Ep 017 – From Roommates to Relationships: The Essential Guide to Home Inventory & Life Changes

Summary

In this episode of the Be a Smarter Homeowner podcast, Beth Dodson and John Bodrozic discuss the importance of home inventory in relation to significant life events such as cohabitation and divorce. They explore how documenting personal property can help individuals navigate these transitions more smoothly, ensuring clarity and fairness in asset division. The conversation also highlights the role of technology, particularly AI, in simplifying the inventory process and providing peace of mind for homeowners and renters alike.

Takeaways

  • – Home inventory is valuable for various life events, not just disasters.
  • – Cohabitation often leads to the blending of personal property.
  • – Documenting items helps clarify ownership in shared living situations.
  • – Sentimental items should be tracked for family heritage purposes.
  • – Insurance companies prefer detailed inventories for claims.
  • – HomeZada can assist in amicable asset division during divorce.
  • – AI features in HomeZada can estimate item values quickly.
  • – Having a documented inventory provides peace of mind.
  • – Flexibility in inventory methods caters to different user needs.
  • – Future episodes will explore more life events and AI features.

Sound Bites

“Home inventory is not just for disaster-prone areas.”
“Documenting items can help in insurance claims.”
“HomeZada is flexible for different user needs.”
“AI can help estimate the value of your items.”
“It’s about keeping things fair during separations.”
“Peace of mind comes from having a documented inventory.”

Chapters

00:40 Introduction to Home Inventory and Life Events
03:50 Coming Together: Cohabitation and Home Inventory
06:41 Documenting Personal Property: Importance and Methods
09:42 Family Heritage and Sentimental Items
12:40 Insurance and Inventory: Protecting Your Assets
15:43 Moving Apart: Divorce and Asset Division
18:29 Using AI for Home Inventory

RESOURCE LINKS

HomeZada Website

Ep 016 – How to Financially Manage a House Flip

SHOW NOTES:

On today’s episode, we discuss our tips for house flipping. Most people are aware of the HGTV version that shows a complete home remodel in a 1-hour episode. This conversation helps to peel back the layers and walk-through the financial and physical aspects that are crucial to executing a flip. Listen to learn the steps and processes to know what homes and locations to invest in, how to plan ahead for taxes, and what projects make a home more valuable.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • [01:01] What is a house flip and how to find the best location for your flip?
  • [07:10] What’s involved in a flip: Financial and physical aspects.
  • [11:49] Taxes and whether to sell vs rent your newly remodeled property.
  • [15:27] What projects make a house more valuable and whether to invest as an individual, with a partner, or as a team?
  • [21:45] How important is staging a house before you sell it?
  • [26:35] Learn from others who have flipped before.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The key to flipping is knowing the market and the right locations. Then look for low priced homes in those trending neighborhoods.
  • The more you can do on your own without hiring a contractor, the lower your cost is to do the home improvement, which means the more likely that you’re going to be able to make more money on the flip.
  • There are five key financial elements to consider doing a flip: purchase price, remodel investment amount, remodel timeline, estimating sell price, and lastly taxes.

RESOURCE LINKS

HomeZada Website

Guide to House Flipping

Ep 015 – How is Your Health is Impacted by Home Maintenance

SHOW NOTES:

We want to speak about how your home can impact your health. You might not realize but regular home maintenance plays an important role in protecting you from illness. On today’s episode, we discuss four key components to consider when thinking of your health as it relates to your home. Listen as we give helpful tips related to air, water, fire and earth and the damage they can cause.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • [01:20] What is a healthy home and why it’s important.
  • [2:45] How to protect air quality in your home.
  • [09:20] The two main ways that water in your home can affect your health.
  • [16:42] How to protect your family and home from fire.
  • [23:52] Understand the different threats that the earth poses to your home.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • One of the first things you can do to protect air quality is change your air filters, change them regularly. Do not wait, change them regularly.
  • Be better prepared for a fire inside your home by placing fire extinguishers in key areas of your home so you can easily access them.
  • If you bought a home with a retaining wall, you want to make sure that the retaining wall is being held in place and draining correctly. If not, the build of water can cause major issues to your home.

