The Lersch Group's Blog

Well, Floridians, Hurricane Season is back!  Actually, it has been, but the newest storm, Tropical Storm Fay (soon to be Hurricane Fay) has just made us more aware of it.  Like most everyone who lives in Florida, we are accustomed to keeping a close eye on the weather this time of year.  Today, especially, we are tracking Tropical Storm Fay and waiting to hear about Manatee school and Sarasota school closings.  What a way to start off the school year, huh?

For those of you outside of Florida, or those who are new to the area and have never experienced a tropical storm or hurricane, it is critical to be prepared.  You should know what supplies to have on hand, what level evacuation zone you live in, nearby shelters, and evacuation routes. Following is a list of suggested supplies along with some helpful web sites to assist you in keeping up-to-date on Florida weather conditions. 

SUGGESTED HURRICANE SUPPLY LIST 

Canned goods and nonperishable foods that do not need cooking, such as:

• Canned meats and fish
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Canned soups and puddings
• Canned fruit juices
• Dried fruit
• Bread, cookies and crackers
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Coffee and tea
• Bottled water 

Manual can opener 

Bottled water (1 gallon per person/per day) 

Prescription medication (2 week supply) 

Pet food 

Water purification tablets (halazone) 

Disposable plates, cups, and utensils 

Infant care items:

• Disposable diapers
• Baby wipes
• Baby food
• Formula 

First aid supplies 

Masking and duct tape 

Flashlight or lantern, with extra batteries 

Battery operated radio, with extra batteries 

Watch or battery operated clock 

Ice chest & ice

Matches 

Canned heat (sterno) 

Portable outdoor camping stove or grill with fuel supply 

Plastic trash bags

Plastic sheeting or drop cloth 

Chlorinated bleach 

Personal hygiene items

Other useful items:

• Work gloves
• Sun lotion
• Insect repellent
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Pliers
• Wrenches
• Handsaw
• Razor knife
• Ax or chainsaw
• Rope caulking
• Nails and screws
• Rope and wire
• Broom, mop and bucket
• All-purpose cleaner
• Ladder
• Sandbags
• Portable generator
• Tree pruner
• Shovel, rake and wheelbarrow
• Sheets of plywood

There are numerous web sites that provide storm tracking and advisories:

Weather.com                      http://www.weather.com/

Tampa Bay Online                http://tbo.com/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration        http://www.noaa.gov/

Boat US                              http://www.boatus.com/hurricanes/

For those of us who have weathered the storms of Florida through the years, you know what to do.......

Prepare for the worst.  Hope for the best.  Take what comes.

Bradenton recognized in 'Where to Retire' magazine

Bradenton Herald-Tribune

August 11, 2008
HERALD STAFF REPORTS

The Lersch Group has been following the development of Lakewood Ranch's newest addition, Central Park.

If you’ve ever been to Central Park in New York, you are sure to notice the similarity in Lakewood Ranch’s Central Park. Planned, developed, and (to be) built by Neil Communities and Lakewood Ranch Communities, Lakewood Ranch’s newest infrastructure got underway in a ground-breaking ceremony last Thursday.

The 372-acre Central Park, which is expected to take seven years to complete, would be the first Lakewood Ranch community North of State Road 70. The site plan includes 787 home sites for single-family residences and 150,000 square feet of commercial land use.

Lakewood Ranch Central Park will consist of 5 neighborhoods: Great Lawn, East Meadow, Cedar Hill, East Garden, and Conservatory Garden, all of which were inspired by areas located within New York’s Central Park. All new homes will meet Florida Green Building Standards.

Homes will vary in price, but Neal has stated, “I think they will be higher than the $144,000 homes we are currently selling, but our goal is to make them affordable for two Manatee County school teachers.” There will be 29 floor plans available, ranging up to 3,500 square feet.

The heart of Lakewood Ranch Central Park will include shaded picnic areas, a covered pavilion, a sports field for baseball and soccer, and a gazebo. The community will also be connected via a bikeway or sidewalk to Lakewood Centre, which is Schroeder-Manatee Ranch’s recently approved “town center” project, which is less than a mile south of Central Park.

