Week 4 – National Building Safety Month – Remodel to Code!

Your home is your families biggest investment. So when you go to remodel please use a licensed contractor and make sure you file for all necessary building permits. In some jurisdiction you will need a building permit to change your kitchen sink faucet. Keep documentation that your remodel was built to current building codes. If…

Have you registered your drone?

So last evening while I was cooking dinner, someone knocked on the front door. Truthfully, I was a little surprised as it is rare for me to have unannounced visitors. It was my neighbor asking if he could borrow my ladder. It appears that he had crash-landed his drone on the neighbors roof and he…

Are you using smart devices to keep your home and family safe?

I need my smart phone to make daily tasks more convenient. And now, technology experts believe that “smart homes” can do the same thing for my house and my family. Electrical outlets, lightbulbs, smoke detectors and more, are now available with networking and sensor technology similar to smartphones. A smart device uses your home’s Wi-Fi…

Ocean City Deputy Fire Marshal’s Tips to Avoid Another Winter of Frozen Pipes

Ocean City Deputy Fire Marshal’s Tim Price and Joe Sexauer attended the September meeting of the Delmarva Condominium Managers Association (DCMA). Mr. Sexauer discussed the false alarm reduction program. Charges can occur if false alarms are not handled in a timely manner. Click here for the Fire Alarm Activation Report. Anytime a preventable alarm occurs,…

Document your Property & Belongings

In almost every blog I read about protecting your belongings, one common thread appears over and over. Document your possessions with photo and videos. This is supposed to help a claims adjustor replace your lost items. It is recommended by every insurance agent – at all times. Home or business common sense says – take…

Frozen Pipes in Summer?

This year it happened in our office. Our frost free hose bib burst. We thought we had made it through the winter unscathed and then…. Wet spring/summer had us not using our outside hosebib to water any of our shrubs. By mid-June we still had not turned the water on outside. We began renovations in…

Five steps to help avoid frozen exterior hose bibs

Frost free doesn't mean freeze proof! Winterize all outside water lines whenever cold weather approaches or you leave your unit for more than 48 hours. Always remove the hose from the hose bib. Shut off exterior water prior to the first frost, or whenever you leave your unit unoccupied for more than 48 hours. Open…

Delaware Condominiums – Change is on the horizon

Don’t fear, your Ombudsman is here! Meet Chris Curtin. He visited the Sussex County Association of Realtors on Saturday, April 25th and spent over 2 hours answering questions. The room was filled with homeowners and Board members of communities across the county. I think we are going to see some exciting movement come out of…

Is Your Property Aging Properly? New Building Codes

Have you ever woken up and felt like you aged five years over night? Your property may have just done that. Since new building codes are being adopted all the time, your property may cost more to rebuild now than it did just a few months ago. With technological advances, building codes are changing at…