What a beautiful day in the Florida Keys! The sky is bright blue and the clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean are as smooth as glass. The temperatures this week have been a gorgeous 70-75 degrees with just enough breeze you can hear the palm fronds blowing in the wind. Today we decided to take a helicopter ride to capture some aerial photographs of our listings and what an amazing flight we had! We departed from Summerland Key Airport located at Mile Marker 25, only 25 miles from Key West. Summerland Key is one of the few islands in the Florida Keys which has its own private airport and airport community. Summerland also boasts one of the deepest, widest canal systems in the Florida Keys and is home to some of the larger vessels in our area.
The Florida Keys in all its wonder is still amazing after all these years living on this island paradise. The aerial view of these small little islands is breathtakingly beautiful and the water so clear you can see straight down to the bottom. From up above you can make out every detail of the rays and schools of fish as they swim effortlessly in the endless ocean. We passed by several groups of divers as they were making their way out by boat to the coral reef for a day of diving and sunbathing in the warm sunshine. We also passed the old wooden boat which takes guest to and from Little Palm Island, a resort hotel which boasts such guests as Sandra Bullock and Johnny Depp. Brightly colored kayaks could be seen for miles and boaters were everywhere enjoying a day of outdoor fun.
It’s a great time to buy in the Florida Keys. We have a lot of beautiful homes at great prices and your little piece of paradise awaits you. Visit our website at http://www.placeinparadise.com/ or drop me a line at teammullins@bellsouth.net. I would love to hear from you!
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy, healthy, prosperous New Year from Team Mullins.
Want to change your life? Just add water!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Conch Tour Train
Hello All!
The other evening, the Team and I had the pleasure of dining with a colleague of ours at Key West hot spot "Roof Top Cafe" near Mallory Square. Just off Duval Street, this restaurant is very quaint and quiet, not to mention the food is to die for! We opted to sit outside on the rooftop where we could view the activities of the Downtown Key West nightlife.
Following our amazing meal, we decided to take a tour of Old Town Key West on the Conch Tour Train to see the historic homes which were beautifully decorated with Holiday lights. At one corner of Old Town, down a small cobblestone street, a boy came out of his house to serenade the guests on the train with Holiday music on his trumpet. Only in Key West!
Next year, join me on the Conch Train! Prices have never been better in the Florida Keys and we have a variety of homes to suit your every need. Visit my website at http://www.placeinparadise.com/, leave me a comment, or write me at teammullins@bellsouth.net. I would love to hear from you!
"Want to change your life? Just add water!"
The other evening, the Team and I had the pleasure of dining with a colleague of ours at Key West hot spot "Roof Top Cafe" near Mallory Square. Just off Duval Street, this restaurant is very quaint and quiet, not to mention the food is to die for! We opted to sit outside on the rooftop where we could view the activities of the Downtown Key West nightlife.
Following our amazing meal, we decided to take a tour of Old Town Key West on the Conch Tour Train to see the historic homes which were beautifully decorated with Holiday lights. At one corner of Old Town, down a small cobblestone street, a boy came out of his house to serenade the guests on the train with Holiday music on his trumpet. Only in Key West!
Next year, join me on the Conch Train! Prices have never been better in the Florida Keys and we have a variety of homes to suit your every need. Visit my website at http://www.placeinparadise.com/, leave me a comment, or write me at teammullins@bellsouth.net. I would love to hear from you!
"Want to change your life? Just add water!"
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Happy Holidays Everyone!
This year, our office holiday party took place at Buon Appetito Ristorante- an exquisite Italian restaurant located in Cudjoe Key. Cudjoe Key is in the Lower Keys at mile marker 22 and a 30 minute drive to Key West. The food is absolutely delicious and the service outstanding. None of the guests had to wait for their bread basket to be refreshed or their water glass filled. The staff at Buon Appetito made the entire evening a treat. In fact, the only disappointment was that I wasn't able to finish all the food they served us.
The five course meal consisted of a crisp Caesar salad, Eggplant Rollatine filled with fluffy ricotta cheese, half portion of Fusilli Montanara...but wait, there's more! The main course was a choice between Chicken Marsala, Veal Piccata, or Grouper Francese. I myself had the grouper which was topped with the most delicious sauce you can imagine. For dessert there was a decadent chocolate cake topped with strawberries and drizzled with a strawberry sauce.
In true "office holiday party" fashion, our office held a White Elephant gift exchange. If you've never done this before, it is a game where all of the participants bring a generic gift and are given a number. When your number is called, you can choose to either open a present from under the tree or you may steal someone else's gift (obviously, if you are the first person called you must choose a gift from under the tree as there aren't any gifts to steal).
