The Realtor Difference: Comfort Zone

Many buyers find the home buying process intimidating and out of their comfort zone – that is why buyers chose to work with realtors (64% of metro Orlando buyers purchased their home through an agent/broker in 2007). A realtor can create an effective emotional buffer between buyer and seller and act as an objective party in negotiations to ultimately create a win-win purchase contract and to bring the transaction to an on time closing. The fact is buying a home is an emotional purchase. Few people buy or sell anything else as expensive as a home in their lifetime.

‘Neutral’ Doesn’t Have To Be Beige

Considering a fresh coat of paint in the living room? Why not try a color that is fresh, different, but still neutral? In other words, neutral doesn’t have to be beige...consider these new neutrals:

- Blues bedroom bedroom
- Browns bedroom bedroom
- Greys dining bedroom
- Yellows bedroom kitchen

Why Do I Need Homeowner’s Insurance?

Your home is your single most valuable possession and your biggest investment. Homeowner’s insurance protects that investment as well as you, your family members and your household possessions.

Homeowner’s insurance is protection against the uncertainties of day-to-day living. If you were to lose your home in a fire or a hurricane or have the contents of your home damaged or stolen, the average person could not afford to replace everything all at once. If your neighbor sued you for an injury that took place on your lawn, the cost of defending a lawsuit could run thousands of dollars in legal expenses.

All of these situations are covered by homeowner’s insurance. While it may be unpleasant to think about these uncertainties, unfortunately these events can and do happen.

Another key reason to buy homeowner’s insurance is that lenders require it. No lender will lend you a large amount of money on your home purchase without proper homeowner’s insurance in place to protect that investment.

What Buyers Are Asking For

From CNNMoney.com

A rock-bottom price just isn't enough for buyers these days - it's a starting point. If the furnace is out of date, they'll demand a new one. Cracked driveways have to be repaved. Dirty carpeting torn out and replaced - all at the seller's expense.

One In Six Homes ‘Under Water’

From The Wall Street Journal

The relentless slide in home prices has left nearly one in six U.S. homeowners owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth, raising the possibility a greater increase in defaults.

Having more homeowners under water is likely to mean more eventual foreclosures because it is hard for borrowers in financial trouble to refinance or sell their homes and pay off their mortgage if their debt exceeds their home's value. A foreclosed home, in turn, tends to lower the value of other homes in its neighborhood.

Freestyle Your Home

Now is the time to think twice before spending, to be frugal and resourceful. So before spending another dime on home decor, consider a smart alternative - “freestyling”.

Freestyling is a creative process where you use what you already have in new, different and unexpected ways:

– swapping out a painting / rug / mirror / pottery / lamp for another from another room
- trying out your decor in an unexpected place, say your bathroom or hallway
- digging in the back of your closets for long-lost decor and putting it to use
- rearranging furniture within a room or to another room
- mixing styles

When I freestyle my home, the process typically gets in to some organizing, de-cluttering and general purging. I find freestyling to be a fun and satisfying process. It’s a great way to spend a lazy day at home. Highly recommended!

Make The Most Out Of Your Space

From McClatchy Newspapers

Make the most of your current home by finding extra space to utilize for living and storage.