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Jackie Colson-Miller

Jackie Colson-Miller
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'How to'

        

What to do When Your House Smells Like ….Dog! Or Smokers! News in the Tampa Real Estate Market

Filed under: How to, Pet Friendly Tampa, Real Estate News, Sellers, Tampa Real Estate, Tampa Real Estate Agent, Tampa Real Estate Market

Sk_unk

The latest news in the Tampa Real Estate Market, or buying or selling Real Estate anywhere in the world.

When you are buying a house in Tampa, or anywhere, one of the first things you may notice when you start your home search is the presence of animals, or smokers, the moment you step through the front door. Getting odors out of a home is one of my “Most Popular” topics and one of the most “searched” on Google, so it’s worth reprinting. It is very important to eliminate odors in your home, when it is on the market.

Don’t miss the “Home Products” in the Real Estate Resources Section on the right sidebar…plenty of items to keep your home smelling fresh!

I recently sold a home in Tampa, that had two adorable golden retrievers. Lets call them Muffy and Molly They happily greeted us at the door, along with their ownersand the odor! The stench overwhelmed us!

Lets be honestdogs smell. Unless they have just come from the groomer, they have an odor. And some breeds, like retrievers, who shed and like to jump in the pool, or roll in the mud, seem to smell worse than others. When you live with the smell, I think you just become immune to it.

Over the years, I have had a number of listings in Tampa, where the house smelled a little too much like its occupants! I have to be honest with the sellers because, ultimately, that odor is going to cost them with a lower purchase price and a longer market time. In Tampa, we are in a Buyer’s Market. If you are selling your home in Tampa, or in any market, you need to get your home looking, AND smelling, as fresh as possible.

Here are my best kill the odor solutions every pet owner, or smoker, needs to know! :

1. Lampe Berger This is a miracle worker for odors! These beautifully designed catalytic burners use a variety of scents to immediately eliminate foul odors. They come in many styles and colors and there is a plethora of scents available. Something light and citrusy would appeal to most people. Unlike candles, there is no flame to worry about. The seller can light the Lampe before the buyers arrive and, in minutes, the aroma is wafting through the air. In Tampa, you can find them at “The Source” in Old Hyde Park Village and online.

2.Ozone SpraysThis is a quick fix It is an aerosol spray that immediately eliminates odors. You can often find it at auto supply stoFresh_airres and car washes. In Tampa, you can find it at Grand Prix Car Wash.

3. Ozone Machines and Air Purifiers Overall, these products do the best job of keeping odors out of the house. The ozone machines are somewhat controversial with some reports that they are not good for our health. Do some research and form your own opinion. They get my vote for the cleanest air award.

4. Voluspa ProductsOne of the most fragrant candle products in the industry, Voluspa makes candles and room scents that REALLY make a difference. My personal favorite is Saijo Persimmon.you must try it. I keep one on a candle warmer in my office and the aroma wafts down the hall it is fabulous!

Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning or Replacement

Fabrics and Carpeting hold odors, so if cleaning doesnt work, you may need to replace your carpeting. Tile or wood flooring works best with animals.

Nothing sends a buyer out of a home faster than a bad odor, so if you are serious about selling your home, you should make it sweet-smelling!

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   7 Comments »   |   04.07.2008

How To Sell Your Home in A Buyer’s Market…Tampa Real Estate Market News

Filed under: How to, Real Estate News, Sellers, Tampa Real Estate Market

In the Tampa real estate market, we are experiencing the first buyers market in nearly a decade. For some sellers, this is their first experience selling in a buyers market. What can you do to position your home in Tampa to sell in a reasonable amount of time?

1. Spruce it up!

Many homeowners dont see the flaws in their own home. Ask your agent, and several others, to objectively look at your yard and the exterior of your home. Curb appeal is critical, so paint the exterior, make any rotted wood or roof repairs and plant some flowers to make the home inviting. Homes with neutral colors inside are also more appealing. Clean out the clutter, too. Make sure the closets are neat. Rent a local storage space, if you need to.
2. Get a Home Inspection

Hire a Professional Home Inspector to check for any defects and make the necessary repairs prior to listing your home. YouNewlisting can provide potential buyers with the inspection report and the list of repairs.

3. Check for Open Permits

The latest version of the Florida Real Estate contract(FAR 9) calls for Sellers to verify that all work on their home was done with proper permits and that all permits have been closed. Failure to do this in a timely manner can cause the cancellation of your contract, so be prepared and get the information in advance. You can find more information in my previous article on the FAR-9 contract.

4. Neutralize it!

Buyers need to imagine themselves living in your home, so remove as many of your personal touches as possible. A Gator room is appealing to a Gator, but probably not to a Seminole. The same goes for any religious items, political items or suggestive photos. When I was shopping for my first home in Tampa, many years ago, there was a home with a large photograph of the owner in her bridal lingerie . UGH! It was something that should have been removed before they put their home on the market.

