I received this helpful news from a custom homebuilder friend of mine and thought it was advice that was worth sharing so Enjoy! 

I have been the owner of an upscale home for more than 20 years and a homebuilder since 1980.  Below are some helpful hints to maintain your home. 

Landscaping- Hiring a professional landscaper is best.  Mow grass, edge, weed and trim shrubs weekly.  Never cut more than 1/3 of the length of the blade of grass.  It puts major stress on the lawn.  Sure it's more work to cut the grass weekly during growing season but that's what it takes.  

Make sure you stay on top of your landscaper to avoid a $500-$700 bill for “whipping your yard into shape” when you hire the new replacement company.  Pay a fee each month even though there is less work to do in the winter. Winter is the time to ask your company to tighten things up. In the summer, they have all they can do to stay on top of the basics. Go figure, you hire a lawn guy to work in the yard and then pay Bally to give you a work out! 

Mulch- new mulch should be placed in the planting beds yearly.  On a1/4 acre lot about 15 Cubic Yards are required.  I buy 200 bags of mulch (2 cu yd's, each) from Home Depot ($50 delivery charge) and ask my lawn company to install it.  This way I know how much mulch was actually installed and the bags are much easier for the lawn guys to carry.  You can even do it yourself if you’re ambitious or decide to cancel your Bally membership.   Non-colored Cypress mulch is best (the red dye can’t be good for the environment) and pine bark mulch just floats way with the first rainstorm. Cypress mulch mats together and stays in place longer. 

Insect control- is required 1 time per month.  Most companies fertilize and perform weed control at the same time.  They normally apply fertilizer and insect control by spraying.  During the rainy season, ask for granulated fertilizer so it doesn't wash away with the afternoon showers. Make sure they use a leave blower to remove the excess granular material that lands on concrete services. Otherwise, the iron in the fertilizer leaves rust stains. It usually ends up in your pool as little orange dots!

Roof Cleaning- required every 3 years.  Makes sure they wet down your shrubs and cover them with plastic before they start.  It's smart to water your landscaping a few hours before they arrive.  This keeps the shrubs and grass from absorbing their chemical mix as much.  Hire a lightweight guy to walk on your roof to avoid costly roof repairs from broken roof tiles. I cleaned the roof this last time myself. It's not for the faint at heart. I saved about 2/3 the cost an outside company would charge. I used a 10% chlorine mix that I bought at Lowe's and applied it with a lawn sprayer. Make sure you hose it off afterward. On second thought, hire the roof cleaning guys. I don't want to have to take up a collection to support your wife and kids! 

Exterior house cleaning- removing mold, mildew, insect nests etc. is required every two years. I know they call it pressure washing but nobody actually does that. It causes too much damage. They use chlorine to do all the cleaning and just hose it off. Have them clean the screen enclosure too.

Window washing- cleaning the inside, outside, screens and tracks is required every two years, right after the exterior house cleaning. I like to hire the same company to do both as I get a better deal. Have them do the pool deck too.  They might even throw in the driveway and sidewalk cleaning if you negotiate.

Exterior painting- is required every 5-10 years.  Darker colors fade out faster than lighter ones.  Touching up damaged paint will extend the life of your paint job.  Hire a painter ($100) every couple of years to Touch Up the paint inside and outside. This will keep your home looking sharp.  A fresh coat of paint is not only attractive but a waterproofing agent too.  This becomes real important during hurricane season. 

Don't forget to get approval from the HOA if your changing the outside color of your home, it's required.  Hire an interior design company to pick your exterior color palette. The difference is well worth the $200 design fee. Make sure you apply color swatches to the exterior first. A color can sure look different once it's applied to the wall.  Invite the HOA to give it their blessing, then paint.  It sure beats an argument about who is going to pay for repainting the house with the HOA. 

I bought a foreclosure from a bank recently and had trouble getting the HOA to approve my exterior colors timely. After a week, I finally had to paint on the front of the house, "please approve my paint colors" in very large letters! It was a miracle! I received a call approving the colors that very afternoon. 

