Donna Shuman - www.SKIPtheBULL.com Marketing for Richard Shuman PA REALTOR

Summer's right around the corner and you know what that means... kids at home. I, personally, like it when the kids are home. I don't have every minute of the day planned. We can stay up late because I don't have to get my high schooler up at 5:30am. I don't have to schedule appointments according to when I'll be dropping off or picking up my kids from school. It's great! I love summer! On the down side, after the first week or two, the novelty wears off and I begin to hear the kids whine those three dreaded words, "Mom, I'm bored."

Now more than ever, I am looking for things to do with the kids that won't drive me crazy or drive me broke. What I've found after only a little research is that Central Florida is stocked full of things to do with kids for little or no cost. There are zoos, ecological tours, airboat rides and petting farms. There are science centers, space centers, historical centers and lighthouses. You can go to the myriad of great beaches Central Florida has to offer or to City Walk and enjoy a free concert on one of its outdoor stages. You can hike one of the dozens of nature preserves or bike the Cross Seminole Trail, which runs 24 miles. Your family can enjoy museums exhibiting art, airplanes or racing cars. Or maybe you prefer Titanic artifacts, or even Salomon's Castle. There are hundreds of parks for walking, playing Frisbee, having a picnic lunch or just some after work down time. There are even 14 dog parks where your furry family members can play. All these things can be done relatively inexpensive or all together free; it just takes some thinking outside the box.

I've moved around a lot in my life, living in over 20 cities and towns in 5 states, and in my humble opinion, of all the places I've lived, Central Florida has got to be my favorite. There are just so many family activities available for every budget and taste and you can do it all, all year long! My traveling days are done. I think I've finally found a place to call home.

If you're looking for wonderful weather, thousands of activities for every walk of life, world class schools from kindergarten through college, year-round golf, fishing, soccer, baseball, football, swimming, lacrosse, any and every sport imaginable, and a slower more relaxed pace of life while still minutes from amusement parks and exciting night life, then come check us out. No games, no gimmicks, no bull, just one visit and soon you'll be calling Central Florida home too.

Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

A "STRESS-FREE MOVE, Across Town or Across the Country"

No Games ~ No Gimmicks ~ No Bull

Your One Stop Real Estate & Mortgage Solution!!!

www.SKIPtheBULL.com

Your One Stop Real Estate & Mortgage Solution!!!

Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

Search for a Home in Florida

Our family likes pizza, no let me rephrase that, our family LOVES pizza. We eat it 2 to 3 times a week and here in Oviedo, Florida, there is no shortage of pizza places to choose from. There are at least 20 with 3 new ones opening soon. Apparently, we are not the only pizza addicts in the area. Even though we have not tried all of them, over the past 5 years we have tried most. Here in lies the problem. My husband and have a running battle on which local pizza joint has the best pizza. His favorite is Giovanni's and mine is Gino's.

Giovanni's is a family owned Italian restaurant located on the corner of Alafaya Trail and McCullough. You can eat in or take out and we've done both. The menu is your typical Italian restaurant menu with a fantastic house salad dressing but it's the pizza that keeps bringing people back. They have Sicilian and thin crust, thin crust being our favorite, with enough different toppings to satisfy any craving.

Gino's is also a family owned Italian restaurant and can be found in the Publix plaza on the corner of Alafaya Trail and Alafaya Woods. They have take out and seat yourself dining and offer a typical Italian restaurant menu as well. All the dishes are tasty but Gino's pizza is amazing! Also offering Sicilian and thin crust, we chose the thin crust which was fantastic, not too doughy or too crispy, most definitely just right. Pizza is obviously the reason for the constant flow of carry out traffic.

Both restaurants cater to those New York style pizza lovers and both offer endless combinations of toppings but whether Giovanni's or Gino's is the best is a matter of opinion. Mine just happens to be the right one.

Richard Shuman P.A.

Florida Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

A "STRESS-FREE MOVE, Across Town or Across the Country"

No Games ~ No Gimmicks ~ No Bull

I just drove through a neighborhood in Oviedo named Live Oak Reserve. What a beautiful area! From the beautiful water fountain at the entrance to the shade covered park toward the rear, this development leaves nothing to be desired. Located in the middle of Live Oaks is the aquatic center and clubhouse and dotted throughout the neighborhood are tennis courts, basketball courts a volleyball pit and soccer fields. It has nice wide sidewalks for bike riding, jogging or a casual stroll all of which you can take a break from while relaxing on the viewing deck overlooking Horseshoe Lake.

With price ranges from the mid $200,000 to up over $500,00 and walking distance to the A-rated elementary and middle schools, Live Oak Reserve offers a slowed pace get-a-way from the fast paced downtown Orlando and amusement parks which are both approximately a half hour away. This desirable development is also minutes away from UCF, Seminole Community College, and technology giants like Siemens and Lockheed Martin. What more could you ask for?!

