Termites. As a professional real estate agent they cause me trouble. Buyers don’t like them because they believe all termite damage is bad. Very bad. Seller’s don’t like them because they have to pay, sometimes big money, to get rid of them and possibly repair damage. Me, I don’t like them because I am usually the bearer of bad news when it comes to working with either the buyer or seller.
And now they (the termites) have found out where I live! Obviously, for years I have been an advocate of killing any and all termites that I come across. I urged sellers and exterminators to “kill’em, kill’em all!” Every last one of them. The mothers, fathers and yes, even the little children termites. They must not have liked this very much. They formed a plan and went to work.You see, late last fall I was cleaning out the gutters of my home and son-of-a-gun I recognized the tell tale sign of mud-tubes coming down from one of the gutters. Crap. I immediately called my termite guy, Ken Nelson of Extreme Pest Elimination. He came all the way over to my house to confirm that, yes, I was not an idiot and yes, those were indeed mud tubes. He recommended waiting through the winter for treatment. I still have to replace a few shrubs around my house and do some minor landscaping up against the house before treatment. Why? Because if I treat first it will probably disturb the barrier we would be setting up with treatment.
Anyway, do your homework on termites. Rental property owners should remember to have their houses inspected at least every other year. Just because you don’t live there and just because you don’t spend a lot of time there doesn’t mean the termites are not lurking. They are crafty little devils. And should you want to read more about them from an independent source, check out the link to the Kansas State University Research and Extension center. They are always a good resource.
BBQ Capital | Kansas City Real Estate Investing 