Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg, Florida - 03/31/11 12:27 AM
 
Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg 3-27-2011 16
It was absolutely amazing to attend the events surrounding the Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg this past weekend. On Thursday, my business meeting downtown with clients just happened to end shortly before the night parade began. I thought that I might as well stay since most of the streets were blocked off for the parade & getting home would be a bit of hassle. The parade was followed by food, music, various vendors & fireworks. All of this was held throughout downtown along the waterfront parks. What a great way for the … (0 comments)

The Healthiest Country in the World - 03/29/11 01:24 PM
Interesting article from International Living Magazine.    C'est la joie de vie! Maybe looking at life through rose colored wine glasses helps, after all.
The Healthiest Country in the WorldBy Eoin Bassett
The healthiest country in the world is France. That might surprise you about a country that places such an emphasis on delicious food, savory meat dishes, creamy sauces, delicate cakes, sweets and pastries, fine wines and barrel-aged brandy.
But the low cost of health insurance and the superb quality of care means France romps to victory in the health category of International Living's Quality of Life Index 2011.
Life expectancy … (3 comments)

Honda Grand Prix of St Petersburg, Florida-March 25-27th - 03/24/11 03:00 PM
The 2011 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins today, Thursday, March 24 with festivities & activites to celebrate the start of the IZOD IndyCar Series season. There are many things happening besides the actual races including driver appearances & autographs, air shows with helicopters, stunt planes & jumping, music, food, Festival of the States parade, fireworks, a giant ferris wheel, kids activites, interactive activities, and many charitable causes. The cars start their practices at 8am on Friday with the races ending Sunday evening. Even though I am about 10 minutes from downtown, the way the noise drifts over the water, I can hear the cars from my house. … (0 comments)

Saving Gas - 03/24/11 01:03 PM
With the gasoline prices rising almost daily, I thought a few tips on saving gas might be useful. I have also included a link  to a site that locates the lowest gas prices in the USA &  Canada.
From an article found in the AARP Bulletin
Q. Thanks for the information about wasting gas while idling the car. What else really saves fuel, and what are just hyped myths?
A. The best way to cut fuel costs, of course, is to drive a car that gets good mileage. That said, the easiest way to cut gas costs for any car is … (2 comments)

City of Clearwater Honored with 2010 Recreational Boating Access Award for Downtown Boat Slip Project - 03/22/11 11:43 PM
NEWS from BoatUSBoat Owners Association of The United States880 S. Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304BoatUS Press Room at www.BoatUS.com
Clearwater Marina
 
 
Photo Caption: The City of Clearwater's new downtown boat slip project brings boater spending to local businesses.
 CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Sometimes the road to improving boating access for a community is filled with curves and stop signs. In Clearwater, Florida, that long road goes back to 2000 when the first public referendum on building a new public dock facility failed. City officials went back to the drawing board and finally achieved success with a third referendum in 2007 that … (1 comments)

Take It Outside: Perfect Spaces - 03/21/11 12:01 AM
Awwww, spring...
The following articles & links are from DIY Network & HGTV.
Beautify your outdoor living spaces with decorating tips, inspirational pictures and easy how-tos.
1 Dreamy Spaces   Outdoor Oasis
Plan an outdoor oasis with tips on lighting, room design and more.
Outdoor Room Design  From DIY Network
2 Guide to Outdoor Design
Browse photos, see before-and-after makeovers and discover hardscaping ideas and water features.
A Room Just for You
From HGTV
3 Style In Season
Browse photos of gorgeous outdoor rooms submitted by the country's top designers.
Pretty Rooms
From HGTV
4 Fast Fixes
Make updates to outdoor spaces based on … (2 comments)

Things to do in the St Pete-Tampa Bay Area this weekend - 03/18/11 10:27 PM
2011 NCAA Basketball Championships
Saturday, March 19 at 8 a.m.
 
St. Pete Times Forum 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa FL 33602 The University of South Florida hosts the 2011 NCAA men's basketball second and third rounds. Teams scheduled to play include West Virginia, either UAB or Clemson, Kentucky, Princeton, Florida, Cal-Santa Barbara, UCLA and Michigan State. Price: $77 for one day (2 games)-$216 (all six games).Phone: (813) 301-2500  
March 19 Saturday 8:30 a.m. Chalk Walk Festival
This 3rd year features some 60 sidewalk artists who will create artwork in designated squares. Food and entertainment. Free. Old Hyde Park Village 1622 W Snow … (1 comments)

Irish Castle Vacations on the Cheap - 03/17/11 11:51 PM
Shoot! Maybe I should have celebrated St Patrick's Day in Ireland. This sounds so cool.  And then I could finally find my knight in shining armor, too.The following article was written by Steenie Harvey for International Living
Bare trees, a spectral moon behind scurrying clouds, mist skeins rising above Lough Meelagh. It's a winter night for comforts: a blazing fire, fine food, hot whiskeys...
If you fantasize about enjoying such comforts in an historic castle, now's the time to visit Ireland. Thanks to the recession, rates for heritage properties have plummeted.
My own Irish cottage is severely lacking in crystal chandeliers and suits of … (2 comments)

Get your green on-Happy St Patrick’s Day!! - 03/17/11 01:48 AM
Make sure that you wear your green today! As the sign on the Guinness beer warehouse in Dublin Ireland says, everyone is Irish on March 17th.

