Each year a group of us friends get together to celebrate the 4th of July on a sail boat.  We have done this for many years now and although the trip in many ways is routine, the pleasure and fun is not routine.  Every year has different high points. The pre-cruise plans do vary each year.  We have arrived early in the afternoon and enjoyed dinner at one of the many wonderful restaurants in downtown St. Peterburg.  One year we stayed overnight at a downtown hotel and spent the week in the city. We leave from the marina in St. Petersburg by "The Pier."  Our time to meet for sailing is 6:00 PM and those that choose the "cruise only" activities generally arrive at the last minute. Our cruise each year is on the "Magic" which is a 51' Morgan Sailing Ketch.  A ketch is a sailing craft with t... 07/05/2008

Mason Oaks in Valrico is quiet, well establised community. Mason Oaks has larger homes on gorgeous lots, perfect for a growing family with prices from the 300,000's. Many of the lots are larger then the normal size in a subdivision. Mason Oaks is located off of Lithia Pinecrest just minutes from Bloomingdale. Nearby schools are Lithia Pinecrest Elementary and Bloomingdale High. Conveniently located near schools, shopping, and major highways for easy commuting, Mason Oaks  has all the comforts that Tampa Bay has to offer. If Mason Oaks is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search for the right home for you whether it is a Residential, Luxury, Premier and Estate, Waterfront, Golf Communities, Condominiums, Senior Li... 07/04/2008

Lumsden Pointe is located off of Lumsden in Valrico. Lumsden Pointe is an enclave of elegant 2 and 3 car garage homes. As you enter, Lumsden Pointe, you will see the beautiful fountain at the front of the subdivision. Lumsden Pointe is divided into five different vilages.  Lumsden Pointe has a community park. it has a home owner's association to maintain the nicely landscaped common areas. This single family home community nestled amongst the quiet serenity of Valrico is a great community for any family. Conveniently located near schools, shopping, and major highways for easy commuting, Lumsden Pointe has all the comforts that Tampa Bay has to offer. If Lumsden Pointe is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search f... 07/03/2008

Lithia Ridge is located off of Lithia Pinecrest Road, south of Bloomingdale in Valrico. Lithia Ridge offers single family homes starting the 100,000s. Schools close by are Lithia Elementary School, Randall Middle School, and Newsome High School. Lithia Ridge is an area of booming shopping, dining and office development. Lithia Ridge offers convenient access to beautiful Gulf beaches, golf courses, restaurants, medical facilities, amusement parks, shopping, downtown Tampa and more. That's why Lithia Ridge is ideal for buyers looking to find the perfect home in a quiet, family-orientated atmosphere. If Lithia Ridge is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search for the right home for you whether it is a Residential, L... 07/03/2008

Eastmonte is a gated community in a rural area of Valrico. Eastomonte is located off of Pearson Road between Durant and Bloomingdale Roads. Eastmonte is single family homes starting in the high $200,000's. This community was developed by Morrison Homes. You can find south Tampa Sophistication, with Style and  Elegance in this small gated community of Eastmonte in Valrico. The homes show extreme pride of ownership. Eastomonte has a 2.8 acre parcel owned by the HOA. Eastmone is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. It is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, The Ice Palace, Lowry Park Zoo, Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, and Tampa's Performing Arts Center. Wheth... 07/03/2008

Home Buyer Turnoffs Are you selling a home? Did you know that even though home buyers are all looking for something different in a home, the majority of them will turn around and walk back out of your door if they notice one or more of these 7 problems. 1.  Poor Curb Appeal You must grab a buyer's interest from the curb and hold on to it, if you want to sell the home for top dollar. Home buyers often refuse to go into a house with an unkempt yard, sagging doors or peeling paint. You can't afford to paint? Okay, but get that yard in tip-top shape and grab a screwdriver to fix those doors. Some people never clean their gutters, and it always makes buyers wonder what else hasn't been maintained.   2.  Dogs that Meet You in the Driveway or at the Door Dogs frighten some people and irritate ... 07/02/2008

Diamond Hill is located off of Wheeler Rd in rural Valrico. Diamond Hill is a master planned community that was built by Ryland. The ammenities for Diamond Hill include a fitness center, community pool, and the Diamond Hill is gated.  The prices for homes in Diamond Hill range from the high 100,000's to the $500,000s. Diamond Hill has villas and single family homes. The schools near Diamond Hill are Valrico Elementary, Mulrennan Middle and Durant High. Diamond Hill is nestled around Diamond Hill Golf Course. Diamond Hill is just 30 minutes from Downtown Tampa and 40 minutes to MacDill Air Force Base. FishHawk Trails is also a quick commute to Lakeland, Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, amusement parks, Orlando and Tampa's Performing Arts Center. Whether you ever wanted... 07/02/2008

