Hey there, homeowners! As the summer heat slowly gives way to cool, crisp air, it’s time to give your home some TLC. Fall is the perfect season to prepare your humble abode for the upcoming winter months. So grab a pumpkin spice latte and let’s dive into these 5 tips for fall home maintenance. Your cozy nest will thank you later!

1. Clean Those Gutters:

Okay, I get it. Cleaning gutters might not sound like the most glamorous task, but trust me, it’s crucial. With falling leaves and debris, your gutters can get clogged, which can lead to water damage and potential leaks. So grab a ladder, some gloves, and get those gutters spick and span. If you’re not up for the task, why not hire a professional? It’s a small investment that can save you a ton of headaches down the road.

2. Check Your Heating System:

Now that the cooler days are approaching, it’s time to make sure your heating system is in tip-top shape. Nobody likes stepping into a chilly home when it’s freezing outside. So, give your HVAC system a once-over. Change the filters, clean the vents, and make sure everything is functioning properly. It’s a small price to pay for a cozy and warm home during those chilly fall evenings.

3. Seal Up the Cracks:

As the temperature drops, you don’t want any cold drafts sneaking into your cozy space. Inspect your windows and doors for any cracks or gaps that could let in the cold air. Weatherstripping and caulking are great solutions for sealing up those pesky openings. Trust me, your heating bills will thank you, and you’ll be able to enjoy your hot cocoa in peace!

4. Give Your Fireplace Some Love:

Ah, the crackling sound of a fireplace on a chilly fall evening. But before you light that first fire, it’s important to give your chimney a good cleaning. Creosote buildup can be a fire hazard, so it’s best to have a professional chimney sweep come by and do the job. Plus, they can also inspect the fireplace for any signs of damage or wear. Once it’s all sparkly clean, you can cozy up and enjoy the warmth!

5. Don’t Forget the Outdoors:

Fall home maintenance isn’t just about the inside; your outdoor space deserves some attention too! Trim back any overgrown branches near your home to avoid any potential damage during those windy fall storms. Also, drain and store your garden hoses to prevent them from freezing and bursting. And while you’re at it, make sure your outdoor lighting is in working order, so your home stays well-lit and safe when the sun goes down earlier.

There you have it, folks! These 5 tips for fall home maintenance will help you keep your nest cozy and safe throughout the upcoming season. Remember, maintaining your home doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a little bit of effort and a touch of autumn inspiration, you can enjoy a comfortable and inviting space all year round. So grab your checklist, put on some cozy socks, and let’s get to work!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

By and photo credit: blog.homekeepr.com/

The stress and excitement of buying your first home has subsided, the boxes are unpacked, and your mail is being forwarded to your new address–the house is yours! So why are you getting mail regarding your new home purchase? Our guide will help you discern between what is relevant, and what you should toss: 

• Why are you even getting all these unsolicited offers? Your home purchase is public record. All sorts of house- and mortgage-related “companies” are combing through those records daily, obtaining your information as soon as the deed is filed.
   
• Many of these offers come with your lender’s logo or name in bold print. Comparing contact information on paperwork you already have will help discern if it is a legitimate offer from your mortgage lender.
   
• Life insurance offers come in droves after purchasing a home, and you are the only one who can decide on what insurance company you choose. Contacting a reputable insurance agent in your local area is probably your best choice.
   

• Mortgage protection insurance (MPI) offers are sent to you as well. Such insurance sounds great, as it will pay off your loan in case of death. However, while your loan amount decreases, your MPI premium stays the same, so it would be a better financial decision to have a life insurance policy that is large enough to pay off your mortgage and take care of any other expenses.
   
• Many home warranty offers will inundate your mailbox as well. Do a little homework if you are interested, and your buyer agent can probably recommend a few companies.
   
• Do not just toss or shred anything you suspect may not be legitimate. Read the entire mail contents, look for spelling errors, generic information, and disclaimers–read everything, especially the fine print. Call your lender if you are not sure about something that looks official.
   
