I just found the coolest website call A Letter from Santa. This site gives you the ability to order a letter or phone call from Santa. The letter comes post marked from the North Pole.

They also have several gift ideas and I just found this a really cool site to use for the upcoming holidays so I thought I would pass it along. I included a link below. Go check it out and send a letter from Santa to your children this holiday season!

Millions of homes are sold every year. Even though each transaction is different, all sellers want the same result - the highest price in the least amount of time with the fewest problems.
Selling Real Estate is more difficult than it used to be. As a seller you need to be aware of a range of issues and deal with many complex forms.

You also need to know that buyer agents represent buyers and each of them are giving their fiduciary responsibility to their clients. Successfully selling a property requires the Real Estate Agent to have experience and training in areas like marketing, financing, negotiation and closing deals – this is the very expertise that Realtor offer. It is Important to Know Why You Want to Sell Your Home.

First, you should have a clear idea why you want to sell your home. Selling a home is an important decision and there should be a good reason to sell, such as moving to a new community, needing more space, retiring to a smaller home or moving closer to family. Your reason for selling can impact the negotiating process so it’s important to discuss your needs and wants in private with the Realtor who lists your home. To get an idea of whether it’s a seller’s market or a buyer’s market, many people start by looking at online or printed real estate guides to research the current market and the price of comparable properties.

Is Your Home Ready to Be Sold? The home-selling process typically starts several months before a property is made available for sale. For best results when selling your home, you need to look at your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be cleaned, painted, repaired and thrown out.
Ask yourself: “If I were buying this home, what would I want to see?” The goal is to show a home which looks good, maximizes space and attracts as many buyers - and as much demand - as possible.

When setting a list price for your home, you should know the current market conditions. Consider the following pricing factors:

If you set the price too high, your house won’t be picked for viewing, even though it may be much nicer than other homes on the street. You may have told your Realtor to just bring an offer, but compared to other houses for sale, your home looks way too expensive to be considered. Some neighborhoods like Madison Heights in Pasadena naturally get more for their homes than others.

If you price too low, you’ll short-change yourself. Your home will sell promptly, yes, but you may make less on the sale than if you had set a higher price and waited for a buyer who was willing to pay it.

As the term suggests, bio-fuels are fuels that are formed when biological matter decomposes. The bio-fuels are mostly derived from plants. Bio-fuels exist in all the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.

Difference between bio-fuels and fossil fuels Bio-fuels are different from fossil fuels in the following ways:
• Fossil fuels take a million years to build whereas bio-fuels can be made extremely fast, in a matter of days.
• Fossil fuels generate huge amounts of pollution. Bio-fuels are comparatively safer.
• Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy unlike fossil fuels.

Different types of bio-fuels Bio-fuels have been categorized into four types: first generation, second generation, third generation, and fourth generation.

The first generation bio-fuels are derived from vegetable fats, starch, and sugar, which are in turn derived from food-crops. The first generation fuels are also derived from animal fats. Biogas, bio-diesel, and vegetable oil are some examples of this type of bio-fuels.

The second generation of bio-fuels is mainly derived from waste biomass, thus making it a more balanced option compared to the first-generation bio-fuels. Different kinds of alcohols and diesel generated from wood fall into the category of second generation bio-fuels.

The third generation comprises of bio-fuels derived from algae. Algae are farmed on large scales for creating these bio-fuels. The algae fuels are extremely environment-friendly as they can easily decompose into the soil without harming it.

The bio-fuels in the fourth generation are derived by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work with carbon dioxide to generate fuel.

Advantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels prove advantageous in the following ways:
• Bio-fuels lessen the burden on gradually-vanishing fossil fuels.
• Bio-fuels are environment-friendly. They help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
• Bio-fuels, especially, bio-diesel prove to be very cost-effective for consumers.

Disadvantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels are not bereft of criticism. Though beneficial for the environment, bio-fuels have its disadvantages, paradoxically in the environmental purview. Bio-fuels have received criticism for many reasons, a couple of which are stated below:
• Economists have long debated on the usefulness of first generation bio-fuels when compared to the lack of food they cause. Generating fuel from food crops makes food crops unworthy of human consumption. Some people believe that being a higher priority than fuel, food should not be farmed for making fuels but for human consumption.
• Making bio-fuels require acres of farming land, thus encroaching upon the natural habitat of plants and animals.

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Emerson Point is a 195-acre park located in Palmetto on Snead Island. It is located at the end of 17th St W where the Manatee River meets the Gulf of Mexico.

I decided to take a drive out there to get some pictures of the area and of the water. I have been there a few times, but until yesterday, I wasn’t even aware of what I had been missing. Normally when I go, I drive all the way to the end of Emerson Point to the water. Yesterday, I noticed that soon after you enter into Emerson Point, there is an area off to the left to park your car, so I decided to check it out. I was surprised at what I found!! Located there on top of the hill are still some old remains of an Indian Village and earlier pioneers homes. It was COOL!! This is one of Florida’s oldest temple mounds. The temple mound is more than 1,000 years old and was built by the ancestors of the Timucua.

As you are walking up the wooden walkway to get to the top of the hill, there is still an old water cistern and part of an original chimney from the late 1800’s there. Once you reach the top, that is the very spot that the Indians and early settlers built their homes. They built it at the highest point in the area, so that if it ever the area ever flooded, they would be safe.

Once up at the top, you have a treetop view of the area. From up at the top, I could see the water. So we walked down the backside of the hill and out to the water. What a view!! The view was beautiful! There were a few sailboats out in the water and you could see the homes in Bradenton on the other side of the water from there.

Located throughout this area of the park are several signs that talk about the early pioneers and Indians that once called this land home.

There are several hiking trails and walkways to explore in this area and I wish I was better prepared. Next time I come, I will wear a pair of tennis shoes and explore them! Don’t forget your bug spray too! We were there in the middle of the day, but the mosquito’s were still out and I got bit a couple times.

They have a bike path that goes from one end of the island all the way out to the water at the end.

As you drive the main road of the park, you will also see a few other places you can park and more hiking trails. There is an observation tower that we also didn’t get a chance to explore this time, but from the looks of it, if you get to the top of it, you will be able to see all around the island from there and probably out to the water.

If you live in the area or you are visiting, I recommend you check it out! Bring your kids, pack a picnic lunch, wear your walking shoes, don’t forget your bug spray and most of all, bring a camera or camcorder!! I took quite a few pictures and would of been able to get more, but I had flip-flops on instead of tennis shoes so I wasn’t able to check out some of the hiking trails.

Regatta Pointe will be getting a major addition in 2008. They will be opening a new waterfront restaurant and new shower/bathroom facilities, laundry facilities, media room, club room and exercise facility will all be added.

The exterior will also be getting a major face-lift. They will be changing the current “Boston Harbor” theme to a “Grand Floridian” Key West style theme with softer colors and metal roof.

The new 4,000 square foot waterfront restaurant will have 180 degree panoramic views of the Manatee River. High-end European glass walls will be used that will allow the entire restaurant to either be completely open or closed depending on weather conditions. When opened up, the walls will nearly disappear allowing beautiful views of the water. Now, use your imagination here……Can’t you just feel the warm Florida breezes blowing through as you enjoy your lunch or dinner?

The restaurant will seat 150 inside and 60 outside on the water.

More information is to come in the Spring of 2008.

Sounds like these are going to be some wonderful changes. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when completed. This is one of my favorite places in Manatee County already to go and if they add another restaurant overlooking the water, this is *fantastic*.

I think I will go take a bunch of photos of what it looks like now and when it’s done I can do a “before and after” post of the changes. I bet it will drastic! It’ll be good to see the theme changed to a Florida Key West style. I think it will be much nicer.

