Commercial Closing!

Another commercial closing today! Yeah. Well, actually closes on September 2, but our side is done!

Seems to be a few commercial closings in the Lakeland area, now we just need the residential sales to pick up a bit. Not sure how that is going at this point, being they have discontinued the down payment assistance programs in the State of Florida!

I have not had time to really investigate how all is going in Real Estate in Lakeland, Florida. I have heard a few horror stories in reference to advertising homes for sale in the area. But it is really gossip at this point. Will see where the advertising companies go with this. Maybe one wont be around much longer, time will tell! You never know what will happen. I heard gossip that the Ledger went down on their prices??? Wow, Im not a ledger fan, but I guess they are dealing with the economy and actually did something positive. Of course, it will help them in the long run, they may keep a few customers.

I heard a couple of photo books are no longer in the local Walmarts, the gossip being that Walmart went up on their rental prices to put a rack in the Walmarts! Gosh would a major company do that in this economy??? Like I said just rumor to me at this point, but rumors start problems for companies. I would not want to be Walmart if this rumor ends up being true!! I also heard that the photo books business is going down with the economy and housing market, so of course, they must cut the distribution of the books to cover the overhead!

We need this economy jump started and quick! Where is the help going to come from??

Prepare for Hurricane Season and MORE!

Many of us have weathered years of hurricane activity in Lakeland Florida and the surrounding areas of Bartow and Highland City. We find ourselves in the midst of another hurricane season (July – November), in which the forecasters are calling for an above average season! Just what we do not need!

I still have terrible memories of the year 3 Hurricanes crossed our path in a short amount of time! Seems like just as we began cleaning up from one – here came the next! I think many of us had become complacent with all the warnings and watches of previous years, that many people did not prepare at all.

This year I hope many people will heed the warnings and even prepare before any come our way. I have already had all our yard work and trees trimmed. The yard is cleared of unnecessary items. Yes, I did leave some basics out, of course. I am sure I will need the hose and trashcans in between now and a possible storm! The porch has been cleared of those items collected when you have children and just the basic furniture is left to deal with in an emergency situation.

Luckily, I have a garage to place the few items into when or if a storm heads towards Lakeland, Florida. Unfortunately, I have so much in my garage that my cars won’t fit! Not a good thing. So now comes the dilemma. “What can I do?” I have to determine what is in the best interest personally and financially.

I have cleaned out a lot of the “gunk” in the garage that has been collected by family members. There is still not enough room to protect my cars if a hurricane passes thru Lakeland. So the next question I have to ask myself is, “Do I really need all these things?” The mother in me says “NO!” “Now what do I do with the items I can part with?” If I lived in a subdivision that allowed garage sales – that would be my answer. But I don’t. I used to donate a majority of the items I wanted to get rid of – then again I look at the economy and another question forms. “Should I try to sell the items and get a little cash?” Ugh, that’s right can’t have a garage sale.

Back to the previous question then, “What do I do?” I guess the answer right now would be to move the items to a storage unit for safekeeping. Highlands Storage is right down the road and they provide inside climate controlled units and allow me access to my items 24/7. This will keep my items safe and yet I can go retrieve anything I need, anytime I want!

So, once I move the items to the storage unit, I will have space in my garage to park the cars and keep them safe during hurricane season. This will protect my cars from possible severe damage from flying debris if South Lakeland is in the path of another hurricane.

Another positive to moving the items to storage is the children will probably forget about a number of the items they just “HAVE” to keep! Out of sight out of mind may help me in the long run get rid of some more items. Unfortunately, it does not solve the “No Garage Sale” dilemma. Oh! But I have an idea, “what if” Highlands Storage had an inside Garage Sale one weekend? I think I found the answer. I cannot be the only person in all these subdivisions that wants to have a garage sale! Now, comes the organization of a new idea.

If you live in South Lakeland Florida and are interested in participating in an indoor garage sale – Highlands Storage in South Lakeland off 98 South, behind Barry Motor Sports and just down from the new Publix in Highland City, is going to start taking a list of persons interested so they can schedule a garage sale!! Yeah! You can contact them at 863-644-2391 or 863-644-2701 or email them info@highlandsstorage.com

I feel like I have accomplished a lot just sitting here and writing my blog today! I started with preparing for the 2008 Hurricane season to finding a place to have my garage sale! Today is going to be a good day.

I started this blog to go on my Inside Lakeland Florida Blog, but now I think it will be posted on about 3 blogs. Highlands Storage wants to include it in their tips blog and I think I will place it in my personal one too!

Realtors starting to get more calls!

I spoke with a Realtor over the weekend and she has started receiving more calls on properties! Hopefully this is a good sign. She mentioned that the news media had said some of the housing prices in Tampa have started to go up again and people may have missed their chance on the deals that were out there! Could it be?

