Changing of the Oil - 01/31/08 07:18 PM
    
All who live in St Lucie County may want to know that the service dept. at the Wallace car dealership is again open.  Many of you may have read my blog yesterday in regards to my canceled appointment due to a fire in the service department there.  Well I successfully was able to get my car in and serviced today.  The service writer, Kelly, was very friendly and helpful.  Below you will find some pictures of the damaged area.  It affects less than half the service section of the building but is said to have about $300,000 in damage.
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Doin the Limbo - 01/31/08 12:33 PM
Or is it we are in Limbo??
Every week we have been dropping the prices of homes here in Port St Lucie.  With prices increasing from 20 - 30 % per year in the past some adjustment was needed.  But now I am finding that homes that were slowly appriciating prior to the boom are now devalued beyond prices from the pre-boom period.  If 5 % were the norm for appreciation, then a home that cost $100,000 in 2002 should be worth about $127,700 in today's market.  Instead many of those homes are now still only worth $100,000, and sometimes less to a … (1 comments)

4 - 3 -2 Nearly New CBS Pool Home on .39 Acre - 01/31/08 11:49 AM
Located East of US 1 convenient to schools, shopping, medical, restaurants and an easy drive to the beaches, near new Port St Lucie Town Center,  this 4 bedroom 3 bath, 2 car garage home has just over 2000 sq ft under AC and has formal living and dining rooms, family room, all appliances, master has roman tub and separate shower,  Price has just been reduced,  were asking $279,900 now listed at $254,500
Call for more information,  Jackie Cross, All Florida GMAC Real Estate, 772-971-8543
   
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Great Oversized Corner Lot -- Reduced to $58,000 - 01/31/08 11:36 AM
This large corner lot would be a great place if you are looking for extra space or have larger home to build, 
110' x 125' located on the corner of Sylvester and Thornhill,  seller has reduced price to $58,000
Call Jackie Cross of All Florida GMAC Real Estate, 772-971-8543
                 
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Southbend -Port St Lucie-Price reduced again... - 01/31/08 11:21 AM
Have a beautiful home in the Southbend Lakes area of Port St Lucie, this home sits on 1/3 acre lot with much privacy, over 2000 sq ft under AC and over 3000 total, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, CBS built by Mercedes, upgrades include tile throughout, kitchen with granite countertops, pantry, snck bar,  formal living & dining rooms, large family room, grand master bath with roman tub, seperate shower, dual sinks, screened porch and fenced rear yard, sprinkler system for the landscaped yard.....price is now only $219,000
 Please call me if you would like to view, Jackie Cross, All … (0 comments)

Not My Day.... - 01/30/08 11:01 AM

I've been trying for a month to get my car in for an oil change.  Scheduling is a real problem with my local dealership as an appointment is required.  With a realtors schedule constantly changing I keep missing the times they had available.  I even tried going a fast change oil business only to find that a special filter is required, not one of the norm.  They would not even order the filter and do the work.
Anyway I decided that even though I had 2 appointments so far today that I could keep my scheduled oil change.  My first appointment ran … (3 comments)

Optimist or Pessimist, Do I Be - 01/29/08 05:52 AM

Recently I took a PepoMeter quiz in a popular magazine.  I turned out to be a moderate optimist,  neither being a die-hard down in the dumper nor a bipolar sky diver.  Each morning we awake anew with what thoughts for the day?  Since I awoke at 3 AM this morning I've had some time already to contemplate what I need to do for the day, and the list seems immense.  Thankfully I have already completed 2 of the less desirable tasks, (so rewarded myself by going to Active Rain). 
Whether we are optimists or pessimists can depend on the time of … (4 comments)

A-m-e-n-d-m-e-n-t- O-n-e - 01/29/08 05:32 AM
Well today is the final day for those who are on the fence to decide whether they are for or against Amendment One, the Property Tax Reform that would give Floridians a much needed property tax relief.  The majority of those who I have spoken to are definitely for the amendment.  A few tell us it is giving us too little.  They would rather wait until a better solution is put on the ballot.  But would there be another chance?  If we say no to this amendment will the legislature be inclined to try again?  In my opinion I don't think that they … (2 comments)

It's Warm & Sunny - 01/26/08 05:49 PM
Hello to all,                                                    
Just watching the evening news an caught the weather report for the next week...   
It is to be warm & sunny most days with a nice northeasterly breeze..                ..
Highs in the upper 70's and lower 80's, mild nights in the 60's.
What more can you ask for....
If you are someplace cold right now we would loive to share.. there is plenty of sun to go around..
So come on down to the Treasure Coast and Port St Lucie....
Great beaches, fishing and boating, sunny days for playing golf, tennis, or just taking a nice stroll.
If you'd like a longer stay prices & … (0 comments)

Conquering Clutter....... - 01/26/08 05:54 AM
Well here I am again this morning, wondering what the day will bring.  Part of my early morning routine is to read through some of the many newspapers and magazines that I have set aside to read "when I get the time".  If I wake early as I do in many cases I can manage to read through at least one magazine.  A habit I picked up (at the advice of someone in one of the magazines) is to tear out any article that looks interesting to reread later.  Wow you can not imagine how many interesting articles there are now … (6 comments)

There is a glitch in the law.... - 01/23/08 11:47 AM
Though the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act which President Bush signed into law will help many I find that it will not help all.  If you have refinanced your home since buying it and took out additional monies, even for improvements, you will not qualify for the debt relief if you sell through a short sale.  It seems that it must be what they call a debt discharged though acquisition short sale. 
An example of this would be that I bought my home did extensive remodeling and refinanced taking out cash to pay off the improvements.  If I sell through a … (0 comments)

