Coral Springs Florida Garden Fest is getting ready to bloom again and welcomes all gardeners.

For many years now Coral Springs has hosted The Garden Club of Coral Springs with it's annual Garden Fest. It's the perfect time of year to start thinking of how we're going to spruce up our homes landscaping or perhaps enliven a favorite area in our home that delights in growing orchids and other plants.

You'll find common South Florida tropical favorites and even rarer plants to take home and enjoy. Feel free to come on by and browse the many number of booths and don't be afraid to ask them questions. If you're an Orchid lover yet haven't had much success at growing them, come by and talk to the experts and try your hand at Orchid growing again.

You'll find beautiful orchids, many native plants, unusual ferns, wonderful roses, palms, succulents, herbs and many other plants. In addition, you'll also find some nice art for your yard along with lovely fountains.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 – 9 am to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012 – 10 am to 4 p.m.

It's being held again this year at Riverside Park of Coral Springs. 205 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33071
Near the C-14 canal.

What is bigger your Dream or your Giant? Dreams come in all shapes and sizes so why is it that Giants always seem to be just so BIG?!

Dreams are favored by Aerosmith in their song; Dream on, Dream on, Dream until your Dreams come true. A song that may encourage us during tough times.

Have you ever faced a Giant in your life? I know I have and sometimes it's all that you can do to muster the strength to overcome your Giant yet, if you have a Dream, eventually the Dream can win out.

There are a lot of Giants all around us particularly, when it comes to the Real Estate Market. We've seen the Giant pulling down home market values here in South Florida for many years now. This Giant affects so much more as it's a ripple affect knocking on homeowners doors county by county. It isn't selective as it affects young and old, educated and not, big and little.   

Just listen to the stories of homeowners who can't make their mortgage  payments, the homeowners who can't sell their home to move as they owe more than what their home is worth, the single mother who has trouble putting food on the table for her young children, the senior who chooses between food or medicine, the father who gives up his dream of sending his son to college.

Hey wait a minute, put on the brakes and bring out your DREAM. Unleash your DREAM on your Giant. Dream on, Dream on, Dream on until your Dream comes true and your Giant has been squelched.  Never ever quit...you have it in you and remember you're not alone.

Pay attention to the Warning Lights when selling your South Florida home?

When a homeowner decides to sell their home here in South Florida, they're going to have a lot of expectations. I too, as a South Florida Real Estate Agent, will have expectations in getting the homeowners home sold.

To set the stage up front when selling a home, here's what Sellers can expect to happen:

1. The Seller will have no showings
2. The Seller will have showings, but no offers
3. The Seller's home sells fast and for top dollar.

All Sellers are going to expect #3, right?! So what are the Warning Lights when #3 doesn't happen? Warning Lights can come from Buyer's feedback after they've viewed the Seller's home such as;

1. The Buyer thought the Seller's home was too small means they found larger homes for the same price
2. The Buyer liked the Seller's home but bought another means they found another home for a better value
3. The Buyer did not like the carpet in the home means the carpet is likely worn, wrong color and should consider replacing.
4. The Buyer thought the yard was too small and the street was just too busy means they found homes with larger yards on more peaceful streets
5. The Buyer thought the Seller's home needed some work means the Seller should consider doing repairs or neutralizing home

These Warning lights can suggest that the Sellers home is not priced at the right price point to be the best value in their price range.

Well-priced properties generate immediate interest among Buyers and if the price is too high, that interest and excitement will never happen. Plus, if you later decide to reduce the price, the level of excitement is not the same as what a newly listed home will generate.

Warning Lights most often mean the price is not right. Let's look a bit closer at some well known facts about finding a Buyer for a Seller's home:

• Grab Buyer's attention right away. Buyers and their Agents have seen all the Listing currently on the market and they're just waiting for a new Listing to come to market to get them excited. The highest level of activity on a new listing will occur during the first 30 days. The best offers will come during this time period as any new interest will only come when a new Buyer starts looking to buy a home and will enter the market.
• Find Qualified Buyers. When the Seller's home is not priced right they won't be receiving qualified Buyers interest as they'll be looking at homes that are within their price range; what they're approved to buy. The Seller's home is priced out of their range and they won't even get a chance to notice the Sellers over priced home as they're not looking in the higher price range. Make sense?
• Don't sell the Competition's homes. Overpricing of a Seller's home only helps the competition by pointing out the good value of the competition's homes. They'll say, "Hey, Buyer look at our home price less than {your} home...our home is comparable for a much better value"
• Buyer's will ask; How long has this home been on the market? They'll wonder if something is wrong with the Seller's home for having been on the market for so long even after later when the Seller has reduced the price. It is often too late, as the reputation of this Seller's home is now cast in stone. The Seller also loses on having an upper hand in negotiating.

