Pride Property Management & Real Estate Services

Try this natural solution to Ants....

Awesome! via Home Remedies

Tips for ridding your home of ants... Spring is an amazing time. The grass is green again after months of seeing snow and dirt, flowers and trees are blooming beautifully, and you can even smell a freshness in the air! But every season has it’s drawbacks, even a lovely season like spring. The biggest one for spring? The bugs are back to play. Yuck. Every time spring has sprung, ants in particular start to make guest appearances in my house. I’ll first see a couple on my kitch...en counter or on the floor below, and I know that this is only the beginning. I’ve searched and searched for a simple, all-natural solution, and I finally found it! The secret is Borax, a 100% natural product found in most ant-control products. You can find it in most supermarkets. Here’s a simple recipe, using cheap, all-natural products that you can use to get rid of ants in your home: Ingredients 1 cup of warm water 1/2 cup of sugar 2 tablespoons of Borax The procedure is as simple as the ingredients you’ll need! It only takes a few minutes to protect your home from pesky ants for good. All you have to do is soak the Borax mixture up with cotton balls, and then place the cotton balls near any trails the ants have established in your home. This is most likely by any entrances to your home; windows, doors, or even cracks in the wall. I’ve tried this recipe at my home, setting out the cotton balls at night and waking up to find dead ants. Works like a charm! After only using this Borax mixture for a few days, all the ants that had been plaguing my house were dead, and no additional ants tried to get in, either. This was crucial for me, as some ant-control products will kill the CURRENT ants you have, but they won’t prevent future colonies from moving in. If you’re not a fan of Borax, there are other methods to getting your home free of pesky ants in an all-natural way. Some of our favorite alternative ways are sprinkling baby powder across any and all entrances (this seems crazy, but it works REALLY well), wiping down your surfaces with white vinegar, or leaving out cream of wheat for the ants to snack on. Use that last one with caution; ants love cream of wheat, but this morning favorite does not love them. When ingested, cream of wheat makes ants expand and eventually explode. Yeah. So, while it’s very effect, it’s a pretty gross method for ridding your house of ants.

If you try this, you are sure to get some great results.

Tenant Cleaning Checklist Use cleaning products that won't damage surfaces in your rental. When vacating your rental, the best time to begin cleaning is after you’ve packed up all your personal items and moved them to one location, such as the garage or moving van. With the house empty of all belongings.... Cabinets Inspect all the cabinets and cupboards. Make sure you didn’t forget to pack something. Remove all items from these storage areas and properly dispose of any trash or unwanted articles. If necessary, sweep or wipe out the cabinets and wipe off any visible fingerprints or smudges. Trash Gather up all the debris and filled trash bags. Place the items in outside trashcans or dumpster for the trash collector, or haul the refuse off the property and take it to an appropriate landfill. This includes picking up all pet droppings, lawn clippings and trash.. Bathroom and Laundry In each bathroom and laundry room, scour the tub or shower, sink, toilet and counter. Wipe down the shower enclosure or wash the shower curtain. Clean the mirrors and polish the fixtures. Flush all the toilets. Wipe down the washer and dryer, and remove the lint from the dryer's lint trap. Kitchen Wash the countertops, scour the sink and wipe down all the appliances. If the rental includes a refrigerator, make sure it is empty, and wipe down its interior and exterior. Wash down all refrigerator shelving, drawers and compartments. Clean the oven and burners. Sweep or vacuum under the bottom oven drawer. Polish the fixtures and wipe down the outside of the cabinets. Dust Move through the house with a dustmop, removing dust from ceiling fans, window coverings, window sills, door frames, baseboards, vents and other surfaces. If the property has air-conditioner filters, change them if necessary. If needed, wipe smudges or dirt from doorways, electric switch plates and other surfaces. Fireplace If the house has a fireplace, clean the fireplace and remove all wood and ashes. Make sure to do this task when there are no warm embers. Glass Clean all glass and mirror surfaces throughout the house. This includes mirrored closet doors, glass sliding doors, windows and any hanging mirrors. Floors One of the last cleaning tasks involves washing the floors. After removing all items from the property, floors need sweeping or vacuuming. Hard surface floors may require mopping, and carpets might need shampooing and or spotting to remove stains. Sweep up patio areas, walkways and the floors.

5 Tips for Being a Great Tenant that Landlords Love By Angela Colley 5 Comments Renters tend to focus their energy on their tenant rights, and rightly so. But while that’s important (you certainly don’t want to be mistreated as a tenant), renters should also think about cultivating a great relationship with their landlords and neighbors. Why? Because great tenants have an upper hand when it comes to the rental process....Continue reading

Let's never forget those who have served and currently serve to protect all our freedoms...

Getting Mold Out of the ShowerBefore & After EDIT: This post, which started out with about 6 comments from my followers when first posted back in 2012, has now gone viral on Pinterest - as of 6/18/13 it has received over 2.5 million views! Insanity. Clearly I am NOT alone in my quest to get rid of the moldy grout. :) I simply shared my story of removing my nasty, embarrassing mold from my window-less bathroom. I am not a contractor, a plumber, or any kind of house expert...Continue reading

Calif. median home price:January 2014: California: $410,990 Calif. highest median home price by region/county January 2014: Marin, $960,000 Calif. lowest median home price by region/county January 2014: Del Norte, $130,610... Calif. Pending Home Sales Index: December 2013: Decreased 25.2 percent from 92 in November to 68.8 in December. Calif. Traditional Housing Affordability Index: Fourth Quarter 2013: 32 percent (Source: C.A.R.) Mortgage rates: Week ending 2/13/2014 (Source: Freddie Mac) 30-yr. fixed: 4.28% fees/points: 0.7% 15-yr. fixed: 3.33% fees/points: 0.7% 1-yr. adjustable: 2.55% Fees/points: 0.4%

FANNIE MAE OFFERING HOME BUYER INCENTIVE ON HOMEPATH PROPERTIES Fannie Mae recently announced that home buyers may receive up to 3.5 percent in closing cost assistance when they purchase a HomePath property in 27 states, including California, during the FirstLook period. During the FirstLook period, owner-occupant or public entity buyers are able to submit offers on HomePath properties, giving them the opportunity to purchase homes without competition from investors. Fannie Mae recently announced the extension of the FirstLook period from 15 days to 20 days.