Realty Executives Oceanside Welcomes New Executive-

KATHY CAREY, REALTOR®

 ABOUT KATHY

   I am a "native" of Flagler County since 1985, having moved to Florida from South Carolina.  As a long-time resident of this wonderful county, I have witnessed tremendous growth and change.  I am very familiar with the different geographical choices and opportunities in this county, and understand and appreciate the various nuances offered by each community.

   Prior to this career, I was a local Preschool Director for over 24 years.  I have served on numerous local, county, and state boards to further the importance of quality early childhood education and continue to be a school and church volunteer.   I have recently completed the Florida Master Gardener program.

   In knowing and experiencing that this is a great area to live, work, play, raise a family, or retire, I am excited to embark on my new profession as a Realtor.®  I look forward to sharing my hometown with you and helping you to make the dream of Living in Paradise a reality!

   I would be honored to help you with any of your real estate needs.  Please email me at Kathy@KathyCarey.biz or call or text me at 386-931-2613.

BUYING?  SELLING?...Contact KATHY Today!

Prepare Your Home Now If You Plan to Sell It This Spring

Selling a home doesn’t happen overnight. To maximize your sale price, stand out from the competition and sell quickly, your home needs to go on the market in tip-top condition.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression in real estate. Once your home’s listing goes live, the days on market start ticking. In the Internet age, with access to so much information, buyers will punish a seller whose home has been on the market for many months.  If you can’t make the effort to get your home in its best condition, hold off on listing it.

Prepping the home rarely happens in one weekend. It takes time and thoughtful planning. If you intend to sell your home this spring, here are a few steps you need to take now.

Inspect

It may seem counterintuitive to spend money on a property inspection, but you need to know about your home’s condition. If there are issues — big or small — you need to address, it is better to know about them early so you can either remedy them prior to going to market or account for them with a lower listing price.

The last thing you want is for the buyer to uncover flaws once they are under contract. You will get stuck paying more under those circumstances than it would cost you to address the issues now.

Stash

As you prepare to sell, think of your home as an investment and start to see it through the eyes of potential buyers and the market. When you’re trying to sell your home, the less-is-more approach applies.

Put away big furniture and personal items. Store or put away all the things you won’t be using until you move into your new home. In the kitchen, make space in the cabinets for items you will need to use daily, but will want to put away for showings.

Improve

It’s common for sellers to make cosmetic improvements before they list. Kitchens and bathrooms sell your home. Plan to have the bathroom grout cleaned and have some parts of the house painted to give it a fresh look.

Consider cleaning rugs, refinishing hardwood floors or painting kitchen cabinets. If you plan to list in the spring, you likely have a good local real estate agent on your side by now. Get their advice and ask for referrals to do the work. There are lots of inexpensive contractors who can help spruce up your home quickly.

Research

Today’s buyers have research in their DNA and will investigate all they can. Check with your local building department and ensure there are no outstanding issues with your home.

Verify that property records reflect your home accurately, and prepare to remedy any discrepancy. Make sure your title report is clean, and talk about potential disclosure items with your agent. Banks won’t lend if there are outstanding issues, and you don’t want to jump through hoops at the eleventh hour. Researching now will keep you one step ahead of the buyers.

The sale of your home is likely one of your biggest financial transactions. Get a real estate agent on your team early, and make a list of all the tasks you need to complete before listing this spring. Now is the time to have those discussions. Smart planning and a good strategy will ensure a quick, painless and profitable home sale.

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Tucked between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, Palm Coast and Flagler Beach is known for pristine beaches, fabulous weather and tasty seafood. But it’s also—and possibly more famously—known for being one of the most pet-friendly beach destinations in the state and even the country. USA Today just ranked our beautiful Flagler Beach as one of the best places to take your pets when planning a beach vacation. But where can you take your pets? And what are the best things to do during your “dog-cation”? Here’s a guide to some of the best things to do with your pets in Palm Coast and Flagler Beaches.

• Hit the beach. Flagler Beach has a very family-friendly beach policy, allowing furry friends to roam most of the beach in the area north of Gamble Rogers State Recreactional Area Leashed dogs can play in the sand and hit the waves along with their owners. Dog owners are advised to keep their dogs on a leash no more than five feet long. Pet-friendly beaches are located north of N. 10th Street and south of S. 10th Street.

