Life With Wee People: Do not feed the alligators... it's a felony... Only a New Yorker would spend the entire time on a gorgeous nature walk in a fabulous sanctuary contemplating the stupidity of people feeding the alligators (LOL). I was completely distracted for two miles imagining all sorts of Saturday Night Live scenarios... Needless to say, the cartoons in my head had a field day with this. :-) Knowing there were critters anticipating a possible meal kept my fight or flight switch flipped the entire time we were wondering about without a map. Ironically, it also resulted in my taking 181 photographs and film clips as I habitually zoomed in to scope out creepy sounds and interesting bends in the path. Every time something surfaced in the water I was capturing that puppy whether it... 08/30/2010

. . Life With Wee People: Minion Landscaping 101 I was tweeting with my gal pal Chris Elizabeth Griffith ( http://lifeinbonitasprings.com )and spoofing with my kids during a recording session when I promised her that I'd post pics of the shorties landscaping contribution to our yard. They are very helpful little buggers. You can get a lot out of them for some M&Ms. Even more out of me for the right pint of Hagen Daz (LOL).   We plan to go bird and butterfly hunting with our Nikons later today. Will let you know how that turned out during our vacation. ;-) 07/17/2010

Check out these Before and After photos of a one of our recent Palm Bay, Fl exterior repaint jobs. After we pressure washed this Palm Bay home, we repaired all of the staircase stucco cracks, applied a clear sealer to ensure good adhesion, and then applied two coats of Sherwin Williams A100 satin exterior paint. Photo Before: pressure cleaning and exterior painting: After: exterior painting of stucco, bands and garage door: Before photo: exterior painting After photo: exterior painting Before photo: exterior painting of front entry arch, bands and front door After photo: exterior painting of front entry arch, bands and front door Melbourne/Satellite Beach/Palm Bay/Suntree 321-777-9337 Merritt Island/Cocoa Beach/Rockledge/Viera 321-453-6233 Titusville 321-383-3574 07/05/2010

Sandy Shores, Realtor | M & M Real Estate, Inc | 321-253-4545 352 Jacaranda Ave NW, Palm Bay, FL Palm Bay 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Short Sale 2BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $62,222 Year Built 1983 Sq Footage 1,284 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 10,454 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Welcome Home! New roof, range and dishwasher 2005! New heat pump 2008! Spacious living area! Completely remodeled bathroom with glistening ceramic tile, seat in shower and pedestal sink! Owned alarm system. Reverse osmosis water treatment system. Sprinkler system with well. Screened porch overlooking large backyard. Over sized 2 car garage converted to 8x8 office and 15x12 bonus room, under air-added to living sq. ft. Sold As Is. 24 x 12 area for storag... 04/16/2010

Check the IRS code to make sure you are replacing with qualifying replacements  Then use form 5695 for your tax credits Tax Credits for Solar Water Heaters A federal tax credit makes energy-efficient solar water heaters a more affordable and sustainable option for many homeowners. Tax Credits for Replacing Heating and Cooling Systems Upgrading to an energy-efficient heating and cooling system can save hundreds on your utility bills and earn you a tax credit worth as much as $1,500. Tax Credits for Replacing Your Roof Replacing your roof with a qualifying energy-efficient metal or asphalt roof can cut your cooling bill and earn you a $1,500 tax credit. Tax Credits for Adding or Replacing Insulation A federal tax credit makes adding insulation an even cheaper way to improve your home's e... 02/23/2010

  Short Sales sure seem like a simple way for underwater homeowners to get rid of there over priced homes.  But some Lenders are increasingly adding language to the approval package, reserving the right to pursue the deficiency later - that is, the difference between what you owed on the house and what it sold for. Some homeowners, so anxious to get out of a pending foreclosure, skip right over that part of the letter. Some understand but opt to take their chances, betting they won't hear from the lender again. For some lucky buyers, this has been the case - so far. They've sold their home as a short sale, moved on, and haven't had any problems. But other lenders require the seller to agree upfront to pay back a set amount  Lenders don't always go after short sale homeowners. But in Flo... 02/23/2010

