Lakeland Real Estate Blog...not always Real Estate, Petra Norris Style

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Honoring Service” – November 6th, 2009

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:43:18 -0600

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Honoring Service” – November 6th, 2009

Being married to a veteran, who served 20 years in the Army and both of my sons (SIL) serving in the military, one as a Marine reservist and the other active duty in the Air Force, this is very dear to my heart. Veterans Day is November 11^th and Lakeland, Florida’s First Friday local event “Honoring Service” could not have been timed any better.

With all Lakeland First Friday events, Downtown Lakeland Partnership has always done an outstanding job organizing, which proved at last month event of “Art Walk”. I’ve never seen that many people downtown Lakeland comingling, shopping, dining and having a good time.

What can you expect to see in and around Munn Park?

It all starts at 6:00 p.m. with the National Anthem that will be performed by the Harrison School for the Arts string quartet in front of Brooke Pottery.

Color guard demonstration by Lake Gibson High, Lake Region, and George Jenkins High Schools.
Dance and ROTC performances throughout the evening are scheduled – Kentucky Avenue will close from Lemon Street to Oak.
Music and Entertainment
Student art displays along the streets

At 7:00 p.m. between Main and Lemon Street, you’ll be entertained by clogging and nutcracker dances.

Girl Scouts are sponsoring card making activities to be sent to troops overseas.
Massages will be offered
Prizes to win, sign up for drawings and more.
Lifestyle Fitness Center will also have you entertained

There is so much more from Nonperishable Food Drive organized by Brooke Pottery to benefit the Talbot House to Operation Drop Zone donating items for our active military members deployed overseas. Think about our military veterans when you shop downtown Lakeland!

Also, Senator Paula Dockery, who just announced her run for governor will be there to talk with you.

Stop by at the classic car show!

I hope you found this post useful! If you need help finding or selling your Lakeland, Florida home, please contact Petra Norris - REALTOR at 863-619-6918. If you’re new to Lakeland, I’d especially like to extend a warm welcome. I value my clients and provide them with honest, reliable service. Allow me to introduce you to the Lakeland real estate landscape and all it has to offer.

Is Your Twitter Account Sending SPAM?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:15:09 -0600

Is Your Twitter Account Sending SPAM?

The other day I received a direct message (DM) from a local follower, who I trust because they are dedicated to developing a community consensus on Lakeland’s future. The message read “I make money online with google. I learned how here…”link” I clicked on the (SPAM) link; clearly, I was not thinking straight this should have put up a big red flag in my brain… I even responded to the DM as follows, “I’m always skeptical when it comes to ad like this – does it really work –be honest and how did you go about it”. What was I thinking?

Today, I received a message from my follower saying that their Twitter account has been compromised and to please follow the direction with the link. I followed the instruction from a good friend Chuck Welch and followed “8 Steps if Your Twitter Account is Sending Spam” to the tee.

If you got caught up with a SPAM direct message from a trusted follower, please take extra caution to prevent spammers from hacking into your account.

Lakeland FL Real Estate Market Update - October 16 through October 31, 2009

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:10:22 -0600

Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1940 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 11/03/09, still balanced no major increase in inventory for the past few weeks. Newly listed homes for the period of October 16th through October 31^st totaled 192 Lakeland homes recently came on the market. Average sales price of $177,940 or $85.32 per square foot with area Realtors®.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

2 duplex listed with an average sales price of $36,299

5 condos listed with an average sales price of $104,560

16 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $96,212

11 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $110,561

158 single family homes with an average price of $195,022

Three Lakeland homes exceeding $1 million were just listed. The priciest Lakeland real estate was a former “Home of the Year” in the 2006 Spring Parade. This custom built pool home is located in the Lazy Creek subdivision; featuring 5 bedrooms and 5 baths with close to 6,000 square feet of living space currently offered for $1,499,000. On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland home newly listed is a 2 bedroom 1 bath listed for only $10,000 – just under $12.00 per square foot – located in the Palma Ceia Court subdivision.

For a more detailed report, please continue to read by clicking this link!

Writing about the same topic – An Inspiration!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:00:24 -0600

The past few days I’ve seen a dozen or so articles written about the $8,000 tax credit and a few have been featured here on Active Rain. Recently, I’ve read blogs about Real Estate Teams, both very great articles with their own views and it actually inspired me to write about this very subject here, “An Inspiration”.

My inspiration came within the comment section. One of the authors commented that it would have been appreciated if the writer wrote an inspiring comment within the author’s blog. I have seen within the comment sections of various blogs great comments, which could have been easily its own blog post. Commenter’s are often very passionately about a subject whether they agree or disagree and neglect writing their own blog post. Why not share this very same topic with your own readers?

