Homeownership Articles

Sharing articles with clients and customers on all aspects of homeownership, buying and selling.

Garage Organization Ideas for Under $50

by Robert MacDougall | Jan 13, 2015 | Homeownership, renovations | 0 Comments

If clutter trumps cars in your garage, get organized and make room for your vehicles with these smart garage storage solutions, each costing less than $50.

Buying a House at Foreclosure Auction is Risky Business

by Robert MacDougall | Jan 6, 2015 | Homeownership, Real Estate | 0 Comments

You can buy a home at a significant discount at a foreclosure auction, but you’ll face a host of challenges. Don’t get burned; be solutions-ready.

Matching Room Color and Lighting to Get the Effect You Desire

by Robert MacDougall | Jan 6, 2015 | Homeownership, renovations | 0 Comments

Light changes color, so your lighting design should be a top priority for any remodel and should help guide your color choices. Here’s how.

7 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 18, 2014 | Green Living, Homeownership | 0 Comments

With a few conscious choices, your merry Christmas can also be an eco-friendly Christmas.

8 Super-Secret Hiding Places for Holiday Presents

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 18, 2014 | Homeownership, Real Estate, Selling | 0 Comments

Whether you’ve got a nosy spouse or a curious kid, you need a good hiding place to squirrel away those gifts until you find time to get them wrapped and under the tree. Here are some ideas we came up with.

How to Assess the Real Cost of a Fixer-Upper House

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Buying, Homeownership, Real Estate, Selling | 0 Comments

When you buy a fixer-upper house, you can save a ton of money, or get yourself in a financial fix. Here is what to do to avoid sticky situations.

7 Rookie Mistakes in Your Vegetable Garden

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Homeownership | 0 Comments

Even the best vegetable gardeners can forget basics and make rookie mistakes. Here are 7 no-nos to avoid.

Guide to Buying and Installing a Sprinkler System

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Homeownership | 0 Comments

An irrigation system saves water, keeps your lawn looking great, and helps maintain your curb appeal. We’ve gathered the info to get you started.

Real Christmas Trees vs. Fake Christmas Trees: Which are Greener?

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Homeownership | 0 Comments

How do real Christmas trees and fake Christmas trees stack up when it comes to the environment and cost? We’ve got the dirt.

LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Homeownership | 0 Comments

LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you.

10 Christmas Light Tips to Save Time, Money, and (Possibly) Your Life

by Robert MacDougall | Dec 2, 2014 | Green Living, Homeownership | 0 Comments

Christmas lights can be modest displays to show good cheer, or million-bulb light-apaloozas that draw gawkers from near and far. Here are 10 tips to help you save time and money.

10 Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

by Robert MacDougall | Nov 18, 2014 | Green Living | 0 Comments

Saving energy is a lot easier than most people think, here are 10 simple ways to save energy in the kitchen alone.

Listing and Selling Your Green Home

by Robert MacDougall | Nov 18, 2014 | Green Living, Real Estate | 0 Comments

If you want to get the full value for your green home when it comes time to sell, follow these simple steps that will lead you in the right direction.

How to Buy a Washer

by Robert MacDougall | Nov 6, 2014 | Green Living, Homeownership | 0 Comments

If you’re looking for clean clothes at a budget price, conventional top-loading washers are impossible to beat. Confidently purchase a new washing machine that makes sense for your particular budget and level of green-mindedness.

How To Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests

by Robert MacDougall | Nov 6, 2014 | Homeownership, renovations | 0 Comments

Is your home ready for holiday visits from friends and family? Here’s how to prepare for the invasion.

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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!

Homeownership Articles

Garage Organization Ideas for Under $50

Buying a House at Foreclosure Auction is Risky Business

Matching Room Color and Lighting to Get the Effect You Desire

7 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas

8 Super-Secret Hiding Places for Holiday Presents

How to Assess the Real Cost of a Fixer-Upper House

7 Rookie Mistakes in Your Vegetable Garden

Guide to Buying and Installing a Sprinkler System

Real Christmas Trees vs. Fake Christmas Trees: Which are Greener?

LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips

10 Christmas Light Tips to Save Time, Money, and (Possibly) Your Life

10 Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

Listing and Selling Your Green Home

How to Buy a Washer

How To Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests

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