Slab Jacking: The Quickest Way to Correct Uneven Concrete
Do you have a sidewalk, patio or driveway that has settled or tilted and no longer even? Before you have it torn out and repoured, consider a solution that is less than half the cost. Slabjacking or lifting the concrete panel back into its original position is the quickest, cheapest, least messy way to handle it. The fix: One or more holes are drilled into the concrete. A grout-like material is pumped in the hole forcing the pad to ‘float’. Once the original position is reached the hole/holes are filled with a concrete mix and the grout will dry and it’s done! It’s that quick and simple. I’ve had many home sales ‘saved’ with this method. Feel free to reach out if you need further explanation or a referral for a contractor of this kind of work. It’s important to know why your patio settled? I commonly see this when showing and selling homes in the Dayton, Ohio area. It’s typically one of two things: The soil underneath was not properly compacted during construction. It’s really difficult to get the excavated soil around a construction site packed back down to the density it was before it was disturbed. Over multiple rains and freeze/thaw cycles it compacts tight again and shrinks taking the concrete slab with it. This kind of settling might start to show up at about the 5 yr mark after construction. Improper drainage or ponding around a concrete pad will compact the soil as well.
NAR Settlement - Home Buyer Change Explained
The National Association of Realtors Settlement has created a change on the buyer side of things. This change is nationwide, not brokerage or state specific. Now, all buyers who would like to tour a home with their broker must sign a buyer representation agreement with their agent PRIOR to being able to see the property. In the past, a buyer could contact a Realtor and request a showing without signing this. These buyer agreements are not new. A lot of agents have used them for years. Now, however, they are mandatory with everyone. Going forward, the new license law requirement is that a buyer agreement must be signed PRIOR to any showing taking place. The agreement clearly outlines the compensation paid to your agent. Typically, the seller will offer payment to the buyer’s agent just like in the past so that it is easier for the buyer to buy. However, if a seller is only offering partial or no compensation, the buyer will be responsible for the remainder. The changes on the buyer and seller side of things may leave you with questions on how they will work in practice. I work everyday in the Dayton housing market and would be happy to discuss how it all works.
NAR Settlement - Seller Side Explained
Have you heard of the National Association of Realtors Lawsuit? If you are buying or selling real estate stay tuned, you’ll want to hear this. It resulted in a class action suit and settlement that arose out of commission disclosure issues which resulted in accusations of anti-competitive behavior within the industry. The settlement mandates changes to the buy and sell side of each transaction. Historically, for a seller to have their home advertised in a multiple listing service the seller was required to offer compensation to a Buyer’s Agent. It could be as little as a single dollar but it HAD to be something. The new rule does not require any compensation from the seller to help the buyer purchase. However, sellers may still offer compensation to assist the buyer’s purchase as traditionally done. Doing so lowers the barrier to entry and attracts more buyers. In an effort to further provide transparency, listing contracts have been revised to more clearly identify how the commission fees are being distributed. There is also a change on the buyer side as well that we will touch on next week.
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