Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

This is the first video in my series, Tip of the Week, where I give you real estate tips. 

You might have heard me say that it’s far more productive to focus on one thing 100% of your time with 100% of your energy rather than spending 10% of your energy and 10% of your time focusing on ten different things. That’s why I always ask the following questions. What is the one thing that I can get done in the next 30 days that will have the biggest bottom line improvement in my business over the next 12 months? The question I ask is: What is the one thing I can get done? Try that question on. What one thing can you get done in the next 30 days that will have the biggest bottom line improvement in your business over the next 12 months? Take some time to really think about the answer because this is where you’ll pour all of your energy and time into. If I was sitting next to you right now, I would act like a magnifying glass. I would have a clean yellow pad in front of us and I would write down these words, what is the one thing you can get done in the next 30 days that will...

Put your pumpkin pulp into the trash to spare your disposal (and other plumbing pipes) a horrible death. The pulp, seeds, and other guts you’re scraping out of pumpkins this week can kill your garbage disposal, so toss them in the trash or the compost pile instead. In a press release, Roto-Rooter warns home owners about the dangers of pumpkin pulp, saying its plumbers “remove gobs of it from clogged drains” during the Halloween season. “Plumbers know that frantic home owners will soon be complaining about pulp-clogged garbage disposals and stopped-up kitchen sink drains leading up to Halloween,” says Larry Rothman, Roto-Rooter’s plumbing director. “It’s stringy and sticky, and when it dries and hardens it’ll choke off drainpipes and garbage disposals, creating all sorts of havoc.” Pumpkin guts haven’t been an issue for my household. But then again, we don’t have a garbage disposal. Year before last, we never got around to carving the pumpkin. It sat on the front porch, ev...

Maybe not. Perhaps the sound you hate is coming down your chimney or through attic vents. Or maybe leaks around your windows are letting in noise along with cold air. Everyone who hates noise should consult an acoustical consultant before they throw money at the problem. For about $1,000, consultants will measure the kind and level of the noise you want to keep out, and suggest the best way to block the sound.  All you might need is a $2 tube of caulk around your windows. If you're going to spend $15,000 on windows, why not get some consulting for $1,000. 

I love being a real estate agent.  It's my passion. 

You’d think so, but you’d be wrong. There are different kinds of physics going on. Energy-efficient windows primarily depend upon low-E coatings and gas between thermal panes to reduce heat transfer and increase energy efficiency. Sound-blocking windows, on the other hand, primarily use thicker and laminated glass, and large air gaps between panes to deaden sound. You can easily make a soundproof window energy-efficient by adding low-E coatings. But you can’t easily make an energy-efficient window soundproof without changing its glass and construction. It’s a balancing act between the performance attributes you deem important for your project. 

T he sound of silence does not come cheap. An insert for a 3-foot-by-5-foot window, costs roughly $950, including installation, though pricing varies depending on features. Custom 3-foot-by-5-foot windows built to an architect’s specs, typically cost between $7,000 and $8,500 (without installation). You can spend a lot of money if you want to block out ear-splitting but occasional noises such as thunder or ambulance sirens. “Is it worth the extra $25,000 to get another 5% performance?” Clients were asked – most replied, “I’ll accept the siren or thunder.”

To reduce sound, you must create a barrier between the sound and the ear that captures the sound. Homes do that with walls, roofs and windows that block sound waves from entering. To increase a window's ability to block sound and increase its STC rating, the window manufacturer must: Add mass (make glass thicker) Add air space (increase the distance between window panes) Use laminated glass, a glass-plastic-glass sandwich that further reduces noise transmission CitiQuiet windows are inserts installed behind your existing window, which adds up to 4 inches of dead, sound-reducing air between the principal window and the new interior window. The company's 1/2-inch laminated insert has a STC rating of 38 and promises up to a 95% noise reduction depending on the size of the window opening, apartment location, and type of noise.  Zeluck Inc. manufacturers high-end, dual-pane windows that a 1-1/4-inch thick and reach an STC rating of 42.