Fourth of July Fireworks Celebrations in Orlando

Here’s a look at free fireworks displays in the Greater Orlando Central Florida area. Hope everyone has a safe and fun 4th of July!



RED, HOT & BOOM

What: outdoor concerts with Simple Plan, Kate Vonegele, etc.

When: July 3 – 4 - 11pm

Where: Cranes Roost Park

Altamonte Springs Drive

Altamonte Springs

Contact: 407-571-8180



FIREWORKS AT THE FOUNTAIN

What: entertainment, food & activities for children

When: July 4 – 4 - 10pm

Where: Lake Eola Park

101 N. Rosalind Ave

Orlando

Contact: 407-246-31040



FLASHBACK 4TH OF JULY

What: music by Michael Andrew and The Atomic Swing Band

When: July 4 – 5 - 11pm

Where: Celebration Town Center

610 Sycamore St.

Celebration

Contact: 407-566-4007



SANFORD’S FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

What: music by Orleans and friends

When: July 4 – 5:30 - 10:30pm

Where: Fort Mellon Park

East 1st St.

Sanford

Contact: 407-330-5697



HERBERT L. SHUMAN MEMORIAL POPS CONCERT

What: music by the Brevard Symphony Orchestra

When: July 4 – 8pm

Where: Riverfront Park

603 Brevard Ave.

Cocoa

Contact: 321-242-2024



KISSIMMEE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

What: music by Pocket Change & Glenn Cumming and the Session Hounds

When: July 5 – 5 - 9:30pm

Where: Lakefront Park

100 Lakeshore Blvd.

Kissimmee

Contact: 407-518-2501



AVALON PARK’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

What: all day event of food, rides, entertainment, contests, etc.

When: July 4

Where: Founders Square

13001 Avalon Park Blvd.

Orlando

Contact: 407-658-6565



RED, WHITE & BOOM AT DAYTONA BEACH

What: music by Poco & Last Call

When: July 4 – 5 - 10pm

Where: Daytona Beach Bandshell

250 N. Atlantic Ave.

Daytona Beach

Contact: 386-671-3421



RED, WHITE & BOOM OVER NORTH BREVARD

What: music, food, entertainment, vintage aircraft show, etc.

When: July 4 – 5 - 8pm

Where: Space Coast Regional Airport

660 Rico Road

Titusville

Contact: 407-321-1941

What’s Happening in Central Florida - June 24, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.



ART



SUMMER FAMILY TOURS: QUEST OF BEAUTY – LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY

What: for elementary school children and their parents or guardians

When: Tuesday’s in June and July – 45 min. tour

Where: Morse Museum of American Art

445 N. Park Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-645-5311 x 117



INFORMED VISIONS

What: art of Jamie Baldridge

When: through Aug 1

Where: Millenia Fine Art

555 Lake Destiny Drive

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-304-8100



THIRD THURSDAY’S

What: art in downtown Orlando at various locations from 6-9pm

Where: City Arts Factory (Orange & Pine)

The Office Gallery (47 E. Robinson)

A.K.A. Lounge (68 E. Pine)

Gallery at Avalon Island & Guinevere’s (Magnolia & Pine)

Cost: Free



THEATER



DIE MOMMIE DIE

What: comic melodrama by Charles Busch

When: July 11 through Aug 2

Where: Theatre Downtown

2113 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $18 adults; $15 seniors and students

Contact: 407-841-0083



MUSIC



TRIBUTE TO OUR TROOPS

What: the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

When: June 28 – 8pm

Where: OIA

1 Airport Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-825-2055



AUTHOR



THOMAS CAVANAGH

What: author of the Prodigal Son

When: July 11 – 7pm

Where: Barnes & Noble

2418 E. Colonial Drive

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-894-6024



ETC



NATIVE PLANTS

What: landscape restoration of the Genius Reserve in Winter Park

When: July 1 – 7pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-5233



ON-GOING



JUSTICE ILLUMINATED: THE ART OF ARTHUR SZYK

When: M-Th – 9am – 4pm

Fri – 9am – 1pm

Sun – 1pm – 4pm

Where: Holocaust Memorial Research and Education Center of CF

851 N. Maitland Ave.

Maitland

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-628-0555



OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

What’s Happening in Central Florida - June 17, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

THIRD THURSDAY’S

What: art in downtown Orlando at various locations from 6-9pm

Where: City Arts Factory (Orange & Pine)

The Office Gallery (47 E. Robinson)

A.K.A. Lounge (68 E. Pine)

Gallery at Avalon Island & Guinevere’s (Magnolia & Pine)

Cost: Free

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

IT’S A GUY THING

What: musical cabaret

When: June 20 – 7:30pm

21^st – 2 & 7:30pm

22^nd – 2pm

Where: Winter Park Playhouse

711 B. Orange Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: $30 eves; 22 matinees; 28 seniors; 20 students

Contact: 407-645-0145

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

What: Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber musical

When: June 20 – 8pm

21^st – 2 & 8 pm

22^nd – 1 & 6:30pm

Where: Carr Performing Arts Center

401 W. Livingston St

Orlando

Cost: $35 - 61

Contact: 407-849-2577

AUTHOR

THOMAS CAVANAGH

What: author of the Prodigal Son

When: July 11 – 7pm

Where: Barnes & Noble

2418 E. Colonial Drive

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-894-6024

ETC

GO DIEGO, GO LIVE: THE GREAT JAGUAR RESCUE

When: June 21 – 11am, 2 & 5pm;

June 22 – 2pm

Where: UCF Arena

50 N. Gemini Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: $14 - 35

Contact: 407-823-3070

CASINO NIGHT

What: benefits the Alzheimers Assn, Canine Companions & the

Employee & Student Volunteer Scholarship Fund

When: June 21 – 7-10pm

Where: The Heritage at Lake Forest

5433 W. SR 46

Sanford

Cost: $20

Contact: 407-322-2207

ALLISON’S TOURNAMENT OF HOPE

What: tourn, luncheon & auction to benefit the Greater Orlando

Children’s Miracle Network

When: June 21 – 7:30am

Where: Celebration Golf Club

701 Golf Park Drive

Celebrationi

Cost: $85

Contact: 407-346-4640

BABY LOVES DISCO

What: dance party for children and parents

When: June 22 – 2pm

Where: Club Firestone

578 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $12 or Free if you can’t walk

Contact: 407-872-0066

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

PLAN AHEAD

TRIBUTE TO OUR TROOPS

What: the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

When: June 28 – 8pm

Where: OIA

1 Airport Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-825-2055

Oviedo, Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

(click images to enlarge)

The following are the market sales statistics for Oviedo, Seminole County, Florida for May 2008. Oviedo is made up of the zip codes of 32765 & 32766, which is partly considered Chuluota. For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time. Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local. What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall. Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door. It is all relative and this has to be understood when utilizing these stats.

Single-Family Homes

59 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $290,269 with 166 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $259,000.

The most expensive home sold for $725,000 and was on the market for 290 days. It was a 5 bedroom, 4 bath, 3-car garage home in 3721sf built in 2000 on .37 acre in a gated community with a swimming pool and spa, summer kitchen, granite countertops, stainless steel, jacuzzi, tile, wood and stainless steel Murphy bed. The community offers a playground with a HOA of $1200/year.

The least expensive home sold for $140,500 after 37 days on the market. It was a bank-owned 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage 1393sf home built in 1986 on .20 acre. The lender was offering closing costs and a selling agent bonus. The community offers a playground with an HOA of $135/year.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $338,724 with 118 days on the market.

Condos, Townhomes & Villas

16 homes sold

The average sales price was $180,158 with 217 days on the market.

The median sales price was $179,500.

The most expensive sold for $232,490 and was new construction. It was a 3 bedroom, 2½ bath 1671sf townhome with a 2-car garage with tile, 42" cabinets, Jacuzzi, wood floors and more. This gated community offers a pool with a maintenance of $405/quarter.

The least expensive sold for $139,000 after 249 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath 975sf condo built in 1991 with tile floors throughout. The community offers a pool, tennis courts and playground with a maintenance of $208/month.

The average sales price a year earlier was $211,730 with 78 days on the market.

Maitland, Seminole and Orange Counties, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

The following are the market sales statistics for Maitland, Seminole and Orange Counties, Florida for May 2008. Maitland is made up of the zip code 32751. For purposes of this analysis we will be splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time. Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local. What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall. Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door. It is all relative and this has to be understood when utilizing these stats.

32751 - Single-Family Homes

11 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $339,264 with 99 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $281,000.

The most expensive home sold for $665,000 with 237 days on the market. It was a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3-car garage home in 3044sf built in 1996 in a gated community on .32 acre with heated pool, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, 2 fireplaces, paver pool deck and front porch. The community offers tennis courts with an HOA of $170 monthly.

The least expensive home sold for $150,000 after 115 days on the market and was a short sale. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car carport in 1170sf built in 1959 on .20 acre with new kitchen cabinets and countertops and no HOA.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $386,544 with 103 days on the market.

32751 - Condos, Townhomes & Villas

2 homes sold with an average sales price was $262,450 with 377 days on the market.

The more expensive sold for $299 and was new construction. It was a 3 bedroom, 2½ bath, 2-car garage townhome in 1924sf with tile roof, paver driveway, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, marble vanity tops, 42” cabinets, crown moulding, etc. The community offers a pool and clubhouse with a monthly maintenance of $225.

The less expensive sold for $225,000 and was on the market for 221 days. It was a short sale 2 bedroom, 2½ bath, 1-car garage townhome in 1545sf built in 2005 in a gated community with a tile roof, granite countertops, tile, balcony off of master. The community offers a pool with a monthly maintenance of $309.

The average sales price a year earlier was $173,289 with 108 days on the market.

Lake Mary, Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

The following are the market sales statistics for Lake Mary, Seminole County, Florida for May 2008. Lake Mary is made up of the zip code 32746. For purposes of this analysis we will be splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time. Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local. What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall. Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door. It is all relative and this has to be understood when utilizing these stats.

32746 - Single-Family Homes

24 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $419,482 with 138 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $380,000.

The most expensive home sold for $1.165M and was new construction. It was a 4 bedroom, 4 bath, 3-car garage golf front home with 4965sf home in a gated community on .39 acre with a screen enclosed pool and spa, summer kitchen, wood & porcelain tile, crown mouldings, granite countertops, brick circular driveway, etc. The HOA is $335/quarterly.

The least expensive home sold for $168,100 after 208 days on the market. It was a bank owned 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage corner lot home in 1401sf built in 1992 on .10 acre with tile. The HOA is $229 annually.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $477,817 with 141 days on the market.

32746 - Condos, Townhomes & Villas

6 homes sold

The average sales price was $207,362 with 73 days on the market.

The median sales price was $218,750.

The most expensive sold for $252,500 and was new construction. It was a 4 bedroom, 3½ bath, 3 floors, 2-car garage townhome in a gated community with 2088sf built in 2007 in Lake Mary with an elevator, stainless steel appliances, tile roof, etc. The community offers a pool and recreation building with a monthly maintenance of $500.

The least expensive sold for $125,000 and was on the market for 128 days. It was a corporate owned 2 bedroom, 1½ bath townhome 1095sf built in 2001 in a gated community with a screened porch. The community offers a pool, rec building and exercise room with a monthly maintenance of $190.

The average sales price a year earlier was $231,905 with 186 days on the market.

Casselberry, Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

(click images to enlarge)

The following are the market sales statistics for Casselberry, Seminole County, Florida for May 2008. Casselberry is made up of the zip code 32707. For purposes of this analysis we will be splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time. Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local. What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall. Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door. It is all relative and this has to be understood when utilizing these stats.

32707 - Single-Family Homes

21 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $201,077 with 132 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $186,000.

The most expensive home sold for $335,000 after 76 days on the market. It was a 4 bedroom, 3½ bath, 2-car garage lakefront home in 2681sf built in 1986 on .38 acre with a pool and spa. The community offers a dock & boat ramp with an HOA of $300 annually.

The least expensive home sold for $72,000 after 74 days on the market. It was a bank owned 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in 1004sf built in 1971 with no garage or HOA.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $238,649 with 95 days on the market.

32707 - Condos, Townhomes & Villas

4 homes sold

The average sales price was $112,075 with 93 days on the market.

The median sales price was $111,950.

The most expensive sold for $164,500 after 43 days on the market. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1-car carport 1^st floor condo in 1365sf built in 1986 in a gated community with wood laminate floors, fireplace, new carpet, tile and a/c. The community offers a pool with a monthly maintenance is $278.

The least expensive sold for $59,900 after 116 days on the market. It was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath fixer upper condo with 781sf built in 1972. The community offers boat dock, swimming pool, clubhouse, tennis courts with a monthly maintenance of $180.

The average sales price a year earlier was $156,750 with 115 days on the market.

You will note on the map that Casselberry is listed as 32730. Although this might be so, it is also known as Fern Park.

Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

(click images for larger picture)

The following are the market sales statistics for Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, Florida for May 2008. Altamonte Springs is made up of the zip codes of 32701 & 32714. For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

There needs to be a disclaimer here. These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time. Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local. What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall. Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door. It is all relative and this has to be understood when utilizing these stats.

Single-Family Homes

21 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $382,738 with 135 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $191,000.

The most expensive home sold for $3.5M and was new construction. It was a 7 bedroom, 9½ bath, 3-car garage lakefront home in 7638sf in Altamonte Springs on .54 acres of land in a gated community with an infinite edge swimming pool and spa, circular staircase, 2 stone fireplaces, morning kitchen in master suite, elevator, wine cellar, etc. The community off a boat ramp with an HOA of $600/quarter and $200 monthly.

The least expensive home sold for $72,000 in 33 days. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath bank-owned home with 1-car garage in 1056sf built in 1974 located on .24 acre. The home was listed as a handyman special with a pool that needed to be completed. There is no HOA.

The average sales price a year earlier was $325,238 with 100 days on the market.

Condos, Townhomes & Villas

16 homes sold

The average sales price was $120,538 with 175 days on the market.

The median sales price was $114,000.

The most expensive sold for $188,000 and was on the market for 163 days. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, 1-car garage townhome in a gated community with 1520sf built in 2005 with lake view, upgraded appliances, fire sprinklers, interior laundry room. The community offers a pool with a monthly maintenance of $227.

The least expensive sold for $84,900 and was a condo conversion. It was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo in 651sf built in 1971. The community has a pool, tennis courts, basketball court, picnic area & clubhouse with a monthly maintenance of $145.74.

The average sales price a year earlier was $141,450 with 147 days on the market.

What’s Happening in Central Florida - June 10, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

POPCORN FLICKS

What: outdoor screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s

When: June 12 – 8pm

Where: Central Park

Park Avenue

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-629-0054

MUSIC

OSCEOLA CENTER BIG BAND

When: June 14 – 2pm

Where: Osceola Center for the Arts

2411 E Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy.

Kissimmee

Cost: $10

Contact: 407-846-6257

AUTHOR

JULIE COMPTON

What: author of Tell No Lies

When: June 14 – 1pm

Where: Urban Think Bookstore

625 E. Central Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-650-8004

DANCE

THE DANCER’S POINTE: CELEBRATE FLORIDA

When: June 14 – 2pm

Where: Carr Performing Arts Center

401 W. Livingston St.

Orlando

Cost: $13 & 17.50

Contact: 407-849-2577

ETC

SUMMER BLUES & BBQ

What: wine, food and entertainment

When: June 12 – 5-9pm

Where: City of Sanford

1^st St & Palmetto Ave.

