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In these tough economic times we are faced with the problems of loss of our incomes, homes, jobs, and our economic future. We try to find someone or something to blame for our situations. We try to find ways to fix the problems.

I think that we are failing to see and respond to the biggest problem. That is the increasing loss of the basic family unit caused by the economic down turn.

There is an old saying, “Love goes out the door when the bills come through the window.” I believe this to be so. I also believe that something should be done to help the family unit stay together. I believe that we will have a much better chance of survival and prosperity as a nation if we have strong family units.

I am tired of going out on listing presentations and finding not only an economic boon doggle, but a family in melt down to go with it. It seems that one person is always blaming the other for getting the family in financial trouble. It is a natural thing to do. But, most of the time, it is like blaming the wait person in a restaurant because our food is not cooked to our liking, when it is actually the cook who under performed that should get the blame.

Safety Harbor Condo/Townhome Update 

Safety Harbor Condo/Townhome Update:

If you are looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo or townhome in quaint Safety Harbor right now there are only three units available and two of them are townhomes! Safety Harbor is a popular location due to its proximity to both Tampa and Clearwater.

623 Fairmont Ave is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath townhome that has 1520 sq ft. This unit comes with a marble fireplace and hardwood floors! The 3rd bedroom, located on the main floor has built in oak bookshelves! This unit is listed for $188,900.

720 Quail Keep Dr is a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome with 1325 sq ft. This unit has Pergo flooring throughout and comes with a 1 car garage which is attached. Listing price is $204,900.

2363 Newburg Lane is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath condo on the 2nd floor. The unit is 1230 sq ft and features tile flooring in all areas except for the 3 bedrooms, which have newer carpet. Listing price is $129,900.

Huntington Homes - Safety Harbor Florida

Huntington Homes in Safety Harbor are a cut above the rest! This pristine gated community is located directly off of Enterprise  and is convenient to both Tampa and Clearwater. Minutes from Philippi Park and Old Tampa Bay this is one community you really want to see for yourself!

2411 Huntington Blvd is a magnificent 5 bedroom, 4 bath home. This 4393 sq ft home has beveled glass doors, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors in the formal dining room and study and a brand new designer kitchen with maple cabinets in mahogany stain. There is a commercial grade natural gas cook top. Lush tropical landscaping make this a paradise to come home to!    $1,000,000.

1611 Hampton Lane is 4 bedrooms with 3.5 baths. The 4245 sq ft single family home is an Arthus Rutenberg floor plan with fireplace, pocket sliders on all rooms overlooking the pool area, central vacuum, and a magnificent pool area!     $985,000.

2400 Huntington Blvd is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with 3777 sq ft. Located on a corner lot adjacent to a preserve area this home is a must see! Vulcan Range with either electric or gas capability! Naturally there is an oversized pool and spa area! It even has a wood burning pizza oven for all your pool parties!!!! $619,900.

2407 Huntington Blvd is a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath single family home with 3208 sq ft. This beautiful home has a magnificant pool and spa area!Master suite has a sunken tub and Grecian shower. $699,900.

Safety Harbor/Clearwater's Countryside Area Condo Update 

Here is an update on available 2 bedroom 2 bath condos in the Safety Harbor/Clearwater's Countryside area as of the middle of December 2008:

514 Tabor Court in Safety Harbor - this 2/2 with 1060 sq ft - this 2nd floor condo has two balconies - the one off the living room is screened in! Great location!     $94,900.

3455 Countryside Blvd in Clearwater - 2/2 with 1080 sq ft - ground floor condo is corporate owned- the unit also comes with a 1 car garage!                            $79,900.

2650 Countryside Blvd in Clearwater - 2/2 with 1110 sq ft - 3rd floor condo is a SHORT SALE - only been on the market for a month!                                       $84,900.

2971 Estancia Blvd in Clearwater - 2/2 with 1050 sq ft - 2nd floor condo is a SHORT SALE - freshly painted in a fantastic location!                                               $79,900.

2650 Countryside Blvd in Clearwater - 2/2 with 1100 sq ft - 2nd floor condo - corner unit - lowest price in complex! vacant with motivated seller!!! Must See!       $79,000.

