Q & A: Condo Questionnaire about Maintenance fees, etc.  Condo Questionnaire     Q: Water leak in my condo unit, do the maintenance fees pay for the repair? A: It depends on where the water leak is. According to Section 718.113, F.S; maintenance of common elements is the responsibility of the association. Common elements mean an area shared with other condo owners. For instance, a water pipe inside the wall before it enters into your unit. Once the pipe entering your unit is leaking, it will be unit owner’s responsibility to pay for the repair.   Q: Is the association required to disclose information to a prospective buyer? A: The association is not required to disclose information to a prospective buyer except for what is required by Chapter 718. For instance if someone died in the un... 03/28/2013

East Gate Community Picnic Venice FL This morning 29 children in East Gate had great fun with their Easter Egg Hunt. In the afternoon about 40 adults and their families enjoyed a community picnic with another beautiful day in Paradise Venice FL. Normally my husband and I volunteer to cook the hamburgers and hotdogs for the community. This time he had to do it by himself, because I was home late from showing property in Sarasota near the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.     I missed the fun of cooking BBQ for East Gate community picnic, but there was plenty of food for me to eat when I arrived.   I just ate and ran again for another showing to a different buyer.   When we arrived at the property, there were three different sets of buyers looking at the same house at the same time. The buye... 03/23/2013

Venice FL Real Estate Market Reports – February 2013 Venice Florida Real Estate Market Reports will provide you a good over view of how Single family homes and condos for sale performed during the month of February 2013.   To view current Single Family Homes for sale in Venice FL. 104 units were sold. 151 were listed for sale in February 2013. The average sold price was a $216,614 home with 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms 2 car garage and 1737 square feet of heated area. Average days on the market was 88 Compared to last year the average sold price was up 17.28% from $184,696 (2012) to $216,614 (2013)    Single Family Homes List to Sales Price Ratio 2012       Single Family Home List to Sales Price Ratio 2013          To view current Condos for sale in Venice FL. According to the Venice FL Real ... 03/22/2013

Q & A: In Florida Can a HOA foreclose for unpaid Association Fees? # 2   Q: In Florida Can a HOA foreclose for unpaid Association Fees? A: Yes, also the association can rent it out and collect incomes. Continued from last week on Q & A: In Florida Can a HOA foreclose for unpaid Association Fees? # 1   Notice Provisions Before filing a claim of lien or a lien foreclosure, the association must give the unit owner 45 days written notice by certified or registered mail, and return receipt requested by first class mail. Must be sent to the unit owner at his/her last known address if the address is in the United States and is not the address of the parcel.   Lien Contents/Effective Time To be a valid lien, it must be for assessments, not fines. The Claim of lien must contain a description of ... 03/18/2013

Venice FL, Easter Egg Hunt in 2013 This is the exciting time of the year for the children in Venice FL. Why? There are two Easter egg hunt events in 2013 coming, they will take place this weekend and next weekend.        This weekend March 23, 2013 Saturday Time: 10:00am Admission: Free Who: East Gate residents and guests age 10 and under Location: East Gate Park 1221 Poplar Drive, Venice FL 34285. Contact:  Julie Collins at 941-485-5311 for more information            Next weekend March 30, 2013 Saturday Time: 9:00am -11:00am Admission: Free Entertainment: 9:30am Location: Centennial Park  200 West Venice Ave Venice FL 34285 Contact: 941-484-6722 for more information Sponsor: Venice MainStreet,with special thanks to the Venice Lions Club and The Warehouse.     There have been about 400... 03/18/2013

 Tiki From Tree, Venice FL We have a friend from South America in town for a visit. She likes to experience new things. We took her around as well as visited the Venice Art Center in Venice FL. We found this original hand painted Tiki from a palm branch by creative artist Mary Jo Floryjanski. It was for sale at a cost of $50.00. It can be hung out doors in a covered or protected area to avoid direct sunlight and rain to prevent the colors from fading.         03/17/2013

Just listed: Lakefront Condo for Sale in Heron Lakes, Venice FL  Search current inventory of Lakefront Condos for Sale in Venice FL    Listing Details  - Active with Contract    Lakefront Condo for Sale in Heron Lakes, Venice FL 3030 Heron Lakes Court, Venice FL 34293 Price: $95,000 MLS number: N5779859 Bedroom: 2 Bathroom: 2 Square Footage: 1042 Call or text Kwee at 941-716-3090 to see if this property is still available and arrange a showing.   You Will Love the Peaceful Park-like setting with Lake Views From this Beautiful Condo         Most affordable lakefront maintenance free end unit Condo at Heron Lakes -welcoming you at their entrance with a line of palm and oak trees.  Peaceful park- like setting with lake views from the master bedroom, living room, and enclosed lanai.  Unit h... 03/14/2013

