Corteo’s Pizza and Pasta Restaurant in Palm Harbor, Florida makes a Sicilian pie that is hard to find outside of the Northeast. First of all, they construct it with real mozzarella cheese, not the inferior soy-based products that predominate. Their pie is also made in the infamous “Grandma-style” by nestling the cheese under the sauce. This method enables the cheese to stay moist and not burn. The sauce on top also helps to keep the cheese on the slice instead of it pulling off in the first bite. These things are important to a pizza lover!  The entrees are reasonably priced. The restaurant is clean and although not dripping with ambiance, it is open and friendly. The owners are those of the Michele’s Italian Restaurant that closed some years back. Corteo’s offers “Parties on the Patio”... 05/27/2009

So on another sparkling blue Sunday in Crystal Beach Florida, we followed the music and made our way over to the first annual Citrus Festival. The streets in this exquisite section of historic Palm Harbor form a quaint labyrinth that showcases all the shops and eateries that make it the place to be on any Sunday. But this past weekend it wasn’t just the Pinellas beach homes on display. The whole area around Nebraska and Florida Avenues was closed off to accommodate all the rides and the full arcade of classic carnival games. All kinds of vendors were represented in addition to a full set-up by our local Palm Harbor YMCA.  Savory snacks sizzled on grills and the multi-tap Budweiser truck dispensed frothy glasses of beer to the Palm Harbor revelers. As usual, the Palm Harbor Chamber of Co... 05/25/2009

There are little hills in Florida!  The Eniswood subdivision is a beautiful tree-lined neighborhood in West Palm Harbor just northwest of Alt. 19 and Alderman Road.  Eniswood is a deed restricted neighborhood with a voluntary Eniswood homeowner's association which costs only $100 a year if you elect to participate.   Most but not all of the homes are 1-story and are 2,300 sq. ft. to just over 5,000 sq. ft. This ideal family neighborhood features spacious lots and some even provide Eniswood Lake (really more of a large pond) or conservation views.  These homes built in the 1980's feature vaulted ceilings, split floor plans and have a spacious feel to them.  Many offer fireplaces for those occasional cool Florida evenings.  Many have been updated with new kitchens and baths.  You can inve... 05/25/2009

Keller Williams  Realty South Florida Region brings SAFE HOME to the marketplace!  MORTGAGE PROTECTION PROGRAM - Palm Harbor, Fl Keller Williams Realty Safe Home buyer protection program includes Mortgage Protection that insures homeowners if they experience a loss of their employment. Many Americans today are concerned with job stability and how they are going to make their mortgage payments if they lose their job. The job loss coverage included in the Keller Williams Realty Safe Home buyer protection program assists in keeping homeowners current on their mortgage payments each month so homeowners can minimize their financial stress while they are looking for a job. If you would like more information on how this program can help you or someone you know, then contact Don Moore. Keller ... 05/15/2009

Palm Harbor is indeed a great place to live with so many single family homes and condos on the market at unbelievable prices right now. The good news is that not everything is a short sale!!! This photo of the pool, taken from the balcony in the Fountains at Countryside Condo Community is just another example of the great places to live here in North Pinellas County!! With our A-rated schools, this is a wonderful area in Florida! Convenient to the Gulf Beaches and minutes from Tampa, this is a very popular place to live!!!! If you are considering relocating, give me a call so I can assist you in your search for that perfect home here in the Clearwater, Palm Harbor area!!! 03/26/2009

Pinellas County has so many wonderful golf courses to play on! With over 50 golf courses, you do not have to travel very far to play a game of golf here in Pinellas County!!!   What better way to spend an afternoon than on the golf course? Ron and I took off Friday afternoon and he decided to play some golf with the guys that work for him at Nomad Golf WRX in Tarpon Springs where he makes custom wedges. (www.NomadGolfWRX.com) If you would like a complete list of the Pinellas County Golf Courses, you can get the information at http://www.golfable.com/golfcourses/county/Pinellas_County_FL. You will be pleased with our local golf courses and want to return to Pinellas County!!!   03/02/2009

Local author Kimberly Rebman will speak this Saturday, February 21st at Oak Trail Books in Palm Harbor. Kimberly is the author of "Haunted Florida: A Guide To The Departed Soul". In her book she takes you through haunted homes, inns and graveyards throughout the Sunshine State. Kimberly has investigated the paranormal in Florida for over 16 years. Her book takes you to a graveyard in Brooksville, a Coral Gables luxery hotel with a 13th floor and many of the haunted sites in St Augustine. To hear Kimberly talk about her fascinating book, be at Oak Trail Books in Palm Harbor this Saturday! She will speak from 11 am to 1 pm.   02/20/2009

