Andrea Mills YourLakeWalesRealtors 863-202-0729

Moving South? Leaving the cold winter weather behind? You might want to consider bringing your houseplants with you. Chances are, they will grow happily outdoors and adorn your home in the Sunshine State.

I moved to Central Florida, aka Florida's Heartland in 2003 and I was amazed to see the vast amount of northern houseplants being used as year around landscaping plants in Florida:

Caladiums, Dragon Trees, Bromeliads, Boat Lilies, Poinsettias, Crotons - just to name a few.

Hint: if you like Caladiums, visit Lake Placid in August for the Annual Caladium Festival. Lake Placid is known as the Caladium Capital of the World as over 95% of all caladiums are actually grown here. You can get your hands on premium bulbs, buy mature plants or visit the caladium fields (bring the camera). Of course, there's also plenty of local food specialties, refreshments, arts & crafts available

Have you noticed there are less foreclosures available for sale in your Highlands County neighborhood than last year? Are you having a hard time finding a good REO property to purchase because there's isn't as much to pick from anymore? Is this the end of the foreclosure crisis in Highlands County? Short answer: NO!

Yes, there are far less REO properties available for sale these days and one might speculate that this means there is a big bold bright light at the end of the tunnel, meaning our market is well on its way to recovery and the bargain prices are going to be a thing of the past.

Let's stick with the facts and examine what we know:

- In January 2011, the Fort Myers News Press reported that banks have recently withdrawn hundreds of foreclosures in Florida. Lee County Clerk of Court Charlie Green (not Sheen) said "We think they're going to come back and re-file". So these are pending foreclosure cases that aren't going to be listed soon. Read the entire article here. I checked the court files for Highlands County and it appears there have been well over 100 Orders of Dismissal on foreclosure cases issued by the Circuit Judge since late fall 2010. Nobody knows why the cases were dismissed and how long it will take these lenders to re-file, IF they intend to do so. Meanwhile, none of these foreclosures are offered for sale.

- Bank of America and/or Countrywide have filed for foreclosue on a total of 2 homeowners in Highlands County since January 2011 while there were hundreds of BoA/CW filings annually in previous years. Does this mean nobody has defaulted on their loan since January? Probably not! Thinking back to the robo signing disaster last year, it is very likely that banks are simply holding back properties...........they don't want to get caught foreclosing without the legal right to do so and these waters are still pretty murky!

None of these cases are going away, they won't disappear, they don't get magically resolved. They are simply lurking in the shadows, waiting to have their day in court. Most likely, many will end up being Real Estate Owned (by banks) and then listed to be sold. Nobody knows how long that will take - but I'm almost certain it won't be next week!

As Realtors, we see dozens of homes almost daily, be it in person or while we are looking for comps to assist a seller with pricing or a buyer with making an offer.

While every home is unique and has its own character, some homes are truly special:

The other day we listed an older home in downtown Sebring. I admit that I'm drawn to older homes because they have a history. This particular home is a 1 1/2 story home with a beautiful garden in the front yard. It's not just lawn, there are lovingly cared for plants, interesting pots and planters, room for a wrought iron bench underneath a tree. It has this "Picket Fence" type of curb appeal, it's a "HOME SWEET HOME".

The neighborhood is old, it's lovely! There are side walks and it's only a few short minutes to walk to "The Circle", the Public Library or Lake Jackson.

The home is currently divided into three units, a 3 bedroom unit in the main house, a 2 bedroom unit next to the garage and a sweet 1 bedroom unit in the back of the home. The 3 bedroom unit has beautiful original hard wood flooring complimented by newly installed tile. The wall colors are warm and welcoming thoughout. The current owner has installed French Doors leading to the Sunroom, which is beautifully tiled and leads to the backyard. Livingroom, kitchen, dining area and sunroom are on the main level, while bedrooms and bath are 1/2 level upstairs.

Now here comes possibility into the game: the apartments can easily be re-connected to the main house. Either both to add playrooms, additonal master suites or anything you can dream up.

This is perfect for empty nesters to have cosy guest suites for friends and family, holiday guest or even to rent out for additional income.

Need more space for the kids? Re-connect the apartments and sprawl!!!!!

For investors? It couldn't be more perfect! All three units are recently renovated and can be immediately occupied by tenants. No need to patch walls, rip out carpets etc. The two bay car garage can be divided into two 1 car garages and there are three parking spots in the driveway. Added bonus, furniture is optional so you can rent these units furnished as well.

The possibilities are really endless,see for yourself.

Sebring Hills, centrally located but surprisingly quiet, is one of Sebring's older neighborhoods. Reaching from Hammock Road in the north to Thunderbird Road in the north, it is nestled between the Lake Shore Mall and Golf Hammock Estates to the east and west. Sebring Hill addresses are easy to recognize as each street is named after a bird. Property owners can enjoy a voluntary Homeowner's Association with access to the clubhouse and planned events as well as deeded lake access to Lake Jackson.

The neighborhood consists almost exclusively of Single Family Homes with an average lot size of 10,465sf. There are currently a total of 999 Single Family homes, 57 of which are Mobile Homes.

The vast majority of homes in Sebring Hills are between 30 - 40 years old, the neighborhood experienced a massive construction boom in the 1970's.

Age of homes in Sebring Hills:
Mobile Homes incl.

50 - 60 years old : 81 homes
40 - 50 years old : 58 homes
30 - 40 years old: 409 homes
20 - 30 years old: 282 homes
10 - 20 years old: 76 homes
9 years and newer: 75 homes

Sales 2006
Average List Price: $174,195 / Median: $169,900
Average Sold Price: $167,996 / Median: $165,000
Average Days on the Market: 114
Total Sales: 45

Sales 2007
Average List Price: $149,648 / Median: $139,900
Average Sold Price: $142,120 / Median: $138,000
Average Days on the Market: 148
Total Sales: 35

Sales 2008
Average List Price: $134,251 / Median: $129,500
Average Sold Price: $122,828 / Median: $122,500
Average Days on the Market: 136
Total Sales: 43

Sales 2009
Average List Price: $98,327 / Median: $109,000
Average Sold Price: $90,897 / Median: $95,000
Average Days on the Market: 131
Total Sales: 34

Forecast for 2010
Average List Price: $85,000 / Median: $81,000
Average Sold Price: $79,000 / Median: $70,000
Average Days on the Market: 140
Total Sales: 35

Central Florida Gardening - September Chores

Two more days until autumn starts officially and even though there is not much evidence of autumn to be seen in Central Florida, there is some pruning and seeding to be done:

To encourage flower production for the next season, prune your bougainvilleas to remove excess growth and don't feed them again until late spring.

If you are raising poinsettias (the can be grown outdoors in Central Florida), now is the time for a last pruning as the flower buds begin to form in mid-October. Pruning encourages branching so you don't end up with spindly plant. Feed your poinsettia with a good dose of general purpose fertilizer and a dose of potash towards the end of October.

Vegetables to start in September:
beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, cukes, eggplants, lettuce, onion sets, peas, peppers, spinach and swiss chard.

Herbs to start in September:
anise, basil, vorage, chevril, majoram, parsley, sesame and thyme

Flowers: Asters, baby's breath, Calendulas, Carnations, Lupines, Marigolds, Verbenas

If you are puzzled by the idea to start veggies, herbs and flowers as the main growing season is nearing its end, Central Florida's climate provides for all year round growing of veggies, fruit, flowers and herbs.

I started my pole beans yesterday, carrots and beets are next.