Most Floridians are able to take advantage of federally subsidized flood insurance, and part of that is because our cities and municipalities enforce building codes, specifically relating to the elevation of living space, in new homes and in additions.In many developed areas of Florida we have sm
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10/30/2006
When you answer your doorbell, you often hear "We're working in your area" so you can have a discount on tree trimming, window washing, carpet cleaning, whatever it is that they're selling.Jon Ernest blogged about his very bad day which told about the disaster he had with cleaning people. Many of
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10/30/2006
Last week my son and I attended realtor.com's latest "dog and pony show" here in St. Pete, primarily because the speaker was Bob LeFever. I met Bob over 20 years ago when he was the trainer for Merrill Lynch Realty, and in fact spent a week with he and a dozen others when he taught the week long
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10/29/2006
One of the less desirable aspects of Florida living is Palmetto bugs, a euphanism for big roaches. They may have started outside, in the Palmetto bushes, but they manage to get inside, and it isn't pretty. (Chameleons, on the other hand, are not only harmless, and eat small bugs, they are
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10/29/2006
The popularity of bamboo as a hardwood alternative and an environmentally friendly flooring has resulted in some inferior product on the market, according to a Wall Street Journal article several months ago. Although bamboo is harder than maple, the quality will depend on which part of the bamboo
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10/28/2006
Many people feared the internet would take away the relationship between agent and client, that high tech would replace high touch. It's actually led to a good merging of high tech AND high touch. As Matt Heaton said in his blog, the goal should be fostering the relationship.Interesting - more in
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10/28/2006
Most of us don't choose a title company because of donuts, or Halloween candy, or Open House flyers, though title companies still hire people to distribute these to real estate agents. Why won't you at least TRY us?, they ask. Well, for one, because our clients aren't guinea pigs or mice. But we
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10/27/2006
A recent Featured Blog by Carole Cohen talked about missing photos and information in the MLS. You only get one chance to make a first impression, whether it's in the MLS to agents and their clients who are getting a daily Flash of new listings, or when it hits realtor.com. If they skip it becaus
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10/26/2006
Sometimes a client will buy a house with the intention of renting it our. Other times a client is going to be away for a couple years and wants to rent his house, or she has bought another house and wants to rent the old one since it hasn't sold. Do you manage that for them? For several years we
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10/23/2006
We've seen a lot of interesting things on the waterfront, but a floating wedding chapel in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida is a bit unusual. It was just in for the weekend, in conjunction with a wedding exhibition, but will be coming back soon for a 90 day trial period, anchoring on the approach
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10/23/2006