6 Simple Open House Preparations You Shouldn’t Overlook

Posted on November 13, 2018 by admin

The open house is your best chance for getting bids on your property, and it’s a great way to drum up a little competition to drive bids even higher. Yet, many homeowners overlook the simple things that make all the difference. Use these preparations to stage your house beautifully and get more for your property.

Remember: It’s Not Personal

The first thing you want to do is declutter your home and depersonalize it, according to HGTV. You’re going to be moving, so get some boxes to pack away all those family photos and personal knickknacks. You want buyers to see themselves living their lives here. Also, remove as much clutter as you possibly can to make your home look less personal and make it easier for buyers to imagine their own items inside

Tidy Up the Outside

Realtors talk about curb appeal endlessly, and there’s a good reason: It really matters. Clean debris out of your landscaping areas, sweep the walkways, driveway and porch, and wash everything. Your doors, windows, shutters, gutters and mailboxes should all be cleaned and scrubbed so they gleam. Touch up the paint if needed. According to U.S. News & World Report, making a good first impression is essential to having a successful open house.

Put the Pet Stuff Away

Some homebuyers are turned off by homes with pets in them. They’ll start imagining smells and hidden stains, and before you know it they’re making a lower offer or no offer at all. If you have pets, hide the evidence. Put away toys, food bowls and all of their items, and don’t give potential buyers a reason to wrangle a lower price for your property.

Hire Professional Cleaners

Your home needs to sparkle and shine if it’s going to attract the most attention and get lots of good offers. Consider hiring a professional cleaning service to deep clean your entire house. Professional cleaners won’t neglect all the little details, and when they’re done everything will look and smell clean — something that potential buyers love. Most homeowners spend between $122 and $167 nationally for all-over home cleaning. This money will come back to you in offers.

Tone It Down

You may have a flashy personality, an eye for style and a certain way with home decor. But what buyers want to see is a neutral color scheme, not a lot of electric blue accents everywhere. Remove throw pillows, vases, artwork and other items that might have vivid colors and busy patterns. Make your home look as neutral as you can, and inspire potential buyers to imagine their own design tastes here instead.

Give Them a Parting Gift

Print up some flyers featuring nearby neighborhood attractions, area schools and pictures of your home inside and out. A little take away item like this will keep your property fresh in potential buyers’ minds, and it’s a great advertisement for why they should buy your home. Use full-color photos and an attractive design to make the flyer pleasing to the eye. Don’t forget to include all the contact information to make it easy for them to make you an offer.

Have a Great Open House

Take a little extra time to stage your house well, and your investment of time will be returned to you in dollars. The open house is your best chance of receiving multiple offers for your home, and that’s your best bet for getting the highest possible sale price. Don’t neglect the simple preparations that hurt so many sellers, and have a great open house.

Author

Suzie Wilson is an interior designer with more than 20 years experience. What started as a hobby (and often, a favor to friends) turned into a passion for creating soothing spaces in homes of every size and style. While her goal always includes making homes look beautiful, her true focus is on fashioning them into serene, stress-free environments that inspire tranquility in all who enter. The Ultimate Guide to Prepping Your Home for an Open House is filled with tips, tricks and other advice based on Suzie’s years of experience in interior home design that will set you up for success.

Photo credit: Pexels.com

Moving Day Tips

Posted on July 11, 2018 by admin

Moving Day: Tips on How to Make It a Success

Photo via Pixabay

Moving comes with a lot to think about, especially if you’re going out of state or if you have a lot of belongings to transport. There’s so much to plan for, so it’s imperative that you start making preparations as early as possible so nothing gets left out. Make a to-do list and check off items as you complete them so you can stay organized, and don’t hesitate to delegate responsibilities to your family members. This will help relieve stress and help make your moving day a success.

