Archive for the ‘Quick Links’ Category
Monday, October 15th, 2007
Today is Blog Action Day, which is about the environment this year.
For my part, I’d like to point out a great blog/site/publication about living “green” in Orlando. Easy enough to remember since it’s called GreenOrlando. It’s an interesting website that is focused on keeping Orlando a great place to live. They focus on eight quality of life aspects: Art, Balance, Ethics, Faith, Fitness, Nature, Teamwork and Sustainability.
Sample stories cover everything from using natural Florida flora to do your landscaping to coverage of Florida’s greenways and trails.
Best of all, the Green Orlando site takes submissions for stories, events and thoughts from you on how to keep Orlando beautiful. Have a thought? Submit it to them.
There have already been some excellent posts written around the Orlando blogosphere about our local environment:
EKDAY - Clean up Orlando
Shaun talks about how the simple act of disposing correctly of the plastic 6-pack soda holders can make a big impact to our local birds.
Hojin Chang - Green Vision House Orlando 2008
“Green Vision Home will be a 4,900 square foot high end custom home to be built by Westmont Homes to demonstrate that green homes can be glamorous and durable enough to withstand the rigors of being in an active hurricane zone.”
[If you have an Orlando blog and wrote something for Blog Action Day, let me know and I’ll add it here.]
Posted in Florida, Green, Orlando, Quick Links | 1 Comment »
Friday, October 5th, 2007
Inman Real Estate Connect is a conference that highlights how technology can be used in the real estate space. I was interviewed by Joel Burslem while at it this summer. At that time, I was still part of the eppraisal.com team as well.
By the way, if you do online video in real estate, you really should try WellcomeMat, the service the above video is done in. They have one of the best quality online video players on the web, and they have the chaptering ability that is perfect for using in real estate videos where you want people to be able to switch between “kitchen” or “oustide” parts really easily.
The next Real Estate Connect is in NY in January, 2008.
Posted in Quick Links | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007
Dawn Pratt gets an update from Commissioner Linda Stewart on the time line for extending Alafaya Trail (Innovation Way) to the 528 (the Beachline).
Hojin Chang is showcasing some of the houses that famous people live(d) in SW Orlando. This week she covers the one that Payne Stewart and Tracy McGrady called home, and Shaq’s house.
Rob Arnold gives us 6 Tips to Selling in a Buyer’s Market. (Excellent Post!)
The Orlando Sentinel covers the College Park Leisure Homes (trailers) eviction saga. It’s an interesting case of squatters vs developers right in the middle of Orlando.
Linda Hutchinson of Stirling Sotheby’s answers the question: What do the Rich Really Want?
Posted in College Park, East Orlando, Orlando, Quick Links, South Orlando | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
The Consumer-focused Carnival of Real Estate is a way to highlight great writing around the real estate blogosphere as it relates to things that everyday people care about - not just real estate agents. Below I highlight my 5 favorite entries:
Should Your Home Valuation Deserve To Appreciate If You Install A Pool?
Silicon Valley Blogger writes an entertaining article about adding a swimming pool to your property. Is it really worth it?
How Buyers Can Walk in the Shoes of Sellers and Listing Agents
An excellent article by Steve Leung, talking about how buyers can better understand sellers motivations and get the most for their money.
FHA Reform Hits the Wall
The Salt Lake City blog discusses the changes (or lack thereof) in Congress about the FHA reform bill.
Will Agents List My Property if I Owe More Than It’s Worth?
Dan Melson gives his insights into property listings that an owner is “upside down” on.
Deja Vu~Buying/Selling Simultaneously in a Buyer’s Market vs a Seller’s Market (what a world of difference!)
Pat Kapowich’s insightful post being in a buyers market, and trying to sell your property at the same time as buying.
Posted in Quick Links | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007
Florida Super Homestead Tax Exemption might be thrown out. (via Rob and Sentinel):
Choosing the “super” homestead exemption would mean the homeowner would forever lose the Save Our Homes cap. And as Orange County Property Appraiser Bill Donegan and others have shown, many people who stay in their homes more than four years would save more with Save Our Homes limiting future tax bills.