Pressure washing- concrete driveways, pavers, walks and pool decks require cleaning 1-2 times per year. You can extend the time between cleanings by applying a 10% chlorine solution with a garden sprayer. It's better to do it early in the morning before the concrete gets hot. Otherwise, it evaporates before it has time to do its job. Keep an eye on the kids because that chlorine leave ugly white foot prints on dark green carpet! 

Make sure the pool guy, cleans the cartridge filter weekly. Once it's full of dirt it can be cleaned with automatic dish washing liquid by soaking it in a clean trash can for a few days. Don't let the pool guy tell you it's clogged and you need a new one! Keep cleaning it until the horizontal bands break and the pleats stick together. I have two so I can rotate one while I'm cleaning the other. I only threw one out in 10 years! I can't tell you how many I bought before I figured that one out! Also, make the guy place the chlorine tablets in the automatic chlorinator unless you want to pay for another plastic skimmer basket. The chlorine tablets will eat right through it! 

Irrigation- maintaining your irrigation system is essential for the overall health of your landscaping.  Look for evidence of broken sprinkler heads (wash outs and dry patches) weekly, especially in the dry season. Remove growth from around sprinkler heads 2 times per year.  It’s best to do this before the growing season (March) and at the end of the season (October).  Place concrete doughnuts around each head and trim grass away with a small spade shovel. Weed killer won't do the job. It's a good time to make sure the heads are adjusted properly. Don't let the water hit the house if you want to avoid mold issues! Replace the battery in the timer box too. This way the watering times will stay set even if the power goes out. Ok, when was the last time you thought of that one?

It's a good idea to give a friendly neighbor permission to water your lawn if they see your lawn dying. It might save you from replacing the entire lawn. Trust me on this one! If you can't find a neighbor that will help you out then it's time to move!

Water is the life's blood of your landscaping, especially the lawn. When it doesn't get enough water it gets stressed, then weakens. This leaves the grass susceptible to bugs and disease. It's a cascade effect so make sure you stay on top of watering. I know watering is expensive, that's why I recommend using a shallow well. 

Watering- required 2 times per week for 30 minutes per zone, more or less depending upon the weather.  Make sure you rain sensor is working and just leave the timer clock set in the on position.  Water early in the morning instead of late in the evening.  It helps prevent your grass from getting a fungus.  If you are courageous, some people turn the irrigation system off in the rainy summer months.  Better remember to turn it back on after hurricane season!

The smart move is to install a shallow well and lower your water bill to less then $25 per month. It will be the best $2,000 investment you ever made! You'll start saving money after 2 years.  Your neighbors will always wonder why your landscaping looks better than theirs. Tell them it’s like Coors Beer, it’s in the water! 

Handyman- stop kidding yourself that one day you will complete the "honeydo” list.  It’s not going to happen! Wives are just built that way, so get over it.  Hire a handyman to come in monthly and keep your home running smoothly.  If you don’t, your new home will be falling apart before you know it.  Maintaining your home will increase the value and avoid a nasty surprise when the future buyer hires a home inspector before they close.  Just keep a running list of things that need attention and have someone else take care of them while you are at work.  Save your free time for the family.  A good handyman will save you a ton!  I have are retired guy that can do anything but I'm not sharing!  He even hangs the Xmas lights!  Make your wife a deal. She can have that cleaning lady if you get a handyman!  Negotiate. 

Septic System- make sure you have a company inspect and pump out your tank every 3 years.  It will save you a $10,000 bill for replacing your drain field.  Better believe me on this one!  Remind the company to clean out the filter.  Can you believe, you have to tell them this!  Yeah, get over it, just do it!  Never flush old medications, coffee grounds or bleach down the toilet.  Anything that kills the bacteria in you tank will stop your system from working. Every month, flush a whole jar of yeast
down the toilet.  Half on the 15th and the other half on the 30^th……You want to keep the septic tank bacteria happy! They usually get unhappy just when you’re having a really big party. It's not pretty! If not, buy a pair of hip waders (no, not for trout fishing). 

Once a month- stand in the street outside your home and see what your neighbors see.  This will avoid an embarrassing letter from the Management Company and bad feelings with neighbors. If you see something that's unsightly so do your neighbors! 

