How to remove oil stains from your driveway

If your car leaks fluids or you spill some while filling up your vehicle, lawn mower or snow blower, your driveway might end up with a stain or two. Fluids such as oil, transmission fluid and gasoline can leave a stain on paved driveways and garage floors. Because these liquids are all different, cleaning techniques vary slightly from fluid to fluid and surface to surface.

Whether the stain is new or old, there are some basic steps to help remove marks left by leaked fluids from a paved driveway or an uncoated concrete garage floor.

Oil

 Oil can leave a dark stain on your pavement. To remove oil from your driveway, first determine whether the fluid is wet or dry, says Good Housekeeping. If the spill is new, start by covering the stain with cat litter, cornstarch, baking soda or cornmeal, which will help absorb the extra moisture. Once the pavement is dry, or if the stain was already dry, says Good Housekeeping, wet the stain with water and scrub with a stiff brush and a paste made from baking soda and water. Finally, rinse the pavement with a hose and let it air dry.
To remove dried oil from concrete, douse the stain with spray lubricant and then rinse with water, says Reader’s Digest.

Another method, according to the Los Angeles Times, is to put engine degreaser on the stain and scrub it with a wire brush.
Transmission Fluid A bright red stain on light-colored concrete usually indicates a transmission fluid spill or leak, says Popular Mechanics magazine. Oven cleaner can help clean up this type of liquid, according to Reader’s Digest. Simply spray the stains with the cleaner and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then, use a stiff brush to scrub the spot and rinse it with your hose at its highest pressure. If the stain is still there, Reader’s Digest suggests repeating the process.

If the (oil) spill is new, start by covering the stain with cat litter, cornstarch, baking soda or cornmeal, which will help absorb the extra moisture.

Gasoline

Spilled gasoline not only leaves stains on your paved driveway; the marks are likely accompanied by an odor you’ll want to neutralize. Much like with oil spills, Good Housekeeping recommends first soaking fresh gas spill with cat litter, baking soda or commercial absorbents and sweeping away excess fluid. Next, scrub the stain with a mixture of dishwasher detergent and water and let it soak in for a few minutes before rinsing with a hose. If that doesn’t take care of the problem, Good Housekeeping suggests buying trisodium phosphate from a hardware store, mixing it with warm water and scrubbing the spill with the solution until the stain lightens.

Those spilled fluids may be unsightly, but they may not be permanent. If the cleaning tips outlined above don’t fully remove the stain, the Los Angeles Times suggests hiring a professional cleaner to do the job.

There’s also a way you may be able to prevent future stains on your clean concrete. Sealing your garage floor with a paint or sealant made for concrete can help prevent fluid from soaking into the floor, says Mother Earth News. With a coating in place, you should be able to simply wipe up spills without any hassle, the publication says.

A 136 Year Old Home Is To Be Demolished In Detroit By Olympia Entertainment

A 136-year-old house in the vicinity of Little Caesars Arena is scheduled to be demolished.

A document filed with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality this week says demolition of the house at 2720 Cass Ave. south of Temple St. was expected to begin Wednesday. As of Thursday afternoon, no visible demolition work had taken place.

 The document, called a "notification of intent to renovate/demolish," says demolition is expected to be complete by Monday. The owner of the property is listed as Olympia Development of Michigan. 

The contractor listed is Detroit-based Farrow Group Inc.

 It's not known what the plan is for the site once it's cleared.

Mortgage Rates Drop! If Your Thinking Of Selling The Market Is Hot

By Ronald Dwyer Realtor

It is a seller's market in most areas and the market is hot.  Currently we have more buyers than sellers on the market.   
Many sellers have been on the fence as they haven't been sure if this is the right time to sell.  Now maybe the moment you have been waiting for.

The market just got hotter with mortgage rates dropping. 

Mortgage rates decreased this week. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 7 basis points to 4.15 percent with some banks going as low as 3.875 percent. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 9 basis points to 3.35 percent with some banks going as low as 3.062 percent.

The typical 30-year jumbo mortgage fell 8 basis points at 4.08 percent. The average 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage fell 6 basis points to 3.42 percent.

A basis point is one-hundredth of 1 percent.

For the purposes of this survey, a jumbo mortgage is a loan that is at least $650,000.

With a 5/1 ARM, the rate is fixed for five years and adjusted annually thereafter.

Bottom line, if you were on the fence of buying or selling, now is the time to jump in and lock the low rates before they go back up again according to financial experts.  

28 Incredible Black Friday Deals

The holidays are quickly approaching and so are the deals on everything from smart home accessories to TVs to appliances to video game consoles. If you’re a serious shopper like me and looking for a great bargain, now is the time to start planning your purchases. Since virtually every store has some kind of Black Friday promotion, it can be pretty overwhelming to search through all of them to find the best ones.

Luckily, I did the hard work for you!

For Your Home
Buying new smarthome technology and appliances can really put a dent in your wallet. If you’re lucky enough to time your purchase perfectly with Black Friday  then these deals are for you. Sears, hhgregg and JC Penney are all offering great savings on washer/dryer combos, refrigerators, and other small appliances, while Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Kohl’s, and Amazon have some great discounts on smarthome tech.

