Author Archives: Mary Kelly

About Mary Kelly

Mary Kelly is a retired community college professor, a licensed real estate broker in the states of Florida and Georgia, and a writer. She has three masters' degrees and is an avid reader - mostly of non-fiction. Her areas of study and experience are in business, computer science, and education. She currently resides in Waycross, Georgia, and her home is truly furnished for the comfort and convenience of her dogs. She loves the outdoors and loves walking in parks along lakes and on beaches. And she is somewhat of a minimalist and doesn't value having a lot of possessions.

Protected: Mary Kelly MBA – Credentials

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Mary Kelly

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

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Updated Covid Booster – To take it or not

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Mary Kelly

Personally, I, as a person over 65, believe that I am better protected against getting COVID and more importantly NOT getting seriously ill or dying from it by keeping up with the COVID vaccine boosters. I based my decision on … Continue reading →

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HUD is going to update disabled access regulations but is asking for public input first

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Mary Kelly

However, on APRIL 26, 2023, in the article titled HUD to Update Disabled Access Regulations published on the Florida Realtors website, Kerry Smith states that “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says federal fair-housing regulations about access … Continue reading →

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Update on Covid vaccines

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Mary Kelly

On April 18, 2023, United States regulators cleared another COVID-19 booster dose for older adults and people with weakened immune systems so they can shore up protection this spring. My primary focus in my writings on this blog in broad … Continue reading →

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Homelessness in the United States

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Mary Kelly

In a country with an extremely low unemployment rate as in the United States today, there should not be so many who are homeless. So why are so many homeless? In addition to those who are homeless today as I … Continue reading →

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Fair Housing Month – Appropriate Advertising

Posted on April 14, 2023 by Mary Kelly

Whether you are a landlord, a property manager, or a REALTOR®, it is important to properly word your advertising so that you are in compliance with Fair Housing Advertising laws and ethical guidelines. To be in compliance, you need to … Continue reading →

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Countries the U.S. Government says are not safe

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Mary Kelly

The U.S. State Department’s list of the top 19 most unsafe countries… Continue reading →

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April is Fair Housing Month

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Mary Kelly

So what is Fair Housing? In simple terms, it is NOT discriminating in the sale or rent of housing (or financing and appraisals) because of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Unfortunately, it has been necessary over the … Continue reading →

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Land 4 Sale – Interlachen, Florida…some under $5,000

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Mary Kelly

One of the places that you can still buy land that is not in a flood zone and is still under $5,000 is Interlachen, Florida. The town is centrally located in northeast Florida within a commute of 45 to 75 … Continue reading →

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Update on my REALTOR status

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Mary Kelly

I have closed Kelly Property Expert, Inc., my own company where I worked full-time from 2017-2022. I am now working under the name of Mary Kelly MBA, my new company, as a REALTOR® and a licensed real estate broker. My … Continue reading →

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Mortgage rates up – what does that mean?

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Mary Kelly

Mortgage rates have gone up again. (See Here Are Today’s Mortgage Rates on March 3, 2023: Rates Tick Up written by Justin Jaffe (CNET) at https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/mortgages/here-are-todays-mortgage-rates-on-march-3-2023-rates-tick-up/). Normally when mortgage interest rates go up, home prices decline. However, right now we … Continue reading →

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3 Reasons Why You Should Get Pre-Approved for a mortgage first before you shop for a home to buy

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Mary Kelly

Flyer by Georgia REALTORS® may be downloaded and printed If you are pre-approved for a mortgage when you plan to finance the purchase of a home, you have a better chance of a seller accepting an offer to buy a … Continue reading →

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Home buying contract contingencies (real estate)

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Mary Kelly

Contingencies are provisions that must be met for the home sale transaction to go through, or the buyer is entitled to walk away from the deal with their earnest money. Both buyers and seller should understand how contingencies work. Here … Continue reading →

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Florida’s Property Insurance Rates

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Mary Kelly

“The report notes one of the big historical problems in Florida: In 2021, Florida had 6.91% of all U.S. insurance claims in the U.S. – but three out of four property insurance lawsuits (76%) were in Florida (from Fla. Releases … Continue reading →

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Home sales in Ware County, Georgia in 2022

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Mary Kelly

I compiled this report from information taken taken from qpublic.net, which is where Ware County Property Appraiser posts all of Ware County, Georgia, property sales information for public viewing. The file embedded below (which you can download) shows only the … Continue reading →

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Florida – unaffordability & foreclosures

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Mary Kelly

See the video: Foreclosure WAVE in Florida Getting BAD I have been saying over the past year (in 2022) that I was feeling like I was back in 2005 selling real estate. Back then, prices were going up by the … Continue reading →

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COVID and the world’s economy – TODAY

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Mary Kelly

COVID is still alive and well! And unfortunately, too many people are still not seriously taking precautions in this pandemic which has NEVER gone away. We are one world today! No country can live as an island, and I do … Continue reading →

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Politics & Real Estate come together….

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Mary Kelly

DECEMBER 29, 2022 What Does the U.S. 2023 Appropriations Bill Do for RE? By Kerry Smith The $1.7T spending bill that funds the federal government through Sept. covers a number of RE priorities, such as buyer assistance, fair housing and … Continue reading →

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Scams hit real estate…Sellers & Landlords need to know this….

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Mary Kelly

DECEMBER 1, 2022 Fake Sellers, Fake Landlords: What’s Real Anymore? By Meredith Caruso “The advice for anyone you meet in real estate? Trust but verify – which means don’t fully trust anyone who isn’t your mother. Scammers continually find new … Continue reading →

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Jacksonville, Florida’s St. John’s River 1921 (bits-n-pieces)

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Mary Kelly

This is a copy of a picture I have that was taken on July 15, 1921. I is labeled “Opening St. John’s River Bridge, July 15, 1921, Jacksonville, Fla.” And this is a copy of a picture I have of … Continue reading →

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