Watch the video on YouTube https://youtu.be/eJQpUgDitMU  This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/      ⁠   In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks about how to avoid getting taken advantage of by a dishonest contractor, especially if you are having your HVAC, gutters, or asphalt looked at. Thank you to the Moolah Shrine Center of St. Louis for providing the filming location. Consider becoming a Shriner today. 1:08 Pick up a copy of Troy’s book at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Confidence-ESSENTIAL-Contractor-Hiring-ebook/dp/B0CYXPY63S  6:38 HVAC Cons 7:50 Ultra high-efficiency HVAC system con 10:50 Must upgrade HVAC NOW con 13:23 Cheapest contractor isn’t always the best 16:00 Freon con 21:17 Warranties not backed by the manufacturer 25:38 Gutter guards 31:46 Sewer lateral cleaning and camera scoping 32:27 Small cutting tool to clean out the drain 36:38 Paying extra to locate lines 39:43 6 tips to remove tree roots in a sewer line 42:34 Blacktop asphalt driveways 43:18 Not filling in the cracks 45:30 Watering down asphalt coating

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠  Watch the video on YouTube https://youtu.be/GCMvZ5LJQUg    In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks about how to avoid getting taken advantage of by a dishonest contractor.  Pick up a copy of Troy’s book at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Confidence-ESSENTIAL-Contractor-Hiring-ebook/dp/B0CYXPY63S  2:15 A portion of the proceeds from Troy’s book will go to the Moolah Shriners of St. Louis 5:17 Insurance certificates 7:37 Faked references 9:46 Written estimates 13:25 Warranties 17:20 Building permits 21:22 Payments and down payments 25:16 Scheduling 27:38 Bait and switch 30:38 Taxes on labor 32:00 Liens 34:19 HVAC 39:03 Freon 40:57 Dirty HVAC air filters 42:54 Foundation repairs 52:38 Cracks in the foundation 54:37 Foundation settling 58:12 Adding chemicals to shorten the drying time

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠   Pick up a copy of Troy’s book at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Confidence-ESSENTIAL-Contractor-Hiring-ebook/dp/B0CYXPY63S  In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks to Michael Caples about the different ways insurance protects your home including when you hire a general contractor to renovate your home. Find out more about Mike Caples at https://agents.farmers.com/mo/arnold/michael-caples/home-insurance/  https://www.facebook.com/michael.caples.insurance/  2:15 A portion of the proceeds from Troy’s book will go to the Shriners. 3:29 Mike Caples has been in insurance for over 25 years 5:00 Most home insurance claims in the Midwest involve the roof 13:20 How do you assess if a roof was installed correctly? 14:25 Avoiding “storm chasers” who prey on homeowners after a bad storm 16:00 Ask to see a contractor’s proof of insurance 18:30 Workman's comp 21:18 Contractor licensing 26:10 Subcontractor contracts 28:20 Undocumented laborers will not have a tax ID 30:00 Will insurance deny a claim if renovations were done without permits? 31:00 Story about bad wiring injuring a cable guy 34:00 Terrorism coverage 36:00 Don't rely on FEMA to take care of you 38:00 Flood insurance  40:40 Sewer and sump pump endorsement  42:40 Rebuilding from the ground up 43:40 Call the insurance company when you get your declaration page 47:05 A lot of policies don't cover mold 48:30 What if a contractor cracks my driveway? 50:20 Removing snow

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠   Pick up a copy of Troy’s book at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Confidence-ESSENTIAL-Contractor-Hiring-ebook/dp/B0CYXPY63S    In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks to Rebecca Ulsas of Champion Floor Company about some of the different ways to make your floors more appealing. Find out how Champion can help even if your wood floors are stained from animal urine or suffering from termite damage. Find out more about Champion Floor Company at https://championfloor.com/  3:18 Fixing damage from pet urine and termites 4:30 Sand and finish vs prefab floors 6:01 Pull up your register vent to see if you have wood floor 7:30 Hollywood stairs 9:20 Rugs 12:10 Luxury vinyl 15:00 Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair, and Painting 19:10 Padding 19:45 What makes carpet good quality 21:00 Nylon and SmartStrand carpet 22:30 Fleck carpet 22:50 Come visit Champion’s showroom 23:26 Rug artist at the Champion showroom events 24:05 Linoleum 24:16 Floor samples 26:00 Wood patching 27:05 Kilz used for the pet smells 31:33 A horror story about a lady with 10 cats

