With energy costs on the rise, it is essential for a homeowner to stay on top of all they can in order reduce their heating and utility bills during the cold Winter months. Here are some things consumers can do on their own at little or no cost to keep money in their pockets every month.  

• Check windows and doors for drafts. Seal spaces with caulk or weather stripping.  
• Look at all of the utility-entry places around the outside of your home, and fill around pipes with insulation or cement, if practical.  
• Close the foundation/crawlspace vents as soon as temps get colder than 40°. This helps protect water pipes from freezing as well.  
• Go into the attic and inspect your insulation, or consider adding insulation if you haven’t taken that step. This can cut your energy costs and pay for itself in a few years. 
• Check ductwork for places where it may have come apart and repair—this job may be better for a service person to undertake. 
• The sun can be used to help keep the house warm by simply keeping curtains on the south side of your home open during the day. 
• Hanging thicker panels or thermal curtains can help insulate around windows as well.  If you don’t want to change curtains, easy-to-install cellular shades allow light to shine through while insulating your windows.   
• Plastic sheeting is inexpensive and easy to install on drafty windows or unused patio doors, and just as easy to remove when Spring arrives. Kits are available at hardware and home improvement stores. 
• Have your furnace serviced before it’s time to use it, and replace your filters once a month.  
• Close the damper in the fireplace when you’re not using it.  
• Install a programmable thermostat–if heating with a heat pump, make sure the thermostat is the type specifically for heat pumps.  Program the thermostat for the lowest temperature setting that your family is comfortable while at home, preferably in the 60° range. Turning it down 10°-15° at night and using an extra blanket will calculate to big savings on your energy use and costs.  
• Using a humidifier is not only healthier, it can cut down on heating costs. The more moisture there is in the air, the warmer you feel.  
• If you use ceiling fans, make sure they’re turning clockwise on low speed to pull up cool air, and circulate the warm air that collects near the ceiling.  
• Thinking about changing your home’s heat source? Do it before the cold weather sets in.  Check out the many different products available to help you make this decision. 

The Department of Energy states that simply turning down the thermostat is the number one money-saver. For every degree it’s lowered, consumers save approximately 3% on heating costs.  Lowering the temperature may mean wearing a sweater and socks inside, but the money you can save outweighs the bulky clothes.  

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: BMS Electrical 

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!

The Parks & Recreation Department of the City of Winter Park will present the 7th Annual Pumpkins & Munchkins in Shady Park on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.,  adjacent to the Winter Park Community Center at 721 W. New England Ave.

Munchkins of all ages are invited to attend this FREE family-friendly event. Fun-filled activities will include games, bounce houses, a costume contest, Trick-or-Treat Trail and safe Halloween fun for everyone. If inclement weather tries to dampen the evening, the event will be cancelled.

For more information regarding Pumpkins & Munchkins in Shady Park, please call 407-599-3275.

For more information regarding the City of Winter Park, please visit the city’s official website at cityofwinterpark.org. Like, follow and watch us on Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram®, Vimeo®, and YouTube®.

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!

The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, originally passed in 2007, was extended three times to protect homeowners from paying income tax on debt that was relieved due to foreclosure, short sales or deed in lieu of foreclosure.  

The law expired on December 31, 2016 and unless it is extended again, homeowners with debt relief in 2017 may be subject to tax.

A homeowner might feel a sense of relief without the obligation of a delinquent mortgage but just because the payments are no longer due doesn’t mean that there isn’t another obligation that replaces it. If a lender cancels or forgives debt, a taxpayer must include the cancelled amount in their income for tax purposes depending on the circumstances. The tax significance could be serious.

This previously allowed relief only applied to a taxpayers’ acquisition indebtedness of their principal residence which did not include second homes and investment property. The maximum amount was limited to $2 million of mortgage debt forgiveness or $1 million if filing separately.

Due to the serious consequences involved in short sales and foreclosures, it is advised that homeowners faced with this possibility should seek expert advice from their legal and tax professionals.

By: PatZaby.com

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!

There are many positive aspects of living in a neighborhood that is governed by a Homeowner’s Association (HOA). Finding the right one for you and your family may take some research, but if you’re looking for a managed area, it could save some headache in the end. 

What is an HOA? 

