Author Archives: Savino James

Florida Realtors®: Spend $100M of Banks’ Settlement Money On Workforce Housing

ORLANDO, Fla., May 9, 2012 – As a strong advocate for affordable housing, Florida Realtors® urges Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to put the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund at the top of the state’s list to receive some of an expected $300-plus million due from the recent foreclosure legal settlement with five of the nation’s largest banks.

Florida Realtors®: Fla. ‘Shadow’ Inventory Easing, Growing Demand Should Absorb Supply

ORLANDO, Fla., May 4, 2012 – Fear of the unknown and what lurks in the shadows may be common, but it’s greatly overrated when it comes to the “shadow inventory” of Florida’s real estate market, says Florida Realtors® Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo.

Realtor® Kristina Vavrek: Singing about a real estate career

OCALA, Fla. – Der Gemütlichkeit. It’s a German phrase that means “well being and happiness enjoyed with good friends and good times.” And Kristina Vavrek, a Realtor and broker with Harmony Homes Realty LLC in Ocala, says it’s the essence of the Swinging Bavarians, a German Bavarian polka band in which Vavrek is a member.

“My father is the leader of the band, so it’s been around since before I was born,” says Vavrek, who started German dancing at age 3. She does vocals for the group, plays the Cowbells and performs the Schuhplattler, a traditional Austro-Bavarian folk dance.

And, it’s truly a family affair. The Swinging Bavarians have 10 official members — Vavrek’s uncles, siblings and even her husband are part of the band. In fact, for Vavrek’s husband, Starr, getting into the group was a trial by fire. “We met through music so he was an accomplished musician. We handed him the Lederhosen, and for a while he refused to come out of the dressing room,” laughs Vavrek, who says Starr has overcome his shyness and is a full band member now. “It’s a close-knit family group, and we have a wonderful time when we’re together.”

Like Kristina, who is a real estate professional specializing in helping first-time homebuyers, everyone in the group works full time in another career. In fact, both of Vavrek’s parents are also real estate professionals.

Because of their hectic work schedules, most of the band members use their vacation time to perform in the busy September and October months—Oktoberfest.

“During that time we perform at festivals and other venues all over Florida every day of every weekend, so we may do 24 shows during those two months,” she says.

For Vavrek, it was natural that she would join the band. “My father is originally from Germany, and when we were little, we belonged to a German club in Florida. My brother, sister and I started German dancing at age 3 and playing piano at age 4. We had a lot of fun,” she says.

While the band primarily performs in Florida, last year they decided to honor the troops at Guantanamo Bay. “It was amazing. They flew us out on two C12 military planes, and we performed for the troops,” says Vavrek, whose father was in the army. “You don’t realize how isolated they are out there so they really appreciated the entertainment. Also, the military school band director played tuba, so we got him out to do a few songs with us.” Vavrek is hoping to be invited back again this year.

“It’s a great outlet,” she says — one that meshes well with her real estate career. “I love speaking to people and it gives me confidence in real estate.”

Whether she’s on stage with the Swinging Bavarians or setting the stage for clients to buy their dream home, Vavrek performs with pride and passion – the hallmark of a Florida Realtor.

Fla.’s Housing Market Shows Positive Trends in March 2012

ORLANDO, Fla., April 19, 2012 – Florida’s housing market had increased pending sales, higher median prices and a reduced inventory of homes for sale in March, according to Florida Realtors® latest housing data.

Florida Realtors® Commends BofA Short Sale Announcement

ORLANDO, Fla., April 10, 2012 – Summer J. Greene, 2012 president of Florida Realtors® and regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st in Fort Lauderdale, today issued the following statement about the new short sale process that Bank of America (BofA) plans to roll out on April 14, 2012.

Enter to Win Florida Realtors® Environmental (ENVY) Award

ORLANDO, Fla., April 5, 2012 – Don’t wait to enter Florida Realtors® annual Environmental Award program, or you may be green with ENVY when the winner is chosen. Popularly known as the “ENVY” award, the honor goes to a development that best preserves Florida’s natural quality of life. The award may be given in two categories: one for residential development and one for commercial development.

