Category General News

Whilst the brunt of this storm was always predicted to hither East coast here, in Central Florida, we were still on stand-by for some ugly weather. We were out in the days running up to the storm doing some hurricane preparations for clients. Simply bringing in furniture, checking windows and doors are locked down, sand-bagging garages etc. This only usually takes an hour so it’s a small price to pay for a little piece of mind. Of course no one can predict what will happen and that’s why our clients like to order a quick Home Inspection once the storm has passed to double check everything is ok (and if we’ve brought furniture inside we will obviously put that back if requested).

The storm seems to have produced only minimal damage from what we have seen and all our clients escaped unharmed! Until next hurricane season folks!

We are pleased to say that Hurricane Ian did little to no damage to any of our homeowners properties. Whilst others in Florida were definitely not so lucky we managed to escape the worst of the flooding and wind damage.

We did get call outs to hurricane prep some properties and this helped those owners immensely. What can you do to limit damage you’re wondering? Well here is a small list of basic precautions you can take…

If the property is empty…

• Bring in pool chairs or throw the plastic ones in the pool!
• Drain a foot of water from the pool and turn the system off
• If the pool doesn’t have chairs in it – add a gallon of bleach (rains can wash a lot of pollen etc into a pool so give it a kick start on recovery)
• Lock irrigation / meter boxes
• Use sandbags at the base of doors and garages – not just for flood but also to stop the wind getting under them
• Shut blinds and curtains if you have them to prevent glass blowing in should the windows break
• In flood risk areas unplug any electrical items and secure them higher up
• Unplug any sensitive electronics (chances are power will go out)
• Park vehicles in the garage

If someone is in the property…

• Make sure any generators are working and gas is available
• Pre-lay extension cords from the generator to any fridges / freezers and lights. If the power goes out in the night you don’t want to be fumbling with wires in the dark
• Check your torches & batteries are good
• Charge your phones and tablets

Of course there is a lot more you can do to safe guard yourself but most things are common sense. If you are a remote owner then our services are obviously invaluable at this time. Please remember though we operate on a first come first served basis!

We are pleased to announce we have partnered with a new insurance vendor.

Pointe Insurance Inc is a local company with years of experience of securing a broad range of insurance for local Floridians.

Pointe Insurance Agency, Inc. is an Independent Insurance Agency representing many different companies for your insurance needs. They carefully select their carriers in order to provide you with the best level of service, price and coverage. As independent insurance agents, you have the ability to choose the best carrier for your insurance needs. That is the main advantage to using an independent insurance agency, they work to satisfy your needs!

For auto, homeowner, landlord, business or personal coverage we can get you connected to our representative today – just give us a call!

Why not take advantage of one of our welcome baskets? Either as a treat for yourself or maybe a friend or relative – what better way to start a vacation than a basket of goodies waiting for you.

You decide what you want and we will create something special. Let your imagination run wild – flowers, soft toys, chocolate, Disney merchandise or novelty items. Just let us know what the occasion is and we will work with you to create something special.

We are pleased to announce we have teamed up with a local fire safety company. Often overlooked, fire inspections are a legal requirement for rental properties. As some of our owners only rent to family and friends this might seem unnecessary but if you are filed with the county as a rental / vacation home business then you do need an annual certification. Certification isn’t costly in most cases and often its just a check of the fire extinguishers to ensure they are in goos working order. If in doubt get it done!

As we enter hurricane season we start to think about getting a plan together and what we should do in the event of a major hurricane. The news is full of ideas and and for those that live here its easy for us to prepare. However what do you do as a remote owner? Who can bring in those garden items? Turn the gas off? Secure windows? That’s where we come in. If a hurricane is forecast to come though our area – don’t delay – let us get things ready. Customers will be dealt with on a strict first come first served basis under such circumstances.

Hello and welcome to Mockingjay Services

As a property owner and property manager for many years, here in Florida I realized that there were many people who owned vacation homes that weren’t intended for rental. Owners who have their own retreat or only let family use the property don’t often require the full services that a traditional management company would offer. Such companies charge inflated monthly fees and add on fees for the simplest requests. What I needed was someone who I could rely on to do things as and when needed – so this service was born! You choose how often you use our services. Pricing is basic – you cover our milage and time and any associated material costs (fair enough). There is no monthly commitment. We don’t offer booking services so we are not interested in earning commissions. So if you need a caretaker / friend / boots on the ground – get in touch and let us take care of you and your home.

Lisa W – CEO