What are you afraid of?  Overpaying for your Pinellas home while being wham-blasted with negative news about the economy and the housing market?  Or perhaps secrets horrifically and seemingly worse?  OK.  I'll go first. I am dreadfully frightened of: Public Speaking Snakes Having to work for someone else (translation:  fear of failing with our real estate business - which, by the way, is the opposite of reality, but a fear nonetheless)  Slugs, snails and leeches (they belong in the same category, don't you think?) In these times, more than ever, it's easy to venture into the realm of being fearful.   Yet, I think we all now, more than ever, must encourage our friends and neighbors to not only to survive these times but to thrive within them.  We're fortunate, we have family (note: not c... 02/19/2009

Deepak Chopra will be at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida on Friday, February 6th. The event will take place from 8-10pm. He is in town to discuss creating mass consciousness to heal not only ourselves but the entire planet. The event is being presented by The Alliance for a New Humanity in cooperation with the Chopra Center. Seating is limited to only 1200 so if you are interested you need to make your reservations! Cost is $20. per person. For more information about this event or the rest of the 4 day event please check out Deepak Chopra's web site at http://www.chopra.com/journey.   01/29/2009

Eco-Friendly Design and Retrofit   Challenge is right-sheesh!  I took a couple of looks at Brad Pitt's Make It Right project plans, and said to myself:  "Self," (‘cause I do not speak to myself in abused vernacular), "...much as I love the concept of green building, and appreciate what Mr. Pitt is doing up there in the Ninth Ward...those houses are just, well-BUTT UGLY, mostly."  Sorry, designers-I guess there were probably reasons I did not myself go into architecture...I am reminded in looking at these plans of the song "Little Boxes"...   So, what to do for this contest of janeAnne's-one I'd really like to sink my green teeth into, really I would-all of my spare ponder moments this year so far have been spent in the pursuit of the Great Green Dream-in my case, how to retrofit my own ... 01/27/2009

What the heck is Grey Water?, you may find yourself asking...and if so, my friend, you have come to the right place!  "Grey Water" is household used water--the stuff that goes down the drains and normally either into the local sewer system or into your septic system.  All, that is, except for the water which is used to flush the toilets and some sources say the kitchen sink, due to organic matter which may end up in the drain--this is referred to as "Black Water", not to be confused with the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water", of course. Why should we care about the water flowing into our sewer and septic systems--that's what they're made for, right? Well, maybe...and maybe not.  Here in my home state of Florida, for instance, we have frequent drought situations, watering limitations, sinkh... 01/19/2009

Indian Bluff Island is Palm Harbor's best kept secret neighborhood.  Most Palm Harbor residents have never even heard of Indian Bluff (the residents refer to it as IBI), and that includes many folks that have lived in Palm Harbor for years.  Indian Bluff is a secluded neighborhood north of Alderman Road, West off of DeSoto Avenue and then West on Oceanview (the causeway to the island), just south of Wall Springs Park.  Most of the homes are either on the Gulf of Mexico or on canals with easy access to the gulf.  The more luxurious homes are well appointed and stunning in their own right, and feature luxurious finishes. Many classify IBI as prestigious and exclusive, as there are many $1M+ estates on the gulf.  Yet part of the charm of the island is that there are still many of the origi... 01/10/2009

Selling? FlatFeeMLS.HelpMeSell.com is all about smart real estate. When you choose a flat fee mls listing your property gets the same exact exposure you'd expect from a 6% listing... often much more. When your property is entered into the MLS it's automatically added to realtor.com and every local REALTOR and Real Estate Brokerage site that offers MLS search. That's right, if a local site offers MLS search you'll find your property there. Your maximum commission commission is 3% paid to the buyers agent. No buyers agent involved? No commissions due! Buying? When searching for your next home you have so many options. By owner, foreclosure, short sale and bank owned properties (REO's). So what's the advantage to you if you find the perfect home and it's listed by a flat fee brokerage? If ... 01/10/2009

