The Silberman Team

Dear friends,

With summer on its way out, and fall just beginning, we must confess that fall is our favorite time of year. To us, autumn is the most beautiful season in Atlanta—the weather is still warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt, but humidity is down and the heat is manageable.
The fall also represents a bit of a slower time for us. After a very busy spring and summer working with home buyers and sellers, we often spend time in the fall working on our business plan for the next year, as well as our marketing efforts. One of our goals for the future is staying in touch more regularly with our clients and our database. You might notice that we have been tweaking our newsletter format as we attempt to find the best way to keep our clients both informed and entertained. We welcome your feedback and suggestions, and hope you enjoy this issue.

Sincerely,

Autumn Maintenance: Home Exterior

• How do you best protect your largest investment? With every season, make sure to perform the proper maintenance to ensure you keep your home in tip-top shape. Following are some tips from DIY Network to help you this fall.
• Regularly clean gutters and downspouts. Make sure all drainage areas are unblocked by leaves and debris. Consider installing gutter guards to make the job a lot easier.
• Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Use caulk to fill the holes or completely replace the wood.
• Lower humidity and cooler (not yet cold) temperatures make fall a good time to paint the exterior of your home.
• Inspect your roof, or hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. If the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling, replace them. If you have a lot of damage, it's time to replace the entire roof. Also, check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. If you have any leaks or gaps, heavy snow and ice will find its way in.
• To prevent exterior water pipes from bursting when the weather gets below freezing, turn off the valves to the exterior hose bibs. Run the water until the pipes are empty. Make sure all the water is drained from the pipes, if not; the water can freeze up and damage the pipes.

Halloween Dos And Don’ts

Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have also have a safe time, here are some Halloween dos and don’ts from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

• Do plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Do consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
• Do remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
• Don’t allow young children to go trick-or-treating without a parent or responsible adult.
• Don’t go to a home if the porch light isn’t on, and never go into a home or car for a treat.
• Don’t let children sample their treats until you’ve inspected them and thrown away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.

A Sweet Story

The Halloween treat candy corn was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, an employee of the Wunderle Candy Co. of Philadelphia. Making the candy was labor-intensive, as each color of the mixture had to be poured separately into kernel-shaped molds, but the unusual confection was a big hit. The Goelitz Confectionery Co. began making candy corn in 1898 and today, as the Jelly Belly Candy Co., is still using the same recipe to do so.

In the early 1900s when so many Americans were farming, the corn-shaped candy was especially popular – so much so that confectioners tried making candy in other vegetable shapes, including turnips. Candy manufacturers sell more than 35 million pounds of candy corn (about 9 billion kernels!) a year, with Halloween accounting for 75 percent of annual sales.

Fall Decorating Tip

As autumn approaches, the changing of the seasons may inspire you to go all out with fall decorating. 

But pest control experts caution against decorating the exterior of your home with traditional fall items such as corn stalks, hay bales, and tree or berry branches because they can attract termites and carpenter ants.

If you’re set on an autumnal theme, put a display at the edge of your property – around a lamp post or mailbox – rather than near the door or on porch posts.

How To Use Your Microwave Safely

Although your microwave is probably one of the safest devices in your kitchen, there are dangers. One is that you can superheat the foods and liquids, and when foods or liquids superheat they can “explode” and be quite dangerous. In order to use your microwave as safely as possible, here are some tips:

• Never turn a microwave on when it’s empty, or operate it if the door is damaged or doesn’t close securely.
• When you’re heating water, put your teabag or instant coffee in the water before putting it in the microwave.
• Before you heat any liquids, always stir them.
• Avoid cooking things too long. Never heat any liquid for longer than two minutes.
• Never put anything with a twist tie on it in the microwave. The metal in the tie can make sparks.
• Make sure any glass, plastic containers, and plastic wrap you use are labeled “microwave safe.” Plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in microwave ovens.
• Contrary to popular belief, some Styrofoam and other polystyrene containers can safely be used in the microwave. Follow the same rule you follow for other plastic containers: Check the label.
• Don’t use metal containers unless the recipe specifically directs you to. The microwaves bounce off metal, which can cause arcing and a fire inside the oven.
• If something in your microwave catches on fire, don’t uncover it or throw water on it. Hit the stop button, unplug the microwave, stand by with a kitchen fire extinguisher just in case, and let it burn itself out.
• Never allow children to operate a microwave without adult supervision.

How To “Go Green” When You Clean  

Are you spending money on household cleaners when you may be able to do the job with items you already have at home and/or are less expensive than what you’re currently using?

