Bonnie Barbieri

We are like every other community in Florida, we have several golf communites. The community we specialize in is Glen Lakes Golf and Country Club. It is located north of Spring Hill on Commercial Way. There are 900 lots in Glen Lakes and I believe only about 700+ sold and having a house or villa built.

They offer estate homes, villas, maintained homes and your standard 3/2/2. There are homes on the golf course and on the various lakes in the community. The favored spot is on the golf course.

Golf is serious in Glen Lakes. The course is beautiful and very well maintained. They have an excellent pro shop and there is a Country Club with a restaurant for a quick bite after your game.

Glen Lakes offers more than golf. They have tennis courts, a pool, a gym and lots of activities. Glen Lakes is not a 55+ community but the majority of the people living there are retired.

We are finding people now wanting to move back to be close to their children as they get older. Homes are selling here. We have the baby boomers moving in and the older residents moving out.

We are very aggressive in our marketing and have been able to sell many homes in Glen Lakes. Our sellers are very happy with our services. Our buyers are impressed with our knowledge of the area.

If you like golf - come see Glen Lakes. We would love to show you around.

Bonnie Barbieri
Remax Advantage Realty
Spring Hill, FL

Hernando Beach is not really a beach. We are the "Nature Coast" but we do have one beach - Pine Island. We do have waterfront properties on canals leading to the Gulf and there is tremendous value there. We have a listing that is the most incredible house on a canal. It has 5 fireplaces, 3 levels, garage parking for at least 4 cars and a workshop. The loft has built in cabinets and a view to die for! I can imagine sitting and writing the great American novel from this room and looking out over the Gulf and watching the amazing sunsets.

There are quite a few homes for sale on the water. People are moving for whatever reason. We have been blessed here that we have had (knock on wood) no direct hit hurricanes and not really any hurricanes. There were a couple a few years ago that came through our area but didn't really do much damage. They came in south of Tampa so by the time they reached us it was just a bad storm. We are situated in a cove and it seems the storms pass by us. I was told it is because the water isn't that deep here. I don't know but we have been very lucky.

We have a lot of water fowl and the manatees that can be seen during certain times of the year. Its really a wonderful area to watch wildlife. I love the cranes. It is quiet and serene without all the beach going public.

If you are looking for water views with serenity - Hernando Beach is the place for you.

I spoke with my coach yesterday and she told us that the Canadians are coming to Florida and quite a few are already here. She told us we needed to advertise in papers where they were vacationing. It isn't Spring Hill, Florida. Its the beaches, Clearwater, St. Pete, Treasure Island, etc, etc. So we took out a very expensive ad for Saturday and Sunday hoping to reach the vacationers who are thinking it feels mighty good basking in the warmth of the Florida sun instead of being home trying to keep warm.

The miserable winter this year has pushed a few people over the edge and they are finally ready to make the move. We have received e-mails and phone calls from people who have had it with the cold weather. I know about cold weather. I lived in Michigan for 3 years and I've never been so cold. It is miserable and for people who have gone through a really bad winter, you can't even imagine. I am from Texas and a bad winter for me was 5 days of weather in the 30's and 40's - maybe dipping into the 20's. Then it would gone and we had nice weather again. Constant cold and snow and ice were not something I was use to. So I can understand when someone calls and says I've had it, send me some listings. I'm ready to make the move.

We say "Welcome to anyone who wants to come make Florida their home whether its only for the winter or year round." You can play golf every day. You can go to the beach and watch the sunset. Its a wonderful place - this warm playland of ours.

Bonnie Barbieri - Remax Advantage - Spring Hill, FL
www.HomeInTheSunGroup.com

I am so tired of listening to the media spreading their doom and gloom. It is as if they really want us all to fail. I work for a local Remax office and our office is bustling. We are getting leads from people still wanting to move to Florida from all over the country.

I read in the paper this morning that we are getting a new Kohl's and in fact quite a few stores including a bookstore. We are possibly getting a Super Target. Companies do not move into dying areas! Hernando County is alive and well and Florida is still a place where people would like to live.

We have an election coming up on January 29 for the Presidential elections but also there is an Amendment to help with the property taxes. It is not my first choice on how to handle it but its a first step. If passed, it will allow homeowners to carry their current tax bill with them instead of having a much larger bill if they buy a new home. This will hopefully stimulate buying.

People coming from the north aren't to shocked or upset by our taxes as they were paying much more. The weather is in the 70's today and no sign of snow!

So when you hear the doom and gloom that Florida is sinking into the sunset, don't listen to them. Hernando County (north of Tampa) is alive and well and we intend to stay that way.

When you mention Spring Hill, Florida, people look at me with this blank stare. No one seems to know where Spring Hill is located. That's not unreasonable. We are not a town, city or incorporated. We are a subdivision! Now this was really strange. But back in the day, Deltona Corporation was flying people here from Long Island and New Jersey to view property in this new retirement area, Spring Hill. There are still a lot of little Deltona homes in the area. As times changed, so did Spring Hill. We are now a bustling part of Hernando County. We are 45 minutes north of Tampa. We have easy access to Tampa via the Suncoast Parkway. We have some lovely subdivisions like Pristine Place, Silverthorn, Sterling Hills, Avalon, Woodland Waters, The Waters, Seven Hills and many more. We are neighbors to Weeki Wachee where the Mermaids swim every spring and summer. Weeki Wachee Springs has been in operation for about 25 years. Where there was nothing here, the mermaids would swim in the springs and people came from all over just to see the shows. The park is a little run down now and there is a fight with the county on who is going to take it over and run it. '

Brooksville is the other town (real town) in Hernando County. This is the area where all the new restaurants, and shopping is coming in. Hernando County has 3 super Wal-Marts and a Sam's. How many more do we need - true they wanted to build another one but they backed down when people who lived in the area protested.

I heard we are getting a Kohl's and a Super Target. They have already broken ground for a new J.C. Penneys and some other stores. We have a Carrabasas, Rita's, and Panera Bread. Things have changed dramatically since I've been here just 3 years.

People are still moving to Florida and they are moving to the West Coast (we are Florida's Nature Coast). We have a lot of wildlife and not many beaches. We do have waterfront property and its still the best value on the water. We have lots of golf course communities and 55+ gated communities. We have large lots with new homes on lime stone roads and of course the mobile home communities.

If you are ever in the area, stop by and say hi. You might just decide to want to live here.