How Many Homes for Sale in Lehigh Today

Snapshot of Lehigh Acres for today:

2714 homes/condos for sale in Lehigh Acres through the MLS system.

Average Days on Market: 117

Average sale price: $213,645

Average sq ft: 1592

Average breakdown is: 3 bedroom, 2 bath

Remember this does not include the "for sale by owners". If you are in the market to buy, this certainly is the place with an approx .067 of the homes in Lehigh Acres are on the market through the MLS service.

This is a lot to sort through. Now more than ever, you really need a Realtor to help you weed out the really great homes that meet all your needs, wants and desires. Call us today or check out our website at www.aaarealtyllc.com

Police try to save a Mannaquin

I just read about an incident in Auburn WA that left me laughing this morning so I thought I would share it with you.

A police officer saw what he thought was an ill person as a passenger in a vehicle traveling in an HOV lane. Because of his concern, he pulled the car over and the person driving as a passenger was not a person at all but instead was a mannequin. The driver was using this unsuspecting retired from Macy's doll as his passenger so he could drive on the HOV lane. Well the driver got what the officer thought he had coming- a ticket for driving in the HOV lane. I personally thought the guy should get off with a warning just for being so creative but who am I.

So for any of you thinking about trying something like this, don't do it or maybe just use make-up so the mannequin doesn't look ill.

Are you facing Foreclosure?

We have seen a huge increase of foreclosures in our market here in South West Florida. Cape Coral being the number 1 and Lehigh Acres close behind. What is the cause of all these foreclosures. In most cases people owe more than the house is worth now that prices have dropped. These people most likely financed with 100% loans with a 3/1 arm. The prices have gone up because of the arm and now they can't afford the new payments. When originally getting these loans the thought was; I will refinance before the rate goes up. It was a great thought but no one knew that prices would drop and it would be impossible to refinance when you owe more than the house is worth. Very sad situation.

Is there any help? There are some avenues that you can try if you find yourself in this situation. We will cover them breifly here but we encourage you to contact us for more information to see if your situation could be handled within the terms we discuss.

1. You can talk to your lender and explain the situation to them and show them how you cannot afford the payment but would like to see if they can reduce the interest rate. This has been done but in most cases, don't count on it. It is a long shot.
2. You can hire a specialist in dealing with these situations (some real estate brokers or realtors may handle these) and let them work out a plan to try and get your lender to either do as #1 suggests or a short sale or deed in leu of foreclosure. Please understand that there is no guarantees with trying this method but your chances are much greater when you use these specialists. They know what the lenders want to know and how to present it to them. The only drawback is this is not done for free. You are already in a negative financial situation and you have to spend money here ( usually from $500-1,500) and there is no guarantee it will work. You have the most chance using these specialists but you have to be able to pay the fees that go along with it.

If you feel like you want to pursue one on these avenues with us, you can contact us for a free phone consultation. Call us at 239-368-8520 for more information. Also check us out at our website at www.aaarealtyllc.com

School Scores In

I was surprised by the 2007 rankings of of schools in Lehigh Acres. I have listed them below for your convenience.

Lehigh Elementary School - B
Sunshine Elementary- A
Veteran's Park Elementary- A
Mirror Lakes Elementary - B
Gateway Elementary - A
Gateway Charter School - A

We are pretty impressed with the scores for Lehigh's Elementary schools. I think that it shows a great improvement in some schools and a continued greatness in others. You really can't go wrong in any of these schools as even a B is a good school. Way To Go Lehigh. Keep up the good work!

Schools almost back in session

If you have school aged children, now is the time to start preparing for the August 20th starting date. If uniforms are needed, Walmart is a great choice to buy them. They stock a huge inventory of the generic uniforms needed in Lehigh Acres Schools. Also if you go to Walmart you can get the list of your schools supply list for your child's school and grade. Then you can get those supplies right there. One stop shop for all your back to school needs.

