Port Orange Has It All!

Most everyone has heard of the famous Daytona Beach. A destination for bikers, spring breakers, race fans, and beach lovers. But if you say you live in Port Orange, you are most often met with blank stares.
  

Port Orange is, of course, part of the greater Daytona Beach Area, and is a nice-sized city in its own right. Moreover, Port Orange has some claims to fame – so read on to find out more!

Port Orange is considered to be a principal city in the Fun Coast region of the state of Florida. The city's estimated population in 2013 was 57,203.

Port Orange was settled by John Milton Hawks who brought freed blacks to work at his sawmill after the U.S. Civil War. Esther Hawks established an integrated school in the area. The colony struggled soon after its creation and most colonists left. The area that became known as Freemanville is a legacy of the settlers that held on in the area.

Over the last 30 years, Port Orange has grown in leaps and bounds. It now features a broad spectrum of retail and entertainment establishments, fine restaurants, YMCA, library, and parks. Notably, Palmer Chiropractic college, which draws a younger-than-Florida-average population to Port Orange, is located in Port Orange.

Spruce Creek High School regularly makes the top 100 high schools in the US, and it boasts an International Baccalaureate program as well as an international award winning Jazz Band.

Among the top 10 things to do in Port Orange are the beautiful Sugar Mill Gardens and Cracker Creek . Trip Advisor has a comprehensive list. 

Port Orange is the 7^th safest city in Florida and the second safest city of its size (over 45,000 population). The police have a big presence, and it is generally known that you better not drink and drive – ever – but especially not in Port Orange! City council is very active in planning and expansion. If you want to get involved – and involvement is welcomed – the City of Port Orange makes it easy.The city has a Facebook page and so does the Port Orange Police! 

Whether you already live on the Fun Coast, or are considering a relocation to this area, Port Orange is worth your consideration! In addition to being a small city that has everything, it in perfect proximity to all other cities along the fun coast – Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ormond Beach, Ormond by the Sea, Flagler Beach to the north; Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater to the south. And of course it's a hop, skip, and a jump to Orlando!

Housing options include the gated golf communities, as well as many neighborhoods with moss draped oaks and water views along creeks, bays, and the beautiful Halifax River (Intracoastal Waterway).

Come to Port Orange 

and see what you’ve been missing!

  Referrals are how we build our business, and it is an honor to help your friends and family with their real estate needs.

Creative Florida Living 

Janet Sells 

Safety – The Benefits of Having a Realtor

The Benefits of Having a Realtor

One of the benefits to having a realtor work for you is the safety of your family and your home.  Once a for-sale sign is in your yard, complete strangers will pull up and want to talk to you about your home.  This could happen at the most inopportune times, catching you off guard when you are in your pajamas  dashing to the mail box, or in a hurry to get the kids to school.  The sign is there for a purpose: they can and should call me, your real estate agent.

Talk to your children and let them know that just because a real estate agent is showing their home to complete strangers, they should never let in strangers to see the house themselves.

The Impatient Buyer

Example: Mr. Impatient Buyer drives up and down your road every time he’s in town. He sees the for-sale sign in your yard and wants to look at the house today, NOW, since he’s right there!  He is not working with a realtor. If he was, the licensed real estate agent would make an appointment for him to see your home, would prequalify him, and accompany him on the viewing. 

Mr. Impatient Buyer perhaps calls the busy realtor (me), gets the price and size information, and is told 24 hours’ notice are needed to show the house. I promise him to call back later in the day.  I then text and ask the tenant if the house can be shown today, rather than tomorrow, and continue on with my business.

Mr. Impatient Buyer has lunch, checks his phone several times, calls me and leaves a message.  He drives by the house once again and this time sees a car in the driveway. He pulls up and rings the doorbell. The teenaged daughter, home from school, answers. He asks to see the house. She figures that strangers are tromping through her home frequently now anyway, so she’ll help her parents sell the house!

Later in the afternoon, when I call Mr. Impatient back with an appointment to see the house, I am told he’s “already seen it” and he “doesn’t like the house”.

In light of this very real example, here are some crucial tips on safety and selling your home effectively

1)     Never let strangers into your home.  This goes for prospective buyers as well as for people claiming to be realtors. If they are pushy, refer them to the sign and give them a card. The realtor who has listed your house will keep you and your family safe by prescreening everyone who comes through your door.

2)     First impressions of a property are an important consideration for prospective buyers.  As a realtor, I arrive at the home first, turn on all the lights, and make sure the temperature is pleasant.  In the example above, the home had hurricane shutters on half the windows keeping it cooler for the tenants. Several buyers complained that the place was too dark. A good agent is able to anticipate and address that issue before it turns into a concern.

3)     Prequalify buyers: Are prospective buyers actually able to purchase your house or are they just curious? A good realtor will be able to find out how motivated prospective buyers are, if they are paying cash, or if they have been preapproved by a lender.

 4)     Safety concerns: Today, with safety concerns, any person entering your home should have at least shown identification and registered with the realtor’s office.

5 )  Take precautions: Lock away prescription medications and pack up your valuables.