Seal air leaks around windows and doors to prevent wasting home heating and cooling energy that costs you money, even in Jacksonville, Florida.

Check for air leaks

With windows and doors closed, hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, and weather-stripping.

Seal air leaks around windows

If you have old windows in Mandarin, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up.

• Bronze weatherstripping ($12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install.

• Self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don’t last very long.

• Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber ($8 for 10 feet) is a good

…

The Washington Family & their new Jacksonville, FL home...

only made possible by the Round Table working with them on their old home

Mandarin, Jacksonville, FL - When the Washington Family purchased their new home they knew that the only thing that would be a problem that needed solving was what to do with their old or current home. While nice it wasn't what they wanted anymore and with the market the way it is they wanted to be able to take advantage. Could they get what they needed out of their old home? Mr. Washington and their family knew that through a marketing plan that involved a massive digital push built around amazing photography, the offers that would come in would be incrementally higher than what even their friends were seeing through

…

Homes at Risk, and No Help From Lawyers

NORTH FLORIDA HOMES, JACKSONVILLE HOUSING, MORTGAGES, ECONOMY, LAWYERS, LAW, PONTE VEDRA REAL ESTATE, ST JOHNS FORECLOSURES The New York Times | 21 Dec 2010 | 06:36 AM ET

In California, where foreclosures are more abundant than in any other state, homeowners trying to win a loan modification have always had a tough time.

Now they face yet another obstacle: hiring a lawyer.

Sharon Bell, a retiree who lives in Laguna Niguel, southeast of Los Angeles, needs a modification to keep her home. She says she is scared of her bank and its plentiful resources, so much so that she cannot even open its certified letters inquiring where her mortgage payments may be. Yet the half-dozen lawyers she has

…

**Loan Mod**

The title of this blog, like so many other terms, have become a *buzz* word in todays real estate market. They should all come surrounded by an asterisk in my opinion.

This week we had a new customer in our office, we'll call her Jane, and she brought in some paperwork for an ongoing loan modification she had been working on with the help of a Florida attorney for $1500 (up front). One of our agents sat down with her and upon a quick review discovered that it was not a loan mod, but a $10 option contract to purchase the home with the the purchase price BLANK. (For those of you who don't understand the idea of an option contract call 904-469-SOLD and ask for me, David, and i'll happily explain.) The agent called me in to take a look

…

Holiday Fire Safety Tips

Article From HouseLogic.com
By: Pat Curry

The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires, so take note of these tips to reduce your risk.

Residential fires during the holiday season are more frequent, more costly, and more deadly than at any other time of the year. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports more than double the number of open-flame fires on Christmas Day than on an average day, and about twice as many on New Year's Day. And when those fires occur, they do more damage: Property loss during a holiday fire is 34% greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities per thousand fires is nearly 70% higher. When the source of the fire is a highly flammable

…