09/04/2026
SOLD in 12 Days — But This Sale Started Long Before the Sign Went Up
Every home has a story, and the story of 1106 Blueberry Drive in Port Orange is one I won’t soon forget.
My relationship with this seller began well before the home was ready to sell. We had talked about pricing, and although I felt the market was telling us one thing, my seller, a retired attorney, had a very definite opinion of his home’s value. He stood his ground, and I respected that.
Then life changed.
My seller became ill, and eventually the property went through probate. His children lived out of town, and suddenly selling the house involved much more than determining a price and putting it on the market.
There were beloved cats that needed new homes. There was a household filled with years of belongings that needed to be sorted and removed. We coordinated donations to local charities, and when there were items they couldn't accept, I turned to Facebook Marketplace to help find new homes for the remaining furniture.
Little by little, we got the house emptied and ready for its next chapter.
Once the home was cleared, we had it professionally cleaned and moved into the next phase of preparing it for market. I arranged a professional home inspection so we would know what a buyer was likely to discover before they ever walked through the door.
The inspection revealed that the roof had limited remaining life. Rather than waiting for it to become a problem during a transaction, we addressed it upfront. We obtained insurance quotes, which further confirmed that the roof would need to be replaced. With that information in hand, we developed a strategy to offer the buyer a roof credit at closing.
Then came the marketing.
Professional photography showcased the home itself, while carefully selected virtual staging helped buyers see what the empty rooms could become. Instead of asking buyers to imagine the possibilities, we helped them visualize them.
And it worked.
1106 Blueberry Drive was on the market for just four days before the first contract fell apart because the buyer did not have their retirement funds in order. Then we came upon the second contract in 12 days.
What makes me proud of this sale isn't simply how quickly the home sold. It's everything that happened before those 12 days.
This listing required patience, compassion, problem-solving, preparation, market knowledge, and a lot of hands-on work, especially while helping a family manage a property from out of town.
Sometimes selling a home is straightforward. Other times, a family needs someone local who is willing to take responsibility for all the details that stand between “We need to sell this house” and “It's sold.”
For this family, that meant everything from finding homes for cats and furniture to coordinating cleaning, inspections, insurance information, photography, virtual staging, and ultimately the sale itself.
That is the part of real estate you don't always see in the SOLD photo.
And for me, it's one of the most meaningful parts of what I do.
Michelle Cecchini, REALTOR® | Broker
Shell Realty LLC
386.717.8005
Residential Listings & Marketing Strategist
New Home Construction & Buyer Representation
