August- 2022- Keeping Your Home Clean and Organized



For tenants who are renewing their leases, now is the perfect time to get things cleared out and cleaned up. Cleaning your home regularly helps you stay happy and healthy. One way to keep your household items clean is to keep them organized. Take a look around your home and take stock of all the items you have not used in the last year. Ask yourself if you really want to continue to store those things that you don’t need. Here are five universally tested and proven tips to help remove clutter from the home:

1. Have a designated place for everything in your home. Totes, shelves, and bins are tremendously helpful starting point. Find a place for each item and always put it back when done.

2. Go paper-free! Bank statements, pay stubs, invoices, and receipts are all readily available electronically these days. Take advantage of these services and free yourself from the burden of piles of paper.

3. Spend time—not money. Instead of browsing the aisles of a big box store and shopping for things you don’t need, try taking a class, learning a new skill, or taking a day trip to a neighboring town.

4. Give away or throw away. When you purge your household of needless things, make sure those things actually make it out of the house and never bring them back.

5. Try, try, and try again. Allow yourself to change up your system. Decluttering a home usually requires changing your habits. Find what works best for you, and stick with it.
 

July- 2022- Landscaping

Mowing:

We have had a very wet year so far in North Idaho and this can lead to excessive lawn growth. Please remember to keep yards well maintained. Make sure your mower blades are sharp and cleaned regularly as cutting wet grass can lead to excessive build-up on the blades. 

For those that have mowing included in your lease please remember to keep items off the lawns including any items your animals may have left behind. 

Fertilizing and weeding:

A good weed and feed for lawns can help with both these items. Make sure to fertilize your lawn regularly and remove any weeds in the landscaping. Time-release pellets usually work pretty well for trees and shrubs. Please follow any instructions provided in the type of fertilizer you use to insure it is properly applied. 

Landscaping: 

For those of you that have landscaping included in your leases please let us know if any issues arise and we will do our best to solve them as speedily as possible. You can submit a maintenance request from your tenant portal. Please include any photos that might be helpful in resolving the issues. 

Healthy living:

Growing your own fresh herbs is a great way to add flavor and freshness to your table this summer. There are a variety of ways to grow plants indoors. You can grow them individually in small pots or in a hydroponic structure. Grow lights have become popular for those that do not have adequate lighting from south-facing windows. If you are wanting to try some indoor gardening basil, chives and parsley would be some good ones to try. If you would like to share your garden photos with us we would love to share them on our website. You can send them to rentals@ht-pm.com.

June- 2022- Eating in Season

There are many ways to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables. One way is from a farmer’s market. 

Here in Kootenai County, there are two locations that offer farmers’ markets. On Saturday there is one in Hayden and on Wednesdays, there is one in downtown CDA.

Shopping at a farmer’s market is an excellent way to obtain fresh, local, in-season produce.

In northern Idaho, you will find items such as asparagus, beets, lettuce greens, onions, radishes, fresh rhubarb, and even some edible flowers (make sure you do your research on these before consuming). 

I love trying new vegetables and am often amazed at what I find. Just this week I tried a golden beet for the first time and it tasted like candy. I had always heard that beets had a high sugar content and were tasty. I have been turned off by their dark purple color and never tried them. When I found one the color of gold, I took a chance and am so glad I did. 

SATURDAY MARKET 

Hours: 9 am to 1:30 pm

May through October 

SE Corner Hwy 95 & Prairie Ave.

Hayden, Idaho

WEDNESDAY MARKET

Hours: 4 pm to 7 pm

May through September

Sherman Ave. & Fifth St.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

May- 2022- Lease Renewals

Lease renewals: Lease Renewal Season is Underway. Things you need to know about lease renewals. Zaz: Leasing Manager: zaz@ht-pm.com or 208-391-7644

1. Staying or Leaving - If you would like to request to stay let us know so we can speak to the owner of the home on your behalf. If you intend to leave we will need a 30-day notice from you. 
2. Renewals- We review all inspections and property notes before we let the owners know our recommendation for lease renewals. The Owners make the ultimate decision on rent increases and whether we renew a lease. 
3. Signing - Lease renewals are sent online through your tenant portal. All leases will need to be signed online within one week of them being sent to you. Please let us know if you have any questions about them. 

