October Early Snow Sets More Northeasterners With Sights On Florida

This past weekend's surprise snowstorm took the last of the beautiful fall colors with it. Power outages, blocked roads, treacherous driving, shoveling... SERIOUSLY? And in October???

As part of The PURTEE Team, realtors in the Tampa Bay beaches area, we do business with clients not only from around the country but around the world. We have talked to many clients in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts in the last few days. With starting the snow so early this year, it has many of them looking toward "living the Florida lifestyle".

Each of the four members of our real estate team relocated here to the Tampa Bay area years ago. We have never looked back on that decision. This area has an abundance of activities with every kind of water sport, 9 area spring training teams, major league sports, international shopping, theme parks, fine dining... and then, of course, there is the pristine white sandy coastline along the Gulf of Mexico that simply takes your breath away!!! What a novel thought to leave the cold and snow behind and instead play a round of golf, a game of tennis, sailing into the sunset, deep sea fishing... or simply a stroll on the beach!

If you are seriously considering the options of either relocating to the Tampa Bay area, or purchasing a second home here... we are the realtors for you. Scrupulously diligent in finding the right property, we won't let you down. Whether you work with Mark, Garges, Lambdin or Kathy, you get the power and expertise of us as a team. Our website www.floridagulfproperty.com is filled with tools to help as well. Fill out your "Wish List" today and one of us will be in touch with you shortly to help identify exactly what you are looking for and how we can help you find it.

Spotlight On Seminole, FL - Just Listed At Monterey!

The Tampa Bay Area is surrounded by water, from its Bays to the Intercoastal to the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Lake Seminole provides a pristine setting in a park environment for its Seminole residents. Seminole remains a popular destination for home buyers with its highly rated schools and central location. The city of Seminole has about 18,500 residents, enjoying access to Clearwater, St Petersburg and the Gulf Beaches within minutes. Many areas in Seminole are in non-evacuation zones, meaning the area is high enough to avoid being in a flood zone during a hurricane or storm surge.

The Purtee Team has just listed a 3BR/2BA condo in the gated community of Monterey at Lake Seminole. Built in 2007 to the latest building codes and block construction, Monterey enjoys amenities such as its lake front community pool, fitness center and fishing pier. This 4th floor condo with direct lake views has 1890 square feet of spacious living area, as well as a screened in balcony with extra storage closet. You will find it filled with beautiful appointments such as crown molding, 42" cabinetry, high ceilings, elegant master bath and much more! It is vacant and ready to move right in! At $277,000... this elegant condo is a MUST SEE! MLS #7458871

Spotlight On John's Pass At Madeira Beach

So, what is John’s Pass Village really all about? All December - John's Pass Village becomes fabulous Christmas Village for this month-long celebration! The lighting of the Madeira Beach Christmas Tree was on November 30th and the arrival of Santa Claus to the Village! John's Pass merchants offer Special Discounts throughout the entire Holiday Season.

But how did John’s Pass come to pass (sorry about the pun). Years ago, in the early 1800’s Florida was not a state yet… merely an American Territory with no law enforcement. The Native American tribe of Seminole Indians was joined by runaway slaves from the southern states. Together, they co-existed in a rugged terrain full of pine forests and mangrove-covered islands. What was also prevalent were bands of pirates!

John LeVeque, a Frenchman, set out to find his fortune in the new World by serving as a cabin boy on a Spanish Galleon in 1836. The ship was attacked by pirates and young John was enlisted into the pirate crew as a galley slave. He moved up the ranks to First Mate and finally Captain of his own pirate ship. According to legend, John LeVeque always allowed his victims to keep their lives and their freedom. His sailings took him throughout the Caribbean and up into the Gulf of Mexico where he discovered a beautiful beach on an island on Florida’s West Coast. He buried his treasure chest with his amassed fortune right off this very beach and it became a peaceful hideaway for him… and what would some day become Madeira Beach.

LeVeque decided to retire to New Orleans and was making his way to retrieve his treasure from his hideout in Madeira Beach. As he sailed north a hurricane blew in on the horizon and he held back. The next morning, September 27, 1848, LeVeque found that the hurricane had cut his long skinny island clean in two, rendering his treasure map useless. The storm had destroyed the very area of the island where his treasure had been buried! As he sailed through the new pass, and as dolphins played alongside his boat, John LeVeque realized his treasure had been lost forever. Since that day, the inlet has been known as John’s Pass in honor of LeVeque’s discovery and maiden passage through the waterway. He never found his treasure, but did settle there watching his isolated island become a quaint fishing community.

