Archives for July 2014

Prepare Now for Possible Hurricanes

Living in Florida comes with great perks – beautiful weather, flip-flops, warm weather most of the time, the water, the sun, the lifestyle. I could go on and on. No place is perfect, and in Florida, we face hurricane season from June 1 through November 30 every year. And we face it like Floridians – we prepare for possible disaster but we don’t let it stop us from enjoying everything the Sunshine State has to offer.

According to a recent Realtor^® Magazine article, hurricanes could put 6.5 million homes at risk in the United States this year. Florida has the highest number of potential homes at risk for storm surge damage – 2.5 million. Two reasons for this – our love of beach living and the fact that we’re surrounded on three sides by water.

There’s no need to panic, though. Anyone who’s lived in Florida long enough understands the risks associated with hurricanes. With a bit of preparation, you can protect yourself and your family in the event of a storm.

Check Your Insurance Coverage

• Know what your insurance covers and what it doesn’t. You may not be required to carry flood insurance, but if you live in an area that you know is prone to flooding, it may be something to consider.
• Check your coverage to see if your policy pays “replacement cost” or “cash value” for your damaged property.
• Keep copies of your insurance policy information close so you can put your hands on them if necessary.
• Understand that changes can’t be made to your insurance if there is a storm approaching and that when you do make changes, it can take 30 days for those changes to apply.

Put Together Your Preparedness Kit

Whether you think you’ll evacuate or not, put together a kit of items to help you deal with the aftermath of a storm – lack of electricity, lack of access to clean water, and lack of help, depending on the severity of the hurricane.

Include these things in your kit:

• At least a 3-day and preferably a 7-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day)
• Non-perishable food
• Formula, diapers, and other baby supplies – if needed
• Manual can opener
• First aid kit
• Prescription and non-prescription medicines
• Toiletries
• Cell phones and battery-powered cell phone chargers
• Battery-powered radios and flashlights
• Plenty of batteries
• Extra cash
• Blankets, sleeping bags, books, and games (especially if evacuating)

Source: Weather.com

Prepare Your Property

In the event that a storm will make landfall, there are things you can do to minimize some of the damage that could occur.

• Remove loose or fallen tree limbs from your property and trim your trees
• Put away anything loose in your yard – tools, patio furniture, toys, plants, etc.
• Fill your car with gas and any spare gas cans you may have – in case of a shortage after the storm.
• Consider installing storm windows or covering your windows with plywood.
• Gather all important papers – insurance policies and other important papers – and place into a plastic bag for protection. Keep these with you at all times during the storm.

No one wants to think of a storm hitting our beautiful state and coastlines. But it’s always better to prepare for a hurricane in advance then to wait until the last minute. The most important thing is the life of you and your family. Things can be replaced, people cannot.

Image via Wikipedia

5 Things to Do on the Emerald Coast After the Beach

Whether you’re looking for a new adventure or you need a reminder about what Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and the surrounding areas have to offer, here are five other things to do when you’re done at the beach. There’s something for everyone in the list below.

Get Out on the Water

Pick from a variety of options from dolphin and pirate cruises to pontoon rentals out to Crab Island. There are countless adventures to be had and sights to see out on the waters of the Gulf. Make sure to try your hand at paddleboarding while you’re out there. If you’re ready to see something other than the beach, head north into Santa Rosa County towards Milton and Pace where the Black River awaits. Rent a canoe or go tubing down the river. Either way, you can enjoy the waters in and around the Emerald Coast without the beach.

Check Out the Great Outdoors
Not ready to go inside just yet but done with the beach? Rent a bike in Destin or over in the South Walton area – get fit and see the coast from a different perspective. Take a quick trip to Milton and go zip-lining with Adventures Unlimited. (They can also hook you up with canoeing, kayaking, and tubing down the river.) Or plan an excursion for what Destin is known for – fishing. Deep-sea fishing and in-shore fishing is available from the many local charter boats and captains along the harbor.

Learn Something New

If you need to get out of the sun and learn something new, head to one on of the local museums. Home to the largest air force base in the world, Eglin AFB, as well as other surrounding military bases, it’s no wonder Fort Walton Beach boasts the Air Force Armament Museum. Entrance is free, and donations are gladly accepted. Step back into time to learn the history of the air force and see amazing planes from across the decades.

Need something a little different? Check out the Emerald Coast Science Center located in downtown Fort Walton Beach. The museum costs just a few dollars per person and boasts over 200 interactive exhibits. Good for young and old, you can forget about your sunburn for a while and learn something new.

Hit the Shops

There’s a store for every taste and every budget. In Destin, head to the Destin Commons filled with shops, eateries, and a gigantic movie theater. The kids will have a great time at the play area, on a train ride around the Commons, and in the summer, at the splashpad. Head east into Sandestin and the Silver Sands Outlets are waiting for name-brand bargain hunters. For those who like a more unique shopping experience, keep going east along highway 98 into Walton County and turn south on 30A. From Grayton Beach to Seaside, the eclectic and locally-owned shops are filled with delights you can’t find anywhere else.

