We have been blessed to have such beautiful weather for the past couple of days. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those up North that are battling with the cold temperatures. Please be safe and warm. “There's only one day at a time here, then it's tonight and then tomorrow will be today again.” - Bob Dylan 02/23/2015

The Deadline is Quickly Approaching, Have you Filed for Homestead Exemption? If you purchased a home in 2014 and you will be living in it as your primary residence, then you must file for Homestead Exemption for the first time to receive the exemption. When you own a home in Florida, and live in it as your primary residence, then Florida law typically allows you a $25,000 tax exemption on the assessed value of the property. If you purchased the property in 2014, then it is time for you to file for homestead, as it doesn't automatically transfer to a new owner, at the start of the new year. An application must be filed. After that, the exemption automatically renews, if you remain eligible. Homestead exemption may allow a Florida homeowner a savings of approximately $450 on their yearly ... 02/20/2015

This morning we woke up to a brisk 39 degrees here in Sunny Melbourne Florida. To me, it's cold.  As I headed out to show houses, I met with my buyers.  One of them said that she is loving this cold snap that has come to Brevard County! The sun was shining beautifully, with not a cloud in the sky. But, it didn't warm up much today.  When I got back in and checked the thermometer it was 50 degrees. This is a record low for this time of year here in Melbourne. We are hearing that tonight we have a freeze warning coming and the temperature should drop a bit lower.  Okay, granted, we don't have any snow here in Melbourne Florida, but to some of us, thin blooded Floridians, it's cold outside.   Baby, It's Cold in Sunny Melbourne Florida and It's Getting Colder 02/19/2015

 What’s  Happening on Florida’s Space Coast?   Brevard County / Space Coast Calendar   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 Saturday & Sunday - Downtown Melbourne Farmer's Market (10 AM - 3PM) - Fresh produce - US 1 and Strawbridge Ave. in Melbourne ____________________________________________________________________ Friday, February 20  (6:30 PM Movie) Dinner & a Movie - Movie in the Park on a 23 foot screen featuring "The Boxtrolls" and eat at a food truck, Palm Bay Regional Park 1951 Malabar Road NW Palm Bay. Concessions from 5:00 to 8:00 PM (... 02/19/2015

    The weather here in Sunny Melbourne Florida is absolutely gorgeous today! My thermometer reads about 69 degrees and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I wish everyday were like this one. We’ve got the windows open.  And, we’re wearing long pants and short sleeved shirts. But, our weather reports indicate that the cold is coming tonight. It’s time to bundle up the pets  and bring in the plants. All of you try and stay warm in Melbourne! 02/18/2015

  This is a video I just made on the Reserve at Lake Washington in Melbourne Florida. It is a beautiful community with large lots, lakes, sidewalks, a security entrance and a great location.   Call me at 321.223.6253 about our guaranteed buy out of your existing home 02/18/2015

So often, in helping buyers find their first home, I can’t help but think back to my first home away from home.  And, oh what a home it was! I was 21 years old.  My first home was a mobile home.  No, let’s just call it what it was, it was a trailer, a rickety old single-wide 12 x 60 foot trailer. It needed a lot of tender loving care. It was downright ugly.  It needed a good thorough scrubbing from top to bottom and a coat of paint. And, that's what it got. I scrubbed and cleaned and scrapped and painted until my trailer looked like a shiny new penny. It was cute. It had red shag carpeting with red lights in the ceiling. The second bedroom was the size of a bathroom. It fit one single bed and a tiny little dresser. You had to practically climb on the bed to get into the closet. And, it... 02/17/2015

Last month I was driving by the airport when I was surprised to see a 747 with Transaero sitting on the tarmac outside of one of the hangers.  Transaero is a Russian airline that flies out of Moscow!  I wondered at that point what a Russian jet was doing here.  Especially a 747!  Yes, Melbourne is an international airport, but that is primarily because the Bahamas are less than a hundred miles off the Florida coast.  Moscow is an entirely different matter! The reason for the huge 747 Transaero jet being in Melbourne is because MidAirUSA Inc. is now providing maintenance to Transaero here in Brevard County!  MidAirUSA Inc. leases  an 83,000-square-foot hangar at Melbourne International Airport where this extensive maintenance work will be done.  As of last week, 8 Transaero 747’s have be... 02/15/2015