2400 Winding Creek Blvd in Clearwater - 2/2 with 993 sq ft - 55+ community - corner unit ready for you to move in!                                                                 $75,000.

East Lake Woodlands Condos 

There are some great deals right now on condos in East Lake Woodlands! Located conveniently to both Tampa and Clearwater, East Lake Woodlands is a gated community that offers golf, tennis, and the clubhouse has wonderful swimming facilities too!

Mary Drive Condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath with carport, this condo is 1151 sq ft   asking price is $89,899.

Palmetto Court condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath, 982 sq ft with carport and new tile floors!            89,800.

Nina Way condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath, 1151 sq ft with carport -           SHORT SALE                          77,761.

Lakeview Way condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath, 1196 sq ft                        SHORT SALE on a lake                        89,900.

Mary Drive condo: 2 bedroom/2 bath, 1151 sq ft                             SHORT SALE                                                  89,900.

If you would like to see any or all of these condos, give us a call! You can reach Bill at 727-916-0138 or Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910!

If you are considering purchasing or selling in the Clearwater, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor, Dunedin area give us a call! With years of experience in the local market, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

IKEA Coming To Tampa !!!! 

IKEA is coming to Tampa! To many this may mean nothing, but this has special meaning to me. I LOVE IKEA!!!

Years ago, when I lived in Europe and was just starting out with family and children, we just to purchase our furniture and everything from towels and pillowcases to pots and pans at IKEA. It was trendy and inexpensive - extactly what young families want!

When I moved to this country I left all my IKEA furniture behind! Then about 6 years ago I opened a coffee shop and wanted to put IKEA in. So I had everything from tables and chairs to sofas and loveseats shipped down from the Northwest since there was no local IKEA!

So I am pleased as punch that we are now getting an IKEA right here in Tampa! It is set to open during the Summer of 2009!!! I for one can't wait! It is a great place to purchase things for my granddaughter's bedroom!!!

Ah, IKEA memories!!!! Little things that make me smile!!!!

This lovely community directly on Tampa Bay offers so much! Start with the multi-million dollar clubhouse that includes heated pool, spa, redwood sauna, business center, 24/7 fitness center, tennis, volleyball, kayaks - this community has it all!

Pet friendly to 200 lbs.!!! Light waterfront promenade, kids playground!

You owe it to yourself to check Grand Bellagio out if you are considering buying in the Clearwater area!

For more information on this complex contact us today!

Call Bill at 727-916-0138 or Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910.

Clearwater's Countryside has some of the most beautiful homes in the county! That together with the fact that most of the homes in Countryside are not in a flood zone make this an attractive area to live.

If you are not in a flood zone, you do not have to have homeowner's insurance. That said, I have to add that you would be crazy not to have it if you live in Florida. But since it is not mandatory, it is a lot cheaper!!!

There are so many beautiful homes to choose from in the Clearwater Countryside area!!! If you are interested in buying or selling in the Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor area give us a call today!

With years of experience in the local market, we are here for all of your real estate needs!!!

Call Bill at 727-916-0138 or Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910. Your Clearwater Countryside Experts!!!

This beautiful Countryside home has a caged Pebble Tech pool that was added in 2002! There is a salt-water system with the pool! Anyone who knows pools knows that a salt-water system is easier to care for and much gentler on your body!!!

The price on this home can't be beat! It is indeed the best deal in Countryside!!! The home is in wonderful condition! Updated bathrooms! Newer roof, air conditioning and appliances. Family room has a beautiful fireplace!

Three-way split plan provides privacy for all family members! This 2189 sq ft 4 bedroom, 3 bath home shows well since it has been well maintained!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Dunedin area, give us a call today! With years of experience in the local market we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Bill at 727-916-0138 or Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910!!! We are your Clearwater Countryside Experts!!!

Safety Harbor Condo for sale for ONLY $119,900.! This is an unbelievable price for a condo right in Yorktown! This fantastic home has REAL wood kitchen cabinets!

This end unit is near the pool! The enclosed porch faces a lovely green area!

Call Bill at 727-916-0138 or Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 to see this home today!!!

Here is the Fall collection for hazardous waste for Pinellas County! It is such a good idea to dispose of harmful items properly and not do more harm to our environment!