The kids look forward to summer vacation but after the long weeks of "nothing to do" they are excited to get back in most cases. Each school has an open house prior to school start date and this is usually announced through an invitation in the mail. If you forgot or did not get one, you can google their school name and find their web site. It will be listed there.

My only advice is to shop early and don't stress yourselves by waiting until the last minute for back to school uniforms and supplies. You and your body will be happy not to put that extra stress on yourself.

Happy Shopping

Foreclosure on the Forefront?

If you are facing a Foreclosure, you are not alone. Statistics show that another 2.5 millions homeowners will default over the next two years. So if this is where you find yourself or may be heading towards, we want to try and help. AAA Realty LLC is conducting a first time homeowner monthly seminar and we have rearranged it to include how you might be able to save your home and what options may be available to try and save it and if you feel there is no other option, what you can do to try and salvage your credit.

Get in on our next seminar by going to our website at www.aaarealtyllc.com and click on monthly seminar and sign up. It's free and if nothing else you will be able to be more informed of your options.

It's always important to be proactive.

Licensed & Insured... Is the contractor you've hired really?

I was reading about a supposing "landscaper" who is taking advantage of poor unsuspecting citizens. He prices jobs for tree and bush trimming and then never finishes the job. Also that he is known to dump the debris all over Lehigh. If this does not put you on aware, it should. This is an all too common occurrence. There bill may say "Licensed and Insured" but it's only words in most cases. If you want to try and avoid being a victim of this "scam" from supposing "contractors" you might want to follow the advice below:

1. Check the cities website to see if the company is in fact licensed. The place to search is this web site. http://www.leetc.com.
2. Ask to see their insurance policy. They should be able to provide you with the declarations page that shows the coverage and the expiration date.
3. Ask to see their workers compensation policy or exemption from one.
4. Ask for references (at least three) and then call make sure you call them.

This can help avoid most cases of fraud that you will encounter. If you find that the person is not licensed, you can report it to this number: 239-553-6000

Additionally if you find that they have no workers compensation or exemption from such, you can call 239-278-7091.

If everyone does their part we can put a stop to these vagrants from taking advantage of us and our fellow citizens. You are taking a huge chance when you hire a unlicensed or uninsured business. You can be sued by them if they get hurt and also not to mention, (OK I will mention) that if they do damage to your property, you will have little or no recourse.

Save yourself and others from these unscrupulous people and use licensed and insured businesses to work for you and report the one's that are not.

Jaguar Blvd is Finally Re-paved

I don't know if you are as excited as I am but finally after many cars have been made rattle traps after venturing on this road that was full of pot holes that would swallow the old Yugo (if they were still around). I went to show a property off Jaguar just yesterday prepared with helmet and iron vest to venture down once again the all too familiar road with more holes than road, and I had to squint several times. The road was just paved! Our tax dollars finally used for something necessary. Go Lehigh! I know it's just a tip of the iceberg but you have to be encouraged that we are moving up. Keep that tar coming, there is lots more needed.

Arbys Is Finally Coming to Lehigh

Yes! Have you ever tried a Market Fresh Sandwich from Arbys? Well you will have your chance. Soon to be here. I drove by the location, just in front on the old Kmart (now a stage school for a new elementary school) and low and behold finally they broke ground. We were all excited to here that Arbys was coming but my goodness, it's been over a year with nothing but the demolition of the old Juicy Lucy building that set empty for over 3 years. We waited and waited for the new Arbys to break ground. Finally they have broke ground and the project is under way.

One of the things we need as far as infrastructure in this town is more eateries. Although sit-down service restaurants are needed even more, this fast food style with Roast Beef Sandwiches their specialty. They introduced Market Fresh Sandwiches and Wraps and now you can enjoy home style sandwiches.

Kids love their choice of meals with the crust cut off on all their bread choices. Also the original famous Roast Beef on a Sesame Seed Bun is available in a petite size, just for kids. Choice of homesyle fries or curly makes for a "can't go wrong" choice for the whole family.

