Eva Armstrong - Environmental Visions

Focus on where YOU want to go!!!

One of the most important life lessons I learned, I learned on the ski slope about 20 years ago - and it certainly applies today.

I was skiing at Steamboat Springs down that really wide slope that had a strip of saplings running down the middle (probably aren't saplings any longer). I was going at a pretty good speed and I kept looking at them thinking "I dont' want to hit those trees" .... guess what--

I hit the very thing I was FOCUSING on NOT hitting - and went sprawling across the slope - glasses one way -- skis the other.. very embarassing for someone who prides herself on her athletic skills...

But the lesson is..... had I focused on what I wanted - to go down the middle of the open slope... I would have hit my goal! It seems so simple, but in reality can take some practice to implement because we think so much more about what we DON'T want as opposed to what we DO want.

So while the real estate markets finish correcting themselves, and the economy gets straightened out - both of which will occur - learn from my lesson...

Pick that point on the slope where YOU WANT TO BE - (NOT where people say we are)... and focus there.... you will be amazed at how much easier it is to drive your business, you life, etc.!

SUCCESS!!!

Stretching 110 miles from the St. john's river on the east to the Gulf of Mexico at Inglis to the West, the Cross Florida Greenway has something for everyone when it comes to nature-based recreation.

Thanks to Richard Nixon halting construction on Cross Florida Barge Canal in 1971, state leaders were provided with the opportunity to persuade the federal government to give the state the land for a vast recreational area, and let the state reimburse the counties for the property they bought from the private landowners. It took 20 years to get the deauthorization of the Canal through Congress and the plan implemented, but today the Cross Florida Greenway is a reality!

Florida's Greenways & Trails Program manages the Greenway and has been developing the many individual components that make up this incredible playground. Protecting a variety of natural habitats and providing numerous recreational opportunities across 11 counties, it is the place to go to enjoy Florida's natural areas.

Marshall Swamp has a lush nature walk. There are miles of river for scenic paddling. Mountain bikers will be challenged to their heart's content at the Santos trail site, and equestrian trails can be found in multiple locations.

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The first ever Land Bridge built over six lanes of I-75 traffic for people and wildlife complete with shrubs and trees and proved immensely successful (animal tracks indicate they use it all the time!).

And a perfect place to stay: Silver River State Park located in Silver Springs, Florida, 10 minutes east of Ocala. The park has campsites AND luscious cabins. it is located in a great place to provide a jumping off point for enjoying all the Greenway has to offer!

For more information check out the Office of Greenways and Trails Website:

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/cfg/default.htm

**Map and signs courtesy of OGT.

As funny as this sounds, Florida was indeed fortunate to have been developed by a railroad tycoon by the name of Henry Flagler. He decided early in the state's history to take advantage of the federal government's largesse (free land to railroad companies to build their tracks on) and he built a series of railroads across Florida and all the way to Key West! Back then, those tracks served to move people, lumber and supplies across a wild and difficult land filled with - literally - indians, alligators, and BIG mosquitoes (according to surveyor's field notes from the 1800's).

Today, those same railroad beds serve different modes of transportation, but transporting people none-the-less: by bicycles, rollerblades, horseback and on foot. The "Rails to Trails" program started in the mid 1990's has been a tremendous success in Florida as the Office of Greenways & Trails (OGT) works tirelessly to connect the former railway corridors with our many state parks, wildlife management areas and state forests.

The link below will takes you to the OGT site, with interactive regional maps of the individual trails they mange. A quick visit will and you will be impressed by the trail system being created to provide recreational benefits for Floridians and our visitors.

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/index.htm

The St. Mark's Trail start's in Tallahassee in near the FSU campus, runs along the Appalachicola National Forest and down to the town of St. Marks on the St. Marks River. About 25 miles depending on where you pick it up and many ride down and back on the weekends.