Some of the most overlooked moving preparations include planning for pets, leaving empty boxes aside for last-minute items, and decluttering before packing begins. If you can pack smartly, create a viable plan, and make sure you have everything you need when it comes to materials, you and your family will have no trouble making the big day run smoothly.

Keep reading for some great tips for moving day.

Pack smart

Each box you pack should be done so carefully according to what’s inside. Have plenty of packing materials, such as styrofoam packing peanuts, bubble wrap, newspaper, and boxes, at the ready and get one room done before moving on. Test boxes to make sure they’re not too heavy to lift; think of packing like you’re filling a grocery bag. Heavy items should be on the bottom, with lighter items on top, fitted in together so there’s not much room for them to move around inside. Wrap glass and other breakables carefully and be careful not to overfill those boxes. Make packing lists for each box and tape them to the outside. Click here for some more great tips on packing and moving.

Educate yourself on DIY moving

Professional movers will get the job done quickly and efficiently, but if there’s no money in the budget for a pro, you and your family can move yourselves. As long as everyone knows the rules of safety and has the right tools, things can go smoothly. Make sure you have a dolly and plan how you’ll pack the truck or vehicles to protect your belongings.

Provide for the help

Whether you’re hiring a moving company for the big day or will just have friends and family members helping out, it’s a good idea to provide food and drinks for everyone throughout the day. Moving is hard work, and if it’s a big job, it’ll take a while. Consider filling a cooler with bottled water and other refreshing drinks, especially if it’s a hot day, and leaving it out so that everyone can get what they need during the move.

Stay in touch

Keeping communication open with your helpers will prevent any confusion and allow everyone to stay on the same page all day, so keep your phone on and make sure everyone has your number in case you get separated or there’s a change in plans. This is especially important if you’re moving to a different city or state.

Have cash on hand

Having cash handy will help you when it comes to tipping the movers or in case you need to ask a friend to run errands for you while you take care of other things.

Moving day can be extremely stressful if you aren’t prepared, but starting with a good plan will help you stay organized and anxiety free. Too many cooks in the kitchen will create chaos, so make sure everyone has their own job to do, and don’t be afraid to delegate in order to keep things on track.

For more moving resources and if you need a moving company visit: https://www.consumersadvocate.org/moving-companies

https://www.completeremovals.com.au/reduce-stress-when-moving/

If you are relocating to Orlando and would like to buy a house, contact experienced local Real Estate Broker-Owner of Top Orlando Realty, Alex Galitsky 407-284-1213 or visit his website is http://TopOrlandoRealty.com

What You Need to Know Before Attempting a DIY Project

Posted on January 26, 2018 by admin

What You Need to Know Before Attempting a DIY Project

If disaster has recently come upon your home, or you are simply looking to improve an aspect of your living space, you may have recently considered doing the job yourself. There is an array of shows, magazines, videos, and other media dedicated to what is known as DIY (Do It Yourself) projects. In addition to spreading knowledge and how-to pertaining to home projects, they promote a feeling of independence and self-reliance with homeowners.

While doing their own jobs can be a positive endeavor for homeowners, the line between what is doable alone and what needs the eye of a professional can occasionally become blurred. The cost for labor is a figure that continually rises, and that cost can be a huge burden for new homeowners that budget wisely. That feeling that contractors will nickel and dime their way to a hefty profit is enough for many homeowners to say, “I think I can try this myself.”

If you’re going to take on a DIY project, it is important to gage the scope of each project. Knowledge, skill, cost, and safety are all areas that need to be considered to ensure a project is done correctly and with no possibility for future damage.

Deciding if a Professional Is Necessary

Whether a professional contractor is a necessity to a job is entirely dependent upon the job. Brutal determination to do it yourself is not always the best way to approach big projects around your home. The job should always be done properly, and some high-skill jobs do require licenses and permits just to get started.

Determining whether a job is doable on your own starts by finding the answers to a few big questions. Will hiring a professional truly be costlier if I make a mistake? Do I have all the necessary experience? Do I have all the tools I need?

