Steve Wooster, Chairman of the Green Real Estate Alliance of Sarasota Florida offered me this great "Green Marketing" tip:  Celebrate Arbor Day and join the 4th Grader Foresters Program.  Arbor Day is the third Friday of January for Florida, January 19th.  Every state celebrates Arbor Day on a different date.  To check the day your state celebrates Arbor Day visit www.arborday.org.  The project is a simple and inexpensive way for you to sponsor the 4th grade students at your local elementary school in your community.  Sponsors can attach a their business card to each tree and sponsorship can be announced in press releases to local media.  This is the best feel good marketing you can ever do. This project will help revitalize observation of Arbor in our schools and to send every fourth g... 12/28/2008

Venice, Florida is one of the most beautiful communities in Florida and is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico.  Venice is a very popular place to live for retired seniors and families.  Venice FL is known for its beautiful beaches, scenic parks, quaint downtown shopping and its lovely boulevard shaded by giant live oaks that extend from downtown to the Venice Beaches.  Venice is also know as the "Sharks Tooth Capitlal of the World" and is the best location to find prehistoric sharks teeth and other treasures on their beautiful Florida beaches.  In addition to the lovely beach, a central park along Venice's main street, Venice Avenue, is the site of concerts, arts and craft shows, and various special events.  Venice Municipal Airport is 2 miles away from downtown Venice and sits near... 12/28/2008

Is the Venice FL real estate and Englewood FL real estate getting any better? If you look at the statistics as compared to 15 months ago, September 2007; YES it is getting better but we are still in a declining market. The inventory is down (not as many homes available for sale) and more homes have sold and were are under contract to sell. The number of homes for sale in the Venice FL and Englewood FL markets combined as compared to 15 months ago has dropped 13.8%. Homes that have closed has risen 25.9% and homes under contract are up 115.3%. The average days on the market (DOM) has dropped from 146 to 112 and list to sales price ratio although has fluctuated over the past 15 months is still at 91%, which means that the average home is selling for 8% - 9% off the stated list price. If y... 12/28/2008

Thank you to everyone who helped us relocate the newest member of our family, Smokey.  And a very special thank you to Kathleen Weeden for allowing us to adopt him.  Smokey is settling into his new home nicely and loves being with the children.  Yesterday, Smokey decided to lay down and take a little nap with all of my children.  Michael, Anna and Rachael laid down with Smokey for a well deserved afternoon siesta.  I wish I could have taken a picture of it but I missed it.  I think if the kids could sleep in the pasture with Smokey all the time they would.  We would love everyone to stop by and welcome Smokey to our family. 12/27/2008

In this highly competitive market only the most dedicated agents become successful and stay in business.  Those agents create a business plan, use it as a guide line, follow it and track their efforts.  This allows you to stay focused on the what works, allows you to work smarter, not harder.  You should set your goals both professionally and personally.  Review what worked well for you in 2008 and repeat it.  Set your income goals and calculate the number of transactions needed to accomplish those goals.  Develop a business and marketing budget which include all your business costs when you are setting your income goals (cell phone, supplies, dues, postage, postcards, etc).  Create a plan to add prospects to your database. What will your professional development goals be for 2009 (brok... 12/20/2008

I am not new to real estate but I am a new agent.  Since joining Coldwell Banker in September of this year I can't tell you how many people, including my husband, told me that I was crazy for getting into this market at a time like this.  At times I began to wonder if everyone was right but I keep plugging on. I felt this is a perfect time to become an agent.  I have plenty of time to get the training I need, earn designations that will help me grow my business, involve myself with my community, and to get my name associated and recognized with real estate.  Since joining Coldwell Banker in September I immediately enrolled in their training program and completed 70 hours of training within the first month and an additional one week training course to learn the new Mid Florida Regional M... 12/17/2008

    What is Thanksgiving?  The month of November brings spectacular fall colors, hot chocolate and cozy nights by the fire.It's also a time of Thanksgiving - a time for Thank Yous.  In reflection, we all have found what it means to be thankful by cherishing our family, friends, and entrusting customers - even and the beauty that surrounds us everyday becomes reason to give thanks. From our family to your family...We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year.   "Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds." Theodore Roosevelt   Contact Kari A. Battaglia, licensed Realtor® in Venice Florida at 941-270-1851 to list your property for sale or to help you i... 11/27/2008