Barbara-Jo and Bill wrote recently about the Pinellas Trail, an urban trail, heavily used and the first in the state!

http://activerain.com/blogsview/600990/Pinellas-Trail-Biker-s

With funds from the Florida Forever Program and matching dollars from local programs, cities and counties are adding links to the main trail network and creating their own trails to service their local communities. The West Orange Trail in Orange County is about 25 miles long, connects three towns, is adjacent to three schools, and runs through beautiful terrain. What a great way to give kids the opportunity to get off buses and back on bicycles to go to school again!

The OGT site also has links to their local government partners that have trails or are building trails.

Check out this fabulous this recreational opportunity. You don't have to drive far in Florida to take advantage of this fun and free way to enjoy our state!

As I continue the tale of my efforts to secure a much desired house for my client, we are entering the 5th month of this saga. We have been through

previous efforts to secure contracts on houses. All have failed. Time to get serious. Or, as my broker, Joe Manausa said, at least completely exhaust any possiblity on the first house, Dellview. 'Cause my buyer is in love with that house and I need to get it out of her system.

But to do that, I have to find the trustee for the estate and get him to talk to me... so I look up the registered owner, a brother in Ft. Myers, FL, call and get the number. A woman answers and when I explain why I'm calling, she gives me the number of another brother in NY and wishes me luck "he's very hard to reach." Oh great.

I call NY and leave a message. When I get no response I call again and get a woman who acts so disinterested I'm fairly confident that she didn't write down my number. So, I write a letter, very respectful but direct and send it certified. Eight days later I get a call from a third brother - who lives in Atlanta. This is the brother who is the actual trustee for the estate of the deceased. At first he has no interest in pursuing any sale of the house. His brother had created a living trust, and the family had washed its hands of any responsiblity for debts he incurred. After I explained that I had a buyer, there was a process for a short sale of the property, and it would not require any out of pocket expense on his part, unless we needed copies of documents, etc., he decided it would be worth pursuing and we moved forward.

It took me two weeks from that day to get a contract executed between him and my buyer. I first executed a listing agreement with the trust, so that I had a contractural arrangement with the seller (important for dealing with the banks.) The trustee gave me written permission to speak with the bank(s) on the Trust's behalf, then I secured the contract for sale and purchase of the house for an amount that would get the banks' attention, but was a good price for my client.

That was March 26th, 2008. There are 2 liens on the house... a first mortgage and a home equity loan.

Want to guess how long 1) it took me to get the first lien holder to even talk to me?, and 2) how long to get the deal approved, or was it approved?

If you guess right - you win a prize..... (only 1 guess per person!)....

Answers included in the next blog!

I'm really amazed at how patient I can be with some things. Definitely patience has been required to help my customer find a home. You wouldn't think so in this market - plenty of homes to choose from - and at GREAT prices....

It's Mid December, and after the Dellview Drive fiasco, my customer is ready to search for another house. Problem is she really, really liked that house.

So we set out after the Dellview failed contract and the second house we toured, she was ready to make an offer! Very attractive house. Little more than she had planned to pay, but it was a larger house, larger lot and in much better shape than Dellview Drive. This one needed some updating, which she really was excited about sinking her hands into (popcorn ceilings... she doesn't like them and she LOVES to scrape them off the ceilings!).

The seller and her family are out in the yard while we're there, and she makes a point of coming up to us and telling me that they are moving in two days and to make them an offer, they are eager to sell.

So, we go back to the office, discuss the house and the asking price, and true to form my client wants to offer about $30k less than they are asking for the house. This is when I learn that she likes to bargain, because as I am encouraging her to make the offer one that they can't refuse, she's telling me she doesn't understand why people don't like to haggle these days!

Oh boy, this house hunting for her could take a long....... time..... She does come up some, but not to what I would call an amount that will catch their attention.

So, I submit her offer, discussing the pros and cons of the house, market, etc. Needless to say, The sellers rejected the offer.... and interestingly chose not to counter. Which then made my client angry.

I sure hope I'm getting all my mistakes out on this one!

So we went house hunting again......