Mike Norvell Sr / Norvell Consulting Group

On a Saturday morning, I am reading the paper in my small town of Leesburg Fl. Its a bit cloudy outside, and the squirrels are running about preparing for the coming rainfall.

Its a small town compared to our neighbors, Orlando to the East and Ocala to the North. It nice to know that there are these big cities around us, keeping all their traffic and crime away from our area.

But Leesburg has some really great qualities. We have access to the Harris Chain of Lakes, a nice sized mall, and most of our area schools have good ratings. I remember when I came here over 20 years ago. The rat race of traffic and crime from the Daytona Beach area where I had been living seemed far away once I had moved over here.

Now, years later, I still feel the same way. I tune into the local (Orlando) news, and its full of the reasons I won't leave this nice area.I am glad that stuff is an hour away. We have good roads, jobs, and its a short drive to either coast. There is a reason so many people retire here, and a quieter peacefull lifestyle is what comes to mind.

We have a sense of community here, and its hard to get that in the bigger towns. My company had an office in Downtown Orlando until recently, and we used to meet clients there. Now they meet at our office in Downtown Leesburg, and there is a very favorible response. There is very little traffic and people say hello as you go by. Leesburg, Fl has a very successful Downtown Partnership, and they have done a remarkable job in keeping the commuity together with ongoing events that draws the residents.

Leesburg, Fl is big enough to get lost in but freindly enough to help you find your way. With so many lakes in the area, its easy to lose your sense of direction, because they have to build the whole area around the lakes. We have a lot of water. But, the city has a definate character because of all these lakes, and those of us lucky enought to call it home recognise the qualities. We do have a lot of acreage still in cattle not far from Malls and shopping centers. Clean air, nice lakes, good roads, what a great place to work.

Leesburg, Fl is very close to the Villages. Since I have been here the Villages have grown from a good sized mobile home park to what some say is the largest adult community in the whole United States..Maybe even the world. SInce the Villages came, so has every form of resturant, bank, chopping plaza, home and garden center, and everything else you could imagine. During all of this, Leesburg grew a little too, but its not the mad house the Villages has become.

So, thats why I still like living in Leesburg, Fl. It has kept its smaller town values, but is close enough to all you will need to not feel isolated. Its 15 minutes to the Villages, and about and hour to Orlando and the same to either coast..Other towns that border Leesburg, Fl include Fruitland Park, Tavares, Eustis, Mt Dora and Grand Island.

If you need a closer look at a great place to do business, think about Leesburg, Fl.. For all those who need a place to be close to the middle of the state, its a great choice.

Call Mike Norvell Sr of Developers Capital Realty, LLC for all your commercial and development needs.

In three days it will be exactly 22 years since I met my wife. A few weeks back we celebrated our 5th year of marriage with a weekend at the beach.

Twenty two years and three days ago I was a single dad with four sons. In the movies, this situation is easily remiedied by the perfect person coming along and after a few wonderful mishaps, a few hours later they are happily married an driving off into the sunset.

In reality, most single women hear that you, a single dad, have 4 kids and suddenly have other plans. Sock drawers need organizing, plans to enter the convent, stuff like that. I had resigned myself to a life of an occasional pity date and relying on my Mom, my Sister, and my Church for assitance in raising my kids.

For those of you who want a formula for changing the storyline, try what I did. Have a dentist appointment for a bad tooth on a Wed, and take the required anti biotics and go home to prepare for the next day when they will remove the tooth and hope the swelling will go down.

Then, get a phone call from a friend who needs a ride home from a local juke joint and will I come to get him home safely. After securing said children with Mom and Sis, go to the juke joint and attempt to retrieve said friend, who is now winning at pool and refuses to leave while winning.. Take a seat in the dark to avoid the large swollen side of your face from being so noticeable.

While sitting there in pain, you can't help but to notice the most beautiful women you have ever seen wearing very funny pants dancing with a girlfriend and a guy you know. Imagine the three of them come by your table, and try to imagine making a good first impression while dealing with being totally awestruck and sounding like I am gargling marbles due to the swollen jaw.. Somehow I manage to give her a business card after telling her I would love to see her again after I get my dental work done.

SHe actually takes my call the next day after my surgery,and agrees to meet me at Pizza Hut. I had told her the night before that I have 4 kids, and her eyes did not roll back or glaze over, a good sign.

With a mouth full of packing I try to be charming when I should have been sleeping off the codine pain pills. I spent three hours in Pizza Hut without eating a bite.. I could not wait to see her again and I had no feeling on the left side of my face...Teresa would warn me when the side of my mouth was drooling...Romantic Huh...

