Home-Ownership Archives - Oh My Heartsie Girl

June 18, 2022

Understanding What Roofing Contractors Do

A roof is a critical part of your home, and keeping it in good condition is essential. Other than promoting curb aesthetics, a roof shelters you from extreme weather conditions. That is why selecting a professional roofer is an appropriate idea. Here is a guide to the three functions of a roofing contractor.

Building and Repairing Roofs

A professional roofer will save you money in the long run. This is by properly installing the roof the first time, thus saving you from paying for repairs down the road. Improperly installed roofs are prone to water leaks and poor ventilation. They possess the expertise to get the job done quickly and efficiently, thus saving on labor costs. Certified roofing contractors have the tools and equipment to get the job done safely.

Some roofing materials have a shorter lifespan than products like IKO roofing materials. Roofers offer maintenance and repair services to keep your roof in good condition and extend its useful life. Roofing contractors know what to look for in terms of roof damage. They identify potential problems and fix them before they become significant issues.

IKO-Integrated-Roofing-System. — via IKO Proforma Materials

High-Quality Roofing Material Selection

Roofing contractors are knowledgeable and experienced. They have access to high-quality roofing materials, which can influence the overall quality of your roof. Many roofing materials are available, and a roofer will help you select the best. They also advise you on materials suited to your needs. Options you can choose from include concrete tiles, clay tiles, and other items similar to IKO shingles. A professional roofer will use materials that will last longer and look great. Additionally, they offer a warranty on their quality. This gives you peace of mind that the roofing job is done right and that your roof is protected against future problems.

Timely Delivery of Roofing Project

Roofing contractors strive to deliver timely roofing services, as it is good for business. They do this through Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which allows them to achieve the following conveniently:

Manage and oversee production schedules
Process payments and offer financing options to the client
Create work and material order
See job updates and activities in real-time, even if they are working remotely.

Hiring a professional roofer is crucial to ensure proper roof installation and repair. With the contractors’ experience and knowledge, they will be able to get the job done right. This is done by using high-quality material and proper installation techniques.

What experience have you had with building a home or needing repairs on a roof? Was it a good experience?
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May 6, 2021April 30, 2021

Home Renovations You Should Not Do Yourself

Home-Renovation-Image-Julie-Whitmer Do it yourself (DIY) projects are more popular than ever. They’re a great way to ensure you get the exact update you want, and they can save you quite a bit of money in the process.

Paint the walls, switch out light fixtures, and tear out the carpet, but when it comes to other projects, they’re best left to the professionals.

Here are four home improvement projects that you should never do yourself.

Replacing a Roof

Roofing systems can be expensive, and it’s easy to see why. They are a home’s first defense against the elements. Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of trying to replace their roof on their own only to end up with the very thing they were trying to avoid—a damaging leak.

It’s really best to hire a professional for the job. They will make sure everything is installed properly. You can even look into roof financing options that will make the replacement more affordable.

Electrical Work

There are some electrical home improvement projects you can do on your own. Changing outlet covers and replacing light fixtures are two DIY projects that most homeowners can handle, but when it comes to in-depth electrical work, you need to hire a professional electrician.

Dealing with electricity can put you in danger of being shocked. A bad electrical job can even cause a fire and destroy your home. If you’re looking to install an outlet or a light fixture where there isn’t one, or the wiring in your home needs an update, don’t do it yourself.

Major Plumbing Repairs

Electrical work is especially dangerous for a homeowner. That isn’t the case with major plumbing repairs, but doing it wrong can end up costing you a lot of money.

Without the right plumbing repair or replacement, you could end up with a leak, or worse yet, flooding your home. All that water can result in mold growth and costly remodeling repairs.

A few plumbing projects that should be left to the professionals include:

Toilet installations
Shower and tub installations
Water heater installations
Valve and tube replacements
Sewer pipe work

Structural Changes to Rooms

Tearing out a wall sounds like the easiest DIY project of all. You just need a sledgehammer and a strong arm! Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

Before you tear down the wall, you have to consider what’s inside it. There could be electrical wires or plumbing located in the wall. If you’re living in a two-story home, you could be dealing with a load-bearing wall. In order to make sure you don’t end up with even more costly repairs, it’s best to leave knocking down any walls to the professionals.

When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to call in a professional team to assess your project. It costs less in the long run to do it right in the first place than it does to botch the job and end up calling a professional to fix it anyway.

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation
if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

September 10, 2020

How’s the Real Estate Market in California?

Like many domestic and foreign markets worldwide, the United States housing market reaped the consequences of economic and social changes caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The real estate market in California, specifically, experienced turns and twists in 2020. When the year began, local markets across California were highly active with loads of competition. The prices of homes were rising for the most part, and at the time, it seemed the real estate market in California would have a solid year. While the year hasn’t been as solid as once predicted, California’s real estate market has experienced success, a decline, and resilience.