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠     In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks to Kevin Pannebecker about home repair services and his company Mister Fix-It STL. Find out why you may not want to work with a fly-by-night handyman who won’t accept credit cards. https://misterfixitstl.com/  [email protected] 636-486-1011 Check out Kevin’s first visit appearance on About the House back in September of 2019  1:22  Pick up Troy’s book, Building With Confidence: The ESSENTIAL Contractor Hiring Guide 1:55 Mister Fix-It is a handyman service on steroids 8:10 Carpentry projects 9:36 Deck repair and rotted wood replacement 10:55 Window repair and replacement 15:26 Electrical technicians 16:08 GFCI 21:14 Non-tip oven 21:52 Smart thermostat 22:43 Plumbing contractors 22:53 Bathroom Remodeling 24:31 Drywall and painting 29:18 Replacing light fixtures, screens, faucets, baseboards  33:12 Hanging pictures 37:07 Accepting credit cards

Watch the full presentation at https://youtu.be/Fmpw9lk5Pk0?si=nM4nGDQcXNsI1SEW This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠     In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy gives a live presentation to members of the St. Louis Real Estate Investors Association on how to be your own general contractor, how to hire a contractor, and his book ‘Building with Confidence’. To find out more about the St. Louis Real Estate Investors Association, check them out at https://www.stlreia.com/  10:33 How are we going to pay for the project 11:56 Know what your project will look like 14:04 Types of building contractors 20:00 Where to find contractors 25:26 Contracts 38:10 Insurance requirements 44:41 Equipment, materials, and storage 48:52 Access to other areas of the home 51:16 Designated smoking area 55:57 Communication 59:55 Pets 1:03:49 Lien waivers 1:10:41 Penalties 1:12:40 Change orders 1:15:17 Permits 1:23:00 Bidding requirements 1:24:29 Conditions of the contract 1:25:00 Drawings and blueprints 1:26:28 The Golden Rule

WATCH ON YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/IKgHO21RcAQ This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠     In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks to Richard Brown about Reverse Mortgages a.k.a. HECMs. Find out how you can use your home’s value to pay for medical expenses and in-home healthcare. Contact Rick Brown, Reverse Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS #247348 C : (314) 249-3418 F : (314) 334-2919 [email protected] https://www.university-bank.com/reverse/about-reverse/rick-brown/  DISCLOSURE: University Bank – Reverse Mortgage Division, Equal Housing Opportunity - NMLS 715685, 2015 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI  48104 – (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), Member FDIC that operates in various states.  For a complete list of the states University Bank can operate in please visit  https://www.university-bank.com/licensing. This is not a commitment to lend or an offer for a rate lock agreement. All Mortgage transactions are subject to verification of application information, satisfying all underwriting conditions and requirements. Restrictions apply. 3:00 How long has Rick been doing Reverse Mortgages A.K.A. HECMs? 4:47 How does Rick explain Reverse Mortgages to new clients? 6:35 Rick has to read a disclosure. The numbers presented today are examples and do not reflect what your numbers will be. 34:26 Rick begins his slideshow presentation 34:30 Introduction to Reverse Mortgages A.K.A. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (H.E.C.M.) 34:39 What is the definition of a Reverse Mortgage or H.E.C.M.? 36:20 What are some issues to think about when considering a Reverse Mortgage? 39:30 Adjustable and fixed-rate Reverse Mortgages 39:43 A brief overview of Reverse Mortgages 42:23 The mechanics of a Reverse Mortgage 45:13 An example of a HECM with a $300,000 home 50:05 What happens if the home value does not appreciate after a Reverse Mortgage is put in place? 50:59 A chart showing the home appreciation rate being less than expected 53:03 What if there is an average 3% increase in interest rate? 55:03 How/why might a senior borrower use line of credit funds in the future 55:18 Potential future uses of growing line of credit 58:15 Delaying commencement of social security 58:56 One spouse dies 1:00:14 Directing all proceeds to a guaranteed monthly payment 1:03:57 What are ill-suited quarters? 1:05:51 HECM for purchase 1:06:43 Rightsizing to a new home 1:07:14 Impact on retirement success likelihood 1:08:55 Sampling of potential HECM users 1:09:23 Why not wait to get a HECM until I know I need it 1:10:36 Reasons to get a Reverse Mortgage today rather than later 1:11:58 Reverse Mortage VS a home equity line of credit 1:12:30 FHA HECM guarantees 1:13:00 How does the FHA prevent insolvency? 1:13:43 Qualifying requirements for a HECM 1:14:19 What seniors are good candidates for a Reverse Mortgage? 1:14:45 What do financial planning gurus think of HECMs? 1:15:00 HECMs and the financial planning profession 1:16:03 What is the FHA’s 60% year 1 proceeds limitation rule? 1:17:26 How do adjustable rate mortgages work? 1:18:12 What is the story with non-borrowing spouses? 1:19:26 How do Reverse Mortgages work in a Grey Divorce Settlement? 1:19:41 Adjustable and fixed-rate HECMs 1:20:20 Expanded HECM overview 1:20:26 More questions? Contact Rick at [email protected]

