20+ years ago when I got into the real estate business FAX machines were a critical part of the normal real estate business machine inventory. But as I said, that was over 20 years ago! When I started in real estate we still used MLS books and very few people actually had cell phones. It used to be that you had to "go into the office" when you were writing an offer. You needed to write up the offer, print it out on a printer, have your client sign the offer, then FAX it over to the other agents office. Fast forward into the next millinium. MLS books are gone, everyone has cell phones (even children have them now), and for under $100 you can run down to your local Staples or Office Depot store and purchase a 4 in 1 machine. That is, a machine that is a:                                   ... 03/24/2015

Let’s face it, we picked a tough line of work. There are those clients they are an absolute joy to work with, then there are just some clients that can suck the life out of you. Following are 10 points that may possibly help you deal with those difficult people and help de-stress your life!1. Know When to Set Limits and Have Boundaries Difficult people can really bring us down. When a client or another agent starts to complain, you have the power to set limits for yourself. Don’t feel pressured to continue to listen to whiners and negative people. Politely yet firmly set limits on what you will tolerate. You might ask the problem person what solution they want to see, then evaluate the probability of succeeding in accomplishing it. If the offender continues their bad mouthing or negati... 03/23/2015

    Let's face it. We all love surfing the internet. It has streamlined our lives. We depend on it for so many conveniences, today.  It's a way of life. So, in shopping for a home, surfing the internet is great! Or is it? When looking at houses on the internet, buyers are making judgments based on the pictures included with the listing. If the picture quality is poor, often these houses are overlooked, only to sit on the market for an endless number of months, growing stagnant. Many buyers don’t want to look at them. On the other hand, some pictures highlight the home’s best features. They leave out the details about the unfinished work that needs to be done or the room that is falling down in the back. Three times in the past 2 days I have had buyers say, ‘This house looks nothing like... 03/10/2015

As I was leaving my house yesterday afternoon around 5:00pm, I drove by Surfside Elementary School on Cassia Blvd. I saw a couple of emergency vehicles stopped in front of the school with their lights on. There were was a large plate (like a manhole cover but rectangular and much larger) off of a large opening in the ground. Several men were looking and/or working in the opening in the ground. The situation looked “different” but I just assumed that there was road work of some sort going on. I drove past and continued on to my appointment. I returned after dark a couple of hours later. At this point I could not get through because of flashing lights on fire trucks, police cars, news trucks and yellow police tape strung across the street. There were probably 50 or so people standing behi... 02/24/2015

Watch what an awesome job Sea World and these workers did until wee hours of the morning in rescuing these 19 Manatees trapped in a storm drain here in Satellite Beach today.  All of the gentle giants were freed. Manatees typically head to warmer waters when the temperatures here in Florida get too cold.   02/23/2015

For those of you that know me, you may remember my blog last January in tribute to my spectacular, wonderful, amazing and loving kitty cat name Scoozer.  I lost my special boy after almost 19 years together.  I have grieved him long and hard over the last year.  I knew that I would never have another cat like him.  I didn't think that I would ever have another cat.  I would make due with the Yorkies... Then the urge started in me a couple of months ago.  I would show a home with a particularly friendly cat and I was like an addict in need of a fix.  I wanted another cat. There were a few things that I knew for sure. 1.)  I absolutely positively had to rescue and adopt an unwanted cat. 2.)  I wanted a cat that did not look like any of my previous cats of which there are 3. 3.)  I wanted ... 02/17/2015

 On a chilly day on the Space Coast, I like to go down to a canal right off of Desoto Parkway to watch my much beloved manatees that come into the shallow water canals in search of warm water. Manatees are warm blooded mammals that can get cold!  Therefore, when the temperatures come down, the manatees swim into the shallow canals off of the Intracoastal waterway where the sun has warmed up the shallow water.  You can see dozens of these huge gentle animals snuggled against one another in the water.  It really is a beautiful and heartwarming site for someone that loves animals as much as I do.Well, this week a huge mama manatee had a baby boy calf that was suffering from what is called “cold-stun”.  That is when an animal’s body temperature gets low enough that it can endanger their liv... 02/10/2015