Also we don't want to forget they serve breakfast. Most of the same type breakfast sandwiches as the other fast food types but one choice we will all love is the "TJ Cinnamon's" pecan sticky bun. They are admissibly "to die for".

We don't know the opening scheduled date but we will keep an eye out and let you know when we know. Until then to keep those taste buds happy you can still go the closest location off Daniels Parkway, right by I-75.

Lehigh United Way House

I have agreed to work once a week as a real estate consultant for the United Way House in Lehigh. The purpose for the arrangement is to offer services to Lehigh Acres residents who have real estate questions, concerns or in need of advice. My day there is Thursdays from 2:00-5:00pm. If you have a need, call the United Way House at 239-369-0177 to make an appointment.

Investor Step In Now

The truth is that the most successful real estate investors get in the market in a market like now. A soft buyers market with many homes in jeopardy of foreclosure brings in the seasoned investor. They realize that this is a temporary situation and the market will turn with money to be made at that time with the deals to be found now.

If you are interested in Real Estate Investments, check out our investoment opportunities on the main page of our site www.aaarealtyllc.com

Lehigh Lots

Only about 2 years ago if you had bought a 1/4 acre lot here in Lehigh Acres, you may have only paid about 2-3,000 for it. If you bought approximately a year ago you may have paid $50,000 for the same lot. Now if you try to sell that lot, you may find that it's only worth about $25,000. What happened?

The market was booming up to about a year ago and prices for lots went sky high. Many people saw all the buying up of the properties and they themselves wanted to get in on the profits so many jumped into the market and became first time investors. The thought was the lots would continue to increase in price. I actually saw some people get equity loans on their home to be able to buy a lot or two. So again, what happened?

Very simply the market changed. It slowed way down. That in itself can have some impact on prices but even more so, at the same time everyone was becoming investors with homes. Home builders were building like crazy. It didn't slow down. The result- overbuilding, big time! This caused the market to react even more. Now if you have desperate people worried about losing money dropping their prices on these new homes, scared to death they wouldn't be able to get their investment back or worse lose everything, dropping these prices of these new homes. This in turn hurt the re-sale market because many people looked at the two and said they would rather have the new homes priced so low then purchase the resale homes. Now I know you get what that did to the resale homes- they in turn had to drop prices to be able to sell.

This is the mess we are in now. From Feb 1st through today there are over 2000 active listings in our MLS service and only 10% sale rate. This equals even more inventory and of course longer periods of time to sell. So now what?

Of course I like many real estate practitioners have an opinion. I believe we are looking at 2-3 years before our community can absorb its excess in inventory. In the mean time to be able to sell our listings, it takes stepping out of the box and finding ways to sell to people that wouldn't ordinarily be targets. That's why for instance the rent to own concept has become so popular. There are other great ideas also. If you check out our web site and click on ideas to sell your lot, maybe we can help you jump out of the box too and find the ways to still be successful in this slow market. www.aaarealtyllc.com

Rent to Own Homes

I attended a family fun day sponsored by a home builder on Saturday. I was impressed by the job they did. They had free food, bounce houses for the kids, and lots of staff there to talk to people about how they could get into their rent to own program. I really like what they have to offer. With the state of our real estate as it stands- overbuilt to the hilt, there are opportunities for every type of situation even if your credit is horrible.

I have put clients in these rent to own programs in the past and have seen many successful closing after a year of renting so I know the program works. Now it is very affordable. Many times for $1,000 - $5,000 down and an affordable payment of anywhere from $900-$1500. Some programs put a portion towards the purchase price and others don't. During the rental period you work with companies to help you with your credit and in 12 months, you are looking at a legal refinance and not new purchase. It works to benefit you as it is easier to qualify for a refinance than for a new purchase.

The reason that it makes sense for the investor/homeowner who built the house is they get your rental payment and then in a year they get their full investment return when you close. Win Win for everyone.

If you find yourself wanting a home but are not in a position to right now, this rent to own program might be for you. Give us a call at AAA Realty, LLC and we can help you with the program that is right for you.

