New sales numbers are out for the SW Florida real estate market and we’ve been pouring over the numbers and we’ve come to the conclusion that sales are directly related to the amount of inventory on hand.  We can’t sell what we don’t have, and if we had more we could sell more.

Perhaps a better headline would be sales are directly related to the amount of fairly priced homes on the market.  In any market, up, down, or sideways, there are always fairly priced homes and overpriced homes.  The fairly priced homes sell in any market, and the overpriced homes fail to sell in any market.

SW Florida real estate market Fort Myers Cape Coral real estate median days on market
Median Days on Market by Price Range

SW Florida Real Estate Market Update

The median sales price fell in May to $195,000 from $200,000 in April, but it is up 10.6% over May 2013 levels.  Inventory rose slightly to 5,540 listings which was up 6.3% over last year.  Each month new listings come to the market and some are selling, and some are not. Pending inventory fell 10.9% from last year, so we’ll keep an eye on inventory rising and pending inventory declining in the coming months.

I’d like you to look at the two charts provided. They may look confusing but it’s really not. One is the median days on the market by price range and the other is the months supply of inventory chart.  The difference is the months supply of inventory takes into account all single family listings to give you an idea of how much is on the market.

SW Florida real estate market Months Supply of Inventory
Months Supply of Inventory Chart

The median days on the market by sales price chart only looks at homes that actually sold, not all listings.  These are the listings that have won the home selling game.  If priced correctly, a home will sell, and these homes did.  In other words, if a home is going to sell, these are the median average times it will take.  If you have a home on the market you can lookup what price range you’re in and see the median time.  If your home is over the median time, perhaps your home is overpriced and isn’t going to sell.

That’s a tough pill to swallow when you read headlines that say the market is improving, and there are multiple offers on many properties.  This is all true.  However, there aren’t multiple offers on all properties.  And some properties receive no offers.

It doesn’t matter how good the market is, nor how much marketing your Realtor throws at your property.  If it’s overpriced, it’s not going to sell.

Cash sales have fallen to 52% of all sales, and this time of year they typically fall further.  Financed sales must appraise, and we have seen some appraisal issues on properties lately.

If your home isn’t selling, it’s time to have a conversation with your Realtor about proper pricing. The seller may set the price, but the market determines the value.  If your home is over the market, then it’s not really on the market.  If you wish to sell you’ve got to price your home at or close to where the market is.  Some sellers don’t really care if they sell, so they continually keep their home over the market and if a buyer comes along and pays more than market, they’ll sell.  We’ve all seen these listings. They just linger on the market and make all the fairly priced homes look good. They get fewer showings and few offers, because serious buyers offer on fairly priced homes first.  They don’t waste time offering low on overpriced listings.  Buyers go for value, and overpriced listings don’t offer value.

This is probably the biggest mistake we see sellers make.  They assume buyers can always make an offer, but they don’t.  Many times the overpriced home is invisible to the buyer because it’s over where they’re looking.

We don’t suggest under pricing your home.  Just price it fairly and you’ll be glad you did.  Good luck and Happy Selling!

To view our Listings in Hi Definition, visit www.HomesinHD.TV or click on our playlist below

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

View Cape Coral Homes For Sale $900,000-$1,000,000

Perhaps you’ve tried various search sites and gotten confused on how to search the SW Florida MLS.  As a consumer, it’s not always easy navigating search sites and knowing the lingo and field definitions of the MLS which you don’t have access to.

 Search SW Florida MLS

I came across a nifty sitemap on our website that provides shortcuts to some useful searches in the Fort Myers MLS.

Sitemap

Search Real Estate For Sale by City

SEARCH CITIES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST MLS

Search Real Estate For Sale by County

SEARCH COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA GULF COAST MLS

Search Real Estate For Sale by Price

Search Luxury Real Estate For Sale by Price

Search Real Estate by Number of Bedrooms

Search Real Estate by Number of Bathrooms

Search Real Estate by Size

Search Featured Real Estate Listings by ID

Let us know what you think.  Are these searches useful?  We can add custom searches and save the links for you.  For instance, we created a custom search for Reflection Lakes in Fort Myers

We did another one for Cape Coral Homes For Sale which displays search results for single family homes in Cape Coral without having to select more criteria.  Some people want more search options and some desire quick and easy search results.  We wish to proved you what you’re looking for.