When considering if you have enough experience, consult your contractors and others who have done the job before. You may need to reconsider if it seems like a job you may easily botch or a project that can go bad over time. A mix of both hiring professionals and DIY can also be a great alternative, as many little contracting jobs can be taken by the homeowner. Picking up leftover trash afterward is one of many great ways to save on jobs done by professional contractors.

Safety

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people are hurt each year in preventable DIY accidents. Accidents with blades, power tools, and corrosive chemicals all occur with home projects. Research done beforehand is essential in understanding what tools will be needed as well as what you should wear. Knowledge that a power washer can peel back skin on your hand isn’t necessarily general information, so you should research DIY hazards.

Before enlisting yourself in a project, consider these few safety tips.

Power Tool Safety. List out all the tools needed for each project, including less–thought–of items like spades, hammers, or clamps. Going over the operating ability of your tools can make them less susceptible to malfunction. All blades should be sharpened, as dull blades can cause serious damage. Electrical cords should be in working order, and each tool should be cleaned of dust or debris. Always read the manual if you have any questions about the function of a tool.
Wear Proper Attire. Depending on what each job entails, the proper clothing and gear can aid in keeping you safe from bodily injury. Goggles for projects involving dust, debris, or flying objects are a necessity. Different sorts of gloves, boots, and clothing are always a must for any sort of project. Always research what sorts of materials you are going to encounter and what actions will be done to those materials.

Completing DIY projects around your home can be a great way to save money otherwise spent on expensive contractors and professionals. Before starting, make sure that you have enough experience and the necessary tools to complete the job. And always make sure that you practice power tool safety and wear protective clothing.

How You Can Improve the Resale Value of Your Home

Posted on January 5, 2018 by admin

While there are never guarantees in selling your home, there are plenty of ways you can increase not only the likelihood of a sale, but the return you’ll see. These measures don’t have to break the bank, either. While many such tasks you can do yourself, sometimes it will be necessary to get outside help.

Clean, Clean, Clean

First and foremost, your home should be absolutely spotless. There should be no stray sweaters on couches, no dust lingering behind lampshades, nothing to make a prospective buyer say, “Ick.” A coat of varnish and polish on an old coffee table or chest of drawers can take it from shabby and drab to classic. You can clean yourself, or you can hire a company to do it for you. Whatever you choose, cleaning the inside and outside of your home can make an incredible difference.

Proper Staging

It can be hard to see past our own possessions, past our memories and the comforts of our life, but you do not want your home to feel cluttered. Whether it’s possible to move your possessions into clever hideaways or for you rent a storage space for a month, you should make your house feel airy and light to make potential buyers think of it as an open space they can stretch in. This includes your closet. If your closets are packed with clothes or boxes, it will give the impression there isn’t much storage space in the house, so don’t overlook closets when you stage your home. When staging, make sure to make any small touch-ups you need done. Has the paint been scraped off on a corner of the kitchen? Is there a chipped tile in the bathroom? Do you need new grout? Get these things fixed so your home looks positively pristine.

Tend to the Outdoors

People aren’t going to be seeing just how your home looks inside. The first thing a potential buyer is going to see is your home from the curb. People make snap judgments, and if your home looks a little run-down, or even if the lawn isn’t well-manicured, buyers may not see past that, even if your house is perfect inside. Tend to your garden if you have one, trim your grass, and get your trees shaped, whatever you need to do to make it look well cared for.

Lower Your Energy Costs

This doesn’t sound exciting, but it can be a draw for a buyer. Energy costs are rising all across the globe, and with income levels remaining somewhat stagnant, it can be hard to keep up. That’s why it’s important to find ways to keep energy costs lowered to best appeal to prospective buyers. Update your insulation, double-glaze your windows to keep temperatures stable, and consider getting energy-efficient appliances, such as a washer and dryer, as a bonus to leave behind for your buyer.

