to small, insignificant items.

 

You should be sure to get rid of unnecessary furniture that takes up a lot of room in your home. Additionally, put away things like pictures, toys, small appliances, and other similar items.

 

Clutter not only makes your home seem messy and unpresentable, but it can also make the rooms in your house seem smaller than they actually are.

 

4. Pets

Potential buyers may not love your pets as much as you do. While your cats or dogs may not be dangerous or messy, an essential part of home staging is making sure your pets are out of sight and out of mind.

 

The solution is simple enough. You can put your pet into daycare, ask a friend to take care of it, or create a room specifically for your pets.

 

If you want to make sure your guests have a great experience during your showing, be sure to make a plan for your pets.

 

5. Over-Staging

Last but not least, be careful to avoid over-staging your home. Meaning, don’t go overboard on decorations, furniture, accessories, etc.

 

It’s important to design your home tastefully while still leaving room for imagination. Too much can make your home feel small and cluttered. It can also make it so viewers can’t imagine your home being decorated any other way.

 

Tasteful but minimal decorating is one of the most fundamental aspects of home staging.

 

By avoiding these common home staging mistakes, you can easily increase your chances of finding a suitable buyer.

The post The Top 5 Home Staging Mistakes appeared first on National Cash Offer.

source https://nationalcashoffer.com/the-top-5-home-staging-mistakes/

What’s the Difference Between Contingent and Pending Listings?

There are a lot of confusing terms in the real estate world. If you don’t know everything, it can sometimes feel like everyone’s speaking a different language whether you’re buying or selling a home.

 

Are you confused about the difference between a pending and contingent home sale? These are terms you’ll discover a lot on online listing websites, but what do they actually mean? If you come across a home with these terms, can you still place an offer? In this guide, we’ll uncover the differences between these two terms so you can enter the home buying process with confidence.

 

 

What is a Contingent Home Listing?

First, let’s talk about the term contingent. What does contingent mean in the real estate world? This term is always attached to some kind of condition. If a home sale is contingent, that means the offer has been accepted by the seller but the listing is still active until this condition has been met by both parties.

 

What are the conditions? These are defined by the parties involved with the home sale. It could be for the homeowner to replace the roof or make some other kind of repair. The listing will still be “active” status until it becomes pending status. Here are some of the most common real estate contingencies:

 

• Home inspection contingencies – The lender might want to make sure the home is actually worth the loan amount, so there will need to be an inspection to approve the value of the home.
• Appraisal contingencies – Most lenders also require an appraisal which is when the appraiser determines the value of the home as well as looks for features that add or subtract from the previous value.
• Financial contingencies – A financing contingency is a way out of the sale in case the loan falls through or the seller is no longer able to afford the home.

 

If you see any of these contingency conditions, you’re still able to place an offer on the home. However, it’s not guaranteed that the homeowner will look at it.

 

What is Pending Status?

Now let’s discuss pending status.  Pending is the period of time between the contingencies being met and the closing of the sale. This means the sale is still being finalized, but it likely will be finalized soon.

 

A home is pending sale when the offer was accepted and both parties decided to move forward to the sale. This is the final status before “sold,” which indicates the home is no longer on the market. If the home is pending, the homeowner is likely no longer taking any offers. There are only two common pending instances when a homeowner might still be willing to consider offers at this point:

 

• Pending short sale – If the home is under contract and still is waiting to be approved from the bank, it’s pending short sale. Short sales are a way to avoid the foreclosure process, but these sales can take especially long and they’re prone to falling through.
• Pending taking backups – Finally, another pending option is known as “taking backups.” This means the seller is concerned that the deal won’t be finalized, usually due to financial issues. If this is the case, you can still place an offer on the property which will be considered if the first one falls through.

 

Understanding Common Real Estate Terms: Contingent and Pending

As you can see, contingent and pending mean totally different things in the real estate world. When a home is listed as “sales contingent,” it’s already under contract between the buyer and seller. However, this contract is contingent on some kind of external factor, from inspection to financial.

 

On the other hand, a home listed as “sales pending” is in the final stages of a purchase. That being said, you’re still free to submit a backup offer that might be considered if the original sale isn’t completed for whatever reason.

 

You’re free to put in an offer in either situation, but realize the homeowner might not consider it right away. However, if you’ve found your dream home, feel free to go for it. When in doubt, talk to a real estate agent about the best offer for your dream property.

