tips for home buying – The Lawhead Team

Tips To Baby Proof Your Home

The Lawhead Team Blogger — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:02:54 +0000

Expecting? Baby proof your home.

We had previously posted this blog a while back and since our precious Olivia was just born this week, we felt it was appropriate to once again post these baby proof tips which can be used throughout the house.

We know we will soon have to be baby proofing our home for when our Granddaughter comes to visit!

Parents can prevent many common serious childhood injuries by knowing where the dangers lie and how to protect children from them. Check out our helpful tips to baby proof various rooms and areas in the house.

Bathroom

Start by turning down the water temperature on your water heater. When you put your baby in the bath tub, it’s easiest to avoid any burning problem by keeping [it] at 110°.
Consider purchasing and installing toilet lid locks to baby proof your bathroom. Babies are fascinated by water.

Doors

Put decals on sliding-glass doors so your child won’t run into them.
Use doorknob covers on doors that you don’t want your child to open to baby proof your home.

Windows

Install window guards or adjust windows so they cannot open more than six inches.
Tie up the cords to blinds to baby proof so that a child doesn’t get tangled up in them.
Do not place a crib, playpen, highchair, or bed anywhere near blind cords.
Install safety glass in low windows and French doors so they won’t shatter if a child falls into them.
Don’t place furniture or anything that can be climbed on near a window.

Electricity

Cover all unused electrical outlets with safety plugs that snap into outlets. As soon as toddlers start crawling, they will try to put their fingers or a bobby pin in exposed outlets and can get a serious burn.
Check for exposed outlets behind furniture that you may have overlooked when you baby proof your home.

Fireplace

Purchase a fireplace hearth cover because once kids learn to walk or crawl, they run a risk of falling into a fireplace. Ready-made or even homemade softer devices that go around the hearth also can keep them out of harm’s way.

Stairways

Install gates once they start crawling when you baby proof your home. Put them at the bottom of stairways to prevent them from getting up the stairs. And if you are worried about them getting out of a bedroom, put a gate on that doorway.
Don’t put a gate at the top of the steps, because some babies can climb up a gate and fall from an even higher height.
Place the safety gate bar latch on the side away from your child’s reach.
Never leave anything on the stairs that you can trip on while carrying your baby.

Furniture and Accessories

Put away any unstable or rickety furniture your baby could pull over.
Fasten high bookcases or other tall pieces of furniture to the wall so your child can’t pull them down.
Keep all drawers closed completely so your baby can’t shut fingers in them or climb on them.
Keep all medications and cleaning products stored in a locked cabinet to baby proof your home. You especially want to lock [low cabinets] that contain household products that are dangerous because once your child starts crawling, he or she can get out cleaning fluids and drink them.

Appliances

Turn the handles of pots and pans toward the back of the stove or counter to baby proof your kitchen.
Use the back burners for cooking whenever possible.
Don’t let your baby play at your feet while you are cooking.
Never leave a boiling pot or sizzling skillet unattended on the stove.
Teach your child that the oven is “hot” and not to touch it.
Keep plug-in appliances, such as toasters and can openers, put away where your child can’t reach them.

Tips For Buying A Home

The Lawhead Team Blogger — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:10:34 +0000

Important things to consider when buying a home.

When buying a home it is difficult not to let your emotions get in the way of your big buying decision. The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips to consider before buying a home.

Visit the house at various times of the day. The windows that let in so much light during the day may be a peeping Tom’s dream at night. That seemingly quiet residential street may be a noisy, highway-feeder street during morning or evening rush hour; or it may be near impossible to get from your quiet street across traffic and onto the feeder street in the morning. The adjacent school may seem like a nice perk if you’re buying in the summer, but during the school year, daily playground noise and extra traffic may be more than you bargained for when buying a home.

Look through recent newspaper archives to find information you may not be able to see. Perhaps the municipal water well that feeds your neighborhood has high levels of contaminants or a proposed high-voltage power line may soon be coming through your back yard. You can also check with the city or county to see if there are any proposed projects before buying a home.

Visit with the neighbors to get a feel for the neighborhood. How many people in the neighborhood own their homes? Sometimes it’s hard to tell at first if you’re choosing a neighborhood that’s primarily rental houses. Checking out the neighborhood you are buying a home in should be a major deciding factor.

