Archive for December, 2012

December 27th, 2012

Tips On Where To Look For Mold In Your Home

Black mold in your home is dangerous.

Photo courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DublinMold.jpg

Having mold in your home can pose a great risk to the health of your family, especially if anyone in your household has respiratory problems. Mold can be found where there is a source of water and food for it to grow on. This can include wood, fabrics, dust and dirt. Despite taking good measures to prevent the growth of mold, there is still a chance that it will grow undetected in several parts of your house. It is therefore important that you know where to look for mold in your home.

The basement is the most common area where you can find mold in your home. This area easily develops a moist and humid atmosphere, creating an enabling environment for mold to grow. You should regularly inspect the basement for any signs of mold, so you can eradicate it, before it becomes a health hazard to your family.

The attic is another area that develops conditions favorable for the growth of mold. Many people use it as a storage area, and do not bother cleaning it, sometimes for years. Any rain water that may have seeped into the attic, combined with the hot temperatures caused by the sun shining on the roof’s surface, will create conditions that will spur the growth of mold. You should therefore inspect, and clean your attic regularly to clear it of dust, dirt, and any water that may have leaked through.

The bathroom is another common area where you may find mold growing. This is an area where water is always running, and regular inspection will detect any growth of mold. The spaces between the tiles in the bathroom, and underneath the sinks, are areas that need regular checking.

The air-conditioning system can also spread mold throughout your home. The drain line, has a drip-pan, in which mold can grow. When you turn on your air-conditioning unit, the spores from the mold can be blown to various rooms in your home. Should you experience difficulties in breathing when you are in your house, but feel better once you leave it, then your air-conditioning system may be harboringĀ mold growth.

If you do not know where to look for mold in your home, these are the most common areas to inspect at first. If the problem is serious, then you need to hire an expert to inspect your home, since there could be other areas where the mold could be growing.

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December 12th, 2012

Hiring Professional Property Management In Orlando, FL

Hiring professional property management in phoenixAnyone who has made the decision to purchase one or more rental properties in Orlando to be used as an investment needs to be prepared to have an effective plan in place for managing the properties successfully. Successful property management includes finding good tenants, collecting rents on time, handling evictions and complaints in a timely manner, and ensuring that the properties are well maintained at all times.

Although owning Orlando rental properties can be an excellent investment, many owners quickly discover that they simply do not have enough time available to take care of all the duties that are required of them. A property owner facing this situation has several choices to make. The property can be sold, the property can be neglected, or the owner can hire the services of a property manager to handle these tasks.

If the owner decides to hire a property manager, it is very important that the management services are reliable and that the service is reasonably priced. If the service is not reliable, tenants will be unhappy and will move out, causing a loss of revenue. If the service is too costly, all the profit of owning a rental property will be wiped out.

Hiring an Orlando-area management company to take care of the property can be the best solution if an owner has several properties or lives in another city. However, it is important to use the services of a company with high standards for ethical behavior. There are people and companies offering property management services whose talk is cheap and fail to carry out their duties.

For this reason, it is very important to check the reputation of any company offering property management in Orlando, FL.  You will want to be certain that the company has the knowledge and experience to handle the job in a professional manner. You will need to ask how the company will handle any repairs that are needed. Some larger companies have their own repair crew while others will hire workers on a short term basis.

Before you hire a service to manage your property, you will need to check what fees each company charges. These companies typically charge the owner an amount that is between 5% – 10% of the rental fees they collect. In some cases, the fees can be as high as 20%. You will have to decide whether you can still make a profit from your rental properties when you take the management fees into account.

A good property management company will be responsive to the needs of the owner and the needs of the tenants. The owner needs to be kept well informed of any problems that develop and the problems that any tenants express need to be taken care of very quickly.