5. Remove your PetsPu_g

A dog, or cat, that bothers the buyers when they try to look at your home will send them runnning! Make plans for your pets to be caged, or out of the house, so the buyers have plenty of time to look without being disturbed.

Sk_unk6. Get Rid of Any Odors

I wrote a great article about the many ways to get odors out of your home. Dogs and Smokers are tough to cover up, but you need to make your home sweet-smelling.

7. Price It Right

Pricing your home right is the key in this market. Buyers are looking at the recent sales in each neighborhood and they want to pay the lowest price, not the highest price per square foot. If you want to have more traffic than the competition, price it 5 10% below them.

8. Be Flexible

A buyers market means low offers. Dont be insulted. Be Patient and make a reasonable counter-offer. If they are serious about buying your house, you should be able to work it out.

9. Be Willing to Pay Some Closing Costs

Lenders are being more stringent with loan qualifications in this market. Your willingness to pay some of the buyers closing costs will increase the number of buyers who are willing to consider your home.

10. HIRE THE RIGHT AGENT

Hire an agent with experience in a buyers market! That would be someone who has worked full-time in Real Estate for more than 10 years! Ask the right questions. Over 80% of all buyers are shopping for homes on the Internet, so be sure your agent is tech savvy and not depending on newspaper advertising, or open houses, to sell your home. Be willing to put your home on a lockbox , if that is what your agent recommends. Once you hire a professional, you must be willing to listen to their advice.

For advice on selling YOUR home in a buyer’s market, or a FREE Market Analysis, please contact me.

If you enjoy reading The Real Estate Sizzle and would like to subscribe via email, click here.

If you are looking for a house in Tampa, South Tampa, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Riverview, New Tampa, Westchase, Odessa, or any of the Tampa suburubs…or manybe a condo on Clearwater Beach, I can help!

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   3 Comments »   |   02.24.2008

How to Keep Your Home and Yard Free of Unwanted Pests!

Filed under: How to

If you are moving to Florida, or buying a home in Tampa, chances are good that you will encounter some “pests” in your home, and your yard.

As a child, I spent my summers at my grandparents’ lakefront cottage in the Berkshires. The woods are filled with creepy, crawly thingssnakes, mice, ticksEEEWW. I hate them! Living in Florida, you can add roaches to the mix! I try to eliminate the use of pesticides, in my diet and around my home, but that doesnt mean I have to live with pests here are a few natural ways to keep the critters away

SnakesMoth crystals are a natural deterrent. Spread them around your yard frequently. Planting marigolds and basil around the yard is supposed to help, as well.

AntsSprinkle cream of tartar and crushed red pepper to keep them away.Rodent

RoachesBoric acid and Bay leaves will keep them away. Boric acid is toxic to pets, so be careful. Baking soda is a good substitute.

RodentsDryer Sheets placed in the attic or around any openings will keep them out! If you have a cottage that sits vacant for several months, be sure to place some dryer sheets around before you close it up for the season.

TickTicksYes, there are ticks in Florida. And, if you have purchased bags of mulch, you are likely to have added some ticks to your yard, because ticks love to breed in mulch! Tobacco Dust is an effective pesticide, which you may be able to find in some of the Cigar Factories in Ybor City, as is baking soda. Lyme Disease, and other tick-borne diseases are very serious and sometimes hard to detect (take it from a Lyme survivor)a tick problem is serious, so you may need to treat your yard with Diazanon, if the natural methods dont work.

If you have other natural ideas for Pest Control, please post them in the comments section below!

I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, or anywhere in the World. For the latest listings in the Tampa area, condos on Clearwater Beach, or a villa in Italy, just contact me.

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   2 Comments »   |   02.18.2008

How to Choose the Right Day for Closing on Your New Home in Tampa!

Filed under: How to

The Closing Date is one of the most critical aspects of a real estate transaction and one that is taken too lightly.  When I represent a buyer, I counsel them to choose a closing date that is, not only convenient to their moving schedule, but also one that is LEAST LIKELY to encounter problems, especially with a lender. That means, choosing a date that is the OPPOSITE of what most buyers will do.  Avoiding the busiest times for lenders, and title companies, will eliminate 99% of the problems that may arise and leave time to sort through the issues before closing. Issues with additional documentation for loan underwriting, survey issues, title issues, divorce decrees, verification of child support/alimony are just a few of the many things that may arise between contract and closing.  At the end of the month, lenders are “backed up” and your file may be at the bottom of the pile, with not enough time to get all the documentation needed to close on the appointed day. With many lenders leaving the industry, you may need to allow more than 30 days for closing on a loan that is not already pre-approved.

