Florida Pest Control With its Benefits

I worked for about a year at an established pest control company in Tallahassee, called Florida Pest Control. I did a lot of tapping on peoples’ baseboards with the objective of inspecting for evidence of termites.

We used a long screwdriver and tapped in all the rooms. Tap, tap, tap. Yes, I woke up sleeping household members, and babies and irritated dogs and cats. The interesting thing about this, is that there is an electronic device on the market that more effectively sounds out what is going on inside the walls, but due to cost issues, we were not given this useful tool. Instead, we relied on the screwdriver to tap for hollow sounds in the wall, or softness in the wood. It did a job to my back while doing this line of work with Florida Pest Control company in Tallahassee, Florida. I finally gave up complaining about my back issues since that was an unwanted topic to management’s ears.

Yes, I had to call in sick sometimes, due to back pain. The back pain not only came from bending, and tapping so much, with the screwdriver, but also getting on and off the chemical truck I was using, and having fallen a couple times on the wet metal surface. On those cold winter mornings, the metal surface was icy and wet. We still had to climb up and check valves, and chemicals in the tanks. I was interrogated and offended when I had to call in due to back pain. I therefore, stopped calling in, and worked with back pain.

One benefit of working with Florida Pest Control was the opportunity to meet homeowners, share my real estate knowledge with them, and give them my real estate agent’s business card. I used my opportunity inspecting homes to sell my real estate services, and that I successfully did. I sold as well as listed real estate. That was the main reason I went to work for Florida Pest Control in the first place: to meet potential real estate buyers and sellers. I also did a good job as a termite inspector. Customers received good service in both areas: pest control and real estate.

While completing termite pretreatments on construction sites, I met many native Spanish speakers. I offered assistance in locating real estate for sale, and moved several people into their first homes. I also worked with investors who also were big time builders. Yes, some of the Tallahassee builders became good clients in my real estate business and I was their go to man for real estate investor deals.

Even though Florida Pest Control paid me very little in the course of that line of work, I made earnings in other areas, over and under the table. I even used my pest control truck to show people homes, and still was able to do my pest control work. I have always been good at multi-tasking.

Thanks Florida Pest Control for giving me some good real estate opportunities. Yeah, I know you paid me little, and resented any time off I needed to take to be with family, or to heal my back, but I did manage to get what I wanted to get out of my experience there. My back is getting better now.

Kenneth Fach Offers Expertise in Tallahassee

Hello Tallahassee, and others. I am offering a knowledge base, skills, and answers relating to the Spanish language, Teaching, Pest control, and Real Estate. I will explain my background in each of these areas.

I have been teaching Spanish in Tallahassee, Florida, as a private Spanish teacher or tutor since 1994. I go to offices, churches, and homes teaching my second language, Spanish. My goal in doing this is to promote the value of learning, acquiring Spanish, and the beauty of the Spanish language. I would like to see everyone learn Spanish or other languages. I have also taught in private and public schools. Currently, I have a challenging position at Nims Middle School in Tallahassee.

I have a background selling real estate here in Tallahassee, as well as elsewhere, such as Pensacola, Florida. have I sold, listed, and consulted on the subject of residential home sells. I worked with both buyers and selling, and often preferred the buyer over the seller, as sellers tend to be unrealistic and greedy. I have always been a deal maker favoring the buyer. I worked for Exit Realty, Keller Williams, and Weichert Realtors.

Here in Tallahassee, I worked for Florida Pest Control. I inspected homes, and provided termite treatments. I have knowledge in home inspections and what chemicals should or should not be used. I can advise on what termite systems are useful and which ones are not. My fees are probably less than what you would pay Florida Pest Control.

