Ann Mealey Realtor

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https://www.facebook.com/PortSalernoSeafoodFestival/

Port Salerno Seafood Festival The Port Salerno Seafood Festival was an incredible event spanning 14 wonderful years. The Port St Lucie Seafood Festival picks up were Salerno left off and continues with many of the same qualities & traditions. Good Food, Good Music and Good Friends!

5 Tips for Buying A Home.

5 Tips for Buying a Home - Ann Mealey, Realtor® Looking to buy a home? Here are five essential tips for making the process as smooth as possible.Get your finances in order.Start by getting a full...

Martin County Ship Program (first time home buyers)

The Martin County State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program is designed to provide Down Payment and Closing Cost for first-time buyers or to persons who have not owned a home within the last three (3) years. . Purchase of MOBILE HOMES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. Home values cannot exceed $298,193. It is important to note that this program is a voluntary program and funding is limited and subject to availability on a first-come first served basis. Please follow the instruction on page 2 and drop off your completed application and copies of the require items listed above at the Martin County Health & Human Services, Attn: Housing, 435 SE Flagler Ave, Stuart, FL 34994. Incomplete applications will not be processed until all required documents are received. Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive a confirmation letter with further instructions. If you have any questions, please call the Housing Help Line at 772-221-1362. You will receive a call back within 48 hours.
Thank you, Anita Cocoves, Ph.D.,
CAP Health & Human Service Manager
Download Applicationhttps://www.martin.fl.us/sites/default/files/meta_page_files/cdd-hou-_ship_downpayment_5-26-16_.pdf

This family home in your neighborhood recently sold 380,000 in 21 days.

No Second Chances:
Our 7-Step Plan to Making a Dazzling
First Impression on Buyers
By Wendy Helfenbaum | Dec 6, 2017

1. 'Break up' with your house
If you want to sell your property, you’ll need to distance yourself from it first, says Ronique Gibson, an associate architect and lifestyle expert at Stagetecture.com in Jacksonville, FL. Cut the cord!

“Once you put your home on the market, it’s time to let a professional come in and market it,” Gibson says. “If you stay emotionally attached, the process will be harder and longer.”

2. Focus on curb appeal
You wouldn't wear soiled sweatpants on a first date—you'd go out of your way to look presentable. So why would you approach the process of selling your home any differently?

Your home's first impression starts with the exterior, so take a good look at what you're presenting to the world: What’s the first thing you notice? If it’s peeling paint, dirty windows, and dead plants, you have work to do, says Michael Rosenblum, a broker with Koenig Rubloff Realty Group, a division of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Chicago.

“Ask yourself: 'If I was buying this home now, what would my expectations be?'" he says.

Remove debris such as fallen tree limbs and leaves. Keep grass and shrubs trimmed, freshen up the mulch in your flowerbeds, and clear away lawn clutter such as yard ornaments, garden tools, and that circa 2007 Big Wheel.

“Putting out some flowers in front of the house or by the front door always makes people smile; it creates the warmth before they even get inside,” says Rosenblum.

Invest in a new doormat, and consider replacing old address numbers and your mailbox if it’s worn or rusty. Patch cracks in the driveway and, while you're at, give the front door a fresh coat of paint.

3. Ditch as much of your stuff as possible
So now that you've addressed the outside, you have to work on your home's inner beauty. Decluttering is your first priority. So start clearing out the junk and depersonalizing the space—toss or hide mementos, kids’ drawings, and most knickknacks.

“If the seller has all their personal photos out, then the buyer usually gets distracted," Rosenblum says.

The main goal is for potential buyers to envision themselves in your home, and they can’t do that if your crap is everywhere they look. “All signs of you should be gone," Gibson says.

That said, take care to find a balance; you don't want the home to feel sterile—and you'll want to make sure that none of your rooms are completely empty, a tactic that tends to make a space actually look smaller.

4. Fix the broken stuff—all of it
This should be obvious, but perhaps even you've forgotten about that faulty light switch in the upstairs hallway. The thing is, buyers will notice it almost immediately.

So here's a mini to-do list to tackle those minor issues fast:

Check for leaks throughout the house. A drip may not seem important, but it suggests lousy maintenance elsewhere.
Check and repair loose door handles and cabinet hinges.
Caulk around tubs and sinks.
Replace lightbulbs that don't work. Yes, every single one.
Bottom line: Meet and exceed a buyer’s expectations by paying extra attention to the fine details.

5. Plan a small makeover that packs a punch
You might not want (or be able) to do major renovations before putting your property on the market. But if you focus your attention on the kitchen, bathrooms, and flooring, you can boost a tired home’s overall appearance without completely busting your budget.