Buyers need to understand they are under contract with a SELLER, not with a LENDER.  If, for any reason, a lender cannot close a loan on the closing date, there are NO CONSEQUENCES to the lender, but the consequences to the buyer can be tremendous. Too often, lenders Closingdaydon’t take the closing date seriously.  They don’t get the loan into underwriting soon enough. They don’t get the documents (what we call the “package”) to the closing agent soon enough.  And, they put all parties to the transaction in a highly emotional, financially stressful situation.   In a worst case scenario, we have the dreaded “Domino effect” ….Buyer A is Closing with Seller B who becomes Buyer C closing with Seller D, who becomes Buyer E closing long distance(in a different time zone) with Seller F….all on the same date…the last day of the month. This is an agents worst nightmare.   If any piece of the puzzle, falls apart, all three transaction are at risk! Let’s say you have six agents involved, three buyers, three sellers, three moving companies, three lenders and three title companies.  What is the chance that, on a lender’s busiest day of the month, all parties will close at the appointed times ?   My experience tells me….10%!

Depending on the terms of the contract, and the mood of the parties to be flexible, any, or all of the buyers in this scenario may be out of contract for failure to close on the contracted day AND may lose their escrow deposits!

What can buyers do to avoid closing day stress?

1. Choose a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday for Closing.  Mondays and Fridays are very busy are often part of a “long weekend”.  You don’t want a “substitute” handling your file because your lender, or closing agent, took the day off.

2. Close during the second or third weeks of the month, avoiding the 15th.   Closing during the “slow period” for lenders and closing agents will give your file the attention it needs to close on time.

3. Set your closing time sometime between 11:00 and 3:00.  This gives a lender on the West Coast time to get the package, and the funds, to an East Coast closing agent and also allows for any problems that may arise to be addressed during business hours on either coast.

4. Work with a lender that is recommended and has a reputation for closing on time! Too often, buyers make a lender choice based on saving a 1/4 point, not on the customer service of the lender. It is important to choose a loan officer who monitors the lending process and makes sure the file is on track to close on the right day, without any problems.  Choose a lender in the city where you are buying a home, not an internet lender or a “friend” where you are moving from.

5. Tell the lender you will probably close at least one day earlier!  This helpful hint flags your file as “special” and moves it through the process much faster!   

6. Stay in touch with the loan officer every few days to make sure he, or she, has all the documents necessary for closing and to remind them that your file needs to be on the TOP of the pile.

If I can help with your next move, or have any other questions about how to make the closing process as easy as possible, please contact me!

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   11.02.2007

How to Manage That New Mortgage Payment…

Filed under: First-Time Homebuyers, How to, Real Estate News, Tampa Real Estate

For first-time homebuyers, the best way to figure out if you can afford to buy a home at a certain price point, is to pretend that you already did!

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When you get pre-qualified with a lender, and receive a good faith estimate of your closing costs and monthly payment, you should start to debit that monthly payment from your bank account. After several months on the new budget , you will have a good idea of how your finances would be after buying a home. While it may pinch your budget at first, remember that the interest on your mortgage is tax deductible, while rent payments are not!

Also, when you are trying to buy a home, keep the rest of your spending in check. Dont buy a new car, or any major purchases, that might affect your credit score. Lenders will check your credit right up until the day of closing!

One of my fellow Real Estate bloggers in Denver, Jennifer Steck, has a few suggestions for first-time homebuyers! Can you give up your daily latte for that home of your dreams?

Buying real estate in Tampa? If you enjoyed this article, you should also read…How to Choose the Right Closing Date!

I love comments from my readers, so leave one in the section below!

Do you enjoy reading the “Sizzle”? Vote for me.

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   1 Comment »   |   08.13.2007

How to Choose the Right Day for Closing on Your New Home in Tampa!

Filed under: Buyers, Florida Contract, Florida Real Estate, How to, Real Estate News, Relocation

Tomorrow is your closing day in Tampa. The moving van is en route from Milwaukee and due to arrive one hour after your closing tomorrow. Your new job starts the following day. Everything is on schedule until you get a call from the lender. They need one more piece of documentation from you and then they will send the package to the closing agent. You should be able to close in 2 or 3 days, they tell you! It’s the end of the month and underwriting is “slammed”! The piece of paper that they need is packed in one of the 100 boxes in the moving van!

You have just learned why choosing the right closing date is one of the keys to a successful real estate transaction! When I represent a buyer, I counsel them to choose a closing date that is, not only convenient to their moving schedule, but also one that is LEAST LIKELY to encounter problems, especially with a lender. That means, choosing a date that is the OPPOSITE of what most buyers will do. Avoiding the busiest times for lenders, and title companies, will eliminate 99% of the problems that may arise and leave time to sort through the issues before closing. Issues with additional documentation for loan underwriting, survey issues, title issues, divorce decrees, verification of child support/alimony are just a few of the many things that may arise between contract and closing. At the end of the month, lenders are backed up and your file may be at the bottom of the pile, with not enough time to get all the documentation needed to close on the appointed day.

