Kerry Veach

One of the basic principles of universal design, also called “ageless design,” is that it makes homes more practical and safer for everyone — not just the elderly or people with limited mobility. Even if you’re not a professional designer, you can certainly incorporate this smart thinking into your own home. If you’re remodeling or simply adding a few upgrades, be sure to keep universal design features in mind. Here are some simple (and great!) ideas from HouseLogic for getting started:

Replace doorknobs with lever-style handles. Doorknobs require lots of dexterity and torque to open; with levers you simply press and go. Imagine an emergency situation when everyone, including small kids, needs to exit fast: A lever handle is a safe, foolproof way to open a door. Levers are also attractive, and can contribute to the value of your home. A standard interior passage door lever in a satin nickel finish costs about $20; you’ll pay $25 to $30 for a lockable lever set for your bath or bedroom.

Replace toggle light switches with rocker-style switches. Rocker switches feature a big on/off plate that you can operate with a finger, a knuckle, or even your elbow if necessary (great if you’re carrying a laundry basket or bags of groceries!). Rocker switches are good-looking, too. Conventional toggle switches get dirt and grime embedded in them after a couple of years; no such problems with rocker switches! You’ll pay $2 for a single-pole rocker switch, up to $10 for multiple switch sets.

Anti-scald devices for your bathroom prevent water from reaching unsafe temperatures. An anti-scald shower head will reduce water flow to a trickle if the water gets too hot. An anti-scald faucet device replaces your faucet aerator and also reduces hot water flow.

Motion sensor light controls add light when and where you need it. They come in a variety of styles and simple technologies. Just stick plug-in sensors into existing receptacles, then plug your table or floor lamps into them. When the sensor detects motion, it turns on the light.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach, Destin or anywhere in the area—then the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams or the investment property that will put your money to work for you. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook and Twitter – we’d love to talk with you.

The joy of Christmas is in the air, and the day itself is nearly here! The malls are full of shoppers, as expected—but wait! There are some other shoppers out there, and they are buying too! All over the country news is trickling in with real estate numbers higher than expected, and for sure—they are higher than this time last year!

Are you one of those savvy buyers taking advantage of the amazing real estate deals to be had right now? I sure hope so because at this rate, with home values rising, and properties moving, you sure would not want to miss your chance by spending your money in a mall when it could be providing you and your family a dream home by the first of 2012!

Mortgage rates are at an all-time low. As I write this post, a 30-year fixed mortgage can be had for a record low of 3.91% for buyers with good credit. December is the second month in a row that these lower, affordable rates have pushed sales up. Do not wait around thinking it will last forever…it won’t!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

Folks, have you heard the news? Our real estate market is increasing in value! In its December 2011 issue, Money Magazine, under the REAL ESTATE category, there is an article called “Markets That Moved the Most.” The article stated that while some areas are still searching for bottom, others are starting to bounce back, and out of the five cities listed under the biggest home value increases in the nation, Destin, Florida, was #4 with a one-year increase in value of 2.9%.

There are some terrific deals to be had here on the Emerald Coast, and it is one of the greatest areas in the world to live–so if you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Destin, or anywhere in the area, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams.

ReMax Southern Realty is more than just a real estate company. Each of our agents are dedicated to providing you with the support and services you expect in order to achieve your goal of selling your home or buying your new home.

Vacation rentals are also plentiful in the area. Why not come up for Christmas or the week after and look around? You will find yourself not wanting to leave—I guarantee it!

There has never been a better time to own real estate. Rates are down, values are increasing and the economic outlook for 2012 is good. There are those who would like you to see it otherwise, but for those of you who believe in our country and our way of life, you know, and I know, that you can’t keep an American down for long. Optimism and hard work is in our blood—and it has been from the start!

Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

Christmas lights can be simple displays erected by northwest Florida home owners to show good cheer, or million-bulb light-apaloozas that draw gawkers from near and far. Courtesy of HouseLogic, here are some tips on how to get the most from — and spend the least on — your holiday display.

