This Tip May Save Your Life

I’ve got some important information to share today from the American Society of Home Inspectors. It regards your smoke detectors and what you should do if they are old or outdated.

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I’ve got a very important message to share with you today about smoke detectors. When is the last time you switched yours out? I’m not talking about the batteries; I’m talking about the device itself.

I recently went to a very important meeting where the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) was there to give us some lesser-known facts about smoke detectors that I think you should be aware of. 

They recommend you throw out the detector that utilizes ionization versus photoelectric sensor. In addition, a smoke detector older than 10 years is ineffective. Another thing they mentioned about older detectors is that they utilize ionization as opposed to photoelectric sensors. Ionization detectors are less responsive by 30 to 60 minutes, which could mean the difference between you getting your entire family out of a burning house. Those detectors are also less susceptible to go off if you just burn a roast or a pizza in the oven. 

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You should change your unit every 10 years.

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Look on the front, back or inside of the unit. Check for the word "Photoelectric" (or the symbol "P") or the word "Ionization" (or the symbol "I"). Also if there’s any mention of radioactive material, like Americium 241 or Illerium 231, it’s an ionization model and should be switched out for a new photoelectric one.

If you have any questions about this or any other topic relating to your home or real estate, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

5 Things Real Estate Agents Are Not Taught

People seem to think that all real estate agents are the same—we train in real estate school and get our license. There are plenty of key things, however, that they don't teach in school.

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The public thinks that realtors are all alike because we get trained in real estate school, but here are five things that you don't learn in real estate school:

1. How to set the price of a home. That's right, nobody teaches us how to perform a comparative market analysis. If you don't have the right person setting the right price for you home, it can make or break your deal.
2. How to write a contract. Believe it or not, in licensing school, they don't teach you how to write a contract. They teach us federal and state law, a code of ethics, and possibly how to measure a house for square footage and how many hectares are in an acre. That's about it! But they don't teach us how to write a contract or how to negotiate an offer for a buyer or seller.
3. How to negotiate multiple offers. Wouldn't you like to know you're working with an agent who knows how to handle multiple offers? After all, we're getting a lot of those in the St. Louis Metro market. You need to work with someone who knows how to take two to five offers and work them to your advantage and make sure they understand all the terms—it's not just about price. Helping a home seller determine the best offer is a critical component of being a real estate agent.
4. How to make your house in show condition. Wouldn't you like somebody who can tell you what you need to do to get your house ready for the market? We don't learn that in licensing class, either. When I come in, I'll help you determine what needs to be done in your house and we'll hire a stager, but above all, we're going to put our best foot forward on that house to make sure you look better than the rest of the competition.
5. How to market a house to the public. Whether that's through websites, social media, signage, fliers, or even something as simple as chatting with buyers on the phone and learning how to set an appointment. They don't teach that in real estate school, either.

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They don't teach these things in real estate school.

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There are differences between people who have a real estate license and a Realtor. A Realtor subscribes to a code of ethics, a code of conduct, and becomes part of a larger association that has rules and regulations to follow. I personally have invested more than $100,000 in training because I think you never stop learning. When I started in this business in 1986, I was determined to be the best of the best and offer you the highest level of service.

Thanks for stopping by today. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you!