Treasure Coast Real Estate Blog

When buying a home, there are some things you should never compromise on—or you’ll likely regret your home purchase, according to Realtor.com.

1. The floor plan. It’s difficult and expensive to reconfigure a home’s floor plan. If a home doesn’t have the minimum number of rooms or the flow of the main living areas you want, you should cross it off your list.

2. The school district. You should carefully consider your neighborhood’s school district, and even get a map of its exact boundaries to make sure your home is within the correct district.

3. The neighbors. You should pay attention to the condition of neighboring homes. Not only do you have to live with your neighbors on a daily basis, but they can affect your home’s future resale value, too.

4. The budget. Consider all the expenses—monthly mortgage payments, homeowner association dues, utility costs and real estate taxes—beyond the list price to make sure you’ll be financially comfortable.

5. The commute. Test-drive the route between your home and office to be certain you’re willing to make the commute every day.

Contact Eric Slifkin to buy or sell a home on the Treasure Coast.

Eric Slifkin, a Broker Associate, is the founder of the Slifkin Team at Keller Williams Realty. Eric and his team of experienced agents serve South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including greater Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, and the Palm Beaches.

Luxury Home Market Update for Beach County

Selling or planning to sell a luxury property along the Palm Beach real estate corridor? Our Luxury Market Report is your guide to luxury real estate data and trends.

The market trends report shows how your home compares to the competition. This report should be used in combination with a detailed home assessment to give you an accurate assessment for your unique property. Download the Report

Contact Eric Slifkin to buy or sell a home on the Treasure Coast.

Eric Slifkin, a Broker Associate, is the founder of the Slifkin Team at Keller Williams Realty. Eric and his team of experienced agents serve South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including greater Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, and the Palm Beaches.

 Real Estate News Brought to you by Eric Slifkin, Team Lead

Smart Homes: The Way of the Future or a Risk to Homeowners?
By Liz Dominguez

Glitches of early iterations aside, smart home technology has an increasingly active presence in the lives of homeowners who are looking for convenience and savings in a pushed-for-time era. From adaptive thermostats that automatically gauge energy usage and alter temperatures for optimal savings, to smart home speakers that use sophisticated artificial intelligence to provide services and information in real-time, a homeowner can now cross off a variety of menial tasks from their daily to-do list without doing more than speaking a phrase out loud or clicking a button on their mobile device.

But what is the true cost of this convenience? Some gadget adopters are reporting invasion of privacy, security risks, and more. These are a few of the reported instances thus far: 

1. Gadgets May Be Susceptible to Hacking

   Last August, Wired published a story about a British security researcher for MWR Labs, Mark Barnes, who was able to install malware on an Amazon Echo device, turning it into a surveillance device that silently streamed audio to his own server. While newer models cannot be jailbroken this way, Amazon has not released any software to fix the issue with older units.
   
   

2. Smart Technology Could Lead to Location-Based Tracking

   Earlier this month, security investigator Brian Krebs reported on a privacy vulnerability for both Google Home and Chromecast—found by Craig Young, a researcher with security firm Tripwire—that leaks accurate location information about its users. According to Young, attackers can use these Google devices to send a link (which could be anything from a tweet to an advertisement) to the connected user; if the link is clicked and the page left opened for about a minute, the attacker is able to obtain a location.
   
   

3. Glitches Could Lead to Invasion of Privacy

   According to local news stations in Portland, Ore., a local resident received a disturbing phone call from one of her husband's employers telling her to shut off her smart home devices. After using Amazon devices throughout her home to control temperature, lighting and security, Danielle was made aware that a private conversation was accidentally recorded by Amazon's artificial intelligence system, Alexa, and was sent to a number on the family's contact list.

Contact Eric Slifkin to buy or sell a home on the Treasure Coast.

Eric Slifkin, a Broker Associate, is the founder of the Slifkin Team at Keller Williams Realty. Eric and his team of experienced agents serve South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including greater Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, and the Palm Beaches.

Are you looking to buy? Lenders are paying close attention to buyers' ability to repay a loan, according to FindLaw.com, the nation's leading legal information website. The generally accepted principle is that no more than 30 percent of a household's take-home income should go toward the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance.

Here are some tips from FindLaw.com about buying a home within the next six to nine months:

Start planning now. Even if you're a year or more away from buying a home, start preparing now. Build up your cash for a down payment plus other expenses that come with owning a home. Check your credit report for accuracy. Pay all your bills on time and zero out all credit card debt. And don't take on new debt, like a large car payment.

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Contact Eric Slifkin to buy or sell a home on the Treasure Coast.

Eric Slifkin, a Broker Associate, is the founder of the Slifkin Team at Keller Williams Realty. Eric and his team of experienced agents serve South Florida and the Treasure Coast, including greater Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, and the Palm Beaches.