• If the former homeowner continues to receive mail at their old address, mark it “Return to Sender,” place it back in the mailbox, and allow the USPS or the company sending the mail to locate the former residents address. 

One great and secure tool you can use to stop receiving anything related to your finances (refinancing offers, credit cards, etc.), is OptOutPreScreen.com. A joint effort of credit companies Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion, this site is free to sign up for five years or permanently. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

The nation’s consumer bureau took a first step to erase medical debt from credit reports and lending decisions because that type of debt “has little predictive value.”

WASHINGTON – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – the national agency focused on consumer issues – began a rulemaking process to remove medical bills from Americans’ credit reports.

The CFPB outlined proposals under consideration – moves that it says would help families recover from medical crises, stop debt collectors from coercing people into paying bills they may not owe, and ensure that creditors don’t rely on data that is often plagued with inaccuracies and mistakes.

“Research shows that medical bills have little predictive value in credit decisions, yet tens of millions of American households are dealing with medical debt on their credit reports,” says CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “When someone gets sick, they should be able to focus on getting better rather than fighting debt collectors trying to extort them into paying bills they may not even owe.”

“Access to health care should be a right and not a privilege,” Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters as she helped CFPB make the announcement. “These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future.”

A 2022 CFPB report found that roughly 20% of Americans have medical debt, but, based on previous research, that type of debt isn’t a fair reflection on their future ability to repay a loan, unlike other more traditional credit obligations.

It’s not just the fact that medical debt isn’t important to analyzing a person’s credit, though. CFPB also claims that it also has a lot more mistakes and inaccuracies, compounded by problems such as disputes over insurance payments or complex billing practices.

The initial rule-making document released by CFPB is an outline of proposals and alternatives under consideration. If finalized without changes, it would:

• Remove medical bills from consumers’ credit reports: Credit-score companies would be prohibited from including medical debts and collection information on credit reports used in underwriting decisions.
• Stop creditors from relying on medical bills for underwriting decisions: It would narrow a 2005 exception and prohibit creditors from using medical collection information when evaluating borrowers’ credit applications.
• Stop coercive collection practices: Debt collectors would no longer be able to use the credit reporting system as leverage to pressure consumers into paying questionable debts.

The proposal would not stop creditors from obtaining medical bill information for other purposes, though, such as verifying medical forbearances or evaluating loan applications for medical services. A complete overview of the proposal is posted on CFPB’s website.

CFPB says it started the rule change in July when it held public hearings and took comments. It says it also continues to receive complaints from the public about illegal debt collection and credit reporting practices related to medical billing.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Source Floridarealtor.org
© 2023 Florida Realtors®
By: Kerry Smith

Daylight hours have become noticeably less, and so are out landscaping duties! If you’d like to bring the outside in but are concerned about the plants needing sunlight, don’t worry.  Many houseplants can be tucked away inside for Winter that thrive in low light!  Find one, or two, in this list: 

• Aglaonema, or Chinese Evergreen, has many hybrids, and come with splashes of silver and red.  Not only will you have a plant that doesn’t need a lot of watering, but you’ll have a plant that brightens without having to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers every week! 
• Using contrast in your rooms can apply to plants as well.  Calathea is a plant with variegated leaves, and some types have red stems and undersides of its leaves.  Placed in a corner with light-colored walls will make this low-light lover take the stage! 
• What sounds tougher than cast iron plant (Aspidistra)? These long-leafed plants thrive in shady spots, can handle poor soil, and if you forget to water them, they will survive! 

