Finding the Right Fit in the Wrong Market

•September 11, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Our plan has been to grow a brokerage that provides a quality service to all the different markets whether it be residential, commercial, or any other market related to real estate. We are eagerly pursuing the old way of doing things while embracing the new technologies. Google (used as a verb here) ”Kansas City real estate” and you won’t find our name in the top ten results. That is because we don’t spend tons of money on advertising to be the biggest in town, our motivation  is different.

Background to the Big Finale:

We have been pushed into a pattern of belief that a large name will provide the best results. That is not always true. That logic would also yield results like “just because it’s in print it must be true” & ”more expensive must be better quality”. We know that these are not always true.  We live in a business culture that believes that franchising is the best path to success. Create a model that can be reproduced over and over again with proven success and sell the model to any monkey to operate it and cash in on the model.

There are plenty of people who have made money, plenty of money, with this concept. I appreciate that I can order a hamburger in one part of a state and get the exact same result 1,000 miles away. I am a glutton for consistency (especially with food). So what happens when they change the model, the policy or the ingredients? You don’t have the luxury of talking to the person making that decision to right the wrongs or even be heard. You never feel more like an overcrowded cow than when you complain to a business rep that has no authority other than to say “sorry, that is our policy”.

Our innate need to feel validated will eventually lead some of the masses back to personal service and handshakes like the good ol’ days (I hope anyway). Our American mantra of You First which is flawed for any sense of real nationalism holds handfulls of practical relevance to the service industries in a country of free persons.  You choose.

When you choose, I believe that you want the ability to be heard, you want the ability to get tailored services and you want to work with one person or team who can accommodate all your needs rather than a chain of drones & managers with one responsibility (the mark of a well oiled franchise). Let the others sustain the success of the big companies, you want your own team working for you. That is our motivation in this business. We work for the individual and create successful relationships that lead to personal referrals (not corporate referrals). Give the professional and consumer options that don’t need car dealership management approval. We have qualified team members who can make decisions based on your business needs.

hs1This is not a get rich quick scheme. This is not a business model that works for every service professional. Most need to be a cog in the wheel and don’t want to be committed to the diversified responsibility of providing total quality services. Those need not apply or subscribe to our brokerage opportunity. This is very much a strategy of establish yourself as trustworthy, work with honesty & integrity, provide quality services and your success will be built on the right foundations of business. It is old-fashioned.

There is nothing new under the sun“, so we are not doing something new. Instead of staying just ahead of the curve, we are taking a glacial leap ahead to where we feel business will inevitably return. A place where personal success is rewarded by personal achievement. This is a service industry based more on your abilities than the name on your business cards. Call it business Darwinism.

The Big Finale:

Whether you read this entry as a potential client or a potential team member, there is an opportunity here worthy of your consideration.

As a team member we see a qualified candidate taking our commercial division to a greater degree of success. We meet the needs of our existing clientele and as our referral base continues to grow we have developed the unfortunate growth problem of turning business away in a slow market. The opportunity is ripe for a struggling commercial professional to realign with a brokerage to back them with the right motivation, direction and commitments. We have lots of ideas and a clear direction. We are looking for the right fit.

For our investors or clients we have been selecting a quality group of professionals to provide top quality services. Where larger companies focus on numbers to meet their own business goals within the cooperate models, we focus on maintaining fewer professionals to provide the best services rather than the alternative. You don’t have to have your name on billboards to provide the best services. You need to have a firm handshake and steady eyes to earn a client’s trust one at a time.

We would like to hear from you if this entry motivated you to further interest or curiosity. One dimensional posts are exactly that, give us the opportunity for a good handshake.

T.Marcus

tmarcus@chiefpropertieskc.com

Results: Landlord – 1 Delinquent Tenant – 0

•August 21, 2009 • 2 Comments

1921-dempsey-carp-nytFrom time to time tenants don’t fulfill their lease obligations and leave a mess to clean up. Some messes are greater than others and although life circumstances can understandably make it difficult to pay bills and honor these contracts, the overwhelming majority of these delinquent tenants decide that running away from a problem is easier than doing what is right & working with the landlord to work it out.

No notice, past due rent, trash everywhere and damage to the property equals one obvious outcome when the tenants start the flight away from their responsibilities…..legal action. It is not my preference to pursue legal action since it takes extra time, legal fees and paperwork that I try to avoid. The reality is that I’m not the one making the choice for legal action, the tenant made that decision when they started their poor choice to run and leave an expensive trail of damages in their wake.