I would love to see bloggers write their own blog post when they have a different point of view or expanding on this very same topic. Primarily, we are real estate agent graving for discussions and topics on real estate. This is how we learn and share our knowledge with our readers who are from all different parts of the country and world.

I ask myself this question before I start writing a post: Who do I want to reach out to?

Would you consider writing about the same topic if you were inspired?

Polk County and Florida Existing Home Sales Rise Overall in September

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:23:36 -0500

The Florida Association of Realtors® reports that existing home sales rose 34% in September from the previous year and a 4.1% increase from the previous month. Florida’s median home price continues to stumble with distressed properties dictating the housing market – Florida’s median sales price for existing homes last month dipped to $142,000 for a 34% decrease from the previous year and 3.66% from the previous month.

The Polk County’s housing market.

596 existing home sold – an increase of 8% from the previous month (551 sold homes) in Polk County – an increase in sales activity of 25% from the previous year. Overall Polk’s median price for existing homes increased by a small margin from the previous month to $102,227; however, dipped 27% from the previous year of $139,900.

Take a look at the city you live in and see what the numbers are for September 2009 for existing home sales - single family homes, condominiums, manufactured homes -including distressed properties in Polk County.

City Average Sold Price Median Sold Price # of Homes Sold

AUBURNDALE	99,111	92,000	23
BABSON PARK	285,000	285,000	1
BARTOW	79,453	80,000	15
CHAMPIONS GATE	150,000	150,000	1
DAVENPORT	136,818	121,000	133
DUNDEE	91,167	83,500	3
EAGLE LAKE	155,000	155,000	1
FORT MEADE	36,680	30,000	5
FROSTPROOF	22,000	22,000	1
HAINES CITY	98,482	78,000	28
HIGHLAND CITY	65,000	65,000	1
INDIAN LAKE ESTATES	37,000	37,000	1
KISSIMMEE	109,117	88,000	19
LAKE ALFRED	107,200	98,000	5
LAKE WALES	98,896	80,000	25
LAKELAND	129,025	121,000	183
MULBERRY	96,436	102,555	15
POINCIANA	79,361	70,000	61
POLK CITY	93,178	62,347	7
SOLIVITA	185,000	185,000	1
WINTER HAVEN	107,469	99,500	67

Let’s take a look at the distressed Polk County real estate market!

Distressed properties, which includes Bank owned, pre-foreclosure, in foreclosure and short sales count for 62% of our total sales in Polk County for the month of September.

281 sold homes were Bank Owned – median price $74,200 – Days on Market 31
89 sold homes were Short Sales – median price $114,000 – Days on Market 141

The data for this report was obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”.

Lakeland Florida CommonGround Park – a Place for Children of all Abilities

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:26:17 -0500

Lakeland's CommonGround Park was originally thought of from two Lakeland-area mothers of children with special needs, who contacted the Parks and Recreation Department with their suggestion. After four years of fundraising, planning and construction, this park opened up for all children ages 2-12 earlier this year. CommonGround Park's playground is designed to have fun play experiences, as well as aid children in their cognitive, physical and emotional development.

I just love when Lakeland's community leaders, various fund raising organizations, such as the Rotary Clubs, businesses and volunteers come together and create such a place for children.

Located in Lakeland's Edgewood Park, at the corner of Edgewood Drive and Buckingham Avenue, CommonGround uses the space very efficiently with two separate playground areas, a rock-climbing wall, an astroturf mound for kids to roll down, and much more for all children of all abilities. Play zones are exceptionally designed, so children can play side-by-side.

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until dusk!

Foreclosure Epidemic may be saved by Short Sale Remedy

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:09:16 -0500

I’m a member of a network of over 400 real estate agents and growing at Short Sale Superstars,
Visit Short Sale Superstars
who are committed to help sellers and buyers with short sales in Florida and across the America. Short sales can be difficult at times and this is why this group of professionals is so helpful not only to us real estate agents, but for you, especially. I would say that we are a Short Sale Agent support group, helping each other, solving uncommon issues for our clients, making suggestions that can only help you the seller or buyer. We are not complainers - we are solvers, here to help you.
There is information about lenders, such as Bank of America aka Countrywide, Wachovia, SunTrust, Wells Fargo, Saxon, and Chase just to name a few. This is a place where agents help, inform and reach out to consumer by providing valuable information to make a short sale a success.

If you are looking for an agent within your state, who is very proficient doing Short Sales, I'm sure you will find one right here within this wonderful group of Short Sale Superstars. Give them a call!

