Two new surveys about what homebuyers want have me feeling pretty smug about my own home choices. Maybe you’ll feel the same.Privacy from neighbors remains at the top of the most-wanted list (important to 86% of buyers), according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® “2013 Community Preference Survey.” Privacy is no doubt the best feature of my mid-century ranch home, since I can only see one neighbor’s house and it’s a couple hundred feet down my driveway.It may not be practical to move your neighbors farther away (although I’m sure many people wish they had that superpower), but you can increase your home’s privacy (and therefore its resale value) by planting a living privacy screen of trees and shrubs or by physically screening off your patio. 3 More Takeaways for the Next Time ... 01/27/2015

For 2014, the national median existing home price hit its highest level since 2007: $208,500. The median price also represents a 5.8% increase from 2013 ($197,100), data from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® show. Meanwhile, the number of home sales for the year declined 3.1%. But despite low levels of properties for sale in many markets, the number of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops that sold in December 2014 rose 2.4% from November and were up 3.5% compared with December 2013. Home Supply Tightens in December At the end of December, there were 1.85 million existing homes available for sale, which would take 4.4 months to sell at the current rate homes are selling. In November 2014, there was a 5.1-month supply of homes for sale. A 6-month supply is consid... 01/26/2015

If you live where floods happen, you may see an increase on your next flood insurance bill. Here’s why rates are changing, plus tips to help you figure out if you’re affected.(On March 21, 2014, President Obama signed into law a bill to provide relief from high flood insurance rates. Read about it here.) Why Are Rates Going Up?Two reasons: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating its flood maps to be more accurate, which could change your flood risk designation. If your risk is higher, your premiums will go up. If it’s lower, your premiums could go down. Last year, a new law took effect that requires the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to phase out subsidies for some older properties to reflect the full risk of flooding.  Phasing out the subsidized rates and discounts... 01/25/2015

Buying a home can be emotional, but negotiating the price shouldn’t be. The key to saving money when purchasing a home is sticking to a plan during the turbulence of high-stakes negotiations. A real estate agent who represents you can guide you and offer you advice, but you are the one who must make the final decision during each round of offers and counter offers.Here are six tips for negotiating the best price on a home.1. Get prequalified for a mortgageGetting prequalified for a mortgage proves to sellers that you’re serious about buying and capable of affording their home. That will push you to the head of the pack when sellers choose among offers; they’ll go with buyers who are a sure financial bet, not those whose financing could flop.2. Ask questionsAsk your agent for information... 01/22/2015

When you’re ready to close on the sale of your home and move to your new home, you may be so close to the finish line that you coast, thinking there’s nothing left for you to do. Not so fast. It’s easy to waste a few dollars here and for mistakes to creep into your closing documents there, all adding up to a bundle of lost profit. Spot money-losing problems with these seven tips.1.  Take services out of your name.Avoid a dispute with the buyers after closing over things like fees for the cable service you forgot to discontinue. Contact every utility and service provider to end or transfer service to your new address as of the closing date.If you’re on an automatic-fill schedule for heating oil or propane, don’t pay for a pre-closing refill that provides free fuel for the new owner. Cont... 01/21/2015

First impressions count — not just for your friends, relatives, and the UPS guy, but for yourself. Whether it’s on an urban stoop or a Victorian front porch, your front door and the area leading up to it should extend a warm welcome to all comers — and needn’t cost a bundle.Here’s what you can do to make welcoming happen on the cheap.1. Clear the way for curb appeal. The path to your front door should be at least 3 feet wide so people can walk shoulder-to-shoulder, with an unobstructed view and no stumbling hazards. So get out those loppers and cut back any overhanging branches or encroaching shrubs. 2. Light the route. Landscape lighting makes it easy to get around at night. Solar-powered LED lights you can just stick in the ground, requiring no wiring, are suprisingly inexpensive. We ... 01/20/2015

