About Fort Walton Beach's Eglin Afb /hurlburt Field

I’ve heard this on more than one occasion from home sellers: We've done Lots of upgrades! NOT!! And while I appreciate the time hard work and money you’ve invested in your home, I am going to have to give you the disheartening news that all your “upgrades” are actually maintenance.

• New carpet throughout – 5 years old now, and the only reason your replaced it was because it was covered with so many stains you didn’t even want to walk on it in bare feet anymore
• New roof—You had to repair the leak. You got a new one after Hurricane Ivan in 2005!
• New furnace/ac system – it finally just quit working
• New water heater—you guessed it, it stopped working
• New kitchen appliances- 5 years old isn’t new anymore
• New electrical system- had a fire did you?
• Freshly painted—after your son left you could re-paint his black room
• New garage door- husband ran into the door one night with truck!
• New garbage disposal/faucets/shower heads- yeah… you get the point.

Folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but these items are NOT upgrades, this is what’s called “deferred maintenance”. They are things we are required to do to maintain our homes. Things in our homes wear out or become outdated over time. They need to be replaced, (sort of like clothes and shoes. I know that suit is “like new” because you’ve only worn it 5 times in the last 15 years), but your stove isn’t and they do not add any additional value to your home as far as profit is concerned because you can’t add the cost of this maintenance to the price of your home and expect to get it back.

I know you paid $35,000 for that in-ground pool 15 years ago, and no we can’t add $35,000 to the price of the house for the pool after we’ve come up with value for your home. If your upgrade requires too much upkeep, buyers may view it as more of a nuisance than an asset.

An upgrade as defined means “to raise to a higher grade or standard” So some upgrades that might enhance the value of a home may include things like these:

• New roof (50 year, metal roof pays for itself and reduces insurance as well)
• New furnace (high efficiency, high-conductivity radiant warm board heating system)
• Freshly painted (“Green” feature with low VOC paint)
• New water heater ( again going “Green” high-efficiency, tank-less or heat-on-demand)
• New bathroom (walk-in tub, re done in marble or granite etc)
• Upgraded kitchen (Bosch ultra-quiet dishwasher, Viking gas stove with warming drawer, sub-zero refrigerator, New Cabinets)
• New windows (windows replaced with Pella energy star windows)
• New A/C system (upgraded from a 12 SEER to 18 SEER energy efficient system)
• New garage door and opener (insulated and exceeds hurricane standards garage door with whisper quiet opener)
• New Flooring (“Green feature” Cork, wood or tile)
• Counters (Granite, Concrete, Marble, other solid surface)

Note: if you replace laminate counters with new laminate… it’s not an upgrade. So like I said, if you replaced it because it was broken it’s called maintenance. If you replaced it with something better then it can be considered an upgrade. And believe me a buyer knows and upgrade when they see one and so does the appraiser who has to give it value. So wouldn't you rather me tell you in advance or have the appraiser reduce your value right before closing by several thousand $$$ and possibly cost you a home sale?

When it comes to military moves, trust a REALTOR who has been in your shoes more than once. One that can and will explain the real estate and home buying process. I have an extensive military background, and over 12 years real estate experience in and around the Fort Walton Beach area.

Here is a quick did you know on Veteran Eligibility:

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/servlet/AgentListing?action=detail&ComColdwellbankerDataAgent_id=198468

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" have announced their 2011 air show schedule. The team is scheduled to perform nearly 70 shows in 25 states, one U.S. territory and 10 European countries. They will kick-off the 2011 season by performing a flyover for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500, Feb. 20.

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and approximately 110 enlisted Airmen performing in more than 29 Air Force specialties.

A Thunderbirds' aerial demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about one hour. The air show season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.

For more information about the Thunderbirds, visit www.airforce.com/thunderbirds or follow them on Facebook (U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds) and Twitter (USAFThunderbird). I've had an opportunity to watch the Thunderbirds perform since I was about 5 years old, and it is always fascinating and amazing! So mark your calendars early for the military installation near you. They will be performing in Fort Walton Beach, Florida the weekend of April 14th & 15th 2011. Hope to see you there.

The 2011 schedule is as follows:

Mar 19 - 20 Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.
Mar 26 - 27 Tyndall AFB, Fla.

