Carpenter Bees in Maryland: Public Enemy #1 or Just Misunderstood?

Spring has (finally!) sprung here in mid-Maryland, and Mother Nature is doing her work.

Image: Cobra Pest Control

With the emerging greenery, flowers, and warm temps, come the creepy crawlies and fearless flying insects that we expect to see. Stink bugs, ants, spiders, and bees are back in force, in particular, the emerging carpenter bees, doing drive-bys past my head every single time I go let out the dog or attempt to pretend I like to garden. Our backyard (and even parts of the front yard) this time of year seem to be taken over in force by these carpenter bees--at least the airspace, anyway.

Yes, I am guilty of waving my arms, channeling my inner sailor with some colorful rapid-fire bee defense profanity, and even shamelessly swinging a towel around over my head like a pathetic human helicopter ninja when one of these guys comes at me. Hey, I own it.

Apparently though, diveboming intruders like me is just "what they do." Contrary to what my instincts tell me every single time, they are not trying to dispatch me. In fact, I have now begun to understand that stinging by carpenter bee is very rare--only the females can, and hardly ever do. The REAL threat to us human types comes in with the wood damage that can be done. Softer, untreated wood is their filet mignon. But make no mistake--they will go for a New York strip by way of your stained deck posts, a delectable T-bone fence rail, or even a wood patio furniture sirloin. Even cedar, long thought to repel most pests, has something to fear by these guys. Though they aren't actually "eating" the wood, just tunneling into it for the good of their species.

As busy flying critters these guys are excellent pollinators. They do good work, and we all benefit. But in residential settings they also destroy valuable property, and homeowners often find their hand forced into taking action. Lenders quite frequently require a WDI (AKA "Termite Cert" or Wood Destroying Insect certification) to take most loans to closing. Termites, carpenter ants, and these bees are what they are inspecting for, because the reality is that their natural behaviors can easily be the cause of thousands of dollars in damage to a home.

Carpenter bee 101... 

Image: Cobra Pest Control

• Though they look like bumble bees to many people, the carpenter bee abdomen is bare and shiny black. These guys are not as fuzzy/hairy as bumbles. 
• They are usually about 1" long and their large wings make a pretty intimidating sound, so pretty scary to most of us easily frightened bipeds. 
• The males have an almost square white marking on their faces. I have seen this marking. Had a good old fashioned standoff six inches from my face just the other day... He won. 
• Why do I assume said "bee" was a "he?" Because the male carpenter bees--again, who actually have NO stinger--are the ones up in your face. This behavior is by design to scare intruders off from the female doing her work in the tunnel, thereby looking as aggressive as possible. Especially to a person moving quickly or waving their hands in the air like a maniac. Then they come SUPER close--into that personal space bubble--causing panic. And more ninja arms. And some shrieking by even the toughest of so-called grown men <cough - my husband did what? - cough>.
• The females do have stingers, but their work finds them most always down in the tunnels or gathering pollen, not dancing on air by your head. Even then, females are known to hardly ever actually sting--reports of stings by carpenter bees seem to only occur when someone is actively treating the holes/nests or handles one directly. Um... duh?
• As mentioned above, they do not actually "eat" the wood in question, but they absolutely DO drill holes into wood. A lot. This is to make tunnels for laying eggs and rear their young.
• The tunnels they excavate can be extremely long, as the female will create individual bee-rearing chambers, one for each of her anticipated young. Cute little bee bunk beds, if you will. 
• Once mama bee creates the space, she will then deposit an egg, bring in a mass of pollen for the larvae to feed on, and then seals off the chamber. Then she moves on to the next baby-bee-making chamber. Repeat.  

Assessing the damage...

Image: Cobra Pest Control

• Observe the bees just before sundown as they pack it in for the day. Carefully explore the wood around your home, and you will find perfectly round holes about 1/2-3/4" in diameter. You will likely also notice saw dust trails near these holes, and yellow staining (yup--that's bee #2) directly below.
• These entry holes are just the beginning, unfortunately. The tunnels/chambers inside can be extensive, and can run through the entire length of a piece of wood. 
• Carpenter bees not only lay eggs in these chambers, but after the larvae have flown away, they will clean them out and take residence there during the colder, inactive months. 
• It only takes a year or two to have a full blown infestation in a residential setting.

