John Elwell

As many of you are aware, no place is completely crime-free. Even in gated communities with guards, bad things can happen. And when you are out-and-about other types of crimes can occur. In Zephyrhills we have a large percentage of retirees who can sometimes be more susceptible to the bad behavior of others. Though crimes are relatively rare, it does pay to be alert.

But do not dispair. There are things that you can do to protect yourselves and therefore become less of a target to the crooks of this world.

If you click on the link below, you will be taken to the Pasco County Sheriff's Website where they explain ways you can be proactive and protect yourselves and your neighbors. I strongly suggest you take a moment to open this page and print it up. If you think it would be useful, why not post it on your community bulletin board so others can benefit from its hints.

Enjoy all that Florida and Zephyrhills has to offer you. But do not take your safety for granted. In the end, YOU are your best protection!

To see the sheriff's site click here: Tips For Preventing Crimes

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John Elwell - REALTOR at CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. 813-783-4444 or jelwell1@tampabay.rr.com

In a very short time, Christmas will be here. While many of us will be celebrating the holidays with family and friends, there will be many that cannot afford this "luxury". What we take for granted they cannot.

This is especially sad for the younger members of our communities. I can remember going to bed on Christmas eve with great anticipation of what Santa was going to bring me. Can you imagine how I would have felt if, when I went downstairs the next morning, there was nothing under the tree? And this will be the scenario in many homes this year. Let's face, it has been a tough one for many of us, but certainly for those of limited means due to lay-offs, increased expenses, etc.

But the Marines are coming to the rescue again with their Toys for Tots program. They collect toys for children and distribute them through various outlets so that no child will go without a gift for Christmas.

How can you help? You can drop-off a new unwrapped toy for a child between the ages of 1 and 14 years at many locations throughout Pasco County, Florida. To see a list of drop-off points, click on the following link: http://www.toysfortotspasco.org/dropoff.htm This is the latest information I have. If you find that one of the sites is no longer participating, call one of the numbers below to find the current site nearest to your home. You can also try this link if you are on the western side of Pasco County: http://new-port-richey-fl.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/donate-toys.asp

You can also try calling for more information. In East Pasco call: 352-588-4230 or in West Pasco call: 727-847-4583

You may never see the face of the child who receives your kind gift, but you can be sure that he or she will have a happier day because of you and your generosity. So do try to give some child somewhere in Pasco County a very Merry Christmas! If you do, I can assure you that yours will be a bit merrier too!

I know this is still several months off, but I wanted to make sure that all of you had time to participate in some way if you can.

Most of use know someone who has been touched in some way by cancer. Perhaps it is a family member, friend or co-worker. Many of us can remember a time, not so long ago, when a diagnosis of any type of this disease meant the "end of the line" for the victim. Even just 20 years ago, many of the detection techniques and treatments we now take for granted were unheard of. The American Cancer Society has been a large player in the war against the many forms of cancer. Now, what almost always used to be considered terminal, can today be successfully treated! 

On March 26, 2010 the Relay for Life will take place in Zephyrhills, Florida at the Zephyrhills High School at the corner of 12th Street and County Road 54.

Relay teams are already forming and their goal is to raise funds for this organization and to celebrate the many people who are cancer survivors.

So, do not wait! If you would like to learn more about how you can donate, participate, and/or motivate, you can download the following brochure from last year's event that I have scanned into the computer in Adobe PDF format. Just click on the following link to get this brochure: Download Relay for Life Brochure0001

For specific information about this year's event you can also visit the Zephyrhills Relay for Life website by clicking on the following link: www.relayforlife.org/zephyrhillsfl There you can learn a lot of important news about this important event in our city. You can also see how you can form your own relay team at your work, subdivision, organization, softball team, etc.

Still another way to get info is to call Stephanie Watts at: 1-800-227-2345 or e-mail her at: Stephanie.watts@cancer.org

So, please do all you can to support the work of this fine organization that does so much for so many! 

Most agents, and even most US citizens, are aware that there exists a non-discrimination law that covers housing in the United States. This was first established by the Fair Housing Act in 1968. It says that when dealing with housing "no one can be discriminated against based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap. Notice it does not mention "age". The penalties for violations of the Fair Housing Act are severe, to say the least!

To see a lot more information about the Federal Law concerning housing in general and the Fair Housing Act, you can CLICK HERE. Lots of good information for home buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, and their agents can be found here. Answers to the questions many of you may have. You can also get contact information so you can call and speak with a HUD representative in person.

What many people do not realize is that not only do we need to remember the Federal laws, we also need to be aware of city, county, and state statutes/ordinances that may go even further in creating protected groups. None of these entities can weaken the Federal laws, but they can add to it.

Here is a case in point. On November 19, 2009 the City of Tampa, Florida put in place an ordinance that prohibits discrimination against transgender persons in many areas of life, including HOUSING. Several years ago they had also included age and sexual orientation under their protective umbrella.

Now, Tampa is located in Hillsborough County which has rejected such protections. So in the non-Tampa parts of the county you just need to follow Federal law, for the time being. But cross over the border into the City of Tampa, and you had better know who is protected and who is not. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a courtroom! You can see the Tampa ordinance that was passed on November 19, 2009 and signed into law by Mayor Pam Iorio by clicking on the following download link: Download Tampa's New Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Other governmental bodies may have created different sets of protections. It is a big country afterall!

Whether or not you agree with a federal, state, or local law, it would behoove you to follow it. Personally I dislike discrimination of any kind. Perhaps that comes from living in Europe for many years and learning to like a lot of people that I would have never associated with back here before I left. Many are still great friends of mine. I also on a few occasions was the victim of discrimination by some people who did not want to rent an apartment to an "Americano Yankee". Until you have experienced this for yourself, it can sometimes be hard to empathize with those on the other side of the street. I KNOW what it feels like from first-hand experience.

So whether you are an agent, seller, landlord, buyer or tenant, know what the your obligations and protections are. If you need legal guidance, contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development in your area or speak with a local real estate attorney.

But whatever you do, make sure you do not break the laws, no matter which governmental body enacted them. Not just to keep yourself from getting punished, but to make sure you are not unfairly treating a protected group. Treat others in the same way that you would like to be treated.

If you would like to contact me, call me at: 813-783-4444 or e-mail me at: jelwell1@tampabay.rr.com  You are also welcome to visit my website at: www.jelwell.century21bnr.com Lots of useful information and links there.