Still too warm for polar bears..... - 01/18/08 06:01 PM
The end of another beautiful day in south Florida.  They keep promising us cooler weather but on my drive to Palm Beach County today it was 85 and sunny.  It was slightly cooler on the drive back to St Lucie County on the Treasure Coast, only 75, most likely since to was cloudier.  Reminded me of when I lived in Michigan and everyone had a saying,"  If you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes and it will change".  I for one would enjoy a little more of the cooler weather so we can turn off our AC for a … (1 comments)

It's warm in the south... - 01/18/08 10:07 AM
    To those in the north.....
We are having one of the warmest winters I can remember.  Temps today are to reach low 80's.  We welcome those form the north this time of year. 
So close up those northern homes and come on down and visit the Treasure Coast...
.....warm sunny beaches & no snow or ice.
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Spoken like a true politian... - 01/18/08 09:55 AM
Monthly at our office we hold a RE forum to learn about what is going on in our community. At this month's meeting we had a St Lucie County commissioner speak to us as to why we should Vote NO to the amendment to reduce RE taxes.  This amendment is on the ballot for new Tuesday the 29th.  His opinion is that it will hurt services we expect to be provided;  fire fighters, police officers, jails, court houses, etc...  He spoke very proudly of all the projects he has approved and accomplishments he has made while in office. He also mentioned … (1 comments)

Port St Lucie - Research Center Announcement - 01/10/08 07:20 AM
It was announced Tuesday that second major player in the life sciences field will be locating in Port St Lucie.  Oregon Health & Science University Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute will be building a 130,000 square foot location near the Torrey Pines Institute.  Also announced was the Mann Research Center would build a 400,000 facility as well.  I am told that over the next 10 years Oregon Health & Science Univerity will employ 200.  No numbers were given for Mann Research Institute. 
We here welcome any and all such endeavors to bring us jobs of a higher quality.  The trickle down effect that … (0 comments)

Canadian Geese - 01/09/08 07:01 AM
 
Last week a flock of robbins passed through my yard driving the cat crazy with anticiapation.  Letting the cat out this morning I could hear squawking.  The canadian geese are flying through which means it is really getting cold in the north.  They flew overhead calling to each other to join in formation for flight.   
As I line up my schedule for the day I think back to days when we had to shovel the driveway, put on winter coats, boots, scarfs, mittens, just to go outside and begin our day.   Now we get up to blue skies and tempertures predicted in the upper … (3 comments)

Reduced...Below Replacement Cost - 01/05/08 10:31 AM
Seller is retiring and is ready to move on.....
Beautiful 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home with extra square footage,                                                over 2300 Sq Ft under AC, over 3000 Total under roof.
This home was built in 2005 and has many upgrades, tile in most living areas, large kitchen with breakfast area, pantry, all appliances, snack bar, upgraded cherrywood cabinets, there is a grand master bath with roman tub and separate shower, formal living & dining rooms, large family room, extra breakfast area for dining with french doors leading to the screen porch which overlooks the private rear yard, with decorative fencing, fruit trees … (0 comments)

Snowbirds are Flocking - 01/05/08 10:10 AM
Robins covered my yard again this morning drivng my cat crazy with their chirping.  They are among just one of the groups to fly through on their way south.  Many other groups have now arrived here in Florida as well.  Snowbirds as we sometimes call them, those who come to get out of the cold north and spend the winters here.
Another less known group are arriving as well, they are also snowbirds getting away from the cold.  These are the homeless who migrate to the warmer south.  This morning I passed a few.  One a younger man with his bedroll wrapped … (1 comments)

$5000 a Week for Life..... - 01/03/08 07:49 AM
Just opening the last of yesterdays mail, an envelope from Publishers Clearing House.  They are giving me $5000 a week for life.  Of course I must enter and become the winner.  They will even tell me how to invest the money I win.  I could be famous appearing on TV.  Odds of winning 1 in 505,000,000.  And how many people live in the US?  Must be a lot of foreigners entering as well.
Used to be that there were magazine coupons in the envelope, today it is everything from jewelry to storage containers.  Page after page of the items you may never need even … (15 comments)

Oh Baby It's Cold Out There - 01/03/08 05:08 AM
Got up early this morning to see just how cold.  Well it's not cold in some people's opinion as we live in Florida.  But when they say it might snow here then I for one want to be up to see it.  Turns out that it is above freezing, at 34 we most likely won't see any flurries after all.  (Though it is only 26 in Jacksonville and they may.)
I am actually from Michigan, last living in the Gaylord area.  I truly miss it at times but know how hard it can be to get up and go to work knowing … (6 comments)

So who works the Holidays?? - 01/02/08 02:19 PM
Unbelieveable that so many people will call even on Christmas day.  But do you or don't you proceed to show a listing even if it is Christmas Day, Labor Day or any other holiday?  I have actually found that those people who are out looking on holidays are more serious buyers than most.  They aren't just out looking for something to do because they are bored.  I had 2 calls on Christmas and a return visit by one of the buyers on New Years day.  Both times we wrote contracts.  So I for one will continue to work on the holidays, … (2 comments)

Happy New Year - 01/02/08 02:10 PM
Just wanting to wish everyone out there a "Happy New Year". 
 **Also that our company name has changed, we are now part of GMAC Real Estate, 
All Florida GMAC Real Estate
All other information and contacts are the same. 
Again have a "Happy and Prosperous New Year"
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