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Ten Museum Park Condo
The Ten Museum Park building vividly stands out with its unique crystalline architectural style that ascends brilliantly into the ...  
     Updated: Friday, August 18, 2017
How To Simplify Your Next Move
When youre selling your home, getting your belongings organized can seem like a low priority. Youre dealing with finding the right real estate agent, the best time to list your home on the market, and maybe even house-hunting for a new place to live. All of that can keep you quite busy considering many of us have to do those things while we work a full-time job. Organizing your home so that you can simplify your move just doesnt seem practical. However, there is one main reason why getting organized can not only simplify your next move but also help improve your chances of selling your home faster and for more money. When you go through the process of getting organized, you should be eliminating items from your home which helps to clear clutter. Clearing clutter is one of the first things agents and experts who stage homes for sale will tell you to do. When the clutter is gone, the home can be shown much easier. Potential buyers can see what makes your house so special and different from others in the neighborhood. If youre putting off the process of getting organized because you think you should wait until you accept an offer, let me encourage you to get motivated to do it sooner. Ive seen it happen many times. The homeowner thinks theres plenty of time and then when an offer is accepted theyre thrust into high gear because the buyer wants to close escrow fast. Of course, your agent can negotiate the closing date but sometimes a faster closing is a must. Yes, you may be able to rent back from the new owners to give you more time to prepare to move but you cant avoid the fact that youll need to move at some point. Here are five tips that can help you jump start your organizing and simplify your next move. You will be glad you start before you get an offer to purchase your home. 1. Sort piles of belongings into groups: keep, giveaway, maybe, and trash. The "maybe" pile you box up and seal for six to 12 months. If you dont have a use for your items in the "maybe" box during the year then perhaps you can donate it. 2. Give yourself plenty of time. Be patient. This process of getting organized takes time. Know that when it comes to sorting through personal papers and memorabilia it will take you much longer than reviewing other items. Leave some extra time for the expected reminiscing that will occur. 3. Store your items in clear plastic bins. Using clear boxes helps to let you have a quick view of whats inside. If you used cardboard boxes or colored bins, then use a pen to clearly label whats inside and which room it will go in at your new home. You might want to use a large piece of paper to write the label on so that you can reuse the bin again later for another purpose. 4. Get rid of the paper. A big problem in many homes is the paper trail they have from room to room. It could be magazines, newspapers, documents, advertisements, receipts, you name it. Most homeowners keep a lot of paper which creates a lot of clutter. Go through your files and reduce the paper by shredding or recycling documents you dont need. Youll find that a lot of what youre hanging on to, you just dont need. 5. Do it now This is the most valuable tip. As soon as you finish reading this, go put a time on your calendar when you will begin to get organized. Placing it on your calendar should help you block off time to get started and prevent procrastination. If you take care of things right away, youll find that life gets simpler. The same goes for your move. So, get organized and simplify your next move > Full Story New Advances In Technology Make Going Green A Breeze
Did you know that an automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand, which equals an average of six gallons less per cycle, or more than 2,000 gallons per year? Considering that an individual American uses about 2,000 gallons of water per month, thats a pretty significant number. The idea of "going green" has come a long way in recent decades. In the 1950s, some kinds of energy efficiency werent really a choice. From drying your clothes on a clothesline, to cutting your grass with a mechanical push mower, people often lived green without ever consciously considering their carbon footprint. These days, the story is a little different; you cant turn a corner or pick something up without seeing some kind of "save the earth" signage or packaging. Reasons to Go Green There are a plethora of reasons to go green, most falling into either the money-saving or the earth-saving categories. On one hand, you could seriously put some green back into your wallet with things like energy-efficient appliances, and green building tax credits and rebates. Also, simple things like carpooling, limiting eating out, and starting your own vegetable garden are great ways to save money and help the environment. On the other hand, eco-friendliness means making your community and the planet a better place to live not only for us, but also for future generations. Examples of things you can do in your home are unplugging unused electronics to prevent "phantom" energy consumption, switching to LED light bulbs, conserving water by taking shorter showers, and using reusable items like Tupperware and canvas shopping bags rather than plastic. Home Automation Technology New advances in technology are taking much of the guesswork out of going green. With home automation systems like the Wink Hub and free app, you can control the settings on many of your home devices with the push of a smartphone button or even just with your voice. The Wink ecosystem interconnects all of your smart home devices either first through the Hub, or directly to the app. Winks simplicity is one of its most attractive features: according to Home Depot technology professional and Wink test user, Ramesh Chaparala, "Its very, very simple and self-explanatory," continuing, "Installing the Hub is a no-brainer; in five steps youre connected." What Can You Control? With the Wink home automation ecosystem, you no longer have to "set it and forget it" when it comes to your home devices. You can control many of your smart devices from your couch, bed, work, or anywhere you are in the world. Here are just a handful of devices you can install in your home that will not only bring you into the 21st century, but also make your home a smoothly running, highly efficient machine. Smart Thermostats Thermostats are a great way to control your homes energy consumption, and when you apply smart technology, you can control it from anywhere. One Wink App Ready device is the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, which not only adjusts to your schedule, uses automatic energy-saving settings, and Smart Response technology for precise temps, but also has a full-color, customizable screen to match your decorating scheme. You can be sure your home is aesthetically pleasing and at your exact desired temperature at all times. Custom Window Shades Motorized window shades allow for a clean, uncluttered look, are safer for pets and children with cordless technology, and help insulate your home with the setting of a timer or the push of a button. One quality option, Bali Custom Blinds and Shades with Somfy automation controls, utilizes a single control, wall switch, remote or programmable timer to operate single or multiple window coverings. Keep the shades drawn during summer to keep your home naturally cool, or leave them open in cooler months to let the sunshine warm your space. Remote-Access LED Lights Huge energy and money savings start by simply swapping out incandescent and even compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home for LED bulbs. LED solutions outlast incandescent and halogen bulbs up to 35 to 1, consume 85 less energy than incandescent bulbs, and emit less heat, which altogether drastically reduces replacing costs and landfill waste. Once youve decided to install LEDs, take it to the next level by installing smart light bulbs, like the TCP Connected Smart LED Light Bulb Kit with 2 A19 LED light bulbs. With this kit, you can remotely control lighting, dimming and smart lighting features from anywhere in the world with any computer, tablet, smart phone, or connected remote control. They have an estimated yearly cost of 1.32 and a life expectancy of 22.8 years both figures based on three hours of use a day. Home Automation Technology is an Environmental No-Brainer When it comes to eco-friendly new gadgets, its clear that home automation takes the cake. Having nearly complete control of your energy-consuming home devices right at your fingertips is certainly a big step forward for earth-conscious homeowners. In addition to these devices, several other smart green products are energy sensors, HVAC systems, irrigation systems, and outlet controls. Which environmentally friendly automated devices will you install in your home?