We welcome your comments.

To view our homes in Hi Definition, visit www.HomesinHD.TV or click on our playlist below

Visit our Google+ Business Page

Feel free to view our Virtual Tours .

By Brett Ellis

Fort Myers Real Estate Agent

7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr

Fort Myers, FL 33907

Search SW Florida MLS
Search SW Florida MLS

Each day we talk to customers that want to move to SW Florida to enjoy our year round sunshine and all we have to offer, like boating, fishing, shelling, golf, tennis, and more.  Often times customers find themselves buying expensive real estate on a golf course or waterfront homes with a dock in the backyard.

Living the SW Florida Dream Affordably

Living the SW Florida Dream Affordably Freedom Boat Club Fort Myers Beach Carefree Boat Club Fort Myers
Fun For the Whole Family

Some potential buyers dream about buying in SW Florida but are just shy of having enough money to buy that expensive golf course home or waterfront property without exhausting too many reserves to pull it off, so they do nothing and give up.

If buyers knew of cost saving alternatives to enjoy the SW Florida lifestyle we believe many would act, so we looked into affordable boating and found some answers.

Boat club costs versus owning a boat in SW Florida

You’ll see many ads for boat clubs on TV and in the newspaper and there are all kinds from local clubs to national companies.  We decided to focus on national companies because we’ve seen some local companies close shop leaving their customers out in the wind.  National companies may be more secure and offer ways to enjoy boating while traveling as well.

We focused on the two best known national companies to us, Freedom Boat Club and Carefree. Both have local and national locations and costs vary by location.  Each club works similarly in many aspects in that there is a buy-in and a monthly cost.  Freedom Boat Club has some seasonal options in addition to the yearly plans, so you can save money if you only want to use a boat during certain months.

Carefree Boat Club has the lowest buy-in at $3,500 with a 5 year rate lock and $4,500 with a 3 year rate lock. Freedom Boat Club has lower monthly fees and a $5,500 buy-in and the rate is locked in for life.

Carefree Boat club advertises that members save 40-60% compared to owning their own boat.  Freedom Boat Club provided a chart that compares the cost buying a new boat and maintaining for 3 years versus being a boat club member and saving for 3 years.  There is no doubt joining a boat club is more cost effective.

You do give up the convenience of having your boat in your back yard and using it anytime you want, but both boat clubs agree that availability is plentiful because they keep their membership numbers at certain ratios.  As they increase members they add more boats to the fleet.

Gone are the days of paying for insurance, towing services, costly maintenance,  boat payments, storage if you dry dock it or rent a slip, tax, title, and licensing, and all the headaches of owning a boat.  Don’t forget to mention the cost of selling and buying newer boats as time goes on.

For a one-time investment and low monthly fees you can have it all, and save on real estate too.  The hard core boater or fisherman will probably not be attracted to such an idea, but the casual boater who would like to enjoy the water without all the cost and headache of boat ownership will be attracted.

Snowbirds from up north who are casual boaters will be too as they won’t have to tie up hundred’s of thousand’s of dollars in expensive waterfront property just to house that boat that will also cost them.

There is a saying that goes, “The two best days in a man’s life is the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it.”  Not sure why it wouldn’t apply to women too.

By joining a boat club you take away that last day where you’re relieved to sell the boat because it cost you bunches to keep it.  Now you have an affordable alternative.

Whether you need to look for an expensive waterfront home or condo, or a more laid back parcel you can retire in, Always Call the Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group 239-489-4042

Good luck, and Happy Boating, no matter how you get out there!

