Mark Ballin Homes

06/25/2026

Dishwasher Not Washing?

The most common cause of a dishwasher not washing the dishes well is improper loading- so if you're letting the kids load pot on top of pancovered by a bowl, you might experience food and waste stuck on the dishes after the wash. If you load your dishwasher properly, and it still doesn't wash dishes quite the way you would like, read on! (You may even save somemoney on detergent by following this monthly maintenance tip)

Assuming your home's water pressure is good, and that there'snothing blocking the water lines to the dishwasher, you may be putting too much detergent in your dishwasher. To determine how hard your water is, talk to a local water softener retailer. Most of them offer a free test, and will be able to tell you how many grains of hardness your water has.

If you have 12 grains of hardness or less, and you're filling the dishwasher soap cups completely full, you're using too much! 0 to 3 grains of hardness requires 1 tablespoon of detergent, 4 to 6 requires 2, 7 to 9 requires 3, and 10 to 12 requires 4. Beyond 12, fill the soap cups completely.

If you're still having issues, we recommend treating thedishwasher with C.L.R. Simply run the dishwasher empty- no dishes or soap - for 2 to 3 minutes. Open the dishwasher door, and you should find water pooled inthe bottom of the unit. Add a half of a cup of CLR to the water. Allow the dishwasherto run thru it's cycle, and then run it a second time to ensure all ofthe cleaning chemicals have been removed before washing dishes again.

01/12/2026

Big day tomorrow I It’s official. Signed at 8:10am. It was even on TV. Mine really turned blue. Don't forget that tomorrow starts the new Facebook rule (aka... new name, META) where they can use your photos. Don't forget the deadline is today!!!
Hold your finger anywhere in this message and “copy” will appear. Click “copy”. Then go to your page, create a new post and place your finger anywhere in the empty field. “Paste” will appear and click Paste.
This will bypass the system….
He who does nothing consents
According to the show 60 Minutes:
Just in case you missed it: a lawyer advised us to post this. The violation of privacy can be punished by law NOTE: Facebook Meta is now a public entity. Every member must post a note like this. If you do not publish a statement at least once, it will be technically understood that you are allowing the use of your photos, as well as the information contained in your profile status updates.
I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY PERMISSION FOR FACEBOOK OR META TO USE ANY OF MY PERSONAL DATA. I do not give consent!

01/25/2025

It's odorless, tasteless and invisible, and it just might be an unwelcome guest in your home.

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it's found in nearly all soils. Radon filters up through the soil and into the air, and can enter your home through cracks in the foundation, loosely-fitted pipes and the water supply. When the gas becomes trapped inside and builds up, it can pose a health risk.

Fortunately, radon testing is easy and inexpensive. Radon test kits are available online or in many home improvement stores, or you can purchase a discounted test kit from the National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University (sosradon.org). Two types of test kits are available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Short-term kits, which measure radon for two to 90 days; and long-term kits, which measure radon over 90 days and can tell you your home's average year-round level.

Radon is measured in units of picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air, according to the CDC. A very low level is normal, but the EPA recommends taking action for any result between 2 and 4 pCi/L. You can increase air flow by opening windows and using fans to circulate air, and sealing cracks in floors and walls with plaster and caulk specifically designed to block radon. After you complete the necessary repairs, conduct another radon test.

If your home tests above 4 pCi/L, you may need a radon reduction system installed. Contact your state radon office (sosradon.org/state-radon-contact-map) to find a licensed radon mitigation specialist.

Call now to connect with business.

02/28/2023

The attic is an important part of the house that is often overlooked. These attic projects keep the space functioning and help control energy costs.

01/09/2023

Deferred Maintenance: What You Need to Know

We’ve talked a lot lately about appraisals but what we haven’t mentioned is an observation the appraiser makes when performing an on-site property inspection. This observation is explicitly deemed, “Deferred Maintenance” and if it’s so noted on your appraisal report, it can stop your loan application dead in its tracks. What is it and why is it so important?

Technically it means there are things wrong with the house and in need of repair, but the owners have yet to fix them. To a lender, it can stop the entire loan approval process until the issues are addressed and resolved. What are some of these items?

Cracked or broken windows. Lawns that have not been taken care of and full of weeds. Carpets severely stained. Sidewalks with multiple cracks and sagging porch decks. The appraiser will note all these things on the report. The sellers of such a property knows these things and can adjust the sales price to reflect the needed repairs. While this can certainly be a strategy by reducing the sales price of the home by an approximate amount the repairs would cost, a lender won’t issue funds until those items are fixed.

Many times the sellers will refuse to make the needed repairs and hold out for someone that will acknowledge the needed repairs and pay cash for the home in lieu of financing. But this strategy can severely reduce the pool of potential buyers.