Ways to boost an already good credit score, or boost it after a foreclosure or short sale on your record.You never know when you will need your credit score again.   Tips to Improve your Credit 1. Review your current credit report for accuracy. Everyone is entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Get a copy of your credit report and look at it for accuracy. First, make sure that the information in your file is about you and only you, not someone who has a similar name or a similar Social Security number. It is very common for your credit reports to have mistakes or incorrect information. At a minimum, make sure that the information you are being evaluated on is current and correct. 2. Repair credit report mistak... 01/28/2010

        Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. This year celebrate the spirit of giving. Give a day of volunteer service in 2010, and get a day of Disney Theme Park fun - free! Disney Parks has announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day."  To inspire people to volunteer in their communities during 2010, Disney is offering a free, one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® theme park to the first one million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization (such as the Palm Bay Volunteer Service Corps). Starting Jan. 1, 2010, Palm Bay citizens can go to www.DisneyParks.com to search for eligible volunteer opportunities.  After you pre-register, sign up and complete your... 01/27/2010

I was recently contacted by a woman, through the internet, that inquired on putting her recently deceased father's Palm Bay home on the market. We arranged for a time to meet, so we could discuss the current market, my marketing plan for selling the home and a realistic list price for the property. Prior to our meeting, I contacted my title company to do a preliminary search on the home's title, to discuss the way in which title was held on the property and what documents would be needed for a closing on this estate. At our meeting, I asked what her target date was for getting the house on the market.  She said she was ready to put the house on the market that day.  Uh-oh! That wasn't going to work. The house was in a state of disarray. The family was in the process of going through the... 01/23/2010

Palm Bay Palm Bay is a growing community of approximately 100,000 that sits just south of Melbourne and in the Southeast portion of Brevard County or , “The Space Coast.” It includes large tracts of land both east and west of I-95, some frontage on the Indian River Lagoon (which is the ICW or Intracoastal Waterway), and on the east shades into adjoining (and currently more rural) residential areas of Malabar, Grant, and Micco extending south to Sebastian. The whole area is basically new and is growing at a rapid pace. It’s a young city with an average age of 37 and an average household income over $40,000. New home construction at affordable prices is popping up everywhere. As of August 2005 there are some new homes and condos for under $200,000. Palm Bay represents not just good real ... 01/09/2010

If you have not gotten a chance to visit this outstanding nature trail - make sure you put it on your schedule the next time you are anywhere close to Orlando, FL.  Just 40 minutes east of Orlando - this nature trail is absolutely gorgeous!  4.5 miles of neatly manicured trails.  1.25 miles of the trail is a boardwalk.  Here is the website below with a few pictures that I took and a Google map of the location.  Definitely worth the trip! http://www.foturkeycreek.org/id7.html       View Larger Map 12/29/2009

Join the DATADOT Revolution in Palm Bay.  Attend Explorer C.A.M.P. December 12th at City Hall. The City of Palm Bay and DATADOT Technology USA have formed a first-ever community partnership designed to further reduce burglaries and thefts. To kick off this year long program, the City will host Explorer C.A.M.P. (Community Auto Marking Program) on Saturday, December 12th from 9am to 2pm at the City Hall Complex on Malabar Road.  Experts from DATADOT Technology USA, assisted by Palm Bay Police Explorers and VCOPS, will mark the first 500 vehicles for a substantially reduced rate of only $30 per vehicle (truck, vans and cars only).  Vehicle marking takes only 15 minutes, including application of DATADOTS and the online registration.  No recreational vehicles or motorcycles please.  Home a... 12/12/2009