If you’re considering buying or selling in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, Ft Myers Beach or anywhere in Lee County Florida, give us a call. 239-489-4042 or visit our website www.Topagent.com

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Listing inventory is riding low as it usually does this time of year.  If it seems lower this year, you may be right.  I spoke with a Realtor this week who usually carries 30 listings and they’re down to 6.

Fort Myers Cape Coral real estate inventory Riding Low
Single Family Home Inventory

 

As you can see by the graph, official numbers from Florida Realtors bear this out.  We’re still waiting for the June numbers to come out.  May’s numbers showed a decrease from 2012 inventory levels by 372 homes.

Last year inventory levels reached their lows in July but we’ve already surpassed those numbers with May numbers, so we’ll be watching June and July numbers when they come out.

Ellis Team at RE/MAX buyer specialists were busy this past weekend, and showings seem to have picked up a dramatically in the past week too.  Showings on our listings increased.  I checked with our listing coordinator and he said this past week was very busy and the week before wasn’t.  Of course, the week before was July 4th week so people tend to concentrate on outdoors and fun that week anyway.

Several of our listings have been receiving previews and showing for some of the Hertz relocation employees.  A few weeks ago I was quoted in a News Press article and while the article never said who had the Hertz account people inferred that the Ellis Team did so we’ve been flooded with people calling and emailing asking us to show their rental or home to Hertz employees.

We don’t have the Hertz account.  I had people argue with me and tell me we did because they thought they read it in paper.  These people weren’t looking to list their rental or home for sale, they just want employees to know about it.

The fact is, no matter who has the Hertz account those employees will know about it if the property is listed.  I assure you many of our listings have had interest from Hertz agents.

Every year I go on listing appointments and some sellers will say we’d like to sell to the Germans, or the Canadians or whoever else they perceive are buying this year.  It’s almost as if they want top dollar and they think the Germans will overpay for US homes because they don’t know better.

I assure you, nobody likes to overpay for a home no matter where they come from.  We work with many International customers and they all do their homework.  Hertz employees are no different.

And really, does it matter where the buyer is from or who they work for when they’re buying your house?  Money is money and most sellers we meet with want top dollar.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  We believe everyone should receive what the market is willing to pay.

When we list your home your home is exposed to buyers locally and internationally.  We use traditional print marketing as well as advanced online techniques that gets your home noticed.  Your buyer could be from Hertz or Intel, from Florida or Switzerland.

With inventory levels at lows this year it may be a good time to start thinking about selling.  Interest rates are rising, so if you’ll be getting a mortgage on your next home it could really cost you to wait.  See our last few articles at Blog.TopAgent.com to read about how rising rates are costing home buyers.

The market is rarely constant.  It is always changing.  If you’re interested in making a move, call us to find out where you stand in today’s market. 239-489-4042. Our office address is 7910 Summerlin Lakes Dr Fort Myers, FL 33907

Good luck, and Happy Selling/Buying!!!!!

Visit our Google+ Business Page

 

Last year we did an article about Realtors using video in their business.  Back then about 14% of Realtors were using video.  We suspect today that number has grown a bit as more and more people are watching videos in their travel time and in between moments of their life on their smart phones and tablet devices. Today we’d like to update that story with Realtors Using Video Revisited

 

Realtors Using Video Revisited
Ellis Team YouTube Channel

Last month alone our YouTube channel www.Youtube.com/brettellisfl  viewers watched 11,792 minutes of video.  That’s over 196 hours of video.  Of that traffic, mobile apps and direct traffic accounted for 51% of that activity. Germany was the leading country after the United States to watch our videos.  Brazilians watched for the longest average duration followed by the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria.

While it helps to have professional video and audio it isn’t required.  Putting something at least decent up is better than nothing as long as the content is compelling and informative.

One thing you’ll notice about our YouTube channel is that we’ve updated the skin to YouTube’s standards.  This is a recent change Google has adopted.  They want pages to look similar across platforms and devices.  We created the beach graphics that have a similar theme to our Google+ Business Page. You can find a link to our Google+ page from Topagent.com if you’d like to see an example.  They also requested different sizes so they’ll look good on a desktop computer, a tablet or iPad, and a Smartphone.