Sanford

Cost: $5 Donation

Contact: 407-302-2586

UNDER A TUSCAN MOON

What: gala to benefit the Shriners Children’s Hospital

When: June 14 – 7:30pm

Where: Shriners Auditorium

2300 Pembrook Drive

Maitland

Cost: $50 – must be purchased before 6/10

Contact: 407-273-0776

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

PLAN AHEAD

CASINO NIGHT

What: benefits the Alzheimers Assn, Canine Companions & the

Employee & Student Volunteer Scholarship Fund

When: June 21 – 7-10pm

Where: The Heritage at Lake Forest

5433 W. SR 46

Sanford

Cost: $20

Contact: 407-322-2207

ALLISON’S TOURNAMENT OF HOPE

What: tourn, luncheon & auction to benefit the Greater Orlando

Children’s Miracle Network

When: June 21 – 7:30am

Where: Celebration Golf Club

701 Golf Park Drive

Celebrationi

Cost: $85

Contact: 407-346-4640

BABY LOVES DISCO

What: dance party for children and parents

When: June 22 – 2pm

Where: Club Firestone

578 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $12 or Free if you can’t walk

Contact: 407-872-0066

TRIBUTE TO OUR TROOPS

What: the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

When: June 28 – 8pm

Where: OIA

1 Airport Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-825-2055

Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for May ‘08

(click on the images to enlarge)

The following are the market sales statistics for Seminole County, Florida for May 2008. For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

Single-Family Homes

262 homes sold during the month of May.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $329,856 with 143 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $250,000.

The most expensive home sold for $3.5M and was new construction. It was a 7 bedroom, 9½ bath, 3-car garage lakefront home in 7638sf in Altamonte Springs on .54 acres of land in a gated community with an infinite edge swimming pool and spa, circular staircase, 2 stone fireplaces, morning kitchen in master suite, elevator, wine cellar, etc. The community off a boat ramp with an HOA of $600/quarter and $200 monthly.

The least expensive home sold for $60,150 after 25 days on the market. It was a bank-owned 3 bedroom, 1½ bath home with 1008sf built in 1971 in Sanford on .23 acre with no HOA.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $344,157 with 118 days on the market.

Condos, Townhomes & Villas

63 homes sold

The average sales price was $155,597 with 182 days on the market.

The median sales price was $160,000.

The most expensive sold for $252,500 and was new construction. It was a 4 bedroom, 3½ bath, 3 floors, 2-car garage townhome in a gated community with 2088sf built in 2007 in Lake Mary with an elevator, stainless steel appliances, tile roof, etc. The community offers a pool and recreation building with a monthly maintenance of $500.

The least expensive sold for $59,900 after 116 days on the market. It was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath fixer upper condo with 781sf built in 1972 in Casselberry. The community offers boat dock, swimming pool, clubhouse, tennis courts with a monthly maintenance of $180.

The average sales price a year earlier was $175,584 with 123 days on the market.

2008 Hurricane Season – Pet Plan

It’s easy with all the running around and chaos to sometimes forget about your pets or at least the planning for their safety as well. I was planning on writing this post a little later on, but with the mentions about our pets, I thought I’d do it now.

Here’s a rule of thumb to think about. If it’s dangerous for you, then it’s dangerous for your pets. Didn’t Katrina and others teach us that? If you wait for the last minute and don’t plan, you will most likely leave your pet thinking that they’ll be alright and that you’ll come back for them tomorrow. But you surely don’t know what’s going to happen now, so how can you be so sure of tomorrow. Yes, we’d like to be optimistic, but let’s go one step better – let’s be smart!

OK, enough of a lecture. Now to our beloved friends…

One of the first things you have to consider is where are you going if disaster strikes. Now, we will take further on this in another post, but you have to consider it moreso when your pets are involved. Not all shelters will accept pets, yet there are usually pet shelters available depending on where you live. Oh yes, and they will fill quickly. There is also the possibility of friends and relatives, but you have to remember that this may be a greater imposition than what one has a right to expect.

Additionally, you need to make sure of a couple of things:

Make sure your pet is current on their vaccinations & that you have proof

of such, because the shelters will probably require this.

You’ll need a pet carrier. Because even though you may be at a pet

shelter, you pet will have to be caged, so make sure that it has

enough room.

Have a collar, leash and possibly even a current photo.

Ample food & water for your pet as well as yourself. You’ll also need food

& water bowls as well as any medications and also trash bags and

newspaper for clean-ups.

Don’t forget a favorite toy of your pet and possibly even their bed. Just

something to be a sort of stress-relief.

As the storm approaches, try to keep you pet calm. You should know how intuitive they are. They will sense an impending emergency in you, so that means that you have to try to remain calm as well.

After an experience like this, which may be somewhat traumatic for some animals, be careful until they are fully re-orientated back into their home.

Remember, this will be almost as stressful on your pet as it will be yourself.

But then again, let’s hope that you never need to implement any of these measures!!

What’s Happening in Central Florida - June 3, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

ART FOR AWARENESS

What: art auction to benefit breast cancer research

When: June 6 – 6:30pm

Where: Buenva Vista Suites

8203 World Center Drive

Orlando

Cost: $10 donation

Contact: 407-856-3898

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

DATE NIGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: outdoor screening of Maverick

When: June 6 – 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

HORTON HEARS A WHO

What: screening of the new animated film

When: June 6 – 9pm

Where: UCF Arena

50 N. Gemini Blvd

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-823-3070

MUSIC

JEANS AND JEWELS – AN EVENING WITH FRIENDS

What: music and dancing in a casual atmosphere for the Orlando

Philharmonic Orchestra

When: June 7 – 7pm

Where: Wiinter Park Farmers Market

200 W. New England Ave

Winter Park

Cost: $50 – advance registration required

Contact: 407-896-6700 x 223

ORLANDO SUMMER JAM FESTIVAL

What: rides, concerts & fireworks

When: June 8 – 10am – 9pm

Where: Lake Eola Park

195 N. Rosalind Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

FL YOUNG ARTISTS ORCHESTRA

When: June 8 – 3pm

Where: Trinity Prep Performing Center

5700 Trinity Prep Lane

Winter Park

Cost: Free – donations accepted

Contact: 407-257-8886

AUTHOR

BOB KEALING

What: lecture by the author of Tupperware Unsealed

When: June 6 – noon

Where: Lake Lily Park

840 Lake Lily Drive

Maitland

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-644-2451

ETC

WINEQUEST

What: tastings, dinners & seminars at area restaurants

When: June 6 - 14

Where: Grand Bohemian

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $45 – 85 per event

Contact: 407-218-4300

UNDER A TUSCAN MOON

What: gala to benefit the Shriners Children’s Hospital

When: June 14 – 7:30pm

Where: Shriners Auditorium

2300 Pembrook Drive

Maitland

Cost: $50 – must be purchased before 6/10

Contact: 407-273-0776

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

PLAN AHEAD

POPCORN FLICKS

What: outdoor screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s

When: June 12 – 8pm

Where: Central Park

Park Avenue

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-629-0054

CASINO NIGHT

What: benefits the Alzheimers Assn, Canine Companions & the

Employee & Student Volunteer Scholarship Fund

When: June 21 – 7-10pm

Where: The Heritage at Lake Forest

5433 W. SR 46

Sanford

Cost: $20

Contact: 407-322-2207

BABY LOVES DISCO

What: dance party for children and parents

When: June 22 – 2pm

Where: Club Firestone

578 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $12 or Free if you can’t walk

Contact: 407-872-0066

TRIBUTE TO OUR TROOPS

What: the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

When: June 28 – 8pm

Where: OIA

1 Airport Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-825-2055

2008 Hurricane Season – Create a Disaster Supply Kit

Don’t wait until you hear warnings of a hurricane/tropical storm approaching. Unfortunately, too many people do and are rushing to Home Depot, Lowes, not to forget all of the grocery stores in search of supplies. You can and should be stocked up on this beforehand and in many instances the cost will be less to you because once the supplies start getting low, the prices rise.

Let’s first look at the necessary list of items and then we’ll discuss this a little further:

Water – at least 1 gal per person per day for 3 – 7 days.

Food – for at least 3 – 7 days

Non-perishable canned or packaged goods & juices

Comfort foods - snacks

Cooking utensils and fuel, such as a filled propane tank for a grill

Disposable products – paper plates and plastic utensils

Food for infants and the elderly

Medicines/Prescription Drugs

Flashlights & batteries as well as candles & lighters/matches

Battery operated Radios

Telephones – cell phones charged & a regular corded telephone

Vehicles should have full tanks of gas

Cash & also Credit Cards (yet with a power outage they may not be as easily

used). Don’t forget to have some coins on hand as well.

Keys

Important documents – placed in a watertight container

Insurance policies – house, medical, life

Bank account numbers & passbooks and checkbooks

Social Security cards

Any important documents that you store in your home should be easily

accessible if needed in a moments notice.

Toiletries & Moist wipes

Special items – for babies and the elderly

First Aid Kit

Toys & Games for children and also books and reading material.

Possibly bedding & clothing and surely don’t forget about your pets, but this will be discussed more fully in another post shortly.

This is by far not a complete list, but gives you an idea of some things to have readily available. Additionally, many of these things should be kept in a watertight container as a storm approaches because what use are many of these items if they get wet.

If you know a major storm is approaching possibly turn the refrigerator and freezer up to their coldest settings and make as much ice as possible with the time that you have. Yes, it will cost you a little electricity, but it also may have your refrigerated products last longer. If the power does go out and you need to retrieve something from the refrigerator, think about where it is before opening the door. You don’t want too much cold air escaping. Also, don’t forget that over time your food will thaw and there will be water that will collect in the bottom of your freezer and refrigerator.

I know this may appear to be somewhat scary and overwhelming, but preparing ahead of time will allow you to cope with a situation more easily.

Here’s hoping that you won’t need to use any of these suggestions!

Hurricane Season 2008 Is Here!

Yes, today is the first day of the 2008 Hurricane Season which lasts for the next six months. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that it predicts we will have a ‘near normal or above normal Atlantic hurricane season.’ Talk about ambiguity. I trust them to track the storms, but don’t put much weight on their predictions. I think they’ve been more often incorrect in their predictions.

The 2008 tropical storm names are:

Arthur
Bertha
Cristobal
Dolly
Edouard
Fay
Gustav
Hanna
Ike
Josephine
Kyle
Laura
Marco
Nana
Omar
Paloma
Rene
Sally
Teddy
Vicky
Wilfred

In the event of more than 21 names storms, the Greek Alphabet will then be used.

In the next few days, we’ll be discussing several things that you should do to be prepared for weathering a storm. In the meantime, here are some links that you may find useful:

The National Hurricane Center

The National Weather Service

Central Florida Hurricane Center

Hoping that this is an easy and light storm season for all of us!

What’s Happening in Central Florida - May 27, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

DATE NIGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: outdoor screening of Maverick

When: June 6 – 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

HORTON HEARS A WHO

What: screening of the new animated film

When: June 6 – 9pm

Where: UCF Arena

50 N. Gemini Blvd

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-823-3070

MUSIC

A BLUES EVENING V

What: Josh Miller Trio, Smokin’ Torpedoes, etc.

When: May 31 – 7pm

Where: Plaza Theatre

425 N. Bumby Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $12 advance; $15 day of the show

Contact: 407-228-\1220

ALTAMONTE SWINGS

What: big band featuring Linda Cole

When: June 1 – 7pm

Where: Eastmonte Civic Center

830 Magnolia Drive

Altamonte Springs

Cost: $5

Contact: 407-322-7528

ETC

CRANES COMEDY

What: various comedians

When: May 27 – 7pm

Where: Cranes Roost Amphitheater

247 Cranes Roost Blvd.

Altamonte Springs

Cost: $Free

Contact: 407-571-8863

PLANES, TRAINS & BBQ

What: BBQ competition and train rides

When: May 31 – 10am - 6pm

Where: Wooten Park

Main St.

Tavares

Cost: $5

Contact: 352-394-8618

DINNER DATES SINGLES GALA

When: June 1 – 6pm

Where: Timacuan Golf & Country Club

550 Timacuan Blvd.

Lake Mary

Cost: $50

Contact: 407-339-3283

WINEQUEST

What: tastings, dinners & seminars at area restaurants

When: June 6 - 14

Where: Grand Bohemian

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $45 – 85 per event

Contact: 407-218-4300

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

What: 15^th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at

5:45, 7 & 8.

When: through June 1

Where: Epcot

10000 Buena Vista Blvd.

Lake Buena Vista

Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN

What: works from traditional to contemporary

When: through June 1 - 8am – 9pm

Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery

400 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

PLAN AHEAD

ART FOR AWARENESS

What: art auction to benefit breast cancer research

When: June 6 – 6:30pm

Where: Buenva Vista Suites

8203 World Center Drive

Orlando

Cost: $10 donation

Contact: 407-856-3898

FL YOUNG ARTISTS ORCHESTRA

When: June 8 – 3pm

Where: Trinity Prep Performing Center

5700 Trinity Prep Lane

Winter Park

Cost: Free – donations accepted

Contact: 407-257-8886

POPCORN FLICKS

What: outdoor screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s

When: June 12 – 8pm

Where: Central Park

Park Avenue

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-629-0054

BABY LOVES DISCO

What: dance party for children and parents

When: June 22 – 2pm

Where: Club Firestone

578 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $12 or Free if you can’t walk

Contact: 407-872-0066

What’s Happening in Central Florida - May 21, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

What: Joseph Robinette play adapted from the C. S. Lewis novel

When: April 18 through May 25

Fridays – 7pm

Saturdays – 2 & 7pm

Sundays – 2pm

Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre

1001 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 17 and younger

Contact: 407-896-7365

ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL

What: 64 independent movies

When: May 15 - 26

Where: Orlando Loch Haven Park

Mills & Princeton Aves.

Orlando

Cost: Individual show admissions; Fringe Button $6

Contact: 407-648-0077

AUTHOR

JULIE COMPTON

What: book signing of Tell No Lies

When: May 24 – 2pm

Where: Borders Books & Music

600 N. Orange Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-3300

ETC

ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN CHEESE

What: Wine and cheese tasting

When: May 21 – 6:30pm

Where: Cheese Shop on Park

329 N. Park Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: $15 advance; $20 at the door

Contact: 407-644-7296

THE OUTER TOONS

What: musical cartoon education show

When: May 22 – 8pm

May 23 – 9pm

May 24 – 11am & 2pm

Where: Plaza Theatre

425 N. Bumby Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $10 advance; $12 at the door

Contact: 407-228-1220

ALOHA FRIDAY

What: music and Polynesian refreshments

When: May 23 – 6:30pm

Where: Royal Pacific Resort

6300 Hollywood Way

Orlando

Cost: $25

Contact: 407-503-3200

OASIS 21

What: Sci-fi convention with gaming events and guest authors

When: May 23 – 25

Where: Downtown Orlando Sheraton

60 S. Ivanhoe Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: $12 – 18 adults; $8 – 12 children; $35 three day pass

Contact: 407-376-7359

ZELLWOOD CORN FESTIVAL

When: May 24 – 25 – noon – 10pm

Where: Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival Grounds

4253 W. Ponkan Road

Zellwood

Cost: $25 – advance; $30 – at the gate; 12 & under free with a

paid adult

Contact: 407-886-0014

CRANES COMEDY

What: various comedians

When: May 27 – 7pm

Where: Cranes Roost Amphitheater

247 Cranes Roost Blvd.

Altamonte Springs

Cost: $Free

Contact: 407-571-8863

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

What: 15^th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at

5:45, 7 & 8.

