Denise Shockey | RE/MAX Elite | 321-446-4994 2761 Maderia Circle, West Melbourne, FL Immaculate and Ready to Move In! 3 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $163,900 Year Built 2000 Sq Footage 1,292 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size .15 acres HOA/Maint $16 per month DESCRIPTION This home is immaculate and in move in condition. The pride of ownership is obvious. An extra bonus is the screened porch, surrounded by beautiful landscape and looking out onto the lake. Take a moment to enjoy the tranquil sound of the fountain in the lake. It features a large pantry and cathedral ceilings. It sits on a corner lot and boast wonderful curb appeal. Please visit http://www.DeniseShockey.com Virtual Tour: www.visualtour.com/show.asp?T=1231466 see additiona... 11/29/2007

Profile Type: Residential Prop Type:   Status: Active  Photo Gallery PALM BAY, FL 32905Offered at: $69,900  Area: 340 NE Palm Bay County: Brevard Remarks:  BRING YOUR TOOLS...THIS HOME NEEDS YOU! This three bedroom, two bath, one car garage home is in a great location near schools and shopping. If your a first time home buyer or an investor, this is the home for you. Its ready for you to do some work and make it your own. The home has a nice back porch which overlooks the woods and the huge back yard. What a great place for the kids to play while the family gathers for a barbecue. Res Type: Single Family Bedrooms: 3 Waterfront: No Baths: 2 Waterfrnt Type:   Half Baths: 0 Lot Dim: X Split Bed: No Acreage: .26 Year Built: 1981 Furnishings:   Home Warranty:  No Living SqFt: 918 Fireplace:... 11/29/2007

Much has been written about the relationship between home stagers and their clients, the homeowners selling their homes.  Often times, in the process of preparing a home for sale, the client has trouble "letting" go of either personal belongings or personal decorating tastes.  We all love our "stuff" and we've all decorated our homes to fit our personal tastes.  Unfortunately in the world of real estate selling, de-personalization of the home is the goal of every home stager.  When potential buyers walk into a house they need to envision themselves living there.  It's a hard sell if we allow our daily lives to intrude on the "perspective" of the potential buyer.  Keeping that in mind, hiring a home stager can be of huge benefit to the seller.  We can see a home through the "eye of the b... 11/28/2007

  Is staging tax deductible? YES! This may be old news to some, Home Staging services can be considered an advertising fee (See IRS Publication 523) and these selling expenses include commissions, advertising fees*, legal fees and loan charges paid by the seller. *Staging a home for re-sale is considered an Advertising fee.  There are no time limits on the Advertising Fees related to the sale for the IRS.  However, it is important to note that if a property does not sell and is taken off the market; expenses for that transaction are NOT deductible in the future. Check with an accounting professional for full details and see how it applies to your sale. Main Source: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p523/index.html Call Melbourne Home Staging Today ...because...the sooner you stage, the so... 11/25/2007

We've all been in the position, at some point, of listing our homes for sale.  At best the process is stressful.  First we have to find a real estate agent.  The rule of thumb is to interview three.  Then comes the comp, which of course is lower than what we expected.  And lastly the signing of the real estate agreement.  And this is just the beginning.  NOW we have to address all those little DIY items we've been putting off.  Afterall, home buyers aren't in the market to purchase our "procrastination".  Given all of the above, its no wonder home sellers are reluctant to involve themselves in one more home selling process, which is, to hire someone to professionally evaluate the home and address the cosmetic needs.  Listed below, in order of priority, are the top 10 reasons I believe h... 11/25/2007

Last year on Living With Ed, Ed Begley Jr. was shown cooking using his solar oven.   I found that interesting enough to research the use of solar energy for cooking, and also how to obtain a solar oven, or better yet make my own.  And because I live in the "sunshine state", Florida, I figured solar cooking is a doable venture. Under the proper circumstances, if properly made, the solar oven can reach up to 400 degrees. The following are my step by step instructions.Step 1 - decide on what size and what materials to use to make the box.  Several internet articles suggested cardboard boxes.  Because I wanted something more substantial I opted for making a box out of wood.  As luck would have it, last week I spied a wood medicine cabinet put out for the trash.  Double benefit here, I got a... 11/18/2007