Remodel

You may not be able to get around a remodel to update your home and make it as attractive as possible. You won’t need to transform every single room, but there are a few rooms that can truly make a difference. Adding rooms is much more difficult to do than redesigning existing ones, so depending on your home, you may only need to make a few tweaks. The kitchen is one room that can really benefit from additional work. According to HomeAdvisor, the average price of remodeling a kitchen in Orlando, Florida is anywhere from $11,908-$22,556, with a timeline of four to five weeks for a co

Tend to the Outdoors

Lower Your Energy Costs

Remodel

With just a number of adjustments, you can prepare your home for the big sale, and work toward getting the price all that effort can yield. Remodelling your home can seem daunting, but it has the potential to really increase the resale value of your property. If you keep your home looking clean, clear, and modern, with the amenities of energy efficiency, you can increase the probability of a sale.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Rent-To-Own Orlando – Try Before You Buy and Don’t move Twice

Posted on November 13, 2017 by admin

Are you new to the area?

Do you dread the idea of moving twice?

Do you need to fix your credit?

Do you need to save up for down payment?

Try before you buy and don’t move twice. I am working with a company which will buy a property you chose and let you rent it out for up to 5 years with an option to buy it.

Take a look at currently available homes in Orlando Area available for rent-to-own or lease-option. You’ll be able to see the estimated rent price and option to buy price.

https://www.homepartners.com/results/FL/orlando-metro/marketId=13

Contact me for details or apply here:

https://www.homepartners.com/user/sign_up?utm_agent=Alex+Galitsky&utm_agentemail=alex%40toporlandorealty.com&utm_agentid=37F80CDEE79E78E4&utm_brokerage=Top+Orlando+Realty+%7C+FL

Here are 100 unforgettable John Wooden quotes

Posted on November 8, 2017 by admin

1. “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.” – John Wooden

2. “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” – John Wooden

3. “Make each day your masterpiece“ – John Wooden

4. “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” – John Wooden

5. “Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books – especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.” – John Wooden

6. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden

7. “There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.” – John Wooden

8. “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden

9. “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” – John Wooden

10. “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” – John Wooden

11. “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” – John Wooden

12. “In the end, it’s about the teaching, and what I always loved about coaching was the practices. Not the games, not the tournaments, not the alumni stuff. But teaching the players during practice was what coaching was all about to me.” – John Wooden

13. “Just try to be the best you can be; never cease trying to be the best you can be. That’s in your power.” – John Wooden

14. “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” – John Wooden

15. “The best competition I have is against myself to become better. – John Wooden

16. “The most important thing in the world is family and love.” – John Wooden

17. “I had three rules for my players: No profanity. Don’t criticize a teammate. Never be late.” – John Wooden

18. “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” – John Wooden

19. “The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.” – John Wooden

20th John Wooden Quote – “Passion is momentary; love is enduring.” – John Wooden

21. “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” – John Wooden

22. “Friendship is two-sided. It isn’t a friend just because someone’s doing something nice for you. That’s a nice person. There’s friendship when you do for each other. It’s like marriage – it’s two-sided.” – John Wooden

23. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden

24. “Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.” – John Wooden

25. “My eyesight is not nearly as good. My hearing is probably going away. My memory is slipping too. But I’m still around.” – John Wooden

26. “There’s as much crookedness as you want to find. There was something Abraham Lincoln said – he’d rather trust and be disappointed than distrust and be miserable all the time. Maybe I trusted too much.” – John Wooden

27. “Young people need models, not critics.” – John Wooden

28. “You can lose when you outscore somebody in a game. And you can win when you’re outscored.” – John Wooden

29. “I am just a common man who is true to his beliefs.” – John Wooden

30. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – John Wooden

31. “I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.” – John Wooden

32. “Never mistake activity for achievement.” – John Wooden

33. “What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player.” – John Wooden

34. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”– John Wooden

35. “I think you have to be what you are. Don’t try to be somebody else. You have to be yourself at all times.” – John Wooden

36. “Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.” – John Wooden

37. “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.” – John Wooden

38. “Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.” – John Wooden

39. “All of life is peaks and valleys. Don’t let the peaks get too high and the valleys too low.” – John Wooden

40th John Wooden Quote – “Today is the only day. Yesterday is gone.” – John Wooden

41. “Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters.” – John Wooden

42. “Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.” – John Wooden

43. “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.” – John Wooden

44. “I worry that business leaders are more interested in material gain than they are in having the patience to build up a strong organization, and a strong organization starts with caring for their people.” – John Wooden

45. “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.” – John Wooden

46. “Well, if you’re true to yourself you’re going to be true to everyone else.” – John Wooden

47. “Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character.” – John Wooden

48. “Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.” – John Wooden

49. “Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.” – John Wooden

50. “If I were a young coach today, I would be extremely careful in selecting assistants.” – John Wooden

50. “Teaching players during practices was what coaching was all about to me.” – John Wooden

52. “Discipline yourself, and others won’t need to.” – John Wooden

53. “If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.” – John Wooden

54. “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” – John Wooden

55. “Well, your greatest joy definitely comes from doing something for another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.” – John Wooden

56. “We can have no progress without change, whether it be basketball or anything else.” – John Wooden

57. “When you hurry you’re more apt to make mistakes. But you have to be quick. If you’re not quick you can’t get things done.” – John Wooden

58. “Somebody asked me – you know, how come it took you so long to win a national championship? And I said, ‘I’m a slow learner; but you notice when I learn something, I have it down pretty good.’” – John Wooden

59. “Ability is a poor man’s wealth.” – John Wooden

60. “I don’t believe in praying to win.” – John Wooden

61. “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – John Wooden

62. “Just do the best you can. No one can do more than that.” – John Wooden

63. “It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it.” – John Wooden

64. “I think that in any group activity – whether it be business, sports, or family – there has to be leadership or it won’t be successful.” – John Wooden

65. “I’m not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I’m going to say I’m opposed to war. But I’m also opposed to protests that deny other people their rights.” – John Wooden

66. “Be prepared and be honest.” – John Wooden

67. “If I am through learning, I am through.” – John Wooden

68. “Love is the most important thing in the world. Hate, we should remove from the dictionary.” – John Wooden

69. “Earn the right to be proud and confident.” – John Wooden

70. “I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.” – John Wooden

71. “I don’t think I was a fine game coach. I’m trying to be honest. I think I was a good practice coach.” – John Wooden

72. “I don’t believe in fate.” – John Wooden

73. “You can do more good by being good than any other way.” – John Wooden

74. “If there’s anything you could point out where I was a little different, it was the fact that I never mentioned winning.” – John Wooden

75. “I’m no wizard, and I don’t like being thought of in that light at all. I think of a wizard as being some sort of magician or something, doing something on the sly or something, and I don’t want to be thought of in that way.” – John Wooden

76. “No one can really honestly be the very best, no one.” – John Wooden

77. “Never lie, never cheat, never steal.” – John Wooden

78. “I talked to the players and tried to make them aware of what was good and bad, but I didn’t try to run their lives.” – John Wooden

79. “I like to spend time in the past, with the things that have been important to me.” – John Wooden

80th John Wooden Quote -“I was built up from my dad more than anyone else.” – John Wooden

81. “It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.” – John Wooden

82. “The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” ― John Wooden

83. “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” ― John Wooden

84. “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” ― John Wooden

85. “Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.” ― John Wooden

86. “Seek opportunities to show you care. The smallest gestures often make the biggest difference.” ― John Wooden

87. “It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.” ― John Wooden

88. “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” ― John Wooden

89. “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” ― John Wooden

90. “It is the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” – John Wooden