I hope some people will start buying again to get in on the last specials - hopefully my condos! Actually now to think of it, I have gotten a couple of requests to rent my condos. Let's see if anyone really follows thru. At this point having renters are ok with me too. Anything to help in this economy!

Hope the news media was right and things will start looking up in Lakeland Florida too!

Couple of Condos I'd like off my hands!

I know Im like alot of other people in the Lakeland Florida area wanting to sell some real estate! But I thought while Im sitting here waiting like all the other sellers, I might as well let you know they are available.

The condos are actually in Mulberry Florida, which is right down the road. I have two different sizes. There is a 2/1 on the bottom floor that looks out at the golf course. The other is a 3/2 second floor looking over a pond in the back. Dont want to go into much detail - just give you an idea of what I have out there!

If anyone is interested Please Dont Hesitate to leave me a comment!!!

Home Scenting a Good Idea When Selling Your Home

Stop and smell your home!

Our senses become accustomed to the scent of our home whether good or bad. Therefore, we need to look at the options that are available to insure that the aroma is always pleasant to our family and friends.

Numerous products are offered for purchase to assist in providing your home a wonderful smell. Many scents are available; choose one that is pleasing to the entire family. You may like cinnamon, but your husband may have a major dislike to the scent. It is best to consider all members of the household before making the decision of which scent to use in your home.
Safety is a major factor in deciding how to scent your home. If children are included in the household, be careful as to the placement and type of products. Another couple of concerns may be allergies and breathing issues, such as asthma.

Ten Ideas and Products for scenting your home:

1. Potpourri is one of the oldest forms used to scent. It can be easily placed in a decorative bowls around your home, or hidden from view depending on your preference.

2. Incense are available in a wide variety of fragrant aromas. Consider the fact that these items burn and should not be placed near flammable material or in the reach of children. (Not only due to the heat, but the stick incense could end up being swords! You don't want any eyes poked out.)

3. Diffusers use the placement of absorbing sticks into bottles of essential or fragrance oils. Definitely situate these out of reach of animals and children. The bottles of oil can be easily knocked over by a child or the waging tail of one of your furry friends. The ingestion of some of the oils can also be very harmful.

4. Lamp rings with oil in them are placed around the light bulb. When the light heats up the aroma is spread around the room. This is a neat concept because it is not visible to the person visiting your home, yet produces a wonderful fragrance.

5. Air fresheners now come in a wide variety of options. Depending on the area you are trying to freshen up, there are plug-ins, sprays, and table top items available.

6. Baking cookies, cake, or cinnamon rolls are a wonderful way to make your home smell fresh and homey. The only draw back to this is someone has to eat them!

7. Placing cut-up citrus fruit on your kitchen counter can be a delicious aroma. Not only do you have a fragrant kitchen, but an afternoon snack!

8. Fresh flowers always give your home a wonderful bouquet. They are a great addition not only aroma wise but visually too.

9. Choose a spice you like from your cabinet and try boiling to see if you like the aroma.

10. Place white vinegar in a cup or a box of baking soda in the area you would like to have that just cleaned smell. You may want to take a small amount of bleach or pine cleaner and place in your bathroom to give that area the clean aroma. (Your friends and family will think you just took hours cleaning the bathroom just for their visit.)

Now that you have some ideas and products to consider when scenting your home, enjoy the process and try a number of them. You may find that a combination of products and ideas are suitable for your home. Even though you may like many fragrances try not to have too many within your home at one time, your sinuses may get confused!

Highlands Storage Under New Management

I stopped by Highlands Storage in South Lakeland yesterday, they are under New Management! The place looks great! Wow they are really showing that customer service is top priority. The ladies are putting forth a wonderful effort to insure that every customer receives the service they deserve.

The customer areas have been scrubbed and cleaned giving the aroma of cleanliness! I was very impressed by the diligence of the ladies.

If you are considering renting a storage unit in the South Lakeland Florida area, you need to go check them out in person and visit their website, www.highlandsstorage.com. They have also added to the website. They are now offering Internet Specials!

Finding a Realtor in Lakeland Florida (Polk County)

I know I’m stuck on the topic of real estate agents! It’s just these are the main people involved in the real estate transaction. Trust is the number one issue. I can not stress enough; you need to do your homework before choosing a Realtor.

I decided to surf the web a little and see what I could find out concerning sites to report your opinion about a real estate agent. I found a couple of sites that may be of interest to both buyers and sellers. These may not list ratings on Lakeland real estate agents, at this time. These maybe a good source in the future, if some of our local residents would provide input. Like I stated in one of my first blogs, people need to let others know if they encountered a problem with an agent or broker.