• Walmart: The Nest Learning Thermostat will be on sale for $199 ($50 savings on its regular retail price)
• Best Buy: The Amazon Echo will be on sale for $140, a $40 discount
• Target: The Nest Cam for $149 ($50 discount on its regular retail price)
• Multiple stores: Several lines of iRobot Roomba vacuums are on sale at Kohl’s, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon
• Sears: Kenmore french door refrigerator and bottom-freezer for $999.99
• Sears: Kenmore washer and dryers priced at $274.99 each (which were regularly $539.99 each)
• hhgregg: Amana Washer and Dryer $549.99 for the pair
• hhgregg: Frigidaire Stainless Steel 4-piece Kitchen Package for $1499.99 (savings of $910)

TVs

• Best Buy: 39-inch Insignia 1080p smart Roku TV, $180 (in stores only)
• Best Buy: 49-inch Toshiba 4K with Chromecast, $200 (in stores only)
• Best Buy: 70-inch Vizio 4K smart UHD TV, $1,000 (in stores or online)
• Walmart: 50-inch Samsung 4K TV for $398 (a $230 discount on its sticker price)
• Walmart: 15.6-inch Acer laptop for $299, a $150 savings off its regular price
• Sears: 55-inch Samsung LED UHD TV - savings of $300 as it will be available for $599.99

Laptops

• Target: HP Windows 10-based laptop for $260, a discount off its $400 regular retail price
• Best Buy: base 13-inch MacBook Air with Core i5, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of solid-state storage $799.99
• Best Buy: base 21.5-inch iMac (Core i5/8GB/1TB), $899.99

Bonus - Video Game Consoles, Tablets, Cameras, and Other Gadgets

• Walmart: Battlefield 1 Xbox One S 500 GB Bundle and the Uncharted 4 PlayStation 4 500 GB Slim Bundle for $249 ($50 off from the original price of $299)
• Walmart: New Nintendo 3DS black and white special-edition systems for $100 (from the original price of $179)
• Walmart: Apple’s 32GB iPad Mini 2 will be available for $199. The tablet usually retails for $269
• Walmart: Canon D-SLR for $449 ($150 savings)
• Target:  $151 discount on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, a $126 discount on the iPad Air 2, and a $70 discount on the iPad Mini 2
• Target: $100 Samsung Galaxy Tab A (typically retails for $150)
• Target: Fitbit Charge HR will be on sale for $90, a $40 discount on its regular price
• Target: Apple Watch Series 1 will start at $198 ($72 savings)
• Target: Powerbeats wireless headphones for $90. They typically retail for $200
• Target: GoPro Hero Session bundle for $180. The bundle typically costs $250
• Best Buy, Target and Walmart all have varying deals on the iPhone: $250 gift card with qualifying iPhone purchase on installment plan through Verizon, AT&T or Sprint

Amazon.com has one additional resource you should know about: their mobile app lets you mark upcoming sale items and be notified the moment the discounts hit.

As you can see, if you’re in the market for electronics or appliances, these Black Friday deals are just too good to miss! Many of these stores have identical (or very similar) deals on all of these big ticket items. Hopefully, this list will save you some time and help you have a plan in place to score these awesome bargains.

Why Didn't My Home Sell?

You put your home on the market but yet it doesn't sell.  You ask yourself- Why?  

There are many reasons but these are the most common mistakes that kill most home sales.

1. How long the home was on the market and at what price – Pricing is by far the biggest reason why homes don’t sell.  Was the home listed for many months at an above-market price? Was the price reduced multiple times?

2. If the home was marketed properly – Was the house professionally photographed? Was the description accurate? 

3. Was it the agent you hired?  Do they work for a reputable firm? How long have they been working in real estate? Do they have a good online presence?

4. What is the condition of the home –  Does the home look like it’s in good condition? Are there only a few pictures? Does the listing have pictures of every major room in the house? If not, buyers may believe that there may be some serious condition issues in the rooms not photographed.

5. Was your home was staged? – This is an easy one. If the home was not staged buyers will see lots of personal items, family pictures, clutter etc. in the listing photos. Are the pictures of a vacant home?  All of these lead to negative perceptions of the home by a potential buyer

Thinking Of Selling Your Home Yourself? Think Again

For-Sale-By-Owner (FSBO) sellers often sell their home without assistance to avoid paying commission.

What the FSBO seller might not know is that, according to the same report, the typical FSBO home sold for $184,000 compared to $230,000 for agent-assisted home sales. That 22% difference in sale price would give those seller’s extra money, even after commission.

Why to Sell With a Realtor

Choosing to sell with a professional rather than on your own makes sense for a variety of reasons:

A Realtor has access to market data about recent sales and other homes on the market that can be used to price your home appropriately. Studies show that homes priced right when they’re first listed sell more quickly and for a higher price than those that linger on the market.

A Realtor can show your home when you aren’t available, can respond to inquiries from potential buyers and their agents, and can get valuable feedback from visitors – all things that save you time.