91. “Happiness begins where selfishness ends.” ― John Wooden

92. “Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time” ― John Wooden

93. “Listen if you want to be heard” ― John Wooden

94. “Never try to be better than someone else. Learn from others, and try to be the best you can be. Success is the by-product of that preparation.” ― John Wooden

95. “Nothing will work unless you do.” – John Wooden

96. “Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating…too often fathers neglect it because they get so caught up in making a living they forget to make a life.” ― John Wooden

97. “Tell the truth. That way you don’t have to remember a story.” – John Wooden

98. “If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.” – John Wooden

99. “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes” – John Wooden

100. “Although there is no progress without change, not all change is progress.” – John Wooden

Which John Wooden quote is your favorite and why? Share in the comment section below!

Orlando Real Estate Market Pulse July 2017

Posted on August 16, 2017 by admin

Orlando median price rises as home sales slow in July

The median price of Orlando homes sold during the month of July increased almost 7 percent while sales decreased 0.2 percent compared to July 2016, reports the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association. Inventory continued its year-over-year slide.

Orlando’s overall median home price (all home types combined) is $220,000, which is 6.8 percent above the July 2016 median price of $206,000. Year-over-year increases in median price have been recorded for the past 72 consecutive months; as of July 2017, the overall median price has more than doubled since July 2010.

The median price for single-family homes that changed hands in July increased 4.7 percent over July 2016 and is now $240,000. The median price for condos increased 21.0 percent to $115,000.

The overall average home price for July 2017 is $263,877, an increase of 8.3 percent over the average home price in July 2016. The average home listed for $271,002 in July and sold for 97.4 percent of its listing price (97.3 percent in July 2016).

Sales

Members of ORRA participated in 3,347 sales of all home types combined in July, which is 0.2 percent less than the 3,353 sales in July 2016 and 13.8 percent less than the 3,882 sales in June 2017.

ORRA President Bruce Elliott, Regal R.E. Professionals LLC, explains that demand for homes is strong, but the supply of homes, especially those under $250,000, remains low.

“Would-be first-time homebuyers are being kept on the sidelines by limited inventory and rising prices,” says Elliott. “However, rising prices have slowed some of the investor activity, which could mean slightly less competition for homes at the lower end of the market.”

Sales of single-family homes (2,634) in July 2017 decreased by 0.9 percent compared to July 2016, while condo sales (383) increased 6.1 percent.

Sales of distressed homes (foreclosures and short sales) reached only 202 in July and is 46.0 percent less than in July 2016. Distressed sales made up 6.0 percent of all Orlando-area transactions last month.

The average interest rate paid by Orlando homebuyers in July was 4.01 percent, up from 3.98 percent the month prior.

The overall inventory of homes that were available for purchase in July (9,051) represents a decrease of 15.0 percent when compared to July 2016, and a 1.0 percent decrease compared to last month. There were 13.3 percent fewer single family homes and 25.5 percent fewer condos.

Current inventory combined with the current pace of sales created a 2.7-month supply of homes in Orlando for July. There was a 3.2-month supply in July 2016 and a 2.4-month supply last month.

MSA Numbers

Sales of existing homes within the entire Orlando MSA (Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties) in July were down by 0.1 percent when compared to July of 2016. Year to date, MSA sales are up 5.2 percent

Each individual county’s sales comparisons are as follows:

•Lake: 12.2 percent above July 2016;
•Orange: 0.5 percent below July 2016;
•Osceola: 0.7 percent above July 2016; and
•Seminole: 8.7 percent below July 2016.

This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association and the My Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor MFRMLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the association or MFRMLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Due to late closings, an adjustment is necessary to record those closings posted after our reporting date.

ORRA REALTOR® sales, referred to as the core market, represent all sales by members of the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association, not necessarily those sales strictly in Orange and Seminole counties. Note that statistics released each month may be revised in the future as new data is received.

Orlando MSA numbers reflect sales of homes located in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake counties by members of any REALTOR® association, not just members of ORRA.