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/     ⁠     In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy talks to water specialist and chemist Jeanne Carton about getting the best water for your home or business.  Find out more about what Jeanne at https://www.h2onlywater.com/ or 3328 N Lindbergh Blvd, Northwest Plaza, MO 63074 3:00 Jeanne “The Water Genie” Carton is originally from Belgium 5:33 Why do we need a water softener? 7:20 How can water from the same river taste so different in another city? 8:30 Why is there lime in the water? 9:20 What is chloramine? 10:15 Kineteco Water Softeners 12:14 What is the National Sanitation Foundation 13:29 Mike Holmes is a spokesman for the Kinetico products 14:00 Well water 18:00 Lime buildup in pipe 20:00 It costs more money in electricity to heat hard water 20:45 Jeanne will not sell a water softener to someone with galvanized pipe 31:25 Spindown filter 34:16 Reverse osmosis drinking water 48:39 Bottled water chemicals 51:30 Tap water vs bottled water

This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/    ⁠   In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy shares some free and low-cost tips and tricks to save on energy costs. Find out how lighting a cigarette can show weak spots in your front door. Blog post - https://gallowaybuildingservice.com/radioshow/energytips/ Troy’s Number - 314-520-6655  Troy’s Email - ⁠[email protected] ⁠   Radio Show Archives - https://gallowaybuildingservice.com/resources/radio-show/     Website - ⁠⁠https://gallowaybuildingservice.com/   3:48 Sealing windows and weather stripping 6:00 Use smoke to show a weak spot or breeze 8:17 Spray foam 11:00 Door sweep or door snake 13:29 Hang a blanket 14:21 Tape 15:14 Bubble wrap 17:00 Curtains and blinds 20:00 Insulation 24:35 Packing peanuts 25:24 Insulate water heater and pipes 26:55 Water heater pipes and pool noodles 29:05 Programmable thermostat 31:10 Maintaining your HVAC system 32:51 Seal and insulate duct work  34:40 Energy-efficient lighting 39:12 Energy-efficient appliances 43:52 Close chimney 46:53 Insulate outlets and switches 49:51 Storm windows and doors 52:30 Caulk around openings 55:12 Close off unused rooms 56:59 Seal and insulate the garage 59:56 Use natural ventilation 101:26 Conduct a home energy audit

Watch the video version https://youtu.be/b1RLegSnqLw  This episode of About the House is brought to you by the Construction Consumer Advocacy Institute https://constructionconsumeradvocacyinstitute.com/    ⁠   In this episode of About the House with Troy Galloway, Troy discusses different indoor air pollution types. Find out how the types of cleaning products and paint you use could make you sick and what to do about it. 4:08 Indoor air pollution types and concerns 5:55 Sources of indoor air pollutants 9:09 Chemical pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) 10:54 Cleaning products 12:20 Paints 13:40 Glues 16:11 Carbon monoxide 18:18 Formaldehyde 20:43 Asbestos 25:21 Radon 29:55 Biological pollutants 30:32 Viruses 31:44 Bacteria 33:13 Molds 40:10 Animal dander 40:36 Dust mites 42:58 Testing for indoor pollutants 45:00 Indoor air quality testing 46:18 Pictures of mold 47:00 Poor air ventilation 48:00 Check out our past episode with Travis Boyer, The Mold Man https://gallowaybuildingservice.com/radioshow/mold-with-travis-boyer/  51:10 Sunlight is a natural mold eliminator 53:10 Dehumidifier 53:28 Choose natural cleaning products 53:55 Quit smoking 55:00 Don’t burn your food