Remember, that these collection sites are open from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays (on the dates posted here) so print it out and put it on your 'fridge along with the one for Spring! This is information every household should have!

September 6      Largo Solid Waste Facility on Starkey Rd

September 20    Gulfport Recreation Center on Shore Blvd

October 4           St Petersburg Home Depot and Circuit City on Tyrone Blvd

October 11         Safety Harbor Public Works on Railroad Ave

October 25         Palm Harbor/Countryside Home Depot and Staples on Curlew Rd at US 19 N

November 1       St Petersburg K-Mart on 34th St South

Place your chemicals in boxes and take them to these sites to be disposed of safely! Set a good example for your children and do something positive for your community and the environment!

Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa will be having special events to celebrate EARTH DAY! There will be Tai Chi and Yoga demonstrations taking place and plenty of special events and activities for the children. It would not be a real Earth Day celebration without special eco-friendly products being presented! And there will be various groups performing throughout the day!

Earth Day festivities will be from 11-4pm on Sunday at the Bandshell in Lowry Park. If you are in the area and wondering what to do, be sure to stop by and enjoy a day at the Zoo!!!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Palm Harbor area, give us a call. With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Andover Bay is a new townhome community in St Petersburg. This wonderful community is convenient to both the Gulf Beaches and Tyrone Square Mall.

There are 4 different possibilities:

The Boca - interior model - 1110 sq ft,

    2 bedroom, 2.5 bath starting at $199,750

The Boca - exterior model - 1110 sq ft,

    2 bedroom, 2.5 bath starting at $209,750

The Biscayne - interior model - 1471 sq ft,

    3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1 car garage starting at $249,750

The Biscayne - exterior model - 1471 sq ft,

    3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1 car garage starting at $259,750

Give us a call today to see any (or all) of these units! At these prices, they won't last long!!!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

St Petersburg has a branch of the University of South Florida right on the waterfront in the downtown area! It is a beautiful campus and saves Pinellas County residents the necessity of driving to the north Tampa main campus for classes!

There is ample parking on this lovely, modern campus! It is convenient to reach via the Interstate, which makes commuting a breeze!

If you are considering buying or selling in the St Petersburg/Clearwater area, give us a call! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Dunedin Gulf Front Condos are something everyone wants! The Dunedin Causeway leads directly out to beautiful Honeymoon Island! Condos out here, overlooking the sparkling blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico are a sought after rarity!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor or Palm Harbor area, give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Clearwater's Countryside area has a beautiful parade of homes! There are so many homes at unbelievable prices available right now!

There are currently over 5200 homes available in the Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Dunedin and Palm Harbor area! What a wonderful buyer's market!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor or Safety Harbor area, give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

St Petersburg towhome - brand new for only $169,500.! This wonderful community currently has a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath townhome available!!!

You must see this to believe it! Wonderful community, centrally located, pool on site for your after hour relaxation!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

NEW 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage townhome in St Petersburg now available for only $285,000.!!!

This is a wonderful community convenient to downtown St Petersburg and the interstate to get you to Tampa. You don't find NEW 3 bedroom townhomes at this price very often!!!!

Give us a call today to see this wonderful new townhome before it is gone!!! Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

St Petersburg is a wonderful place to live! And right now it has become even more inviting since there are 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath NEW townhomes starting at $169,000.!!!!!

Imagine having your very own NEW home for that price right in St Petersburg, off 38 Ave N.!!!! We would love the opportunity to show these townhomes to you!!

Give us a call today so we can set up an appointment to see one of these beautiful new townhomes!!!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Clearwater's beautiful Countryside area pool home currently on the market is over 3500 sq ft!!!!!

This home has 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, including a full bath out by the large lanai and caged pool area! Perfect for entertaining!!!

To see this or one of the other fantastic homes in the area, give us a call today!! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Safety Harbor Lakefront 3 bedroom, 2 bath home for under $400,000.! This beautiful home is over 1900 sq ft and is situated directly on Alligator Lake!

You can fish from your backyard in this beautiful waterfront home that is walking distance to Tampa Bay!

