by admin | Sep 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
Selling Your Home in the Fall: What you need to know…
Thinking of selling your home this Fall? Autumn brings cooler nights, colored leaves, and shorter days. Generally speaking, the amount of active houses on the market tends to drop in the fall. Nevertheless, with a seller’s market at hand and a harvest moon hung in the sky, you can have great success selling your home in autumn. In fact, fewer homes on the market means your home will have even less competition and that could mean a quicker sale at a better price.
While spring is known for it’s large amount of home buyers, some of these buyers are just lookie-loos and never intend to buy. Fall and winter buyers tend to be more serious. Many fall buyers are looking because they just moved to the area, recently got married or divorced, or have undergone some other life change that means they MUST buy a house. Additionally, The housing market is still hot, hot, hot and low inventory has many folks still searching for a home to call their own.
The belief that one needs to wait for spring to buy or sell a home is really an antiquated notion. Thanks to the Internet it’s easier than ever for people to search for homes all year round. There is not really an off season in home-selling or buying anymore. There are many other factors that are more important to successfully selling a house than the season! Factors like listing price, condition, location, and the Realtor you work with will have more influence on your success than the season.
Fall provides home sellers with a great chance to display the “cozy” aspects of their homes. Take this opportunity to stage your home with seasonal charm. Warmer colors may help contrast the cooler weather. Decorating your home with tactful fall décor can add to the autumnal allure during this season. Be sure to highlight features that are particularly important in cooler weather like fireplaces, energy-efficient windows, new(er) furnace, garage,and heated floors.
Pro tip: To create a warm and inviting fall aroma in your house, chop up 1 apple, take the peels of 2 oranges and 6 cinnamon sticks and put them into a pot of boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes before a showing and lower the burner to the lowest heat setting.
Regardless of the season, it’s important to perform some basic maintenance tasks before listing your home. In the fall, there are a few seasonally-specific tasks you’ll want to complete. The change of season brings falling leaves and other debris. Keeping a raked yard will make a big difference in the appearance of your home. Not only will clearing seasonal debris from your yard add to your fall curb appeal, it will give buyers a better look at the condition of the yard and the home. It’s a dirty task, but cleaning your gutters is a must. Pay special attention to removing leaves and debris in and around your outdoor A/C unit. Go ahead and check your heating unit as well. Drain the water heater to remove built up debris. If your house has a chimney, consider hiring a chimney sweep to clean it out. It doesn’t cost much and it’ll be once less item that’ll show up on the home inspection.
Pro tip: In some cases, you can get proof of receipts to show buyers that some maintenance tasks are already take care of. This will give you more negotiating leverage. Keep a record of the tasks you’ve completed yourself. These kinds of records help buyers know that a house has been well-cared for.
Even with less competition in the fall, it is still important to hire a knowledgeable Realtor to sell your house. An experienced Realtor will be up-to-date on the current (and ever-changing) market conditions and the right listing price for your house. He/she will help you identify if any improvements or upgrades could be beneficial before selling. He/she will also help you navigate the many steps of selling and help you with the art of negotiation.
If you want or need to sell your house this fall, don’t feel like you must wait until the spring market. Take advantage of the lower competition of fall, the more serious fall home buyers, and the great seller’s market. Life doesn’t wait for the spring market and neither should you!
So choose one of our experienced and professional agents to get your selling process started today!!
Source: ferrispropertygroup.com
by admin | Sep 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
Gray is the new “it” neutral paint color.
Gray walls are becoming the modern, neutral choice for a home’s interior spaces. According to paint experts: “Gray is the new beige.”
But you need to find the right gray.
“Although the color gray is commonly associated with cooler, cloudy days, there are both ‘cool grays’ and ‘warm grays,'” paint company Sherwin Williams explains. “Cool grays have more blue undertones, while warm grays are grounded in yellow and brown – similar to ‘greige,’ a combination of gray and beige.”
To find the right gray, painting experts suggest first looking at the flooring, cabinetry, lighting, and wood trim in the home. The undertone of these interior elements should match the undertone of the gray paint homeowners choose for their home. For example, brushed nickel often pairs better with cooler gray paint colors. Brick and gold, on the other hand, tend to pair better with warmer undertones, such as beige.
Gray can also be used to add dimension into a home’s space. For example, for more impact, paint the ceiling gray too – but make it a shade two or three lighter than the wall color. The painted ceiling can give a smaller room a more spacious feel. For high ceilings in a large room, select a darker gray paint to make the space feel cozier.