Healthy Living: Pickle-ball

A spot picking up the interest of late is Pickleball. This sport is usually seen as a combination of several racket and paddle sports. It can be played with 2-4 players using solid paddles and a perforated polymer ball over a net.

The ball is similar to a Wiffle ball and the paddles are similar to ping pong. 

The game was invented in Seattle in 1965 and has spread throughout the world. 

You can utilize public courts in the area. 

A few for you to check out. Memorial Park: 501 Fort Ground Dr, CDA/ McEuen Park 420 E Front Ave, CDA/ Post Falls Park 2001 N Spokane St, Post Falls

April- 2022- Tips Before Signing a Lease with a Friend

• Only live with someone who you think will act in good faith. If you have a good friend who is super flaky and also really accident-prone, your friendship might survive longer if you don't choose to live together.
• Make a roommate agreement while things are still cheerful! While things feel happy and theoretical, put together a list of who is going to pay what, who will do what, and all the particulars of your individual situation. When (if?) things get uncomfortable, you'll wish you had one.
• A co-signer is responsible for what everyone does in the home. If your mom co-signs and is you are evicted because your roommate had drugs in the home the eviction will be on your record as well as your mother.

March- 2022- Making Changes to Existing Leases

• Financially responsible individuals will only be considered for removal from existing signed leases during the lease renewal period of an existing contract, or after a current contract expires. This includes: co-signers, roommates, and spous- es in the process of separating.
• All leases are legally binding contracts whether or not everyone stays in the home. All lease signers will still be responsible to pay rent.
• We encourage everyone living in the home to keep Hometown Property Manage- ment informed of the current living arrangements at all times.
• Those tenants who are requesting to stay in the home while another tenant is va- cating will need to prove that they are qualified tenants on their own. Qualifying tenants will assume responsibility for all damage to the home.
• Tenants who request to vacate relinquish all rights to the security deposits they may have paid. These deposits will remain in place for those approved to remain in the home.
• If the request to vacate is granted, an addendum will need to be signed by all parties staying in the home.

February- 2022- Natural Ways to Clean

Natural Cleaning Remedies? Here Are Some Helpful Hits:

• Black Tea Window Cleaner: Black tea is a great morning beverage, but it turns out that it’s also an excellent way to clean your windows. The tannic acid in the tea helps dissolve dirt and grease on the windows.
• Drain Unclogger: Have a sluggish drain? Think about grade-school science projects: the baking soda and vinegar that made your homemade volcano fizz can also unclog your drain.
• Natural Toilet Cleaners: Ingredients:
  3/4 cup baking soda,
  3/4 cup white vinegar,
• 10 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of lavender essential oils.
  Directions: Combine baking soda and essen- tial oils in a mixing bowl. When ready to clean toi- let bowl add vinegar and pour mixture into the toilet. Then scrub with toilet brush. Note: This is a single use recipe. There is no method of storage due to the fizzing action.
• Get Burnt Pans Clean:
  Fill the bottom of the
  pan with water, then add
  a cup of vinegar and boil.
  Remove the pan from the
  heat and add baking soda, then empty and scour as normal.
• Grapefruit Tub Scrub: Try this! Instead of using a caustic tub scrub: cut a grape- fruit in half, sprinkle each half with salt, and squeeze to juice as you’re cleaning. Then you just rinse and enjoy the great smell left behind.

(Article Courtesy of Claire Sibonney at The Huffington Post Canada)

January- 2022- Inspections

Are You Ready for Your Next Inspection?

We have been updating our owner contracts here at Hometown Property Management. Some of our properties will be undergoing fewer inspections this year. If this applies to you, reporting maintenance concerns promptly will become a higher priority. A maintenance issue should be submitted via your tenant portal as soon as the issue is discovered.

Best practices for a quick, safe, and smooth inspection include: 

• Keep fresh batteries in your smoke detectors.
  Keep up on all seasonal landscaping.
  Clear a path and allow the inspector to access all areas of concern. 
• Report any concerns ahead of time.
• Note that your lease allows house guests to stay with you for up to ten days.
  Thank you for renting with Hometown Property Management. It is a pleasure to serve you, and we wish you the very best in 2022!