More Tallahassee Real Estate Tweets

More Tallahassee Real Estate Tweets from Kenneth Fach:

 

	Tallahassee needs to see a great reduction in homes for sale so that the market will become normal again. Buyers can find good deals now.about 20 hours ago from web
	Solution to Tallahassee housing market: Discretionary buyers move back into the market and start buying homes. about 20 hours ago from web
	Solution to Tallahassee housing market: Builders reduce the amount of new homes they are building. about 20 hours ago from web
	Solution to Tallahassee housing market: Non-serious Sellers remove their homes from the market. about 20 hours ago from web

If it is Fixed it is Secure

Just the sound of something fixed makes me feel secure, comforted, relaxed. Hence, I always opt for a fixed rate mortgage loan, and so should you, if you are like many.

I learned much from mom and dad, growing up. Dad was an entrepreneur, but a wise one. Never the risk taker if there is not something fixed to it. Mom had a successful career as a school teacher, and had the safety of incoming income. Both taught me to not take risks without viewing the whole picture, and althought I have not always been as wise and thrifty as my parents, the idea of something fixed resonates in my thinking.

The holy bible has stories about security, and a fixed establisment. One story is about a house built on the sand and a house built on a rock. Which house do you think is secure, fixed? Would we want to buy a house build on the sand? Yet we may do the similar when we think about expwrimenting with finances, and purchasing a home with an adjustible rate morthage, or a graduated payment mortgage, instead of getting a fixed rate mortgage.

I have suggested to people, real estate customers, that they will know what their principle and interest is each month if they stau fixed, getting a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. This type of loan has been the most popular and successful throughout most of modern time, certainly since the early part of the 20th century. It is not going away. However, just like me at times in my past, people sometimes neglect to listen to reason and instead, jump aboard the river of all these loan options where interest rates can go up, surprising even the best, or go down. Of course when that happens the monthly payment changes and we have a world of uncertainty and risk. We think that we will get a raise, make more money, not have financial or emergency issues, so we take mortgage loan risks. We want more home for less money to get in. This has been the thinking of so many in recent years, so a fixed financial product is put aside for the high risks associated with an adjustible rate mortgage ARM. Of course there is always risks in this world: someone can lose their job, have emergency expenses, home improvement needs, business failures, but at least with a fixed rate mortgage loan you know that the monthly interest and principle payment stays the same for the entire term of the loan.

Dad taught me to not fall for every frivolous, “too good to be true” opportunity that comes along, and instead, focus on what works, the basics, the fundamentals to our happiness and financial success. Think back to the fixed nature of the rock, the order of the universe, the ever flowing sun rays, the daily process of photosynthesis, the movement of the waves. All are fixed in a natural process of nature. No uncertainty in the normal process.

So, like my parents, I would suggest that home buyers look at 30 year, 20 year, or 15 year fixed rate mortgages, to see what fixed product works. I have had four homes, and for each, I always purchased with a 30 fixed rate mortgage loan. Do to the at times uncertainty of my income streams, that kind of mortgage loan has been a blessing.

The King of Knots as Metaphor for Economics

A knot is a useful tool for many purpose, and is one of the oldest tools used by people. The king of knots, called the Bowline Knot, functions as a very useful rescue tool, a tool to anchor ships to posts, a tool for lifting object or people, a tool for hanging things, and so  many other purposes. I like to think of this knot as a metaphor to describe economic cycles, real estate, mortgage, market cycles.

Having been a boy scout as  youth, I studied knots, and had opportunities to practice, demonstate,  and use knots in my boy scout training, and outdoor activities.  I am so grateful for that opportunity. I have had occasions to demonstrate my scout knotting skills through the years especially in camping situations as I am an avid camper.  Now that I have a son, I get to help him learn the knots too, and their uses: square knot, two half hitches, taut line, clove hitch, sheet bend, and of course, the king of knots, the bowline, which is also, my favorite knot.

