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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

How to Prevent Mold from Taking Over Your Home.

How to Prevent Mold from Taking Over Your Home

 

Mold can cause people respiratory problems and allergic reactions.  Children and elderly who have vulnerable immune systems can even have neurological problems when exposed to mold.  Before mold settles in a home, it must be cleaned and removed.  This can be expensive and time consuming.  However, if the mold infestation is not attended to in a timely manner, it can cause the value of the home to drop.  In some instances of severe mold growth, the home may be uninhabitable.  Black mold and mold that has turned white are particularly important to remove.

 

Mold grows wherever there is moisture.  It can begin to grow in the right conditions in as little as twelve hours.  The rate of growth depends on both the strain of mold and the environmental conditions.  Rather than having to deal with it later, it is better to prevent mold from occurring at all.  Here are some specific suggestions to do this:

 

- Control humidity levels.  Relative humidity (RH) levels should not be above 55%.  You can buy a humidity sensor to test levels.  A dehumidifier can help you get rid of excessive humidity.

- Prevent and correct leaks.  If you hear dripping water, see moist spots, or notice a higher than usual water bill, start checking for leaks.

- Check your foundation and roof for leaks and cracks that could let water in.

- Use a sealant around windows to prevent condensation from getting inside.

- Keep gutters clear and clean so that they can remove water completely.  

- Have your basement waterproofed by professionals.  This is particularly important if you have issues with flooding in your area.  

 

If you already have mold in your home, take the Environmental Protection Agency’s advice on how to clean up mold.  You can clean non-porous surfaces with a solution of detergent and water.  Porous surfaces like carpets, may need to be thrown away if they become moldy; they are too hard to clean, and may have the mold too deeply embedded.  If a large area is affected you may need to call in a professional to make sure that the mold is completely out of the house.  If you notice that mold keeps reappearing in a certain area, you will need to ensure that the space is well ventilated.  You may be able to stop the mold from recurring, or affecting larger areas, by cleaning more often.  The EPA also has guidelines for what to wear when cleaning mold, an image library, and links to other resources.

How to Prevent Mold from Taking Over Your Home.

Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Real Estate, 90210, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Luxury Estates, Mansions, Celebrity Homes, Homes For Sale, Listings, Realtor, Real Estate For sale, Luxury Homes, Los Angeles Realtor, Bel Air Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

One of the many reasons to sell or buy with Coldwell Banker Previews International.

Here in the Greater Los Angeles area, the local Coldwell Banker Previews International luxury agents have a lunch meeting once a month to discuss new listings, pocket listings, hot buyers they are working with and the conditions of the various 16-20 micro markets here in Los Angeles area such as Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu, Brentwood, Hancock Park, Holmby Hills.  Today we met at The Century in Century City, one of the hottest and most spectacular new condominium projects in Los Angeles.

These meetings are so very valuable to me as an agent and to my customers as this is an opportunity to network with the best of the best in the local real estate market, share ideas, listings and clients.  This is one of the many reasons why Coldwell Banker Previews International is the worldwide leader in luxury real estate sales.  I am proud that the Christophe Choo Real Estate Group is part of Coldwell Banker Previews.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Real Estate, 90210, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Luxury Estates, Mansions, Celebrity Homes, Homes For Sale, Listings, Realtor, Real Estate For sale, Luxury Homes, Los Angeles Realtor, Bel Air Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

The fantastic although hazy view today from 37th floor penthouse at The Century in Century City.

The fantastic although hazy view today from 37th floor penthouse at The Century in Century City.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

At our monthly Coldwell Banker Previews meeting with the top Los Angeles & Beverly Hills brokers at The Century in Century City.

At The Century in Century City for our monthly Coldwell Banker Previews meeting with the top Los Angeles & Beverly Hills brokers.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Pending Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Exceed Forecasts With 10.4% Increase - Bloomberg

Enlarge image U.S. Home Sales Rose 10.4% in October

U.S. Home Sales Rose 10.4% in October

U.S. Home Sales Rose 10.4% in October

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Homes in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, Calif.

Homes in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, Calif. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Michelle Meyer, senior U.S. economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Laurie Goodman, an analyst at Amherst Securities Group LP, talk about the outlook for the U.S. housing market. Residential real estate prices dropped more than forecast in the year ended September, showing the industry at the center of the 2008 financial crisis continues to struggle. Meyer and Goodman speak with Tom Keene on Bloomberg Television's "Surveillance Midday." (Source: Bloomberg)

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Karl Case, co-creator of the S&P/Case-Shiller Index of property values, talks about U.S. home prices and outlook for the housing market. The S&P/Case-Shiller index in 20 cities dropped 3.6 percent in September from the same month in 2010 after decreasing 3.8 percent in the year ended August. Case speaks with Tom Keene and Ken Prewitt on Bloomberg Radio's "Surveillance." Bloomberg Television's Betty Liu also speaks. (Source: Bloomberg)

Enlarge image Pending Sales of U.S. Existing Homes Rose

Pending Sales of U.S. Existing Homes Rose

Pending Sales of U.S. Existing Homes Rose

Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg

Townhouses, built into a rock quarry, stand in the Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. Four Seasons at Great Notch Spa and Club development in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

Townhouses, built into a rock quarry, stand in the Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. Four Seasons at Great Notch Spa and Club development in Woodland Park, New Jersey. Photographer: Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg

The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes rose more than forecast in October as buyers took advantage of falling prices and low borrowing costs.

