The old adage that has if it looks too good to be true, it probably is holds true almost every time. I have come to realize that you really do get what you pay for. Let me give share wit you how I learned apt his very valuable lesson. .
Just a couple of days ago I made a dreadful decision that would prove to be the lesson I learned that prompted this very blog post. My son's birthday is this Friday. As usual he gave us his list weeks ago as to what he wanted. He decided that this year he wanted a tape recorder. He was very specific on what kind of tape recorder. It had to be digital. It also needed to be big enough to fit in his hand. He wanted it to the size of a phone. Ok I thought, this is going to be a challenge. We happened to go to Kmart shortly thereafter and I thought, let me check if they have this tape recorder. Willa, I found it. And it was only like 30 bucks. I thought I was a winner. It had buttons just like he wanted, it fit in my hand and it looked like the old school recorders. My son loves old school so I didn't hesitate and I purchased this recorder and checked off in my mind his biggest present was bought and I had to save at least a hundred dollars over what I thought I would have to spend. The item was put away to later wrap and get ready for his big day. After all he was turning 17 and we had to make his day special. A couple weeks go by and I overhear my son say that we is going to start a podcast as soon as he got his recorder. Immediately I felt a panic come over me. I asked myself, did I buy a recorder that could be transferred to a computer? Was it an MP3 recorder? That's what you need if you are going create a podcast. Where did I put that darn thing? I needed to check to make sure it was the right thing he needed. I had trouble sleeping that night because I left it in my office so I could hide it and also wrap it there. The nest day I check it closely and it is totally the wrong thing. Now what? His Birthday is less then a week away and I have the absolute wrong thing. I can't pass that off. So the panic turns to my adrenalin pumping way to fast. I start to look online for the one he needs. Two hundred dollars later and some missed sleep and a whole lot of stress later, oh and some fifty dollars in shipping costs to make sure it reaches us in time, I now had my son's birthday gift. Where did I go wrong?
Two things come to mind right away as I look back over this dreadful experience. First thing is I didn't do my homework to assure I was looking for the right thing. Secondly, I let my frugal gene take over. Well that cost me in the long run. I knew it was too good to be true but I bragged and bought it anyway. I hope I learned a lesson. I had wasted precious time, more money then I had to because of the rush fees and not to mention the list sleep and stress. This may sound ridiculous to you but what is your tape recorder, in what area have you done almost the same thing and paid dearly in the end.
If I could help you all learn a lesson from this fiasco then I will feel like it was not in vain. It's always important to do your homework before you jump in and especially before you waste a bunch of time and money doing it the hard way.
Until next time,
Tammy Rodriguez
www.aaarealtyllc.com
www.flpaintcontractor.com
www.alwaysclearwater.com
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
You can not be afraid to take a risk
Risk is absolutely a common thread to success. The more risk, the better the outcome. We know that there are several different personalities out there that makes up us as humans. What separates the most successful correlates directly to the risk factor. To bring this point home we look at the Lottery. You pay a dollar or up to a few dollars and risk that money on a win. Try to tell a big lottery winner that it's a waste to play the lottery. On the other hand for those that have risked and lost, it may ruin a future win if you don't learn from the loss so that next time you increase your chances on a win. You learn to calculate the loss. A key component to winning is strategizing and then planning and then putting the plan in motion using specific action steps and marketing plan. Lastly you need to follow the plan and continue to make adjustments as you go along. Your still taking a risk but the stakes will be more successful.
So to wrap up this business tip, I would say to be prepared to take a calculated risk pretty munch in everything you do. There are some wonderful books written on risk taking and also on planing strategies. Google some and grab yourself a few or even better save paper and use either a kindle or the kindle software available on you tablets and smart phones.
Until next time, I bid you a farewell,
Tammy Rodriguez
Http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
Http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
Http://www.alwaysclearwater.net
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
You don't know what you have until you lose it.
Just a short 1 and 1/2 months ago my mother left this world. When I call this post you don't know what you had until you lose it, I am speaking about my mom. I am also speaking about the whole concept of losing what we had. It may be a close loved one or it could be you lost your favorite Dry Cleaners cause they made you made and you left to go to a competitor. Bear with me here for a few minutes so you can understand exactly the point I am trying to make.