Treating and preventing...

• They tend to prefer the more elevated areas of the house, so effective identification and treating may require some tall ladders and some bravery--or better yet, a licensed professional to do the job. Treating can make the nesting females aggressive, and angry bees + a tall ladder = elevated risk of a pretty serious insurance claim. I'm no actuary, but... sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.  
• Treatment involves injecting material (dusts, insecticides, etc. - consult a professional for recommendations) directly into the openings, killing any bees or larvae inside, and creating a residual affect that will kill the returning bees. They will also recommend you fill the existing holes with wood putty or a similar substance. 
• Some exterminators recommend applying a repellent material to wood that is repeatedly infested, but this usually only lasts a few months and requires multiple applications that may not be so environmentally friendly. 
• Paint any exposed bare wood around your home, including the sides and backs of the materials wherever possible. They will always prefer to tunnel into bare wood vs. painted wood. 

So at the end of the day, whether you decide that for you these guys are friend or foe, now you know a little more about their crazy anxiety-provoking dance. :)  

The Resale Home Warranty - To Buy or Not to Buy?

Home warranties can be a lifesaver if you are a buyer who is a bit short on cash or credit options when you first start out in your new home. The prospect of a failed HVAC unit or a fridge on the fritz can be daunting when you are adjusting to making that first year of new mortgage payments, budgeting utilities, and other nickel-and-dime (they add up!) aesthetic improvements home buyers often want to make.

Home sellers will also often offer home warranties as a bonus or marketing/listing feature to their homes for sale, and the buyer reaps the benefit (though most often the choice in warranty company will be that of the seller). However, as a buyer (or even as a current owner) you always have the option to purchase a home warranty outright yourself. And this begs the question: Are home warranties worth it or are they just another money-making racket?

I The costs among most well-known warranty programs are fairly similar in our marketplace--averaging between $450-700 for a single family home warranty that covers one year--but the way they package them can be deceiving as to what you are getting for what you are paying. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to compare apples to apples.

Most warranties cover general failures of appliances, electric, plumbing and HVAC systems. Most will still make an attempt to fix the existing unit, so do not expect that you will be getting a shiny new replacement when something goes wrong. Typical "insurance claim" causes like acts of God, critter damage, are usually NOT covered. And if you do the damage, or do not maintain the system properly, the warranty may also not pay. There are also separate add-ons to obtain coverage for pools and spas, well and septic systems, and of course extensions of coverage options taking you past a year. Then there are the service call fees (aka deductibles) built in to most warranties that can set you back a few bucks each call made. And of course similar to insurance, the lower the repair deductible you choose, the higher the annual cost.

All that said, I have had several clients in my career swear by the home warranty they received or purchased as previously inspected because systems that passed at the time failed them during the coverage period. It is a roll of the dice. In one case this equipment failure happened just two weeks after move-in (a higher-end dishwasher valued at about $600). At the same time, I have had the same number of clients have everything go without any incident at all over year-one, and on the back-end, were feeling like the $500 they invested (or had built into their sale negotiation) was a waste of precious resources. As a professional marketer, I know the availability of a home warranty in conjunction with a home of good value has helped countless times to put a buyers mind at ease, especially with first-time buyers and homes under the $350K price point.

The bottom line? Home warranties are often worthwhile, but another "buyer beware" scenario: Between the tier systems, the true costs and all the rest, if you decide to seek a home warranty, you definitely want to take the time to read that fine print before you make your final choice--something you may not be able to so if the seller is choosing the warranty ahead of time (in which case you can always request the warranty package materials and at least read it to understand what will and will not be covered). Assess the home, review the average life expectancy and condition of your systems and appliances (often in your home inspection results), and consult with both your Realtor and your home inspector to decide to cover or not to cover.

My "end of the day" advice?

• Selling a home under $350K? Offer a home warranty as part of the marketing package. 
• Buying a resale home, and dipping into your cash reserves/low on accessible funds? Buy a home warranty or ask for the sellers to include one (and try to choose it).
• Buying a brand new home? No warranty is usually necessary as most builders already offer one. and if they don't the systems are often already covered under original manufacturer warranties.  
• Living in a home currently where multiple appliances and systems are starting to age AND not sure you will have the cash to fix them outright? Consider investing in an annual home warranty.  

