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

Chinese Drywall came into the country during around 2001 through 2007  due to the shortage of building materials after hurricanes.  The drywall came from China. It has been outlawed BUT many experts believe it is still coming into the country through Mexico and is NOT labeled as Chinese drywall.

Chinese Drywall emits a sulfur gas. The gas CAN (but not always) emit a noxious odor. This fume/gas corrodes copper and other metals which will damage electrical wiring, plumbing, appliances, electronics in the home, air conditioning PLUS what it does to your body and the bodies of your pets.

So, what do you do if you think you might have Chinese Drywall or if you want to make sure you aren’t purchasing a home with Chinese Drywall?  First – get an inspection from someone who has experience with Chinese drywall.  Then ask LOTS of questions!  Has the owner ever noticed a sulfur smell? Have the appliances been replaced? Have they had any corrosion issues with their electrical systems?

If you find YOUR home has Chinese drywall I suggest you contact Foreman and Associates to discuss possible abatement remedies and get an evaluation. I am not affiliated with Foreman and Associates and have not used them but they are one of the only sources I have found to be providing information and ideas at this time for our area.

Many homes with Chinese drywall must be stripped down to the slab, roof and studs to be remedied so this is an issue to take very seriously.

Susan Hilton

Before you jump into the process of landscaping your yard get a game plan. To get a game plan you need to think of a few different things such as…

• Do you want trees for shade, grass for the lawn, or flowers and plants if you like to garden?

After you have a game plan of what you want in your yard there are a few more things to do.

• First you need to monitor the cycle of light and moisture in your yard.
• Look for areas with shade and make note if these are day-long shaded or sunny areas.
• The next step is to take a sample of the dirt from your yard to a lawn and garden center and ask to determine the pH and chemical composition of your soil. This is important because knowing the characteristics of your soil will help you know what can be successfully grown in your yard.
• When you are choosing what to put in your yard it is also important to pick trees, flowers, shrubs and other plants that are native to your area. This will result in less time for you working to make your plants stay alive if they are plants that work well with the area.

To find out what is native to your area contact the Texas AgriLIFE Extension Service which is found at http://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu

Susan Hilton

Pools are expensive so it is important to create a budget and be aware of all the costs that go into building and maintaining a pool. Maintaining the pool is not cheap. There are monthly expenses to think about such as purchasing various chemicals, increase utility bills for water and electricity, and chlorine or pool salt depending on your pool system.

When building a pool it is important to not do it “on the cheap.” If you cut corners and use all the cheapest material when building your pool you will pay for it overtime. When you are building your pool it is important to use good materials and spend a little more money; be sure to add this into your budget when you first create it. Building a nice pool will also be beneficial if you try to sell your home later on. However, if you are planning to sale your home in the next five years, building a pool is something you should probably reconsider. When you build a nice pool that is built to last, you will get only SOME of the money back when you sell your home. When a home is for sale and has a nice pool, it is usually a big plus! If someone is looking at buying a home with a pool and it has many problems and/or requires a great deal of work most people will be turned away from this and choose to not buy the home at all.

If you have thought through all the issues of building a pool and have decided it seems like a purchase you are wanting to follow through with, it is important to be extremely careful when hiring people to work. When you choose a contractor make sure they are someone who is professional and will work hard. The contractor you choose will have a heavy influence on how pleasant or unpleasant your pool building experience is. When you start the process of choosing a contractor, ask around! Talk to your friends, family, local Realtors, and last but not least look into Better Business Bureau. This is important because it can give you some information about a contractor you may not hear by just asking around.

After you have picked a contractor and the construction process has started do not just step away and not involve yourself. It is important to monitor the process of your pool being built. Talk about everything with your contractor and write it all down! The contract regarding your pool should include details of what is included, not just the cost. The deadline should also be included in the contract. When the pool is in the process of being built make sure to take lots of pictures because if there is ever a situation where serious repairs are being done it is good to know where pipes and wires are. Hiring a home inspector or engineer to check the progress of the pool at each stage is also a good idea.

These are lots of details to follow when building a pool but overall it will help you to have a more enjoyable pool experience when it is finished! These are just some things to think about when building your pool!

Susan Hilton

For a very long time the standard light bulb that has been used is the incandescent light bulb but this is starting to change. More people have started using the compact fluorescent light bulb however; there are many questions and concerns about Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs).  Some common concerns include:

• CFLs do not last as long as incandescent light bulbs (is not true). According to consumer reports, which ran many tests on an array of CFLs, determined CFLs lasted five to ten times as long as incandescent.
• CFL bulbs emit a harsh bluish light (not true anymore). When CFLs were just starting to be used they gave off a white-blue light which many people found unappealing. However, over time manufacturers have changed the CFLs to give off a warmer light which is much like to an incandescent bulb.
• CFLs are costly (the light bulb itself is more expensive, but can help you save money in the long run). CFLs price started out around $9 but has dropped over the years. Although CFLs are more costly, in the end you will save money. This may not sound like it makes sense but think about this; CFLs use about 25% of the electricity to provide the same amount of light. With this being the case, in the long run users will save more money because of reduced electricity costs.
• CFLs is the trash may contaminate the environment and there are not any recycling programs (this statement is somewhat true). CFLs each contain 4 milligrams of mercury, which can escape into the environment if a bulb is thrown into the trash. There are however some retailers such as, The Home Depot and Lowe’s, that have CFL recycling programs but it is important to know not all stores participate in this. There are also many Texas counties with disposal programs known to accept CFLs.