To create the bowline knot, you form a loop and hold it with your left hand. Then, you take the bottom end of the rope with your right hand, and take it around towards the back of the loop, and into the loop leaving through the front, and going around the standing top end of the rope, called the tree (for fun), and then, back into the loop from the front, or the cave (for fun). Next, we take the non standing rope end, the bottom end, and tighten it away from the standing end of the rope and pull it snugly. We now have a tightened loop, that stays in place, and does not slide. If it slides, it is not a bowline. If there is no loop, it is not a bowline.  The loop needs to be larger than a simple hole. If the ends of the rope are coming apart, then there is no proper knot, since the whole operation gets messed up. The ends may need to be whipped with string to keep the strands united, or the ends can be fused to keep the ends united. With knot tying, practice is the key to success.  With economic planning, practice, trial, error and more practice is the key to success.

Just like making a bowline knot, you must follow the correct instructions when managing economics, and finances. Use loops when appropriate, make sure the ends are secure, make sure the right end is going into the loop in the right direction, and make sure the length of the rope is adequate and the loop is of adequate size for the purpose of making the bowling knot in the first place. Good economics requires planning, and direction. When there is some trouble in the financial world, I think of someone incorrectly tying a knot, such as a bowline knot. There is a process of making a knot, such as what I described above for the bowline knot. It would be a good idea if politicians, so called experts, business leaders, and individuals, spend time practing making knots, and practice the correct process with regards to economics and finances, whether mortgage finances, or real estate finances.

Just like knot tying, financial planning needs to be:
1. Simple and not difficult.
2. Must not unravel, or come loose.
3. Must be useful, and practical for many specific purposes.

 

Shopping for a Lender Before Buying Your Home

Some things are a given in buying a home in Tallahassee, and elsewhere. There are always going to be fees, fees, and more fees in a real estate transaction. However, we can minimize the fees significantly by shopping around when looking for a mortgage loan. When shopping for a lender, look for not just interest rates, and terms, but also look at lender fees.

There are three categories of fees that constitute a real estate closing in Tallahassee, and elsewhere:

1. Lender fees are the fees that a lender has control over. They can be presented as multiple fees, such as origination fees, administrative fees, transaction fees, processing fee, tax service fee, loan setup fee, funding fee, and others. There can also be one fee, covering all the fees, so when you are out comparing lenders, you can compare a total lender fee package with other lenders’ fees.

2. Third-party fees are fees that the lender does not control, however, may be able to negotiate the best deal on your behalf. These fees include appraisal, inspection, title, survey, and others.

3. Then, there are the prepaids, such as prepaid interest, and prepaid taxes.

 

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B103
Blog: http://KennethFach.wordpress.com
Cell 850-339-5753

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Lake Jackson in Leon County Filling Up

Fo several years now, Lake Jackson, in northern Leon County, Florida, has been basically a dry lake with pockets of water here and there. That is due to the sink hole, recently established in the lake. I remember back in the late 90’s, Lake Jackson, was filled with water, and the Tallahassee residents and visitors to the area would go fishing, boating, and swimming in the lake and experience nature all around the lake in the many parks, and nature zones around the lake. Then, the drought came, the land became drier, the lake lost water, and the sink hole sucked out much of it. Oh, it was still beautiful, with parks around it, and the ability for people to hike down into the lake bed where before that was not possible with the water.

Now, the lake is changing. Lakes, like real estate, pass through cycles. I learned back in college geology, that the land is always changing, weather patterns change, rivers change, mountains change. Basically, the earth does not sit still. Change is an absolute in this world. Think of wood. As a kid living in New Mexico, I walked through the land and picked up pieces of rock, petrified wood, really. That hard substance was once part of a tree. Over time it hardened and became petrified. I do not know the process on the top of my head, but time works on nature.

 Recently, in my beautiful northwest Florida, we have received more rain, and this has been great for gardens, and the many lakes and rivers in this region. Leon County, Florida,  alone has over 60 lakes, and much of Leon County is Tallahassee, the capital, of Florida, as well as the home of two big Universities, and two nationally and internationally recognized science and technology research centers.  Lake Jackson is one of the largest lakes in Leon County.

