So, you’ve decided to sell your house in SW Florida and move onto your next adventure. This is already a stressful process with many moving parts and on top of that – you’ve got KIDS. The hardest part of trying to sell your house when you have littles running around is that they tend to undo your efforts. You’ve just picked up and cleaned a room and there’s your children, pulling everything out again. Frustrating! We KNOW! Remember, kids don’t feel the same sense of urgency that adults feel – especially when it comes to major events like selling a house! Although we can’t make the selling process completely stress-free, we can share some tips we’ve picked up along the way to make it a little smoother and more predictable. GET ORGANIZED & GET PREPPED This first step is the most important one – which is: get your thoughts organized…

You’ve made the decision to sell your house – EXCITING! But that is just the first step in the long list of things to do to get your house market-ready! There is a lot of preparation that goes into selling your house so you can get TOP dollar! If you’re selling your house, that probably means you’ll be searching for a new one and as a home buyer, don’t you prefer viewing properties in their best possible light? That’s how you want to present your house to Buyers, as well. Your real estate agent has undoubtedly told you about the necessity of holding an open house in order to showcase your home’s best features and allow interested home buyers the chance to stop by and get that first impression of the house. There are a few essential open house mistakes you can avoid in order to get the highest number…

Now more than ever before, housing affordability is a huge issue. Working out whether to join the homeowner’s club or continue renting can be a daunting decision. We’ll talk briefly about the pros and cons of renting and then discuss what you need to consider before making the choice to purchase a home. Renting – The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly Being a tenant has its benefits. For one thing, there is much cheaper upfront costs (first, last, deposit) and deposits may be returned (if you return the unit in the same condition it was rented to you in). You can avoid unpleasant and potentially costly surprises (like an appliance that breaks or cracks in the ceiling). You lock in a monthly rent and your landlord takes care of most things (maintenance, building repairs, landscaping, etc.). Lastly, you can easily move when your lease is up. Sure, renting can…

The terms REALTOR®, agent, and broker are often used interchangeably, but they don’t have the same meaning. And this can make things confusing. The main thing to know is that their levels of qualifications vary, even though they are each qualified in their own right – especially in Southwest Florida. There is also the real estate investor. Let’s take a look at what those differences are and what they mean for you. Real Estate Agents A real estate agent is someone who has taken the required course hours (this varies state by state but usually between 60-75 hours) and passes the state exam to become a licensed real estate agent. They also must pay license and supplemental fees, on top of the course and exam fees, and pay to renew their license every 2 years. You’ll most likely be working with real estate agents directly since it’s their job to…