Pool Party Anyone? Bring the Water and a Towel This old concrete, above ground pool was in the backyard of a fixer upper home that I showed to a buyer over the weekend in Melbourne Beach.  I can imagine what it must have been like back in the day, with sparkling water and kids splashing and playing in it.  I wonder if someone will get it up and running again, someday. Will it ever hold water again? 07/21/2014

Bridget Sentz, Realtor & Carolyn Smith, Realtor ~ Coastal Estate Team – Melbourne, FL Real Estate: Just Sold! Direct Riverfront Melbourne Estate Just Sold! Melbourne Riverfront Estate The Coastal Estate Team just sold this exceptional riverfront estate, situated on the Eau Gallie River with easy access to the Intracoastal. Our clients were fully impressed by this magnificent property, which sits on over half an acre and includes a sprawling main residence with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and over 3,900 square feet of interior living space, plus a separate guest house with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. With renovations completed just last year, this Melbourne home displays the latest in design, architectural style, and comfort. The outdoors of this home could not be more picturesque, and our client... 07/20/2014

Bridget Sentz, Realtor & Carolyn Smith, Realtor ~ Coastal Estate Team - Melbourne, FL Real Estate: Just Sold! Lovely Home in Windover Farms of Melbourne! Just Sold! Lovely Home in Windover Farms of Melbourne! The Coastal Estate Team just sold this lovely home, located in Windover Farms of Melbourne! Set on a large lot with a peaceful "parklike" backyard, this beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, 2 half bath home reveals itself as the pristinely maintained home it is. The original owners thoughtfully designed this custom home, with an open floor plan that shows off the soaring vaulted ceilings, gleaming hardwood floors, gorgeous marble countertops, and custom molding throughout. All of the remarkable interior finishes and details, combined with the picture-perfect landscaping and oversized ... 07/18/2014

Today, in real estate it seems that all of the advertising we do has our picture on it. Get to know our faces by seeing our picture. In time, the customer will begin to feel comfortable with us.  After all, don't we want people to recognize us, and put a face with a name by looking at our pictures? Isn’t that part of our branding when we advertise? We look at websites and blogs and house listings and agent flyers and business cards with Realtor pictures all day long. We want people to grow accustomed to seeing our warm, smiling, familiar faces. But, have you ever, finally met a Realtor, after talking to them on the phone or seeing their print advertising for months, and wondered who the person standing in front of you was?  The first thought might be, is this the same person in the pic... 07/18/2014

NRMLA Reissues Ethics Guidance for HECM-to-HECM Refinance After Recent Changes The reverse mortgage program continues to change for the better, this time making more proceeds for older borrowers. According to an article published by Reverse Mortgage Daily, at an interest rate of 6% borrowers who are 78 and older will potentially have access to greater principal limits than before. This change means more money for older borrowers and a greater chance of a HECM-to-HECM Refinance for borrowers who obtained a reverse mortgage before the changes were announced. While borrower(s) must wait at least 6 months from the closing date of their reverse mortgage in order to be eligible for a refinance, NRMLA once again stresses the importance of maintaining ethical values while speaking with potentia... 07/15/2014

It was a gorgeous weekend of sunshine at Sebastian Inlet State Park.  We headed out for a day of fishing on the jetty.  We got there later than we had originally planned, so the fish weren't biting. No one was catching anything.  But, the scenery was great.  We saw a group of porpoises. There was a school of Jacks were chasing a school of mullet. We saw several stingray. The manatee were out playing. As the day progressed, the beaches started filling with swimmers, surfers and people on boogie boards.  Visit Sebastian Inlet State Park.   07/14/2014

7-Eleven Stores have free Slurpees July 11, from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, at participating locations. Just download their free app and enjoy the celebration all week long. Free treats include a Big Gulp on Saturday, July 12. M & M's brand birthday cake chocolate candies Sunday, July Grandma's Cookies on Monday, July 14. Hostess Twinkies on Tuesday, July 15. Twix or Snickers brand ice cream bars on Wednesday, July 16. Quaker Chewy yogurt snack bars Thursday, July 17. Pillsbury cookies Friday, July 18.  And, then a free small Slurpee Saturday, July 19. In order to get the free treats, download the free 7-Eleven app from Google Play Store.  At checkout present your member barcode on your smartphone to the cashier. 07/11/2014