Local Amusements

Whether you’ve got kids or you’re a kid at heart, there’s fun for the whole family waiting for you. Big Kahuna’s, Destin’s only waterpark, is filled with waterslides plus a wading pool and lazy river. The Gulfarium on Okaloosa Island, located between Destin and Fort Walton Beach, is fun and educational for everyone with animal exhibits and shows. The Track, in Destin, let’s you get your speed on with go-karts and have fun with bumper cars. Need more to do? Fat Daddy’s on Okaloosa Island and Goofy Golf, a Fort Walton Beach staple for more than 50 years, will keep you entertained for hours.

Whether you’re a local who thinks there’s nothing to do or a visitor who’s still discovering the area, there’s plenty to choose from. When the weather doesn’t cooperate or you’re just beached out, consider the other options in and around the Destin area.

Image via Flickr by Vitor Baptista

Bathroom Renovation: 4 Tips to Enhance Your Everyday Lifestyle

Whether you’re getting ready to put your home on the market or you’ve been stashing away money to finally redo that outdated bathroom that just doesn’t work for your family anymore, updating or remodeling your bathroom is a great way to not only add value to your home, but to enhance your everyday lifestyle as well. If you aren’t sure where to get started, these design tips will help you hit the ground running.

Whether you plan on undertaking an extensive remodel or even a small project, most designers agree on the following tips:

Create the illusion of space. A sleek, stylish glass shower enclosure will help your bathroom appear more spacious, and in most instances, a frameless shower enclosure will provide the cleanest, most open look. If you decide to go with a framed shower enclosure, you have two choices: frameless sliding doors or framed doors. If you choose framed doors, be sure the finish of the metal framing and handles matches your bathroom fixtures.

Let the creative juices flow. Taking a creative approach can help you make the most of your space. For instance, the majority of shower enclosures are square or rectangular, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think outside the box and take other shapes into consideration. Redefine the space and make your bathroom more versatile with a circular or oval-shaped enclosure. You may even want to consider a triangle or standard shape with an artfully bowed glass door.

Look on the bright side. Repainting your bathroom with light colors can make it feel more spacious. If your bathroom has windows or skylights, use window treatments and accents that maximize the amount of light that comes through.

Maximize your space. Don’t be afraid to move things around, especially if you don’t have a lot of storage space in your bathroom. Cleaning items, extra towels and even toiletries can all be placed in a hall closet, freeing up more space in the bathroom. If you really want to maximize the space you have available, consider adding built-in compartments.

A Look at the Local Housing Market: May Single Family Home Sales

Whether sitting down with a client to discuss their housing goals or standing around at the beach, hanging out with friends, the most common question every Realtor^® gets is, “How’s the market?” According to statistics from the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors^® (ECAR) Multiple Listing Service (MLS), the housing market is heating up.

May Sales Heat Up

On the Emerald Coast, our common real estate “season” falls between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Because we’re a military area and just a great place to live, people move in and out through the year. Don’t forget, many families wait until school let’s out to move their families, as well. With all of this, it’s no wonder, single family home sales heated up a bit in May.

In May, single family home sales increased 4.5 percent over 2013. A total of 511 homes were sold, the highest volume of sales in a given month in more than a year. Buyers recognize this is the time to purchase a home. Sellers also realize the power of this current market as inventory rose 27.3 percent in May. More homes coming on the market for buyers to choose from breeds competition.

It’s Not Just About Closed Sales

The state of the real estate market isn’t solely determined by how many sales closed during a given time period. The median price, which has fluctuated slightly over the course of the last year, decreased just under four percent when compared to last year. In May, the median price of a single family home along the Emerald Coast was $224,900. Median prices mean half the homes sold for less and half the home sold for more.

Another factor to look at is the length of time a home spends on the market, known as the median days on market. Remember, this means that half the houses spent less time and half the houses spent more time on the market. In May, the median days on market fell nearly 11 percent from last year to 66 days.

Pricing is Key

It’s not unheard of in this market for a home that’s priced well to receive multiple bids and to go under contract in a short amount of time. On the flip side, a home that’s not priced well might sit on the market for a long time.

For sellers, pricing your right the first time means your home as a higher chance of selling quicker than a home that’s priced too high. For buyers, understand that several other people may be interested in the same home you are, and you’ll want to make the best offer you can in order for your offer to be considered.

So there you have it, a quick look at single family home sales along the Emerald Coast for May 2014. Sales are heating up, inventory is rising, and prices are holding steady with no major increases or decreases.

The statistics made available from the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors^® are comprised of data compiled from the MLS and other sources by the Florida Realtors^® Research and Statistics Department. The Emerald Coast refers to Okaloosa and Walton counties, and the data comes from all participants in the ECAR MLS.

Image via Flickr by Ed Hart.