Household Budget & Money Saving Tips

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Running a household is an expensive affair, but there are lots of things that you can do to minimize the costs. Lowering your expenses helps you stay within your budget and save for goals like buying a house or adding to your retirement income. Here are eight ways to reduce household expenses.

Bundle Your Services
Have internet, phone, and cable service? Move all of your accounts to one provider, and you could save $20 or more per month. Ask your current providers about bundling offers or visit ​allconnect.com to determine which company is offering the best service bundle in your area, then make the switch and save.
Cut Back on Extras
Do you really need unlimited data on your phone? How about the premium cable or satellite package that you subscribe to? Are you subscribed to multiple streaming services? You could alternate between them instead so you’re only subscribed to one or two at a time. Examine your list of monthly expenses, and determine what you can live without.
Clip Coupons and Shop Sales
Groceries can take a big bite out of a budget, but they don’t have to take a big bite out of yours. To reign in your grocery spending, start clipping coupons and shopping sales. If you’re a first-time couponer, you could save 15% or more. With time, that could increase to as much as 50%. Keep in mind that couponing only makes sense for items you would buy anyway. If you’re buying items you don’t usually shop for, it defeats the purpose.
Most retailers have sales periodically, but some sales are predictable. For example, summer clothes tend to go on sale by August to make room for fall items. Black Friday through Cyber Monday tends to be a good time to buy electronics.
Slash Your Insurance Premiums
Insurance is essential but costly. Shop around for a better auto insurance rate and you may shave hundreds of dollars off of your current premium. Can’t find a better rate? Talk to your current provider to see if there are discounts that you are missing out on. For example, they may offer a discount for having multiple policies, a ​good student discount, and/or a good driver discount. For even more savings, consider increasing your deductible or canceling comprehensive and collision coverage on older vehicles. If you have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, be sure to review those policies as well.
Get Energy Smart
Do you dread opening your utility bills each month? If so, there’s a lot that you can do to reduce your bill.
  • Install a smart thermostat and set it to run less when no one is home
  • Turn off lights when they aren’t in use
  • Wash your laundry in cold water
  • Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater
  • Only buy ​Energy Star appliances

Start looking around, and you’ll find many ways to reduce your energy consumption and energy bills.

Seek Cheap Thrills
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun, so examine your entertainment spending and see if there are places where you can make cuts. Could you stream movies instead of seeing them in the theater? Enjoy free concerts instead of paid concerts? Check out books at the library instead of buying them? Go on a picnic instead of eating out? Challenge yourself to have more fun for less money—every little bit adds up.
Pay Your Bills on Time
In the habit of paying your bills late? If so, you’re probably paying more than you need to. Start paying your bills on time and say goodbye to late fees and rate hikes.
One option for ensuring your bills are paid on time is using autopay. If your budget is too tight for autopay, consider using calendar reminders to prompt you to pay your bills. If you have access to bill pay through your bank, consider setting it up to make paying bills faster and easier.
Learn How to Do More Yourself
Develop your DIY skills so you can keep your home well maintained without all those pricey service calls. Consider learning tasks like handling clogs, lawn care, painting interior and exterior walls and more.
If home cooking isn’t your thing, consider learning. Try one or two simple recipes per week to build up your skills and confidence.

Home Design Trends

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There are plenty of reasons to look forward to 2021, especially when it comes to the home. After a year that guided many of us to spend more time at home, the new year is an opportunity to bring comfort and creativity to our living spaces. From calming room ideas to stylish (and smart) approaches to home office design, we are predicting 5 of the biggest interior design trends for 2021.

Grandmillennial Grandeur

“Grandmillennial” (modern takes on granny chic) style might be a surprising trend on the surface (it’s the exact opposite of sleek, modern minimalism) – but it actually fits in well with what we’re currently craving in our homes. Cozy details a la grandma’s house, pretty florals, and elegance definitely have a place in the 2021 design landscape.

Plenty of Plants

It seems like 2020 was the year that many of us went back to the basics (hello, green thumbs) and chances are that these primal habits will continue to grow in 2021 – especially when it comes to indoor plants. Incorporating house plants into your decor can help refresh your air and brighten your mood.