Fast forward 17 years and we are finally married. We had agreed to make a life seperate, yet together for these years while we raised our families and dated...When the youngest went off to college, we set a date and got married, just like we had promised each other..

Then one day, my Wife tells me a normal check up did not go well, and she was scheduled for more testing. MY heart nearly stops, but I try to not go crazy with worry......More testing, and more testing, and our doctor begins using the C word. Her calcuim levels were thru the roof, and the thyroid drugs began not regulating anymore. The C word will take over your life. It was not conclusive, but once it is shared, it cannot be taken back. Its like a weight on your chest that get heavier, but you have to pretend not to notice. That is not easy to do....

Months go by, with more testing, MRIs, Sonograms, Xrays, and still the results were being read as Possible Cancer of the thyriod, causing all these other issues. Finally, wanting another opinion, we went to a Thyroid specialist, and started over with the testing...

I remember this last Jan when we were given the news that it was not cancer, it was a rogue Parathyroid, just doing whatever it wanted and throwing my Wifes poor body for a loop. More testing, another kind of special MRI and more sonagrams and we meet with a wonderful surgeon. All the tests are inconclusive, but in her opinion there are lumps on the Thyroid and one of her four Parathyroids must be acting up, but they can't find it.

After our weekend in Daytona Beach celebrating our 5th year of being married, we we quietly aware of the upcoming surgery the following Thursday. We had high hopes, but with all the tests not being able to find anything, we were apprehensive.. Finally, get get up early that day and meet just about our entire family at the hospital.

The surgeon tells us it should be about an hour. One hour goes by, then two, and then three..Finally, the surgeon meets me in the little room and says they found a nodule lump on the thyroid, an attatched lymhp gland sticking to the thyroid, and after all that, found the rogue Parathyroid on the other side of the neck, behind the thyroid. So, all three bad things were removed, and biopsied. No cancer, but a much longer surgery, and a five inch incision accross her neck from one side to the other.

Her blood testing taken immediately after the surgery showed a dramatic drop in the calcium PCHT levels, from 63 before the surgery down to 16 after. Between 15 and 20 is normal. I was able to bring her home the next day, and we spent a week together at home while she recovered. Its been three weeks now, and she is feeling better in many ways now that the thyroid is regulated.

Being the naturally beautiful person that she is, she is unreasonably worried about the scar across her neck. SHe is worried that I, and other people are going to notice the scar. I am just so happy that she is doing better, and that the problem has been solved. Trust me, I am so happy she is better I do not see a scar. Its just so wonderful to not be scared anymore..What scar...

For our 22nd anniversary of being together, I cannot begin to express how much weight is off of our heads now that she is doing so much better. The little voices in my head that had been worrying me so for the last few months have finally been quieted.

There is a joy in my life again that is hard to explain. The future is there again for the both of us together, and I finally feel like I can breathe again. This 22nd anniversary will be a special one, one that has our hopes and dreams back intact again for our future together.

I wish everyone would take another look at your loved ones and cherish your time together. I feel like we are being able to start over again. I wish the same for everyone, take the time to enjoy your family.

Hello All, How's the world treating you.

Me, I'm tired. Its been a long month, with all the moving and weekend at the beach, and non stop working in Commercial Real Estate in between

Today was a great day. I starte early, and got up at 5:00 Am to get ready for a Land Conference down in Lakeland Fla. It was sponsored by Dean Saunders of Saunders Real Estate. Dean really put on a great show, he hosted the event at the Englebrooke County Club in Lakeland, Fl.

It was a standing room only event, with a full house of Whos' Who in the Land and Commercial Industry from Central and South Fla. Speaking at the event was Attorney Wade L Hopping, a former Justice of the Supreme Court, and now a Lobbiest Specializing in Land Use Law in Tallahassee Fl. He spoke of what had happened over the last year and what he thought would happen in the coming year. At the end, he gave his thoughts on what should have happened..

Next we had Dr. Sean Snaith, PHD another very smart economist that bases out of the University of Central Fla. He had a very good presentation complete with power point slides. If there was ever an economist with a sense of humor, Sean take the cake.

Last, we had Sam Chandan, PHD Chief Economist for REIS out of New York...This guy is just crazy smart, and I cannot say much to do his presentation Justice. Together with the other speakers, they gave an updated Real Estate Forecast for our State, and our industry as a whole.