So what does it all mean in a nutshell? If you're selling your home and you want to receive top dollar and fast, make sure you work together with your REALTOR® to get your home priced right from day one and who knows it may even spark a bidding war which can be common place in a home priced right to sell. Happy Selling!

Are you a teen and like to cook? Coral Springs Florida annual Teen Cook Off is coming

Living here in Coral Springs, you may recall me reporting to you over the past 2 years about the fun & tasty Coral Springs Teen Cook Off.  The third cook off event is going on this coming weekend February 4th at 10:00 a.m.

Where is the Coral Springs Teen Cook off? This year, all the measuring, mixing and preparation is taking place at Coral Spring's Sportsplex, located at 2575 Sportsplex Drive. The theme this year is Barbequeing where all of the participants will be given the same ingredients provided by Whole Foods Market on University Drive in Coral Springs. 

What's on the menu? How does Barbeque Ribs and a side dish sound? The teens will have a grill for them to cook on and will simply need to bring charcoal to get their grill fired up.

Cooking teams will be made up of 2 to 6 teens and the judging begins at 2:00 p.m.

The teams have already been selected yet, come on by to see the Barbeque contest while you enjoy the sights and smells of the Barbeque and maybe, if you're lucky you'll get to sneak a bite; I can't promise it but, you never know.  Regardless, come on by to cheer the teens on. Who knows, maybe you and the rest of Coral Springs will be watching a future Iron Chef!

Traits of a Short Sale advocate. What should you look for in a person who has promised to help you avoid foreclosure and sell your home as a Short Sale? Does it really matter? You bet it does. What traits should you look for in your Short Sale REALTOR®

Experience. Doesn’t everyone benefit when an experienced person is on your side no matter what the task? Sure and some times experience really does matter when so much is at stake. You want to know that they possess a great deal of knowledge. You’re likely selling your home as a Short Sale here in South Florida because you’re trying to avoid foreclosure. You cannot risk an inexperienced Short Sale REALTOR® being given the task to get your home listed and sold as a Short Sale. Experience can be important in a Traditional Real Estate sale yet not as critical as selling your home as a Short Sale where a lot more risk is involved. You want to know how long has the Short Sale REALTOR® been selling homes as Short Sales, how many homes have they listed for sale as a Short Sale AND how many have the actually closed; what’s their rate of closing Short Sales?

Determination. When selling homes as Short Sales, a Short Sale REALTOR® must have the inherent ability of determination as they’re going to need a lot of determination in getting the Short Sale approved when likely faced with many obstacles to include the ever present “No”. The “No” must be reviewed as a welcome challenge to turn the “No” to a “YES”. They will be determined in that they Never Never give up.

Negotiating Skills. Negotiation Skills can frequently be coined an Art. Not everybody has the ability to negotiate yet if you are lacking in Negotiation Skills you won’t be successful with Short Sales. Can this trait be learned? Perhaps, but do you want them to be in training with you?

Organization. Preparing to negotiate a Short Sale on behalf of a Distressed Seller requires great organization skills as the Short Sale REALTOR® will be dealing with a great number of financial documents and they must be organized. A complete Short Sale Package will need to be presented on your behalf and it must be thorough, compelling and complete. This is a key Short Sale component.

Passion. Perhaps one of the most important traits in my opinion. When a Short Sale REALTOR® possesses genuine Passion in wanting to help the Distressed Seller, they will incorporate all of the above traits into their Short Sale strategic system for optimum results. Passion includes the true desire to help a Seller and to find great satisfaction in knowing that they had a part in making a difference; can’t place a price tag on that.

Are you being pestered by Should I stay or Should I go?              

Selling your home in Coral Springs and other South Florida towns? What is badgering you while you try to decide on whether or not you should stay or go?

• Are you moving up because you and your family are bursting at the seams?
• If you're bursting at the seams and you want to move to a larger home, you couldn't have picked a better time to move when home prices are at attractive low prices
• This move will be dependent upon how you're sitting with your current home: Do you have equity in your home to be able to move? Do you know your home's value? This can be critical in determining whether or not you can make the move to a larger home.

