Serendipity Realty Inc.

You shouldn't judge on how large or nice a home is because that small home might be the perfect castle for someone else. Also don't let your dream home overrule your budget. My goal is for you to spend wisely and be happy when purchasing your next home.

Home Tip about Carbon Monoxide Detectors: If you don't have a Carbon Monoxide detector in your home please make it your goal to buy one this weekend. They can be bought at any home improvement store, Walmart, Target or K-mart and cost about $25 to $35. I recommend having one detector installed at every floor of your home or 1 detector for every furnace your home may have. I also recommend a detector which can be powered by both plug in and battery back up. You can also buy a combo carbon monoxide/smoke detector that installs easily at existing smoke alarm locations.
Carbon Monoxide is odorless that can be produced by a broken furnace, gas stove, portable gas heaters, gas grills or water heaters. Most people don't even realize their appliance is poisoning them with carbon monoxide resulting in a large amount of deaths each year. While most carbon monoxide poisoning cases happen during the winter it can still happen during the summer. Carbon monoxide detectors work most effectively near the return air of your furnace but can be installed anywhere. Aerosol cans such as hair spray, air freshener and spray deodorant can make a carbon monoxide detector go falsely off so I would not install a detector in or near a bathroom. A small indication of a carbon monoxide problem is dark gray/black build up best explained as dark dust like material near the appliance or appliance vents but most often carbon monoxide poisoning has already occurred when dust build up is found. The only way to actively prevent carbon monoxide poisoning is installing carbon monoxide detectors, service appliances regularly and not using outdoor appliances indoors. Remember to change the batteries on all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every spring and fall.

Home tip: Furnace filter change and adjusting air duct vents are more important than you think. When's the last time you changed your filter? Did you know not changing your furnace filter and adjusting your air duct vents can cost you more money? Your furnace filter cleans and prevents small dust particles from being caught up into your furnace. A dirty furnace filter restricts air flow causing the furnace to run more using both more electric and gas. Not changing a furnace filter or running with no filter is very hard on a furnace and increases the risk of the furnace catching fire. Those small dust particles can and will build up on furnace parts causing the parts to burn out quicker, malfunction more often or even over heat. Make sure to change your furnace filter at least every 30 days to 3 months. A clean furnace also prevents costly furnace repairs.
Do you have rooms that are constantly different temperatures? You should be adjusting your air vents at least twice a year especially on 2 story homes. Example, our living room where the thermostat is located at stays 70 degrees but our office is 76 degrees but the kids bedrooms are at 67 degrees. You can simply change this by adjusting the air vents. By almost fully closing the office vents, slightly closing the living room vents and fully opening the kids vents now all the rooms are closely the same temperature. Remember in most cases that vents furthest from the furnace should be wide open while vents closest to the furnace should be slightly closed. Combined rooms with 2 or more vents might have to have one vent fully closed to achieve large living areas. Adjusting vents and changing furnace filters should be done as the outside temperature changes( the 4 seasons is perfect) to fully and effectively maintain a cheaper monthly bill and a comfortable living environment.

Let's make 2017 the year you get your dream house! Call me!

Many people driving around Sandoval county/Rio Rancho have noticed these pink signs with a surgeon wear scrubs on all major intersections. Have you taken the time to read them? These bright pink signs are about a hospital bond renewal that Sandoval county passed 8 year ago. This bond expires leaving Rio Rancho hospitals no longer to use tax money for hospital building improvements. Sounds great but bonds aren't free money and must be paid back with property tax payments which increases our property taxes. Since this particular bond passed 8 years ago it wont raise your property taxes but if it doesn't pass it'll decrease your property taxes. How much you ask? On a house with a assessed value of $200,000.00 the taxes would drop $271.58 per year or $22.63 per month if this bond is not passed. Whats more important is knowing there are 6 bonds on the voting ballot when voting in the Rio Rancho area. While bonds are very important to raise money for capital improvements and help our government buy important items it's still not free money. Take the time and study the importance of bonds before just selecting yes and seeing your mortgage payment increase because your property taxes increased.

House hunting tip: Buying a home in today's market I see buyers hiring inspectors to inspect everything from concrete slab to the roof. As a Realtor I offer a inspection that cost nothing except buyer's time and buyers can discover one of the largest reasons seller's are selling. What kind of inspection am I talking about? Meeting your future neighbors. I always suggest for buyers to take a moment to discover their future neighborhood and neighbors before they put an offer in on that dream house. A mean, disrespectful, dirty or bitter neighbor can make your dream home in to a nightmare that I myself had a personal experience with. When a future home buyer drives through a prospective neighborhood at different hours they may discover something that they might not like. Many buyer's have also discovered free websites which will give the future buyers crime statistics, recent 911 call data and registered sexual predators addresses. If you're buying a home in the near future, please take the time and discover the neighborhood you'll be calling home.