Linda George, Realtor,GRI,CDPE Treasure Coast Homes

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK : PORTOFINO SHORES Traveling North and South on Kings Highway, you may have noticed a beautifully groomed entrance just south of the Indian River county line, in Fort Pierce,FL, St. Lucie county. The gated community is called Portofino Shores, and is a fully manned 24/7 guard gated community with a real,live person at the entrance. This is a rarity in this area, to have a fully manned entry. The people that live in the neighborhood have told me how wonderful it is ,to be able to go away for extended vacations, or just a "get-away" weekend, and not worry about their home while away. The entrance is very well manicured and if this is your style..You'll find more of the same while visiting the neighborhood. There are a total of 3 lakes-One large lake in the center of the community, and 2 smaller lakes as you drive in the entrance. All the homes feature barrel tile roofs, stucco exteriors, pavered driveways and walks. Floor plans range from 3 bedroom 2 bath plans, to the largest..a 5 bedroom, 3 bath design. All feature cathedral ceilings, open kitchens, arched doorways, and sliders to patio gardens or covered porches. The designs feel very Mediterranean. Landscaping in the community features many native trees, and bushes..with oak trees lining the roads. In a couple more years, the plantings will be mature, and the oaks will be quite lovely lining the drive around the community. Neighborhood pride is quite evident in the way the homes are kept. There is a nice mix of families with children, singles, young couples, seniors. Pets are allowed, and there are sidewalks and a nature trail that winds around the outside of the community..for the nightly dog walkers. The community does have a Home Owners Assoc. with a low monthly fee. The fee includes access to a lovely, inground pool, tennis courts, newly built kids playground, exercise room, community room with an area for entertaining, parties. As of this writing..there are 11 homes total on the market..in the price range from $99,0000! to $150,000. There have been brisk sales in the community, with about 1/2 of the sales due to banks sales and short-sales. The community is only a few minutes to 2 major banks, several popular restaurants, (Nino's being one of my favorites!) fruit grocer, and major groceries. I have a favorite home-made donut shop too..Don't get me started on that one! Community library is only a 10 minute drive, and there is a elementary school close by, also. Private schools are also available. US 1 is the closest major road, and is the fastest drive into the surrounding Fort Pierce area. Vero Beach is about 5 minutes north, for a fast commute to work or play. Fort Pierce's beautiful, historic downtown area is approx. a 20 minute drive, with the beach and inlets, being about the same distance.

If you have any questions about Portofino Shores in Fort Pierce, please call or text me at 772-205-5982, or emails can be sent to realtorlindageorge@gmail.com. I live in the neighborhood so I have access to all the latest news and real estate for sale. Thanks for stopping by!

See the title of this blog? That has been my attitude of late. I think I may need an attitude adjustment..probably like a few of you out there. I'm really working on it,but here's the problem I'm having-

What do you do when you've moved from a very progressive,fast paced city, with a Realtors assoc. that is on the cutting edge of every new technology to a very,shall we say "relaxed" .. but very charming,slow paced smaller city? The latest technology is not a priority with them. Don't get me wrong. One of the reasons I moved this past Summer was to get back to a "simpler" life, to smell the roses, walk a little more on the beach,enjoy my family. But now that I am in "the simpler life", it is not as "simple" as I thought it would be.

My problem lately has been with a very "simple" thing- an electronic lockbox. To me, it's a must for a Realtor. How many Realtors out there use the electronic lock boxes to put on their listings? I own at least 20 of these nifty things. Where I came from, most of the Realtors use these..even the part-timers! In my new town, most don't use them, and when you tell the Realtors that your listing has a very safe and secure lockbox, I invariably hear a big sigh from the other end of the phone. I have taken this problem on, as my own personal war, against the dreaded combos. How can they not see that using a "combo" from the local hardware store is not safe,smart or professional? And the final straw, was the other day when I heard from a very high source at the local association, that they would probably be doing away completely with the whole electronic lockbox "thing" countywide, because there was so little (may I say NONE?) support.

Maybe I was in the big city too long, and the water got to me..but, we are in 2009, fellow Realtors! And we are swimming against the current, with our life vests unfastened, and the rip currents are taking us out further. Especially in this market, shouldn't we be using every professional and technological advancement to show our clients that we are the best choice to get the job done for them? We are taking no chances by using old-fashioned combos,because this allows anyone to access their properties, without appointments ,and with the possibility of "sharing" codes. This stuff happens..even in small,charming towns.

Just recently, I put a very nice,well priced home on the market. Several calls from Realtors to show it. One comment from one, was to do myself a favor and get a combo for that house, because if other agents can't access it,they won't show it. When I told him/her that I had put a electronic box on, they said "Most of us don't use those things."

Anyone else run into this kind of a thing? How do you deal with it? I really don't want to fall in line behind the others, and conform! It's not my thing. But I do want to "play nice."