RESOURCE LINKS

HomeZada Website

https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_11880.PDFhttps://blog.homezada.com/2021/09/26/a-glimpse-into-toxin-free-trends-6-ways-to-create-a-non-toxic-home/

Ep 014 – DIY Home Remodeling Projects You Can Do Yourself

SHOW NOTES:

May is Home Remodeling Month but we don’t need to always do large and expensive projects. We can transform our homes with simple, low-cost, DIY projects. In this episode, we discuss the different types of projects you can do that are affordable, easy and can often be completed in a weekend. Tune in to hear our tips to refresh your home with simple DIY projects.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • [01:50] Cost-effective exterior project ideas.
  • [05:37] The benefits of installing low voltage lighting outside.
  • [12:26] Interior DIY project ideas.
  • [16:00] How to refresh a room with decorative and furniture type projects.
  • [19:15] Tips when using paint to transform different spaces.
  • [23:08] Where to find inspiration and other easy project ideas.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • DIY projects can be great ways to update your home for a low cost.
  • When investing in your home, focus on the front of your house first. Take care of your grass, irrigation, and consider adding shrubs, trees and potted plants.
  • The front door is the main way we welcome guests. Freshen up your front door with a bright paint color or new hardware.
  • Organization is another way to invest in your home. When you have a clutter-free environment, you have a more productive environment.

RESOURCE LINKS

HomeZada Website

4 Quick and Easy Smart Home Projects

5 Quick and Easy Home Projects to Finish in a Weekend

7 DIY Home Improvement Projects That are Easier Than You Think

7 Home Improvement Projects You Can Do in a Weekend

7 Projects to Get Your Home Ready for Summer Fun That Cost Less Than a Smartphone

Ep 013 – How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell or List With Jill Elliott

SHOW NOTES:

For homeowners getting ready to sell their homes, what can or should you do to get your home ready to list? On today’s episode, John and Beth are talking with Jill Elliott, a Broker Associate with over 10 years of experience in all aspects of real estate. Jill brings her realtor experience to share tips on what homeowners can do to list a home. She also shares stories of her experiences and suggestions from her own client’s journeys through real estate sales. Jill offers advice on how to work with a real estate agent in your area and her own suggestions on how to market a home and move through the process more easily when selling a home.

IN THIS EPISODE:

  • [02:21] How to get your home ready for sale.
  • [03:39] How to get older homes ready for sale.
  • [05:00] Is there certain maintenance you should do before you contact a real estate agent or before you list your home?
  • [06:20] How important is curb appeal and staging a home?
  • [10:47] How to set financial expectations for listing a home.
  • [15:36] How to find the right real estate agent.
  • [19:19] Why a house might not close; tips for planning a home inspection, and parting advice from Jill.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • The first thing to do when deciding to sell your home is let go and let the process happen. Respect the process, be flexible and make changes suggested by your realtor.
  • Things to be aware of when selling or buying a home are the roof and foundation, plumbing, windows and electrical.
  • How do you find the right real estate agent? Find one that you trust. Not that you like, but one that you trust.

RESOURCE LINKS

Jill Elliott’s Website

Jill’s LinkedIn

@properties Dallas Website

HomeZada Website

BIO:

Jill Elliott is a Broker Associate with @properties Dallas and brings over 10 years of experience in all aspects of real estate. She has consistently been a top producer in the DFW area, receiving yearly Circle of Excellence awards. Before becoming a full time REALTOR, Jill was a radio personality for 22 years in several cities around the country including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Columbia, Augusta and Atlanta. This may seem a strange transition but her former career allowed her to work with so many different people and charitable organizations that a real estate career was a natural fit for her. Jill has a podcast – For The Love of Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others. She is a big fan of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. She is a member of the MetroTex Board of Realtors and the National Association of REALTORs. Jill is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and lives with her wonderful family and dog Stella on the shores of Lake Lewisville.