Maitland city council wants to make some big changes, but have their hands full with local citizens (via Orlando Sentinel):
The centerpiece of Maitland’s downtown makeover would be 675 condominiums and apartments, shops restaurants and offices built by the Brossier Co. Those buildings would rise on land that is now home to City Hall, the Police Department and other city offices, a shuttered Winn-Dixie supermarket and parking lots.
Posted in Maitland, Quick Links, Real Estate News | 4 Comments »
Friday, September 21st, 2007
IDX Realty is having an auction of $100 million worth of property on October 6, 2007 at the DoubleTree Suites Hotel in Orlando from 11am - 6pm. Find out more on their website, or on the Orlando Sentinel.
The properties for sale range from vacant land and commercial buildings to multimillion dollar estate homes.More than 60 properties, in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey, are being sold by investors, builders with too much inventory, lenders with foreclosed-upon assets, Realtors, and regular homeowners who need to liquidate assets.
Condo Metropolis reports 40 condos were sold at auction in the Lake Mary.
The day saw some great and some not so great deals. One lucky bidder was able to grab a town home which was left by accident on the offer board at a lower price, while one lady who couldn’t make up her mind fast enough on a bid and ended up paying $18,000 more simply on a time rule technicality. I don’t think she even realized what had happened.
Posted in Condos, Lake Mary, Quick Links, Real Estate News | 2 Comments »
Saturday, September 15th, 2007
Hojin Chang’s excellent new Southwest Orlando Real Estate blog lambastes the misleading marketing of companies selling property on Lake Apopka in a post titled, “Lake Apopka: the New Florida Swampland Scam“. If you’re planning to buy there, consider this insider’s view as fair warning! A quote:
“You can’t swim there and the only wildlife that you’ll see is probably a mutant alligator.”
From another of Orlando’s new real estate blogs, Orlando Nest, Linda Hutchinson talks about the value of a good street name in, “What’s in a Name“.
“One client thought Harmony Lane was just too cute. I also had a customer who would only buy a house where the house numbers totaled seven. Fortunately, I found her a house with the numbers 421 and she bought it!”
Posted in Quick Links, South Orlando | No Comments »
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
It’s been a LONG time coming, but the UCF Knights will be playing their first football game against Texas this weekend in the brand spanking new UCF Stadium. The game with the Longhorns will serve as the first contest at the 45,000-seat venue. 6 games will be played at the new stadium this year and you can still buy eason tickets by calling 407-UCF-1000.
Posted in Quick Links, UCF Area | 2 Comments »
Friday, September 7th, 2007
Tomorrow (Saturday) HOPE, or Help Our Park Expand, in Winter Park is planning a rally with music and a free breakfast in Central Park between 9 and 11 a.m.
The Residences at Ravinia, a new condo development in Maitland has begun showing its plans to the local realtor community. Marcus Burke at Condo Metropolis thinks they look good, so find out more there.
Rob Arnold of Sand Dollar Realty Group has a word or two to say about flat fee MLS listings:
“If you look at MLS statistics you will discover that 70% or more of all listings are sold by another Realtor and not by the listing agent, so the big key is to get it into the MLS to dramatically increase the exposure.”
Posted in Maitland, Quick Links, Real Estate News, Winter Park | No Comments »
Friday, August 31st, 2007
Dawn Pratt asks some interesting questions about the Alafaya Trail expansion that should be connecting it to the Beachline (528). Yes, that would be the road that goes past the power plant that gives Avalon Park such a beautiful skyline.
Linda Hutchinson points us to an Orlando Sentinel article that has a bomb sweeper coming to the Vista Lakes area to search for old bombs.
Tim Gallagher helps us keep tabs on Church Street in downtown Orlando. (There’s a lot happening in that area!)
Posted in Quick Links | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Should there be a “right to dry“? - talking about using clotheslines to dry your laundry, and what to do with HOA’s that are against it. (hat tip Jim)
Thinking about redesigning your Kitchen? How about using some dark colors - maybe even make one of the walls a chalkboard for writing on (via Girl Meets Glamour):
Home buyers with solid credit and money for a down payment are now better positioned than they were a few weeks ago (via USA Today).
Steve Leung talks about, “Tools for Protecting Yourself During a Home Purchase” - lessons that apply in Orlando as much as they do in the California Bay Area.
Posted in Design & Architecture, Quick Links | No Comments »
