Importance of Title Insurance

If you are buying Broken Arrow area real estate for the first time,  the article "The Basics of Title Insurance"on  Broken Arrow area title insurance will help reduce the confusion of title insurance. Find out:

• What  is Title Insurance?
• Why is Title Insurance Important?
• What is a title opinion from a Broken Arrow attorney?
• The importance of proper Broken Arrow insurance coverage.

Reducing Summer Energy Costs

Summer is almost officially here and with it has come warm weather and increased energy costs.  Darryl Baskin, a Tulsa realtor, has provided some helpful energy savings information in an article "Easy Ways to Cut Summer Energy Costs".  The simple tips include: installing a programmable thermostat, planting shade trees, and shortening your shower times.

To read the entire article click the link above or talk to your  Broken Arrow area plumbing company, Broken Arrow electrician, or your Broken Arrow heating and cooling company for more ways to reduce your energy usage.

There are Bugs in Dust...

Believe it or not there are bugs in the dust in your Broken Arrow home.  According to the website, www.martinfrost.ws, "Eighty per cent of house dust is made of dead, human skin. We shed 5-10 grams a week and this is what dust mites like best for dinner."  In addition to Dust Mites in your home, Bed Bugs are also becoming more common.  To find out more about how to eliminate Bed Bugs and Dust Mites in your Broken Arrow home, visit www.darrylbaskin.com.

Preparing Your Family for Spring (part 3)

In two previous posts, we discussed:  Preparing Your Home for Spring and Preparing Your Landscape for Spring.  In this final part of the Prepare for Spring blog series, we will discuss Preparing Your Family for Spring.  Read on for some important safety tips.

• Make sure that you have a fire escape plan, fire escape ladders, and tornado shelter (or know the safest place to be in case of a tornado) in your home.
• Practice your fire escape plan and what to do in the event of a tornado. Practice will help keep your children calm because they will know what to do.
• Make sure your children are aware of what happens in a storm, tornado, etc. and what to do if they are away from the home. For example, know not to go under a bridge (the overpass) during severe weather/tornado could save their life. Be prepared! Local TV weather station websites are great places to learn this life-saving weather safety information.
• Make sure you have done proper maintenance on your home and any necessary repairs to prevent water leaks, unsafe electrical wiring, leaking roofs, annual A/C service, etc.  This will help prevent further damage, should there be maintenance problems.
•  Go over your insurance policy with your Broken Arrow insurance agent.  Having proper insurance cover in case of a disaster is one way to ensure that you have prepared your family for Spring.

To read the first two parts of this blog series, "Prepare Your Home for Spring" and "Prepare Your Landscape for Spring" click here.

In the event that you have property damage from a Spring storm, contact Broken Arrow home maintenance professionals to have repairs done.

For more information contact the following professionals:

Broken Arrow Pest Control- Mother Natures Pest and Lawn, 918-362-2000, www.pestsecret.com

Roofing Repair Broken Arrow- Judy Smith, A-Best Roofing, 918-587-1426 or www.abestroofing.com.

A/C Service in Broken Arrow- Stephen Taylor, Air Assurance, 258-COOL or www.airassurance.com.

Broken Arrow insurance- Tedford Insurance, 918-299-2345 or www.tedfordinsurance.com.

Broken Arrow Mortgage- Karen Heston, BOK, 918-230-9432 or kheston-boklo.mortgagewebcenter.com

Broken Arrow Electrical Service- Murray Electric, 918-835-9605 or www.murrayelectric.com

Broken Arrow Plumbing- Mullin Plumbing, 918-258-6636, www.mullinplumbing.com.

Preparing Your Landscape for Spring (part 2)

In a previous post, we discussed Preparing Your Home for Spring.  With Spring storms, winds, pests, and more, there are many ways to prepare for Spring in order to avoid damage, reduce costs, and simply reduce the stress should a disaster occur.  In this second part, read on to discover a few things to consider when preparing your landscaping for Spring.

• If you are planning on adding new plants to your garden, get proper information about when to plant the species that you want.
• Make sure that you don't have drainage issues around your property. If you find that water sits around the perimeter of your home or in areas around your property, have those issues solved before Spring storms come and make it impossible to repair quickly. Water that sits around your foundation can cause cracks and other foundation problems later. Don't assume it won't happen to your home. Foundation problems are more expensive to repair than drainage problems and will affect the resale ability of your home as well.
• Weed around your plants now and add 3 inches of mulch to help keep the soil moist and weeds away. For a little sparkle or a greener alternative, consider Garden Glass Mulch.
• Remember to guard against termite damage and other pests.  The Sentricon HD Baiting System will eliminate the entire termite colony and prevent what could be thousands of dollars of damage to your property.  There are also many great treatments for fleas, ticks, mice, and flying insects. 

To read part 1 in the Prepare for Spring blog series, "Preparing Your Home for Spring", click here.

In the event that you have property damage from a Spring storm, contact Broken Arrow home maintenance professionals to have repairs done.

For more information contact the following professionals:

Broken Arrow Pest Control- Mother Natures Pest and Lawn, 918-362-2000, www.pestsecret.com


Broken Arrow Plumbing- Mullin Plumbing, 918-258-6636, www.mullinplumbing.com.

Glass Mulch in Broken Arrow- Garden Glass of Oklahoma, 918-232-0210 or www.gardenglassofoklahoma.com

For all your Broken Arrow Real Estate needs, contact Darryl Baskin, McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com. 

Preparing Your Home for Spring (Part 1)

Spring is here and with the great warm weather Spring is coming alive. With the great Spring weather, however, also come storms, storm damage, pests, allergies and so much more. Preparing our home and family for all that Spring brings is very important. Read on to find some information on preparing your home for Spring.

