TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES

This Mother’s Day weekend will be one for the books.  I took part in Muddy Buddy Ride Race Adventure at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando.  For those not familiar with Muddy Buddy, it is a challenging six mile course of off-road trail running and biking with obstacles in between.  Partners alternate biking and running and do an obstacle at each transition.  Obstacles included climbing  two rope ladders and going down two very high air slides, climbing a rock wall and walking a balance beam.  At the end you crawl under a rope net  hand in hand with your buddy though a mud pit.  All you need for the event is a very good buddy, one mountain bike, a helmet, and a good sense of humor!  (Training before hand for the event would also help).  You should also dress the part or so I was told.  Our group was made up of good friends from the infamous "Playgroup Moms."  We have been together since our children were one year old and we formed a kids playgroup.  We have had a lot of good times throughout the past nine years and this event was really special.  My buddy was my good and special friend Julie Carlson.  Other good friends paired up Stacey Donavan and Kelly Griffin, Jenny Stupinski and Tracey Fitch.  We made a weekend of it by camping at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness.  So besides our good buddies our camp site consisted of five husbands, eleven kids, and five dogs.  This was our day so our good husbands took care of the kids and had them all up ready to cheer us on.    On the first leg of the bike ride, I saw the whole group sitting in the grass and cheering me on.  It was great to see them even though I was thinking what did I get myself into?

 Now for dressing the part - Julie and I were the "Cool Cat."  We wore black tri shorts, leapord belts, had a cat tail attached to our bike, black cat shirts with green eyes, a cat toy with fish dangling from the handle bars (Here Kitty Kitty).  Even though we thought we looked great our other buddies gave us a gift of leapord T-backs to go with our outfit.  Much to their surprise, and to bring us luck we decided to wear them over our biking shorts.  We were quite the fashion statement.  However, we had a lot of competition from the sold out event which included Dr. Suess’s Thing One and Two, guys in a tu tu, women with pink flamingos with drink glass helmets, Dorthy and the Wicked Witch, Dirty Mini and Mickey, Hawaiian dancers with coconut tops, two men in speedos with Muddy on one butt and Buddy on the other (not a pretty sight) and the list goes on. 
 
Julie and I did have a great time.  Out of the six of us, Julie and I did not train for the event.  Our combined age which put us in the last wave to go out was 88. And no we did not finish last!  Maybe we will train for next year!  See you at Muddy Buddy 2009 in Orlando!       

 
Sebring was well represented in Muddy Buddy.  Muddy Buddy Ride Run takes place all around the country in various cities throughout the year.  Land Rover is the main sponsor and money raise benefits Challenged Athletes Foundation.  So take your good buddy and enter.  You will have the time of your life and it is a great feeling when you finish and crawl out of the mud pit!

TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Yesterday I spent a great day in Sarasota with a group of friends and fellow agents from my office, RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring.  We went to a RE/MAX Florida Regional meeting in Sarasota.    We started the meeting with lunch at the Columbia Restaurant on St. Armands Key.  I grew up in Tampa and one of my favorite restaurants is the Colombia Restaurants in Ybor City.  So I never miss a chance to eat at any Columbia Restaurant.  So after a wonder Cuban lunch, it was off the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota for an afternoon meeting.  I picked up more good ideas for marketing and reconfirmed RE/MAX is the place to be!
 
While sitting in a large room with lots of agents in the second row.  Liz, the lady behind me, started talking and introduced me to the agent she was with, Donna Toms both from a north Tampa office.  They just joined RE/MAX from Century 21 (good move for them).   Donna said you look familiar where are you from?  I asked "have you been to Sebring?" She said "No haven’t been there."  Then I said, I grew up in South Tampa.  She said so did I.  Then I asked her where she went to high school she said Robinson High School.  This is where I went.  I asked her when she graduated.  She said 77 (me 73), but said she had an older sister and she would ask her if she knew me.  Well she seemed familiar to me too.  The meeting started.  All of a sudden it hit me.  I turned around and said  "Did you have horses?"  At the same time we both said "Maica."  Maica was my first horse.  I use to show and ride Quarter Horses.  I sold Maica when I was in high school to Donna Nanz.  So the new Tampa RE/MAX agent is the same person who bought my Maica.  It has been 35 years since I last saw Donna.  She was about 13.  I can remember her riding her horses, with a cowboy hat, hair in a pony tail, and always riding bareback  and with not saddle.  So when someone says, "It’s a small world," it really is!
 