Using just a few of these ideas can help you save money on cleaning products – and be kinder to the environment, as well. A note of caution: Before using a homemade cleaning formula, test it in a small, hidden area if possible. Also, always keep your homemade formulas well-labeled and out of the reach of children.

• Carpet stains: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray directly on the stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.
• Food containers: To remove odors from plastic food containers, put a crumpled piece of newspaper in the container, seal, and let it sit overnight.
• Windows: Combine 1/4 cup white vinegar and one quart warm water, pour into a spray bottle or apply with a sponge, and wipe dry with crumpled newspaper.
• Kitchen smells: To get kitchen smells like fish and onion off cutting boards and utensils, wipe them with white vinegar and wash in soapy water
• Kitchen surfaces: Apply baking soda directly with a damp sponge to stove exterior, refrigerator, and similar surfaces.
• Marks on walls and painted surfaces: Many ink spots, pencil, crayon or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces using baking soda applied to a damp sponge; rub gently, then wipe and rinse.
• Silver: Wash items, then place them on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot; combine one teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of salt and one quart of hot water, then pour over items and let sit for a few seconds.
• Toilet: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and one cup white vinegar, pour into basin and let it sit for a few minutes; scrub with a brush and rinse.
• If “homemade” isn’t your thing, check out the growing number of commercial non-toxic household items – from bathroom cleaners to laundry soap to pest control products – that can help you “go green,” as well.

Refinance your FHA loan using your most recent appraisal

If you purchased your home with an FHA mortgage, you may be eligible to refinance without a new appraisal. Since many homeowners have lost value in their homes, the ability to refinance based on the most recent appraisal on the home (for example, when you purchased the home) can allow you to take advantage of the historically low rates even if you have little or no equity in your home.

Naturally, there are some guidelines that must be followed. Among others, you cannot have been 30 days late and the refinance must lower the TOTAL mortgage payment of the previous mortgage by 5% if going from Fixed rate to a fixed rate. Because the rates are so low, some lenders are able to cover the closing costs of the loan, minimizing your out-of-pocket costs.

To find out more, please contact:

Stanley Caldwell Park Avenue Bank 404.210.2877 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*Information accurate at time article was written, but not guarantee and can change at any time.

Do you owe more than your home is worth? Are you "underwater?"

If you're thinking of selling your home, and you expect that the total amount you owe on your mortgage will be greater than the selling price of your home, you may be facing a short sale. A short sale is one where the net proceeds from the sale won't cover your total mortgage obligation and closing costs, and you don't have other sources of money to cover the deficiency. A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is when your lender takes title of your home through a lengthy legal process and then sells it. Have you or someone you know found themselves in the position of owing more on their home than their home is worth? As a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Keith will be glad to consult with you, at no charge, to see how we may be able to help.

October Events to Enjoy!

10/1: Scarecrows in the Garden (Atlanta Botanical Garden)
10/1: Stone Mountain Park's 9th Annual Pumpkin Festival (Stone Mountain)
10/1: 7th Annual Virginia Highlands Rocktoberfest (Virginia Highland)
10/2: Hotober Fest—Earth, Beer, Music (Glenwood Park)
10/2: Norcross Art Fest (downtown Historic Norcross)
10/2-10/3: "Charlotte’s Web" County Fair (Center for Puppetry Arts)                               
10/8: Atlanta Pride Festival (Piedmont Park & City of Atlanta)
10/9: Atlanta Parents Block Party (Mercer University, Chamblee)
10/9: Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival (Auburn Ave./Downtown)
10/9: Oakhurst Arts & Music Festival (Oakhurst/Decatur)
10/16: Decatur Craft Beer Festival (Decatur Square)
10/16: Whooooooo's in the Park in the Dark? (Dunwoody Nature Center)
10/23: Walk n Wag Outdoor Festival & Pet Parade (Chastain Park)
10/23: Taste of Atlanta (Atlanta)
10/23: Candler Park Fall Fest (Candler Park)
10/31: Trick or Treat...it’s HALLOWEEN!
 

Welcome New Clients!

Here are our new clients who became members of our “Real Estate Family” over the last month.  We’d like to welcome you and wish you all the best!

• Heather Dziedzic (Referred by Mike Daniel)
• Julie and Darren Hojnacki (Referred by Zach and Amy Story)

October Birthdays

• 10/2: Dan Appelrouth
• 10/5: Alex Desiderio
• 10/20: Natalie Blum
• 10/21: Lee Dickey