Trying to decide whether to buy a fixer-upper house? Follow these seven steps, and you’ll know how much you can afford, how much to offer, and whether a fixer-upper house is right for you.1.  Decide what you can do yourself.TV remodeling shows make home improvement work look like a snap. In the real world, attempting a difficult remodeling job that you don’t know how to do will take longer than you think and can lead to less-than-professional results that won’t increase the value of your fixer-upper house. Do you really have the skills to do it? Some tasks, like stripping wallpaper and painting, are relatively easy. Others, like electrical work, can be dangerous when done by amateurs.Do you really have the time and desire to do it? Can you take time off work to renovate your fixer-upper... 01/19/2015

That hollow triangle of space beneath your staircase can house more than lint. Claim the square footage for organizing your stuff. See which of these storage solutions trips your organizational trigger. Closet: One of the simplest and most common under-stairs storage solutions, a closet can be lined with shelves and equipped with wire organizers to provide an abundance of organizational space. Include a light fixture in your plans. Cost: $250 to $500. Add $1,700 for professional installation; custom closet systems start at $1,000 and may climb to $30,000 for premium woods and all the bells and whistles. Open shelves: Rather than keep your belongings undercover, line the space beneath your staircase with built-in shelves that provide access from the side of the stairs. Use wicker baskets... 01/18/2015

You’ve worked hard to get your home ready for sale and to price it properly. With any luck, offers will come quickly. You’ll need to review each carefully to determine its strengths and drawbacks and pick one to accept. Here’s a plan for evaluating offers.1. Understand the process.All offers are negotiable, as your agent will tell you. When you receive an offer, you can accept it, reject it, or respond by asking that terms be modified, which is called making a counteroffer.2. Set baselines.Decide in advance what terms are most important to you. For instance, if price is most important, you may need to be flexible on your closing date. Or if you want certainty that the transaction won’t fall apart because the buyer can’t get a mortgage, require a prequalified or cash buyer.3. Create an o... 01/15/2015

Light bulb shopping used to be as simple as turning on a light switch. Today, it means weighing priorities for cost, energy efficiency, and aesthetics. Since you’re probably replacing bulbs one fixture at a time, here are some best-bet picks for each type.Table and Floor Lamps: Halogen Incandescent Light shines in all directions, providing a warm glow. Dimmable. Looks most similar to the traditional incandescent. Uses 25% to 30% less energy than the incandescent. Table and floor lamps look best with omnidirectional light. “You probably don’t want a big bright spot in the middle of your lampshade,” says Jeff Harris of the nonprofit think tank Alliance to Save Energy. “You’re looking for a nice, warm glow.”Halogen incandescents provide that, and are good with dimmers. You may be able to f... 01/14/2015

Home not selling? That could happen for a number of reasons you can't control, like a unique home layout or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage. There is one factor you can control: your home price.These six signs may be telling you it’s time to lower your price.1. You’re drawing few lookers.You get the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports there have been fewer buyers calling about and asking to tour your home than there have been for other homes in your area, that may be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have no offers.If you’ve... 01/13/2015

You just received a purchase offer from someone who wants to buy your home. You’re excited and relieved, until you realize the purchase offer is much lower than your asking price. How should you respond? Set aside your emotions, focus on the facts, and prepare a counteroffer that keeps the buyers involved in the deal.Check your emotions.A purchase offer, even a very low one, means someone wants to purchase your home. Unless the offer is laughably low, it deserves a cordial response, whether that’s a counteroffer or an outright rejection. Remain calm and discuss with your real estate agent the many ways you can respond to a lowball purchase offer.Counter the purchase offer.Unless you’ve received multiple purchase offers, the best response is to counter the low offer with a price and term... 01/12/2015

2014 Pinecrest Single Family Market Report   245 homes sold between $340,000 and $5,500,000    $960,000 Median Sales Price   Up 14.63%  From Last Year   62 Average Days on Market   As you can see, 2014 was a good year for real estate in Pinecrest. The Pinecrest real estate market is entering the New Year with positive momentum; interest rates are still low, inventory is stable and the demand is there. If you would like a market report for your specific area in Pinecrest, I would be more than happy to send you one – just give me a call.   01/12/2015