A Pandemic-Driven Decline

Wildfires across the northern part of California, a housing shortage, and a recession plagued the real estate market. Subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated expensive home prices.

When the Golden State transitioned into lockdown mode in late March in response to the virus’ outbreak across the state and the West Coast, home sales plummeted. Unsure of how much damage the coronavirus would cause and what was in store for the United States economy, many sellers removed their homes from the market, and those in search of a new home stopped shopping and closing on deals.

How’s-the-Real-Estate-Market-in-California?

The market was able to begin rebounding as the mortgage and real estate industries learned to adapt to closures of physical businesses, stay-at-home orders, and curfews by implementing digital workflows that don’t need in-person contact. Such changes encouraged resilience and growth.

What is the current state of the real estate market?

Down since this past March, low-interest rates on homes may have also attracted buyers, which could have prevented the real estate market from destruction among this ongoing pandemic. While current sales are still lower than those from earlier this year, they’ve increased sharply since this past spring when the state enacted stay-at-home orders that almost froze the market.

According to reports in July from the California Association of Realtors (CAR), home sales throughout California had a significant increase of 42 percent from May to June, most likely caused by the state’s gradual reopening during that time. June saw house sales across the Southern California area’s six counties, specific, increase by approximately 43.5 percent from May sales. Additionally, this region’s median sale price—the point at which 50 percent of the homes on the market sold for more and the other 50 percent for less—rose almost three percent to $555,500, a record high.

Real estate market and mortgage industry experts predict that, for the most part, the California housing market will remain favorable in 2021 even with any after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the predictions are that there will still be low mortgage rates and increased house prices.

Buying a Home in California

The real estate market can be consistent, but considering the changes it may experience, primarily because of the coronavirus and the economy of specific regions in California, homeowners may search for alternative ways to sell their homes, just as home seekers might look for other ways to make a purchase.

One option for people who intend to sell their homes is to do so without a real estate agent’s help. For example, California homeowners living in Sacramento may put the keywords “sell my house fast Sacramento” into a search bar to explore the ways of selling their home without relying on the market or an agent.

Selling a home through Sell Quick California is a solution for homeowners to make a quick, appropriate sale. Using this reputable company’s services to sell one home and purchase or rent another doesn’t require property owners to pay l costs, a real estate agent’s commission, and other expensive fees. With Sell Quick California, homeowners receive an immediate, appropriate cash offer, whether their home needs repairs or renovation at the time of the sale. This company’s decision to buy and sell homes in as-is condition is an essential one that can be beneficial in a market that could continuously change as the world continues feeling the coronavirus’s impact.

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Location of the House

Buyers want to find a location that allows easy access to the places they frequent the most (work, school, shopping, recreation, place of worship, friends and family). Look for easy access to the main roads and check traffic flow. Checking this out before a purchase can help save you from hassles getting out of the neighborhood and onto the main thoroughfare or from an unreasonably long commute. The location of the home within the neighborhood is also important to many people. Some people prefer a lot near the main entry, while others like to be away from traffic and further into the development. If there is a park, pool or recreation area, some owners would choose the closest available lot. Cul-de-sacs are favored by some, and some people like living on the main boulevard.

Determine Your Overall Budget

To make relocating and buying a house easier, you should always determine your overall budget first. Start by figuring out how much money you have to work with for both the move and the home purchase. Then, research the cost of packing supplies, moving services needed and home prices in the new city. If you plan to use a full service moving company, be prepared to pay several thousand dollars for an interstate move. If purchasing a home, assess your savings and monthly income to figure out how much you can reasonably spend on a home. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, you will need to cover closing costs, realtor fees, homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, and utilities.

Cost of Selling a House

Several costs are incurred when buying/selling real estate, and they can add up to as much as 10% of the sale price overall. The cost of selling a house is something that seriously needs to be taken into consideration. Buyer’s agents generally include any costs they want the seller to pay in the purchase contract, so sellers are forewarned. But they should clarify with their own agents which fees are customary and which are not. You won’t pay for the new buyer’s insurance, title registration, or taxes if you sell your car, but selling a home is different.

Get Prequalified and Preapproved for Credit

Before you start looking for a home, you will need to know how much you can actually spend. The best way to do that is to get prequalified for a mortgage. To get prequalified, you just need to provide some financial information to your mortgage bankers, such as your income and the amount of savings and investments you have. Your lender will review this information and tell you how much we can lend you. This will tell you the price range of the homes you should be looking at. Later, you can get pre-approved for credit, which involves providing your financial documents (W-2 statements, paycheck stubs, bank account statements, etc.) so your lender can verify your financial status and credit.

Purchase Price

Before even looking, you should determine your price range and get pre-approved for a loan. Buying a single-family home is a huge investment, and there’s always more to it than just the purchase price. Think about how all costs will affect your finances and stick to your decision on price range and mortgage payment.
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