Enjoying the Beauty of the Season at Wickham Park, Melbourne There is something special about the end of the day, when the sun is setting and all things seem so peaceful. The birds seem to be resting and it's almost as if you could hear the sound of a pin drop. This is such a tranquil time to enjoy the beauty of nature. 02/12/2015

Cortona Subdivision Market Report Melbourne (Viera, West of I 95) FL 32940   Cortona Subdivision is a gorgeous, gated community of elegant homes built in the past few years, situated on comfortable sized lots.  The neighborhood boasts a community pool and is situated within walking distance of Viera High School. Its great central location is convenient to shopping, the Avenues of Melbourne, dining, the VA Hospital, the Brevard County School Board and I 95. There are currently 2 houses for sale in Cortona Subdivision, Melbourne. There is a 5 bedroom, 4 bath two story, waterfront, pool home listed at $549,000 with 3185 square feet of living. And, there is a 4 bedroom, 3 bath waterfront home with 3307 square feet of living being offered at $629,000. Both homes boast a 3 car garage. There i... 02/12/2015

  What’s  Happening on Florida’s Space Coast?  Brevard County / Space Coast Calendar What's Happening on Florida's Space Coast? Brevard County / Space Coast Calendar Here are some of the events going on this weekend: Friday, February 13, 2015  Melbourne Friday Fest - Every second Friday of the month Historic Downtown Melbourne 6:00 - 10:00 PM - Features live music, stroll through Downtown, shopping, food. Mardi Gras in Titusville/Friday Nite Live “FAT FRIDAY” – Downtown Titusville 6:00 – 9:00 PM – Hosted by the Downtown Titusville Merchants Association. Free event includes music, dancing, vendors and more.    Saturday, February 14, 2015 Happy Valentines Day! Zebra Zoom Ninth Annual 3K Races 1.8 mile race – Brevard Zoo, First race “Zoom” begins at 7:00 AM , Second race “A Little Less Zoo... 02/12/2015

Fairview Estates, Lake Washington, Melbourne FL 32934 Fairview Estates is a small, well appointed community of just under 60 custom built, single family homes, situated on half acre lots or larger. Fairview feels like being in the country, but living on the outskirts of the city. Currently, there is no Homeowner's Association in place. Fairview is located south of Lake Washington Road, one block west of Wickham Road. Location is key in this desirable neighborhood. Walk to shopping, Burger King, Taco Bell, Ice Cream, Dunkin' Donuts and LA Fitness. Just minutes to I-95 and US 1 and the Maxwell C King Center for the Performing Arts. Fairview is situated near top rated Brevard County Schools. There are currently no houses for sale in Fairview Estates.  Fairview is a well established neighbo... 02/10/2015

Brevard County FL Real Estate Market Report 2014 for single family residential homes: There were 12,932 new listings that went on the market in 2014. This is a 2.1% increase from 12,665 in 2013. There were 9382 closed sales in 2014 compared to 8282 in 2013. This is a 13.3% increase from 2013 to 2014. 4016 of these sales were cash sales compared to 3741 in 2013, a 7.4% increase year over year.  Average sales price was $173,179. This is a 5.9% increase from 2013 of $163,541. Properties sold for 92.4% of original list price in 2014, compared to 93.1% in 2013. Median days on the market were 40. the same number as in 2013.   Source: Florida REALTORS® with data provided by Florida's Multiple Listing Services from MLS data feeds   02/10/2015

Windover Farms Melbourne, located just off of Post Road in Melbourne, Brevard County FL is a sprawling, deed restricted community of gorgeous homes situated in a lush, natural, country setting. The homes were built between 1988 and 2009. Windover Farms is lcoated West of Wickham Road, just off of Post Road. Windover Farms, Melbourne FL is conveniently located minutes to shopping, dining, churches and schools. Publix grocery store is within walking distance. It is close to all grade levels schools and right around the corner from Brevard Community College and the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts.  Access to I-95, US 1 and Wickham Roads are within minutes. Patrick Air Force Base and the beaches are approximately 15 minutes away. The Melbourne Airport is about a 10 minute dri... 02/10/2015