I wish Donna and Liz much luck with their move to RE/MAX.  I am so happy I attended the meeting yesterday.  It’s always fun to look back on the good old days!  Anyone looking to move to Tampa, I have a good referral person to send you to.
 
Remember for all your real estate needs in Highlands County - Sebring, Lake Placid, and Avon Park, give Maureen Cool a call today at 863 873-7243 or 888 243-COOL(2665).
 

  TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES     

March 2008 turned out to be a great month for real estate sales in Highlands County.  RE/MAX in Highlands County has 23% of the market share with the next closest office at 6.5%.  As my son would say "RE/MAX Rules!"   In Highlands County, RE/MAX has closed 287 transactions YTD and continues to out sell the next closest office two to one.  I think most will agree this is very impressive especially since we have fewer agents!

This is a recap of what is active on the market and what  has sold during March 2008 for residential sales.

Single Family Homes 

Currently Listed               1,676

Contingent or Pending      150

March Closings                71

       Sebring                    37

       Avon Park                12

       Lake Placid               13

Condos, Villas, Duplex

 Active                            364

Contingent or Pending      12

March Closings                14

Mobile Homes - Owned Land

Active                             141

Contingent or Pending      22

Closed March                  15

 The majority of the sales were under $150,000 and only six sales were over $250,000.  The houses that are price to sell are selling.  I heard on agent descript the market as a beauty contest.  The homes in the best condition, correctly priced win the sale.  A home than needs work — painting, cleaning, new carpet, yard work cannot compete.  It will be Maureen Cool’s pleasure to show you the best of the best for sale in Highlands County.  Let the next great deal be yours!  Call Maureen Cool today at 863 873-7243.  

  TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES   

 Is a short sale a good thing for a seller?  As a seller you should consider some facts before you jump as a Seller into a Sort Sale.  As an experienced Realtor in the Avon Park, Sebring, and Lake Placid market, I see many disasters in the making with short sales.  You can give me a call to see if a short sale is right for you.  I do not handle the actual short sales because it is not my expertise.  Nor am I a foreclosure consultant.  But, I do know when a short sales may be the best option for you and I can point out red flags that I might see.   If a short sale appears to be the best choice for your situations, I can refer you to an experienced Realtor to handle your short sale.  Some agents may bill themselves as being an expert in short sales.  This is not always case.  The buzz word these days is Short Sale and many Realtors have jumped on the band wagon to present themselves as experts when they are not.  For example, you would not or I would not get to the same doctor for a cold as we would for major surgery and you should not just pick any Realtor for a short sale without checking their track record with short sales and ask for references from past clients they have handled short sales for.
 
What is a short sale?  This is when the homeowner places the home for sale and the lender agrees to take less for the mortgage than what is owed and releases the homeowner from the deficit.  The homeowner owes more than what the house is worth.  Suddenly, payments are more than the homeowner can afford.  This could be caused by loss of a job, reduction in income, divorce or death of a spouse, or an unexpected increase in mortgage payment, taxes and insurance.  The homeowner can no longer afford to live in the home.  They decide to sell and realize in this slow market they cannot not sell their home for what they owe and they are facing foreclosure by the lender.  This is when a Short Sale may take place.
 
