March 2015 - Page 2 of 5 - Choice One Real Estate

How to Prevent Wood Rot

by Robert MacDougall | Mar 24, 2015 | Homeownership

If water gets into cracks and under painted surfaces and doesn’t dry out, it can cause wood rot. Once wood rot takes hold, your only options are big-buck repairs and replacement of the rotted parts.

Left untreated, wood rot may spread, infecting other wood parts and possibly leading to structural damage.

That’s not all: The dampness that causes wood rot invites voracious termites. Bottom line: Because your house is made with a lot of wood — framing members, plywood sheathing, trim — there’s a lot to protect.

Look for Trouble Spots

The best defense against rot? Your eyes — once each year, make a tour of your house to inspect for:

Cracks and holes in the caulking around windows, doors, dryer vents, etc.

Remedy: Re-caulk any openings using a high-quality acrylic latex exterior caulk.

Stains under eaves, around fireplaces, and on interior ceilings.

Remedy: You may have a roof leak. Inspect for damage yourself or hire a specialized roofing inspector ($175) through the National Roof Certification and Inspection Association. Roof repairs may cost as little as $10 to patch a minor leak, or $1,000 to fix a leaky roof valley.

Sagging and leaking gutters and downspouts.

Remedy: Most gutter repairs and replacements are easy DIY jobs. That said, you’ll want to be cautious about working near the top of a multi-story house. Pro gutter repairs are $100 to $900, depending on the extent of the damage.

Shrubbery and tree branches closer than 2 feet from siding and roofing.

Remedy: Trim back shrubbery; it should be 3 feet away from siding. Tree branches can rub against roofs during windy days, damaging the roofing. Trim tree branches at least 3 feet away from roofing.

Peeling and cracked painted surfaces.

Remedy: Scrape and sand peeling paint. Apply primer to ensure good adhesion. Paint the damaged area with color-matched exterior paint.

Crawl space vents blocked with leaves and other debris.

Remedy: Remove blockage; use a shop vac to thoroughly clean vent screens.

Dirt, leaves, and twigs between decking boards.

Remedy: Use a screwdriver or awl to pry out gunk that may trap moisture and lead to rot. Flush out any remaining debris using a garden hose.

Probe for Rot

As you inspect your house, you should actively look for wood rot. It’s not always obvious; wood rot may occur below the outer surface of wood and underneath intact layers of paint.

If you suspect rot, use your fingers to press on wood surfaces and see if they feel soft or crumble easily. Use an awl to probe wood framing members. Typical trouble spots include:

Where two pieces of trim meet.

Siding butt joints, and where siding meets trim.

Horizontal surfaces, such as window sills, door thresholds, and railings.

Deck support posts.

Exterior stair stringers that support steps.

Fascia behind leaking gutters.

Tips for Preventing Wood Rot

Always use decay-resistant or pressure-treated lumber for decks. Wood that touches the ground should be pressure-treated lumber that’s rated for ground contact.

When building an exterior project with wood, stain or paint all sides of each lumber piece before assembly.

Don’t lean anything against your siding, such as old plywood, tools, and ladders.

Clean your gutters regularly to prevent clogs that could cause water to back up and spill onto fascia and siding.

Other Ways to Protect Your House

Home inspections are a good defense against a multitude of problems. Here are other essential inspections you can easily do yourself:

Checking Your Plumbing Pipes

How to Inspect Your HVAC

How to Make Sure Your Fireplace is Safe

How to Win the Energy-Savings Argument in 3 Easy Steps

by Robert MacDougall | Mar 17, 2015 | Green Living

Published: August 21, 2013

Trying to convince someone to save energy requires a bit of due diligence — we’ll show you how to win that argument every time.

If you’re trying to convince your partner to save energy, you may be facing an uphill battle.

That’s because debating it is about as much fun as watching your electric meter spin. In addition, your other half probably thinks adding energy-saving features costs too much and isn’t worth the effort.

So how do you make a dent in that ironclad reluctance?

Step #1: Do Your Homework

“The best way to minimize disagreements is with research and proof,” says Sandy Arons. She should know. As a financial counselor, it’s her job to assess the nuances of everyday costs, including home maintenance and repair.

