Florida has been called the Sunshine State and for very good reason.  We have a lot of days filled with sunshine, but we also have a lot of days filled with rain.  In case you don't know where we are, we are the state covered by the swirling clouds.

On top of being the sunny state and rainy state, if memory serves me correctly, we lead the nation in tornadoes on a per state basis as well, not to mention hurricanes.  We also get our share of wildfires, especially when we have droughts like the current one.  We don't get many earthquakes, but I hear they are on backorder.

With so many types of natural disasters, is it any wonder our insurance rates are through the roof?  Despite all the things that may appear negative about Florida, we have a lot to offer as well.  We have Disney, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios and other attractions right in the middle section of the state. 

Additionally, we have the most beaches of any state, I think.  We offer lots of fishing opportunities and other watersports.  There plenty of places to snorkel and scuba dive, or just cast off and enjoy a boating trip.

There are also plenty of trails to go hiking over a diverse landscape depending on which part of the state you are in.  There are mountain biking trails that can be found and even South Florida has plenty of off-road biking trails to be explored.

But what I like about Florida most are the real estate professionals that can be found in our midst.  Broker Bryant is one realtor that I have come to admire through his daily ramblings, and rants.  Although I have not met him yet, I would recommend him to anyone that is purchasing a property in his area.  Other realtors I have come to like reading as much as I can are Neal Bloom.  He is more local for me and so I have him on my list to meet with when my schedule permits.

Nick M. is also a realtor, but I have come to know him more for him being an appraiser.  It appears as though he is somewhat of a tech geek based on some posts I have read.  Definitely a guy I enjoy reading as the techy stuff is right up my ally as well.  David Podgursky is a fellow mortgage professional that I enjoy reading posts from.  While he is my competition for the most part, I would likely recommend him as he is a local professional that can help those I cannot.

There are many other professionals I like in Florida that I did not mention, so take this opportunity to search AR and find one near you.  Whether you are looking for a realtor, mortgage professional, appraiser, or virtually anyone related to real estate, I have found that many professionals are actively blogging here on AR and you should use this resource to find one you would like to work with.