I miss my mother beyond measure. I spent many years fighting with her and some years when we didn't even speak. Thankfully though before she died our relationship was great. But now that she is gone and I can't make up for lost time? I can't say how ridiculous the non-speaking times were. I can't call her and tell her how may day was as I had done each and every day for the last year or two. I can't ask her opinion on this very important thing going on in my life. I can't tell her when I don't feel good and want my momma. I can go on and on talking about all the things I can't do anymore. I never knew how much I would miss it when it was gone. I think we take the people important in our life for granted!
Then I wanted to take it even another step more. I used to trust my lawn guy to always do the right thing with my lawn. Then I got greedy. I thought he was charging too much and I thought the job was not all that good. I started to think that I could find someone to do a better job at lesser money. Then he made the mistake of cutting my lawn too short. That was it, I was done with this lawn guy. First I thought I would do it myself- what's the big deal right? So we bought a lawn mower and I tried it myself. Wow that wasn't so easy. Then I had my husband show my oldest son to mow. I thought he was lazy anyway and doing our lawn should be his responsibility. Well he stunk at it and I was starting to wonder if I did not wrong thing by letting that lawn guy go. But did I call him back and rehire him? No! I thought well I will hire someone else and get it done cheaper. Over the next few months, we went through about 4 different lawn guys. Most of them wouldn't even show up.
I then realized that I didn't know what I had until I lost him. My lawn guy was a great guy. He never lost his relationship with us and always remained friendly. I finally said ok get him back. Not only do I want him to do my own personal lawn but also I want him to all of the lawns for the owners homes we manage.
To take this even a step further, when I really needed help with something that was a delicate and very important life changing, future success in an other business could depend on it, it was my lawn guy who came through without a hesitation. He found someone for us to do what we needed done. I pulled out all the people that I had helped in the past and so and so on and not one of those people came through for me but my lawn guy did. I did not know what I had until I lost it. I learn a huge lesson from my lawn guy.
I know that to compare the two sounds off but if you think about in our life the times we give up on people, first and foremost our family and then maybe it's your Dry Cleaner who made a mistake or your lawn guy. Stop and deal with the issue. Without that person or business, life might not be what we had hoped. We need not give up on each other. You have heard the old cliché that business is business, well I say people are people. Let's try and be more understanding and communicate more with who is in our life and we can avoid a lot of pain.
For Now,
Tammy Rodriguez
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
http://alwaysclearwater.net
I miss my mother beyond measure. I spent many years fighting with her and some years when we didn't even speak. Thankfully though before she died our relationship was great. But now that she is gone and I can't make up for lost time? I can't say how ridiculous the non-speaking times were. I can't call her and tell her how may day was as I had done each and every day for the last year or two. I can't ask her opinion on this very important thing going on in my life. I can't tell her when I don't feel good and want my momma. I can go on and on talking about all the things I can't do anymore. I never knew how much I would miss it when it was gone. I think we take the people important in our life for granted!
Then I wanted to take it even another step more. I used to trust my lawn guy to always do the right thing with my lawn. Then I got greedy. I thought he was charging too much and I thought the job was not all that good. I started to think that I could find someone to do a better job at lesser money. Then he made the mistake of cutting my lawn too short. That was it, I was done with this lawn guy. First I thought I would do it myself- what's the big deal right? So we bought a lawn mower and I tried it myself. Wow that wasn't so easy. Then I had my husband show my oldest son to mow. I thought he was lazy anyway and doing our lawn should be his responsibility. Well he stunk at it and I was starting to wonder if I did not wrong thing by letting that lawn guy go. But did I call him back and rehire him? No! I thought well I will hire someone else and get it done cheaper. Over the next few months, we went through about 4 different lawn guys. Most of them wouldn't even show up.
I then realized that I didn't know what I had until I lost him. My lawn guy was a great guy. He never lost his relationship with us and always remained friendly. I finally said ok get him back. Not only do I want him to do my own personal lawn but also I want him to all of the lawns for the owners homes we manage.