Knowing her spouse wasn’t keen on spending for energy upgrades on their relatively new 17-year-old house, Arons gathered data to prove they could save money.

The heart and soul of her data crunch was an energy audit provided free by her local utility company. An audit shows:

Where you’re wasting energy

How you can remedy problems

Your probable cost savings if you upgrade

Many utility companies offer a free home energy profile as an online service at their website or via an in-person visit from an energy expert.

You can also use calculators at government-supported websites, such as Home Energy Saver and Energy Star.

Better yet, hire an independent pro to do an energy evaluation for about $150. Just don’t forget to factor that money into the costs of your energy upgrades.

Related:

Professional Energy Audits: Costs and Benefits

DIY Home Energy Audit in 6 Easy Steps

Step #2: Gathering Cost Info

Gather estimated costs for the upgrades suggested by your audit. You can get estimates at an online home improvement cost site, such as CostHelper and DIYorNot, or contact local contractors to get bids for the work.

Step #3: Figuring Payback

Compare those proposed annual energy savings against the cost of the upgrades. Your goal is to figure out payback — how long it’ll take for the energy savings to pay off the cost of the improvements.

For the Arons house, an energy audit recommended increasing the depth of attic insulation, insulating attic knee walls, and adding roof vents to get rid of hot, trapped air.

Those improvements totaled about $1,000. With her audit showing a potential annual energy saving of $300, Arons figured a payback of about three years.

She put everything in a spreadsheet and showed her husband.

“Once I did that, it was easy for my husband to agree to the upgrades,” says Arons. “And once we’re through the payback period, all the savings are gravy.”

Related: Best ways to take back your energy bills

Want an Even Stronger Argument?

Don’t forget to research federal, state, local, and utility rebates for energy upgrades and apply those to your cost savings.

For example, if you upgrade your insulation in 2013, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $500.

With a Little Help from Some Friends

“When you’re trying to convince people to try something new to save money, it’s important to go straight to the numbers,” says Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

When Schrage tried to get his neighbors to join the energy-savings movement, he called upon a friend who had recently gotten an energy audit and installed a programmable thermostat. The friend had tracked his utility bills for several months and discovered he was getting about a 25% savings.

Armed with his friend’s paperwork and a copy of the energy audit, Schrage was able to convince his neighbors to get their own audits and see what savings they could muster.

“They didn’t even know an energy audit was available,” notes Schrage. Now, he says, those neighbors are enjoying annual energy savings of 20%.

What Is Saint Patrick’s Day?

by Robert MacDougall | Mar 17, 2015 | Green Living

What is Saint Patrick’s Day?

Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

Why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians.

According to different versions of his life story it is said that he was born in Britain, around 385AD. His parents Calpurnius and Conchessa were Roman citizens living in either Scotland or Wales. As a boy of 14 he was captured and taken to Ireland where he spent six years in slavery herding sheep. He returned to Ireland in his 30s as a missionary among the Celtic pagans.

Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Many folk ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?’ The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

In the custom known as “drowning the shamrock”, the shamrock that has been worn on a lapel or hat is put in the last drink of the evening.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city.

By: Saint-Patrick’s-Day.com

Should You Refinish Hardwood Floors Yourself?

by Robert MacDougall | Mar 17, 2015 | renovations

You’ll save money by refinishing your own hardwood floors, but the risk to your floors may not be worth it.

Hardwood floors have two big advantages over other types of flooring:

1. They’re a timeless mix of beauty and durability that pair with any design.

2. If your hardwood floors get worn and scuffed, chances are good you won’t have to replace them; you can simply refinish them.

We say “simply” with a word of caution, though. For a pro, the process is straightforward, although there are a lot of steps that must be completed carefully.

DIYers, however, should think twice. Experience definitely counts when it comes to a good floor refinishing job. Mistakes show up big time on wood flooring, and you may end up devaluing your home’s appearance rather than improving it.

Related: Frugal Fixes for Frightful Floors

What Will a Pro Do?

A professional wood floor refinisher takes 2 to 5 days to complete a simple job, and up to two weeks for a complex job calling for custom stains and finishes. Sometimes humid weather interferes with drying times and causes delays.

A floor refinisher will do one of two things:

1. Rebuff your finish. Wood floors are covered with a clear protective coating. Over time, that topcoat can get scratched and scuffed, but the wood floor underneath may be undamaged.

