Downtown Cocoa Beach Pub & Restaurant Crawl

I'm happy to report that there is plenty of life in the Banana River contrary to some recent sensationalist social and mainstream media reports. The stone crab claws pictured came from the Banana River this week along with many dozens more not pictured. There appears to be no trace left in late April of the brown tide that killed off thousands of fish in March. This doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue our efforts to reduce our nutrient rich runoff that triggers the algae blooms. Our river is special and beautiful and as we found out, delicate. Despite the brown tide event, it has produced quite a few tasty meals for me this week. I like mine dipped in a little honey-mustard sauce.

Other than Post Office boxes, all of Cocoa Beach including areas north and south of the city limits  share one solitary zip code. We are all 32931 but there can be quite a bit of difference in specific areas. I often talk about this. There is the one that attracts the bulk of the tourists that is centered on the Pier and Ron Jons area and seems to be most outsiders' image of Cocoa Beach. The other Cocoa Beach, the one that I love, begins at the Kelly Slater statue at the fork in the road at 4th St. North as one heads south.

Despite the small size of downtown Cocoa Beach, there is quite a bit there. How many restaurants and bars are there in downtown Cocoa Beach? I used to say more than three dozen but thought I'd take the time to walk the four block area of downtown and make a list. Turns out there are more than I thought. I have provided links to everyone's websites or lacking that a link to their Yelp review page. If one finds themselves thirsty, hungry or wanting to hear live music in downtown Cocoa Beach, there is no good excuse to do without.

Exiting my office just north of 1st St. North on Brevard Ave. I walk a half block north past Jonathan's Pub and The Elks Lodge to N. 2nd St. and east around the corner. On the corner of Orlando Ave. is Jazzy's Mainely Lobster seafood market and restaurant. Taking the sidewalk north up Orlando, immediately next door is The Pig and Whistle British Pub . A half block further north and we're at Burger Country. Right across the street is Slow and Low BBQ and just beyond in the same block is the Surfers Pub and Bruno's Pizzeria. Since I'm keeping this to just the downtown area I walk one block east to Barrier Jacks Restaurant and then turn back south. First I come to the Cocoa Beach Brewing Company and right next door, Pineapple Point bar and restaurant. A couple of buildings down is The Mango Tree fine dining restaurant. I cross the street now to the ocean side and continue south past 1st St. North and first up is The New Habit, sandwiches and ice cream. Around the corner on Minutemen to the beach and we have everyone's favorite dive bar and music venue, The Beach Shack on the ocean and right across the way, also on the ocean is Coconuts, restaurant and bar. Immediately west of Coconuts is one building housing Hunker Down Bar, Fat Kahunas Restaurant, Cafe Playa Cuban Restaurant and shortly to open, The Thirsty Oyster oyster bar. Just across Atlantic Ave. and just south of the currently closed old Surf Restaurant is Venice at Cocoa Beach, bar and restaurant and the Subway sandwich shop. In the first block of Minutemen west of the ocean we have Yen Yens Chinese restaurant, Heidi's Jazz Club, The Heidelburg Restaurant,  Minutemen Tavern and the Cocoa Beach VFW. Just around the corner across from City Hall on Orlando Ave. is Twin Finnegans Irish Pub. Continuing west on Minutemen on the north side across the street from City Hall we begin with Cocoa Beach Thai and Sushi on the corner and then Casablanca bar. Next door in the Mai Tiki Market we find The Fat Donkey ice cream and desserts, The Tiny Turtle Caribbean Fusion restaurant and Wahoo Coffee Company. Across the alley behind Mai Tiki is Coastal Produce, produce market and deli and across Brevard Ave. is Jenna's Breezeway  restaurant. Walking back east up the alley (Wayne Coombs Way) behind Mai Tiki Market we get to Slingers Cocoa Beach Chicago-style hot dog joint on the right and Roberto's Little Havana Cuban Restaurant on the left. Across Orlando Ave. is Oasis Shaved Ice and The Florida Key Lime Pie Company. Heading north towards N. 1st St. we have the Surfinista, smoothies. coffee and health food and right across Orlando Ave. is Juice and Java Cafe. Around the corner on N. 1st St. behind the Surfinista is The Green Room Cafe health food restaurant. Continuing north on Orlando towards N. 2nd St. we pass Simply Delicious Cafe & Bakery and Surfer Joe's Tropical Ice before passing  Cocoa Beach Sports Pub with the attached Mexican grill. At 2nd St. North I retrace my steps to the office where we find our last eatery directly across Brevard Ave,, the always excellent,  Pompano Grill fine dining.

If I missed any, please let me know. By my count 18 of the over 40 listed have live music at least some of the time and only eight or nine of the 40 plus don't serve any food. If your image of Cocoa Beach is tourists, T-shirt shops and traffic it may be time to venture south..

"I'm sorry about last night. The next time I act in a willful or vain manner, you have my permission to put poison in my food, if you are not already planning to do so. Were you actually involved in a bank robbery? I think one of us is crazy. It's probably me. Take care. Your loving husband, Hack"
__from The House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke

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How You Can Make Money On Selling Your Property

How You Can Make Money On Selling Your Property
Make a profit when you sell your property. If you have decided that now is the time to sell your own home or commercial real estate holdings, you will want to come out on top. Use the simple real estate tips in the following article to maximize your potential for profit.

Consider the costs. Listing your property, hiring a real estate professional, having inspections, and filing paperwork can be time consuming and costly. Make sure you are prepared for these expenses ahead of the property being sold.

Get to know your mortgage. If you have never examined the fine print of the mortgage agreement you have with a banking institution, now is the time. Look for any clause that may hinder or complicate matters when it comes to selling your property.