The index of pending home sales increased 10.4 percent, the biggest gain since November 2010, after falling 4.6 percent the prior month, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. Economists forecast a 2.0 percent increase, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey.

While mortgage rates near record lows are helping some buyers purchase housing that’s growing more affordable as prices drop, 9 percent joblessness and tight lending standards are keeping others out of the market. A new wave of foreclosures may augment the property oversupply, triggering further slides in value and delaying an industry recovery.

“Any improvement in sales and building activity in the housing market is welcome,” Ellen Zentner, senior U.S. economist at Nomura Securities International Inc. in New York, said before the report. “While there has been no impetus for a renewed downturn in housing, there’s been no impetus as of yet for a turn upward.”

Bloomberg Survey

Estimates for pending home sales ranged from a drop of 2 percent to an increase of 5.6 percent, according to the median of 37 forecasts in the Bloomberg survey.

Pending home sales were up 7.3 percent from October 2010.

Three of four regions showed an increase in contract signings from a month earlier, led by the Midwest. Only the West showed a decrease, with a 0.3 percent decline.

“Home sales have been plodding along at a sub-par level while interest rates are hovering at record lows,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement accompanying the release. “There is a pent-up demand from buyers who normally would have entered the market in recent years.”

Today’s report showed an index level for pending home sales of 93.3 on a seasonally adjusted basis. A reading of 100 is consistent with the average level of contract activity in 2001 and coincides with “historically healthy” home-buying traffic, according to the NAR.

Because they track contract signings, pending home sales are considered a leading indicator. Existing homes sales are tabulated when a contract closes, typically a month or two later.

Attracting Buyers

A report from the NAR last week showed sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in October, suggesting that falling prices may be attracting buyers. Purchases increased 1.4 percent to a 4.97 million annual rate. The median price fell 4.7 percent from a year earlier.

As cheaper properties may make purchasing a home more appealing to some, the threat of continued declines could keep potential buyers waiting until they believe the market has bottomed.

A temporary halt on foreclosures stemming from faulty seizures that is coming to an end threatens to unleash more seized properties, further weighing on prices. In the third quarter, U.S. lenders started foreclosures on more homes, the first increase in a year.

“We’re in a market that’s quite fragile,” Ara Hovnanian, chairman and chief executive officer of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (HOV), said during a Nov. 9 investor conference. “While delinquency rates have taken a little dip, on the whole, there is nothing that says that foreclosures are going to change dramatically over the near term, however you define that.”

The S&P/Case-Shiller index of home values in 20 cities slid 3.6 percent in September, capping 12 straight months of declines, the group said yesterday. Nationally, prices decreased 3.9 percent in the third quarter from the same time in 2010.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kowalski in Washington at akowalski13@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at cwellisz@bloomberg.net

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Pending Sales of Existing U.S. Homes Exceed Forecasts With 10.4% Increase - Bloomberg
Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Real Estate, 90210, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Sunset Strip, Hollywood Hills, Luxury Estates, Mansions, Celebrity Homes, Homes For Sale, Listings, Realtor, Real Estate For sale, Luxury Homes, Los Angeles Realtor, Bel Air Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

The Wilshire Corridor in the Westwood area of Los Angeles.

The Wilshire Corridor in the Westwood area of Los Angeles.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com

Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The view of the ocean and Catalina Island from Bel Air today.

The view of the ocean and Catalina Island from Bel Air today.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com


Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

A stunning and elegant Paul Williams home in the Doheny Estates area of the Hollywood Hills for sale for $3,495,000.

The beautiful views of downtown Los Angeles today from Beverly Hills.

The beautiful view of the Los Angeles downtown area from the Beverly Hills area.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com
Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Gorgeous Paul Williams for sale in the Doheny Estates area of the Hollywood Hills.

Gorgeous Paul Williams for sale in the Doheny Estates area of the Hollywood Hills for $3,495,000.

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Los Angeles, Platinum Triangle, Beverly Hills, Bel Air Homes, Hollywood Hills, Sunset Strip, celebrity mansions, luxury real estate, luxury estates, homes for sale, Los Angeles Realtor, Real Estate, Christophe Choo, http://www.ChristopheChoo.com


Christophe Choo
Coldwell Banker
Previews International
1(310)777-6342
www.ChristopheChoo.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale

Consumer Confidence Rebounds Solidly in November.

Unique Architecture, Architectural Terms & Famous Architects from Ortner Design Newsletter - Issue 43

Christophe Choo Real Estate Group
Coldwell Banker Beverly Hills
301 North Canon Drive
Suite E
Beverly Hills, California 90210
Telephone: (310)777-6342
Fax: (310)278-2315


Unique Architecture, Architectural Terms & Famous Architects from Ortner Design Newsletter - Issue 43



28-11-2011

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