I love this time of year in Florida, when we can escape from the inside of our homes and sit outside in the cool mornings, read the paper and listen to the birds.  Only this year I'm not hearing any birds.  Usually I have the beautiful singing of the Mockingbirds, the coo of the Mourning Doves,  the cackles of Starlings, and whatever else happens to be hanging around in my neighborhood.  I thought maybe it was just me, or maybe just my neighborhood.  But then the other morning while at the dog park, I noticed the same, deafening silence.  No bird sounds.  And now I'm wondering, is this a harbinger of what is to come, or just a quiet time for the birds.  I have the uneasy feeling that we are losing our bird populations at a faster rate than has been reported and I am already mourning the... 11/11/2007

Attention real estate agents and home sellers!  Have you been wondering just what "home staging" can do for your listings?  Have you been sitting on the fence, trying to make the decisions as to whether to contact a home stager or let your listing sit and hope for a sale?  Statistically "staged" homes sell faster than homes that are not staged.  So why wait?  STAGE it RIGHT! is available for home staging consultations, and staging services, in your neighborhood.  We stage vacants, condos, rentals, and occupied homes!  Call today for an appointment (321) 956-2495.Click on the link to take you to the virtual tour of our latest staging.http://bethere360.com/vt/413470/TourWeaver_413470.html 11/08/2007

Melbourne is a safe place to liveIt has great weather and lots of sunIt’s easy to travel and get to work and there are good job opportunities..There is a wide variety of recreational facilities.It’s easy to get involved in the community.It’s a great place for creative people.Three out of four would recommend a friend or family member to relocate to Melbourne.Melbourne has the amenities that a larger town would have yet it has a small town atmosphere.I call it user friendly.All that and the Real Estate is a good deal. As of this writing (summer 2007) single-family homes, minutes from the beaches can be had from 200,000 up.Melbourne, and its landside communities of West Melbourne and Melbourne Village, plus its beachside communities of Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, and Floridana (going so... 11/07/2007

Realtors, there is no better time than today to include home staging as part of your marketing arsenal.  STAGE it RIGHT! in Brevard County Florida can make the difference between "stale" and "sale".  Don't wait, make that call today to arrange a customized consultation of your listings.STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495 - Licensed, Insured, Certified 11/07/2007

The answer to that question is a resounding NO!  Today I made the 2.5 hour trek to Florida's first ever IKEA in Sunrise.  I just couldn't wait any longer.  If you've ever been to IKEA you know it is miles and miles of mazes, winding throughout two floors of anything and everything you could possibly need or want.  And of course, at the end of the maze is the grand prize, the cafeteria, where you can rest your weary feet and mind, and feast on all things Scandanavian.  Today I came home with two end tables and a coffee table, all for $50.  Two bedside tables $40, and too many accessories to list.  At the end of the check out line is the "rainbow", the Scandanavian food market.  That little side trip cost me almost more than I spent on staging inventory!  IKEA is truely a home stagers gol... 11/07/2007

Have you ever thought how much energy your traditional oven uses while cooking that lone casserole?  For one thing it runs on 220 electricity which costs more than 110.  Second, your oven has that big cavity that has to heat up, just to cook a small item.  It would benefit you and the environment to invest in an energy efficient toaster oven for cooking single items.  We've been doing that now for about a year.  While I can't attest to the amount of energy saved, I can attest to the fact that the food cooks faster in the toaster oven, probably given the size of the inside of the oven.  As an aside, when I have something that needs warming, I place it on top of the hot toaster oven surface.  So while cooking I am also warming. 11/04/2007

                              Master Bedroom                                                 Master Bedroom                          Living/Dining                                 Living Room                                Guest Bedroom                               Master Bath STAGE it RIGHT! stages condos, single family homes, rentals, and occupied homes.  Call today for an appointment for your personalized consultation!  (321) 956-2495  11/02/2007

Its the end of a very long but very pleasant day, thanks to Nora.  We co-staged a condo in Indialantic Florida today.  Nora had originally bid on the job but was unable to do it so she recommended me to the owner.  Trooper that she is she showed up bright and early and dug right in.  We conferred on ideas, hung heavy wall art, laughed, talked, staged, and all this in an un-airconditioned, extremely humid condo.  We were sweaty within five minutes, soggy within the first two hours, and dripping wet by the end of the day.  It was an awesome experience and hope to do it again soon.  THANKS Nora!  Pictures will be posted as soon as they are ready. 11/01/2007

