Your mailbox likely isn’t a feature of your home that you think about very often, but it can actually have a big impact on how people view your home. This is especially true if your mailbox is rusty, damaged, or otherwise has obviously seen better days. Giving your mailbox a facelift can make a big difference in how your home looks, even if your mailbox is a standalone unit that sits up by the road.

How much work should you put into a mailbox refresh, though? This depends entirely on the condition your mailbox is in and what sort of revamp you’d like to give it. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some ideas that cover everything from basic retouches to your mailbox to entire rebuilds of your mailbox mounting to create a unique new look on your property. You might be surprised at how many ways there are to revamp your mailbox and completely change its look!

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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By: Homekeepr, David Weinstein

When someone decides to purchase a home, one of the first things they must comb through is their credit report and credit score. If their credit is less than stellar, and they cannot qualify for a conventional home mortgage, renting-to-own or a lease with the option to purchase sounds like a great way to begin their home buying process. There are positives and negatives to this type of transaction; let this guide help make whether the decision is worth it. 

• Rent-to-own agreements can also be called lease-to-own, lease-with-option-to-purchase, or simply a lease option. Lease-purchase agreements require the tenant to buy the property, and this can cause major financial issues if the tenant cannot follow through on the purchase, no matter the reason.  
• Decide on a final purchase price at the end of the option period, or agree upon an appraisal contingency. Depending on the fluctuation of the housing market, however, this could benefit the buyer if market value goes down, but could benefit the seller if values increase.  
• It may be a good idea to have a home inspection performed before getting into this situation. In the case that the inspection raises concerns, repair costs can be worked out between the tenant and the owner. 

• A portion of the above-market rent will go towards the purchase of the house, most commonly in the form of a down payment.   
• Some tenants agree to pay HOA fees (if applicable), property taxes, insurance and take care of the cost of necessary repairs. 
• In most situations, the tenant can purchase the property at any time during the option period, but once that time is up, the option expires and the owner can sell the property to someone else. 
• One very important thing to remember is that there is still a lease involved. If you fall behind on the payments, the landlord can have you evicted. Besides eviction, the option fee and extra rent paid will be lost. 
• Sometimes a seller offers to finance the purchase altogether, and that situation will require a completely different set of agreements. Again, owner-financed sale contracts should be handled with a real estate attorney. 

While it may be a relief for someone who cannot get financing for a traditional home loan, a lease-with-option agreement is not something to enter into lightly. If you feel you will not be able to purchase the home at the end of the option, go into a standard lease agreement, and put away as much money as you possibly can towards a traditional down payment while working on improving your credit score. 

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: NPR

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!

Stats courtesy of StellarMLS

In general, people tend to think about air conditioners as a way to keep a home cool and heating units as a way to keep it warm. There’s nothing wrong with this line of thinking, of course. If you’re only relying on heaters and air conditioners to maintain the temperature, though, then you may be spending way more than you need to keep your home comfortable.

One key part of controlling your home’s heating and cooling costs that you might be ignoring is the humble ceiling fan. By using ceiling fans effectively, you can keep your home at more consistent temperatures throughout the year while spending a lot less on heating and cooling. If you like the thought of staying comfortable while spending less, here’s what you need to know about using your ceiling fans effectively.

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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Stats courtesy of StellarMLS

When you see a home and know beyond a doubt that it is your meant-to-be and put in an offer, you find out that someone else feels the same way and has made an offer at the same time. Sometimes it is more than one buyer, and either way, a bidding war can begin. Let these tips guide you through the process: 

• When you start your house hunt, be certain you are pre-approved for a mortgage. This will show any seller that you can buy their property. A pre-qualification is not enough. 
• Before you even put in your offer, make sure there is some wiggle room in the amount. Offering the maximum that you are approved for can take you out of the contest during the first round. 
• If you can offer cash for the purchase or a better-than-average earnest money deposit, sellers are more likely to add you to their “possibilities” list. Cash talks, no matter the amount of your purchase offer. 