Before I go any further, let me explain Naomi. Naomi is a wooden carved doll which has been passed along throughout the offices and stands in the lobby until the next holiday event. She is supposed to bring good fortune to the agents in that office (and is also rumored to be a fertility doll). For about a week before the holiday event all the agents in our office were getting pumped up about taking Naomi from the Key West office.
The excitement began when the person just before me chose a gift from under the tree, opened it up, and lo and behold it was Naomi! Since it was my turn next, I quickly stole the doll and hurried back to my seat hoping no one would notice and steal her from me. Alas, one of the Key West agents did tear her from my grip, but I am happy to say that our Lower Keys office did end up with Naomi in the end. Naomi sits in our Lower Keys office where she will remain safe and watching over us through 2008 to bring good luck to our agents.
Cudjoe Key boasts its own marina and restaurant and is one of the few neighborhoods which has ground level concrete homes. The canals are wide and deep with easy access to both the Atlantic and Gulf. To see homes in our Cudjoe Key area or anywhere in the Florida Keys, visit our website at www.PlaceInParadise.com or write me at teammullins@bellsouth.net. I would love to hear from you!
"Want to change your life? Just add water!"
This year, our office holiday party took place at Buon Appetito Ristorante- an exquisite Italian restaurant located in Cudjoe Key. Cudjoe Key is in the Lower Keys at mile marker 22 and a 30 minute drive to Key West. The food is absolutely delicious and the service outstanding. None of the guests had to wait for their bread basket to be refreshed or their water glass filled. The staff at Buon Appetito made the entire evening a treat. In fact, the only disappointment was that I wasn't able to finish all the food they served us.
The five course meal consisted of a crisp Caesar salad, Eggplant Rollatine filled with fluffy ricotta cheese, half portion of Fusilli Montanara...but wait, there's more! The main course was a choice between Chicken Marsala, Veal Piccata, or Grouper Francese. I myself had the grouper which was topped with the most delicious sauce you can imagine. For dessert there was a decadent chocolate cake topped with strawberries and drizzled with a strawberry sauce.
In true "office holiday party" fashion, our office held a White Elephant gift exchange. If you've never done this before, it is a game where all of the participants bring a generic gift and are given a number. When your number is called, you can choose to either open a present from under the tree or you may steal someone else's gift (obviously, if you are the first person called you must choose a gift from under the tree as there aren't any gifts to steal).
Before I go any further, let me explain Naomi. Naomi is a wooden carved doll which has been passed along throughout the offices and stands in the lobby until the next holiday event. She is supposed to bring good fortune to the agents in that office (and is also rumored to be a fertility doll). For about a week before the holiday event all the agents in our office were getting pumped up about taking Naomi from the Key West office.
The excitement began when the person just before me chose a gift from under the tree, opened it up, and lo and behold it was Naomi! Since it was my turn next, I quickly stole the doll and hurried back to my seat hoping no one would notice and steal her from me. Alas, one of the Key West agents did tear her from my grip, but I am happy to say that our Lower Keys office did end up with Naomi in the end. Naomi sits in our Lower Keys office where she will remain safe and watching over us through 2008 to bring good luck to our agents.
Cudjoe Key boasts its own marina and restaurant and is one of the few neighborhoods which has ground level concrete homes. The canals are wide and deep with easy access to both the Atlantic and Gulf. To see homes in our Cudjoe Key area or anywhere in the Florida Keys, visit our website at www.PlaceInParadise.com or write me at teammullins@bellsouth.net. I would love to hear from you!
"Want to change your life? Just add water!"
Monday, November 12, 2007
Buy Your Retirement Home Now
Great article by Dan Kadlec in the September 2007 issue of Time magazine. In it, Dan talks about why buying a retirement or vacation home now while prices are still falling is a good idea. Now is an especially great time to buy in the Florida Keys! Please visit our website at http://www.placeinparadise.com/ for more information. Enjoy! -Team Mullins
Buying a home while prices are sliding is not an easy decision. After all, you never know when things will bottom out, and if you jump too soon, you may miss an even better deal that could have been yours just by waiting. But if your goal is to retire to a vacation-like property in a decade or so and you can afford to buy now, today's tepid housing market may offer a great opportunity to put your plans into motion early. Here's why.
First of all, home prices won't weaken forever, and they almost certainly will be much higher in 10 years. Waterfront and resort properties and those with spectacular views-just the features you dream of for a retirement home-can be expected to rise the fastest.
