UP-FRONT TOPIC # 3 SCHOOLS

There are a number of topics I cover with new clients before we ever head out to look at houses. In order to deliver "the best home at lower cost," I need pertinent details so I can personalize my service and the eventual result for maximum benefit to the client.

A couple of these topics I’ve covered in previous posts. Does anyone in the family, or potential guests, have breathing difficulties or other health issues I need to be aware of?
I’ve also posted on ambulance service. For some families, faster service, better equipment or more skilled personnel could be the difference in life and death.

Those two topics may be very important to my clients but have limited impact when they eventually sell.

That changes for up-front topic # 3, schools. Even for buyers who don’t have children it may be that the best potential buyer when they get ready to sell will highly value good schools nearby.

While a school in the neighborhood can pose a few drawbacks, such as school zones and heavy traffic at drop off and pick up times, most people place a high value on a good neighborhood school, especially if it is an elementary school within walking distance.

As our population ages and more grandparents are caring for their grandkids during the day, it is very helpful if the grandparents can walk their grandchildren to and from school.

A factor that comes into play for intermediate schools and high schools is direction and traffic. Until they can drive, someone has to chauffeur them or they have to ride "the yellow dog" (bus).

Ask any teen, your "cool" takes a hit if you have to ride the bus.

The other issue is that many of these teens have to stay after school frequently or occasionally. Hopefully it is sports or band and not detention.

A subdivision about 20 minutes away from me looks like a great value at first glance. It has an elementary school about 5 minutes away. But the intermediate school and high school are 15-20 minutes away. Parents in this subdivision have to drive 15-20 minutes away from the major employment centers to get to the intermediate or high school, then turn around and spend an extra 20-30 minutes fighting traffic as they head toward work.

Do that morning and afternoon five days a week and suddenly the subdivision location may be a major problem not a great value.

Again, this may not impact my clients but what about their ability to sell later?

The time to think about selling a house is before you ever buy it.

Other issues with schools include:

Quality – as measured by "standards" and parental perception.

Special programs for gifted students, special interest students (magnet schools) or students who need special help.

When does the school day begin and end? How does this synchronize with care givers availability?

Are there after school programs offered on campus?

Which "after school care" vans pick up at the school?

Everything about a school is subject change. Attendance boundaries, bus routes, principals, teachers and more.

You can click here for information on any school district or campus in Texas. If you need further help, call me at 281-704-0641 or email me at dg93@sbcglobal.net

ON A SERIOUS NOTE – RECALLS

It is one thing if something works poorly or not at all. But when it poses a fire hazard or other threat to your life or property then "Houston we have a problem."

I wish there was a single link that would lead you to comprehensive information on all recalls. Well, it isn’t quite that easy.

The name on your appliance doesn’t help a lot. There are dozens and dozens of brand names out there but only a handful of actual manufacturers. That’s right, dishwasher "X" may be sold under various brand names with different model numbers.

You will need your model and serial numbers.

What about Kenmore? Would you like to show me where the Kenmore factory is? That may be really hard because Sears puts the Kenmore name on appliances made by other people.

How wide spread is this problem? Well millions of dishwashers by GE, Maytag, ASKO, Jenn-Air, Hotpoint, Kenmore, and Whirlpool have been recalled for problems that could lead to a fire. And then there are the recalls for ovens, washing machines, dryers and more.

So how do you find out if you have a problem appliance?

# 1 As much as we all resist it, fill out the registration / warranty cards. A manufacturer may not send you a notice but you are guaranteed not to get one if they don’t know you own one of their products.

# 2 Here is the link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission page for recalls.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html

# 3 Here are several vendor sites that make some effort to track recalls. Don’t depend on these to be completely current or comprehensive.

http://www.applianceaid.com/news.html

http://www.repairclinic.com/0098.asp

http://www.appliance411.com/links/Recalls/

http://www.appliance.net/category/news/recalls/

The lawyers usually have good sites if the problem is big enough. Just Google some combination of the following. Your appliance type, (example – dishwasher), the brand name and various combinations of the following keywords recall, claims, lawsuit, settlement, or class action.

The time to check on your appliances is before you buy the house. Give me a call at 281-704-0641 or email me at dg93@sbcglobal.net for details on my "free inspection" program.

HELP! STINKY DISHWASER – FOAMING AT THE DOOR

I get calls.

Hey David, when I open my dishwasher it stinks!

Hey David, there is foam and water exploding out of my dishwasher!