Local Weather Report, Venice FL We had another beautiful day in paradise Venice FL. There were so many visitors on the beach enjoying the sunny day getting a sun tan before they go back North. Our temperature today was a high of 72 º  F - which was a cooler than the average high from the past.         This year we also had an unusual winter, with more warmer days than the past.   According to the local weather report, The lowest recorded temperature was 22 º   F in 1962. On average the coolest month is January. The highest recorded temperature was 100 º  F in 1998. The average warmest month is July. The maximum average precipitation occurs in the month of August.     03/13/2013

Q & A: In Florida Can a HOA foreclose for unpaid Association Fees? # 1 Q: In Florida Can a HOA foreclose for unpaid Association Fees? A: Yes. Establishing Liens for Unpaid Association Fees /Assessments  In Florida many of the HOA (Homeowner Association) documents give the association their right to place a lien on each parcel to secure payment of assessments and other accounts as of the date of the recording of the Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions.  . (Florida Statutes Section 720.305)  The Association does not have to record a Claim of Lien to have a lien. By recording a Claim of Lien, the Association becomes a secured creditor and would have priority over any mortgage recorded after the Association’s Claim of Lien is recorded. Liable for Unpaid Association Fees/Assessments Th... 03/12/2013

Live Music by the LinkUnion Yesterday my sister in law invited us to join her for a stage show at Venice Isle Estates.  The show was live bluegrass music performed by the LinkUnion, (a family of eight from the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.)   Members of the LinkUnion In the photograph from left to right: Ben, Kyle, Ashley (wife of Kyle), Rachel (band leader), Becky (Mother) and Aaron. Not in the picture John back stage, Lance (Father) sound engineer at the music room.  Kyle and Ashley have a ten month old baby girl traveling with them as well.   How was their performance? LinkUnion delivered a powerful performance with world class harmonies and hard-driving instrumentals. This is one of the best live music stage shows I have enjoyed. It was fun to watch these young, energetic, hilarious,... 03/11/2013

  What Can Be Recycled?  Aluminum can…   What can be recycled?  There are many household items that can be recycled; however I chose aluminum cans as my topic for the post. Aluminum cans are one of the most regularly recycled drink containers in the world.  It takes a maximum of 60 days to recycle and return to the store a new can. One can - can save enough electricity to power a TV set for 3 hours.   The benefits of aluminum cans: 1.They do not corrode easily. 2.They can be recycled over and over again; fewer new cans would have to be produced.  Cans that end up in a landfill will be there for 500 years. 3.They are very light weight and reduce transportation costs. 4.They can be rolled into very thin foil and still retain much of their strength, they add value as a light packing materi... 03/10/2013

  San Marco Venice FL Find similar condos for sale to the San Marco Venice FL   Stop your search! If you are looking for an amazing waterfront condo in Venice, you have just found it. San Marco couldn't be more conveniently located. Sitting on the west side of Venice, many of the units in the condo have panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico and spectacular sunsets. Steps away are the lovely white sand beach, the Higel Marine Park, Venice Yacht Club, Crow’s Nest Restaurant and the Jetty. There is covered and uncovered parking for your vehicle or bike. San Marco Units are Modern and Updated There are a variety of units in the San Marco Condominiums. 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom floor plans are all available. 1 bedroom units run about 646 square feet while the 2 bedroom units can get up to 1078... 03/09/2013

  Roseate Spoonbills in Venice FL The most outstanding beautiful pink bird, often mistaken for flamingos are roseate spoonbills. They have large flat spoon shape bills, pink bodies and wings with long reddish legs. Their necks and breasts are mostly white.   They walk in shallow fresh water including ponds, marches, and swamps hunting for food by moving their bills from side to side. Their food is small creatures like crustaceans, insects, and tiny fishes.  They often nest on islands or small trees and shrubs surrounded by water.  Their territories range from northern Florida’s St Augustine to the Panhandle in the west and the Everglades in the South. The immature roseate spoonbills have white, feathered heads and their pink body is paler. They were hunted during the late 1800s for thei... 03/08/2013

