Smart Homeowners
Daily tips and resources to help you improve, care for and protect your home.
I will give you something every day so you can live smarter. With my team of experts, we’ll cover what matters to you: security, energy efficiency, maintenance, home improvement, finance and insurance.
🛍️ Tax free weekend!
Happy Friday! Today a quick reminder to take advantage of the Sales Tax Holiday, Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13. Why it matters: This isn’t just back-to-school shopping. The Texas Comptroller is encouraging all taxpayers to support Texas businesses. ⚙️ How it works: The exemption applies to qualifying items and is automatically deducted (in most […]
😒 The roof cynic
“My roof is fine.” According to someone I see every week. He said all the roofs around him are getting replaced but his is fine (even though he hasn’t had a proper inspection). Why it matters: When you live in one of the top insurance markets for roofing like DFW, cynicism is easy. Sometimes it’s […]
🐢 The importance of persistence
Getting your insurance company to pay you what they should is often a war of attrition. Why it matters: Delay, deny, defend has become the mantra of many insurance carriers as they face an increasing number of costly natural disasters. The important question you need to answer as a homeowner is this —> Am I […]
🚧 Construction is an ongoing …
Construction is an ongoing, problem solving event — according to one of my early mentors in the field. Why it matters: When you have work done on your home — from a new roof to a new kitchen to a new pool — you’re almost never prepared when things go wrong. Something always goes wrong. […]
📍 Tracking your things
It’s never been easier to keep up with your keys, your luggage … really anything! Why it matters: For $25-50 you can pair a reliable tracking device with important items. 🥊 Reality check: This incredible story about a mom who used an Apple AirTag to overcome the airline’s incompetence is the wake up call I […]
📞 You were my first call
This week I had one of those moments that reminded me why I love what I do. Why it matters: In our times of need or distress, we want to call someone we trust. When I saw Frank calling me one minute before a scheduled phone conference, I answered. “You won’t believe what just happened. […]
🏠 Your roof assembly – Part 5: Ventilation
We’ll wrap up this short series on your roof assembly with what you need to know about attic ventilation. 👇 Links to parts 1-4 below Why it matters: Building code prescribes proper ventilation for your attic in order to provide a way for heat and moisture to escape to the outside. 🔬 Zoom in: Here’s your checklist: […]
🏠 Your roof assembly – Part 4: Shingles
We’ve covered the sheathing, underlayment and flashing components of your roof. Now we’ll take a closer look at the shingles. Why it matters: All shingles are not created equally. 🔬 Zoom in: Keep this checklist to review the next time you need a roof. 👉 3 types of shingles belong on every roof: starter shingles, field shingles […]
🏠 Your roof assembly – Part 3: Flashing
When it comes to your roof, it’s what you can’t see that cause the biggest problems. Part 1 covered sheathing and part 2 covered underlayment. Flashing is the next critical component. Why it matters: The most common failure point on any roof is related to flashing. If water is getting in, this is where it’s […]
🏠 Your roof assembly – Part 2: Underlayment
This week I’m doing a series on the parts of your roof assembly. Read part 1 here Why it matters: Once a re-roof is completed, you can’t see if it was done correctly. It’s up to you as a homeowner to hold your contractors accountable. 🔬 Zoom in: One of my mentors said it this way, […]