I have heard a few different & unconfirmed statistics concerning court appearances that usually claim 90% or more of the delinquent tenants don’t show up for their chance to dispute the charges. Once the judgement is entered you then have the difficult task of finding the tenant to enforce that judgement through garnishment or negotiations. There are those tenants that actually have assets and worth pursuing (i.e. you will actually get paid) and those that don’t and won’t have a dime to their name to take.

Sometimes the offenses are so great that sheer principle alone requires legal action even if the tenant will not have the ability to pay. It is for the greater good of warning future landlords and creditors.

The laws are clear about landlord and tenant rights and we have a legal system that allows both sides to defend their positions. When 90% of the defendants don’t show up it makes it easy to win judgments. If you happen to have a tenant show up and request a trial you are in the minority.

We have had the good fortune of not pursuing too many tenants since our inception. I have only had to show up to court once to defend our position and at the trial the delinquent tenant showed up 30 seconds too late and lost the trial by default.

Find a good real estate attorney that charges a flat fee rather than hourly for these types of cases. It will make all the difference. Don’t take risks when signing leases, show up at the tenant’s door when they get behind on rent and only pursue legal action if you have a case you will win.

You want to keep your winning percentage at 100%. If you lose you have not followed the rules correctly somewhere in the process.

Legal Disclaimer ***This post is for information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. Consult an attorney in your jurisdiction for legal advice.***

A Hyde Park Beauty – Your Next Purchase

•August 11, 2009 • Leave a Comment

4445_OFFICIALHaving our hands in all things real estate lends itself to some amazing opportunities. There are no hidden agendas or motivations here, it is a plain and simply equation as follows:

Buy cheap, improve, sell cheap and move on the next project.

This project has been exciting to be a part of, we have an amazing old home that looks brand new and can sell it for a price nearly 20% less than the latest comparable property that is not nearly as nice as ours.

You decide if this property is worth the deal we portray.

4445 Harrison

Feedback welcome

broker@chiefpropertieskc.com

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 8

•July 27, 2009 • Leave a Comment

scout2 # 8 Follow the scout’s rule of  ” leave it better than you found it”. Whenever you have committed to leaving and your future plans are close to becoming reality, you often times mentally detach from your current responsibilities. If the words “they will take care of it” enter your mind or are uttered to your moving companions realize that you might just be accepting future legal actions against you, a tarnished credit report, a lost security deposit and a bad reference from a landlord for future rentals. Be responsible and make sure your place is better than you found it, take photos of it so you can be proud.

Selling A Home In 3 Days Is Possible

•July 23, 2009 • Leave a Comment

6001_oak2It is understood universally that real estate is in the buyer’s hands right now. The powers that be are infusing incentives to spur on the market for those in the upper crust of credit worthiness and dipping somewhat in the uncertain world of lack luster borrowers to defibrillate the all but dead market. Spring bloomed a bit late in the Kansas City housing market and now properties are starting to sell. With great hesitation we take listings with fear that our reputations of being sultans of sales be tarnished with listings that last longer than 30-60 days with little to no activity.

The reality is that the best of the best sell very quickly because there are actually quite a few buyers out there, finding ones that can get a loan is the main issue with accommodating the insurgence of over leveraged credit home shoppers. So as we were congratulated for getting a few offers within 24 hours of listing a property and setting the sign in the yard to show the great feat, the reality is the quality homes continue to sell themselves.

Not to long ago it was commonplace to put a sign in the yard and get an offer within 24-48 hours regularly. These days that is the exception rather than the norm. So when it happened we thank the craftsman who tirelessly worked to make the home delicately picture perfect and let the home speak for itself. There was no smoke and mirrors, no secret formula to selling the home before we could get the flyers back from the printer. The honest truth is that sometimes independent of best efforts and regardless of our expertise the best home can and did sell itself. We were fortunate enough to have the relationship in place to assist one such listing.

Our goal and aim is to assist in the vending of a select group of homes that sell themselves ideally. We use our savvy & valuable perspectives to help shape perceptions of value to sell it, pitch it & provide the best possible experience for our clients. Even the best of home selling connoisseurs have to admit that it is possible that the seller’s care for quality & craftsmanship can supersede our ability to sell it.

The best knowledge is now recognizing what it takes to sell a home in 3 days in a very tough market. We would love the opportunity to share that insight with you.

broker@chiefpropertieskc.com

It was just a matter of time you junk fees – shame on you

•July 22, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Buyer: “I was going over the final HUD statement and I see here that there is $150.00 for a brokerage fee, can you explain what that is for and why I am paying for it?”

