Events going on in Brevard:Every Thursday - Brevard County Farmer's Market (3 PM - 6 PM). Fresh products from local farmers and producers. 2500 Parkway Drive, Wickham Park Melbourne Check out upcoming events from Brevard County Farmers Market, Wickham Park Melbourne.Every Thursday - Historic Cocoa Village, Cocoa Main Street has partnered with local businesses to offer Throwback Thursdays (open till 8 PM) A shopping and dining campaign offering discounts and Cocoa Main Street's VIP Discount Card program. For more information on Cocoa Main Street Throwback Thursday check here.  Email at office@coocamainstreet.com or call Ken Wilshire, 321-633-0806.First Friday Eau Gallie Arts District in Downtown Eau Gallie (5:30 PM) browse local businesses that stay open late. Grab a bite to eat. Highlan... 04/09/2015

Did you know that you can cut years off of your mortgage and save thousands? By making one additional principal payment each year on your 30 year fixed rate mortgage, you can cut approximately 8 years* off of the length of your loan and save tens of thousands of dollars.Have you heard about bi weekly mortgage payments?  These are when your mortgage payment amount is divided in half and you make the payment every 2 weeks, in effect adding one additional payment to your loan by the end of the year. Often times they cost a hefty fee to set up and the lending institution charges a monthly fee to process the payment. You can create the same effect by making an additional mortgage payment each year.**Are you thinking that you just don't have the extra money to mail in an additional principal ... 04/08/2015

Before buying a house remember to take a second look inside and out.  And, ask questions, and then ask some more.Today, home buyers are smarter and more educated than ever. They have the internet at their fingertips and they know how to do their legwork in researching homes for sale. But, it's important to ask questions before buying a house.Things to consider are:How high does the house sit compared to the middle of the street?Is there sufficient drainage?Are there signs of standing water; mold and mildew on sidewalks, on patios or near the house?Is the property close to or on a main street? How much traffic travels on the street?Are there vehicles parked out in front along the street? Is parking allowed on the streets at night?Where do boats have to be parked?What do the neighboring p... 04/07/2015

5243 Outlook Drive, Melbourne FL 32940 This stunning home situated in gated Deer Lakes is a beauty. Tiffany Homes Carmel model built in 2004. Deer Lakes is a gated neighborhood just off of Wickham Road between Post Road and the Pineda Causeway. This home has sparkling ceramic tile flooring in the main living areas and laminate flooring in the bedrooms. The open kitchen with breakfast bar, eat in nook and pantry opens to the main living area of the home. Master suite has shower and double sinks with outside door leading to the pool. The home boasts pride of ownership throughout.  Sit back and enjoy the incredible sunsets overlooking the lake and the solar heated pool. This is Florida living at it's best. Deer Lakes boasts a community pool and playground. Lawn  and shrub maintenance is in... 04/02/2015

Events going on in Brevard: Every Thursday - Brevard County Farmer's Market (3 PM - 6 PM). Fresh products from local farmers and producers. 2500 Parkway Drive, Wickham Park Melbourne Check out upcoming events from Brevard County Farmers Market, Wickham Park Melbourne. Every Thursday - Historic Cocoa Village, Cocoa Main Street has partnered with local businesses to offer Throwback Thursdays (open till 8 PM) A shopping and dining campaign offering discounts and Cocoa Main Street's VIP Discount Card program. For more information on Cocoa Main Street Throwback Thursday check here.  Email at office@coocamainstreet.com or call Ken Wilshire, 321-633-0806. First Friday Eau Gallie Arts District in Downtown Eau Gallie (5:30 PM) browse local businesses that stay open late. Grab a bite to eat. Hig... 04/01/2015

Saddlebrooke of West Melbourne is a well maintained neighborhood of single family homes off of Hollywood Boulevard. There are currently no homes for sale in Saddle Brooke of West Melbourne. There are currently no homes under contract for sale in Saddle Brooke of Melbourne. In 2015 there have been 2 houses that have sold in Saddle Brooke. One sale has been a bank owned property/foreclosure pool home with 2333 square feet of living that sold for $179,000. And the other sale was a 2020 square foot pool home built in 2003 that sold for $200,000. In 2014, 5 houses sold in Saddle Brooke.  Sales prices ranged from a short sale built in 2001 with 2260 square feet of living sold for $105,869 to a standard sale pool home with 2260 square feet of living, built in 2003 that sold for $223,000.   A s... 03/24/2015