There is nothing better than fresh cranberry sauce to compliment your turkey on Thanksgiving Day.  It is so easy to make and it tastes like you put so much effort into it.  There are of course many ways of preparing this delicious condiment but I love it plain and simple.  Now my mother loves canned cranberry sauce and I have to serve it too on Thanksgiving Day just for her.  What do you think?  Do you agree with my mother that the canned variety is better?  I guess everyone has their own taste.  Here is my recipe for fresh cranberry sauce:  1 package of organic cranberries, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and a little dash of ground clove.  Cook in a medium sauce pan for about 10 - 15 minutes until the little cranberries start to burst.  Put in a serving dish and cover.  Refrigerate for... 11/23/2008

I wanted to share with everyone something I learned from a real estate agent a few months ago during a GRI class I attended in Sarasota, Florida. I noticed that one of my fellow classmates had one of those cool new paper thin Apple laptops with a small box the size of a deck of cards attached to it. I had to go over and check out this great new laptop. After speaking with her I learned that she had recently gone through what she explained to be nothing short of a nightmare; her business laptop had been stolen! Replacing the stolen laptop is easily done, but replacing your customer data base, history of customer communications, tasks lists, calendar, emails, documents, spreadsheets, pictures, etc. may not be replaceable. It took her months and countless hours to restore her lost informat... 11/23/2008

Finally all of my hard work blogging, posting, and months of my husband asking me what are you doing on Active Rain again has paid off.  I got my first call from someone who read my Active Rain profile.  I have to tell you I was thrilled.  When I got off the phone I yelled "Y E S it works!"  I got a call from buyers in Long Island, New York.  They are looking to buy a winter home here in Florida and plan to retire here in 7 years.  They first started their search in the Naples area and a friend of theirs told them they should check out the Venice Florida area and how beautiful it is here.  The buyers went to the internet and found my Active Rain profile on About.com and gave me a call.  I asked them when they plan on coming to the Venice area, that I would love to show them around and w... 11/06/2008

I just attending a Green Real Estate Professional Alliance Workshop at our local board which was a program developed by Steve Wooster of Michael Saunders in Sarasota Florida to help our Realtors® association develop a new committee under our local board called the Green Real Estate Alliance.  Steve is currently the Chairman and founding member of the Green Real Estate Alliance of Sarasota and his goal is to spread the word.  The Green Real Estate Alliance will help teach members and the general public about energy efficent and environmentally friendly home features, and the many ways to help protect our environment.  Green real estate is attracting buyers.  Green homes are not just good for the environment but also a way for your to make your listing stand out from all the rest.  I am e... 10/24/2008

This is my continuing series of promoting many of my business partners.  They all have their special strengths, and I feel I would like to help them promote their business.  If you ever do business with any of these people or businesses, please feel free to comment here about your experiences! Today, for my second issue, I would like to promote: Sandra Wiseman - Wiseman Law Office 355 West Venice Ave Venice, FL Attorney at Law specializing in Real Estate Litigation and Real Estate Closings. Active Member of the Attorney's Title Insurance Fund (The Fund). Additionally, a former insurance defense attorney and public defender, also taking personal injury and criminal defense cases. Business Category: Legal/Mediation While Sandra technically is also a business 'networking partner' she has h... 08/09/2008

Starting this week, I would like to help promote some of my weekly business networking partners.  They all have their special strengths, and I feel I would like to help them promote their business.  If you ever do business with any of these people or businesses, please feel free to comment here about your experiences! Today, for my first issue, I would like to promote: TJ Freidman - Point of Sale Solutions Venice, FL Point of Sale Solutions represents the largest credit card processor in the world. Our local and regional offices offer our merchants superior customer service as well as the lowest card processing rates anywhere. We also offer the latest in check processing, guarantee, and conversion systems available today. We have designed affordable gift and loyalty card programs for th... 08/03/2008