Agent: “I am not sure, let me ask my broker….no one has ever asked about it before…it is just one of those things people just pay”

[short interlude]

Agent: “I asked my broker and he said it is for things like paper and ink for the contracts…”

Buyer: “$150.00 for ink and paper? Take out the $150.00 and I will print out my own forms with my own ink. I refuse to pay the $150.00.”

Agent: “In all my years as an agent that fee has always been paid, both sides always pay it”

Buyer: “Then I will be the first person not to pay it”

soapboxAs someone who always thinks of the best possible comeback or response well after the conversation has ended, I was thrilled with this actual conversation the first time I came to a new real estate market (I was the Buyer). To find that the norm was to pay fees that not too many could explain was criminal. The consumer is inundated with paperwork right before signing a series of pages that tie them to a large debt for the next 15-30 years. The buyers are thinking about $100k + worth of forthcoming debt and not the $150.00 covertly inserted with an ambiguous phrase like “broker fee”.  Shame on all those brokers who take advantage of their clients in this way.

A recent article in Realtor magazine highlighted a recent class action law suit [Busby v. JRHBW Realty Inc. (d/b/a RealtySouth)] that prohibits “unearned” fees.  I have seen this abused within the industry by companies who claim they are acting as agents for their clients with a fiduciary responsibility to act ethically and in their clients best interest yet charge fees that the courts rule that it did not “benefit clients”.

The negative general perception of the consumer is only reinforced with activity like this. The good news is that those of us who have never charged a junk fee like this can set ourselves apart as really putting our client’s interest before our own.

We also pay for our own ink.

The Chief Properties Team: Danny Howell

•June 15, 2009 • Leave a Comment

clip_image034Danny Howell (not actually photographed here)

Danny joins the Chief Properties team with a tremendous arsenal of skills, knowledge and value. Danny has previously worked with investment clients with Multi-Unit housing and commercial projects while additionally providing valuable services for single family home buyers and sellers.

Danny works very hard to get deals done and to find the best opportunity for his clients. The first interaction we had with Danny a number of years ago we knew that he would be the perfect compliment to our team, our vision and our commitment to bring the best in professionalism with results.

We are excited to have Danny be a part of our team. He is a very important part of our business, our team and the Chief Properties family.  

If you would like to interact with Danny as I have had the pleasure to, feel free to drop him an email at danny@chiefpropertieskc.com

If you want the simple bio, it can be found here Danny’s Bio

Give Danny a call: 816.682.2194

An Amazing Hyde Park Home – Renovations Under Way

•May 15, 2009 • Leave a Comment

4445_front(Photo taken before Rehab)

We have our hands in quite a few real estate ventures these days. One of my favorite projects currently underway is the restoration of a classic Hyde Park home off 45th & Harrison street in Mid-Town Kansas City. This area has so much character and the owners of these beautiful old homes take pride in one of the best neighborhoods in Kansas City.

We are in the process of taking one of the eye sores of the street (one of the last ones) and creating a beautiful home for the right homeowner who will appreciate the classic structure with thoughtfully contemporary improvements that will compliment the home rather then diminish its’ charm and character. One of the best parts of what we do is we restore old properties for the greater good of the neighborhood and create something the owners are proud of. This home will continue that tradition.

If you are interested in seeing what we are doing while it happens, drop us an email at broker@chiefpropertieskc.com

If you think this might be just what you are looking for let us know so you can be the first to see it before it hits the market.

The Animal Kingdom & Claustrophobia – A Dangerous Combination.

•May 4, 2009 • 2 Comments

I had never actually cornered an animal until a week or so ago. A tiny bunny ventured into our backyard and our little kids closed in on it wondering if it actually yielded Peeps or Jelly Beans as commonly misconceived by our young audiences. As they corralled the cowering lil’ bunny I had the image of Monty Python’s Holy Grail “that’s noholygrail180 ordinary bunny” scene and laughed at the possibility. For a moment my boys gently pet the wild animal and experienced “the wild” as can only be experienced in city limits with the exception of travelling petting zoos and smelly pet stores. From that point in the week I have dealt with a few wild animal issues that led to the inclination to write about it in this venue since I can easily draw the relevance to this site.