AAA Realty LLC telephone is 239-368-8520

Part 2 of 5 in Realtor vs. By Owner

Ok so we have aleady established that you have made the decision to sell on your own. We gave you some suggestions in Part 1 of this 5 part series. Now we want to talk about security. The days are gone when we could trust that anyone walking through our home who says they are interested really was only there for that reason. Realtor’s deal with the issue of security on a daily basis. Some of the hard fast rules we use should be on your “must follow” list so help keep you safe.
Never be alone during an open house- The extra attention via advertising and signage is seen by all. Unfortunately there are some bad people out there that use this avenue to pray on people. They may disguise themselves as an interested buyer when in fact they are interested in you or your possessions. Having an additional person there with you will help deter those unmentionables.
Stage Your Home- This is a very important point. Your home is on stage and you must have it shine. Cleanliness is probably the most important part of this. It might be time to hire a cleaner to do a real deep cleaning top to bottom. (no spider webs, dust bunnies or dirty windows or baseboards allowed). After you have achieved spotlessness, you want to unclutter. The rule of thumb we use is 2 less pieces of furniture in each room. Also take down any family pictures ect. that show the home is yours. Set your china up on the table all complete with candles. Make sure all counters are as bare as possible. No distasteful smells allowed. Everyone has a smell. Usually your home reeks of that smell. Also pet smells are an absolute no no. Set up candles or potpourri strategically around your home. A nice smell of an apple pie baking or something like that gives the feeling of being home.
Have literature out and available for the easy taking- Have a picture brochure available for a potential buyer to take with them. It should include all the pertinent information about your home. More on the literature in part 3 of this series. You should also include a property disclosure of your home (more on this in part 4 of this series). Most people coming into your home have no clue what the process is to purchase your home so the more you know, the more chance you will have to make a sale.
Advertise using the local newspaper local signage- Utilizing the classifieds in your local newspaper will help you to bring in interested buyers. Additionally you must have some signage from busier streets directing to your home announcing the open house. This will bring in passersby.
Our hopes are that if you employ some or all of the ideas we have given you in this series that we can help you to have a successful sale of your home. If this all seems too overwhelming, you may already see why most people starting out to sell “By Owner” wind up seeking the help of a Realtor. Please check us out or give us a call if we can be that Realtor for you or even if we can assist you in any way. You can call our office at 239-368-8520 or email us at tammyjrodriguez@gmail.com. Lastly you can check us out on the web at www.aaarealtyllc.com. We would love to hear from you. Good luck and happy selling!!

Meetings

I was thinking about the word that we use so freely in our extremely busy lives. We hear from our spouse, “I won’t be home early, I have a meeting to go to after work”, our friend tells us “can I call you back, I’m in a meeting“, we call to speak to the supervisor of the pizza joint to complain about the cold pizza that got delivered to you last night and get told “I am sorry but the supervisor is in a meeting“. I can go on and on but do you think that we are getting beyond ourselves with the necessity for so many meetings?

Popular Science’s website popsci.com does a series “Science Confirms the Obvious!”“We unearth the latest research that definitely, positively proves what you knew already—and tell you why it matters” One of the confirmations was “Too Many Meetings Make You Grumpy” The following is from that study:
The Study: “The relationship between meeting load and . . . well-being of employees,” Group Dynamics, March 2005
The Findings: Ever get the feeling that you’d get more work done if you weren’t constantly attending meetings to discuss all the work to be done? Two social scientists from the universities of Minnesota and North Carolina hypothesized that meetings are analogous to “hassles,” defined in stress-research literature as “annoying episodes in which daily tasks become more difficult or demanding than anticipated.” The psychologists analyzed diary entries from 37 meeting-prone midlevel university workers over one week. They found that days chock-full of meetings left employees feeling stressed, exhausted and burned out.
Why Bother? Employers take heed: Since beleaguered workers may perform poorly, be tardy, or quit, the authors suggest that “organizations be sensitive to the number of meetings employees are required to attend.” Managers could create “formal guidelines” for meeting necessity (presumably not drafted at a meeting). (exerpt taken from popsci.com)
How do you feel? Are meetings just a “waste of your precious time”? I don’t think so they should be. I do know however that depending on how well the outcome of the meeting will be is dependent on the following be rules of every meeting
Prepare thouroughly- an agenda is a must.
Set up proper meeting place- Must be condusive for the amount of attendees.
Assign a person to take notes-
Start and end on time- This will help with bordemn from the attendees
Have a facilitator- again to direct and redirect while following the agenda
Keep the meeting on task - going off on tangents or items off agenda will ruin an otherwise effective meeting.
So what about the meetings you attend, facilitate or organize? Are they to be catagorized as meetings or social gatherings? A social gathering is when you have a more relaxed atmosphere and state personal thoughts. A time to get to know one another or to share experiences. Save those times for when you have get-togethers for that specific reason. Keep the meetings focused and on task using the list above and you will see a dramic change in the quality and time needed to conduct great meanfull meetings.