Buying A Home: When You Suddenly Don't See Eye To Eye

Saw a really great article posted a few years ago about what to do when you and your spouse/partner do not have the same taste (or same anything) when home shopping. Like the author, I too have been on the "neutral" side of the table when a client couple does not exactly see eye-to-eye on housing wants or needs. In fact, it is quite common. They say opposites attract, right? :)

First, in addition to the great advice she gives, I would also encourage both buyers to talk early and often to other influencers in their lives early in the process, and decide where their (sure to be varied!) opinions measure up. During my career I have certainly served families where not getting the buy-in of another person close to a buyer--the father, the grandmother, or a close family friend, for example--was enough to monkey-wrench the whole process or at the very least, add a layer of unexpected emotional stress onto my Buyer's shoulders. At the end of the day, it is the home YOU have to live in, and YOU have to feel good about writing a check for every month, but the reality is that there are often people in your life that have an opinion that you (or your partner) just might value more than you realize when you begin. Before you start home shopping, sit down and make a list of people in any way related to the buyers (and therefore the impending transaction), and categorize them as:

• Stakeholders - Those financially involved in the purchase (almost always also "decision-makers"),
• Decision-makers - Individuals who have a tangible "say" in what you buy (often the exact same people as listed "stakeholders" category),
• Influencers - Individuals who you seek an opinion from (decide their weights),
• Outliers - Individuals who might offer an opinion, but it is not of weight. 

Be sure to arrive at that final list with your partner, share that list early with your Realtor, and agree to stick to the decided upon roles as you go along.

Second--if you remove the real estate transaction from the equation for a second--in some cases the reality is that disagreements about buying a home may indicate that there is more that needs to be ironed out in the relationship overall. Buying a home is one of the more concrete ways in which a relationship gets cemented, and is easily on par with life events like getting engaged, or taking the plunge and establishing joint bank accounts--it is a real, serious, public commitment. It is not some Facebook status you can just change the next day when it doesn't work out. And though I do make my living off of home sales, I honestly do not want to ever see anyone go down the homebuying road unless they really both feel ready to settle--They must be prepared to compromise, and to fully vest themselves financially and emotionally.

Especially if you have never lived together as a couple or you suspect that you want to buy (translation: put down serious roots) more than your partner, there may be some warning signs to heed:

• When one partner expresses dislike for (most? all?) home styles you suggest, 
• Has a sudden distaste for (any? all?) locations on your list, especially when they seemed to like those areas previously, 
• Generally throws out gripes or roadblocks to the process,
• Suddenly turns wants into deal-breaking needs (knowing it will be impossible to find such characteristics in your price range or location of interest),
• Disengages from the process (suddenly can't make showings, or doesn't want to look at listing links you send along),    
• Puts the homebuying ball totally in your court ("let me know what you pick out/let me know when I need to sign the paperwork/see you at settlement").

To avoid experiencing these manifestations, I recommend that you sit down before you start looking to buy a home: Take stock of common priorities and future plans, be fully heard, listen carefully, and really do what you can to nail down the things important to you both. These behaviors just might indicate general uncertainly or nervousness with the permanence of the relationship itself that you might want to talk through or address up front. If you don't go through that initial exercise on the front-end, what seems like a simple common-sense buying decision (with a compromise here or there) just might become an ugly bone of contention that leads to a home not-so-sweet-home. 

Big, Beautiful (Dangerous?) Trees... But What Happens When They Fall? TIMBER!

Ahhhh TREES. People LOVE trees, right? They celebrate trees, fight to save trees, hang swings from them, climb them, even build homes in them.

But what about the times they are a nuisance or even a danger? For example, when they grow substantially crooked, split at the base, hang precariously over your living space, or drop large dead branches every time a breeze blows? It's a serious problem. And one that may not be a clear cut as it may seem. In Maryland, guess who is responsible for the $$$ involved to remove the parts that present a danger when large branches or a tree itself overhangs, encroaches, or worse, falls and causes damage?
Hint: It is most often NOT the owner of the property where the tree is actually rooted...!