If you are considering buying or selling in Safety Harbor or the surrounding communities, give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Safety Harbor Lake Front Home for sale at the unbelievable price of $539,000!! This beautiful 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home with a 2 car garage is 2454 sq ft! It has a caged heated pool, spa, boat dock and unbelievable lanai!!!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Safety Harbor area give us a call today! With years of experience in the area we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

FREE Home Buyer's Workshop - the next one is scheduled for March 26th from 7-9pm in Tampa (on ML King Blvd near North Dale Mabry Hwy).

Several knowledgeable and highly trusted real estate and mortgage consultants will be covering important topics such as:

What lenders condier when deciding to lend you money

What makes up your credit score and how can you improve it

How to make offers on a home and get the seller to help pay your costs to buy their home!

All about negotiations, inspections, appraisals, loan application approval, title - and the list goes on!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138 to get more information on this event!!!

Florida's FCAT testing begins today in Pinellas County's Public Schools! It is important that students have a hearty breakfast before getting to the testing site!

These tests are extremely important, since they can determine whether or not a student passes on to the next grade level or is allowed to graduate from high school!

Be sure your student is prepared for the testing which runs through March 24th. For specific details on testing, you can contact the Pinellas County School Board at 727-588-6000.

If you are considering buying or selling in the north Pinellas County area, give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Vinoy Park's Crawfish Festival is coming again! The 8th annual Crawfish Festival will take place from March 7th through March 9th in Vinoy Park in downtown St Petersburg!

The festival will kick off at 4:30 pm on Friday, March 7th with live music, plenty of excellent food along with arts and crafts! There is a 30,000 ft pavillion and even a special kids tent!!!

There will be over 10,000 pounds of Cajun style crawfish prepared for this weekend long event!!! Be sure to check this out if you are looking for something to do with the family!!!

If you are considering buying or selling in the St Petersburg, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, Dunedin area give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs! We would love the opportunity to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138!

Safety Harbor is indeed a wonderful community! Situated directly on Tampa Bay and adjacent to Courtney Campbell Causeway, it is a short drive to Tampa and all of the cultural events that take place over there!

But it is also just minutes from Clearwater and St Petersburg! The best of all these wonderful cities have to offer and yet the peace, quiet and tranquility of living out of the hustle and bustle!

Whether you are looking to relocate the entire family or you are downsizing to a condo or villa, Safety Harbor has so much to offer! Once you experience life here in Safety Harbor, you will wonder why you did not discover this jewel sooner!!!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Safety Harbor area, give us a call today! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs! We would love the opportunity to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Safety Harbor has so many beautiful homes and right now the prices are at an all time low! It is indeed a buyer's market!!!

With prices this low, it is the perfect time to purchase that home you have been dreaming of getting!!!! And what better location that quiet little Safety Harbor?

Convenient to Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater, Safety Harbor is located directly on Tampa Bay and only minutes from the Gulf of Mexico!!!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Safety Harbor area, give us a call today!!! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs! We would love the opportunity to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life.

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Safety Harbor has many beautiful homes directly on Alligator Lake. Alligator Lake connects directly to Tampa Bay, so it is well stocked with fish!

Located within minutes from Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater, Safety Harbor is a wonderful community that is primarily residential.

To view one of the many fantastic homes available give us a call! With years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs! We would love the opportunity to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138.

Safety Harbor Seafood Festival is taking place this weekend, March 1st and 2nd in downtown Safety Harbor, directly at the marina (which is adjacent to Safety Harbor Spa).

There will be plenty of fresh seafood dishes to delight your taste buds! There will also be live entertainment and vendors with a wonderful collection of arts and crafts!

If you are considering buying or selling in the Safety Harbor area give us a call today! With our years of experience in the area, we are here for all of your real estate needs! We would love the opportunity to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life!

Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138!!!

Safety Harbor homes offer so much: convenient to Tampa, Clearwater and St Petersburg, this quiet little community located on Tampa Bay is minutes from the Gulf of Mexico!

Whether you are looking for a home in a conservation area on a lake, in a gated (or nongated) community or directly on Tampa Bay, you can find all of this and so much more in Safety Harbor!

Convenient to shopping, the malls, theaters, numerous large parks, schools, universities, churches - Safety Harbor is the place to live!

Give us a call today and we will discuss your real estate needs. Call Barbara-Jo at 727-512-0910 or Bill at 727-916-0138. We would like to earn your business and become your real estate consultants for life!