Lake Mary - Central Florida Real Estate

For the past couple of years I have handled most of the marketing duties, but on Monday we decided that Cas would start doing our CraigsList postings.  I'm so glad that we did, I told him to knock himself out and try and think of titles that would get people to click on our listing before another...  He started emailing me the links as he was getting them posted and they are great... Better than mine! 

$245000 "City Of Lakes" Home with Lake Access Needs NEW Owner!

$315,000 All The Details Covered... Nothing To Do But Play Golf!

$325000 3/2/2 DeBary Home with County Water & Sewer, MUCHO Ammenties

$190000 You NEED A 4 Bedroom 2 Bath POOL Home Near Everything? Here it is! (Sanford)

This is my favorite...

$325000 Dogs Love Trees & You will Love This 3/2/3 Home ALSO!

What do you think?  Do they spark your interest?

AR MEMBERS  - JOIN US AT OUR BROKER'S OPEN HOUSE AND WRITE AR ON THE BACK OF YOUR BUSINESS CARD.  IF YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE DRAWING, WE WILL DOUBLE YOUR GIFT CARD TO STONEWOOD GRILL AND BAR!  HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! 

Broker's Open House at 239 S. Country Club Rd, Lake Mary (Just South of Lake Mary Blvd) ML# O4816797   http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Default.aspx?ID=428308 Tuesday, January 15, 2008 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Lunch will be provided & bring a business card to be entered in a drawing for a $50 Gift Card to Stonewood Grill & Tavern. SELLER IS OFFERING A 3% COMMISSION PLUS $5,000 BONUS WITH OFFER ACCEPTED BY 2/28.08  Please RSVP at your earliest convenience. We look forward to seeing you! Cas Summers, GRI, ABR, e-PRO Debbie Summers, ALHS, e-PRO REALTORS RE/MAX Central Realty, Lake Mary

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I can't get enough to read... Actually I can't get enough time to read, between the magazine subscriptions I get... I think that I'm up to about 10, to all the books that I have, there just isn't enough time.  I keep a book in my purse that my husband has dubbed the "suitcase", there is a book in my car in case I'm not carrying the "suitcase" and I'm usually reading a couple at a time at home. 

I've read some really great books over the past few months (not all business related)...  A couple were gifts, but most were bought on Amazon.com, those guys at Amazon are kind enough to give me recommendations based on what I've already read.  I think the list is endless... A few of my recent favorites are:

• Token Chick: A Women's Guide to Golfing With The Boys by Cheryl Ladd - My sister-in-law gave this to me for Christmas.  It was great, I think that I would have liked it even if I didn't love golf as much as I do.  Cheryl Ladd a great golfer and looks as good as she did on Charlie's Angles.  If you are a "chick" golfer this is a must read.
• Colin Cowie Chic: the guide to life as is should be, by Colin Cowie - This book also wasn't business related on the surface, my husband ordered it on Amazon for me for Christmas... he has no idea who Colin Cowie is, when I said that he is on Oprah... he just looked at me with a blank expression.  Great book, you can live well and it isn't all about how much money you make.  Some of the best advice was on how to treat guests and friends... lessons we can all use.
• Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service by Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles they also wrote "Who Moved My Chees"...  I loved that book and it is another must read.  Raving Fans has been around for a long time and if you haven't read it, you should.  It was very inspiring and thought provoking.   I just received "Customer Mania" also by Ken Blanchard... can't wait to read it.
• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra - This is an excellent book... It is along the lines of the "Secret"...  I haven't read "The Secret", but I do have the movie.  Really useful lessons to live by.

I'll be back next month with another reading list.  I have so much to read and so little time.

Contact Debbie Summers, REALTOR®, ALHS, e-PRO, RE/MAX Central Realty - Lake Mary, Florida.  Cell 407-758-1020 or email Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com for all of your real estate needs in Seminole County, Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka or Orlando.

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Summers, All Rights Reserved.

We were out yesterday and decided to catch some lunch before we headed back to the home office...  We both love pizza and wings.... they are so good and yet so bad.  I talked Cas into stopping in at the American Pie Pizza Company, I have heard a good buzz about the restaurant and figured we would give it a shot.  The restaurant is alive... streaming music videos on televisions and wireless Playstations in all of the booths (great restaurant for kids too)... 

We ordered at the counter and took our place in one of the booths...  I was tempted to play the Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007, but I was afraid that an 8 year old would beat me.  The service was great!  Our waiter was courteous and timely with fresh drinks and plenty of napkins...  The wings and pizza were both very good... hot out of the oven.  They have an extensive menu and best of all they deliver...  within a 5 mile radius which means they go all the way to our house in Lake Mary...  They are now at the top of my delivery list. 

