All Blog Entries by Chuck Farr

October is time for Gutters, Leaves, Lawns, Gardens & HVACs: Chuck Farr’s October 2019 “Talking Real Estate” eNewsletter

Hello again, sports fans, homeowners, tenants, prospective buyers, and real-estate investors. I’m running a little late for the October issue, but here we go. Before you check the “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Fall is here and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas. Here are a few items to consider during October:

•       Outdoor Tasks:

o   Plant and fertilize. Fall is a great time to lay down some good fertilizer on the lawn, plant trees, bushes, and perennials; they will thank you for not planting them in the blaze of summer. Fall/winter planting allows the plants and their roots to dig in

September is time for Leaves, Lawns, Gardens & HVACs: Chuck Farr’s September 2019 “Talking Real Estate” eNewsletter

Hello again to all of you homeowners, tenants, prospective buyers, and real-estate investors. Before you check the “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Fall is just around the corner and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas. Here are a few items to consider during September:

•       Outdoor Tasks:

o   Plant and fertilize. Fall is a great time to lay down some good fertilizer on the lawn, plant trees, bushes, and perennials; they will thank you for not planting them in the blaze of summer. Fall/winter planting allows the plants and their roots to dig in before next year.

o   Rake leaves and shred to

August is time for Lawn & Garden Survival and HEAT Management: Chuck Farr’s August 2019 “Talking Real Estate” eNewsletter

Hello again to all of you homeowners, tenants, prospective buyers, and real-estate investors. Before you check the “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Summer has gone triple digit and dry--and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas. Here are a few items to consider during August. This is a repeat of the July list, so skip to the enewsletter now if this is a retread:

•       Set your mower on the highest setting so you do not cut the grass too short and expose it to drought and weeds.
•       Make sure your foliage gets plenty of water during hot summer days. Water early in the day, but not necessarily

Hello again to all of you homeowners, tenants, prospective buyers, and real-estate investors. Before you check the “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Summer is here and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas. Here are a few items to consider during July. I got some great new ideas on increasing heating efficiency from a June newsletter reader and added a few below:

•       Set your mower on the highest setting so you do not cut the grass too short and expose it to drought and weeds.
•       Make sure your foliage gets plenty of water during hot summer days. Water early in the day, but not necessarily every day. Plants prefer a good soaking a few times a week rather than a light, daily drizzle.
•       Reverse the setting on

Hello again to all of you home owners, prospective buyers, and real-estate moguls. Before you check the “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Summer is here and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas. Here are a few items to consider during June:

•       Set your mower on the highest setting so you do not cut the grass too short and expose it to drought and weeds.
•       Make sure your foliage gets plenty of water during hot summer days. Water early in the day, but not necessarily every day. Plants prefer a good soaking a few times a week rather than a light, daily drizzle.
•       Reverse the setting on your ceiling fans to counterclockwise. This pushes the air down, creating a nice breeze.
•       Whether you have central

April is time for Termites, Tax Protests, Homestead & HVACs: Chuck Farr’s  April 2019 “Talking Real Estate” eNewsletter

Hello again to all of you home owners, prospective buyers, and real-estate moguls. Before you check the all-new-and-improved “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Spring is here and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas, especially for existing property owners. Here are a few items to consider during April:

•       Consider having your property inspected for termites if you have not done so in a year or two; perhaps set up an annual plan with a pest control pro. March and April are the annual termite swarming season.
•       It’s property tax assessed-value protest time. Check your paperwork; you may have

Hello again, home owners, tenants, prospective buyers, farmers, ranchers, and real-estate moguls. Spring begins on March 20, and the 2019 Property Tax Protest season is just ahead (and I can help you get started preparing now). Here is another reminder that if you bought a home last year and started living there on January 1, 2019, don’t forget to file your homestead exemption at your local county tax office to save money on property taxes. Before you check the all-new-and-improved “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Winter is almost over and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas, especially for existing property owners. Here are a few items to consider during Winter months (Spring checklist coming in April!):

•       Outdoor

Hello again, home owners, prospective buyers, and real-estate moguls. Here is a reminder that if you bought a home last year and started living there on January 1, 2019, don’t forget to file your homestead exemption at your local county tax office to save money on property taxes. And before you check the all-new-and-improved “Talking Real Estate” monthly enewsletter, Winter is here and has its own home maintenance checklist in Central Texas, especially for existing property owners. Here are a few items to consider during Winter months:

•       Outdoor Tasks:

o   If you are considering doing some big jobs, like external painting or roofing repair/replacement, remember that this is the slow season for many contractors, and you may get a better