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Remodeling? 5 Must-Do Steps when Hiring a Contractor

When remodeling, homeowners see significant returns on their investment—in fact, most feel positive about a remodeling project whether selling or staying put. But that feel-good experience can easily be marred by a negative encounter with a contractor. Hire smart and your home will be in good hands, says Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com).

Hicks’ recommendations for hiring contractors include the following tips.

1. Research 5-10 potential companies to determine local reputation, as well as how well their work stands the test of time, plus if they specialize in the work you want done.

2. Obtain at least three written estimates to compare costs and timelines.

3. Verify applicable trade license, bonding and insurance status.

4. Insist on a payment schedule tied to project progress and keep at least 10 percent back until the job is complete to your satisfaction.

5. Include the payment schedule in your written contract and a termination clause that allows you to walk away easily if terms aren’t met.

Source: Angie’s List

 

TS Colin Reminds Us that Hurricane Season is Really Here

With Tropical Storm Colin cutting across Florida this week – the third named storm of the year, we have a clear reminder that hurricane season is very real and potentially very dangerous. June has barely begun but this hurricane season may be our most active in a while. Take a look at a few reminders and things to keep in mind if we’re affected by a major storm this year.

Hire Licensed Contractors for Repairs

When the wind and rain damage your home, causing leaks and other problems, it may seem like a smart decision to hire the inexpensive handyman with no license. What will you do if they do an awful job and cost you more money later? Hiring a licensed contractor means you have some recourse if the job doesn’t get finished or if they cause more of a problem then they fix. To check licenses, go to www.myfloridalicense.com or download the app from the Google Play or iTunes app store. This way you can always verify the license of anyone doing work on your home.

Make Changes to Your Insurance Before the Storm Forms

Once a storm is “in the box” – a specific distance from our coastline, for us that usually means in the Gulf of Mexico – insurers will not issue new policies or make changes to existing ones. It’s always best to make changes when the weather is still clear. After a storm is named and we’re watching it, you’ll have to wait until after it passes to make any changes to your homeowner’s insurance policy.

Stock Up on Supplies Early

Waiting until Jim Cantore is on Okaloosa Island isn’t the best time to buy bread, batteries, or water. You’ll be in the store with everyone else who waited until the last minute, and you may miss out. If you’ve lived in Florida for a while, it’s easy to become relaxed about hurricane season and the threat posed by storms. There’s nothing wrong with keeping yourself prepared, even if you don’t need your supplies this season. It’s much better than being caught off guard and dealing with traffic, big crowds, and bad weather to buy the last jug of water.

Even if all we see is a bit of rain and a few less days at the beach, a named storm so early in June is a good reminder that hurricane season is here, and anything can happen. Staying informed and being prepared will help ease some of the stress of the season.

Let’s Remember What Memorial Day is All About

Before you head out to Crab Island for the weekend…

Before you fire up the grill…

Before you head out to see fireworks, enjoy the sun, and soak in the unofficial start of the summer season on the Emerald Coast, let’s remember what the holiday is all about.

Memorial Day is the day we honor those military members who sacrificed everything in order to keep us and our country safe and free. Although it began as a Civil War remembrance, it now encompasses every conflict and all soldiers who gave their life for us.

When you see a veteran or active duty service member, tell them, “Thank you.”

If you overhear a military spouse talking about the recent deployment or the next move, say, “Thank you.”

In between flipping the burgers and getting the sand out of your flip flops, take a moment of silence and simply whisper, “Thank you.”

Memorial Day is more than just a long weekend and extra time in the sun and water. It’s a day we honor the fallen, remember their sacrifice, and thank them and their families for doing the hardest job of all – defending freedom.

This Memorial Day, let’s remember what the day is all about.

Here at Rising Star Real Estate, we want to thank all our military members, both active duty and veteran, and their families for the sacrifices they make, the burden they carry, and the sorrow they feel when the ultimate price is paid. We honor you and the fallen this Memorial Day.

April 2016: Median Prices Rise on Emerald Coast

With one exception, median prices rose across most of the Emerald Coast last month. Single family homes continue to sell well while townhomes and condos continue to struggle. All data is a comparison of April 2016 to April 2015.

 

               Single Family Home Sales

 

Emerald Coast

• Closed sales increased 5.5%
• Pending sales decreased 0.4%
• Median prices increased 10.9%
• Inventory decreased 6.7%
• Months supply decreased 13.2% to 5.9 months of inventory

 

Okaloosa County

• Closed sales increased 3.9%
• Pending sales increased 1.5%
• Median prices increased 6.2%
• Inventory decreased 6.8%
• Months supply decreased 14.3% to 4.8 months of inventory

 

Walton County

• Closed sales increased 22.9%
• Pending sales decreased 4.2%
• Median prices increased 8,8%
• Inventory decreased 1.6%
• Months supply decreased 9.5% to 7.6 months of inventory

 

               Townhouse and Condo Sales

 

Emerald Coast

• Closed sales decreased 26.3%
• Pending sales decreased 4.3%
• Median prices increased 7.4%
• Inventory decreased 0.3%
• Months supply remained flat with 9.8 months of inventory

 

Okaloosa County

• Closed sales decreased 24.7%
• Pending sales decreased 3.6%
• Median prices increased 25%
• Inventory decreased 12%
• Months supply decreased 8.34% to 10 months of inventory

 

Walton County

• Closed sales decreased 27.6%
• Pending sales increased 8.1%
• Median prices decreased 5.2%
• Inventory increased 1.1%
• Months supply increased 5.7% to 9.2 months of inventory

 

 

A few things to remember…

 

 

Single family homes along the Emerald Coast are either in a seller’s market or close to it. A healthy real estate market – where neither the buyer nor seller have an advantage – is between six and eight months. Below six months means that inventory is scarce and can drive up prices. Above 8 months means there is too much inventory which can drive prices down.

