Barbara Lucas at Benchmark Realtors

Just listed 5-acres of Prime Commercial Real Estate on Phelan Road in the commercial hub of Phelan, CA. This property has about 331' frontage and is ready for your commercial development. Call or text me if you are interested in additional information in this investment!!!

Fall is now upon us and the chore list never ends. In this DIY Autumn Maintenance Tips article it lists several items that should be done before winter sets in. My four top takeaways are: 1.) Replace batteries in the fire and carbon monoxide alarms, 2.) If you have and use a wood fireplace, have it professionally cleaned and inspected before using it in the winter, 3.) Inspect your roof to be sure it is sound before the winter weather hits, and 4.) In the colder climates, turn off the valves to the exterior water lines and drain any water in the line to help prevent them from bursting during freezes. For those lines that you cannot turn off the water to, wrap all exposed pipes with insulation to help protect them.

With fixed mortgage rates climbing, is it a good time to consider an ARM program? If you are considering an ARM, make sure that you ask your lender to calculate the highest payment you may face to determine if that is acceptable. This article by Geoff Williams, contributor to U.S. News, goes into some detail about the ARMs that are available today and what you might want to consider. Before rushing ahead with your decision, talk to your lender, as they will explain the programs they have available.

In my house, when Halloween is over it becomes a mad dash to get my house in order for the holidays. Guests, decorations and dinner engagements fill the time up quickly. Before I pull out the Thanksgiving tableware, I am taking inventory of my house. This year is no different except that I have a lot to do in a short time! I found this article from Realty Times interesting and a start. For me, I always remove all bedding to my guest room and refresh it with a good washi...ng, scrub down the guest bath, set out fresh towels and do some general cleaning. The one item that I do not think much of and as this article notes, a smell-over may be necessary. I also thought a little about the closet issue, as I still have a lot of stuff in the guest room closet. I need to do a quick de-clutter to make space for my guest’s belongings so they don’t need to live out of their suitcase. I think I need to look at this a little more closer and think like Martha Stewart. What do you do to get ready for the holidays? See more