After all I wrote last week about saving money by switching from Verizon Wireless to Alltel, guess what happened!!! Verizon Wireless just bought Alltel. I am sure they did it in retaliation. Just kidding. The way I look at it, I am still happy to have switch to a Blackberry. When the integration between Alltel and VW is done, I will still have my cheaper plan for 2 years and the reception can only improve. For those of you who are TREO users, you should definitely consider using the ActiveKey. You'll save money and you will notice that it's very easy to use. The only inconvenience is that you need to have it with you at all times if you have to show a home that is on electronic lockbox. What I do is charge my ActiveKey every night and put it in my car every morning. Saves me $100/year.
If you are a Realtor and a Verizon Wireless customer and live in the Greater Sarasota area and have your contract about to expire, go to Wireless Toyz at the corner of Tuttle and University and ask them about how they can beat your current deal. You will be surprised. I just saved myself over $1,900 per year by doing so. I used to pay over $265/month for our 2 TREOS and paid another $25/month to GE for being able to open lockboxes with our phones. That was about $3480/year.
I just got rid of our TREOs and replaced them with Blackberries (or is it 2 Blackberrys?) with the same plan (unlimited messaging, internet access, voice mail, messaging,...) for $125 LESS per month. I also got rid of the SUPRA Electronic Key service that was costing me $23.95 + tax and was messing up my TREOs and replaced it with an ActiveKey Device that only cost me $184.30 a year. In a nutshell, my Supra cost me about $300/year and my ActiveKey only costs me $185.
If you add up the numbers, you'll see that I used to pay about $3,787 per year for my PDAs and their ability to open lockboxes. From now on, I will only have to pay $1,864 for the same services. If you do the math, it comes to $1,923/year savings.
If you wonder why I am passing along that advice, it's because I figured that if I can help you save some money, you will appreciate it and start showing and selling more of my listings. I will also get some direct benefits. Please do me a favor if you decide to go to those folks at the corner of Tuttle and University. Just tell them I sent you there. i will get a $25 rebate on my phone bill. And you can do the same once you join. Who said that there was a free lunch anywhere? Michel
P.S. FYI, I have been told that Alltel only has a few cell phone towers of their own but rents Verizon and Sprint towers and consequently has better reception than Verizon AND Sprint combined!!!
Today was the expiration date of our contract for our 2 TREOs with Verizon Wireless. We bought them 2 years ago and took a 2-year plan with all the bells and whistles and got stuck with a monthly bill of $265/month. This might sound like a bit much to anyone not connected to our industry but when we looked at all we got, we felt we were getting our money's worth. We were getting access to the Internet, we got our e-mails wherever we were, we used google maps when we got lost and did not have a map, we had unlimited calls nationwide and could send nasty and/or funny text messages and/or pictures on a flick of a button and we could even open lockboxes at houses that we wanted to preview or show. We also used the phones as alarm clocks and as guardian angels that reminded us of all the appointments and meetings that we had to keep on any given day. We have to admit that these PDAs are absolutely worth it. When they work!
Yeah! We did not put any fine print in the above promotional exhibit, but there ought to be a few. My partner and I had between 8 and 10 of those wonderful TREOs in the past 2 years. There were so many we lost count of how many we had to have replaced. The damned phones would not ring or vibrate when they were supposed to. Screens would freeze. Messages would not be received.... You name it, we got it.
Now, we have to admit that Verizon always came to the rescue. Every time we came up to their retail outlets with a problem, they took care of it. Slowly but surely. We even got on a first name basis with some of their top notch support service folks. Wonderful people. They told us that most of our problems were due to a compatibility issue between the GE software that activated our lockbox opening capabilities and the rest of the Palm software that kept the other functions in working order.
To make a long story short, I went to our local Verizon Wireless store yesterday to take advantage of some incentives that they had sent to us via regular mail. As you probably understand, we were a bit hesitant about getting new TREOs again and decided that we wanted to get different PDAs. After our TREO experience, we were not keen on a product that relied on touchscreen technology and opted for the Blackberry Curve models. We were eligible for a new phone upgrade and the second phone would have cost only $99 had we taken a new 2 year plan. Not bad for 2 new phones. But somehow, my negotiating instincts and my frustration from all the inconveniences we suffered took over and I felt like I should be getting the 2nd phone for free. As someone who had spent over $3,000 per year over the last 2 years for products that were giving us a lot of trouble, I felt like we deserved something a break.
