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Things Have Changed

Posted by on Aug 4, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

The soothsayer in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar issued his famous warning “Beware the Ides of March.” Who knew that in 2020, around the middle of March, the world, as we knew it, would force such dramatic changes on us from the Coronavirus. In America, it has brought our economy to its knees as we sheltered in place for over four months. During this time, changes have affected our lives and many of those changes could be permanent. Previously, smaller homes were becoming the trend for not only efficiency but upkeep so owners...

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Do you like to negotiate?

Posted by on Jul 28, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Whether you like to or not, buying and selling a home involves negotiation at all stages of the process. It is not like the retail world where once you decide to purchase, you pay the price. It is easily the most expensive purchase or sale that most people experience and emotions get involved that could affect the negotiations adversely. The word “home” by itself conjures up emotions and selling a home you’ve lived in for a while could even complicate things more. A real estate professional can separate their emotions from...

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Who Decides Value?

Posted by on Jul 14, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

The seller can put a price on the home but the value is ultimately, determined by the buyer. Individually, a buyer could pay over market value because they love the location, or the elevation of the home or the proximity to something that is important to them. The shortage of available homes resulting in increased competition among buyers could drive the value higher. Most experts agree initially pricing it properly will generally result in the highest sales price. If a home starts out too high, it could actually sell for a lower price after...

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Good Decision for a Second Opinion

Posted by on Jul 7, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

You’ve done your homework, contacted a mortgage company and believe you are pre-approved. That part of the process is finished and you can concentrate of finding a home and moving…or can you? Pre-qualified and pre-approved are two different things but some people, including some in the business, use the terms interchangeably. Pre-qualified is an opinion of likelihood that a borrower will be approved based on preliminary information about their income and credit. Whereas, in a pre-approval, the borrower’s credit report is...

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Prepaying Your Mortgage

Posted by on Jun 29, 2020 in Home Owner Tips, Mortgage | 0 comments

Paying off your mortgage can provide peace of mind and is a worthy goal but is it the best thing for you to do at this time. Do you have higher interest rate debt currently? If you have credit card debt with double-digit rates or personal, car or student loans, you’ll probably save more money from interest by paying these things off before you pay off your mortgage which is usually one of the lower rates on debt. Many financial advisors recommend funding your annual retirement contribution before paying down a mortgage. If your company...

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What kind of properties are these?

Posted by on Feb 26, 2020 in Florida Real Estate, Home Owner Tips, Real Estate | 0 comments

It is the way the property is used that determines the type of property it is, not what it looks like.  Based on the intent of the owner, the property could be a principal residence, income property, investment property or dealer property. A principal residence is a home that a person lives in.  There can be only one declared principal residence.  It is afforded certain benefits like deducting the interest and property taxes on a taxpayers’ itemized deductions, up to limits.  Up to $250,000 of gain for a single taxpayer and up to...

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Water leak detection, read on…

Posted by on Jul 7, 2019 in Home Owner Tips | 0 comments

Check for the Obvious First Aside from standing water in your yard or water running out from under a sink, the first indication that you might have a water leak comes from a larger than normal water bill.  Before calling a leak specialist or a plumber, there is a simple diagnostic you can perform. Go through your home and make certain that all the faucets are turned off and that the toilets have indeed stopped filling the reserve.  Then, go to the water meter and make a mark on the lens where the dial is currently.  If there is water in the...

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Taxes and the Homeowner

Posted by on Jun 28, 2019 in Home Owner Tips | 0 comments

Whether you’re an owner now or expect to be one in the future, it is important to be familiar with the federal tax laws that affect homeownership.  Since personal income tax was enacted in 1913 with the 16th amendment, homes have had preferential treatment. The mortgage interest deduction is based on up to $750,000 of acquisition debt used to buy, build or improve a principal residence.  In addition to the interest, the property taxes are deductible, limited to the new $10,000 limit on the aggregate of state and local taxes (SALT).  The...

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Take A Home Inventory

Posted by on Jan 25, 2019 in Moving Tips | 0 comments

Take A Home Inventory Generally speaking, when you need an inventory of your personal belongings, it is too late to make one.  Sure, you can reconstruct it. But undoubtedly, you’ll forget things and that can cost you money when filing your insurance claim. Most homeowner’s policies have a certain amount of coverage for personal items that can be 40-60% of the value of the home. Homeowners who have a loss are usually asked by the insurance company for proof of purchase. Which can come in the form of a receipt or current inventory...

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Tampa Bays Lighted Holiday Boat Parades

Posted by on Nov 26, 2018 in Florida Suncoast Activities and Attractions | 0 comments

Lighted Holiday Boat Parade Schedule Thanksgiving is over and our focus is now on December. With holiday shopping, baking Christmas cookies and holiday parties you won’t want to miss out on seeing a holiday boat parade. You can’t help but get into the holiday spirit when you see the glimmering lights while listening to the festive music from the boats passing by in a Lighted Holiday Boat Parade. Here’s a list of some of the parades along the Gulf coast this year. Dunedin Holiday Boat Parade December 1st, from 6-9pm Decorated boats...

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