How to Prepare for a Disaster: Granada Hills REALTORs Advice

Michael Gentile, a Granada Hills REALTOR and an active volunteer of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (National VOAD) discusses how to prepare your neighborhood for a disaster.

Image via WikipediaIt is better to start small. Informal gatherings allow you to recruit sincere volunteers. You can also assess the needs of each household that the neighborhood should respond to in case of a disaster. Create a neighborhood disaster planning committee, complete with board members and representatives. Include people with useful skills such as doctors, nurses and carpenters.

The two core functions of a neighborhood disaster planning committee are business continuity and public safety, according to Community Association Institute.

Business Continuity includes protecting important association records, keeping a list of vendors, and contracting with vendors ahead of time to ensure speedy, cost-effective services after a disaster strikes,

Safety planning covers creating a disaster plan, designating evacuation routes, checking emergency generators and supplies, keeping a list of owners, employees, and local relief personnel, and planning for post-disaster cleanup

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Extending the Lifespan of Your Roof: Tips For Green Homes From The Best Granada Hills Realtor

Michael Gentile, a California Granada Hills REALTOR and home renovation specialist, provides tips on how to prolong the lifespan of a residential roof.

Moss Problem

Moss traps water, which is harmful to a roof. Kill the moss with products based on potassium salts of fatty acid. Do not let the wash water go all over the roof. You can buy zinc strips to keep moss from coming back. For $300, your local roofer will place strips near the top of the roof. The runoff from strips stops the moss from growing.

Gutter Cleaning, Leaves and Ice Dams on the Roof

Clogged gutters result to wet basement and rotten roof rafters. Avoid it by cleaning gutters every fall and spring. Leaves that settled on your roof trap moisture and the seeds may take root. For a one-storey house or a low-slope roof, use a car-wash brush with telescoping pole to remove leaves. A roof leaf rake cost around $20. A leaf blower requires a pro to climb to the roof to remove the leaves. Remove wet leaves by washing them off with a garden hose. Trim overhanging branches for prevent moss and leaves residing on your roof. Image via Wikipedia

Ice Dams

Removing ice buildup on the roof can avoid leaks. Get rid of snow using a roof rake, but do not forcefully remove already-formed ice as it may damage the roof. Air leaks and poor insulation in your attic invites ice dams so you need to fix them too.

Check your roof right after a hail storm, big wind or if you hear scurrying. You can use a ladder for better view or use binoculars to inspect. If you see something wrong, do not hesitate to call your roofer to check the roof. Roof problems become costly if you do not address them quickly.

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A Granada Hills REALTOR’s Take on Additional Bathroom

Michael Gentile, a West Coast Los Angeles REALTOR and an expert in house resale talks about the pros and cons of an additional bathroom.

Image via WikipediaHomebuyers always love the idea of having an extra bathroom, said Michael, especially if it is a spacious one. An additional bathroom does not significantly add to the resale value. If you are planning to build an additional bathroom, make sure that you are staying on that house for five years, the least.

Homebuyers prefer the number of bathrooms in almost equal ratio with the bedrooms. This will provide you with bigger returns. Having both a shower and a tub is important. Kids need tubs, while aging family members prefer showers. If you are planning to have an additional bathroom, make it a full bath (or at least a ¾ bath with a shower stall). A half bath adds 10.5% home value, while a full bath adds 20%.

If you live in a neighborhood with high property value, adding an expensive bath will minimize your returns. It’s best to consult a local real estate agent or an assessor to evaluate your return of investments. They alone, can determine if an additional feature can add value in resale. A costly upgrade does not always result to an increased in value.

If your motive in adding a bathroom is for your family’s sake, then by all means, do it. No one can put a tag price on the satisfaction of family members.

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1. What You Need to Know About Ranges: a Granada Hills REALTOR’s Perspective

Granada Hills REALTOR and a savvy expert, Michael Gentile, shares his knowledge about buying ranges.

Typically, homeowners make decisions in buying a range based on budget, appearance, performance and ease of use. The cost of a range starts at $350. Added cost includes delivery, installation, gas line, outlet installation, etc. Gas ranges have an average life span of 11 to 15 years.

In choosing gas or electric, it all boils down to what you have in the house. Those with natural gas line prefer a gas range, and those without choose electric. The average size of a home range is 30 inches. High-end ranges can be as big as 48 inches wide. For homes with smaller space, you can buy the 20 to 24 inches model. Standard oven compartment is 5 cubic feet. For an additional $200, homeowners can get a range with convection heat, which spreads out hot air inside the oven evenly.

Image via Wikipedia

Burner Quantity, Type and Performance

Ranges can have four to five burners. Ranges with five burners cost at least $800. With burner type, one can choose from an ultra-low burner or a central oval burner for cooking with griddle pans. A bridge burner is used for bigger heating needs (i.e. cooking with roasting pans). Gas and electric ranges that have BTU are preferable, with heating speed almost twice as effective as the standard range. Power burners have 9,000 to 15,000 BTUs. The upgrade will cost you an extra $200.

