Carolyn Smith, Melbourne Beach, FL Homes

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Things to Do in Brevard County, FL: Lots of Festivals Scheduled for This Weekend In/Around Brevard County, Florida!

It’s a great time of year for those of us in Brevard County, FL! The weather is perfect, the beaches are gorgeous, and there are so many fun things to do on the weekends! My last post was about the Taste, Toast, and Tunes Concertscheduled for this weekend in Melbourne Beach, but there are also some other great events happening that I wanted to make sure everyone knew about!

This is a “Beyond Brevard County” event, but for those of us in the southern portion of the county, it really isn’t too far, and personally I think it is worth the drive. Vero Beach’s Under the Oaks fine art and craft festival is being held this weekend, and actually opened today, Friday March 9th. The festival runs through Sunday, so you have plenty of time to make the short drive down to Vero Beach to check it out. I went today, and had a fabulous time browsing the tents, meeting various artists and craftsman, and viewing so many different types of art including sculpture, jewelry, pottery, word working, photography, paintings, and other creative crafts. Not only is the art top-notch, the setting is spectacular. The festival is held at Riverside Park, and the 200 artists are lined up under the old spanish-moss filled oak trees, which are not just picturesque, they provide the perfect amount of shade to make perusing the festival comfortable. Riverside Park is located directly on the Indian River, adjacent to the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Riverside Theater. The festival will be open from 9am – 5pm on Saturday, and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday, and parking and admission are free. I highly recommend taking the trip down to Vero Beach to check out the Under the Oaks art festival, I think you will enjoy yourself. The event’s website has additional details: Under the Oaks art festival

Beautiful live, majestic old oaks...

Colorful art!

Have you heard that Indialantic, FL is celebrating its 60th Anniversarythis weekend? To celebrate this milestone, the town is hosting a number of events which will take place at various locations throughout the weekend. Some of the highlights include: Breakfast with the Indialantic Firefighters on Saturday morning from 8 am – 10:30 am at the Indialantic Volunteer Fire Department; an “Athletic Jam” with rock climbing wall, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and more from 9 am – 1 pm at Douglas Park; an Arts and Craft Show that will be held from 9am – 3pm on Saturday on the grounds of Eastminster Presbyterian Church; a gardening presentation and demonstration by the Indialantic Garden Club from 11 am – 1pm at Lily Park; and a 60th Anniversary celebration at Orlando Park from 1 pm – 4 pm featuring a Croquet tournament, live music, cake, petting zoo, games, mini-cupcake bakeoff, rock climbing wall, and much more. Let’s help Indialantic celebrate it’s 60th Anniversary this weekend by bringing the family to these fun, free events! Website: Indialantic 60th Anniversary

Lastly, the annual Indiafest is being held this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at Wickham Park! This event is a wonderful celebration of the rich and diverse culture of India. The theme of this year’s event is “Festivals of India” so you can expect lots of music, dancing, colorful attire, amazing food, and lively performances. Indiafest offers something for everyone, including authentic Indian food available for purchase, vendors selling jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts, CD’s and DVD’s, a Bollywood-themed fashion show at 4 pm both days, cooking demonstrations, activities for children including inflatables and fair games, an appearance by a chess master with a live chess game, and more. Indiafest will be held at Wickham Park in Melbourne from 10 am – 6 pm on Saturday, and 11 am – 5 pm on Sunday. Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for children ages 6 – 12. Visit the website for addtional details: Indiafest

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Things to Do in Brevard County, FL: Don’t Miss Taste, Toast, and Tunes This Weekend in Melbourne Beach, Florida!

Looking for something fun to do this weekend in Brevard County, Florida? Check out Taste, Toast, and Tunes in Melbourne Beach!

This event sold out last year, but as of today, tickets are still available for this weekend’s Taste, Toast, & Tunes concert. The headlining act of the event is the band “1964″, also known as the “Best Beatles Tribute Band”. This live, outdoor performance will take place on Saturday, March 10th on the banks of the Indian River, on the property of the Immaculate Conception Church in Melbourne Beach (just north of Publix).

Along with the live music, the event will feature complimentary food and beverage tastings from 20 local restaurants, including some of my personal favorites: The Chart House, The Dove III, Matt’s Casbah, Grills Riverside, and Florida Beer Company, among many others. Doors open at 4:00 pm, and the free food tastings run from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm. After that, food is available for purchase, and there will be a cash bar. The band will begin performing at 7:30 pm.