• Corn plant or dragon tree, (Dracaena fragrans) is a great plant if you’re looking for height.  It might need pruning once it starts getting too tall but is great for medium light.  Children would love to tell their friends they have a dragon tree in their house! 
• Turn your room into a tropical oasis with parlor palms (neanthe bella)!  The best thing about this palm is that it doesn’t grow very tall and can do well in virtually any amount of light. 
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is a common houseplant, and rightly so.  While enjoying medium-low light, they do need water at least once per week to keep their beautiful dark green leaves and white blossoms. 
• There are so many types of philodendron that you can find one for any houseplant need you have.  They prefer medium-low light, but in perfect conditions, they can grow tall. You get a bonus with philodendron, as they are proven air-cleaners! 
• If you have a dark corner but no space for placing a container on the floor or furniture, pothos is the plant for you. The trailing vine is perfect to hang in a dark corner, and there are several hybrids to choose from. 

• Does your grandmother have a pot of Swedish ivy that she’s been caring for as long as you can remember?  Plectranthus verticillatus grows very well in low light and be sure it has plenty of room to spread its trailing vines.   
• When there’s little light and almost no room for a plant in your home, a terrarium filled with mosses, small-growing ferns, Pilea glauca “Aquamarine,” and sweet flag (Acorus) are just a few of the plants that will grow well tucked inside an enclosed case.  Learn more about this age-old type of gardening. 

Bringing the outside in doesn’t mean you have to use the only sunny spot in the house.  Growing green things indoors can keep the air clean, and boost your spirits, both of which are important, not only during the dark Winter months but year-round. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: housebeautiful.com

New Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association data shows market continues to cool as fall season approaches

State of the Market

• Inventory for August was recorded at 6,115, up 6.9% from July when inventory was recorded at 5,720.
• New listings rose 6.1% from July to August, with 3,620 new homes on the market in August, compared to 3,413 in July.
• The median home price for August was recorded at $375,000, down from $380,000 in July. This is the second month in a row that median home price has fallen.
• Median home price in August 2023 was extremely close to August 2022, when it was recorded at $377,750.
• Overall sales fell slightly – 2.1% – from July to August. There were 2,792 sales in August, down from 2,852 sales in July. Sales in August 2023 were also 16.0% lower than August 2022, when there were 3,324 sales.
• Homes spent an average of 41 days on the market (DOM) in August, up from 39 days in July. This is 51.9% higher than August 2022 when homes spent an average of just 27 days on the market.
• August’s interest rate was recorded at 6.6%, down from 6.8% in July. Interest rates in August 2022 were 5.3%.
• In a July survey of ORRA members, 48% said they are seeing signs of the market cooling off.
• “As we near the fall season, we typically see a slowdown in sales, and we are beginning to witness this in the Central Florida market,” said Lisa Hill, Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association President. “Fall can have its benefits for buyers. With our market cooling off, fall homebuyers will face less competition, find more inventory, and see median home price pull back a bit.”

Market Snapshot

• Interest rates decreased from 6.8% in July to 6.6% in August. This is 24.5% higher than August 2022 when interest rates were 5.3%.
• Pending sales fell 4.2%, with 3,808 in July and 3,647 in August.
• 21 distressed homes (bank-owned properties and short sales) accounted for 0.8% of all home sales in August. That represents a 16.0% decrease from July, when 25 distressed homes sold.

Inventory

• Orlando area inventory increased 6.9% from July to August. Inventory in July was 5,720 and inventory in August was 6,115.
• The supply of homes increased to 2.19 months in August, up 9.2% from 2.01 months in July. A balanced market is six months of supply.
• The number of new listings increased from July to August by 6.1% – from 3,413 homes to 3,620 homes.

ORRA’s full State of the Market Report for August can be found here.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Zillow.com defines the term disclosure as “…the buyer’s opportunity to learn as much as they can about the property and the seller’s experience in it.”  In most states, this simply means that the seller must let the buyer know about problems that they are aware of.  Whether you’re selling or buying a house, disclosing issues with the house is an extremely important part of the process.  