This is one of the comments left from a Short Sale seller today, "I just love this site! For a homeowner facing SS process, it's a comforting to have experts all in one place".

Polk County, Florida - Lakeland, FL

With Polk County’s unemployment rates, this foreclosure epidemic is going to continue and it may even grow. Lakeland Short Sales are at an all time high, there are currently over 400 Lakeland homes for sale that are short sales.

The jobless rate in Polk County is at an all time high since 1992 – 13.6%

The jobless rate in Lakeland-Winter Haven for September is recorded at 12.7%

If you are in a situation where you can’t no longer afford to make your mortgage payments because of job loss, divorce, health, or other hardship; a short sale would be your best remedy to save your home from foreclosure and salvage some of your credit.

There are over 1,000 Lis Pendens filed within the city of Lakeland Florida alone. Since September 1, 2009, 143 Lis Pendens were filed with the Polk County Clerk of Courts for properties that are located in Lakeland – a city with a population of an estimated 97,000 people.

What is a Lis Pendens?

In essence, a formal notice is filed on behalf of the lender, who holds the note on your mortgage. It is considered a lawsuit; however, the homeowner still has possession and the right to sell the property. Short sales can be your best remedy to a foreclosure.

Give me a call at (863) 619-6918 or email me at petra@petranorris.com to arrange for a confidential consultation – I’m here to help.

Lakeland Real Estate Snapshot for September 2009

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:05:16 -0500

Although sale prices continue to impact our real estate market negatively for the month of September, Lakeland sales activity peaked for the second time this year.

Lakeland Homes sold in September: 183 - previous month: 166 – previous year September 08: 158 sold

Which zip codes represents the most sales activities since January 2009?

Lakeland	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Grand Total
33801	20	12	15	21	13	16	17	12	20	146
33803	11	10	16	18	16	19	26	19	22	157
33805	12	11	12	9	5	10	14	14	8	95
33809	13	12	16	11	18	17	16	17	25	145
33810	25	31	34	31	46	37	40	33	42	319
33811	10	16	17	18	18	22	20	15	22	158
33812	10	5	8	13	7	9	16	15	10	93
33813	9	25	27	28	26	33	35	38	29	250
33815	5	3	7	5	7	6	4	3	5	45
Grand Total	115	125	152	154	156	169	188	166	183	1408

Lakeland Real Estate average and median home prices

September - average sales price $129,025

Previous month: $136,325 (-5%) – previous year September 08: $164,462 (-22%)

September - median sales price $121,000

Previous month: $130,000 (-7%) – previous year September 08: $149,900 (-19%)

Prices peaked during the summer month and with fall on the horizon home prices are dropping.

The graph below represents average and median prices in Lakeland for various categories.

What are the various average prices in each Lakeland zip code?

Take a look at my spreadsheet below. I’ve separated the report by zip code instead of school zones; it gives you a more accurate report in my opinion. The data and graphs for this report were obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”. The numbers highlighted in pink represents the zip codes where average sold prices have exceeded.

Distressed properties in Lakeland, Florida

For the month of September, distressed homes and bank-owned (REO) properties had a market share of 54% in the Lakeland Real Estate market. There were a total of 98 properties sold in September compared to 43 distressed Lakeland homes sold the year prior, according to Mid-Florida Regional MLS.

Average days on market (DOM) for bank-owned properties are 85 days
Average days on market (DOM) for other distressed properties are 183 days.

27 Distressed Homes Sold - average sold price $147,775 – median sold price $116,400

71 Bank-owned (REO) sold – average sold price $95,380 – median sold price $72,500

If you are interested in a specific area or neighborhood, feel free to contact me at petra@petranorris.com or click the search button below.

Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Arts presents “Brigadoon”

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:46:38 -0500

It is no secret around here in Lakeland Florida that October is when the students at Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts present their annual musical theater production. This year’s classic, “Brigadoon”, will be a remembrance of past musicals' great successes. Musicals like “Singing in the Rain”, “Starting Here, Starting Now”, “King and I” and “Pirates of Penzance” brought exhilaration and a full house to Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Arts theatre. This year you will be astonished by these High School kids from departments such as musical theater, music, dance, orchestra and theater departments, showcasing their exceptional talents.

Imagine you are going to bed at night and the next day you wake up a century later….. then you don’t want to miss this romantic Lerner & Loewe classic musical, which tells the story of two Americans who discover a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every hundred years. Containing such songs as Heather on the Hill, I’ll Go Home With Bonnie Jean, and Almost Like Bein’ in Love in Brigadoon you will find that anything truly is possible…even miracles.