“Whether you choose gray on the walls or on the ceilings, it offers a crisper, cleaner look than beige,” the paint company notes. “And because gray paint is offered with many different undertones, it can either be the most neutral hue possible or give dramatic dimension – another great reason to add it to your palette.”
Source: “Gray Tones in Your Homes,” BUILDER (2016)
by admin | Aug 31, 2016 | Uncategorized
Tourists can seek aid from new app from Visit Orlando!
Visit Orlando unveils interactive mobile tool.
Tourist coming to Orlando will be able to buy theme park tickets and book dining reservations with the press of a botton. As well, as have some Pokemon – style fun. Now that visit Orlando had launched a new mobile app.
Users can ask conversational questions such as ” Where can I eat that has live music?” or, “Where can I find a scenic view in Orlando?” and get answers in real time. The app uses the WayBlazer artificial intelligence platform to give users a more personalized navigation tool.
The Siri-type function is the first of it’s kind for a tourism region’s app, said George Aguel, Visit Orlando’s chief executive officer. “Nobody has anything like this,” Aguel said.
The app’s game offers a way to encourage tourists to visit places the might not have on their itineraries.
Users can collect “magical orb’s” colorful circles branded with Visit Orlando logo, across the region. By collecting orbs, players will receive discounts at various members destinations, such as $2 off admission at Wonder Works on International Drive or $5 off their bill at Tropical Cafe. They also will be entered into a sweepstakes sponsored by Visit Orlando.
That game is visually similar to the popular “Pokemon Go” augmented -reality game, but it does not rely on location features. A Visit Orlando spokeswoman said the organization is working to create deals that can only be earned in certain locations.
The whole idea is to make it more interactive for the whole family. The app also features an interactive selfie-photo option, where people can earn more savings by taking selfies using Orlando – themed photo filters.
Available for free in Apple’s App Store and Google Play, the app was created to ensure guests can connect with specialists or destination information without serious obstacles.
Terry Jones, chairman of WayBlazer, said at its core, the app will connect users to businesses, driving more traffic to Visit Orlando members.
David Hummer, director of marketing for Fun Spot America Theme Parks, said he was excited to see how the app expands the destination’s reach with visitors.
Aguel announced the app during Visit Orlando’s second Business Insight Series luncheon of the year. The event was attended by more then 900 of the region’s business owners and tourism leaders.
Original plans were to unveil the app at the U.S Travel Association’s IPW convention in New Orleans earlier this year. In the wake of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, however, Visit Orlando cancelled its new conference.
WayBlazer is a cognitive travel platform that focuses on delivering AI to the travel industry. It’s led by tech entrepreneurs, including founders of platforms like Travelocity and Kayak.com. Right now, Orlando’s app will only answer questions in English, but Visit Orlando’s leaders are looking at the ways to include other languages.
It’s the first app for Visit Orlando and was created by the development company called CN2. WayBlazer’s AI features rely on technology from IBM’s Watson Project.
Aguel said the app has been in development for more then a year, taking so long because he wanted to create something that would best service them to Visit Orlando partners.
– Source : Orlando Sentinel
by admin | Aug 22, 2016 | Uncategorized
Tickets on Sale for Legoland!
Star Wars Days at Legoland September 11th & 12th
Right now tickets are only $35. Don’t miss your chance to go and check out all the star wars themed legos!
Help answer more dreams of children like Christian age 12, diagnosed with epilepsy.
Our goal is to sell 5000 tickets to help make dreams come true for 15 of the 416 children on our national waiting list.
Please share with your AWESOME friends, family and co-workers to help us reach this goal!
LEGOLAND Florida Resort is built for kids. The 150-acre interactive theme park offers more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, restaurants, shopping, a breathtaking botanical garden and the LEGOLAND Water Park all geared to families with children ages 2 to 12. The LEGOLAND Hotel is located just steps from the park entrance and features 152 rooms.
Located in Winter Haven – just 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa.
-Source : Legoland.com & SunshineFoundation.com
by admin | Aug 8, 2016 | Uncategorized
Tickets on Sale for Legoland!
Right now Legoland Tickets are on sale for ONLY $35 !! && Its for an awesome reason!!
Help answer more dreams of children like David, age 12, diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Our goal is to sell 5000 tickets to help make dreams come true for 15 of the 423 children on
our national waiting list.