How You Can Make Money On Selling Your Property

Weigh your options. Think about how much time you have to dedicate to the sale. You will need to be present for many mundane activities, unless you hire a realtor. Consider the value of the time you will not have to be at the property or consulting with buyers.

Look over the contract. Should you go with a real estate broker, you will need to know what they will be doing for you, and how much it will cost. Determine the right contract for you before you decide to sign your name on the dotted line. It is hard to get out of a contract once it is in effect, even if you did not know its contents.

Know your market. Do a little research to see what homes and commercial properties comparable to your own have sold for. This will give you a better feel for your local values and market trends. A property priced over market may linger for long periods of time. Those under priced will sell quick but have minimal profitability.

Advertise. No one will be interested in your property if they do not know it is for sale. Take out some local ads, ads on the internet, and invest in some signage. This will generate leads and interest in your real estate faster.

Don't forget the taxman. Taxes will be due on any financial transaction you make. Know how much money will be needed and to whom. Sometimes local jurisdictions need their fees on top of the fees charged by the state and by the federal government.

Take your time. Do not jump into the first thing that sounds good, as this may not be the best thing. Take your time when making any decision that could impact you or your property.

Decide to carry a loan. You will sometimes be asked to carry a loan for a buyer. Know the risks involved with this before you extend it as a possibility. Carrying loans can help you sell faster in a less active market.

Selling a piece of property you hold can be daunting when you are getting into doing it for the first time. Whether the transaction will be for a beloved family home, or an old commercial shop, you will need to know what you are doing before you put it on the market. Use the real estate tips you learned here to make the sale easy and profitable.

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How To Stage Your House Effectively To Get Top Dollar

How To Stage Your House Effectively To Get Top Dollar

When you have made the decision to sell your house, no doubt you want to get top dollar for it. There is an average sales price for houses in your neighborhood that are similar in size. To get an offer at the upper end of that range, you need to stage your house properly to attract a buyer's interest. The following tips will give you some ideas on how you can stage your house effectively.

Curb appeal of your house is the the first thing that you should think about. When an agent drives up to your house with a potential buyer, your house and its surrounding landscaping make an immediate impression upon them. You want this first impression to be a very positive one.

How To Stage Your House Effectively To Get Top Dollar

Look at your landscaping. Your lawn should be manicured with no brown patches. Trim back trees and shrubs that have overgrown. If you feel like your front yard lacks color, you can get various small flowering plants that you can plant in empty spots. Keep the path to your front door clear of yard debris.

As for your front door area, give it a good sweep. Brush away any spider webs around the windows and door way. Wipe down your front door. If it is made from natural wood, you should clean it with a wood polish. Your door fixtures should not be tarnished. Shine those up if possible. If the fixtures are badly rusted, you may want to replace them. Make your front entrance as inviting as possible. If there is room on the porch, add in a large potted plan or an attractive bench for sitting.

You should remove all clutter from the interior of your house. Each room should only have your basic pieces of furniture, accessories and some wall art. You should not have any personal items strewn about in the living room. Open up all the shades to let in as much natural light as possible.

Buyers are attracted to simplicity because they want to be able to envision their own decor in the space. If you have a lot of person items that you don't use too often, this is the time to pack them away.

The two most important areas that should be spotless are your kitchen and your bathrooms. These rooms are the most heavily used. If your kitchen or bathrooms are less than clean, that will make a bad, lasting impression on the buyer and can erase any positive feeling he may have had about the house.

Fix anything that is broken if you do not have to invest a lot of money into the fix. A broken light fixture, torn curtains, nail holes on the walls, etc. are little things that can discourage a potential buyer.

Keep your home smelling fresh by using home fragrances judiciously and sparingly. Do not over use them because a lot of people do not like heavy scents.

There are other tricks in staging a house for sale that can maximize your profits. Start with these simple ideas, and you will see the difference.

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How To Sell Your House Fast Without Losing Money

How To Sell Your House Fast Without Losing Money

When you own your own home, at some point in your life you may have to sell it for one reason or another. Maybe you have a new job and need to move to another part of the country, or maybe your girlfriend is moving in with her kids and your current property won’t be big enough. Whatever the reason, sometimes a house needs to be sold fast. The last thing you want is for the house to be left empty, especially having heard stories of metal thieves stripping empty houses. You also don’t want to end up with a mortgage on a new property, when you are still paying the one on the old property.

Some people can sell their homes quickly, especially if you can attract a first time buyer who already has all the finances in place, but the real estate market is seldom that easy. You also do not want to reduce the price below its market value in order to get a quick sale, you want at least the area average for it. So what can you do to not only attract buyers but also get the people that visit your property to put in a bid?

How To Sell Your House Fast Without Losing Money

Sell It Yourself?

With the internet available to most of the population these days, you can advertise your house directly to other people by making use of the many property sites, there is no reason to use an estate agent. You could actually put your house on an auction site with a reserve, if it doesn’t sell you only lose the listing fee. Many people still advertise their property in the local newspapers, and this doesn’t cost much. If you don’t want all the hassle of arranging everything yourself, or you do not have time, then employ an estate agent to handle the sale for you, but they rarely sell things fast.

Do Up The House

If you have done no work on your house for years then it is going to look lived in and that means scruffy to people viewing the property, even if you think it is a work of art. If you have a garden make sure it looks great, if you can’t do it then employ a gardener, as first impressions really do matter. Give the whole house a coat of paint, and complete any DIY jobs that need doing as they will be noticed. If wallpaper is dirty or torn then replace it all, and have all the carpets washed. Re-grout the bath tiles if they are moldy, and the same for any in the kitchen.

If you want to take things a step further then you can install a new bathroom and kitchen suite, just use something really cheap, but if it is new then prospective buyers will be impressed with the fact they are buying a house with new suites in it and think they are getting a bargain.

Remember that the cleaner, tidier and newer your house looks, then research has shown that it will sell much quicker.