Tickets for the event are $50 per person if you purchase in advance, or $60 if you purchase at the show. Tickets include the music, samples and tastings, and parking. Seating will be directly on the lawn, so you may want to bring a beach / lawn chair for comfort. Check the event’s website for more information: Taste, Toast & Tunes, Melbourne Beach

Again, the details:

What: Taste, Toast, & Tunes of the Melbourne Coast

When: Saturday, March 10, 2012

What Time: Doors open at 4:00 pm, band starts at 7:30 pm

Where: Grounds of the Immaculate Conception Church – 3780 Highway A1A, Melbourne Beach, FL 32951

Website and To Purchase Tickets: www.tastetoasttunes.org

Hope you get a chance to attend Taste, Toast, and Tunes in Melbourne Beach this weekend, it should be a great night!

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Things to Do in Brevard County, Florida: Visit the dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo!

See this guy in person at the Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit at the Brevard Zoo!

If you are already asking yourself, “What are we going to do this weekend?” put the Dinosaur exhibit at the Brevard Zoo on your list! You might be thinking, “How great could it really be?” and I was wondering the same thing, but trust me when I tell you, it’s really quite spectacular. I’m not a huge dinosaur enthusiast, but I do have a family membership to the zoo, so I figured it might be worth a special afternoon trip to check out the prehistoric creatures that have taken over a portion of the zoo for a few months. I was kind of expecting a boring museum-type of experience, but that was definitely not the case. The dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo are huge, animated robots – they move, they make sounds, and they even spit!

The Brevard Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit begins at the “base camp”, where you can see real and replica dinosaur bones, footprints, and more. After base camp, the dinosaur adventure begins as you follow the wooded path past 16 dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous eras. Kids and adults alike will love seeing the dinosaurs growl, bare their teeth and raise their claws as you pass by them. As you wander around the enormous creatures, your goal is to find the “living dinosaur”. Living dinosaur… what? Sorry, I’m not going to give away the secret, you will have to visit the zoo to find out for yourself! The Zoo’s natural setting makes it easy to pretend you are on a real-life expedition searching for the living dinosaur.

Brevard Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit is not only entertaining, it is educational. Information about each dinosaur is posted right next to each creature, and there is Zoo staff scattered throughout the area to answer questions and provide various tidbits of interesting dinosaur information. Also, don’t forget to stop at the “field camp”, which is at the midpoint of the exhibit, where children can participate in a dinosaur fossil dig, gain hands on experience in dinosaur bone wrapping, ride the mini zip line, or grab a snack. Perfect blend of fun and learning for the little ones!

So, now that you are so excited to visit the Brevard Zoo to check this out, here are the details about the Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit:

Open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily, with last admission at 4:15 pm. Zoo members can get in early, starting at 9:30 am. On top of regular Zoo admission, the cost of the dinosaur exhibit is $5 per person, and Zoo members get $1 off. The exhibit runs through May 28, 2012. You can check the website for additional information: Brevard Zoo Dinosaurs Hope this helps in your “Hmmm, what should we do this weekend…” discussion! Check out the dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo, you won’t be disappointed!

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Things to Do in Brevard County, Florida: Visit the dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo!

See this guy in person at the Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit at the Brevard Zoo!

If you are already asking yourself, “What are we going to do this weekend?” put the Dinosaur exhibit at the Brevard Zoo on your list! You might be thinking, “How great could it really be?” and I was wondering the same thing, but trust me when I tell you, it’s really quite spectacular. I’m not a huge dinosaur enthusiast, but I do have a family membership to the zoo, so I figured it might be worth a special afternoon trip to check out the prehistoric creatures that have taken over a portion of the zoo for a few months. I was kind of expecting a boring museum-type of experience, but that was definitely not the case. The dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo are huge, animated robots – they move, they make sounds, and they even spit!

The Brevard Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit begins at the “base camp”, where you can see real and replica dinosaur bones, footprints, and more. After base camp, the dinosaur adventure begins as you follow the wooded path past 16 dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous eras. Kids and adults alike will love seeing the dinosaurs growl, bare their teeth and raise their claws as you pass by them. As you wander around the enormous creatures, your goal is to find the “living dinosaur”. Living dinosaur… what? Sorry, I’m not going to give away the secret, you will have to visit the zoo to find out for yourself! The Zoo’s natural setting makes it easy to pretend you are on a real-life expedition searching for the living dinosaur.

Brevard Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit is not only entertaining, it is educational. Information about each dinosaur is posted right next to each creature, and there is Zoo staff scattered throughout the area to answer questions and provide various tidbits of interesting dinosaur information. Also, don’t forget to stop at the “field camp”, which is at the midpoint of the exhibit, where children can participate in a dinosaur fossil dig, gain hands on experience in dinosaur bone wrapping, ride the mini zip line, or grab a snack. Perfect blend of fun and learning for the little ones!

