Video Tours of Dothan Real Estate-It's New and It's GREAT!!!

Finding a home has come a long way! The advances of technology make the real estate business so much fun! Years ago you looked in books at the houses on the market and now with a few strokes on the keyboard you can see everything with digital pictures and video. It's makes it so easy to buy a house. All the new advancements save everyone so much time.



When I got into the business all I heard was "pictures sell a house". I never knew how true that was until I bought mine. When I bought mine it looked terrible and the pictures didn't help whatsoever. I know now that's one reason it was on the market for 18 months. My husband found it and saw the potential. There weren't that many pictures to start with. Working with many clients who are out-of-state, pictures have been a huge selling point. I actually got a contract on a house the buyers had never stepped foot in and they bought it off of my pictures and my description. Pictures can truly tell the story of the house. It was amazing!



The newest technology is video! It puts you right inside the home. At Century 21 Key Realty, we have 2 types of videos we are doing. One is about 2 minutes long and it gives the highlights of the house. Then we have the video tour. This video is around 4 minutes and is narrated with tons of information about the home as you look. It's a great tool! I have done one of my listings as a video tour so go check it out.
Click Below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBSJ_WZFrZo

Isn't technology wonderful!!!

Michelle

www.youtube.com

How Long Will It Last?

Old vs. New? Which is better? Most of the time I like a good mix until it comes to those "can't do without it" appliances, etc. I stumbled upon this article from The Old House Web called "Life Expectancy". It talked about how long "things" in your house are suppose to last. Here's a few things we all have in our house and how long they should last:

Dishwasher 10 years
Electric Ranges 17 years
Gas Ranges 19 years
Gas Ovens 14 years
Fiberglass bathtub/showers 10-15 years
Copper wiring 100+ years
Paint, Plaster, & Stucco 3-5 years
Oak/Pine Floors- Lifetime
Carpeting (depends on installation, amount of traffic, & quality of carpet) 11 years
Central Air Conditioning Unit 15 years
Aluminum, exterior Shutters 3-5 years
Gutters/Downspouts 30 years
Ceramic Tile, high grade installation Lifetime

And the list goes on and on. Once items in our houses get a little older, it might be time to purchase a Home Warranty. What's that you say? A home warranty is kinda like insurance as far as you have a one-time yearly cost and then you pay only a certain amount per service call. There are only a few parts that aren't covered. I have had a home warranty on all my homes and they have always paid for themselves. I would highly recommend a home warranty with any pre-loved home.

Isn't it neat to know how long things are suppose to last? Many appliances now-a-days are almost becoming throw away. Sometimes it is cheaper to chunk it and buy new, than it is to repair. That's amazing!

Michelle

Miss National Peanut Pageant-Saturday

As a little girl, me and my mom went to all the Miss Peanut pageants. It was just tradition. I can remember getting autographs from all the guest queens and how they were all "bigger than life". Well, now that I'm about 20 years their senior, I see they are beautiful, smart, sweet, YOUNG gals. I still love pageants. I guess I've gotten more interested in them since I became friends with people who work with these pageants. My friend Melanie has introduced me to a few Miss Alabama's and I was able to meet Diedra Downs when she was Miss America a few years ago. That's the closest I've come to the famous queens.

Okay, back to the Peanut Festival Pageant. Saturday night will be the Miss National Peanut Pageant. I'm proud to say my friend Walter Hill, CEO of the United Way, will be co-emceeing this event. He is going to do a wonderful job! Let me encourage you to go and support your town's beauty. The NPF Queen has quite a few duties during the week of the National Peanut Festival. One duty is to "grease the pigs" for the greasy pig chase. This is always fun to watch. Throughout the years, some queens have jumped in to help and others have watched in amazement like it was their first time seeing a pig. They do lots throughout the week and they top the week off at the National Peanut Festival Parade on the final Saturday of the fair.

Make plans to attend the Miss Peanut Pageant.

Saturday, October 18
7:00 p.m. (check me on this)
Dothan Civic Center

Go Walter!

Michelle

"You Would Be Amazed"

"You would be amazed" is a saying my husband and I throw around when we have the opportunity to enjoy something "extra". The first time I used this was when I was sharing with the hubby how wonderful my massage was that I had. I told him, "you would be amazed at how relaxed you can be after having a massage".

As I look out from my chalet with an INCREDIBLE VIEW, once again I have to say, "you would be amazed" at how wonderful a relaxing vacation can really be. Yes-a vacation! Can you believe it? I'm on vacation. The little lady is out on fall break and a wonderful friend blessed us with a place to stay in Gatlinburg, so here we are! Hubby is having a good chuckle at my expense because I can't get real close to the railing of our chalet because heights give me a little trouble sometimes. My goal by the end of this vacation is to be able to stand at the rail and look down. Sounds small I know, but you have to understand when I look off the balcony on the second floor, I am looking at the tops of trees! That's how high on the mountain I am!