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How To Sell Your House Fast

How To Sell Your House Fast
Selling your house? Need to sell it fast? There are a number of things that you can do to make your house more appealing to every buyer that walks through the door. It's not that hard, just take this one step at a time and get your house sold quickly.

When buyers drive up to the front of your house, they are hoping to see a house that is well taken care of and a yard that is landscaped and manicured. If the front of your house does not look good, the buyers will immediately assume that the house has not been maintained and that there will be hidden problems inside. Believe me, this is not the first impression you want to give to potential buyers. So step number one is to make sure that your front yard looks great!

How To Sell Your House Fast

Okay, your front yard looks great and the potential buyers have moved up to the porch and into the front door. When buyers enter your front door, you want your home to look like a model home. What does this mean? First off, there should be no odors emanating from your house. With the possible exception of the scent of cookies baking, smells are really a distraction to buyers.

When visitors look around your home for the first time, they should see a clear and unobstructed view that is clutter free. Think of a luxury hotel that you have visited - there are not a lot of knickknacks or personalized items sitting around. Try to emulate that feel in your home. Put away your personalized pictures and small mementos. Make your home more generic so that it appeals to a much wider variety of people.

Is your furniture in good shape? Do your walls have a fresh coat of paint? If not, consider either replacing the furniture or covering it with a neutral slipcover of some kind. Fresh paint on your walls can make a huge difference to the perceived value of your home. If you are repainting specifically to help you sell your home, be sure you select a neutral color for the walls such as a light tan or beige color.

Is your flooring in great shape? Flooring is another big issue with many buyers. If buyers come into your home and realize that they immediately have to replace the flooring, they may scratch your home off of their list immediately. Flooring can be very expensive and flooring that needs to be replaced is a huge deterrent to buyers. In light of this, do whatever you can to make your flooring look better. Hire a professional to steam clean your carpets and so on.

Other things you can do to make your home more appealing to buyers is to keep all of your personal possessions neatly tucked away. It is not okay to shove everything in your closet just so it is out of view. Remember that buyers are going to be opening every closet door and looking inside to determine how much storage capacity you have. If you have a great many things, it actually might be best for you to place everything that you do not absolutely need into a rented storage unit while your home is on the market.

If you follow these tips on how to sell your home fast, your home should sell very quickly and at top dollar. A little work ahead of time will make all the difference in having a smooth and easy real estate transaction.

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How To Sell Your Home With Ease

How To Sell Your Home With Ease

Marketing is the biggest factor that is going to determine how many potential buyers you get interested in your home. This article is going to help you figure out strategies for how to get your home to sell within a time period you designate. Many home sellers would like to sell their home in 3 months or less. Some people must sell a home much sooner because of a new job opportunity elsewhere. Whatever your reason for selling your home it is a good idea to fill your brain with new ideas that can help sell your home.

How To Sell Your Home With Ease

Create flyers that include a picture of the front of your home and relevant information that can interest buyers. Flyers are highly overlooked these days but they can come in handy. Put information like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the amount of square feet, garage information, and other interesting facts that you feel will appeal to a buyer. Pass out the flyers during an open house so people have something to physically take home and refer back to if they are interested in your home. Consider handing out the flyers around your neighborhood to inform people that your home is for sale. A neighbor might know someone like a friend or family member that is interested in moving into the area and can help you find a buyer.

Marketing online is very easy and is a must when selling a home. Make sure your house looks presentable and then take pictures of the outside and inside of your home to post online. Allow people to view a virtual tour of your home. You may also want to take a video of the property to catch the interest of people. Once you are finished taking pictures and videos upload them to Craigslist and Facebook. Post a Craigslist ad and inform people on Facebook your home is for sale. Do not put any sensitive information about such as your home address or personal contact information on Craigslist. Let people contact you through email to discuss matters concerning the purchase of your home. A lot of people purchase homes online in today's world, so give yourself more of a chance to sell your home by putting it on the Internet.

Contact a realtor so that they can put your home up on the MLS. MLS stands for multiple service listing. This is an online database of homes that are for sale. Other real estate agents have access to this information and can view it to help their clients purchase a home. The good thing about another real estate agent is that they can bring in clients that are genuinely interested and capable of buying your home. Real estate agents pre-qualify their clients to determine what type of homes they're capable of purchasing. Potential buyers elsewhere may have the ability to purchase your home, but a buyer through a real estate agent is typically more reliable. Contact your local realtor today to get your home on the MLS if you haven't done so already.

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How to Sell Your Home Fast

How to Sell Your Home Fast

In today’s market, selling your home can be quite challenging, especially if you require a quick sale. There are a variety of factors that need to be considered in how to sell your home fast. Typically, the most common problems that require selling a home today are the loss of a job, a job transfer, or significant health care bills. No matter what your specific reason for selling your property, there are basic steps that need to be followed to ensure you can sell it quickly, and for the correct price.

The biggest challenged individuals face when they need to sell their property fast is the sense of desperation they feel. Sometimes, a potential buyer can recognize this, so it is important to maintain a poker face when talking to them directly.

How to Sell Your Home Fast

Talking to a real estate agent is the easiest way to understand the starting point for selling the home. They will be able to offer your variety of options that can help you sell your home quickly. They will have the skills, tools, and availability to potential buyers.

Another consideration for using a realtor to sell the home quickly is that they can help you find comparables in the neighborhood, or previous homes that sold for specific price. These comparables will have the same features and amenities as your home, so that you can price the real estate properly.

No matter what real estate agent you choose, make sure he or she has the experience of using online tools and effective marketing strategies that go beyond traditional selling. Ask them to bring along the flyers of homes that have previously sold by them. This will ensure that they are proving that they have the ability to sell your home, and so it quickly.