Safety first. Emergency rooms are filled with home owners who lose fights with their holiday lights and fall off ladders or suffer electric shocks. To avoid the holiday black and blues, never hang lights solo; instead, work with a partner who holds the ladder. Also, avoid climbing on roofs after rain or snow.

Unpack carefully. Lights break and glass cuts. So unpack your lights gingerly, looking for and replacing broken bulbs along the way.

Extension cords are your friends. Splurge on heavy-duty extension cords that are UL-listed for outdoor use. To avoid overloading, only link five strings of lights together before plugging into an extension cord.

LEDs cost less to light. LED Christmas lights use roughly 70% to 90% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. You can safely connect many more LED light strings than incandescents. Downside: Some think they don’t burn as brightly as incandescent bulbs.

Solar lights cost nothing to run. Solar Christmas lights are roughly four times more expensive to buy than LEDs, but they cost nothing to run. They’re a bright-burning, green alternative.

Dismantle lights sooner than later. Sun, wind, and rain all take their toll on Christmas lights. To extend the life of lights, take them down immediately after the holidays. The longer you leave the up, the sooner you’ll have to replace them.

Plan next year’s display on Dec. 26. Shop the after-Christmas sales to get the best prices on lights and blowups that you can proudly display next year. Stock up on your favorite lights so you’ll have spares when you need them (and after they’re discontinued).

Permanent attachments save time. If you know you’ll always hang lights from eaves, install permanent light clips ($13 for 75 clips) that will save you hanging time each year. You’ll get a couple/three years out of the clips before sun eats the plastic.

Find those blueprints. Instead of guessing how many light strings you’ll need, or measuring with a tape, dig up your house blueprints or house location drawings (probably with your closing papers) and use those measurements as a guide.

Store them in a ball. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the best way to store lights is to ball them up. Wrap five times in one direction, then turn the ball 90 degrees and repeat. Store your light balls in cardboard boxes, rather than in plastic bags: Cardboard absorbs residual moisture and extends the life of your lights.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

OK, OK…so we’re not having a race for land here on the Emerald Coast like they did back in 1893. We are not holding a race where everyone lines up to stake their claim, but we are experiencing some of the same vigorous enthusiasm Americans have always had when it comes to vthe American dream of owning your own home.

After all, when you pay rent—it is a consumer expense. The money, in effect, is gone, and not only that, but in a mere thirty days—you have to do it all over again . . .

Do you need something to help you move off the fence? Try this: as people turn to renting, rentals become scarce, and rents go up! The very thought of it is kind of like trying to swallow bad tasting medicine, isn’t it?

Work on yourself! Get hot to buy and go for it . . .

At some point, a decision has to be made regarding long-term housing for you and your family, and there has never been a better time than now–when rates are at an all-time low and bargains are at a premium.

Think equity instead of consumer spending . . .

The housing industry in our country has suffered set-backs before, and it ALWAYS comes back. It is already coming back this time, and it is not too late to get yours.

You would not think of trying to do surgery on yourself, fix your own teeth, or be your own lawyer—so don’t try to be your own Real Estate Agent! Let us do what we do best—help you locate your piece of paradise without the hassles of the race for land.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

I was thinking the other day about when I first retired from the U.S. Coast Guard as an Engineer after serving more than twenty years. Many people don’t realize that the US Coast Guard is the oldest continuous seagoing service in the history of the United States.

We can all be proud of the men and women serving in this branch of our military. They enforce our Maritime Laws, protect our coast and coastal environment, operate ports and waterways, provide port security, and they are ever ready to defend our maritime borders and conduct safety and rescue for those in trouble.

I started out in the Coast Guard as an enlisted man, subject to more rules and regulations than I ever knew existed. I was daily confronted with new and more challenging disciplines, and since Coast Guard training is taught by professionals who are experienced and have the best possible skills—I learned from them to be a model to others as I went along.