The truth is that your neighbor "may" be responsible when a tree falls over your shared property line ONLY if you can prove they were fully aware that a tree was a hazard and refused to remedy the problem. Practically speaking, your insurance company is most often on the hook for the damage, and typically will fix things first and may later decide whether or not to pursue reimbursement from the neighbor/their insurer establishing negligence to recoup their moolah. 

But wait -- if it isn't even technically "MY" tree, why is it "MY" potential problem to stop something bad from happening? 

https://www.wtplaw.com/documents/2017/04/tree-liability-in-maryland-dc-and-virginia

In Maryland, there exists a modified version of what is known as the "Massachusetts Rule" limiting your ability to control and mitigate the situation via what they call "self-help" measures that only allow for you to address the part(s) of the tree that overhang your property. The tricky part is that you can't access that non-owned property without express permission (for example. to climb a tree to get to branches that need to be removed), nor can you prune or cut the tree in such a manner that it "significantly harms" the tree.... ummm.... tricky indeed. Especially if a tree looks like THIS... ???

In the case pictured, which is actually the situation in my own backyard (!!!), a very large older tree is rooted off property, but over 95% of it is very clearly (and dangerously) leaning over top of my property. It is in poor health, and regularly drops large branches into my yard. Were I to "self-help" on chain saw massacring those encroaching elements of the tree, it would be "substantial" and would absolutely harm the tree. Which in this case, is probably exactly what needs to be done...but I have to run through the proper channels to be sure I don't end up on the wrong end of potential litigation. 

So what do you do to make a neighbor aware of the concern? Try writing a letter before their angry, encroaching tree falls over your property line or worse, onto your deck or through your roof (which is a clear future possibility in my case). The letter should include:

• Description of the problem--Highly suggest consulting with a third party arborist or tree removal company to document the issue and establish "proof" of dangerous condition...and to find out how much it costs. Tree removal is NOT inexpensive! 
• A copy of your home/yard survey or publicly available plat showing the location of the tree base and where it overhangs
• Photographs of the tree and the encroachment
• A specific request for action--What do you want done? Are you willing to split costs or similar? 
• Consider the possibility of sending a copy to the HOA or other governing body if applicable--you may want to wait on this element until after you get a response from the neighbor. Working it out between parties is typically the more neighborly way to go whenever possible. 

In the meantime... Trim what you can. If smaller limbs of a tree hang over your property line, you may try trimming the branches, but be sure to use abundant caution in how much you remove. Consulting a professional is always a smart idea--Remember, if a tree dies after your Edward Scissorhands routine, your neighbor can potentially pursue a claim against you in court. 

When a neighbor’s tree or a large limb falls over and onto your property and causes damage, first, scream "TIMBER" and take lots of pictures... then you need to decide if it is worth calling your insurance company. Most homeowners policies will cover tree damage and hauling away tree debris. But use caution when making a claim. Alex Uphold of State Farm in Thurmont, MD recommends that you may want to take time to assess the actual cost of handling cleanup and damage control yourself vs. making an actual claim. Based on deductibles and other factors, sometimes the relatively smaller issues are not worth a claim at all. Did you know? Making too many insurance claims of any kind can affect your insurability in the future. More on that in the future... ;)

More things to think about: 

• Learn about your homeowners insurance policy. Take some time to investigate your individual policy and know how it addresses losses or damage caused in situations like this. Uphold stresses that "every policy and every potential claim scenario is different, and often times there are gray areas in coverage that can be important to understand before you end up in a sticky situation."
• Who actually owns the property adjacent to yours? If you don't already know, it is probably in your best interest to find out.  
• Does your HOA (if applicable) have any rules governing trees in your neighborhood? You might be surprised to learn that removal or alteration of ANY tree on HOA property requires notice and justification. 
• Are your property lines really where you think they are? Fences are not foolproof indicators of boundaries. A tree you think is your neighbors might even be yours. 

What's that SMELL!?! Smelling (and Selling) Your Home

Smell is considered to be one of our most acute senses. Though our olfactory systems are certainly not as refined as many other animals that still heavily rely on it to predict danger and trigger fight or flight responses, the fact remains that smell greatly influences psychological triggers and response mechanisms for people.

