The holidays are arguably the most festive time of the year. And for many people, part of that festiveness is plenty of festive, holiday-themed decorations. But if you’re selling your home, going too over-the-top with your decorations can put off potential buyers.

So, the question is, can you decorate your home for the holidays without hurting your home sale?

An article from realtor.com outlined the rules you need to follow if you want to get into the holiday spirit with your decorations without derailing your home sale, including:

• Avoid personalized decorations. If you want to sell your home, potential buyers need to be able to picture themselves in the space. But if your home is plastered with personalized holiday decorations, it’s going to be nearly impossible to do that—so while you might love your personalized Christmas stockings or your array of holiday cards from friends and family, keep them packed away until your home is sold.
• Go classic. Classic, elegant holiday decorations are always going to have a wider appeal to buyers than more kitschy, over-the-top decor.
• Look to your neighbors. Your buyers are looking at your neighborhood just as much as they’re looking at your home—so when it comes to holiday decor, look to your neighbors for inspiration. If every home on your block is decked out for the holidays, you don’t want to skip decorating altogether—and, on the flip side, if your neighbors all opted out of holiday decorations, your don’t want to deck your home in bright lights and an avalanche of “Happy Holidays”-inspired decor.

Bottom line? It is possible to sell your home and decorate it for the holidays—as long as you decorate with potential buyers (and your home sale) in mind.

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.

Every Monday, ORRA’s Monday Morning Quarterback Report gives you a snapshot of the previous week’s market activity, including sales, prices, days on market, and much, much more.

Monday Morning Quarterback for December 1st, 2024 – December 7th, 2024

Single-family existing homes

• Sales of single-family homes increased to 401 during the week of December 01, from 250 the week prior
• The median price of single family homes increased to $445,000 a change of 2.3%
• The number of single-family home foreclosure transactions decreased to 2 from 3 the week prior
• The number of single-family short-sale transactions increased to 1 from 0 the week prior
• Single-family inventory decreased by 12, and now sits at 7,682.

Condos, townhomes, and villas

• Sales of condos, townhomes, and villas increased to 102 during the week of December 01, from 70 the week prior
• The median price of condos, townhomes, and villas increased to $292,000 a change of 11.0%
• The number of condo, townhome, and villa foreclosure transactions remains constant at 0
• The number of condo, townhome and villa short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Condo inventory increased by 58, and now sits at 3,845.

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.

 Fresh holiday trees are beautiful, smell great and really add to the spirit of the season.  Following some proven safety tips might help you avoid a disaster and keep the Grinch away.

• Select a tree with fresh green needles that don’t fall off when touched or when the trunk is tapped on the ground.
• When trees are cut too early, they have a greater risk of drying out and can become more dangerous especially with electrical lights.
• Cut 1” to 2” off the base of the tree before placing it in the stand to facilitate it drawing water to the limbs and quills.
• Trees require water similar to cut flowers or they’ll dry out. Tree stands should hold at least one gallon of water and it should be checked every day.  A six foot tree could use up to a gallon of water every two days.
• Position the tree a minimum of three feet or further from heat source like fireplaces, space heaters, heat vents or candles.  Do not allow the tree to block an exit.
• Lights should be labeled from an independent testing laboratory and intended for indoor use.
• Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for how many strings of lights can be connected to each other.
• Turn off all tree lights when you go to bed or leave the home.
• If the tree becomes dry and begins shedding needles, it can be a fire hazard and should be removed from the home.  Even if the holidays are not over, it is not worth the risk to keep it in your home.
• After the gifts have been opened, don’t return the paper and boxes under the tree.
• Remove the tree as soon as possible after the holidays.
• Trees should never be burned in a fireplace.  The trees will burn very hot and quickly when they are dry and could spread outside of the fireplace which could cause an unfriendly fire.
• Check to see if there is a recycling program for holiday trees in your community.

The National Fire Protection Association reports that “one of every three home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical failures and a heat source too close to the tree causes roughly one in every six of the fires.”

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.

Every Monday, ORRA’s Monday Morning Quarterback Report gives you a snapshot of the previous week’s market activity, including sales, prices, days on market, and much, much more.

Monday Morning Quarterback for November 24th, 2024 – November 30th, 2024

Single-family existing homes

• Sales of single-family homes decreased to 250 during the week of November 24, from 365 the week prior
• The median price of single family homes increased to $435,000 a change of 1.2%
• The number of single-family home foreclosure transactions increased to 3 from 1 the week prior
• The number of single-family short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Single-family inventory decreased by 152, and now sits at 7,694.

