***Tax Season***

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Afternoon All, 

I hope everyone is having a great week! We’re right around the corner from tax season. For most people this is a very dreaded time of the year. So much information and knowledge goes into taxes and for some people it can be a little overwhelming. 

Have you given any consideration as to what you’re going to do with your tax return? Maybe you could use your tax return to purchase a home or use it to improve your current home! Today, we’re going talk about Tax Deductions for homeowners and some benefits you may not know of. 

What are some homeowner tax deductions? 

There are several different tax related expenses and deductions for homeowners. Home Office Expenses, Energy Efficient Appliances and Windows, etc.

What are some tax deductions when purchasing a home?  

When you’re purchasing a home there are many different expenses that you can claim as a deduction. For an example, mortgage interest, mortgage points, real estate taxes, moving expenses, etc. 

What are some home owner related expenses that CANNOT be claimed as a deduction? 

Unfortunately here is a list of expenses that cannot be claimed as a tax deduction. Mortgage insurance, homeowners insurance including flood or fire), direct principal payments, remodeling, etc. 

As always I encourage you to consult with a local tax expert or accountant for all tax related questions. I hope everyone has a great rest of your day and weekend! 

-Duke 

 “This blog post is only for general information and Rountree Realty advises readers to contact their local tax expert for all tax questions and filing purposes.”

List Your Home TODAY!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Afternoon All, 

Have you given any consideration to listing your home for sale? Maybe you’ve heard the myth that listing your home in the Spring is the best time of year. I’m here to tell you that may not be the case! Right now we have a lot of snow birds in the area looking to purchase winter homes. Also with interest rates being extremely low, we have a busy real estate market in general for all stages of life. From first time home buyers to couples retiring and downsizing, there is a buyer right now for your home. 

In today’s real estate market inventory is EXTREMELY low. Myself, as well as several other Realtors, have portfolios of buyers just waiting for homes to hit the market! I would love to have the opportunity to sit down with you and provide a free comparative market analysis. We can also go over my marketing plan to get your home SOLD for top dollar and in a time frame that works best for you. Please give me a call today! I look forward to hearing from you.  

Duke Rountree 

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Afternoon All, 

I hope everyone is having a great day! Did anyone do anything fun over the weekend to celebrate the upcoming holiday? Maybe attended a Christmas Party or the Ocala Christmas Parade? Since we’re now less than two week until Christmas, I thought I would share some of favorite holiday traditions and events here in Marion County. 

1.) Let’s Skate Ocala!- Ocala’s Ice-skating Rink is back! Located at Tuscawilla Park at 500 NE Sanchez Ave, Ocala.                Every weekend they’re having a special theme for the event. 

  • Friday, Dec. 15 – Santa’s Workshop with a special screening of the movie “Elf”
  • Friday, Dec. 22 – Superheroes Night 

Click here for more information and pricing. http://bit.ly/2BTLnWn

2.) Carriage Rides on the Square!- Every weekend between now and New Year’s Eve you can take a carriage ride and see all of the lights and holiday decorations around the square. Click here for more information and pricing. 

http://bit.ly/2B4DQqA

3.) Ocala Civic Theatre!- The Ocala Civic Theatre has several different performances going on for the holiday season. Make sure you check out their website for tickets, showtimes and more information!

http://bit.ly/2B55yn2

4.) Cotton Farm’s Christmas Village- This is a great event for the little kiddos. From Pancakes with Santa, to hayrides, lights and other Christmas activities this is the place to be! Here is a link to their FB page with more information. 

https://www.facebook.com/CottomFarmChristmasVillage/

5.) Cade Christmas Light Display- This Christmas light display is located in Orange Springs, just a few miles north of Fort McCoy. For years this has been one of the best Christmas light displays in the area. Check out their FB page for pictures and more info. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cade-Christmas-Light-Display/1438266549721929

I hope you get the chance over the next couple of weeks to enjoy some of the holiday events here in Marion County! This is truly is the most wonderful time of year! 

Merry Christmas, 

Duke Rountree

Ways to Refresh your Home!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Morning All, 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Hopefully you were able to spend a little extra time with friends, family the ones who mean most to you! Now that December is just a couple of days away, Christmas and the rest of the holiday season is on everyone’s mind. One thing homeowners really start to question this time of year is what can I do to refresh or make my home look better for the holidays? Or maybe you’re thinking of putting your home up for sale at the New Year and you want to make sure your home looks it’s best! Here are a few ideas you can use to refresh your home! 

1.) CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE!- Maybe you use your garage as an extra seating or entertainment space around the holidays. Or maybe you’re thinking of putting your home on the market at the new year? Cleaning out your garage is a great way to refresh your home! Instead of having a pile of yard tools in the corner of the garage, you can purchase an organizational system or rack for a reasonable price. This will help declutter the space and make it look tidy and clean. 

2.) CHANGE OUT LIGHT FIXTURES!- A very reasonable price idea that will spruce up your home is to change out old light fixtures. Changing out old fixtures will make a huge difference in the way your home looks! Keep an eye out at sidewalk sales and clearance sections at retail stores for great deals on light fixtures! 

3.) PAINT!- What a great way to spruce up your home! Paint is actually very affordable and not a hard weekend project! Maybe the exterior of your home is faded from the sun. Or maybe it has been years since the interior of your home has had a new coat of paint. Grab the paint brushes, get the family together and make a weekend of it! You will be surprised what a difference a new coat of paint will make to your home. 

4.) LANDSCAPING!- The first thing your family, friends or even possible home buyers sees is the entrance to your property and the yard. Whether your yard is completely shaded or in the sun, you can find plants at affordable prices to spruce up your flower beds. Also don’t forget to grab a few bags of mulch to make a bold statement! 

