Maintenance & Repairs
Upkeep, vendors, and keeping a home in shape.
The 30-Day Home-Selling Checklist: Week-by-Week Guide
A 30-day home-selling checklist broken into four weekly phases, from pre-listing repairs to the final walkthrough before closing.
199A Rental Safe Harbor: The 250-Hour Rule Explained
250 hours a year of rental activity, tracked and documented, is what the IRS wants before it treats your rentals as a real trade or business under Section 199A.
The 15-Year Property Class for Landlords, Explained (2025)
The IRS puts fences, driveways, and other outdoor "land improvements" in a 15-year depreciation class, separate from the 27.5-year rental building itself.
Tankless Water Heater Error Codes: What the Blinking Light Means
Most tankless water heater error codes point to one of five causes: ignition failure, blocked venting, scale buildup, low gas pressure, or a sensor fault.
Supplemental Property Tax Bills Explained: What Owners Pay
A supplemental property tax bill arrives after a sale or new construction, often within 6-12 months, and it's separate from your regular annual bill.
Supplemental Property Tax Bills After Buying: What to Know
Supplemental tax bills arrive 3-12 months after closing and cover the gap between the seller's old assessed value and your new purchase price.
Sump Pump Battery Backup: Why Finished Basements Need One
A sump pump battery backup keeps water moving out of your basement during the exact moment you're most likely to need it — a power outage in a storm.
Summer Home Maintenance Checklist: Beat the Heat, Save $$
A 90°F attic can push your AC to run 40% longer, so a mid-June checklist catches the five summer problems that cost the most later.
State HOA Complaint & Ombudsman Programs: Where to Turn
At least 15 states run an HOA ombudsman or complaint office, and Florida's regulator alone logged over 3,000 HOA complaints in 2023.
Spring Home Maintenance Checklist for Homeowners (2025)
A spring home maintenance checklist covering roof, foundation, HVAC filters, and safety devices, with the 10 tasks that catch $500+ problems before summer.
Spring Cleaning for Home Systems, Not Just Closets (2025)
A 30-minute spring check of your furnace filter, gutters, and outlets can catch $500+ repairs before summer heat and storms make them worse.
Special Assessments & Mello-Roos Taxes — Are They Deductible?
Most Mello-Roos and HOA special assessments aren't deductible because the IRS treats them as payment for a specific improvement, not a general tax.
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