Q & A – What is a HOA in Florida? Q: What is a HOA in Florida? A: A HOA is homeowners association HOAs in Florida are governed by  Chapter 720, F.S and 720.301(9) defines homeowner’s associations as: (9) “Homeowners’ association” or “association” means a Florida corporation responsible for the operation of a community or a mobile home subdivision in which the voting membership is made up of parcel owners or their agents, or a combination thereof, and in which membership is a mandatory condition of parcel ownership, and which is authorized to impose assessments that, if unpaid, may become a lien on the parcel. The term “homeowners’ association” does not include a community development district or other similar special taxing district created pursuant to statute. Buyers looking for homes ... 03/05/2013

 8 Facts about Women’s History Month in March March is National Women’s History Month. It is celebrated in United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. The first International Women’s Day was observed in 1911. In the United States it was established by the Congress in 1981.      image from google.com    The following are the 8 facts about Women’s History Month in March in the United States Women’s history in Businesses – in 2007 revenue for women-owned businesses was $1.2 trillion, the number of women owned businesses was 7.8 million, and the number of people employed by women owned businesses was 7.5 million. 45.9% of women owned businesses were operated in maintenance and repair, personal and laundry services, professional, scientific and technical services.  52% of all businesses we... 03/02/2013

 Car Runs on Water to Reduce Air Pollution     The CEO of H2 Global, LLC announced this is the 1st and only car in the world that is powered by solar, wind and also runs on water to reduce air pollution - 90% water and 10% gas.   The proud owner of the company is Mr. Walt Jenkins.The car will run 45 miles per gallon. It can run up to 90 miles per hour with clean fuel from water to replace gas or diesel, without any emission of smoke. It helps to reduce air pollution so that we can enjoy a healthier environment  For more information visit h4gas.com       02/27/2013

  Attention FL Homeowners! Homestead Exemption Applications end 3/1/2013   Any Florida homeowner who purchased any property or moved  into a permanent residence between  January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012  seeking homestead exemption must complete the application and file by 3/1/2013 for a tax breaks. What information do I need for an application? 1.A recorded deed or tax bill with your name 2.Social Security number for each owner 3.Florida Driver’s license or Identification Card 4.Florida auto tag registration (if you drive) 5.Florida voter registration with current address (if you register to vote) 6.Income Tax Return with your current address     When should I submit the homestead exemption application? The normal filing time for homestead begins January 1 and lasts through March ... 02/26/2013

 Venice FL Real Estate Market Report – January 2013 The real estate sales went up in Venice FL and prices are on the rise; the market report for January 2013 shows average sales prices went up 10.29% over last year January from $170,862 to $188,453   To see 3 bedroom homes for sale in Venice FL Total properties sold 177; 142 were homes and 35 condos. Compared to last year January 166 were sold; 126 homes and 40 condos. Homes sales rose 6.62% over last year. Current total listed homes for sale 640, homes that went under contract 340.       This Venice FL Real Estate Market Report – January 2013 will show the most expensive home, condo, villa and mobile home sold. To view the most expensive house for sale in Venice FL The most expensive home sold $550,000 Listed price $599,900 Sold price ... 02/25/2013

Kwee Huset in Venice, Florida - A Real Estate Professional Kwee Huset is a member of our ActiveRain Meet-Up group and we have had several lunches together; and she drives for a couple of hours to meet with us; often bringing  husband, Andy, with her. She sells real estate in Venice, FL - a truly beautiful area on the west coast near Sarasota. Kwee came here from Kuantan, Pahang Malaysia, and has lived in Venice Florida since 1991. She loves the sunshine and the natural splendor of Venice (similar to Kuantan) and the surrounding cities; they remind her of  home. Andy and Kwee volunteer at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Wednesday Nite Live Youth Group  of about 20 children between 2 to 16 years old. She says It is rewarding sharing God’s love, helping them with homework, and having fun with... 01/30/2013

    Car Show in Venice FL presented by AACA   When: January 27, 2013 Sunday  Hours: 9am – 5pm  Where: Venice Municipal Airport Festival Grounds  Who: Open to public  Tickets: Free Admission  Who to Contact: 941-924-5224  Contact information: arnoldstudio41@yahoo.com     One of the Best Car Shows The 44th Annual Devereaux Kaiser Car Show in Venice FL is presented by AACA along with the City of Venice. This event was relocated from Sarasota Square Mall to Venice for more parking spaces. Last year, the event attracted more than 18,000 visitors. You may see cars that have wooden wheels and are from 1925 or earlier. The car show automobiles must be 25 years or older.  This is not a contest, there are no awards, no judging, no cost and no reserved place for your car to display. There is a “ca... 01/25/2013