Staging is one of the best ways to get the highest offer possible when selling your home.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging is the process of making your home look picture perfect prior to listing.

Staging generally entails:

• decluttering
• removing pets during showings and in photos
• cleaning the home
• basic repairs
• increasing curb appeal
• depersonalizing the home

Basic staging can be done without the assistance of a staging company (rearranging furniture, removing clutter, etc.) however, hiring one can be beneficial in getting the best possible result. If your home is empty, staging companies can even bring in furniture and decoration.

What are the benefits?

The National Association of Realtors has collected and published data on the benefits of home staging. According to their data, 47% of agents stated that staging has an impact on most buyers’ opinions of a home. 82% of agents stated that staging has made it easier for buyers to visualize the property as a future home.

Staging resulted in a higher dollar value offer in 49% of cases, while it resulted in no change in 26% of cases. The agent was unsure 25% of the time.

The length of time prior to home sale was affected the most. Over 50% of agents said they saw a decrease in time on the market in a home that has been staged.

At the bottom line, buyers are most likely to purchase a home that they can imagine themselves living in.

What are the next steps?

Data suggests that now is an advantageous time to sell your home in Florida! Staging your home has a high probability of getting you higher offers and/or a quicker sale for your home. If you do choose to stage your home, there are many companies located in Ellenton, FL and the surrounding area that can get you the results you’re looking for. Talk to your agent and let them know you’re thinking about home staging. Don’t have an agent? Check out our list of helpful and professional agents at Integrity!

Happy Veterans Day!

We wish you a Happy Veterans Day

We hope that you take a moment to remember those that have served in the name of freedom. This holiday is one of solemn remembrance as it’s the anniversary of the end of the First World War. We ask that you take a moment to remember all that have served and perhaps reach out to anyone close to you that is a Veteran. This holiday goes by many names: Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, National independence Day in Poland, and simply 11 November. No matter the name, the idea is the same – reflect on those that gave everything so we can enjoy peace and prosperity. It is important to remember the past and take a moment to reflect on our history and those that have shaped it.

To everyone that’s served, we thank you and want you to know you are in our hearts.

In Flanders Fields

A poem about the First World War by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

What’s a Mobile Home?

Factory-built homes offer superior value and a higher quality of life – if you know what you’re looking for.

Most people know nothing about manufactured, or “mobile,” homes. There’s a pervasive idea that the term mobile home means travel trailer or camper. In reality, the term comes from the city of Mobile, Alabama. Manufactured homes were built in bulk in Mobile after the second World War when there was a housing shortage. Today, factory made homes offer a competitive alternative to “traditional” homes (although this is a misnomer, read on to learn more) because they cost less to buy, own, and repair.

…But What About Brick and Mortar?

Often one will come across the terms “traditional” or “brick and mortar” in the context of modern homes. It is assumed by many that a home is either something “on wheels” or it’s made like a Victorian townhouse. This belief couldn’t be further from the truth!

Homes have always been made of a mix of materials, from stone to wood, but in the late 1800s everything changed. Balloon framing came in vogue in this era and soon all small or low-cost structures were built with this technique. But what is balloon framing? Instead of the sturdy, interlocking carpentry of the far past, long spindly pieces of lumber are stapled together to just barely get the job done. Nowadays, practically all homes in the American South are built via balloon framing by low-skill contractors in paid-by-the-job manner.

When talking about alternatives to mobile homes, make sure you’re not upselling a cheaply-made blow-up structure that’s made to last less time than a mobile home. Also, don’t go thinking block homes are much better than a wooden home either. The insulative properties of wooden walls filled with insulation is much better than blocks of concrete. Heat is best kept out by pockets of air and fiberglass insulation within walls. The insulative properties of wood also help keep heat at bay. Every bit helps when you’re the one paying the electric bill.

Is There Anything Good About Mobile Homes?

A mobile home has the industrial-scale savings of balloon framing and the skillful craftsmanship of specialized factory workers. You save up-front because a home made on an assembly line takes less time and has much lower on-site cost (like paying a construction crew to drive out somewhere and set up). Also, factories buy higher quality materials in bulk and are integrated into supply lines. A manufactured home also saves you money in the long run because maintenance is easier and cheaper. Simply put, the reasons a mobile home saves you money are the same as why a factory-made car saves you money. People would find you mad if you expected a car to be made on-site out of antiquated materials. However, people expect this of homes for no reason other than tradition.

The greatest thing about a mobile home is the mobile home parks. Parks are communities where everything except the physical home is taken care of for a relatively small monthly fee. For normally less than the average rent in an area, one can live in their own home while also having manicured landscaping, access to community clubhouses and pools, possibly even included RV and boat storage off-lot, and so much more. Also, there’s no property tax and no state income tax!

More About Mobile Home Communities

A mobile home community is an affordable neighborhood with an HOA and exclusive amenities. Every community is different but you can expect a clubhouse, at least one pool, gym, and an outdoor activities space. Veranda Springs is an example of an exemplar community with a lot of amenities including:

• Swimming Pool
• Clubhouse
• Well-equipped gym
• Off-Street Parking
• Pet-Friendly Environment
• Library
• Game Room

While not every community is the same, you have a choice of which one you live in! If you want to learn more about Veranda Springs just go here. To browse homes then go to this link. For general community exploration you can go to the community hub in the website menu.

