I have to confess that I love football and even though I grew up in the Seattle area, I have been a Dolphins fan since I moved to Central Florida 24 years ago, when the only Florida team was the Dolphins and in my mind still is.  I’m very excited that the Shula organization has chosen Lake Mary as their new home, their reputation for a quality dinning experience is a welcome addition to our community.

Click here for a link to Shula’s 347 Grill Website or Phone: 407-531-3567

Check back for my review of Shula’s 347 Grill in Lake Mary…  “Coming Soon”

Lake Mary couldn’t ask for a better weekend to host the 2009 Arts Festival at Oval Park. The weather should be fantastic and help make this event a “must” in your weekend plan.  There is something for everyone; a children’s area, classic car show, crafts, jewelry, fine art, photography and more.

I like to kick off my Christmas Shopping here and look for unique gifts for friends and family.  Want to make a day of it?  There are great restaurants in the area to sit outside at and enjoy lunch and maybe even a cocktail…  I’m going to head over to Colonial TownPark for a quick bite myself and an awesome Bloody Mary at Dexter’s – if I don’t see a Funnel Cake with my name on it at the Arts Festival first.

For more information about the Lake Mary Festival of the Arts 2009 and directions, please click here.

Lake Mary Events Center

Wednesday 11/04/09 from 9am – 1pm

Visit the 2nd Annual Lake Mary Health Extravaganza at the Lake Mary Events.  I’ll be stopping by tomorrow for my own bone density testing and blood pressure check.  This is a free event for the community, an opportunity to meet your neighbors and local health professionals.  I hope to see you there.

Free Health Screenings Available:

• Bone Density Testing
• Memory Testing
• Blood Pressure Testing
• Glucose Testing
• Balance Testing

Local Health Care providers will be available to answer questions too.

$100 Cash Grand Prize

Food Tasting & Door Prizes

Please contact Michelle Flipin @ 407-585-1428 for more information.

Map to & Address of the Lake Mary Events Center:

View Larger Map

A “Hot Topic” in Central Florida is WATER!  From the dispute over Seminole County wanting to pull water from the river for the growing population to bottling companies pulling water from the aquifer to sell for a profit.  Water is a valuable resource, like it or not, we all have to conserve.

Changes Effective NOVEMBER 1, 2009

There are EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES and you can read them by clicking here.

For more information about the St. Johns River Water Management District click here.

For Tips on How To Save Water – Visit “Florida’s Water – It’s Worth Saving”

Lake Mary City Hall

Saturday ~ October 31, 2009 ~ 5 to 8 PM

Bring your little “gools & goblins” to Central Park at Lake Mary City Hall on Saturday Night for a Happy Halloween Experience…

Activities Include:

• Costume Contest
• Candy & Toys
• Games
• Music
• Safe “Trick or Treating”

Need directions or a map to Lake Mary City Hall and Central Park?  Just click here…

Lake Mary tops the list of Best Small Towns in Florida for 2009 and is #96 in The Country according to CNN / Money Magazine.

Top Reasons Lake Mary is #1 in Florida:

• Nicknamed “the Little Silicon Valley” for the number of technology companies that call Lake Mary home.
• Top Rated Schools
• Farmer’s Market
• Recreational Facilities
• Shopping & Restaurants
• Movie Theaters
• Quality Housing

If you are considering making a move to the #1 Small Town to live in, please give me a call…

Why are some Bank Owned Homes for sale in Lake Mary priced so low?

No one will argue that these are trying times…  The economy, housing market and health care are on the minds of many.  Homebuyers today are looking for the best deals and often this means that they are interested in Bank Owned Homes / Foreclosures.

Bank Owned homes are selling… and they are selling fast.

There is a reason that many of the foreclosures that go on the market sell within days or even hours, the Bank that owns these homes prices the homes under market value.

Why do banks under price their foreclosure inventory?

• The Bank just want to get the nonperforming asset off the books.

- or -

• The Bank wants to generate a lot of interest in the property with the “low” price with the desire to create a multiple offer situation, therefore driving the sales price upward.

I have been involved in so many multiple offer situations involving foreclosures within in the past year that I’ve lost count.  Some successful, but many are not.  Homes that seemed to be priced “to good to be true” were, with the offers coming in far above the list price and buyers left wondering “what if”…

If you are considering buying a bank owned home in Seminole  County, realize that the “list price” may just be the opening bid and that if you really want to purchase the home you may have to make a considerably higher offer.

Note – Every situation is different, if you are considering purchasing a bank owned home please seek the advice of a professional.

Everyone is talking about Buying a Foreclosure Property…

But, you will quickly see in this video why Lake Mary is starting to earn a new reputation as the town to retire in.

The City of Lake Mary is offering a FREE service to area residents to stay informed of local developments including:

• Missing Persons or Children Alerts
• Traffic Alerts
• Local Emergencies (Hurricane, Tornadoes, etc.)
• Boil Water Alerts
• Street Closures

This is a very valuable service from the City of Lake Mary, I’ve already signed up…  Now if I can only get them to start using Twitter my life would be complete!

I get this question about once a day from Lake Mary homebuyers.  Most people assume that because they hear “short sale” it must mean that it takes a “short” amount of time to buy the home.  Unfortunately, it is often times not a short period of time at all.

A short sale typically refers to a property that is for sale, where the homeowner owes more to the mortgage holder(s) than what the current market value of the home.  The mortgage holder(s) has to agree to take less money for the payoff the mortgage than what they are owed, hence the term “short sale” refers to the bank being “shorted” on their payoff.  Sometimes there are two mortgages (1st and 2nd mortgage) and the first mortgage can be paid in full from the proceeds of the sale but the second cannot, often times the second mortgage holder will not accept the balance of the proceeds from the sale and effectively terminates the sale because of their resistance to take less money than they are owed.

There are what seems to be an endless amount of scenarios that could be possible in a short sale, but one thing remains the same, it often takes weeks or even months to negotiate acceptable terms with the mortgage holder(s) to facilitate the sale.

Often times, the only thing that is “short” during a “short sale” is your patience.

If you are considering purchasing a short sale in Lake Mary or Seminole County Florida please refer to these valuable resources:

Buying  A Lake Mary Short Sale?  Buckle Your Seat Belt…

Understanding Lake Mary Short Sales