Photos were taken and provided by Andy Glogower http://innerglowphoto.com/

Performances: October 22, 23, 24 at 7:30 p.m. – October 25 at 2:00 p.m. ****Reserved Seating****

Ticket prices: $8.00 for student/seniors - $10.00 for adult ticket

Box Office hours: October 22^nd6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

October 23^rd 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

October 24^th 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

October 25^th 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Purchase Tickets online at www.harrisonarts.com

Lakeland Fl Real Estate Market Update - October 1 through October 15, 2009

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:25:51 -0500

Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1934 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 10/20/09, which remained balanced for the past few weeks. Newly listed homes for the period of October 1^st through October 15^th totaled 185 Lakeland homes recently came on the market. Average sales price of $154,469 or $89.68 per square foot with area Realtors®.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

7 condos listed with an average sales price of $112,385

16 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $96,662

8 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $89,521

154 single family homes with an average price of $165,762

The priciest Lakeland real estate just listed is a 2008 pool home located in the Crescent Woods subdivision; featuring 4 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths with over 4,400 square feet of living space currently offered for $895,000. On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland home newly listed is a 2 bedroom 1 bath listed for only $10,000 – just under $15.00 per square foot – located in the Palma Ceia Court subdivision.

Please continue to read for more details by clicking this link

Lakeland Florida – Mercedes-Benz Lake Mirror Classic Extravaganza 2009

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:29:53 -0500

Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the annual Mercedes-Benz Lake Mirror Classic takes place around Lake Mirror and in the downtown Lakeland area on October 16/17, 2009. Lakeland expects an estimated 35,000 people wandering around Lake Mirror for the two day event which is considered as one of the best shows in the Southeast. Visiting the extraordinary event will mesmerize car enthusiasts around Lakeland and the country.

This two-day charity event raises money for Lakeland’s non-profit groups, such as the Junior Achievement, Pied Piper Players, Boy Scouts, the First Tee, Historic Lakeland, and Lakeland Regional Cancer. More than $200,000.00 has been raised or donated helping them raise needed funds through the sale of food and beverage at the event.

The honorary chairman for this year’s Festival is Hall of Famer and endurance racer Hurley Hawood, known as a one-of-a-kind driver winning the 24 Hours of Daytona five times – a pioneer and a legend indeed.

What can you expect at Lakeland’s Lake Mirror Classic?

Friday, October 16^th from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. there will be a free Budweiser Hot Rod Rendezvous at the Lake Mirror Amphitheater with a free outdoor concert featuring live music by Jr. and the MDs, 100 hot rod and custom cars.. The Hot Rod Rendezvous will benefit the Junior Achievement of Polk County

Saturday, October 17^th from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Lake Mirror Park and downtown Lakeland, Judged Concours d’ Elegance – “contest of elegance” for 100 selected cars in the following categories:

Brass Era Vehicles
Pre-War Classics 1925-1942
Pre-War Production Cars 1900 - 1942
Post-War Production Cars 1945-1962
Commercial Vehicles thru 1959
Muscle Cars 1964-1972
Domestic Sports Cars Thru 1972
Foreign Sports Cars Thru 1972
Cars of Particular Interest

Art Deco Automobiles featuring 1930 Mercedes-Benz 130H (German), 1938 Panhard Dynamic (France), 1937 Tatra T87 (Czechoslovakia), and the Peugeot Darl’ mat (France). Classic Wooden Boat show at Lake Mirror, Classic Motorcycles

Noon: Lunch Parade to the Lake Mirror Promenade led by Scottish bag-piper as tuxedo-clad Terrace Hotel waiters delivers lunch to Concours d’ Elegance participants.

2:00 p.m.: Parade of Classic Wooden Boats at Lake Mirror

3:00 p.m.: Awards Ceremony of Concours d’Elegance trophy presentation

I invite you to check out the photos by clicking on the picture I took at last year’s event of the Lake Mirror Classic – you don’t want to miss it – Truly Amazing!

Lakeland Florida - Lake Mirror Classic 2008

A First Time for Everything - My First Video

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:51:23 -0500

A First Time for Everything - My First Video in front of the Camera

I know videos have been around for a long time now and I have been in videos one time or two - always in family gatherings. Being in front of the camera is a little challenging to say the least. Worried what and how I say things - I remembered years ago when I took my first speech class in college and had to stand in front of the class and talk about a subject I researched. I was very nervous to say the least, but after a few speeches behind my belt, I became less nervous. "Practice makes Perfect"

Real estate and real estate marketing, especially online and video marketing has evolved in recent years and a lot of real estate agents still go about the old ways, i.e. direct mailings, print advertisement, etc. My online presence has grown since me joining Active Rain, still missing pieces to the puzzle - videos.

