How to Protect Your Home this Winter

The weather is getting colder in Las Vegas. We’ve got five tips to help your home stay protected this winter.

It’s getting colder in Las Vegas. Believe it or not, overnight lows are in the 30s already, and it feels like it was just summer a month ago. As the weather gets colder, we want you and your home to be protected from the elements. We’ve got five tips to share with you today that will help keep your home protected and safe, while hopefully cutting down on your energy bills.

1. Insulating all external pipes. Either wrap them with insulation or foam sleeves. You don’t want your pipes to crack or freeze. It can become a very expensive repair.

2. Change the direction of all your ceiling fans. It will increase the circulation of heat throughout your house so that it’s more comfortable during more of the day.

3. Check weather stripping on all exterior doors. If they aren’t sealed properly, they can create air gaps, causing your energy bills to go up.

4. Check all your carbon monoxide detectors. If you don’t have any, add them next to your air return vents. Carbon monoxide likes to settle down towards the bottom of your floors. A detector increases your safety and will keep you healthy.

5. Cut down on watering. Your lawn doesn’t need as much water in the winter, obviously. If you have automatic sprinklers, make sure they are turned off at night. They can make your sidewalk or driveway slippery in the morning when it’s cold enough.

Leaving your sprinklers on in the winter isn’t smart.

We hope you enjoyed this list. If you have any questions for us or are thinking about buying or selling a home sometime soon, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Mortgage Q&A with a Local Las Vegas Lender

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Today I'm joined by Steve Schauer with New American Funding to talk a bit about lending to follow up on last week's talk about interest rates. 

Interest rates for 30-year and 15-year loans are both below about 4%, depending on the FICO score and some other things. The turmoil in international markets is also holding interest rates down, and the Federal Reserve has said they will stay low for a bit. How long they'll stay low is uncertain, however, but Steve said he thinks they'll stick around for the next six months, and probably go up next year.

Interest rates are low, but they will go back up soon.

When it comes to waiting periods for getting a new loan after short sales or foreclosures, there are three basic loans. There is the VA loan with a two-year waiting period, FHA loans with a three-year waiting period, and conventional loans with a seven-year waiting period. There are some stipulations with a conventional loan that can push that waiting period down to four years, though.

In Nevada, we also have something called the "Home is Possible" program, which is one of the best down payment assistance programs available because it has a high-income cap. Steve said he has buyers who have moved into a house with zero money down thanks to this program. 

With down payments, we also want to debunk the old myth that a 20% down payment is required to buy a home. With VA loans, you don't need to put anything down, and FHA loans require only 3.5% down. For a conventional loan, the minimum down payment is 5%. 

If you're seeking a home loan, you should avoid things that affect credit, like major purchases, job changes, and cash deposits. From application to close, try to keep everything status quo.

If you have questions about mortgages for Steve, you can reach him at (702) 476-9000 or email him at steve.schauer@nafinc.com. 

For any real estate questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email soon. I hope to hear from you soon!