Help! Help! Help!

I try to prevent these calls by educating my clients ahead of time but sometimes they forget.

The common cause is simple.

Your dishwasher is not draining correctly.

Either,

#A There is too much food debris (especially non-dissolving items like bones, fat, seeds) that can’t get through the drain.


Or, you have foam in the drain line caused by:

#B Regular "sink detergent" is designed to foam up nicely. If you "rinse" your dishes in the sink with regular sink detergent before putting them in the dishwasher you may have enough sink detergent in the dishwasher to really have a foaming mess inside. (If someone put sink detergent in your dishwasher instead of dishwashing detergent on purpose, you will really have a foam explosion)

#C The appliance guru’s on my team tell me that "gel" dishwashing detergents don’t always dissolve as well as a name brand powder. If you prefer "gel" dishwashing detergent, use a name brand and don’t use too much. Dishwashers seem to tolerate too much powder better than they do too much gel.

Foam, from any cause, keeps your drain line from working properly so stuff will either stay in the bottom of your dishwasher or will come blasting out the door seals.

If your dishwasher has foam or water coming out the door seals then turn it off immediately (use the switch on the wall if possible).

Once things have calmed down (the water and dishes may be hot), take all the dishes out.

Remove as much foam as possible.

Look for any obvious debris in the bottom (and stuck in the spray arms) and remove it.

Pour one cup of vinegar in the bottom.

Run your dishwasher with the vinegar but no dishes for a full cycle.

Now put the dishes back in and use the least amount of detergent you need.

Other dishwashing tips:

There seems to be an insecurity about a dishwasher in a new house that causes people to use more detergent than they did at the apartment or old house. If anything, use a bit less.

I don’t like to run the dishwasher when you aren’t at home or while you sleep. Dishwashers have no "smarts" so if things start going wrong or if a water connection breaks the havoc will just keep going.

Gels may contain chlorine bleach which can damage rubber seals

Gels may clog the detergent dispenser, causing it to release late or not at all.

Almost everyone uses too much dishwashing detergent. It will etch your dishes and leave them looking cloudy.

Again, gels seem to cloud glassware worse than powder.

Hard or soft water can make a difference in how effective a particular detergent is. Feel free to ask your new neighbors what they use (it is a very non-threatening get acquainted question) or a good local appliance person.

Surprise, gels don't seem to work as well in hard water, leaving spots.

Last but not least. In the pre-energy saving days, some dishwasher models would heat the water. Not anymore. If you just start your dishwasher you will be pumping a lot of cold water in the dishwasher.

Instead, once you are ready to start your dishwasher, run the hot water at the sink until it is hot. Turn it off at the sink and start the dishwasher. Now your dishwasher will have hot water.

PS: I don’t mind "off the wall" calls. They can be fun, especially when you have a quick easy fix for people. Got an "off the wall question" about some aspect of buying a house? Call me at 281-704-0641 or email me at dg93@sbcglobal.net

UP-FRONT TOPIC # 2 AMBULANCE SERVICE

The City of Houston Fire Department has a great reputation for the ambulance service they provide.

Most outlying communities are served by volunteer or contracted ambulance service.

Does it matter? On any given day people are blessed to be attended by any of these first responders.

I have no medical expertise. I encourage my clients who may need ambulance service for themselves or those who might visit them to find a qualified medical professional to help them evaluate available ambulance service. Some of the factors that might be reviewed include:

Where is the nearest ambulance located?

Where is the back up for that unit?

What equipment do these ambulances have?



What hospitals do these ambulances take patients to?

Is the cost of this ambulance service covered by Medicare or your insurance?

Are these stations manned full time?

What are the qualifications of those on ambulance duty at these stations? Here is an example (for illustration purposes only – do your own due diligence) of the differences in qualifications:

Emergency Care Attendant (ECA) - Skills include: CPR, bandaging and splinting, traction splints, mechanical aids to breathing (oxygen, bag-mask, suctioning, oral and nasal airways, pocket masks), patient assessment, vital signs, spinal immobilization. Hours of training: 40 minimum. Certification requirements: Minimum age 18, high school diploma or GED except for volunteers, basic skills proficiency verification by training program, First Responder exam administered by National Registry. Re-certification requirements: Required every four years. Option of 36 hours of continuing education, attending a re-certification course or National Registry assessment exam.

