Tag Archives: Brandon Homes

For Brandon Home Owners Awaiting Those Refund Checks…

It’s Not Monopoly Money: Your Tax Refund & Your Brandon Home

Park Place Expensive Real Estate Monopoly

Remember playing Monopoly? After another player had put up a hotel on a pricey property like Boardwalk or Park Place, remember that feeling of relief every time you got past without landing on them? Whew!

That’s the way many of us feel now that Tax Week is over. If you’re one of the millions who will soon be checking the mail for your refund check, you’re are probably also pondering the best use to put it to.

Especially if you’re thinking of selling your Brandon home any time this year, you might do something that’s less than obvious: put some of that check to good use by making one or more simple property improvements. After all, your Brandon home is your biggest investment — and the payoff when you take good care of it won’t be in play money.

If yours is an average refund  (most are somewhere north of $2,500), it can be pretty painless to direct a modest chunk of it to your home. I’ve come across some simple ideas that should also reserve most of the refund for other purposes.     Continue reading

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7 Things No One Tells Brandon First Time Homebuyers

What First Time Brandon Homebuyers Aren’t Told (Part 1)

First time homebuyers in the Brandon area are told a lot of things —

Save your money,” their parents advise.

Location, location, location!” their friend’s friend cautions.

first time buyersReasonable advice, for certain. But there are some important elements of the home buying process which a typical Brandon area first time homebuyer doesn’t usually hear. I’ve listed some of the most important ones, in no particular order:

  1.  Mortgage rates you see advertised aren’t usually what you get-  The banner ads are everywhere online: “3.2% rates!” “No money down!” But the truth is, mortgage rates vary greatly. The only way you’ll know what rates you actually qualify for is to go through a complete mortgage application including credit pulls and income verification. One more point to consider: online mortgage calculators, while handy, can be deceptive if you do not factor in the real cost of tax, insurance and PMI when you’re looking at an FHA-loan.    Continue reading
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Hottest 2013 Kitchen Trends Spice Up Brandon Area MLS Listings

Kitchen Ideas Make an Attractive Brandon Area MLS Listing

Brandon Area MLS Listings Benefit from Kitchen Updates

Modern KitchenThe importance of kitchens to prospective homebuyers is something that never seems to change. If you are preparing to bring your home onto the market anytime soon, you’ve probably been thinking about how to make your Brandon MLS listing as attractive as possible. Odds are good that updating your kitchen (with an attractive photo or two) is somewhere near the top of your to-do list. An inviting kitchen rivals curb appeal in creating a superior MLS listing, so if you’re noodling a remodel of your home’s core, you will be interested in these trends for 2013.

About that linoleum from the 1970’s: it’s time to say good-bye.  Kitchen experts agree that hardwood floors remain a hot kitchen remodeling trend…and there are a few fresh twists we can expect to start appearing more frequently in Brandon MLS listings. Interior designer Cami Weinstein says, “I am starting to see lighter shades of wood floors again – something that hasn’t been seen in a while.”  The washed-wood floors are back from the 80’s and 90’s — but with wider planks and hand scraping that creates a less formal, beachy feel.

Award-winning designer Kathleen Donohue points to a newer trend: re-facing cabinets rather than replacing them. People are watching their spending, and simply re-facing (the process of simply changing cabinet doors while maintaining the original cabinet structure) is a much less expensive option than total rebuilding. Freeing up remodeling dollars is a definite plus.

Adding to the trend toward thrift-consciousness, expect kitchen features that do double-duty – conserving precious kitchen space in the process. Examples are microwaves that double as second ovens and/or warming drawers, and refrigerators with convertible drawers that can act as fridge, freezer, or wine fridge. Either should be a great selling feature in local MLS listings. Especially if your home has a smaller kitchen, multi-taskers like those are valuable ideas.

Spring, 2013 is shaping up as a great time to sell.  I offer complimentary and confidential evaluations all the time, so if you’re considering listing your home this year, give me a call…  we can start in the kitchen!

Rick Frissell, Red Baron Realtor

813-445-8700

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