There are also questions on how to clean up after a CFL has been broken. The 4 milligrams of mercury contained in a CFL is not very much but it is still important to be cautious when a CFL breaks. There are a few steps that should be taken when handling this situation:

• For 5 to 10 minutes you should close off the room but open a window to ventilate if possible.
• Clean up the powder and glass pieces with cardboard or a firm piece of paper. After you have picked up the pieces place everything in a sealable plastic bag or jar.
• Go back over the area with duct tape to pick up any leftover pieces. Place the tape in the bag or jar used to pick up the other powder or glass pieces.
• After you have gathered all the extra pieces be sure to seal the bag and place in an outdoor trash container.
• Before going to a recycling center with broken CFLs call to check if they will accept the trash. Not all centers will accept the broken pieces so calling ahead would be smart.

Susan Hilton

Of course people who are looking to sale there home do not want to pay a ton of money and go above and beyond repairing their home if they are about to move! Good news, we have some steps you can take to increase the value and make your home very appealing!

So read over these steps and consider following through with them before selling your home!

• Improve the efficiency of your kitchen. Replace old kitchen appliances with something that looks more modern and does not make your electric bill go up a fortune.
• Get rid of old carpets! When a possible buyer is looking at a house and see’s carpets with stains it is sometimes hard for them to see past this. New carpets or hardwood floors look great when showing a house.
• Paint your walls. You do not have to necessarily paint your home a bold color, but you want to make the house look fresh. The color you choose should depend on the style of the home. Regardless of the color, new paint helps freshen up a room!
• Fix up those bathrooms and make them look fresh. Buyers look very hard at bathrooms.
• Work on the outside of the home. Something easy to do is work on your yard; mowing, trimming and planting a few flowers go a long way! You can also use a power washer to make the home have more of a fresh-clean look to it!
• Fix any minor repairs that need to be fixed. Take some time to fix anything around the house that you have been needing to do but have been putting off.

If you are thinking about selling your home these are some steps to definitely think about doing.

Susan Hilton

Fire Ants

Texans in The Brazos Valley and the rest of the state have tried burning, drowning, smashing, poisoning and more to kill fire ants but they always seem to come back! After The University of Texas has put 20 years of research into this particular problem and they have now reached a solution! Phorid flies may not be what you were thinking but suprisingly enough that is the solution. Phorid flies lay eggs in the ants body. The egg hatches and larva moves into the ants head. This eventually kills the ants. Phorid flies aggravate ants and throw their regular behavior off.

Ants cause many problems for Texans. Some the problems are that they are known to make attacks on livestock occasionally, they can produce life-threatening allergic reactions in people, they mess up lawns, they reduce native insent populations and interfere with pollination. They also build mounds that can damage mowing, shredding and baling equipment. Fire ants cost Texans roughly $1.2 billion a year, which includes the damage they cause and the cost of our efforts to fight them.

So what are some ideas besides phorid flies that work in fighting these ants? Some solutions include Amdro Ant Bait works, boiling water works, club soda does not work, grits do not work, orange oil works. Although these are some solutions phorid flies have been very effective and are working towards our fight with fire ants!

Fire ants is something that The Brazos Valley struggles with but hopefully with these helpful tips you can fight this problem!

Susan Hilton

Before you choose a contractor to hire it is important to find out any and all information about their work as a contractor.

1. Ask around with friends, family, coworkers etc. who have done similar jobs. If you want more information about a contractor try an internet search for the Home Builder’s Association. This will show you local publications that are connected with what your searching for.
2. Find out what contractors passed the BBB test and call them to get bids for the job you are wanting done. Give the same detailed description of the job you are wanting to each contractor so they give the correct prices.
3. Compare your bids. The lowest bid is not always the best bid! Some contractors use very poor quality materials so be sure to compare bids item by item.
4. Read the contract carefully.
5. Anything and everything a contractor says they will do get on paper. Do not rely on verbal promises.
6. Get a receipt and make a copy of your check when the job is done.

Remember: Always put everything from the contracts in writing and never fully pay your contractors until all the work is done!

Susan Hilton

The air pollution released by gasoline powered equipment is extreme. According to the EPA using a gasoline-powered lawn mower for one hour produces the same amount of smog-forming hydrocarbons as driving a vehicle almost 200 miles.

Lawn mowers produce carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide, which all supply to the formation of ground-level ozone. It is expected for new rules concerning emissions from small engines to go into effect in the next year or two.

There are solutions to help this problem.  Push or reel mowers, which start around $70. Electric and battery-powered mowers are another great alternative.  Some electric mowers have cords and others are cordless. Corded mowers usually range from $150-$400. Cordless rechargeable mowers are powered by a removable-chargeable battery and can range from $200-$500.Cordless mowers have expanded in the recent years. Although they are sometimes more expensive it is a great way to go green and keep your neighbors happy with a quite lawn mower!

Susan Hilton