What Disclosure Means for the Seller 

• Your listing agent will provide a form for you to fill out, answering questions with either yes, no or I don’t know about different aspects of the house.  This form should be filled out truthfully and to the best of your knowledge. 
• Items that most states ask you to disclose to the buyer:  lead paint or asbestos, previous repairs or additions, mold or water damage, pest issues, drainage problems, foundation cracks, problems with HVAC and other appliances, and if the roof is leaky. 

• If you think there might be a problem, say possible mold in the crawlspace, have an inspector come and have a look.  It’s better to be safe than sorry here. 
• While you’re going over the disclosure form, if you’re not sure if you should report something, report it anyway.  It’s best to err on the side of caution. 
• Have the disclosure ready before you’ve accepted an offer for your own protection. 
• Your listing agent will be aware of all government disclosure requirements–federal, state, and local–so be prepared to report all that these laws ask of you. 

Disclosure and the Buyer 

• Once you receive the disclosure statement, go over it carefully and ask questions if you’re not sure about anything listed, because you must sign the disclosure. 
• The extra expense of having an official inspection done on the house is vital to this part of the sale.  Have the disclosure form information with you when you meet the inspector at the house, so you can go over the problem places with a pro. 
• In the case of any additions to the home, check the local government building permit and zoning information to make sure the addition was done the legal way by licensed people. 
• If you have any issues with the seller’s answers on the disclosure statement, and don’t want to make the repairs, and can’t come to an agreement with the seller, it may be best to walk away and look for another house. 

• Once you are satisfied with the disclosure and have the peace of mind that the sale should go through, sign off on the disclosure. 

A disclosure should be a seller’s protection plan, and smart sellers will be completely honest, and maybe even over-disclose.  Also, be aware that some states even ask sellers to disclose things like traffic noise, and even paranormal activity!  Your Realtor will know everything you need to provide to buyers, so the sale of your home goes smoothly.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: Nestiny.com

Summer is almost over, and for most gardeners and those who love to work in the yard, it is time to tidy things up to prepare for cooler weather. It’s the best time to prepare for next year, even though the next planting season is months away.  Get to work for a head start on Spring.  

Vegetable Garden 

• If you still have tomatoes or peppers ripening, either take up the plants and hang in a cool place to let them ripen on the vine, or protect them from frost with burlap or row covering over their stakes. 
• If you have cool weather plants, make sure they’re getting plenty of water, and leaving them to grow until after frost makes them taste better!  
• Clean up all dead or dying plant debris, because it can cause diseases and help insects that like to overwinter in the rotting vegetation.  If you don’t have a compost pile, now is a good time to start one with healthy debris. If it looks diseased, discard it or burn it. 
• Adding lime to the garden soil is best done in the Fall.  Take a soil sample to your local extension office for a free soil test so you’ll know how much you need to add. 
• Cut back perennial herbs, and freeze or dry them for winter cooking. 
• Think about adding a cover crop.  Cover crops add nutrients to the soil, and prevent soil erosion.  Find a list for your region at https://www.almanac.com/content/cover-crops-us 
• Before storing garden tools, remove all dirt and debris, then spray with a 10:1 mix of water and bleach.  After they dry, oil tools that have moving parts, make any repairs that may be needed, and hang them out of traffic areas in your shed or garage. 

Landscaping 

• Plant trees and shrubs in the Fall.  The cooler temps and onset of dormancy gives them the perfect opportunity to establish their root systems. They still need plenty of water, so make sure you keep them hydrated.  
• Apply fertilizer to your lawn, and aerate it as well. Walking behind the fertilizer spreader in spike-soled shoes is a great way to do these two important things at once.   
• The last time you mow, keep the level at 1¼”.  This will keep leaves from settling on your lawn, as well prevent disease and insect over-wintering. 
• Cut back your perennials in the flower beds, mulch them well, and divide tuberous plants like daylilies and irises.  Hostas also benefit from a Fall division.   
• If you have any young plants or trees, mulch well around them to protect them from freezing once the thermometer drops. 
• Update container plantings with chrysanthemums, ornamental cabbages, pansies and interesting grasses.  These should take you through the Winter and provide interest and color for the drab days ahead. 
• Plant flower bulbs for a beautiful, maintenance-free Spring flowerbed.  Daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, and crocuses will provide color for weeks. 