> Full Story How Do You Know If Your Moving To A Diverse Neighborhood
A family I know moved from California to Texas recently to take advantage of a new job opportunity. As they set out to buy a new home in their adopted North Texas city, the questions they had for their real estate agent were pretty typical:
That last one raise an eyebrow? As a white person or family, you may be able to presume that youll be accepted into a new neighborhood without question, at least on face value literally. But for a mixed family moving to Texas from liberal California, things are not necessarily so black and white. Especially now. My neighbor is on the news Mixed families arent the only ones who are challenged to find a neighborhood that welcomes them. Between race and sexual orientation, trying to fit in, or at least feel somewhat at home, can be difficult. Most of us watched what transpired in Charlottesville, VA last weekend and have seen the aftermath this week as numerous torch-carrying Nazis and Nazi sympathizers have been systematically outed. Those identified have been fired from their jobs and even ex-communicated from their families. But, what if one of those marchers turned out to be your neighbor? They have to live somewhere, right? While the obvious choice after this discovery may be: "We need to move," the more pressing question is this: How can you avoid living next door to a torch-bearer in the first place? Recognize one of your potential neighbors as someone who was marching down the street with a dollar store Tiki torch would be great, right? Lets just cross that home right off the list. The truth is, you may not be able to cherry-pick every one of your neighbors or even know what theyre really about. But there are steps you can take to make sure the neighborhood suits your needs and your neighbors mostly share your values.nbsp;Especially in this increasingly contentious time when political and social differences are more pronounced, more polarizing, and more obvious than theyve been in decades, its more important than ever to know who youre living next door to. Drive around and walk around The more time you spend in your potential neighborhood, the better the feel youll get for how it lives. Noticing a lot of pro-Trump bumper stickers when youre looking for a more progressive neighborhood - or vice versa? This might not be the place for you. Ditto if youre a Muslim family whos getting a lot of side eye and people crossing to the other side of the street as you approach. While that might not necessarily indicate a lack of acceptance, the way it makes you feel may just be enough to ditch that area and lean toward one where you were greeted with waves and a warm "Hello" instead. Ask your REALTORreg; Your real estate agent or > Do an online search While it wont tell you what everyone on the street youre considering is like, a general diversity search will yield some good info, like this list of the most diverse cities in the country on WalletHub. Ask around Have anyone you can talk to about certain neighborhoods? If youre brand new to the area, you might not have trusted friends or colleagues yet. Any new affiliation with a school or church or new job can yield confidantes, or, at least, recommendations. If youre a member of the LGBTQ community, the National Association of Gay amp; Lesbian Real Estate Professionals NAGLREP can help. Check Nextdoor Nextdoor is great for finding a lost dog, locating a babysitter, or selling your old furniture. But its also a great place to get a feel for a neighborhood or learn new things about the one you already live in. And that, says the San Jose Mercury-News, can be a double-edged sword. "The mission of Nextdoor, a 4-year-old, San Francisco-based startup - which now operates in 70,000 neighborhoods around the country and has recently been valued at 1.1 billion - is to use the power of technology to build stronger and safer communities," they said. "This all sounds very well and good - until you bring real, flawed human beings into the mix. And, then Nextdoor becomes like any social network, with all the good and bad that comes from giving people a venue to let their free expression fly from the remote isolation of their laptops and smartphones." This particular article from Marth Ross recounts examples of racial profiling and public shaming that "is another Nextdoor trend that Ive heard friends complain about," she said. Keep in mind that you can only become part of the Nextdoor community in your particular area if have a physical address you can register, so a friend who lives there or a well-connected Realtor can be a great help here. Check police records The sweet old man down the street may not seem so sweet when you uncover his criminal, racially motivated past. My Local Crime allows you to enter any address and see a list of crimes reported in the area. Family Watchdog can pinpoint sex offenders in the area surrounding the homes you are considering. > Full Story |
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Copyright © 2007 Museum Park Realty 1040 Biscayne Blvd Miami, FL 33132 Tel: (305) 753-4154 | Fax: (305) 960-2008 | shelly@museumparkrealty.net |
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