Author: Marlowe Clark

LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” and is a certification system originally developed by the U.S. Green Building Council but now used worldwide to promote energy-efficient, eco-friendly construction. The LEED standards prioritize energy and water efficiency, improved indoor air quality and sustainable building materials, and reduced carbon emissions.

Buildings can be awarded a rating of either “certified,” “silver certified,” “gold certified” or “platinum certified.” Points are earned by incorporating sustainable features such as proper insulation, high-efficiency appliances, nontoxic materials and water-saving fixtures. You can earn points whether you’re building from the ground up or making renovations, so you should continue to pay attention to LEED guidelines even if you aren’t building new to potentially achieve an official certification.

Beyond being a smart choice for the planet, a LEED-certified home offers long-term financial benefits. The lower energy and water consumption of a certified home leads to reduced utility bills, and homes with LEED certification also tend to have higher resale value. As buyers become increasingly eco-conscious, these kinds of sustainable living spaces are more in demand than ever.

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Back in 2022, California suffered a series of wildfires. The response from the government was to require proof from homeowners that the structure met current fire safety guidelines, including a five-foot ‘defensible space’ surrounding the structure where no combustible materials should be present. Unfortunately, the recent fires in California have proven that simply requiring proof of meeting existing guidelines wasn’t enough. Our fire safety needs to improve, and with that come seven new methods of fire hardening. While these aren’t legally mandated, they are certainly recommended and your homeowner insurance may start to require them.

Three of the new recommendations focus on the defensible space. In addition to avoiding placing or building using combustible materials within a five-foot defensible space, such materials or vegetation also should not be placed underneath decks. The defensible space should also be extended vertically as well as horizontally, to six inches underneath the exterior surface of the building. Additional buildings should not be constructed using combustible materials within 30 feet of the main structure, if the lot is large enough to build them farther away. The remaining four recommendations are specific materials or upgrades: a Class-A Fire Rated Roof, enclosed eaves, fire-resistant vents, and multi-pane windows.

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Though much of California doesn’t experience temperatures below freezing, winter is noticeably cooler than the rest of the year even in the most temperate areas of the state. So regardless of where you live, you may want to conserve heat in the cooler months. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by turning on the heater, but it’s most certainly not the most energy efficient way. It’s also easy to combine multiple methods.

There are a couple of cheap and relatively easy options. One is to reseal your doors and windows. Over time, the caulk and weatherstripping around doors and windows may begin to degrade. This may seem like a minor issue, but even small cracks or holes can result in heat loss. Make sure to replace damaged weatherstripping or recaulk. The other is to purchase thermal curtains. Thermal curtains are not particularly expensive, and are effective at trapping heat inside. This is especially the case if you don’t have dual-pane windows.

Some options cost nothing at all. An option that many people never think of is to change the direction of ceiling fans. Many people with ceiling fans are aware that they can go both directions, but most don’t realize that a low-speed clockwise rotation will push warm air down from the ceiling to which it has naturally risen. Closing the doors in rooms that aren’t in use also helps, by reducing the space in which warm air is distributed. However, this is more effective if you are already using a heating system. The last option is passive solar heating. This refers to opening curtains during the day, when the sun is shining into the home and raising the ambient temperature, and closing them at night to trap the heat inside. Thermal curtains can certainly help with this, but any curtains will do.

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There’s a wide range of surveillance systems that can improve your home security. Not all of them will be the right fit for every situation or homeowner. There are lower cost and higher cost options, and some require more or less technical know-how. You also always have the option to hire a professional installer if you need help.

Besides simply not having any security at all, the lowest cost option is a fake security camera. These won’t record anything, but may act as a deterrent. They’re also easy to install. If you want some actual recorded evidence, but don’t want to spend too much, wired cameras are the way to go. It’s difficult to move them once they’re installed, and the wire is a liability, but they don’t cost as much as wireless security systems and you probably won’t need a professional to install them. Wireless security systems are more flexible, but will need a bit of technical savvy to make the most of their features.

There are also some options adapted to specific uses, as well as packages geared towards different levels of technical knowledge. Night-vision cameras use infrared to monitor conditions in low light, though the images will be in black and white. Some advanced cameras may have both daytime and night-vision modes. Covert cameras are mainly for indoor use, as they can be hidden inside the home to keep an eye on the situation while you are away. These can be useful if you have a babysitter or housekeeper. If you don’t have much knowledge of security cameras, there are plug-and-play home surveillance camera kits you can purchase that have everything you need to get started along with an instruction manual, and are available for both wired and wireless systems. For those with some more expertise, there are advanced products available, such as quad processors that allow you to network camera systems, remote monitoring tools, DVR recorders, and other accessories.

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Whether it’s for guests, a house viewing or anything else, when you’re short on time and need to get your home looking presentable quickly, it’s all about prioritizing and simplifying. This is even easier if there are other people to assist you, and you are able to delegate tasks.

Prioritize high-traffic areas. This includes the living room, kitchen, and entryway, but most importantly, the bathroom. It’s often the most frequently used room by guests and the most off-putting when dirty, so it’s a top priority. Wipe down the sink, faucet and countertops and scrub the toilet. Replace the hand towel with a fresh one and empty the trash if needed. If you’re really short on time, use disinfectant wipes for speed. Unless you’re showing your home, there are probably rooms your guests won’t enter, such as bedrooms or home offices. If you don’t have time to clean them, just close the doors.

The next thing to do is remove clutter. A cluttered floor and tables makes any room feel messy. Even if you have an organization scheme in place, your guests don’t need to see all your personal items. Grab a basket and collect any things out in the open so they can be temporarily stored out of the way. This can be any number of unrelated things, such as toys, shoes, or paperwork, as long as they’re safely out of the way. You can deal with sorting it later.

