It’s Friday! Here are today’s new listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers! Let me know if you want to see any this weekend! 309-275-4734!

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW MORE DETAILS AND PHOTOS OF THE PROPERTIES! 

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Search by zip code to search for local community info! Check it out! Click on link to view and enter your zip code!

http://www.homesinbloomingtonil.com/micommunity/zip/61701/

Here are today’s new Bloomington Normal Listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers!

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW MORE DETAILS AND PHOTOS! 

http://bnar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=89616fb7-6319-43ba-8958-08960160fc79&Report=Yes

February home-maintenance checklist

The transition between winter and spring is the time to get a jump on moisture damage and heat loss, make quick work of organizing storage areas and work in some garden prep before spring.

 

Don’t let winter slip away without using the cold, wet weather to help you detect where your home is leaking water and heat, giving you a chance to seal it up tight and develop a wish list for energy-saving improvements. Your first order of business inside your home is to make sure no water is getting in.

Carefully check every spot where condensation or water could enter your living areas and storage spaces. Take along a pad of paper and a pencil and take detailed notes as you scrutinize ceilings, under the roof, under the eaves and along window and door frames and ventilation seals. Be particularly careful to check under toilets, sinks, tubs and showers. Use a flashlight to check the crawl space or basement walls and floors and the underside of the first-story floor. You’re looking for visible moisture and for stains caused by moisture. When you find something, the remedy will depend on the source of the leak. You may just need to recaulk around a tub or window, or you may need to call a plumber to replace a leaking fixture

Here are some other tasks to tackle inside your home this month:

Change the shower curtain. While you’re checking for leaks in the bathroom, see if the shower curtain needs replacing. Damp shower curtains can grow unhealthy mold and mildew and contribute to mold problems in the tub and shower, so swap yours out periodically and make sure to open and air out the shower enclosure when you’re done bathing.

Batten down the hatches. Find and seal energy leaks. Grab a pad and pencil to note any spots that you can’t address right away. Arm yourself with a tube of caulk to fill small cracks and a spray can of insulating foam sealer for larger gaps. Tour your home feeling for cold air entering through cracks in chimneys and window and door frames, and cracks around appliance vents, electrical and plumbing fixtures and furnace ducts. Remedies might include adding weatherstripping to a door frame or applying fresh caulk to window frames.

Run the numbers. Get an idea of how much energy a home the size of yours typically uses by entering detailed information about your dwelling into the Home Energy Saver tool. The tool lets you calculate your home’s energy use. It also lets you estimate the energy savings from a variety of improvements, such as adding insulation, replacing windows and purchasing high-efficiency appliances. Experts from the Energy Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and other state and federal agencies collaborate in sponsoring the site.

 Conduct a home energy audit. If you’ve sealed the obvious leaks and your home is still inefficient, you’ll get more detailed information from a professional energy audit. The auditor can recommend energy-saving improvements and point out those that will most improve efficiency. Learn more about energy audits and how to find a professional auditor at the Energy Department’s Energy Savers site. Auditors use a blower door test, a thermographic scan and, occasionally, a perfluorocarbon tracer gas air-infiltration measurement technique to learn how weather-tight your home is. Tips: Check a contractor’s references thoroughly and check for complaints at the Better Business Bureau and your state attorney general’s consumer protection office (find your attorney general through the National Association of Attorneys General). The Energy Department advises finding a contractor who uses a calibrated blower door and who does thermographic inspections. Expect to pay roughly $300 to $500. In some cities, utility companies or government agencies do the work or help with the fees. For example, in Austin, Minn., the city utility performs and subsidizes audits so homeowners pay only $50 or $150, depending on the type of audit. Austin screens and recommends contractors, too.

SEE THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE INCLUDING MORE TIPS HERE:

http://realestate.msn.com/february-home-maintenance-checklist

 

Here are today’s new Bloomington Normal Listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers!

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW FOR MORE DETAILS AND PHOTOS!

http://bnar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=a415d1bc-5289-41d4-95b3-2ad5dba631bc&Report=Yes

OPEN HOUSE THIS SAT. 2/25 FROM 10AM – NOON! COME CHECK IT OUT!

$57,900, 1913 Tracy Unit 3A, Bloomington

Extremely well maintained and move in ready 2 bedroom condo. Large family room with corner wood burning fireplace. Nice sized bedrooms and laundry service within unit. Many updates including newer flooring and paint. Secured building and covered parking. Very affordable living; not a drive by but must see to appreciate.

Here are today’s new Bloomington Normal Listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers!

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW MORE DETAIL AND PHOTOS!

http://bnar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=0014d5e7-5bdb-4ff7-b08d-b7e0e0ced26b&Report=Yes

Selling a Home with Cement Asbestos Tiles, Termites, or Vermiculite

Selling a home may seem like a challenge for the homeowner who has discovered termite damage, vermiculite, or asbestos components. A home that contains harmful building materials or that has been treated for termites can be sold, however, if certain steps are taken. If you know your home has been treated for termites or contains vermiculite insulation, asbestos siding, or asbestos cement tiles, or if the buyer’s inspection reveals one of these issues, knowing the facts can help make your sale go more smoothly. As a seller, you’re generally required by law to disclose what you know about your home’s termite damage, asbestos tiles, vermiculite insulation, or asbestos siding. The regulations governing disclosures of material facts vary from state to state, but most sales do require a signed statement of known issues. In California, for example, sellers will be required to indicate whether they have been aware of “substances, materials or products which may be an environmental hazard such as, but not limited to, asbestos.”

