I've been with Active Rain now about 5 years give or take, over the years I've learned tons of stuff.  Some fun things, some techy things and some things I'll never use, but here is a fun way to stay in touch that doesn't cost you anything but a little time and it is so easy! It is called  http://flowers2mail.com/  all you need to do is click and drag, add flowers of all sorts and add a nice card.  People love receiving these emails and you haven't spent a penny but you've touched a heart. 04/16/2012

   Quaint home on a very nice landscaped lot. Home features an open kitchen with loads of storage, fireplace in living room, wood flooring, ceiling fans, appliances convey if on property at the time of closing. Property may be eligible for Homepath Financing-Please visit www.homepath.com for information on loan programs, special promotions and fnd an approved Homepath Lender.    04/15/2012

Typically September through March is the bulk of the 55+ season in Florida.  It is when we are able to sell the most 55+ homes.  Summer is almost here, but it's the best time to buy a snowbird home! One of my most beloved communities, Marion Landing has 15 homes currently available ranging from $41,000 to $150,000.  Marion Landing has some wonderful amenities and is centrally located near shopping, medical needs, just minutes to I-75 and also near very scenic high-end horse farms. EMAIL ME FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MARION LANDING OR OTHER 55+ COMMUNITIES Sara Homan, Realtor 352-209-4044   04/13/2012

Mouth watering desserts await you! Elegance in dining, the finest food and a very pleasant atmosphere you'll enjoy! Tea with Lee is located in downtown Ocala on Silver Springs Blvd.  If you are planning a trip to Ocala I would highly recommend you dine at Tea with Lee, you'll be glad you did!   If you are into antiques and collectibles then Tea with Lee will thrill you and keep you busy for hours. Don't wait!  Visit Tea With Lee soon!   04/13/2012

  This morning while on our walk, my husband and I came across a dead Coral snake.  When we first moved into our house I had spotted a Coral snake twice.  Unnerving as it may be I like to be informed and employ every possible safety measure available. A Coral snake is extremely deadly, yet it is a somewhat passive snake that prefers to feed on bugs and little critters.  This is very much in contrast to a rattlesnake that is aggressive and quite deadly as well. When northern people come to Florida I take the time to remind them of certain things like walking in tall grass or wooded areas with underbrush.  I also caution people about bodies of water, particularly ponds and lakes where there might be alligators or snakes as well. The Coral snake has a very close resemblance to the King sna... 04/12/2012

Equestrians take note!  This is the greatest time of year here in Ocala Florida.  There are so many activities going on with horses.  On March 23-25 Live Oak Farm will be hosting a 3 day horse and carriage competition.   There will be horses & carriages competing in obstacle courses in a large variety of ways.  The competitions will be held with 2, 4 and 6 horse drawn carriages that run through woodsy areas and through the water as well.   This is a great event to bring the family to and very reasonably priced for admission. 03/16/2012

Shalom Park in Ocala is one of the most peaceful places to go.   There are plenty of walking trails, flower gardens of all sorts that bloom at various times of the year and beauty that just calms the savage beast.   The pond is filled with fish and it's fun to feed them (food available for 25 cents) and watch them lunge for the food.  Here are a couple pictures of Shalom Park that will entice you! Sara Homan, Realtor 352-209-4044   03/16/2012

Home inspection reports have all kinds of potential, they can kill a deal, make a deal or open up a can of worms.   The question I often ask is: Repairs or credit, choose your poison?   On a recent inspection there were about 5 items that created a need for repair.  Some of them were minor and some a bit more serious but all needing attention.  The more serious concern was a leak created by a small crack and repeated beatings from an irrigation system. On our contracts the seller is responsible for 1.5% of the selling price going toward repairs, so the questions are, how much will the repairs cost?  Is it easier to just ask for a credit or ask the seller to complete the repairs?  What a quandry! Overall it is a good idea to have a professional repairman give an estimate for necessary re... 03/07/2012

SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! It’s the sign we all love to see!  Yes, houses are starting to move again.  The key to keep the momentum is to keep a steady hand at the helm.  Raising prices is a bullet to the foot of the market.  Overpriced houses stagnate the market and that includes foreclosures and short sales.  Foreclosed properties need to be put on the market and cleared out so that some level of normalcy can return. Sellers need to understand that this is not 2005 anymore, I’m sorry if you overpaid but that is not the fault of the buyer or the Realtors.  Give reality a chance. As a Realtor I look for properties that are priced within my buyer’s range, for homes in good condition, for homes that will appraise…Did I say that out loud?  Yes!  Appraisals are a mighty big factor these days.  Low ... 02/24/2012

Shopping & Sunlight don’t normally go hand in hand except at the Ocala Farm Market on “The Square” in Downtown Ocala.  Saturdays from 8am to 1pm, weather permitting, you’ll find some of Ocala’s most superb venders selling a wide array of products that tantalize the appetite of shoppers of every kind. Dean West of Superior Landscape & Garden Center had a beautiful selection of plants and flowers just waiting for a home to beautify.  Their services go far beyond the Farm Market, they provide Landscaping services and have a wonderful Garden Center open to the public year round. Sam Parks of The Vinegar Nut also have a wide assortment of vinegars infused with nearly every flavor one could imagine, delightful!  Visit their website to learn more about all their products and by all means visi... 02/11/2012

Seller:  Let me see if I understand this, are you telling me that my house is listed for $139,900 and the offer is $140,000 yet I'm going to get $135,000 because the buyers' want a seller's concession?   Realtor:  Yes Sir, that is correct. Seller:  WHAT???  WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY THE BUYERS' CLOSING COSTS???   Why can't they just pay me $139,900 being as they obviously want my house?  If they can't afford the house then tell them to go buy the house down the street. (Anger, Sneer) Realtor:  This seller's concession allows the buyer to finance their closing costs so that they don't have to come up with the money for their closing costs upfront. Seller:  This sounds weird, I don't understand it nor do I like it! Realtor:  It is something that could greatly benefit you and the buyer at the ... 02/09/2012

