READY TO MARKET YOUR HOME ?

As we enter another selling season, you may have a list of items you need to do to get the home ready for the market.  Some are deferred maintenance items like roofing repair or replacement, cleaning out the crawl space or replacing broken windows.   These are not “fun” updates, but they are necessary and can be very costly.  I think …

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Do fireplaces add value in an appraisal ?

The sound of crackling embers and the sweet smoky smell of a masonry fireplace remind me of winter at my grandparents’ farm.  The Lane Farm, on outskirts of Quincy, was built in the early 1900’s.  It was the definition of southern comfort, covered porches outfitted with hanging swings, handmade rocking chairs and a basket of decade old Readers Digest magazines …

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Eastern Leon County a popular area for development

Get ready eastern Leon County, it’s your turn.  So much of our new construction growth has been in the Bradfordville area, north of I-10, over the past thirty years.  I remember when it seemed the only thing north of Killearn Estates was Moby Dick’s restaurant, then Killearn Lakes, a few plantations and the Georgia line.   At the same time, I …

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Looking for a good real estate appraiser in Tallahassee ?

There are many great local real estate appraisal firms in Tallahassee; most are full time professionals who take pride in their work.   In our opinion, the best appraisers are those who also stay in touch with the market, they do this by staying involved in the real estate community.  Publishing articles, researching the local market, communicating with Realtors and local …

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REALTORS® Take You from Start to Finish

When we are not watching real estate programs on television, my family enjoys the show “American Ninja Warrior.” On this show, weekend warriors and professional athletes alike brave an obstacle course full of pitfalls, endurance tests, and a host of other human-created entrapments. Likewise, selling a home can feel like an obstacle course, but smart sellers and buyers employ the …

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Fence Me In

A fence can be a significant factor in the marketability and value of a home. Much of this depends on the location, who the target buyer is, and what value segment the home falls in.

In some neighborhoods, a fence is almost necessary in order to have any privacy; in others, it might not be allowed, or there could be …

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Attached or Detached?

My first home purchase was in 1993; interest rates were 7% and I was a first-time home buyer with limited funds. After consulting with a local lender and talking with a local REALTOR®, I settled on a maximum purchase price of $70,000. The two options at that price point, in the area I targeted, was either a semi-attached home (townhome, …

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Square footage price is only one factor to consider

Our phone rings everyday with questions regarding the local real estate market. I enjoy the conversations, helping people make decisions and often learning as much from them as they learn from me.

The most common question we get is about one simple calculation, the ratio of price per square foot in the valuation of a home. The square footage used …

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Should I Buy a Home in 2017?

Just over 4,000 detached homes, townhomes, and condos sold in Leon County in 2016 with the help of a local REALTOR®. The number of homes purchased has been increasing over the past five years in Leon County; I expect that trend to continue. The uncertainty of political change and slowly rising interest rates will cause some to pause. However, the …

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TEN APPRAISAL EFFICIENCY TIPS FOR A LENDER

5 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK THE BORROWER  Is the property unique, for example: Is the home over 3,000 square feet? Is the design of the home unique, such as a log home, alpine villa, ultra modern ? Does the property include more than 5 acres. It is better to know this in advance so that if the assignment is more…

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