Community

A community is a set of people (or agents in a more abstract sense) with some shared element — in particular a group of people who live in the same area is a community. The substance of shared element varies widely, from a situation to interest to lives and values. The term is widely used to evoke sense of collectivism.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community
All Lehigh Acres residents have the shared element of living in the same place. We need to evoke that “sense of collectivism” to get some things accomplished. We are a rapidly growing place with lots of special problems and circumstances that go along with a growing community. We need to be sure that it’s not just left to bureaucracy to handle. We can make a huge difference. I am committing myself to my community and I will be part of building a place that I can be proud of and that my children can be future leaders. Let’s do it together!

Faith

What do you think of when you hear the word faith when it pertains to you? Is it Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence as the e-dictionary defines it? I would love to hear from you and your views.
I personally struggled with the meaning of this word for years. I found after coming somewhat to of a knowledge of who God is that knowledge was not all of it. There is no place I have found yet that has all the answers. I searched and searched for all of the answers. After I wore myself out trying to find something that can not be fully explained, I came to a realization that faith was being able to believe without having full knowledge in something. I had to trust God even though I could not explain a whole lot about Him or what He expected from me. At this point I was able to accept the part that is very clear. God’s word is His word and “IT” is truth! He makes it very clear what is expected of us. He lays out the plan for which we can all attain salvation. Again I struggled with that. I thought you had to work, work and then work some more to be something I didn’t feel I could live up to and then maybe just maybe I could have a future beyond this one. So when I looked at what the Bible said was the plan of salvation-
First, we must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything, and accept our humble position in God’s creation. “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11).
Next, we must realize that we are sinners. “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Because we are sinners, we are condemned to death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God.
But God loved each of us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear our sin and die in our place. “God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Although we cannot understand how, God said our sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. Jesus became our substitute.
In the Bible, a jailer asked his prisoners, Paul and Silas: “’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.’” (Acts 16:30-31).
It’s very clear in the Bible, believe in Jesus as the one who bore your sins, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. It’s Christ’s blood and resurrection that assures us of everlasting life when we call on Him as our Lord and Savior. “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13). “Whosoever” includes each and every one of us.
Therefore, if you understand that you are a sinner, and you believe that Jesus Christ came as the one and only Redeemer of sin, then you understand the plan of salvation. The question is – are you ready to implement the plan, by receiving God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? If so, believe in Christ, repent of your sins, and commit the rest of your life to Him as Lord:
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
If you decided to receive Jesus today, welcome to God’s family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.
Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
Find a local church where you can worship God.

