Sebring, FL

Last week we were contacted by an absentee owner looking for a realtor in our area with a buyer for their bank approved short sale. The property is a beautiful townhouse located in one of Sebring's most prestigeous communities, The Sebring Country Club.

Upon speaking with the owners, residing in the Ft. Lauderdale area, we learned that they had hired a Ft. Lauderdale agent to list, market and sell the property. Also involved was a Ft. Lauderdale paralegal to negotiate the sale with the lender. The Ft. Lauderdale agent had found a buyer for the town house. There is no doubt in my mind that both the agent and the paralegal are highly regarded professionals even though the bank didn't approve the offer and the buyer ended up walking and purchasing townhouse. Sometimes things just don't work out, right?

We work with a local paralegal and closing agent to negotiate all our short sales and so far 100% of our short sale transactions have closed successfully.

Here's why using local professionals is always your best bet:

1. A local agent knows his local market. He or she will be able to defend the listing price with carefully selected comparables.

2. A local agent knows local buyers. He or she will be able to substitute a local buyer with another local buyer.

3. A local agent knows his fellow local agents. If he or she can't find a substitute local buyer, he or she will know which fellow agent has a local substitute buyer.

4. A local agent will likely have a trustworthy working relationship established with a local paralegal.

5. A local paralegal will have access to the local MLS to pull comps, listing history and whatever information the lender might require in order to approve a sale.

6. A local paralegal and closing agent will be able to close the transaction in the county where the property is located.

Legally, we are licensed to sell real estate in the State of Florida. This literally means we can list and sell property in Miami even though we are located in Sebring, about 2 hours northwest of Miami. Practically, is this a good idea? Probably not! We have no knowledge of the Miami real estate market. We are not familiar with local customs, we are not familiar with the local agents and other real estate related professionals. We also do not have the time and financial resourses to travel back and forth to Miami to service the listing.

We live in Highlands County. We know our market, we know our fellow agents and we know how to list and sell real estate in our area.

If you own property in Highlands County, consult local professionals!

Most of our closings are mail-outs and we hardly get to see the closing table. Yesterday, I had the honor of taking some very dear clients to the closing table and hand them the key to their new home. Priceless!

It had been a very eventful transaction from the time we first met with Paul & Judi. They made an offer on one of our listings, a short sale in a very active and well kept adult community in the heart of Sebring. They loved the home and they were very familiar with the neighbors. In fact, the neighbor across the street from our listing called Judi on the phone the second my husband Darrin put our sign in the frontyard. Goes to show that sign in the front yard IS important!

Paul and Judi were in the process of selling their previous home and the offer we wrote was not only contingent upon financing but also on the sale of their home. We submitted to the lender an addendum of removal of "sale of home contingency" after their home sold. Soon thereafter, our clients grew impatient with the short sale process. They had moved in with Paul's lovely Mom and not knowing whether or not the sale would be approved and how long it would take made them antsy.

We started looking at other homes, priced within their range and without the short sale waiting time. Why do they call it s-h-o-r-t sale anyway? This is a rhetoric question! After we had looked at a number of homes, Paul and Judi zeroed in on a lovely 2 bedroom home in a nice neighborhood. The privacy fenced yard was perfect for their two little dogs and what do you know...the screened lanai had a doggy door, perfectly sized for the bubbly pooches. We wrote an offer after getting a release from contract on the previous home.

The initial offer was countered by the sellers and after some soul searching, our clients accepted the seller's counter offer. Paul and Judi were happy and so were we! The home appraised for purchase price, homeinspection only revealed some minor issues, no termites found - ready to close!

We're happy to see our clients move into their new home. We're happy to see them excited and we're happy we were able to help them along the way. We will miss them and we hope Judi will continue emailing with us. Btw, if you are in Highlands County and looking to get beautified, stop by Judi's Place of Hair and Nails, 271 US 27 N (inbetween Highlands Today and the Chamber of Commerce). Call ahead for an appointment: 863-382-9911

Highlands County Real Estate - It's a great time to sell your Sebring home!!!

Looking back to January 2009, we can definitely tell a big difference in market activity in Highlands County and Sebring specifically. Our phones have been ringing off the hook for showing requests from cooperating agents and interested buyers as well. It's no wonder with all those great deals waiting for new owners.

Our own listing inventory is shrinking steadily because we almost can't list homes as fast as they go under contract and sell. We all remember the days where even the well priced homes wouldn't sell under 90 days and you were lucky to get an offer, even if it was a shaky one. These days, we get multiple offers after only a few weeks on the market and we have agents ask us to notify them once we get another "great deal" on the market or to let them know if one of our deals falls through so they can get their buyers in place to make an offer. So, if you are thinking about selling your Sebring home, give us a call! Due to high volume of offers, we need to replenish our inventory! Btw, we list and sell Avon Park homes as well as Lake Placid homes!.