  Events going on in Brevard: Every Thursday - Brevard County Farmer's Market (3 PM - 6 PM). Fresh products from local farmers and producers. 2500 Parkway Drive, Wickham Park Melbourne Check out upcoming events from Brevard County Farmers Market, Wickham Park Melbourne. Every Thursday - Historic Cocoa Village, Cocoa Main Street has partnered with local businesses to offer Throwback Thursdays (open till 8 PM) A shopping and dining campaign offering discounts and Cocoa Main Street's VIP Discount Card program. For more information on Cocoa Main Street Throwback Thursday check here.  Email at office@coocamainstreet.com or call Ken Wilshire, 321-633-0806. First Friday Eau Gallie Arts District in Downtown Eau Gallie (5:30 PM) browse local businesses that stay open late. Grab a bite to eat. Hi... 03/19/2015

I speak to many clients who come into the Reserve at Lake Washington to build their dream home. They often show up with a list of features, needs and wants. We then get down to which builder or two is the best fit for that particular buyer. Some buyers will look at a model that they can see, touch and feel. They often ask for that exact home. It may be a level of comfort because it is hard for them to picture a home from a set of drawings. They may also want a home the builder has built 100 times before. Some buyers have a vision, and they want to be able to build their dream from scratch! For these buyers only a custom home...and custom home builder...will allow them to achieve their goals. Dave Armstrong at Armstrong Custom Homes is not only a wonderful custom home builder, he has an... 03/17/2015

Today, we can't be too careful about who we let into our homes. We make it easy for strangers to follow us and find out our routines and schedules. Burglars are smart and they know what they are looking for. Some things your burglar won't tell you: Your flowers tell me you have good taste. I can’t wait to see what’s inside. I look like an ordinary guy, maybe with a clip board or some lawn equipment. A loud TV or radio is a better deterrent than an alarm system. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions. If you don’t, I’ll try the door knob. Sometimes I get lucky. I’ve been in your house before. You let me use your bathroom last week. When I was in there I unlocked the outside door. I always check your dresser drawers, bedside table and medicine cabinet. I don’t take a... 03/15/2015

  When purchasing a house in Florida, the buyer takes possession of the property on closing day. Closing day is when the buyer and seller sign all of the necessary documents and exchange money in the purchase of the property.  Both parties can sign at the same time, at the same closing table. Or, they may sign their documents separately, at a different closing table, at different times, depending on scheduling and the complexities of the transaction. It takes the buyer longer to get through his documents, especially if he is getting a mortgage. (If the closing is a mail away, the buyer and seller may sign a day or two ahead of time.) Customarily, the buyer does a walk through on the property before heading to closing, to be sure that all items of personal property are left at the proper... 03/14/2015

  Recently, an attractive new property came on the market at $199,000. It looked like something my buyer may really like. So, I sent the information to him the day the property hit the market. I asked if he would like to see it and he said he would like to take a look the next day at 2:00. My concern was that it may no longer be available the next day. When I called the listing office for showing instructions they told me that they had one offer to purchase on the home and the promise of another one coming in. Wow, that’s fast! This was the first day on the market! We viewed the well cared for home the next day and my buyer really liked it. It had most of the amenities he was looking for in a house. He said he’d like to take some time to think it over. As we were talking, a call came in... 03/10/2015

    Dawn Shores - It's been 6 years since she lost her battle with cancer. She fought for nearly 4 years. For the first two years, she didn't tell anyone she had cancer. She said she didn't want to be a burden. When we found out, it was too late. The cancer was wrapping itself around her heart. The doctors felt that chemo therapy or radiation might be too risky. Each time she visited the doctor, he said that he thought he was seeing a ghost. She should have been dead, already. She never talked about her cancer. She was in complete denial. She told us not to mention the word cancer. She got out of bed every day, got dressed, put on her makeup and painted her nails. no matter how bad she felt... until her final day. She didn't have the strength to get up. Her death turned our lives upside... 03/05/2015

As I mentioned in my blog about Pineda Landing, The Fresh Market is coming to the Space Coast of Brevard County. Founded in North Carolina in 1982, The Fresh Market has been expanding into areas of Florida recently. The Fresh Market features fresh cut meat, fresh  produce and fresh cut flowers (YES!). It was the intention of the owners of The Fresh Market to build a store that was reminiscent of the old time “general stores” that many of our parents grew up with. Classical music was played and The Fresh Market made it a point to support local businesses and charities. All stores routinely support local food banks with over $16 million dollars’ worth of food donated nationwide in 2013. The Fresh Market sounds like a perfect addition to Suntree and the Space Coast as a whole!Local The Fre... 03/05/2015