Multi-Functional Spaces

This past year has made many of us rethink how we use our rooms. When spending more time at home, it makes less sense to dedicate whole rooms to just one purpose – especially in smaller spaces. With this is mind, we’re betting that we’ll see creative storage and design solutions to help dining room, living rooms, and bedrooms double up as home offices and workspaces. 

Walls on the Wild Side

When it come to interior design trends, we tend to focus a lot on what’s between our walls, but what about what’s on the walls themselves? While paint is always popular, textured, bold, and unusual finishes like floral wallpaper fabric upholstery or even a living wall can add a fresh feel to our spaces in the year to come.

Earthy Tones

You’ve probably picked up on one of the overarching themes for home decor in the year to come: a return to nature and earthy inspiration. This feeling extends to color trends, as warm, comforting color palettes (think wine reds, golden yellows, and sage greens) take precedence. 

Advantage to Listing Your Home After the New Year!

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Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is having a great week!! Can you believe that it is almost December 1st? The countdown to Christmas is here!! This may surprise you that a Realtor is telling you this, but now is NOT the time to list your home! I know it’s a shocker, but below are a few reasons why you want to wait and list your home for sale after the New Year. 

  • Holiday Décor – I know we all like to have our homes decorated for the holidays! Honestly though the last thing you want in your homes pictures and in your home while buyers are looking is Christmas tree’s, Santa Clause all over the place, the home plastered in green and red, etc. Wait until after Christmas, put the décor away, clean and be ready to impress buyers!! 
  • Timing – Most people list their home for sale in the Spring time. Listing your home right after the new year makes your home stand out and not get lost in the flood of homes listed in the spring. Plus, hopefully you will be under contract and moving in the spring instead of just getting the process started. 
  • Ring, Ring Ring – Realtor’s phones, emails and all forms of communication is typically very slow in December. Which means buyers are typically waiting until after the holidays to purchase a home. Listing in January means they will be waiting to see your home verses having it sit on the market in December with very to no activity. 
  • Tax Time – Often at the end of the year people start to look at their taxes, financial situation, etc. and plan for the next year! Having your home fresh on the market in January is ideal for people getting a head start on 2019! 

I hope you find this information helpful!! Just remember list with me in January, but call me today so we can get a plan together!

Call/Text (352) 577-9171 or Email Info@Search352Homes.com 

 

Maintaining Your Home in the Fall

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Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is staying dry and safe from Hurricane Michael. Luckily, it doesn’t look like Marion County is in the path of the storm, but we’re definitely keeping everyone in the panhandle in our thoughts and prayers. I wanted to go over a few things you can do in the weeks ahead to prep your home for fall and the upcoming holidays! Most of your homes are used for entertaining this time of year and I thought these tips would be helpful. 

 

  • Fireplace – Make sure you have your fireplace inspected to ensure it is ready for use! 

 

  • HVAC Unit – Make sure your heating and cooling system is ready and good to go! In Florida you probably had this inspected in the spring for the summer season. It’s also a good idea to have it looked at going into winter season. 

 

  • Appliances – With holiday meals and baking you definitely want to make sure all of your kitchen appliances are in working order. The last thing you want to happen is have a burner or appliance go out right before the holidays. Also don’t forget about your washer and dryer! Holiday’s often bring extra house guest which means more laundry. 

 

  • Exterior – Fall leaves often bring gutters to full capacity. Clean out your gutters and while you’re outside check your roof and piping to ensure it is ready for the hard winters we have here in Florida. 

 

  • Your Own Audit- Walk around the interior and exterior of your home. You know your home better than anyone else. If you see something out of place or unusual, now is a good time to have it looked at. 

 

As always if you have any questions or if there is anything we can do to help please contact us. Info@Search352Homes.com or (352) 577-9171

***List Your Home TODAY***

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Good Afternoon Everyone, 

I hope everyone is having a great week! Today’s topic of discussion – SELLING Your Home NOW! 

Why do you think right now is a good time to sell your home? Maybe you’ve heard the real estate market is doing well? Or maybe you’ve had a friend or family member sell their home and have positive equity? Both of those are good reasons to sell, but here are 5 top reasons to SELL your home TODAY! 