Getting your garden and yard ready for Winter not only makes things look better, but it will certainly help once Spring gets here. The weather can be unpredictable come March and April, so take advantage of the cool, long days of Fall to prepare for next year’s growing season. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: Town ‘N Country Garden Center

A Zillow study reveals paint colors that may wow prospective buyers — and colors that fall short.

Do you find yourself browsing homes on Zillow and pausing at a home that has a stand-out front door? Maybe it’s a bright red or a sunshine yellow. There’s a reason you paused — and it’s likely because the seller was hoping to catch your attention. And hey, it worked!

Compared to all of the other decisions you need to make about your home, the color of your front door can potentially boost — or reduce — the price of the offer you receive on your home when you’re selling it.

“You want the buyer to fall in love as soon as they pull up [to your home],”  said Dallas-based Zillow Premier Agent, Christie Cannon during a recent Zillow virtual panel. “Then they’re getting out of the car with their agent, they’re walking up to the front door. And that front door matters. It’s the pop of the color of the door that shows how much depth, how much personality, and how much sophistication [the home has].”

A recent Zillow® study* of more than 4,700 recent and prospective home buyers across the country revealed a number of paint colors that may help change buyer perception — for better or worse.

What colors should I avoid?

Gray is a popular color for a home’s interior, but no matter how trendy a color may be, there is a right way and a wrong way to do color, according to Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Albany, New York. And for the participants in Zillow’s study, the color gray just doesn’t hit the mark for a home’s front door.

The participants were randomly assigned images of a home with interior spaces and front doors painted in one of 11 or 10 colors, respectively. Each color received a score based on recent and prospective buyers’ perception of the home, likelihood of touring the home in person and the price they would be willing to pay for the home.

Zillow’s research finds that both recent and prospective buyers would offer $3,365 less for a home with a cement gray front door.

Going bold or experimental doesn’t appear to pay off either. While buyers surveyed were somewhat likely to say they liked a home that had a bright red front door, they were less interested in the listing and weren’t as eager to actually tour the home. In the same vein, front doors painted a saturated blue and olive green were associated with buyers being least likely to want to take a tour of the home. These two shades were also associated with a lower offer price — about $1,300 less.

Paint your front door these colors

Black front doors not only made a home seem more appealing, but recent and prospective buyers were more likely to say they would follow up for an in-person tour if the door was black. This classic color is popular for the second year in a row; a similar Zillow study of more than 1,500 participants that was conducted last year indicated a black front door was associated with the highest resale price compared to any other front door color the participants were shown. This shade could boost an offer price by about $6,450 more than the typical U.S. home value in 2022. That’s a major return on investment considering the cost of a can of paint.

While black wasn’t associated with a higher offer price in this year’s study, there is one color that prompted recent and prospective buyers to make a higher offer: mid-tone brown. It’s more than likely survey respondents could have interpreted this rosy, terracotta hue not as a paint color, but, instead, an oak wood, whose durability and timelessness could prompt shoppers to offer more for a home. In our study, this shade was associated with a $300 higher offer compared to an offer for a white front door.

Still, white front doors, along with those painted a chalky blue, were associated with higher intentions to tour the home, as well as higher general interest from home shoppers. And once you can bring prospective buyers through the entryway, your interior staging can do the rest of the work.

Of course, just because you chose your front door color wisely doesn’t mean you can guarantee you’ll maximize the price you’ll ultimately sell for. Numerous other cosmetic factors, including curb appeal, could skew a buyer’s perception of your home. It’s also important to consider the color and material of your home’s exterior to determine if a paint color is a good fit. Need more color inspiration? Here are the best colors to paint your home’s interior if you’re looking to sell it.