• Roam freely at Wadsworth Park. Located just off Highway 100 near the Matanzas River, Wadsworth Park is Flagler Beach’s most popular dog park. The fenced-in park is more than 60,000 square feet for your dogs to roam freely and unleashed. The park overlooks a pond and has several wooden benches for owners to relax and sit in the shade. There are two separate off-leash destinations for smaller and larger dogs. There’s no need to bring your own water for your furry friend; the park provides many water bowls. 

• Take your pup out on the water. Due to calm waters in the Palm Coast and Flagler Beach area, kayaking and paddleboarding are ideal watersports to do with your dogs (really!). When visiting the area, dog owners will be delighted to find many kayak and paddleboard rental venues allow your pets to accompany you on the trip. Both you and your pets will catch glimpses of Florida’s wildlife like egrets, manatees, and turtles along the route.

• Dine with an oceanview. Palm Coast and the Flagler Beach area prides itself for having countless of dog-friendly restaurants and cafes. Flagler Beach Winery remains a popular joint for dog owners to bring their pets to enjoy the scenic beachside landscape and sip on local wine with the company of their canines. Other dog-friendly oceanfront restaurants include Fuego Del Mar, Johnny D's, and High Tides at Snack Jack. However, for a laid back day of sipping coffee, enjoying breakfast, and reading, head over to Java Joint or The Beach House Beanery with your pet.

• Spoil your dog at one of the many pet boutiques. Looking for a stylish collar or doggie uniforms? Flagler Beach and the Palm Coast area have several top-of-the-line pet boutique shops like The Bark Spot. There, pet owners will find high quality gourmet pet foods, snacks, and baked “doggie goods.” Additionally, shoppers can send in prints of their pets to have customized mugs, shirts, and magnets and shop for holiday-themed costumes. Pet Smarts and Pet Supermarket are two other venues to swing by and shop for your favorite “child.”

• Bed and board with your pets while letting an Executive show you all the beautiful properties we have to offer in our little slice of paradise. The area has a variety of accommodations that welcome you and your pets. Several beachside properties and vacation rental homes that are dog-friendly include Si Como No Inn, Flagler Beach Motel & Vacation Rentals, Tropical Bird & Bee, and Vacation Rental Pros. Dog owners can opt to camp beachside with their canines at Flagler by the Sea Campground, Beverly Beach RV Camptown Resort, or Gamble Rogers State Recreational Area. There, both man and his best friend can camp out under the stars.

Florida's housing market wrapped up 2015 with more closed sales, more new listings and higher median prices compared to the year before, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

"In the fourth quarter and throughout 2015, we've seen positive signs that Florida's housing sector is growing steadily," said 2016 Florida Realtors®President Matey H. Veissi. "Home prices are rising at a more moderate pace while closed sales remain strong. Florida's economy is in growth mode, more jobs are being created and mortgage interest rates remain at historically low levels, which will continue to drive the state's housing market in 2016."

Year-end 2015

Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 274,769 in 2015, up 12.4 percent compared to the 2014 figure, according to data from Florida Realtors Industry Data and Analysis department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations.

New listings for existing single-family homes rose 3.7 percent in 2015 compared to 2014. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in 2015 was $196,000, up 10.1 percent from the previous year.

Looking at Florida's year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 114,969 units sold statewide in 2015, up 6.1 percent from 2014. The closed sales data reflected fewer short sales statewide in 2015 compared to the previous year: Short sales for condo-townhouse properties declined 44.6 percent while short sales for single-family homes dropped 34.1 percent.

New listings for townhouse-condos for the year increased 1.5 percent compared to a year ago. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 2015 was $150,000, up 7.1 percent over the previous year.

At the end of 2015 and also for 4Q 2015, inventory for single-family homes stood at a 4.3-months' supply, while inventory for townhouse-condo properties was at a 5.4-months' supply, according to Florida Realtors.

"2015 was a very strong year in terms of sales growth in Florida's single-family home markets, thanks to a sales surge that began in the fourth quarter of 2014 and lasted through the third quarter of 2015," said Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O'Connor. "In each of the first three quarters of 2015, we observed double-digit percentage increases in sales on a year-over-year basis. Year-over-year growth in 2015's final quarter was more subdued, signaling a possible return in 2016 to more stable rates of sales growth.

"We expect home prices, on the other hand, to continue to rise at an elevated pace in 2016, as much of the state is in the midst of an inventory shortage that is likely to persist throughout the year."

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.85 percent for 2015, up from the previous year's average of 4.17 percent, according to Freddie Mac.

