http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/archive_201712/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ Florida Keys – December 3, 2018 - Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Company’s (CBSREC) Lower Keys office on Big Pine Key hosted its 14th annual Children’s Christmas Party with Santa and his Elves, the evening’s special guests arriving by fire truck courtesy of Big Pine Fire and Rescue,Santa conferred with over 100 kids concerning their Christmas wishes while photos were taken and given to each family.  All children in attendance were given gift bags, enjoyed free popsicles donated by Keys Federal Credit Union and watched Christmas movies.“We hope the kids enjoyed the evening as much as we did and that their photos evoke fun memories for years to come,” said Brian Schmitt, president and broker. “We also want to wish our Lower Keys community a festive and enjoyable holiday season. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone again at our Children’s Christmas Party celebration next year.”Coldwell Banker Schmitt is the oldest and largest real estate company in the Florida Keys with offices conveniently located in each of the five major Keys market areas. It has been the Keys-wide leader in listings and sales since 2005 and boasts a 98+ percent rating of customer satisfaction. For additional information, visit Coldwell Banker Schmitt’s website at RealEstateFloridaKeys.com, or email info@cbschmitt.com, or call any of its five locations in the Florida Keys. To learn more about professional opportunities and why Coldwell Banker Schmitt agents and staff average more than nine years of service with the company, visit the Careers center. 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/501/coldwell-banker-schmitt’s-lower-keys-office-hosts-annual-children’s-christmas-party/ Wed, 20 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0500 Florida Keys – December 9, 2019 – The 15th Annual Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. “Home for the Holidays” event featured Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting 191 local children plus parents and other guests at its Marathon office the evening of Friday, December 6th.  Santa & Mrs. Claus arrived by fire truck courtesy of the Marathon Fire and Rescue Squad.  Each child got to sit on Santa’s lap and provide him with their Christmas wish list.  Gift bags and glow necklaces were distributed to the children by our “Elf-In-Charge” Mia Williams. Each child was given a bag of free, holiday cookies courtesy of the Marathon Bagel Co. The evening was accented by a star-studded light show with Christmas music for children produced by Richard Smith.  Assisting Richard this year in the set-up of lights were Patty & Harvey Hillman and CBSREC staff members Nicole Norad and Robin Beeler. Local businesses that participated in the event included The Weekly Newspapers, Time-Out Magazine, Specialty Hardware, and Marathon Bagel Co. Brian Schmitt, president and broker, said, “We hope the children had as much fun as we did. All of us at Coldwell Banker Schmitt want to acknowledge and thank everyone who helped to make this festive celebration so enjoyable.  We plan to continue the “Home for the Holidays” celebration as an annual tradition for our Middle Keys community.”Coldwell Banker Schmitt is the oldest and largest real estate company in the Florida Keys with offices conveniently located in each of the five major Keys market areas. It has been the Keys-wide leader in listings and sales since 2005 and boasts a 98 percent rating of customer satisfaction. For additional information, visit Coldwell Banker Schmitt’s website at RealEstateFloridaKeys.com, or email info@cbschmitt.com, or call any of its five locations in the Florida Keys. To learn more about professional opportunities and why Coldwell Banker Schmitt agents and staff average more than ten years of service with the company -- 2.5 times the national average -- visit the Careers center. 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/502/coldwell-banker-schmitt-hosts-annual-“home-for-the-holidays”-event/ Wed, 20 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0500 800x600 Florida Keys – December 11, 2017 – Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. (CBSREC) congratulates its Middle and Lowers Keys Agents on their 2017 awards from the Marathon Lower Keys Association of Realtors® (MLKAR).Caitlin McKinney (Middle Keys) was awarded the 2017 MLKAR Realtor of the Year.Lea Ruesch (Middle Keys) was awarded the 2017 MLKAR President’s AwardRuth Pasquale (Lower Keys) was elected 2018 MLKAR Secretary.Lisa Ferringo (Lower Keys will be the 2018 President-Elect.Several CBSREC agents, Caitlin McKinney and Jessica Borraccino (Middle Keys) and Doug Goethel (Lower Keys) will be MLKAR Directors during 2018.CBSREC also congratulates Andrea Johansson of its Islamorada office for being awarded the 2017 Rookie of the Year for the Florida Keys Board of Realtors (FKBOR).Brian Schmitt, CBSREC’s president and broker, noted “It’s always nice to get awards but it’s especially gratifying when your peers and competitors acknowledge your accomplishments.”For additional information about Coldwell Banker Schmitt and its Realtors® visit RealEstateFloridaKeys.com, email info@cbschmitt.com, or call any of its five locations in the Florida Keys: 100430 Overseas Highway, Key Largo (305) 451-4422; 85996 Overseas Hwy., Islamorada, (305) 664-4470; 11050 Overseas Highway, Marathon, (305) 743-5181; 29967 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, (305) 872-3050, and 1201 White Street, Key West (305) 296-7727. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/500/congratulations-to-our-marathon-lower-keys-association-of-realtors®-and-florida-keys-board-of-realtors®-award-recipients/ Mon, 18 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0500 Homeowner Tips Selling a Home9 Overlooked Items to Prep Your Home for SaleSo you’ve prepped your home cosmetically for sale in every imaginable way – fresh paint, a deep cleaning, new landscaping, decluttered closets and even organized the garage! Your house looks better then it ever has and you are ready to hit the market! Before you proceed with the “For Sale” sign in the ground, there are several key pieces of information that you should consider gathering that today’s savvy buyers are going to want to know. David Marine Dec 8, 2017 Guest post by Cara AmeerSo you’ve prepped your home cosmetically for sale in every imaginable way – fresh paint, a deep cleaning, new landscaping, decluttered closets and even organized the garage!  Your house looks better then it ever has and you are ready to hit the market!  Before you proceed with the “For Sale” sign in the ground, there are several key pieces of information that you should consider gathering that today’s savvy buyers are going to want to know.1.  SurveyDo you have a copy of a current survey on your home?  Have this document available and provide to your listing agent so they can include in the information about your home.  Buyers want to know about property lines, easements, conservation buffers, if there is room for a pool, if the property line extends to the water behind your home, etc.  Having a survey to provide upfront will help to eliminate these types of concerns vs. waiting until a property is under contract.If you’ve made any changes that would affect your property such as adding a pool or fence since you took ownership and are not shown on your current survey, it’s important to advise the buyer.  A new survey will usually need to be ordered prior to closing in this scenario.  If you don’t have one from when you purchased the home, try contacting the title company or attorney’s office that handled the closing of the property.  Depending on how long ago that was, they may be able to retrieve from their archives.2.  Floorplan or Appraisal Sketch Buyers often need to know room dimensions as it helps with determining furniture placement and to ensure how what they have will fit (or have to be reconfigured) in the new space.  As any real estate agent can attest, many hours have been spent measuring spaces while looking at a home and comparing that against the existing buyer’s furniture dimensions.  I’ve encountered entire home searches that revolved around a great room accommodating an entertainment center and the garage size so a motorcycle could fit in addition to the cars!An appraisal is helpful as it can confirm the exact square footage of a home vs. relying on tax records which may not be accurate.  We’ve all heard stories where the appraisal showed the actual square footage that was smaller than what was initially represented in a listing sheet.  Having an appraisal will help to ensure that does not happen.  You should have received a copy of the appraisal if you obtained a mortgage loan from your lender or if you refinanced.  If you don’t have either, consider having a floorplan drawn up or home measured by an appraiser when prepping your home for sale. Your agent can assist with resources to this effect.3.  Utility Bills Buyers want to get an idea of what they can expect the heating and cooling bills to be in a home.  Review your bills over the last one to two years to get an average in the various seasons, or call your local utility provider as they can often provide you with information on the high, average and low costs.  This information can be very beneficial when a buyer sits down to number crunch their total costs of owning a home.  If you had an unusually high or low bill, provide some explanation to accompany the numbers.4.  Termite Bond In many markets where termites are alive and well, it is common place for homes to have some sort of protection plan in place which is also known as a bond.   In Florida, where I live and work, this is a primary concern and often one of the first questions buyers and their agents want to know.  Prior to listing your home, obtain a copy of your termite bond policy from the provider, know exactly what type of bond you have – repair or treatment bond and up to what dollar amount of coverage is it good for.  