When: through June 1

Where: Epcot

10000 Buena Vista Blvd.

Lake Buena Vista

Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN

What: works from traditional to contemporary

When: through June 1 - 8am – 9pm

Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery

400 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

PLAN AHEAD

PLANES, TRAINS & BBQ

What: BBQ competition and train rides

When: May 31 – 10am - 6pm

Where: Wooten Park

Main St.

Tavares

Cost: $5

Contact: 352-394-8618

DINNER DATES SINGLES GALA

When: June 1 – 6pm

Where: Timacuan Golf & Country Club

550 Timacuan Blvd.

Lake Mary

Cost: $50

Contact: 407-339-3283

DATE NIGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: outdoor screening of Maverick

When: June 6 – 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

HORTON HEARS A WHO

What: screening of the new animated film

When: June 6 – 9pm

Where: UCF Arena

50 N. Gemini Blvd

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-823-3070

WINEQUEST

What: tastings, dinners & seminars at area restaurants

When: June 6 - 14

Where: Grand Bohemian

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $45 – 85 per event

Contact: 407-218-4300

What’s Happening in Central Florida - 5/13

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

ORLANDO CABARET FESTIVAL

When: May 1 - 18

Where: Mad Cow Theatre

105 S. Magnolia Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $15 – 20 evenings and weekends; $12 matinees

Contact: 407-297-8788

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

What: Joseph Robinette play adapted from the C. S. Lewis novel

When: April 18 through May 25

Fridays – 7pm

Saturdays – 2 & 7pm

Sundays – 2pm

Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre

1001 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 17 and younger

Contact: 407-896-7365

ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL

When: May 15 - 26

Where: Orlando Loch Haven Park

Mills & Princeton Aves.

Orlando

Cost: Individual show admissions; Fringe Button $6

Contact: 407-648-0077

ETC

FRIENDS OF THE WEKIVA RIVER

What: Benefit with speaker Wes Skiles

When: May 16 – 6:30pm

Where: Heathrow County Club

1200 Bridgewater Drive

Heathrow

Cost: $50

Contact: 407-647-7487

GREAT ORLANDO BEER FESTIVAL

When: May 17

Where: Downtown Orlando

42 W. Concord St.

Orlando

Cost: $25 advance; $35 day of the event

Contact: 321-277-5079

CHARITY CHALLENGE XXIII

What: athletic competitions to benefit local charities

When: May 17 – 10am - 7pm

Where: Florida Citrus Bowl

1610 W. Church St.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-849-2020

FUR BOWL

What: bowl-a-thon to benefit Animal Welfare Alliance of Cent. FL

When: May 17 – 1pm

Where: AMF Bowling Lanes

115 Wilshire Blvd.

Casselberry

Cost: Call

Contact: 407-462-2320

GRANDMA PARTY BAZAAR

What: crafts, art & entertainment from local vendors

When: May 18 – 10am to sunset

Where: Stardust Video & Coffee

1842 E. Winter Park Road

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-623-3393

TASTE OF MAITLAND

What: food and beverage vendors from area restaurants

When: May 19 – 5:30 - 8pm

Where: Lake Lily Park

840 Lake Lily Drive

Maitland

Cost: $12 advance; $15 at the door

Contact: 407-644-0741

ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN CHEESE

What: Wine and cheese tasting

When: May 21 – 6:30pm

Where: Cheese Shop on Park

329 N. Park Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: $15 advance; $20 at the door

Contact: 407-644-7296

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

What: 15^th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at

5:45, 7 & 8.

When: through June 1

Where: Epcot

10000 Buena Vista Blvd.

Lake Buena Vista

Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN

What: works from traditional to contemporary

When: through June 1 - 8am – 9pm

Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery

400 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

PLAN AHEAD

THE OUTER TOONS

What: musical cartoon education show

When: May 22 – 8pm

May 23 – 9pm

May 24 – 11am & 2pm

Where: Plaza Theatre

425 N. Bumby Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $10 advance; $12 at the door

Contact: 407-228-1220

OASIS 21

What: Sci-fi convention with gaming events and guest authors

When: May 23 – 25

Where: Downtown Orlando Sheraton

60 S. Ivanhoe Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: $12 – 18 adults; $8 – 12 children; $35 three day pass

Contact: 407-376-7359

ZELLWOOD CORN FESTIVAL

When: May 24 – 25 – noon – 10pm

Where: Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival Grounds

4253 W. Ponkan Road

Zellwood

Cost: $25 – advance; $30 – at the gate; 12 & under free with a

paid adult

Contact: 407-886-0014

DATE NIGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: outdoor screening of Maverick

When: June 6 – 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

WINEQUEST

What: tastings, dinners & seminars at area restaurants

When: June 6 - 14

Where: Grand Bohemian

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $45 – 85 per event

Contact: 407-218-4300

Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for April ‘08

(click on the images to enlarge)

The following are the market sales statistics for Seminole County, Florida for April 2008. For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

Single-Family Homes

215 homes sold during the month of April.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $300,916 with 146 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $237,500.

The most expensive home sold for $1.55M and was on the market for 112 days. It was a 5 bedroom, 4½ bath, 3-car garage lakefront home with a guest house in 7732sf built in 1998 in Sanford on 1.18 acres of land, with swimming pool and spa, boat house with hoist, boat ramp, kitchen with a stacked stone fireplace. The HOA of $450/year.

The least expensive home sold for $60,000 after 197 days on the market. It was a bank-owned 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 1304sf built in 1961 in Sanford on .14 acre being sold as-is with no HOA.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $359,193 with 123 days on the market.

Condos, Townhomes & Villas

61 homes sold

The average sales price was $160,730 with 162 days on the market.

The median sales price was $150,000.

The most expensive condo sold for $455,500 and was on the market for 60 days. It was a 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath, 2-car garage in a gated community with 2470sf built in 2006 in Altamonte Springs with an elevator, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, tile roof, wood floors, plantation shutters, volume ceilings, crown moulding, wrap around balcony. The community offers a pool with a monthly maintenance of $416.

The least expensive condo for $56,000 after 130 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath bank-owned condo with 1157sf built in 1976 in Altamonte Springs. The community offers a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts with a monthly maintenance of $238.47.

The average sales price a year earlier was $158,946 with 118 days on the market.

What’s Happening in Central Florida - April 28, 2008

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

SPRING SHOW

What: works by Frank Milo, Stefano Cecchini, Thomas Arvid &

others

When: through April 30

Where: Grand Bohemian Gallery

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-581-4801

HIPPIES USE SIDE DOOR

When: through May 10

Where: Boom-Art Gallery

1821 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-281-0246

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

THEATER

LALALA SHOW

When: May 3 – 7:30pm

Where: Helen Stairs Theatre

203 Magnolia Ave.

Sanford

Cost: $16 – 22 general admission; $12 children and seniors

Contact: 407-321-8111

ORLANDO CABARET FESTIVAL

When: May 1 - 18

Where: Mad Cow Theatre

105 S. Magnolia Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $15 – 20 evenings and weekends; $12 matinees

Contact: 407-297-8788

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

What: Joseph Robinette play adapted from the C. S. Lewis novel

When: April 18 through May 25

Fridays – 7pm

Saturdays – 2 & 7pm

Sundays – 2pm

Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre

1001 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 17 and younger

Contact: 407-896-7365

WICKED

What: touring production

When: April 23 through May 4

Tuesdays - Saturdays – 8pm

Sundays – 1pm

2pm Matinees – April 24, 26, 30

6:30pm – April 27

Where: Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

401 W. Livingston St

Orlando

Cost: $35 - 90

Contact: 407-849-2577

MUSIC

DANCING UNDER THE STARS

What: Orlando Philharmonic Ochestra

When: May 3 – 8pm

Where: The Springs

400 Woodbridge Road

Longwood

Cost: $30 advance; $35 day of show

Contact: 407-770-0071

ETC

DATE NIGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: Outdoor screening of Moonstruck

When May 2 – 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Avenue

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

FORECLOSURE PREVENTION AND PREDATORY LENDING

What: The City of Orlando will put on a presentation to educate

residents about resources available to ease the effects of

foreclosures and predatory lending practices. HUD, Freddie

Mac and Titanium Solutions will present.

When: May 3 – 9am – 1pm

Where: Northwest Community Center

3955 Country Club Drive

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-246-2708

KID FEST

What: activities and refreshments

When: May 3 – 10am – 3pm

Where: Cranes Roost Park

Altamonte Springs Drive

Altamonte Springs

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-571-8863

RECORD & CD SHOW

When: May 4 – 7:30am – 4pm

Where: Central Florida Fairgrounds

4603 W. Colonial Drive

Orlando

Cost: $10 before 10am; $3 after

Contact: 352-665-0259

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays – 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

What: 15^th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at 5:45, 7 & 8.

When: through June 1

Where: Epcot

10000 Buena Vista Blvd.

Lake Buena Vista

Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN

What: works from traditional to contemporary

When: through June 1 - 8am – 9pm

Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery

400 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

PLAN AHEAD

POPCORN FLICKS

What: Outdoor screening of Jailhouse Rock

When: May 8 – 8pm

Where: Central Park

Park Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-629-0054

ARMY OF HOPE

What: gala and auction to benefit families of military casualties

When: May 9 – 7pm

Where: Global Gallery at the Plaza

183 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $100

Contact: 407-588-1260

ROBODOC

What: Premiere screening of the Stephen Maddocks comedy

When May 10 - 11pm

Where: Hard Rock Live

Universal CityWalk

Orlando

Cost: $35 advance tickets; $45 day of the show

Contact: 407-351-5483

SPRING JAZZ STROLL

When: May 10 – 7PM

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $17

Contact: 407-246-2620

ORANGE TREE ANTIQUES SHOW

When: May 9 – noon -5pm

May 10 – 10am – 5pm

May 11 – 11am – 4pm

Where: Maitland Civic Center

641 S. Maitland Ave

Maitland

Cost: $4

Contact: 407-644-4547

ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL

When: May 15 - 26

Where: Orlando Loch Haven Park

Mills & Princeton Aves.

Orlando

Cost: Individual show admissions; Fringe Button $6

Contact: 407-648-0077

GREAT ORLANDO BEER FESTIVAL

When: May 17

Where: Downtown Orlando

42 W. Concord St.

Orlando

Cost: $25 advance; $35 day of the event

Contact: 321-277-5079

ZELLWOOD CORN FESTIVAL

When: May 24 – 25 – noon – 10pm

Where: Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival Grounds

4253 W. Ponkan Road

Zellwood

Cost: $25 – advance; $30 – at the gate; 12 & under free with a

paid adult

Contact: 407-886-0014

Orlando, Step Up To The Plate - It’s Time To Buy Your Next Home!!!

Yes, Orlando, it is time to get off of the fence and purchase a home. Let me qualify that. That is if it is within your means to do so financially. The previous mentality that we’ve seen has hopefully stopped, but unfortunately, once things get better, people tend to forget. Sad but true!

There have been several articles over the past week and half that I’ve read that have shown once again how Florida and especially Orlando have bucked the national trend in real estate.

According to NAR (the National Association of Realtors®), not only did the number of existing home sales dip 19.3% below the previous years sales in March, but they also slipped from February to March of this year. Now, before I get into the Orlando numbers, I must state that there is some conflicting information. While ORRA (the Orlando Regional Realtor Association) reported 1080 closed sales on April 14^th for the previous month, in today’s Orlando Sentinel, it was reported at 1312 homes sold.

But even going with the lower figure, sales again increased from February to March as they also did from January to February. I have to admit that at first I pleased with this trend, but was also a little skeptical. Granted, it’s been a couple of months and January’s #’s were quite low.

The national median price is $200,700. In Florida it is $205,600, which represents a 15% drop from the year before. In Orlando, the median housing price is $220K, which is down $20K from or 8.3% from the same period the last two years and in fact is over the 2005 level by 8.2%. In the big picture, that is not too shabby at all. Remember, and I can’t stress this enough, real estate is a long-term investment. Actually, let’s repeat that again – real estate is a long-term investment!

Now back to the original premise of this article. Consider the facts. Interest rates are quite low and this is a buyer’s market where they tend to be much higher. There are so many excellent properties to choose from that are priced correctly for today’s market.

I keep on hearing buyers are concerned and waiting for the prices to hit bottom. Personally, I think this has occurred. Now, while I may not be a seer or have a crystal ball, this is a quite educated stance. If a funny thing, OK well may be not so funny, but people will wait for the prices to rise more and then by the time they get in the game they have risen even more. Just look back over the past couple of years and you’ll see what I mean. Many saw others getting into the market and making some money. They figured that if they can do it, so should I, but they got in too late and are in many cases struggling with the properties that they’ve acquired.

Additionally, Orlando’s affordability index increased in March to 102.35. That means that buyers earning the median income make 2.35% more than necessary to purchase a median priced home.

Orlando, get off the fence and start being realistic about our current market.

What’s Happening in Central Florida

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area through April 17^th. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

HIPPIES USE SIDE DOOR

When: through May 10

Where: Boom-Art Gallery

1821 N. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-281-0246

JURIED STUDENT ART EXHIBIT

When: through April 28

Where: Seminole Community College Fine Arts Gallery

100 Weldon Blvd.

Sanford

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-708-2040

SPRING SHOW

What: works by Frank Milo, Stefano Cecchini, Thomas Arvid &

others

When: through April 30

Where: Grand Bohemian Gallery

325 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-581-4801

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET

When: through June 22

Where: Mennello Museum of American Art

900 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free

Contact: 407-246-4278

MUSIC

LIFEHOUSE

When: April 16 - 8pm

Where: Hard Rock Live

6050 Universal Blvd.

Orlando

Cost: $25 - 32.50

Contact: 407-351-5483

VALENCIA STRING ENSEMBLE

When: April 17 - 1pm

Where: Valencia Community College East

701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-582-2329

ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

When: April 19 - 2 & 8pm

Where: Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

401 W. Livingston St.

Orlando

Cost: $13 - 62

Contact: 407-770-0071

THEATER

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

What: Joseph Robinette play adapted from the C. S. Lewis novel

When: April 18 through May 25

Fridays - 7pm

Saturdays - 2 & 7pm

Sundays - 2pm

Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre

1001 E. Princeton St.

Orlando

Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 17 and younger

Contact: 407-896-7365

WICKED

What: touring production

When: April 23 through May 4

Tuesdays - Saturdays - 8pm

Sundays - 1pm

2pm Matinees - April 24, 26, 30

6:30pm - April 27

Where: Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

401 W. Livingston St

Orlando

Cost: $35 - 90

Contact: 407-849-2577

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

What: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical

When: through April 20

Fridays & Saturdays - 7:30pm

Sundays - 2pm

Where: Helen Stairs Theatre

203 Magnolia Ave

Sanford

Cost: $15 -23 adults, $10 students

Contact: 407-321-8111

MID-LIFE: THE CRISIS MUSICAL

What: production of the Jim & Bob Walton musical

When: through April 19

Fridays - 7:30pm

Saturdays - 2 & 7:30pm

Where: Winter Park Playhouse

711-B Orange Ave.