To take this even a step further, when I really needed help with something that was a delicate and very important life changing, future success in an other business could depend on it, it was my lawn guy who came through without a hesitation. He found someone for us to do what we needed done. I pulled out all the people that I had helped in the past and so and so on and not one of those people came through for me but my lawn guy did. I did not know what I had until I lost it. I learn a huge lesson from my lawn guy.
I know that to compare the two sounds off but if you think about in our life the times we give up on people, first and foremost our family and then maybe it's your Dry Cleaner who made a mistake or your lawn guy. Stop and deal with the issue. Without that person or business, life might not be what we had hoped. We need not give up on each other. You have heard the old cliché that business is business, well I say people are people. Let's try and be more understanding and communicate more with who is in our life and we can avoid a lot of pain.
For Now,
Tammy Rodriguez
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
http://alwaysclearwater.net
Thursday, December 5, 2013
December 5, 2013
Old Unused Medications
If you have been in a situation where you have in your possession medication that will not be used and it's either expired or from a loved one that has passed away or for any other number of reasons, don't just throw them in the trash and definitely don't throw them down the sink or toilet. You know that it will become part of our water table and could wind up making someone sick. Take the meds in sealed containers and drop them off at your local police department or Sheriff's office. They have the means to properly dispose of them.AAA Realty is underway with their annual Food Drive for Harry Chapin Food Bank
Stop by their office between now and December 23rd to drop off food for Harry Chapin Food Bank. They are very low on food reserves so please stop by AAA Realty located in the Lehigh Towne Centre and help this very needy cause this holiday seasonPay It Forward
It's that time of year where people are most festive and giving. It's really important to give especially now so that we can still feel human. There is so much going on in the world and in our own neck of the woods that reaching out to someone with no expectations in return can bring some joy that is beyond measure. My family has been thinking about how and who to help this year especially when this is a difficult time for us just losing my mother just a very short time ago. That's enough to make you not fee very festive but we are going to rise above that and help make someone else's life a little more joyful. We are moving forward with some ideas. We have a client that just lost his wife and he is alone this year. We have another client that is going through a difficult situation with her partner and it has left her and her two year old son alone this year. We know we have to step in these people lives in some way and we are working on how. What about you? Who's life can you impact this year? I challenge you to do it in a big way and watch how much joy it brings you. Don't focus on your problems but instead focus outward and help others.Until next time remember to use local small businesses whenever possible. We are the backbone of America. A+ Property Management LLC is a local Painting Company that is licensed, insured and is offering 10 Percent discount right now for work booked before the end of the year. Check them out at http://www.flpaintcontractor.com
My best
Tammy Rodriguez
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
December 3, 2013
22 Days Till Christmas
I have even started to shop. Missed Black Friday, spent the day on the boat. Skipped Cyber Monday- just couldn't be bothered. Why am I fighting the erg not to have Christmas. My mother's passing and the new dog who will at the least eat the tree if not dump it over and ruin it anyway. since I have 3 kids, I guess I better get moving and get something for them.In The News
Paul Walker from the hit movies Fast and Furious was killed going fast and furious. I guess if your gonna go you might as well be doing what you love to do. Sorry to all the girls who are heartbroken though. Amazon is working on a drone to deliver packages. I am sorry but my humble opinion thinks this is just a marketing ploy set to break right at Christmas season so Amazon is on everyone's mind. They are smarter than most of us. As far as realizing that feat, I really doubt it. Too many logistic problems.Housing outlook for 2014
Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, was a bit cautious when he announced that he felt the sales would remain flat, that prices would increase 6% and that rates will rise somewhere around a point (Wall Street Journal Reports) My opinion for our local community here in SW Florida? Same Same.HVAC tip
Weather requiring heat is coming so make sure your coils are clean. Also change your filter. These are items that can cause fires or other issues when you turn that heat on.Painting and Pressure Washing Time
Now that the weather is nice, the rain has slowed, left behind for us is mold, mildew and the necessity for painting. Check out http://www.flpaintcontractor.com for tips and sales going on right now.I want to wish you all a productive Tuesday and make sure you don't forget to reach out and help someone this holiday season.