Homelessness/Affordable Housing

Where are we as members of society in Lehigh Acres pertaining to helping our community with affordable housing? Were are we in helping the homeless in Lehigh? Did you know that statistics show that more than 42% of homeless people are now families!? That means children. Can you imagine why? Well I can surely venture to say that it’s the cost of housing. Who can afford to live with these rising prices? When a home that was purchased three years ago at $72,000. and is sold in today's market at $200,000, who can afford the cost of that? The average mortgage at 7% APR for a 30yr fixed rate is just over $1,300.00 a month not including taxes and insurance. A $200,000 home would cost around $2,000.00 in taxes and you might as well think at least another $1,500.oo for the rising insurance cost. So a whopping approximate payment of $1,600.00 per month or $372.00 per week (based on 4.3 weeks in a month). This is for a bottom line home. For a family (both working) at minimum wage is making $6.67 per hour at 40 hours a week makes $533.00 per week and then when you take your 22% off for taxes the family is left with a little of $400.00 per week. Add it up…it doesn’t work! Ok so you say most are making more than minimum wage and I agree with you-but, you get my point. You wonder why we have so much homelessness? It is directly related to the wages vs. housing cost. So what is the answer? I definitely don’t have all the answers but I do know that I want to be part of the solution. Myself and few other advisory members of the United Way House will be forming a coalition committed to teaching people to expand their skills so that they can attain higher paying jobs. The first will be a series on basic computer, Internet knowledge and selling on Ebay. The classes will be held at the local Lehigh Acres United Way House and will be open to all. There will be a nominal charge for the class but there will be sponsorship scholarships for anyone that can not afford to pay for the class. I will update you on the classes when they happen. I welcome any comments and ideas on this one.

The Great Build

A really neat article I read in the Lehigh Acres News Star (Lehigh’s local newspaper) told about Morrison’s Homes project “The Great Build” It’s a community in nearby Alva know as the historic river district. Morrison’s Builders needed a model center as part of the community project so they launched on December 29th, 2006 the ground breaking of this model home and they committed to work 7 days a week for 30 days (240 working hours) to complete this model home. The home is not small by any means. It is a 4/3 pool home. Their goal is to finish before the 30 days. They have put their money where their mouth is and have committed to donate $1000.00 for every hour that they finish prior to the 240 hours to Monique Burr Foundation For Children, which helps abused and neglected children.

River Hall is a premier gated club community of over 2000 acres. It features neighborhoods that will accommodate everyone. Some of the exceptional amenities include a championship Davis Love III signature golf course, six HarTru® tennis courts and walking trails through-out the neighborhoods. The Town Hall is complete with a fitness center, kid’s game room, snack bar, complete with many activities. There is an elementary school, and a proposed fire station.
I plan on going out there in the next few days and take some pictures of the area and the model project of Morrison Homes. Let’s pray that they finish that project even earlier then they anticipate so that more children can be helped through the charity they have chosen to give so generously to. I will post some of the pictures and give you some updates when I have them.

First Time Home Buyer

There are much help out there for the first time home buyer. If you have not ever owned a home or if you have not owned one for the last three years, you may qualify for these programs. Depending on your income level, we may be able to get up to $30,000 of forgivable loans. As long as you don’t sell the home with in the 10 year period, you will never have to pay back the assistance loans. There are programs for Armed Forces, Healthcare personnel, Police and Educators. We are developing a Homeowners Seminar entitled “Homeownership For All” Our staff at AAA Realty are ready to educate those persons that are still renting about how they too can join the ranks of home ownership. Keep checking back for updates on the seminar and when and how you can be part of it.

For Sale By Owner or Realtor

This is part 1 in a five part series. In a buyers market, it is difficult enough for a professional Realtor to market and sell a property. As a seller, considering trying to sell your own property may just put off your sale even longer and you most likely will have to attain the services of a Realtor in the end. If though even though I and many others have warned you, you decide to take the plunge we want to help you out and give you some hints and tricks. One very important key to consider is your home’s first impression. You should go over the home inside and out and do any necessary repairs. There should not be anything in need of repair. It might also be time to do some painting, change flooring and or update. Deep cleaning would be another item you want to get done prior to putting up signs. Pay close attention to your windows (inside and out). Pressure cleaning of the home can be a way of avoiding having to paint outside. A good pressure cleaner can make your home look years newer and get rid of any mildew that may be around the home. Outside should also be free from clutter and landscaping should be tidy. Some new flowers or plants might really brighten up that first impression. It would be helpful to have a realtor come by and give you their opinion as to what would be best for you to prepare for the sale. My company offers free of charge a walk through analysis of the home with absolutely no pressure to list with us. Stay tuned for part 2 when we will continue giving you more tricks and tips for selling your home “By Owner”