Condos, townhomes, and villas

• Sales of condos, townhomes, and villas decreased to 70 during the week of November 24, from 102 the week prior
• The median price of condos, townhomes, and villas remains constant at $263,000
• The number of condo, townhome, and villa foreclosure transactions decreased to 0 from 1 the week prior
• The number of condo, townhome and villa short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Condo inventory decreased by 91, and now sits at 3,787.

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.

Every Monday, ORRA’s Monday Morning Quarterback Report gives you a snapshot of the previous week’s market activity, including sales, prices, days on market, and much, much more.

Monday Morning Quarterback for November 17th, 2024 – November 23rd, 2024

Single-family existing homes

• Sales of single-family homes increased to 365 during the week of November 17, from 305 the week prior
• The median price of single family homes decreased to $430,000 a change of -6.0%
• The number of single-family home foreclosure transactions decreased to 1 from 2 the week prior
• The number of single-family short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Single-family inventory increased by 3, and now sits at 7,846.

Condos, townhomes, and villas

• Sales of condos, townhomes, and villas increased to 102 during the week of November 17, from 83 the week prior
• The median price of condos, townhomes, and villas decreased to $263,000 a change of -7.7%
• The number of condo, townhome, and villa foreclosure transactions remains constant at 1
• The number of condo, townhome and villa short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Condo inventory increased by 43, and now sits at 3,878.

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.

It’s time to gather around with friends and family to give thanks for all that has happened to us throughout the year and time to share in a feast fit for kings. If you want more out of your Thanksgiving this year, you might want to “give back” in one way or another. There are many ways that you can “give back” this Thanksgiving and I have listed a few of those for you below.

• Shop for your Thanksgiving feast at your local farmers market. By shopping at your local farmers market you are helping to support local businesses and in turn that helps your local economy.
• Use organic foods for your Thanksgiving meal. By choosing to use organic you are not only helping your family to be as healthy as they can be, you are also helping organic farmers as well.
• Help out at a local food bank or soup kitchen a few hours on Thanksgiving Day. If you have children this is a great way to show your children how to help others who are less fortunate than they are.

There are many other ways you can give back this holiday season and a few more ideas:

United Way Thanksgiving Project

Boys and Girls Club of Central Florida

United Against Poverty Orlando

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Salvation Army of Orlando

Don’t forget that not everyone has as much as you do and that the holiday season is one of the best times of the year to help make a difference in someone else’s life.  You may be tempted to forget about others and only think of yourself and your family during these busy holiday times but set aside a few hours each week for you and your family to help out those less fortunate and I promise that your holidays will be the best ever.  A few ways you can do this are as follows.

• Offer to buy your elderly neighbors Thanksgiving meal for him or her. You can also offer to cook their meal to help make the big day less stressful for them.
• If you know that your elderly neighbor no longer has living family to spend the holidays with, invite them over to share in your families Thanksgiving feast.

Trust me when I say that your Thanksgiving holiday will be the best you ever had if you are only willing to open up your heart and home to others who don’t have as much to be thankful for this year. Perhaps you know of someone who has lost a loved one this past year that you can minister to in the ways mentioned above. If you don’t have a clue where to start in your venture of giving back this season, you can start at your local church or other organizations by asking where you can best be used.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

Every Monday, ORRA’s Monday Morning Quarterback Report gives you a snapshot of the previous week’s market activity, including sales, prices, days on market, and much, much more.

Monday Morning Quarterback for November 10th, 2024 – November 16th, 2024

Single-family existing homes

• Sales of single-family homes decreased to 305 during the week of November 10, from 329 the week prior
• The median price of single family homes increased to $457,500 a change of 8.9%
• The number of single-family home foreclosure transactions increased to 2 from 1 the week prior
• The number of single-family short-sale transactions decreased to 0 from 1 the week prior
• Single-family inventory increased by 24, and now sits at 7,843.

Condos, townhomes, and villas

• Sales of condos, townhomes, and villas decreased to 83 during the week of November 10, from 98 the week prior
• The median price of condos, townhomes, and villas increased to $285,000 a change of 9.6%
• The number of condo, townhome, and villa foreclosure transactions remains constant at 1
• The number of condo, townhome and villa short-sale transactions remains constant at 0
• Condo inventory increased by 43, and now sits at 3,835.