Till next time,
Tammy Rodriguez
Http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
Monday, December 2, 2013
Place a Tenant or It's Free
Place a tenant in your rental property or you don't pay? Don't you think that we as a property manager or rental agent should be held accountable for working and doing what it takes to rent your property or you should not pay us? Having an inventory of homes for rent doesn't mean squat if they remain in inventory. What does it take to rent your home? It takes a lot of work. First you want to market it in such a way that it is available to be seen in pictures and on a map all over the web. Not just craigslist either. Even though craigslist is a must, there are also many other places that potential tenants are looking and in fact due to the high number of scams running through craigslist, many tenants are looking elsewhere.
Is there a timeframe that it should take before it' taking way too long and there is the potential for losing money? The best answer I can give you on this question is a two part answer. First is the rental property marketed at a price that is fair and reasonable. If this answer is no, the property can sit there for months without any activity. Secondly the way to know how long is too long is to see what the average what is called in Real Estate "Average Rental Days on Market". If your property is marketed properly and is priced right you should fall within that time period.
For more information on your rental properties and having a property management company either take over or even take over while a tenant is in place, we can answer all the questions you might have.
Contact us toll free at 1-888-243-1720 or locally at 239-368-8520. We look forward to speaking with you.
Regards,
Tammy Rodriguez
AAA Realty LLC and Property Management
http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Why Thanksgiving is Important to me
My God
My Family
Good Friends and time spent with them
My son turned 10
Great Clients
Vany's new baby
Heated pool
New truck
Marley
Scooby's still with us
Dad's been ok
Painted partial home
Enjoying our boat
10 fingers and toes
Healthy kids
Abilities
HVAC License
Crystal passing her RE license
Fran and Pepi
Alex
Olivia in Scandal
SOA
Walking Dead
These are just a few things that stick out to me and I want to be thankful for. How about you. Make your list and be thankful for the things that you have been blessed with.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres FL
Here we are at the end of 2013 and looking to 2014. How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres FL? This is a question that many investors have been asking lately. Is there time to jump in the investment market still. Are prices increasing and so therefore should I be selling my investment properties? They are looking for direction.
We have used the above questions and tried to answer a few of them using available resources as well as the experience we have had over the last 9 years in the real estate industry. Below are our opinions so please don't make a decision solely on our comments.
- How is the Rental Market in Lehigh Acres?
2. Is there time to jump in the investment market still?
A. It's tough right now. We think that in order to be successful in this market right now, it will take persistence, patience and a lot of work. But it can be done. You can be successful. It's important to work with a competent Realtor though. Your Realtor needs to be watching for properties for you but you too should have an active role in looking. When you see something, give your Realtor the info to double check that it's still on the market. Between both of you and some of the persistence, patience and work we spoke about, you certainly can still be successful in the current market.
3. Are prices increasing and should if so I be selling my current investment properties.
A. Yes prices have been steadily increasing. The market has been rebounding and we are pretty sure that is a great thing, No? Yes it is. For the second half of this question as to should you sell your properties now. We would say, that depends. There are so many variables as to why you would think now is the time to sell. Some of the questions we would ask you are; why did you get in this game in the first place? What is your end goal? How much did you pay for the properties? What has been your return on your investment to date? How is your current overall investment portfolio? How is your current financial situation? Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? These are questions that we would want to talk to you about so that you can make some well thought out decisions and the answers will be different for everyone and whether you should sell or hold may also be different for you then anyone else.
Bottom line for you would be to have someone you can count on and trust to be your partner in helping you make good informed decisions. We want to earn your business! If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to let us know.
Tammy Rodriguez
Author/Broker/CAM/Notary/Painting Contractor
AAA Realty LLC
A+ Property Management LLC
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Fort Myers Office Delay in Opening
I never thought that I would have such a difficult time opening a small office in what is considered in the Fort Myers City Limits. After many phone calls and finally a visit to the downtown office on Hendry St, I came away with an understanding about what was needed prior to being able to open the office.