Buyers need to understand they are under contract with a SELLER, not with a LENDER. If, for any reason, a lender cannot close a loan on the closing date, there are NO CONSEQUENCES to the lender, but the consequences to the buyer can be tremendous. Too often, lenders Closingdaydont take the closing date seriously. They dont get the loan into underwriting soon enough. They dont get the documents (what we call the package ) to the closing agent soon enough. And, they put all parties to the transaction in a highly emotional, financially stressful situation. In a worst case scenario, we have the dreaded Domino effect .Buyer A is Closing with Seller B who becomes Buyer C closing with Seller D, who becomes Buyer E closing long distance(in a different time zone) with Seller F.all on the same datethe last day of the month. This is an agents worst nightmare. If any piece of the puzzle, falls apart, all three transactions are at risk! Lets say you have six agents involved, three buyers, three sellers, three moving companies, three lenders and three title companies. What is the chance that, on a lenders busiest day of the month, all parties will close at the appointed times ? My experience tells me.10%!

Depending on the terms of the contract, and the mood of the parties to be flexible, any, or all of the buyers in this scenario may be out of contract for failure to close on the contracted day AND may lose their escrow deposits!

I recently had to get a copy of a divorce decree 2 days before closing, when my clients were vacationing in Hawaii and the loan was supposed to be “no doc”…one that doesn’t require documentation. In a scene right out of a John Grisham novel, I learned that a confident blonde in a suit, can wrangle a document out of the courthouse, but it’s not the best plan to make sure a loan closes on time!

What can buyers do to avoid closing day stress?

1. Choose a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday for Closing. Mondays and Fridays are very busy and those days are often part of a long weekend . You dont want a substitute handling your file because your lender, or closing agent, took the day off.

2. Close during the second or third weeks of the month, avoiding the 15th. Closing during the slow period for lenders and closing agents will give your file the attention it needs to close on time.

3. Set your closing time sometime between 11:00 and 3:00. This gives a lender on the West Coast time to get the package, and the funds, to an East Coast closing agent and also allows for any problems that may arise to be addressed during business hours on either coast.

4. Work with a lender that is recommended and has a reputation for closing on time! Too often, buyers make a lender choice based on saving a 1/4 point, not on the customer service of the lender. It is important to choose a loan officer who monitors the lending process and makes sure the file is on track to close on the right day, without any problems. Choose a lender in the city where you are buying a home, not an internet lender or a friend where you are moving from. Roberta Murphy, at Luxury Home Digest, wrote a great article about the qualities of a good lender.
5. Tell the lender you will probably close at least one day earlier! This helpful hint flags your file as special and moves it through the process much faster! Getting the package early makes the transaction easier for all parties.
6. Stay in touch with the loan officer every few days to make sure he, or she, has all the documents necessary for closing and to remind them that your file needs to be on the TOP of the pile.

If I can help with your next move, or have any other questions about how to make the closing process as easy as possible, please contact me!

Do you enjoy reading The Real Estate Sizzle? Vote for me!

If you liked this article, you might want to read:

Why do You Need Flood Insurance

10 Changes to the Florida Real Estate Contract and How they Will Affect you

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Posted by Jackie Colson-Miller   |   2 Comments »   |   08.09.2007

Moving to Tampa? Where to Meet Other “Singles” in the Tampa Bay Area…

Filed under: "Where to Find", Fun and Frolic, How to, Single Parent News, Tampa

My clients often call me to ask Where can I find???anything from bakeries to dog sitters to painters, and more. So, when I received an email from a reader who has just moved to Tampa, asking about how to meet nice people in town, aside from the bar scene , I thought it would be a great topic for a series.

Here is the first article in my How to ‘Find Anything’ in Tampa.. series.

There are a number of singles groups in the area that hold monthly Datingmeetings and have various activities including trips, boating, cruises, gourmet dinners, and many other activities.

Tampa Bay Entertainment has compiled an extensive list of some of the Singles Groups in the Tampa Bay Area.

One of the largest groups in the area is the Westchase Singles Club. They meet monthly in different locations and are planning a cruise for the Labor Day Weekend.

For Single Parents who enjoy traveling, Single Parent Travel organizes a number of trips each year, both in the U.S. and abroad, for single parents traveling with their children.

If you know of another group that should be included in this article, please contact me. Or, if you have a suggestion for another topic on The Real Estate Sizzle, leave a comment below!

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