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.

Many people turn to the “Foreclosures” section of online house hunts or newspaper ads. Sure, the price is a bargain, but there is normally a different process when purchasing a home that is in foreclosure. Consider these tips before heading to the auction or making an offer:

• If the property is on the auction block, the bidder will likely need the full purchase amount in cash. The lender is looking to recoup as much from the defaulted loan as possible, which does not allow time for the financing process.
• Most foreclosures have been unoccupied and will be affected by that. The new owner will need to be ready to put in some work and cash to bring it up to code/living conditions.
• Some states allow redemption to the homeowner, and HUD defines this as “…a period after [the] home has already been sold at a foreclosure sale when [a homeowner] can still reclaim [their] home.”
• Because a foreclosed property is sold “as is,” the buyer will not receive any disclosures, meaning, a home inspection is a must!  Depending on who owns the property will make a difference in how much time the buyer has to complete the inspection. 
• On the other hand, if the property is REO (real estate owned), the buyer will be able to go through the home-buying process in the usual way and have time to secure financing for the purchase.
• An REO will be sold as-is just like an auctioned property, and all repairs will have to be done by the new owner–there are no repair requests or contingencies granted.
• For buyers who are new to the foreclosure-purchase game, going through a bank to buy the property is their best bet versus bidding at an auction.
• For distressed properties, it is recommended that the interested party have a title search performed. Buying a foreclosure takes long enough, and this will help remove any roadblocks.

For foreclosure-hunting convenience, realtor.com® has a search page specifically for foreclosures! Municipality offices also publish notices on tax foreclosures, and if the funding is available, pre-foreclosures and short sales are other great property bargains. Remember to contact a Realtor® that is experienced in distressed sales. Their knowledge and expertise can make a drawn-out process go smoothly!

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.

Halloween, the spookiest night of the year, once again will bring out the ghouls, ghosts, and witches in all their frightening glory. To celebrate, our market research company is shining a spotlight on the intriguing statistics that defined this haunting holiday.

From the top costume choices to the candy favorites that made trick-or-treating a sweet success, here are our favorite Halloween statistics for 2024. 

Top Halloween Statistics

• Up to 94% of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween in 2024.

• Spending for Halloween 2024 is expected to reach $11.6 billion dollars. 

• Spirit Halloween will open 1,525 new locations this fall. 

• Up to 97% of Americans will be giving out Halloween candy. 

Overall Halloween Spending Habits

• Spending for Halloween 2024 is expected to reach $11.6 billion dollars.

        While this is still a massive figure, it’s a bit of a drop from last year’s spending which was $12.2 billion dollars. This year, shoppers are planning to spend $103.63 dollars on festive items, which is also down from last year’s $108.24 dollars. 

• Up to 94% of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween in 2024

        With most everyone celebrating in some way, it’s a good thing a certain classic costume retailer is opening new locations across the country (you have to keep reading to find out)…

• 47% of shoppers are getting their Halloween shopping done early this year. 

        This is up 10% from five years ago, and signals consumers are wanting to avoid chaotic last-minute shopping trips. The biggest fans of Halloween spending are those aged 25 to 34, with 56% of them starting their shopping before October even hits. That’s dedication. 

• It’s believed that the global market size of Halloween costumes will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 0.5% from 2023 to 2030.

       And to the most fun part: what costumes will be popular this year? Based on some of the movie releases this year, popular costume themes may include Beetlejuice, Wicked, Deadpool, and Wolverine. 

• Spirit Halloween will open 1,525 new locations this fall. 

        A Halloween institution! It’s believed the new locations will be hiring a total of 50,000 seasonal employees to cover needs.

• A brave 72% of consumers would consider buying a haunted house
  Looks like they haven’t seen enough horror movies. Speaking of haunted houses, the annual revenue for haunted house tours and related festivities is over $300 million. 80% of these attractions are hosted by charity organizations.
  
• IT: Chapter One was one of the highest-grossing horror movies of all time at $123.4 million dollars
  Other eerie money-makers throughout the years include The Sixth Sense ($672 million), The Exorcist ($441 million), and The Nun ($365 million). Earnings aside, some of the scariest horror movies based on the viewer’s heart rate include Sinister (86 BPM), The Conjuring (86 BPM), and Paranormal Activity (82 BPM). 

Halloween Candy Statistics 

Let’s be real, the candy was always the best part about celebrating Halloween as a kid (and we think it still is). But when it comes to which house has the best candy, that’s a whole other level. 

