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Stress-Free Travel Planning

If you’ve ever planned a trip, you know just how time consuming and even frustrating the process can be. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, with all the technology available today, coordinating the various aspects of your trip can be done with ease. Add some peace of mind to the process with the following tips.

Keep it simple. Planning a trip can be stressful, especially when it comes to searching for cheap flights, a nice hotel in a good location and a car that can accommodate your needs. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, search the Web for a company that will take care of the planning and comparison shopping for you.

Put your smartphone to use. No matter how much—or little—time you spend traveling, your smartphone can be your best ally whenever you hit the road. Use your phone to easily access confirmation numbers and to keep all of your travel documents handy.

Be in the know. Take advantage of technology such as Siri and other websites and apps like Yelp, Trip Advisor or TripIt when looking for maps, directions and nearby restaurants and merchants.

Stay connected. Give a copy of your itinerary to friends and family so that everyone knows where you’ll be throughout your trip. Be sure to include flight numbers, arrival times, and hotel names and contact information.

6 Events on the Emerald Coast in May You Don’t Want to Miss!

In between the end of Spring Break and the start of the “official” summer tourism season, May is a great time to enjoy the beautiful weather, the local events, and everything the Emerald Coast has to offer. Take a look at these upcoming events and find something new to try or a new event to attend.

59th Blessing of the Fleet

Thursday, May 5, 2016; 4:00 p.m.

Behind Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer

This week is the 13th Annual Week of Blessings in Destin, and the 59th annual Blessing of the Fleet. Local pastors gather to bless charter fishing boats and anyone else who earns their living from the sea for safe passage and bountiful catches. Learn more.

Burning Up the Beaches!

Thursday, May 5 – Sunday, May 8, 2016

Destin Commons

If you love classic cars or you want to show your’s off, head on over to Destin Commons for a classic car weekend. All proceeds go to The Arc of the Emerald Coast. Learn more.

48th Annual EOD Warrior Foundation Annual Ball

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Emerald Coast Convention Center

This annual ball to support the EOD Warrior Foundation features LtCol Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) as the keynote speaker! Tickets are $75 each. Learn more.

NFSO Stars of Tomorrow Meet Beethoven

Friday, May 13, 2016; 7:30 p.m.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Niceville

This family-friendly concert features the talent of youth winners of the 29th Concerto Competition as Guest Soloists. Come hear this amazing musicians before they become famous. Learn more.

Emerald Coast Relay for Life

Friday, May 20 – Saturday, May 21, 2016

6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Destin Middle School

Paint your paradise purple and help raise money for a cure. This is a time to remember loved ones, support survivors and their family, and do your part to make cancer a thing of the past. Learn more.

Gate-to-Gate 4.4 Mile Run/Walk

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Eglin Air Force Base

This family-friendly event brings thousands of people to Eglin AFB every year. Whether you’re a walker or a runner – or you’d rather cheer from the sidelines – this is a great event start your Memorial Day weekend! Learn more.

March 2016: Sales Dip on Emerald Coast But It’s Not All Bad News

The slow start to 2016 continues with fewer real estate sales along most of the Emerald Coast in March. It’s not all bad news, though. Pending sales were up which is a good sign for the months ahead and prices remain steady in many areas. Inventory continues to be an issue, but with record-high new listings for single family homes, buyers may soon have more options. All data is a comparison of March 2016 to March 2015.

Single Family Home Sales

Emerald Coast

Closed sales increased 1.3%
Pending sales increased 4.7%
Median prices increased 4.6%
Inventory decreased 8.4%
Months supply decreased 15.9% to 5.8 months of inventory

Okaloosa County

Closed sales decreased 1.3%
Pending sales increased 5.3%
Median prices increased 2.6%
Inventory decreased 9.3%
Months supply decreased 17.5% to 4.7 months of inventory

Walton County

Closed sales increased 8.9%
Pending sales increased 10.7%
Median prices increased 6.1%
Inventory decreased 3.2%
Months supply decreased 11.8% to 7.5 months of inventory

Townhouse and Condo Sales

Emerald Coast

Closed sales decreased 14.3%
Pending sales increased 1.5%
Median prices decreased 11.7%
Inventory decreased 0.2%
Months supply decreased 5.1% to 9.4 months of inventory

Okaloosa County

Closed sales decreased 4.5%
Pending sales increased 25.4%
Median prices decreased 18.8%
Inventory decreased 10.2%
Months supply decreased 8.4% to 9.8 months of inventory

Walton County

Closed sales decreased 26.9%
Pending sales decreased 11.5%
Median prices increased 11%
Inventory increased 0.5%
Months supply decreased 2.2% to 8.9 months of inventory

A few things to remember…

New inventory for single family homes appears to be on the rise with March numbers being the highest on record for the Emerald Coast (909 total), Okaloosa County (417 total) and Walton County (330 total). While this may increase the inventory numbers temporarily, it also gives buyers more options and may spur real estate sales with the start of the new selling season.

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. Townhouses and condos are in the upper levels with Okaloosa close to 10 months of inventory. 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.

Is Now a Good Time to Sell?

Watch the news for a little while, and it’s easy to become confused about what’s going on with real estate. Is now a good time to sell? Are prices going up, staying the same, or going down? What is actually going on?

The first thing to remember is that all real estate is local. No matter what’s going on at the national or even state level, there are exceptions and here on the Emerald Coast, we rarely follow national trends. That being said, there are a few things to be aware of that are making national news and may lead you to wonder if you should sell now or in the future.