Folks been asking me about doing videos for some time now, suggesting videos about Lakeland Florida, Lakeland real estate, community events and such. It has been always on my mind and it is just getting over this challenge is a challenge in itself. Recently, I commented on Mike Mueller's video blog and he suggested to jump right in, get started and don't look back. The more videos you do, the better you get. "Practice makes Perfect"

So, here it is without further ado, my first video in front of the Camera - any suggestions?

Lakeland Fl Attract New Residents – Makes Forbes Top 10 List of ”U.S. Cities on the Rise”

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:35:11 -0500

Lakeland Fl attract new residents – Makes Forbes Top 10 List of ”U.S. Cities on the Rise”

Despite the recent reports that Florida’s population growth slowed down considerable the last few years. There were more accolades for the State of Florida, especially for the City of Lakeland. Forbes.com released its Top 10 list of U.S. Cities on the Rise. With Colorado Springs, Co snatching up the top spot – no surprise to me, especially after visiting this beautiful city. This statistic was based on the percentage of residents, one year or older, who moved in 2008 into the 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical area.

Equally and no surprise to me, Florida with its top 4 cities of #7 Cape Coral, #8 Lakeland, #9 Palm Bay, and #10 Bradenton rounding out the “Top 10 List” with most newcomers selecting moving to college towns.

Lakeland, Fl – Winter Haven metropolitan is a very diverse community, not only a good place for attracting retirees, but also people that have graduated from our local colleges and universities and attracting like-minded folks.

College and University Information for the Lakeland-Winter Haven Metropolitan area:

Zestimates: they're just a starting point

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:28:59 -0500

Hi folks! Before and during the time you consider a home purchase and/or sell your home, I know you visit Zillow.com to get the value of any specific property.

I reblog this article from Spencer Roscoff of Zillow.com because as the title states "Zestimates: they're just a starting point" and it shows clearly in the video presented here below how to determine Zestimate's accuracy in each market.

Remember folks! Real Estate is local and Zesitmate is just a starting point.

Via Spencer Rascoff (Zillow):

This morning, I received an email from the head of marketing at a very large real estate company who is a listing partner of Zillow's. He asked me if I had a canned response to agents asking about Zestimate accuracy. Here's the email that I sent him:

Hi XX,

We have two videos on this topic which we send to a lot of people.

This video is geared towards consumers.

And this video is geared towards real estate professionals.

So the easiest thing for you to do is to send your agents a link to the video

Also here’s a blog post on the topic.

But here are the main points so you also have them in text.

Zestimates are calculated three times per week by computer models that try to approximate what the market value is for almost every home in the country. We crunch numbers on 70 million homes and publish those Zestimates to the website every few days.

We're very transparent about our Zestimate accuracy and we report on it quarterly on the site here. We encourage agents to show the accuracy table (which can be found by clicking on “Zestimate Values & Accuracy” on the bottom of every page of the website). The accuracy table helps agents explain to clients the limitations of the Zestimate, and helps reinforce the importance that a real estate agent has in helping the client think through the value of their home.

Zestimate accuracy varies depending upon the quality of the information we have on the specific home. Also, Zestimates are more accurate on homes that are more similar to other homes that have recently sold; on the other hand, Zestimates are less accurate on more unique homes.

Keep in mind that when a home is listed for sale on Zillow, several things happen with respect to the Zestimate:

1. The Zestimate comes off the map page and is replaced with the For Sale price

2. The property attributes (e.g., # beds, # baths, sqft, etc) which were previously provided by the county are replaced by the listing information

3. Zillow recalculates the Zestimate within a few days based on the new property attributes. The For Sale price of the home is not a direct input into the Zestimate though.

4. On the listing page (aka “the home details page”), the Zestimate is removed from the top of the page and replaced with the For Sale price. The Zestimate still appears on the page, but at the very bottom. In some cases, the Zestimate doesn’t appear on the listing page due to an inability to match the address from the listings feed with an existing address in our database.

We tirelessly explain to consumers and agents that Zestimates are just a starting point and they're not the end-all-be-all in figuring out the value of a home. They're just another datapoint which needs to be considered and discussed between real estate agent and client. Best regards, Spencer

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Art Walk!” – October 2nd

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:34:47 -0500

As always the Downtown Lakeland Partnership prides itself of hosting and organizing First Friday. Expect the unexpected at this month local event’s theme “Art Walk” on October 2^nd, 2009 in downtown Lakeland. Art Galleries throughout downtown Lakeland hosting art exhibits and reception and you are invited. Take a moment out of your busy schedule and see what our local artists have to offer and patron our local merchants. We have true talent here in Lakeland showcasing their art work displayed throughout downtown Lakeland – it’s worth checking it out.