Florida Realtors®: Fla.’s Housing Market Continues On Positive Track in Feb. 2012

ORLANDO, Fla., March 21, 2012 – Pending sales and median prices rose, while the inventory of homes for sale dropped in Florida’s housing market in February, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®.

Realtor® Tricia Carlisle: Champion for Children’s Health Care

SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. — In the summer of 2005, Realtor® Tricia Carlisle met Tyler.

“I was volunteering at an after-school church outreach program and fell in love with this darling child who had a mouthful of misaligned teeth and whose family lived below poverty level,” she says. “He was small for his age, yet became a real bully. I wanted to help him, so I arranged for him get free braces, and I saw his attitude change. All of a sudden, he realized that there was a community out there that loved him,” says the broker-owner of Stellar Properties & Investments in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Then, Hurricane Katrina hit and Carlisle wanted to help even more children. Thus was born the Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN) (link underlined to http://www.cvhnkids.org/main/ ), a faith-based non-profit organization that offers uninsured or underinsured school-aged children free and immediate access to medical, dental and mental health care.

Tyler is now 17 and lives in Alabama. “His mom went to prison, he became truant for awhile, but he finished his braces and made it out of school,” Carlisle says.

CVHN has a mobile dental clinic that visits local schools. Last year, the dentists on the bus saw over 1,000 kids and “that’s only in a few of the schools, grades first through third,” she says. “We had so many children who needed major dental surgery that we decided to open a dental clinic where volunteer dentists perform restorative work for free.”

CVHN also offers everything from medical care to eyeglasses. “Last year we outfitted 142 kids with eyeglasses, doctors performed 72 root canals, we fitted 22 sets of braces, and we took 235 medical and dental appointments,” Carlisle says. “Anything an underprivileged school-age child needs, we either help pay for or get it donated.” Overall, CVHN has set up some 5,800 appointments with doctors and dentists, and has about 96 providers and 70 volunteers.

In fact, says Carlisle, for many parents, just getting the children to the appointments can be tough. “We have volunteers who transport the child from school to the doctor or dentist,” she says. “We also work though St. Vincent DePaul to help these families get free prescriptions. Our ultimate goal is to keep these children healthy and in school.” CVHN works with other charities to find help, such as Children in Crisis.

“We are privately funded; we rely heavily on our angels, such as The Blue Foundation and the Duval Family Foundation. We have no debt and raise money through several events throughout the year,” she says. Events include the Moveable Feast, where CVHN earns a percentage of the sales from different restaurants, and a party fundraiser where a local builder donates playhouses that are auctioned off. “We have a group of 100 people committed to giving $1,000 per year, most of whom are real estate professionals,” she says.

Given the current market, Carlisle says she’s seen a sea change in the people coming for help. “When we first started, the middle class didn’t need our help. Now, they’re forced to come to us and it’s created a whole blanket of compassion that wasn’t there before,” she says.

“We sit back and are amazed at what we’re able to do,” she adds. “If you drive a child to an appointment, you get born again. You get a letter from a parent, and it touches your heart. You have to keep that fire ignited.”

As for her real estate career, “What real estate career?” Carlisle laughs. “I think God has a sense of humor, [when I was getting CVHN started] I became a referring company, and my husband is licensed in Tennessee,” she says. “As CVHN took hold, my focus and joy went to children, so I was active but didn’t list property. I’m still doing referral business though, but I will probably retire at the end of next year.”

Carlisle also plans to pass the torch for the nonprofit’s organization and operation to others, but remain actively involved with CVHN. “I will continue to spend 10 to 15 hours a week raising funds and meeting the children,” she says.

And, while she may be retiring from real estate and from the CVHN presidency, she says the children will “always be in my heart.” She adds, “The infrastructure is there and CVHN will continue to grow. What more can a founder hope for?”

Carlisle is a member of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors® and her local association honored her with its Humanitarian Award in 2006. Florida Realtors® recognized Carlisle as its Humanitarian of the Year in 2007 for making her vision of the Children’s Volunteer Health Network become a reality. Upon accepting her award, she explained that she created CVHN because . . . “all kids deserve to be healthy, they are our future and our hearts.” She also received national recognition for CVHN when the National Association of Realtors selected her as a 2007 Good Neighbor Honorable Mention winner.