I'm looking forward to reading some books and working on classes for real estate. You are probably thinking-work? Well, I have the time and not many distractions. I have to stay up on my real estate market, I just can't get behind. Plus I love real estate and just can't put it down for too long at the time. Don't worry if you need to get in touch with me I'm still available. This computer is working away and cell service is alive and well. Actually, I'm higher than the towers. lol

Go relax! I am.

Michelle

National Peanut Festival Coming Soon!

YeeHaw! The National Peanut Festival is a highlight in my life every year. I know many will say, it's corny, or there's nothing really special about it, etc., but growing up with it year after year, I usually can't wait for fall to get here because I know what's coming next.

My fondest memories are going with my deddy, and no I spell it the way I pronounce it. Most of my life the festival was at the Houston County Farm Center and that's where most of my memories lie. My deddy has always been in law enforcement and ever since I can remember had a pass to park in the livestock exhibitor's parking, so I have fortunately never had to endure the general parking. Since we could park so close, we would go every night. As I got older, deddy would stay and talk at the livestock barns and I would get to walk around by myself or with friends. Of course, back then you were safe walking around by yourself. I don't think I could do that with my daughter today. One of my favorite events is the greasy pig chase and the calf scramble. Little did I know, I would eventually marry the son of the winner of the first calf scramble in Peanut Festival history.

Eating at the fair was always first and most important. I would plan my rides around my eating. It would be interesting to know how many hours I have stood in line for a corn dog for the Famous Corn Dog Man over the years. Before leaving each night I would get an Elephant Ear. I can remember making a trip to the fair just to get a corn dog and elephant ear and then taking some home to have for breakfast the next morning. Boy those were the days!

Since the National Peanut Festival moved down 231 south and I have finally grown up, I don't go every night. I do look forward to the nights I do go. My family loves the roasted corn, polish sausage, kettle corn, and still my favorites-corn dog and elephant ear. Oh wait! Don't forget the boiled peanuts. I believe my daughter could eat her weight in them. She loves boiled peanuts!

Parade Day is always fun! We get there at least an hour early to put our chairs out and watch the people. My daughter would hardly ride with her PawPaw in the parade because she didn't want to miss any of it, even though he was in the first few people. I haven't missed a parade in 39 years and my daughter has never missed one in her lifetime. It's just tradition and there some traditions you don't break.

The dates of the National Peanut Festival are Friday, October 31-Sunday, November 9. Make plans to attend and enjoy the southern fun. For more info: www.nationalpeanutfestival.com or 793-4323.

Hope to see you there.

Michelle

10 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Agent-Me of course!

I ran across this little tidbit of info about using a real estate agent and thought I would share it with you. Regions Mortgage came up with this list.

Sell at the right price.
Work with only quilified buyers.
Better marketing means a quicker sale.
Show your home in the best possible light.
Helpful financial tips.
Buy the right home.
Get the best price.
Choose the perfect neighborhood.
Keep a cool head in negotiations.
Financing 101-Some expert advice.

This is a great list! A good real estate agent can walk you through every step listed above. We are educated professionals here to serve you.

My philosophy is to make your home buying/selling experience as stress-free as possible and hopefully fun. I enjoy working with buyers and sellers. Homes are my passion and selling yours or helping you find the perfect one is truly where I love to be. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me: cell-334-333-1609 or michelle@c21keyrealty.com

It's a great time to buy or sell!

Michelle

Dothan Dots of Info: Holiday of Hope Marketplace-this Weekend

Dothan Dots of Info: Holiday of Hope Marketplace-this Weekend

Make sure you put the Holiday of Hope Marketplace on your calendar this weekend. Check out a former post under the same name for extra info.

Holiday of Hope Marketplace
October 3-5
Dothan Civic Center

$6 per person for entrance

Happy Shopping!

Michelle

Holiday of Hope Marketplace-this Weekend

ShopInDothan.com-It's Here!

ShopInDothan.com will launch on October 4, 2008 with a celebration at Willy T's during the lunch hour. What is ShopInDothan.com? Plainly put, it's a website promoting great businesses in Dothan who give good service, quality products, and possess a good reputation in the community. What a great idea!!!

Brett Smith created ShopInDothan.com to declare and highlight great businesses in Dothan. He and his family moved here about a year ago, knowing very little about the area, struggled to learn about different businesses in Dothan. ShopInDothan.com was given life, so others won't waste precious time with businesses who aren't giving good products and services. What a service offered to newcomers to our area and those who have lived here for a few years or a lifetime. Sometimes we get into a slump of using the same businesses even though they are not giving good service, but we think they are the only one in Dothan. Guess what? There are very few businesses that have the entire corner on the market in Dothan, but we just don't know all of them. This is where ShopInDothan.com comes into play. ShopInDothan.com does all the work for you! Yeah!

Go check out ShopInDothan.com and register for their free give-a-ways and check out their new website. Sometimes you think no one ever wins those give-a-ways, well guess what? I was their first $50 gas card winner! Hooray!

ShopInDothan.com Launch
October 4, 2008
Willy T's
Lunch Hour
They will have balloons, other business involvement, promos, and give-a-ways!

See You There!

Michelle