It was Wilson Hubbard who, in 1978, saw the potential of a waterfront boardwalk with its marina facilities, restaurants and variety of shops. Recent renovations brought in Bubba Gump’s Restaurant which has been an instant success. In June every year, there is even a 3-day Pirate Invasion event to honor John LeVeque’s story.

December at John’s Pass should be fun-filled and well worth the visit!

Preparing For Retirement – Part IV

For many people, the bulk of their wealth is tied up in their homes. As people approach retirement with a PLAN (Part I), the home and whether to downsize… or to acquire a 2nd home is a key decision.

If you have been diligent about paying down your mortgage, selling the home can be a source of liquidity to make sure that you have enough cash to live on and establish an emergency fund. In an ideal world, the home’s value would have appreciated and this equity could be the foundation of your retirement ‘nest egg’. This scenario is a far cry from the backlash reality of the current market decline, as people are seeing their home values slide.

On the other hand, there are amazing opportunities for purchasing a dream home at a fraction of its original cost. If you are in a position to take advantage of the market with a purchase and hold out a while longer for the market to shift back toward positive, that may be the best answer. Each geographic area has unique market characteristics. Truly understanding a certain market will help in timing a sale or purchase. This is called “gaming” the real estate market. This decision is critical in the overall success of the retirement plan.

Pay close attention to trends in the region you are considering by reading the local newspapers, searching the Multiple Listing Service… and by all means, using the service of a professional Realtor®.

Thanksgiving Day - A Day To Be Thankful

As we approach another Thanksgiving Day, it seemed a great time to share what we are grateful for this year. What a perfect time to reflect and be thankful for all the positive things that have happened in the last 12 months? Granted, it would be easy to get caught up (like so many others) in just trying to survive and focus on the negatives around us. All that does is to create more stress. To merely focus on the negative, it is easy to miss things like the beauty of a sunset, the serenity in the reflection of the birds, the smile of a child or the encouragement of a friend.

Mark is always talking about the importance of BALANCE and in these difficult economic times there is no better time to make it a priority. Negative energy can come into your life through all those anxious moments and the toll of daily stress… not to mention the added impact of a down economy. What becomes important is to find something that will neutralize that energy and turn it positive.

The answer is right there in front of us. Every moment spent in gratitude creates a mindset that leaves no room for negative energy. A grateful heart and a grateful mind reminds us of all we have to be grateful for... the solid support of our family committed to helping each other in both difficult and easier times… the friends who remain steadfast year after year who with a mere word can lift our spirits… our family pets who are always right there evoking a smile… our clients whom we are able to help navigate this market and even in their difficult time say “thank you”.

Every day is a gift not to be taken for granted. What we do with that day to be grateful for its gift is what has the potential not only to reduce stress but add wonderful positive energy to our lives.

This Thanksgiving Day amidst all the family gatherings, parades and football games, stop for a moment to appreciate the wonder of living in a free society like ours… freedom in itself is a hard won miracle compared to all those in countries without those rights or freedom. The freedom of choice is yours… and ours. We are grateful to have this amazing opportunity to walk on the beach and see such glory!

And to all of our friends and family, have a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Remodeling A Home Can Be "Oh So Sweet" or Bittersweet

In this current time of real estate challenge, many are taking on remodeling their homes for two primary reasons: 1) To make it more attractive to compete when selling it; or 2) Deciding to stay put and make the current home more desirable instead of buying a new home.

The problem arises when the small, seemingly manageable project, turns into an expensive nightmare. This came home to us recently when my daughter and son-in-law decided to paint their living room. Easy task, right? Not so much... the contractor who was hired painted OVER the wallpaper after telling them he was a professional and it would not be a problem. Well, as the paper got wet it began to bubble up and the result was a fiasco! So the paper gets pealed off and the imperfections of the wall begin to surface. To texture or not to texture - both paths have issues. Needless to say, the time and the money that eventually poured into this project continued to grow.

It is interesting that just yesterday I ran across an article that might have helped them so I wanted to share it with you. It basically offers 4 steps to avoiding a remodel disaster. If you are considering a remodel job, take a moment to read this article. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/real-estate/4-steps-to-prevent-a-remodel-gone-wrong-1.aspx

• Research before the job starts
• Document everything
• Raise concerns immediately
• Escalate if necessary

As realtors (and homeowners) ourselves, we understand the key remodel jobs that improve the home value. We actually have two places on our website regarding "Preparing Your Home For Sale". There is some good information there, and we are here to help, too! www.floridagulfproperty.com