If that’s the case, your floor refinisher will use a floor buffing tool and a succession of grits to restore the luster to your floor’s topcoat. The process is called screening. A new coat of clear finish completes the job. The job runs $1-$2 per sq. ft.

Screening gets a bit more complicated if you’ve waxed or used an oil soap product to clean your floors. If so, your contractor has to remove any residue before buffing to make sure the new topcoat dries correctly.

2. Sand and finish your flooring. The contractor will sand your floors down to bare wood, then apply a stain and two to three coats of finish. The cost is $1.50 to $4 per sq. ft., depending on the repairs necessary and if staining is required.

Steps in the Pro Sanding and Finishing Process Include:

Inspection. An estimator inspects your floors and takes measurements. He’ll check the thickness of your flooring to make sure there’s enough solid wood for a complete sanding job. A solid hardwood floor can take up to a dozen complete sanding and refinishing jobs during its 100-year lifespan. Laminated plank floors can be refinished at least once if the hardwood veneer is at least 1/8-inch thick.

Sanding the floors down to bare wood. This messy job uses progressively finer-grit sandpaper to produce a smooth surface. Look for companies that offer dustless sanding, meaning they hook up their sanding machines to vacuums that remove most — but not all — of the dust. You’ll still need to seal off doorways to keep dust out of the rest of your house.

Applying filler to cracks and holes.

Staining the floor. You can leave your floor natural, but if you want a certain color or tone, you’ll have to stain the floor. Staining usually requires several applications, plus sanding between coats.

Finishing coating the floor. Two or three separate coats are applied, with thorough drying time between coats. You’ll have a choice of:

Water-based finishes are eco-friendly and have low odors and VOCs. They generally aren’t as tough as other finishes.

Polyurethane finishes are the industry standard. They’re recommended for high-traffic floors and for kitchens.

An acid-cured finish is a two-part process that leaves an exceptionally tough coating. It has fast drying times, which may make it possible to apply two coats in a single day. However, some brands produce volatile odors that require you to turn off pilot lights, avoid using light switches, and leave your house until the finish is completely dry.

DIY Floor Refinishing

Floor refinishing is labor-intensive, messy, and loud. Be sure to have top-quality dust masks or a respirator, eye protection, and ear protection. Use plastic sheeting to seal doorways and keep dust out of the rest of your house.

Buffing the Floor — DIY

For buffing a worn topcoat, you’ll need to rent a buffer and buy a gallon of polyurethane floor finish ($55-$65/gallon). It’ll cost you $75 to $125 to buff out and recoat a 15-by-15-ft. room.

Note: You can’t buff out a floor that’s been waxed or cleaned with an oil soap — a favorite product used on wood flooring. You’ll have to strip off any residue before buffing; otherwise, the new finish won’t adhere.

Test the floor in an inconspicuous area, such as a closet. Buff out the old finish and apply a new coat. If the new coat dries and sticks, you’re in business. If not, you’ll have to thoroughly clean the entire hardwood floor with ammonia and water or a commercial floor cleaning product.

Sanding and Refinishing — DIY

To sand and completely refinish a 15-by-15-ft. floor, you’ll spend $125 to $250 for the drum sander, sandpaper, wood filler, and polyurethane floor finish.

A drum sander is a heavy piece of equipment that you walk behind and guide like a lawn mower. You’ll use a series of progressively smaller grits to remove the old finish and sand the bare wood smooth.

A drum sander takes a deft touch; let it linger too long in one spot, and you’ll gouge the flooring.

An orbital sander is a smaller tool you’ll use to remove the finish and sand the wood next to walls and in corners where the drum sander can’t reach.

Dealing with Super-Hard Finishes

Some varieties of prefinished hardwood flooring are coated with super-hard finishes made with aluminum oxide compounds. These tough finishes extend the life of the flooring (and a manufacturer’s guarantee) but are difficult to remove.

Although conventional wisdom says to start with heavy sandpaper grits (40-grit) and work to progressively smaller grits, in this case you’ll want to reverse the process.

Start with a medium grit (80- or 100-grit) to begin breaking down the outer layer of the finish. Once that’s accomplished, you can move to the heavier grit to remove the remainder of the finish and flatten the floor.