“Bees your weapons are useless against them” – Tommy Boy

Honey bees in an apartment wall can be a very bad thing. I must have the greatest tenant ever, he was cordial and understanding about the weird happenstance and put up with the little noisy producers of sweetness but quite scary in groups protected class of insects. As they became trapped inside the apartment they died off in hundreds in the window that would not provide them a path to freedom. The moral of the story here, if you limit their access in and out, the thousands who are trapped in stay trapped so be careful which direction you send them. Oh, and make sure  you call a bee-keeper not an exterminator for honey bees.

The smallest of animals always create the most damage.

On more than one occasion small dogs and even cats have ruined all the flooring in a few of the rentals I lord over.  It is hard to imagine how something so small can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. I have the receipts to prove it. I am yet to meet a pet owner that openly admits that their pet is not house-broken and urinates like a pirate anywhere and everywhere. We often convince ourselves that domesticating something intended to be free and wild can yield positive results indoors.  Moral: check up on tenant’s pets as frequently as possible. The longer you wait the more expensive the repairs become. Tenant’s, when you find yourself thinking “it’s just a [enter pet type]….it will live” that is when you should give the pet away to a caring family immediately. Please.

Raccoons don’t belong in your air ducts.

If you have open holes in your home/property cover them with paper first. If a couple of days go by without the paper being dislodged or torn away, you can surmise that there are no animals in your dwelling and you can safely cover the opening. Guess what happens when you trap an animal inside with nowhere to go? We found a raccoon with its’ arm stretched out of a wall vent like a prisoner reaching for keys. You can imagine that a trapped animal will go crazy after being stuck in walls less than 6″ wide. Lesson learned: call a animal removal specialist first, they should give you helpful hints and suggestions before they make it there and charge you. Even if they have to remove the animal it is not to expensive and well worth paying for compared to the alternatives. A good visual inspection of the property monthly will help prevent all sorts of pestilence from your walls and air conditioning. 

kc_heiferslgBig dogs bark very loudly.

The best security system is not always a big dog as many people seem to think. Big dogs in backyards make perfect sense, big dogs in 1 bedroom apartments simply do not. I will let you know in on a little secret, leave the TV on instead. Most people looking to steal, rob and pillage will keep on walking if they think someone is home. Sure big dogs will do the trick, but the moral of this enitre entry is don’t keep animals in spaces they don’t belong. Pets will literally go crazy if they are kept in environments not suitable for their kind. Crazy big dog equals a very dangerous situation.

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 6

•May 1, 2009 • 2 Comments

eviction# 6. Recognize that renting is the same as borrowing. Although you are given the right to “quiet enjoyment” and keys to let you in and out, you do not have the right to damage the property as you please. The place you are staying is someone elses’. We all can think of a wise older person in our lives that would tell us to take responsibility for our actions, if you hurt someone say your sorry and if your break something you pay for it. That goes for kids, adults, guests and anyone else you bring into your place. You are responsible for the people and things you bring into your place, if you say yes to illegal activity of any kind you are accepting the fate of getting caught.

 Just as “don’t stick anything in your ear but your elbow” applies to good common sense, treat renting someone elses’ property as a privilege and not the entitlement to destroy or mistreat it.  

Renting is not the same as owning. Come into your rental arrangement respecting the owner’s property and approaching it responsibly. This concept will save everyone from headaches and will save you money in the long run.

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 5

•April 21, 2009 • 2 Comments

mice201 # 5 Mice are attracted to you, not your landlord. Take a look at your living space and how clean you keep it. If you have animals or little kids, you have an uphill battle keeping food away from the mouths of hungry mice. 99% of the time your cleanliness is to blame for mice & other vermin. If you have a problem, set some traps ($1.25 for 4) or some bait if you don’t have animals or children. You are the best solution for getting rid of mice, own up to it.

A Hyde Park Rehab Story – The Rehab – Part 2

•March 19, 2009 • Leave a Comment

We have finished our project and have tenants moved in. The work completed turned out fantastic and we are pleased with the final results. This has been a great project for the neighborhood and as we finished we received tremendous feedback from neighbors and prospective tenants.

A video below will highlight the before and after shots of the work completed. You can see that we only provide the best work for very cost effective prices. We focus on a “fix it once the right way” mentality for the lifespan of the property and the well being of the occupants.

At the end of the project it is gratifying to see an old building come to life again. Knowing your tenants have the best living space on the market makes managing a quality property easy and enjoyable compared to the alternative.

The rehab process always has surprises and when you work with an experienced team you can minimize those potential expenses. We had a few on this project but all in all we are satisfied with the work completed by Trusted Home Improvements, LLC, Shackleford’s Heating & Cooling, Castlerock Windows & a few other sub-contractors that made this project a great success.