Grades for Brevard County High Schools The Florida Department of Education recently released grade reports for Brevard County Schools. Their report indicates that 2013-2014 high school graduation rate is at an 11 year high at 71.6%. 50% of each high school's grade is based on student FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) scores. The other 50% of the grade is based on graduation rates, performance and accelerated curriculum participation. Here are 2014 and 2013 school grades for Brevard County Public High Schools: Astronaut High: 2014 A, 2013 A Bayside High: 2014 B, 2013 A Brevard Virtual Franchise: 2014 B Cocoa High: 2014 C, 2013 B Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High: 2014 A, 2013 A Eau Gallie High: 2014 A, 2013 B Edgewood Jr./Sr. High: 2014 A, 2013 A Heritage High: 2014 A, 2013 A Melbourn... 02/09/2015

Congratulations to Danny and Sara on the purchase of your new home in Ixora Park, Melbourne. Wow, what a dream to be able to move so close to your favorite friends. I am so happy for you and your family! Your quick responses and you getting everything to the lender the minute he asked was incredible! I loved working with you! I know that you'll be happy here for many years to come! Thank you for hiring me as your real estate professional to help you in your purchase of your new Ixora Park. pool home... a place where all of your family comfortably fits. I am so happy for all of you! Home Purchase in Ixora Park, Melbourne Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Real Estate Broker     02/08/2015

  What’s  Happening on Florida’s Space Coast? Space Coast Calendar Here are some of the events going on this weekend. Friday, February 6, 2015 30th Celebrity Judge Chowder Cook Off Port Canaveral Terminal 6 at 6:00 PM, Chowder, samples, live music from Gypsy Rain Band, vendors, a silent auction & more. Tickets $30. Advanced tickets $20. For more information visit www.CocoaBeachChamber.com Saturday, February 7, 2015 Fourth Annual Pioneer Day Festival Sam’s House at Pine Island & St. Episcopal Church off N. Tropical Trail just north of the Barge Canal on N. Merritt Island. 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Living history demonstration, Educational exhibits, Craft fair and Farmer’s Market, Historic House and Cabin tours, Children’s crafts and games, fish fry and much more. Founder’s Day Celebration Downt... 02/06/2015

There are currently 3396 residential properties, including single family, townhouses, condos and manufactured homes for sale in Brevard County FL.  We receive calls frequently from buyers interested in grabbing a great deal on a bank foreclosure.  They are often surprised to find that our current inventory of foreclosed properties in Brevard County FL is about 10% of total inventory.*  However, there is a shadow inventory of houses in some stage of the foreclosure process that are sitting in limbo that have yet to go into final foreclosure, so they are not yet market ready. (*Please note that auction properties were not included in this equation, as not every auction is held on a bank owned property.) The chart represents the breakdown of the various types of properties that are curren... 02/04/2015

Kingsmill, located just off of Lake Washington Road is a quiet, well maintained community of over 300 houses built between 1986 and 1988. It is situated between Parkway Drive and Aurora Road, just west of Wickham Road in Melbourne Florida. Kingsmill is just minutes to shopping, dining, churches and schools. Publix grocery store is within walking distance. Access to I-95, US 1 and the causeways to the beach are within 5 minutes.  The Indian River Lagoon and beaches are within 10 to 12 minutes driving distance. View Map The west end of the community boasts custom built homes by Joyal and Tiffany Builders. Several of the homes are situated on half acre sites. The other homes in the neighborhood were built by Maronda Homes. Kingsmill association fees are currently $164.00 per year per house... 02/03/2015

   Before buying a Melbourne FL house it's important to do your homework, first. When you find a house you like, go back and take a second look inside and out, at a different time of day than your first look.  And, then ask questions and then ask some more. Today, buyers are sharper than ever. They don't miss much and some ask a lot of questions. I like that. When you find the house that suits your wants, needs and your budget, it's time to pull that list of questions out and start asking. There are so many things to take note of and to consider, first. 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, decks,  or near the house? Is the house close to or on a main str... 02/02/2015