When you are trying to sell your home the very smell of the home, therefore, can be pretty important. Most of our initial time and attention gets spent on the look of the home--freshening up the paint, cleaning and organizing, working on curb appeal, etc. We want to make sure it photographs well, and gets the buyers off their couches and through the door. But when they cross that threshold (and sometimes, while they are still at the door waiting to get that lockbox open) the smell of a home can become an extremely powerful ally--or enemy--in the quest to get the best possible net gain out of your investment. 

Face Reality: Smell Definitely Matters. 
If you are trying to sell a home that has an overwhelming smell, you might find it can block a buyer's nesting vision and therefore block a sale. Though we can try to overlook our animal instincts, those flight urges just might kick in if the smell signals danger (...in this case, a very real barrier to future enjoyment, and possible remediation expenses). I have had countless clients walk into an otherwise good-looking home, smell something objectionable, find the source (or not), and begin to refer to that house as "the <insert gag reflex trigger smell of your choice here> house." They cross it off the list. Even vacant homes start to smell after some time has passed without adequate airflow. Vacant homes in the summer tend to smell worse. Vacant homes, in the summer, with the electricity off, and obvious former furry occupants are the kiss of death.

Be Honest: Give your House a Whiff!
Grab a bag of coffee beans, step outside your home, take a deep whiff of the beans to reset your smell (similar to what a perfume counter might use), and now step back inside. What do you really smell? Many times is it very difficult to smell your own surroundings objectively, so you should also consider asking a trusted friend or two to do the same. Just be sure it is a friend who can be HONEST with you about their opinion without making you a sad panda, or put you in ultra-defensive mode. Room-by-room, take notes:

• Do you smell any wetness/dampness, or mildew?
• Do you smell any current (or old lingering) pet odors?
• Do you smell smoke? (Cigar/cigarette/other smokables, or smoke from a wood-burning fireplace or wood stove)
• Do you smell VOCs? (From new carpet or paint - these take time to fade)
• Are there latent, potentially objectionable cooking odors? (For example: My father used to smoke deer jerky in the house for several weekends each year - gahhhh... Nothing like being 15 and going to class smelling like a pouch of Jack-Links...!) 
• Does it just smell... dirty? (Or as a fellow real estate pro might call it, "lived in")

Admit it, then Fix it!
The one "simple" piece of guidance would be to find the source of your smell problem, and do what you can to fix it BEFORE you open up your home to the public. Trying to remove odors is not always an easy task, and the temptation to cover the existing smell with another smell is strong. Just be sure your scent-ouflage tactics are not covering up any latent defects you are aware of such as active leaks, wet basements, or previous fire damage (among countless others) - Things of this nature should be disclosed to a potential buyer to protect you from possible future legal risk.

What is a "Good" Smell, Anyway?
Though obviously subjective, some smells are widely considered to be "safer" bets than others when trying to please an unknown audience, in this case, potential buyers. Some ideas:

• Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies - A new construction selling standard, there is nothing wrong with firing up a batch of delish cookies when you know showings are happening. Who can hate the smell of cookies, right?
• Cinnamon and vanilla - A pot of gently boiling water on the stove (or a teakettle) with a few cinnamon sticks thrown in (or apple pie spice) and a teaspoon of vanilla extract will create a very homey aroma, especially in the cooler and Winter months. Some folks also opt for the cinnamon-scented brooms and pine cones strategically placed about the home. 
• Fresh laundry scents - These always get my vote. Probably because I secretly hope to come home one day and find that someone did mine for me (wishful thinking indeed!).
• Lavender - You can certainly try to promote Zen calmness in your prospective callers by using lavender. Just don't overdo it as lavender is one of those love or hate smells. 
• Plug-ins or electric scent-pots - These are ok to use as long as there is not one in every outlet in the home and the resulting smell is not in any way overwhelming (not everyone appreciates these smells and many are sensitive to them). I also suggest you stick with ONE scent throughout the home if you go this way, not giving buyers an undesired symphony of the Glade family of home freshener products.  
• Citrus-based sprays and fresheners - You might want to think this one through carefully... Citrus is notoriously known as "the-smell-that-tries-to-cover-up-the-worst-of-smells" and the family of cleaners and smells people are forced to turn to when nothing else works. A bit risky. One big "yes" = Throwing a lemon wedge or two into the garbage disposal--a great way to legitimately freshen. 
• Incense - I suggest skipping this one. Perhaps a throwback for some to the college days, it might send the wrong signal, and some incense types are known for making people sneeze. 
• Bacon? A delightful smell that gets my vote, but might not bode well with someone not fond of the swine. Probably not the best choice, but I just had to include it because personally I do happen to like walking into a house that smells like Sunday brunch. 

