Have you ever been curious what it is like "below the deck" on one of those incredible fishing boats that enter the annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic fishing tournament? We were able to catch up with Brad Benton, Captain of the Aldente (docked at the Sandestin Baytowne Marina) for a quick Q & A:

 

1.       When you’re out in the East Pass on Thursday and the horn blows to start the ECBC, how do you spend that first day of fishing?

  The strategy has totally changed due to the recent change in start time.  The 12pm leave allows for fishing on the first day.  So, we may not be able to reach our primary destination, but this allows ample time to cross over some good marlin grounds.  This year we spent a little time making bait and fished for…

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Available homes continue to sell quickly with the typical property going under contract in less than a month, according to new numbers from the National Association of Realtors. The newly released data shows the average property sold in 26 days, which was unchanged from the month before. Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist, says there are not enough homes to meet buyer demand and it's causing available homes to sell quickly. “Inventory coming onto the market during this year's spring buying season – as evidenced again by last month's weak reading – was not even close to being enough to satisfy demand,” Yun said. “That is why home prices keep outpacing incomes and listings are going under contract in less than a month – and much faster – in many parts of…

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One of the main arguments in favor of buying a home is equity. When you rent, you're sending your monthly payment to a landlord. As a buyer, your monthly mortgage payment is helping to build equity. Of course, many homeowners wait and then, following the sale of their house, use their accumulated equity to help buy their next home. But you can also use a home equity loan to access the value your home has accrued. So what do homeowners who take home equity loans do with the money? Well, a recent survey asked borrowers and came up with an answer. Not surprisingly, the top reason homeowners took out loans was to fund home improvement or remodeling projects. This is a common strategy since taking out a loan to improve your house means you may be able to…

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 When shopping for a house to buy, it's hard not to fantasize about the homes just out of your price range. Regardless of what you plan to spend, it's fun to imagine buying a house even bigger, nicer, and more feature filled than the ones within your reach. And, with the Internet, it's easier than ever to steal a glance inside the nicest homes in the area. In fact, you can shop real estate in any area. But, while we're all familiar with famous luxury markets such as Beverly Hills or Aspen, Colo., what are the nation's lesser-known, up-and-coming luxury markets? Well, according to a new index from the National Association of Realtors' consumer website, East Coast house hunters looking for a warm weather getaway have propelled Sarasota and Collier counties…

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There are a lot of things you need to set money aside for when you're getting ready to buy a house. You have to have money for a down payment, closing costs, and moving expenses but you also need to consider how much you'll need for any future home maintenance. Buying a home means you're on the hook for any repairs and renovations you need along the way – and you will inevitably run into issues at some point, whether it's a clogged toilet or a leaky faucet. When it happens, you can pay someone else to fix it or try doing it yourself. Naturally, though, these costs can add up, if you call in a contractor for every loose hinge or minor leak. So it's a good idea for homeowners to do as much of their own work as possible. And, these days, it's easier than…

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There are a lot of neighborhood attributes that can affect the value of a particular house. For example, a house with a view of the water may fetch a higher price than a similar house without the view. But among neighborhood amenities, owning a home near quality schools is among the most commonly cited as being good for your home's value. Well, a recent study by Collateral Analytics, looked at this question in an attempt to – not only determine whether or not it's true that homes near quality schools sell for higher prices – but also whether or not it matters if the school a home is near is an elementary, middle, or high school. According to the study, there is some evidence that locations with “higher elementary school math and language scores are…

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First-time home buyers are an important demographic when it comes to the health of the housing market. Because they've historically accounted for about 40 percent of home sales, they garner a lot of attention from experts, economists, and analysts hoping to gauge how the market is doing and where it's headed. In recent years, first-time buyers have been less active than usual. The financial crash and recession led to a long period where Americans of typical home-buying age did not have the economic stability or job security to feel comfortable pursuing homeownership. Then, even after economic conditions began to improve, a lack of affordable, starter homes kept many younger Americans on the sidelines. This year, conditions are still challenging but new…

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Between the time an offer is accepted and the deal is closed, a home's sale is typically referred to as pending. That's because, there's a chance, during this period, that the sale won't go through, as there are a number of hurdles yet to clear. The buyer's loan and financing have to be finalized and steps like the home inspection and appraisal can also alter the terms of the deal or end it altogether. In short, buying a home is a major transaction and there's usually a few weeks between the contract signing and closing. For that reason, the National Association of Realtors tracks pending home sales each month, as they can be a good indicator of what future home sales will look like. According to their most recent report, pending sales fell 1.3 percent in…

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When you buy a house, you're also buying the surrounding neighborhood. And, depending on your lifestyle and wishlist, the neighborhood may be even more important to you than the actual home you're buying. After all, most of your life happens outside your home. So your proximity to schools, shopping, healthcare, recreation, and nature will have a large effect on how much you enjoy living in a particular house. In short, finding your dream house in the wrong neighborhood could make it a nightmare. Unconvinced? Well, a recent survey of Americans found large majorities who said the feel of a neighborhood was important when deciding where to live. In fact, 80 percent said the surrounding neighborhood had to fit their personality and an almost equal amount said…

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