I filled out the applications needed and paid the $190.00 (still trying to figure how they could rob us small business owners to such an extent) Then we still need to be available for the 4 inspections that are needed. I ask the following question: Why if there was a business in place at this location do we need to go though the same inspections again? Now I could understand if this is the first time a business will be in place at this location or if the business was not an office type location. For instance if it was a restaurant or a business that required some potential safety hazard.
We will follow the instructions and maybe in 30- 60 days, we will be able to open the location and the next 6 months to try and make up for the loss of business while we jump through the hoops necessary.
There is so much bureaucracy in our Country that if we spend more time trying to help the small business owner to open new businesses and or continue to stay in business, we can resolve a lot of issues.
Let's help each other promote small business ownership. Also making sure we pay attention to any change in laws that may pertain to helping small businesses and then standing up for what is proper and right for the small business owner can go a long way.
Good luck to all you entrepreneurs and I will keep up updated on our progress to open our new office located right on 41 on the corner of Boy Scout Rd.
My Best
Tammy J Rodriguez
Owner/Broker
AAA Realty LLC
I filled out the applications needed and paid the $190.00 (still trying to figure how they could rob us small business owners to such an extent) Then we still need to be available for the 4 inspections that are needed. I ask the following question: Why if there was a business in place at this location do we need to go though the same inspections again? Now I could understand if this is the first time a business will be in place at this location or if the business was not an office type location. For instance if it was a restaurant or a business that required some potential safety hazard.
We will follow the instructions and maybe in 30- 60 days, we will be able to open the location and the next 6 months to try and make up for the loss of business while we jump through the hoops necessary.
There is so much bureaucracy in our Country that if we spend more time trying to help the small business owner to open new businesses and or continue to stay in business, we can resolve a lot of issues.
Let's help each other promote small business ownership. Also making sure we pay attention to any change in laws that may pertain to helping small businesses and then standing up for what is proper and right for the small business owner can go a long way.
Good luck to all you entrepreneurs and I will keep up updated on our progress to open our new office located right on 41 on the corner of Boy Scout Rd.
My Best
Tammy J Rodriguez
Owner/Broker
AAA Realty LLC
Friday, March 29, 2013
Spring Time Maintenance
This is the time of year for some very important Preventative Maintenance items that are so necessary to be completed to avoid some extra repair costs later on. If the repairs become emergencies then they need to be done and many times as an emergency repair which in most cases shots up the cost of the repair.
Number one on the list should be your Air Conditioner. Did you know that as the unit sits it is not being circulated and the law of gravity allows for some loss of Freon naturally. This small amount needs to be replaced at least once a year. If you do not the system is not working at it's optimum and the system will work harder, can freeze and will wear out parts easier. The cost to the occupant will be higher cooling costs and inconvenience when the system freezes up. The answer to this is to have the regular maintenance done on the system. Make sure you have someone that is honest so that you are not paying for something that is not wrong. This is a tough area. Probably the best way to determine who to use is by asking your friends or neighbors for a recommendation.
You may be asking yourself how the heck I know anything about air conditioning systems? Well I am a certified a/c technician. So I am speaking with experience and knowledge in this area. I know that you can save yourselves some money in repairs and operating cost.
For More information on prevenative maintenance tips, with ac units as well as other tips for the spring maintenance season go to aaarealtyllc.com.
Next time we will talk about ways to save on your overall energy costs. Stay Tuned
My Best
Tammy Rodriguez
Number one on the list should be your Air Conditioner. Did you know that as the unit sits it is not being circulated and the law of gravity allows for some loss of Freon naturally. This small amount needs to be replaced at least once a year. If you do not the system is not working at it's optimum and the system will work harder, can freeze and will wear out parts easier. The cost to the occupant will be higher cooling costs and inconvenience when the system freezes up. The answer to this is to have the regular maintenance done on the system. Make sure you have someone that is honest so that you are not paying for something that is not wrong. This is a tough area. Probably the best way to determine who to use is by asking your friends or neighbors for a recommendation.
You may be asking yourself how the heck I know anything about air conditioning systems? Well I am a certified a/c technician. So I am speaking with experience and knowledge in this area. I know that you can save yourselves some money in repairs and operating cost.