When I got to the local Verizon Wireless store, I hoped that I would be told that they were sorry about what had happened to us over the past 2 years and they would be glad to make amend for it and offer us a deal that would make us customer for life. Unfortunately, I had such a bad customer service experience with the store manager that I left the store within minutes, went 3 miles west to an outfit that sold the same products, told them my story about what a shoddy service experience I had just received and got them to give me exactly the same deal as what offered to me at the Verison Wireless store even though I was not one of their clients. When we started talking about the plans, I realized that I would have to pay $125 LESS a month. And when I look at the potential savings associated with the use of other devices tied to my having TREOS, I came to the conclusion that this was a no brainer.
Today, I switched from Verizon Wireless to Alltel. Bottom line is that I saved myself close to $2,000 a year because some store manager had an attitude problem and did not want to take care of a customer that could still have been with his company had he not been such a poor customer service provider. If you want my own personal professional opinion, I' would fire the guy on the spot unless he is willing to go back to basic training. Somehow, I feel bad saying all those things about him because he did help me save close to $2,000 per year for the the next 2 years. Thanks Bud, but no thanks.
A colleague of mine just listed a very interesting property at 1360 13th St in Sarasota that is declared a historic property. This tickled my curiosity and after a bit of research, I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing an older home in Sarasota might want to check out the historic registry at http://www.hsosc.com/. There are some great tax incentives to owning a property that has been designated as a historical property. And you can also get free design assistance. There are ;imitations to what you can do but you will see that if you plan on preserving history, the restrictions are not outlandish.
Here are 3 links that will provide detailed info about questions you might have.
Info about the historic registry
http://www.sarasotagov.com/Planning/HistoricPreservation/DesignationInfo.htm
Tax incentives you could benefit from:
http://www.sarasotagov.com/Planning/HistoricPreservation/Apps_Procedures/CountyTaxExemption.htm
How to apply for bringing about modifications to an historical property
http://www.sarasotagov.com/Planning/HistoricPreservation/Apps_Procedures/COA%20Process-new.htm
Have fun preserving history. Your children will be thankful.
This is a fascinating document about what went on in the planning of the city of Sarasota. A must read for anyone who wants to know more about this wonderful place of ours that we love to call Paradise
http://www.sarasotagov.com/Planning/SarasotaCityPlan/Histori…
Enjoy
In October 2008, the Lakewood Ranch Civic Action Forum (LWRCAF) approved a proposal from Fishkind & Associates to undertake a study that will determine whether or not it may be feasible and desirable for Lakewood Ranch to become a city. Fishkind & Associates began the study in November, and expect to complete it sometime in spring 2009.
In spring 2007 when the LWRCAF first considered pursuing a feasibility study, we invited Lynn Tipton, Florida League of Cities, to meet with us and give us a presentation on the process, pitfalls, pros and cons of becoming a city.
We asked Tipton for her recommendations on consultants, and she indicated that Fishkind was one of the best. Fishkind & Associates has been in existence since 1987 and has more than 90 clients, including Lakewood Ranch. The firm has extensive experience in economic and fiscal impact analysis, forecasting and finance throughout Florida. This includes considerable direct experience in working with Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Dr. Fishkind also has served as a consultant to the Governor of Florida and the Florida Legislature. The firm developed feasibility studies for Wellington (1995) and Weston (1996) and is currently working on an incorporation study for Casey Key. They also have developed proprietary statistical models that facilitate the financial analysis involved in feasibility studies.
The Feasibility Study
The end result of the study will be a comprehensive document that includes all of the requirements for incorporation defined by Florida Chapter 165.041(1)(a). The study will address boundaries, current land use, proposed development plans, a list of all public agencies within the boundaries, a list of current services being provided, a list of proposed services to be provided, evidence of fiscal capacity, and an organizational plan. It also will present a blue print for a fully functioning municipality, including a detailed pro forma operating budget and balance sheet projected over a 10-year horizon. We have requested Fishkind & Associates to provide data based on two boundary options: (1) Lakewood Ranch as it now exists, and (2) Lakewood Ranch as planned when fully developed.
Overall, the document will include all of the economic and financial data and analysis necessary to determine whether incorporation would be feasible and would improve our quality of life.
Communications
Effective communication and wide spread participation throughout the community will be critical to the success of this initiative. Accordingly, three different advisory groups have been established to facilitate the process. The Homeowners Association Advisory Group (Presidents of the Greenbrook, Summerfield/Riverwalk, and Country/Club Edgewater HOAs) will distribute information to their boards, neighborhood committee chairs, members and residents and will also provide feedback to the Incorporation Study Committee. Separate CDD and Business Advisory Groups will do the same with their constituents.
The LWRCAF also has created a website where information is being posted for residents. Access the site on Digital Village at www.lwrdv.com <http://www.lwrdv.com> . (No login required.) At the site search on the left, key in IncorpStudy. Residents can also comment by emailing IncorpStudy@lwrdv.com <mailto:IncorpStudy@lwrdv.com> . A member of the Incorporation Study Committee will reply.