The Lake Shore road area around the southern side of Lake Jackson is a hilly area, with big ranch style homes, with spacious yards built years ago. Each home has a unique appearance, different from the others. These are the big estates of the area. On the east, southeast side of the lake, are smaller homes, and many homes under $200,000. On the west side of Lake Jackson, are newer single family home developments, homes valued under $200,000, as well as spacious lakeside estates over $400,000. On the west side is one of the newest elementary schools in the county, Canopy Oaks Elementary. I have heard nothing but good about it, and my son goes to school there. A new recreational park with baseball, soccer, walking/running path, and tennis courts has recently been built there. On the northern side of Lake Jackson, there are fewer homes, and more nature. There are some very big estates and to get to them, you drive down thick canopy covered roads. There are also older neighborhoods with smaller homes valued under $180,000. When people leave Tallahassee, going north, northwest, they will probably pass by Lake Jackson, as one of the areas main roads, Hwy 27, or Monroe, is a north-south corridor.

You see, I live across the street, Highway 27, from Lake Jackson, one of Leon County’s largest lakes. I am now seeing the lake almost filled up full with H2O, like it had been for so many years. We have been having a lot of rain and that has contributed to filling up Lake Jackson again. I mean, rain, rain, rain. Now, I can walk from my home, over to the lake, and really see a big lake. It is beautiful. The people who bought big ranch styles homes, with over 2000 square feet of living and heating area, years ago along the lake, homes that are now valued over $300,000, have been looking out their back windows at tall grasses, and shrubs, instead of water, but now, they are seeing water again. They are again, where they want to be, by a water filled lake. However, there are still areas with the grasses and shrubs, and not all the homes are on the water, but my, what a big difference that in the recent years. The geology of the lake is again changing in its cycle.

The real estate markets are also changing in their cycles. We have beautiful homes that have gone down in value, that before, would have been out of financial reach for many. Homes come on the market, and are sold, some are sold faster than others, and some stay on the market for some time. There are more homes for buyers to choose from today, which is good for buyers. For sellers, they can sell depending on how they price their homes, or they can wait for change in the market. Changes always occurs, as we see in nature.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO Certified
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Blvd., Suite B103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Cell 850-339-5753  http://KennethFach.com
My blog http://KennethFach.wordpress.com

Each office is independently owned and operated. 

Neighborhood Lifecycles

I wonder how many of us here in northwest Florida, specifically, Tallahassee, have lived in the same neighborhood for many years, or at least long enough to observe the process of growth that occurs in neighborhoods. When you plant a garden, it is a rewarding experience to observe the baby plants shoot up out of the soil, pass through the state of childhood, and become a full florishing plant, with fruits, vegetables, or and flowers. A neighborhood has its growth as well.

The developer moves in,  clears the land, flattens it, puts in infraestructure, such as  the roads, utilities, water system, drainage, and lighting. Next, the homes are built, perhaps spec homes, if builder is making a quantity of homes, with several models to choose from sometimes. Or, the neighborhood may consist of custom homes, in which the buyer can pick and choose what appearance and style is wanted for the home. Next, the home is lived in, the neighborhood grows, more people populate the area, trees grow, and over time, there is wear and tear of the structures, and the newness fades into history.

One neighborhood in particular here in Tallahassee, the Weems, was a forest a few years ago. I walked and explored that wooded area in east Tallahassee, which is the direction much real estate development is moving in. I was surprised when the Weems Subdivision was developed into a community of many single family homes. The trees were cut down, and new homes built. I then noticed over a few years that the landscaping in the community was developing, and trees planted or put in, were growing. The Weems is still a young neighborhood, but it is easy to notice that it is maturing, and is now established in the hearts and minds of folks here in Tallahassee.

It is fun to reflect on how neighborhoods grow, and change over time. I am always interested in hearing and reading about peoples’ experiences living for a period of time in a community, and the observations they have.

