Check These Fall Maintenance Items Off Your To-Do List

Now that summer is gone and fall is here, it’s time to start your autumn to-do list. Here are some great fall projects:

Plant Beautiful Fall Blooms

Late summer and early autumn are perfect times to plant late-blooming flowers. Whether you accent

your front porch with hanging baskets or line your front walkway with colorful blooms, you can

enjoy gardening well into the fall season. 

Improve Your Outdoor Lighting

Autumn means longer nights and shorter days and is an ideal time for a lighting upgrade. If you have been meaning to add a spotlight above the front door, or if you long for a stone pathway lined with low-maintenance solar lights, fall is the perfect time to complete these projects.

Touch Up Your Exterior Paint

You do not have to repaint your home’s exterior to give your property the protection it needs. Just check for peeling and chipping paint and do your own small touch-ups. A few timely touch-ups now will protect your home and extend the life of the original paint job.

Clean Out Your Gutters

Debris can collect in gutters, which keeps rainwater from drain- ing properly. Once the water backs up, it can run onto the roof and down the siding, causing damage to the home. Clearing the gutters and redirecting water downspout extensions so water drains at least three to four feet away from the foundation can keep these things from happening. If you don’t feel comfortable on a tall ladder, you can hire a professional to clean and check the gutters.

Turn Your Ceiling Fans to Run Clockwise

In the summer, your ceiling fans are such a wonderful way to help keep your home cool. But did you know ceiling fans are also a great way to enjoy warmer air when the days get cooler? Run- ning your ceiling fans clockwise creates an updraft while simultaneously pushing down warm air from the ceiling.

Swap Out Your Furnace Filter

Fall is the perfect time to give your heating system a tune-up, and changing out the filters is a good place to start. You may also want to schedule a professional inspection and cleaning to keep your furnace running at peak efficiency all season long.

Clues in the Attic: Fall Roof Checkups Made Easy

"Roofs actually create an insulated barrier that helps trap heat inside, and most attic spaces are located right below them,” says Jason Joplin, program manager of the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence, “That makes them perfect for spotting potential problem areas and damage without worrying about falling off a ladder."

Here’s What to Look for While up in the Attic:

• Water Leaks: After a rainstorm, shine a flashlight into the attic to check not only for dripping water and condensation but also for water stains on the ceiling, walls, and floors. All signal that H2O is finding its way beneath your roof’s shingles or behind its flashings.

• Ventilation: “Think of the attic as the lungs of the house,” advises Joplin. “It has to be able to breathe in order to function properly.” Which is to say, vents stuffed with debris need to be cleared.

• Animal Damage: Call a pest-control pro if you spot any of these telltale signs: nests, droppings, and gnawed wood, wires, or insulations. 

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Contact Silver Alliance Realty

Mary Platt

Designated Broker

(602) 618-6764

Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

www.SilverAllianceRealtyAZ.com

www.SilverAllianceAZHomeSearch.com
www.Facebook.com/Platt.Team.AZ

Three Reasons Now Is a Great Time to List Your Home for Sale

Housing market conditions are challenging for buyers in many parts of the country; sellers, meanwhile, are finding the market favorable. Inventory levels are low and sales prices are high. In some markets, multiple offers have become prevalent. And in a blow to first-time buyers everywhere, fewer affordable homes are coming onto the market. Despite all this, existing-home sales climbed in the month of May; every region except the Midwest posted month-over-month and year-over-year sales increases.

1. Low Inventory

According to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “Current demand levels indicate sales should be stronger, but it’s clear some would-be buyers are having to delay or postpone their home search because low supply is leading to worsening affordability conditions.” In May, 1.96 million existing homes were available for sale, an inventory increase of 2.1 percent from a month earlier. However, for the past 24 months, inventory has fallen year over year, and May was no exception: inventory was 8.4 percent lower than last year. At the current sales pace, the current housing stock could last only 4.2 months, down from 4.7 months a year ago.

2. Selling Quickly

Due to the inventory shortages, homes are not sitting on the market for long. In May, the time it took for a home to go from listed to sold was on average 27 days. This is the shortest time frame recorded since NAR began tracking the number of days on the market in May 2011. Of all the homes sold in May, 55 percent were on the market for less than 30 days, another all-time-high record.

3. Prices Up

With high demand and low inventory, home prices climbed to a record-breaking high. In May, the median existing-home price reached $252,800, a 5.8 percent increase from a year ago. This is the highest recorded median sales price, overtaking June 2016’s peak of $247,600. What’s more, this is the 63rd month in a row of year-over-year sales gains. According to Yun, “Home prices keep chugging along at a pace that is not sustainable in the long run.” Unless the market sees an increase in the number of listings in the affordable price range, housing affordability may be affected. 
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If you are interested in selling your home in Arizona, contact Silver Alliance Realty!

Mary Platt • Designated Broker

(602) 618-6764 • Mary@PlattTeamAZ.com

www.SilverAllianceRealtyAZ.com

www.SilverAllianceAZHomeSearch.com