Leftover stain can come in handy for touchups. Make sure the lid is tightly sealed and the container is stored in a cool, dry place. If the leftover stain must be disposed of, do so properly. 03/09/2009

Safety Wear appropriate protection while preparing the surface, while staining and while cleaning up. Make sure you exercise safety while on a ladder.   Exterior stain is exactly that - DO NOT use it for any interior projects.    Clean Up Clean up as you would latex or oil-based paints. Use water for latex and paint thinner or solvent for oil-based products. Safety Note: Oil-based stains are flammable. Use caution when mixing, applying and storing. 03/05/2009

•                Stain absorbs and dries much more quickly than paint. •                Stain pigments settle more quickly than paint. Make sure stain is well-mixed prior to starting. Stop and mix the stain regularly while applying. •                Apply stain in the direction of the wood grain. •                Lap marks don't show up until the stain dries. Avoid them by brushing back from dry to wet. Work in small areas and do not stop in the middle of a wall. •                Apply stain when the weather is agreeable. The best temperature is about 70° F. 50-90° F is the optimum working range. Wait for a day with low humidity and avoid staining in the direct sun. •                Stain lapped siding from left to right, top to bottom. Stain vertical siding top to bottom. Either way, f... 03/05/2009

Details Photo Gallery View Rooms 32317-Tallahassee (Weems) MLS #193459 FOR SALE$164,900 Century 21 First Realty Joe Manausa - Tallahassee Real EstateEmail Joe Manausa - Work: 850-386-2001Cell: 850-523-6178Fax: 850-383-6400 More Photos(12) 1 Quick Links Virtual Tour Request More Info Email Listing More Photos(12) Details Address: 3537 Norcross Lane Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,286 square feet Year Built: 2001 More Details Description NOT a short sale, just priced like one! Excellent condition, perfectly maintained & move-in ready. Wood laminate floors in living areas, spacious rooms, big kitchen with like new appliances and loads of storage. Light and bright living room with plenty of windows and french doors that lead to patio ... 03/05/2009

Let me preface this posting by saying DICK BETTS ROCKS!  Today in Tallahassee, sponsored by the Tallahassee Board of Realtors, Dick Betts lead two sessions on how to improve one's knowledge, and more importantly use of Smartphones. Dick (in the photo below as the younger, more svelt fellow and yours truly) is outstanding at taking what can be a confusing issue and making it simple for everyone to understand. Today's morning session included entitled Smartphone fundamentals where he taught everything from adjusting the font size of the display, to calibrating the display, beaming data (especially your business card), managing contacts, quick search and attaching a note to a contact. Besides the fact that Dick has a great sense of humor, is well spoken and communicates clearly, I really a... 03/04/2009

Use the same basic tools as when painting. Use the right brush - natural bristle for oil, synthetic for latex. Stain brushes are wider than paint brushes, with shorter bristles. These brushes drip less than a regular paint brush. Get the best brush you can. It is a good idea to test the stain on a hidden or inconspicuous area just to be sure it is the color that you want. 03/04/2009

Surface preparation is critical to a successful exterior stain project: •              Repair or replace old or damaged areas. •              Caulk around doors and windows. •              Patch holes in wood with wood filler. •              Use drop cloths to protect plants, sidewalks and decks. •              Remove dirt by washing with soap and water. •              Remove mildew with a commercial mildewcide or use a solution of three quarts water to one quart chlorine bleach. Wet the siding with the bleach solution and allow it to remain on the siding for about half an hour. (If you are not sure whether the stain is dirt or mildew, put a drop of household bleach on the spot. If it lightens in 1-2 minutes, it is mildew.) •              Scrub the surface with a soft brush. •          ... 03/03/2009

If you are truly interested in keeping tabs on your local housing market, there are some key trends I would recommend that you add to your daily observances. By viewing these on a regular basis, you’ll know what is happening before anybody else. See Enlarged Graph And Detailed Explanation 03/03/2009

  Keep on eye on home inventory changes. Monitoring short term trends and long-term trends in inventory growth will signal the change in your market. Continued Here For Larger Graph And Explanation 03/03/2009

In case you have not heard, we published our 3rd Edition of the Tallahassee Real Estate Newsletter. If you are not already on our exclusive subscription list, you can join for free in the form http://www.manausa.com/market-newsletterhome.php. All it takes is a name and an email, and you’ll receive the most analytical report of the Tallahassee real estate market that can be found. I will start today’s blog by saying you will want to bookmark this page immediately. In January of next year, when the 2009 home sales numbers have been posted,  you will be able to come back here in order to seriously mock me or to wonder in amazement at the mathematical marvel that I will have become (through self-proclamation of course). This forecast will astound you by predicting the number of home sales i... 03/02/2009

When calculating the correct amount, remember that stain is different than paint. For estimating purposes plan on approximately one gallon of stain to cover 200 sq. ft. (as opposed to 400 sq. ft. for paint). In addition, rougher surfaces will require more stain than smooth ones. Bare wood needs more than a re-stained surface. Know your surface measurements when you go shopping and read the label for the manufacturer's recommendations.   Lowes.com   03/01/2009