• And HOA is an organization that creates and enforces rules in a subdivision or condominium. When you purchase a home in an HOA community, you are, by default, a member of that HOA, and must pay fees and follow their bylaws. 
• Most HOA’s now have their information, some complete with neighborhood photo galleries, available online, making it easy to start your research. 
• Fees and their due dates vary by neighborhood, depending on amenities.  
• Research the amenities that a neighborhood’s HOA focuses on.  Whether it’s community beautification, a neighborhood gathering place, or a neighborhood walking path and gym, there are many options available. 
• After you look at the qualities of an HOA and narrow down which ones you like best, find out what the fees are and how they’re paid.  HOA fees can be high, but in comparison with what amenities they offer, it could save you money in the end. 
• Most HOA’s have rules and regulations that go beyond your local municipality.  These bylaws are in place to protect your property value, and maintain a certain quality of life for the homeowners.  

HOA Benefits 

• The amenities that some HOA communities offer can save a member money in the end.  A community center means a gathering place for members, saving rental fees for party venues. A walking track or swimming pool can save residents from joining private gyms and health clubs. 
• HOA neighborhoods in general are more appealing aesthetically, because member fees go towards keeping the common areas clean and landscaped.  
• Some HOA organizations provide security, trash pick-up, pest control, as well as street sweeping and snow removal. Your property is your responsibility, but the shared areas are taken care of.  
• If you choose to live in a condominium community, the organization usually handles all landscape maintenance, as well as exterior home maintenance: for instance, if a shutter blows off the building, it’s taken care of.  All the homeowner needs to do is notify someone on the property management board, and they handle the rest. 
• The community organization board members live in the neighborhood, so they are aware of needs specific to the area, and can better handle solutions to any problems. 
• Homes in HOA neighborhoods protect your investment in a fluctuating market because of their home-maintenance regulations.  

Don’t let bad press shy you away from considering a home in an HOA.  If a house you absolutely love is in an organized community, do careful research, talk to residents in the community, then make your decision.  There are many different aspects to different organizations, and finding the right one for you and your family just takes a little research and thought. 

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: https://texasenergyexperts.com

Have you been walking in your community, and found a pretty hand-painted rock with a motivating message? The Kindness Rocks Project trend can lead to adventure for you and the kids, and can be a fun neighborhood project.  All you need is a few supplies, time and imagination! 

Supplies 

• Smooth rocks of any size.  You can look for these laying around outside, or purchase them from a craft store or home center. If you’re finding them in a natural setting, make sure you have permission! 
• Any of these decorating mediums: acrylic paint, non-toxic paint markers, colored Sharpies, inspirational phrases printed and cut out, Mod Podge Outdoor or clear acrylic sealer spray, paint brushes of varied sizes, a paint palette or tray to hold paint, newspaper, and soap and water for clean-up. 

How To 

• Clean the rocks thoroughly, using a brush and clean water.  Scrub the whole surface, and rinse completely, then let dry. 
• Lay newspaper down to protect your surfaces, and get supplies ready while the rocks dry. 
• If you are using paint markers only, seal the rock with Mod Podge, or, using adult supervision, clear acrylic spray. 
• Paint any design or brief inspirational message on the rock surface, and allow to dry.  Make sure to wipe the brush after each dip so paint doesn’t run on the rock.  Younger children may need some help with this from the older kids. If you need some inspiration or design ideas, you’ll find some here. 
• Add your local rock-finding group hashtag to the back of your rock, a hashtag unique to your family, or use #TheKindnessRocksProject so when your work of art is found, you can keep a trace on it, and others can see it as well, through social media. 
• Another way to add inspirational messages is to use quotes pre-printed on paper.  Adhere the paper to the rock with Mod Podge.  Once it’s dry, paint or draw your design on the rock.  Seal the paint and paper with a few coats of Mod Podge, and the paper will be protected from the elements. 
• Once your work of art is complete, seal it with a few coats of Mod Podge or clear acrylic sealer spray, once again, using adult supervision. 