For More information on prevenative maintenance tips, with ac units as well as other tips for the spring maintenance season go to aaarealtyllc.com.
Next time we will talk about ways to save on your overall energy costs. Stay Tuned
My Best
Tammy Rodriguez
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Time Challenge
If you are anything like me your morning goes something like this. I wake up and realize that I have to get up soon. I don't want to so I procrastinate. I figure that if I check my phone for messages and check my email, I can wait just a little longer to make what seems the gigantic leap out of bed. Then after I spend a good half hour or so trying to talk myself into it and I finally get up. Once up I feel like I have to race my way out the door. Once up I don't want to waste another moment and rush to get to work. I most days don't have to be there at a certain time. I purposely don't usually make early morning appointments so I don't have to rush. I tell myself and everyone else that I am not a morning person but once I am up, I am ok. So I started to think that maybe I am just going about this morning thing the wrong way.
I decided i was going to expand my horizons and try to mentally prepare myself for an earlier morning. I know I can get so much more done if I do get up even an hour earlier. So I make the commitment. I am going to attempt the one hour earlier thing. i will let you know how it goes. As a staff at work, we are reading a new book about Time Management. We only are on chapter one but I want to share with you what I learn as we go along. In the meantime if you have any ideas you would like to share, please feel free to comment.
If you get the chance we would appreciate a like on our Facebook page. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/aaapropertymanagement and FYI our website is http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
My Best,
Tammy Rodriguez
I decided i was going to expand my horizons and try to mentally prepare myself for an earlier morning. I know I can get so much more done if I do get up even an hour earlier. So I make the commitment. I am going to attempt the one hour earlier thing. i will let you know how it goes. As a staff at work, we are reading a new book about Time Management. We only are on chapter one but I want to share with you what I learn as we go along. In the meantime if you have any ideas you would like to share, please feel free to comment.
If you get the chance we would appreciate a like on our Facebook page. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/aaapropertymanagement and FYI our website is http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
My Best,
Tammy Rodriguez
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Lehigh Acres Real Estate Snafu
Travel And Leisure Magazine is read by many but this article was one that makes the folks of Lehigh Acres laugh their butts off when the see and read this headline. In the article, the photo's caption says "Southwest Florida is filled with half-built McMansions, lots taken over by snakes and alligators and derelict cul-de-sacs that lead to nothing."
Lehigh made the too of the worlds most eeriest places along with a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. The picture that made it was a typical foreclosed home the likes of which has popped up all over the country with the housing bust of 2009. This is when this article first surfaced but has been reported by the Huffington Post just at the end of 2012.
What the heck is going on and where in the world are they getting their information and even better who could have even slightly have verified this to be true. I won't spend a lot of time on proving the specific allegations to be untrue as they are so off the wall and ridiculous that it doesn't deserve much specific response. I will however say that I have lived in Lehigh Acres for 13 years now. My 3 children go to public schools within Lehigh. I have two businesses in Lehigh and so I think I am in a pretty good position to make a professional legitimate assessment on Lehigh. Ready for a promise from me? You can take this statement to the bank and I stand behind the following statement. Lehigh Acres is not overrun with snakes and alligators.
There may be 110 square miles of land and yes there is plenty of undeveloped land but that is a temporary issue and one that is changing over time. The population almost tripled over the last few years and then spiked down for a short time while the foreclosure problem was at the highest rate. There is a very explainable reason for the high percentage of foreclosures in Lehigh. I will explain it for you. After I do, I only ask you to stop the next person you hear say some of the false nonsense about Lehigh. So here we go:
In 2004-2006 the explosion of growth in the housing market was mainly due to the ease of getting a mortgage for just about anyone. You could have been self employed, state your income and not have to prove it nd we used to say, if you have a pulse, you can own a home. Those that had been renters jumped on the wagon and those with homes bought more. Many who had homes refinanced to use the funds for other things. People were buying land for 40 times what they had cost just a year or two prior. It seamed like everyone was thriving. Builders were coming in from all over and setting up shop. Model homes were a dime a dozen.