If you haven't tried American Pie...  give them a try.  They have locations in Altamonte Springs, Orlando (Airport), Clermont, College Park, Hunters Creek, Winter Garden, Oviedo, Palm Bay, Pinellas Park and Ocoee-Windermere.

Contact Debbie Summers, REALTOR®, ALHS, e-PRO, RE/MAX Central Realty - Lake Mary, Florida.  Cell 407-758-1020 or email Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com to list your property for sale or to purchase a home in Seminole County, Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka or Orlando.

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Summers, All Rights Reserved.

My test was successful! 

I had my first closing of 2008 today with a buyer who found me through my website.  We closed at a title company that the seller/listing agent chose and I had never closed there before.  We went under contract on 12/24 and I never spoke to anyone at the title company before I walked in the door today.

I emailed them the executed contract and informed them that my preferred method of contact was email.  I didn't say that I wouldn't speak to them on the phone.... but I encouraged them to email me instead of calling/faxing or sending a carrier pigeon.  The processor/closer introduced herself as soon as I walked in the door and exclaimed that this was one of the smoothest transactions she has ever been part of... she said that I replied instantly to all of her inquires and provided documents before she even had to ask.  She said that she couldn't believe that we had a package on Tuesday and the HUD was approved days before closing.

How did I do it...  Well, the lender 'Wells Fargo'... particularly Chris was amazing.  He is on top of his game, he and I actually only spoke once... we too used email to communicate.

I encouraged everyone... REALTOR, title company, lender and buyer to use email first.  That doesn't mean I didn't talk to the buyer... we spoke almost daily, but the time that I would have spent talking to everyone else was used to stay on top of the details.

This was the first "silent" transaction that I've had...  I'm hoping it is the first of many in 2008.

Do you have a preferred method of contact?

Do you think that email makes you more productive?

Contact Debbie Summers, REALTOR®, ALHS, e-PRO, RE/MAX Central Realty - Lake Mary, Florida.  Cell 407-758-1020 or email Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com to list your property for sale or to purchase a home in Seminole County, Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka or Orlando.

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Summers, All Rights Reserved.

"I don't work weekends..."  You can imagine my surprise when a REALTOR said that to me recently.  I respect the fact that she wants to spend time with her family, I really do... but, this business doesn't stop for weekends and holidays.

My husband and I are both REALTORS, so maybe we are different.  I don't differentiate Saturday and Sunday from any other day of the week, I gave up those weekday - weekend labels years ago.  Except for church on Sunday morning, it is a day like any other, I show property, hold open houses and write posts.

I would say that I'm a workaholic, but I really love what I do.  I help others get what they want... great satisfaction comes from seeing someone else reach their goals.  I don't think that it's a bad thing.

Although I work a lot, I would also say that I have a balanced life... exercising at the YMCA 5 days a week and getting to the driving range 3 days a week is time that I invest in myself.  Hanging out with friends and family keeps me grounded.  I think of real estate as more of a lifestyle than a business... I don't clock out. 

How would you describe your work ethic....  Do you work weekends?

I have to applaud Disney's decision to establish a minimum age requirement at their AAA rated 5 Diamond restaurant Victoria & Albert's.  The Orlando Sentinel reported on Saturday that children under 10 will no longer be welcome at the only 5 Diamond rated restaurant in Central Florida. 

When you are spending over $125 for a 7 course, 3 hour meal, the thought of a unhappy child in the restaurant is enough to make you loose your appetite.  I'm not sure that I can sit still for a 3 hour meal, let alone a 3 year old.  There are so many great restaurants at Disney World to choose from... I'm hoping that there isn't a backlash for their decision.   

What do you think...  Would you like the children or non-children section when you go out to an upscale restaurant?

Contact Debbie Summers, REALTOR®, ALHS, e-PRO, RE/MAX Central Realty - Lake Mary, Florida.  Cell 407-758-1020 or email Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com to list your property for sale or to purchase a home in Seminole County, Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka or Orlando.

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Summers, All Rights Reserved.

No I'm not talking about CA$H...  although I think everyone would want to Go Green if you thought that was what I was talking about. 

I was standing out in the driveway on garbage day a couple of days after Christmas and was shocked by the amount of trash that everyone had set out...  Including us, we had a huge bag of used wrapping paper and a bunch of boxes.  I decided at that moment that I was going to spend some time this year learning more about Going Green...  What does it mean?  How do you do it?  Well I'm about to find out...  I hope that  you check back with me to see what I find. 