There’s another way to quickly make your home feel more inviting that doesn’t involve cleaning at all. Light a candle or spray a fresh scent. It only takes a minute and creates a more welcoming atmosphere.

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As with any sort of business deal, buying or selling a home involves a lot of negotiation. Fortunately, there are techniques to aid in negotiation that apply not just to real estate or business, but nearly any situation, even simple discussions among friends. It even comes with a handy mnemonic: Negotiation expert Jacqueline Twillie has coined the acronym L.A.T.T.E. to help with all your negotiating needs.

L: Look at the details. Making sure you’re fully informed about every detail and potential outcome will help you to decide what decisions you can make.

A: Anticipate the challenges. It’s probably a given that you’ll receive some pushback or have some hurdles to overcome during the conversation. Make sure you’re ready for the kind of questions or resistance you might face while negotiating and have your responses prepared.

T: Think about what you want to walk away with. Be clear in your mind about what you actually want from the negotiation, what you are prepared to be flexible on and which parts of your desired outcome are not up for negotiation. Also, be sure to consider what the other party wants from the conversation for a stronger approach.

T: Talk it through! Practicing talking through your points out loud will help you be confident and collected when it comes to the real thing. You may even find that hearing your points out loud helps you identify where your tone or approach might need to change.

E: Evaluate your options. Before making a final decision, give yourself time to review the outcomes you’ve been offered from the negotiations to make sure it’s what’s best for you.

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If you’re selling your home, you need to be prepared to potentially receive offers below asking price. That’s just the way negotiations work. It’s important to examine the offers objectively, without getting offended, and understand why a prospective buyer might offer what appears to be a low amount. The reason could differ from person to person, and knowing what the buyer is thinking is important for understanding how to respond to the offer.

Obviously, you can’t read the buyer’s mind, but you can talk to your agent. Your agent may have insights into market conditions or particular wording in the offer, and can also speak to the buyer’s agent. It’s possible that your home is overpriced. This doesn’t necessarily mean that someone made a mistake in valuing your home — sometimes a home is actually worth more than surrounding homes, but is at a price point that isn’t appealing to people looking in that area. This could require compromise. It’s also possible the buyer is simply leveraging the nature of negotiations, expecting you’ll counter higher than their offer, but below your initial asking price. Another possibility is that the buyer is well-qualified up to a certain amount, and is hoping for a quick and uncomplicated transaction. If, however, the offer is egregiously low and the buyer is not willing to compromise, it’s probably best to forget about it.

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When you’re trying to remodel your home to sell it, the best way to get ahead of the curve is to focus on the kitchen. Kitchen remodels can be very expensive, but that’s because they’re also very valuable. Even if you do nothing else, a well-done kitchen remodel can be highly cost effective, even if the cost is high. That means staying up to date on the current trends in the kitchen.

Right now, that’s stainless steel. Stainless steel is durable and easy to clean, and at least right now, considered aesthetically appealing. While some go as far as to include stainless steel countertops and cabinets, you don’t need to go that crazy. Stainless steel everything can feel cold and industrial, but you can balance that with marble countertops, traditional wood cabinets, or even just splashes of color. You could also pick between large or small appliances, and make one of those categories stainless steel; either one has the same effect.

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As a prospective buyer, if you see something about a property you’d want to fix or replace, you’ll probably want to negotiate repairs or credits with the seller. The question is whether you want the seller to manage the repairs or you to manage the repairs. Neither choice is inherently better or worse, but certain circumstances or goals may cause you to opt for one or the other.

When buyers opt to negotiate repairs, the primary reason is that they simply don’t want to deal with it, and would prefer for it to already be finished by the time they move in. This is certainly a valid reason, but there may actually be a more important one. Many — though not all — loans require the property to meet a minimum standard of condition, and if the property falls short, you’ll need the repairs to be done before the sale is finalized if you don’t want the loan to be rejected. You should check your loan requirements before making a decision.

The most common reason for asking the seller for credit is that the changes the buyer wants are either minor or subjective. Minor repairs will still take time and delay the sale process if the buyer asks for the seller to take care of them. Repainting or choosing colors or materials are updates that require the new owner’s oversight, so it doesn’t make sense to put it in the hands of the seller. If your loan will allow it, you may even want credit for major repairs. This could be because you want more agency in the process, you have the skill to repair it yourself, or you’re on a time constraint and don’t want to delay the sale.

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For many people, summer is supposed to be the ideal time to relax. Unfortunately, summer also comes with a few annoyances — namely, pests and overbearing heat. Fortunately, if they’re dealt with effectively, you can still enjoy your summer.

Different types of bugs have different living conditions. That can make it hard to cover for every single type, but it becomes easier if you know why they’re coming. Dealing with fruit flies and dust mites can be made easier by simply cleaning, but there are also more specific things you can do. Fruit flies are attracted to overripe fruits, and dust mites like high humidity. There’s also a trick for mosquitoes — they can’t fly well in windy weather, so you can use fans as a substitute to deter them.

As for the stifling heat, it may be that some rooms are hotter than others. In fact, this is probably the case even if your AC isn’t on — but it’s especially the case if your AC is on and there’s a problem with it. Your ducts may not be properly sealed, or the fan may not be working right. If applicable, direct more cool air to upstairs areas, since the heat rises. The heat can also cause issues for doors, as heat and humidity can cause wood to expand. This could make your doors stick or jam. You may need to adjust weather stripping, or possibly even shave the door down.

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