Much of the new homeowners worked for the housing industry in some way or another. Things were rocking and rolling. Then the housing bust hit. Lehigh and the Cape were hit very hard because we were in the high growth due to all new building taking place as mentioned above. At the same time where many new home owners were enjoying the low interest rates given to them by the financial institutions as what we like to call a honeymoon rate, those times changed. The adjustable rates adjusted and rates skyrocketed. Building came to a halt. People were losing jobs that worked for the housing industry. People could not afford the homes and the homeowner felt that since they bought the home with really nothing down that they had nothing to lose if they just simply walk away. Many felt they had no choice.
This is what led to the temporary demise of Lehigh Acres. Then on top of that some of the lenders were caught using robo signers and other illegal means to make many loans and that caused a stop to a great deal of the foreclosures. Now they sat there until the legal system could work out the issues. We still today are dealing with some of the remnants of this mess. Mostly due to the large amount of vacant homes made us a big target for vandalism and theft. Vagrants and Some of the other places on the list are a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. So many people living in Lehigh were shocked the area was even on the same list – saying foreclosed homes are just a sign of the times.
When you drive around Lehigh Acres today, it is a different place. Most of the vacant homes are rustling with activity and there are all kinds of plans to expand the infustructure of Lehigh as well as eventual plans for when we become a city and where the city limits will be and when and where all this will take place. This is exciting news for Lehigh Acres.
Next time you talk to someone that has something negative to say about Lehigh Acres, send them this link and let them see what the real story is. We hope you check out Lehigh Acres and consider making it your next place to call home.
Check us out on the web at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
regards,
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner for AAA Realty LLC
Lehigh made the too of the worlds most eeriest places along with a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. The picture that made it was a typical foreclosed home the likes of which has popped up all over the country with the housing bust of 2009. This is when this article first surfaced but has been reported by the Huffington Post just at the end of 2012.
What the heck is going on and where in the world are they getting their information and even better who could have even slightly have verified this to be true. I won't spend a lot of time on proving the specific allegations to be untrue as they are so off the wall and ridiculous that it doesn't deserve much specific response. I will however say that I have lived in Lehigh Acres for 13 years now. My 3 children go to public schools within Lehigh. I have two businesses in Lehigh and so I think I am in a pretty good position to make a professional legitimate assessment on Lehigh. Ready for a promise from me? You can take this statement to the bank and I stand behind the following statement. Lehigh Acres is not overrun with snakes and alligators.
There may be 110 square miles of land and yes there is plenty of undeveloped land but that is a temporary issue and one that is changing over time. The population almost tripled over the last few years and then spiked down for a short time while the foreclosure problem was at the highest rate. There is a very explainable reason for the high percentage of foreclosures in Lehigh. I will explain it for you. After I do, I only ask you to stop the next person you hear say some of the false nonsense about Lehigh. So here we go:
In 2004-2006 the explosion of growth in the housing market was mainly due to the ease of getting a mortgage for just about anyone. You could have been self employed, state your income and not have to prove it nd we used to say, if you have a pulse, you can own a home. Those that had been renters jumped on the wagon and those with homes bought more. Many who had homes refinanced to use the funds for other things. People were buying land for 40 times what they had cost just a year or two prior. It seamed like everyone was thriving. Builders were coming in from all over and setting up shop. Model homes were a dime a dozen.
Much of the new homeowners worked for the housing industry in some way or another. Things were rocking and rolling. Then the housing bust hit. Lehigh and the Cape were hit very hard because we were in the high growth due to all new building taking place as mentioned above. At the same time where many new home owners were enjoying the low interest rates given to them by the financial institutions as what we like to call a honeymoon rate, those times changed. The adjustable rates adjusted and rates skyrocketed. Building came to a halt. People were losing jobs that worked for the housing industry. People could not afford the homes and the homeowner felt that since they bought the home with really nothing down that they had nothing to lose if they just simply walk away. Many felt they had no choice.