Google is rewarding those who adopt their standards in local searches.  For instance, if you search Fort Myers Real Estate on Google the Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group comes up in their listed map search as well on various pages.  The results in the various pages change all the time, but the map listings have stayed fairly constant.

We believe using video heavily has helped how Google rates websites.  We still do many other things as Google doesn’t rely on any one thing.  However, by doing many things and using video helps raise the bar and in Google’s algorithms separates serious Realtors from less than serious.  Google’s term is authority.  They are trying to identify authority and reward websites that provide authority.

In addition to SW Florida real estate updates published on our YouTube channel, we have a separate YouTube source where we post our property videos.  Video is playing an increasingly larger role in real estate searches.  Some buyers are searching for agents and properties on YouTube and skipping the search engine process altogether.

Look no further than teenagers today.  They don’t search on computers much.  They do search YouTube videos all day long, or do mobile searches on the phone.

Agents today must change they way they market to reach today’s buyers.  If you think teenagers are the only ones searching on mobile devices, just look around and watch people.  Our analytics tell us who is searching, from where, and how long on our websites.  The results will astonish.

Our advice would be, if you want to attract more customers for your listings, step outside the box and try new things.  Ask successful agents where they’re finding buyers today.  Look around and observe people yourself, and if you see a niche, jump on it.  We’re always looking for new ways to reach buyers and sellers, and if the market shifts in the future, (and it will) we’ll be searching for ways to capture that demand.

So get out there and take some video and post it online.  If it has decent audio and video, you’ll be glad you did.

Good luck and Happy House Hunting/Selling!!!!

Visit our Google+ Business Page

 

More than 4.7 million homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure or short sale since 2007 nationwide and they’re not taking it anymore.  What are they doing about it?  They’re buying again, and they’re buoying the housing market from coast to coast. Boomerang Buyers Heating Up the Housing Market!

Boomerang Buyers Heating Up the Housing Market
Boomerang Buyers

 

SW Florida certainly saw its share of financial hardship.  Scores of homeowners were forced to short sale or were simply foreclosed upon as the local housing market dived and jobs were lost. Many left the area in search of work.

As the economy has slowly improved over the past few years some of those same people are moving back.  Still others who never moved rented and kept their companies going anyway they could, or worked multiple jobs to survive.  It’s been a tough 7 years for many locals, so it’s no wonder there is much joy in a rising real estate market.

As the market improves so does the economy as sales lead to jobs and construction.  Construction leads to construction jobs and ancillary businesses, which leads to further opportunities.

Many SW Florida homeowners are still underwater even though prices are rising.  They’re essentially trapped in their own homes waiting the market out for a time when they can afford to sell.  A Boomerang buyer is free from the trap because they got out from under the crushing debt years ago.  Lenders at the time said it would take 2-5 years before they could buy again but many had no choice. They had to sell.

Boomerang buyers took a hit on their credit reports and it did prevent them from buying, but they were released from the debt, and once could argue many of these buyers will be in a position to purchase well before some of the trapped homeowners will be.

I just had 2 Boomerang buyers contact us in the past week asking about re-entering the housing market as their business has finally picked up.  I checked with a few lenders to see what the requirements are and found varying requirements.

Chase requires 36 months after a short sale which is fairly typical. I checked with two local mortgage brokers who can lend 2 years after a short sale provided borrower has 20% down. If the borrower only has 10% down it’s 4 years, and can be as much as 7 years with less than 10% down which makes FHA attractive.  A FHA loan is 3 years, and VA is 0-1 years while USDA is 1.5-3 years.

If you’re not confused by now you probably worked in finance at some point in your life. The bottom line is there are options for you if you’re ready to re-enter the housing market.  How long you have to wait depends on which program you finance under and how much you can put down.  FHA, VA, and USDA will be the least down payment required.