Staging is another key component to selling your home fast. This means removing any clutter out of the garage, the basement, the attic, or filled rooms. Cleaning out the closets is also a good idea.

Staging also requires rearranging the existing furniture, or changing it out with rented furniture to make the home look more aesthetically appealing. The home should be beautiful and neutral, so that any potential buyer can visualize their own furniture in the home, or enjoy looking at the furniture that already is there.

Clean the entire home inside and out. This means keep the landscaping fully groomed, by removing debris around plants and shrubs and keeping the lawn trimmed at all times. In addition, make sure that the kitchen and bathrooms are sparkly clean. This includes scrubbing the grout, and keeping the countertops looking good. If the shower curtain is in need of replacement, do it, to ensure that there is no negative aspect when potential buyers walk through the property.

Have the carpets and flooring professionally cleaned. Once the entire house is clean, the landscaping is manicured, and the clutter has been removed, the realtor can hold an open house. An open house can offer you the ability to have a lot of potential buyers arrive at the same time. This ensures a quicker sale.

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How To Sell A Home

How To Sell A Home

Did you know that 90% of people that look for homes browse through the Internet first? People find that looking online is an easier way to narrow down a home search. When you want to attract as many people as possible towards buying your home you need to put it online. You have to be a little creative when you take pictures and add descriptions, but you should find a lot more potential home buyers giving you calls, emails, and showing up at your doorstep. Note that you might need the help of a real estate agent if you want to increase your chances of marketing your home.

How To Sell A Home

The one advantage a real estate agent has at marketing your home is they can input it into the MLS. MLS stands for multiple listing service. The multiple listing service is where serious home sellers put up homes they want to sell. Some people find that when sellers simply put homes up on Craigslist and blogs that those people are not reliable. A person that enters a binding contract with a licensed realtor has an edge because other real estate agents will have access to view their home and can help find truly potential buyers to take a look at it.

We have all heard the story of a potential homebuyer failing to purchase a home because of poor credit and lack of sufficient funds. Random homebuyers that find your home without the aid of a real estate agent are not the most reliable people to enter a transaction with. To determine what type of home a potential buyer can purchase real estate agents pre-screen their clients. After you put your home on the MLS through a trusted real estate agent you can rest assured that all people that will come to view your home have the means necessary to actually purchase it.

Do not become discouraged from putting your home on websites such as Craigslist and your blog. A lot of people have found that putting up a home for sale on these websites can help increase their visibility and potential buyers. Just be cautious when one of these buyers comes to browse your home. Do not put your direct address on the website. Simply add some photos and a description of the neighborhood. Let people email you and when you have an open house then you can give them your address.

Selling a home relies on how much exposure you provide for it. Contact a real estate agent if you haven't done so already to ask about how they can add your home to the MLS. In addition do your own work and create a Craigslist ad. If you want promote your home on a blog that you own, through social media such as Facebook, and other websites or forums. Consider all of your options and remember that nothing is final until the final close of escrow. You can sell your home in a matter of time, but a little work is necessary to sell it quickly.

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How To Increase The Value Of Your Home

How To Increase The Value Of Your Home

If you are a homeowner who wants to sell your home, you probably have a lot of questions. Some of the most common questions are based on how to make ones house sell for more. This article gives several tips on increasing the value of your home and helping it to sell faster.

It is important to pick the right realtor. Both the real estate agency and the realtor can make a big difference in how your house sells. You should pick an agency that is close to your property this enables them to show it more often. It is also important to find an agent who is enthusiastic and optimistic.                                                                        

How To Increase The Value Of Your Home

The realtor should take quality pictures that will be posted on the internet. Most people won’t even look at an announcement if it doesn’t have any pictures, and bad pictures can turn prospective buyers off from the beginning. 

When preparing your house for sale, start on the visible items first. The very first impression that the potential buyer will get is when they pull up to the house. When you pull up to the house try to see it through the eyes of a potential buyer. Ask yourself the following questions:

What do you notice? Is the siding neat and in order? Is there mold on the exterior walls or on the gutters and downspouts? Is the roof in need of repair? Does the yard need a lot of work? The answers to these questions can help you understand where to start.

Try the same thing as you enter the house and go through it. The kitchen and bathrooms are very important. If the kitchen cabinets or appliances are old this can very easily turn off a buyer. The same goes for the bathrooms.

Interior paint is one of the best ways to change the appearance of the inside of your house. We say it is one of the best ways because it is easy, cheap, and quick. Even though it is easy, cheap, and quick it can completely change the impression that one has when looking at the house. When picking out colors remember that it helps to pick neutral colors that brighten up the interior of the house.

It is best not to live in the house while you are trying to sell it, however, if you don’t have a choice remember to keep the house as simple as possible.

Try to remove personal items like photographs. This includes furniture also, try to keep it at a bare minimum. The easier it is for the prospective buyer to imagine the house as being their the easier it will be to convince them to buy it. It is very important that you keep your closets and cabinets uncluttered, neat and as empty as possible. 

Following theses simple tips can help increase the value of your house and the speed in which it sells. We hope you can follow our advice and have a good selling experience!

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How To Get Your House In Shape For The Market

How To Get Your House In Shape For The Market

If you have decided to sell your house, you need to think about how you can get top dollar for the sale. You have to decide whether you want to list with an agent or if you prefer to sell it on your own, bypassing the sales commission. You should find out about pricing information in your neighborhood, how to stage your house effectively, and how you should approach negotiating for the final price. This article will give you some pointers about these areas.

You may have seen homes on the market that are "for sale by owner". This means the owner is not using an agent to negotiate on his behalf. The owner is responsible for every aspect of the sale, and he takes all legal responsibility for it.