Culbreath Estates is nestled in the heart of the East Bloomingdale community of Valrico just south of Cimino Elementary School.,Culbreath Estates has estate home sites starting at 2700 square feet with plenty of shade trees and lots of privacy make this community something special. Culbreath Estates is just a short distance from the Campo Family YMCA and Bloomingdale Little League. There is lots of shopping and restaurants are  in  the area. Burns Middle and Blomingdale High Schools are also close by.  Paragon has designed fabolous homes for this community in Valrico. Each new home will include a three-car garage, brick paved front entry and porch, and field stone accents which give these homes a wonderful curb appeal.  In the kitchen, you will find 42" upper cabinets with crown molding... 07/02/2008

Copper Ridge is a community of single family homes just south of Highway 60. Copper Ridge homes start in the $100,000's. Copper Ridge is located between Mulrennan and Dover Roads on the east end of Valrico. The last few years has seen a lot of growth of shopping, retail and dining areas on the east end of the Brandon Valrico area. Residents have access to a Super Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and a variety of grocery stores. If you like to eat out, there is a Chilis, Steak and Shake, Applebees and more in the area. Copper Ridge is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. Copper Ridge is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, The Ice Palace, Lowry Park Zoo, Busch Gardens, ... 07/02/2008

Canterbury Oaks is a quaint community of custom homes priced from the $300,000's. Most of the homes in Canterbury Oaks are 3 car garages. Canterbury Oaks is located close to the east end of Bloomingdale in Valrico. Canterbury Oaks is just west of River Hills. It is an area with great schools and easy acess to shopping and dining sites. The Campo YMCA is just a few miles to the west just off of Bloomingdale. Canterbury Oaks is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. Cantebury Oaks is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, The Ice Palace, Lowry Park Zoo, Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, and Tampa's Performing Arts Center. Whether you want a luxury home with a view o... 07/02/2008

Buckhorn a golf course community is located off of Miller Road, north of Lithia Pinecrest. The area has many subdivisions that start with Buckhorn, such as Buckhorn Preserve, Buckhorn Run and Buckhorn Groves. Nearby schools are Buckhorn Elementary, Mulrennan Middle and Durant High. The area around Buckhorn has seen a lot of growth in shopping and dining sites in the last few years. There is currently a Paneras, Chilis, Starbucks and more dining facilities less then a mile away. There are also several grocery stores and the Campo YMCA very close by. Buckhorn is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. Buckhorn is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, The Ice Palace, Lo... 07/02/2008

Brandon Brook is a community of affordable homes conviently located close to shopping and dining on the east end of Highway 60 in theBrandon/Valrico area. Homes are 3 to 4 bedrooms with one and two car garages. Prices begin in the $100's and go to the $200's. The community also has winding sidewalks, community park and pool with an affordable HOA and no CDD. it is located near a Super Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and many other shopping and dining facilities. Westfield Mall is just 4 miles to the east. Brandon Brook is  located near many entertainment and area attractions such as, Adventure Island, Busch Gardens, Lowry Park Zoo and Raymond James Stadium. If art is your calling this community offers easy access to the Tampa Bay Museum of Art, Tampa Theater and Ruth Eckerd Hall is within 60... 07/02/2008

Bloomingdale is actually several different communities within a broad area called Bloomingdale. Bloomingdale is generally thought of as the communities south of Bloomindale Road west of Lithia Pinecrest and east of Kings. House prices start in the 100's and go up. The Bloomingdale Golf Course is located in the area called Bloomingdale East which has a mailing address of Valrico. The section on the west side of Bell Shoals is Bloomingdale West and has a mailing address of Brandon. There are a lot of stores and dining opportunities within minutes of the comommunities. Westlake Shopping Mall is about 10 minutes from Bloomingdale. Bloomingdale is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. It is also a quick com... 07/02/2008

