Candace Spurzem's (cspurzem) Blog

595 Hazelton Dr, Madison, MS 39110

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 00:50:02 -0700

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Not only is this home listed at a great price, near Madison High School, Highland Colony Parkway, Rennaisance, I-55, and ice skating at Christmas, but the owners have put in new floors, granite, glass tile backsplash, and appliances!! This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home is an open concept, split plan. When you enter the newly painted front door you will find yourself in a foyer space. To the right, you will find a lovely formal dining room, to the left is a formal sitting room, music room or office. Straight ahead is a large great room with French doors and a corner fireplace. To the left of the great room are 3 bedrooms and a full bath. Each of the bedrooms are large enough to comfortably hold at least a queen sized bed. Off the great room to the right is the kitchen with breakfast room and laundry. Further through the breakfast room is the 1/2 bath, entrance to the 2 car garage and the master suite. The master features a tray ceiling, generous his and hers closets with builtins and a lovely master bath with corner, jetted tub. This home has new, neutral paint throughout, new carpeting in the bedrooms and new heart pine flooring. Through any of the 3 sets of French doors (guest room, great room, and master) is a pergola-type covered patio. The yard is fully fenced and ready for you! Call your agent today to see this great property at 595 Hazelton Drive in gated Cypress Lake subdivision - Madison, MS 39110Candy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings

327 Towne Street, Brandon, MS 39042 - this house is better than new!

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 04:30:09 -0800

This great house in Brandon, MS 39042 is such fabulous find! I know, there is something intriguing about buying a brand new house, but we sometimes forget all the additional costs involved in doing so! This floor plan is a split plan with eat-in kitchen and formal dining space! It's an open concept home with those additional costs taken out of the mix! Here you have a large corner lot in Towne Station. This is a wonderful neighborhood with newer homes! Outside you have a wellcared for home with a circular drive and a fully fenced back yard! When you start looking at the cost of a wood fence the dollars on that to-do list with a new home really start to add up! When you walk up to the beautiful hardwood double front doors, you will be standing in an sheltered entry - safe from the rain and sun! You'll also notice that the matching wooden blinds on the front door are already purchased and installed! As you enter you will be welcomed into the living room with corner fireplace and built-in cabinetry. The living room space is more than adequate for a large sectional sofa and chair! To you right you will find the formal dining space! Just steps away is an excellent kitchen with full walk-in pantry. At the end of the kitchen is a spacious area for a breakfast table and chairs. This area can easily seat 6 and it overlooks the backyard! It's great to be able to see into the backyard when you are preparing a meal! The master bedroom is a wonderful size and easily accomodates a king-sized bed. This home has a great master bath, as well, but the BEST part of this master suite is the CLOSET!!! It's large enough that the owner has his home office in it! Certainly not your typical closet for a 1,907 sq ft house. The two remaining bedrooms and bath are off the front entry/living room space. Each will easily accomodate a double bed, if not a queen. They are light filled and comfortable. The full bath sits between these two rooms - and has easy access for guests. If you are looking for a TRUE move-in ready home - the property at 327 Towne Street is perfect for you!Candy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings

1108 Ridgewood Blvd - Jackson, MS

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 06:02:32 -0800

1108 Ridgewood Blvd, Jackson, MS - what a beautiful spot to hold an open house! This afternoon the sun is shining and the rooms are bright! This is one of those houses that makes you marvel at the care some take of their homes. As I sit in the living/dining room, the walls appear to be freshly painted in a lovely creamy white! The beige carpet compliments the room perfectly and it's in awesome condition. The bay window with wooden blinds is flooding the room with light. This house also has a wonderful family room! There is no wasted space! The family room boasts a woodburning fireplace, built-in bookcase and hard-surface flooring. The bonus off the family room is a wonderful 3 season porch overlooking a large, fully-fenced backyard. The yard is beautifully cared for. This home also features a galley style kitchen with double ovens and breakfast area that easily accomodates 6 - also overlooking the backyard. Conveniently located just off the kitchen is access to the two car garage, laundry room and access to the backyard, perfect for grilling! There are 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. One bath is off the master, leaving the other two bedrooms to share the remaining bath. While this home is approximately 43 years old, their isn't a thing out of place! There are a couple spots with wallpaper that may not be to everyone's taste, but this is a wonderful and affordable home. The care with which it has been loved is sure to move this home to the top of your list!! Give us a call to see 1108 Ridgewood Blvd, Jackson, MS today! 1108 Ridgewood BlvdCandy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings

Be Safe and Secure when Selling your House!