Also know how long the bond is in effect, when it is up for renewal and what the renewal fee is, if there is a transfer fee and what does it provide protection for – not all bonds provide protection against all different types of termites.5.  Pest Control If you maintain any type of pest control on your property, compile information as to who the provider is, what you have done, how much you pay and how often does the company come out to treat the property.  A copy of your service agreement is helpful in this instance.6.  Insurance Buyers especially want to know who a seller uses for their homeowners insurance and how much they pay.  This is particularly the case in higher risk areas (where there are hurricanes, floods, fires, etc.) With homeowners insurance potentially more difficult to obtain in some areas, going through the existing seller’s insurance company can help streamline the process, particularly on an older home.7. Product Manuals and Warranty Documents  Now is the time to gather the various product manuals for all items that will be staying in the home such as appliances, water heater, heating and cooling system, ceiling fans, pool equipment, etc.  If your home came with any warranties, be sure to include these for the new owner as well.  Putting all of these in one large envelope makes it easy for everything to be readily accessible in one place for the new buyer. 8.  Service ProvidersCompile a list of all service providers/vendors and their contact information who you have used on your home – lawn service, pool service, A/C company, etc. While a new buyer may or may not choose to use these services, they will certainly appreciate having resources available to them and may elect to initially use them as they make the transition to living in your home.9.  Covenants and Restrictions, Neighborhood Rules and Information  This is key critical information for a new owner to have on hand.  A contract may likely hinge on the buyer’s review of this information, so easiest to have it available ahead of time.  If you don’t have these, contact your neighborhood’s association president or management company for assistance in obtaining a copy. Many of these documents are matters of public record and are available by going online to the appropriate municipality’s website.Work with your agent to create an informational package or binder that you can provide to prospective purchasers that come through the home with the information mentioned above.  Gathering this information before you put your home on the market will save time and make the process that more efficient once you find a buyer.  It may even help your home to sell faster as all of this information is available upfront, eliminating the need for guesswork and waiting on answers while another property could possibly come on the market to grab the buyer’s attention.  You want to help keep the buyer focused on your home, so make it easy for them to buy by giving them what they want.  Happy selling!  You can read more home seller tips here.Cara Ameer is an agent with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and serves as a regular contributor on the local lifestyle show called First Coast Living where she covers a variety of real estate trends and topics of interest. Click here to view Cara Ameer’s profile. http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/498/9-overlooked-items-to-prep-your-home-for-sale/ Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0500 800x600 Florida Keys –December 1, 2017 – The month of November marks significant service milestones reached by Coldwell Banker Schmitt agents and staff Keys-wide.AgentsOfficeYears of Service   Debra GrillMiddle Keys19Lela AshkarianMiddle Keys18Melba WilsonKey Largo18DD HollandMiddle Keys   17Pam Nada-CaleyMiddle Keys15Lisa FerringoLower Keys13Sam WilliamsMiddle Keys11Barbara & Rusty Stevens    Middle Keys   11Margo & Brett NewmanIslamorada10Barbara KowalskaMiddle Keys7Laura Lynne KennedyIslamorada     4Randy MossKey West4 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} 800x600 Brian Schmitt, President and Broker noted, “Our agents and staff are the single, most important reason we continually lead the Florida Keys in listings and sales. I’d like to express our appreciation for the contributions to our success these people have made”  Coldwell Banker Schmitt is the oldest and largest real estate company in The Florida Keys.  For additional information, visit Coldwell Banker Schmitt’s website at RealEstateFloridaKeys.com, or email info@cbschmitt.com, or call any of its five locations in the Florida Keys: 100430 Overseas Highway, Key Largo 305 451-4422; 85996 Overseas Hwy., Islamorada, 305 664-4470; 11050 Overseas Highway, Marathon, 305 743-5181; 29967 Overseas Highway, Big Pine Key, 305 872-3050, and 1201 White Street, Key West 305 296-7727. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;} http://realestatefloridakeys.com/blog/499/coldwell-banker-schmitt-recognizes-agents’-years-of-service-for-november-2017/ Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:00:00 -0500