It all starts at 6:00 p.m. – restaurants, stores, galleries, and coffee shops are open late. What else can
you expect to see?

Dance performances
Music & Entertainment on the streets
Big Tent Sale
Mitchells Coffee House – art reception and poetry reading
Senator Paula Dockery will be there to talk with you!
Performances in the street from Rae’s Retro Mannequin and Modeling.
Performances stat at 7:00pm in front of J Rowan Galleries with Michael’ Jackson’s “Thriller“, Rocky Horror’s “Time Warp“ - Plus a Michael Jackson Impersonator will be there!
Garden Bistro – next to Hollis Garden offers a German Buffet at $9.99 – Wiener Schnitzel, red cabbage, hot German potato salad and more. Music will also be provided by The Sofa Kings from 7:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Brooke Pottery – meet two local birding enthusiasts Rob Mason and Linda Snavley and hear their stories, they may reveal some of their hot-spots for bird watching. In addition, they will show off Rob’s outstanding photographs of Florida birds, including Lakeland’s mascot – the swan.

Although there is no comparison to Mr. Rob Mason's outstanding photographs, I do want to share with you some of my
photographs of this wonderful creature – hope you enjoy!

Don’t forget to stop by the classic car show on Tennessee Avenue

Lakeland Real Estate Market Update for August 2009

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:08:48 -0500

Lakeland real estate sales activity decreased for August, there were 166 homes sold down 12% from the previous month of 188. While prices are also lagging behind the numbers from last year, home sales increased by 27% from August 2008 in Lakeland, Florida.

While the median prices held steady for August at $130,000 for homes sold in Lakeland when compared to the previous month. Average sold prices decreased to $136,324 ($73.75 per sq.ft.) or 8% from the previous month and 13% from the previous year, respectively for Lakeland Real Estate.

Average Lakeland Sold price for August 2008 – $155,918– decrease of 13%

Median Lakeland sold price for August 2008 – $140,000 – decrease of 7%

Distressed properties in Lakeland, Florida

For the month of August, distressed homes and bank-owned (REO) properties had a market share of 45% in the Lakeland Real Estate market.......

For more detailed information including graphs, spreadsheet and maps, please continue to read by clicking here.

Lakeland Fl Downtown Farmers Curb Market showcase Local Growers, Merchants and Artists

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:26:22 -0500

The month of September kicks off another 50-week Farmers Curb Market in downtown Lakeland Florida on Wednesdays between 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays between 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Located on 200 N. Kentucky Avenue, right in front in the plaza of the Peterson Building you find so many different and unique products from over 25 vendors at any given day such as:

fresh locally grown vegetables
organic herbs, spices and teas
bake goods
plants
homemade soaps
Local crafts

Parking is easy too; Saturdays are free to park on the north side of Munn Park or the Bay Street lot as well as the yellow zone parking and in bank parking lots. Driving downtown to the Farmers Curb Market on Wednesdays please follow your parking limits of 2hrs in the yellow zone parking. There is ample parking available nearby in public parking garages. Also check out local businesses when you are Downtown Lakeland at the Farmers Curb Market.

I enjoy going to the Lakeland Farmers Curb Market on Saturdays, especially after getting a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich at Mitchells Coffee House nearby. C’mon down and support our local merchants, growers and artists. Take a stroll around Munn Park and enjoy the great Lakeland, Florida weather.

Lakeland FL Homes for Sale – Bi-weekly Update on New Listings 08/24/09-09/06/09

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:27:39 -0500

Bi-weekly update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1933 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 09/10/09. The homes newly listed for sale decreased from two weeks ago to 127 homes in Lakeland with an average sales price of $160,907 or $84.66 per square foot with area Realtors®.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

1 duplex unit listed for $41,085

6 condos listed with an average sales price of $105,075

17 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $84,979

3 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $110,466

100 single family homes with an average price of $179,876

The priciest home that came newly on the market here in Lakeland, Florida is a 1986 completely renovated lake front pool home overlooking Lake Gibson located in the Wedgewood Lake Estates subdivision; featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with over 4,800 square feet of living space currently offered for $985,000. On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland real estate newly listed is a 2 bedroom 1 bath bank-owned property listed for only $20,900 – just over $22.00 per square foot – located in Weswego subdivision.

There is more information to read here about this report including a map on where the Lakeland homes for sale are located.

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Back to School – Salute to Educators!” – September 4th

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:05:51 -0500

We are back in session and to all Polk County school teachers – We Salute You! So c’mon down to downtown Lakeland and see for yourself what Downtown Lakeland Partnership has in store for you at this First Friday celebration “Back to School – Salute to Educators!”. Bring your badge for special discounts and register to win downtown dollars.