• Some potential buyers ask an agent to add an escalation clause to the contract.  The downside to this is leaving your negotiations on a purchase price laid bare for the seller to see. It may be best to make sure your Realtor® is ready with counteroffers in case your original is rejected. 
• Being competitive means laying aside some contingencies.  For instance, a well-maintained home may have fewer issues in the inspection, so waiving the home inspection contingency could be enticing to the seller. This can be risky, however, if the house has not been updated in a long time, so make this decision wisely. 
• If you absolutely love the home, talk to your agent about allowing your offer to be a back-up.  Keep an eye on the sale just in case it does not go through. Remember that most sales do go through, but there is always hope! 
• Finally, it may simply be best to take the loss and walk away. In a sellers’ market, it may be best to let go of some of the items on your “want” list, as well as look at houses that are under budget. 

Your Realtor® should be knowledgeable on how to handle a property with multiple offers, and when they are, you can be sure that they are fighting as hard as you are for the house you love.  Your confidence in your agent will give you peace in the bidding war, whether you win or move on.  

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: condos.ca

1. DO NOT change jobs, quit your job, change pay structure, work less, or become self-employed.

2. DO NOT buy a new car (or you may be living in it!)

3. DO NOT let ANYONE pull your credit. Which means do not take on any new credit at ALL!

4. DO NOT charge up your credit cards until AFTER the closing.

5. DO NOT spend any money you have saved for the closing.

6. DO NOT deposit any cash OR make large deposits into your bank accounts.

7. DO NOT pay any bills late during the mortgage process.

8. DO NOT buy furniture or begin moving.

9. DO NOT change banks.

10. DO NOT deposit ANY cash into your accounts! (This really needs to be mentioned twice)

As long as you follow these simple steps, your transaction should be a smooth one. However, if you feel that it is necessary to do any of these items mentioned above, please call your lender to discuss how it will affect your mortgage loan approval.

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: relentless moves

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!

Stats courtesy of StellarMLS

Your home has been spruced up inside and out with fresh paint on the walls and mulch on the flowerbeds, and you and your family have worked hard to declutter and deep clean to show off all the great features to house hunters. The job is not done, however!  When your RealtorⓇ calls to alert you to a showing there are still some important things you should do: 

• The typical amount of time before a showing is 24 hours, so take advantage of that time to make certain everything is spotless and neat. Cleaning and keeping the house clutter-free should be part of your daily routine, so a quick-clean should not take long. 
• Making your house smell great can easily be overdone.  Appeal to the masses with light citrus or herbal scents. The more natural, the better. 
• All valuables should be in a secure location:  lockbox, safe, or locked file cabinet.  Include personal mail, medications, and anything else you do not want prying eyes to see.  Some potential buyers look at everything, and you do not want your privacy compromised. 

• Spot sweep obvious dirt on hard floor surfaces, and quick-vacuum carpeted rooms, working from the farthest point of the room to the door, and do not walk on the carpet after you have finished. 
• Make sure the temperature in the house is comfortable.  Your family may like a cool home, but 70° is perfect for most people. 
• If you are leaving just before the showing, turn lights on in each room, and open the blinds.  This not only keeps your agent from having to do it, but it shows the buyers each space in its best light. 
• Will you be at work when the showing is scheduled? Go over everything the night before and plan on taking twenty to thirty minutes the next morning to make sure everything is perfect before you walk out the door. 

Remember to be flexible during this time of your life.  Be prepared for many weekend showings, so have plans in place to make the best of your own weekend time.  You want to sell your home, so be its best advocate; the brief inconveniences outweigh the result! 

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: IndyStar

A woodburning stove can be a great addition to your home. Not only do they provide non-electric sources of heat during the winter, but many people enjoy the dry heat provided by woodburning stoves and similar heaters and they aren’t limited to the old-school cast iron stoves. Modern woodburning stoves come in a number of styles and forms, including pellet stoves that use small wooden pellets for a more controlled burn and more manageable heat options.

While there are certainly advantages to freestanding wood stoves, it’s important that they’re installed and used safely. It should go without saying that an improperly installed or operated wood stove can be very dangerous. To keep you, your family, and your home safe, here are some things that you should keep in mind when considering installing a freestanding wood stove or pellet stove.