Rates are low and prices are on the increase, and now that Hertz has announced they are relocating their world headquarters to Lee County, things are looking up.  Inventory supply is already tight.  I would suggest if you’re thinking about re-entering the market, sooner is probably better than later.

There is opportunity in this market.  Even though prices are rising, they are nowhere near where they were at the height of the market.  Combine that with today’s rates and buying power is strong.  I would argue this market is much healthier and sustainable than it was at the height when everybody was buying.  The herd was wrong at the top of the market.  This, right now, today is the land of opportunity.

I’m not quite sure why people call back in 2005 the “Good Old Days.” There was no real opportunity back then, only heartache to come for so many.  2013 is the “Good Old Days.”  Today is the land of opportunity, and even if you were hurt in the market in the past, you too can benefit going forward.  We all suffered the last 7-8 years, and now we can all benefit.

The hangover is over, so raise your glass and toast to a new beginning, especially for the Boomerang Buyers.

 

Hertz Moving Headquarters to Estero Florida

Hertz released the following press release:

LEE COUNTY, FL –

The Fortune 500 company bringing over 700 jobs to Lee County has been revealed.

The Hertz Corporation today announced that the company will relocate its worldwide headquarters to Estero, Florida from Park Ridge, New Jersey.

“This is truly the largest economic event in Lee County’s history and we’ve been established since 1887; that is no understatement,” said Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann.

Hertz CEO Mark Frissora was at Southwest Florida International Airport with Governor Rick Scott to make the announcement.

“We are so grateful for this welcome to the Sunshine State,” Frissora said. “We did not make the decision to relocate lightly. We wanted to know that Florida was not only attractive to us as a company, but also to our employees.”

He added that some of the executives will be moving down immediately. Until the Estero location is built, they will be working out of a temporary location – likely in North Naples.

Hertz made the decision following its recent acquisition of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, which was finalized on November 19, 2012.

 

Dollar Thrifty is currently headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Consolidating the corporate offices to one location will allow for increased efficiencies and cost synergies across the company.

Additionally, access to the Florida travel and tourism population will position the company for long-term growth.

According to Visit Florida, there are approximately 1 million employees in the state’s travel and tourism industry, Florida’s largest business segment.

Hertz also noted that Orlando is the world’s largest car rental market, and that Miami is a hub for accelerating travel growth between the United States and Latin America.

Starting this year, up to 700 jobs will be relocated to Florida over a two-year period. More than 2,000 Hertz and Dollar Thrifty personnel will remain in New Jersey, including approximately 150 employees who currently work in Park Ridge.

All other Park Ridge employees will be able to retain their current positions at the new headquarters, scheduled to be completed in early 2015.

Hertz was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1918, and moved its headquarters to New Jersey from mid-town Manhattan in 1988.

“After our recent business expansion, we have been looking for the right location to blend Hertz and Dollar Thrifty head office employees,” Frissora said.

“Florida is the center of the U.S. travel and tourism industry – this move enables us to be closer to leisure and business customers, as well as many travel and association partners. As part of this move, we will open off-airport and retail car sales stores on our headquarters campus, which will enable us to experiment with new services and monitor customer satisfaction first hand. Lee County, on the Southwestern Gulf Coast of Florida, is a well-established travel destination with tremendous growth potential, with easy access to other leading tourism markets including Orlando, Miami/Fort Lauderdale and Tampa/St. Petersburg.”

Hertz and Dollar Thrifty have more employees in Florida than in any other state except California, and Florida rents more cars per capita than any other state.

Florida provides ready access to a vast and diverse talent pool, including 3,000 of our own employees, as we grow our businesses. All of these factors supported the company’s final decision.

Frissora added, “This is the best, most balanced business decision based on market factors as well as the needs of our employees and customers. The relocation results in a positive financial return to the company and we will provide more details during our next quarterly earnings call. Additionally, in no way should this decision be perceived as a slight to our partners in New Jersey and Oklahoma. We recognize the significant efforts undertaken in recent years in both states to create and retain jobs, while improving the overall business climate. In particular, over the last several years we have seen significant improvement in New Jersey’s business climate and our decision should not be interpreted as a reflection of our views about doing business in the Garden State. New Jersey has been our home since 1988 and would have been for countless more if not for our acquisition of Dollar.

