See The Starner’s Blog

1. What better way to learn the history of St. Augustine than to take the Old Town Trolley Tours of St. Augustine? The trains run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily. Tickets for adults are $18, $5 for children ages 6-12, and free for children under 6 years old. ** St. Johns County residents are offered discounts with an ID**
2. When children are acting up, wouldn’t it be nice to send them to jail? Well, the opportunity is available at the Authentic Old Jail. Not only is the jail authentic (built in 1891) it is also a museum with rich history and plenty of artifacts. The Old Jail is open daily from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Adult tickets are $6, $4 for children 6-12, and free for children under 6.
3.  A great place to see the wonders of the 19th century and step into the past is to visit the Lightner Museum. Open daily form 9 AM to 5 PM with adult tickets at $8, $2 for children 12-18, and free for children under 12 when accompanied by an adult. **St. Johns Country residents admitted for free with ID**
4. A great way to get your paranormal bone working is to take A Ghostly Experience Walking Tour. The tour takes you to places where ghosts might dwell in their afterlife. An hour and a half long and kid-friendly, tickets are $10 per person, and kids 6 and under tour for free.
5. Do you like life-like things? Then the Potter’s Wax Museum is for you! With famous figure-heads like President George W. Bush and Michael Jordan, this is a fantastic place to visit. Sunday-Thursday: 9 AM to 5 PM, Friday to Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM. Admission: $8.95 for adults, $7.95 for seniors 55 and older, $5.75 for children 6-12, and free for children 5 and under. **St. Johns residents receive a discount with ID**
6. Feel like you might need to grow young again? Why not take a trip to Pone de Leon’s Fountain of Youth! You’ll get to travel beautiful gardens and even get a sample of the water from the fountain! Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Adult tickets are $6, $5 for seniors, $3 dollars for kids 6-12, and free for kids under 6. **St. Johns county residents with ID receive free admission**
7.  For some adult time, take a tour of the San Sebastian Winery. Not only is the tour free, but so is the wine tasting! Open Monday-Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM.
8. A great place to see some history and exotic animals from reptiles to mammals is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM (6 PM in the summer). Adult admission is $17.95, $9.95 for children 5-11, and free for kids under 5. **Discounts for St. Johns residents, groups of 10, seniors, citizens in wheelchairs, and military members**
9.  The place for interactive learning and fun is the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. A unique museum with 3 floors of fun. Get your weird on! Hours are Sunday-Thursday form 9 AM to 7 PM and Friday-Saturday from 9 AM to 8 PM. $12.95 for adults, $8.95 for seniors, $7.95 for children 5-12, and free for kids 4 and under. **St. Johns residents get $5 plus tax admission with ID**
10.   A great way to get a feel for St. Augustine is to walk down St. George Street. A fantastic place full of colorful shops down a beautiful cobblestone alley. With something for everyone and never boring, this is the place to go.

1. Hand out flyers or visit in person to let your neighbors know what you are up to. Also, it’s okay to ask for help, and don’t turn anyone down if someone offers to help.
2. Have LOTS of food. Parties are an excuse for people to eat, and if the food runs out too soon, your party is over.
3. If kids are going to attend, have games. And even if kids don’t attend, have games anyway. Who doesn’t love a good game?
4. Any good party has music playing. With good music comes games and dancing, and everyone likes to dance.
5.  Finally, probably the most important part of the party: The Clean-Up. If you don’t want to spend the next week cleaning up after your smashing party, make clean-up easy by setting up garbage cans, and even recycle bins, in easily seen and accessible places.

1. Create a fire escape plan and make sure that your family is familiar with it.
2. If your clothing catches fire, remember to STOP, DROP, and ROLL.
3. When heating your home, heat safely. Be sure to place heaters at least one meter from flammable items such as curtains.
4. Keep electrical appliances in good working order and periodically have an electrician check the electric wiring throughout your home/
5. If you smoke, be sure to practice safe smoking. Wet cigarette butts before disposing them.
6. When you are cooking, be careful: NEVER leave cooking food unattended and turn pot and pan handles inward.
7. Check your smoke alarms and make sure that they are in good working order. If you don’t have any smoke alarms, you should install at least one.
8. Check with your local fire department to see which fire extinguisher fits your house best and install one. Make sure that the whole family knows how to use the fire extinguisher.
9. Buy and locate a fire blanket in an easily accessible place if there is an emergency.
10. In the event of a fire, make sure that your family is well acquainted with an evacuation procedure. Don’t forget to have a meeting place if you are separated.

 5 Simple Ways to Save Energy at Home:

1. When shopping for light bulbs, buy compact fluorescent light bulbs
   with the ENERGY STAR® label instead.
   
2.  When you are not using your computer and monitor, turn it off.
   
3.  Instead of taking a bath, take a short shower.
   
4.  When washing dishes and laundry, wash in full loads.
   
5.  When shopping for home appliances and products, look for the ENERGY STAR label.
   (ENERGY STAR products meet the strict
   efficiency guidelines set by the
   U.S. Department of Energy and the
   Environmental Protection Agency.)

