Your first question when you read the title is probably; “What is Nansulate® ?”  Here is the simple definition from the manufacturer….”Nansulate® Crystal is a patented, one-of-a-kind, clear thermal insulation coating for concrete or clay tile roofs, slate roofs and asphalt or wood shingle sloped roofs that lowers your energy bill and keeps your roof looking beautiful and new.”

I ran across this website while looking for a roofing product to seal roofs that have a small hole or something simple.  This is what I found.  At approx. $85/gal, the initial cost is a little hard to swallow, but the end benefit is reported to be great!

Zoom in on the shingle….can you see the difference?  It seals all the granules and makes the roof able to withstand high winds and hard rain.

The manufacture states that the average energy savings after 3 years is 46%.  Click here for the case study.

We are in Central Texas, Brazos Valley, College Station/Bryan.  What affect would it have here?  I found a case study in Dallas!!!!

Look at the Attic Temps!!!

It is a totally Green product that falls in line with Aggie values and what everyone should be thinking about when looking to the future!!

This would be a great opportunity for home owners to make their house more energy efficient and if you have your house listed, it would definitely be more appealing to buyers. I know my buyers would be definitely move faster on a house that is more energy efficient.

If you have any questions about this or any questions on the market here in Aggieland, feel free to contact me!

For more information about Castlegate and any home in Bryan/College Station, give me, Farrah Spears, a call at 979-229-0919.

Farrah Spears

979-229-0919

For this and all real estate tips, call me, Farrah Spears at 979-229-0919

• You figure out which one you want.
• Your Realtor negotiates a great purchase price.
• Your inspections come back showing the house is structurally sound.
• You finish your mortgage process.
• You go to closing at the title company.
• Then… woo-hoo, you move in and everything is great!

Until something breaks and you realize there is not landlord to call.   Everything now  belows to YOU.  Hopefully you have a home warranty on the home!  (Be sure to talk with your Realtor about this prior to purchase!!!)

To prevent potential problems after you move in, here are a few basic maintenance tips. Eventually everything does wear out but maintenance is an inexpensive option to keep up your home and the appliances running compared to replacement.

HVAC systems – Read the owner’s manual.  This will often explain how the system works. Change the filter once a month.  Do a visual inspection every once and a while. This can really help to spot a leak or malfunction before it grows and becomes expensive.  Also, take a look at the hoses to make sure that there are no cracks or weak areas.  Having a yearly inspection by a professional is key to having your HVAC system run smoothly.

Refrigerators –Once a year, pull out your fridge and vacuum the coils to help keep it running colder and more efficient.  It is also a great way to find an array of interesting items you forgot you had.

Water Heater -It is not very well known but they really do need yearly maintenance.  Sediment builds up through normal use so once a year -

• Turn it off.
• Drain
• Flush

Water heaters are often ignored until they break and make a huge mess.

Where is your water heater? Garage? Attic? Imagine the mess if it is in the attic and the water leaks out…. Check the owner’s manual to get specific instructions. If you don’t have one check out DIYnetwork.com.

Clothes Dryer - Is it taking longer than usual to dry your clothes?  You may need to clean the filter.  Not just the one in the dryer, the outside filter. Once clogged up you may notice that it takes an eternity to dry a load of wash.

Susan Hilton
Century 21 Beal, Inc.
(979) 764-2100

Be wary of the following:

1. Insuring a home for its real estate value rather than the cost of rebuilding.
2. Selecting an insurance compnay by price alone.
3. Dropping flood insurance if in an area wher it is not required by the lender, but ther is a chance of flooding.
4. For renters, neglecting to purchase renter’s insurance.

In most situations, Homeowner’s Insurance is not an option, it’s mandatory.  Most lenders require insurance to be provided by the owner, and if the owner fails to provide what the lender wants, they can provide coverage but at a premium price for the owner.  Please avoid that at all cost, insurance is expensive enough.

What you can do to lower your insurance premium.

• Policy discounts – check with your agentInstall additional smoke alarms and fire supression systems
• Make sure your agent services your policy annually – they may find deductions that wer not there previously
• Take a higher deductable out just like you would do for your auto insurance
• Have a security company service your house with an alarms systems and break-in notification

Homeowners in Bryan and College Station take a moment, analyse your insurance needs and make the changes where needed.A standard policy covers the structure of the house, your personal belongings (with certain limitations), liability to others, and living expenses in the event your house is unlivable.  Please contact your insurance agent and ask questions about what they offer, what discounts are out there that you may be able to take advantage of, and shop around!!!  Bryan and College Station have a wealth of great insurance agents ready and willing to provide you with any and all the information you need to make an educated decision.   Don’t take a chance on being under-insured or without insurance, the consequenses are enormous. 

I am here to help every homeowner with all their real estate needs.  Call me, I can help!!

Joey Condon, Realtor

Of all the surfaces inside of the house, counter tops usually have to endure all the wear and tear. Anything you don’t want laying around on the floor usually ends up on counter tops, and accidents like to happen when given enough time. Even worse, scratches and gouges can be eye magnets, but even so, remodeling can be difficult to think about sometimes.