This is why so-called ‘preventative maintenance’ is so important for homeowners. Addressing an issue that pops up very early and fixed can save time and money. When maintenance issues are ignored, they can fester and get worse over time. Even to the point the issue is officially a deferred maintenance item. Even if the buyers accept the notion they’ll need to make needed repairs after they buy and own the home, the lender will indeed step in.

Another option to address deferred maintenance issues is to establish an ‘escrow holdback.’ A holdback is an amount set aside that will go toward fixing the needed repairs during the approval process. An inspection is made of the problems and an estimate is made about how much those repairs will cost. In this fashion, the appraised value will be based upon those issues being repaired. It’s an ‘as repaired’ notation made on the appraisal.

The repairs will then be made and when completed, an inspector will be sent back to the home to verify the needed repairs were made. Once the inspection report has been completed and sent to the lender, the loan approval process will then proceed.

Bargain hunters and real estate investors alike look for these types of properties with eyes wide open knowing repairs will be needed. Minor repairs won’t hold anything back other than perhaps some additional negotiations between the buyers and sellers. Maybe a light fixture doesn’t work or a light switch doesn’t work. These are minor issues. But if there are indeed bona fide deferred maintenance issues, know in advance there will be some bumps in the road to loan approval.

01/06/2023

Understanding Your Appraisal

What you think your home is worth may not be what your lender thinks your home is worth. Rather, what the appraiser tells your lender what it’s worth. The final word comes straight from the appraisal, not the lender. The lender simply reports to you what the appraiser determined. Here’s how to interpret how the appraiser arrived at the value that it did. You can get the final appraised value but it’s also important to know how the final value turned out the way it did.

First, there are different types of appraisals. There’s a desk appraisal, a drive-by and a full appraisal. The determination of which appraisal your lender uses is a result of what’s required on the electronic “findings” various automated underwriting systems say. A desk appraisal is one where the appraiser goes online and looks at public records showing recent sales of similar properties in the area. A desk appraisal is typically the result of someone with a larger amount of equity, say at least 20-30% down and a stronger financial profile.

A ‘drive-by’ appraisal is just that…the appraiser first performs some online research and then literally drives by the property to make a visual inspection from the street of both the property as well as the neighborhood. Sometimes there are pictures taken and sometimes there are not. Again, what’s needed in the appraisal is determined by the automated underwriting findings. A full-blown appraisal includes online research, a visual inspection and literal inspection of the property, typically with photos of both the exterior and interior of the home. A full appraisal is usually the result of both the type of loan being taken out as well as the amount of the initial down payment or equity position going into the loan.

Appraisals will compare the subject property with other similar type properties in the area. The sales prices of these ‘comparable’ homes are reviewed and then compared with the subject. Most loan programs ask for at least three such sales in the area within a six to twelve month period along with an active listing. One of the pieces of data the appraiser looks for is the ‘Days on Market’ number. This is literally how many days it took for a recent sale to commence from the initial listing to final sale. A 60 day DOM indicates a decent real estate market while a 30 day DOM would indicate a very hot, sometimes overheated real estate market. Longer DOMs would suggest a relatively sluggish market.

Finally, the appraiser will then make certain adjustments to the comparable sales. One ‘comp’ might have an outdated kitchen compared to the subject property. Another property might have a pool in a neighborhood where pools are more prevalent whereas the subject does not. Lot size and the number of bedrooms are also adjustments. The age of the structure is also reviewed. All of this information is spelled out clearly in your appraisal. You just have to look for and understand it. All of these data bits are used to arrive at the number your lender uses when underwriting your loan file.

09/08/2022

What Should You Know If You Inherit a House?

Inheriting a house can bring about a range of emotions. You might feel sad because it likely means you’ve lost a loved one. It can also be overwhelming to know what steps you should take next and what the financial implications are. It can also be exciting because a house can be a huge asset.

So what should your first steps be if you inherit a house?

You essentially have three options if you find yourself in this situation. You can sell it, move into it or rent it to someone.

Initial Considerations
First, when you inherit a house, you’ll have to think about the legal and financial responsibilities that come with it. There may be debt obligations, for example. You also have to think about the tax liabilities that come with inheriting property, which may include capital gains and federal estate taxes.

If you inherit a home, there’s no federal inheritance tax, but some states have an inheritance tax. In most cases, you don’t automatically face a tax liability if you inherit property.

Capital gains are taxes linked to the profit you generate from an asset, including a house. If you sell the home, you may be subject to capital gains taxes. You could pay taxes on the difference between the fair market value when you inherited a home and the selling price.

If you keep the home, you might be eligible for an exclusion.

Is There Currently a Mortgage?
If you inherit a home that’s paid for, you have fewer financial considerations to weigh.

If the property has an open mortgage, you might assume it, which would mean you take over the payments as an heir and you pay off the debt based on the original terms of the mortgage.