Top 5 Things to Look for in a Home Inspector:

1. Does the inspector come from a construction background?
   It’s great that your inspector is a nice person, but what did your inspector do before inspecting homes? Does this person have a wealth of knowledge about the construction trades, building, or remodeling?
2. Does the inspector hold the appropriate license and meet all requirements for home inspectors in your area or state, and where can you go to verify this license?
   This question may not be applicable in all states - there are states without licensing requirements for home inspectors (for instance, here in Florida, there is currently no state regulation of home inspectors). But if your state has some kind of requirements, you need to know what they are, and where you can go to verify that your chosen inspector has done what it takes to be state-compliant. Verification is essential, because many states have the capability to track continuing education of the inspector as well as complaints.
3. Is the inspector a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)?
   This is critical! ASHI is the oldest, largest, and most respected organization for home inspectors in the country. ASHI also sustains the highest standards and ethics for home inspectors. If your inspector is a member of this organization, you can be sure that they have passed rigorous testing, The National Home Inspectors Exam, and they have completed all training and administrative requirements for membership. You can even verify membership status at www.ASHI.org. The inspector may be a member of other organizations, but none have requirements as strict as ASHI. Don’t be fooled by companies who claim to inspect to “ASHI standards” - if your inspector isn’t a Certified ASHI Inspector, find someone who is.
4. How long has the inspector been in the inspection business, and how many inspections has he performed during this time?
   Longevity gives comfort that the inspector will be with you in the future as new needs and issues arise. But if he’s only done 12 inspections during his several years in business, that’s not good!
5. Does your inspector have experience in homes similar to the home you are having inspected?
   All homes have some systems and features in common, but a brand new home has risks and issues that differ from an historic beauty from the year 1855. Only someone who has walked the walk and crawled the crawl numerous times in similar homes can find out those important items that are specific to your home.

As a Certified Distressed Property Expert… I know myself as well as the Real Estate profession is looking forward to these guidelines! 

Below is a link for these guidelines.  For a shorter verision, please call me or send me an email at CStarner@SeeStarner.com and I will be happy to send it to you.

Kind Regards,

Christina

The Treasury department has just released new rules to help simplify the ’short sale’ process.
Visit https://www.hmpadmin.com/portal/docs/hamp_servicer/sd0909.pdf to view the full article.

The Starner Team has gone mobile! I want to tell you about a great new way you can search for homes – right from your mobile phone.  I have partnered with Smarter Agent, the nation’s leader in mobile real estate technology, to provide this mobile search capability to ALL of my clients!  My tool will allow you to search homes for sale anytime, anywhere - right from your cell phone!Wherever you are, driving, or walking around looking at properties, you’ll have access to all of the MLS information on the homes for sale around you, with just one touch of a button on your cell phone.   Hit “Call to See” and you will be put right in touch with ME, ready and waiting to serve all of your real estate needs.It’s so easy to do!  Just go to this website, http://mobile.smarteragent.com/watson/christinastarner , enter your cell phone number, wireless carrier name and phone type, and the application will be sent to your phone by text message.  Just click on it and the application downloads right away.I know you will love this great new way to look for homes.  So don’t delay – start searching for your dream home TODAY!Always at your service,                            See The Starners for Real Estate                                                                                                           Direct: (904) 436-1432                                                                           Cell:    (904) 214-6296                                                                                        Fax:    (904) 230-6809
www.SeeStarner.com
Bringing Quality Homes and Qualified Buyers TogetherYour Referrals are My Greatest Compliment - Thank You for your Business!                                                                                                       

There are so many questions about the $8,000.00 Tax Credit for 2009.  It is different than the Tax Credit of 2008 - The biggest difference is that it is NOT a loan.
This is a GREAT opportunity for First-Time Home Buyer.

What is the definition of a First-Time Home Buyer?
The law defines the First-Time Buyer as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three year prior to the purchase.

Please read the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit from NAHB (National Association of Home Builders).

If you are interested in the proposed National Association for Uniformed Services Aid for Military Homeowners, Wounded Warriors in Economic Stimulus Bill, please contact me and I will send you the information.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions - Email:  CStarner@TopProducer.com / Direct:  (904) 458-1235.

Respectfully,

Christina

Choose a Realtor that knows - Hard Work = Great Results

Here is what I have done over the past year:

• 2009 January Top 20 Agents - Watson Realty Corp.
• 2009 January Top Producer – Watson Realty Corp. Orange Park/Blanding
• 2008 Top Five Agent - Watson Realty Corp., Orange Park/Blanding
• 2008 Highest Loan Volume - Watson Mortgage, Orange Park/Blanding
• GRI Designation – Graduated REALTOR® Institute
• Certified in Relocation - The ERC Broker’s Market Analysis and Strategy Report, Watson Relocation
• Leading Real Estate Companies of The World
• Certified Short Sales Specialist

Here is how I have given back:

• NEFAR Education Task Force 2009 & 2008
• NEFAR Affordable Housing Task Force Committee 2009, 2008, 2007
• Proud Supporter of MillCreek Elementary
• Proud Supporter of Pacetti Bay Elementary
• Proud Supporter of Nease High School Band
• Proud Supporter of St. Luke’s Catholic Church
• Proud Supporter of @My Community – MuraBella subdivision

So, just keep in mind that if you or someone you know is looking to Buy, Sell, or Rent please get in touch with me.  When you are looking for unsurpassed communication and experience I am the one that will be there to assist you through your Real Estate transaction from beginning to end.

Check out my website at:  www.SeeStarner.com

Get started today by checking out the Listingbook at www.SeeStarner.Listingbook.com  – This is an invaluable website if you are looking to Buy, Sell or Rent. Keep Yourself Informed!

* You will be able to customize what YOU want to see.  Search like a REALTOR®!  You will receive a Morning Report of a selected area that you have chosen, you will be notified of Price and Text Changes, You will be able to see what your neighbors’ home truly sold for

* You can send me “notes” on a property for additional information, and so much more!

If you have any questions regarding this FREE Service – please do not hesitate to contact me.  It is 5 easy steps.  You may not know the subdivision, area or region – Just give me a call and I will be happy to assist you.

I am here for YOU… from the beginning of our First Meeting to the Closing Table.  I look forward to hearing from you and working towards your successful Real Estate transaction.  

Respectfully,

Christina

Bringing Quality Homes and Qualified Buyers Together