So you’re interested in buying a home in Tallahassee and you start to do your research. If you are like 92% of homebuyers in the United States, you start your search on the internet. You most likely find the best place on the internet to view Tallahassee homes for sale and you start your hunt for the perfect Tallahassee home. After hours of looking at all the pictures of homes for sale in Tallahassee, you come across what appears to be your perfect home. You see a house that is both exciting as well as aggressively priced. In bold headlines it reads: Pre-Approved Short Sale In Tallahassee Wow, too good to be true, right? Read the rest of this entry 03/01/2009

  One key trend to pay attention to in any local real estate market is the movement of the sales success trend. What this measures is the total number of home sold divided by the total of homes listed (put on the market) during the same period of time. Continued Here For Brief Explanation of the Graph 02/28/2009

Keeping a watchful eye on home inventory trends in your local real estate market will allow you to be one-up on your competition, whether you are selling a home, buying a home, or work in the real estate brokerage business. The following real estate graph shows short-term trends and the long-term trend on home inventory in the Tallahassee real estate market. Continue Here For Brief Explanation Of Inventory Graph 02/28/2009

Exterior stains are available in latex- or oil-based formulas. Unlike paint, no primer is needed. However, exterior stains will need to be reapplied more often than paint. There are two types of exterior stain: • Solid color or opaque stains have less pigment than regular paint but more pigment than a transparent stain. These stains allow the wood's texture to show, but not the wood grain. They are the consistency of a thin paint. • Semitransparent or transparent stains are thinner than opaque stains. These penetrating stains are formulated to allow the texture and the grain to show through. Differing degrees of pigmentation from clear to dark allow you to change the color of the wood. These products are close to the consistency of water. Some contain stain as well as a wood preservative. 02/27/2009

Five months in a row we have seen year over year home sales improve in Florida. This is good. This is wonderful. But this has not yet made it uphill to Tallahasseee. Last week we reported in the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog that Tallahassee had just experienced 31 straight months of year-over-year declines in home sales. Tallahassee has always seemed to lag the rest of Florida in the housing market. In 2006, when other markets were reporting incredible drops in home sales, Tallahassee was still holding on to remnants of the boom market. I remember thinking “our market is more stable because of State employment.” Wrong. We just are slower to react to the national market forces that affect home sales. Read the rest of this entry 02/26/2009

Details Photo Gallery View Rooms 32311-Tallahassee (SouthWood) FOR SALE$250,000 Century 21 First Realty Joe Manausa - Tallahassee Real EstateEmail Joe Manausa - Work: 850-386-2001Cell: 850-523-6178Fax: 850-383-6400 More Photos(8) 1 Quick Links Virtual Tour Request More Info Email Listing More Photos(8) Details Address: 3121 Mist Flower Type: Residential Style: Single Story Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,643 square feet Year Built: 2007 More Details Description SHORT SALE! All offers contingent on lien holder's approval of a short sale. The Azalea model by Beazer Homes. 9' ceilings, spacious living areas, and architectual design and details similar to that of custom homes. 2 car detached rear entry garage. Contact LA for special instructions...More Description Brokere... 02/25/2009

Details Photo Gallery View Rooms 32301-Tallahassee (Blairstone Townhouses) MLS #193292 FOR SALE$149,000 Century 21 First Realty Joe Manausa - Tallahassee Real EstateEmail Joe Manausa - Work: 850-386-2001Cell: 850-523-6178Fax: 850-383-6400 More Photos(11) 1 Quick Links Virtual Tour Request More Info Email Listing More Photos(11) Details Address: 2774 Blairstone Ct Type: Residential Style: 3 Story Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Suite: No Living Area: 1,680 square feet Year Built: 1974 More Details Description SHORT SALE!ALL offers pending lien holder's approval of a short sale.Rare opportunity - 3/2.5 TH with double garage directly accross from Hilaman Golf Course. Home has been updated with new laminate wood flooring, new granite in the kitchen, new pedestal sink and hardware - move in ready ... 02/25/2009

  Everybody always wants to know “How is the real estate market?” I think the answers can be found through prudent research and a simple study of the current supply and demand elements in any given market. While real estate is local, you can use the Tallahassee real estate market as a fair microcosm of the national housing market. You can read The Market Bulletin for updates a couple a times a week, where you will find analysis and great visual aids such as the following real estate graph. Please note in the graph that the information represents a “trailing twelve month average” of each category, thus removing the effects of seasonality.   See A Detailed Explanation And Enlarged Graph   02/24/2009

With all the new information floating around the internet about the First-Time Homebuyer Federal Income Tax Credit, I figured a quick summary and a dynamite link to an explanation page was in order. Last week, our new President signed the American Recovery And Reinvestment Act of 2009, which included significant improvements to the temporary First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. At a bare minimum, it raised the maximum credit from $7,500 to $8,000, but there was so much more. Follow This Great Link To Summary Of First-Time Homebuyer Federal Tax Credit 02/24/2009