Commercial space for shopping and offices will be available at the northeast and northwest corners.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the development of Central Park and will try to keep you posted on the most up to date information. 

A group of Sarasota's Boston Red Sox fans, which is growing larger by the day, has formed the, "Citizens for Sox" in support of the Boston Red Sox relocating their Spring Training to our beautiful city.  These fans have taken on a strong role in participating in city and county discussions and have even drawn the support of our very own Dick Vitale.  All believe that it would bring incredible opportunities to our city, including an increase in our local economy.

To learn more about the group, sign the petition, or just stay informed, please visit:  http://citizensforsox.com/index.html

Buyers and Renters Beware of Real Estate Advertising on the Internet

It is true, the internet is the way to go in getting the word out to prospective real estate buyers and renters these days. As Real Estate Agents, we frequently rely on services such as our own web site, Realtor.com, Craigslist and eBay to reach potential clients that are in and out of our local area. Like most people in today’s busy world, we communicate largely though email.

Unfortunately, there is a large array of scams popping up in multiple states that has many consumers feeling gun-shy about answering internet posted advertisements. Although this is not exactly hot-off-the-press-news to most of us, there are always new scams surfacing and a scam involving Craigslist is what has prompted us to post this blog.

The Craigslist scam, in short, involved a thief copying legitimate real estate for sale ads and posting a for rent ad with the thief’s contact reply to address instead of the owner/agent. By doing this, potential renters were contacting the wrong person, sending deposit money, and in some cases, rental applications with their income information and social security numbers.

So, we would like to offer a few tips that will (hopefully) help to protect our clients, colleagues, friends and family from internet fraud.

First, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Question the value. Question the sellers need to sell or rent quickly. Question everything. If the seller gets annoyed or seems bothered by your inquiries, move on.

Second, do your research. Playing dumb doesn’t work and is never a good excuse. If you don’t know how to research on the internet, find someone (a friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor) to help you. There are numerous resources available on the internet, some of which we will include at the bottom of this post. If dealing with real estate, be sure to look up the agency, agent, property, location, etc.

Third, trust your instincts. Remember that little voice that your Mom always told you to pay attention to? Listen to it. It may not always say what you want to hear, but it almost always will issue a warning when you’re heading in the wrong direction.

Forth, be protective of your money. You worked hard for it, so don’t just hand money to someone because you’re on the receiving end of a high-pressure sales pitch. Be extremely cautious when any seller insists on only being able to accept cash, money orders, or wire transfers. Any legitimate business transaction should be able to be handled through a variety of financial means. Use your discretion and yield to your comfort zone when handing over your money to anyone.

Finally, be resourceful. Shop around for the best price (while keeping all previous tips in mind). When shopping on the internet, stick to legitimate, reputable web sites. Always keep in mind that just because something is listed on a reputable site, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s legit. Modern days thieves are extremely innovative and use, or have used, the top ranked web sites on the web. If available, check a users profile and/or feedback rating. Negative responses and ratings should serve as a red flag.

One rule that we, The Lersch Group, generally use in our internet advertisements is that we always try to include our direct contact information including name, business, name, email, phone number and/or web site. For real estate advertising, we want to make ourselves as available as possible to our clients and avoid using “reply to” email addresses that are automatically assigned. However, there are legitimate ads and sellers out there that do not provide any personal information and with good reason. It’s up to you to use your discretion when answering any online advertisement.

If you have questions or would like additional information about internet crimes, please visit the following web sites:

Federal Trade Commission www.ftc.gov

Internet Crime Complain Center www.ic3.gov

National Fraud Information Center www.fraud.org

Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org

6 easy steps to reduce cost of homeowners insurance

Consumers coping with rising prices for food, gas and electricity may want to explore ways to save on homeowner insurance. There are some simple ways to save money – and make your home safer.

Home improvement discounts

For starters, ask your insurance agent to provide you with a written estimate for each home improvement and make sure some of the discounts don’t offset each other. In some cases, insurers can’t provide all of the discounts when taken together because there would be little to no premium left to collect.