Just out of curiosity Mr & Mrs Seller, when did you want to be in your new home?  Oh, so you’re in contract and need to close in 6 weeks!  You’d really like to sell this home so you don’t have to take out a mortgage and in addition you don’t want to pay a real estate commission to those no good lazy Realtors.  Hmmm, I see! You’ll pay me a commission if I bring you a buyer, interesting.  So what I hear you saying is that you want the activity that you know I can bring to the table but you are a cheapskate who would cheat me out of every bit of money that I work for if you can.  Why on God’s green earth would I want to work with or for you?  Just a little FYI I was born at night, BUT NOT LAST NIGHT! As a “for sale by owner” you are setting yourself up for a major disaster that could yiel... 02/07/2012

How many times have you heard that Realtors and car salespeople are the same?  Having bought many new cars I find that statement unfair and somewhat painful.  It is a hard stigma to overcome, but it’s not impossible. Over the nearly 10 years that I’ve been in real estate I’ve found the old adage to be true, “Honesty is the best policy!”  Yes, it is stated in the Realtor Code of Ethics that we should be honest, but do all abide by that statement?  Of course not, but they should. Real estate is one of those businesses where word of mouth is your next meal.  Lie and you’ll stand a good chance on losing the buyer’s family & friend referrals.  Be honest and your business will begin to self propagate.  Yes, that is where I want to be, helping people live their dreams because when my customer... 01/23/2012

This beautiful home is situated on over 3 lovely, lightly treed acres, it is a private parcel. The custom pool home has a covered front foyer entry, unique architectural detailing throughout.        Inside laundry, newly painted interior, this large open kitchen with wood cabinetry will delight the chief cook.  Large master bath with separate walk in shower, garden tub and dual vanities.     Side entry garage with built in workbench. Pool is screened in with a summer kitchen for year round entertaining.  There is a pole barn designed for RV’s but could be converted for horses.  The land is zoned for agriculture/horse.      Call Sara Homan for an appointment to see this beautiful home and bring those horses! 352-209-4044         01/23/2012

Horse Shows In The Sun aka HITS The winter months are a time that Ocala residents welcome equestrians and their gorgeous horses from around the world to compete in one of the finest horse shows of the season.  The Grand Prix payoff is most rewarding but of course it is only enjoyed by one horse and rider.  The overall competition spans from late January through most of March with a variety of fun activities for one and all. If you love horses and love to see them compete you’ll love to be at HITS in Ocala and we Ocalans would love to see you! Watch this quick HITS Video!     01/20/2012

It isn't any fun to look at the current market value of one's home and realize that just a few years ago it was worth 2 or 3 times as much money.  It is frequently said "I'll sell when the market gets back to normal".   What is normal?  What does that feel like?  Can we truly remember what that market was like or are we looking at the killing we could have had if we had listed our home back then? No, that was not normal, neither is this market.  However, one thing that must be kept in mind is that the market you sell in is the market you will buy in, in most cases.   Keep your focus on where you want to be and why you want to be there.  Do you want warmer weather? Or to be near to family?  These are more important factors than the woulda-coulda-shoulda that's holding you back right now.... 01/16/2012

Ocala has been a great place to invest in foreclosed properties, a place to find a wonderful dream home and much more. The price ranges vary greatly but the bargain prices can't be beat.   Take a look at some of our wonderful foreclosures and see if any of them are what you're looking for. BANK OWNED HOMES TO $50,000 BANK OWNED HOMES FROM $50,000 TO $85,000 BANK OWNED HOMES FROM $85,000 TO $250,000 BANK OWNED HOMES $250,000 AND OVER      01/10/2012

Is it all about the money and the desire to flaunt what one can do with such abundance?  Is it a vengeful attitude?  Or is it something more basic and common sense than that, something that the average Florida Realtor deals with everyday? Just because a home has a huge sticker price it doesn't mean it is worth what it is marketed for.  The long and short of what appears to have transpired (see article) is that there wasn't a proper home inspection done on the house.   Some simple inspections like a WDO (Wood Destroying Organisms)  These inspections look for Termites, Ants, Woodboaring beetles, and wood decaying fungi, (according to the home inspectors that I've worked with).  Another inspection  that is done here in Florida is a 4 Point Inspection to determine the safety factors of the ... 01/09/2012

I grew up in a home of told stories that were designed to shape our character and create a thinking-before-you-act mentality.  My dad was a man of great wisdom who shared his life experiences with us in various ways.  Our favorite way was the edge-of-your-seat stories he shared. Sometimes dad would tell Navy stories that were "just" stories, for the purpose of luring us in and then he'd drop the boom on us and we'd sit there like a deer in the headlights. Remembering one of those stories, dad was in WWII serving in Hawaii shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.  Some of those stories were true, this one well...   He shared about a vicious gun fight between the Americans and the Japanese.  Many of his comrades were killed, he and another soldier found themselves in a foxhole toge... 01/07/2012

Time after time I hear customers shocked because I answer my phone, usually on the first or second ring.  If I’m on another call I occasionally let it go to voicemail and then call back as quickly as I can. Let me ask a few more questions:  How valuable is your time?  Do you have all day to wait around for a Realtor to call back?  Wouldn’t you prefer to speak with a Realtor either immediately when you call or very shortly thereafter? For whatever opinions are worth, there are knowledgeable Realtors out there who are willing to answer their phone, properly assist you and bring your purchase to a successful close.  Find them, call until you get someone who cares and has your interests at heart!           01/03/2012