Whether you are looking for Megalodon Shark Teeth or just our regular run of the mill present day shark's tooth, the beaches of Venice Florida are known as the World's Shark Tooth Capital. What could be more fun than getting up early and combing the beaches, looking for shark's teeth and sea shells??? You might not find a tooth from the ancient Megalodon (believed to be over 60 feet in length) but there is a good chance that you will find some type of shark's tooth! And the sea shells you find here are beyond description! Absolutely beautiful!!!! If you are looking for a weekend day-trip, remember the beaches of Venice, Florida!!!! Venice is less than an hour's drive south of the Clearwater, Safety Harbor area!!! The perfect place for a family adventure!   07/18/2008

Florida’s growth rate has been phenomenal for decades and projections for continued growth have not yet been revised sharply downward. In recent years the rate of growth may have slowed but experts whose job it is to monitor population trends say that the net population of Florida is still on the increase. For information on Florida’s growth trend see “IS FLORIDA SHRINKING?”. As I’ve watched real estate prices fall and inventories rise I began to wonder if the projections for growth in Florida had changed. As a resident who loves the Florida lifestyle I can’t comprehend how someone would not wish to live in the “Sunshine State”. I’ve listened to so many people argue the demographic shift of an aging America would guarantee continued growth. I believe that the current slower rate of grow... 07/17/2008

Island Walk at the West Villages in Venice, Florida ~ Where Every Home has a Water View! Island Walk is a pristine DiVosta development that lies between the beautiful cities of Venice and North Port, Florida.  Island Walk is a community arranged in a way that it's similar to a chain of islands, and each "island" is connected by beautiful brick bridges that make for perfect morning walks or jogs. Island walk is a lakefront community, meaning that every home in the community has a lake view!  This says a lot for the design of the community itself, considering that it is 830 acres in size.  While Island Walk is very close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, exquisite shopping and colorful art & culture events, many of the things you desire lie right in your own back yard.  ... 07/08/2008

Properly pricing property has never been more important. In a falling market overpricing could cost a seller 10's of thousands of dollars. Over pricing is potentially more damaging than under pricing. During every listing there will be the discussion of price. Every Realtor will come prepared with comparable sales reports. The property seller normally reviews these reports and looks to their Realtor for advice. It's easy to start with an asking price that seems at the time to be a little high, because we can always come down if we need to. Right?  In an up trending or flat market yes, maybe. But in a down trending market this is Dead Wrong! In a downward trending market this strategy is costly. Our MLS is full of properties that have been on the market forever. The properties see regula... 07/02/2008

Its summer here is southwest Florida. It's time for some of the best fishing of the year. Year round the fishing is great. But summer brings "tarpon season". Last year I became addicted. If you've never hunted tarpon you may not understand.   Last year I caught my first tarpon. I have had tarpon on the line before but never successfully battled one to the boat. My first tarpon was over 100 lbs. That's when the obsession began in earnest. I spend many mornings in my quest. I search the waters for rolling tarpon, hoping to place a lure or bait in front of the pod. Most days the tarpon beat me. They find my weakness and exploit it. I use braid with a fluorocarbon leader. Early this season I lost tarpon as the braid cut through the leader during long runs. My support group at Fishin Franks ... 07/02/2008

With run-a-way energy costs, will there be a new paradigm in how cities and communities are designed? Will we see more of a shift to town center design? I've read a bit about "Traditional Neighborhood Design" and "New Urbanism", these terms referring to a holistic approach to designing cities and communities. Co-locating where you work to where you live and play. Will (Do)home buyers place community design at the top of their wish list? Will promoting your market areas "green" and "livability" features help sales? Can suburban sprawl be adapted to a town center to buoy slumping rural sales? I live on the Island of Venice in southwest Florida. When my wife and I moved here we never gave a thought about the "green" neighborhood design. We moved here because we love the beach and boating. ... 07/01/2008

South Venice Beach, Venice, Florida For home buyers searching for a waterfront community in South Florida, sticker shock is a common affliction. Many of my clients are boaters and fishermen...but they don't have a million dollars for a home in a waterfront community. But I have an answer for them - South Venice Beach. South Venice Beach is a waterfront community about 20 miles south of Sarasota proper. Located on the Intracoastal, it is the largest subdivision in the area, and is amazingly affordable. Residents enjoy access to a community boat ramp, as well as a ferry that runs out to a private, resident only beach on the Gulf of Mexico. The price for these great amenities? About $150 per year - and it is not even mandatory! Amazingly, the neighborhood is still non-deed restricted - a r... 03/25/2008