 

Because of these efforts, we will continue to grow our car and equipment rental businesses in New Jersey and Oklahoma. We are retaining e-commerce and certain financial functions in northern New Jersey thanks to the state’s strength in the financial services industry. Oklahoma will continue to be our primary home for IT, customer service and financial support driving our North American businesses. Overall, we concluded that it is in the best interests of our company, which is primarily in the travel and tourism business, to be near our largest market.”

“We also want to note that the New Jersey Partnership for Action was very active and effective in their efforts to entice us to remain in New Jersey, and we are grateful for their efforts.”

Hertz chose Lee County, Florida, primarily because of its diverse community appeal, work force availability and accessibility.

The company worked closely with Florida Governor Rick Scott as well as other state and county government and business leaders throughout the decision-making process.

“This is exactly the kind of opportunity the county should be looking at in terms of how can we conduct ourselves with business as a government,” said Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker.
Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group
NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

 

SW Florida Real Estate market Update

Brett Ellis Bio

This week’s SW Florida real estate video update presented by The Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group focuses on SE Fort Myers Florida.  SE Fort Myers consists of zip codes 33912, 33913, 33966, and 33967 and covers Gateway, Fort Myers South around the Daniel’s Parkway Corridor over to US 41 down tthrough San Carlos Park.

SE Fort Myers Florida Real Estate Video Update

View this week’s SE Fort Myers Florida Real Estate Video Update  Average prices were down about 22% in SE Fort Myers, however sales were up significantly.

Brett Ellis from the Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group specializes in selling homes in Cape Coral Florida, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, onita Springs, and all of SW Florida.  Brett created another weekly video update and tells a little about what he presented last week at the Annual State of the Market Report presentation at the SW Florida Real Estate Investors Asociation meeting.

Below is a mild recap of what the Board had covered from 3/05-3/06. The accomplishments made, things in the works and special thanks to many who had devoted their time or helped out in some way.

I know I may have missed some and I apologize but do know everyone is greatly appreciated who has contributed their time, services and/or assistance either on or helping committees and even monetary donations for events. You are helping to make our Community a success. We look forward to even a greater year ahead!

Danforth Lakes Annual Recap—3/15/05-3/6/06

3/15/05—Current BOD elected

3/22/05—Decided on positions and responsibilities, bank acct sign—set up HOA website to keep all informed

4/06/05—Reviewed all current contracts/ins & financials in place w/MMI—started punchlist items for turnover w/Beazer—discussed problems w/sprinklers/swales & clubhouse. Discussed current rules & regs/condition of community –in order to enforce rules & regs determined changes should be made first.

4/25/05—Began review of current R&R.. Created turnover punch list for Beazer with Community wide meeting/suggestions.

5/05/05—Discussed clubhouse vandalism/things stolen/procedures, cleaning personnel & security. Discussed walk-thru w/Beazer on punchlist items created—towing contract discussion—discussed committees needed—S&W/B&G/Finance/ ACC

5/23/05—Clubhouse issues w/cleaning personnel/ Rules & Regs review line by line/ surveillance bids reviewed for clubhouse.

6/27/05—Met Community wide to review 6 pages of changes to Rules&Regs—new security in place at clubhouse.

7/11/05—Committees formed –B&G/S&W/Finance/ACC—towing co. in place. Speed humps discussed.

8/08/05—Overcharges from MMI reviewed w/new committee/ reviewed Beazer punchlist items and status/(really started questioning MMI with financials and other items not followed up on)

9/12/05—reviewed overdue hoa assessments//pool conditions reviewed//common area discussed//2006 budget talk//reviewed banking concerns and audit.