If you're looking to buy a home, check Live Oak Reserve out. You won't be sorry.

Your One Stop Real Estate & Mortgage Solution!!!

Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

If you're looking for a great place to call home in Central Florida, look no further than Oviedo's, Carillon Subdivision. From those that are single, married with families, and those that are looking to retire, Carillon has a neighborhood for you. Brighton Park, Hunter's Stand, West Hampton, Red Bridge, Dorchester and more, offer homes for every stage of life with pricing beginning from around $200,000 and up. Each have playgrounds, with several also providing tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, fishing in their private ponds and even a golf course. Each neighborhood in Carillon can be entered off of Lockwood Blvd. which has nice broad sidewalks for taking a leisurely stroll after dinner, jogging for that early morning workout, and walking your children to the A-rated Carillon Elementary School or the A-rated Hagerty High School. The University of Central Florida as well as Seminole Community College is also a short walk from any of the Carillon neighborhoods.

Located just 13 miles north east of Orlando, Carillon is perfectly situated between Orlando International Airport and Orlando-Sanford International Airport with easy access to SR419, 408, 434, 436, 424, 17-92, 50, 417 and I-4. Technology companies like Siemans, Lockheed Martin and the Research Park are also just minutes away. Everything from downtown Orlando's theater district to amusement parks, the Atlantic beaches and even NASA are all less than an hour's travel time, providing entertainment for every taste. Also within a 5 mile radius, there are skate parks, horse farms, rivers for canoeing and fishing, a myriad of restaurants, the Oviedo Marketplace, which also houses the 22 theater Regal Cinema, as well as houses of worship for practically every faith.

There is definitely something for everyone while still giving you that small town feel for which Oviedo is renowned. Check us out. You'll love how we live!

Richard Shuman P.A.

Florida Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

A "STRESS-FREE MOVE, Across Town or Across the Country"

No Games ~ No Gimmicks ~ No Bull

Oviedo is, in my humble opinion, one of the best places to live in Central Florida. It's got excellent schools, great neighborhoods, convenient location to any type of entertainment that tickles your fancy, breathtaking scenery and wildlife, houses of worship of many faiths, as well as family activities for all ages provided by both the town and the many social groups within the town.

When looking to move to Central Florida in 2004, my first priority was a great school system. I had three children, one in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary so I wanted great schools on every level. I immediately found Seminole County to be the best in the area and Oviedo's schools each had consistently received 'A' ratings. Since then, a new high school has been built bringing the total numbers to, high schools-2, middle schools-2, and elementary schools-5, and according to the statistics provided by the Seminole County School System, every single school received 'A' ratings since 2001 with the exception of a 'B' rating one year for each high school. That's pretty amazing! In addition to the excellent primary schools, Oviedo also boasts two colleges, the University of Central Florida and Seminole Community College. While UCF in technically in Orange County, it's located on the Oviedo/Orlando boarder. If you walk out of UCF's McCullough Road entrance, you'll be walking into Oviedo.

There are many neighborhoods in Oviedo, one to satisfy any taste. There are neighborhoods on golf courses, neighborhoods with smaller lots providing less lawn care, and some on 5-acre lots offering some of the most amazing wildlife right in your front yard. There are older, more well established areas, then there are new developments less than 2 years old offering amenities like tennis courts, gyms, aquatic centers, dog parks, baseball fields, and skate parks. You would be hard pressed not to find your perfect home.

Oviedo is also situated just outside Orlando enabling you to travel to the Disney, Universal Studios or Sea World amusement parks as well as Daytona, New Smyrna, or Cocoa Beaches, in under an hour. Enjoy the best of both worlds, action and adventure parks and beautifully tranquil beaches. You can't loose!

If you're into wildlife sanctuaries, canoeing, hiking and horses, Oviedo is the place for you. With its several wildlife preserves, parks, lakes and rivers, and horse farms where you can board or just take lessons, Oviedo is a nature lover's dream.

Considering Oviedo's small town feel, it offers a surprising number of different houses of worship. There are several sects of Christianity available such as Catholicism, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Episcopal, Seventh-Day Adventist, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as well as Judaism, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim. There is something for everyone, creating a wonderful environment of knowledge, acceptance and community.

Regardless of what you're looing for in your search for a home and community, Oviedo has something for you. Check us out and see why we are so proud of the place we call home!

Richard Shuman P.A.

Florida Real Estate & Mortgage Solutions without the "BULL" www.SKIPtheBULL.com

A "STRESS-FREE MOVE, Across Town or Across the Country"

No Games ~ No Gimmicks ~ No Bull