Preparing Your Home for Spring

• Check your windows and doors to make sure they are caulked properly and that weather stripping is properly installed. Gaps in these areas can lead to pests, water, and energy leaks.
• Have a Broken Arrow Heating and A/C Company service your system to make sure that it is running properly and at its best. This will save you money and help keep you cool.
• Get your house treated regularly for pests. The warm weather can drive them inside. Prevent this before it becomes a problem with regular pest control from a Broken Arrow area pest control company.
• Check your smoke detectors to ensure that they work. Change the batteries if it has been one year since you have installed new batteries. Although this is not just a Spring problem, now is a good time to check it.
• Play the inventory game. Let your kids help by taking pictures, a video, or simply making lists of all valuables, electronics, etc in your home and their serial number and other important information.
• Do home repairs now. With all the water and wind that storms bring, now is the time to check for and take care of any home repairs.
• Have Broken Arrow roofing professionals do a free roof check. Don't wait for a storm to find out that your roof is leaking.
• Talk to your Broken Arrow area insurance agent and do an annual insurance review. Make sure that you have more than adequate insurance coverage.
• With the many allergy problems that arise during Spring weather, replace your air filters with high quality air filters.

Now is also a great time to consider home additions, home automation, or flooring replacement.

In the event that you have property damage from a Spring storm, contact Broken Arrow home maintenance professionals to have repairs done.

For more information contact the following professionals:

Broken Arrow Pest Control- Mother Natures Pest and Lawn, 918-362-2000, www.pestsecret.com

Roofing Repair Broken Arrow- Judy Smith, A-Best Roofing, 918-587-1426 or www.abestroofing.com.

A/C Service in Broken Arrow- Stephen Taylor, Air Assurance, 258-COOL or www.airassurance.com.

Broken Arrow insurance- Tedford Insurance, 918-299-2345 or www.tedfordinsurance.com.

Broken Arrow Mortgage- Karen Heston, BOK, 918-230-9432 or kheston-boklo.mortgagewebcenter.com

Broken Arrow Electrical Service- Murray Electric, 918-835-9605 or www.murrayelectric.com

Broken Arrow Plumbing- Mullin Plumbing, 918-258-6636, www.mullinplumbing.com.

Broken Arrow Building Contractor- Rick Oberlender, US Building Systems, 918-734-1293 or tulsaconstructioncontractor.org.

Broken Arrow Restoration Services- Reset Restoration, 888-917-3738 or www.resetrestoration.com.

Home Automation System Installation in Broken Arrow- KMB Enterprises, 918-527-1031 or www.kmbenterprisesllc.com


High Quality A/C Filters- Filters 4 Me, www.filters4me.com


Flooring Companies in Broken Arrow- Jim Ecrette, ProSource Wholesale Floors, 918-252-7711 or www.prosourcefloors.com/tulsa

Property Deeds, Which One Do I Need?

There are four basic types of property deeds: General Warranty Deed, Special Warranty Deed, Quit Claim Deed, Sheriffs Deed.

General Warranty Deed- seller warrants the title from statehood until the time the buyer takes title. In this case, the owner of the property is guaranteeing the buyer a clear title.

Special Warranty Deed- there is more risk to the buyer here and limits the amount of the warranty. This is a common type of deed when a bank takes title to a property.

Quit Claim Deed- seen when there is a divorce situation. One party is giving the other party the interest that they have in the property.

Sheriffs Deed- usually happens during a foreclosure when the property is sold and the deed is given to the new owner. High Risk because there are no warranties on the property.

For more information on Types of Oklahoma Property Deeds, visit www.darrylbaskin.com.

For a Broken Arrow area title inspection contact Karen Burnette of FirsTitle and Abstract Services at 918-493-2241 or www.firstitle.com.

For Broken Arrow real estate needs, contact Darryl Baskin, McGraw Realtors, 918-258-2600 or www.darrylbaskin.com.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning...

Carbon Monoxide is something that many of us simply don't think about, yet it can be very dangerous. Carbon Monoxide is a gas that can be created when combustible fuel doesn't burn properly or when the exhaust is not properly vented. It can come from appliances, water heaters, exhaust from your car, blocked chimney flues and malfunctioning appliances that burn fuel. If you see black soot around vents, flues, filters or appliance burners, there may be carbon monoxide present. Also, if your Natural Gas flame is yellow instead of blue, it may be present.

Follow these preventative tips and keep this list of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning on hand you suspect a problem in your Broken Arrow area home or business.

Preventive Tips:

• Make sure that chimney's are properly vented and the flue is not blocked. Cleaning the chimney regularly is also recommended as annual maintenance.
• Replace air filters regularly. If you find that it is hard to remember to change your air filter or have trouble locating one, contact Rick Butefish of www.Filters4me.com, 918-292-8600 about their easy air filter replacement program.
• Keep appliance air intake areas clear.
• Don't heat your business with a gas range or space heater.
• Keep your heating and air-conditioning system running properly and have regular maintenance scheduled. Call Stephen Taylor of Air Assurance at 918-258-HEAT or www.airassurance.com. to schedule a check of your Broken Arrow heating and a/c system.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector that is UL- approved and has an audible alarm.
• Don't use a grill or start a lawn mower, car or any fuel burning engine in a closed garage, inside a building, or in an enclosed area.

Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:

• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ear
• Fatigue
• Increased perspiration
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Headaches

If you think that you may be experiencing these symptoms due to carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the property and call 911.

For more information about:

air filter replacement in Broken Arrow, OK- contact Rick Butefish, www.filters4me.com or 918-292-8600

heating and a/c repair and installation in Broken Arrow, OK.- contact Stephen Taylor, Air Assurance, 918-258-HEAT, 918-258-COOL or www.airassurance.com