Remembering How It All Started

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America is the
masterpiece of American history. It speaks to all who love liberty. It
defines the tone of the early American colonists and their longing for
independence from tyranny, oppression, discriminnation, abuse of
natural rghts, and taxation without representation.
Hear these immortal words as they are who we are:

“We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

We cannot ponder this truth too often. It says fully that the Creator,
God, divine Mind, infinite good, the I am that I am, has made all of
us equal as sovereign individuals with rights that are given by this
Creator, not by other men or women,but that our rights are to be protected, secured by a government of men (or women).

I am very grateful that my father taught me early on, the importance of the Declaration of Independence, not just for Americans, but for everyone desiring the way of “liberty and justice for all.” When we internalize the ideas within this document, understand the context from which it was prepared, and focus on the applicability of the truths express, we become better citizens, and defenders of liberty, and rights.

This early American foundation stone allowed the success of many entrepreneurs in the land, and enabled the United States to have the best and most successful system of real estate with wide reaching home ownership in fee simple, with all the rights of ownership, than any other nation on earth. People from all over the world have come to buy real estate and take up home ownership. It has made the United States of America a rich land, an example to the world of what can be when the people recognize their rights as coming from something greater than anything on earth, greater than any human government, and that the people can speak up and discuss these rights, and fight to preserve them if necessary.  Laws and regulations were enacted to protect home ownership in the United States of America, and to make owning a home a practical, safe opportunity for so many. 

It has been and still is, relatively easy to buy a home in the United States, with its open society, and so many new and used homes on the market, including affordable prices for typical working people. So many have discovered the happiness of home ownership. I am reminded that the “pursuit of happiness” in early America often meant the pursuit of property.

Think of how wonderful that is, to have a government there to protect your life from criminals, oppressive laws, liberty to live where you want, in the kind of home you want, and the happiness of taking pride in owning a piece of the land with a house on it. If this has not been the American way, I don’t know what was. Even with more and more encroaching laws and regulations in our lives today, we still cherish home ownership, and have the continuing opportunities to pursue our dream of buying a home.

Finding a Value Range in Your Real Estate

Things work well in the free market. Let the market alone, and the market machine will move forward just fine. In real estate, the buyer is key. The buyer determines value, while the seller determines price.

When putting together a Comparative Market Analysis, real estate agents look at homes that are as similar as possible, and as close geographically, to the home to be put on the market. The principle guiding the right approach to this task is the Principle of Substitution.

The Principle of Substitution says that the lowest priced real estate, most similar, and in the same neighborhood, will determine a reasonable value of the home that will be on the market. This should be the seller’s favorite principle of determing the price for seller’s home. It is the market in action. Buyers will not want to pay more for a property, if a similar property is on the market for less, or a similar property sold for less in the past month. Things work out good when the market is allowed to function.

Often, in sellers markets, where homes for sale are scarce, sellers get greedy, and ignore the principle of substitution. This even occurs in buyers markets, but the difference is that the greed element has less force when there is an abundance of homes on the market, and buyers can pick and choose more easily from the inventory.

Our Constitutional Republic and Real Estate

America’s Founders created a system to protect “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as stated in Declaration of Independence. The “pursuit of happiness” at that time meant the pursuit of property, and there were some that wanted “property” to be in the place of “happiness.” American’s of all periods have treasured the right to own property, and no other system on earth has protected, and enriched this right to own a home, or a piece of land.

You see, the Founders knew that government, left to itself, can take away the right to benefit from owning and using property. They knew the innately evil nature of government, having suffered the oppression of King George in England. The Founders were extremely educated, knowledgeable of world history, government, and were deep, reflective thinkers. They grouped together to create a system of government in which future generations of Americans would enjoy governmental protection of their “unalienable rights.” They made a system in which government has only ONE SOLE PURPOSE, and that is to “secure these rights…”

To protect the right to buy and own real estate, they created a Consitutional Republic. This is the best form of government to protect citizens, and control the growth, movement, and power of government.