A Realtor can look at your home objectively and suggest ways to improve its appearance – by staging and minor repairs – so it appeals to more buyers.

Buyers typically prefer to look at a home without the seller present so they can feel more comfortable exploring the rooms and visualizing themselves in the property. At an FSBO sale, the seller must be present.

A Realtor can screen visitors to your home, which provides a measure of safety that FSBO sellers don’t have. In addition, by checking to see if the buyers are legitimate and can afford to purchase your home, a Realtor can help you avoid wasting time showing your home to unrealistic buyers.

Realtors have professional marketing expertise, contacts with other Realtors who work with buyers, and the support of a brokerage that can market your home more widely than you can as an individual.


A Realtor can help you negotiate a contract that not only garners you an appropriate price for your home, but that meets your needs for a settlement date and perhaps includes a period when you rent back your home from your buyer. In addition, a Realtor can make sure your contract is in compliance with all local regulations.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR TAX APPRAISAL COMES IN HIGH

If your expenses just went up alongside the perceived value of

your home, well, you're not alone. Appraisals all over the country have risen substantially over the past few years.  But that doesn't mean you have to live with it.

Good news for those facing eye-popping property taxes: You can fight city hall, or whichever government body sends you this annual economic albatross,.

The knowledge that as many as 60% of properties in the U.S. are assessed at a higher amount than their current value, according to the National Taxpayers Union, should give homeowners some solace, or at least a little encouragement as they try to knock that appraisal down a bit (or a bunch). If you're looking to lower those property taxes, here are a few things to try.

Understand what you're dealing with

It's important to note that while appraisals are generally based on a combination of local tax rates and assessed property value, they are not necessarily accurate on a house-by-house basis, Unless the government has a drone that's been spying on the inside of my house (they don't, right?), I'm quite sure they are unaware of how badly I need new floors. And a cooktop. And window coverings. In order to sell my home for what they've appraised it for, I would need to do some updating and repairs. Most of us would, and that can help if you're planning to dispute your appraisal.

Request Your "Property Tax Card"

Few homeowners realize they can go down to the town hall and request to view (or receive a copy of) their property tax cards from the local assessor's office. The tax card provides the homeowner with information the town has gathered about the property over time. Here you'll find information about your lot size, exact room dimensions, fixtures, and details about any improvements that may have been made over time. Find any errors? You may have just discovered the key to lowering your taxes.

As you review this card, note any discrepancies and then raise these issues with the tax assessor. The assessor will either make the correction and/or conduct a re-evaluation. This tip sounds laughably simple, but mistakes are common. If you can find them, the township has an obligation to correct them.

Hire a professional

For many, the surest bet when fighting increasing assessments is hiring a lawyer, property tax negotiator, or consultant. Keep in mind, though, that you'll be paying for those services—anywhere from one-third to one-half of the money saved if the taxes are lowered.

Fight it yourself

If you plan to do it on your own, you need to prepare yourself:

Hire a professional

For many, the surest bet when fighting increasing assessments is hiring a lawyer, property tax negotiator, or consultant. Keep in mind, though, that you'll be paying for those services—anywhere from one-third to one-half of the money saved if the taxes are lowered.

Fight it yourself

If you plan to do it on your own, you need to prepare yourself:

·         First, locate your assessor's office. This will help you find out precisely how the property tax calculation is derived and get their criteria for home appraisals.

·         Fight it in person. According to experts, this is the most effective way to dispute your appraisal. Emails are often ignored or requests flat out refused. . Gathering comps from your real estate agent that outline recent sales for similar homes in your neighborhood is key. Taking pictures of areas of your home that need repair or aren't in "selling shape" to illustrate why the higher appraisal number is inaccurate can also help.

·         Put Zillow to use for you.  Zillow's Zestimates are usually low, but in this case, that might help bolster your case. Zestimates for your home and similar homes in your area showing lower than the appraised amount? Print out those pages and add them to your file.

·         Network. If your  community is active it a good source  for discussions and information about property taxes and appraisal disputes. Using social tools like this can help you get to know what your neighbors are up against and find common solutions specific to your neighborhood. It may also help you find someone to help guide your dispute.

·         Do some reconnaissance. Neighbors with the same floorplan across the street have a pool? Make sure to mention that in the file you're putting together. Know who's redone their kitchen? Note that as well. What many individuals don't realize is that in many cases, information about other home assessments in the area is also available to the public, . You can often find discrepancies that could lower your taxes. For example, let's say that you have a four-bedroom home with a one-car garage, and your home was assessed at $250,000. Your neighbor also owns a four-bedroom home, but this house sports a two-car garage, a 150-square-foot shed and a beautiful swimming pool. Despite this, your neighbor's home was valued at $235,000. If an error is found, it pays to bring it to the assessor's attention as soon as possible so that you can get a reassessment if necessary.

·          

Pay attention to the timeframe

Filing an official protest has to be done within a certain timeframe. You don't want to miss out on savings because of a missed deadline. 

Most municipalities differ, with some towns stipulating that you only have 14 days from the time of your property tax assessment to appeal, and some may go as high as 60 days, Your town's tax appraisal office will have the deadline information.