Home owners are sometimes daunted with the issue of remodeling: it can be painstaking to decide upon and it’s usually tough work. Beyond that, there is no formula to figuring out if the cost exceeds the benefit when part of the benefit is happiness

Research is very important, and there are a fair number of options with types of counter tops and manufacturers. After any amount of research, it’s clear that many consumer reports and magazines praise granite as a very cost-effective option for new counter tops.

Granite is dense and durable, most anything around the house is not strong enough to damage it. Granite is not a rare material but it’s one of the hardest rocks available, just weaker than gems and diamonds. You could actually destroy a knife before ever scratching the counter with it, although a piece of glass would be just hard enough scratch it.

While granite is an extremely durable stone, it’s not too difficult to find– making it pretty affordable. Enough new, 3 cm thick, counter tops to cover 70 sq. feet of space would cost about $3,000-$3-500. A bathroom counter would be significantly cheaper, and this type of counter top improvement would raise the value of your home significantly. This is great for several reasons, but most importantly it would end up in you receiving most of your money back if you were ever to sell or lease the house.

Not only is it cost-effective, it’s easy to manage. Granite is not very porous at all. Most if not all liquids laying on the surface of the counter will stay there; that means you can’t easily stain the counter top. Anything that would dry up wouldn’t stain it; you’d have to spill something like oil and leave it there.

Granite counter tops are also very attractive; they can contrast with almost any type of wood counter top perfectly. They also sit very well next to painted counter tops can look amazing; for example a light pastel orange or yellow color for the cabinets or walls would look great in the kitchen if it caught a lot of sun in the summer.

Besides its upfront cost, there is no real down side to a granite counter top. A simple laminate counter top would be about half the cost, but the difference can be so apparent when there are kool-aid stains and knife gouge farms around the cutting board and when you are ready to sell. All things considered it would be well worth your time to consider an improvement in your College Station home!

Susan

Susan Hilton

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

979-764-2100

Search College Station Homes and Real Estate!

What should sellers do to give that first impression that will hold buyer’s attention long enough for them to see the true value of their home?

• Touch up paint on windows, trim and doors is a must do project
• Clean the windows inside and out
• Clean masonry & porches
• Use landscape lights on side walks and driveways
• Keep gutters and downspouts in good condition and cleaned out.  Ensure downspouts direct water away from the foundation
• Use seasonal flags and plants for decoration
• Keep grass mowed and edging trimmed
• Cut overhanging branches away from the house, this helps with inspections also

When selling your home in Bryan/College Station, Tx. make sure you pay close attention to details.  Even the smallest oversight can turn that buyer around and lead them out the door to another house.  Hire a professional, like the agents at Century 21 Beal, Inc. to provide you with the advice to maximize your chances of selling your home.   The Bryan real estate market and the College Station real estate market has changed with most other markets, and sellers need to reevaluate their strategy for selling.  The first time home buyer is very frugal and wants a good deal when purchasing real estate. You can’t blame him – I am looking for a good deal too!

Joey Condon – Rock Solid Real Estate

Green Lawn Mower

BRYAN, TX — The Texas Municipal Power Agency encourages homeowners to use electric lawn mowers rather than gas to promote cleaner air.  They are offering vouchers worth $150 toward the purchase of an electric-powered machine, corded or cordless.

You’re thinking, I gotta push this reel mower or work my way around power cords?  That’s a big sacrifice for clean air.  Well, Black and Decker does have a handy 24V battery mower but it will only cut up to 1/3 of an acre at a time.  Then there’s a solar powered cordless from Solaris – that sounds neat.

Either way, you only have until August to pick up a voucher, or until they run out.  Sears associates will hand them out to customers with a current driver’s license or your BTU bill.  For more information on these and other rebate programs offered by the local utility company, call or email…

Happy Gardening,

Cindy Seaton, REALTOR

P.S.  Check back next week for my commentary on community chickens!

I was up early one morning and decided to watch TV.  I found a home improvement show called Michael Holligan and saw an interesting video (CLICK THE PICTURE FOR VIDEO).   The video talks about a newer roofing system that consists of 4 foot shingles made of steel and an asphalt covering is placed over it.  It is said to be able to withstand up to 125mph winds with 2 inch hail and not be damaged.  We don’t have much of that here in College Station or Bryan, but it would be great to fortify my house with that type of strength.  Every year there is a severe storm with high winds here in the Brazos Valley.  I think this is a great option for new construction in our area just for the insurance benefit. 

From the video and their web site you can see that there are a number of different styles and colors to choose from so when building think about the roof in a different manner and decide if this is right for you. 

Below is a close up view of the shingle.

Call me with any questions or comments you might have!!

The Brazos Valley has a diverse culture with an unlimited supply of talented men and women who don’t always get recognized.  I have a relative who has a great talent and hobby that I am very impressed with and believe you will be also.   This craftsman started out making knives from lawn mower blades when I was about 12 years old.  He taught me the basics of knife making and I completed a few not so great examples of a 12 year old’s ability.  I spent weekends visiting and saw his talent grow and flourish into works of art that sold in Austin for upwards of $500 per blade.  WOW!  He then started wood turning and after a few tool removals from the ceiling in his workshop he mastered the art of woodworking, at least in my bias opinion.  He is my Brother, Danny Condon Jr., with wife Louise and kids, Alex and Lynn, he turns out some very interesting works of art. 

If you like the work email me and I can put you in touch with the craftsman!!