Some loans, including reverse mortgages, require that the unpaid balance is due either when the loan holder passes away or upon sale. That would mean as an heir, if there is an open reverse mortgage, you would be required to sell the home and then settle the remaining debt.

Did You Inherit a House with Your Siblings?
A common and also complicating scenario occurs if multiple siblings or other family members all inherit a house. This means multiple opinions might be part of the decision as to what to do with the property.

If there are multiple stakeholders, then options include a buyout. In this case, if one sibling wants to keep the home for whatever reason, they can buy the other sibling out.

One of the simplest things to do is to sell the home and split the profits. You might also rent it out and split those profits.

If you can’t agree on what to do, then you may need to file a lawsuit for partition. This asks a judge to order the sale of the home. You’ll have to pay legal fees, and this is time-consuming, so you’re going to receive less than you would have without having to resort to this step.

Can You Move into the House?
If there aren’t complicating factors or if the people who share ownership of the property agree to it, you might want to move into a home you inherit. If there’s an outstanding mortgage, again, you’ll have to think about whether or not you’re in a position to take on that debt and whether it makes good financial sense to do so.

You have to think not just about the mortgage payment, but property taxes as well and any other associated costs of keeping the home.

If there aren’t debt obligations, you may be able to sell your current home and move in without worrying about taking on debt.

If you decide to sell the home you inherited, you have to cover any repairs that are needed and real estate agent fees and closing costs.

Again, if you fall in a particular tax bracket, you’ll also have to pay capital gains on the difference between the fair market value of the property when you inherited it and what you sell it for.

Many things factor into what you should do when you inherit a home, from whether or not the home is debt-free currently to how many people you now share it with. Do your research, so you understand all financial implications before making any decisions.

03/13/2021

What Should You Know If You Inherit a House?
Inheriting a house can bring about a range of emotions. You might feel sad because it likely means you’ve lost a loved one. It can also be overwhelming to know what steps you should take next and what the financial implications are. It can also be exciting because a house can be a huge asset.

So what should your first steps be if you inherit a house?

You essentially have three options if you find yourself in this situation. You can sell it, move into it or rent it to someone.

Initial Considerations
First, when you inherit a house, you’ll have to think about the legal and financial responsibilities that come with it. There may be debt obligations, for example. You also have to think about the tax liabilities that come with inheriting property, which may include capital gains and federal estate taxes.

If you inherit a home, there’s no federal inheritance tax, but some states have an inheritance tax. In most cases, you don’t automatically face a tax liability if you inherit property.

Capital gains are taxes linked to the profit you generate from an asset, including a house. If you sell the home, you may be subject to capital gains taxes. You could pay taxes on the difference between the fair market value when you inherited a home and the selling price.

If you keep the home, you might be eligible for an exclusion.

Is There Currently a Mortgage?
If you inherit a home that’s paid for, you have fewer financial considerations to weigh.

If the property has an open mortgage, you might assume it, which would mean you take over the payments as an heir and you pay off the debt based on the original terms of the mortgage.

Some loans, including reverse mortgages, require that the unpaid balance is due either when the loan holder passes away or upon sale. That would mean as an heir, if there is an open reverse mortgage, you would be required to sell the home and then settle the remaining debt.

Did You Inherit a House with Your Siblings?
A common and also complicating scenario occurs if multiple siblings or other family members all inherit a house. This means multiple opinions might be part of the decision as to what to do with the property.

If there are multiple stakeholders, then options include a buyout. In this case, if one sibling wants to keep the home for whatever reason, they can buy the other sibling out.

One of the simplest things to do is to sell the home and split the profits. You might also rent it out and split those profits.

If you can’t agree on what to do, then you may need to file a lawsuit for partition. This asks a judge to order the sale of the home. You’ll have to pay legal fees, and this is time-consuming, so you’re going to receive less than you would have without having to resort to this step.

Can You Move into the House?
If there aren’t complicating factors or if the people who share ownership of the property agree to it, you might want to move into a home you inherit. If there’s an outstanding mortgage, again, you’ll have to think about whether or not you’re in a position to take on that debt and whether it makes good financial sense to do so.

You have to think not just about the mortgage payment, but property taxes as well and any other associated costs of keeping the home.

If there aren’t debt obligations, you may be able to sell your current home and move in without worrying about taking on debt.

If you decide to sell the home you inherited, you have to cover any repairs that are needed and real estate agent fees and closing costs.

Again, if you fall in a particular tax bracket, you’ll also have to pay capital gains on the difference between the fair market value of the property when you inherited it and what you sell it for.

Many things factor into what you should do when you inherit a home, from whether or not the home is debt-free currently to how many people you now share it with. Do your research, so you understand all financial implications before making any decisions.

09/01/2020

New on the Market

08/28/2020