Remove structures

Remove or reduce additional structures coverage from your homeowner policy. Even if you don’t have a stand-alone shed or garage, they are typically automatically included in your policy. By eliminating this coverage you could save you about 5 percent on your annual premium.

Install alarms and locks

Installing smoke detectors, burglar alarms and dead-bolt locks could save you at least 5 percent, according to a report from the insurance institute. Consider purchasing higher-end security and sprinkler systems, since some insurers offer premium discounts of up to 20 percent for them.

Reduce damage risks

Update and/or upgrade your heating, plumbing and electrical systems to reduce the risk of fire and water damage, which are two of the most costly types of storm claims. For example, replace rubber hoses behind your washing machine with stainless-steel ones. You may have to pay a little more up front, but they are unlikely to crack or burst, which can cost thousands of dollars.

Simply replacing hoses is the single biggest item a homeowner can do to prevent major loss outside of a catastrophic event. Some (but not many) companies even offer a discount for having the proper hoses installed, but it’s worth it to ask your agent anyway.

Buy less or reduce your coverage

Consider reducing your home contents coverage, especially if you own items that are worth less now and you would be willing to buy second-hand to replace them. (That said, it makes sense to buy replacement coverage for your home. You want enough to rebuild it if a hurricane strikes, which may be more than the value of the home.)

Use mulch

Replace gravel or rocks on your lawn with safer materials such as shredded bark, said Tami Torres, program administrator for My Safe Florida Home. There typically aren’t discounts for this, but it would help prevent the rocks from flying and damaging your home or car.

Hurricane season is June 1 through November 30 - now is the time to prepare. Thankfully, Florida did not experience a major hurricane this past season. Click here to learn what you can do to help your home better withstand hurricane-force winds.

Wind Inspections. The My Safe Florida Home program offers eligible homeowners free wind inspections from qualified hurricane mitigation inspectors

This just in....

SARASOTA (Bay News 9) -- Sarasota County and city leaders have confirmed to Bay News 9 they are negotiating with the Boston Red Sox.

The team currently holds its spring training in Fort Myers but may be moving to Sarasota. Bay News 9 is told the Red Sox can opt out of their current lease in 2009.

Also, city officials say they're currently discussing whether they'd play at Ed Smith Stadium, the soon to be former home of the Cincinnati Reds, who are moving their spring training to Arizona, or build them a new facility.

Alternative locations for another stadium include the Sarasota County fairgrounds on Fruitville Road, near downtown.

Gus Ameres owns the 12th Street Café across from Ed Smith Stadium. He's worried if the Reds move out and the Sox don't move in, he'll lose business.

But he's not just worried about his profits.

"If they spend that much money to build a new stadium who knows if they will profit," Ameres said.

However, supporters like Sarasota resident and Boston Red Sox fan Teo Sanchez think the team will hit a home run.

"Boston Red Sox is one of the favorite teams," he said. "So I believe they'll bring a lot of people here. They're champions."

Sarasota County commissioner Joe Barbetta said they hope to have a final decision in the next 30 to 60 days.

June 27, 2008

"Heard it Through the Grapevine"

The following are "news bits" that I've heard from various Realtors...
An agent had a client who had their house search narrowed down, the client went home and called a couple of weeks later to start the negotiation process.  Unfortunately, the customer's top three home choices had all been sold!  What's the saying?  "You snooze, you lose!"

An agent has a listing that is 200K below market value,  the agent is going to incrementally increase the price on the listing.  This agent feels now that the prices have "bottomed,"  slight increases are justifiable as the house is already below market value.

One of our builder sales representatives has three customers who have successfully sold their homes up north.

A Realtor had a customer who made two huge low ball offers on two different properties and both sellers turned them down.

If you can pass these stories along, maybe the buyers will realize that NOW is the time to buy, that prices are at the bottom, and that offers need to be respectable.  This will help get the message out that the Sarasota/Bradenton area market has "perked up."