So, now that you are so excited to visit the Brevard Zoo to check this out, here are the details about the Zoo’s Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive exhibit:

Open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily, with last admission at 4:15 pm. Zoo members can get in early, starting at 9:30 am. On top of regular Zoo admission, the cost of the dinosaur exhibit is $5 per person, and Zoo members get $1 off. The exhibit runs through May 28, 2012. You can check the website for additional information: Brevard Zoo Dinosaurs Hope this helps in your “Hmmm, what should we do this weekend…” discussion! Check out the dinosaurs at the Brevard Zoo, you won’t be disappointed!

Melbourne Beach real estate is more affordable now than ever before!

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Now is the perfect time to invest in real estate in Melbourne Beach, Indialantic or Satellite Beach, FL, as recent data shows that housing affordability is at an all-time high!

According to the National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, nationwide housing affordability rose to its highest level ever during the fourth quarter of 2011. According to the data, 75.9 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2011 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,200. In the three months prior to this period, the percent of homes sold that were considered affordable to most families was much lower, at 72.9 percent.

The 75.9 percent affordability reached during the fourth quarter of 2011 was the highest percentage recorded in the 20 year history of the index. This means that a home buyer’s purchasing power is greater than it has ever been before. “Today’s report indicates that homeownership is within reach of more households than it has been for more than two decades,” said Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla.

Affordable home prices + historically low interest rates = the perfect time to buy! Homes in Brevard County, Florida are more affordable than ever! But hurry up, because inventory of homes and condos in Brevard County is declining. If you are ready to start looking at homes or condos in the Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, West Melbourne, Melbourne, Suntree, or Viera area, give me a call or send me an email. It really is the perfect time to take advantage of great home prices and rock-bottom mortgage rates.

Source of info: http://www.nahb.org

Carolyn Smith, Realtor – Indialantic, FL Real Estate: Helpful Home Decorating Tip… Read on to find out how to balance your brand new flat screen TV in a big or small-sized family room!

Gone are the days of hiding our televisions inside a piece of furniture – we no longer find ourselves trying to decorate around a large entertainment center, armoire, or TV stand that takes up half of the room. With today’s flat screen TV’s which are thinner and lighter than ever, there are many more options – hang it on the wall, put it on a shelf, or place it on a small piece of furniture. Now that televisions are slightly easier on the eyes than our old sets, and we can outwardly display our TV’s without trying to lock them away when not in use, the new question we need to think about becomes “Is this television the correct size for this room?”

As televisions keep getting bigger, and our homes are tending to be smaller, we need to find the appropriate size TV for the room, as well as figure out where the TV should be placed in the room for optimal viewing. I recently read an article on MSN.com about this very subject and I found it so helpful that I wanted to share it with you! Turns out there is a mathematical formula to calculate the optimal distance from which you should be viewing your fancy new flat screen. Hooray, no more long drawn-out arguments, just simple math to solve this TV dilemma!

When buying a new TV, or deciding how to set up your couch/TV area, the first step is knowing the size of the room. Then, you must know the size of your television. And no, even though many people (my husband!) would disagree, the biggest TV is not necessarily the best for everyone. In my house, our family room is not huge, therefore, we should not buy the biggest television in the store. So, the basic rule of thumb is that you should take the size of your TV (which is the diagonal measurement) and multiply it by 1.5 to get the minimum distance you should be sitting from the screen. For example, if you have a smallish television, like 26 inches, the optimal viewing distance is 39 inches, or just over 3 feet. Therefore, this is the perfect size television for a small room. With a 40 inch TV, which is a more common size, the optimal viewing distance would be 60 inches, or 5 feet. But even if you have a small room, if you can find a place to put your TV that will allow you to sit 5 feet away from it, you’re golden – the fit works. It is also important to note that the higher the resolution of your television, the closer you can sit to it.

Once you figure out the correct size TV for your room, you must decide where to hang it or place it. Most times, over the fireplace is just too high. The rule of thumb for television height is that the TV should be positioned so that your eyes are level with the bottom third of the display.

So, that’s it! Simple, right? Here are some photos of ways to display your flat screen television without making it the “centerpiece” of your room:

Hide your television among similarly sized artwork

Frame it up like it's artwork!

Disguise it within a gallery wall

Okay, I really just love this room, although the TV is pretty obvious!

Camouflage it on the wall... brilliant!

If you now realize that you need a new home so your television will fit properly, give me a call and we can start looking at new, TV friendly homes immediately! We can find your perfect home in the Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach, Melbourne, West Melbourne, Suntree, or Viera area – call me, let’s start looking!