The #1 question on the minds of those thinking of buying a Dunedin home or a Palm Harbor home is "When will we hit bottom?".   Timing the real estate market is no easier than trying to time the stock market.  This graph illustrates this point. We recently reviewed the benefits to buying a Pinellas home now.  Pinellas real estate over the long term has always historically appreciated, n0t to mention there are many tax saving and intangible emotional benefits to home ownership.   And whoa .....  interest rates are ridiculously low.  If you're a first time homebuyer looking for an FHA loan, you've got critical timing issues to consider that can affect your wallet. Now is the time to be investing in Pinellas real estate, because by time the bottom has been officially announced in the St. Pe... 01/02/2009

Since HR3221 went into effect on July 30th, there's been enough nationwide analysis and debate to make even a Palm Harbor Real Estate professional's head spin!   Today, let's focus on one wonderful little piece of that legislation - the $7,500 tax credit!  Am I Eligible? The $7,500 tax credit is for first-time home buyers only for any home in the U.S.  If I haven't owned a home in the past 3 years, I qualify! I must be a U.S. Citizen and file my taxes. Will the Palm Harbor Home I'd Like to Buy Qualify? Any Tampa Bay home qualifies as long as it's my principle residence. Do I Earn to Much Money to Qualify? Dunedin home buyers filing as single or head-of-household can claim the full $7,500 if  my adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $75,000. Married couples filing jointly can double t... 01/02/2009

Immortal words, wouldn't you agree? Do YOU make New Year's Resolutions?  I do not--I prefer to start on fresh thoughts and ideas as soon as I get them--at least to go as far as writing them down for a future date when I have a chance to flesh them out a bit more.  I figure, on sheer volume alone I should come up with a really great idea or two before my time's up! In my experience, acting immediately also serves as a great way to avoid the inevitable fear and dread routine--the longer I procrastinate, the more difficult it becomes to deal with some things, so one really easy fix for that is to simply not let anything sit in the pot to marinate in that fear-bath for long. Why not think about making this YOUR year to ACT before allowing FEAR to take over?  I'm not suggesting doing things ... 01/01/2009

This is something new offered by my local MLS (PRO--Pinellas Realtor Association) I thought I'd try it out here to see if the code works in blog posts as well (no reason it shouldn't). I was playing with it a bit yesterday, but I could not figure out how to delete some of the suggested comparables, since some neighborhoods vary to the extreme (such as my neighborhood, where a house across the street can be dramatically different in value because one side of the street is waterfront, on a canal, whereas the other side is not, and does not have access). I do believe this is in beta-testing phase, so if anyone can figure it out first, please let me know! 12/30/2008

Since NOW is such a great time to be considering a home purchase, with interest rates at historical lows, and really tremendous deals on all types of homes, it also pays to check into ALL available options on home loans! While I typically will advise an FHA loan for many of my first-timers and even second-or-third offenders if they haven't bought in 2-3 years, the USDA loan is another really good option, especially for buyers who just don't have access to a 20% + down payment, but they do have a good, stable work history and decent credit. Some of the advantages of a USDA-backed loan are that there are no minimum down-payment requirements, which even FHA is raising from 3% to 3.5%, and in fact a USDA loan can cover up to 102% of the value of the property, factoring a 2% insurance fee to... 12/16/2008

Boot Ranch Eagle is a waterfront townhouse complex located in Palm Harbor. It is  gated community. Enjoy breathtaking  conservation area and beautiful wide Tarpon Canal with fabulous sunsets, native  birds, deer and otehr wildlife. Just a few minutes by boat to lovely Lake Tarpon where it is a boater and an angler's delight! Fantastic location just minutes to Tampa and St. Pete!  Amenities include a pool and a tennis court.   The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and  Solaris Realty of TampaBay. For more information on Tampa Bay communities, real estate and subdivisions go to my website by clicking on  Tampa Homes. 10/28/2008

Do you wish that all it took to make sound investment, including real estate investments, was a $10 magic wand?  Maybe all we need is a cozy living room without a television, a dog house in the yard and a Palm Harbor Realtor with the faith and perseverance to help you find and secure a great Pinellas home at an incredible price. For those of you that know me best, you know I often speak of my magic wand, and how I wish I had one that truly worked wonders.   Lately, I'm beginning to believe my wand has hutzpah.  It's been working magnificently as of late, particularly with finding bargains on gorgeous homes in Palm Harbor East Lake - the Ridgemoor neighborhood, as it so happens.  Last month my wand worked for Sasha and Kim, who landed an incredible below-market investment and beauty to b... 10/24/2008