Hide and Seek 

• Place your rock in a hiding spot, but make sure it can be seen–you want other rock hunters to find your rock. Public places are great for leaving your rocks, just not in National Parks.  
• When you find someone else’s stone, give it a new hiding place after taking a photo and posting it along with the hashtag on social media.  Most local rock-finding groups have Facebook pages–search for them by your town or community name so you can share the fun! 
• Keep a basket of finished rocks in the car, and if you see a space that needs some inspiration, leave a rock for others to enjoy (ask first, just in case!). 
• Ask your local children’s hospital if you can contribute rocks so kids who aren’t able to go outside can rock hunt inside. On the same token, get permission from a nursing home or assisted living center to leave rocks for seniors to find. 

Rock painting and hiding is a trend that will hopefully continue.  Leave the rocks to inspire, as well as to bring joy. You never know whose day you may be brightening, just like Megan Murphy of Massachusetts, who was inspired to start The Kindness Rocks Project.  Now, get painting, have fun, and inspire someone today! 

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: https://modpodgerocksblog.com/2017/08/rock-painting-ideas.html

• October 27, 2017 – October 29, 2017
• Location: Hyatt Regency Orlando
• Address: 9801 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
• Time: Times vary.
• Admission: Prices vary.
• Phone:954-258-7852
• Event Website 
• Buy Tickets 

Description: 

The annual weekend, dark side of comic con event will feature an array of activities including a tattoo festival, film festival, celebrity autographs, zombie walk, kids zone, costume and cosplay contest, huge exhibitor room, live music, performances, Q & A’s with artists, authors and filmmakers, a game room, seminars, creepy cars, among many other fun and exhilarating activities. Enter the dark side of comic con with expected celebrity guests including icons from your favorite horror movies.

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! 

There could be some legitimate reasons for not buying a home but indecision is not one of them. Indecision is rooted in not having enough information to move forward to own a home or continue renting.

If you keep renting, at the end of the year, you have had a place to live and a pile of receipts that helped the landlord pay for his house. Deciding to buy a home will give you a place to live that is yours and all the things that come with that.

When you consider principal reduction, appreciation and tax savings, your monthly cost of housing could be much less than the rent you’re paying. The principal reduction included in each payment is like a forced savings account that increases as your mortgage balance decreases. Your equity in the property will also grow due to appreciation as the home goes up in value. The equity is part of your net worth and an investment in your family’s future.

The income tax savings can be an additional financial consideration if the combined interest and property taxes are greater than the allowable standard deduction.

Trends are showing that both tenants and homeowners are staying in their homes longer. It’s been said that whether you rent or own, you’re paying for the home. Do you really want to buy the home for your landlord? Check out your numbers on a Rent vs. Own and then, call us to help make it happen.

By: PatZaby.com

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!

If finances are tight, but you’re ready to give your home a new look, paint is the budget-friendly way to go.  Making it a DIY project is even more cost-effective, and with so many options and ways to add color to your walls, you need some guidance so it will look like it was done by a pro. 

Which Paint and What Finish? 

• Latex paint is best for walls, and oil paint is perfect for wood trim, because it seals stains.  Oil paint takes longer to dry, and has a strong odor, but if you add a tablespoon of vanilla extract per gallon, and open the windows, it helps keep the odor in check.  
• Flat paint goes on easily, but doesn’t clean easily; glossy paint is great for cleaning, and comes in semi-gloss, and satin, but doesn’t cover wall imperfections. For a nice compromise, an eggshell finish is somewhat flat, but easy to clean. 

Choose Your Color 

• Choose a color for the room/s you’re updating, and don’t be afraid of using a bold color.  This adds character and some wow factor to your home. Neutrals are great for quick-change decorating, or if you’re thinking of selling soon. 
• Using pint-can paint samples, apply a 2×2 foot area of each color on the wall you’re planning to paint, allow to dry for 24 hours, and look at them at different times of the day.  You’ll get a more accurate feel for the color in the different lights, and whether you can live with it or not. 
• Don’t forget the ceiling! You can change the feel of the room’s height by going a shade darker (for a lower ceiling feel), or go a shade lighter or use a lighter color to give the illusion of a higher ceiling. 