Whether you enjoy chocolates or sugary candies, everyone has a staunch opinion on which sweet treat is number one. Check out these candy-related Halloween statistics we found…

• Up to 97% of Americans will be giving out Halloween candy. 

       That’s the spirit! And of that figure, two thirds say they give out two or three pieces of candy to trick-or-treaters. Common candy favorites include gummies, lollipops, and chocolate.

• In the past, Halloween candy spending has gone over $3 billion dollars
  Each year, the typical household will shell out $25 on Halloween candy – equating to over $2 billion dollars. But where’s the best spot to buy all this candy? Wal-Mart comes out as the most popular location to grab treats, with Target following closely behind.
  
• Preferred candy varies from state to state
  No shocker here, but Reese’s was number one for many states…but not all. In Arizona, Skittles comes out as number one. Michigan loves its Starbursts, and Montana goes crazy for Hot Tamales.
  
• Cotton candy was invented by a…dentist?!
  It’s true. A more niche Halloween treat, cotton candy was created by dentist William Morrison in 1897. However, the sweet treat went by the name of “Fairy Floss”–not cotton candy–in its early days.
  
• Tootsie Pops take between 364 to 411 licks to finish
  There was always at least one of these in our trick-or-treat bags. Believe it or not, Tootsie Roll Inc. actually has licking machines to test how many licks it takes to get to the soft center.

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Halloween Celebration Statistics

Whether you prefer a laid-back Halloween, handing out candy at home, or heading out to a costume party, there are many different ways to celebrate the day. 

• Up to 94% of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween in 2024

      With most everyone celebrating in some way, it’s a good thing more Spirit Halloween locations are in the works!

• 47% of people wear costumes to celebrate the day
  We already gave you some ideas for costumes. Let’s not forget parties, though. Below are a few fun themes that everyone can enjoy:
  • Murder mystery
  • Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Pumpkin carving
  • Horror movie night

• Americans spend roughly $804 million on pumpkins
  Ready to hit the patch? The average price of a pumpkin comes out at around $5, which is up by 11% in 2022.
  
• Trick-or-treating goes way back to the 1600s
  Referred to as “guising” back in the day, children in Scotland and Ireland would dress in costume and ask neighbors for candy. Adaptations of this now-classic tradition began in the US in the early 1900s. 

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Final Thoughts

Do you feel Halloween-ready yet from these Halloween statistics?  A chance to get festive each year, this holiday provides those who celebrate with the opportunity to dress up and eat plenty of candy. 

While down slightly, spending stats for Halloween this year are high and will likely continue to be so for the years to come. While some Americans may be cutting costs by recycling costumers or reducing decorations, the spirit of this classic holiday is still very much alive! 

By: Lark Allen, https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/2022-fun-sized-halloween-statistics/

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.

It won’t be long before the streets of your neighborhood are filled with children, and some parents, will be costumed and carrying bags and buckets for Halloween treats!  Since many homeowners don’t regularly use the front entrance to their home, they may not think about all the little feet that will be tramping up the path to your door.  Make sure everyone has a safe trip for their candy by following these tips before October 31! 

• Do your own walk-up to your front door, and examine everything, including the driveway and front steps.  Make sure there are no loose pieces or large cracks that can cause anyone to take a tumble.  Porch railings should be secure. 
• Yard decor should be fixed securely so the wind can’t blow it over, or curious little hands cannot pull it down. 
• Battery-operated LED tea lights are inexpensive and much safer to use in place of lighted candles.  Many options are available for LED’s, including a flickering light that is perfect for your jack o’ lantern. 

• Speaking of lights, make sure that not only is your porch light switched on, but that the path you’ve created is well-lit. 
• Decor that hangs from the trees is scary and fun, so make certain they are hanging at least ten feet from the walkway, making certain they don’t obstruct anyone’s view. 
• Take an afternoon close to Halloween to be sure any shrubbery, trees or edging isn’t in the way of where trick-or-treaters must walk.  Inspect for loose branches in nearby trees and remove them. 
• If you have room in the garage, consider parking the car there.  The folks that are coming and going would likely appreciate the extra room to pass others. 
• A constantly-ringing doorbell or persistent knocking can cause your pets some distress and a lot of barking.  Confine them to a room, or even better, to their crate.  Check out these other great tips about your pets and Halloween from the ASPCA. 

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.