Swimming Safety

Nothing destroys the happiness of the summer season like the untimely death of a friend or loved one in a swimming pool. What is supposed to be a carefree dream of backyard barbecues, the sound of children playing, and the aquamarine glow of a pool at night can suddenly become a nightmare.

A pool is a great luxury item on a home, but with the pleasure comes the responsibility to maintain a safe environment for everyone who enjoys it. Did you know that an average of 390 children ages 0 – 14 die in pool and spa drowning each year? Roughly 5,200 more are treated for injuries in emergency rooms.

Simple steps save lives. We recently found this excellent resource regarding pool safety, and wanted to share it with everyone. The website is called “Pool Safely” and is located at http://www.poolsafely.gov.

From the website (for residential pool and spa owners), these crucial questions:

– Is there a fence around the perimeter of your pool or spa?
– Are there self-closing and self-latching gates?
– Are there door, gate or pool alarms in use?
– Does your pool have anti-entrapment drain covers that are compliant with the P&SS Act?
– Are all pool and spa covers in working order?
– Has the public pool or spa you use been inspected to ensure it is compliant with federal, state and local laws?
– Has someone in the family received training in CPR, first aid and emergency response?
– Has everyone learned to swim?

We urge you to learn more about how to address these questions. There are great resources on the site for parents and kids.

Let’s swim safely this summer!

Are you looking to buy or sell a home with a pool? We’d be glad to help you! Please get in touch: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley 904-422-7626 – http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

Buyers on the Fence

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On the Fence, undecided, unsure

Dear Buyers Who Were on the Fence,

Yes, I know it was a charming place. Yes, I know it fit almost 100% of your hopes for your next home. I remember when we toured the property and you shared your thoughts with me about what you loved and what you wanted to change. I was almost certain you’d found a place you could call home. I was even ready to write the offer in the car.

But then a funny thing happened. You decided to wait. True, maybe we hadn’t seen all of the houses you wanted to tour. True, it’s a big investment, and you want to be sure you’re making the right choice. When I inquired about writing an offer, you said: “Well, it’s almost perfect… but let’s keep looking.”

I felt that fear in my stomach for you. I advised you that this seemed to be a good fit for your criteria. Perfection is hard to find.

A week went by, you were considering your options. You’d watched the news and felt certain that the housing market wasn’t in much of a recovery. There was no rush, the numbers told you. I wish they had been the numbers that mattered. I called, but life gets busy.

When my phone rang, and you were ready to write the offer, I had to give you the bad news: The house was under contract. What’s more, there had been two bids for the property, as it was quite a gem in the neighborhood and priced well. In fact, it wasn’t the only one on our list that had just gotten away.

Believe me, I felt your disappointment. “But we were just about to make an offer!” you said. I consoled you the best I could, but I know the sting of regret.

It’s happening more often now. Great houses at fair prices available at excellent interest rates are moving. Don’t worry, we’ll find you a place you can love. I’ll work to make it happen with you. I can only hope the next time you feel that magical pull of a place you can call home, we’ll show the sellers how serious we are.

Now is the time to buy. Contact us to start your search today: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley 904-477-5278 http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

Evaluating Schools When Buying a Home

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Buying a home, schools, Selling a home

Schools are a contributing factor for anyone buying a home. Even if you don’t have kids yourself, your next buyer might, and they might base their decision to buy on the school district which serves your home.

The question remains: How do you evaluate schools? What’s the best approach for understanding if your local schools will score your property an “A” or relegate it to the land of “D-”?

Luckily, there are some excellent resources out there for vetting schools online. Here are a few weI’ve come across which provide a good place to start:

Education.com: A major portal site for education everywhere, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the schools section, found here: http://www.education.com/topic/school-and-academics/

GreatSchools.org: A good search engine for researching schools, you can do zip code based searches and learn lots about the public and private institutions in the area.

ProjectAppleseed.com: A website dedicated to improving public schools, you can learn a lot here about the crucial elements of what makes a local school and excellent local school.

Finally, here are a handful of questions to ask yourself if you’re doing research:

How comprehensive is the school’s safety policy?
What social/support services are available at the school?
How does the school handle discipline?
Are people involved in a parent/teacher organization?
How healthy is the school district’s annual report?

Finally, be sure to ask your agent!

Looking for neighborhoods with great schools? We can help! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley 904-422-7626 – http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

Our Network Can Help

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network, referrals, reputation

Usually when agents start talking about referrals, people assume they’re hunting for new listings or more buyers to represent. This isn’t one of those posts!

In fact, we wish more people would come to me looking for referrals in the community. A good real estate agent knows people in the community you can trust, and we’re always happy to provide the connection.

If you think about it, agents pretty much interact with all of the people dedicated to protecting, improving, or maintaining your biggest asset: Your home. Whether it’s a local insurance agent, an honest contractor, or a crack crew of yard and maintenance people, agents are great sources of “who you should know.” (We’re also reliable sources of locals-only community info!)

It’s too bad that agents are often involved only in the sale or purchase of a home. We prefer to think of ourselves as lifetime consultants to our clients, and providing the names of people we would stake our reputation on is simply a part of our ethical obligation to serve.

So, by all means, if you’re looking for someone in the Greater Jacksonville area, do drop us a line. We’d be more than happy to help: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley – http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or 904-422-7626