When you list with an agent, you are assigning that responsibility to him, in return of paying him a commission. The advantage is that you do not have to worry about the details. Your agent has a lot more experience marketing a home in its best light and getting top dollar for it. So, you are paying for his expertise. Before you list with an agent, be very clear about what services he will provide. Look at the listing agreement and ask the agent to clarify anything that you do not understand.

In order to price your home properly, you should look at the recent sales history of the homes in your neighborhood. This information is publicly available. Look at the size of the homes and the amenities included. You will get an idea of the average price. This will give you an idea of how much you should offer your house for. You do not want to price it too high to discourage potential buyers, yet you do not want to price it too low either.

You will need to stage your home properly for show. Start to pack away most of your personal belongings that you do not use often. Each room should look as generic as possible because you want your buyer to envision his family in it. Clean the house thoroughly and leave no corner undusted. Imagine each room of your house to be a furniture showroom. Each room should look attractive and inviting.

If you have minor repairs to fix, fix them right away. Something like a broken is a real negative to the buyer's eye, but is can be inexpensively replaced by you. Small repairs make a big difference. If a repair is going to cost a lot of money, and you don't think that it would worth the investment, then just let it go, but you will have to disclose it in your sales contract.

Decide ahead of time how low you are willing to go in your price. This will come into play when negotiation starts. You will mostly not get your initial asking price, unless you are selling in a hot seller's market.

Think about these points as you are planning for the sale of your house. Using good strategies will net you top dollar in your sale.

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How Do You Get Your House Ready For Sale?

How Do You Get Your House Ready For Sale?

Making a decision to sell your house is one that should not be taken lightly. You are talking about major changes that will impact you and the people in your household. Your house has been lived in for many years. It is time that you and your family start disconnecting yourselves from the house and get ready for the next stage.

Look around your living environment. No doubt, you see rooms full of personal items and things that are all part of your everyday routines. Get your family together and talk about packing up some of those personal items that you do not use everyday. This can accomplish two things. It will jumpstart the packing for your big move. It will also remove a lot of clutter from your house that are unattractive to potential buyers.

How Do You Get Your House Ready For Sale

Get a supply of moving boxes and start packing things in an orderly fashion. Categorize your belongings and clearly label each box on all four sides. Think about only leaving the basic essentials unpacked until after you have sold the house. Everything else should be packed at this stage.

When you have done as much packing and decluttering as possible, give your house a thorough cleaning, from top to bottom. It is important to notice anything that is broken which you should fix. Small fixes like broken lampshade or a cracked tile can be fixed with minimal investment.

If you have something big that will be expensive to fix, you should weigh the pros and cons about fixing it now. Will you be able to recoup the cost of repairs by including it in the sales price of your house? Let's say that your carpeting has some stains on it that cannot be removed. You would not want to change your flooring now because you won't be around long enough to enjoy it. And the future buyer may have his own ideas about flooring materials. So, it may be best to leave the flooring as is. Just clean it the best you can. If a fix is very costly, and it is not structural, you may want to leave it alone.

Small details like hand prints on the mirrors and windows with spots on them are noticed by buyers who are looking for the perfect house. Keep those shelves dusted. Wipe down your bathroom fixtures after you have used them to remove water spots. When your house is up on the market, agents who represent buyers can show your house at any time with prior permission from your selling agent. So, if you are at work most of the day, make sure that your house is immaculate before you close the door behind you.

Each room should only have the basic pieces of furnishings and some accessories to accent the room. The walls can have a few decorative hangings. This keeps each room simple and clean looking.

Envision how your house looks like when a buyer walks into the door. Just keep in mind that you want make a good impression as you are staging your house.

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How Clutter Can Sink Your Chances Of A Home Sale

How Clutter Can Sink Your Chances Of A Home Sale

Selling a home is not always the easy process you might expect. Even if your home is large, in a great neighborhood or has other terrific features, there are things that some prospective buyers will likely be unable to overlook. Clutter is among the most problematic aspects of a home for anyone hoping to make a sale. Keep reading to learn how to prevent a messy home from being your undoing.

If you tend to accumulate lots of personal items and your home's current condition reveals that trait, you are sure to find it hard to secure an interested buyer. The key to selling someone on your home is to help them envision themselves living in the space and making it their own. This is extremely difficult to do if around every corner is a pile of your own, highly personalized memorabilia.

How Clutter Can Sink Your Chances Of A Home Sale

If at all possible, try to start eliminating excessive furniture from the home as soon as you decide to list it. It probably will not be possible to remove things such as beds and sofas if you plan to continue occupying the home until it is sold, but do your best to get rid of unnecessary pieces. This makes your rooms appear larger and gives the home a feeling of spaciousness that buyers will love.

If you are a collector of shoes, books, knick-knacks or anything else that takes up a great deal of visible space in your home, try to relocate those items for the time being. Ask friends and family if they would be willing to store some of your treasures for you while showings are occurring at your house. If that is an impossibility, you may want to look into the option of renting a storage unit for a few months.

Kitchen clutter is another huge hurdle for anyone looking to sell their home. Because kitchens and bathrooms are such major selling points when it comes to residential properties, it is important to show yours in the best possible light. It may be that you are an avid cook and love to keep your appliances and tools on display, but this can be quite detrimental to your prospects. For the near-term, you will have much greater success by packing away some of your bulkier items that make counter space seem nonexistent.

There is no doubt that your own personal possessions carry great value and meaning to you and your entire family. However, that is not the same thing as adding value to your home in the eyes of prospective buyers. It is absolutely vital to stage your home in such a way as to highlight the potential and available square footage in the property. If each and every room is strewn with clutter and tchotchkes, home shoppers are likely to run in the other direction. Make your home a neutral, blank slate on which buyers can project their own style and taste, and you will find yourself at a closing table sooner than you ever thought possible.