Selling a Home with Cement Asbestos Tiles

The first key to selling a home with cement asbestos tiles is to know the facts. Asbestos contamination is an issue that’s received a lot of attention in the last few decades, but asbestos is only dangerous under certain circumstances. Asbestos is a mineral silicate, once admired for its fire-resistant and insulate properties. While it is no longer used in the United States due to the dangers of inhaling the glass-like dust particles, it exists in an undisturbed state in many American homes. Asbestos tiles, if left alone, are not dangerous. It is generally inadvisable to tear up cement asbestos tiles, and selling a home with cement asbestos tiles that are undisturbed and intact may in fact be easier than selling a home with airborne construction debris. You do have a legal obligation to disclose known asbestos in your home, but buyers should know that asbestos tiles are common in older homes. The Minnesota Department of Health reports that “flooring that contains asbestos, when intact and in good condition, is generally considered nonfriable and not hazardous.” Friable flooring is flooring that can be crushed or turned to dust by hand. Cement asbestos floor tiles are only dangerous when particles can be inhaled, so your potential buyer may agree that leaving the floor undisturbed is the best option when dealing with asbestos.

Selling a Home Treated for Termites

Selling a home that’s been treated for termites should not be particularly hard if you can demonstrate how the problem has been controlled, how the damage was repaired, and how you’ve continued to protect the home from ongoing termite damage. Potential buyers may ask to see paperwork, which could include descriptions of the termite damage, bills from termite treatment professionals, or inspection reports showing the extent of termite damage. If the buyer’s certified termite inspection reveals untreated termite infestations or previously undetected termite damage, steps will generally need to be taken to control the problem before the sale can go through. Termite abatement should be handled by a skilled professional for reasons of safety and effectiveness as well as for the sake of adequate documentation. If a termite inspection reveals evidence of termite damage but no live insects, the home will still be considered infested unless there is proof of prior treatment. It is to your advantage, as a seller, to have a termite infestation professionally treated before selling your termite-damaged home.

In some states, there will be specific questions on seller disclosure forms which relate to termites. Texas, for instance, asks sellers to check a box if they are “aware of active termites” while New York asks both “is there any termite, insect, rodent or pest infestation or damage?” and ” has the property been tested for termite, insect, rodent or pest infestation or damage?” No matter where you live, your obligation as a seller is to be honest in answering all questions about termite infestations and treatment.

Selling a Home with Asbestos Siding

As in the case of cement asbestos tiles, asbestos siding is dangerous when it’s damaged, crushed, or turned to dust. As long as the asbestos siding on your home is intact and in good repair, buyers may wish to cover rather than replace the siding. Whether or not you cover asbestos tiles before selling your home, you are required by law to disclose their presence to any potential buyers. Buyers may want to know what condition the tiles are in, and many inspectors will recommend simply covering asbestos tiles with vinyl or HardiPlank siding rather than undertaking an expensive removal process. The most common management procedure for undamaged asbestos siding is to encase or cover the asbestos tiles with new siding. Since many homes were covered in asbestos tile siding in the 1970s, most home inspectors will be familiar with the most affordable and safe management methods.

Selling a Home with Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mineral substance that is often found in attics, especially as insulation in the spaces between joists. The product, which looks like course sand or gravel, is made by heating tiny mineral flakes to create puffy particles with fire-resistant and insulating properties. While vermiculite insulation can be excellent at retaining heat, it can also be dangerous: before 1990, most of the U.S. vermiculite supply came from an asbestos-contaminated mine. The mine, near Libby, Montana, produced vermiculite under the brand name Zonolite. Since so much vermiculite was produced at the Libby, Montana mine and is contaminated with asbestos fibers, it is generally advisable for homeowners to treat all vermiculite insulation as a potential source of asbestos dust. As in the case of asbestos siding or asbestos tiles, vermiculite insulation is best left undisturbed. If it can be left alone, it should be – this means not walking on it, not spending time in the attic or using the attic for storage, and not attempting to remove vermiculite insulation without consulting a professional. As a home seller, your responsibility is to disclose the presence of vermiculite insulation to potential buyers. You may want to research the cost of vermiculite removal, especially if it is in a high-traffic area or if the home is going to be remodeled. Working around vermiculite insulation can be dangerous, and renovations should be undertaken with care.

If you’ve discovered termite damage, asbestos tiles, asbestos siding, or vermiculite in your home, then as a seller, you have the legal responsibility to disclose these issues to a potential buyer. With appropriate management, however, asbestos, vermiculite, and treated termite damage can become minor issues that won’t stand in the way of a successful home sale.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Here are today’s new Bloomington Normal Area listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers!

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW LISTINGS, WITH PHOTOS AND MORE INFORMATION!

http://bnar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=c3e256bd-7296-4c23-b48a-e19f63138af6&Report=Yes

TGIF! Check out today’s new listings, courtesy of cooperating brokers! Beautiful day to go look at homes! Call me if you want to see! 309-275-4734

CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW DETAILS AND PICTURES!

http://bnar.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=db8823c0-4a34-452c-87ab-399f11318dbf&Report=Yes