Check your sump pump today, St. Louis!

TIP: A high of almost 50 is expected today, St. Louis, which will result in an insanely fast saturation of the soil around your foundation!

To avoid a basement flood, check your downspout extensions this AM & your sump regularly throughout the day to ensure it is running and properly discharging. ❄️💦

Your roof may have hail damage!

 

We have experienced WICKED weather in St. Louis over the last week: sizable hail, lightening, and inches of rain.  It has been enough to cause every local homeowner alarm.

I spotted this during a showing in Clayton yesterday...

 

 

Evidence of mineral deposits at the base of a property's downspouts after a hail storm is a RED FLAG.

When hail impacts a roof, it degrades the shingles and loosens the granules.  If your property boasts standard asphalt shingles, you'll want to check around the downspouts for excessive granule buildup. 

If evident, there is a strong possibility of roof damage from the storm and further investigation by an insurance professional or roofing contractor is needed ASAP.

If you are in the middle of a Real Estate Transaction and a big storm hits: 

Both parties:  The Seller needs to make the Buyer aware of the damage ASAP.  The Buyer needs to re inspect the property immediately.  The Seller's Disclosure requires revision with new signatures by both parties ASAP.   An Amendment to the Contract will need to be drafted by your Realtors immediately, as dictated by the Title Companies and Buyer's Lender (who will need to review the Seller's insurance claim first)!   The document will likely address the timeframe of the repairs,  the terms of material/color selection, and the selection of the contractors who will actually complete the work.   All of these important factors of renovation must be mutually agreed upon by both Seller and Buyer. 

Buyers:  If you have a house under contract and a storm hits mid process:  immediately re inspect the property with your Realtor, verify with your Realtor that the Homeowner has filed an appropriate claim with their insurance company, and ask for an updated Seller's Disclosure ASAP.  Upon completion of the work, the Seller will submit all receipts to your Realtor, who will then submit them to you, your lender, your title company, and you insurance company for review and underwriting.  Upon completion of the work, you will also need to re inspect the property as part of your Final Walkthrough, to ensure that the work was completed as agreed.   

Sellers:  If you currently have a property listed, inform your Realtor of the damage ASAP.  Arrange a time for your Buyer to view the damage.  File the appropriate insurance claim ASAP and make a Seller's Disclosure revision immediately with guidance from your Realtor.  All terms of the repairs will need to be mutually agreed upon via an Amendment to the Contract- do NO WORK on the property until that is initiated!   Upon completion of the work, you must submit your receipts to your insurance company and your Realtor, who will pass it along to the Buyer's Realtor and your Title Company

NOTE:  Sellers, if you do not act quickly, the closing of your property could be severely delayed and/or compromised!  You risk your Buyer growing uneasy and negatively affecting their insurance and/or borrowing eligibility for your property! 
 

Photos of St. Louis tornado damage...

St. Louis, along with the bulk of the Midwest, experienced frightening weather last night: heavy rain, hail, wicked winds, and numerous rotation funnels spotted across the Metro.

This AM, I did a "round-robin" of a handful of properties that I am currently working with/prepping to list to ensure that they weren't significantly damaged. In doing so, I stumbled upon MAJOR damage.

A few scenes from my AM...

Nothing that insurance can't remedy though a headache for homeowners, most definitely.

The video below, taken last night, is absolutely insane...  though gives you an idea of the magnitude of the storm!



It is a total relief and blessing that St. Louis reported very few injuries!

When in doubt- shut it off!

Can we all agree that life is one big yin-yang? For every wonderful part of the journey, there seems to be an underlying headache of some sort. It is part of the game- part of the delicate balance- part of the standard flow over the hills and valleys of life.

Those who are wise, learn to succumb to the rapids when the waters get rough, attempt to tolerate the motion as much as possible, and then soak in the lessons presented upon coasting into calmer waters.

The biggest lesson learned by me over 37 years of life, 14 years of marriage, 12 years of parenthood, 14 years of home ownership, and 10 years in the real estate industry? Some events are so incredibly over-the-top and ridiculous, you just have to laugh once the initial panic subsides. If you take these events too seriously, it will drive you bananas- plain and simple.

So starts my tale of the past few weeks in Casa de Nenonen. Steve had business in San Antonio. As we LOVE the city and have been there numerous times in the past sans the kids, we opted to cart them along and make a vacation out of it.

It couldn't have been better. Truly. Phenomenal week of rest, relaxation, culture , and history with our boys.

Within 1 hour of arriving home, however, we were confronted with this....
*sigh*

To make a very long story short: we came home to a pipe burst, water actively shooting out of our Master Bathroom wall, that resulted in well over 10K worth of damage. Luckily, the damage was MINOR compared to what it could have been. Thanks to a floor vent in our Master bathroom (that acted as a drain for 3 days), our main living areas were spared as the water flowed through our duct work into the unfinished side of our basement and garage. Hallelujah.

In addition, thanks to the recent killer heat wave... my top has been UP for weeks. Hence, THIS was not the garage scenario when we left town! Whew.

The entire event was a fluke and while the pipe burst couldn't have been prevented, we made a major mistake that I feel compelled to share. One that will never be made again in this household.

Dear reader, when you leave town-- please turn off your main water valve. It takes 2 minutes and could possibly save you hours and HOURS of expense and headache.

For years, I have assisted and advised clients through household emergencies. While Steve and I haven't been fortunate enough to be 100% devoid of issues... this was by far the WORST "household surprise" that we have come home to.

Now we diligently work with contractors and the insurance company to get Humpty put back together again as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will never EVER leave town again without a visit to the main water shut-off first...