Winter Park

Cost: $30 general, $28 seniors, $22 matinees, $20 students and

industry professionals

LEMONADE

What: Doug Ba'aser and Tommy Wooten comedy

When: April 19 - 8pm

Where: Footlight Theater - Parliament House

410 N. Orange Blossom Trail

Orlando

Cost: $10

Contact: 407-540-0317

I HAVE BEFORE ME A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT GIVEN TO ME BY A YOUNG LADY FROM RWANDA

What: by Sonja Linden

When: through April 20

Thursdays - Saturdays - 7:30pm

Sundays - 2:30pm

Where: Mad Cow Theatre

105 S Magnolia Ave.

Orlando

Cost: $24 & $26

JOHNNY GUITAR

What: Martin Silvetri and Joel Higgins musical

When: April 17 through April 27

Thursdays - 3pm

Fridays - 8pm

Saturdays - 3 & 8pm

Sundays - 4pm

Where: Plaza Theatre

425 N. Bumby Ave

Orlando

Cost: $39.5

Contact: 407-228-1220

RABBIT HOLE

What: David Lindsay-Abaire drama

When April 20 - 26

Thursdays - Saturdays - 8pm

Sundays - 2:30pm

Where: Theatre Downtown

2113 N. Orange Avenue

Orlando

Cost: $18 general admission; $15 students and seniors

Contact: 407-841-0083

AUTHORS

KIM HAHN

What: signing by the author of the Fertility Journal

When April 24 - 5pm

Where: Urban Think! Bookstore

625 E. Central Boulevard

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-650-8004

ETC

SIERRA CLUB

What: Florida's Showcase Green Envirohome

When: April 16 - 7 - 8:45pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave

Orlando

Cost: Free

CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIR

When: April 17 - 27

10am - 10pm

Where: Central Florida Fairgrounds

4603 W. Colonial Drive

Orlando

Cost: $5 advance, $10 gate; students & seniors $5 advance, $7

gate; children 6-10 $2 advance, $5 gate; children under 5

free; Family 4-pack $80 advance, $96 gate

ORANGE AUDUBON PROGRAM

What: Riverine Turtles of Florida

When: April 17 - 7pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Ave

Orlando

Cost: Free

EARTH DAY FESTIVAL

What: Art, refreshments, music

When April 19 - noon - 9:30pm

Where: Lake Eola

Downtown

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-595-3731

GREAT AMERICAN PIE FESTIVAL

What: baking competitions, demonstrations & games

When: April 19- 11am - 7pm

April 20 - noon - 5pm

Where: Lakeside Park

631 Sycamore St

Celebration

Cost: $10 adults, $5 seniors and children

Contact: 407-566-2200

INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

What: entertainment and cooking demonstrations

When: April 19- 5 - 9pm

Where: Avalon Park

13001 Founders Square Drive

Orlando

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-658-6565

ORANGE TREE ANTIQUES SHOW

What: 19^TH & 20^TH century pottery, glass, porcelain, books, et.c

When: April 11 - noon - 5pm

April 12 - 10am - 5pm

April 13 - 11am - 4pm

Where: Maitland Civic Center

641 S. Maitland Ave

Maitland

Cost: $4

EDUCATION FUND GALA

What: To benefit scholarships of the Business and Professional

Woman of Orlando Education Fund

When: April 19 - 6pm

Where: Orlando Marriott Downtown

400 W. Livingston St.

Orlando

Cost: $60 - singles; $100 - couples

Contact: 407-928-6279

FASHION FUNDS THE CURE

What: Fashion show to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation

When: April 22 - 6pm

Where: Saks Fifth Avenue

8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail (Florida Mall)

Orlando

Cost: $75

Contact: 813-269-0955

AIR NAUTIQUE WAKE GAMES

What: Pro and Amateur Wakeboarding. There will also be music,

food, raffles and shopping.

Where: Orlando Water Sports

8615 Florida Rock Road

Orlando

When: April 24 - 27

9am - 11pm

Cost: Free for spectators

Contact: 407-438-5889

ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY

When: Wednesdays - 8pm

Where: Cup O Soul

906 W. Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-647-7685

BECKETT FESTIVAL

What: several plays

When: through April 20 - check for times and schedule

Where: Orlando Shakespeare Theater

812 E. Rollins St.

Orlando

Cost: $20 general, $15 students and seniors,

3-day pass - $45 general, $30 students and seniors

Contact: 407-328-9005

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

What: 15^th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at 5:45, 7 & 8.

When: through June 1

Where: Epcot

10000 Buena Vista Blvd.

Lake Buena Vista

Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN

What: works from traditional to contemporary

When: through June 1 - 8am - 9pm

Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery

400 S. Orange Ave.

Orlando

Cost: Free

PLAN AHEAD

BASH FOR BOOKS

What: Wine tasting and auction to benefit the Winter Park Public

Library

When April 26 - 7pm

Where: Winter Park Public Library

460 E. New England Avenue

Winter Park

Cost: $75

Contact: 407-623-3486

REVOLUTION

What: Hosted by the Pintura International Graffiti Conference to

raise money for the construction of the Orlando

Contemporary Museum of Art.

When: April 26 - noon - 2am

Where: 630 W. Central Studios

630 W. Central Boulevard

Orlando

Cost: $15

PUPPETS FROM THE EDGE

What: Puppetry shorts hosted by Jason Home

When April 26 - 8pm

Where: Mad Cow Theatre Company

105 S. Magnolia Ave

Orlando

Cost: $8

Contact: 407-297-8788

FREUHLINGS FEST

What: German Spring festival with music and refreshments

When April 26 - 2pm

Where: German American Society of Central Florida Clubhouse

381 Orange Lane

Casselberry

Cost: $4; 12 & younger free

Contact: 407-834-0574

2008 FRINGE PREVIEW

What: A sneak preview of 30 of the productions of the upcoming

Fringe Festival

When: April 28 - 7 - 10pm

Where: Orlando Shakespeare Theater

812 E. Rollins St.

Orlando

Cost: $5

DATE NITGHT AT LEU GARDENS

What: Outdoor screening of Moonstruck

When May 2 - 8:30pm

Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens

1920 N. Forest Avenue

Orlando

Cost: $7 adults; $2 children

Contact: 407-246-2620

KID FEST

What: activities and refreshments

When: May 3 - 10am - 3pm

Where: Cranes Roost Park

Altamonte Springs Drive

Altamonte Springs

Cost: Free

Contact: 407-571-8863

ROBODOC

What: Premiere screening of the Stephen Maddocks comedy

When May 10 - 11pm

Where: Hard Rock Live

Universal CityWalk

Orlando

Cost: $35 advance tickets; $45 day of the show

Contact: 407-351-5483

For information on Seminole County real estate and Seminole County homes for sale in addition to Seminole County relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Seminole County Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County real estate, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

What’s Happening in Central Florida

This is a guide to a smattering of events occurring in the Orlando Central Florida area through April 17th. The sections are divided into Art, Music, Theater, Author, Etc, On-Going and Plan Ahead. There is surely something for everyone.

ART

CAFFEINE FOR THE ARTISTIC SOUL ART SHOW
What: pop, graffiti, modern & digital art from local artists
When: April 10 – 5 -10pm
Where: Full Sail
3300 University Blvd.
Winter Park
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-679-0100

THE GREAT PUBLIC ART CHALLENGE
What: 2 hours to find 7 pieces of art and complete tasks, prizes and
walking involved.
When: April 12 – 2 - 4pm
Where: Orange County Administration Center
201 S. Rosalind Ave.
Orlando
Cost: Free

HIPPIES USE SIDE DOOR
When: through May 10
Where: Boom-Art Gallery
1821 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-281-0246

JURIED STUDENT ART EXHIBIT
When: through April 28
Where: Seminole Community College Fine Arts Gallery
100 Weldon Blvd.
Sanford
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-708-2040

SPRING SHOW
What: works by Frank Milo, Stefano Cecchini, Thomas Arvid &
others
When: through April 30
Where: Grand Bohemian Gallery
325 S. Orange Ave.
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-581-4801

HARRIET LAKE: THE CLOSET
When: through June 22
Where: Mennello Museum of American Art
900 E. Princeton St.
Orlando
Cost: $8 adults, $7 senior, $5 students, children under 12 free
Contact: 407-246-4278


MUSIC

AL JARREAU
When: April 10 – 8pm
Where: Hard Rock Live
6050 Universal Blvd.
Orlando
Cost: $45 - 65
Contact: 407-351-5483

BUDDY GUY AND THE LOS LONELY BOYS
When: April 11 – 8pm
Where: House of Blues
1490 E. Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista
Cost: $38.50 advance, $41.50 day of the show
Contact: 407-934-2583

BACH FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
What: Mahler’s Symphony #2
When: April 12 – 8pm
April 13 - 3pm
Where: Knowles Memorial Chapel
1000 Holt Ave
Winter Park
Cost: $20 - 45
Contact: 407-646-2182

ORLANDO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
What: “Beethoven Lives Upstairs”
When: April 13 – 3pm
Where: Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
401 W. Livingston St.
Orlando
Cost: $16 adults, $8 ages 3-12
Contact: 407-849-2577

TODD RUNDGREN
When: April 14 – 8pm
Where: Hard Rock Live
6050 Universal Blvd.
Orlando
Cost: $35
Contact: 407-351-5483

LIFEHOUSE
When: April 16 – 8pm
Where: Hard Rock Live
6050 Universal Blvd.
Orlando
Cost: $25 - 32.50
Contact: 407-351-5483

VALENCIA STRING ENSEMBLE
When: April 17 – 1pm
Where: Valencia Community College East
701 N. Econlockhatchee Trail
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-582-2329


THEATER

I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY
What: by Irena Synkova about children, The Holocaust and a little
world of laughter
When: April 11 – 7:30pm
April 12 – 2:30 & 7:30pm
April 13 – 2:30pm
Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre
1001 E. Princeton St
Orlando
Cost: $15 adults, $10 ages 17 and younger
Contact: 407-896-7365

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
What: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical
When: April 11 through April 20
Fridays & Saturdays – 7:30pm
Sundays – 2pm
Where: Helen Stairs Theatre
203 Magnolia Ave
Sanford
Cost: $15 -23 adults, $10 students
Contact: 407-321-8111

MID-LIFE: THE CRISIS MUSICAL
What: production of the Jim & Bob Walton musical
When: through April 19
Fridays - 7:30pm
Saturdays – 2 & 7:30pm
Where: Winter Park Playhouse
711-B Orange Ave.
Winter Park
Cost: $30 general, $28 seniors, $22 matinees, $20 students and
industry professionals

LEMONADE
What: Doug Ba’aser and Tommy Wooten comedy
When: April 12 & 19 – 8pm
Where: Footlight Theater – Parliament House
410 N. Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando
Cost: $10
Contact: 407-540-0317

I HAVE BEFORE ME A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT GIVEN TO ME BY A YOUNG LADY FROM RWANDA
What: by Sonja Linden
When: through April 20
Thursdays – Saturdays – 7:30pm
Sundays – 2:30pm
Where: Mad Cow Theatre
105 S Magnolia Ave.
Orlando
Cost: $24 & $26

JOHNNY GUITAR
What: Martin Silvetri and Joel Higgins musical
When: April 17 through April 27
Thursdays – 3pm
Fridays – 8pm
Saturdays – 3 & 8pm
Sundays – 4pm
Where: Plaza Theatre
425 N. Bumby Ave
Orlando
Cost: $39.5
Contact: 407-228-1220


AUTHORS

JOHN MANRIQUE
What: signing by the author of Ocean Raton
When: April 11 – 6:30pm
Where: Urban Think! Bookstore
625 E. Central Ave
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-650-8004

FRANK RICH
What: NY Times journalist and author speaking on “Art, Culture
and Politics”
When: April 12 – 7:30pm
Where: Harold & Ted Alfond Sports Center – Rollins College
1000 Holt Ave.
Winter Park
Cost: Free


ETC

MR. RICHARD
What: musical storytelling
When: April 10 – 10am
Where: Barnes & Noble
481 N. Alafaya Trail
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-275-1765

STARS OF TOMORROW
What: showcasing Orlando Ballet School’s emerging talent
When: April 11 - 8pm
April 12 - 2 & 8pm
Where: Dr. Phillips Center of Performing Arts
1111 N. Orange Ave.
Orlando
Cost: $20
Contact: 407-426-1739

BREWS AROUND THE ZOO
What: sample a variety of beers and regional cuisine with music
When: April 12 – 6 - 9pm
Where: Central Florida Zoo
3755 NW Hwy 17-92
Sanford
Cost: $25, $10 designated drive
Contact: 407-323-4450

PET FAIR
What: pageants, crafts, children’s activities, etc.
When: April 12 & 13 – 10am - 5pm
Where: Orlando Loch Haven Park
Mills Ave & Pricenton St
Orlando
Cost: $12, free to children under 11 & Orlando Science Members
Contact: 407-514-2000

54TH ANNUAL BAHIA SHRINER’S CIRCUS
When: April 12 & 13 – 1:30 – 5:30pm
Where: University of Central Florida Arena
North Gemini Blvd.
Orlando
Cost: $14

FAMILY FESTIVAL
What: rides and activities
When: April 13 – 10am – 5pm
Where: Lake Eola Park
1 N. Rosalind Ave
Orlando
Cost: Free + some rides ticketed separately
Contact: 407-645-5933

SIERRA CLUB
What: Florida’s Showcase Green Envirohome
When: April 16 – 7 – 8:45pm
Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens
1920 N. Forest Ave
Orlando
Cost: Free

CENTRAL FLORIDA FAIR
When: April 17 – 27
10am – 10pm
Where: Central Florida Fairgrounds
4603 W. Colonial Drive
Orlando
Cost: $5 advance, $10 gate; students & seniors $5 advance, $7
gate; children 6-10 $2 advance, $5 gate; children under 5
free; Family 4-pack $80 advance, $96 gate

ORANGE AUDUBON PROGRAM
What: Riverine Turtles of Florida
When: April 17 – 7pm
Where: Harry P. Leu Gardens
1920 N. Forest Ave
Orlando
Cost: Free


ON-GOING

OPEN MIKE POETRY
When: Wednesdays – 8pm
Where: Cup O Soul
906 W. Fairbanks Ave
Winter Park
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-647-7685

BECKETT FESTIVAL
What: several plays
When: through April 20 – check for times and schedule
Where: Orlando Shakespeare Theater
812 E. Rollins St.
Orlando
Cost: $20 general, $15 students and seniors,
3-day pass - $45 general, $30 students and seniors
Contact: 407-328-9005

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL
What: 15th Annual show with the Flower Power Series nightly at 5:45, 7 & 8.
When: through June 1
Where: Epcot
10000 Buena Vista Blvd.
Lake Buena Vista
Cost: park admission - $70 adults, $60 children

PAINT THE TOWN
What: works from traditional to contemporary
When: through June 1 - 8am – 9pm
Where: Orlando City Hall Terrace Gallery
400 S. Orange Ave.
Orlando
Cost: Free


PLAN AHEAD

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
What: Joseph Robinette play adapted from the C. S. Lewis novel
When: April 18 through May 25
Fridays – 7pm
Saturdays – 2 & 7pm
Sundays – 2pm
Where: Orlando Repertory Theatre
1001 E. Princeton St.
Orlando
Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 17 and younger
Contact: 407-896-7365

GREAT AMERICAN PIE FESTIVAL
What: baking competitions, demonstrations & games
When: April 19– 11am – 7pm
April 20 – noon – 5pm
Where: Lakeside Park
631 Sycamore St
Celebration
Cost: $10 adults, $5 seniors and children
Contact: 407-566-2200

INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
What: entertainment and cooking demonstrations
When: April 19– 5 – 9pm
Where: Avalon Park
13001 Founders Square Drive
Orlando
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-658-6565

ORANGE TREE ANTIQUES SHOW
What: 19TH & 20TH century pottery, glass, porcelain, books, et.c
When: April 11 – noon - 5pm
April 12 – 10am – 5pm
April 13 – 11am – 4pm
Where: Maitland Civic Center
641 S. Maitland Ave
Maitland
Cost: $4


WICKED
What: touring production
When: April 23 through May 4
Tuesdays - Saturdays – 8pm
Sundays – 1pm
2pm Matinees – April 24, 26, 30
6:30pm – April 27
Where: Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
401 W. Livingston St
Orlando
Cost: $35 - 90
Contact: 407-849-2577

KID FEST
What: activities and refreshments
When: May 3 – 10am – 3pm
Where: Cranes Roost Park
Altamonte Springs Drive
Altamonte Springs
Cost: Free
Contact: 407-571-8863

Seminole County, FL – Market Sales Statistics for March ‘08

The following are the market sales statistics forSeminole County, Florida for March 2008. For purposes of this analysis we are only splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

Single-Family Homes

188 homes sold during the month of March.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $324,801.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $256,250.