Realtors® Advocate for Florida with State Lawmakers

During the recent Great American Realtor Days in Tallahassee, Florida Realtors® 2012 officers unveiled a driving force in the upcoming “Vote Yes on Amendment 4: It’s Worth Fighting For” campaign. Shown left to right are: Sherri Meadows, vice president; Matey Veissi, secretary; Dean Asher, president-elect; Summer Greene, president; and Andrew Barbar, treasurer.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Hundreds of Realtors from across Florida recently traveled to the state’s capital to meet with their legislators and discuss concerns affecting all Florida residents and visitors during Great American Realtor Days, held this year on Feb. 14-15.

“With the focus on redistricting and the budget, Realtors understood that this session was clearly different than previous regular sessions of the state Legislature,” said 2012 Florida Realtors® President Summer Greene, regional manager of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Florida 1st in Fort Lauderdale. “Even though budgets and time have been tight this session, Realtors continued to advocate for priorities that we believe will help the real estate market and the entire Florida economy rebound.

“Realtors made incredible strides this session towards lowering local business taxes paid by real estate licensees, reducing onerous requirements on septic tank owners, bringing property insurance relief to homeowners across the state, and relieving a great deal of frustration with condo and homeowners associations,” Greene said. “Having Realtors in Tallahassee to provide legislators with real world examples of how these issues affect our business made an amazing impact.”

During the event, it was “clear to legislators that Realtors have the best interest of their communities in mind,” said John Sebree, senior vice president of public policy for Florida Realtors. “The voice of Florida Realtors was heard loud and clear throughout the Capitol building.”

Greene added, “As the session draws to a close, Florida Realtors’ attention will turn almost exclusively to the passage of Amendment 4 on the November ballot. Realtors are eager to see fairness in Florida property tax system and, most importantly, ensure that when a homeowner’s property value declines, their property taxes cannot increase.”

For more information about Amendment 4, go to www.fltaxpayersfirst.org.

Make Your Kitchens and Baths Sparkle

ORLANDO, Fla. — Savvy Realtors® know that attractive kitchens and baths sell homes. Make them sparkle, and you can almost see a buyer’s eyes light up.

C.J. Wright, a Realtor® with ERA Dan Jones & Associates in Jacksonville, Florida, says its easy and inexpensive to freshen up your kitchen and baths. “De-cluttering and cleaning always comes first,” she says. “Start by taking those magnets off the refrigerator and clean your countertops. Then, you can see what other steps are needed. ”

Here are 16 tips to get your kitchens and bathrooms ready to show:

• Wash walls and tile thoroughly. A little cleaner goes a long way and may save you money on repainting.
• Instead of replacing cabinets, try refinishing them or just adding new hardware. This will give your kitchen a fresh new look without breaking the bank.
• Repair dents or holes in baseboards, walls, and doors with wood putty, which you can find at any hardware store.
• Use a knife or screwdriver to remove any caulk or dirt from the space between the baseboard and the floor tile, and from around sinks, showers and bathtubs. Then re-caulk with bright white mildew-resistant silicon caulk.
• Paint all baseboards to achieve a new bright feel.
• Stage your bathroom just like you would the rest of your house. Add new towels, candles, or decorative soap to make the bathroom more attractive. “I open shampoo and liquid soap containers and swish a little down the drain to make it smell as if someone just took a shower,” says Wright.
• Replace the old shower curtain or lining.
• Clean up the clutter on your countertops, refrigerator, tubs, and sinks.
• Stage your kitchen just like you would the rest of your house. Wright puts empty cereal boxes and a small coffee maker with a bag of coffee next to it on the countertops to give the kitchen a homey feel.
• Empty your refrigerator if possible. If you can’t empty it, scrub it and organize your food to make it look appealing.
• Scrub your stovetop. By using some inexpensive cleaner and a little effort you can renew the appearance of your stove and make it more attractive.
• Buy and install new switch plates. This is a miniscule expense for you, and an appreciated touch for buyers.
• Clean fan blades.
• Clean windows inside and out.
• Make certain all lights and switches work and have high-wattage bulbs; polish the fixtures.
• Polish all mirrors and appliances.

Putting a little effort into your kitchen and baths can really pay off, says Wright. And you can take that to the bank.