e-PRO is the mark of an Internet savvy REALTOR®. e-PROs are familiar with marketing to a global audience via e-mail and the Internet. Only members of the National Association of REALTORS® can become e-PROs after taking an online course that takes an average of 20 hours to complete and includes various assignments to ensure the candidates' comprehension of the subject matter. In January 2002 Leanne Paynter was awarded the e-PRO Internet Professional Certification by the National Association of REALTORS® for her expertise in Internet-based marketing and business practices.

Spring is just around the corner and this is a great time to plan for and hold a garage sale (or yard sale). Although a successful garage sale takes good planning, time and effort, the benefits usually make it worthwhile. It can help declutter your home and depending on the quantity and quality of the items you put up for sale, it has the potential to be reasonably profitable.

If you are planning on putting your Florida home on the market in the near future, consider having a garage or yard sale to make your move lighter as well as help potential home buyers see the amount of (not lack of) storage space in your home. Perhaps you'll even decide to use the profits from the garage sale to replace a stained carpet or an old appliance, or pay for any necessary repairs you know would show up on a home inspection report.

Most local newspapers charge a nominal amount for anyone wanting to advertise a garage sale in the classified section.

More articles for tips on having a successful garage sale:

• Garage Sales: Minding Your Manners
• Garage Sales II: The 'Rules' For Sellers
• How to Hold a Successful Garage Sale
• The High and Low-Tech of Yard Sales

We've all heard it before: first impressions are lasting impressions.  If you're planning on selling your Florida home in the near future, one way to increase your home's curb appeal as well as your Florida home's value is through landscaping.  In this article, we'll concentrate on the front yard since that's among the first things a prospective home buyer will notice as they pull up to your home. 

At a minimum, the lawn should be free of weeds, fertilized when appropriate, mowed and watered regularly and any patchy areas should be replaced with new grass or sod.  Any dead or dying plants, shrubs, etc. should be removed or replaced.  While mature trees can be great providers of shade and help reduce home energy costs, they should be pruned back if they touch your home or thinned out if they shade such a large area that grass won't grow under their branches.  Applying a fresh layer of mulch around trees, plants and in flower beds is one of the quickest and least expensive ways to improve your home's curb appeal.  Finally, placing a nice container full of flowering plants next to the front door makes for an inviting entrance.

Articles for further reading:

• Numerous Ways To Spruce Up Your Landscaping Before You Sell
• Grass: Just Say 'Yes!'
• Learning to Mulch