This is what led to the temporary demise of Lehigh Acres. Then on top of that some of the lenders were caught using robo signers and other illegal means to make many loans and that caused a stop to a great deal of the foreclosures. Now they sat there until the legal system could work out the issues. We still today are dealing with some of the remnants of this mess. Mostly due to the large amount of vacant homes made us a big target for vandalism and theft. Vagrants and Some of the other places on the list are a deserted psychiatric hospital in Norway and a derelict amusement park in Tokyo. So many people living in Lehigh were shocked the area was even on the same list – saying foreclosed homes are just a sign of the times.
When you drive around Lehigh Acres today, it is a different place. Most of the vacant homes are rustling with activity and there are all kinds of plans to expand the infustructure of Lehigh as well as eventual plans for when we become a city and where the city limits will be and when and where all this will take place. This is exciting news for Lehigh Acres.
Next time you talk to someone that has something negative to say about Lehigh Acres, send them this link and let them see what the real story is. We hope you check out Lehigh Acres and consider making it your next place to call home.
Check us out on the web at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com
regards,
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner for AAA Realty LLC
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Fish- A Way Of Life
Hey All,
I am happy to be able to get back to some writing. I just read and am making part of our company the Philosophy from the book FISH. Not sure it you have read it but it is a must for anyone who is in business that wants to make a positive and dramatic change to their business.
I for one love to be silly and have fun whenever possible. I like to be light with my staff and understand that if we can do that, it makes for a happier work environment. What I didn't really put together was how using the principles from this little Fish Market in the State of Washington, would bring home just how important the principles are to being different, to standing out in the business community.
The principles spoken about is first Attitude. We are responsible for our attitude. We need to decide to have a good attitude. I like that the writer of the book used a company menu and on it was your choice of attitudes. It can be a good one or a bad one. In order to be successful we must choose the good one.
Then the second principle is to have fun. This really excited me. Since I already like to have fun, I sent someone out to get a football, checkers game and yahtzee. We played around with the football when we had to handle a difficult client and it really worked to calm us down. We played chess outside too and that was a ton of fun. We get the point.
The third principle was to be make our clients day by including them in our fun. In every situation we want to make them happy with how we handle them. We want to engage with them.
Lastly Make sure they are being treated with our full attention. We don't want to be talking on the phone while answering emails. We don't want to be surfing the net while talking to someone standing in front of us.
We realized that even though we needed to make some changes, that we were on the right track and that with some slight more adjustments and everyone working together, we could really make our place not just a good place to work but a great place to work and an awesome experience for each person that crosses our path.
I invite you to check us out at our website at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com. We want to hear your comments and feedback.
Until next time...
My Best,
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner
AAA Realty LLC
tammyjrodriguez@gmail.com
I am happy to be able to get back to some writing. I just read and am making part of our company the Philosophy from the book FISH. Not sure it you have read it but it is a must for anyone who is in business that wants to make a positive and dramatic change to their business.
I for one love to be silly and have fun whenever possible. I like to be light with my staff and understand that if we can do that, it makes for a happier work environment. What I didn't really put together was how using the principles from this little Fish Market in the State of Washington, would bring home just how important the principles are to being different, to standing out in the business community.
The principles spoken about is first Attitude. We are responsible for our attitude. We need to decide to have a good attitude. I like that the writer of the book used a company menu and on it was your choice of attitudes. It can be a good one or a bad one. In order to be successful we must choose the good one.
Then the second principle is to have fun. This really excited me. Since I already like to have fun, I sent someone out to get a football, checkers game and yahtzee. We played around with the football when we had to handle a difficult client and it really worked to calm us down. We played chess outside too and that was a ton of fun. We get the point.
The third principle was to be make our clients day by including them in our fun. In every situation we want to make them happy with how we handle them. We want to engage with them.
Lastly Make sure they are being treated with our full attention. We don't want to be talking on the phone while answering emails. We don't want to be surfing the net while talking to someone standing in front of us.
We realized that even though we needed to make some changes, that we were on the right track and that with some slight more adjustments and everyone working together, we could really make our place not just a good place to work but a great place to work and an awesome experience for each person that crosses our path.
I invite you to check us out at our website at http://www.aaarealtyllc.com. We want to hear your comments and feedback.
Until next time...
My Best,
Tammy Rodriguez
Broker/Owner
AAA Realty LLC
tammyjrodriguez@gmail.com
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