I should have left well enough,alone! I'm trying to sell my own home, and it's only been on the market for 40 days. I've had 6 showings, which in this market in South Florida,is darn good. I attribute (right or wrong) some of that traffic to my comments on the mls printout,which went something like this,"Gleaming,new,hardwood floors throughout and lakefront views." Sounds nice,right?

Well..several days passed without a call for a showing, so I thought I'd go in and change the words..just to "freshen" it up a bit. (duh..if it ain't broke,don't fix it)

Here's what I wrote, and keep in mind that it is my own home so I'm allowed to say dumb and stupid things..I thought it was funny, and was trying to get someones attention. So here goes-

"Obsessive/Compulsive cleans this home" (That would be me,folks) then it went on to say.."Spotless,lakeview home..blah,blah,blah. "

Do you know that I haven't gotten ONE call since I changed that about 1 1/2 weeks ago?

Was this not as funny as I thought it would be, while trying to get a "clean and well maintained "point across?

How important is the wording that we choose in the listing?

Am I giving it more importance than it requires?

Or is all that overlooked if the price is right?

I was lucky enough to be "brought on board" this past Summer by a professional short-sale company. I was made their Treasure Coast Realtor-to handle all the leads that they received inquiring about short-sales, in a certain geographical area. There were many on-line training sessions to be listened to regarding "how to proceed and capture the short-sale lead". Much of the information taught has been useful, but I have found that the "idea" they try to teach..that you'll be "in and out"-meaning..list the property,get the property sold, and in the middle "Don't get too personally involved".. is a grand idea, in theory, but does not happen that way.

If anything..the short-sale clients need much more compassion,attention, and reassurance. Instead of the happy,excited sellers that are the norm in a "regular" listing..these families are "mourning" a loss. The loss of their dream of a home with all the things that go along with it. When you go to look at their home for your first sit-down appointment, it doesn't help to mention how beautiful their home is,or how much work it looks like they've done..it only rubs salt in the wound, and reminds them of what they have to leave behind.

There is no way to keep from getting too personal, when you ask them to write a Hardship letter to the bank, and they want you to read it first to let them know it is ok. I can't share with you the heart-wrenching stories I've read, but each is more touching than the one before.

It makes me very thankful to be one of the lucky ones..I'm able to go to bed at night in a safe,warm ,beautiful bed, and not worry about where I and my family might be living in a month or two.

It has forced me to see the other side of the coin,on a daily basis..up close and personal. The eyes I look into, are the eyes of all of us. Our mothers,dads, sisters and brothers. Not at all "Impersonal!"

This will give you a little insight into the kind of person my husband is..

Joe went to pick up my youngest teenage son who had a job washing a boat for an elderly captain. The captain had been out of town for several months, and had left a freezer full of fish in his home. Apparently, the power had gone off while the captain was away, and the house was filled with a horrible stench of fish! You can imagine how horrible, as the average South Florida temp. in the late Summer is about 90.

Well, my husband and son felt bad for this particular gentleman and offered to cart the "stinkin fish freezer" away, in the back of his truck! And guess where it was coming? You guessed right! Right to the curbside of "yours-truly's "house. Now, we have just moved in to a gated (and quite proper) community..so we are the new kids on the block. The thing smelled so bad, that you couldn't go out your front door, without the smell wafting in and chasing you down! And it had several large belts around it to make sure it didn't open accidentally. It was quite a sight, and it was going to be 3 long,hot days till we had garbage pickup.

Guess what happened next? Garbage pick-up came and went and still the "stinkin fish freezer" sat..growing more disgusting by the day. I, of course, was the one getting the dirty looks from the joggers,walkers,dogs passing by..because I work out of my home office, and can see what is happening at my curbside. I called the garbage collector to remind them about the big thing they forgot, and guess what? They don't pick up freezers with rotten stuff inside..it has to be completely cleaned out! You know that saying," No good deed goes unpunished?" Well, I was feeling that might be a little true. (My husband is always doing good deeds, so I've gotten used to this concept!)

I was feeling thoroughly disgusted, and I had visions of myself up to the elbows in rotting fish and soapsuds. I had to get away for a little bit, so I took a drive about 30 minutes away..(my husband was at work-son in school.) And while I was gone, I started thinking..wouldn't it be great if someone just took it, without my permission, while I was gone? In short-STOLE IT! Of course, I knew the chances of that happening were pretty slim,because to get into our "gated" community you had to use a "swipe" card or be on a list and get the nod from security at the gate. And who in their right mind would want a "stinkin fish freezer"

You can guess the rest..I went home after about 1 hour away, and the thing was gone! It had vanished, and I to this day,I don't know who took it or where it went! I felt a little bad for them, truthfully!

This is a true story, and is typical of the things that occur at my home on a monthly basis.. You've gotta laugh, and a good laugh is something we all need right now!