The most expensive home sold for $2.8M and was on the market for 411 days. It was a 6 bedroom, 6 full bath, 2 half bath 11,089sf home with an 8-car stone floor exhibition garage built in 2006 in Heathrow/Lake Mary on 1.7 acres of land, with swimming pool and spa, 22' ceilings in the living and dining rooms, 50' x 30' game room, his and her offices and huge exercise room. The HOA of $550/quarter.

The least expensive home sold for $45,000 after 40 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1-car detached garage bank-owned home with 660sf built in 1930 in Sanford in need of repairs from some previous water damage with no HOA.
The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $351,832.


Condos, Townhomes & Villas

60 homes sold

The average sales price was $171,756.

The median sales price was $160,395.

The most expensive condo sold for $362,800 and was a new townhome in Lake Mary. It was a 4 bedroom, 3½ bath 3-story townhome with 2428sf and a 2-car garage with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, tile roof in what some consider a luxury guarded community with a pool, workout room and playground with a monthly maintenance of $298.

The least expensive sold by auction for $77,000 after 294 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with 1085sf built in 2002 in Sanford in a gated community with a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts with a monthly maintenance of $190.

The average sales price a year earlier was $180,628.


For information on Seminole County real estate and Seminole County homes for sale in addition to Seminole County relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Seminole County Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County real estate, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Apopka, Seminole & Orange Counties, FL – Market Sales Statistics for February ‘08

The following are the market sales statistics for Apopka, Seminole and Orange Counties, Florida for February 2008. Apopka is made up of the zip codes of 32703 & 32712. For purposes of this analysis we are not only splitting the data according to zip codes, but also single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.

32703 - Single-Family Homes

13 homes sold during the month of February.

The average sales price, which is the total sold volume divided by the number of homes sold is $205,052 with 164 days on the market.

The median sales price, which means that 50% of the homes sold for more and 50% of the homes sold for less, is $195,000.

The most expensive home sold for $290,000 and was on the market for 130 days. It was a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage home in 1991sf home built in 2000 on .18 acre with a screen enclosed heated swimming pool and spa , wood and tile floors. The community has a playground and the HOA is $330 annually.

The least expensive home sold for $129,900 after 142 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 1-car carport home with 897sf built in 1957 on .18 acre with no HOA.

The average sales price for the same period a year earlier was $254,611 with 111 days on the market.

32703 - Condos, Townhomes & Villas

1 townhome sold for $137,500 and was on the market for 42 days. It was a 2 bedroom, 2½ bath home with 1390sf built in 1989 with screened patio. The community offers a pool and tennis courts with a monthly maintenance of $183.

The average sales price a year earlier was $170,000 with 197 days on the market.


32712 - Single Family Homes

23 homes sold

The average sales price was $256,982 with 143 days on the market.

The median sales price was $227,000.

The most expensive home was brand new and sold for $420,000. It was a 5 bedroom, 4 bath, 3-car garage home with 3833sf built in a gated community on over ¼ acre with tile and granite countertops. The community has a park and the HOA is $195 quarterly.

The least expensive home sold for $145,000 with 196 days on the market. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, 1-car garage in 930sf built in 1987 with new carpet, fresh paint and a newer roof and a/c. The HOA is $75 annually.

The average sales price a year earlier was $297,418 with 112 days on the market.

32712 - Condos, Townhomes & Villas

2 homes sold with an average sales price of $147,500.

The more expensive townhome sold for $175,000 with 273 days on the market. It was a 3 bedroom, 2½ bath, 1-car garage home with 1550sf built in 2004 located in a golf community with tile and stainless steel appliances. The monthly maintenance is $200.

The other home is a golf front villa which sold for $120,000 with 162 days on the market. It was a 2 bedroom, 2 bath split-plan home with no garage in 980sf built in 1974 with and enclosed porch and newer kitchen. The monthly maintenance is $206.50.

The average sales price a year earlier was $154,000 with 84 days on the market.


For information on Apopka and Seminole County real estate and Apopka and Orange County homes for sale in addition to Apopka and Orange County relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Apopka and Orange County Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County real estate, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Central Florida – Now is the Time to Buy!

Yes, you heard me correctly. Now is an excellent time to purchase that Central Florida home that you've been dreaming about! You don't believe me, well then read on.

If you look historically, you will note that the real estate market is cyclical, but this can also be said of many facets of our society. Check the relationship of recession and inflation in the basic economic cycle. I'm not going to go into that for this article, but you should be able to see my point. One more point, think of a fad, any fad, and you will realize that they as well are cyclical. OK, so onward.

Today, December's statistics for Monthly Sales and Inventory were published by ORRA (Orlando Regional Realtor Association). Now, while the number of homes being sold in the past month is not equivalent to the sales records that we've seen in the past several years - homes are being bought and sold everyday!

We are so very lucky to live in the type of democracy that we do. We have what some may call a Supply and Demand Democracy, whereas the simple aspects of supply and demand control the market and price. Yes, there may be other external forces, but we are just dealing in the basic concept here. No offense, but this is just simple Economics 101. There is no reason to further complicate the matter.

The one main issue that we are experiencing is that the inventory levels are comparatively quite high, but they have been showing a downward trend over the last couple of months. This is a very good sign and will hopefully continue this trend.

OK, I'm sure that some of you are thinking, so what about the subprime debacle that I keep on hearing and reading about in the news. This needs to be put into perspective. According to some of the many articles that I've read, the subprime mortgages represent only a quarter of all loans procured. How about the other 75% of the conventional, FHA and other loans that are supposedly performing well? And there have been an extraordinary amount of loans that have been written over the past several years.

We all saw the run up in sales and prices. There was no way that this could have been sustainable for an extended period of time. Yes, the median sales price has dropped as has the average list and sales prices as well. But they are still above the levels of 2½ years ago while this so-called run up was going on.

If you bought your home 3 years ago December in Central Florida utilizing the average sales price, you would have seen an 18½% increase over that period of time. And that translates to over $50K. That is not chump change in any way whatsoever. If you've read my past posts, you will note that I've stated time and time again, that real estate is not now nor has it ever been a short term investment.

Not all areas of the country are experiencing a downturn in prices. In many areas of the country just the opposite is happening.

I'm not going to sit here and blame the media totally for this negativity. Yes, we know that there are only a few major media conglomerates and they are trying to shore up revenues on all fronts and we know that sensationalism sells. But I also think a good part of it is that they do not understand real estate as well as a professional realtor does. Don't underestimate your realtor's knowledge.

In 2005, we were seeing monthly year over increases in the median price of homes of almost 35+% fairly regularly. In 2007, the largest decrease we saw was a little over 10% with the majority of months showing a much less than 4% decrease in year over median price.

We are very lucky to live in Central Florida and the Greater Orlando area. Our region has been for many decades been a destination area. This has helped us greatly. This region is the best performing region in the state of Florida because of such.

There are some great values out there and with interest rates relatively low - This is a great time to buy that dream home!


For more information on Central Florida and Orlando real estate and Central Florida and Orlando homes for sale in addition to Central Florida and Orlando relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Central Florida Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County real estate, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Vacant House Safety

This is about vacant house safety because of a situation that I had to deal with over the last several days. Obviously, this person was quite tenacious.

With all of the homes on the market, many are vacant and we need to be more aware of our surroundings than ever before and CAREFUL! Even looking back, I did something quite stupid myself. OK, so a little history and a short story - Imagine that!

I have a couple of Central Florida rental properties that are not presently occupied. One of them I hadn't been to in a couple of weeks. I knew that I needed to put new flyers in it as I've lowered the price and changed offices. So, I drove over to this house to put the flyers in the InfoTube and noted that my sign was missing. It's been previously taken (see how I didn't say ‘stolen' - oops, there I did) so I really didn't think anything of it except to be somewhat perturbed.

So the following day, this past Sunday, I went to the store and bought another ‘For Rent' sign and drove over to my house to place it in the yard. To my astonishment, the sign was next to the mail box. I had to wonder, but only for a moment, if I had missed it. I was ready to drive off when I decided that I needed to check the home out. As I entered the garage, there was something on the floor that I would not have left there and as I got out of my car, I noted that the lid to the washing machine was up, which it shouldn't have been.

What really floored me was that when I looked inside the machine, there were clothes in the tub. Needless to say I didn't think anything of it and entered the house, obviously knowing that someone has been there, even though at this point I was also questioning my sanity and stability. Yeah, go there, I can understand!

I walked in the house and several things were amiss in that many doors were closed that should not have been; the porch light was turned off; there was an empty soda can on the floor in one room and a rod was there as well. Even though this isn't my personal residence, I still felt violated (no need to go there, please!). After going through the house I'd noted that several doors and windows were unlocked, which was not the previous case. I'm usually careful with my homes. I also noted where I think the squatter came in.

The reason that I'm calling this person a squatter is because they did not do any damage to my house except for some dirt. So, I secured the home and called the police department to let them know what had occurred. The woman on the other side of the phone was silent for a while until she finally asked if I'd like them to patrol the area more often. Now, it has to be noted that this is a nice neighborhood and rarely has any issues.

So, Monday I go back to the house and note as I'm driving up to the garage that a blind appears to be more closed than I would normally keep it and as I enter the garage, I note that today there is a shirt lying across the washing machine. So, I immediately call the police.

Three squad cars show up and they go through the house with their guns drawn and come back with an empty pack of cigarettes. Not my brand. They were very nice and we all went through the home looking for ways of entry and a couple of windows were unlocked again including the one I thought they were coming through because I'd found footprints on the kitchen counter. I was wondering to myself about the security of this window the previous day, but checked it several times before I left.

So I went through the house and secured it again, checking it several times. Besides, I wanted to clean it up and vacuum because I was showing it on New Year's Day.

Well, I guess they weren't happy that I secured the home, so on New Year's Day when I went over they removed a window from the exterior door to the garage and I must have forgotten to lock the interior door. Again, I called the police and went through the whole scenario again. But dealing with the police is another story in itself.

Well, I went over there today and don't think that they got in after covering the window with some hard particle board.

The whole point here is we ‘assume' that when a house is vacant, that is the case. But we don't really know this at all. The fact is, not only in this case, but we do not have the right to assume anything.

More and more homes that we see on the market are vacant. I did a google search before writing this and couldn't believe how many articles popped up on this topic and I'm only talking about the last couple of months. This is obviously not an isolated incident and the tenacity of this person is mind boggling to a degree.

Some of the things that I've read tell us that if a home is vacant to cancel all of the services and keep up with the lawn. But this really isn't feasible if you are trying to sell or rent a home. One also mentioned to leave lights on, but shut the blinds. I usually leave them open so you can see if anything is going on inside, but I guess that the other hand is they feel that the possible intruder won't be able to see inside.

But, finally, one law enforcement agency wrote that if they've been vacant long enough, people will just kind of make themselves at home and squatters will come in. Now, I have to tell you that on one level I felt sorry for this person, because it appears that they just may needed a place to sleep. I really couldn't consider what they did as vandalism except for a broken screen and missing window. But the other hand is what they did was wrong and a violation.

Please just be careful and be safe. Many of us have vacant properties, whether they be our own or that of clients. We need to be diligent in our care of such. We need to make sure that we check them fairly often. This is not meant to frighten you but to heighten your awareness of yourself and your surroundings.

For more information on Central Florida real estate and Central Florida homes for sale in addition to Central Florida relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Central Florida Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County real estate, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Lake Mary Homes for Sale – Now Is The Time To Buy!

Yes, Lake Mary Homes for Sale - Now is the time to buy! You may read this and say to yourself, "What is this guy on drugs?" No and hardly are the answers. But let's look at the facts and take a couple of things into consideration. If you have decent credit and have some available cash for a down payment, then you will most likely be able to get a loan at a decent interest rate.

You think I must be joking, but that's because you've been reading and hearing and have now succumbed to believing all of the doom and gloom about the mortgage and real estate markets. Truth be told, now is an excellent time to purchase a home. With the availability of so many homes on the market in varying sizes, shapes, location and condition - the choices are abundant.
OK, so you are still a little skeptical. Let's look at the facts a little. The median price in the Central Florida Greater Orlando area for homes for sale is $235,000. Let's take this a step further and put it a little more into perspective. The median price in Seminole County for homes for sale, where Lake Mary is located, is just a little over $240,000.

Now to my point. You can buy a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car-garage single family home with over 1500sf that has been totally renovated with a brand new kitchen, brand new bathrooms including tile surrounds, wood laminate flooring in the living and family rooms with a fireplace located in an ‘A' rated school system close to shopping, major highways and rated by CNN as # 1 Best Place to Live in Florida and the # 4 city in the U.S for less than $240,000.

This home would have sold for approximately $275K+ a couple of years ago. This home will most likely appraise for much more than the asking price. Automatic equity in your new home, something many have not seen in the last couple of years. And with the market stabilized, you should see a continued growth of such.

Stop listening to the doom and gloom and look at the facts! Now is a great time to shop for and purchase that dream home of yours.

For more information on Lake Mary real estate and Lake Mary homes for sale in addition to Lake Mary relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Lake Mary Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate and homes for sale, Orange County, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Real Estate Contract – Right of First Refusal – Who Benefits?

This post came about because of one by Jessica Horton entitled, "Why put a carton of milk on layaway when your old dairy cow doesn't have any takers?" In it she discussed about receiving a lot more real estate contracts as of late with contingency clauses for the sale of a buyer's home with no kick-out clause.

Let me preface this by stating that I make it a point to follow-up and follow through. From the get go I get the buyers information in regard their lender, etc. and put calls through until I hopefully get more information back. For the many that have come to know me, I do not like surprises and I can only gather that my sellers would not be too thrilled with them either.

Considering the present market conditions, I will not take a home off of the market if there is a contingency clause for the sale of the buyer's home. For the purposes here, I'm assuming the fact that the buyer's home is already listed with a real estate professional and priced accordingly for the market. Granted, I would prefer it to be under contract and then obviously feel better about the situation. Of course if that was the case, I would respectfully request all the information as to their buyer's lender and follow through on that as well.

The reason that I'm writing this is not as much in regard to what's just been written, but more so to how this affects your seller's home being shown after the contract is executed.

I have found that the majority of the time the home is basically passed over for consideration and that the showings generally cease or slow to a trickle at the most. I'm not aware of other MLS's, but in the Mid-Florida Regional MLS we can keep the home ‘active' but the first thing that has to be mentioned in the public remarks section is that you have a ‘Contingency Contract' and I usually add that it's a ‘Right of First Refusal' with a certain number of hours denoted. This appears to essentially take the home off of the market.

With the number of homes available in today's market I have to wonder if our seller's are hindering themselves by accepting some of these contracts. Like I've said I try to do my homework, but what about the person that does not? I try not to talk negatively in regard to others in our profession, but are they performing a disservice to their client?