• Are you downsizing as all the kids are grown and now the home echoes of emptiness?
• When it's now just you and your spouse left at home, you wonder why should you spend so much time and money caring for a large home now.
• This move will also be dependent upon how you're sitting with your current home: Do you have equity in your home.
• The home's selling price that you're downsizing from won't be as critical compared to if you're moving up: you're buying a smaller home so you'll likely need less money for your new home purchase.

• Or are you experiencing a financial hardship like far too many distressed South Florida Sellers and you are having a hard taking making your mortgage payments or are living paycheck to paycheck?
• If you're experiencing a financial hardship like some 20%-45% of all Coral Springs home sales with other South Florida cities experiencing similar sales, your decision will likely be based on things other than what price you can get for your home. You may just be trying to avoid foreclosure looking for foreclosure options.
• Selling your home as a Short Sale may be an option for you and you should contact a Short Sale Specialist; make sure you ask the right questions of the Short Sale Specialist such as: how long have they been selling homes as Short Sales, how many homes have they listed and sold as a Short Sale and what is their Short Sale closing ratio. The answers to these questions are critical to your Short Sale success.

These are are 3 different scenarios that are playing out to many South Florida homeowners on whether or not they should sell their house. Don't try to solve it on your own; ask for assistance. Find out your homes value, the values of homes you can see yourself living in or if you're fighting to avoid foreclosure, know your options.

 Seek help and you shall find answers to your pestering circumstances.

What do Kitchens and Eggs have in common?

When you're trying to sell your home, they really can have a lot in common.

There are times when you visit a homeowner who is trying to sell their home and there home looks like a "Scrambled Egg"; everything is  higgledy-piggledy, messy and not flowing but, all chopped up. It can go far beyond just the Kitchen too. I can understand how our lives are so busy and sometimes trying to keep everything in our homes in order, can be quite challenging between working, caring for children and perhaps parents, there sometimes just isn't isn't enough time left for the home. However, when you're trying to sell your home and presenting it as a "Scrambled Egg" isn't going to get you the top dollar and it will be difficult to attract an interested Buyer.

So what can be done to bring your home all together? How about these simple tips:

• Clean, clean, clean and then clean.
• Make sure your furniture is arranged for a Buyer to be able to walk easily through your home.
• Keep the dishes washed and out of the sink and off the countertops. 
• Keep your Kitchen countertops clutter free with only your daily used appliances out such as Coffee pot, teapot, etc
• Do the same de-cluttering of your Bathroom countertops ... just have decorative items out. Hide those tooth brushes.
• Towels folded and hung nicely.
• Beds made nicely.
• Keep clothes in closet or in dirty hamper hid away.
• Are your closets overstuffed? Empty them out so it doesn't look like your home lacks storage
• Open the blinds and curtains. Let there be light.
• Whatever else you think will make your home shine

Now if you do all of this above, your Kitchen and the rest of your home can come out looking like the next type of Egg, the "Sunny Side Up Egg"; orderly, shiny, bright, flowing just right.

 Keep your home Like the "Sunny Side Up Egg" and you'll have a much better chance of attracting Buyers and selling your home for Top Dollar; any Sellers desire, I know.

Where everybody knows your name...Whole Foods Market of Coral Springs Florida.

Okay, so maybe I'm fudging it just a bit, but many do at least know my face as I love Whole Foods Market for my grocery shopping. Do you?

I use the reusable shopping bags and I'm happy when I haven't forgotten them at home.  Whenever you use your own shopping bags, Whole Foods Market will donate 10 cents to a few Charities that you can select from and now beginning today, January 15th, you can select to "Donate your Dime" to Coral Spring's own, Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital. 

Have you ever visited Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital? They're great! They rescue and care for so many wildlife animals. You should meet the kind and generous staff who run on help from a lot of volunteers.  In fact, my son occasionally volunteers there. They have such a need for support and your donations to them with your dime from Whole Foods Market in Coral Springs would really help out.

So the next time you're shopping at Whole Foods Market and you brought your own bags, remember to help out Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital with "Donate a Dime" from your bag. Don't forget to go by there at 3000 Sportsplex Drive. Take a stroll outside to see all of the beautiful creatures to include owls, raccoons, turtles, many types of birds and much more. They also care for many more animals inside.

See you soon at Whole Foods Market of Coral Springs and Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital of Coral Springs