Find out if there is an association in the neighborhood. Also find out if there is a community newspaper and if they plan get togethers and block parties. If the community plans events together that is usually a good indication they have shared interest in the look and well being of the neighborhood.

Talk with the sellers you are buying a home from to find out more about the house. What problems are they aware of that the house had in the past – even if they’ve been fixed? An ice dam five years ago may have caused water damage that has since been repaired. But it’s good to know that the house may be prone to ice dams so you can take preventive measures rather than find out the hard way. Discovering the basement flooding was solved by building up the landscaping in a particular area will prevent you from leveling the ground there in later years.

Invest in a home inspection before buying a home. Virtually all houses have defects, according to National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents. Some will be obvious and most will be curable. But knowing what needs fixing can help you negotiate a lower price – or at least prepare you for costs you’re soon to incur. Strongly consider getting inspections, too, for lead paint, radon and wood-eating pests.

When buying a home get detailed records on past improvements. This isn’t always possible. But if you’re told the house’s exterior was painted two years ago – and then see a receipt noting the whole project cost just $1,000 – then you’ll be forewarned that cheaper materials were used and that you may be looking at repainting sooner than you thought.

Don’t just assume remodeling will be a snap when buying a home that needs some work done. If you voice your ideas to the sellers, you may be able to glean valuable insights. For instance, perhaps that shower is in an odd location because, when remodeling 10 years ago, the previous owners discovered a costly structural impediment to putting a shower where it would seem more appropriate.

Check out the seller’s previous tax bills when buying a home.Don’t just ask what the seller’s most recent tax bill was; ask what several recent tax bills have been. In some areas, houses are re-appraised – and taxed at higher rates – frequently. That great deal and good investment may not seem quite so grand if the property taxes skyrocket year after year. Again, look at newspaper archives or talk to your Realtor about the way taxes are used in this area. In some cities, schools are substantially funded through property taxes – which means you can count on yours increasing regularly.

Reconsider any extras or lack there of when buying a home. Are you sure you can live with a one-car garage, or a detached garage, or on-street parking? The pool may be a nice bonus, but can you afford the upkeep?

Explore the surrounding area of your potential new home. If you’re not just making a cross-town move, you may not know that only three blocks away, this pretty neighborhood backs up to a dumpy commercial area or a less-than-savory part of town. If the home is near an airport, fire station, police station, hospital or railroad track, expect to hear trains, planes or ambulances throughout the day and night. Make sure you’re not too close to an agricultural area that may generate odors or kick up dust or other airborne problems.

Lessen Home Buying Stress

The Lawhead Team Blogger — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 16:42:51 +0000

Tips to taking the stress out of buying your home.

Buying a home is by far one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life. This being said, it is not unusual to experience a heightened amount of stress during the process.

The Lawhead Team would like to share with you some helpful tips to lessen the stress during your home buying experience.

Whether you are buying your first or your tenth, home buying can be an exciting experience and for many people it can also be stressful. Experts agree that there are some things you can do to reduce the stress and make the home buying experience a more pleasant one.

Buying a home represents one of the largest purchases that most people will make during their lives. Having an expert working with you and on your behalf can help you with making an offer, negotiating a final price, applying for a mortgage, arranging for an inspection, getting insurance and all of the other important steps involved.

No matter what you’ve heard or read, there is no perfect time to buy (or sell) a house. The time to buy is when you are ready — and when you have found a home that meets your needs. Trying to guess what interest rates will do in a few months or how the market might change and how low prices will drop may only mean that you will miss out on the home you really want to buy. Buying a home always involves choices. Make a list of your top priorities and focus on those items that are the most important to you.

Planning ahead can help keep stress out of the process. Ask your realtor to help you get a pre-qualification letter from a lender. Knowing how much you can borrow will help you in your search. And presenting the pre-qualification letter to sellers tells them that you will be able to afford the purchase.

Have a general moving plan in mind. Do you need to sell your current house to afford to buy another? How much time do you expect that will require? Once you do sell, will you be ready to move quickly? The fewer contingencies there are in your offer to buy, the more likely a seller will accept it and the less stress you will experience.

Most importantly, think carefully about why you are looking to buy. Owning a home offers tax breaks, appreciation, equity, freedom (that you don’t have when you rent someone else’s property), stability and more. These are all good reasons why owning may be better for you than renting. However, the most important reason to buy a home is because you love it. All of the other benefits are on top of the pleasure you will have in living in a home you truly enjoy.