Have we all had enough of the insurance fiasco here in Florida?  On top of the first two sur-charges we have paid on our auto and homeowners insurance premiums, to bail out the now defunct POE Financial insurance company, the legislature has just approved another 2% surcharge.  Add that to the 3.5% surcharge to Citizens insurance company, and the 2% FIGA assessment, and the minimum we're looking at is an additional 7.5% added to our insurance premiums. That totals around $200 additional per year for me, far more than the crummy savings the new and improved tax reform garnered me.  I wonder, where was the Insurance Commission when POE was in business?  Were they monitoring their financial activities or as I suspect, allowing them, as they do all the insurance companies here in Florida, c... 10/31/2007

Did you know that Avon Skin so Soft, not only moisturizes your skin but it also can be used to:Repel mosquitoes. This skin cream also happens to double as the best mosquito repellent available.Remove makeup. Rub a dab of Skin-So-Soft over your face, then wash clean with water.Get a suntan. Skin-So-Soft works as a suntan oil.Take a soothing bath. Add two tablespoons of Skin-So-Soft to a warm bath as a bath oil.Soften finger nails. Warm Skin-So-Soft and use as a hot oil treatment to soften nails.Enjoy a massage. Skin-So-Soft is an excellent massage oil.Relieve itching from insect bites. Applying Skin-So-Soft over the affected areas alleviates itching.Repel insects. Sponge Skin-So-Soft on screen doors and around door jambs and windows to keep out crawling bugs, flies, and mosquitoes.Polish... 10/29/2007

Two months ago my house became free of the old incandescent, energy sapping light bulbs.  I wasn't particularly sure that I'd see a huge savings in my electric bill, but hey, CFL's are more environmentally friendly and they put out less heat than the old bulbs, so it was a no brainer in my quest for going green.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that in the month of August my bill was down by almost 150 kwh.  Thinking it could possibly be beacuse my A/C might not have run as often, I reserved judgement till I got my September bill.  And there it was, 150 kwh less than the year before.  Given this past September was on record with September 06 as being the hottest September on record here in Central Florida, the reduction in kwh can be solely attributed to the CFL's.  So if you've hesit... 10/28/2007

Melbourne has a small town atmosphere joined with all the amenities of the big city are a big draw for newcomers. It boasts all the cultural arts including symphony orchestras, bands, jazz groups, art exhibits and cultural festivals all year long. The Maxwell King Center continually offers big name entertainment year round, including concerts, plays, and musicals. Whether you enjoy seafood or steak, dining is a pleasure with restaurants ranging from 5 star establishments to beachside cafes. If boating is your pleasure, many riverside restaurants offer river access.Education is a strong point of Brevard County with the Florida Institute of Technology, the University of Central Florida, Brevard Community College and Rollins College being located here. A high level of education is also inc... 10/25/2007

Recently while looking in the phone book for some kind of product to make a pad to park our boat, I came across a business that sells crushed concrete, the same product used as underlayment on asphalt roads.  Not only was the price much less expensive than the available alternatives, the fact that it is not quarried, nor reaped from river beds was appealing.  When we received the delivery and were in the process of spreading it out, I was pleased to see it not only contained concrete, but terrazzo, ceramic tiles, and bits of this and that I couldn't identify.  Awesome!  All this in one recycled batch.  The other benefit to this product is that it packs down hard like concrete but can be removed if desired.  I see this as not only a useful product for parking pads but also in landscaping... 10/21/2007

Greg Bluestein | The Associated Press 2:58 PM EDT, October 20, 2007 CUMMING, Ga. - With water supplies rapidly shrinking during a drought of historic proportions, Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency today for the northern third of Georgia and asked President Bush to declare it a major disaster area.Georgia officials warn that Lake Lanier, a 38,000-acre reservoir that supplies more than 3 million residents with water, is less than three months from depletion. Smaller reservoirs are dropping even lower.Perdue asked the president to exempt Georgia from complying with federal regulations that dictate the amount of water released from Georgia's reservoirs to protect federally protected mussel species downstream."We need to cut through the tangle of unnecessary bureaucracy to mana... 10/20/2007