It’s getting easier to qualify for a mortgage

Posted on August 10, 2017 by admin

The demand for housing is high and rents are sky-rocketing, but on the bright side, mortgages are becoming easier to get. Banks feel more confident in the market and so should you.

NEW YORK – Aug. 8, 2017 – Thanks in part to rising home prices, some mortgage lenders are loosening their underwriting standards so borrowers can purchase property sooner.

“The reality has sunk in that there are buyers out there who will be able to buy homes and make the mortgage payments,” William E. Brown, president of the National Association of Realtors^® (NAR), told the industry news website OriginatorTimes.com. The industry is “trying to give them more options to buy a house,” he added.

Mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are rolling out new programs to spur homeownership, and some lenders are relaxing their standards to avoid losing business as home prices and mortgage rates rise, says Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance.

“If your business is going to drop 20 percent, you need to come up with ways to offset that,” Cecala says.

Some analysts say that this shouldn’t create fear: Lenders aren’t returning to the lax standards that were commonplace before the last housing crash. Back then, some mortgage borrowers didn’t have to put any money down to buy a home.

Still, others in the industry warn lenders to be vigilant against creating another unsustainable housing boom by relaxing underwriting rules too much.

“This is what happened last time,” says Edward Pinto, a fellow at conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute.

Underwriting standards still remain stricter than in the past. Though borrowers have more loan options, such as 3 percent down mortgages, they typically must meet higher credit requirements to qualify. Also, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s 3 percent down loans are capped at $424,100.

Following the housing crisis, Fannie established a debt-to-income cap of 45 percent, making an exception for borrowers who put at least 20 percent down and could show they had enough savings to pay their mortgage for 12 months if they lost a job. But last month, Fannie did away with those special requirements and raised its cap to 50 percent, though borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio between 45 percent and 50 percent still have to prove their creditworthiness in order to get a loan.

The Urban Institute called Fannie’s new policy “a win for expanding access to credit” and estimated it would lead to the approval of 95,000 new loans annually.

Freddie Mac also recently launched a pilot program to allow borrowers to use income from household members not on the loan. Freddie officials said the move was to help increase opportunities for Latinos, who often live in multigenerational households.

Laurie Goodman of the Urban Institute says that, overall, the changes lenders are making are “very marginal.” The Urban Institute index shows that loans today are still less risky than they were between 2000 and 2002, a time period when lending standards were considered “reasonable,” the institute says.

Source: “As Prices Rise, Mortgage Lenders Are Making It Easier to Buy a House,” OrignatorTimes.com (Aug. 5, 2017)

Life Planning for Beginners

Posted on July 28, 2017 by admin

Photo courtesy of Pixabay by Tawney Nina

How much does it cost to have a baby? Recent studies have determined, after factoring for inflation, that the average cost to raise a child is a whopping $245,000. That estimate only includes infancy through age 18, and doesn’t even take college costs or other post-college expenses into consideration.

$245,000 per child is a staggering number for most. If you have a family or plan on starting one, you may be wondering how you’re supposed to afford to have a child. Wouldn’t things be so much easier if this life planning stuff came with its own instruction manual? While we live in the real world where tricky situations don’t come with their own handy instructions, there is still a lot of time-tested wisdom out there and plenty of experts who are willing to share their advice with us.

Here are a few tips from the financial experts:

Prepare for a New Baby
Research shows that, given the same income, people who commit to a financial plan are much more successful in saving up for their goals. The same is true for planning a family and saving up for a good future for your children. For couples who are saving up together, having a financial plan in place will help them see eye to eye and (hopefully) be more successful in reaching their goals.