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 02:57:41 -0800

Safety and security often take a back seat to "staging" during the house-selling process. Staging your house is important to make it appeal to the broadest number of buyers. Safety and security is important in keeping you and your resources, identities and belongings safe and secure! Being safe, smart and secure when your house is on the market is sometimes overlooked. It is, however, one of the most important issues on the table. You, those you live with, and your things are worth securing!! You worked hard for what you have. Let's keep them safe. If you have listed with a professional real estate salesperson you have already added a layer of security. As a rule, we don't generally put serial killers or known burglars in our cars and drive them around looking at property, but we aren't always able to keep everyone under observation while we are in your home!! That being said-you needn't be fearful, but, it is still wise to be cautious. Here are some ways to increase your safety: 1) Remove ALL personal photos. I KNOW - it's hard, but you are selling the house. You get to take the photos with you!! The first things buyers look at when they go into a home with lots of personal photos is those very photos. They want to know if they know you. That is taking time and their eyes away from imagining themselves in the space. 2) Depersonalize! Remove ALL certificates/diplomas/names from walls. There are several reasons for this:We do not want ANY buyer to walk away from your home knowing the names of your children, unless they knew them before they walked in the door! I know the great big pink letters above Ainsley's crib are adorable - but Ainsley is more important than the letters! Take them down. Certificates? I know we are so proud of our kids when they earn recognition!!! It is an awesome and all too infrequent reminder that we've done something right. I just don't want strangers knowing that Ben plays soccer in the ----- league on Saturday at Joe's Soccer field. Buyers don't need to know where your child goes to school, church..... Diplomas? We've already talked about becoming nameless in this process, but leaving your law degree and your spouse's medical degree on the office wall is screaming to the buyer in a way that doesn't make logical sense - but screams none-the-less. For some unclear reason, buyers figure if the seller makes good money they can "afford" to take less. I got my degree to further my life, not take a loss because of it! Identification - this doesn't come up often, but I was previewing a house a couple weeks ago and over the desk was a bulletin board where she had tacked all of her children's social security numbers along with a calendar of family birthdays. Make sure these kinds of things are not readily available for a quick snapshot with a smartphone! 3) Valuables - If you have a safe, be more diligent about using it during the showing period. If you don't have a safe, hide your valuables and prescription medications in illogical locations. Hiding your rings in the sock drawer below your jewelry box or medication in the medicine cabinet isn't as secure as using an altogether different location! You'll know where that is in your home. 4) Hazards - if your house has any tripping hazards, cracked/uneven brick sidewalk, etc. get those repaired or make sure they are noticeable! You don't want to give the impression that you haven't kept up with home maintenance, nor do you want to run the risk of a potential buyer being injured. We had a listing with a brick sidewalk where the mortar was in ill-repair. Our seller wouldn't fix it, but I watched a woman come to an open house after church and get her heal stuck between the bricks. They loved the house, but I never saw them again. The first thing they said when they walked in the door, was "Wow, that sidewalk needs to be repaired!" Remaining safe and secure as you sell your house is important. Taking a few simple precautions and being proactive can relieve much of the worry! Before that sign goes up in the yard, take a quick walk through every room and space on your property - if you can't find your names or faces or occupations - you are READY to ROLL!! Let's get you on your way! Candy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings

1734 Sheffield Drive - Jackson, MS - Ready for the future!

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 05:54:58 -0800

1734 Sheffield Drive in Jackson is READY for a Real Estate Nerd moment! Today (the most beautiful day of 2014 in Jackson, MS) I am happily blogging away in between visits from potential home buyers at an open house! I've mentioned in previous posts that I often dream about renovating homes in my dreams. This house is a renovators DREAM!! Not only is it a great house, but it is close to JA (Jackson Academy), major arteries, but it also sits on sought after Sheffield Drive. You've heard people talk about houses with "good bones".... I find that a little creepy! This house has awesome space just waiting to be. The living/family room has a great wood-burning fireplace (that currently has a gas log insert in it) in a functional location for the renovation in my head. This room is flanked on the right by what might have previously been an outdoor space that has been captured and included in the current HVAC. This space has a pitched ceiling, 2 high windows and french doors to the drive. The back wall of the living room and the sun room back to the kitchen. IF I lived here, I'd take down the wall to the kitchen and put in an island or 2! This would give me a wonderful open space with room for a "farm" table and chairs (in the sun room space) and wonderful living space. On the the main floor there is also a dining room, formal den, atrium, spa room, bath and large master bedroom. The master bedroom is a wonderful size with 2 great windows on each side wall. I'd leave this room space, as it is! I would refresh the bath and capture the current dining room for a "TO DIE FOR" master closet! That leaves me with a den space - that would be a great office OR a formal dining room. A spa room that is separate from the rest of the downstairs- that currently has a "beachy" theme and a hot tub. I would "adios" the spa and create a fabulous craft room, man cave, music/recording room or media room! I would leave the atrium space as it is and use the lovely attached and private courtyard as a MEAN outdoor kitchen! Upstairs this house has 3 great bedrooms and 2 baths! The bedrooms are NOT the typical little spaces that barely hold a twin bed! Two bedrooms share a hall bath and one is (in HGTV style) is en suite and boasts dual sinks! Everything upstairs could be left as is - or with a little touch of current those baths could be WOW! Your On the SPOT Team at Keller Williams Realty, of Leslie Ratcliff and Candy Spurzem, would LOVE to show you this great house! Give us a call today! Candy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings

The Real Estate Nerd

Candy Spurzem, Making real estate stress-free and fun! — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 05:21:01 -0800

I woke up this morning and realized that I am, in fact, a real estate nerd. Sometime early this morning my husband and I were both awake. He indicated he'd been having bad dreams. I said, yet again, I'd been dreaming about renovating a house. I could feel him roll his eyes through my back. Night after night I happily visit, show and renovate homes in my dreams. I often find rooms we didn't know where there. They are always grand rooms with fantastic features! When I renovate a home in my dreams, I can even smell that "fragrance" when all the flooring has been pulled up and everything is in disarray! I love that smell. It's the smell of new beginnings! Sometimes I dream about homes that we've "purchased" and other times I dream about homes I've just visited - most often it's about homes we have listed! I can't get enough of home renovation magazines, such as DWELL and THANK GOODNESS for HGTV. I can get lost thinking about faucets and cabinet fronts! I LOVE houses and love design - which is likely why I have one son that's an architect and one that's a book designer! Maybe dreams are shared between mother and child during pregnancy. While I am a well-trained educator - my passions are shared between helping others, education and home design. I think it's why I enjoy my work so much. As a Realtor, I can help home buyers and sellers realize their current dream or need, while helping them see through to what can be. As a nerd.... I've usually studied something about it. I can't quite claim the encyclopedic levels of remembered "stuff" that my husband and sons can, but I can pull an odd fact or interesting idea out of my hat quite frequently. AND the educator in my - well, that makes sure I find the answer if I don't know it already!! What I did I do before Google??? Best part of my dreams?? Like working with buyers if we don't find it today - we can pick up on it later.... I do that too! I am lucky to partner with a woman that keeps me on my toes! We are the On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams- New Beginnings. Watch for blogs about our listings - they are in my dreams! If you'd like to talk with us about buyer or listing a home just call! I'll share my musings as the Real Estate Nerd with our listings! Candy Spurzem Your On the SPOT Team with Keller Williams New Beginnings