Guinness Storehouse St Patrick's Day sign
 
Believe it or not, blue was the color originally associated with Saint Patrick. But over the years the color gradually changed to green. It is believed that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish because of the plant's 3 leaves. Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn as a sign of celebration on St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century.
In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day … (2 comments)

Foreclosures Post Biggest Drop on Record - 03/14/11 10:39 AM
I found this in my mailbox this morning. Slowly, slowly, inch by inch, it is getting a little bit better out there. Great way to start the day & the week, though. Thanks!
Daily Real Estate News  |  March 10, 2011  |  
 The number of foreclosure notices filed in February declined 14 percent compared with last month, and foreclosure notices dropped 27 percent compared to last year at this time. That marks the largest year-over-year decline that RealtyTrac, a foreclosure tracking site, has ever recorded.
The number of U.S. homes in some stage of foreclosure fell drastically last month, reaching a 36-month low, RealtyTrac reports.
… (2 comments)

The tax benefits of homeownership - 03/14/11 12:04 AM
Real Estate Tax Talk   By Stephen FishmanQ: How can real estate agents be a resource for buyers on tax issues, such as the tax benefits of buying vs. renting?
A: Unless a real estate broker or agent is a bona fide tax professional - for example, has an MBA or other specialized training in taxation - he or she should not give clients detailed tax advice. As a real estate professional, you are licensed to help your clients buy real estate - not serve as their professional tax adviser.
If you give tax advice and it turns out to be wrong, … (4 comments)

Safety for Mexico Homes in Merida Recognized; Airport Security - 03/11/11 08:13 AM
I have traveled to the Yucatan several times including Merida. The airport security was very thorough, the people extremely friendly & I freely roamed the city without any concerns to my safety. Being a taller, blonde woman, I did stand out quite a bit so I could have been an easy target. I found this recently posted blog & it accurately describes the area.

Plaza & shops in Merida, Mexico, Annalisa Weller
 
Posted by: Thomas Lloyd  Feb 2011
When buying a Mexico home, North Americans who haven't spent much time in this country may be concerned about security. However, many … (1 comments)

Chicken Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico - 03/09/11 11:20 PM
 

The Temple of Kukulkan, Chichen Itza, Mexico 10-2010 Annalisa Weller
 
When I was in the 5th grade we studied the Mayans, Aztecs & Incas. I was particularly drawn to the Mayans. I dreamed of someday going to Chichén Itza to see the great pyramid, the observatory & of course, the unbelievably huge ball court. The photo of the stone hoops carved with intertwining serpents high up the side of the stone walls that was in our history of the Americas school book fascinated me.  I promised myself back then that I would see it in person someday. Finally, I did go to experience Chichén Itza this … (2 comments)

More Americans Confident About Home Ownership - 03/09/11 12:40 PM
Americans are more confident about the stability of home prices than they were at the beginning of 2010, according to Fannie Mae's latest national housing survey, conducted between October 2010 and December 2010.. And when it comes to home ownership, younger Americans are particularly optimistic, the survey finds.
Nearly 80 percent of all respondents, including home owners and renters, surveyed said they thought housing prices would hold steady or increase over the next 12 months-which is up from 73 percent in January 2010. In fact, survey respondents expressed more confidence over the stability of home prices than they did about the … (1 comments)

The Greatest Acoustic Blues Americana Show on Earth! - 03/06/11 11:57 PM
 

Last night I drove the 5 minutes from my house to The Palladium Theater in downtown St Pete to enjoy an incredible evening of music. The Palladium Theater, built in 1925 in the Romanesque Revival style, as the First Church of Christ, Scientist, was filled to capacity. (In 1998 it became a theater for the Florida Orchestra with the original 1926 Skinner organ remaining in the building.)  A friend of mine, Roy Book Binder put the show together & also emceed it with great humor.  Not only were we treated to 4 hours of  incredible music & story telling but also a musical history of … (0 comments)

Things to do this weekend in the St Petersburg-Tampa Bay area - 03/05/11 12:26 AM
Bay Area Renaissance Festival
Saturday, March 5 at 10 a.m.
 
Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)  4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa FL 33617  wizards, warriors and commoners populate this replica of a 16th century village with entertainment on multiple stages, street theater, live armored contact jousting, human chess matches, art, craft and other vendors, fire-eaters and more. Price: $14.95 advance, $6.95 ages 5-12 advance; $17.95 at the gate, $14.95 seniors at the gate, $9.95 ages 5-12 at the gate; $10 per pet. Phone: (813) 983-0111  http://www.bayarearenaissancefest.com/ More dates: March 6 10 a.m., March 11 10 a.m., March 12 10 a.m. … (2 comments)

Mayakoba rolls out red carpet for PGA Tour - 03/03/11 10:31 PM
In October, the Pinellas International Council held a trade mission to the Cancun-Playa del Carmen-Cozumel area of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. For one week we toured several absolutely gorgeous properties including the Mayakoba resort and Iberostar. There are many wonderful vacation & second home opportunities there. I came across this article about the PGA tour being held at the Mayakoba resort.
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MIKE BAILEY, TravelGolf.com   Posted 02/23/2011, 9:25 AM EST 
 


Mayakoba-El Camaleon Golf Course hole 7
  The par-3 7th at El Camaleon Golf Club (Fairmont Resorts photo Courtesy of Fairmont Mayakoba )                 
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico - While much of the golf world this week is … (0 comments)

Electric Vehicles:Myths vs. Reality - 03/01/11 10:57 PM
Yesterday several of us in the office were discussing electric cars partly because a dealership opened up next door to our office in January.  One side was convinced that electric vehicles were going to be worse for individuals because their electric bills would increase tremendously. The other side pointed out that the gasoline bills would decrease enough to make up for the increase in electrical bills. Some were concerned about the environment while others were only concerned with how it affected them personally & financially. I actually would love to be able to buy a solar & electric vehicle just to be-bop around town.  After all, I do … (2 comments)