Whether you are looking to just move on or avoid foreclosure: It's a great time to sell your Sebring home! We find many first timers among our buyer clients, eager to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit with it's looming deadline. Most popular with the first time buyers are the short sales and foreclosures. While a short sale is not for everyone, there are most certainly some really great deals available and a thrifty buyer can end up with a true dreamhome with only a bit of sweat equity invested. If you are looking to purchase, let us help you find your Sebring home. Btw, we can also assist you in finding your Avon Park home or Lake Placid home!


With around 140 - 150 foreclosure filings per month in Highlands County, we don't expect there to be a shortage of short sale, pun intended, for quiet some time. Homeowners that find themselves unable to keep up with their mortgage payment are well advised to explore their options and take advantage of some of the alternatives to foreclosure, such as Short Sales. We find that while many homeowners have heard of the term, only a few understand how short sales work. We believe that most homeowners walk away from their home because they believe they have no other option. We work with investor owners as well as owner occupants and there is no cost involved to meet and speak with us about your situation.

Vantage Pointe, a quaint and charming adult community with over 190 homes, is located only minutes from all the major shopping places, banks, dining and places of worship. Yet, Vantage Pointe is so quiet and tranquil, you would never know that the mall is only a short distance away.Vantage Pointe, Vantage Pointe of Sebring Florida - Deed Restricted Adult Community in the Heart of Sebring.


Like many other adult communities, Vantage Pointe offers planned activities, taking advantage of the beautiful club house, swimming pool and shuffle board court. While browsing through Vantage Pointe's website, I discovered there is a Polar Bear Club ,meeting at 4:00 PM at the pool any day the temperatures drop below 45 degrees F. How cool is that? Pun intended! If that is too cold for you, join the Water Volleyball team at 3 - 4 PM on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. If the pool is not your cup of tea, there is a line dancing group, daily coffee hour, of course BINGO. Every holiday is commemorated with a themed brunch or dinner. It's hard to imagine anyone ever gets bored in Vantage Pointe. Next on the Calendar of Event is Labor Day Dinner on Monday, September 7th. Cocktails at 3:30pm, dinner at 4:00pm.


Our office has several homes listed for sale in Vantage Pointe and we always enjoy bringing buyers to this well maintained community. The HOA President, Ernie Kelly, has been very helpful answering our questions regarding signage and we love to refer interested buyers to Vantage Pointe's own website for information about this very active and close knit neighborhood.

Call us if you are looking for active adult living in Florida! Andrea 863-202-0729 Darrin 863-202-5017
You may also email us, we reply to emails instantly!

Outstanding Couples of South Florida to be Honored at 2009 Finest Couples Gala

South Florida's most outstanding couples will be honored for their success in business, leadership in the community, and unparalleled support of charitable causes. The CF Foundation will celebrate the couples' power in partnership and recognize their accomplishments on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale.

This year's event co-chair persons are Jennifer and William E. Lewis, Jr., and Eileen and Chip LaMarca. The couples being honored include: Catalina and Freddie Avalos, Robin and John Bartleman, Tony Beall and Ray Birbilas, Rhonda and Adam Black, Cheryl and Michael Brown, Tamara and John Chase, Carole and Governor Charlie Crist, Marlene and Pedro Dijols, Danielle and Nick DiNicola, Stephanie and Commissioner Angel Gomez, Pauline and Juan Carlos Gomez, Genesi and Julio Gonzalez, Barbara and Hal Hammel, Lisa and Derek Hayward, Karen and Joe Hillman, Cyndie and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Trina Robinson and Clarence McKee, Melissa and Congressman Adam Putnam, Summer and Jim Robertson, Sharon Glazer and David Singer, Kristi Krueger and Todd Templin, Sheryl and Bruce Udolf, Michelle Seyez and Alan Jay Wildstein.

The fifth annual gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and a tribute to the honorees. Following presentations of South Florida's Finest Couples, guests at this black-tie optional event will have the opportunity to mingle while dancing the night away to EOEntertainment. This year's sponsors include Publix Supermarkets and Credit Restoration Consultants.

Tickets to attend South Florida's Finest Couples are available for $200 each or $1,750.00 for a table of ten. For more information about the event, to purchase tickets, or to find out about the available sponsorship opportunities, please call Jennifer Tate at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation office at (954) 739-5006 or email jtate@cff.org

WHAT: South Florida's Finest Couples

WHEN: Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, 2301 S.E. 17^th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

About CF and the CF Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the leading organization devoted to curing and controlling cystic fibrosis. CF is a genetic disease that can lead to life-threatening lung infections and digestive problems. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation funds CF research, has more than 80 chapter and branch offices throughout the country, and supports and accredits a nationwide network of CF care centers, which provide vital treatments and other CF resources to patients and families. For more information, please visit www.cff.org.