Cassine Village is a special community because of its owners.  It has been my privilege to work with this terrific owner (seller) to accomplish her goals.  People like this really make my job rewarding.  I would value the opportunity to help you Turn Your Dream into Your Lifestyle~

​August 21st | 6p-9p | Wednesday Night Bonfire & Music | The Bay
August 24th | 4p-8p | Wine & Tapas | Grayton Beach
August 26th | 6p | Beachcomber Music Awards | Ft Walton Beach
August 30th | 5p-10p | Baytowne Art Walk | Baytowne Wharf

 When you are on 30a and find yourself wanting to have a good time and good food...  Try Coastal Dune Co for Happy Hour (wonderful wines by the glass) also terrific selections of wine by the bottle and Old Florida Fish House for dinner (as always - excellent food).  We had a really nice and enjoyable time last night doing just that. They are in Seagrove at Eastern Lake, the sign behind me connects the two. Check out their facebook pages below. 

Coastal Dune Co.    

Old Florida Fish House 

EXCITING LOCAL EVENTS
July 15th | 6:30p - 8:30p | Baytowne HydroFlight | Baytowne Wharf
July 17th | 7p | Summer Concert Series | Seaside
July 18th | 7p - 9p | Pier Park Summer Concert Series | Pier Park
July 19th | 9p | Sunset Stampede 5k | Niceville
July 19th | 4p - 8p | Wine and Tapas | Grayton Beach
July 23rd | 9a - 10a | Turtle Talk Tuesdays | The Market Shops
July 26th | 6p - 10p | Family Fun Fest | Seascape Towne Center
July 27th | 9a - 1p | Farmers Market | Grand Boulevard
July 31st | 3p - 6p | Olivia Winter | The Hub

How can you be sure that your home won’t be marketed by chance?

A marketing plan should provide a course of action for how to attract buyers and generate buzz about your home or condo. Think of it as a map that shows the road to the final destination—in this case, selling your property. Don’t fall for just a slick document that confuses the simple facts.

All agents should be putting your home on the MLS, which then syndicates your property details to top real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com and providing a yard sign (where allowed).  But there is more to do in marketing your property.  

It’s not your job to know about SEO and SEM but it is mine.

Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are two key terms when it comes to marketing your property, according to the experts. SEO drives free traffic to a web page (such as your real estate listing) from search engines like Google. SEM directs search engine traffic, such as pay-per-click ads, to places like our website to boost your home’s listing exposure with keywords, such as your home’s location in the desirable “Destin” neighborhood.

When it comes to promoting your home on social media, Facebook reigns as king. “Facebook’s large user base makes it the go-to social network”. It should be part of marketing and advertising your home or condo - not the only thing. This platform is also useful for buzz  like “just listed” “coming soon” or ads promoting a open house.However, harnessing other digital platforms to raise your home’s exposure is also important. Platforms such as Instagram and YouTube  work and have a place in our plan of marketing.Posting a digital tour across these platforms allows us to highlight and tell the story of your property.Our marketing plan also have methods for cultivating interest in your home among other real estate agents, such as those who’ve brought buyers to the table elsewhere in the neighborhood.

 Ads in print publications as well as fliers should feature some key components:

• An eye-catching, professional design
• Simple, easy-to-read fonts
• The home’s full address
• Basic property details such as number of beds and baths

How to market my home visually!If a picture is worth a thousand words, then great pictures could be worth thousands of dollars when you’re selling your home.
89% of homebuyers browsing online find online photos and video very helpful, according to the National Association of Realtors. According to 2017 data from the National Association of Realtors, 51% of buyers found the home they purchased on the internet--more than any other source.

Ask your agent point blank if they plan to hire a professional photographer to snap pictures that will put your home in its best light. WE DO! A professional photographer will take photos of your home with the right lighting, mechanics, and details.
Attractive photos of the interior and exterior of the home—the spacious living room, the updated bathrooms, the freshly painted walls—force a buyer who’s shopping online “to slow down and notice” your home. Many real estate agents cited professional photography as the second most effective form of advertising a home, behind MLS listings. Backing up that belief, a study of homes sold in 2013 showed that properties that were professionally photographed sold 32% faster than properties that weren’t.
“If an agent pulls out a smartphone to take marketing pictures of your house, run!” “Quality, professional pictures are critical to catch the eye in this age of online searching.”

A marketing plan shouldn’t be set in stone; rather, it should be fluid like sand, able to shift and react to changing circumstances as needed.
You want an agent who won’t panic at the first sign of trouble but can identify the issue, adjust fast, and tweak your plan accordingly.

How will I know if the price is right?