What sellers do not realize is, a short sale may not be all that it is cracked up to be.  You think the lender will let you sell the home for less than what is owed and release you from the difference.  This may not be the case.  Before you agree to do a short sale realize that the following may occur:
 
1.  There may be tax ramifications from a short sale which include the money the lender is releasing you from may be taxable by the IRS.
 
2.  The person or Realtor handling the short sale may be collecting a fee from the sale in addition to collecting a commission.  Find out what this fee is.
 
3.  When you put up a Short Sale rider on the for sale sign in your yard, this tells the world that the property has started the foreclosure process and the list price is less than what is owed.
 
4.  Just because someone tells you they can do a short sale, it may not happen.  All this person is attempting to do is negotiate with the lender to take less.  They are gambling they can do this on your time.  If the short sale happens, the Realtor makes money.  If it does not happen, you go to foreclosure.   In some cases, but not always the lender may approve the short sale and still require you to pay the difference in what is remaining which is called the deficiency.
 
5.  There is no guarantee the person that list your house to do a short sale will be able to negotiate with the lender.  If the lender refuses to honor the approved discounted price and closing, the property will go to foreclosure.  The short sale is a way to try to avoid foreclosure.  When you accept the offer made by a buyer, you have accepted a lesser amount than the actual mortgage(s).  This is where the Realtor goes to work and has to convince the lender that it is in the lenders best interest to take less than what is owed.
 
6 If you are in a situation that you can no longer make payments, it is always advisable to consult an attorney and accountant to find out the ramifications the short sale may have on you.
 
7.  If you have equity in your home but are unable to make your current payments you may be better off selling just a little over what you owe to cover your expenses.  This will help promote a quick sale.  In no circumstances should you sign your house over to anyone or put it in a TRUST without an attorney looking at this.  If you do sign your home over to a trust this may mean that someone else will realize the equity in your home and will sell it for the profit.  You have just GIVEN your home away when you sign it over to a trust.   Know who the trustee is on the trust.  Do they know the Realtor proposing to do the short sale?  What is the relationship to the Realtor?  Have an attorney look at any papers before you sign.
 
If you are considering a SHORT SALE in Highlands County, give Maureen Cool a call at 863 873-7243.  She will talk to you about your situation, give you options to consider and try to help.

  TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES 

One of the best kept secrets in Highlands County is Lake Lotela just southeast of Avon Park and minutes from Sebring.  This beautiful clean, clear sand bottom lake is great for swimming, water sports, boating, and fishing.  The lake is over 800 acres with white sand beaches to enjoy spring and summer afternoons or weekends on the lake.  My husband has caught numerous bass over ten pounds from this lake and you can too.
 
The Lake Lotela area is also home to Pinecrest Golf Club, a Donald Ross designed course built in 1926 and the oldest remaining golf course in Highlands County.   This is a semi-private members owned course.   The greens are great to play and always in good shape.   Because it is such a nice course with a lot of golf history, many retired golf pro’s spend their winters playing this course  I recently sold a villa directly on the course to Ed Abrain former President of Titlest Golf Company.  He likes to  spend his winters here golfing on this fine course.  I once asked Fred Bruno, a winter resident and golf pro from the Long Island Country Club why golfers like Pinecrest so well.  He said it is because of the history and the talent that plays this course.  Here’s a triva many do not know about Pinecrest.  In 1960 the first televised PGA golf tournament was at Pinecrest in Avon Park.
 
If you want to be a part of Pinecrest and the history, check out these great homes that I have for sale directly on the lake.  By the way, old timers in the 30’s referred to this lake as Big Lake.
 
845 Lake Lotela Dr.  This home is located on the south side of Lake Lotela and a short golf cart ride to the club house.  This vintage three bedroom, two bath, two car garage home has beautiful views of the lake and is nestled among the orange trees.  The sun room is a great place to enjoy your morning coffee!
 
606 E.  Cornell St.   This wonderful 1926 home has a beautiful wrap around porch.  Old timers in the area said this is one of the original homes on the lake and was once occupied by a Sunday School teacher who use to entertain students on the porches.  The home has been beautifully restored and also has an apartment or guest house.
 
