Thursday, January 27, 2011

American Attitudes About Home Ownership

According to a NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® survey of 3,793 adults conducted by Harris Interactive and released in January 2011, home owners and renters agree that home ownership benefits individuals and families, strengthens our communities, and is integral to our nation’s economy.

Here you’ll find highlights from the research report plus easy ways to share the information.

Among the findings of NAR’s “American Attitudes About Homeownership” survey:

  • The vast majority of both home owners and renters say that owning a home is a smart decision over the long term. Even in today’s challenging economy, 95% of owners and 72% of renters believe that over a period of several years, it makes more sense to own a home.
  • Home owners are much more likely to be satisfied with the quality of their family and community life than renters. While more than half of owners (56%) are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with the overall quality of their family life, only about one-third (36%) of renters report the same levels of satisfaction. Also, 43% of home owners are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with their community life, compared with 30% of renters.
  • An overwhelming majority of home owners are happy with their decision to own a home. A full 93% of owners surveyed would buy again.
  • Most renters aspire to home ownership. The majority of renters (63%) say they are at least somewhat likely to purchase a home at some point in the future. Among them, young adults (18- to 24-years-old) have the strongest aspirations for home ownership.

The survey also confirmed that home owners and renters continue to have concerns about the economy:

  • In today’s market, many aspiring home owners face worries about job security and credit worthiness. Among renters who are “very” or “extremely” likely to buy a home in the future, three out of five consider confidence in job security or creditworthiness to be an obstacle.
  • Home owners and renters both believe that the mortgage interest deduction should not be targeted for change. 74% of owners and 62% of renters say it’s “extremely” or “very” important that the MID remain in place.

Given the strong public support of and aspirations for owning a home, we need to keep in place policies that support and encourage responsible, sustainable home ownership.

Resources You Can Use:
REALTORS® may share the data above with their clients and communities. For additional information, check out these resources:

Download a full summary of the survey results > (PDF: 112 KB)

View survey charts and graphs > (PDF: 860 KB)

News Release: Owners, Renters Agree—Owning a Home is a Smart Decision >

Tools for Working With the Media:
Share these ready-to-use story ideas and articles with local media and tell the story of home ownership in your community.

Home Ownership: The Right Move, from the January 2011 Home Delivery newsletter

Survey Shows Owners and Renters Agree Home Ownership Matters, Real Estate Facts, February 2011

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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Carol Barron-Cross, Palm City real estate agent in Florida - Sunflower Homes And Equestrian Llc - Reviews and Ratings

Carol was lucky to have parents that thought education and work experience was essential for success. She had the opportunity to work in one of Alabama's largest food corporations and later started her own Residential and Commercial Design business in Alabama. After several successful years, Carol's love for the tropics brought her to Florida. Carol's interest was always in business and has continued working. She designed and developed her own equestrian breeding farm in Palm City, Fl and has included equestrian properties into her real estate agenda. Carol understands equestrian living and feels that she can serve her clients with her knowledge.

After working several years in real estate, Carol's interest in real estate law and its principles encouraged her to continue her education and acquire her broker's license in the beautiful state of Tennessee and in Florida. After working long hours and calculating her achievements, Carol formed her own real estate brokerage company in Palm City, Florida, Sunflower Homes and Equestrian LLC. Carol's technology, marketing, and negotiating skills plus years of business experience is an extra for her clients,

Carol's work is not just limited to equestrian properties but residential homes. Homes with waterfront, homes in beautiful gated communities, homes with acreage, land, lots for new homes and farms.

"As a child growing up, I always loved "Town and Country" magazine. I loved the lifestyle concept and had a great desire to live that lifestyle". Carol's complete dedication to her real estate profession is intense. She believes in the real estate code of ethics and honesty as her best working tools.

" Success comes with a lot of smart work and desire. I have not ever known anything to be an automatic. It comes from hard work and dedication."

"Palm City is my dream. I have that Town and Country lifestyle that I wanted so much years ago. The old saying that "HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS" is very true for me. I love this place called PALM CITY.

