Calum's Blog: All Categories

I'm trying to do a better job of keep my digital camera with me this year so I can add more pictures to my blogs.  Our office borders a large conservation area, so we get a lot of wildelife, deer, boar, and this morning we had about ten turkeys in the backyard. A little different twist to working with the turkeys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I visited Easton Park yesterday and they're offering some great incentives to home buyers right now. Easton Park is one of New Tampa's most exciting new developments located off of Morris Bridge Road. With close to 500 home sites planned, they have almost 100 new homes complete now and they have begun construction on the pool and cabana and it's due to be completed by this spring.

Mobley Homes has just introduced a new model, the Briarwood, which starts at $285,900 for an over 3300 sq ft, five bedroom home, which is less than $100/sq ft. That is truly an incredible value for a home in New Tampa! Both Mobley and fellow builder M/I Homes are offering great closing cost incentives and refinancing options for new home buyers.   You can visit Easton Park… Read Full Post

The buzz between the residents of Wesley Chapel is all about the up and coming retail scene that will soon be in full swing. Three major developments for mixed use retail space are well underway. The existing JCPenny on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. anchors the start of the 800,000 sq ft Shops at Wiregrass, which will soon include Dillard's and Macy's as the other main tenants. Many upscale stores like Pottery Barn, Crabtree & Evelyn, Williams-Sonoma, and Aveda are scheduled as well. With a variety of high-end retailers and restaurants, the Shops at Wiregrass will soon end the task of driving to Brandon or South Tampa for a real mall experience. 

About five miles North of Wiregrass is The Grove, which has already celebrated its grand opening. While there is more…

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Dramatic Price Drop! This perfectly maintained, corporate-owned home in New Tampa's NO CDD neighborhood, Pebble Creek Village, has just been reduced over $30K! This home is truly spectacular with clean, neutral colors throughout, an open and spacious floorplan and enclosed pool, all on a huge corner conservation lot. The side garage entry adds to the inviting curb appeal and lends to the extra large and beautifully landscaped front yard. This three bedroom, two bath gem is just over 2000 sq ft, and features a truly unique updated kitchen with a colorful and modern mosaic tile backsplash and accents, black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Both bathrooms have also been updated with granite counters, and the master bath is equipped with a…

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In the wake of the US dollar’s slide down the value scale, there’s been a lot of speculation that the dropping value of the dollar is likely to spur investing in the US real estate market (and foreign investment in the US in general, to be fair). While there’s some truth to the suggestion, there’s more truth to the fact that US real estate has always been an attractive investment for overseas investors. The relative stability of the US economy – which, despite the recent downturns is still one of the healthiest in the world – coupled with the political stability in the US makes this country an attractive place to own real estate.

That said, there is evidence of an increase in home sales to overseas clients in many markets, and Florida is one of the…

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A couple of weeks back, I did a series of articles about ways to lessen your impact on the environment in three stages – easy, inexpensive things you can do right now, changes you might consider if you are remodeling or upgrading and ways to build green from the ground up. This week, I’ve pulled out some of the cash incentives offered by the federal and state government and by utility companies that can cut your costs if you decide to green your home or property.   -          Federal Incentives There are two tax credits available to homeowners who make improvements that make their homes less dependent on conventional energy sources – one for those who make almost any type of energy improvements and one specifically for those who add solar and… Read Full Post

The buzz in the building industry is all about being green, but there’s still an underlying belief that building green is expensive. In reality, green building practices often cost no more than conventional building practices, and often costs less up front. The real bonus comes in after you’re done with the building and all moved in. Most environmentally friendly building options are designed to reduce your use of energy – and that adds up to subtracting your energy and utility costs. Here are a few green building facts for you to chew on:

•  A home built to meet today’s green building standards will use 40% less energy than a home built between 1994 and 2001. Those standards include energy efficient windows and doors, more efficient…

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If you’re planning to renovate any time in the near future, it only makes sense to go for the greenest options available. When you take the environment into account, your renovations and improvements will be good for you AND good for our world. Greenovating adds value to your home in a number of ways. Here are five good reasons for greenovating instead of just renovating.  

Stay ahead of the curve.

It’s not a matter of keeping up with the Joneses anymore. Over the past few decades, the federal and state governments have passed numerous statutes that require greener solutions when you make major renovations to your home. We can assume that these regulations will continue to reach higher and higher as the technology we use to go green becomes… Read Full Post