 

Pending sales continue to falter making an increase in sales for the following month more difficult. If enough new inventory can come onto the market, it’s possible, this trend may reverse itself over the next couple of months, especially as we get closer to our spring and summer selling season.

 

It’s best to look at the data as part of an on-going trend. One month does not dictate the entire market. If you view the data collected since 2011 for the Emerald Coast, Okaloosa County, and Walton County as a whole, you can get a good feel for what’s happening in the local housing market. Overall, the market has improved greatly.

 

All sales data is from the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors® (ECAR) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and is compiled by Florida Realtors®, the state association for Florida. The Emerald Coast statistics cover both Okaloosa and Walton counties as well as surrounding areas based on the listings entered into the MLS by ECAR MLS participants.

Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?

After 11 years with no storms landing on our shores, it’s easy for people to believe that the Emerald Coast is safe from hurricane season. There’s even a name for it – hurricane amnesia.

 

Ask any long-time local about Hurricane Dennis (2005), Hurricane Ivan (2004), or Hurricane Opal (1995) and they can probably tell you every detail of trees down, streets flooded, and homes torn apart by wind and rain.

 

And those were just the bigger storms to impact the Emerald Coast.

 

Our corner of Florida may be the most beautiful, but it’s also one of the areas most prone to hurricanes. The question you have to ask yourself is this: are you ready for hurricane season?

 

Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 15 – 21

 

Hurricane season officially begins June 1, but you can start getting ready now. Technically, there’s already been one storm this year – Hurricane Alex in January. Being prepared is a year-round thing. To get ready and stay prepared, text HURRICANE to 43362 (4FEMA) to receive bi-monthly hurricane tips to your cell phone directly from FEMA.

 

#HurricaneStrong

 

Want to share your own preparations or get more tips while you’re on Twitter? Follow #hurricanestrong or use it in your tweets to show how you’re getting ready for this year’s season. You’ll see tips from other parts of Florida and across the Gulf Coast region. The Coast Guard, FEMA, and National Hurricane Center also share good information on a regular basis.

 

Get Your Supplies Together Now

 

Anyone who’s lived through the aftermath of a storm can tell you how miserable it is. Stock up now on batteries, flashlights, water, a self-powered radio, a first aid kit, and even portable generators and tie down kits. For the past few years, we’ve had a tax holiday to purchase hurricane supplies. No official date has been announced, but one site listed May 28 through June 5. Keep your eye on the news or social media to find out for sure.

 

The time to buy gas cans or bottles of water isn’t when the storm is a few days out or when Jim Cantore does his weather report from Destin. Supplies become limited when that happens. It best to stock up now and know you’re ready if a storm heads our way.

 

Don’t let the past several years make you think it can’t happen here. We’re the one part of Florida where a hurricane is almost guaranteed to affect us, even a little bit, if it gets into the Gulf of Mexico. Getting ready now and learning as much as you can about how to stay safe and what to do can save lives.

13 Facts About Memorial Day You Might Not Know

Here along the Emerald Coast, Memorial Day means a lot of things: the unofficial start of summer tourist season, the start of Crab Island season, the time when you avoid Highway 98 as much as possible. It’s also a time to remember those who died in service to our country.

 

With much of the focus being on trips to the beach, cookouts, and even fireworks, there are plenty of things you might not know about Memorial Day.

 

1. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day.
2. Decoration Day was officially started three years after the end of the Civil War.
3. On May 5, 1868, the nation was asked to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.
4. May 30 became the official Decoration Day holiday because it was believed flowers would be in bloom across the country on that day.
5. The first large observance was held at Arlington National Cemetery.
6. The amount of people at the first observance and the amount of people who attend now are about the same number: 5,000 people.
7. Several places claim to be the birthplace of Decoration Day: Columbus, MS; Macon and Columbus, GA; Richmond, VA; Boalsburg, PA; Carbondale, IL; and Waterloo, NY.
8. In 1966, Waterloo was declared the “official” birthplace of what was known at that point as Memorial Day.
9. Memorial Day wasn’t expanded to include deceased soldiers of all American wars until after World War I.
10. In 1971, Memorial Day became an official national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.
11. December 2000 – the National Moment of Remembrance Act was passed and signed into law.
12. All Americans are encouraged to observe a moment of silence at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor those who’ve died in service to the nation.
13. This year, Memorial Day is May 30, 2016.

 

Plan to have a great time at the beach or invite your friends and family over for a barbecue this Memorial Day. But don’t forget to remember the reason for the holiday, and take a moment to remember those who gave everything for our country.