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Getting Your House Ready To Sell

Getting Your House Ready To Sell

When you want to sell your house, there are lot of things you have to think about. It can be a grueling process without the right pieces of information. Here are some of the essentials, so that your house is ready to sell.

The first thing you might want to do when you want to sell your house is to choose a realtor. You don't need to have a realtor, but a realtor can do a lot of the marketing work that you can't do, or don't have time for. A realtor can be a solid partner when it comes to selling your home, if you pick the right realtor.

Choosing the right realtor does not have to be a challenge. You just have to do a little research first, and that is simple now that the Internet has made it easy to find almost anyone. Most realtors have a website up, so you can learn a little about them and their track record.

After you get a realtor, what you have to do is to know that your house may not sell in a week, and that is ok. Your realtor will likely have information about how long other houses have sat on the market, so that you don't start to worry right away.

Clean out your house. Your home will soon belong to someone else, and when they come to an open house, they will want to imagine themselves in the home. That is easier for them to do when your things aren't cluttering up the house! Move whatever you can move to your new home, or a storage unit.

Return your house to its default look. If your walls are painted, consider repainting them white, for example. Your preferences may not match the preferences of the eventual buyers, so think twice before leaving shag carpeting or the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

Work on the exterior of your house. The first thing people will see when they roll up to your door is the condition of the yard and the exterior of the house. That's why it's a great idea for you to take care of any landscaping issues if that is possible.

Get your home appraised, so that you can set a fair price. Your realtor can tell you what similar homes are selling for in your neighborhood, but an appraiser is an independent source who can offer you a better idea of how much your home is truly worth. Then, you can set your price accordingly.

Ask your realtor for anything that you may have forgotten. Your real estate agent is in business to sell homes. They will likely have some more ideas and suggestions for you that are not in this article. That's why you need to ask them if there is anything further you can do to make your home more attractive.

Now that you have some ideas in place, you can start preparing your home to be sold. Use the information here to help you make your house look better to buyers. Soon you will have your very own "sold" sign to put on your yard.

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Getting Your Home Ready For The Real Estate Market

Getting Your Home Ready For The Real Estate Market
When you are considering selling your house, you need to get your house ready for potential buyers. There are hundreds of homes on the market at any given time; therefore, you need to do everything you can to make your home stand out against the competition. The following article offers many tips to help get your home in tip top shape for the real estate market.

Getting Your Home Ready For The Real Estate Market

Personal Effects
Potential buyers want to see your home, not your personal momentoes. Therefore, it is important to remove all personal effects from your home. This includes all family photos, knick knacks and trophies. By removing your personal effects from the home, you allow potential home buyers an opportunity to imagine themselves calling your house their home.

Pets
Your beloved family pet can cost you a sale. Many potential home buyers have allergies and do not want a home where a pet lives. To help you get the most offers on your house, remove all pet items from sight and take your pet with you while the house is being viewed.

Brighten Your Home
Buyers want a home that is bright and cheery. Open your blinds and curtains to allow the natural sunlight to filter in through your windows. One easy way to increase the amount of light coming into your home is to remove your window screens. Window screens block a lot of light from coming into your home; so, removing them will increase the amount of light that enters your home.

Clean Your House
A clean and tidy home is essential when it comes to selling your home. Buyers seem to think that a home that is clean and tidy is a home that has been taken care of. One of the best things you can do before putting your home on the market, hire a professional cleaning crew to come and clean your home from top to bottom. When talking with the cleaning crew, ask them if they will wash your walls, shampoo your carpets and clean your windows. All of this will help ensure that your home is ready for potential buyers.

Clean Your Closets
Potential buyers want a home that has ample storage space. Most of the time, buyers will want to peek into your closets and attic to see the amount of storage your home offers. So, it is important to showcase your storage. One of the best ways to do this is to remove any excess items and clothing from your closet and store them off-site.

Declutter Your Rooms
You need to show buyers how roomy your home is. One of the best ways to do this is to remove any unnecessary items from each room. Clean off your counters, clean off your tables and remove any excess furniture from your house. Decluttering is more than picking up clutter; it is removing any unnecessary items from your home.

As this article has shown, there is a lot involved when it comes to getting a home ready for the market. Use the information in this article to help get your home ready for the real estate market. Happy selling!

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Gain the Best Profits When Selling Real Estate

Gain the Best Profits When Selling Real Estate

After spending nearly a decade working up close in the real estate industry, I have recognized that there are basic components that every homeowner, or individuals that want to become a homeowner, need to understand about selling real estate. These include:

Always Use a Realtor

It is essential that every individual selling real estate use a realtor. The real estate agent is fully committed to their profession, and has the tools and experience to sell property at the best price. They spend a significant amount of time and energy along with their own money on continuing education courses. They are required to follow a very strict code of ethics.

Although it cost between 6% and 7% in commissions to hire realtor to sell the property, there were a worth every penny. They can help you establish the true value of the home, and handle every headache in the closing process.

Gain the Best Profits When Selling Real Estate

The realtor will go out of their way to find potential buyers, and because their pay is based on the total amount of the sale, they want to get the best price possible.

Locating the Best Realtor

The easiest way to find realtors is through referrals. Ask individuals that you know that have recently purchased or sold a home, and if they liked the results of the realtor provided. Do not just assume that a realtor that holds a license has an advantage over another, without checking the referrals.

Help the Buyer Find Financing

If you find a potential bar that is willing to offer the top price, go out of your way to help them find financing. This may be using the realtor, and the referrals he or she can offer. It might also include financing part of the deal to help with the down payment. It is better to assume a note on a portion of the spouse that you are selling, then take a lower price, and lose out altogether.

Offer a Home Inspection

Be sure and offer a free home inspection as a part of the purchase price. Upon inspection, if anything is found wrong, have it repaired immediately. One way to avoid the inspection is to offer a home warranty that last between 2 to 5 years. The home warranty can be used as a negotiation tool in the overall purchase price of the house. Typically the warranty will handle all plumbing, roof, electrical and appliance issues.