The post What’s the Difference Between Contingent and Pending Listings? appeared first on National Cash Offer.

source https://nationalcashoffer.com/whats-the-difference-between-contingent-and-pending-listings/

What is Title Insurance?

Chances are you’ve never heard of title insurance. At least not until you’ve gone through the process of buying a house.

 

However, title insurance can be extremely beneficial for homeowners. This type of insurance can potentially save you a lot of money and protect you and your home.

 

If you’re a first-time buyer or a homeowner, it’s important to understand what title insurance is, how it works, and how you can find the perfect policy for you.

 

What is Title Insurance?

Essentially, title insurance is a type of indemnity insurance that protects you from any unknown claims being made against your home.

 

Common claims filed against a title include:

 

• Back taxes missed by the title company
• Conflicting wills
• Liens

 

In some cases, claims against a title could result in you losing your home. There are numerous scenarios in which a person could make a claim against your title, so it’s important to protect yourself against these claims.

 

Title insurance helps make sure that you, your family, and your home are protected in case someones makes one of these claims.

 

How Does Title Insurance Work?

In order to buy or sell a home, a clear title is a necessity. Before titles can be issued, they have to be checked for any outstanding liens or claims. Checking a title helps confirm that a party has legal ownership of a property.

 

If a title is not clean, then property owners and lenders are susceptible to damages and losses due to liens, claims, and ownership by another party. Whereas most insurance protects policyholders from potential future events, title insurance protects owners and lenders from past occurrences.

 

A basic policy will include coverage for:

 

• Flawed records
• Ownership by a different party
• Fraud
• Forgery
• Outstanding lawsuits or liens

 

Like any other type of insurance, you purchase title insurance as a preventative measure. While you may not end up needing it, it’s important to have this protection in place so that there are no surprises after purchasing your home.

 

Types of Title Insurance

There are only two main types of title insurance: owners’ insurance and lenders’ insurance.

 

Owners’ insurance is typically purchased by the seller of the home. This is used to protect the buyer against title defects, claims, and liens. Owners’ insurance is an optional measure. It is up to the buyer and seller to decide whether or not it is necessary.

 

Lenders, on the other hand, almost always require buyers to purchase lenders’ insurance. This helps lenders protect themselves in case the seller does not have the legal right to transfer the title to the buyer. Lenders’ insurance is a common closing cost that you’ll likely face when buying a home.

 

How to Purchase a Policy

You will typically only purchase title insurance during the closing of a real estate transaction. Sellers typically purchase owners’ insurance while buyers generally are responsible for lenders’ insurance. Unlike other types of insurance, title insurance requires a one-time, upfront payment.

 

Your lender will likely have a preferred insures. In which case, you may be better off going with this choice. However, buyers can purchase from whichever insurer they choose.

 

It’s important to research and compare coverage from different providers to find the best insurance policy possible for you and your lender.

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source https://nationalcashoffer.com/what-is-title-insurance/

How Pricing Your Home For Sale is a Marketing Strategy

When you’re selling your home, it’s the small details that matter the most. One of the most overlooked ways to generate excitement about your home is actually with pricing. Think about it this way: you never hear about the home for sale with the crazy-high asking price, do you?

 

On the other hand, you’ve probably heard some buzz about a home priced competitively. These are the things that get the word out and that drive home buyers to take action.

 

When marketing your home, you need to consider the facts. You need to think seasonally, understand your home’s unique characteristics, and take a close look at local marketing conditions. Only then can you think of how pricing your home for sale is a marketing strategy in itself. In this guide, we’ll talk about how to leverage your home’s selling price as a marketing tool as well as the best strategies for naming your price.

 

 

Consumer Psychology and Mindset

One of the biggest factors in understanding how home pricing works is to think about consumer psychology. This is the psychology that plays a role in everything we purchase. It’s how we interact with stores and products, and it’s also at play when buying a home.

 

Any time you make a purchase, you most likely look into the price. For buying a home, most buyers are shopping online. They usually use price to guide their search, and we can use this knowledge to price our property accordingly.

 

There are 3 key ways psychology influences price:

• $19.99 Syndrome
• The Power of 4 and 7
• Utilizing Zeros

 

While these might seem a bit out there, they’re based in research and fact. Let’s break each of them down in greater detail.

 

1. $19.99 Syndrome

According to Robert Mctague, $19.99 Syndrome is a common belief in marketing that by pricing something at $19.99 rather than $20, you’ll make it seem like a better deal. You see this with any number of homes priced $199,999 for instance.

