According to research done by Scentiments, 80% of Americans use home fragrances.  The choices can be overwhelming, and visitors and family members can be allergic to mass-produced products, as they likely contain chemical compounds.  Many people, however, have what they need for their home fragrances right in their pantries or available on grocery shelves! 

Fragrance Combinations 

• orange or lemon peels and whole or ground cloves 
• fresh rosemary stems and leaves, lemon peel, and a few drops of vanilla extract 

• lemon or lime peel and basil leaves, fresh or dry 
• sliced cucumber (or just the peel), basil leaves and a teaspoon of ground ginger 
• dried lavender, lemon peel and peppermint oil 
• grapefruit peel and lavender blossoms or rosemary stems with leaves 

— Mix one of the above combinations with a few cups of water, and simmer on your stove. Be sure to add more water as it evaporates, and the fragrance usually lasts about sixteen hours of simmer time.  If you have any scent left in the mixture but won’t be home to enjoy it, let the mixture cool, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a few days. The mixture can also be used in a small electric simmering pot. 

— All you need is a spray bottle, distilled water, and one of the Fragrance Combinations, and you’ve got custom room spray!  Add your favorite ingredients to the bottle, fill with distilled water, and allow to sit for a few hours.  Keeping the spray refrigerated will keep it fresh for a week.  If you want to keep it longer, a few drops of rubbing alcohol or witch hazel astringent will help with preserving it. 

— Utilizing dried citrus/fruit peels and herbs, you can make simple sachets to place around your home and in dresser drawers.  Lay a square fabric scrap flat, wrong side up, and place a few spoonfuls of your dried scent combo in the center.  Bring the corners together, twist, and tie with a ribbon, jute twine or twist tie. 

— Air freshener beads can be made with polymer absorbent crystals normally used for potting soil!  Mixing the same ingredients as the room spray, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to keep the mixture from spoiling.  In a bowl, mix one teaspoon of the crystals and one cup of your scented water. For a stronger scent, add a few drops of essential oil or extracts leftover from baking.  Once the polymer has absorbed all of the water, divide them into two pint-sized jars.  Use a scrap of lace to cover the top, and add the screw lid.  

— Because essential oils are another natural alternative, here is an easy DIY reed diffuser idea.  All you need is your favorite essential oil, a glass bottle and bamboo skewers! 

Remember that these natural scents will not be as strong as commercially-produced fragrances.  The good thing about using what comes from nature can be used more frequently without the worry of using added chemicals in your home.  It will take a bit of getting used to, but a naturally sweet-smelling home will be a reward in many ways. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: hellofresh

State of the Market
“The housing market typically experiences a slowdown during the holiday season, and with high interest rates and economic uncertainty, this season’s slowdown may be especially significant,” said Tansey Soderstrom, Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association President. “While there is a lot of uncertainty with where the housing market is headed, buyers in the Orlando area have twice as many homes to consider than they did a year ago, and for sellers, home values and prices continue to remain steady.”

– The median home price for November was recorded at $360,000, down from $365,000 in October.

– Overall sales fell from October to November. There were 1,996 sales in November – down 26.5% from 2,716 sales in October. This is the lowest number of monthly home sales in nearly four years, dating back to January 2019. Overall sales in November 2022 were 45.5% lower than November 2021 when there were 3,664 sales.

– Orlando area inventory slightly increased by 1.0% from October to November from 7,128 homes to 7,197 homes. Inventory in November 2022 was 136.3% higher than in November 2021, when it was recorded at 3,046 homes.

– Interest rates decreased from 7.0% in October to 6.6% in November. This is 122.9% higher than November 2021 when interest rates were 3.0%.

– 9 distressed homes (bank-owned properties and short sales) accounted for 0.5% of all home sales in November. That represents a 55.0% decrease from October, when 20 distressed homes sold.

– New listings decreased by 14.6% from October to November, with 2,597 new homes on the market in November.