Can Your Facebook Friends Really Influence Your Credit Score?

by Robert MacDougall | Mar 12, 2015 | Buying

Published: October 24, 2013

Recent news reports suggesting your Facebook and other social media friendships could someday influence your credit score left out a few details — like why that’s not going to happen in the U.S.

After reading news headlines from CNN to Mint.com suggesting that it’s just a matter of time before credit reporting bureaus begin using my social media footprint and friendships to rate my credit, I felt sad that I was going to have to drop all the old friends I reconnected with on Facebook after my high school’s 30th reunion.

After all, I did meet them in my school’s smoking lounge in the late 1970s. Who knows what kind of credit they have now. What if they grew up to become financial lollygaggers?

I put in a call to Experian Director of Public Education Rod Griffin to find out the best way to figure out my friends’ credit scores so I’d know who to unfriend, lest they tarnish my stellar score and prevent me from getting a mortgage

Griffin told me to take my finger off the unfriend button. Turns out, those companies trying to use social media to determine creditworthiness are in other countries.

Here in the U.S., social media isn’t used for consumer credit scoring. Why not? Because there are some pesky consumer laws in this country that require credit reporting companies to use data that actually predicts whether you’re likely to pay a debt. The data has to be about your behavior, not your friends’ behavior, and it has to be related to repayment, not what you think of Obamacare.

Even if someone could show that posts about hating pink houses corresponded to hating to pay your bills on time, Experian wouldn’t use your hatred of pink houses to calculate your credit score because it’s not related to actual bill-paying behavior.

The data most relevant to credit scoring isn’t who you’re interacting with on social media, it’s your financial track record. A late payment on a car loan is a strong indicator that you’re not going to pay another debt, like your mortgage.

We Americans have other consumer rights that would make using social media in credit reporting tough — like the right to fix mistakes in our credit reports.

If social media information was used in credit scoring, can you imagine the letter you’d have to write to get errors fixed? And how would the credit bureau try to correct errors? Maybe we would write a letter like this:

Dear Social Media Credit Reporting Firm:

I don’t know where you got the idea I’m good friends with Joe Johnson. I’m not. He contacted me after my 30th reunion and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by refusing his friend request. Please make the correction in your files as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

It Doesn’t Work for Loans, Either

A second federal law would make it really tricky to use your social media postings to decide whether to give you a loan. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act says you can’t discriminate against me because of my gender, ethnicity, marital status, or age.

All of those characteristics appear on the average mom’s Facebook feed. If you stripped out pictures of me (I’m pretty obviously white), my husband (yes, I’m married), and my girls’ nights out with friends (I’m pretty obviously female), there’d be nothing left but pictures of my daughter playing field hockey. And a headshot of me that’s so digitally altered you might not realize you should be discriminating due to my age.

So for now, I’ll remain friends with my fellow Wilde Lake High School Wildecats because finding out what happened to old classmates is what social media was meant to do. But credit scoring? Not so much.

Related:

6 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

Stats on Credit Report Disputes

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James Piggot

13:17 08 Mar 18

My experience purchasing my first home through Choice One was fantastic from start to finish. Marco and Kristin made the process simple to understand and they were always available to help with any questions I had. I've owned my home for 2 years now and they have even been there over the last 2 years when I had questions about many issues such as the Homestead Act, taxes, Mortgage questions and even helped me find ways to optimize my homeowners insurance to ensure I was making the right choices. I saved a significant amount after reviewing with them just recently. Whether you are looking for a new home or another home, I can't express enough how great Choice One is and their individualized family touch will help you be assured that you've made the best "choice" possible with people who care. Thanks Choice One!

Alan Piggot

21:10 07 Mar 18

As a first time home buyer, when we started looking for our first home I had only heard how stressful and intense buying a home could be. At my brothers recommendation I contacted Marcos and Kristin at Choice One. What really stood out through our journey with them was their honesty and expertise in the south Miami area. Marcos is very humble and honest. He let us know what to expect every step of the way and was excellent at helping us determine what features of a home we desired, and what the value of those features were at that time in the market. When we found a house we loved for a price we thought was great, Marcos had my wife and I walk through the house together making funny requests, like stand in the kitchen, walk past each other in the laundry room etc. My wife and I then quickly realized what living in the home would be like compared to just liking the home. It was little things he did that change our perspective in big ways on the homes we saw. Looking back, I would have to say that buying a home was actually easier and more fun than buying a car or anything else I have ever bought. The staff and everyone we worked with at Choice One were absolute professionals. We used the title and insurance services from Choice One and all around, everyone was extremely competent and speedy with getting our paperwork signed, sealed, and delivered. 5 stars for sure!!!!!