A new plan for residential and commercial development has just been proposed for downtown Palmetto. The full city block of 4th & 5th Streets and 10th & 9th Avenues is stated to be a project to happen over the next 5 years.

The project calls 6 phases with a combination of 28 store fronts and 88 one and two bedroom residential affordable housing units that will range in price of $160,000 to $200,000.

The residential units will be built on top of the commercial store fronts and will have a Key West/Florida style buildings with tin roofs, courtyards, benches and parking.

The plan is said to also include a possible $50,000 credit to any City employees that want to purchase a unit.

So, I think this is a great idea to build these unique types of buildings in Palmetto and give people the option to live and work close to Downtown. However, $160,000 to $200,000 price range? C’mon already! When are they REALLY going to build some REAL affordable housing in the area? You know, something along the lines of $125,000? That’s affordable housing by many people’s standards, especially people that work for the City or County.

There are plenty of single family homes currently on the market listed between $160,000 and $200,000, so someone please tell me how offering a $160,000 to $200,000 condo as affordable housing makes any sense? And why buy a condo for the same price you can buy a single family home for? Unless you want something maintenance free, most people would rather have a single family home than a condo if they can get it for the same price.

I don’t understand the logic some of these developers think they are using.

Source: North River News

Palmetto Florida is located on the west coast of Florida just north of Bradenton. Palmetto is centrally located with easy access just across the Manatee River to Bradenton and Sarasota. You can also access St. Petersburg very easily from the Skyway Bridge from Palmetto. Tampa is just a hop skip and a jump up I-75 which can also be accessed from Palmetto.

Click here to see a map of where exactly Palmetto is located at.

Palmetto is an old historic town with a lot of different types of homes and subdivisions.

There are also a lot of things to do in Palmetto. Regatta Pointe Marina has a great resturant if you are in the mood to eat and watch the boats go by. Emerson Point Park is a great place to watch the sunset, Bickle Mound on Terra Ceia Island is a historical site, Blackstone Park has a great skateboard park for the kids. Riverside Plaza for more dining and a day spa, Bradenton Yacht Club for those who prefer the country club lifestyle.

There is something in Palmetto for everyone. Come visit us sometime!

Thousand Oaks in Palmetto Florida is a great first time homebuyer opportunity.  Great homes in a great community. Thousand Oaks is an older community but the homes are a solid buy. Located in the eastern most part of Palmetto close to Parrish makes it a great location for commuters.

There aren’t any amenities so it helps to keep the association dues lower. Since Thousand Oaks is an older community the trees have grown and there are some great shaded areas. Drive by and check out Thousand Oaks in Palmetto Florida and if you have any questions or want more information on Palmetto Real Estate ask us and we will be happy to assist.

Waterfront living, executive homes, luxury homes, this is what describes Rivieria Dunes.  Sitting right on the Manatee River, Rivieria Dunes contains one of the last protected harbors to be built.

The selection of homes are single family homes, condos and town homes, either choice displays the best of everything.  Granite countertops, private elevators, spectacular views, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Boat slips are available for sale within the community, however take note that only motor boats will probably work.  Rivieria Dunes is on the east side of the bridge and isn’t tall enough for sail boats to go under to get to the bay.  If you want to live in Rivieria Dunes and own a sailboat then your two options would be to get a slip at Regatta Point or the Bradenton Yacht Club in Palmetto as they are on the west side of the bridge.

Rivieria Dunes in Palmetto has the following amenities:

• Gated Community
• Tennis Courts
• Marina
• Boat Dock
• Heated Pool
• Spa
• Fitness Center
• Club Room

River Bay in Palmetto Florida is located off of 10^th Street West just before you get to Snead Island.  River Bay is a community of town homes with your choice of 3 or 4 bedroom plans.  2 car garages are included along with 9 foot ceilings on the second and third floors.  The amenities include a community pool, nature preserves, a fishing pier, boardwalk and nature trails.  Boat slips are also available for purchase.

If you are looking for maintenance free living real estate in Palmetto, check out River Bay