4Q 2015

Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 63,305 in the fourth quarter of 2015, up 2 percent compared to the year-ago figure, according to data from Florida Realtors Industry Data and Analysis department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. Closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

New listings of single-family homes for sale in 4Q 2015 rose 0.9 percent compared to the same quarter the previous year. Meanwhile, the statewide median sales price for existing single-family homes for the quarter was$200,510, up 11.4 percent from 4Q 2014.

Looking at Florida's year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 26,289 units sold statewide in 4Q 2015, up 0.8 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, new listings of townhouse-condos rose 2 percent in the quarter compared to 4Q 2014. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 4Q 2015 was $152,000, up 6.3 percent over the previous year.

To see the full statewide housing activity reports, go to Florida Realtors Media Center and and look under Latest Releases, or download the 4Q and Year End 2015 data report PDFs under Market Data. 

With the global capacity for solar energy production more than doubling every year, the question of whether or not to jump on this growing trend is one that homeowners are being faced with on a more regular basis. This has become especially true with the rise in the number of companies offering to outfit homes with solar panels at little to no cost to the owner—with some caveats we’ll get to in a moment.

With that in mind, we decided to take a look at what you stand to gain from going the solar power route. As it turns out, there’s quite a lot. Some of the biggest benefits beyond contributing to a greener planet are:

- The federal government and some states offer large rebates for installing solar

- You can eliminate your monthly electric bill

- If you don’t use all the electricity you generate, you can sell the surplus to utilities

- Excess power can be used to charge electric vehicles for free

- Installing solar panels can increase the value of your home 

Of course, having solar panels installed on your home is still a pretty pricey endeavor. Even though the price per watt of photovoltaic panels—the most common—has dropped more than 20 percent since early 2010, the system required to power the average American home still runs more than $55,000. Fortunately, like we mentioned above, going solar actually costs less than the initial sticker price thanks to some nice financial incentives from the government.

You can get a solar power system installed for next to nothing, but the companies that provide them do so in exchange for signing an equipment lease and turning over government rebates and a cut on any extra energy produced.

Let’s take a closer look at the upsides of solar power.

When Going Green Earns You Green

Solar Panels

Solar panels might not be the prettiest things, but their benefits are extremely attractive. 

Using the handy and popular calculator available here, you can get an estimate of how much it would cost to install a solar power system capable of providing enough energy to run your home. What’s more, it’ll provide some insight into how much you’ll be able to take off the rather sizable cost for hardware and installation right off the bat.

In most cases, this includes a 30 percent federal tax credit based on the gross cost of setting up the system. In addition, the state you live in will have its own form of rebate. In California, for example, the rebate amounts to several hundred dollars. In some states it’s in the thousands. You can see a breakdown of federal, state, and utility-offered rebates.

Beyond getting a good chunk of the upfront cost covered, you’re actually able to sell electricity you generate to your utility company in some cases. This often takes the form of a credit that accumulates throughout the year and becomes a nice payout depending on how much you have to sell.

Say Goodbye to Your Bill

In most situations, installing solar power on your home doesn’t entirely liberate you from the power grid. After all, you need a way to send the excess power to the utilities and without some rather large and expensive batteries there’s no way to store power for later use. Even though you’re still connected to the power company, the amount of energy you’re generating can more than take care of your needs, so you’ll no longer be paying an electric bill.

For many households, this can mean a savings of hundreds of dollars per month, especially during the summertime when electricity usage is higher.

Sparking an Increase in Home Value

According to a nine-year study conducted by the Department of Energy, installing solar panels on your home can produce an average increase in its value of $5.50 per watt of energy generating capability. For a system capable of generating 3,100 watts—the average in the study—it amounted to more than $17,000 of added value.

Considering that the cost of having solar panels installed is nearing the $5.50 mark in the U.S. depending on the company you contract to do the work, you’re actually looking at adding nearly as much value to your home as you’re spending on adding the panels. This is in addition to the other benefits we’ve discussed, which really sweetens the deal.

Plus, like we said earlier, this is all in addition to the considerable benefits that switching to solar power can have for the environment. In fact, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the use of solar power reduces oil consumption on a global basis by 75 million barrels annually and keeps 35 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. This number is only growing as countries like Germany, the No. 1 user of solar power on the planet, continue to expand their capacity.

All in all, it’s a win-win deal in the long run—for your pocketbook and the planet.

Check out these local companies to find out more information:

http://www.waynesolar.com/

 http://www.solar-fit.com/