April 2018

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We’re more than a Realtor! “We have your moving plan”

Senior Relocation

It takes more than a moving company to relocate someone who has a lifetime of memories and belongings. From photos and collectibles to dishes and books, these items hold special value and need to be considered when planning a move. When it’s time for you or a loved one to move, our professional team will manage the entire relocation process from start to finish.

Feel At Home In Your New Home

Moving can be stressful for anyone. But for older adults who rely on daily routines and habits to navigate through their homes, a move can feel nearly impossible. We understand this, which is why our team of relocation experts strives to match the layout and placement of important items from the old home to the new home.

If you’re accustomed to seeing three specific photos above your bed, we’ll make sure to replicate this in your new home. It’s not enough to move items from one home to another; we make certain the process is done as carefully as possible, with our senior client in mind every step of the way.

Space Planning

Our experts utilize space planning software that lets you see what will fit in your new home and where it could go. We alleviate your stress so there are no guessing games on move day.

Relocation Services:

  • Professional move management
  • Locate, organize and sort personal belongings
  • Coordinate the change of address with Social Security, post office, utilities and others
  • Space planning software
  • Stage belongings in your new home to help ease transition anxiety
  • Professionally pack and unpack your items
  • Coordinate with A large network of professional partners
  • Downsizing and decluttering
  • “WE CAN HELP YOU”
  • 352-834-1326

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This is great information for sellers and buyers when looking to sell or looking to buy! Courtesy of SRES. Senior Real Estate Specialist ……… Designation.

Here are 5 renovation mistakes homeowners tend to make when selling their homes:

No.1 — A Total transformation of the interior design

Many homeowners decide to remodel the interior of their house which is fine, but it should always be done in moderation.

Too many home sellers tend to totally transform the way the house looks on the inside.

Why is this a mistake?

Ultimately, the inside has to match the outside of the house and most of the time, a modern décor just doesn’t seem to match the traditional look of the exterior.

Home buyers want to envision the house as a single unit and certain styles might not fit, hereby making the buyers lose interest in your property.

And unnecessarily costing you money by having to market your property even longer!

No.2 — Renovating the ceiling

A lot of people think that the ceiling needs to be redone when in actual fact, it is the least of your worries when selling your house.

If the ceiling shows signs of wear and tear or if water has leaked through the roof, then yes, you should renovate it completely. If the roof has caved in due to a weak structure or heavy rains, then it should be replaced entirely!

But if a ceiling is fine the way it is, then it is best to leave it.

Remember the saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

No.3 — Bathroom makeovers

The bathroom is usually the smallest area of the house, but renovating a bathroom can cost the largest amount of money!

If there is nothing wrong with the bathroom, it is best to leave it as it is. Sure, you can consider sprucing it up a bit by maybe repainting the walls or replacing the shower door, but if it isn’t necessary to put in a new toilet or bath, then don’t do it.

The chances are good that the new homeowners might not even like the way you renovated the bathroom and will decide to redo the entire thing themselves anyway, hereby offsetting all the time and money you’ve spent on getting it renovated.

Why create all that unnecessary stress by renovating your bathroom?

No.4 — Feature walls

One of the common mistakes that many home sellers make is to paint feature walls in a room.

Does this come as a surprise?

Not only is this trend of painting feature walls way out of fashion, but it is also an unnecessary expense!

Again, it all comes down to taste: the new owners will probably want to put an accent color on one of the walls in a completely different color than you would.

If you want to brighten up a room or make it look larger, rather decorate it with end pieces, furniture or colorful cushions.

No.5 — Changing the exterior

Changing the exterior will cost you a lot of money and again, is rather unnecessary for you to do so. Many people choose to render brick exteriors for no reason at all.

However, if your house genuinely needs some TLC on the outside, by all means, give it a good wash or a fresh coat of paint.

And you’ll have achieved your goal without having to go the expensive route of changing the entire exterior!

In the end, avoiding these renovation mistakes can save you a lot of time and a lot of money.

Wouldn’t you rather focus your energies on looking forward to your new house instead of having to worry about the old one?

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How about this monster, too wet to play the course today, so a quick trip to the Pond behind Cup, Moshie an Hock. Fishing can be great if you know your way around Tampa Bay Golf & CC

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I see these common attacks regularly, now you are in the know!

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2018

The U.S. and Britain have issued a warning about Russian cyber attacks that could extend to individual homes. The warning was the first of its kind, The New York Times reports. The warning extends to possible cyber attacks to government and private organizations in both countries as well. 