*This study included 4,700 participants across the U.S. who were randomly assigned images of a home with interior spaces and front doors painted in one of 11 or 10 colors, respectively. Each color received a score based on buyers’ perception of the home, likelihood of touring the home and the price they would be willing to pay for the home. 

By and photo credits: Zillow

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Summertime means spending time outside, and our outdoor living spaces reflect that. Just because it is almost fall, however, does not mean wrapping it all up and putting it away! There are many simple ways to transform porches, decks, and patios for use in cooler weather. Here are some simple ideas that will keep us outdoors a little longer. 

• When the summer blooms of potted plants fade, repot the containers with ornamental grasses, decorative kale, pansies, marigolds, and chrysanthemums. 
• Cover pillows and cushions with washable covers in neutral tones with splashes of reds, golds, and greens to add fall color to an outdoor seating area. 
• Drape light blankets over the backs and arms of seating for use on chilly evenings. 

• The days are getting shorter, and good lighting for outdoor spaces is essential. Use LED-lighted torches, candles, and lanterns tables for soft, relaxing lighting without spending much money. 
• Add a cozy outdoor area rug to ward off cold feet and add texture to the space. 
• Block chilly breezes with curtains! Create these simple no-sew outdoor curtains from drop cloths that can also be tied back to allow the sunshine in on warm days. 
• Buying or creating a firepit invites everyone to sit around on a chilly evening. Get creative with ideas for 57 types of DIY firepits from morningchores.com. 
• If an outdoor fire is not possible, outdoor heaters come in many styles and price ranges and use electricity or propane to keep everyone warm. 

• Finally, when the pumpkin patches open, get a variety of pumpkins, gourds, and other fall produce, and tuck them into container plantings, or create a centerpiece or tablescape. 

Just because the days are shorter and nights are cooler does not mean the outdoors are not to be enjoyed! Spending time outdoors is proven to help alleviate stress, make us feel happier, and may help us sleep better, especially if we can catch the sunset and nightfall. Neglecting a much-loved outdoor space just because it is fall defeats the purpose; it was created to be used, and what better time of year to make the most of it than autumn?! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Photo credit: rockridgefurniture.com

While a home is in the de-cluttering and depersonalizing stage before it goes on the market, remember that your pets are as personal as family photos on display. Many homebuyers are pet owners as well, but a seller needs to eliminate as much evidence of their furry family members as possible. 

• Before listing the home, thoroughly clean carpets and hard surfaces with an enzyme cleaner, which will help eliminate any pet odors or stains. The Humane Society offers some tips on cleaning furniture, hard surfaces, and repairing scratches. 
• Keep pets out of the listing photos; sure, they can be cute and gain online views, but some buyers will not consider a house that has pets living in it. 
• A cat’s litter box should be cleaned thoroughly with a 50/50 water/vinegar solution to help neutralize unpleasant smells and clean the litter daily. Using a covered litter box is perfect, especially one with a carbon filter. 
• The outside of the home is as important as the inside, and any dog runs or play areas need to be spruced up and look their best. Fill in any holes and spray odor neutralizer in places used most often. 

• More likely than not, exotic pets can scare some potential homebuyers away. Make arrangements for someone with experience to care for them while the home is on the market.  Petsitter.com can help find the right person to care for your caged pets. 
• When leaving the house during a showing, take the dogs along, and place the cats in a carrier if possible. If taking them with you is inconvenient, ask a neighbor, friend, or family member to pet sit during the showing. 
• If taking your pets with you or a pet sitter is totally out of the question, crating your pet is the best solution, with signage that lets everyone know to leave the pet alone. 

Get your pets used to a new routine, and if they are not already crate-trained, start before the home is listed. While everyone’s safety is important, keep in mind that cleaning and repairing any pet damage are crucial to making a good impression on potential buyers and selling your home. 

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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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