 

This actually hurts your listing since the people searching in the $200,000+ range aren’t likely to see your listing online in a refined search. That means you’re actually not attracting the right buyers with this mentality. You need to understand how people search for homes.

 

2. The Power of 4 and 7

Why are the numbers 4 and 7 so powerful in pricing? It’s because a home priced at $334,000 will seem much more precisely priced than one priced at $330,000. This makes a point to the buyer that the seller knows what he or she is doing.

 

Another reason this is so valuable is the Right Digit Rule. This rule states that consumers look to the right digits first, meaning that the price of $227,000 looks better than $229,999.

 

3. Utilizing Commas

Finally, the way you use commas matters as well. The more zeros you add to your price, specifically a promotion, the more significant of a deal it seems to be. If you’ve discounted your property by $10,000, for example, listing it as a $10,000.00 price cut looks more significant.

 

How You Price Your Home Matters

So how do you actually price your home now that you understand how this number can be used as a marketing strategy? While these ideas about consumer psychology are important to keep in mind, you’ll still need to consider your particular home and the competition in your local area.

 

Your home’s price is often the first thing buyers see when they’re browsing for properties. Make sure your price stands out, whether you choose to price it below the competition to start a bidding war or you choose to rely on the rule of 4 and 7.

 

There’s most definitely a psychology behind pricing homes. Price can be one of the largest motivators for selling any product, including property. You need any edge you can get over the competition, so why not be smart with pricing? This is a free marketing tool. Why not take advantage of it?

 

The post How Pricing Your Home For Sale is a Marketing Strategy appeared first on National Cash Offer.

source https://nationalcashoffer.com/how-pricing-your-home-for-sale-is-a-marketing-strategy/

Trust & Why It Matters in the Home Buying Process

The home buying process can be complicated. From finding a great realtor and looking for the perfect home to negotiating prices and closing deals, buying a home can be difficult.

 

In order to make this process easier for all parties involved, it’s important that you are able to trust your realtor and the home seller.

 

When buying a home, you’ll depend on your realtor to help you find the right home, perform market analysis, and get you the best deal possible on your dream home. Additionally, you’ll have to trust sellers to be honest about the condition of the home and to make a reasonable offer.

 

Without trust, the home buying process becomes much more difficult and stressful for you, your real estate agent, and the seller.

 

Trust Your Real Estate Agent

Real estate agents perform an incredibly important job. While it can be tempting to take on a more involved role in the home buying process, you need to trust your agent to help you find the perfect home for the right price.

 

First and foremost, real estate agents are extremely experienced and well-connected. They can help you find listings that you wouldn’t be able to find via your own methods.

 

Additionally, when it comes to negotiating, real estate agents are experts. Leaving negotiations to the professionals will help ensure that you are able to get your home for the lowest price possible.

 

Lastly, for first-time buyers, real estate agents and realtors can help guide you through the entire buying process — from getting a mortgage to closing the deal on your new home.

 

Real estate agents and realtors have to abide by a strict code of ethics, so you can feel confident that your agent will always have your best interests in mind.

 

Trusting Sellers

It’s also important to trust sellers during the home buying process. Though, it can understandably be difficult to do so. After all, you and the seller have conflicting interests. Primarily, you want to purchase their home for the lowest price possible while the seller wants to get as much money from the sale as possible.

 

Be that as it may, you, as the buyer, have to depend on the seller to be truthful about the details of the home that they’re selling. First, the homeowner will know of any potential safety issues present in the home. Ideally, a home inspection will be performed before closing. But, even if an inspection is completed, there still may be some issues present that only the homeowner is aware of.

 

Moreover, it’s important to trust and verify that sellers are being fair in their listing prices. Listing a home for a higher price than it is actually worth in order to create more room for negotiation is a common, deceptive practice.

 

It’s important to find a home seller that you can trust in order to ensure that you are not taken advantage of when buying a home.

 

Be Cautious

While trust is incredibly important, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be cautious.

 

Buyers, particularly first-time buyers, are always susceptible to being taken advantage of. It’s important to always verify information and do your own research in order to ensure that you are getting a fair deal.

 

By trusting your agent and the home seller, but still being cautious when appropriate, you can make the home buying process a much better experience for everyone involved.

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source https://nationalcashoffer.com/trust-why-it-matters-in-the-home-buying-process/