1.) Low Mortgage Interest Rates! – Right now you can borrow money to purchase a home with record low interest rates! You may think well isn’t this a reason for a buyer to purchase a home? You’re correct, but this is a HUGE benefit for sellers. Right now Realtors like myself have buyers just waiting for homes to hit the market. Inventory is extremely low and the real estate market needs your home to be listed for sale TODAY! 

2.) Home Prices are on the Rise! – Home prices are continuing to rise throughout the United States. In 2017 we finished out the year with a 5.5% year to year increase with home values on the rise! 

3.) Millennials! – Millennials are ready to purchase a home! With an economy on the rise, millennials are in the position to purchase one of the best investments! They’re graduating college, starting careers and getting married! Perfect time in their life to invest in a home. 

4.) Money in Savings! – Not all, but some people are finally able to have money in savings!. They have made it through the hard times and feel stable with their finances. That being said, a lot of people are starting to look into purchasing a home. 

5.) Low Inventory- I discussed a little bit of this topic with # 1 and Low Interest Rates. Inventory is EXTREMELY low. I have a portfolio of buyers who are just waiting for the average family home to hit the market! They’re preapproved and ready to go! All we need is a home like yours to be listed for sale! 

If you have any questions about listing your home or purchasing a home, I would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss your real estate needs. As always I’m here to help every step of the way! 

Duke Rountree – Info@HomesForSaleOcalaMarion.com – (352) 572-1739

Ways to Refresh your Home!

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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

3 Reasons Why… It’s Great Time for Sellers Aug 2015

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2015 is turning into an excellent year for sellers because of rising home prices, increased demand from home buyers and happy houseless overall seller competition for most U.S. and Ocala Marion County Homeowners

 

1. Stronger demand from buyers… Demand from buyers has remained high and less competition(homes for sale), is making 2015 a fantastic year for many Marion County home owners. There is currently a larger pool of buyers, including first time buyers, boomerang buyers)previous owners who lost their home to foreclosure or short sale), and traditional owner-occupant buyers.

2. Home prices on the rise…Across the nation home and condo sellers in the first half of the year sold for an average of 13% above original asking price. Homes in the median price range have increased 6.4% since 2014 based on the June – Monthly Market Reports from Florida Association of Realtors for the Ocala/Marion County area. “So far in 2015, [sellers] are realizing the biggest gains in home price appreciation since 2007,” Blomquist says. “In June, sellers sold for above estimated market value on average for the first time in nearly two years.” Median sales prices of existing-homes pushed above the previous 2006 peak to a record high in June, the National Association of REALTORS® reported this week. The median existing-home price for all housing types was $236,400 in June – surpassing the peak median sales price set in July 2006 at $230,400.

3. Less Seller competition… New listings have decreased year over year by -2.6% and pending homes sales have increased 7%. Ocala/Marion County inventory has also decreased -8% and currently there is only a 6 month supply of inventory. This means if no other homes were placed on the market in the coming months it would take 6 months for ALL homes to be sold. Also the decrease in the number of distressed properties has fallen -11.8% and these sales accounts for less than 10% of all closed sales.

It is important to remember that location is the biggest factors in considering all of the numbers and statistics. It is important to find a trusted real estate professional that is knowledgable about your local market to discuss in further detail. Want to know the value of your home…Contact me today for a “free, no obligation” market analysis of your home and property.

 

Source: Realtormag.realtor.org – DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015″2015 Great Year to Sell,” RealtyTrac (July 22, 2015)

Florida Home Buyer Programs for 2015

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Florida currently has 3 home buyer programs available;

  1. FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER Program -Florida’s First-Time Homebuyer Program offers 30-year fixed rate loans through participating lenders and lending institutions. As with most first-time homebuyer programs, income and purchase price limits do apply. A borrower must have a minimum FICO credit score of 640 to qualify.
  2. Local SHIP Program – Low-to-moderate income borrowers across the state can inquire with their local county as to what down payment and closing cost assistance is available in their given area.
  3. Florida Housing Mortgage Credit Program – The Florida Housing Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program allows first-time homeowners to claim up to $2,000 each year as a tax credit on the mortgage interest paid. The MCC program cannot be combined with the first-time homebuyer program. Similarly to the first-time homebuyer program, income and purchase price limits will apply.
For more details on Florida Housing Finance Corporation details >>>>> CLICK HERE
 Check out this FIRST TIME HOME BUYER WIZARD TOO! >>>>>>> CLICK HERE FOR WIZARD

Monthly Market Detail Report – June 2015

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In the Ocala/Marion real estate market, conditions continue to be even as fewer houses become available compared to his time last year. June 2015 found an decrease in the number of new listings, active listings and pending sales were up for single-family homes, according to information from Ocala Marion County Association or Realtors®.

