Hurricane Ian is heading our way… Are you prepared? Let’s go over a few tips that can make a huge difference!

• Put Things That Are Outside Away

A good rule to remember: if you can easily pick it up, put it away. Items that can be easily lifted should either be secured down or picked up and safely put away. This would include outside furniture, children’s toys, potted plants, and yard signs. By doing this you’ll be making sure that these items won’t potentially be picked up by the wind and possibly cause damage.

• Clean Up Your Trees

Go outside and take a look at your trees. Do any of them have branches that could be trimmed? Are some branches growing over your house? Clean them up to make sure they don’t end up coming through a window or falling onto your house.

• Take Photos Of Your Home

If your home ends up withstanding damage, you’ll have to file a claim with your insurance. Having photos of your home (pre-storm) will help cover your bases in case your insurance company tries to question how/when the damage happened.

• Gather An Appropriate Amount Of Supplies

In case your power goes out or you end up stuck in your home for whatever reason possible think of what you would really need to get by. You should have food that doesn’t need electricity to be made, water, batteries, charcoal/gas to grill out, medications and medical supplies on hand. Have gas in your car in case an evacuation is necessary. Charge your phone, so you’re able to keep in touch with loved ones and get updates on the storm. Only worry about gathering things you really need.

• Help Others

Call your friends and family to make sure they are prepared. Lend a helping hand to your neighbor who is outside prepping their house for potential damage. Take supplies over to the person you know wasn’t able to get out on their own to get some before it was all gone. Be a good person in someone else’s life during these stressful times.

It is officially August and the start to a new month!

In the August issue of our newsletter you will find events this month, featured listings, market predictions for 2022, and how to follow us on social media.

Click the attachment to check it out!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any of your real estate needs.

August Newsletter

I am getting a lot of people asking when the next foreclosure crash is going to happen.

Attom’s Midyear 2022 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report found that 164,581 U.S. properties had foreclosure filings, which includes default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions.

The number includes the first six months of 2022 and is 153% higher year-to-year, but the figures are skewed by numbers generated during the pandemic when government orders slowed the process.

Foreclosure activity across the United States continued its slow, steady climb back to pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2022,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at ATTOM. “While overall foreclosure activity is still running significantly below historic averages, the dramatic increase in foreclosure starts suggests that we may be back to normal levels by sometime in early 2023.”

I really do not think we are going to see a spike in foreclosures anytime soon, especially in Florida. There is definitely an evening out after the pandemic, yet it won’t be anything drastic. We are seeing a market adjustment, but with the past super low interest rates being 3-4%, I do not think people will stop paying for their mortgages. The asterisk with this is the economy, inflation and the potential for recession. Those are factors that could affect the housing market. With strong jobs and cheaper mortgages, I do not see the foreclosure market changing anytime soon in our beautiful state of Florida.

For more information, go to this article: https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2022/07/foreclosures-closing-pre-pandemic-normal

It is officially July and the start to a new month!

In the July issue of our newsletter you will find events this month, a featured listing, market predictions for 2022, and how to follow us on social media.

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Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any of your real estate needs.

July Newsletter

A new program called ‘Hometown Heroes’ started June 1st which allows 50-plus careers to qualify for home-buying help up to $25K – helping over 3M Floridians. Income limits start at $120K, home prices at $420K.

The Florida Hometown Heroes Housing program makes homeownership affordable for eligible frontline
community workers by providing down payment and closing cost assistance to income-qualified
homebuyers so you can purchase a primary residence in the community in which you work and serve.

Eligible borrowers can receive up to 5% of their total loan amount (maximum of $25,000) in the form of
a 0%, non-amortizing, 30-year deferred second mortgage.

The program applies to first-time homebuyers as defined by the IRS, which says “first-time” means “someone who has not owned a home in at least the past three years.” Homeowners must also actually live in a home to be disqualified. A renter who inherited a home in North Carolina, for example – one they never actually lived in – still qualifies. Renters who own an investment property also may qualify, providing they only own one.