Sunrise in Satellite Beach, Florida It's not always easy getting out of bed so early in the morning to go watch a sunrise at the beach. But every time I do, I'm glad that I did and I come back home feeling refreshed and ready to take on a new day and whatever it has to offer. I hope you have great day! Are you're looking for a painter in Satellite Beach or do you need any type of home repair in Brevard County? Give me a call @ 321.777.9337 for a prompt and accurate quote. 02/09/2015

As a child, I loved it when my parents took my sister and me out to look at Christmas Lights.  Satellite Beach has an entire street that is beautifully lit up.  On Verbenia Ct, just two streets west of A1a on the north side of DeSoto, the residents on this block have banned together to put together a Holiday display that is worth visiting!                                               There are pretty arches from one side of the street to the other that you drive under as you view the street.  Verbenia Ct is a cul-de-sac, so, you get two opportunities to view all the Christmas magic!  A map to Verbenia Ct is below.  12/22/2014

The 3rd annual Ocean-Reef-Beach Festival is coming December 6th, 2014!  This festival is returning to Pelican Beach Park and will celebrate the ocean side tropical lifestyle that we all enjoy so much here on the beautiful Space Coast of Florida.  There will be live music, a chowder cook off and members of our local arts community showings their wares.  What a great opportunity to do some ocean themed Christmas shopping as there will be surfboards and many other ocean themed gifts available.  There will also be educational programs in the A-frame Pelican Beach Clubhouse and a sea turtle maze for the little ones.Pelican Beach Park is located on Highway A1a just south of DeSoto.  The Ocean-Reef Sponsors for this event are: Da Kine Diego's Insane BurritosLongdoggersFlorida Beer CompanyHarry... 12/02/2014

Bridget Sentz, Realtor & Carolyn Smith, Realtor ~ Coastal Estate Team – Satellite Beach, FL Real Estate: Just Sold! Great Location in Satellite Beach! Just Sold! Satellite Beach home, just steps to the beach! The Coastal Estate Team just sold this ideally located Satellite Beach home, situated on a large corner lot just a short stroll from the beach! This is the perfect home to enjoy the sunny Florida lifestyle, with plenty of large, open living spaces that allow tons of natural light to filter through the home. Offering 3 generously-sized bedrooms including a master suite with its own private sitting area, 2.5 bathrooms, a separate office, and a 2 car garage, this Satellite Beach home has been updated and well-maintained. Outdoors, the 3 paver patios provide ample spaces for enjoying t... 11/17/2014

Bridget Sentz, Realtor & Carolyn Smith, Realtor ~ Coastal Estate Team - Satellite Beach, FL Real Estate: Just Sold in Carriage Park, Satellite Beach Just Sold in Carriage Park, Satellite Beach! The Coastal Estate Team just sold this Satellite Beach home, in less than one month! Ideally located in the Carriage Park neighborhood of Satellite Beach, this 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home offers over 1,700 square feet of living space, and is just an easy stroll to the beach. From the tropically landscaped front yard to the fully screened pool and fenced yard, pride of ownership is evident throughout this Carriage Park home. The custom, split floor plan offers plenty of room to stretch out and relax, with a formal living room, spacious kitchen that opens to the family room, comfortable Fl... 11/06/2014

I used to only think that WD-40 is a great lubricant when something is stuck.  At least that is always the way that I saw my father use the stuff.  But lately I have seen all of these additional uses for WD-40 that I was astonished by!  Here are 10 cool applications! Shines leaves of houseplants Cleans dog poop from tennis shoes Keeps cat poop from sticking to electric cat-box rakes Spray around bottom of garbage cans to prevent animals from getting in Spray on bathroom mirror to keep it from fogging Helps to open lock boxes that have swollen from the heat (in Florida) Spray top of bird feeder to make squirrels slide off (evil laugh he he he) Coat door knobs prior to painting to keep paint from sticking Apply to stainless steel grills to stop salt air corrosion Apply to leather to clean... 08/20/2014

