Gorgeous view from the Pool Area, no home backing up to this property ! Over 2,400 square feet, 3 bedroom, 2bath home with a SOLAR HEATED POOL ! Move-In ready, Immediate Occupancy Available. Located in beautiful Bloomfield Hills Community in North Lakeland.  If you haven't seen Bloomfield Hills, you've missed a part of Polk County, Central Florida that you can't even imagine we have.  Enormous shade trees, winding streets, tennis courts, sidewalks.  YES, this is in North Lakeland, convenient to Lakeland Regional Hospital and other medical facilities. $324,900 www.rainbowerhome.info Directions:  Hwy. 98 N.from Interstate 4, left on Gib-Galloway, left into Bloomfield Hills, left on Rainbower Drive, home on left.  2137 Rainbower Drive. Cheryl Skinner-Marble Exit Realty of Lakeland cherylsk... 09/12/2008

Platform Art, Inc is a non-profit organization "committed to cultivating an understanding and appreciation of art in its many forms through production of multiple art events yearly.  Platform Art events showcase new and exciting talent in the fields of the visual arts, film, fashion, music and performance, while providing a supportive and stimulating social atmosphere.  " The organization's next event is the Platform Art Party in Florida's Aviation Museum located at 4175 Medulla Road in Lakeland. Each attendee will be treated to free admission to the Air Museum, artwork by 20 Central Florida artists, short films by independent filmmakers, a vintage fashion show with an aviation twist, and a performance by Florida Dance Theatre. There will also be live music performances in the courtyard... 09/10/2008

Lakeland Florida Monthly Market Report August 2008 The month of August was not very encouraging for Lakeland when considering the amount of properties sold and average sold price, comparing the data to the past statistics. The amount of units sold decreased further down to 129 from the previous month of 142 homes sold. The average sold price for August was $156,708 in Lakeland alone, which is a decrease of 5% from the previous month. The time it took a home to sell was an average of 162 days.  Do you remember what a home sold for on average in Lakeland in August 2007? The average sold price for a residential home was $192,467 The total residential properties sold were 199 units. The average days on market were 141 days. Take a look at my spreadsheet below. I've separated the report by z... 09/10/2008

The Lakeland Downtown Lakeland Partnership will be hosting the 11th Annual "State of Downtown" Luncheon & Silent Auction on Wednesday October 11th. It will be held at The Lakeland Center, Exhibit Hall West. This year's theme is: "Downtown Lakeland; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" The guest speakers include: W.W. Wolfson, Lakeland native John Hutto, President, Downtown Lakeland Partnership Jim Studiale, Director of Community Development, City of Lakeland There will be presentations announcing the winners of the: Dudley Uphoff Award Golden Swan Award The Partnership Award The cost is $30 per person with corporate tables available for $300. The cost at the door at the venue will be $40. You may make reservations on-line HERE. Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate websi... 09/09/2008

The Polk Theatre, in Downtown Lakeland, celebrates its 80th Anniversary with an event being billed as: Red Carpet Night - A Community of Stars Polk Theatre is rolling out the red carpet with a very special revue featuring local celebrities & professional entertainers: vaudeville, burlesque, dance, satire! (choreographed by Florida Dance Theatre) featuring the inaugural debut of Opera Lakeland bringing world renown talent to our stage including: Special guest appearance by America's Tenor, Daniel Rodriguez, New York's 9/11 singing policeman. Soloists include Won Cho, Kyoung Cho, Liana Valente and Elena Lagalante. Followed by an alley party featuring live music, food, drink & cash bar. Start time is at 7 p.m. & prices are as follows: $100 (includes VIP seating, pre-show party & alley part... 09/09/2008

If you still have a taste for Downtown Lakeland after the festivities of First Friday, go to the Lakeland Art Festival on September 6th & 7th. J Rowan Galleries will be hosting the event. It will be held on South Kentucky Avenue between Main Street & Lemon Street. Event hours will be 10 am to 5 pm. Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs! 09/05/2008