Finally, consider using an optimal title company to handle the escrow and closing. Most realtors will simply use their own title company. However, shop around for the best prices, and find the ones that have the experience that can handle a quick closing. A competent title company will ensure that they have all their ducks in a row on closing day. This provides an easy transition of giving up the rights of the property in exchange for a large fat profitable check.

Always be realistic about the outcome of selling real estate. Be sure to listen to the advice of professionals and keep a strong positive attitude.

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Flipping And Selling A Home

Flipping And Selling A Home

Flipping and selling a home costs a lot of money. Typically investors have to pay cash in order to have the ability to invest into a piece of property. Once the payment is made the investor has to commit to remodeling the home and selling it for a profit. New flippers might not know what to consider before buying a home. Many homes on the market are short sales or have undergone foreclosure. Although they sell for cheap prices it might cost a lot more in the long run to remodel a home to get it sold for a decent price on the market.

The plumbing is one of the most important parts of a home. Pipes that are withered and beyond repair can cost thousands to fix. If the pipework is not in good condition then it is wise to invest into a different piece of property. Copper is better than galvanized steel when it comes to pipes for plumbing. Look for copper pipes when searching for a home to flip. Add copper to a home if you purchased the property and found a poor plumbing job after your purchase, it is better for the longevity of the property.

Flipping And Selling A Home

Another part of the home to take into consideration is the foundation. Depending on where the home is located you do not want to find a weak foundation. A home that resides on a flat service may be easy to fix, but homes on hills are going to be tough. Have an inspector check both the plumbing and foundation of a piece of property to minimize the cost of remodeling it for sale.

Research the prices of homes in the area you plan on buying real estate. Get an idea for how much real estate costs in the area you plan on investing. Avoid overpaying for property that is not worth the cost. Even if a home looks promising you do not want to pay more than you should. Part of being a good house flipper is having good negotiation skills. Try to talk down the price of a home so that you can flip it and make the most amount of profit possible. Capitalize on any deals in a given neighborhood so that you can produce the maximum amount of profit possible.

Form a relationship with a reliable contractor. You should know at least two contracting teams or companies that charge a fair price. The purpose of this is to ensure that you pay as little as possible to flip a home. Shop around for a good contractor just like you would shop around for a fairly priced home to find the best deal.

Marketing is important. Once the property is remodeled you should do everything you can to give it exposure. Make flyers, inform people in the neighborhood, post ads online, and add the property to the MLS. Transform a home and make it look as beautiful as possible and you should attract a lot of potential buyers and get the type of offers you want to see.

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Onshore and Honking

It's been a windy few days in Cocoa Beach with temps in the 70s and 80s. The ten day forecast is for decreasing winds, clear skies and highs between 76 and 84 degrees. Surf was excellent for a few days last week before the winds arrived. It is still full-on Victory at Sea conditions right now with favorable surf conditions not expected again before next weekend. I can wait.

I often read or hear something about our local real estate market that is at odds with the reality that I am experiencing. I ran into an old acquaintance this past week and he started off the conversation with the statement that there aren't any deals to be had and that he thought the market might be overheated. I suppose when one hears that multiple offers are common and properties are selling within days of listing the conclusion might be that the market is too hot. The reality is that prices have been steadily rising since bottoming in the years 2009 through 2011 but not at anything approaching the pace of the bubble years 2003 through 2007. Even with the rebound in prices, some properties are selling at 60% or less of their 2006 prices. Facts don't always support the popular dialogue. Beware headlines and anecdotal evidence. My post Headlines < Statistics < Truth from last summer is worth a reread for those with the time.

Despite significantly fewer visitors in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral since the first of the month, condo sales have been brisk with 21 units going under contract in just the last seven days. Nine of those units were on the market less than two weeks. There have been 47 new condo listings since April 1. Well, to be totally accurate, 43 new ones and four old listings withdrawn and relisted to trick the system into making them appear fresh.

My favorites of the new listings that are still available include the following:

•  A furnished one bedroom 5th floor direct ocean unit in a newer building in Cape Canaveral with high ceilings and a garage asking $249K. 
• I also like a 7th floor direct ocean 2/2 unit in south Cocoa Beach with a garage asking $375K. 
• New last week was a 10 year old, 4th floor corner direct Banana River unit in Cape Canaveral with a private two car garage and a boat slip with boat lift asking $395K. There are not many opportunities to own a condo unit with a boat slip especially in a newer building. Likewise, private two car garages are uncommon. This is a good one in a good building. When new in 2005, these units sold for as much as $710,000 without a boat slip.

There are a few others that are interesting but the three above stand out for me. Anyone interested in looking at these or any others feel free to shoot me an email or phone call.

"No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from."  __Miki Dora

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Off Season and Beautiful

Cocoa Beach has returned to its sedate off-season pace with the departure of the bulk of our winter visitors. Green fees at the Cocoa Beach Country Club drop to summer rates on Saturday and it's already possible to roll up on a beautiful day without a tee time and get on the course. The algae bloom in the Banana River has dissipated and fish are being caught. Ocean water temp in the surf is in the mid-70s and the beaches are, for the most part, deserted as in the photo above from last week.

Real estate sales in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral this month have slowed somewhat since 69 condo units and nine single family homes closed in March. Only 23 condos and townhomes and 3 single family homes have closed in the two cities since April Fools Day. All three of the houses were non-waterfront Cocoa Beach homes that sold for less than $300,000. Seven direct ocean condos have closed, most at prices in the mid-$200s per square foot. We continue to see premium furnished units commanding prices of $300 per square foot and higher. Sellers expecting to get anywhere near $300 per foot better have a new or nicely updated unit with nice furnishings, a great view, and a garage. So far this month the highest price per square foot was again at the nine year old Meridian with a super nice, beautifully furnished 2nd floor unit there bringing $342 a foot. Contrast that with two good but not updated 24 year old Emerald Seas units that sold for $236 a foot or the 50 year old 1st floor Crossway that sold for $164 per foot.