ORRA’s full State of the Market Report for September can be found here.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

By: www.orlandorealtors.org

If you’re celebrating the holidays away from home, you may be wrestling with how to get gifts to your loved ones. With careful planning and packing, however, you can get your gifts safely to their destination. Read up on our favorite tips for flying with gifts.

Flying with Wrapped Gifts

Wrapped gifts are allowed in both carry-ons and checked luggage. However, airport security may need to open gifts as part of their inspections, but it is rare. To decrease the likelihood of your gifts being unwrapped, pack them in your checked luggage rather than your carry-on.

Flying with Edible Gifts

Be sure to factor where your baggage is stored during flight, especially edible gifts as they may be prone to spoiling or melting. Bag and cushion perishable gifts with clothing to avoid a mess in your suitcase. Keep in mind, any liquids or sauces that exceed 3.4 oz. will need to go into your checked luggage.

Flying with Valuable or Irreplaceable Gifts

Carry valuables onto the plane in a small carry-on bag and place it beneath the seat in front of you. The only way to ensure your items are not damaged, stolen, or lost is to carry them yourself. An alternative is to ship valuables via a shipping service that includes insurance and tracking.

Flying Home with Gifts You Receive

Pack a sturdy duffel bag to use as an additional piece of luggage on your return flight. Use it for clothing, laundry, shoes, non-breakable items, and transport fragile gifts home in the more protective suitcase.

By using these tips as a guideline, you can better organize and prepare for your trip.

By: Surge365

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

For many people, this is the time of year for dressing up their home and yard in lights galore! The planning and prepping are exciting and fun but keep safety in mind. Following these tips will have your outdoor decor safely sharing holiday cheer! 

• Outdoor decor requires lights and extension cords that are manufactured for outdoor use. Look for this information on the packaging or tag at the end of the cord. Heavy-duty extension cord plugs should have a three-prong ground plug. 
• Do not use lights that have stayed out since last year! Non-commercial light strands are only safely exposed to the elements for 90 days. Any longer, and deterioration of the insulation will begin. 
• Outdoor receptacles should be ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets which will shut off power in case of electrical overload. If your home does not have enough outdoor outlets, purchase a portable outdoor GFCI plug. Safety outweighs any extra cost. 
• As you unpack the decorations, inspect older lights for frayed wires, nicks, or cuts along the outer cord, as well as broken bulbs. Broken bulbs can be replaced but toss the strands with damaged cords in the garbage. 

• Use clips or hangers that are UL-approved–never nail, tack, or staple lights to any fixture. 
• Before adding lights to tree branches or tall fixtures, make certain no power lines run through the branches, and keep all lighting at least ten feet from power lines. 
• Only connect strands with the same number of bulbs–in other words, do not connect a 100-strand with two 25-strands.  
• Avoid using a metal ladder if you are having to get up high with your lights–use wooden or fiberglass instead. If metal is your only choice, do not plug the lights in until installation is complete. 
• LED light strands should never be connected to incandescent lights. Now may be the time to think about using all LED lights. The start-up cost will be higher, but it will save money on your power bill as well as in replacement costs–LEDs can last up to twenty years! 

Know your home’s electrical limits and use common sense and care while decorating. No one wants the friendly neighborhood competition to turn into a disaster or experience a classic Clark Griswold power outage at home. Keep your holidays merry, bright, and safe! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: onekindesign.com

Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Snapshot for October-2022

State of the Market

• October’s interest rate was recorded at 7%, a 10% increase from September when the interest rate was 6.3%. The last time interest rates were this high was May 2002.
• That 7% interest rate in October 2022 was 131% higher compared to October 2021 when the interest rate was recorded at just 3%.
• Inventory rose 3.5% from September to October, from 6,884 to 7,128. This is the eighth straight month of inventory increases.
• Inventory in October 2022 was 109.3% higher compared to October 2021, when it was recorded at 3,406 homes.
• Homes spent an average of 38 days on the market in October, up from 31 days in September.
• New listings decreased by 8.3% from September to October, with 3,041 new homes on the market in October.
• Overall sales in October held steady from September. There were 2,716 sales in October – down one sale from September.
• The median home price for October was recorded at $365,000, the same median home price recorded in September. This comes after three consecutive months of decreasing median home prices.
• “We have the perfect storm of economic uncertainty in the U.S. accompanied by the highest interest rates Orlando has seen in more than 20 years,” said Tansey Soderstrom, Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association President. “Rapidly rising interest rates are having a huge impact on buying power. Home Prices and sales are flat from September to October, but rising rates are causing buyers to look at different price points in order to find a monthly mortgage payment that they are comfortable with.”