Alex falgons

01:30 08 Mar 18

I purchased a home through Choice One Real Estate and could not be happier with my overal experience. It was my first home so naturally I was nervous but Kristin and Marcos guided me through the whole process. Long story short we were able to close on the house in just 2 weeks! Everything was fast and easy... I would definitely recommend them to anyone and everyone looking to purchase or sell their home.

Chuck Roast

15:17 09 Mar 18

Marcos & Kristin Fullana exceeded our expectations. We were looking for a very quick sale and was willing to make concessions on our house to help with a quick sale. Marcos & Kristin asked us to have faith in their ability's and not under cut the value of our house. 7 days later, were accepted and offer and were under contract. 30 days after that, we were closing on our house. Marcos & Kristin are strait shooters and are very direct when you sit and talk with them, which is very uncommon these days.Thank you Marcos & KristinJamie and Sarah Zweydoff

Amparo Villanueva

23:18 07 Mar 18

Choice One Real Estate are professional, honest, approachable and reliable. Ready to assist, always prompt and sold my house in less than six months! We would use them again. Santos and Amparo Villanueva

Cindy Hinton

14:09 18 Mar 18

I would highly recommend Choice One with your selling or buying of a home. They were terrific when my mom was selling her home could not have done it without them. They will go the extra mile for their clients. Always willing to help out if needed. Thanks again for all your help in selling of my mother's home. Would definitely use them again........

Amanda Tappendorf

18:20 17 Mar 18

Kristin, Marcos & their team went above and beyond over and over again for our family. They were extremely knowledgable, did extensive research, and provided us with well thought out and flexible (to our needs) marketing plans to sell our home. I cannot recommend them enough!

kandice deMoya

22:07 09 Jul 18

I was so happy I chose Choice One reality, Holly Arguelles was my realtor. She made every aspect of selling my home smooth and stress free. The entire experience was great thanks to my realtor and Choice One. I would highly recommend !

mike mcgowan

13:55 06 Aug 18

To call Laura Derrick good or great or amazing wouldn’t do her justice. The only word I can think of that adequately describes her is ‘perfect’. We got what we wanted for our house and it sold and closed super quickly. It was painless and exactly what we were looking for. A+, 5 stars, 10/10!

Lori Schubert

17:42 17 Sep 18

Working with Laura and Ron Derrick was a pleasure. They are a professional power couple that gets things done. It was a great experience and I would highly recommend!

Jason Poppell

18:43 06 Nov 18

If you are looking for a realtor team that you can trust and will take a personal interest in your property goals look no further than Kristen and Marcos Fullana. They were both extremely professional and diligent making sure I received the best deal possible for my house when I put it on the market. I could not have been happier with the results I received from their work.

Elizabeth Carlisle

02:26 15 Feb 19

Laura Derrick is wonderful! We would never have found our wonderful rental property without her dedication and superb local knowledge. She is professional, kind and passionate about matching her clients with the right home for their needs. We cannot recommend her enough and if you trust Laura and Choice One Real Estate you will not be disappointed!!

Jill Volovar

19:55 15 Feb 19

Working with Laura was awesome. She was always available and cheerful. She was super creative and had new ideas all the time. Consider Laura Derick as your realtor at Choice One Real Estate!!!!

Jacq'ee C

12:34 23 Mar 19

Laura is an A+MAZING realtor! It is rare to encounter such professionalism in Miami Dade county and she knows her stuff. I wasted 10 months with a large well known company hoping that my realtor would close the deal, but it never happened. Thankfully a friend told me about how Laura helped them sell and buy their home and how wonderful she was throughout the entire process. I have to say that she is incredible and true to her word. She worked hard and stayed in constant communication with me and in less than two months, my house was off the market. I couldn't be happier with my experience. Thank you Laura and Choice One Real Estate!

