Russ Whitney's Tips for-Home Maintenance Checklist

Fall is a great time to take care of the little things that can make a big difference for you and your home. Getting ready for colder weather means checking, repairing your home to withstand the upcoming rain, wind, and snow.

Taking these steps will not only lower your utility costs, but they will protect your largest investment, your home, from the unexpected weather conditions ahead.Here are some helpful tips that every homeowner should do.

1. Stow Your Mower

It's time to start thinking about how you are going to stow your lawn mower. Taking simple steps like putting your lawn mower into storage will help increase the longevity of your equipment.

2. Energy Audit

Performing an energy audit will tell you where heat is escaping, so you can correct the problem and save money on utilities.Seal the air leaks that you have identified by applying weatherstripping. Potential energy savings by detecting and fixing drafts will make your home much more comfortable.

3. Replace Windows

Before it gets too cold, replace your screen windows and doors with energy-efficient storm windows. Consider a proper storage space for your screen windows.

4. Check Furnace

Home heating systems that aren't properly maintained may be less than 50 percent efficient. A dirty filter will increase your heating costs and reduce the life of your equipment. It is important to check your filter once a month and replace or clean if necessary.

5. Install Gutter Guards

Homeowners overlook the importance of gutters, but they protect your home by diverting rain water safely away from your home.To prevent home issues like foundation and structural issues.Install a micro-mesh gutter protection system, will help cleaning your gutters when the leaves begin to fall.

6. Maintain Home's Exterior

Fall and winter are known for unexpected weather conditions, so to prevent any type of debris from falling on your home and producing serious damage.It is necessary to apply a layer of sealant to prevent weed growth and increase the longevity of these areas.

7. Chimney and Fireplace

Annual cleaning of your chimney is important to prevent dangerous chimney fires. Test your fireplace flue to ensure that it is tightly sealed when closed.

8. Test Smoke Detectors

This is a simple task for homeowners, but it is often forgotten about. Detectors should have a "test" button. Testing these systems is a quick, but very important test to perform.

Russ Whitney offers-Best Secrets Of Real Estate Investing

After a promising first quarter, economists are predicting a stable and flourishing real estate market compared to 2014.New homes sales reached a 7-year high and existing sales jumped 1.2 percent in February.

The potential to begin raising interest rates as early as June has encouraged some existing homeowners to lock in today’s low borrowing costs by purchasing their first investment property.

While most people would expect buying an investment property to be very similar to buying a home, there are a number of key differences and other factors that they should take into consider.

An investor can protect their financial,personal wealth and retirement savings.A self-directed retirement accounts have been available to investors for nearly 40 years.

Every investor thinking about an investment property should first gather the facts on self-directed retirement accounts and how they might be able to use them for the investment.

A self-directed account must be held with a qualified trustee. The trustee is responsible for administrative services, due diligence and filing the proper reports among other things.

Specialized real estate investment groups can handle everything from market analysis to building permits whom all are expertise in the field.