Buying? Don’t Panic!

Your guide to actually coming to Florida and buying a home.

So, you’ve decided to move to the state with all the sunshine and none of the snow shoveling, dry air, frigid winds, salty roads, and even steep inclines to walk up? Florida is an enticing destination for a lot of people for a lot of different reasons, but we know that it might seem daunting to jump ship and buy a home across the nation. To help you navigate your path to happiness we’ve put together this guide on traveling, home shopping, and buying.

The first thing you MUST do is reflect on what exactly you want to buy. We’ve seen a lot of people buy plane tickets and come to Florida with no idea what they want and no understanding of the home options available. In essence, they went on a tropical vacation but spent the whole time looking at houses with the A/C turned off. Don’t set yourself up for failure, consider the following and you’ll be golden!

Getting Started

1. What is your budget? Florida has a long history of being budget-friendly, especially for those on a pension. However, it’s easy to loose sight of what matters and loose a grasp on your pocketbook. Knowing what price range you’re in helps narrow down the homes you want to look at and prevents wasting time, i.e. less hotel stays, flights, drives, etc.
2. Where do you want to be? This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to name a well-known location, but instead think of how you want to spend your time. Does barbequing on a dock in a manicured community seem good? Do you want to be near a city or live in a small town? How about both? Define everything you want and consider homes based on how many checkboxes they fill.
3. What do you want in a home? Think about how you’ll be living your life and make decisions about your home based on what you need. Will grandkids be visiting? Maybe you need an extra bedroom. Are you the entertaining type or homebody? Choose your prospective homes accordingly.

Talk to an Agent

Knowing what you want is the first step, but now it’s time to talk to an agent. An agent will assist you in selecting properties that are suited to your needs and they’ll even scope out the properties for you! Some are inclined to think of an agent as an annoyance or a middle-man, but when buying long-distance you should think of an agent as a resource at your disposal.

The best time to shop for a home is out of sales season, when the market is competitive and nobody’s buying. You want to buy in the summer time.

Buying a home long-distance is a thorough process if you’re doing it right. By clarifying what you want ahead of time you can have an agent keep an eye out on properties that otherwise would come and go before you even finish booting your computer. Agents can check places out for you, take pictures, and contact sellers when you can’t, they can even think of stuff you might’ve not thought about. Over a span of time you can compile a list of homes worth actually looking at, making sure to have had your agent scope out the place.

Plan a Trip

You are now a Florida real estate pro, you’ve talked to agents, dug through websites, and compiled a list of properties you want to see – it’s time to go. But alas, this is the hardest part! Most people’s closest experience to long-distance home shopping is maybe a business trip. We’ll now talk about planning your trip to make the most of it.

Step 1 – Plan your Ground Trip

You’re coming Florida to buy a home, therefore plot all your potential homes on a map and think of a way to strategically see all of them. Have a day-by-day hitlist and run it by your agent. You will need to see every home with an agent (lest you just stare at the exterior) and planning ahead will ensure your agent is available. Also, chances are that you’ll have a rental car – Florida isn’t known for its public transit – and you will want to limit your miles and gas expenditure.

Speaking of a rental car, stick to the basics. You won’t want a big car or something inefficient. Even though you’ll be sticking to a relatively small region of the state, the back-and-fourth will add up and could be costly. Don’t let yourself be sold into renting something you don’t need.

Lastly, give yourself a lot of extra time to take breaks and enjoy the state. Plan to only be looking at houses in the earlier part of the day so you can sample restaurants, shops, and more. We have a very good list of places to eat in the Veranda Springs area here. If you’re lucky enough to have family or friends in the state, set aside a day to meet them.

Step 2 – Lodging

This isn’t an absolute necessity, but chances are that you will be spending at least two days in Florida and will need to stay the night somewhere. As someone who’s traveled all over, usually by road, I can promise that our state has the best hotels at the lowest prices if you know where to look.

You want to plan to stay at the hub of your home shopping region, not by the airport. Hotel prices fluctuate but you’re guaranteed to find better deals a) in medium-sized towns outside of cities and b) if you call ahead by at least a few days. It’s best to schedule further out. If you heed our advice and come in the summertime to save on your home, the tradeoff is slightly higher lodging prices. However, this will be mitigated if you follow those two points.

Step 3 – Asphalt or Wings?

So far it’s been assumed you’re going to fly to Florida. Unless you live in the southeastern US it’s more economical to fly, but there are a number of things to consider. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you looked at the alternatives thoroughly.

Trying to buy a plane ticket the old fashioned way isn’t the most economical thing to do. We recommend you use Google Flights instead to get the most competitive pricing. Make sure you know what airport(s) you need to fly to before shopping for flights. A quick Google maps search will show you driving times between airports and the hotel you selected.

Conclusion

If you want the best life you can live, a financially responsible resort-style perpetual vacation, then you need to get to it! Follow these steps at your leisure and we’ll be here when you’re ready. Below are some links to help you find your path to the best retirement ever.