Alejandra Tamayo

02:19 30 Mar 19

We can't speak highly enough of our experience with Marcos Fullana. He’s knowledgeable, honest and cares about his clients. Additionally, he always answered every call, text and email. We highly recommend Marcos Fullana, he’s someone you can trust and a pleasure to work with.

Ryne Phillips

18:35 18 Jun 19

Marcos promised us a 5 star experience and he did not disappoint. His knowledge and experience made my wife and I feel at ease throughout the entire sale of our house. He was never to busy for us and was always there to answer our questions.

Aj Miller

01:17 22 Jul 19

BLUF - Laura Derrick and the team is amazing!This might be a little long, but I always like more information than too little. I first met Laura and the team at Choice One when I bought my house. She represented the sellers and honestly, by the end of my closing I was talking to her more than my own Realtor. My fault, when I bought my house, I did a bad job researching my real estate agent and my purchase almost suffered for it. Laura actually handle a large portion of my purchase... see I have strange luck and the most random things kept happening with the home. For example, the survey company accidentally added the land of my soon to be home into the purchase of the property behind the house, so the house was good to sell, but the land the house was on was owned by another person (complete accident found out during the survey). My real estate agent didn't have a clue what to do, but Laura and the team came to the rescue. They worked with the courts and the legal team to get everything fixed, crazy thing after crazy thing. Laura worked with my Realtor to ensure I was able to close with in a few days of my original date, even with all the random issues. In fact, Laura is the one that I saw more often than my own Realtor. So when it came time to sell, I went to Laura to represent me. Again, cause its me, random stuff happens. My work moved me to a new location after only be in Miami for less than a year. Yup, I owned the house for less than a year. Want to talk about stress! I had to sell the house, try to make up my expenses, not loose too much, and do it all in a short time period. Again, Laura the woman with a plan came to the rescue. She is honest and always up front about everything. She will not sugar coat anything to make you feel better. She gives you the hard facts so you know exactly where you stand and what to expect. But at the same time, she will do what it is you want. I knew I was pricing the house a little high, but she worked with me. She showed me the numbers so I knew what I was up against. I ended up pricing about 10000 less than I wanted, but there was no way that I was going to get that on a house I lived in for only a year. When the offer came it, she gave me an honest thoughts on the offer and walked me through everything. EVERYTHING.Through out the whole process she was amazing. I have fur-children that she would take care of during showings, making sure to open the doggie door for them after and giving them tons of love while she was showing. I mean, couldn't have been better. She even straightened up one time when she had a last minute showing for me! Laura also had professional photos done for the house and helped me stage it.For closing, Laura and the team were rushing to once again help a buyer. The buyers team of people... well they were not at the same standard as Choice One. They messed up the loan rate lock date, so Laura and her team were rushing to try and close about a week early. They were so nice to help the new family out. I had a house hunting trip planned, so I was going to be out of town, Choice One went over all the paperwork with me ahead of time and we did a POA so they could sign for me since I would be out of town. Just amazing team work.I cannot express how amazing this team is, for buying and selling.Thank you Choice One and Laura for the hard work!

Stephanie Manjarres

20:02 02 Aug 19

My experience with Marcos was great. He is very professional, punctual, and overall a very pleasant buying experience. Thank you for helping me buy my “lake house”.

Jessy Pineda

19:31 21 Aug 19

Everyone at Choice One is exceptional. From finding your home, helping with the financing, to obtaining the proper homeowners insurance - they are true professionals. They always do their best to find the lowest insurance premiums for auto, too. Choice One is truly a gem. A true one stop shop.

Carol Fink

19:11 14 Dec 19

Laura Derrick was so professional and helpful in selling our home. When the buyers’ real estate agent dragged his feet, she was able to light a fire under him and get the closing finalized. Thank you Laura, you’re a gem!

Christine Nall

20:54 22 Apr 20

Absolutely amazing! When I decided to move out with they son, I told Laura exactly what I wanted and my price range and she exceeded expectations and also made the process as painless and headache free as possible! We all know looking for places can be a hassle but I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about with her the second I reached out for help. She’s very patient, kind and attentive to everyone’s needs. I would highly recommend not only her, but also her colleagues. They make a truly amazing team.