Appreciate the team it takes to keep your home beautiful. I keep a supply of $10 Publix gift certificates on hand. It's amazing what you can accomplish with one of those babies!  Before the workers start I meet each of the guys, introduce myself, ask their names and shake their hands.  I thank them in advance for doing a great job and hand the boss a Publix give certificate right in front of his men. I want happy workers giving me their best work because I'm such a great guy!  I usually leave them whistling and smiling. 

I hope these tips have been helpful.  Many of these lessons have been learned quite painfully over the years. 

Now get back to work, somebody has to pay for all this stuff!  

Best regards,
Mike McGuffie
Regal Classic Homes
RegalClassicHomes.com 

I can help make your real estate goals a reality in Orange, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia Counties.  I represent buyers and sellers and make their best interest my goal!  
Let's Get Moving!  

Sometimes the world of real estate can be confusing for buyers.  Sometimes there are so many options it's difficult to understand who to call,  when to call them and why.  Sometimes you're driving down the street in Avalon Park or Windermere or your desired location and low and behold is the "perfect home" for you.  Your agent has stressed to you that if you have ANY real estate questions at all that you call her.  She has stressed that if you call another agent that you may lose your representation.   The hard part is you heard through the grapevine that your agent is taking a day off and you hate to bother her.  YIKES!!!!  Don't dial the number on that sign.  If you can't make your fingers not dial it.....first words you say need to be:  "I'm working with a real estate agent".  If you don't say those magic words and let the agent who answers the phone know that right up front, you can lose your representation by the agent that has been working on helping you find the perfect home for months on end.  Even if your agent is on vacation in Guatemala she wants you to call her.  If she can't get the information you need immediately, she will get it to you asap, via whatever method she needs to and you will remain represented throughout the entire process.  

Why say you???  Three good reasons to use my advice:

1. Working with your own buyers agent will help you find, offer and negotiate the price on the best homes for you in your price range and location of choice. 
2. Working with your own buyers agent will avoid confusion and competition between multiple agents whom you may or may not want to represent you.  Even in areas where dual agency is allowed it is difficult to have a relationship that remains transparent with the seller and buyer for the same property.
3. Working with your own buyers agent will save you time and help you focus on that perfect home, community, school district that is the dream you have been having since you began your home search (with your buyers agents help, direction and expertise) based on all of the information you've shared with her since you began your search. 

Sometimes we forget what effects our circumstances have on our health and how to keep our health in the best possible condition.  I have a health care background (I was a nurse for 25 years before entering real estate sales in 2004) and so I tend to think with the medical side of my brain.  I hope maybe you will read the article in the Orlando Sentinel a few weeks ago:  Health & Foreclosure  and better yet heed the advice.

The current economic situation in homes, workplaces and lives has caused much upheaval and it is about time to evaluate it and make sure that we are taking care of ourselves through these crises.

My Prescription for your good and lower stress health:

1. Eat a well balanced diet.
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Don't overschedule.
4. Family First.
5. 8 Hours of sleep every night.
6. Get a flu shot.

I wish you the best health and enjoyment of your life......you only get 1!

Let me know if I can help you overcome the stress of selling or purchasing a home in the Orlando (Orange and Seminole County) area!

I grew up in the Midwest and I love fall!

Looking forward to the change of seasons and the beautiful bright colored leaves is something that has not left me since relocating to Sunny Florida.  More than 10 years have passed and I can still close my eyes and picture the magnificent sights, rustling sounds and crisp aromas.

Our warm weather, palm trees, and flip flops do not mean that we miss celebrating the season.  Fun fall activities are all around us.  We just need to get out there and find some good old fashioned family entertainment.

Here are few ideas to help you get started regardless of your setting:

A trip to a local u-pick farm is a fun outdoor activity and offers families a chance to participate in the fall harvest. Most orchards usually open the first weekend after Labor Day (call ahead to find out about picking conditions and availability).

Visit a local pumpkin patch.  Everywhere you turn it seems fields of orange gourds are growing overnight.  I'll bet you might find a place offering some hay or pony rides.

Great Family Fun Ideas

How about making some caramel apples.....Taffy Apples where I come from:-).  