“I want to have some bargaining room.” is very possibly the dumbest thing that we Realtors hear coming out of a Seller(s) mouth.  Seriously!  I hear this statement on a pretty regular basis.The rationale behind this is this:  If your property is worth let’s say $525,000, list it at $550,000 because then you have $25,000 in “wiggle room”, “bargaining room” or whatever crazy term you want to use.  NOT!  Playing games like this can cost you money.  If your property is worth $525,000 then list it at $525,000 deal with "hypotheticals" when you get a contract in.  It has been shown time and time again that if you list your property too high at the beginning and sit on an over inflated price for too long, you will get less for your your property in the long run.The moral of the story is, if yo... 08/19/2014

When dealing with Buyers, I am sometimes amused by what people tell me they want in their new home.  For example, several years ago I was working with a single man who had a budget of $110,000.  Tim wanted to buy a condo or a townhome.  When I asked him what he wanted, he said to me, “Have you ever seen the TV show Frasier?”.“Yes”, I replied, “it’s one of my favorite shows.”“Well I want a place that looks pretty much like that.  Elegant, large and with a great view.”I tried to explain to Tim that a condo like that would cost well over $250,000, over twice what he was pre-qualified for.  Tim would have none of it.  That’s what I want, and you need to find it for me.”  he said to me.Thankfully, Tim was a referral to me from my lender who was one of his friends.  I called up his friend (t... 08/11/2014

I recently brought a home Beachside.  It was an REO property so I got a great deal on it.  When we did the inspection it was noted that the tub in the hallway was draining slow.  No problem, it was probably just hair in the P trap.  But, just a couple of days after I moved in, all of the drains started to drain slow.  Not good!  I called Spiro Kollanda, owner of Accurate Plumbing Solutions, as he had been referred to me by an associate.  I am so glad I did!!!  Spiro Kollanda came out bright and early at 8:00am to work on my line.  He determined that in the interim of the time of my inspection and when I moved in, whomever Fannie Mae hired to mow the lawn clipped the top of a clean out cap in the yard and broke it.  With all of the rain that we have gotten, sand and dirt was washed into ... 08/07/2014

403 Rosedale Drive has closed!  This cute 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom pool home has closed.  Located walking distance to Surfside Elementary School, this Beachside home has an huge gas kitchen, walk-in closets, a Florida room under air and a large storage shed in the yard.  Located in quiet Ocean Spray Estates, 403 Rosedale Drive is walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean. If you are interested in a Beachside Space Coast home like this one on Rosedale, call me, I would be glad to help!!! 08/06/2014

"Morning Splendor" in Satellite Beach, Florida I love photography and sharing with everyone here on Active Rain. Thanks for looking at this photo and for all of your feedback on it. All art and photos are originals. This photo by Paul Peck (Peck Drywall and Painting) is copyrighted with all rights reserved and may not be used or reproduced without my permission.. Copyright © 2014 Paul Peck, (all rights reserved) 08/01/2014

Bridget Sentz, Realtor & Carolyn Smith, Realtor ~ Coastal Estate Team – Satellite Beach, FL Real Estate: Satellite Beach Montecito Pool Home, Listed and Sold… In Just 4 Days! Just Sold This Satellite Beach Montecito Home! The Coastal Estate Team listed and sold this beautiful Montecito executive courtyard pool home… in just 4 days! Situated on the pond with over 3,300 square feet of living space, this Satellite Beach home has it all! Boasting 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, and tons of upscale finishes, it is no wonder we found buyers for this amazing home so quickly! The outdoor spaces are second to none and ideal for entertaining, with a huge courtyard, covered lanai and covered deck, and a large balcony off the master suite sitting room. The community of Montecito offers exceptional beachside l... 07/29/2014

How would you like to wake up to this beautiful site each morning?  Well, Charles & Gina will be able to!  This wonderful Satellite Beach condo has closed at the Buccaneer Beach Club!  With 1392 sq/ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a balcony that spans the entire front of their new condo, this gorgeous condo is sure to be the center of family get togethers! Congratulations Charles and Gina!  If you have any questions about this or any of the other great Space Coast Area communities, please do not hesitate to call Kerry at 321-626-5868.  Kerry would love to help you find your Space Coast Area Home. 07/11/2014