Seller and Buyer Confidence is Down

Fannie Mae just released the results of a survey called the Home Purchase Sentiment. They surveyed 1,000 Americans across the country and asked how they feel about buying or selling a home, among other questions. The results were a little startling:

Confidence that now is a good time to sell went down eight percent.
Confidence in keeping your job went down seven percent.
Only 33 percent of Americans believe now is a good time to buy.

Here on the Emerald Coast, inventory is tightening up in some areas for single family homes. This means that good properties that are priced right will be highly competitive. Sellers who get their home ready and put it on the market at the right price may see a few things: multiple offers, full-price and above-asking-price offers, quicker closings.

Prices Aren’t Dropping in Florida Anytime Soon

Another study released recently is the Spring 2016 Housing and Mortgage Market Research report from Arch Mortgage Insurance Company (Arch MI). They studied the possibility of price declines over the next two years. Nationally, the possibility of price declines will be about five percent. Here in Florida, between two and three percent.

The chances are really good that home prices here on the Emerald Coast will continue to go up incrementally. This is good news if you want to sell your home now or in the next year or so. Of course, for buyers, it’s better to get that offer in sooner rather than later to avoid paying more. Either way, the news is favorable for sellers. The states with the highest risk of declining home prices are North Dakota, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Alaska.

It’s projected that two million jobs will be created this year, and the March numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that job creation is still going strong. While we may never see the type of growth from 2004/2005 (and we probably shouldn’t), prices are on the rise, and for anyone looking to sell, this may be the perfect time to put your home on the market.

10 Best States to Pay Taxes

No one wants to think of paying taxes. Sure, our tax dollars do a lot, but we know we could do a lot more if we could keep some of our money in our pocket. Taxes may be a fact of life, but depending on where you live, you may not have to pay as much as everyone else.

Take a look at the 10 best states to pay taxes across the country as determined by WalletHub and reported by Florida Realtors.

10. Florida

We already know we live in a great state, but here’s yet another reason to be glad to call yourself a Floridian.

Effective total state & local tax rates on median U.S. household: 9.03%
Annual state & local taxes on median U.S. household: $4,868
Percentage difference between state & national average: -15.62%
Annual state & local taxes on median state household: $4,305

9. South Carolina

8. California

7. Idaho

6. Tennessee

5. Nevada

4. Wyoming

3. Montana

2. Delaware

1. Alaska

There are great places to visit and say you’ve been on this list, but Florida has so much to offer: sandy beaches, great weather, and no snow (for our northern friends).

Don’t see your home state on this list? Hopefully it’s not on the list of the 10 worst states to pay taxes:

10. New Jersey

9. Iowa

8. Ohio

7. Michigan

6. New York

5. Rhode Island

4. Connecticut

3. Wisconsin

2. Nebraska

1. Illinois

How bad is it in Illinois? See for yourself.

Effective total state & local tax rates on median U.S. household: 14.54%
Annual state & local taxes on median U.S. household: $7,836
Percentage difference between state & national average: 35.83%
Annual state & local taxes on median state household: $8,100

View the 10 best and worst tax rates at the Florida Realtors website and be thankful you live in Florida.

Don’t live here yet? You can own your piece of paradise here on the Emerald Coast. Ask me how!

5 Things You Need to Know About Flood Insurance in 2016

With the start of hurricane season less than two months away (June 1), it’s time to start thinking about how to protect your home if a storm makes landfall. You should already have hurricane coverage as part of your homeowner’s insurance policy, but what about flood insurance?

If you don’t have flood insurance or have it but don’t understand what you’ve got, keep reading. Here are a few things you need to know.

Flooding Isn’t Covered by a Standard Insurance Policy

If flooding occurs in your home because of rain, rising water, or even a flooded swimming pool, don’t expect your standard insurance policy to cover you. Even in a hurricane, the question of whether damage is covered comes down to whether wind or water was the culprit. Having a flood insurance policy, even if you’re in a low risk zone, protects you all the way around.

Sign Up By May 1 for Hurricane Season Coverage

You can’t sign up for flood insurance on Monday and be covered by Tuesday. Flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period for most policies. If you want to be covered in time for the start of hurricane season, talk to your insurance provider now and sign up by May 1.

Low Risk Policies are Less Expensive
Talk to your insurance agent to get quotes but if you live in moderate to low risk flood zone, your premiums won’t be very high. No, you’re probably not required by your lender to purchase a policy but this is Florida, and we’re surrounded by water. Even a nasty rainstorm can create flash flooding. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Flood Insurance Rates Increased on April 1

Across the board, everyone’s rates increased this year. For those who have grandfathered subsidized plans, the increase was 18 percent for primary residences and 25 percent for non-primary. Those with policies in the low to moderate zones saw an increase of up to 15 percent.

Subsidized Plans Can’t Increase More than 25 Percent Each Year

Legislation passed in 2012 required that subsidized plans – typically for homes built before or in the 1980s – start paying the actual amount for their premiums. The increase was too much for many homeowners to pay so in 2014, the increase was limited to no more than 25 percent each year.

If you have questions about your flood insurance policy or you want to add it to your insurance, talk to your insurance agent. They can answer your questions on the specifics of how the policy will work and give you an idea of the cost for coverage.

As close as we live to the water here on the Emerald Coast, and as hazardous as a even a bad rain storm can be, it pays to protect your home and family as best as you can. Flood insurance may be one of the options you should consider.