Kristy Cook - Real Estate Agent

October 1st is here, and so are 12 new Florida laws. Here is what changed today and why it matters for you and your family.
For my renters, landlords, and investors, the big one is HB 1293. Using fake IDs, forged pay stubs, or fake bank statements to rent a home is now a third-degree felony. Landlords can also end that lease with a 7-day notice. This is a real win for property owners across Central Florida who have been dealing with rental fraud.
A few more that touch everyday life:
1. Fake rental applications are now a felony (HB 1293)
2. Crashes only need a police report at $2,000+ in damage, up from $500 (SB 488)
3. Driver license notices can now come by email if you opt in
4. New specialty plates and stricter rules for plate groups (HB 639)
5. Breaking a pretrial no-contact order is now its own crime (HB 397)
6. Meg's Law bans nitrous oxide sales at smoke and v**e shops (SB 432)
7. Firing a gun near a school during school hours is a 2nd-degree felony (HB 757)
8. Tougher penalties for involving kids in animal cruelty (HB 559)
9. New felony protecting children under 16 from indecent acts (HB 1525)
10. Online gang activity now counts toward gang ID (HB 429)
11. Stiffer penalties for illegal gambling and sports betting (HB 189)
12. New registration rules for repeat violent offenders (SB 1332)
Bonus: Florida's minimum wage went up to $15 an hour on September 30.
Save this post so you have it handy, and send it to a friend who rents, owns, or drives in Florida. That's pretty much all of us.
Thinking about buying, selling, or investing this year? The rules keep changing, and I keep up so you don't have to. Send me a message and let's talk about your next move.


Sources:
• New Florida laws begin Oct 1: Here's what to keep in mind (FOX 13) (https://www.fox13news.com/news/new-florida-laws-begin-oct-1-what-you-need-know)
• What changes in Florida on October 1 (The Miami Hurricane) (https://themiamihurricane.com/202

Looking for things to do in October across Windermere? I've got the entire month covered for you. 📍

There’s a lot happening this month that’s actually worth putting on the calendar.

I pulled the best of it into one place so you don’t have to hunt it all down yourself.

Save this for when you need a plan, and send it to the person you’re making October plans with.

And if you want even more ideas for the season, I’ve got a much bigger list ready for you.

Comment FALL and I’ll send you my free 2026 Fall Guide with local events, seasonal favorites, and things worth adding to your calendar.

I’m Kristy Cook, a local real estate agent sharing what’s happening around town and the places worth knowing about.

Experience in real estate changes what you’re impressed by.

Early on, it’s easy to think success looks like closing deals every single week or having posts go mega viral.

After years, I care a lot more about the things that don’t photograph well.

Knowing when to slow a client down before they make an expensive decision. Catching the detail that changes the entire conversation. Having the right person to call when something unexpected shows up three days before closing.

The longer I do this, the less interested I am in the flashy stats and the more interested I am in being useful.

Because most clients will never remember how packed my calendar was that year.

They’ll remember whether I made a stressful decision feel clearer. Whether I told them the truth when it would’ve been easier not to. Whether I knew what to do when the plan changed.

That’s the version of experience I care about now.

Some things are just worth the splurge 🤌🏼✨
Here are 4 Windermere-area experiences I’d happily spend the money on. Which one are you picking first? 👀

What does a first-time homebuyer actually need from a real estate agent? 📚

Real estate school taught me how the process is supposed to work.

Real clients taught me what it feels like when that process is attached to someone’s savings, timeline, nerves, and hopes for what comes next.

You can study contracts and deadlines all day, but experience is what teaches you when someone needs more context before they can make a decision, when a question is really fear in disguise, or when the smartest thing you can do is slow the whole process down for a minute.

That part of the job can’t really be memorized.

You learn it by sitting across from people who trust you with something deeply personal and realizing that knowing the rules is only the beginning.

The longer I do this, the more I understand that expertise isn’t just knowing what comes next. It’s knowing how to help someone move through it with clarity and confidence.

If you’re buying your first home in Windermere and want someone who’ll make sure you understand the process as you go, send me a message.

I’m Kristy Cook, local and real estate advisor.

Selling a home in Windermere? Good marketing should create momentum.

A strong launch is about more than putting a listing online and hoping the right buyer finds it.

The goal is to make sure the home shows up in the right places, reaches the right people, and gives buyers a reason to pay attention from the start.

Then comes the part that matters just as much: watching how the market responds and knowing what that response is telling you.

That’s where a marketing plan becomes a strategy instead of a checklist.

If you’re thinking about selling in Windermere and want to see how I’d market your home, send me a message.

Psssst... interest rates aren’t the whole story. 👀

Somewhere along the way, interest rates became the main character in every homebuying conversation.

They matter, of course.

But obsessing over one number can distract you from the question that actually matters: does buying a home right now make sense for your finances, your plans, and the life you’re trying to build?

A rate can tell you part of the cost.

It can’t tell you whether you’ve outgrown your current space, how long you plan to stay, what opportunities exist in your local market, or whether the monthly payment fits comfortably into your real life.

That’s why I’d rather help you evaluate the whole decision than wait around for one magical number to give you permission.

If you want to run your actual numbers, send me a message and I’ll connect you with a lender who can walk you through them.

I’m Kristy Cook, Windermere local and real estate advisor.

Fall things to do in Windermere are officially taking over my calendar. 🗓️

Swipe for the fall plans I’d start with and comment FALL for my full guide with events, road trips, restaurants, local favorites, and everything else worth knowing about this fall.

I’m Kristy Cook, your Windermere local and real estate agent.

Overthinking a real estate decision in Windermere? Start here. 👉

Real estate has a funny way of making even confident people question every move.

Timing, price, market conditions, emotions, outside opinions, and the fear of getting it wrong can all start competing for attention at once.

The goal is to know which questions are actually useful, which ones are just noise, and what information should guide the next decision.

That’s where having a clear strategy matters. You don’t need someone telling you everything will be fine. You need someone who can help you make sense of what’s happening and decide what deserves your attention.

If real estate has your brain doing laps lately, send me a message and we’ll turn the questions into a plan.

I’m Kristy Cook, Windermere local and real estate advisor.