For more information on Central Florida real estate and Central Florida homes for sale in addition to Central Florida relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Central Florida Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate and homes for sale, Orange County, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Marc It Sold!

Lake Mary, Seminole County, Florida

Lake Mary has been ranked by CNN as the # 1 Best Place to Live in Florida and the # 4 city in the U.S. It is located in Central Florida abutting Longwood and Sanford in Seminole County straddling I-4 (a major thoroughfare reaching from Tampa, on Florida's West Coast to Daytona Beach on its East Coast). Lake Mary is just minutes away from downtown Orlando, the Orlando Sanford Airport, Orlando International Airport and the major theme attractions.

Lake Mary, which is an actual lake, was named for the wife of Major William Randolph.

Lake Mary is geographically located between Orlando and Daytona Beach. Shopping abounds from upscale boutiques and shopping centers to department stores. Right next door there is the Seminole Town Center. You will find a wide-range of dining choices from fast food, as would be expected, to fine dining restaurants with some of the best in Central Florida.

Lake Mary is a very unique in its mix of commerce and residential areas. It includes Heathrow, a gated residential golf-course community of approximately 2000 homes started in the mid 80's by Jeno Palucci, who is well known for such brands as Chun King, Jeno's & Luigino's foods. Next door you will find Heathrow International Parkway, an office park which includes being the home of AAA.

Lake Mary is home to the Lake Mary - Heathrow Festival of the Arts which is held in the fall each year and you will find a Farmer's Market on the weekends.

Lake Mary boasts some of the best golf country clubs in the Central Florida region including Heathrow, Alaqua, Timacuan & Magnolia Plantation. Lake Mary also has a park and recreation system in addition to a Community Center which is being joined by a 19,000 square foot Events Center.

Lake Mary is a great place to live, work & play!

For more information on Lake Mary real estate and Lake Mary homes for sale in addition to Lake Mary relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Lake Mary Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate and homes for sale, Orange County, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Longwood, Seminole County, Florida

Longwood is located in Central Florida abutting Altamonte Springs in Seminole County straddling I-4 (a major thoroughfare reaching from Tampa, on Florida's West Coast to Daytona Beach on its East Coast) and State Road 434. Longwood is just minutes away from downtown Orlando, the Orlando Sanford Airport, Orlando International Airport and the major theme attractions.

Longwood is rich in history including that of its early settlers John Neill Searcy & Edward Warren Henck. Longwood has a historic district with many structures dating to the 1800's. There is the Bradlee-McIntyre House, which was originally located in Altamonte Springs and is on the U. S. National Register of Historic Places, as well as the Longwood Hotel.

Because of Longwood's geographic location, you can enjoy a wide range of shopping available to you not only in Longwood, but also in neighboring Altamonte Springs including the Altamonte Mall, one of the larger shopping malls in Central Florida, or the new Uptown Altamonte, a mixed-use development which abuts the Altamonte Mall and Cranes Roost Park where people can live, work, play and enjoy the outdoors. In addition to shopping in Lake Mary & Sanford with their wide range of shopping choices from discount department stores to high-end boutique shops including the Seminole Town Center. Dining choices abound in Longwood and the surrounding communities with some of the finest dining available in the Central Florida area.

There are several parks located in Longwood with some having lighted baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts & playground equipment. Longwood is also home to The Senator at Big Tree Park, which is the largest Bald Cypress of over 3000 years old.

Longwood is a great place to live, work & play!

For more information on Longwood real estate and Longwood homes for sale in addition to Longwood relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Longwood Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate and homes for sale, Orange County, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Altamonte Springs, Seminole County, Florida

Altamonte Springs is located in the geographic heart of Central Florida in Seminole County straddling I-4 (a major thoroughfare reaching from Tampa, on Florida's West Coast to Daytona Beach on its East Coast) and State Road 436. Altamonte Springs is just minutes away from downtown Orlando, the Orlando Sanford Airport, Orlando International Airport and the major theme attractions.

The first settlers of Altamonte Springs, which is Spanish for ‘high hill,' were a group of businessmen who intended to create a tourist haven at Snow Junction, as it was then called. It has evolved into a residential community with its strength lying in its many retail and office centers.

You can enjoy a wide range of shopping available to you in Altamonte Springs including the Altamonte Mall, one of the larger shopping malls in Central Florida, or the new Uptown Altamonte, a mixed-use development which abuts the Altamonte Mall and Cranes Roost Park where people can live, work, play and enjoy the outdoors.

There are many activities at Uptown Altamonte and Cranes Roost Park, with the Eddie Rose Amphitheater for the whole family including the Fourth of July celebration, Red, Hot & Boom which has an attendance of approximately 100,000 people. There is almost always something going on a weekly basis including Jazz concerts and other musical attractions, Karaoke nights, comedy, and Streetmosphere, the Russian born members of CirqueMosphere, an artistic troupe of performers.

The park system in Altamonte Springs offers so much including Lake Lotus Nature Park, Eastmonte Park, Westmonte Park with its outdoor Therapeutic Pool, and Merrill Park to name just a few.

Altamonte Springs is a great place to live, work & play!

For more information on Altamonte Springs real estate and Altamonte Springs homes for sale in addition to Altamonte Springs relocation contact Marc Grossman, your Altamonte Springs Realtor @ 407-463-1034. Additional information is available for Seminole County real estate, Orange County, West Volusia County and South Lake County.

To learn more about Marc and the services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.


Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.OrlandoHomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034


Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

It's All About Meme...Marc's Book Meme

I received an email from Midori Miller informing me that I am now tagged and need to write a post "It's All About MeMe..." I hope you don't mind if I take you on a journey and do this a little differently. Too many things are going through my mind. I know, that's a scary place to be!

While typing the words ‘MeMe,' I had a jolt back to a dear friend that always used the phrase "It's All About Me!" - and for him it was. He used to kid that it wasn't true, but the truth be told... In fact, I found this saying in one of my favorite stores in Ft. Lauderdale, called Seldom Seen on Las Olas and just gave it to him for his birthday. I've never been a ‘Me' person. I don't think others could consider me self-centered. That is just a turn off for me. I generally try to think of the other person.

OK, so now to what I'm supposed to be writing about. I have to change this around a little. I'm supposed to be telling you of my five favorite books of all time. That is extremely hard for me, but I will tell you of the books that I'm currently reading in a little while.

I remember that the first book I read by myself, without having to do it for school, was Rosemary's Baby written by Ira Levin, who was better known for being a playwrite. Holy moly that was 40 years ago. About the same time we were reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding and if I'm not mistaken he wrote a sequel to that, but I can't remember the name of it.

I've read J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (always thought Bilbo Baggins was so cool) & Lord of the Rings twice and hopefully will reread them again in my later years.

Reading has been a very important part of my life. I generally only read fiction and mostly love international intrigue and mysteries. So, what I'd like to do at this juncture is to share with you some of the many authors that I quite enjoy. They are in no particular order and there are many more..

Robert Ludlum - fantastic author of international intrigue. You've probably seen many of the movies. There were only 1 or 2 books of his that I thought were so-so. Have not read any of his works that were published post-humously since they were finished by others.

Tom Clancy - Loved his earlier works, but have not read him since The Sum of All Fears. Maybe it's just me, but I felt that his books were just getting overwrought and boring. And it appeared to be that either he was getting full of himself and just having to push out more books because that is the nature of that business.

John Grisham - I have not read him in many years, but his first books were absolutely awesome. I felt that his books just appeared to be repetitious. He was obviously churning them out quickly.

Herman Wouk - Some absolutely fantastic novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War & War and Rememberance.

Philip Roth - I remember the first book of his I read was Portnoy's Complaint. There was a lot of sexual content & eroticism and I was only a teenager at the time, but underneath all that this was a very good novel at the height of the sexual revolution. But he wrote many other excellent books including Goodbye, Columbus.

Leon Uris - What can I say, Exodus, Mila 18, Topaz, QB VII, etc.

Chaim Potok - Most of his books involve Judaism, The Chosen, My Name Is Asher Lev and Davita's Harp.

Ray Bradbury - What can I say about him? I read The Martian Chronicles in school. He wrote books such as Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man & Dandelion Wine.

John LeCarre - I must admit that sometimes his books took a little to get through, but that could have been a ‘me' thing. But just look at some of his writing: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Smiley's People and The Constant Gardner.

Jonathan Kellerman - Love his Dr. Alex Delaware series with his detective friend Milo Sturgis in books such as When the Bough Breaks and Blood Test.

Faye Kellerman - The wife of Jonathan Kellerman and the writer of a series of Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus books. He's a detective with his Hasidic wife. There are 17 in the series and she's written a couple of books with her husband including Double Homicide.

Martha Grimes - She wrote a series of Richard Drury books, whose a Scotland Yard inspector, with his friend Melrose Plant. All the titles of these books are names of pubs.

Mary Higgins Clark - An excellent writer with books such as A Stranger is Watching, The Cradle Will Fall and A Cry in the Night. She has also co-authored a couple of books with her daughter Carol Higgins Clark.

John MacDonald - Loved his Travis McGee series. All of them had a color in the name. Very easy and quick read. The Deep Blue Good-by and Nightmare in Pink.

I could keep on going on and on. There's Elmore Leonard and Sidney Sheldon. Who could forget, The Other Side of Midnight, Master of the Game and The Doomsday Conspiracy.

It's obvious that I love reading and especially my fiction, but I also love what I do - real estate. It doesn't bother me that I'm not reading the way I used to, I'll be able in the future hopefully. I quite enjoy reading about real estate. There are two magazines that I always read and are very informative, but are only local. One is Florida Realtor Magazine and the other Agent News Direct. There is so much to learn and they offer a lot as well. It's important for me to learn because it not only helps me, but it also helps my clients and friends in the business. I have no issue sharing what I learn with others - OK, well maybe sometimes I like to keep things to myself.

So, with all this said, the books that I presently have on my coffee table (yes, it's a mess - strewn with newpapers (read it daily) & books) are:

I think all of these books are quite self explanatory. There is one more book that I would like to include. Now, it may not be considered a book per se, but there are many stories to be read. As with each chapter of a book, some you may like more than others, but it is definitely a collection of sorts. Obviously, I'm referring to that of Active Rain.

Hope you enjoyed! Till next time - Marc It Sold!

For more information on Central Florida & the Greater Orlando area including Seminole, Orange, West Volusia and South Lake Counties contact Marc Grossman @ 407-463-1034.

To learn more about Marc and services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.
Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.orlandohomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

Seminole County - Florida's Natural Choice

Seminole County is situated between Orlando's Central Business District, the Theme Parks and the Volusia beaches on the east coast. The county can't be beat for accessibility to the best that Central Florida has to offer.

Seminole County is one of the fastest growing counties in Florida. It is a collection of comfortable bedroom communities with housing ranging in price from very affordable to among the most expensive in the area.

Seminole County has carefully protected its natural resources. These include Lake Monroe and the scenic St. John's River, with its alligators and moss-draped cypress trees; Wekiva Springs State Park and the Central Florida Zoological Park, not to mention the many large lakes that dot the county. There are parks that offer jogging trails, athletic fields, even a pet park and many miles of trails throughout the county.

For shopping there are three major indoor malls: Altamonte Mall, Seminole Town Center and Oviedo Marketplace. This is in addition to many other shopping areas and mixed-use developments.

Seminole County is the home of the Orlando-Sanford International Airport and the Amtrak Auto Train which originates in Lorton, VA.

The many cities of Seminole County include:

Altamonte Springs

Casselberry

Lake Mary

Longwood

Oviedo

Sanford

Winter Springs

For more information on Central Florida & the Greater Orlando area including Seminole, Orange, West Volusia and South Lake Counties contact Marc Grossman @ 407-463-1034.

To learn more about Marc and services he has to offer, visit his profile & website.

Marc Grossman, GRI - http://www.orlandohomes-4u.com/ - 407-463-1034

Marc donates 10% of his net proceeds to Hospice of the Comforter.

My Guilty Music Pleasures

Guys, I apologize for crashing your party. I know that everyone is invited and normally I would just be a wallflower and comment. Unfortunately, I realized how lame I am while commenting on Adam Waldman's and Jason Crouch's posts.

The reason that I'm posting an entry is because I basically outed myself on those two blogs. And then as I was heading to a function this evening and changed stations, there was a song and it was like - my goodness!! Now, let me preface this by stating that in no way can I top Jason's "Ben." I apologize but that is just to 'gay' for me. (Sorry, don't attack me, I have nothing against homosexuals, this is just a word of choice.)

So, there I was driving along and bam this song is on. You'll remember him instantly. He's not only a musician but also an actor. Yes, the woman loved him, I guess he was dreamy on General Hospital playing Dr. Noah Drake. Yes I know, I'm ashamed as I well should be. So here I was singing along to Rick Springfield doing 867-5309 - Jenny's Song. I can't imagine what it must have been like for anyone with that phone number, because I'm sure there were many people that tried it.

But it get's worse, just remember "Jessie's Girl." And I further go down the tubes because I knew that I had a Rick Springfield record and so I had to go looking. And there it was a 45rpm of "Don't Talk to Strangers." Now, I don't remember why I bought this. It is in a picture jacket and I did buy 45's for that reason back in the 80's, but at the same time I also bought ones that I usually liked. So, I plead - GUILTY!!

OK, so the glass of wine that I'm drinking - hic - is making this a little easier. In fact, it's a little cathartic, but in a sick sort of way. Which as many of you know just suits me fine.

So with this find I did a little thinking and remembered a few gems - old and new - that I have. With that said, my next death knoll is an actor, musician, singer & songwriter. He wrote the screenplay for "When Harry Met Sally." Yes, and this is a double whammy because I have a cassette of him. And yes, it is Harry Connick, Jr.

OK, just poured a second glass and yes it's making it easier because I didn't have to look any further.

This next group started before some of you were even conceived - couldn't think of putting that any nicer. They started in 1969. They got a lot of airplay and remember distinctly hating them. You just kept on hearing their damn songs all the time on the radio - over and over. For some reason and I have no foggy idea why, I started liking them in the mid to late 70's and have more albums of theirs than I really wish to tell. In fact, I refuse to go to my LP collection and count them, but I know there are several. Some of you older folks like me, will remember that they started out as the Chicago Transit Authority, but shortly afterwards shortened their name to Chicago. Oh yeah, the song, "If You Leave Me Now."

A few more and I'll try to go through these quickly or at least quicker, but I've never been able to make a long story short - I only make is longer!

Now, I've always been a Rod Stewart fan. Definitely some awesome songs like "Maggie May" with the 'Faces' and "Reason to Believe" to just name a few. No, that's not the Rod Stewart that I'm talking about. Over the past few years he's put out a number of CD's entitled, "The Great American Songbook." These are all of older music - 50's and older, such as this one with Cher - "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered." Now, maybe these don't belong in here, but you'll note shortly why I mention them.

Now, the reason that I brought Rod up is because of the next one. I would never admit that I liked him. Yes, this artist was definitely annoying as hell. And to make matters worse I recently bought two of his CD's. In one he "Sings Sinatra," which I couldn't find on YouTube & his other one is entitled "Greatest Songs of the Fifties." But you would know him better for songs like, "Mandy," "I Write the Songs," & "Looks Like We Made It." Oh yes, I'm sure you've gathered that this is Barry Manilow. Yes, I can't believe that I'm finally admitting this and maybe some might feel that I should be tarred and feathered.

Now, a drum roll please... OK, I need to pour another glass of wine. Can't believe that it is taking over two hours to compile this!

See, there I guess it shows that the wine is probably - hic - kicking in.