If you are interested in more information about this property, the rehab process, a quote for our services or any other information feel free to contact us at rentals@chiefpropertieskc.com

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 4

•March 6, 2009 • 1 Comment

burst20pipe#4.  Leave your heat at on all times in the winter time. If you live in an area that has temperatures below 30 degrees, keep your heat/thermostat set at least in the 50’s and never turn your heat off. Guess what happens to pipes that carry water to your apartment if you don’t keep them heated…..like a elementary school experiment, when water freezes it expands, when heated it contracts and that process often times is too much on the pipes that house it. That creates cracks in the pipes that demand constant pressure to get you precious water instantly. Pressure + water + crack means big mess that can be avoided very easily. Most insurance providers consider turning your heat off in the winter time an act of negligence and will pursue the person responsible for trying to cut corners in the winter. Keep your place heated. Don’t turn your heat off in the day while you are gone and then turn it on when you arrive home, this recipe always leads to big problems.

Make sure you always set your thermostat to “AUTO” rather than “ON”. The “AUTO” setting will regulate the temperature in your dwelling and turn off once the desired temperature is obtained. The “ON” setting tells the furnace/air-conditioning to run all the time regardless of the actual temperature in the dwelling. The AUTO setting will save you money and prolong the life of your furnace or Air Conditioner in the summer time.

The Chief Properties Team: Peggy Tomberlin

•February 26, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Peggy Tomberlin (not actually photographed here) babe20didrickson20zaharias1

Peggy joined Chief Properties with the over fourteen years of experience as a real estate professional. Peggy brings a tremendous amount of knowledge & energy to our team. She has worked hard and her continued success in the real estate market can be attributed to her ethics & warm personality. Peggy truly cares for her clients and is meticulous with details. Peggy has specialized in condo sales and high-end residential homes but has expanded her areas of expertise to accommodate all of her clientele’s needs.

We are excited to have Peggy be a part of our team. She is a very important part of our business, our team and the Chief Properties family.  

If you would like to interact with Peggy as I have had the pleasure to, feel free to drop her an email at peggy@chiefpropertieskc.com

If you want the simple bio, it can be found here Peggy’s Bio

Still want more? Call Peggy for the long version of why she is the asset to Chief Properties as well as her clients: 913.221.6842

The Chief Properties Team: Angie Roberson

•February 16, 2009 • 2 Comments

Angie Roberson (not actually photographed here)lady_speed

Angie joined the Chief Properties team from the richly diverse coastal real estate market where she gained significant experience. Angie wins the confidence of her clients with her professional etiquette, ethical dealings & savvy real estate knowledge. Angie is committed to providing the best services to her clients while producing results that have led to her immediate success in this real estate market.

Angie is an integral part of the Chief Properties team. She has been a top producer for our team and she furthers our Chief Properties brand as professional, effective & committed to the quality only Chief Properties provides.

If you would like to interact with Angie as I have had the pleasure to, feel free to drop her an email at angie@chiefpropertieskc.com 

If you want the simple bio, it can be found here Anige’s Bio

Still want more? Call Angie for the long version of why she is the asset to Chief Properties as well as her clients: 816.517.2825

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 3

•February 13, 2009 • Leave a Comment

# 3 When you have a leak of any kind, call your landlord. This sounds obvious but some people waits months before leaky20faucet20-20level20220low20waterthey tell you the kitchen sink is leaking, exposing themselves to awful smells, the potential for mold and more damage to the property than is necessary. Identify anything that sounds like water dripping and pick up the phone. The smallest leaks can cause tremendous damage. Do your part and help prevent problems related to leaks. Little critters & bugs like water sources and your leaks will give them a reason to stick around. All fingers point toward being responsible about reporting leaks in your rental unit.

The Chief Properties Team: Nathan Paradis

•February 13, 2009 • Leave a Comment

57g0131Nathan Paradis (not actually photographed here)

Nathan started with Chief Properties with the outside-the-box type of approach to learning the ropes of the real estate market. Nathan has been building his business with clients throughout the KC Metro & Lawrence areas. With a knack for finding great opportunities and determining values, Nathan will provide valuable resources to his clients. This includes providing services for financial institutions through BPO’s (Broker Price Opinions). His work will impact values and market conditions based on his findings. Nathan plays a very important role in today’s market and is an asset to our team.