“Homeowners can easily change out countertops and appliances, or paint cabinetry,” Rosenblum says. You may want to restain the floors or repaint the walls.

Keeping your carpets? Make sure to splurge on getting them professionally cleaned, especially in high-traffic areas—it'll immediately brighten a room.

6. Appeal to all the senses
Once your home is clean and decluttered, think about how you can engage potential buyers through other senses, Gibson suggests.

“Play soft music during showings, or have a nice water feature outside if you live in a noisy neighborhood,” she says. “Soft throws and textured fabrics will warm up a space. Brewing fresh coffee and baking cookies makes your house smell great.”

Remember not to clean your house the day of a showing; harsh chemicals can be overpowering, and may turn off potential buyers.

7. Keep up appearances—indefinitely
Unless you're in a red-hot market, your home might not sell immediately after it’s listed. Remember that every week, you might have potential buyers traipsing through—sometimes without much notice from your agent.

That means keeping up all these changes you’ve implemented—and not dragging out the massive toy bins, dog beds, and other daily life items you actually use.

While it might not be easy keeping your house in tiptop shape for days on end, try to remember that the effort you put in now will pay off later—when that one buyer is so wowed by her first impression that she makes an offer you won’t want to refuse.

Wendy Helfenbaum is a journalist and TV producer who covers real estate, architecture and design, DIY, gardening, and travel. Her work has appeared in Woman's Day, Metropolis, Costco Connection, Garden Collage, Parenting, Canadian Living, Canadian Gardening, and more. Follow .com

MIAMI (CNN Money) — Some homeowners — particularly those with high property taxes — are spending this last week of 2017 in lines at county offices looking to pre-pay 2018’s tax bill before the end of the year.

That’s because the new tax bill that passed last week puts a cap on the amount you can deduct for state, local and property taxes at $10,000. Currently the deduction is unlimited. In some high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and Maryland, that means some homeowners will be paying a lot more in taxes.

The three counties with the highest median tax bills in the country — Nassau County, Rockland County and Westchester County, which are all in New York — have median tax bills exceeding the $10,000 cap, according to the Tax Foundation.

While some jurisdictions have long allowed for pre-payment, others are scrambling, working to ensure that those who want to pre-pay can — even if the jurisdiction can’t necessarily guarantee the pre-payment will be deductible.

Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, did not previously allow for pre-payment. That rubbed some homeowners the wrong way after the tax bill was signed into law. Especially when their neighbors in nearby counties and jurisdictions, including Fairfax county in Virginia and Washington DC, could pay ahead.

“It just never came up,” said George Leventhal, Montgomery County council member. “No one was saying, ‘Please let me make early payment of a bill I don’t owe.’ Wise cash management suggests you should pay closer to the due date, not farther away. But because of this change, it seems it could be possible that people could derive some benefit and deduct their property taxes for next year in 2017.”

The county broke its winter recess and called a special session on Tuesday, the day after Christmas, passing a bill 7 to 1 in favor of allowing residents to pre-pay their 2018 tax bills.

Are you trying to pre-pay your taxes? Tell CNNMoney how it’s going

Leventhal was among the majority voting for it. But says he is still ambivalent about its effect for homeowners.

“There are so many moving pieces that even now that it has passed, we’re not in a position to assure our residents that these payments are going to be deductible,” said Leventhal. Ultimately it will be up to the Internal Revenue Service to make that determination.

But the county felt a need to respond to a demand to pre-pay. Leventhal says that nearly half of the county’s taxpayers will have more than $10,000 in combined state and local taxes.

Still, that’s a lot of cash to have ready at a moment’s notice to throw at taxes, without any assurance of getting the deduction. But some homeowners have determined the risk is worth it.

34 things you need to know about the incoming tax law

How to pre-pay your taxes

To pre-pay your own taxes within the next few days, you will need to check with your local jurisdiction to find out if it even allows for pre-payment and to learn more about the process.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

If you pre-pay you’re not guaranteed you’ll be able to deduct the payment. It will be up to the Internal Revenue Service to determine whether pre-payment of 2018 property taxes may be deducted for federal, state or local income tax purposes.

If you are currently getting your taxes escrowed, you’ll need to work with your escrow agency or mortgage company on any future adjustments to your escrow account. Usually escrowed taxes are a matter for the taxpayer and the taxpayers’ escrow agency to resolve.

Many jurisdictions may have either a pre-payment application or a requirement that a notice of intent to pay early accompanies payment.

Some areas will allow online payments. Anyone paying by check after today may have a difficult time since often the check must clear by the end of the year.

In some areas, homeowners are encouraged to avoid mailing payments, since they have to be received and recorded by the end of the year. Yet, other jurisdictions allow mailed payment to count so long as it is postmarked by Dec. 31.

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