I do not mean to come across as negative, just concerned that the consumer makes an informed decision in a real estate transaction. Therefore, the more “real” input from customers is a necessity. Anyone can go on a site and place a positive rating, even the agent or a friend, so you can’t be sure the positive ones are “real”. But, the negative ones surely didn’t come from a “friend” so those you can at least cross off your list of possibilities.

Outrageousagents seems to be an informative site. There were no listings in the Lakeland area, but while reading the comments, they could have been some realtors in Lakeland! If you have had any bad experiences with a realestate agent in Lakeland – go post! Help the next person not to be caught in a messy real estate transaction. We need to help each other out here.

http://www.outrageousagents.com/

Realtorratingz seems to be another site that may be of interest in the future. At this time all the Lakeland FL real estate agents listed have not been rated. Hopefully some consumers will take advantage of the site and report their experiences. My only concern here is I happened to see a note on OutrageousAgents that a bad rating had been deleted from Realtorratingz, so beware a bit here. www.realtorratingz.com


I will continue my search for sites that may be of assistance to the Lakeland Florida consumers. If anyone has any suggestions, I am always willing to listen and investigate new sites.

Good Luck doing your Real Estate Agent (Realtor) homework!

Why You Need a Reputable Real Estate Agent in Lakeland Florida

Why you need a reputable realestate agent in Lakeland, Florida. I stumbled across this site called http://www.ripoffreport.com/, many of you may have already visited the site, but it was a first for me. Now, we always have to remember there are two sides to every story, but things like this do happen in Lakeland! So, I decided to link to the post regarding a Lakeland Real Estate Company and Realtor.

(http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/317/RipOff0317777.htm)

The above report was written by the buyer of a home in Lakeland. She states they paid for a termite inspection of the property purchased and they “trusted” their real estate agent when she told them there was no termite damage per the report. The consumer assumed that the Realtor would be honest. First mistake! Don’t take me wrong, there are many honest Realtors in Lakeland. That is just my sarcastic side coming out.

The consumer MUST request all inspection reports be given to them! They are the one paying the bill and the one purchasing the property – NOT the realtor or title company.

The title company is generally only going to receive the invoices regarding the inspections. On occasion the termite report and invoice are all in one, so the title agent in this case may have had the report too. The problem here is what title company was processing the closing. Remember the Seller usually chooses the title company. However, if this real estate agent also had the selling side, then it may have been closed at Keller Williams’ title company. Yes, they have one that does the majority of their closings! It is one of those Lakeland real estate companies that has a title company attached but under a different name, so the consumer must beware.

The real estate agent may not have been aware of the mold issue, unless a mold inspection was performed on the property. That is not a usual inspection for this area, but it should be. The termite problem on the other hand should have been discovered and the consumer notified.

If the consumer now has a copy of the termite report, she needs to do a few things. One she needs to contact the broker of Keller Williams of Lakeland and file a complaint. Not sure who is currently listed as the broker of that office, they have switched the names in the past!? I’m not one of their favorite people anyway, so I’ll just steer clear from naming names! She needs to contact the Lakeland Association of Realtors, Florida Association of Realtors, and the Florida Real Estate Commission and file complaints.

FREC (http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/re/frec.html)

Then if she is really 100% positive of the termite report she may want to make an appointment with an attorney. This will probably be her only option to receive the funds to cover her damages.

Important lesson learned – Buyer’s ask for you inspections!!!!

The Real Estate Market this Week in Lakeland Florida

Trying to sell your home in this Polk County buyer’s market? Be prepared for low-ball offers and none at all! It is crazy out there right now. People are looking for homes but many of the lookers are just that – looking for the unbelievable deal! Actually, some are getting it.

I happen to hear on the radio the other day; a Lakeland builder is offering a great mortgage rate just to be able to clear out the inventory he is sitting on! If you are seriously considering buying a new home, check out the market now. Get your ducks in a row and start looking. If you procrastinate you may find the market has changed while you weren’t looking! Don’t we all wish!

The parade of homes is in full swing this week. I didn’t have the chance to make the rounds, but I’m sure there are some amazing homes being shown. I hope that most of these homes were contracted and already have owners, because there are too many on the market. I see there is one for 2.5 Million – hope Hulbert had that one contracted before he built!

Good luck to all the builders that are showcasing their work.

More Houses to sell! Isn't There Enough in Lakeland Already?

Just a short note - The parade of homes is this starting on the 19th! Oh yes just what we need more houses up for sale! Well I hope they do well with the parade, everyone has to provide for their families.

I do enjoy visiting the homes and seeing what is new in the industry and the trends that are current. Even if you are not searching for a new home, you can get plenty of ideas. Then again if you are searching, you might just get a great price!

Have a fun time touring the Parade of Homes