It all starts at 6:00 p.m. – restaurants, stores, galleries, and coffee shops are open late. Enter to win prizes at Brooke’s Pottery

It has been a tough assignment the past year for teachers around Polk County with budget cuts in which teachers find themselves digging deep in their own wallets to keep the classroom running with necessary supplies. Throughout the month of August, MidFlorida organized “Stuff the Desk” – an opportunity for the community come together and drop off items for our teachers with Lakeland’s First Friday – “Salute to Educators” being a final collection. Here are some suggestions to bring when you celebrate your children’s awesome teachers at this event:

Sheet protectors
Flash drives
Reams of colored copier paper
Recordable CDs (CDRs)
Motivational stickers
Velcro dots or strips
Colorful pens
Magnetic clips (heavy duty)
Colorful Expo markers
Sticky Tack
Plastic bins or crates
Classroom posters
Binder clips
Write-on transparencies
Bulletin board borders
Mailing labels
Colorful or lined Post-It Notes

Don’t forget to stop by the classic car show on Tennessee Avenue

Price is still the #1 reason your Lakeland Fl home won’t sell – Reasons and Recommendation

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:17:22 -0500

Hi folks! Yes, the price of your Lakeland home is still the #1 reason
why your home is still on the market.

Reason #1 – Too many sellers are under water while trying to sell their Lakeland, Fl home at a much higher price or as (For Sale by Owner) FSBO, often ignoring the fact they can no longer afford their mortgage payment, due to job loss, medical issues, divorce or other hardship. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Recommendation #1 – Do a short sale! Hire a Realtor® who is proficient and knowledgeable about what it takes to complete a short sale from start to finish – who is on your side every step of the way.

Reason #2 - You hired an agent, who promised or agreed to list your house at a higher price. I have walked away from a listing appointment before, only to see the property go on the market at a higher price and after month of being on the market, the property’s listing contract either was withdrawn or expired.

Recommendation #2 – List your home with an agent that can provide you with an extensive Comparable Market Analysis (CMA), does the research, provides you with a comprehensive marketing outline, communicates well with you and you feel comfortable hiring.

Reason #3 – I don’t have to sell now, I can set the price for my Lakeland, Fl home at a higher price first and then lower the price.

Recommendation #3 – Price it right to begin with. The most important marketing time of your Lakeland, FL home starts in the first month. Chances are you will end up with a lower offer or not sell at all. I recently experienced that a seller received an offer for his Lakeland home, seller countered and buyer walked. Home is now listed at a lower price than the original offer.

Reason #4 – Pricing your Lakeland home based on “improvements” you’ve completed – new carpet, re-roofing, appliances, landscaping, painting, re-screening are not improvements – a buyer may look at these as maintenance repairs for you to sell your home faster.

Recommendation #4 – Price your home based on an extensive CMA and recommendation by a local Realtor®.

Reason #5 - I have paid X amount of $ for my Lakeland, FL home and I’m not giving it away.

Recommendation #5 – If you bought your house before 2004 or earlier and have not refinanced or taken out a new mortgage based on values of 2005, 2006, and 2007 you will most likely be okay to sustain the Lakeland real estate market. However, if you bought a Lakeland, FL home the last 2-3 years ago, you probably have to bring money to the closing table or not sell right now.

Lakeland FL Real Estate for Sale - Biweekly Update 08/10-08/2309

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:15:42 -0500

Bi-weekly update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1942 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 08/27/09. The homes newly listed for sale increased a bit from two weeks ago to 134 homes in Lakeland with an average sales price of $184,796 or $92.49 per square foot with area Realtors®. Although the Lakeland real estate inventory is slightly decreasing from week to week, I noticed an increase of luxurious homes coming on the market. During the first quarter, only 4 homes priced over $1 million entered the Lakeland Real Estate market, while the second quarter produced an additional 10 homes, totaling 22 Lakeland homes for sale priced over $1,000.000.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

1 duplex unit listed for $125,000

8 condos listed with an average sales price of $162,075

8 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $77,050

3 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $138,266

114 single family homes with an average price of $195,700

There is more information about this Lakeland Real Estate update by clicking here

Lakeland FL - Full Service Hair and Spa Salon - Hello Gorgeous

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:41:33 -0500

Welcome to Hello Gorgeous, a full service hair and spa salon - a local business in Lakeland, Florida.

At Hello Gorgeous Salon, they are there to pamper you from head to toe. Looking for a quick hair cut, massages, makeup, facials, nails, pedicure, waxing or a complete hairstyle makeover with hair extensions. The salon's experienced talented staff are here to make your makeover a pleasant experience and give you the consultation you need.