What choice does a seller faces when traffic has dropped on their house? If you are selling your home you know the process....your real estate agent recommended a price.  They even held open houses ad nauseum.   Your real estate agent decided to offer a broker's open (open house only for Realtors®).Now your agent come to you with offers that will increase traffic.  A seller I know was recently given a few suggestions by their agent to gain some traffic and hopefully an offer.   This is an out of area seller so I am not involved whatsoever. Lower the price.    Offer a higher commission to real estate agents.    Offer buyers closing cost assistance.   Which direction should a seller choose?  Here is my take for what it is worth. When a house is not drawing the traffic (and offers) there i... 07/10/2014

As we plan for another cruise, I go back through my old pictures and enjoy the memories from past cruises.  I found this picture of my girls, Stephanie and Sam, taken in 2006. It's hard to believe, in looking at them back then,  they are both now taller than I am at 5"9".  I look up at them. They were so proud of the braids they got in their hair while visiting Cozumel, Mexico. 07/10/2014

Melbourne Florida Real Estate Market Report 32901, 32904, 32934, 32935 Did you know that there are currently 554 homes available for sale in Melbourne Florida? Here's the breakdown,  Under $100,000          - 129  $101,000 -  $200,000   - 200  $201,000 -  $300,000   - 120  $301,000 -  $400,000   -   59  $401,000 -  $500,000   -   13  $501,000 -  $750,000   -   28 $751,000 - $1,000,000  -     8 $1,001,000+                   -     5 In January of 2005, as our market was heading up there were only 5 houses in Melbourne priced under $200,000.  Today, there are 329.       Of the 554 properties (these include single family, condos, townhouses and mobile homes) 429 are standard listings (not a short sale or foreclosure).  29 of these are short sales (the sellers owe more on their homes than t... 07/10/2014

Showing your home can be a pain.  Your life is interrupted.  Sometimes you have no clue when (or if) the scheduled buyers will show up to see your house! For some of the above reasons its not really a surprise when I hear a seller say they prefer to stay at home while their home is being viewed. Still my advice when working with owners selling their Brevard County, Florida home when showings are scheduled is simple - leave. Buyers want the privacy to view your home under the oversight of their real estate agent.  Prospective buyers need an environment that promotes open discussion about your home while in your home. The one thing a prospective buyer does not need is a guided tour with commentary from a seller.   If the seller's real estate agent has done a reasonable job the marketing m... 07/09/2014

Tell Me if you Don't Like the House The first day of looking at houses with new clients gives the buyer and I an opportunity to get to know each other.  As we look at houses, and they tell me their likes and dislikes, I am able to get a better "feel" of what they are really looking for in a property, what kind of property they want, and the area they want to be in. As we look at houses, I ask what they think of the house. "Well, it's pretty," the wife responded.  Pretty ugly I thought, judging by the tone of her voice and the look on her face.  "I guess I like it," she continued.  I could tell that we weren't going to get anywhere like this. This buyer was being too nice. It was time to throw my two cents in. 'Please tell me if you don't like a house. The more honest you are about your... 07/09/2014

   Brevard County 4th of July Festivities So, here we are again, the Fourth of July! I'm looking forward to the weekend festivities.  Grab the family, a couple of lawnchairs and your cooler and head out to enjoy the fireworks and fun. There's a lot going on around the county. Remember, be sure that your pets are safe and secure. The Fourth of July can be a scary time for some pets that are afraid of the bright lights and the loud noise from the fireworks. Be sure they are secure during the festivities.   Melbourne July Fourth Parade  Friday 10 AM Downtown Melbourne Fireworks Display  Friday 9 PM Front Street Park   Palm Bay Palm Bay Independence Day Celebration  Friday 2 PM Eastern Florida State College   Viera 20th annual Great American Celebration  Saturday 6:30 PM Space Coast Stadium... 07/03/2014

