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Whew! What a weekend this have been so far and it's not over yet. It's only Saturday. Either the buyers are out in herds or those who've bookmarked us are finally calling. But this weekend have been a record for us as far as showing properties in these 3 areas of Tampa: Westchase, Carrollwood, and South Tampa.

In the past, we'd be lucky if one or two people look in these areas. Lately we've been getting lots of inquiries specially in Westchase, (our web hits for Westchase Real Estate have quadrupled) and surprisingly, higher end homes. Today alone we had at least 10 clients each looking at each of these areas. Needless to say our agents have their hands full.

South Tampa have been getting a lot of attention also but mostly from investors trying to…

The real winner in this contest is he or she who answers his or her phone and emails in a timely manner and provide REAL response as oppose to automated and scripted response. That is the true challenge. You can be on top of the search engines, but if you can't do this very basic task, someone will always have you for lunch. Good luck to all participants... I'm sure the TRUE winners already know who they are.

Using colors is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to shift the energy in your home based on Feng Shui theories. The colors you should use in Feng Shui should be based on the five elements including earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. Each of thee elements should be placed on specific areas in your home to map the entire space and bring out the beauty of color in your home. Below are the list of elements and their corresponding colors to help you know what colors you should use on specific areas of your house.

• Fire – represents passion and energy. Usually, the fire element is recommended in the northeast and the southwest portion of your house. You can use the colors red, pink, orange, purple, and yellow to represent the fire element.
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First and foremost, for a limited time, we're featuring Tampa bank-owned properties on the "Red-Box Deals" on our site.

In the recent weeks, we've had significant increase in inquiries for short sale homes and foreclosures. Most buyers just look at the price tag without realizing that these prices are brokers opinion only and that these prices have NOT yet been approved by the bank (lenders). To a certain extent these have been abused by some. i.e., homes normally selling for $300K may be listed for $160K, with a fineprint stating "subject to third party approval" (bank/lender). Even at a full asking price offer of $160K, if the house appraises for $280K, the bank may counter with $280K. Ref: Short Sale: Not for the light hearted buyer

We've been…

Two of the most important concerns in the health of your family are whether or not your home has instances of lead throughout it, and whether or not you are breathing radon gas vapours.  Radon is a colourless and odourless radioactive gas that can get trapped beneath your house and cause serious health problems.  It has been the cause of over 20,000 lung disease related deaths every year and it is assumed to be in millions of homes.

Radon slips into your home from underground, seeping into crawl spaces beneath your home, through the sump pump, gaps in the basement flooring and walls, and even your water supply.  It is undetectable unless you have a trained professional come in.  These professionals will run diagnostic testing to see if the radon levels…

After the New Year, I noticed that our inquiries have tripled. All our agents are swamped and a few are burning out.

Before I write a blog about maybe the real estate market is picking up, (and make a fool of myself), let see a show of hands who's business picked up after the New Year.

Thanks:)
Julia

Green Building in Tampa? What is it and Why do we care? The green building movement is all about using our resources efficiently to create a clean environment for ourselves. This includes: efficient use of energy, recycled building materials and using fewer chemicals, low impact use of land, efficient use of soil and water, and improved indoor air quality.

Green building of homes now accounts for nearly $2 billion in annual spending in the US and is expected to grow to at least $6.5 billion by 2010. In Tampa Bay, Oldsmar based Nohl Crest Homes is the area’s first green homebuilder. Quoted from their site "Every new Nohl Crest Florida home is now a green home ~ built with the environment in mind. As a green builder, our construction practices and…

Tucked away on an island raised from the water and navigable by canals, you’ll find some of the nation’s most desirable real estate. Tierra Verde – “green land” in Spanish – is home of Fort de Soto, named America’s No. 1 beach in 2005.

For the last 25 years, the beautiful island has remained unincorporated and a separate entity from surrounding Florida areas St. Pete and St. Petersburg. However, the opportunities and real estate of Tierra Verde have long been attractive to the larger areas nearby, and recently St. Petersburg filed an application with Pinellas County to formally annex commercial areas on the barrier island.

Tierra Verde is mainly residential and home to about 3,500 people and a total area of 667 acres. Originally composed of 15…