Real Estate Update

Lehigh Acres, FL -As it is when we are in a buyers market…now is the time to jump in the market if you are an investor. There are some great deals out there. Tons of new homes for great prices but are people overlooking the re-sale deals? There appears to be somewhat of tunnel-vision for new home purchases and it can be understandable why…there are so many of them out there! Let’s not forget to consider the importance of “location, location location”. I am not just talking about the proximity to your work, or the city. I am talking about a very important issue that few are considering- City Water and Sewer vs. Well Water and Septic Tanks. I am not saying that well water and sewer should be out of the question, but I will say that in my professional opinion, the better choice that you can’t go wrong with is city water and sewer. The biggest reason would be the water issues that are involved with well water (so many that we will save that for another blog) and additionally the awful drawbacks of dealing with a septic tank in your yard and the mound that you need to build on. Not even to mention the fact that when the time comes for the city utilities to be put in in your area, you will have to pay to put them in on your property (no choice).
My advice today is to take a look or a second look at some of the re-sale properties that you may have skimmed right over. Make an educated decision on what really is best for you. Many of the “newer” homes (10 years or newer) may have been built better than the new homes and may be standing way beyond the new ones being built. One thing I do know that the race is on for all these builders to build homes for the lowest possible price. What do you think might be the result of that…poorer quality? Is it worth it to you? You ultimately have to decide but educate yourself first and remember…it’s totally worth hiring a realtor. They know the business and you shouldn't be expected to know it all and their payment can be a savings in the end when they protect your interests and or negotiate a price for you that you may not be able to do on your own.
I am sure that by now you can guess that yes…I am a Realtor. Actually I am a Real Estate Broker. Part of my blogging will be dedicated to real estate and different tips, tricks for buying selling and much much more. I look forward to hearing from you and your opinions also. That’s all…

2nd night of 24's Premier

Was this crazy or what? Jack we don’t blame you. You had to do it. I understand why Curtis had to do what he did but Oh my goodness! So now Curtis is dead by the hand of the mighty Jack who had to do it to save Assad for the better good of the Country. He has to make another decision that he has to stack on to the rest of the awful memories of the last two years of his life, mostly at the hands of the Chinese in prison.
Now what about LA. Thousands of fatalities. Oh my….what will be next…oh more nukes? Let’s tune in next week, same bat time, same bat channel.
What are your thoughts of the 2 night premier?

Season Premier of 24

first night of 24 premier was hot!
Over two years has past. Wayne Palmer is President. Jack Bauer has not spoken in two years. He had been in a Chinese Prison. He was released so that he could be exchanged for the head of a known terrorist (Assad). Bill Buchanan and Karen Hayes are married. Cloe is up to her old tricks. Doesn’t have any problem skating the rules for her loyalties to Jack Bauer. You know it’s not the end of Jack Bauer. The show ends with Jack escaping. Wow what a kill- he killed vampire style.
I don’t know when they will learn that Jack is always right . They never listen to Jack.
Fayed is the culprit and Jack once again came to the rescue…
Ok 24 has met it’s expectations once again. Great first night. After checking out the forums during the show, the comments vary greatly. One thing all are saying is that night two of the two-night premier will leave us all in amazement. I am sure. Kind of crazy that we love this violence so much. But wow how addicting. Is it making us lose what conscience we may have had left. The one saving grace would be that the good usually prevails. Is that our consolation. I guess I am not willing to think about it too much because I might talk myself out of watching it and that would not be any fun would it. That’s all…..

Hello World

I am pleased to be entering the world of blogging. My only ground rule is no cursing. Sorry about that but I know we can use our words wisely. I look forward to sharing lots stuff with you. That’s all…