Who doesn't love an apple dressed in sweetness?  The web is loaded with recipe sites and you are sure to find soemthing that tickles your taste buds.  

Last, there is my personal favorite.....fall cookies.  I am always inspired this time of year to pull out my recipe box (tablet computer) and start cooking and baking!

Happy Autumn.....

This is a message I try to convey through the entire purchase process.  It is difficult for me as well as often my offer would be different than my clients, not necessarily more or less, but based on what my wants and needs are at the time.  Paula conveyed the essence of the dilemma beautifully and I think it is worth sharing.

Maria really puts into writing what she "sees" as the reason buyers need realtors.  Reators are accustomed to seeing the house and buyers are accustomed to seeing homes.  Thanks for sharing and I hope this is useful information for my clients when they are looking at homes.  Thanks Maria, for allowing me to share!

Is tomorrow really December 1.....already.  Is it just me or is time flying so fast that I really can't keep up?  The year started off with a homebuyers tax credit that really helped my market.  Great incentive to finally, yes finally get buyers off the fence.  They weren't even kicking and screaming, but beating down my door!  Wow, that was nice! 

Then......yay.....tax credit extended.  Buyers once again calling and writing.  Can I still get the $???  Many did, some didn't but almost all have finally closed on their short sales and last minute low interest low price specials that they are so happy to be in. 

Buying vs. Renting these days????  No contest.  Although rental rates are also at a very low price point, 3 bedroom livable homes selling for $75000 - $100000.  That's a mortgage P & I payment of $281 - $475 per month.  Where do you find rents like that?  Interest and property taxes remain deductible expenses too!  Need I say more.

Tax credit over......Investors abound.  Cash buyers......yes they can see the value in these prices too and many have moved from their formerly upside down homes into their new fixer uppers, same size, a little work and 1/2 the price and no mortgage.  They were good savers.

December is upon us.  Midterm elections over.  Holiday season is buzzing.  Wait, yes that's my phone.  Do we have any inventory left in Orlando less than $100,000.00. 

OK, gotta scoot.  There is 1 more buyer left and it sounds like they need my help.

I can help with your real estate needs.  Call me and be in your home in time for the New Year!

Please read this article posted today at Trulia to see a real life story of a buyer who needs the assistance of a real estate professional.  His questions are real life and he needs real representation before proceeding.  He sounds like he has it all going for him but like so many new buyers he need the help of a REALTOR.  Let me know your thoughts.

Trulia.com

I can help you with your real estate needs.  Let me know what and where they are!

We just returned from another great morning at the Market!  Worth the drive from any location in Orlando.  My favorite is the vendor who sells local nursery products, plants, trees, flowers & herbs for prices that can't be beat in any retail location.  Quality is top notch too.

My husband loves the high quality selection of produce and also the gourmet products that he hasn't been able to find anywhere in Orlando.  He's a big fan of the Giardineria that's mass produced in Chicago (our hometown) and shipped to the local vendor for us to enjoy a taste of "home" whenever we choose.

The dog watching can't be overlooked either.  You MUST be a doggie lover to attend, or at least a tolerator.  The Farmers Market is a Dog Parade on Saturday mornings.  Dogs wear their finest scarves, headwear, and collars.  Many do resemble their owner and that's my favorite part!

Many other surprises await, seasonal flowers, pumpkins jams and jellies.  Occasional fundraisers.  Delicious breakfast foods inside the station and fresh cut cheeses and artisan breads to order.

Located at the train station in Downtown Winter Park (New England Ave. at the tracks).  We're there most Saturday mornings and are true enthusiasts. 

Take advantage of the Market soon and I assure you won't be disappointed  In the here's a photo overview of the location.  You really need to see it in person tough!

I'm an expert in Winter Park and Metro Orlando area real estate.  Let me know if I can help you.
See you at the Farmer's Market too!

10 Reasons for Buying a Home in Today's Market as presented by a Non-Realtor.  Great perspective and insight on a question I hear regularly: 

"Is now a good time to buy, or should I continue to wait?"

I can help you with your real estate needs and dreams in Central Florida!