  The city of Palm Bay continues to make this a great place to work and play!!!  This is a great way to improve our Parks for the kids!  Go Play! Palm Bay has been named a "Playful City USA" community by KaBOOM!for the second year in a row. KaBoom! is a national non-profit organization that empowers communities to build playgrounds, with the goal of a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Palm Bay is one of only 93 communities that have each demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play and earned this title. View Parks and Recreation   11/29/2009

Holiday Parade - December 5, 2009 6pm   DECEMBER 5, 2009 6PM  Join the city of Palm Bay as they kick off a year-long 50th Birthday Celebration with the annual Holiday Light Parade.   The parade begins north on San Filippo Drive, then turns west onto Malabar Road. The parade ends by turning south onto Eldron Boulevard. The judges' viewing stand will be located at the Colonial Square Shopping Center.                                                               11/29/2009

  RISMEDIA, November 24, 2009-Black Friday may kick-off the holiday shopping season, but not everybody's out to buy gifts. Of the half of Americans who plan on shopping in stores or online over the Black Friday weekend, 66% say they'll be shopping for themselves according to the latest Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll. The day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday, is not the only important shopping day of the holiday weekend. While 28% of adults plan to shop in-stores on Black Friday, just as many (29%) say they'll be shopping on Saturday or Sunday afterwards. Overall, half (53%) of adults expect the deals to be just as good in-stores as online this year. The Black Friday weekend shopping list for consumers includes clothing (71%) and electronics (70%), with video g... 11/24/2009

 THIS IS FOR REAL. THERE WILL BE A SHORTAGE OF LIBBY'S CAN PUMPKIN. SO IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PUMPKIN PIE FOR THANKSGIVING YOU BEST GO OUT AND BUY YOUR PUMPKIN VERY SOON. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!!     Pumpkin shortage could mean empty shelves after Thanksgiving -- latimes.com 11/18/2009

 Here is a list you can print and give to all your sellers According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers based on cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are:  1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost / $1,700 price increase / 872% ROI)2. Home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase / 586% ROI)3. Lightening and brightening ($230 cost / $1,300 price increase / 572% ROI)4. Landscaping ($320 cost / $1,500 price increase / 473% ROI)5. Repairing plumbing ($385 cost / $1,250 price increase / 327% ROI)  Read more: http://rismedia.com/2009-11-09/home-sellers-top-5-home-improvement-projects-based-on-cost-and-return-on-investment/#ixzz0WSsHfrUt 11/10/2009

  If you know of a Home owner with a Chase mortgage here is the website if they need help because they can no longer afforded there mortgage payments. You download the forms and follow the instructions. https://www.chase.com/chf/mortgage/keeping-your-home 11/09/2009

I am on my way out to show houses.  This first time home buyer has been actively looking for a house for over 2 months in a 5 mile radius of Palm Bay. She has realistic expectations.  She and her husband aren't looking for a home that is out of the ordinary. She'd like a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage about 1500 square feet of living. In the under $125K price range she should be able to find what she is looking for. She is an FHA buyer, so to stay within FHA guidelines the home she chooses must have a newer roof, newer A/C unit, some type of heat, a stove, no broken windows, and if it has a pool it can't look like a swamp monster lives in it.  Easy right? Well, maybe not right now. We have looked at every house in her price range in the area she would like to live.  Many are short sale... 10/31/2009

    Teal is the New Green: EXIT Realty Announces Alliance with EcoBroker® International EXIT-EcoBroker designation denotes "green" expertise for consumers The green real estate movement is today's mantra for everything from energy-efficient appliances and toxin-free building materials to all-natural cleaning supplies or water-saving products.  Everywhere we turn, marketing screams for our lives to "go green!"  Whether it's the bag you pack your groceries in, separating recyclables before putting out the garbage or checking the tags on what you buy to ensure it's organic, day-to-day living centers around being - or quickly becoming - eco-friendly. With that in mind, EXIT Realty Corp. International announced today the launch of its green initiative, "teal is the new green",  which include... 10/05/2009