Make Sure You Know the Facts Before Renting Your Vero Beach Home



There are many great Vero Beach area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (772) 321-6905 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

In today's market, many people are having trouble getting the price they want for their home. This leads them to consider renting their home to earn the money they expected from the home sale. Renting is great for some people, but is a bad idea for others; it just depends on your specific situation. Here are 6 things you should consider before making the decision to rent:
  1. You will need to budget for your fixed expenses. Most importantly, your mortgage payment - which includes principal interest, taxes, and insurance.
  2. You need to take monthly fees into consideration as well. This includes lawn and pool care, as well as homeowners association dues.
  3. Budgeting for vacancy rates is also necessary. For whatever reason, a tenant may not be able to fulfill the agreement and  you need to be sure you can afford to pay for the property without a month or two of rent a year.
  4. Miscellaneous repairs will need to be taken into account as well. You are still responsible for the inevitable day-to-day problems every homeowner is familiar with.
  5. Tenants may damage the home, so you need to be prepared to fix any problems caused by any former tenants.
  6. You need to consider the opportunity costs of foregoing the money you could have received during a home sale. Is there a better investment, with fewer risks, you could make?
Renting is difficult because you really don't have any control over the property. You need to carefully analyze the situation before turning one of your most valuable assets over to a tenant. If you would like more advice on the subject or are interested in buying or selling a home in the Vero Beach area, I would be happy to talk with you.

Keep Your Vero Beach Home Protected While on Vacation this Summer



There are many great Vero Beach area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (772) 321-6905 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

With summer in full swing, many of us are getting away from home and going on vacation with our loved ones. This is a time to relax, so you shouldn't have to worry about the safety of your home while you're away. Here are 7 ways you can feel comfortable while out of town this summer:
  1. Have a friend stop by the house: If you have plants that need watered or pets that need to be fed, having a friend come by can be very helpful. They can also make sure nothing out of the ordinary happens to your home.
  2. Be careful on social media: Don't alert the world about your vacation. There are better ways to communicate your excitement than online. Either wait until you return or find more private ways to talk about your trip, so as to avoid tipping off online criminals.
  3. Make sure you have timers for your lights: It's not wise to leave a few lights on while you are away. There's nothing more suspicious that leaving a light on in the same room for days at a time. Timers can make sure lights are turned on in different rooms at different times to make it look like someone is home.
  4. Stop your mail or have your neighbor get it: There is no better giveaway that no one is home than an overflowing mailbox. Have the post office hold your mail until you return, or have a neighbor grab it for you.
  5. Make sure all appliances are unplugged: This will help to prevent accidental fires or power surges, as well as save you some money on your electric bill.
  6. Turn off the water: This will help prevent leaks, which could cause a lot of damage if you're not there to catch the problem when it starts.
  7. Remove your hideaway key: If a burglar knows you're away, there's no sense in making it any easier to get into your home. There's a lot more time to search for your spare key when no one is home. Either give it to a friend or put it somewhere inside.
Following the above tips will help you rest assured knowing your home is safe while you're away. As always, if you have any real estate needs, give us a call or shoot us an email. And, of course, have a happy and safe vacation!

How to know if your property has been on the market for too long



There are many great Vero Beach area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (772) 321-6905 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We all know that when your home sits on the market in Indian River County for too long, a couple of things happen. For one, buyers get skeptical of the property, wondering why it hasn't sold and why nobody is buying it. The second thing that happens is that those buyers that like the home and feel that it's a good fit will offer less on the property than they would have if it was initially priced more competitively to other homes in Indian River County. Here are three things we do for our clients when they realize that they need to make a price adjustment to their home.

1. We call all the agents who have previously shown the home
We do this to make sure that all the agents who have shown the home are aware that the price has changed so that they can let their buyers know.

2. We send out e-mail blasts to agents
Sending a mass email out to all the agents in the marketplace who could potentially have a buyer ensures that even if they have not payed attention to the property as of now, they are aware that the price on the home has changed.

3. We send out an e-mail blasts to buyers
We also send a mass email out to all the buyers who have already seen the home in person or saved it as a search on various different online real estate databases so those who were interested in your home previously are in the loop as well.

While you may think that making a price change doesn't matter much, the truth is it has a huge impact on the sale of your home. You can tell if your home is overpriced simply by whether or not you have been receiving offers and having a steady stream of showings. Those are very indicative as to whether you are competitive and where you need to be in the market today.

If you have any questions about what's going on in the Indian River County market or if you are thinking of selling your home, please give us a call or visit us on our brand new website, kellysoldmyhome.com.

Happy Independence Day!



There are many great Vero Beach area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation
so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (772) 321-6905 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The second half of the year has begun! We want to wish you a happy Independence Day and let you know that despite our great success this year, we're not resting on our laurels. Vero Beach and Sebastian are on fire right now, making it crucial for you to get in on the action. If you're looking to invest, divest, move, or move in, now is the time!

This is also the time to really step back and appreciate the wealth, health, and opportunity we've been blessed with in this country. Give us call, we're excited to help you buy and sell real estate on the treasure coast. Have a happy and safe Independence Day!