The countries are asking the public to upgrade passwords and computer security to make themselves less vulnerable.

Ciaran Martin, chief executive of Britain’s National Cyber Security Council, claims that Russia has targeted “millions” of devices in both the U.S. and U.K. and has accused Russia of hacking into individual homes and small businesses to take control of routers.

“Once you’ve won the router, you own all the traffic, to include the chance to harvest credentials and passwords,” says Howard Marshall, deputy assistant director of the cyber division at the FBI. “It is a tremendous weapon in the hands of an adversary.”

U.S. and U.K. officials are warning that Russians are tapping into Internet-connected devices in homes and businesses. They allege that hackers are secretly inserting themselves into the exchange of data between a computer or server to eavesdrop, collect confidential information, misdirect payments, and more.

“When we see malicious cyber attacks, whether, from the Kremlin or other nation-state actors, we are going to push back,” Rob Joyce, a special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator for the National Security Council, said in a conference call with the media.

Robert Hannigan, an executive with BlueVoyant, a cybersecurity firm, says the countries have found evidence of Russian infiltration in routers and deep inside networks for 20 years. “But this is about saying to the Russians, ‘We know where you are pre-positioned and if something happens, we will know it is you,” Hannigan says about the alert.

The officials said that the full extent of Russia’s ability to penetrate Western computer networks is still unknown.

The goal “is not always to steal information,” Joyce says. “Sometimes it is to facilitate other operations” or “for further aggressive acts.”

Source: “U.S.-U.K. Warning on Cyberattacks Includes Private Homes,” The New York Times (April 16, 2018)

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As a Legal Shield Representative, I’m privy to share!

How You Can Avoid Common Scams

Tax season means a flood of scam emails, phone calls, and letters. Scammers frequently use fear and change stories constantly to lure victims into their schemes. It’s no longer only seniors being targeted; millennials are increasingly falling victim to scams. It is critical for everyone to understand the most commonly used tactics.If you feel your personal information has already been compromised and you are an IDShield member, make sure that you have enrolled on www.myidshield.com. If you do not yet have an IDShield membership visit www.idshield.com to learn more.

  • Easy money is the oldest and still one of the most successful methods used by scammers. “International Lottery Winner”, “Money Escrow”, “Check Cashing”, “Nigerian Scams” are all classic “easy money” scams that claim thousands of victims and millions of dollars each year. The promise of quick and easy money is hard to pass up, but remember, there is no such thing as easy money. In the end only the scammer gets paid. Run, do not walk, away from plans that promise you big money for little work.
  • Fear is the most effective means scammers use to force victims to make fast and disastrous decisions. Fear has proven especially effective against senior citizens insecure about their financial future. Scammers that claim you have a large outstanding tax bill may demand immediate payment or account information. These scams often include threats of arrest, eviction or repossession. Letters may come under the guise of your bank’s letterhead or service mark. Another common scam is an email or a phone call claiming your account has been hacked; immediately contact your bank independently and inquire about your account. Do not use a provided reply envelope, reply email website or telephone patch-through to contact your bank. These are part of the scam.
  • Confusion goes hand in hand with fear as an effective way to make victims act quickly. Again, these scammers often target the elderly who may be easily confused and manipulated. When contacted with a demand that requires you to act quickly, protect yourself by breaking contact and talking with a trusted friend or your LegalShield provider law firm.
  • Faith and charity are the best human traits, but ones that scammers often rely on to bilk their victims. Do not make donations or offer assistance to “churches” or “charities” unknown to you who email, call or show up at your home uninvited. Never make a donation to a church or charity that you are not familiar with, no matter how compelling their “story”.
  • Job searches can be exhausting. Scammers use the promise of high paying work to bilk individuals desperate for employment. Do not pay money to apply for a job! Do not give personal information to a “prospective employer” over the phone, mail or online. This is a major source of information for identity thieves. When you are contacted about an employment opportunity, meet with the prospective employer in person at their place of business and do some research on the employer before providing any personal information.

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Why would you sell your home in today’s market? Relocating or downsizing. 

Perhaps a family member with a new job, a new baby, a new spouse, or Grandchildren going off to college. There are many reasons why people are selling in today’s market.

The timing for you could be just right.

So what’s your reason? Do you want to downsize? or upgrade your home?

Give me a call today and let’s talk about what’s selling in today’s market and the opportunities that may be available for you.

As your local agent, I’m here to help. Just send me an email or give me a call and let’s explore what’s possible.