I find these events very informative to go to. The networking before and after is super, its hard to get this many players in one place at one time. My hat goes off to Mr Dean Saunders Of Coldwell Banker Commercial.

For those of you that would have liked to have been there, I will include a link later when they post the video that was recorded today. If you dont get back, I will list where it may be found later, on the SaundersRealEstate.Com website. It was a very great way to learn from some of the brightest minds I have ever had the priveledge of being in the presence of, these guys are really top notch. I was there representing Developers Capital Realty, LLC, and found many people willing to talk about upcoming land deals that will never see a listing sheet. It does pay to network, it really does.

Again, My sincerest appreciation to Saunders Real Estate for putting on this event. For those that missed it, you really will want to view the link when it becomes available.

There is a quiet undertone in the business. Those in the Know are whispering amoungst themselves.

The time is drawing near, the bottom is approaching. Like Sunrise, we know it will come, but there is no exact time to make the determination. There seem to be factors that would signal the approach of the bottom. Prices are dropping, but at a slower rate. Home sales are increasing, but not from traditional lending.

The investors, the real investors, have arrived. With thier Wall Street spreadsheets in hand, representatives from huge hedge funds are on the prowl. Called vultures by many, they have arrived with large checkbooks eager to snatch up the bargin basement bargins. But they are very cautious. These hedge funds represent pension funds, insurance company proceeds. They have an obligation to be perfect in thier decisions.

Many large builders have retreated, leaving subdivisions, apartment buildings, and commercial structures in various phases of complettion. Banks will not touch these projects,the losses are too fresh and the future to uncertian. But, the investors KNOW that these properties will come back to full value in due time, and they can afford to wait it out.

I work in this market, and its getting very busy now. The sleeping giants of cash investments are coming to shop, and we at Developers Capital Realty, LLC will have many properties to show them. The time is ripe for the next year or so for these bargin hunters, I spend my days gaining knowlege of the deals that are coming available to be purchased.

If you want to get involved in this high stakes purchasing game, you will need to do your homework. I have been working on spread sheets and pro forma software to best be able to present the opportunities. If you have a great deal that needs to be purchased for cash, with a quick close, then this is the time you have been waiting for. Please contact me if you need help in preparing your projects.

Developers Capital Realty, LLc meets with several of these Representatives a few times a month to showcase bargin properties. Contact me, Mike Norvell Sr, if you would like to have a project presented. There is a lot of information necessary in order to make a real proforma projection, so be prepared. I will assist putting the project together on paper if you need help.

Don't miss out. We are actively loking for deals from a million to 25 million. If your deal is chosen, the pace is fast and furious, and suddenly its closed. Lets find a way to get a deal done, thanks for Reading!!

Yes, there was a time when I was interested in doing BPOs', there was a process to be learned, a goal to be reached.

It was never about the money, I wanted to say that I was part of the process, that I had some input on the lender side of the Foreclosure Machinery.

I wanted t gain a greater knowlege of the appraisal process, I wanted to delve into an interspective train of thought that would require my knowlege of the area. WIth this in mind. I studied the MLS data, I studied Data Collection from other sources. I looked at Zillow, Bank Of America, and other evaluation sites.

If these sites have that much knowlege, why do the BPO companies utilize people to do this job. If you ever do the job, you will know. Homes in foreclosure tend to deteriate, and even experience vandalism. I did a report on one home that had a terrible experience 2 weeks before auction. Every wall in the home had been attacked with a tire iron and a hammer in an attack that must have taken an hour to complete.

What kind of anger is attatched to a house that makes the former owner go off like that. The home had been stripped as well, and what was left was terribly vandalized. I of course took pictures of the damage, and attempted to estimate the damage.

Doing BPO's was an interesting phase in my Real Estate Career.Thank God I did not do it for the money, The payment schedule varied by company, the worst was Evaluation Solutions. I got a check in this week for two "Emergency" BPOs' that I did in FEB, 2008. I know many Realtors are using BPOs' as a way to keep up thier local knowlege of their area, and to keep some gas money coming in. I believe that doing the BPOs' do assist in honing a necessary area of our Real Estate skills. I took my appraising duties very seriously, I realized that what was being done would actually affect peoples lives in a small way.

Plus, I used to see the the numbers produced by others and wondered what kind of criteria was used to make these determinations. Now I know. But waiting to get paid several months is not worth my time, I have learned enough to say that I have the experience.

Funny how something I really wanted to do for a while suddenly has no further interest to me..I now know how those BPO numbers are arrived at..by hiring crazy folks like me....NUff Said!!