MLS Property Search Service We recently received a letter from a client who wanted to express his appreciation for the FREE Tampa Bay Area MLS Property Search Service that offers on our website.  The client went on to say that he appreciated the fact that we did not make him jump through hoops in order to have access to this invaluable tool for locating homes and properties in the Tampa Bay Area.  In fact you can search all of the property currently listed in the MLS state wide on the Florida's Beautiful Homes website. Please feel free to check out our website for FREE MLS searches and for tons of other helpful information concerning buying or selling real estate.  We even have investor information and programs available. FREE Tampa Bay Area MLS Property Search Service  06/30/2008

Property Management You need a company you can trust to handle your operational responsibilities. In the Tampa Bay Area, we are the company that has the experience you want in property management. We offer full service management of  residential single family and multi-family properties. We have a dedicated team of professionals ready to help you maximize your profits without sacrificing on service. Here is just a small list of the services you can expect: Rate Analysis- We will analyze the market and find the rental rates that will make you the most money. Lease Administration- Whether it's billing and collection or tenant screening, we will handle it for you. Building Maintenance- We will make sure your properties are clean and operating efficiently at all times. Marketing- Our market... 06/25/2008

Third in a Series for First Time Home Buyers First-time buyers are often unsure about the financial aspects of buying a home, and you may have many questions swirling in your head. How much can I afford? Do I need a large down payment? Your home price range will be determined by your income, credit history, the cash you have for a down payment and closing costs, and your debt. How much you earn compared to how much you owe will likely determine how much the bank allows you to borrow.   For Pre-Qualification Click Here:  Rick@RickFrissell.Com The financial rule of thumb is: your total monthly debt service, which will include your monthly mortgage, shouldn't be more than about 36 percent of your gross monthly income. Most experts say that your monthly housing expense, including taxes and ... 06/25/2008

 USF History             The University of South Florida was founded in 1956 as the first public university established specifically to address the needs of Florida's rapidly emerging urban regions. State Rep. Sam Gibbons championed USF's creation, and John S. Allen, USF's first president, helped Gov. Leroy Collins break ground in September 1957. On September 26, 1960, nearly 2,000 students began classes in five buildings. USF was on its way. The university chose two words to guide its path: "Truth" and "Wisdom." USF developed rapidly. In 1965, the St. Petersburg campus opened, and USF was accredited, gaining additional academic respect. In 1967, enrollment passed 10,000. In 1968, USF was admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In the 1970s, the College of Medicine wa... 06/24/2008

Bent Tree a small, well established neighborhood in rural Valrico.  Homes don't come on the market in Bent Tree very often.  These homes in Valrico were built in the mid 1990's.  Gorgeous, mature landscaping and St. Augustine grass help make this a desirable neighborhood.  Nearby schools are Buckhorn Elementary, Mulrennan Middle and Durant High. Bent Tree does not have a CDD but does have low HOA dues. It is located south of Highway 60 off of St. Cloud. New commercial growth off of Highway 60 in the area has given the Bent Tree residents more local dining, and shopping with in easy drive of the community. If Bent Tree of Valrico is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search for the right home for you whether it is ... 06/24/2008

Welcome to Arista a gated community located just north of Highway 60 and off of Crosby and Valrico Rd. Come see these beautiful Morrison built homes in this small exclusive gated community of Valrico. These are larger homes many with three bedrooms. Some back up to either a pond or a wooded area.  Pricing starts in the mid $300,000's.  The majority of the homes were built in 2005 and 2006.  Enjoy all the shopping and dining that Brandon has to offer. Arista's location allows for easy access to I-75 and the Cross-town Expressway. Arista of Valrico is just 30 minutes from Downtown Tampa and 40 minutes to MacDill Air Force Base. FishHawk Trails is also a quick commute to Lakeland, Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, amusement parks, Orlando and Tampa's Performing Arts Cente... 06/24/2008

Abbey Grove is located in a rural area of Valrico, north of Highway 60 off of Valrico Road. Abbey Grove is a new community being built by Mercedes Homes. Abbey Grove is a community of with exquisitely designed homes adorned with luxurious features and graceful architectural details. Homes are from the mid $200,000's. Abbey Grove is a community of larger homes, many with three car garages. Abbey Grove is conviently located just east of Brandon, with a quick commute to Tampa using either the Crosstown Expressway or Highway 60. It is also a quick commute to Tampa International Airport, Raymond James Stadium, The Ice Palace, Lowry Park Zoo, Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, and Tampa's Performing Arts Center. Whether you want a luxury home with a view of a lake, or a home in a gated mast... 06/24/2008