In addition to Hometown Heroes, a program called “Salute our Soldiers” is for veterans. Rules are similar, but they don’t have to qualify as first-time buyers.

The money isn’t a gift, it’s a loan – but a loan that carries no interest and does not have to be paid back until the homeowners satisfies the mortgage, sells the house, vacates the house or refinances. Paid-off Hometown Hero loan money then gets rolled back into the program to help more potential Florida homeowners.

Only lenders approved by Florida Housing can participate – about 240 in the state. Lenders have some flexibility to remove one co-borrower from an application if it helps a couple qualify for the program. In most cases, a copy of the buyer’s license must be submitted. If an occupation does not require a license, however, they must submit a copy of the business’s license where they work. 

This is a great program for anyone eligible. Check out the attached flyer to see if this could be for you!

Hometown Heroes Program

It is officially June and the start to a new month!

In the June issue of our newsletter you will find events this month, featured listings, market predictions for 2022, and how to follow us on social media.

Click the attachment to check it out!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any of your real estate needs.

June Newsletter

Soaring inflation, sky-rocketing gas prices and rising utility costs has led to stretched monthly budgets across the board, but there are still plenty of opportunities to save money at home. Whether it’s doing laundry the energy-efficient way, switching the direction of your ceiling fan based on the season or using coupons, we’ve got tips to help you ease the strain of inflation.

Don’t buy bottled water: Bottled water seems cheap, but it gets expensive fast. Settle for a water filter pitcher, and you can use tap water. It’s cheaper over time, and it’s better for the environment, too.

Make your own coffee: It seems obvious, but those daily cafe Americanos can easily take a chunk out of your bank account. Use a coffee maker or French press to get your caffeine fix instead.

Keep your freezer full: When you keep your freezer full, it works more efficiently, taking less energy to keep the contents cold.

Keep your dishwasher full, too: Running half-loads of dishes is a quick way to waste water and dish detergent.

Break out that Dutch oven: It could be a Dutch oven or a slow cooker of any kind, but cooking in bulk really helps cut down the costs associated with more individual-size meals.

Eat leftovers: This isn’t a tip so much as a choice. Keep your leftovers and don’t give yourself the excuse not to eat them. It’ll stretch your dollar way further.

Run full loads of laundry: Pack your washer to capacity, because you’re going to use the same water either way. May as well get as much use from it as you can.

Lower the temp on water heater: Check the temperature on your water heater. You generally don’t it to be above 120 degrees, and higher temps come with higher fees.

Change filters: It’s not just your water heater’s inefficiency costing you money; your HVAC system can burn a hole in your wallet if you haven’t changed its filter recently, so learn when to swap in a new filter.

Pay bills online: There are few things I hate more than late fees on bills. Setting up autopay on your electricity and water bills will help avoid those unnecessary fees, and they’ll also remove the need for postage on paper bills.

Unsubscribe from services: While you’re thinking about bills, check on your subscriptions. If you haven’t used a certain streaming service or that fitness app in a month or more, cancel it. You can always restart it in a few minutes if you change your mind.

Switch fan direction: Most ceiling fans have a small switch on them that changes the direction they spin. In the summer, run the fan counter-clockwise so it blows air down on you. This can help avoid the need for more air conditioning.

Use energy-efficient bulbs: LED bulbs cost more to buy, but in the long term, they cut down on electricity costs. As bulbs burn out in your house, make the switch.

Some of these tips may seem obvious, but when expenses keep going up, even little savings can help.

For more tips on how to save money around your home go to this link: https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/how-to-save-money-around-your-home-simple-tips/

It is officially May and the start to a new month!

In the May issue of our newsletter you will find events this month, featured listings, market predictions for 2022, and how to follow us on social media.

Click the attachment to check it out!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any of your real estate needs.

May Newsletter

It is officially April and the start to a new month!

In the April issue of our newsletter you will find events this month, featured listings, market predictions for 2022, and how to follow us on social media.

Click the attachment to check it out!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any of your real estate needs.

April Newsletter