Dan Sells the Lake

Last January I wrote a blog about 5 Things Every Homeowner Should Know . Today I've decided to add 5 more to that list. Owning a home is an ongoing learning process. Generally, you don't even realize these are things you need to know until a problem arises and forces you to find a solution. The following homeowner tips are simple things that could end up saving you money. Fixing these problems yourself saves you the cost of hiring someone, and basic know-how can keep you from making a problem worse before it gets better.  Secure a loose screw. Occasionally, screws will become loose. This happens often with door hinges. Should this happen to you , it can be fixed without replacing an entire door frame. The best way to do this is to fill the whole with a piece of a small wooden dowel rod. Make the hole a bit bigger if needed to fit the rod inside. Secure it with carpenter's glue. Once the glue is dry, drill a new hole the correct size for the screw.  Locate a w...

Most new purchases that you make come with a manual explaining everything that you need to know about the item you have purchased.  If it doesn't, there is usually a link to an online manual that you can access.  Unfortunately, when you buy a home at the Lake of the Ozarks , no one is going to hand you a manual.  You may not be aware that you should know how to take care of something until it breaks and you have to learn the hard way.   Any Lake of the Ozarks real estate agent should be happy to answer any questions that you might have, but you need to know the right questions to ask.  As a child, you probably had no idea that your parents changed the air filter, and when you took a tour of your new home before buying it, the water shutoff valve probably wasn't something that was highlighted.  This blog offers a few pieces of advice that every homeowner should know, and also some easy fixes that can save you money.   1. How to locate the main...

The age old question is, "Should I rent, or should I buy a home?"  Renting can be a great temporary fix until the option to purchase a house becomes available.  Let's look at 5 reasons to buy a house at Lake of the Ozarks instead of renting. 1. No Surprises Rent can increase every few years with inflation and you have nothing to show for the money you put in years down the road. When you buy a house with a fixed-rate mortgage, payments will stay the same until the home is paid off. When you're done, the house is all yours.  When you rent, you are paying a landlord's mortgage payment instead of your own. 2. Tax Savings The first quarter of the year brings about the dreaded tax season. Homeowners have a benefit here as well, in several areas.  First-year homeowners can deduct some of the closing costs  (namely the origination fees) on the loan.  This amount is often over 1% of the total cost of the home, so the savings here can be substantial...