For sale condo inventory has dropped back to 280 total condos and townhomes in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral while single family home supply has increased to 80. If history holds, it's reasonable to expect sales to continue at this slower pace through May and then pick up during the summer months through Labor Day. Those who have only visited Cocoa Beach during the snowbird or summer seasons might enjoy late April and May here. There is very little traffic, restaurants are uncrowded and the weather is close to perfect. I am digging it.

"A vacation spot out of season always has a very special magic." __Max von Sydow

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In Like a Lion

I didn't expect the condo market in March to continue at February's tepid pace and I was not disappointed. March roared in like a lion and as of this morning, April 2, the Cocoa Beach MLS is showing 66 closed condo units in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral in the month. As always that number will grow as lazy listing agents get off their backsides and record their closed listings. Single family home sales were slow with only seven closed.

There were three noticeable trend shifts in March. They were:

Higher Priced Units - Higher priced units were very active and the premium buyers were willing to pay for exceptional units was evident. In the last twelve months only seven oceanfront units have commanded more than $300 per square foot. Five of those seven closed last month. This trend is likely to continue. Three of the seven record-setting sellers were represented by Cocoa Beach's powerhouse little agency, Walker Bagwell Properties. Seventeen units sold for more than $300,000 with nine of those over $450,000. Highest price paid in the month was $1.1 MM for the entire 6th floor of the Riomar building in south Cocoa Beach. Fully and beautifully furnished with 3008 square feet and four bedrooms and 3.5 baths it is an exceptional unit. Not surprising, it was a WB listing.

Currency Exchange - The effect of the weakening dollar that began in January began affecting local sales. As foreign currencies, especially the Euro, the British pound and the Canadian dollar, began rising from historic lows it became prudent for foreign owners of US properties to consider selling to lock in profits before the deteriorating exchange wiped those paper profits out. With quite a few properties in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral owned by Canadians and Europeans that currency shift spurred a few sales. If the dollar continues to weaken, at some point this will have the reverse incentive and begin encouraging purchases by foreigners as their currencies gain purchasing power.

Condo Mortgages - March 2016 saw the highest percentage of condo buyers using mortgages since 2008. After running at around one out of three sales for six years, exactly half of condo buyers in March used a mortgage for their purchase. This in spite of the difficulties involved with Florida condo mortgages.

Our inventory is hanging steady at around 300 units for sale in the two cities. In spite of the fact that only seven units have closed for over $300 per square foot in the last 12 months, 29 of the current listings are asking over that number, five of those over $400 a foot. I suspect that only eight of the 29 stand a chance of getting over $300/sf, none of those in the one collectively-delusional building with six crazily overpriced listings. Having said that, I do expect prices to continue the steady upward direction that they've been in for the last six or so years. If you are selling an oceanfront condo and are expecting over $300 a foot, it better have a great view, be new or nicely remodeled and have a garage. If it's original 1985 condition or has an average remodel you're not going to get that number. However, you will get the best price you could have gotten in the last several years. If you've got a unit that you think deserves a premium, let's talk.

Nine of the 66 sold units closed at or above full asking price. The average selling price was 95% of last asking price. Twenty eight sold in a month or less. All but three of those 28 sold without a price reduction. Of the 22 listings that had to reduce price, average days on market was 101. Of those that sold without a price reduction, average days on market was 52. Obviously, if a seller wants to sell quickly, pricing right is instrumental.

Before making an offer, a buyer is faced with the somewhat daunting task of determining if a listing is overpriced or not. If it's one of the priced-right listings, offering below full asking is probably a recipe for failure. On the other hand, if it is overpriced, there is a possibility of getting it well below asking. Without knowing current fair market value, a buyer is dancing in the dark. Most good buyer's agents that are active in our market can determine fair value. When I say "our market" I mean Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. The rest of Brevard County has no relevance to this market. I will add that it takes more than MLS access to figure out fair market value. An agent from off the beach may not know relevant details to recent sales and is at risk of misjudging value. I see it all the time and use it to my clients' advantage. Whether someone is buying or selling, using an agent from the immediate area can help prevent costly mistakes. Three dozen sales in Merritt Island or Palm Bay last year does not assure an agent is qualified to navigate the beachside market.

The Banana River made a remarkable snapback this week. After a broad, brown tide algae bloom that triggered a massive fish kill last week most folks were concerned that this was it, no going back. I'm happy to report that the river has cleared up somewhat and there are good numbers of fish and crabs still alive. Mullet are jumping, birds are diving and stone crabs are finding their way into traps. Not saying it wasn't a significant event but that it was probably not as bad as most hyperbolic Facebook posts might suggest. If we can get our nutrient runoff under control we stand a good chance of seeing the river back in its previous pristine glory. The City of Cocoa Beach is to be commended for getting in front of the problem with sewer upgrades, runoff containment and muck-dredging already ongoing before the bloom.

Satellite surveillance reported a large swarm of humans flowing northward away from Cocoa Beach all day on Friday. Simultaneously, the Cocoa Beach Country Club announced a precipitous drop-off in tee time reservations and an impending green fee reduction. Likewise, early bird attendance at local restaurants was down significantly Friday evening and, according to experts, expected to continue through the end of the year. Theories abound but most locals are not concerning themselves with the details. I think with the reduced traffic I'll drive to the Port for lunch and maybe schedule 18 holes at the Country Club.

"As you get older, the questions come down to about two. How long? And what do I do with the time I've got left?" ___David Bowie

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