10/05— delayed to hurricane Wilma & Halloween

11/7/05—resig of a BM—terminated curr pool service—2 clubhouse break-in’s—setup personal contact with Beazer this month. Discussed concerns w/MMI services and lack of follow-up

11/17/05—budget workshop review with finance comm.

11/21/05—Discussed meeting had w/Beazer/reviewed turnover audit/discussed all concerns w/MMI over last 7 months//provided termination notice for 12/31.

12/5/05—agreed on credit due for janitorial services–budget approval—appt KO for BOD vacancy—Comm Welcome packs ready—discussed new bids from Mgt Companies—agreed on Hayden—delays started do to everything on hold for mgt co trx. Had the Entrance light lit on 12/15, and fountain out on the 20th…had to wait for new mgt co in place as of 1/1. But was told fountain would be shipped back to Wisconsin for service.

1/09/06—Met w/New Mgt Co./Rev of new bank accts/new contracts for cleaning & grounds—clubhouse procedures—new towing co discussed—request replanting quotes. Discussed fountain plans. Irrigation repaired. New landscaping Co. in place

1/26/06—Discussed roundabout incident 1/15—invoices not being pd by MMI—final turnover 1/23.

2/06/06—New financials reviewed/ delq assess rev/ violations & how to handle discussed—over 40 violations addressed since then—planned replanting of Blvd—approved clubhouse & roundabout replantings.

3/06/06—arbitration comm Appointed–up to 60 violations ///financial review of monies on hold by Beazer.///working on reviewing/pursuing over 11K assess fees due.//parking regulation changes made to eliminate street parking

Communication provided thru our website and Community emails throughout the year.

OVERALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE PAST YEAR:

1.Thermostat in clubhouse
2.Clubhouse tiled
3.Added microwave, coffee pot & trash can
4.Blinds in workout room
5.Ceilings fans in workout room.
6.Workout room equipment fixed
7.added surveillance at clubhouse
8.Caught two break-ins to clubhouse and pursued
9.Clubhouse painted and decking power-washed— bathrooms repaired & painted
10.Resolved ant issue in clubhouse
11.Pool temp stabilized
12.New doorway in clubhouse hallway to alleviate moisture buildup & bugs.
13. Most all trees replaced/removed or staked
14. Tennis courts repaired
15. New drainage system around tennis courts.
16. 2nd block paving in Sheffield
17. Swales cleaned out
18. sidewalk replaced
19. Bike rack and benches in place
20. speed humps/sl signs in place
21. Rules & regs revised
22. Lighting at roundabout
23. Purchased folding tables for Social Committee
24. 60 violations sent in 3 months–yards, comm vehicles, & street parking being addressed.

IN THE WORKS:

1.Fountain hopefully in place by 4/15
2.Entrance sign by end of May(depends on permitting)
3.Replanting of Blvd begins the 24th (possibly 17th)
4.Roundabout finished hopefully by 4/15
5.Remaining mulch for Community by mid May.(tent)

SPECIAL THANKS:

1. All four committees: Building & Grounds(Glenda,Carol,Steph,Rich/Sean)///ARC-(Dan, Matt, Yvette, Robin & Crosby)//Finance-(Kathy,Randy) ///Social & Welcoming-(Kelly,Anissa,Christy,Jennifer)
2. Marty & Brenda sheets-(generosity in helping with all Holiday events)
3. Jim S for our cement pad for the bike rack
4. Sean Dean for all his time spent in completing many of the clubhouse tasks
5. Jim T for his assist with our sec sys and hrs spent with us at times of break-ins
6. Dawn for her help with copies made when needed
7. Donna R for assistance with distributing flyers
8.Tracy R, Misty K, Claudia & Sherry for help at Events
9.Social commitee again especially for the qrtrly newsletter/welcome packs that were started in January(see list for includes), Events planned for the past 3 holidays, coordinating a playgroup…working on coordinating a family picnic at Lakes Park THIS JUNE as we did 2/3 yrs ago—participation needed…volunteers needed for the new year!!

THANK YOU EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!