5.) KITCHEN- This is the one space that everyone seems to gather at around the holidays. This is also typically the most important room to homebuyers. A great and very affordable way to add a statement to your kitchen is to add or replace the backsplash! You can purchase backspace and very affordable prices and this will make a HUGE statement to your kitchen. 

I hope you all found these ideas helpful for refreshing your homes! As always if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to help you with your real estate needs please let me know. 

King Regards, 

Duke Rountree

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All, 

I’m sure most of you are trying to finish up work and are getting ready for Thanksgiving! Below is a list of a few events going on around Marion County for the holiday weekend! 

  • 22nd Annual Turkey TROT- The 22nd Annual Turkey Trot 5K is the largest race in Ocala, with more than 2,000 runners. This Thanksgiving tradition includes a 5K Walk/Run, a 10K Run, an Outdoor Cycling Class, an Outdoor Youth Dodgeball Tournament, along with activities for the whole family. This event is held at the YMCA and starts at 7am and goes until 11am. 
  • Thanksgiving Feast at Hilton of Ocala- Celebrate Thanksgiving Day at the Hilton Ocala! The Hilton Ocala will be celebrating Thanksgiving with a magnificent buffet. Seating times are 11 AM, 1 and 3 PM. Please call 352.390.1515 for reservations.
  • Black Friday Shopping!- I’m sure most of you have already seen the ads online and maybe have even already ordered a Black Friday Deal! If getting a great deal is for you then check out www.TheBlackFriday.com for ads, hours and stores participating in Black Friday. 
  • Small Shop Saturday! Several small private owned businesses are participating in “Small Shop Saturday” Make sure you call your favorite small shops and see if they’re having special deals on Saturday! 
  • Christmas Tree Time!- If picking out a real Christmas tree is part of your holiday traditions than get ready! The tree tents are going up and they’re almost ready for business! Here is a link to a few locations to pick out the perfect tree for the holiday season. www.fun4ocalakids.com/Whats-Happening/Christmas-Tree-Farms/ 

The Rountree Realty Team wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving and a great holiday weekend!  

Sincerely, 

Duke Rountree and Team 

Home Inspection for Your Home Purchase!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is having a great week! This post is mostly for home buyers or people who might be planning on purchasing a home going into 2018! Once you have found the home you want to purchase and both the buyer and seller have agreed to the terms, your Realtor should give you the opportunity for a home inspection to be completed. 

I typically always recommend for my buyers to have a home inspection completed. This will allow them to evaluate the home inspection report and make sure the condition of the home is satisfactory to them. Shouldn’t you as a buyer have questions for the home inspector? For future home buyers, have you thought of a list of questions to ask your home inspector? Below are a few questions that you may find helpful.  

1.) Are you licensed and insured?

2.) How long have you been a licensed inspector? 

3.) Do you belong to the Better Business Bureau or any other organizations? 

4.) What is included with your home inspection package? (well, septic, gas lines, roof, swimming pools, etc.) 

5.) If repairs are needed, do you charge a re-inspection fee? 

6.) How long before I receive a copy of the home inspection report? (make sure your purchase contract has a enough time for a inspection to be completed) 

7.) How much do you charge for the home inspection? Are there any other fees I should be expecting? 

8.) How do I pay you for the services completed? (Apple Pay, Check, Credit Card, etc.) 

9.) Do you offer any other services? (termite, WDO Inspections, etc.) 

10.) Appx. how long does a home inspection take? (I always recommend my buyers to attend the inspection) 

I hope you find this information helpful. As always if you have any questions about the home buying process, please give me a call/text (352) 572-1739 or email me at Info@HomesForSaleOcalaMarion,com 

-Duke 

 

 

Veterans Day Events-20% Off Services!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is having a great day! Check out these fun family events to honor and celebrate our Veterans this weekend! 

http://fun4ocalakids.com/Whats-Happening/Veterans-Day-Events/

There are a lot of activities here in Marion County and surrounding areas to have fun with the family!

Oh and don’t forget that Rountree Realty gives back 20% of earned commission to our Veterans! Contact me today for more info. (352) 572-1739 or info@homesforsaleocalamarion.com. 

-Duke

Hurrican Irma Affects September Home Sales

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is off to a great start to a productive week! No matter what type of business you’re in, I’m sure Hurricane Irma has affected your September financial projections. Check out this article that Florida Realtors posted regarding home sales for September. If you currently have your property listed for sale this may explain why you have had less activity these past few weeks. http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=2&id=358077

If anyone has any questions or if there is anything I can do to help you with your real estate needs, please give me a call today!

Take Care, 

Duke Rountree 

 

Prepping Your Home for the Holidays!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Morning Everyone!

Who all is excited about the holiday’s approaching? It’s hard to believe that holiday season is upon us, but I love it! Family gathered together, great homemade food, memories being made…there is nothing better than that!

How do you prepare for the holidays? Have you stuck with the traditional check off to-do list with lots of things that need to be checked off? Or have you created a new system that works better for you?

Check out this list of ideas that may help you that myhomeideas posted!
http://www.myhomeideas.com/holidays/prep-home-holidays
A few of these ideas might just make the holiday season less stressful on you.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

-Duke

Would you Live in a Haunted House?!?

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All,

I hope everyone is having a great week. With Halloween right around the corner I figured it would be a great time to talk about haunted houses. Would you ever consider living in a haunted house? The excitement of hearing footsteps when no one is in site? Or how about sleeping in a room where someone might have been murdered or taken from there home?

A recent survey of 1,000 people found that a little over 30% of people said they would consider living in a haunted house, 25% said maybe, while 42% of people said no way. What do you think? Would you consider the excitement of living in a haunted house?

I hope everyone is enjoying the excitement and cooler temperatures that comes with October and Halloween!

-Duke