The 877 new listings in June 2015 represented a -2.6 percent decrease over previous year. Active listings decreased 8 percent to 3,083 over the same period. Pending sales had a high jump in June, with the 656 pending listings in for the month, indicating a 7 percent increase over June 2014. Actual sales of single-family homes also increased over the same period.

The Ocala Marion County Association or Realtors® reports that in June, a total of 606 single homes were sold in the Ocala/Marion County area. This represents a 12.8% percent increase over sales in previous year. Prices in the Ocala/Marion County real estate market continue to climb during that year-long period. The median price of a single-family home in the Ocala/Marion County area increased 6.4 percent between June/2014 and June/2015, to $116,000.

Average home prices declined -3.7 percent during that period to $145,862. The closed sales by sales price during the year

increased in all price categories except for “less than $50k and over $1,ooo,ooo. Homes spend an average of 73 days on the market in Ocala/Marion County, which is decrease from June/2014 of 38.1 percent year-over-year. Generally higher prices, limited availability, and quicker sales of those homes that come up for sale make the Marion County real estate market a favorable environment for sellers, and because of the great value in our area buyers can find quality homes far cheaper than average rent prices for the area.

Rountree Realty provides expert real estate services to residential buyers and sellers in Marion County including Ocala, Fort McCoy, Anthony, Sparr, Citra, Salt Springs, Orange Springs and and surrounding communities. Contact us today for more information on local real estate and for professional assistance navigating this sometimes complex home market.

This report describes member activity for the association and is not confined to any specific geographic area. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of following month. Data released July 22, 2015, produced by the Florida REALTORS®

COSTS vs VALUE 2015 Report – Exterior Improvements Best Return on Investment

Posted by Duke Rountree on

When you begin to consider remodeling or home improvements, homeowners should consider the return on investment(ROI) or recouping of their costs. Many updates are preformed simply because the homeowner desires that upgraded kitchen or bathroom. It is important to remember that many, if not most, updates are not great ROI, because they are more for personal reasons rather than a cost vs. value.

“It can be a daunting task to even decide on what home improvement projects to undertake, let alone to physically tackle and complete them,” says National Association of Realtors (NAR) President Chris Polychron. “Realtors know what buyers are looking for during their search, and curb appeal is and always will be important. That explains why Realtors once again rated exterior projects as some of the most attractive and valuable for homeowners.”

Seeing these reports now for many years in a row I have noticed one update that always stands above the rest in terms of cost vs value; the steel entry door. According to Realtors, a new steel entry door returns about 101.8% of its costs upon resale compared to 96.6% last year. For my sellers and marketing the property to future home buyers we always start at the curb first and front entry way next. These areas are two of the most important areas to focus. Why, because first impressions do matter and the entrance to every home being marketed for sale should be warm and inviting. If you cannot afford to replace the front door, then we suggest a good painting and replacing all door hardware for that fresh and clean look.

The good news is the steel entry door is consistently the least expensive project in the report.

Rounding out the top 10 projects in terms of cost recouped:

  • Manufactured stone veneer (92.2 percent)
  • Garage door replacement – midrange project (88.5 percent)
  • Siding replacement with fiber cement (84.3 percent)
  • Garage door replacement – upscale project (82.5 percent)
  • Vinyl siding replacement (80.7 percent)
  • Wood deck addition (80.5 percent)
  • Minor kitchen remodel (79.3 percent)
  • Wood window replacement (78.8 percent)
  • Foam-backed vinyl siding replacement (77.6 percent)

© 2015 Florida Realtors® http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=2&id=317926