Karen Neher

02:39 08 Apr 20

Marcos Fullana is very professional. He explained the entire process very clearly and always responded quickly to any questions we had. We were very impressed by how well he represented us. Through his skillful negotiations, he obtained an offer of the asking price on the first day the house was shown. He is very honest and reliable. We are extremely satisfied with his service and highly recommend him!

02:32 16 Apr 20

Update: The review below I wrote two years ago when we bought our first home. Well, we found our dream home and Marcos and the whole team at choice one helped us get into it. I wanted to provide another review that nothing has changed with Marcos and Choice One. Marcos provided that same "attention to every detail" type of service. We are so pleased with Marcos that we recommend him to anyone we know looking for a home to buy or rent.** From 2 years ago****As a first time home buyer, when we started looking for our first home I had only heard how stressful and intense buying a home could be. At my brothers recommendation I contacted Marcos and Kristin at Choice One. What really stood out through our journey with them was their honesty and expertise in the south Miami area. Marcos is very humble and honest. He let us know what to expect every step of the way and was excellent at helping us determine what features of a home we desired, and what the value of those features were at that time in the market. When we found a house we loved for a price we thought was great, Marcos had my wife and I walk through the house together making funny requests, like stand in the kitchen, walk past each other in the laundry room etc. My wife and I then quickly realized what living in the home would be like compared to just liking the home. It was little things he did that change our perspective in big ways on the homes we saw. Looking back, I would have to say that buying a home was actually easier and more fun than buying a car or anything else I have ever bought. The staff and everyone we worked with at Choice One were absolute professionals. We used the title and insurance services from Choice One and all around, everyone was extremely competent and speedy with getting our paperwork signed, sealed, and delivered. 5 stars for sure!!!!!

A Google User

16:58 12 Jul 20

Marcos was the best real state agent I have ever had. I have purchased/sold 7 homes in my life (that’s 13 real state agents. He sold my house the first day on the market. He kept me abreast on everything that was going on in the process. If I ever need a realtor again, I will select him.

noemi

18:32 13 Jul 20

The realtor, Marcos Fullana, went above & beyond in making sure my property was sold expediously & with the utmost professionalism. He is extremely knowledgeable in real estate & helped guide me through everything. He was involved in everything from day one from paperwork, including, inspections to assure I was protected. His wife Kirsten was also amazing in helping me as well. They are both tenacious, ethical & professional. I highly recommend you hiring them for real estate, mortgages or insurance & I will certainly use them again. Thank you immensely Marcos & Kirsten Fullana !!

Ines Grant

23:40 19 Aug 20

Before choosing a real estate agent, I conducted a lot of research to see who would be the best choice based on the investment they make into selling the property (time and effort, not necessarily financially) and how they promote their listings. My best friend Martha knew of my concerns and highly recommended ChoiceOne Companies/Marcos to handle all my real estate needs and I now understand why!We spoke with Marcos and then met with him at our home. He spent hours answering our questions, providing objective data regarding how many homes they sell, how long their listings typically stay on the market, and providing tons of information on comps in the area. We were concerned that our house, which was an older home and although had lots of updates might be tough to sell. Marcos made the process incredibly easy and took extra steps many other Realtors don't (but should), like givIng us staging tips, having professional photographs taken and a lot more.When we saw our listing, we were blown away. His hard work and knowledge of what it takes to sell a home really paid off. Our listing looked amazing and knocked out the competition. We had a buyer put in an offer sight unseen!!!Our house went under contract 2 days after we put it on the market at 10K above our asking price. We accepted and Marcos walked us through every step of the closing process. It couldn't have been a more pleasant experience.I've recommended ChoiceOne/Marcos to everyone I know. He's a true professional and a genuinely nice guy. I realize it won't always be this easy to sell your home, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better Realtor.

Drake Peterson

21:23 29 Sep 20

Marcos was amazing to work with when purchasing my new home. He knows a wealth of information and was always on top of the closing process. Very organized, professional, responsive, and a pleasure to work with. 10/10 would recommend reaching out to him for any real estate advice or help. He knows a great deal about insurance and any questions someone like myself who was purchasing a house for the first time didn't know. He never missed a beat! Thank you again Marcos!