This is the second incorporation article. The first article contained the Statement of Intent. The next will discuss development of a city charter.
written by
Jo Anne Dain, Vice President, Lakewood Ranch Civic Action Forum
Whether you are selling or buying, the more informed you are about the market place, the better off you will be when it comes to making a decision. Some buyers and some sellers think that they can easily perform the task of Realtors and become instant professional by hanging a For Sale by Owner sign on their front lawn or by using Zillow or some other website to instantly know the value of their home. What they fail to realize is that it takes a lot more than a sign to sell a home and that Zillow is far from being accurate with its estimates. One link that they rarely click on is the one that’s almost hidden at the bottom of Zillow’s front page and that gives information about the accuracy of Zillow’s estimates. If you are a buyer armed with incorrect information, you could eventually make a bid that could be too high and thus lose money or make a bid that will frustrate the seller and not generate counter-offers and will possibly deny you the opportunity to get your dream property because someone else made a more realistic offer. And if you are a seller armed with incomplete and/or inaccurate information, you might either give the house a way or more likely ask a price that will guarantee that your property will be on the market for a long time before being given to a Realtor who is armed with accurate and timely information.
If you were to look for or try to sell a property in the Sarasota/Bradenton area, I would like to invite you to get information on homes values by seeing for yourself what is listed for and what has sold in any given neighborhood. You won’t get an estimate of any kind that will make you misinformed. This service is free and without any obligation. Good luck in your search for happiness.
If you ever try to sell a unit in a condo that is not FHA approved and the buyer needs financing, the lender will most likely require information about the condo. If the condo is run by a management company, you will most likely be told to go to a website called www.condocerts.com to purchase that information because the management company does not want to get involved in liability issues. The info you will need is called a condo questionnaire.
One issue you will face is who will pay for it. It is not very expensive as it amounts to about $80. I believe that because it is a lending requirement, it is the buyer who should pay for that. It's just like an inspection or a survey. It benefits the buyer and the buyer pays for it. I have asked a few local real estate attorneys and they all agree with me.
We almost lost a transaction recently when the "cooperating" selling agent refused to pay for the condo questionnaire. She insisted that the listing side should pay for that. The seller eventually paid for it because he wanted his property sold. [:'(] The selling agent must think that she is a great negotiator by saving her client $80 but what she fails to realize is that she most probably also lost our willingness to show her listings in the future. Good goes around but so does Bad.
Waterfront upgraded property
• 2,400 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm 1 1/2 story - 
MLS® $379,000 - PRICED FOR TODAY'S MARKET
Greenbrook Village, Lakewood Ranch - Wonderful family Homes by Towne Richmond V model. Enjoy gorgeous full views of the lake while relaxing in your private, custom heated Pool and Spa. Upgrades galore. Open space plan. Meticulously maintained and conveniently located within walking distance of top graded schools. The community is pet friendly and is famous for its Adventure Park, its online Skating Rink, its Pet Park and Playgrounds. The house has 4 BR and a den, 3 Baths and a 2 gar garage with side entry. Low annual HOA fees.
Property information
This is the type of link I send to my friends when life is miserable up north! I am losing many friends ;-)
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/travel/30hours.html?8dpc
Oh My Gosh!!! This is so amazing. And so overwhelming. Just look at those numbers. Scary!!!
http://www.peterrussell.com/Odds/WorldClock.php
In case you don't know, Florida voters just adopted a property tax reform measure which may mean translate into substantial savings if you purchased a home last year.
The amendment calls for an additional $25,000 homestead exemption applied to the assessed home value above $50,000, and is effective for the first time in 2008. Homesteaded owners who plan on continuing that exemption on the property for 2008 do not need to do anything. The exemption will appear on the TRIM notice (Notice of Proposed Property Taxes) mailed next August.
But if you did all of the following:
• Sold or vacate your homestead property on or after Jan. 1, 2007?
• Were you living in a new residence on Jan. 1, 2008?
• Will be filing a homestead exemption for a new residence in Florida?
then visit www.sarasotaproperty.net (for Sarasota residents), or www.manateepao.com (for Manatee residents) and download the homestead exemption and portability application.
If you moved to another county in Florida, please visit the property appraiser's website for that county by clicking http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/appraisers.html.
The amended property tax code creates “portability” of accumulated Save Our Homes (SOH) benefits for homeowners who move from one homestead property to another. This law is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007.
Homeowners may transfer their SOH benefits to a new homestead in Florida within two years of leaving their former homesteads. This means if you sold your home in 2007, you can transfer your SOH benefit to a new homestead if you establish the homestead by Jan. 1, 2009.
For more information, visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s special web page by clicking http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/sb4d.html.