Melbourne Real Estate News, Brevard County Florida by Sandy Shores Melbourne FL Realtor

While we were enjoying our time off over the holiday we knew we had to keep with tradition, so it was time to decorate a gingerbread house.

Now, I can't help but wonder why the pictures on the side of the gingerbread boxes are always so beautiful.

My girls, Stef and Sam and my sister, Jean and I each took one side of the gingerbread house and diligently went to work. We started out trying to be as neat as we could. The frosting started oozing out of both sides of the baker's tube and before long, we had frosting all over the place and all over ourselves. 

We had the ugliest gingerbread house we have ever seen.

And, we had the most wonderful time ever!

We laughed our heads off, as we wiped the icing off the walls. 

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

Here's wishing you and yours a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

The Central Florida Regional Cheer Competition was held this weekend at the Kissimmee Civic Center. Our own Satellite High School Junior Varsity and Varsity Cheerleadering teams each took home first place. The girls all worked very hard. Thanks to all the dedication and commitment of the coaches Vickie, Jess and Janette. Way to go Scorpions!

Fruitcake.  Do you know anyone that buys fruitcake or even eats the stuff?   Some fruitcakes look very unappealing. Does anyone really know what's in a fruitcake, besides fruit?  And, why are they so heavy?

Earlier this week I ran into the store to do a bit of Christmas shopping. Every year I stop and pick up a loaf, a bar, a log, a brick of fruitcake.  My mother in law, Dawn, liked fruitcake, so we gave her one each year for Christmas.  We used to laugh about it all the time.  "You know, Dawn, I think you're the only one I've ever met that likes this stuff.  Hang on tight to it, because if you drop it, it will break your foot," I would kid.  She had such a great sense of humor.

But, this year, I won't be buying any fruitcake, because Dawn passed away in March 2009.  The thought saddens me. 

But, in the spirit of fun, and remembering Dawn's dynamic personality and incredible sense of humor I had to think of all the uses for a fruitcake:

You could use it as a pin cushion.

You could use it as a paperweight.

You could use it as a hockey puck.

You could use it as a door holder.

You could use it as a step during your aerobics workout.

You could use it to hold your knives.

You could use it as a Christmas tree stand.

You could give one as a gag gift to someone with braces.

Floridians could use them as sand bags during the next tropical storm.

You could send one to school for your child's next science experiment, and have them dissect it to see what really is in a fruitcake.

I know that Dawn would be laughing it up right now, going over all the great uses for her favorite fruitcake.

Can anyone think of anything else you can do with a fruitcake?

 

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

We have had some thick fog here in several counties of Florida that is covering the roads like a blanket.   This is uncommon in our area. We seldom see fog in the late afternoon/evenings, and I can't remember ever seeing it this thick.

  Visibility in some areas has been 1/4 mile to a mile.

Driving home the other night it was quite difficult to see the road.

The news has reported that the fog should be lifting soon. 

For a split second, it reminded me of growing up in Illinois and the beginning of a snow storm, with the way the fog glistened on the windshield of the car. 

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

Here it is less than 2 weeks until Christmas...

I thought this year that I would be able to keep my Christmas poinsettia alive, from one Christmas to the next... but, no luck again. 

In October, I was tickled, as my plant, that I got 10 months ago was still alive. That's a record for me!

But, then it began looking sickly.  And, about 2 weeks ago, my husband thought it was looking pretty pitiful (it was still alive though). So, he decided to give it some additional care.  He watered it and figured that  some fresh air and sunshine would do the trick. He put it out by the pool, in the direct sunlight.  There it sat for 2 days.  Uh-oh!  It was fried! That was officially the end.

I typically have a green thumb with outside plants, but give me an inside plant and I'll have it dead in no time. 

Are poinsettias supposed to live for a long period of time or are they only seasonal plants? And just HOW do you take care of these beautiful plants?  Does anyone know?  I sure don't!

I don't buy poinsettias for myself. I receive them as gifts, from people that don't know that I'll have the poor thing dead in no time.

So, this year, when I receive my beautiful Christmas poinsettia, I hope I can keep it alive until next Christmas. 

 

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Rental applications in many areas are down by about 15% to 20%. It seems that the number of phone calls from prospective tenants has declined quite a bit.  And, I have to stop and wonder why.

In some areas of Brevard county as many as 60% of sales are short sales.   If their short sale is approved, we know that these owners won't be purchasing another home. Or, if their home slips into foreclosure, they won't be able to buy.

So, these families should be out looking for good, clean affordable rental houses, right?

But, the number of empty rentals has increased, and the number of phone calls on rentals has decreased. 

Has the number of empties increased because some rental house owners are still reluctant or unwilling to rent to people with blemished credit? 

As a landlord, I have rented to a number of previous owners that faced short sale or foreclosure. Many are good, hard working people, that got in over their heads.  Next week, I have a family moving into one of my rentals, that has just gone through a short sale.

The number of empty rentals is high, the number of rental calls are low, and we have a high percentage of owners going into short sale or foreclosure in our area.  We have heard that some families are moving in together.  Sons and daughters, with their small children are being forced to move back in with their parents, for financial reasons. 

But, where are the rest of these owners going? 

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

 

 

 

The call came in this morning.  Her voice was filled with excitement. "I did it, MOM!," as her voice echoed through the phone.  "I did it, I passed my driver's test!"  She was thrilled!  She has been talking about it for over a week.  "I'm so excited, I can't believe it!"

"Wow, that's great!  I'm so proud of you!" 

I was excited...I think.  Perhaps a bittersweet excitement.

She's growing up; growing up faster than I  like to think about.  Soon we'll be touring colleges to see where she'll be going when she graduates. Too much too quick!

In talking to my older sister, Jean today, "How do you feel about her driving?"  Ugh, I thought. Out on the roads driving. Okay, take a deep breath.

When she was smaller we could take baby steps in helping her find herself, her independence. But, as the years have progressed it seems that each step is so much bigger than the last one. And, she's taking them beautifully. 

Stephanie is growing up to be a wonderful, strong, assertive young woman.  And, sometimes I have to pinch myself, because I feel so very blessed that she is my daughter. 

But, how did we get here? 

I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital.  It felt like yesterday. 

I love my girls and I love having them around. I'm not ready for them to move out and go off to college. 

But, that's what we raise them for, isn't it?  To become strong and independent so they are prepared to go out into the world and live their own lives? 

So, I guess, I'm the one that is going to have to do some growing up... and some letting go.

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County, Florida's Space Coast Real Estate & Investing

I specialize in Residential, Investment & Relocations. I can help with Short Sales and Foreclosures.

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.