How to Install a Water Filter Under the Sink

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey travels to Los Angeles to update a water filter to preserve the look of a retro faucet

By Richard Trethewey

Steps:

Start by shutting off the cold water line underneath the kitchen sink. The cold should always be to the right.
Open the faucet to release any cold water that’s in the line upstream of the shutoff valve.
Place a small bucket or tray underneath the cold water line underneath the sink to catch any extra water that might fall out. Then, break the water connection using a wrench.
Connect the adapter that comes with the kit to the hose.
Push the black tubing that also comes with the kit into the adapter on one end and the filter on the other. The back of the filter has images that indicate which pipe should receive which tube.
Connect the second adapter to the water shutoff valve. Push the black tubing that came from the filter to the shutoff.
Turn the water back on.
Run the sink for 5- to 10-minute increments, according to the instructions that come with the ki,t to activate the carbon and fully filter the water.

Resources:
Richard installed the Advanced Water Filtration System, which is manufactured by Kube. It comes with a kit of adapters and connectors so that it’s easy to connect it with whatever pipes you have underneath your sink. The only other tool required for installation is a wrench, which can be found at any home center.

The retro faucet the homeowner had in her kitchen is called the Dishmaster M76 Imperial Four, which can still be found on the manufacturer’s website and on some third-party sites.

The Reason Mortgage Rates Are Projected to Increase and What It Means for You

Buying Myths, First Time Home Buyers, For Buyers, Housing Market Updates, Interest Rates, Move-Up Buyers

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We’re currently experiencing historically low mortgage rates. Over the last fifty years, the average on a Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been 7.76%. Today, that rate is 2.81%. Flocks of homebuyers have been taking advantage of these remarkably low rates over the last twelve months. However, there’s no guarantee rates will remain this low much longer.

Whenever we try to forecast mortgage rates, we should consider the advice of Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American:

“You know, the fallacy of economic forecasting is don’t ever try and forecast interest rates and/or, more specifically, if you’re a real estate economist mortgage rates, because you will always invariably be wrong.”

Many things impact mortgage rates. The economy, inflation, and Fed policy, just to name a few. That makes forecasting rates difficult. However, there’s one metric that has held up over the last fifty years – the relationship between mortgage rates and the 10-year treasury rate. Here’s a graph detailing this relationship since Freddie Mac started keeping mortgage rate records in 1972:There’s no denying the close relationship between the two. Over the last five decades, there’s been an average 1.7-point spread between these two rates. It’s this long-term relationship that has some forecasters projecting an increase in mortgage rates as we move throughout the year. This is based on the recent surge in the 10-year treasury rate shown here:The spread between the two is now 1.53, indicating mortgage rates could rise. Actually, a bump-up in rate has already begun. As Joel Kan, Associate VP of Economic Forecasting for the Mortgage Bankers Association, reveals:

“Expectations of faster economic growth and inflation continue to push Treasury yields & mortgage rates higher. Since hitting a survey low in December, the 30-year fixed rate has slowly risen, & last week climbed to its highest level since Nov 2020.”

How high might they go in 2021?

No one knows for sure. Sam Khater, Chief Economist for Freddie Mac, recently suggested:

“While there are multiple temporary factors driving up rates, the underlying economic fundamentals point to rates remaining in the low 3% range for the year.”

What does this mean for you?

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or you’ve purchased a home before, even an increase of half a point in mortgage rate (2.81 to 3.31%) makes a big difference. On a $300,000 mortgage, that difference (including principal and interest) is $82 a month, $984 a year, or a total of $29,520 over the life of the home loan.

Bottom Line

Based on the 50-year symbiotic relationship between treasury rates and mortgage rates, it appears mortgage rates could be headed up this year. It may make sense to buy now rather than wait.

5 Cool Painter's Tape Techniques

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/painting/21018654/5-cool-painter-s-tape-techniques

Housing Affordability Improves in December 2020 With Lower Interest Rates

https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/housing-affordability-improves-in-december-2020-with-lower-interest-rates

Tips to Get Your Home SOLD!

Many homeowners have already started looking into the prospect of selling their home on this fresh market. It’s always a good idea to take a look down the road and plan early for this transition before it’s time to make the move…and of course, when you sell you want to get the most back for your investment.

Good news! We’ve put together 3 renovations that will help you not only get that home sold FAST but also likely for even MORE in your pocket…

PAINT!
There’s nothing quite like some fresh color to breathe new life into things! You will be amazed at how this most simple of changes can make a big impact. You can certainly do this on your own and save a few bucks but it never hurts to at least check into a professional painter – they’ll have insight into the latest color trends and more.

The Master Bath…Or Shower!
A dark, drab bathroom is no way to show things off; considering the large amount of time we will spend in this room over the years it really makes sense that you want it to look nice. This can be as easily done as some fresh paint and fixtures or all new cabinets and tiles – a little goes a long way!

Quartz Counter Tops
Quartz has been a hot trend for a few years and this year it’s tops! This material is a great choice as it is strong, durable, as well as easy to maintain. New styles of quartz are even able to mimic the patterns and textures of marble for an extra rich detail. Even if you don’t go quartz you may want to redo your counter tops if they’re looking outdated. The kitchen after all is one of the other rooms we spend most of our time in!

Don’t know where to start? Know you need to sell your home but feel completely lost? Don’t Panic! We can help – just get in touch!