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Palm City Equestrian Properties: SHOWING HOUSE TO BUYER...HOUSE ODOR LINGERS

SHOWING HOUSE TO BUYER...HOUSE ODOR LINGERS

SHOWING YOUR HOME TAKES TIME. MAKE A NOTE OF THIS HELPFUL SOLUTIONS.The windows are closed and then there’s a stench you just can’t get rid of. It’s difficult to air out your home sometime, even in Florida at different times. And what’s worse, your a/c unit or heatting unit can cause all sorts of new unpleasant odors, too. To keep your abode smelling fresh and clean until spring, here is handy note to pinpoint your stink and stop it in its tracks.

HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO SHOW MY HOUSE TO A BUYER TOMORROW AND MY HOUSE SMELLS!! PANIC.........
Smell: Lingering food odors

Culprit: Fried food, burnt food, spicy food, fish



Solution: Your cooking might smell delightful the day of your feast, but lingering food odors are less welcome. Without the benefit of open windows, the next best thing for de-funking your kitchen is boiling a few tablespoons of vinegar in water. That should work on even the worst leftover culinary stenches. Or if you want to avoid the problem altogether, just order takeout next time.


Smell: Smoky

Culprit: Drafty chimney
Solution: The cozy, inviting smell of a roaring fire in a fireplace is a winter luxury. But the dirty soot smell you get when the fire’s out? That’s downright rotten. The cause is likely a combination of a drafty chimney and an imbalance of air pressure in your home. To avoid the smell, stop the draft by making sure your damper has a tight seal, and try to adjust the air pressure by adding more return air registers to your HVAC. Not only will you get rid of the odor, you might just save on your energy bill.



Smell: Skunky, rotten

Culprit: Dead animal



Solution: You enjoy a warm escape from the winter chill, and unfortunately, so do rodents and other pests. If you smell a pungent rotting scent, a little stowaway might have died in your house. It’s best to avoid this situation in the first place by making sure all areas accessible to rodents are sealed and using humane pest control methods or traps (rather than poison). If you already have the smell and can’t get to the source, your best bet is to use an air cleaner with an absorbent filter or mask the smell with air freshener.



Smell: Must, mold...ATTENTION COASTAL SELLERS....MOLD..UGH

Culprit: Moisture



Solution: As long as your house doesn’t have any serious leaks, a moldy smell can usually be chalked up to excess moisture caused by too much humidity in the air. This excess dampness can be caused by moisture-creating appliances like clothes dryers as well as long showers in unventilated bathrooms and inadequate insulation of cold surfaces, such as cold water pipes. To solve the problem without opening windows, a dehumidifier should do the trick. If it doesn’t, call a professional for help as mold can cause serious health problems.



Smell: Sewage

Culprit: Bathroom



Solution: Bathroom odors can magnify in the winter, especially if the bathroom is unventilated. If the smell seems to be emanating from the toilet, a cup of full-strength vinegar in the tank can work wonders. Just wait five minutes, scrub, and flush. For extra bleaching power, get a green clean by pouring hydrogen peroxide in the bowl.



Smell: Dusty burning

Culprit: Heating system



Solution: When you turned your heat on, you may have noticed a mysterious burning smell. That’s because dirt and dust had accumulated in your furnace, HVAC, or ducts that then became red hot. To avoid the stench next year, turn your heat on briefly while it’s warm enough to open the windows for ventilation.



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Sunday, January 9, 2011

WHAT ABOUT PALM CITY, FLORIDA....SHOULD I CONSIDER RELOCATING THERE?

  • By Carol Barron-Cross · about a minute ago

    Facts About Palm City Real Estate

    So how does the Palm City FL real estate market look these days? Currently Palm City has a average listing price for homes for sale of $491,449. The Martin county average currently is $564,531.

     

    The current number of properties on the market in Palm City is 616. The Palm City median listing price is $366,125.

     

    For Mar...

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    • By Carol Barron-Cross · Saturday, November 27, 2010

       Ft. Pierce, In the Grove, Florida.I really appreciate the designs and personal attention that is given to some of the homes that I lists to sell.   This is what I love so much about real estate. I get to see how so many homes have different personsalities....just like people.  Today I just listed a red house.  It looks so crisp and happy in its Ol...

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