I get tired of hearing people describe America as a democracy. That is not a word used much by America’s creators, since they defined Amerca as a Republic. Why? A democracy means that the majority rules over the minority. That leaves the minority without protection. A synonym for democracy is “mob rule.” The bigger, more populous group, has the most power, and makes the decisions. If you are in the minority, well, too bad. You are less important to society. In most of the history of democracies in the world, this is what has happened: one group take over government, because it is the larger and more powerful group. Then, a charismatic leader take control of the group, and becomes a friendly president, or other leader, but then, shortly, becomes a violent dictator. We see this over and over in history. However, in a Constitutional Repubic, there is no mob or majority rule anywhere.  Historically, the Repubican form of government has provided the most protection from dictators and evil men.  All groups, majority and minority have equal rights, and equal protection under the Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights (which is part of the Constitution). In a Republic, there are checks and balances on governments, and everyone’s vote counts, not just the votes of the biggest group. We have three arms of governments with the sole purpose to make a fair playing field for every American citizen: the Legislative, which makes the laws, the Executive, which enforces the laws made, and the Judicial, which interprets the laws, and tries cases in which clarification of the laws are necessary. As you read and study the Constitution of the United States of America, you can see how this document allows for a Republic as the best frame of government for all Americans. I admire the wisdom and thinking, as well as the enlightenment of America’s creators.

From the Federalist Papers comes a number of essays supporting the Constitution. Paper number 10 states the following about the American Republic:

“The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic are: first, in a republic, a small number of governmental delegates are elected by the rest of the citizens; secondly, a republic can be composed of a greater number of citizens over a larger country.”

Paper number 39 states:

     “The first question is whether the general form and appearance of the proposed government is strictly republican.
     Clearly, no other form would be reconcilable with the nature of the American people, with the fundamental principles of the Revolution, or with that honorable purpose- to base our political experiment on the ability of self-government-than animates every ardent advocate of freedom. “

     “If we look at the principles used to establish different forms of government for a criterion, we may define a repubic, or give that name to,  a government that derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the people and is administered by persons holding their offices-through election or appointment-at the people’s pleasure for a limited period or during good behavior.”

     “It is essential that a republican government spring from the great body of society, not from a small proportion or a favored class. “

As we read the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, we see that real estate is protected as an inalienable right from a creator, and is secured as a liberty by a government made to protect this liberty. We need to know who we are, a Republic, and not a democracy, since if we were a democracy, we may have long ago lost the liberty of buying a single family home, townhome, condominium, or acres of land. Americans under a Constitutional Republic have been able to buy many homes, even investment properties.

Let us all protect the work done by America’s creators. Let us cherish “the Republic, for which it stands…”

Considerations for homebuyers

 Buying a home is a serious life task. Most of us will go through this event multiple times in our lifetime.We buy, but we want to buy right. Below are some considerations for homebuyers.

1. Know your financial situation. Speak with three  mortgate professionals starting with  your bank, or mortgage company and see what the options are for purchasing a home. Check on your credit score, and get a copy of your credit report. Look at your debt to income, and make sure you have emergency funds stored away somewhere.

2. Know what kind of home or lot you want. Learn home styles, and see what style fits your lifestyle: ranch, cape cod, contemporary, traditional, etc. Think of location, location, location. Learn as much as you can about the neighborhood, using the internet to research as well as getting out and talking with neighbors in the area you are interested in. Determine what five features your home must have. Is one required feature a loft, or a fireplace, or an enclosed patio? You know what you like and don’t like. Be realistic however.

3. Know what services your real estate agent provides. Find out about neighborhoods, and properties via the internet, real estate websites, and blogs. Reading blogs is a great way to get descriptions of communities and neighborhoods, and feelings from people about living in those communities. Have the real estate agent email you regularly with market conditions, and homes that meet your lifestyle needs. Make sure the agent provides instructions on how to get out to the homes that you are interested in. Get all the photos you can. Trulia.com is a good source of information on homes for sale, and homes that have recently sold.

4. Know what a home inspector will look at and be proactive, walking around the property noting issues you may have. Also take photos.  Even though in Florida you are not required to get a home inspection, it is always a good idea, even if it is a new home. New homes can have serious issues. Bring up any material issue with your home inspector. Be present during any home inspection as well as the final walk through inspection. Inspectors usually like explaining things about the home.