Pineda Landings is a new shopping plaza that is being built at the intersection of Wickham Rd and Jordan Blass Drive in Suntree.  The groundbreaking for Brevard County’s new mall was Wednesday March 4th. The tenants for the new shopping plaza have not yet been named, buy it is known that the anchor store for the new plaza will be The Fresh Market, which I for one am very excited about. I have genuinely missed having a gourmet market on the Space Coast, and knowing that The Fresh Market is coming is great news! Pineda Landing is being built by local Melbourne based construction company Certified General Contractors, Inc. Kudos to Orlando Based developer BishopBeale, for using a local company for the job instead of bringing in a company from out of the area. The project is expected to be... 03/05/2015

What’s Happening in Brevard County?   Space Coast Calendar Beginning March 5, 2015   Events going on in Brevard County: Every Thursday - Brevard County Farmer's Market (3 PM - 6 PM). Fresh products from local farmers and producers. 2500 Parkway Drive, Wickham Park Melbourne Check out upcoming events from Brevard County Farmers Market, Wickham Park Melbourne. Every Thursday - Historic Cocoa Village, Cocoa Main Street has partnered with local businesses to offerThrowback Thursdays (open till 8 PM) A shopping and dining campaign offering discounts and Cocoa Main Street's VIP Discount Card program. For more information on Cocoa Main Street Throwback Thursday check here.  Email at office@coocamainstreet.com or call Ken Wilshire, 321-633-0806. First Friday Eau Gallie Arts District in Downtown... 03/04/2015

  Home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house based on its curb appeal or the exterior appearance of a property. What they see when they drive by, or when they arrive for a showing sets the tone for that first impression. It often determines if a buyer wants to go inside. To prepare the house for sale, first you should detach yourself from the property. We are all proud of our homes, but when getting ready to sell, try to  remember that this is a business transaction. I know this can be hard, as for some, there are so many memories atttached to the property and living changing events that have happened while living there. Try to look at your house in the same way a potential home buyer may. The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway ... 03/04/2015

Do you check your report at least once a year? It's important to review your credit report so you can check for errors.  If you are considering buying a home soon, it puts you in the driver's seat when you know what info your credit report contains, before starting the process. According to the Federal Trade Commission  in 2003 FACTA requires the nationwide credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report, at their request, once every 12 months from the 3 major reporting agencies Equifax, Experian & Transunion. Consumers who want to access their credit report online can go to AnnualCreditReport.com or by Telephone:(877)-322-8228 or by mail: Complete the Annual Credit Report Request form and mail it to the following address: Annual Credit Report Request Servic... 03/01/2015

I have two things I just love doing together...going out to dinner and seeing one of the latest movies at one of our fine local move theaters. I have a few place I like to go before a movie but when time will only allow a quick bite my choice is almost always Speedy Bistro and Pizzeria in West Melbourne, FL! Speedy Bistro is a fast Italian dine in pizzeria with good food and quick turn around times. If you are looking for a fast lunch or dinner this place is a great choice! The menu consists of Italian staples like Pizza, Calzones, Stomboli, subs, salads and wings. When I come in I usually have a cheese calzone for $5.50 that can truly feed two...or the shrimp and spinach stromboli that is only $7.00! Speedy Bistro will make you feel better about paying so much for a movie ticket :) up... 02/28/2015

This big guy brings us so much joy. He loves us unconditionally, he makes us laugh, he is a constant companion and when I am sad he won't leave my side. He loves to be part of everything going on.  Now, in his time of need, I hope that I can provide the same love, patience and understanding to him that he has provided to me. 02/28/2015

  When I read the Bankrate article I was surprised to see that Florida was ranked 39th on the Top Ten List of Retirement States. Now, I thought that the gorgeous year round weather, the proximity to the ocean and river and the great tax breaks would lure people to the Sunshine State. But, Bankrate.com indicated that their list was compiled based on various criteria including: cost of living, access to health care, crime rate and tax burden. They also took weather into consideration.  Bankrate acknowledged that ‘Arizona and Florida are lovely places to visit when it's cold everywhere else’, but they indicated that ‘retirees must consider more than sunshine before making a move.’ South Dakota was rated the Best State to Retire. Bankrate - 10 Best States for Retirement       02/27/2015