Painting Prep 

• Measure your room for square footage, and make sure you buy enough paint–about one gallon per 400 square feet. 
• Purchase good painter’s tape, drop cloths, putty, a good putty knife, caulking, and any tools you may need for removing hardware from any doors or walls. 
• Protect light fixtures, trim, or wall sconces with painter’s tape.  Move furniture and put down drop cloths. Use wall putty or caulking to fill and smooth any holes or other wall damage. 
• Clean, sand, and dust walls, using a vacuum to make sure all of the dust is off the walls. 
• Priming the walls is really important if you’re covering a dark color, if there are stains on the walls, or if you’re painting paneling or new sheetrock. Tint the primer with a little of your new wall color before applying. 

Start Painting 

• Paint mixing isn’t 100% perfect. Professionals mix all of the gallon cans together in a five-gallon bucket for color uniformity.   
• Paint in corners and close to the ceiling with a good brush before you paint the walls, working your way down to catch drips. This process is called “cutting in.” 
• Working in an overlapping W-pattern, apply paint until you need to reload the roller.  If you notice paint drying quickly, work in 3-4 foot sections of wall, but a whole wall can be accomplished in the case of a slower drying process. 
• Smoothing the paint is important and is done by using what paint is left on the roller to paint as close to the ceiling and corners as possible, where you’ve already cut in. This gives a smooth appearance to the finish. 
• Clean your equipment as soon as painting is done:  latex paint can be washed off with dish detergent and warm water, but oil paint should be cleaned off with paint thinner.  
• Once the paint is dry, after about 24 hours, move your furniture back in, but hold off hanging anything on the walls for a few days, and don’t wash them until the paint has cured, usually two weeks to thirty days. 

A newly painted room can make your home feel fresh, and make it look as if you’ve redecorated.  If you’re feeling really adventurous, try painting a pattern on your wall.  It may take more time, but the dramatic effect it makes in the room makes the wall a focal point in itself. diy Network has some great tips for a patterned accent wall: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/skills-and-know-how/painting/how-to-paint-stripes-chevrons-blocks-and-more 

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!

We normally associate pests and insects with Summer time, but now is a good time to think about what you can do to prevent creepy crawlers coming in to your home. It’s a simple matter of checking the outside as well as the inside, and staying ahead of them. 

Exterior 

• When you mulch plants, keep it from piling up against the house’s foundation. Insects can use the mulch for overwintering, but if you could add a border of rock or stone between the mulch and the house, or even use cedar mulch, it would discourage pests. 
• Inspect your foundation carefully for cracks or holes, as well as places where utility pipes and wires enter your home.  Cover or fill them with wire screen mesh, cement, or metal flashing. 
• Outside lights, when left on, draw flying insects, but if you can change the bulbs from incandescent to halogen, they are less attracted to the glow.  
• Check doors and windows for openings, and seal them with caulking or weatherstripping, and repair any holes in your screens. 
• Keep trash cans and surrounding areas clean, and make sure lids fit tight. Recyclables should be rinsed well, and container lids put back on before tossing them in the recycle bin. 
• If you have anything that can retain water, empty it as often as possible, and use a larvicide in your landscape’s water features.   
• If you use firewood, store it away from your home, at least thirty feet. 
• Gutters should be cleaned periodically, not only for their efficiency, but to help keep pests from making a home in the debris. 

Interior 

• The most important pest prevention tip for the inside of your home is cleanliness.  Keep crumbs off the counters and floors, clean food messes immediately, and keep food consumption limited to the kitchen. Wash up dishes before going to bed at night.  
• Storing open food in plastic containers with lids or plastic storage bags will lessen the chances of pests finding it. 
• Check stored grains, (flour, sugar, cornmeal), often, and discard it as soon as the expiration date passes.  Storing these in a sealed container is best. 
• Pet food is best kept in a storage container with a tight-fitting lid. 
• Keep inside garbage in a trash can fitted with a bag, and keep the lid closed. Remove the bag to the outside can as soon as it’s full. 
• Vacuum carpets frequently, especially if you have pets.  They can bring in little hitch hikers when they come in from being outdoors. 
• Inspect all baseboards, and replace or repair them if they’re broken, and walls should be checked for holes, and repaired as soon as possible. 

If you see pests in or out of your home, it’s best to call a professional to address the problem, and do it quickly so you don’t suffer an infestation.  Once you know you’re clear of bugs, it only takes a few minutes each week to keep them from feeling at home in your home.  

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!