Market Snapshot

• Interest rates increased as the average interest rate for October was recorded at 7%. This is 131% higher than October 2021 when interest rates were 3%.
• Pending sales decreased by 24% from September to October for a total of 2,915 pending sales.
• 20 distressed homes (bank-owned properties and short sales) accounted for 0.7% of all home sales in October. That represents a 66.7% increase from September, when 12 distressed homes sold.

Inventory

• Orlando area inventory increased by 3.5% from September to October from 6,884 homes to 7,128 homes. Inventory in October 2022 was 109.3% higher than in October 2021, when it was recorded at 3,406 homes.
• The supply of homes increased to 2.62 months in October. This is the third month since June 2020 with over two months of supply. A balanced market is six months of supply.

• The number of new listings decreased from September to October by 8.3% down to 3,041 homes.

ORRA’s full State of the Market Report for September can be found here.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

By: www.orlandorealtors.org

Simplify Your Thanksgiving Travels!

This Thanksgiving, AAA expects 53.4 million Americans to hit the road, the highest single-year increase since 2005. Here are expert tips and tricks for making one of the busiest travel holidays of the year easier than ever. You can thank us later!

Be Mindful and Thoughtful

Can holiday travel feel stressful? Does it help to take out your frustration on fellow passengers and travelers? It doesn’t have to be this way. Frame your journey as an exciting adventure. Everyone traveling has a similar goal to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones. Practice slowing your breathing if long lines or traffic are causing you stress.

Travel Light

Everyone flying will be packing carry-ons to accommodate their journey. Overhead compartments will fill up quickly. Try to pack everything into a backpack that will fit under the seat in front of you. If you have gifts or bulky items, consider shipping them to your final destination ahead of time.

Travel at Odd Times

The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, closely followed by the Sunday after the big day. Fly to your destination a few days early and fly back on Friday when the masses are out shopping the best deals of the year. Drive through the night to avoid traffic.

Stay Connected

Smartphone users can take advantage of apps that provide updates on airline statuses, road traffic, weather, and current news. Social media is a great resource to be the first place to hear about anything that might go wrong with your flight. Airlines can also be more responsive to public pleas of assistance on social media.

By using these tips as a guideline, you can better organize and prepare for your trip.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

By: Surge365

Home projects and family go together! While there will be tools and situations where children should be closely supervised, there are plenty of activities that can include the entire family!  

• If you have a room that needs painting, have the children paint the sample swatches on the walls. These areas do not have to be perfect, but this small job is the perfect way for them to learn beginner painting techniques. 
• Furniture kits are a great way to have children learn about using tools and following step-by-step plans. Reading is not always required as there are many instructions that feature symbols, numbers, and diagrams that children can easily follow. 
• Installing wall-hanging hardware or window treatments are excellent ways to teach school-age kids about using a level or measuring tape. 

• Children and gardening go together naturally! Not only can they assist with planting projects, but building raised beds or trellises as well, and even preschoolers can be handy with a rake or help with weeding. 
• Teach children that some repairs do not require a service call. Replace faucets, door knobs, or cabinetry pulls yourself, and let them in on the action when smaller tools are involved. They will not only learn valuable skills, but they will also learn about saving money! 
• Creating outdoor spaces for the kids such as a pallet playhouse, a swing set kit, or simple soccer/street hockey goal will give them a sense of accomplishment if they help! 