Pro ranges that emulate those that are used in restaurants have a tag price of $4,000 to $10,000. Ranges like these have multiple large ovens, ultra-high powered burners, etc.

New ranges either have a warming drawer to keep the food warm or a small extra oven for cooking multiple items at the same time. Such models cost $1,000 to $1,200 at least. For an additional $100 each, you get halogen lighting, smooth-glide racks, and porcelain-coated racks.

Ranges with temperature probes (starts at $1,300) tell you that your food is cooked enough. An alternative is to buy a battery-powered probe that cost $30.

Image via WikipediaAny contemporary range (except the cheapest) has smooth ceramic cook top design and sealed burner design for easy cleaning. For models as low as $350, you get a self-cleaning oven feature. Expect to change oven bulbs periodically. Glass top replacement costs around $250. Electric control panel replacement can cost you $250 plus labor. Coil-style electric burners that fail often will make you shell out $50, excluding labor.

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Buying Clothes Dryers: a Granada Hills REALTOR’s Perspective

Michael Gentile, a Granada Hills real estate agent, shares his knowledge in buying appliances, particularly clothes dryer.

A clothes dryer price ranges from $280 to $1,200. Its life span averages from 12 to 18 years. Installation, delivery, gas line hookup, and haul away are mostly responsible for additional costs.

Electric or Gas Dryer? Gas dryers cut as much as 50% on operating cost, depending on the price of natural gas in your location. Gas dryers are more expensive than electric models by around $80. A gas dryer and electric dryer needs 110-volt and 22-volt outlet, respectively.

Many people prefer a dryer design that matches their washer. It will cost $650 to buy a dryer that blends well with a modern energy-saving washer. The price of a non-white dryer starts at $600.

Image via WikipediaDryer’s Settings, Size and Capacity. You have to cough up at least $350 to buy a dryer that has additional settings for temperature and time. Some of the settings of pricier dryers are rarely used.

A regular-sized dryer is 27 to 29 inches wide. You can buy a slimmer model if you don’t have ample room. The drum capacity of a most dryers ranges from 5.5 to 7 cubic feet. Granada Hills REALTOR Sue and experts agree that an upscale dryer with 8 cubic feet is only a waste of space. Search for a dryer that can load clothes two times more than your washer.Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Dryer Rack and Moisture Sensor. The purpose of a dryer rack is to protect sneakers, hats and delicate items from getting knocked out by other clothes. The cheapest model of dryers starts at a price of $450. A dryer with moisture sensor saves 15% on energy cost.

Dryer Steam Technology. A steam feature eliminates odors and wrinkles on clothes. The cost of a dryer with steam technology starts at $900. Steam-equipped dryers either get its water from a reservoir filled by the owner or through a water hookup. You can opt for a regular dryer and just put a damp washcloth along with a wrinkled load.

Noise Dampening Feature. If you plan to place your dryer near bedrooms or living areas, buy a quiet dryer. You will shell out at least $600 for a dryer that has a sound-muffling material on its top and sides.

Stainless Steel Drums are not prone to scratches, rust, and nicks unlike their ceramic-coated steel counterpart. Buying one will cost you around $500.

Image via Wikipedia

Caring for Your Dryer. Clean and examine exhaust lines and vent hoses every year. Clean lint trays before loading the dryer. Replacement for busted digital control sections can cost as much as $250. Replacing a burned-out electric heating costs $125, exclusive of labor.

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Google Has Violated A Trust With Its Users

Not an email, a phone call, or any other kind of notice that I was suddenly and clandestinely rejected from Google Maps.

After about 2 months of no phone calls coming in, I wondered... Is there a problem?!? I show up here and lookee lookee, someone has quietly turned off my marketing. This feels sneaky and underhanded.

We have based much of our presence upon Google and working with them as a partner, and this is how they repay us?

I have been an early adopter, a survey filler outer, standing on my head to be a part of what they do. And this is how they repay us?

After all of the trust we have placed in this company, despite warnings to the contrary, we have trusted them to treat us and the services we provide fairly and honestly.

But now, they treat us like we are strangers whom they have never met.

It is time to rethink our relationship with this company, and develop solutions that do not put them at the core of our business.

I recommend a boycott of all Adwords and Adsense usage from each Places user who has been rejected without notice and without reason.

There are many other avenues to advertizing your site and monetizing it. Many of the monetizing options are much more efficient and can put more money in your pocket than Adsense.

Join me and support this sentiment by telling the world this is a useful post below.

in reference to: Quality guidelines : Get started - Google Places Help (view on Google Sidewiki)

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