If anyone has suggestions please share them with me... I'm ready to learn!

I don't have any answers about the writers strike.  I hope that they come to an agreement soon so that they can get back to work...  I'm sure that this is putting a financial strain on them and all of the "behind the scenes" workers who make our favorite shows a reality.

I'm pretty predictable, after we get cleaned up from the gym every night around 10pm... I get my laptop and my remote and check what I have in the DVR...  It has been empty for weeks. 

What have I learned?  Well, first I'm losing interest in the shows that meant so much to me.  Second, I really enjoy getting caught up on my reading list.  I've been investing more time in developing my internet leads and blogging.  What will happen when the new season of Lost starts at the end of the month?  I will watch.  But something has definitely changed...  I don't need to watch.  If this goes on long enough, I might lose interest permanently.

After an agent in my old office copied a brochure that I used to make for my listings, I was told that there is nothing new in real estate and that I should be flattered that she wanted to be like me.  I wasn't and spent a lot of time and energy on the fact that someone else was benefiting from my work.  Since then, I've taken the time and effort to to create an even better brochure. 

I called an agent for feedback yesterday and wasn't happy to hear that she loved my brochure and that she would be making hers just like mine in the future. 

Should I be flattered?   Should I waste time thinking about it?

I was still thinking about it an hour later we (Cas and I) pulled into The Rock Springs Ridge Golf Course to practice at the driving range and it started to rain.  We decided to have lunch and wait it out.  I was listening to the girls who work there talk about a party for that evening and I was struck by one who said "You just have to Q-TIP"... 

What? 

Quit Taking It Personally...

Imagine if I didn't take things that other people do and say personally...  I would certainly free up a lot of time and energy...  I decided right then and there that 2008 would be the year I Q-TIP...  

Can you Q-TIP?  

Contact Debbie Summers, REALTOR®, ALHS, e-PRO, RE/MAX Central Realty - Lake Mary, Florida.  Cell 407-758-1020 or email Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com to list your property for sale or to purchase a home in Seminole County, Lake Mary, Sanford, Longwood, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Park, Maitland orApopka.

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Summers, All Rights Reserved.

Even though we live in Lake Mary, Florida (a quick 15 minutes to downtown Orlando and 45 minutes to the theme parks) we don't venture out much for dinner or entertainment, we have everything we want within 10 minutes of our house.  I really try and stay away from the "tourist" areas unless I'm entertaining friends and family... it keeps it fresh for me and it's a treat for me as much as them when they visit. 

We have rarely gone out on New Years Eve, but a friend of ours talked us into going to International Drive (tourist central) for dinner at Texas de Brazil.  I've had a few friends tell me about the restaurant and the food and everyone says the same thing. WOW, it's a lot of meat.

If you are a vegetarian, you should just stop reading and go to the next post...

The restaurant is huge, I'm sure that they cater to a large number of tourists, but from the buzz that I've been hearing about this place... a lot of locals have been going there too.  My first word of advice is go hungry!  Second, do not eat meat for the two days prior to going.  Third, dress comfortably, you will need all the additional room you can get.  

Don't waste to much room on your plate with the salad bar... They were serving Lobster Bisque last night and yes, I had 2 bowls.  You will be served rolls at your table, they are dangerously good and you could easily eat a half dozen without thinking about it.  The garlic mashed potatoes and fried bananas at the table are to cleanse your palette between the meat presentations and they are good too.

Everyone had their own favorites.  Cas like the Fillet Mignon, Becky and Joe loved the sausage... we were trying to figure out how to get some in my purse for breakfast the next day but Louis Vuitton and sausage just doesn't work.  I have to say that the "house special" Top Sirloin was incredible, juicy and a flavor like no steak I have had before.  Cas looked at me at one point and said "Are you really going to eat all of that".... ugh Yeah.

Did I mention that it is all you can eat?   We left almost 2 and half hours later and very... very... full.  I have no idea how I helped Cas eat the Key Lime Pie he ordered for dessert.

I hope that they have their own defibrillator...  I can imagine that they might need it.

It's a great restaurant for a group, it's loud... but that is because everyone, including the "cowboys" who serve you are having a great time.  It's pricey but if you are looking for somewhere to celebrate a special event and enjoy a variety of quality beef, chicken, sausage, ribs, etc...  Texas de Brazil is a robust dining experience that you have to try.