618 E. Cornell St.  This home was build in 1935 and the interior appears to be straight out of Southern Living Magazine.  This 4 bedroom home has a formal living room and dining room, new kitchen, and two decks to enjoy the relaxing landscaping.  The beach is well maintained with a panoramic view of the lake.  There is a huge concrete picnic table down by the water to enjoy Sunday afternoon picnics by the lake.
 
If you would like to view one of these real estate listings and to find out why Lake Lotela is the best kept secret in Highlands County, give Maureen Cool a call at 863 873-7243 to set up an appointment. 

Last Friday I had the honor of attending The Sebring Sports Car Racing Hall of Fame luncheon to introduce the 2008 Inductees to the Hall of Fame.  This years inductees included legends Derek Bell, Roger Penske, Hans Stuck, David Cowart and Audi.  For the person who knew nothing about sports car racing when she moved to Sebring in 1988, I have become a fan and I look forward to the socializing, fast cars, party time and good times each year.  The first two years I lived In Highlands County, many of the locals said this is the weekend when you leave town!  Of course coming from Tampa, the "Guy" thing to do was head to Sebring the third week in March and party….I have always heard Sebring stories from guys I worked with and friend’s husbands.  I never dreamed I would be apart of all the excitement.

One of the first race car driver’s name I learned was Hans Stuck.  While working for race tickets with my Rotary Club in the pouring rain, I had the duty of guarding the entrance to Club Sebring.  Nobody could enter the Pit Boxes without a pass.  Under the boxes were the pits.  Race car drivers actually drove in and hung in the pit before it was their turn to drive.  One of the drivers there 15 years ago was Hans Stuck.  He autographed my race ticket.  When I showed some friends who had autographed my ticket, they were really impressed and told me what a great race car driver he is.  Hans Stuck is the name I always associated with the 12 Hours of Sebring.  Today I had the good fortune to attend his induction in to the Hall of Fame.  After, all the inductees signed the official 12 Hours of Sebring poster.  I plan to have the poster framed for my son Danny.
 
Each of the drivers during their speech expressed that Sebing is one of the most challenging tracks in the world and Sebring is the race to win.  Sebring is know as the American LeMans Series and Sebring is known by race fans around the world.

 
Not only is Sebring famous, it is also great place to live.   If you want to find out more about Sebring contact Maureen Cool  — Highlands County’s Coolest Realtor and Number 1 Expert.  Or if you are at the track for the 12 Hours of Sebring, stop by my spot on the Hairpin and say hi.  Friends from RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring and I will be there enjoying the race!
 

"TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES" 

 TODAY’S FEATURED PROPERTIES  

Is now the time to purchase real estate?  Everywhere you turn, the media is telling you about how bad the real estate market is.  Foreclosures and Short Sales are everywhere.  The real estate inventory is huge in Highlands County.  Every street you drive down has several "For Sale" signs.  The picture is total gloom and doom.  But, is it and for who?  In Highlands County this morning there are 2,250 homes for sale.  Nobody truly knows the bottom of any market.  The only way to know the bottom, is when the market starts going back up.  When prices are down, investment opportunities are up.    I personally think this is a great time to buy and there must be a great investment opportunity in one of these 2,250  homes.    Your first step to investing in real estate in this market is to consult with a professional Realtor who knows the condition of the real estate market where they live and work. 

The next step to consider when making Real Estate investments is: 

1.  Cash Flow - rental income vs. mortgage payment 

2.  Mortgage Packages or Interest Rates 

3.  Insider Hot Spots (commercial or residential, your Realtor will know) 

4.  New Home Builder Deals (with interest payments on Spec Homes eating them up, these guys are willing to deal). 

5.  Second Home vs. Investment Property 

6.  Motivation of the Seller (Is the home sitting empty because of a transfer and now the seller has two mortgage payment to make). 