Florida was spared as Tropical Storm Arthur skirted the eastern coast with some light winds, big wave and small rain showers. Tropical Storm Arthur, the first storm of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season has now been upgraded to hurricane Arthur with winds reported at 80 mph.  It's headed for the Carolina coastline.  It is not expected to make landfall but Hatteras Island is under a mandatory evacuation order anticipating heavy winds, rain, storm surge and rip tides.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those up north on what's supposed to a be an outside holiday weekend filled with food, fun, fireworks and festivities.  Be safe! News on the Tropics with Hurricane Arthur Hurricane Arthur Headed for Carolinas       07/03/2014

Do you know what's on your credit report? Free Annual Credit Report It's time again to remind consumers to check your credit report. Do you review your credit report on a regular basis? Do you know what's on your credit report? It's important to review your credit report so you can check for errors.  If you are considering buying a home soon, it puts you in the driver's seat when you know what info your credit report contains, before starting the process. According to the Federal Trade Commission  in 2003 FACTA requires the nationwide credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report, at their request, once every 12 months from the 3 major reporting agencies Equifax, Experian & Transunion. Consumers who want to access their credit report online can go to Annual... 07/02/2014

Congratulations, Jim and Sonya on the purchase of another investment property. I enjoy working with both of you so much!  You're so inquisitive and efficient! Thank you for hiring me to represent you as a buyers agent, again, in your purchase. This house will make a good rental for you for years to come. 07/02/2014

Do you remember the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial from television? The little boy asks Mr. Turtle, "Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of the tootsie pop?"  Mr. Turtle says, "I don't know, ask Mr. Owl."  The boy takes the tootsie pop to Mr. Owl and asks the same thing. Mr. Owl takes 3 licks and then bites the lollipop. He tells the boy it takes 3 licks to get to the tootsie roll center of the tootsie pop. It reminds me of homebuyers looking at real estate...some people buy the first day they're out looking at houses, some people take their time, and some never buy at all. A buyer tells us they are looking for a house to buy. We show them several houses and the first day out they write an offer and buy a house. They're like Mr. Owl. They do it quickly... 07/01/2014

Windover Farms in Melbourne, Florida 32934 located just off of Post Road in Melbourne, Brevard County FL is a sprawling, deed restricted community of gorgeous homes situated in a lush, natural, country setting. The homes were built between 1988 and 2009. Windover Farms is located West of Wickham Road, just off of Post Road. Windover Farms, Melbourne 32934 is conveniently located minutes to shopping, dining, churches and schools. Publix grocery store is within walking distance. It is close to all grade levels schools and right around the corner from Bervard Community College and the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts. Access to I-95, US 1 and Wickham Roads are within minutes. Patrick Air Force Base and the beaches are approximately 15 minutes away. The Melbourne Airport is ab... 07/01/2014

Kingsmill in Melbourne Florida 32934 located just off of Lake Washington Road is a quiet, well maintained community of over 300 houses built between 1986 and 1988. It is situated between Parkway Drive and Aurora Road, just west of Wickham Road in Melbourne Florida. Kingsmill in Melbourne 32934 is just minutes to shopping, dining, churches and schools. Publix grocery store is within walking distance. Access to I-95, US 1 and the causeways to the beach are within 5 minutes.  The Indian River Lagoon and beaches are within 10 to 12 minutes driving distance. View Map The west end of the community boasts custom built homes by Joyal and Tiffany Builders. Several of the homes are situated on half acre sites. The other homes in the neighborhood were built by Maronda Homes. Kingsmill association ... 07/01/2014

The Brevard Zoo is hosting Summer Saturday nights through the end of July.  Guests can get into the zoo fo the discounted fee of $6.00. Zoo members can get in for free. The event is from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM rain or shine. Some of the animals will be on exhibit, while others may be resting. The rhinos, giraffes and the meerkats are scheduled to be on exhibit. However, the butterfly exhibit or the Australian animals may not be seen. Kayaking, train rides and paddle boating are available for an additional fee. There will be bands and live music. Last admission is 8:00 PM. See you at Brevard Zoo Summer Saturday nights.     06/30/2014