Staging Your Home-Leaky Faucets

Most faucet leaks can easily be fixed with a rubber washer, an O-ring or seals depending on what type of faucet it is.  By fixing the problem yourself, you can save a good bit of money since plumbers can be expensive and will charge you a standard fee even if it takes only 10 minutes to fix the problem.



Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Staging Your Home-Nail Pops

Nail pops are a annoying and seen in many homes especially in dryer climates.  The term comes from the nails that hold the drywall to the studs actually popping out through the face of the drywall.  This is from either a house settling, poor workmanship (? my opinion) or a home settling thus squeezing the nail out of the wood and pushing it through the drywall.  The fix for this isn't terribly hard but it's tedious because there are up to 32 nails in a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of drywall.  My suggestion is to pound the nail through the drywall to the stud.  Then just above it place a drywall screw to hold the drywall to the sud and finish it off with a few coats of joint compound.  Finally, seal and paint it.  Many home improvement stores also sell nail pop kits that can make this job easier.


Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Staging Your Home-Squeaky Stairs

The most common problems that occur in a staircase is that the horizontal surface of the steps (treads) are coming loose and that causes squeaking.  Another common problem are the spindles or balusters coming loose.  If you can get underneath the staircase fixing the treads is easy.  You will need to attach an L-bracket from the underside of the tread to the stringer (the long piece of wood that connects the treads and runs diagonally up the wall).  If you can't get underneath the staircase, you'll have to make the repair from above.  Squeaky stair kits are available that allow you to make this fix even through the carpet.  Otherwise, you can secure the tread to the stringer with a time screw.



Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Home Closing Process - What Questions to Ask Your Agent Part I

If you are a seller, these are questions you should be asking your agent during the sale process:
*What if the appraisal for the lender who is making the loan for the buyer comes in lower than the sales price and the loan amount is reduced?


*What if, even after an appeal, the lender refuses to raise the loan amount to the amount that the buyer needs to close the transaction?

*What if the sales price is altered due to a low appraisal?  Can the seller negotiate fees that they have agreed to pay such as repairs, inspections, loan fees or commissions?


*What if a buyer though they were pre-qualified does not ultimately qualify for the loan?


*What if the buyer tries to continue to negotiate throughout the closing process?


*What if the buyer, the buyer's agent, the lender, the appraiser, the different inspectors or the repair people are not doing their jobs within the time frames which were projected at the onset of closing and it now appears that these actions are going to delay the closing?


*What if a buyer has a significant change in his or her life before the closing (loses job, divorce or bankruptcy)?

Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

FHA Conditions that will Require Automatic Repair for Existing Properties

*Inadequate access/egress from bedrooms to exterior of home
*Leaking or worn out roofs (if 3 or more layers of shingles on leaking or worn out roof, all existing shingles must be removed before re-roofing)
*Evidence of structural problems (such as foundation damage caused by excessive settlement)
*Defective paint surfaces in homes constructed pre-1978
*Defective exterior paint surfaces in homes constructed post-1978 where the finish is otherwise protected.

While not all inclusive, this should give you an idea what issues might concern an FHA appraiser doing an appraisal on your home.


Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Minor Property Conditions that FHA does NOT REQUIRE Automatic Repair

 *Missing Handrails

*Cracked or damaged doors exit doors that are otherwise operable

*Crack Window glass

*Defective paint surfaces in homes constructed post 1978

*Minor plumbing leaks (such as leaky faucets)

*Defective floor finish or covering (worn through the finish, badly soiled      carpeting

*Evidence of previous (non-active) Wood Destroying Insect/Organism damage where there is no evidence of non-repaired structural damage

*Rotten or worn out counter tops

*Damaged plaster, sheet-rock or other wall and ceiling materials in homes constructed post 1978

*Poor workmanship

*Trip hazards (cracked or partially heaving sidewalks, poorly installed 

carpeting)

*Crawl space with debris and trash

*Lack of an all weather driveway surface

While not all inclusive, this should give you an idea what issues might concern an FHA appraiser doing an appraisal on your home.

Linda Shank Broker Owner Linda Shank and Company is a 32 year real estate veteran in Phoenix's Southeast Valley.  Contact her at www.ISellAZSunshine.com

Do this first before you Buy a Home

You found your dream home and are ready to make an offer.  Do these four investigative measures before you sign on the dotted line.

1.  Talk to would-be neighbors.  Ask how they like the area, how are the schools or if there are any problem activity nearby.


2.  Check your commute.  Drive from your possible new home to work during rush hour to see how long it will really take.  If you use the bus, then take the daily bus you would use to commute.


3.  Check crime data and sex offender databases.  For crime statistics go to faxnet1.org or search the internet for your local crime statistics link.  For sex offenders go to azsexoffender.org or search the internet for your local sex offender database line.


 4.  Read up.  Investigate the location of nearby dairy farms, jails or proposed freeway developments or alignments.  Call local Planning and Zoning for additional proposed developments.

5.  Make multiple offers on multiple properties.  You can make sellers compete for your business.  Just make sure the Realtor provides the correct verbiage so that you don't end up buying several properties. This won't always work but in the current Seller's market it's worth a shot.





Linda Shank is a local real estate broker in the Southeast Phoenix Valley.  She can be reached on her website www.ISellAZSunshine.com or on this blog.