Lakeland Florida - First Friday "Back to School" Did you miss last month First Friday "Dog Days of Summer"?  I had so much fun taking my grandkids to this fun-filled entertainment of music, shows, Lakeland's K-9 police demo, and of course all the beautiful dogs. We enjoyed dinner at Crispers - perfectly created summer salad, awesome sandwich and great tasting soup and their kids meals are always a favorite with my grandson. We've listened to live music while eating and then made our way across to Munn Park to see the classic car show, did a little bit of shopping and watched the dogs happily wagging their tails.  Check out the pictures and video of the K-9 police demo! Wish you could own one of these beautiful classics?     Absolutely great time for the whole family          Check out t... 09/02/2008

While You Were Sleeping, Hurricane Gustav is Making his Mark!   Although it never became a Hurricane, Tropical Storm Fay broke a record by making landfall four times in Florida. While some counties are considered disaster areas here in Florida and still cleaning after Fay, a much bigger fish - anticipated storm, Hurricane Gustav is being closely watched by the National Hurricane Center in Miami that could possibly reach category 3 and reach the Gulf of Mexico by the end of this week. After watching and reading news reports there is no storm to be taken likely. Who would have thought that Fay would have such an impact here in Florida? This goes to show that every measure and precaution must be taken serious in order to survive this Hurricane season. Polk County Emergency Management provi... 08/26/2008

The General Store in Lakeland Florida - Where Nostalgia and Therapy is Alive!     If you have not discovered Downtown Lakeland’s newest old store that has everything from Band-Aids & Fix-A-Flat to Marlboros & Toiletries, Ice Cream, Chick-O-Sticks & Moonpies to Gift Baskets, Pet Toy’s & Ice Cold Grape Crush, even Nostalgic Toys (no batteries required) & Historical Lakeland gifts, why don’t you join me and discover it now as I share with you the nostalgic of Lakeland, Florida’s only “real” General Store. Terisa Glover and Terry Lauretta, long time friends, decided in 2007 that it was now or never to open up what Downtown Lakeland really needed - Groceries, Sundries & Memories. Located at 125 South Kentucky Avenue in historical downtown Lakeland, the store is within walking distance from M... 08/18/2008

If you own a convenience store with gas service, you know the clock is ticking on being EPA compliant by 2009. Waiting could make this expensive proposition cost even more. If you need to finance the heavy cost of upgrading your business, give Rebecca a call at Schrader Inc.  - 863-229-1235 We can also finance the purchase of a convenience store or the remodeling of your existing store.   08/09/2008

Welcome to Lakeland Florida Monthly Market Report July 2008   Not much of a difference happened in terms of properties sold in Lakeland Florida for July 2008. The amount of units sold decreased slightly to 142 in July 2008 from the previous month of 149 homes sold. The average sold price for July was $165,063 in Lakeland, which is a decrease of 7% from the previous month. The time it took a home to sell was an average of 166 days.  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 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".  The average sold price in Lakeland Florida f... 08/08/2008

Does Commission Really Play an Important Role on How you Choose a Lakeland Realtor®? Are you a subscriber to Consumer Reports? I always like reading the reports and the various tests on auto, appliances, computers and such. The September's issue I received a couple of days ago released a survey, it's based on the Consumer Reports National Research Center's recent Annual Questionnaire of 3,753 readers who sold or tried to sell a home, 4,029 readers who bought one, and 7,368 readers who did both during the past few years.  According to September's issue "Paying a real estate agent a lower commission had no overall effect on the selling price." This survey compared consumers that negotiated a commission vs. consumers who did not attempt to negotiate the commission. But what was surprising ... 08/05/2008

A Crucial Home Buying Tip - Setting Priorities to Buy a Home in Lakeland Florida   Now that you’ve done your homework, you’ve got your financing in order and have been preapproved for a mortgage loan. Now, let’s have some fun finding a new home for you.   Do you have your priorities set to buy a home in Lakeland? Home buying is a very emotional time, especially if it’s your first time. Emotions can make you blind and can be a barrier in your home search, so don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. Just because the home you are considering has a gorgeous bathroom, however you forget that the living room is too small for the size of your family. Never judge a house by how the current home owner has decorated, since the decoration will most likely vanish when the seller leaves. You would wa... 07/31/2008