April 2 - 3 Cieba, Puerto Rico
April 14 - 15 Eglin AFB, Fla.
April 9 Charleston AFB, S.C.
April 16 - 17 Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
April 30-May 1 Beale AFB, Calif

May 7 - 8 Smyrna, Tenn.
May 14 - 15 Langley AFB, Va
May 21 - 22 Andrews AFB, Md.
May 25 U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
(Invitation Only)

European Tour
June 4 -5 Cigli Air Base, Turkey
June 8 TBD.
June 11 - 12 Jesolo AB, Italy
June 15 Karup AB, Denmark
June 18 -19 Turku AB, Finland
June 21 Baltic's Flyover
June 25 Graf Ignatievo AB, Bulgaria
June 29 TBD

July 2 - 3 RAF Waddington, United Kingdom
July 6 - 7 Koksijde, Belgium
July 23 - 24 Dayton, Ohio
July 27 Cheyenne, Wyo.
July 30 - 31 Travis AFB, Calif.

Aug 6 - 7 Milwaukee, Wis.
Aug 13 -14 Portsmouth, N.H.
Aug 17 Atlantic City, N.J.
Aug 20 - 21 Chicago, Ill.
Aug 27 - 28 Waterloo, Iowa

Sept 3 - 5 Cleveland, Ohio
Sept 10 - 11 Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Sept 15 Reno, Nev.
Sept 17 - 18 Mountain Home AFB, Idaho
Sept 24 - 25 Hill AFB, Utah

Oct. 1 - 2 Fort Smith, Ark
Oct. 8 Holloman AFB, N.M.
Oct. 15 - 16 Laughlin AFB, Texas
Oct. 22 - 23 Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 29 - 30 Lafayette, La.

Nov. 5 - 6 MacDill AFB, Fla
Nov. 12 - 13 Nellis AFB, Nev.

Planning to be in our area for the air show and interested in homes in our area, contact me for a Free list of properties in and around Fort Walton Beach and Eglin AFB, Fl.

Fall Panhandle Job Fair
September 16, 2010
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Northwest Florida Fairgrounds
1958 Lewis Turner Blvd
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547

The Panhandle Job Fair Foundation will host the Fall Panhandle Job Fair September 16, 2010, at Northwest Florida Fairgrounds, in Fort Walton Beach, Fl. The job fair will start at 10:00 AM and run until 3:00 PM. This job fair is completely free to the public. Here is a great opportunity, so help get the word out.

Seminars will also be offered on Federal Job Applications, Resume Writing, Interviewing Techniques, and Job Search Strategies. Complete information is available at http://www.panhandlejobfair.com/.

Employers will have access to highly motivated military members from the five Air Force and Naval installations in the area in addition to military veterans and civilian jobseekers. This is an opportunity for companies to recruit some of the most highly qualified, degreed, and technically skilled, professional personnel in the Southeast Region. Employers may register at http://www.panhandlejobfair.com/ or by emailing panhandlejobfair@cox.net.

If you are relocating to the Fort Walton Beach area, contact your Military Specialist today or visit www.KarenButler.com

Karen Butler, REALTOR Karen@KarenButler.com 850-830-8780 www.KarenButler.com Military & Relocation Specialist 20 Years - USAF Veteran Trusted Community Advisor 1st Time Home Buyer/Seller Counselor 2010 Fair Housing Chairman, ECAR Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource Contract Negotiation Specialist, CNS Senior Real Estate Specialist, SRES Accredited Buyer Specialist Mortgage Pre Approval Resource

Information about your Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) has been provided to me to help folks who may be currently deployed and unaware of changes. November general election is only 90 days away.

And since the law has changed-- You may not get your ballot automatically.

To register, request a ballot and vote absentee by mail takes a LONG time. But you can now go to www.FVAP.gov today, use the online registration and absentee ballot assistant, and have your forms completed, printed out and ready to send back home in less than 10 minutes. It's simple and fast!!

Most election officials are now emailing blank ballots. Why wait 30 days, when you can get it emailed in 30 milliseconds. Go to www.FVAP.gov and get started! Make sure you include your email address! Help spread the word! Pass this on to other military or overseas voters, including spouses and voting age dependents.

If you have questions you can send e-mails to vote@fvap.gov or calls to the 24/7 help desk. And don't forget your unit or installation voting assistance officers. All that info, and more can be found at the FVAP website at www.FVAP.gov