None of this means you should be rash. The whole point of buying while the market is soft is to have time to think things through. Sort it out now-and then take the plunge. Here are some other reasons that buying a vacation home now to live in later may make sense for you:
Roots. When you buy before you've retired, you start making the area part of your life right away. That helps you build a social network, which will ease the transition when you do make the move.
Family connections. Kids grow up and change jobs and cities. One way to bring the entire family together more often is by living in a fun, familiar house in a great location. Buying while you still have children at home is a bonus. The kids will feel invested in the place, make friends and want to visit more often when they're older.
You can rent to own. In the long term, prices are going to go up. By not acting soon, you risk eventually being priced out of the market altogether. If money is tight, consider buying now and collecting years of rent to defray your costs. The trick is getting over your fears. With retirement facing all of us sooner or later, there's only so much time for that.
Buying a home while prices are sliding is not an easy decision. After all, you never know when things will bottom out, and if you jump too soon, you may miss an even better deal that could have been yours just by waiting. But if your goal is to retire to a vacation-like property in a decade or so and you can afford to buy now, today's tepid housing market may offer a great opportunity to put your plans into motion early. Here's why.
First of all, home prices won't weaken forever, and they almost certainly will be much higher in 10 years. Waterfront and resort properties and those with spectacular views-just the features you dream of for a retirement home-can be expected to rise the fastest.
None of this means you should be rash. The whole point of buying while the market is soft is to have time to think things through. Sort it out now-and then take the plunge. Here are some other reasons that buying a vacation home now to live in later may make sense for you:
Roots. When you buy before you've retired, you start making the area part of your life right away. That helps you build a social network, which will ease the transition when you do make the move.
Family connections. Kids grow up and change jobs and cities. One way to bring the entire family together more often is by living in a fun, familiar house in a great location. Buying while you still have children at home is a bonus. The kids will feel invested in the place, make friends and want to visit more often when they're older.
You can rent to own. In the long term, prices are going to go up. By not acting soon, you risk eventually being priced out of the market altogether. If money is tight, consider buying now and collecting years of rent to defray your costs. The trick is getting over your fears. With retirement facing all of us sooner or later, there's only so much time for that.
Monday, November 5, 2007
8 Tips To Getting The Most Money For Your Home
8 Tips to Getting Top-Dollar For Your Home
From Today Show Real Estate expert Barbara Corcoran:
1. Make the right first impression.
7. Add color.
8. Don't empty out the house.
From Today Show Real Estate expert Barbara Corcoran:
1. Make the right first impression.
- Paint the front door and trim.
- Hang a wreath on the door.
- Add potted flowers.
- Fertilize the grass to make it bright green.
- Put fresh mulch around the bushes.
- Fix the doorbell if it's broken.
2. Let the sun shine in!
- Clean all the windows.
- Replace drapery with sheer curtains for white shades.
- Replace lamp shades with sheer white shades.
- Replace light bulbs with higher wattage.
- Trim back shrubs that block window light.
- Paint the inside walls white.
- Put white slipcovers on all dark furniture.
- Put up lights in each corner of the major rooms.
3. Remove clutter.
- Store half of your "stuff", including knick-knacks and furniture.
- Remove personal objects like family photos and childrens' artwork.
- Remove all objects from closet floors.
- Put half your clothes into storage.
- Make your linen closet meticulous; people judge hidden wiring and plumbing by how neat your linen closet is.
- Hide all electric cords and wiring.
- Eliminate unhealthy plants.
- Put fresh sheets on beds with four extra pillows.
4. Send Fido to Grandma's house.
- Remove kitty litter, dog beds, and other smelly pet items.
- Warm a few drops of vanilla inside the oven door.
- Smoke outside; remove ashtrays.
- Open all windows an hour before the buyer arrives.
- Keep the trash can clean.
5. Freshen the kitchen.
- Clear all countertops.
- Replace cracked, scratched. or broken appliances.
- Re-grout the tile.
- Wax the floors.
- Update the kitchen knobs.
- Paint or replace the cabinet fronts.
- Put in a window; it can increase the value of your home by 10 percent.
6. Clean the bathroom.
- Scrub the walls and floors.
- Clear off all shelves and put away personal items.
- Re-grout tiles and replace caulking.
- Hang a new shower curtain.
- Buy fresh hand towels and rug.
- Replace old soap.
7. Add color.
- Buy new throw pillows for the sofa and bed.
- Add a fresh ficus tree.
- Define areas with colorful rugs.
8. Don't empty out the house.
- Rent or borrow furniture if you need to in order to make the home look lived in and give the buyer a sense of space.
For more helpful tips on how to get the most money for your home, visit our website at http://www.lowerkeys-homes.com/!
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