My USCG training proved to be extremely valuable when I launched my real estate career. I won’t say it wasn’t daunting at first, because it was. But as I went along, I relied on my background of discipline and willingness to learn. I consistently applied the things I was told about the Real Estate business by those who were already professional Realtors®, and I found that it didn’t take long before things began to happen for me.

I first became familiar with serious responsibility in the military—and I have honed those skills as I developed my Real Estate career. The best advice I can ever offer to anyone entering the field of real estate is to be prepared to listen, to do – and then to go back and listen some more. Let what you learn from the veterans be the fuel you need to propel yourself ahead, and always be on purpose.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

The Emerald Coast is growing, and around the country news is trickling in that the real estate market is beginning to come back! Regardless of what else may be going on, people will always be in need of a place to call “home.”

This is one of the greatest areas in the world to live, and that has been proven again as we’ve pulled together to overcome the impossible. Last week’s news from Okaloosa County Saltwater Beach Monitoring is that our waters are “good,” and getting better all the time!

It’s sometimes funny how bad news can turn things around to expose previously unrealized treasure. Just a year ago, we were all over the news when oil was washing up on our shores–threatening the environment and our economy.

All of that “dubious” free publicity has turned around to become a bonanza!

We are being inundated with vacationers and with people from around the country wanting to come here to visit, to live and to experience the luxury of enjoying the Emerald Coast first hand. Whether you come to relax over the holidays on the sugar-white sandy beaches; to move your family to a place where you can live and work in a vibrant community, or to retire in a relaxed, down-to-earth lifestyle—we have it all.

Year ’round, from anywhere on the Emerald Coast, you can experience water sports of all kinds right from your own vacation beach house, condominium or rental property. And November is a month when culture steps up to the plate in Ft. Walton Beach and Destin, offering art shows, air shows, attractions, theatre, and musical entertainment.

If your objective is to come now or to plan ahead for the summer of 2012– getting here has just become easier than ever before . . .

The Northwest Florida Regional Airport, already providing commercial passenger service to a million people each year, has just welcomed Vision Airlines. They have moved their HUB to the Emerald Coast, joining the amazing carriers already on board.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, in a welcoming address, stated that this achievement is expected to create nearly 4200 jobs in the area. Are you looking for work and the prime place in Florida to live and raise a family? When a place is one of the “best kept secrets” around—it is generally because it is so good people want to keep it all to themselves. Here in Okaloosa County, Florida, we have always been willing to share the wealth—and it just keeps getting better. It is our hope that you will come and make your memories where our goal is your satisfaction!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

Autumn has arrived, and it is harvest time! Abundance comes to mind around this time of the year, and at RE/MAX Southern Realty we’re no exception. We stand ready to help you find the perfect home before it’s time to cook the turkey!

Can you see yourself living or vacationing in a particular house or area–experiencing your unique lifestyle from the arena of your own special place? Do you believe your perfect home or vacation spot is standing empty right now—just waiting to be discovered?

Real Estate is an excellent way to earn a living; it’s like gardening. It is also a culture within a business. When we go out each day and work to extract results from our efforts, the harvest is unique to each of us because it is a direct result of our particular aim inspired by the hopes and dreams of our customers.

As people’s hearts turn toward home and family, it is a great time to begin staging properties with all the touches of the coming holidays – right down to cookies baking in the oven – weaving a promising aroma throughout the house.

What a great moment it is when a Realtor® experiences the joy and excitement of reaping rewards that include helping someone move into their dream home. It is a harvest for them, but it is ours, too – because we have played a real part in making it all come about. How many of these harvests have you planned for yourself and your family between now and the end of 2011?

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

We know that most northwest Florida home owners haven’t even gotten the Halloween decorations up, and here we are talking about Christmas already! Read on, though…it’s for an awesome cause, and we think you’ll be glad we brought it to your attention.