3 Bed / 2.5 Bath Townhome Near Downtown Stuart

Perfectly maintained end unit just steps from the community pool with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths plus a private two-story screened patio. Other features include tile floors in the living & kitchen areas, large closets, breakfast bar, laundry room with full-size appliances, covered parking, and more. Close to I-95, shopping, downtown. Two parking spots (one covered), no age restrictions, two pets under 35lbs ok, no pickups. Furnishings negotiable.

Now Available in Sea Pines at Hobe Sound, Florida

Spacious 2-bed / 2-bath villa with one-car garage in Sea Pines, a 55+ community in Hobe Sound, Florida. This well-maintained unit features an en-suite master, enclosed lanai, updated kitchen with laminate flooring, vaulted ceilings, newer AC, hurricane panels and more. Amenities include a heated community pool plus an active clubhouse with planned social activities. Sea Pines is just minutes from shopping, dining, and nearby Hobe Sound Beach.

Phase One Nearing Sellout at Heritage Enclave

Heritage Enclave, located at the Heritage Ridge Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, is a small village of 50 town homes with a preserve and lake front setting. These well-appointed units may feature three bedrooms with two or three baths plus available ground level den or fourth bedroom. Amenities include a community a pool with clubhouse and easy access to the Heritage Ridge public golf course. Heritage Enclave is just 30 minutes to West Palm Beach via I-95 and less than 15 minutes to local beaches, shopping, dining, and Historic Downtown Stuart. Learn More

Real Estate NewsBrought to you by Eric Slifkin, Team Lead.

For Sale: 4 Tips for Getting Your Home off the Market Quickly
By Megan Belnap

Do you have a home to sell? Are you ready to get the selling process over with quickly? There is no better time than now! 

Here are four top tips for getting your house ready to list for a ton of interest and potential bids:

Give Your Yard Attention

Cleaning up your yard and making it look welcoming will do two things for sellers: First, a beautiful yard that is free of cracks and weeds will attract more potential buyers; second, curb appeal can add as much as 5 percent value to your home.

Paint Inside and Out

Buyers want to see a fresh, clean space when they visit your home. By painting inside and out, you have the chance to apply a neutral tone throughout the home. New wall coverings mean no fingerprints or smudges—and with new paint, there are no nail holes to hide. 

Price Your Home Intelligently

The right sales price for your home is often the best way to sell your home quickly. If priced too high, you may scare buyers away before they even come to an open house, but, if priced too low, you may lose out on money. 

Depersonalize the Space

Buyers want to look at a home as if they are moving in. When you leave pet toys or your children's clothes laying around, people see "you" in the home. By removing everything that's personal, you can make way to stage the home.

Questions? Visit www.TreasureCoastHomeSales.com or contact us to schedule a free consultation.

Rent vs. buy? Ownership getting less advantageous BOCA RATON, Fla. – June 6, 2018

With housing markets around the U.S. nearing the peak in their cycles, renters who reinvest their money have an increasingly better chance at creating wealth than individuals who purchase a home, according to the latest national index produced by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Florida International University (FIU) faculty.

However, the key to maximizing wealth is that renters must reinvest any savings realized compared to homeowners. A marginal change in the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index also shows an increased possibility of significant price retractions in many metro areas around the country, as other markets' pricing can be expected to remain stable based on their index scores. "On the heels of information concerning slowing housing starts, rising mortgage rates, decreased demand and unsustainable price increases, these numbers provide additional evidence that housing markets around the country are slowing, resulting in many to opt for renting," says Ken Johnson, Ph.D., a real estate economist and one of the index's creators in FAU's College of Business.

Of the 23 separate metro areas in the BH&J Index, many are nearing the top of their current housing cycle, meaning they are above their long-term pricing trend. These cities include Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and St. Louis. Other cities are below their long-term pricing trend – meaning buying and building equity is the superior option – including Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, New York and Philadelphia.

The biggest contributor to the climbing cost of ownership is rising house prices, said Eli Beracha, Ph.D., co-creator of the index and associate professor in the Hollo School of Real Estate at FIU. "The current scores driving the markets in the direction of renting and reinvesting appear to be the results of higher mortgage rates, increase in returns, on average, in the stock market, and the cost of ownership, which includes your mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, maintenance, etc.," Beracha says. "All of these costs are rising faster than the cost of renting a comparable property. "Therefore, renters who take the money they're saving each month and reinvest it are going to build wealth faster than those who buy a home, on average," he says.

© 2018 Florida Realtors®

When it comes to Treasure Coast Real estate, our team of local experts typically complete over 150 transactions yearly with a combined value exceeding $20,000,000. Check out our current listings of homes for sale and lease in greater Stuart, Florida. Learn More

Properties Featured in This Sunday's Stuart News

Click on a link below for property details:

5320 SW Landing Creek Drive, Palm City

2351 NW Windemere Drive, Jensen Beach

6274 SE Fauna Terr Unit #6-601, Hobe Sound