5. Know that no house is perfect, and there is always one or more issues. The home inspector will usually find some issue, probably minor, however. The inspector’s job is to find anything that is not perfect.

5. Know what the closing costs are, and how they are broken down. Know what you will be required to pay, and what the seller will be required to pay. closing costs can be 3% to 6% of the total purchase price. Be prepared to have funds set aside to pay the closing costs, or see how much of that your lender will finance if you prefer to have as much financed as possible. Taxes, and insurance are prorated items. Make sure the seller cancels the old insurance policy and you get a new insurance policy on the home. Mortage interest is paid in arrears.

6. Know the meaning of the clauses in the real estate Sales Contract. Get a copy of the contract from the agent, via email or on paper. The Sales Contract is essential to a safe and harmonious closing. It is the guide post that the lender, title agency, seller and buyer have to follow. Ask your real estate agent anything in the contract that you want clarification on.

7. See me with your real estate related questions. I am always happy to discuss real estate with people.

Kenneth Fach, REALTOR, ePRO
Weichert, REALTORS-Anchor
1607 Village Square Boulevard, Suite B 103
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Direct/Text 850-339-5753  Blog: KennethFach.wordpress.com

EAch office is independently owned and operated.

Tallahassee Doors

Doors are everywhere. Look at all the homes in your community and all the doors connected to those homes. As a real estate agent, I see plenty of doors in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. The doors of homes reveal so much: about what the interior is probably going to look like, and what the attitude of the people living there are like. The door is the like the mouth of the house.  When people see a home, they often see the door first and will remember if the door is interesting, and colorful, or dull and dirty.

You know when someone has a dirty mouth, a milk mustache, food hanging on the side of the lips, unshaven around the mouth, just an undesireable sight. We often tell children to clean their mouth when they are eating as they do not always know to do that, or remember to do that. The mouth is not the beautiful part of anyone’s  body. The act of eating with the mouth is not a beautiful sight to behold either.

However, the door of the house is the important factor in how we connect to the house. I have observed that doors that need painting, have dirt or finger marks on them, indicate that the inside of the house is anything but an interior decorating showroom. Renters often ignore dirt and marks on their doors. This one element, the cleanliness and attractiveness of the door, is what separates the homeowner mentality from the renter mentality. If you care about something, you will do just that, care for it. Often, renters don’t care about the structure they live in. They are there because of the price, convenience or necesity. They lack responsibility for maintaing a clean facade and clean door, or else they are apathetic, and do not care since it is not their property legally. I say, if they live their, it is their property to a certain extent.

Here are some things we all can do to make our door attractive. These are seven suggestions. Treat the door as part of the property’s curb appeal, whether you plan on selling or not.

1. Paint the door a contrasting color to attract attention to the house.

2. The door color should reveal the inside. It should make the transition inside.

3. Put a plant, flower pot, docorative table, or statue beside the door to give expression to the entrance.

4. Have an attractive light fixture.

5. Make sure the door opens easily, does not scrape, and does not make ugly sounds.

6. Have an attractive door handle. There are so many to choose from.

7. Get rid of any wood rot if there is any on the door. I believe that most doors in Florida have some degree of wood rot. It needs to be treated and removed before it grows up the door and presents a ugly mess, a real eye sore.

As long as we have our homes, are homeowners or renters, we can take care of the doors. For a homeowner, it is a sense of ownership. For a renter, it is a helpful act of kindness to the landlord, and also a feeling of possesiveness for the renter. We clean our mouths when we wake up in the morning. We should also clean,  maintain our doors, and make them an attractive sight leading into the interior of the structure.

I like the Spanish expression, “Mi casa es tu casa,” which means, “My house is your house.” Let our guests feel like they are at home in the house, and are attracted to it.

Who knows, with an attractive door, and clean attractive yard, you might be the Yard of the Month winner in your neighborhood.