On October 18, two Destin residents sent a letter to one of our local newspapers. The letter highlighted the fact that many individuals, churches, and civic service organizations are getting together to collect Christmas cards for our military troops overseas. The authors noted that the Michael’s store in Destin has partnered with Operation Christmas Cards for Our Troops 2011 to mail the Christmas cards that are collected.

It’s pretty simple and straightforward to donate cards, and it’s a great way to get yourself into the true holiday spirit a little earlier than might be usual for you. The cards collected need to be in envelopes that aren’t sealed. The cards can be blank, but think about it. How awesome would it be if you took just a few moments to write a personal message and sign the card(s)? What a truly wonderful way to let our troops know how grateful you are for their service.

It may seem like a simplistic venture, but look at it this way: Sending our deployed troops a Christmas card is a small, personal token of genuine appreciation. Wouldn’t you feel great reminding our troops that you sincerely appreciate their service? The Veach Team agrees with these writers: It may be small, but by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass. Send in your Christmas cards, and feel great knowing that you’ve participated in this great effort.

The deadline to have the Christmas cards collected, signed and ready to go is October 30, 2011. If you or your organization would like to participate, fill out as many Christmas cards as you would like, then drop a note to christmascardsfortroops@gmail.com. You don’t have to do another thing – they’ll arrange to collect the cards!

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in Panama City Beach or Destin, the Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.

All over the country – and right here among northwest Florida home owners – loosely organized alliances of green-leaning friends and neighbors are comparing notes and sharing resources. According to houselogic.com, they’re forming carpools, splitting bulk purchases, and liberating vacant lots to plant community gardens. At your next block party, grab a clipboard, collect e-mails, and friend your neighbors on Facebook, all with the goal of turning your neighborhood into a greener community. Here are some great ideas to help you get started.

You can both satisfy your eco-conscience and use your green thumb by tending a patch of neglected earth. You can work a plot in an established community garden, although openings can be scarce. You can also join a match service, that pairs gardens in need of tending with gardeners in need of soil. A great example of this is Urban Garden Share, which matches property owners with would-be sharecroppers.

Why not join a group that promotes the gleaning of fruit from neglected or overlooked urban fruit trees? Fallen Fruit offers online maps showing locations of publicly accessible fruit trees in cities around the world. The group also promotes “Public Fruit Jams,” canning parties to share the taste, savings, and hard work of preserving peaches, plums, blackberries, apricots, and other fruits. Neighborhood Fruit lets you to type in your ZIP Code to pull up public fruit trees in your area.

Did you know that on average, US car owners spend almost $900 per month financing, maintaining, and insuring a single car? Considering that most of us use a car for only a few hours a day – if that – car sharing with neighbors makes financial and ecological sense. You can share cars with neighbors informally, or you can draw up contracts that state who drives the car when. Car insurance can be an obstacle, but a frank discussion with your agent should yield a solution.

Or, you can join one of the many car-sharing networks (such as Zipcar) that have more than 10,000 cars throughout North America. Cars are parked in lots throughout a city. And for an annual membership fee, typically around $50, and a per/hour cost of about $10, you can drive on demand. The organization covers insurance (usually the state minimum) and gas.

Swapping your stuff reduces the energy consumption that goes into the developing and purchasing of more stuff. Swapping also diverts waste from landfills, helping to create a more sustainable economy. Arrange and attend neighborhood swap meets. It will cost you time (about 10 to 12 hours to organize the swap).

Do you and your neighbors have any great ideas for going green? Leave your comments below and tell us what you’re doing to help preserve the environment!

Are you ready to buy or sell a Fort Walton Beach home or your Destin dream house? The Veach Team is prepared to help you find the Florida home of your dreams. Contact us today, and let us show you why “Life is a Beach” here in beautiful Destin! And don’t forget to “LIKE” us on Facebook – we’d love to talk with you.