Located at 620 W. Brannen Rd in Lakeland, Fl 33813, the prices are competitive with specials for guys and gals - call (863) 648-5352 for details.

Meet Luci Hoover, the owner of hair and spa salon "Hello Gorgeous" in Lakeland, FL. She exemplifies the southern friendliness and has over 20 years experience. She opened "Hello Gorgeous" in 2004, outgrew her old location within a short time and just recently moved into her new location in May 2009.

My experience with Luci started in 2002 when my old hair stylist moved away and recommended her to me. I'm a simple person that does not need much - an occasional highlight with a scheduled hair cut and style a few weeks later, which gives my fine hair the boost it needs to keep them from flying away. There are many hair salons on my way to Hello Gorgeous, which takes me about twenty minutes - you can see that my hairstyle needs are met when I leave the salon.

Hello Gorgeous Spa Salon

620 W Brannen Road

Lakeland, FL 33813

(863) 648-5352

6931 Ashbury Drive Lakeland FL 33809 - Lakeland Real Estate for Sale - Hampton Chase Subdivision

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:54:03 -0500

6931 Ashbury Drive Lakeland FL 33809 - Lakeland Real Estate for Sale - Hampton Chase Subdivision

Custom built brick home by Paul McKinley located on a spacious corner lot. The home is artistically by fossil painting on the interior wall as well as throughout the house meticulously maintained by the owner. Features include formal living room and dining room with and open floor plan for entertainment and family gatherings. You will enjoy the easy access to the pool area from 4 rooms via sliding glass door screened for a pool/barbecue parties and the privacy of a custom galvanized steel fencing. Spacious walk-in closets in all the bedrooms, vaulted ceilings, plant shelved and with a beautiful decor throughout the house. The master bath suite features his and her walking closets, linen closet, jetted tub with separate shower as well as block glass window for privacy. Kitchen has plenty of cabinet and counter space featuring flat cook top and granite counter. New maintenance updates such as roof replacement in 2004 and pool resurfacing in 2007 were completed. The home is truly a pleasure to show and own. It is adjacent to the Wendell Watson Elementary School - an A rated school according to the Polk County School Board's website and nearby access to I-4 driving to Orlando & Tampa for commuting.

Price: $249,000.00

Bedroom: 3

Bathroom: 2

Square feet: 2,391

Pool: Gunite/Concrete in-ground with screen enclosure

Fireplace: wood burning

Homeowner's Association Fee: $153.50 semi-annually

For full listing details, please here

Update for Lakeland Florida Real Estate: First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Window Is Closing Soon

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:01:26 -0500

First-Time Homebuyers calling me are somewhat surprised when I tell them that there is really only a short time left to purchase a Lakeland home.

If you're planning on taking advantage of the existing $8,000 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit program, you should buy within the next six weeks.

This program is scheduled to expire November 30, 2009, and since the financing and closing process on a Lakeland home can take up to 60 days - you may miss the mark if you wait too much longer to sign a home purchase contract.

By my calculations, you have about 6 weeks left before you miss the opportunity of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit window.

The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit - A Short History - click here

How to Text while Driving

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:57:27 -0500

This is truly a video worth watching, it is very graphic but this message serves the true picture of driving while texting and its consequences.

I do want to had this experience that I witnessed just yesterday, which makes this post so relevant for texting or drunk driving.

Just yesterday, my husband and I was traveling I-4 westbound to Tampa when we noticed a truck swerving in the far left lane to the middle lane and back. No one tried to pass and some cars from behind really came on fast. I'm not sure whether the driver was texting or was drunk. To make this story short, I called 911 and told what I witnessed - thank god after the next exit a highway patrol car was waiting for the driver who then pulled the driver over right after the trooper drove got him with his flashing lights - Lives were saved indeed!

Via Mike Mueller (Tech and Social Media Consultant):

DON'T !!

Plain and simple, just don’t do it. In California it’s illegal and has been since January 1, 2009.

Illegal, yet every single day I see numerous drivers willingly breaking the law. Yesterday it was a middle aged woman who had both arms thru the steering wheel, blackberry against the speedo, on the freeway!

The following video is part of an half hour long program being shown to new drivers in the U.K. It's graphic in nature and worth every single moment of it's 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

It’s a professionally made short movie using actors but that doesn’t diminish the message. If I had my way I’d make every teen driver and their texting parents watch this before they signed that contract for their new smartphone!

Watch the video then go hug your kid.

What do you think... too harsh?

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Text drive film to 'shock' pupils (news.bbc.co.uk)