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Local Getaways & Day Trips Near Sarasota, FL

With its laid-back coastal town feel, white sandy beaches, balmy weather, and buzzing art districts, it's easy to see why Sarasota is one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. It's also a great base for fun day trips just two hours away along the seaside Florida [...]

Is a Home Equity Loan an Option?

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Is a Home Equity Loan an Option?

 

Here's the scenario: you have a project and need to borrow some money, but you want to do it in the most economic manner.  You've got a low rate on your existing first mortgage and don't want to do a cash-out refinance and pay a higher rate.  Is a home equity loan an [...]

Home Inventory

A woman looking at a home. moving checklist

Home Inventory

 

Generally speaking, when you need an inventory of your personal belongings, it is too late to make one.  Sure, you can reconstruct it but undoubtedly, you'll forget things and that can cost you money when filing your insurance [...]

Home Inventory

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Looking at home inventory while moving

Home Inventory

 

Generally speaking, when you need an inventory of your personal belongings, it is too late to make one.  Sure, you can reconstruct it but undoubtedly, you'll forget things and that can cost you money when filing your insurance [...]

Standard or Itemized Deductions

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Standard or Itemized Deductions

 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 increased the standard deduction to $24,000 for married couples.  There will be some instances that homeowners may be better off taking the standard deduction than itemizing their deductions.  In the past, homeowners would most likely be better off itemizing but the $10,000 [...]

Year End Tax Newsletter

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Year End Tax Newsletter

 

One of the first steps in a good outcome is knowing a little bit about what you're about to undertake.  By being aware of some of the areas regarding homes that may not come up every year in a tax return, you'll be able to point them out to your tax professional or seek more information from [...]

More Comfortable, Convenient and Secure

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Smart Home Technology

More Comfortable, Convenient and Secure

 

Smart home technology promises to make your home more comfortable, convenient and secure.  It may not be the home from the Jetson's but artificial intelligence is the hope to make it the home of the future which is available now and controlled from anywhere you have an Internet [...]

Your Real Estate Resource

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Your Real Estate Resource

 

Being a better homeowner is a full-time job.  It's not just about making better decisions when you buy and sell; it's making better decisions throughout the time you own the [...]

Eliminate FHA Mortgage Insurance

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Eliminate FHA Mortgage Insurance

 

Mortgage insurance premium can add almost $200 to the payment on a $265,000 FHA mortgage.  The decision to get an FHA loan may have been the lower down payment requirement or the lower credit score levels, but now that you have the loan, is it possible to eliminate [...]

Another Type of Financing Concession

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Another Type of Financing Concession

 

Price, condition and terms are factors that any owner must consider when marketing their home.  Price is usually the easiest to adjust to compensate for shortcomings in location or condition of the home.  Improving the condition of the property is more time consuming but updates to kitchens, baths and [...]

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