Planning for a new baby can start during pregnancy, or anytime prior to conception. A recent Parents.com article offers a nine-month strategy for family planning. In addition to the common sense advice of cutting debts and tracking pennies, some of the other recommendations include: updating life insurance beneficiaries; evaluate pricing for various childcare options; and even the grim yet necessary task of writing a will (and choosing a guardian for your child) and putting together other necessary documents just in case something happens to you. Another important aspect of family planning is choosing a safe place to live. Evaluate the area you live in now and think about whether you would feel comfortable raising children there. These aren’t always the things that we want to think about, but they are absolutely necessary to think about when bringing a new life into this world and raising that life through adulthood.

Build a Nest Egg
Author Dave Ramsey, who is known for his helpful books and radio show on paying off debts and achieving financial stability, recommends building up a nest egg as soon as you can. Start by saving up $1,000 in a savings account, while you are still working to pay off your debts.

Eventually, you’ll also want to save up enough money to cover 3 to 6 months of your expenses. Why? There are no guarantees in life. Hopefully, you don’t lose your job, get in an accident, have to have an unexpected surgery, or encounter another situation where you might struggle to pay your bills. This savings covers your bills just in case anything happens and keeps you from slipping further into debt.

Having a solid nest egg will also come in handy should you want to make family investments such as purchasing an investment property, buying a larger home to accommodate your growing family, set up a college fund for your child, or even family vacations. Apart from your main bank account, consider setting up a separate bank account for expenses and investments. Commit to putting a little bit of money in each month, sit back, and watch it grow.

Get Help from an Actual Human

If you’re finding it difficult to navigate your way through life planning and finances on your own, there are people out there who can help. It might be time to find a financial adviser who can assess your unique situation and help you determine a plan that fits your needs. Forbes recently released a list of tips for picking the right financial adviser, which you can read here.

Once you’ve followed these tips, you’ll be off to a good start. If you already have children, you’ll rest easier (well, as easily as you can rest with children in the house) knowing that you’re making important decisions to positively influence your child’s future. And if you don’t have children yet, you’ll be able to focus more energy on eagerly anticipating your future family, knowing you’re financially prepared for your little ones to arrive.

Author: Jackie Waters (Hyper-Tidy.com)

How to Check for Contaminated Land Before You Buy

Posted on June 20, 2017 by admin

Recently I was working with a buyer who was looking for a piece of property at an absolute auction. After doing some due diligence and research we discovered that there used to be a gas station previously and tanks leaked. The land and water supply is now contaminated and clean up efforts are being made. The cleanup is estimated to cost around $400k. A deal quickly turned into a dud.

Use this map below to locate contaminated land. You can choose one or more search criteria:


Brownfields	Sites in this category are being cleaned up under Florida’s Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Brownfields are properties that are abandoned or underutilized due to actual or perceived contamination. This program provides legal and financial incentives to persons who voluntarily clean up and redevelop brownfield sites in accordance with the program requirements.
Petroleum	These are sites contaminated by discharges of petroleum and petroleum products from underground and above ground stationary petroleum storage systems. Many of these sites are eligible to be cleaned up by the DEP (in priority order) while others will be cleaned up by the party responsible for the contamination, under DEP’s direction.
Superfund	These are contaminated sites that are being cleaned up by the federal Superfund program under the direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and in cooperation with the DEP.
Other Waste Cleanup	These are sites contaminated by non-petroleum chemicals that fall under one of the following five cleanup programs. Some of these sites are in the process of being cleaned up; others are on priority lists awaiting funding. Drycleaning: Sites contaminated with drycleaning solvents that are eligible to be cleaned up by the DEP Responsible Party: Sites that will be cleaned up by the party responsible for the contamination or by a party that did not cause the contamination but has accepted responsibility for cleanup State Funded: Sites that will be cleaned up by the DEP because there is no party identified that is responsible for the contamination or able to clean it up State-Owned Lands Cleanup: Sites on state properties (such as state parks or state-owned buildings) that will be cleaned up by the DEP Hazardous Waste: Sites at regulated hazardous waste facilities that will be cleaned up by the facility owner or operator in accordance with the federal hazardous waste program.

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