With the help on an experienced Realtor, maybe it is time you take a look at these great opportunities.  I meet with many investors throughout the year to discuss the ideal time for buying and selling real estate. Remember,  Real Estate is not any different than the stock market.  When everyone at work  is talking "buy" or the media is talking appreciation, most likely you are too late.  This ship has already sailed and you did not get on in time.  Don’t be the one missing the boat in this fantastic market.   Call or email Maureen Cool today to discuss if this is the right time for you to investment in Real Estate.  Maureen is an expert on the Highlands County Real Estate Market.  Perhaps the next best Real Estate deal in Sebring, Avon Park, or Lake Placid belongs to you!

 
Yesterday ended a great RE/MAX International Convention.  It was not as large as others but the information shared and learned was second to none.  I picked up so many good ideas that will give my clients an added advantage when buying and selling a home.  If you are working with an agent that is not using Internet marketing to the best advantage, you the seller are losing in the end….more marketing time and less chance of selling.  Stay tuned on future blogs to find out what you should consider when hiring an agent to sell your home.
 
On Wednesday, RE/MAX sponsored a fashion show to support The Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Four breast cancer survivors modeled.  Looking around the room watching these beautiful models, I saw lots of tears for the models moving stories shared on film by families and co-workers.  I am sure many tears were for memories of a loved one or friend that may have fought a hard battle with this terrible disease and are no longer here with us. I know my thoughts were of my Mother.
 
Yesterday Linda Boring, my broker at RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring and I walked a 5K walk/run for the cure.  We walked the streets of Vegas with many others raising additional funds or The Susan G. Komen Foundation.  After another full days of sessions, once again the fun week ended with a concert sponsored by Bank of America Mortgage.  Everyone enjoyed the sounds of the rock band Journey and brought back a lot of fond memories as RE/MAX looked back over the past 35 years.  It’s great to know that I am part of a team around the world with the best trained agents and most homes sold anywhere in the world.   RE-MAX - what a great place to be!

Welcome to day two of the RE/MAX International Convention in Las Vegas.   My group and I from RE/MAX Realty Plus in Sebring, Florida had a great opening general session with Dave Liniger the founder of RE/MAX International as the keynote speaker.  Listening to Dave Liniger confirmed that I am working for the greatest real estate organization in the world.  Mr. Liniger talked about our tough market ahead and how RE/MAX provides the best tools for all it’s agents and makes us stand out as the best in the world.  Nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX — but I already knew this.  Just as nobody sells more real estate in Highlands County - Sebring, Avon Park, and Lake Placid than RE/MAX Realty Plus.  We also previewed some of the new T.V. commercials that will soon be release.  Since this is the 35th anniversary of RE/MAX we all enjoyed a step back in time watching commercials from the past and watching to dancers and listening to music from the past 35 years.  This brought back a lot of memories since I graduated the same year RE/MAX was founded in 1973!

I made new friends from around the world today — a nice group from Santo Domingo that was sitting in front and behind us…Wilton Muese, Roberto Abreu, Paola Ridriguez, and Linabel Martinez of RE/MAX Metropolitiana.  From Switzerland in the lobby I met Bernard Stauffer of RE/MAX La Cote from Switzerland who flew 20 hours to attend the convention.  Tonight at the ice cream social we met a fun group of guys from Germany.  Sven Gartner and his friends from RE/MAX  Immobilien Concept  were having too much fun!  We first noticed them at the convention walking around in native dress.  I think they stood out as having the best time of all.  At one point we saw them all in the spa out by the pool having a great time.  Later we exchanged business cards and converstation and took our photo together.  Hopefully, when European buyers decide that Florida will be a great place to find a second home, they will send referrals to me in Sebring!
 
Today was work too.  I continue to confirm my internet marketing is second to none in Highlands County.  I have pick up some great marketing ideas that I cannot wait to put into place once I return home on Friday!