Please share with your AWESOME friends, family and co-workers to help us reach this goal!
The only Florida interactive theme park where LEGO® comes to life and kids take control.
LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is built for kids. The 150-acre interactive theme park offers more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, restaurants, shopping, a breathtaking botanical garden and the LEGOLAND Water Park all geared to families with children ages 2 to 12. The LEGOLAND Hotel is located just steps from the park entrance and features 152 rooms.
Located in Winter Haven – just 45 minutes from Orlando and Tampa.
-Source : Legoland.com & SunshineFoundation.com
by admin | Aug 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
Is Hiring a Realtor Really Worth It?
3 Important Reasons Why Hiring a Realtor to Sell your Home is so Important…
A question that some home sellers ask themselves before they sell their home is whether or not hiring a Realtor is worth it. There are some sellers who decide that it is not and they attempt a for sale by owner, also known as a FSBO. Statistics show that more than 90% of FSBOs fail to sell their home.
Read on to find out what three of the top reasons why hiring a Realtor when selling a home is worth it. Find out what one of our experienced Realtors can provide that the majority of sellers cannot…
We Know How to Price A Home
One of the most important factors that determines whether a home will sell or not is the price it is being sold for. Overpricing a home is a surefire way to make sure your home does not sell. Since there are several methods that can be used to determine the market value of a home, a Realtor knows what methods are good and which ones are bad.
Some of the best ways to determine the market value of a home include a home appraisal and having a comparative market analysis completed on a home. Some of the worst methods that can be used to determine the market value of a home include using online home valuation estimators and using the price per square foot method of pricing.
So if you’re asking yourself,
should I hire a real estate agent to sell my home, the answer is yes. A Realtor knows the importance of pricing a home properly and for this fact alone, it’s worth hiring a Realtor when selling your home! Overpricing and underpricing a home are actually more common than some sellers believe.
A well priced home should sell in the first couple weeks it is for sale. If a seller doesn’t hire a Realtor or falls for one of the
common real estate pricing myths, there is a good chance they will not have a successful home sale experience. The longer a home sits on the market, in most cases, the less a homeowner will sell their home for.
We Know How To Market A Home
Another extremely important factor that determines whether a home sells or not is the marketing and exposure a home receives when it’s being sold. Arguably the two biggest factors that determine whether a home sells is price and marketing. Another reason why hiring a Realtor is worth every penny is a we know how to market a home.
Since the internet has completely revolutionized the real estate industry and the fact that about 95% of home buyers are starting their home search online, it’s critical when selling a home that it is exposed everywhere. Realtors know what
online real estate marketing strategies to use when marketing their homes for sale as well as their website.
Five of the top online real estate marketing strategies that Realtors utilize include;
1.) Active Real Estate Blog
2.) High Ranking Website
3.) Strong Social Media Presence
4.) Creative Print Advertising
5.) Detailed Community Information & Pages
Why is something like a high ranking website important for a home seller? Since the majority of buyers are hitting the search engines to shop for homes and information about buying a home, it’s critical that a sellers home is in front of these prospective buyers. A high ranking website puts a sellers home in front of these prospective buyers which can ultimately lead to the sale of their home!
We Know How To Ensure A Home Actually Closes
One of the top reasons why the majority of FSBOs fail is because they don’t actually know what it takes to ensure a home closes. There are many things that happen between an accepted offer and the day of closing that can derail a real estate transaction.
Hiring a Realtor is worth it since they will be able to help a seller through the process to ensure the transaction actually happens. Some of the most important steps in the process that top Realtor® will help a seller with include;
1.) Inspection negotiations
2.) Coordinating and ensuring the bank appraisal is satisfactory
3.) Making sure contract dates are met a buyers mortgage commitment
4.) Staying on top of real estate attorneys or title companies to ensure they are preparing the required documents for closing, such as, instrument survey and abstract
As you can see there are many steps throughout the home selling process. A Realtor does not just put a sign in the ground and wait to collect their paycheck. There are many things that can occur throughout a real estate transaction that a top Realtor can assist with and make them worth every penny their earn from a transaction.
Think about it, would you attempt to perform a surgery on someone or would you consult an experienced professional? I certainly hope the answer is that you would consult an experienced professional! Selling a home isn’t rocket science, however, having a Realtor is worth it!
So contact one of Our Experienced Realtors to get your Selling Process Started Today!!
– Source: behance.net
