Home Staging Tips

If you're thinking of selling there are many ways to prepare with staging so you maximize the equity from your home. It doesn't have to take a huge budget to make a big impact. Sometimes we all need a few tricks up our sleeve, ways to make our homes look stylish on a budget, right? Fortunately, there are ways – even on a budget.

Here, you will discover the simplest and least expensive home staging tips to make your home look stylish.

Remove all clutter

Get rid of all the clutter in your home. Either throw it away or store it neatly out of sight. All floors and surfaces should be clutter-free, while cabinets and closets should be neatly organized. If they are packed full buyers will think the house is too small.   

Paint the walls

Give walls a fresh look with new paint and go for...

Benefits of Buying A Home

Are you on the fence between whether to rent again or buy your first home? Well, think about homeownership. Building equity for yourself instead of your landlord is a strong reason for many to buy. It also allows you to predict your expenses instead of having your rent increase or even worse, having to move unexpectantly. Owning a home means putting down roots and building a space that is truly yours. It is a remarkable moment of your life when you finally own a home. It also allows you to feel a sense of stability because you can stay in your home as long as you want.

Here are more things you may want to consider when you decide what to do next.

It turns out,  homeownership has more benefits than just the financial:

Homeownership...

I just love the 4th of July. It is time to see where you are going to celebrate in Palm Beach County. 

This year the City of West Palm Beach will celebrate on Flager in the biggest free event in South Florida. The event goes from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm along the West Palm Beach Waterfront. This event as it is the 30th year anniversary of the 4th on Flagler. Celebrations will include live performances from your favorite local and regional acts on three stages, a military honor ceremony, larger-than-life versions of games like Human Foosball, Life-sized Jenga and Pong.  And new this year, an air-conditioned arcade! All activities are free and the kids are sure to have a blast. To top it off the night will end with an 18 minute firework show over the Intracoastal Waterway! 

Come and enjoy...

Are you hearing "I am bored yet"? It is only natural to count the days until school starts so we want to help with some ideas to help pass the time and more importantly create some memories.

We are lucky to live where others visit and there is something for everyone and every budget. There is no excuse not to have a great summer. 

Here are a few of our favorite places and things to do:

Ways to cool off:

Head to the beach:

There are so many beaches to choose from depending on what you want to experience on your beach day. Are you looking to play ball, go out on a hobie cat, play volleyball or even learn to kite surf? Then Delray Beach might be the perfect spot for you. You can also enjoy a bite to eat at popular places like Burger Fi, Sandwiches by the Sea, ...

If you are ready to move to a new home, a common question to ask is whether you should sell or rent your current home. There isn't a right answer, it depends on your situation. Here are some things to consider:

1. What are your expenses for the home versus what you can rent you can receive for the home? Take  a look at your expenses including any mortgages, taxes, association fees and insurance.

2. Is your home currently homesteaded? If that is the case, you need to factor in that once you move out, the homestead extension will expire and the taxes will increase. The increase could be substantial depending on how long you have owned your home.

3. How will you handle if there are needed repairs? Will you be able to financially handle the additional expenses? Will you be ok getting calls from the tenant that something has...

Are you facing probate and wonder where to begin? 

What is probate anyway and do I need to do it? Probate is the process how property and assets and creditors' claims are resolved. This is needed unless there has been a special deed prepared in advance or a trust is in place. 

This is a very challenging time of life and many wonder where to start. There are many challenges that family members face when they have lost a loved one.  

When is probate not necessary? 

Top Challenges That Families Face:

You have decided to buy a home. We have seen many challenges that have caused issues from the offer to the closing table. What are the tips that will make your home buying successful? 

1. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have a pre-approval that will be help your offer stand out. Aren't they all the same? Not even close. In the case of multiple offers, the lender can be the deciding factor. Many buyers thing they have a pre-approval however they have only been pre-qualified. This is a fatal mistake. 

2.  Once you are pre-approved, be sure to not make any changes that will cause you to lose your approval. Yes you can lose your ability to get your loan. What could cause this to happen? Here are just a few changes that could be an issue:  changing your...

How do you get the most for your home when selling?

The first thing that sellers think is if they want more money for their home they need to list it at a higher price. The second thing that they think is that they need to save money on the commission. Have you thought this? It is ok you are not alone. I would like to share with you that this is not the case. The two are mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars or a sale.

Mistake #1 - Over pricing a home causes buyers to choose other well priced homes. When this happens, the time on the market increases and then buyers wonder what is wrong with the home. Most of the time, there is nothing wrong. The price was just missed. So what should be the pricing strategy? Hitting the sweat spot. That is pricing that...

Picking the right community and home is important when buying 

Buying a new home is more than bedrooms and baths. After helping home buyers since 1989 we know that it is about a lifestyle. As many different buyers there are, there is a right property out there for them. 

It is important to have someone on your team that can help you find the right property and the right lifestyle. Our process allows us to understand the picture of the dream property in the client's mind into our mind. How do we do that? We believe it is better to ask our client 50 questions and show them the right 5 homes rather than ask them the basic 5 questions and show them 50 homes. Let's face it, buyers are too busy to look at the wrong properties. 

When buying your dream home,...