Nathan works hard for his client base and we are excited to see what strides he will make in the upcoming years towards a very successful portfolio of experience and knowledge that will serve his business well.

If you would like to interact with Nathan as I have had the pleasure to, feel free to drop him an email at nparadis@chiefpropertieskc.com 

If you want the simple bio, it can be found here Nathan’s Bio

Still want more? Call Nathan for the long version of why he is the asset to Chief Properties as well as his clients: 913.952.0894

The Chief Properties Team: Gregory Schroeder

•February 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment

The best part of this cyber venue is the ability to establish credibility and depth to an otherwise one dimensional informative resource.

By sharing our experiences and perspectives you gather more than a name among many, you get a real sense of the people and company that are investing in you. A short bio can be found in most updated websites and often times blogs can bring a new element of knowing to the research. My goal is to take that one step further, I want to give you the reasons I found value in making the investment to bring each member of Chief Properties team together. We don’t surround ourselves with just anyone with a pulse here, we invest in those that bring something unique to the collaborative table and justify the personal vesting we take.

19th-century-baseball-playerGregory Schroeder (not actually photographed here)

Greg first started with Chief Properties just as we broadened our vision to more than just the investment market. Greg had a presence in the mid-to-high end residential market and was looking to expand his business within a brokerage that gave him flexibility and support that allowed him to focus on the things he does best in real estate. It was clear from the beginning that Greg was tremendous with people and had a great knack for finding what his client’s wanted with efficiency and immediate accuracy.

Since Greg joined our team he has achieved amazing growth in sales volume, the number of closed transactions per year and an astonishing repeat customer /referral book of business. It is said that “The best compliment a salesperson can receive is a referral”, Greg works almost exclusively on referral business. He can be found painting bedrooms, moving boxes or planting trees for his clients not just because he knows how to sell homes, but because he cares about his clients.

If you would like to interact with Greg as I have had the pleasure to, feel free to drop him an email at gregory@chiefpropertieskc.com 

If you want the simple bio, it can be found here Greg’s Bio

Still want more? Call Greg for the long version of why he is the asset to Chief Properties as well as his clients: 816.916.8113

Featured Service Provider: Shackelford’s Heating & Cooling

•January 23, 2009 • Leave a Comment

hvac3

In order to better serve our clients and the better interest of the general public we will be highlighting some service providers that we have engaged the services of that are worthy of publicly endorsing. We have working relationships with many service providers that are not part of the Chief Properties LLC family. By endorsing these and other companies and/or professionals we are no way compensated. The most important aspect of providing premier services is surrounding yourself with other quality professionals to bring the best product to our respective clientele.

Featured HVAC Professional

Shackelford’s Heating & Cooling, Inc. (816) 356-7422

We have been working with Shackelford’s Heating & Cooling since 2006 and they have provided us with excellent service and very low cost pricing. “Jimmy” (the owner) will always communicate with you in a very timely and professional manner and he finds a way to always be there in any emergency. One of the most important aspects of maintaining properties is keeping the occupants warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Jimmy will be the most dependable HVAC professional in town to ensure that happens.

We highly endorse this company based on our experiences in the marketplace. Shackelford’s Heating & Cooling, Inc. can handle any project ranging from installation of commercial grade systems to changing your filter for you.  

***This is a recommendation only, not paid advertising or a guarantee of any kind. ****

The Landlord’s Guide for Tenants – Rule # 3

•January 22, 2009 • Leave a Comment

disposal#3 Don’t put anything down your garbage disposal that doesn’t belong there. No grease, no rice, no oatmeal, no bottle caps, no bones, and absolutely no popcorn kernels. Think about what you are sending down the growling abyss, what solidifies if left alone for awhile? Like a heart attack of the plumbing sort, solid things like day old grease block the flow out of the building and if it doesn’t go out it stays put in the comforts of your home. That can be smelly.

If you can’t cut it with a butter knife, how can you expect the disposal blades to do it? Think of it like a baby, only feed it soft foods that go down easy.

If you do get a clog, try the reset button on the bottom of the disposal (typically a little red button on the very bottom about the size of a pencil tip). Might I suggest that if you have a stuck disposal make sure it is in the off position before you stick your hands near the blades. Although it sounds like a set up for a scene in a bad horror movie you would be surprised how many people actually lose digits missing the common sense equation. Even if your attempt to dislodge something from the path of the blades is successful you are allowing it to achieve its one purpose….chop. Turn off the power first. 

For more tips on your disposal click the following How To Free A Stuck Garbage Disposal post By Chrisjob