Category Archives: Slideshow Releases

Moving with Kids? Realtors® Can Help

ORLANDO, Fla. – Most people can relate to the complications and complexities involved with moving. Whether you’re relocating to a recently purchased apartment or a starter home, resettling takes time, effort and planning.

What’s Best in a Home? Depends on the Generation

ORLANDO, Fla. – Homebuyers are demanding more home features that help them save energy and keep the home organized, according to a recent study released by the National Association of Home Builders, “Housing Preferences of the Boomer Generation: How They Compare to Other Homebuyers.”

Florida Realtors^®: Tips for Home Sellers

ORLANDO, Fla. – Potential homebuyers are guests when they tour a home for sale, so what etiquette rules should home sellers follow? No matter how nice the home is, a seller’s behavior can also affect how buyers feel about making an offer.

Florida Realtors^®: Florida’s Climate Inspires Relocations

ORLANDO, Fla. – No surprise here: Florida is one of the top states for Americans looking to relocate, so says a recent Harris Poll survey of 2,200 adults in the U.S. Joining the Sunshine State in the top five are California, Hawaii, Colorado and New York.

Florida Realtors^®: Seniors Face Homeownership Challenges

ORLANDO, Fla. – Due to today’s economic realities – including the recent Great Recession – along with the usual health challenges, many of today’s mature adult homeowners may face financial and housing-related challenges as they reach retirement.

Why Buy? People Want A Place to Call Home

ORLANDO, Fla. – For more than half of Americans, the main reason to buy a home is simply because they want a place to call their own, according to the “Homebuyer Insight Report” recently released by Bank of America (BofA).

Florida Realtors^®: Why Do Homeowners Move?

ORLANDO, Fla. – Every living situation has something that bothers the homeowner, and those issues often prompt them to look for a new place to call home. A recent survey from mortgage data research firm HSH.com polled more than 1,000 Americans on what upset them about their homes, their neighbors and their neighborhood. Op4G conducted the survey.

Florida Realtors®: Get the Most Bang for Your Remodeling Buck

ORLANDO, Fla. – What do potential buyers notice first when they visit a home? The exterior, which makes a home’s curb appeal crucial, according to the 2014 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report from the National Association of Realtors^® (NAR). Exterior projects were among the most valuable home improvement projects cited.

“Deciding what remodeling projects to undertake can be difficult for homeowners because there are so many things to consider, including costs and time involved in the project,” says 2014 Florida Realtors^® President Sherri Meadows, CEO and team leader, Keller Williams, with market centers in Gainesville, Ocala and The Villages. “Realtors know what home features are important to buyers in their area, but a home’s curb appeal is always important since it’s the first impression for buyers.”

Exterior replacement projects offer the greatest bang for the buck, the report found. Projects such as entry door, siding and window replacements can recoup homeowners more than 78 percent of costs upon resale. In fact, eight of the top 10 most cost-effective projects nationally, in terms of value recouped, are exterior projects.

A steel entry door replacement is expected to return the most money, with about 96.6 percent of costs recouped upon resale, according to the report’s findings. The steel entry door replacement is consistently the least expensive project in the annual Cost vs. Value Report, costing little more than $1,100 on average.

A wood deck addition came in second with about 87.4 percent of costs recouped upon resale. Two different siding replacement projects also landed in the top 10, including fiber-cement siding, expected to return 87 percent of costs, and vinyl siding, expected to return 78.2 percent of costs.

Two garage door replacements were also in the top 10; a midrange garage door replacement is expected to return 83.7 percent while an upscale garage door replacement follows closely at 82.9 percent of costs recouped. Rounding out the top exterior remodeling projects were two window replacements: A wood window replacement is estimated to recoup 79.3 percent of costs and a vinyl window replacement is estimated to recoup 78.7 percent of costs.

Turning to the inside of the house, two interior remodeling projects in particular can recoup substantial value at resale, according to the report.

An attic bedroom is ranked fourth and is expected to return 84.3 percent of costs; nationally, the average cost for the project is just above $49,000. The second interior remodeling project in the top 10 is the minor kitchen remodel. The project landed at No. 7 and is estimated to recoup 82.7 percent of costs. Nationally, the average cost for the project is just under $19,000. The improvement project likely to return the least is the home office remodel, estimated to recoup 48.9 percent.

For the second year in a row, Cost vs. Value data shows that the value of remodeling is up for all 35 projects included in the survey. To read the full project descriptions and access national and regional project data, visit www.costvsvalue.com.

Florida Realtors^®: All the Home’s a Stage

ORLANDO, Fla. – Setting the stage for a sale may offer a number of benefits to home sellers, from boosting the interest of buyers who tour the property to increasing the final selling price, according to the National Association of Realtors^® (NAR) 2015 Profile of Home Staging.

Small Exterior Upgrades Offer Best Bang for Remodeling Buck

ORLANDO, Fla. – Homeowners often consider remodeling projects as a way to add value to their homes, but some projects add more value and a better return on investment than others, according to the 2015 Cost vs. Value Report, compiled by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and Hanley Wood’s Remodeling Magazine.