Whatever you choose, use good judgement. If you make it smell "too good" (or heavily artificially scented) people automatically think you are trying to hide something - period. Remember: Smells should please, not make people sneeze!

What are your favorite smells when you walk into a home? 
What lasting scenting solutions (or remedies to correct current smells) have you come up with? 

Listing Your Home for Sale: Smart Steps to Success

When you put your home on the market, it is increasingly important to get out in front of the process and stay in control. Things can happen really fast, and though there is no black and white prescription for how to get a home to market, there are real risks to mitigate.
In a perfect world, the likely steps to listing your home would go something along these lines...

1. Engage a trusted agent of choice who has experience in the marketplace--and the earlier in your process, the better. A quality agent will be happy to provide you with strong advice well in advance of any set listing date. They can give you periodic market value opinions in the years preceding your potential sale, help you decide what improvements are a waste of financial resources/equity and which are well worth it, and so much more. If you feel like an agent is pushing you to list immediately without a logical reason to do so, reconsider your alignment with them. Be sure you select someone you trust that will be honest and proactive, and tell you things you don't always want to hear. An agent who sugar-coats, omits information, or only tells you "yes" is not a good sign. They are there to advise you and keep things real, not set you up for failure by trying to always be the good guy or gal. It is advantageous to also engage them on your future home of choice search. Having one professional coordinating the logistics on both makes the process much more streamlined at the end of the day. 
2. Same advice goes for engaging a good lender if your sale is leading up to a future purchase--Engage early and plan touch-points often. Selling a home in the future but also want to make a major purchase (example: a car) too? Run that by your lender as well. Buying a car now might put the brakes on buying a new home after you eventually sell, regardless of the amount of proceeds you might have. Your lender should be one of your closest allies throughout the whole process and using an unproven resource there can be extremely risky, even in the most uncomplicated transactions. 
3. Get on the same page with every decision maker in your corner about WHY you want to move and WHAT that means. Are you leaving the area? Is it feasible to do so? If you are upsizing can you afford to do so? If you are downsizing is inventory in your price range available in the area you want to move to? Are you (and all family members) prepared to open your home to strangers on a daily basis for showings? If everyone is on the same page, forge ahead. If not... take the time to figure it all out before you sign on any dotted lines. 
4. Know (and play out) several scenarios as to where you are going next. Are you aiming for settlements to be back-to-back? Are you moving into a rental apartment or home? Do you have friends or family you could live with temporarily if someone wants a quick close and your home of choice is not ready yet? Factor in those soft and hard costs in your planning as well. 
5. Walk your home with an eagle eye as though you are a potential buyer. Take several hours with a clipboard and a pen and make a line item list. Test EVERY SINGLE switch, appliance, window, shade/blind, identify leaks/drips, creep up into the attic, poke around in the basement/crawlspace, and do your best to put on your objective home hunter glasses.

   

   Fix anything that might give a buyer pause.
   ...And not like this. :)