“Price is one of the important parts of any marketing plan.”
We will provide you comparative market analysis to price your home accurately from the start.
We will continue to provide feedback to you about price and buyer comments and possible adjustments.  Never settle for “posting to the MLS” as your marketing plan. 

Businesses of all shapes and sizes rely on marketing plans to promote their products and services. But great marketing doesn’t come out of thin air; it requires knowledge of your target audience and careful planning.  If you are looking for a Realtor® you can trust, who works hard to find you a buyer, keeps you informed, and understands and can harness the power of the Internet and social media call me today for my pledge to you is to provide quality service, ethical standards, and customer service you can rely on. 

          I love being a Realtor®...let me show you how much!

June 15 | 10a-2p | Kids Fishing Workshop | Topsail Preserve State Park
June 16 | 10:30a-5p | Pescado Brunch & Live Music | Rosemary Beach
June 18 | 7p-9:30p | Boomin Tuesday | Baytowne Wharf
June 20 | 7p-9p | Summer Concert Series | Pier Park
June 22 | 9a-1p | Farmers Market | Grand Boulevard
June 27 | 7p | Concerts in The Village | Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village
June 29 | 2p-5p | Craft Beer Fest | Props Ale House Niceville ​

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines communication as “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals.” Without doubt, communication is a complex blend of words, body language, tone and timing.

Effective communication is the key to a satisfying real estate purchase. It is one of the most important skill sets of a realtor to continue to master. When we as realtors working with clients are able to effectively communicate, any situation can be better handled. That’s why it is so important that we develop outstanding communication skills by knowing what to say, how to say it and when to say it.
​
"Effective communication in a real estate transaction requires discipline and patience."

We sometimes believe that we know what another person is thinking, but such an assumption can hinder effective communication. Effective “clear” communication requires both asking questions and listening to what is being said and not said.

If we seek to clear up a misunderstanding, we need to choose our words carefully, reminding ourselves that there is an appropriate time for everything.  

It is better to prepare to communicate by seeking facts and insight into the particular transaction. Sharing of opinions is very important. But what is needed to be effective in our communication is to listen more than talking. Listening requires our engaging with the other person, seeking to understand. Active listening demonstrates that you honor the other person enough to consider what they are sharing with you.
As we apply these principles challenges are less frequent.

Styles of communication can be very different from person to person, transaction to transaction. But by applying the influencing principles of wisdom we have learned through years of working with people we can provide a harmonious transaction. 
 

​A short walk to the Beach! Located in desirable Cassine Village! Whether you prefer as a home, second home or rental - this home is ready to enjoy relaxing on screened back porch while grilling outside or on one of two front porches (first or second floor). New wood flooring, interior painting ,furniture and stack washer/dryer. There are 3 owners closets. Master suite on second floor and two bedrooms share a hall bathroom with shower/tub combo. Fourth bedroom on first floor with bath and shower. Cassine Village has two pools, two tennis courts, a lake with picnic area, nature trails and low HOA fees. Enjoy local restaurants and shops by bike or within walking distance. Welcome to Seagrove Beach!

We had dinner with very special friends last night. We are blessed to be able to call these people friends. They remind me of a quote from a book by Shauna Niequist.  We were made to represent the love of God in each other’s lives, so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God’s love. Friendship is an opportunity to act on God’s behalf in the lives of the people that we’re close to, reminding each other who God is. When we do the intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more of the divine into daily life. We get to remind one another about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can’t always see from where we are.

They treated us to a very special restaurant here that we always enjoy!  
Seagar’s is a New York style steakhouse located in the Hilton Sandestin, and is the area's only AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse. Perhaps the finest steak in the Destin area or maybe the state of Florida, Seagar’s is a salute to the good life. Experience an intimate, indulgent, unhurried dining experience. Seagar’s will give you unparalleled service though out dinner with dramatic table-side food preparation. 

Looking for a one of a kind dinning experience? Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.  And its better with friends! 

Really nice trip to Somoa and Napa with GREAT friends. My first trip to Napa Valley. We started our trip at the Presidio in San Francisco.  I highly recommend staying here when in San Francisco. We were very blessed to have had a awesome guide for this trip to wine country and he set up some of the most wonderful tastings. We able to stayed at the Madrona Manor in Healdsburg and would do it again.      Napa and Sonoma.

​The weather is also beautiful this time of year and there are fewer crowds than in the peak summer months. 
My advice would be to make reservations at the vineyards you want to visit because they can get super crowded during the peak times. I strongly recommend taking advantage of the more premium and private tastings to have a better experience – its worth it. The wineries enjoy letting you taste many of their other higher end wines.  All the wineries we visited were exceptional, unique, and the wines very easy to drink. What we learned; enjoy the wine experience and it is not a rush to see how many wines you can taste, it is about experiencing the joy of wine.