Lakeland's First Friday Event on August 1, 2008 Summer... ah - the dog days of summer. Your four legged friends will enjoy what Downtown Lakeland has to offer. Absolutely fun, fun, fun ...from doggie treats to Look-Alike contest - I'm sure there are similarities between a dog owner and their pet, agility activities and canine portrait; all that plus more on Lakeland's First Friday downtown starting at 6:00 p.m. Bring your whole family downtown, you don't want to miss it. Great entertainment for the entire family to take pleasure in; eat, drink, shop and play with our local merchants such as Antiquarian Restaurant, Black and Brew, FastFrame, Fitz Gallery, The General Store and many more. Many local restaurants downtown have outdoor seating with shaded areas. For your pets, watering stati... 07/24/2008

  Stop Chasing the Lakeland Real Estate Market         Watching the Lakeland Residential Real Estate market is watching the picture beside me – unorganized and out of control by the sellers. Yes, I said it “The Sellers”. I’m not talking about sellers who are facing foreclosures or trying to get a short sale approved. I’m talking about the “sellers” who still have enough equity in their home, trying to reach for the impossible – home prices at 2005 level.     Besides the characteristic of Location, Condition, Size and Age of the home, of which is beyond your control. You can control the most important aspect of the home. The price! In my recent conversation with potential sellers, some of the comments were: I can drop the price later You know that buyers are offering less anyways. I want... 07/17/2008

Have you seen a performance by the Lakeland Community Theater lately?   Here is a tidbit - little history - about one of Lakeland's finest art group. A group of Lakeland citizens approached the City of Lakeland in 1985 to develop a children's theater known as Pied Piper Players. Since then, the repertoire, such as Grease, The Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music has vastly expanded and with the 2007/2008 season the name was changed to "Lakeland Community Theater." The theater is a non-profit organization and has over 800 volunteers participate throughout the year. Events, such as main stage productions, theatre for youth series and classes are being attended by over 19,000 people. The talent that this Lakeland Community Theater provides is immensely.   You Don't Want to Miss this ... 07/11/2008

Lakeland's Housing Market - Good News ...Not So Good News     Most folks want to hear the bad news before the good news in hopes that the bad news is still not too bad when comparing the Good and the Bad. However, with Real Estate news, people have lately watched the negative news reports or read the not so good news in the newspaper. Therefore, I will start with the good news first. Good News - Lakeland's housing market has improved to 145 homes sold in June 2008 from the previous month of 124 homes sold. The average sold price also increased by 14% from the previous month. It also took less time to sell a home in June with an average of 143 days.      Now, the Not So Good News - When statistics being compared, it is compared with the previous year and here comes the bad news. Lakeland... 07/09/2008

Ever notice how sometimes when the Feds cut rates, mortgage rates go up?  Me, too.  This is a great explanation as to why this happens.  It is a great article to use with those customers on the fence over continued drops in price.  If the rates go up and the price goes down; there is no upside for the buyer.  Now is the time to buy.  New Home prices are low, incentives are high and rates, although closing, are still near all-time lows.  Check it out and see what you think. What the Fed Decision Means for You 07/02/2008

This is a great article from Inman News.  With all of the negativity we see in the media, this is a refreshing look at the good that is available for buyers in the market place.  Although some of the negativity is rightly attached to this declining market, sometimes it is necessary to look at the "little picture" to see the "big picture".  Earlier this year Dave Ramsey, financial author and Radio Talk Show host, was on CNN Larry King Live touting what a great buy Tampa Bay housing is right now. He was on The CBS Morning Show this week again commenting on the real estate market from Nashville Tenn. He said "There is no longer a national real estate market.  We are made up of local real estate markets which may be completely different."  He further said, "If I was in Tampa, Florida and I ... 07/02/2008

Lakeland's celebration for Independence Day                                                                                                                                                                Get ready for Lakeland's Red, White & Kaboom on Thursday, July 3, 2008; it will take place as every year around the Lake Mirror Promenade from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  With the sponsorship from Central Florida Eurocars and according to the Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation Bob Donahay, the city of Lakeland added to the fireworks this year, so it should be one fantastic show.       If you love the sound of smooth Jazz, you are in for a treat with Les Sabler, a native of Canada, who undertook his graduate studies at the University of Miami. This very talented contemporary artist mixes... 07/01/2008