Lakeland, FL

Lakeland Florida Annual Pancake Festival – February 13^th, 2010

Hungry for sausage and pancake? Lakeland Kiwanis Clubs is in full preparation for their 50^th annual Pancake Festival on Saturday, February 13^th, 2010. Local volunteers from the Kiwanis Club will be up early to serve all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage and coffee at the hanger at Tiger Town starting at 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Come out and support Lakeland’s Kiwanis Club community programs. There will be displays and booths by local merchants along with entertainment in the afternoon. Tickets at door is $5.00 adults; $2.00 children.

Last year, my family enjoyed the good food and we were very impressed of how smooth and efficient the volunteers cooked and served pancakes, sausage and beverages. The Kiwanis Club of Lakeland started early morning around 7:00 a.m. to serve over 25,000 pancakes along with 100 gallons of syrup, massive amounts of cups of coffee and juices to about 8,000 people here in Lakeland in just one day. As we made it through the reception table towards the tent where volunteers of the Kiwanis Club flipped pancakes, gallons and gallons of pancake batters were brought in to keep the grilles cooking to feed the people graving for pancakes such as myself. There were plenty of stations set up, so waiting for fresh pancakes did not take a long time and off we were to get our tasty sausages.

Plenty of cooking stations for pancakes and sausages

Coffee and juice bar - Fresh coffee and juices were plentiful as well, even at closing time of 7:00 p.m.

Lakeland Florida Real Estate Update ~ 01/16-01/31/10

Update on the Lakeland real estate market! There are 1903 homes for sale throughout Lakeland, Florida – as of 02/06/10; the number of homes for sale remained constant for the month of January. Newly listed homes for the period of January 15^th through January 31^st increased slightly to 169 Lakeland homes. The average sales price of Lakeland homes listed with area Realtors® decreased to $160,386 from my previous report.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

1 duplex unit with a sales price of $95,800

7 condos listed with an average sales price of $97,243

15 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $65,793

14 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $92,798

132 single family homes with an average price of $182,141

Lakeland’s newest homes listed! The priciest Lakeland real estate is a 1995 home on approximately 6 acres; featuring 5 bedrooms and 6 baths with over 5,100 square feet of living space currently offered for $675,000 located in the Oakmont Acres. On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland home newly listed is a bank owned 3 bedrooms 2 baths home listed for $19,900 – just under $19.00 per square foot – located in the Winston Heights subdivision.

For a more detailed report such as homes listed by zip codes and distressed properties please continue to read by clicking this link

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Dancing in the Streets” – February 5th, 2010 12th, 2010

UPDATE: The weather was not co-operating yesterday for Lakeland's First Friday event. I was downtown yesterday, only to find out that the event was postponed due to rain for next Friday (February 12th, 2010).

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and what

better theme Downtown Lakeland Partnership could have chosen other than “Dancing in the Streets” for its First Friday event in Lakeland Florida on February 5^th, 2010. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. It is recommended that folks arrive early to enjoy dining at local restaurants and shopping at downtown’s stores, galleries and boutiques.

Put on your dancing shoes and bring your Sweetheart. Flowers by Edith has a special price for corsage and boutonniere orders in advance. To wine and dine may I suggest the Antiquarian, the Terrace Hotel, or Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill, then take a stroll around Munn Park enjoy the sites of the Classic Car Show on Tennessee Avenue, beautiful Lake Mirror and the botanical Hollis Garden.

“Dancing in the Streets” performances brought to you by:

• Sapphires Dance Studio – salsa and swing
• Samira’s Belly Dancers
• Florida Dance Theatre – various style of dancing
• Lakeland Montessori School – chorus and dance performance in Munn Park @ 6:00 p.m.
• Special performance of the night Rae’s Retro “Dirty Dancing” in remembrance Patrick Swayze “I’ve had the Time of my Life”

Take the dance floor with your sweetie and dance the night away on Kentucky Avenue – can you give your Sweetheart the “infamous” lift?

There are so many other activities for the whole family to enjoy. So, c’mon down to Lakeland’s Munn Park and enjoy an evening of arts and entertainment.

You may love to entertain and throw lavish parties in your Lakeland home, but there are some visitors that you really don't want wandering in. These visitors prefer to become permanent residents. They're called termites! And they can literally "eat you out of house and home" as the saying goes.

We all know Florida is a wonderful place to reside, with it's year-round warm weather. Termites like it too! They enjoy the moisture that accumulates when higher humidity and summer rains show up. They love all the beautiful landscaping we do since it often involves mulch that holds the moisture in the ground. Here are a few things you can do to keep these dreaded creatures from setting up housekeeping near your Lakeland home.

1. Mulch. Since wood is the food of choice for termites, the point where the wood of your home meets the ground is where they like to live, especially if moisture is present as well. When landscaping close to the house, don't put mulch against your home's foundation. In fact, most termite experts recommend that mulch be no closer than one foot from your home. One of the main purposes of mulch is to hold moisture for your plants, which is a good thing. Not such a good thing, however, is keeping the soil moist for your termites!

2. Water. Don't let water stand in your gutters and downspouts, as this becomes another source for termites. Also be sure to eliminate moisture that may be in crawl spaces under the house. Dark, moist spaces are the dream home of termites!

3. Firewood. If you have stacks of firewood on your property, be sure it's stored at least several feet away from the house. The wood itself can harbor these pests, so also be careful when cutting or buying the firewood in the first place. Check it out to make sure you're not bringing home unwanted problems.

4. Termite Inspections. Have your home inspected for termites and treated if they are detected. Getting rid of them before they can do structural damage to your home is a MUST. A healthy infestation of these bugs can quickly do major damage before you realize it so keeping a watch on things is very important. Some companies also offer preventive treatments.

When purchasing a home in Lakeland, The Boyce Team can provide you with the names of termite inspectors to check out the home you're considering. And if you're still looking for just the right home, they can certainly help with that as well. Contact Damion Boyce today and find a new home for yourself - but NOT for the dreaded termites!

Lakeland Florida Real Estate Update - 01/01/10-01/15/10

Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1903 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 01/28/10. Newly listed homes for the period of January 01^st through January 15th jumped to 166 Lakeland homes recently listed. The average sales price of Lakeland homes listed with area Realtors® for decreased to $162,992 from my previous report.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

2 duplex units with an average sales price of $82,000

4 condos listed with an average sales price of $105,425

15 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $71,400

2 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $67,400

143 single family homes with an average price of $176,679

For a more detailed report such as homes listed by zip codes and distressed properties please continue to read by clicking this link