Get your family excited about helping, have patience, and keep them safe while you are working. You will find that while you are spending time with them, those DIY jobs will start them on a journey of learning how to take care of their future home as a handy homeowner! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: Bless’er House

One welcome comeback in home decor is the use of houseplants! Indoor plants bring so much to our homes, and one does not have to have a lot of gardening knowledge to grow beautiful plants. Here are just a few plants that will give even the brownest thumb success! 

• Succulents are at the top of the easy indoor plant list. No wonder–they need just a little bit of attention, take up very little space, and most only need indirect light. 
• The spider plant is as lovely in a pot stand as it is hanging from a ceiling hook. Available in green or variegated leaf color, these plants offer a bonus: easily-rooted baby plants to share or keep for yourself! 
• A proven air purifier, the ZZ plant is great for homes with low light. These plants will thrive in even the darkest corner of a room, but keep in mind that they need to be out of the reach of pets and is not for human consumption, either. 

• For a bit of color, grow a variety of bromeliad. Other than needing to be misted often and keeping their natural “cups” filled with fresh water, these tropical beauties will reward you with splashes of color. 
• The name “air plant” is synonymous with “easy to grow!”  These plants do not need soil, can be placed in virtually anything, and need only indirect sunlight and weekly misting or soaking. 
• Lavender as an easy indoor plant? Absolutely! As long as there is bright light and occasional watering, the room will be filled with its comforting scent. 
• A hanging basket of philodendron is a common sight, but this plant is easily grown in water! Choose an opaque container, keep the water fresh and chlorine-free, adding water-soluble fertilizer occasionally, and this trailing plant will thrive! 
• If you want blooms, the tried and true African violet is the plant to grow indoors! This dainty plant simply asks to be placed in bright light and its soil kept moist. Many hybrids are available in several colors to brighten any space.

There are many proven benefits to growing plants indoors, so why not try one or several easy-to-grow plants shared by Guide to Houseplants? Your health, home, and happiness will get a much-deserved boost, and it could be the start of a rewarding hobby! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Photo credit: Gardens Nursery

Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Snapshot for September-2022

New Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association data shows interest rates surge as home sales see biggest drop since January 2022

State of the Market

• September’s interest rate was recorded at 6.3%, a 19.5% increase from August when the interest rate was 5.3%.
• Overall sales in September dropped by 18.3% for a total of 2,717 sales compared to 3,324 sales in August.
• Overall sales dropped 28.3% in September 2022 compared to September of last year.
• The median home price for September 2022 was recorded at $365,000, a decrease of 3.4% compared to August’s median home price, $377,750. This is the third month in a row that the median home price has fallen.
• Inventory rose 1.8% in September, from 6,762 to 6,884. This is the fifth straight month of inventory increases.
• Homes spent an average of 31 days on the market in September, jumping 14.8% from August when the average was 27 days.
• New listings decreased by 27.1% from August to September, with 3,318 new homes on the market in September.
• “We are starting to feel the impacts of rising interest rates on the Orlando housing market as they have more than doubled over the past 12 months,” said Tansey Soderstrom, Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association President. “Rising interest rates are causing buyers to be more cautious, resulting in fewer Orlando home sales for the month of September. This cooling off in sales does have an upside for buyers, as they now have the luxury of being more patient when looking for a home.”

Market Snapshot

• Interest rates increased as the average interest rate for September was recorded at 6.3%. This is 120.9% higher than September 2021 when interest rates were 2.9%.
• Pending sales decreased by 8% from August to September for a total of 3,838 pending sales.
• 12 distressed homes (bank-owned properties and short sales) accounted for 0.4% of all home sales in September. That represents a 100% increase from August, when 6 distressed homes sold.

Inventory

• Orlando area inventory increased by 1.8% from August to September from 6,762 homes to 6,884 homes. Inventory in September 2022 was 87.9% higher than in September 2021, when it was recorded at 3,664 homes.
• The supply of homes increased to 2.53 months in September. This is the second month since June 2020 with over two months of supply. A balanced market is six months of supply.
• The number of new listings decreased in September from August by 27.1% down to 3,318 homes.

ORRA’s full State of the Market Report for September can be found here.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

By: www.orlandorealtors.org