Be sure you’re sending the right message to buyers when you throw in a homebuyer incentive to encourage them to purchase your home.When you’re selling your home, the idea of adding a sweetener to the transaction -- whether it’s a decorating allowance, a home warranty, or a big-screen TV -- can be a smart use of marketing funds. To ensure it’s not a big waste, follow these do's and don’ts:Do use homebuyer incentives to set your home apart from close competition. If all the sale properties in your neighborhood have the same patio, furnishing yours with a luxury patio set and stainless steel BBQ that stay with the buyers will make your home stand out.Do compensate for flaws with a homebuyer incentive. If your kitchen sports outdated floral wallpaper, a $3,000 decorating allowance may help ... 01/11/2015

House hunting is just like any other shopping expedition. If you identify exactly what you want and do some research, you’ll zoom in on the home you want at the best price. These eight tips will guide you through a smart homebuying process.1.  Know thyself.Understand the type of home that suits your personality. Do you prefer a new or existing home? A ranch or a multistory home? If you’re leaning toward a fixer-upper, are you truly handy, or will you need to budget for contractors?2.  Research before you look.List the features you most want in a home and identify which are necessities and which are extras. Identify three to four neighborhoods you’d like to live in based on commute time, schools, recreation, crime, and price. Then hop onto REALTOR.com to get a feel for the homes availabl... 01/08/2015

Homeownership should make you feel safe and secure, and that includes financially. Be sure you can afford your home by calculating how much of a mortgage you can safely fit into your budget.Why not just take out the biggest mortgage a lender says you can have? Because your lender bases that number on a formula that doesn’t consider your current and future financial and personal goals.Think ahead to major life events and consider how those might influence your budget. Do you want to return to school for an advanced degree? Will a new child add day care to your monthly expenses? Does a relative plan to eventually live with you and contribute to the mortgage?Consider those lifestyle issues as you check out these four methods for estimating the amount of mortgage you can afford.1.  Prepare ... 01/07/2015

Wow!  Whether you are looking for yourself or for an investment opportunity, this 2 story Pinecrest 1 bedroom 1.5 bathroom condo is the unit for you!  With the ability to rent right away, and the low maintenance fee of $264, you cannot go wrong owning this condo in the prestigious 33156 zip code.  Unit features updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, high ceilings, tile floors downstairs, a walk-in closet and is located in a gated community.  Only minutes from Dadeland Mall, University of Miami and major expressways.  Easy to show.  Call Jimmy Katz of Katz Realty Group at 305-992-6750. 01/07/2015

Most potential homebuyers are a smidge daunted by the fact that they’re about to agree to a hefty mortgage that they’ll be paying for the next few decades. The best way to relieve that anxiety is to be confident you’re purchasing the best home at a price you can afford with the most favorable financing. These seven steps will help you make smart decisions about your biggest purchase.1.  Decide how much home you can afford.Generally, you can afford a home priced two to three times your gross income. Remember to consider costs every homeowner must cover: property taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, and community association fees, if applicable, as well as costs specific to your family, such as day care if you plan to have children.2.  Develop your home wish list.Be honest about whic... 01/06/2015

If clutter trumps cars in your garage, get organized (and make room for your vehicles) with these smart garage storage solutions, each costing less than $50.   Bikes, Skates, and Other WheelsBicycles, skateboards, scooters, and rollerblades -- wheeled belongings can get underfoot and land you on your assets or bang up the car. Protect your paint job (not to mention your backside) with these wily storage solutions for your garage. Hoist bicycles to the rafters with a rope-and-pulley system ($22) that makes it easy to raise the bike and lock safely in place. When you’re ready to ride, release the lock and lower your bike to the garage floor. You’ll need an hour or two and basic tools to secure the pair of pulleys to ceiling joists and thread the ropes. (Similar hoists are available for ka... 01/05/2015

  Be A Santa To A Senior   Would you help me bring some holiday smiles to a few folks who really need them? I'm talking about the many low-income senior citizens in our county who are living alone and struggling. Miami Dade County and Home Instead Senior Care team up each year to provide gifts through the "Be A Santa To A Senior" program. I have once again volunteered to help, requests are for:   T-Shirts       Robes       Slippers       Socks       Purses       Wallets   Toiletries       Bath Towels       Blankets       Large Numbered Clocks   Gift Certificates (Publix, Wall-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, etc.)       If you would like to participate, please give me a call at 305-776-0010.  I can stop by and pick up your new unwrapped gift between now and December 10th. Thank you very mu... 12/01/2014