OK, back to our drum roll..... Without further ado - some may and some may not remember songs such as "Cherry, Cherry" (OK guys, be nice!) & "Cracklin' Rosie," but also albums such as "The Jazz Singer." Now, I have to honest here, I have not listened to that in while, but I do have it on my hard drive (just checked - still there)! Yes, we are talking about Neil Diamond. Now, that still doesn't touch Jason's "Ben," but....

OK, so my soul is bared! I can't imagine the abuse that I might receive from this, but...I'll just have to click on The Jazz Singer while I'm reading those comments. I must admit that this has also been an enjoyable ride down memory lane for me. Hope you enjoyed as well, that is if you can relate to some of this. Yeah, I know I can't play with the younger kids, but some of us never grow up.

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

I Have A Big Mouth - One Way To Have A Deal Go South!

Here's the deal or what may have actually been the deal! I have several acres of land listed for sale. An agent asked me to walk the property with her and her clients.



No problem, while we were doing so it was talked about them possibly considering subdividing the property in the future. Their Realtor, nor myself, thought that there would be an issue with this and further thought that they would be allowed to deed the property with it having ingress and egress via the other parcel.



OK, so long story short, which is extremely difficult for me. On Monday, I called the Zoning office and asked questions about the possible subidivision of this property. I found out that the county no longer allows them to have a common drive and that each property has to have its own dedicated driveway.



Since I knew that this was a possible concern, I informed the other Realtor of such. She told me that they were planning on making an offer, but she would have to contact them about this information and let them know. Well, needless to say, there is no offer forthcoming.



I look at this several different ways & would like your take on such. Some will think that it was not my responsibility to let the other Realtor know what I had found out, since it was most likely her duty to do such for her clients. Others will say that once I found out this information, it was my duty to inform all parties of such. I can also see others saying that I should not have called at all & that was my fault for doing such.



Till next time - Marc It Sold!

Are You Courteous in Real Estate and Life?

What happened to good old fashioned common courtesy? Even if we are in a fast paced environment with so much so readily available, why should that have been the one simple thing to be thrown out - something that takes almost no time at all?

The definition of courtesy according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary is the "excellence of manners or social conduct; polite behavior; respectful or considerate act or expression; help or generosity." We are in a social atmosphere and a social discipline. What else can real estate be considered? Unless you are totally isolated, then you will have interactions on one level or another with others.

I know that many will blame the change on the familial environment and make-up. Yes, that may be partially true, but it has to go much further than that into the fabric of our society.

Now, don't get me wrong, I must admit that there are times that I may be lacking in such myself, especially with telemarketers. Usually, I try to say ‘no thanks' and ‘goodbye,' but I won't deny that I've also just hung up the phone. Yes, they are annoying and shouldn't be calling you since you are on the DNC list. OK, so we know that's a joke - neither here nor there.

Do you say ‘thank you' to others? Now I won't deny that when I feel someone is rude, I may say ‘you're welcome' if they sometimes do not say ‘thank you'. And, maybe, that's rude on my part. Granted, I don't do things to be acknowledged, but...

Here are some questions to peruse:

Do you hold the door open for the next person or do you even look to see if there is someone behind you?

Do you allow pedestrians to cross in a parking lot or do you feel that they should wait for you? (You do understand that pedestrians do have the right of way most of the time.)

Talking about driving, are you courteous on the road? Do you make room for traffic to merge? Do you use your turn signal all of the time, not some of the time? Do you allow people to move into your lane when they have a turn signal on?

Do you thank a realtor for showing your property?

If a realtor calls you for feedback, do you return their call? Unfortunately, I find that most don't.

But more importantly, are you courteous with your clients - whether they be buyers or sellers?

A major part of being courteous is to take the time to listen and not to interrupt. Too many people, and I'm guilty here as well at times, just hear part of what is being said and then interject because they may feel they know what the other person is getting at. Listen completely, it's not only courteous but makes the other person feel important. Actually, by not doing so, you are indirectly telling that person that they are not worth your time. And, that is just downright rude, everyone has a value and none of us has the right to take that away from anyone.

How much effort does it really take to be courteous to others? We are entering the major shopping season with all the hustle and bustle. A little kindness to the next person goes a long way - and for both of you. They'll appreciate it and you should feel good about yourself. It's all about the aura that you project.

Being courteous in life and business is not something that takes a lot of effort or even a lot of thought. But the rewards, personally and otherwise, are just so great. People do remember the little things.

So, maybe, take a little extra time and send that thank you note. It's interesting, I have a listing and there appeared to be an issue with an upstairs bathroom. Neither here nor there, but I sent a short note to the owner and thanked him for being helpful, etc. The day he got the note he called me. It was obvious that he was taken aback and quite pleased that I thought enough to do this. Will you get a call every time? No! But is the effort worth it? It depends on what you want out of life and your real estate career.

Thank You & You're Welcome!

Till next time - Marc It Sold!

You Are What You Wear - The Psychology of Color in Dress

We’ve read much talk about the psychology of color in staging and decorating a home. But there is much to be said about our dress & what the colors evoke in others.

Colors affect us both physically and emotionally depending on their use. It has to be noted that color psychology differs from color symbolism, which in itself differs greatly between societies, cultures and religions.

Colors are basically broken down into two main categories –

Warm Colors – which are those on the red side of the spectrum including orange & yellow.

Cool Colors – those on the blue side of the spectrum including green and purple

Now to the colors themselves:

Blue – is probably the most popular color, but then one might expect that since it is the color of the ocean and sky. Blue is considered a business color as it reflects reliability. It also symbolizes loyalty.

Green – is probably only second to blue as a favorite color. Green is the color of peace and ecology, as it is found quite prevalent in nature. But let’s not forget that green is also the color of money. Dark green is considered masculine, conservative and is associated with wealth.

Yellow – is associated with joy, happiness and optimism. Remember, yellow is the color of the sun. At the same time yellow can be overpowering when used too much.

Red – is the most emotionally intense color, but it also considered the color of energy. Red is not a good color to overuse and will make someone appear a little heavier, but will also attract attention. A navy blue suit with white shirt and a red tie gives you just the right amount of energy to draw attention.

Orange – the most flamboyant of colors is associated with fun, happy and lively, but also ambition. The different tones of orange usually have a love-it or hate-it relationship.

Black – is the color of authority & power and at the same time makes people look thinner, but remember that it can be very overpowering. Black can be formal, but also can represent evil (think of the bad guys in the movies).

White – What can I say? White wedding dresses, white picket fences, white lab coats. Purity, innocence, clean and happy, but not a fun color to keep clean.

Brown – reliable, stable, solid. It is the color of the earth; and, therefore, associated with nature.

Purple – is associated with royalty, prosperity and wealth. Purple is a more feminine color, but young girls are more likely to choose it. Purple can also appear to be artificial.

Gray – is considered practical, timeless and solid, but also is sometimes associated with depression and loss, whether it be mourning or a general lack of direction. Gray is a great color to use because it mixes well with other colors.

Now, these are basically the primary colors. Different shades will elicit different emotions due to the combination of these colors.

Hope you enjoyed!

Till next time – Marc It Sold!

Wealth & Social Disparity and Real Estate - A Social Commentary

It’s the old story of the rich getting richer & the poor getting poorer. Even though the average living standards have increased considerably in recent times, the distribution of wealth has become more skewed. One percent of the richest people own 40% of the world’s wealth, while the bottom 50% of the world’s adult population own barely 1% of the wealth.

In the U. S. alone, the top 1 percent earn as much as the bottom 33%, which is equivalent to over 100 million people. While the U. S. economy has grown approximately 160% over the last 30+ years, the top 1% saw their income levels rise 250%. During that same period, the bottom 90% actually saw a drop of 11% in their average income. These are astounding figures and the wealth distribution disparity continues to widen.

Home equity is a very important form of wealth for most households. Only about half of those in the bottom quarter of the income distribution own their homes, while 88.9% in the top quarter do own their homes. Household debt has consistently trended upward, and it was over 130% of disposable income in ’05. As expected, this disproportionately plagues lower-income families moreso and attributes to about a fifth of their income and upwards of 40% for many.

Many and especially the middle class have been utilizing the equity in their homes for continued consumer spending – vacations, vehicles, remodeling, etc. – while salaries have not increased at the same level. The problem is that the equity is running out with lower home prices equating to lower household wealth.

This greater disparity has to affect us as realtors. Each and every day we are shutting more and more people out of homeownership. I’ve been saying this for years. Here in Central Florida we’ve been mostly a service-oriented industry. As prices were rising within the last several years and even before then, we’ve daily locked more and more people out of the market. Our appreciation was approximately 12-13% a year before the last couple of boom years hit. Yes, that has been much better than the national average of approximately 8% per annum.

It is widely believed that one of the main ways to address this gap between the have and have-nots is to improve education and training. But this is not something that can just happen overnight. Our education system has been failing us, but it goes way beyond that to the familial system.

Can this trend possibly be reversed through social and economic policies? This further leads to the question that if such reforms are possible, are they either practical or feasible? I don’t know what the answer is or even if there is one. But that doesn’t mean that we should just forget or ignore that this is occurring to the fabric of our society.

Till next time...Marc It Sold!

Florida’s Property Tax Fiasco, Like the Energizer Bunny, Goes On & On….

Unbelievable! After all of these months of wrangling, town hall meetings, etc, this is the best that they could come up with. The major points of the proposed property tax amendment, which the citizens of Florida will vote on 1/29/08 are as follows:

The homestead exemption will be increased from $25K to $40 or 50K depending on who you speak to. According to the Orlando Sentinel it will be $40K, but a news report on TV and an email from Governor Charlie Crist both refer to “doubling the homestead exemption.”

There will be some portability of the Save Our Homes, whether you are trading up or down in the market.

Businesses will now have a $25K exemption on tangible personal property; and,

Businesses and non-homesteaded homeowners will have a 10% annual cap on their tax increases.

For the past six months we’ve been hearing all of this ballyhooing about property tax reform and this is what they are giving us? To most, this will only amount to an approximately $240 savings. Big Deal!! What happened to the supposed roll-back of our tax base to 2004 levels?? Now, that would have been a savings of sorts. But this is going to do very little for most people that are already experiencing a crunch.

To further exasperate the matter in today’s Orlando Sentinel, they are quoting Gov. Crist as stating that “taxpayers ‘should have hope in their hearts because it’s only going to get better and better and better. This is what they want. This is what they deserve.’”

Damn, I would like some of those drugs that he must be doing. OK, just kidding, but you obviously get my point. I can only think that the governor is alluding to the idea that there will be more tax cuts in the future. I think this is bogus. Once a tax cut is voted on and enacted, that is all we are going to see for quite a while. If this is all they can come up with now, do you seriously think that they’ll add to it in the near future? Look what they’ve done with the property insurance crisis, that should give you an idea.

The sad thing is that this will probably pass because people will be willing to settle for a little something than what they may perceive as nothing.

The legislature did do one thing right in that they’ve included portability of your SOH. Yes, this should increase sales in that people will not feel as ‘trapped’ in their homes as they may be now. But this is not enough. Do we demand more?

I have to wonder how much power we have as voters. I apologize if I appear cynical here, but… Yes, we do have the power to elect our officials and even vote them out of office. But what happened to ‘of the people, for the people, by the people.’ Unfortunately, but politics appears to be just another form of Big Business and the pandering to of such.

Look at the data, but distance between and have’s and have not’s is ever so widening. Moreso, then ever before and there is no end in sight of this abating.

Since I’m getting off the topic somewhat… Crist signed his letter ‘May G-d bless you…’ Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe in g-d, but that is neither here nor there. What the heck ever happened to the separation of church & state? More and more we see the two intermingling.

Till next time – Marc It Sold!

Real Estate – Still One of the Best Investments Around – Do You Believe It?

You should! Yes, we’ve read and heard about the all the doom & gloom in the real estate and mortgage industries. And there is a lot of truth to this. But at the same time we need to look at the larger picture. I know that for some that may have gotten caught up in the fiascos of late, that this will be next to if not impossible to do; and, I can greatly understand that. The long and short of it is this - Real Estate was never meant to be a short-term investment and as a long-term investment, it has proven itself time and time again.

Let’s first look at what brought us to this point. Firstly, we found ourselves in a seller’s market, in which the demand was greater than the supply. Part of what led us to this was the attraction of ‘easy money.’ Lenders where making loans & people where procuring loans & in many instances neither should have. We’ve seen interest-only loans, 100% financing with loans, no documentation loans, adjustable-rate mortgage loans, etc. These in themselves are risky, nevermind that fact many did not see or in some cases were never shown the complete picture.

Then we come to the people that were trying to ‘flip’ houses. This is fine and dandy if you bought it at the low end of the market, but many were out there buying at the top of the market and are finding themselves encountering losses or worse yet, a foreclosure.

The lack of buyer confidence in recent months has been one of the principal reasons for holding back sales. That and the fact of high inventories and also that housing prices are out of sync with incomes in many areas. But we are now seeing an increase, unsteady as it may be, in buyer confidence.

It has to be understood that the market changed quite quickly. Builders in general do not have the ability to respond that quickly to market changes. It takes months of planning, permits are pulled, supplies are ordered, etc. This has added to our increase in available homes for sale and has pretty much dampened the existing home market. Builders have been discounting their homes to get rid of inventory. But, we are seeing a cutback in construction and this bodes well for the market in that it will lower the existing inventory & help to steady home prices.

It also appears that the mortgage market conditions are improving and that we are seeing more availability of loans. Granted, most of these are conforming and not subprime, but here we are seeing a resurgence of FHA backed loans.

Yes, we’ve seen a lot of doom & gloom, but there are also a lot of positive signs as well. Everything is relative and has to be put into perspective. This is not the first time that the real estate market has had to deal with a downside. This will also not be the last time. The real estate industry as with almost everything else is cyclical.

Right now interest rates are still relatively low at approximately 6¼%. We are entering an election year; and historically, this has also worked well for real estate sales.

We keep on hearing about the median price and lately we are hearing about it dropping. But much of this could be contributed to the fact that there are fewer transactions at the top of the ladder, so to speak; and, this will just distort the figures downwardly. I still feel that a better judge is the average sales price. Except if you purchased within the last two years during the market run-up, if you wish to call it; you will find what I consider a great deal of appreciation for most of us.

According to the average sales prices in the Greater Orlando area, if you purchased a home 3 years ago, it would have appreciated over 32%. That isn’t too shabby! If you bought that home 4 years ago, we’re looking at approximately a 52% appreciation. Most people on the average own their homes for at least 5 - 7 years. If you bought that home in Sept. ’99, your home would have appreciated approximately 113%.

Again, this just goes to show you that real estate is a great long-term investment if not one of the best. There are many great homes out there & some great deals also. Most expect the value of their home to appreciate over the next five years.

In general, home sales and home prices should increase in 2008 as compared with that of 2007.

Til next time – Marc It Sold!

On This Day in History...

On This Day in History...

1st lighthouse in US was lit in Boston Harbor in 1716.

The Gregorian calendar was adopted by Great Britain and the American colonies in 1752.

Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key in 1814.

2 billion board feet of lumber destroyed in Tillamook Oregon fire in 1933.

Graf Zeppelin II, world's largest airship, made its maiden flight in 1938.

Ground breaking ceremony for UN world headquarters in 1948.

Western allies rearmed West Germany in 1950.

1st prefrontal lobotomy performed in Washington, DC in 1956.

Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia & Venezuela formed OPEC in 1960.


Til tomorrow...Marc It Sold!

Uh Oh - I Must Be Getting Old!

On this date in history...