   Pull service records and if you have lots of "deferred maintenance" (<--the nice way to say you may have just let things "go" over time) get systems serviced and keep the records handy. Step away from the duct tape (or in the case of the picture at right, the clever man's belt used to apparently keep a squeaky staircase in check--true story!) and hire a professional as needed. Be critical and be honest with what you see and make notes. Though it is obviously not a new home, the typical expectation is that everything will be in working order at minimum. If you want the maximum price be prepared to give the maximum value. 
6. Sit down with your agent and review the property punch list. They will be instrumental in advising you on what conditions are typical in your price range, what deficiencies current lending rules/regulations might require be repaired or addressed, and what is simply not necessary to worry over. They can also provide guidance on improvements, and what might be well worth your while to invest time and money in focusing on (as in a kitchen, for example) or simply refreshing (like fresh paint in certain areas). 
7. Review the CMA/market value assessment your agent has prepared for you and agree on a pricing strategy and 15-30-45-60 day strategic plan. Knowing the nearby competition will be essential. This analysis is a lot of science but also a lot of art--It's not EVER an apples to apples comparison (this is one of the major limitations of automatic value generators, like Zillow). Your agent should be digging a little deeper to really get the complete picture vs. just pulling the numbers the MLS database spits out and turning them over to you. This straight statistical information is the foundation, but a good agent will know (and have often visited) some of the closest direct comparables to your home before delivering you a final market price recommendation and collaborating with you on a go-to-market strategy. 
8. Review your potential sale scenarios based on the offering price range (and any adjustments mapped out) and the likely offers that may come. I like to use a Google spreadsheet that I share with clients to show them all the hard line items (transfer taxes, recordation, etc) and potential line items (closing cost requests, potential costs like wood destroying insect damage, etc) that may factor into their true net, so there are no unaccounted for surprises. I typically show a strong, middle of the road, and low-ball offer to get them started and mentally ready for anything that may come their way as the show gets on the road. If nobody runs screaming from the building after performing a gut check there, you are good to go. 
9. Map out a timetable for listing. How long will it take you to address the items on your pre-market to-do list? Are there any significant high-dollar items that might have impact on your ability to sell? When would you have the home ready for listing pictures to be taken? Are there any considerations to preparing it for showing that might take time (ex: staging?)? 
10. Once you sign the listing paperwork and pinpoint that "go live" date, your agent will get to work behind the scenes. They will arrange to get the best (and maximum number of) photos of your property, create marketing materials, put the listing into the MLS database, prepare and upload the disclosure paperwork, arrange for signage to be installed, install a lockbox on your home, prepare the showing instructions/work with the showing services, and so forth. 
11. Go live. That day has arrived, and your house has gone live. In this instant technology age, don't be surprised if the same day you go live you also get your first showing request. There are tech-savvy buyers who literally have automatic search beacons set to pick up the moment a listing meeting certain parameters--like price and geography--hits the database. Be ready! :) 

So what happens next? Subscribe/check back in a few weeks for my follow up piece on "Your Home is Listed on the Market--Now What?" where I will go over what to expect in the first 30 days of open market time, including quick sales, troubleshooting and next steps, especially if activity is less than you had hoped for. Happy selling!

Tips for Keeping an Eye on Your Home During Heavy Snow

With snow already here in most locales--and more snow likely still to come before spring--typical issues you might encounter at home include ice damming, gutter problems, HVAC inefficiencies and malfunctions, blocked plumbing/air vents on your roof (those short vertical pipes that most people don't even notice!), and general snow loads heavier than typical engineering and local building codes require for your roof, your porches, gazebos, pergolas, and more.

There is probably not much you can safely do if/when some of these problems occur, but there are certainly some things to be paying attention to:

• Shovel a path around your home to your exterior HVAC unit and clear a good 18" area around it, and clear off any snow/ice on top of it
• Clear snow away from your gas meter/lines
• Step back and take a good look at your roof/porch lines and monitor them for potential problems—uneven melting (indicating insulation issues that can lead to ice dams, etc), large drifts, sagging roof lines or cupping shingle edges, gutters coming loose, etc.
• Check your highest floor interior ceilings for any signs of active water penetration that might result from ice damming, particularly around light fixtures and corners where water tends to initially pool--bubbles, ripples, discoloration, etc. 
• Monitor your interior doors--if they seem suddenly snug or don’t open/close as easily as they used to, that’s also a strong sign the snow load is not carrying properly. 

Some additional links to useful information for now and the future:

• Heat pump Info: http://www.carneyphc.com/…/effects-of-excessive-snow-on-he…/
• Ice dam info: https://www.travelers.com/…/how-to-prevent-and-remove-ice-d…
• More ice dam info: http://www.houselogic.com/…/seasonal-m…/preventing-ice-dams/
• FEMAs snowloading guide: https://www.fema.gov/…/7d8c55d1c4f…/FEMA957_Snowload_508.pdf