EMT-Basic - Skills include: CPR, bandaging and splinting, traction splints, mechanical aids to breathing (oxygen, bag-mask, suctioning, oral and nasal airways, pocket masks), patient assessment, vital signs, spinal immobilization, automated external defibrillation, pneumatic anti-shock garment, epinephrine auto-injector, nebulized bronchodilators. Hours of training: 140 minimum. Certification requirements: Minimum age 18, high school diploma or GED, EMT-Basic skills proficiency verification by training program, state-administered National Registry certification exam. Re-certification requirements: Required every four years. Option of 72 hours of continuing education, attending a re-certification course or National Registry assessment exam.

EMT-Intermediate - Skills include: All EMT-Basic skills, endotracheal intubation (adult and pediatric), non-visualized intubation, IV fluid therapy. Hours of training: 160 minimum. Certification requirements: Minimum age 18, high school diploma or GED, EMT-Basic and advanced skills proficiency verification by training program medical director, EMT-I/85 written and practical exam administered by National Registry. Re-certification requirements: Required every four years. Option of 108 hours of continuing education, attending a re-certification course, obtaining National Registry EMT-Intermediate certification or National Registry assessment exam.

EMT-Paramedic - Skills include: All EMT-Basic and EMT-Intermediate skills, parenteral drug administration (IV, IV drip, IM , SC , ET), EKG interpretation, cardioversion, cardiac arrest simulation (megacode). Hours of training: 624 minimum (including didactic, hospital clinical and MICU ambulance internship). Certification requirements: Minimum age 18, high school diploma or GED, EMT-Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic skills proficiency verification by training program medical director, written and practical exam administered by National Registry. Re-certification requirements: Required every four years. Option of 144 hours continuing education, attending a re-certification course, obtaining National Registry EMT-Paramedic certification or National Registry assessment exam.

Licensed Paramedic - Skills include: Same as EMT-Paramedic, but requires an associate's degree or higher in paramedicine. Re-licensure required every four years. Option of 144 hours continuing education (with a 60-hour substitution allowed for approved course of study from an institution of higher learning that is pertinent to paramedicine), attending a re-certification course, obtaining National Registry EMT-Paramedic certification or National Registry assessment exam.

For most buyers this topic is not a deal breaker. But for some clients it can make a life and death difference. For more information call me at 281-704-0641 or email at dg93@sbcglobal.net

UP-FRONT TOPIC # 1 BREATHING EASY

One of the early conversations I typically have with clients is about breathing problems such as allergies or asthma.

The following are just a few of the factors that may aggravate breathing problems.

Design, installation and condition of the heat & AC system. It is not uncommon to find dirty evaporator coils like you see in this picture.

Your lungs have to process the air your system puts out.

Flooring materials and installation method

Nearby bodies of water – even ditches and small ponds

Prevailing wind direction

Removal of any sources of dampness or water (to minimize rodents, roaches and other critters)

Nearby pollen sources

Sources of pollution

Nearby animals

Amount of traffic near the house

Nearby pools with high chlorine levels

The most crucial item here is the heat & AC system. A properly designed, installed and maintained system should maintain a low humidity level and good air quality. Very few systems are optimized to do this. Builders install inexpensive equipment "cookie cutter style" instead of optimizing systems for each particular house.

Additional filtration and/or a "jump duct" to improve air circulation may be helpful in the bedroom of someone who has breathing problems.

I have a licensed heat & air expert (not just a technician) as part of my team. We’d be glad to visit with you about your particular situation. Call me at 281-704-0641 or email me at dg93@sbcglobal.net

While breathing difficulties tend to be the most prevalent issue I encounter, I also like to ask about any other health and safety issues that might pertain to my clients.

THE FIRST POST - A POWERFUL PROMISE!

I take the promise I make to my clients, to help them buy a better home at lower cost, very seriously.

New home sales representaives, home inspectors, vendors (plumbers, electricians, etc.), mortgage lenders, and even agents repeatedly tell me that they have never met someone who is so diligent and does so much for their clients.

I spend a lot of time and money on my clients but it is worth every moment and every dollar to know that I have helped them make excellent decisions that will benefit them now and in the future.

Maybe you have questions or maybe you're not sure where to start in the home buying process. If you'll do one small thing, call me at 281-704-0641 or email me at dg93@sbcglobal.net, I promise you'll be glad you did.

PS: If you want to buy a house, my services are entirely free to you. Not only that but I will pay for several things for you! And you are never obligated in any way. Let's talk, there may be a very exciting opportunity waiting just for you!