NY City became the 1st capital of the US in 1788.

1st loan to the US Government was from NYC banks in 1789.

US Gen. Winfield Scott captured Mexico City during the American-Mexican war in 1847.

1st naval battle of Civil War - Union frigate "Colorado" sank privateer "Judah" off Pensacola, FL in 1861.

Xavier University, the 1st US University for Blacks opened in New Orleans in 1925.

Margaret Chase Smith (R-Me) elected senator in 1948. She was the 1st woman to serve in both houses of Congress.

11 guards & 31 prisoners died in a take over at Attica State Prison in upstate New York in 1971.

Uh Oh - I Must Be Getting Old!

OK! So, I've never owned an iPod; never downloaded music; can only guess what an iPhone is. Need I go on?

I used to always consider myself quite technically savy. I was always a tech junkie, even had a computer in the late 80's. It was an AT&T and I think it was a model 6300. Definitely used to be an audiophile, but guess that I'm dated in that my stereo system (yes, isn't that also a dated word) is from the 80's as well.

Wow, now here's a concept, am I still stuck in the 80's? Have to admit that I still like vinyl records. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of CD's.

Can't get used to screw top wine bottles. There is something about uncorking a wine bottle & not unscrewing like a bottle of soda of Boone's Farm. Hope I don't into trouble with that. Do they still make that Apple or Strawberry Wines? And what about sniffing the cork? What am I supposed to do, sniff the aluminum bottle cap?

I've never had a cam, whether it be a cam recorder or the computer cam. Yes, I do have a digital camera and have actually had several. But I do still have a 30 year old Chinon SLR. Think the new digital SLR's are cool! Ut oh, is that a passe word. I still use it and still use the phrase 'cool beans.' Can't tell you why, it's just part of my vocabulary. Can't even remember when I started using it, but I like it.

Never had an MP3 player. Took me quite a while to understand what one was. But I always thought that I was technically savy. Is there a point in our lives that we reach and then boom we lose our saviness and then we are labled 'old'. OK, so I'm being somewhat sarcastic here. I surely don't consider myself old. I've always been young at heart & pretty much always felt that age is just a number. Granted, the body doesn't work like it used to, but it ain't ready to be thrown out onto the heap.

I think I understand what RSS is, yet don't know how or where to use it. This is something that I do need to learn & will. Don't have a Blackberry or similar product yet, but probably will. Have a Palm, a hand recorder and a regular cell phone. Yes, I know that I can integrate these, but for some reason am not ready. Can't justify the cost vs. benefits.

Definitely have seen quite a bit in my lifetime so far. Don't quite understand what happened to simple, basic manners and courtesy. When the hell did they get thrown out the window? I'm not looking to blame anyone, just don't understand the lack of common courtesy. Isn't this part of the 'treat others as you wish to be treated?'

Yes, I'm in my early 50's. I can still call it that because I'm 53. I'm even thinking of getting my SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist). I still strongly believe in education. I've been a member of AARP since I turned 50. I don't feel old. Don't think that I act old. Don't think I dress as some people might feel an older person dresses. But, then again I don't know what that is anymore.

Every decade of my life has seemed better than the previous one. I enjoy being in my 50's. It's funny because I've never written 50's before. On one hand it feels old or I should better say sounds 'old'; and, on the other it is just something that's 'cool.' For some reason, it appears to me that I've gained quite a bit of wisdom since I turned 50 or maybe just became more aware of it. Won't deny that I've a better understanding of myself, my wants & needs & I think life in general.

I know that I'm on the downward spiral of life. I've lived most of my life. I don't worry about the end, we'll all get there somehow & sometime. I do enjoy life & plan on living the rest of my life the same way that I have.

So, onward we go.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. If this was on an RSS feed, wouldn't you then be listening? I still have to try to get that right.

Til tomorrow...Marc It Sold!

On This Date in History...

On this day in history...

1st submarine was tested in London in 1624.

Lusitania arrived in NYC after a record 5 day crossing of the Atlantic in 1907.

World's 1st female cop, Alice Stebbins Wells, appointed to the LAPD in 1910.

Millionaire Howard Hughes flew his own designed plane at 352.46 mph in 1935.

John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in 1953.

Nikita Khrushchev became the 1st Secretary of USSR Communist Party in 1953.

US Supreme Court ordered Little Rock Ark high school to integrate in 1958.


Honestly, I had thought of a post for today, but must admit that I'm having a major brain f__t. So with that said...

Til tomorrow...Marc It Sold!

The Dreaded 'R' Word - Recession

On this day in history...

Benjamin Franklin wrote "There never was a good war or bad peace" in 1773.

Alexander Hamilton appointed 1st Secretary of Treasury in 1789.

Stephen Foster's song, "Oh! Susanna" was first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1847.

1st newspaper cartoon strip was printed in 1875.

1st commercially successful electric bus line opened in Hollywood in 1910.

Spain left the League of Nation due to Germany joining in 1926.

Boulder Dam was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.

Jewish ghettos of Minsk & Lida Belorussia were liquidated in 1943.

1st mobile long-distance car-to-car telephone conversation in 1946.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City disintegrated after being hit by 2 commercial airliners hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists in 2001 killing 2793 and unfortunately more due to health risks that occurred from this disaster.

I was originally not going to put this one in because we all should be so firmly aware of it, but an article in yesterday's USA Today entitled, "Is 9/11 Becoming Just Another Calendar Date?" brought back feelings that I had last year in wondering the same.

In December 2001, this date was also proclaimed Patriot's Day by the US Congress.


The Dreaded 'R' Word - Recession

Even the Fed appears to be concerned about the reality of an economic slowdown. It has to. The jobs report showed that August was the first monthly drop in four years. This almost solidified the fact that the Fed will reduce the rate by at the least of 1/4%. It really needs to be at least 1/2%, but...

The mortgage debacle and real estate slowdown are affecting other industries. There have been widespread slowdowns in many industries due to what's happening in these industries. The fallout is there. There have already been cuts with companies providing home siding, nevermind that of the construction industry itself. Kohler, a major plumbing supplier, is cutting back and therefore eliminating jobs. And there are more job losses to come from this. Unfortunately, there has to be. We are already seeing cuts in the automotive, furniture and wood products & semiconductor industries. We've even heard of Home Depot & Lowe's posting lower than expected earnings. You'd have to be blind to not notice that many of these are a direct reflection on what's going on in the real estate world.

So we have unemployment up and consumer confidence down. There is turbulence in the world financial markets because of such. You don't think that this could push the economy toward a recession!

Let's look at the big picture. Many have used the equity in their home for continued consumer spending. This market is tapped with lower home prices & higher interest rates equating to lower household wealth, people will have to reduce spending. We are seeing that with the retail reports.

I hope that we do not head into a recession. Granted, I don't know if the Fed has the ability to stop it. But then again the market can change around quickly. Time will tell. Wish I had a crystal ball, but...

Til next time...Marc It Sold!

So You Don't Think It Matters!

On this day in history...

Jews who survived a massacre in Constance Germany are burned to death in 1349.

George Washington asked for a spy volunteer, Nathan Hale volunteered in 1776.

The rickshaw was invented in Japan in 1846.

The sewing machine is patented by Elias Howe in 1846.

Lincoln Highway opened as 1st paved coast-to-coast highway in 1913.

Canada declared war on Germany in 1939.

Swanson sold it's 1st "TV dinner" in 1953.

U. S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps was incorporated in 1962.

Today is also Suicide Prevention Day. According to the National Mental Health Information Center, "Every 17 minutes someone in America commits suicide, and for every completed suicide, there are approximately 25 attempts. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, suicide is currently the eighth leading cause of death in the United States."

I apologize if I've upset anyone by this, but this is unfortunately something that we ignore until it is usually unfortunately too late. Interestingly enough, it also ties in with my blog item today. Please read on...


So You Don't Think It Matters!

Yes, the title is a little obscure and what brought me to write this little story is an experience that has occurred to me recently and I wanted to share that with you, my readers.

Unfortunately, I've been dealing with a situation and have been in Memphis more than my home in the Orlando area. A lot of my time here is spent in the hospital. Each day I need to go to the information desk and get a Visitor's Pass for the day. Now, my first visit here was on 8/11 and I would do this for the next 10 days.

What's interesting and quite amazing to me still, is that when I returned 9 days later, several of the people at the front desk remembered either my name and/or the patient's name. I was amazed at this. How could this person who greets, at the least, hundreds of people a day remember me? And it was more than one person too. I do not consider myself a striking individual. Yes, I was always kind to these people and wished them a nice day as I was leaving their desk.

So, I had to wonder, what kind of impression we leave on people. It's obvious that we leave an impression on people when we least expect it or at least unwittingly. It just amazed me the power that we have in altering someone's day.

A simple smile generally makes the other person seeing that smile do the same. Kindness and courteousness also go a very long way. I was just thinking about what I'm going to write and it rang through my head that I've stated this before. Please do not get me wrong, I am not looking to turn back time. Wait, I take that back, in my brother's case I would love to, so therefore he might not be in a trauma unit.

But again, we tend to forget the little things because we are so busy. Too many people find themselves rushing from one place to another. Yes, I know that we all have so much to accomplish, but we do need to take a moment to reflect and remember the little things. For they all make up the greater of all. The little things are just as powerful if not moreso in many ways. I recently published my newsletter, but unfortunately do not have the article on disk that I wrote. It's about remembering. I will post that again when I return home. I didn't think of it as a post at that time, but I think it is something that is pertinent to our lives and living.

Interestingly enough, I couldn't finish this post before it was time to go to the hospital. The young lady giving out passes questioned me about my brother's room since he had to go back to the ICU from the Step-Down unit and she remembered that.

It just goes to show that the mind is such a powerful thing & the impressions that we leave upon others is very powerful in itself.

Wishing all a safe & kind day.

Til next time...Marc It Sold!

Grandparent's Day

On this day in history...

Columbus' fleet set sail westward in 1492.

The New England colonies declared war on Wampanoag Indians in 1675.

1st steam engine arrived in US colonies in 1753.

"The United Colonies" were renamed the "United States" by the Continental Congress in 1776.

California became 31st state in 1850 and they call today "Admission Day."

Orville Wright made the first 1-hr airplane flight at Fort Myer, VA in 1908.

National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was created by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in 1926. For all intents and purposes is still owned by the same company today since GE bought over RCA in 1986.

The Allies (US, British & French) landed at Salerno, Italy during what was called Operation Avalanche in 1943.

Allied forces liberate Luxembourg in 1944.

President Eisenhower signed the 1st civil rights bill since the Reconstruction era.


Today is Grandparent's Day.

I have to admit that I thought this was just another "Hallmark Holiday." It appears that National Grandparents Day was originated with Marian McQuade. She was a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day in 1978.

Again this is time to reflect. In our busy society it is too often that the elderly are relegated to the 'back seat' so to speak. This is a sad reflection of our culture and times. The Orient always revered their elderly. There used to be time, even in our country, when this was so. It was only 40-50 years ago that the family unit revolved about not only our immediate family (parents & children), but grandparents and great grandparents, if they were still alive.

Yes, there are family units that still believe in this value. I remember with my father's family, it always revolved around "Bubbe." This was my grandmother. It is a Yiddish expression for grandmother. I later came to know that her English name was Sarah.

Every year there was an annual picnic usually in June, that my mother used to help organize, at Biertemple Park in Union, NJ. We would rent the park & everyone would bring different foods. There used to be at least 70 people there. And everyone always went to greet Bubbe.

Each month there was also a family circle meeting at someone's house. These were always grand events with lots of socializing and minutes were taken just like at any business meeting. Granted, this was for our parents and the children mostly did not attend.

On holidays, we almost always visited my Aunt Mary & Uncle Max, because that is where Bubbe lived and Aunt Mary was her oldest child. Now, this was not a small family by any means. There were 11 children in all with my father being the next to last. I remember that he had cousins around his age if I'm not mistaken. Gosh, remembering all those names used to be quite a task. But we were together.

That was until a few years after Bubbe died and I have to admit that things feel apart. Yes, we saw each other at bar/bat mitzvahs & weddings & unfortunately funerals. But the family unit was not the same. Granted, this was about the time that we can see a change in the make up of the family structure. Around this time, more mothers were going out and getting jobs, they weren't staying home and being housewives.

My reason for bringing this up is twofold. Firstly, with every change there is both good and not so good. I don't want to call it bad, because I feel that is very incorrect term. Change is necessary, but sometimes in this instance, we lose touch with, in the long run, who we are and where we came from. They were our parents just as you are your childrens parents. Why do we not give the same values of that to our children? Why does it seem that the grandparent and more in general, the elderly are not revered. OK, I'm not saying put them on a pedestal, but surely don't just cast them aside.

It's funny, but I'm 53 and now that I've reached this point in my life, I'm also going to be in that group of people also. Surely, in lesser than time than anticipated. Granted, I don't feel old and surely don't act it also. I consider myself somewhat vibrant and full of life. But so are many older people.

Not to get gross, but I remember reading an article recently. I can't remember if it was the newspaper or AARP (yes, I'm a member), but it was about the elderly's sexual apetite & I was so surprised to see what they had to say and how sexually active they are.

We are living longer and many elderly have a lot to offer in the way of knowledge, experience and wisdom. They've learned a lot of life's lessons and can probably also teach us a lot of their business acumen.

So, please think twice when you see an elderly person or address them. Think of the many lonely elderly out there. That is a very sad thing and a sad testament to our day and age. I'm glad Marian McQuade thought of Grandparent's Day.

Happy Grandparent's Day to the many grandparents out there.

Til tomorrow....Marc It Sold!

The Fed Rate Cut

On this day in history...

The Spanish expedition established the first permanent European settlement in North America, St. Augustine, in 1565.

The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York, in 1664.

NY Athletic Club formed in 1868.

1st appearance of " The Pledge of Allegiance" was published in The Youth's Companion in 1892 to commemorate the 400 anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America.

Gaeston, Texas was struck by a hurricane that killed an estimated 8000 people in 1900.

The comic strip "Blondie," created by Chic Young, was first published in 1930.

A peace treaty with Japan was signed by 49 nations in San Francisco in 1951.

President Gerald Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon in 1974.

Today is International Literacy Day, which was designated by UNESCO in 1965.

Today is also the second annual International Angel Day, which is dedicated to children.


The Fed Rate Cut

Well, even though, the Fed stated that the real estate market and mortgage debacle are not directly related to the overall health of our general economy. They must take note of the recent jobs report. With more and more layoffs and foreclosures, they is almost no way that they can get away without a rate cut. I think that almost everyone would agree that this is certain. But now the question comes into play of how much of a rate cut. Many feel that it should be 100 basis points (1%). I doubt if the Fed will go to that extent. I'm pretty sure that they would rather due only a 1/4% cut, but this is not enough. It has to be at least a 1/2% cut to be of any value at this point in time. We'll see when they meet on the 18th.

To further enforce this feeling, Countrywide announced that it was cutting its workforce by 12,000 jobs, which is approximately 20% of its work force. Even IndyMac, which actually noted a profit recently, is cutting its workforce by 1,000, which is approximately 10% of its employees. But this extends way beyond just the mortgage and real estate industries. Office Depot it cutting back on store openings. They only plan on opening 100 stores, down from 150 of earlier this year.

This is affecting us all. It is unfortunate that Congress and the government can not agree on how to handle this situation. I am not proposing helping out the lenders, for they helped create this situation that we are all facing, but something needs to be done to reduce the foreclosures that are on the horizon and I think that there are more there than most can imagine.

Til next time...Marc It Sold!