My New Blog

Some of these ideas may seem too big, and some may seem silly, but doing whatever you can over the year can result in some major annual savings!

A: Check your Air Conditioning Unit every year. I would normally reccommend getting the A/C checked prior to the really hot expensive days of summer especially since most A/C companies might give you a discount (if you ask) during their slow times.

B: Opt for the energy saving light Bulbs. You don't have to do it all at once, but start replacing your old Bulbs with those great flourescent ones and watch your electricity bill savings grow.

C: With the new detergents we have out there, sometimes using Cold water in your washing machine is better than using hot. Not to mention that it is usually better on the clothes.

D: Dryer, dryer, dryer...Clean out the lint trap, clean out the dryer vent and make sure that it is not too long and getting clogged, and a very cool trick is to throw 2-3 dry hand towels in with a load of wet clothes.

E: Eliminating drafts by checking the seals around windows helps keep out the hot air and keeps in the cooler air, this goes a long way in reducing your electric bill.

F: Change your a/c Filters once a month. They are only a buck or two but they provide you with cleaner air throughout your home and the electricity will be lowered since the a/c doesn't need to work as hard to push air through a dirty filter. By changing the filters regularly, you will be saving an a/c bill when the lines get backed up with gunk and you have to call the repairman to come in and clean out the system.

G: Don't forget to seal up any Gaps in doors. The idea of paying for cooler air and then letting it blow right out the door is almost painful.

H: Save big bucks by Hanging your clothes up on a clothes line outside.
This is really great if you have a larger family since you are probably needing to do clothes in the dryer everyday.

I: Look into getting rebates and Incentives from your local electric company and local government for buying stuff you need anyway. If you need a new appliance, or window unit a/c you might be able to get money back just for buying an energy efficient model. Hmmm...more energy efficient AND a rebate check??? Too cool!

J: Just turn on a fan. Why crank the a/c all the way if it's not needed?

K: Keep the doors to the garage, attic, and basement closed.

L: Install a Low flow shower head and save on heat and water at the same time.

M: General Maintenance on your refrigerator, a/c, dryer etc takes very little time and effort but can lower your electricity bill dramatically each month.

N: Embrace the Nightlights! They are great! You can pick up some really cute ones at your local dollar store, cost almost nothing in electricity and you can even get some that only turn on when it gets dark. This way, when you get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, you don't have to sting your eyes with mega bright overhead lights.

O: For Outdoor lighting, install the motion sensor lighting to add security but also save on electricity as well.

P: Program your thermostat, it seems simple enough not to run the a/c in an empty house all day but so many people don't take the time to save the money.

Q: Quit yelling at your kids (and sometimes your spouse) to turn off the lights when they leave a room, instead, opt for motion sensor lamps for inside the house.

R: Request an energy inspection from your local electric company, sometimes there is not even a charge for them to come out. Basically, the inspector will come out and let you know any and all areas in your home that are costing you big bucks.

S: Solar, I know it is intimidating, but solar panels are amazing! Not only do they really help reduce the electricity that you get from the local electric company, but sometimes the electric company will pull from your additional power and give you a credit on your electric bill. Who wouldn't love to get money from the electric company?!?

T: Think about Tinting your windows, this will keep your home cooler in the hot summer months.

U: Unplug any machine when you are done with it. Some have found it to be helpful to even unplug the microwave while not in use. Look for the lights! You know at night when you walk through the house and the lights are already off, and yet there are little blinking lights from the dvd player, and that alarm clock that you never use, not to mention the camcorder, laptop, cellphone and handheld dirtvac that are sitting there 'charging' constantly. Unplug the little electricity thieves. Obviously, if it is something you use every single day, you need to charge that item every night...but what about the rest of the stuff?

V: I know it sounds scary, but when you Vacuum your refrigerator coils just to remove the excess dust, it actually makes your refrigerator much more energy efficient. Just make sure not to bend or break the cooling fins.

W: Stop Wasting the Watts. When you are done in one room, turn off the light.

X: Tank less water heaters typically reduce water-heating costs from 30-50% by replacing your eXisting storage tank design, while initially expensive to install, the investment pays off in reduced water heating costs over time.

Y: Try a few things out this Year, then compare to last summer's electric bills and those of previous Years. Let me know what you tried and what you saved. Let others know too.

Z: Zilch<----the amount you are saving right now by not trying some of these ideas. :)

I am a licensed Real Estate Agent, and a member of the Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors. I specialize in Property Management. Part of that is to advertise my listings EVERYWHERE.

I received a phone call this morning from a young woman wanting to rent a home that I had listed in Silver Springs Shores in Ocala, FL. She told me that she had seen my ads before and recently saw an ad listed on Craigslist.com but it had a different email address on it: jayneandrea@yahoo.com
That is not my email! She said she had tried to reach me through that email and was contacted by a man in Africa. He claimed that he had hired me previously but just decided to rent it out himself.

A few words of advice on this type of thing.

It is public record and free to find out the real owner's name on a property. This is kept with the Marion County Property Appraiser's office.
I verify every single owner that places their property in my care to make sure that they are the owner of the property and that they have home owners insurance, and that their mortgage is up to date. These are things that protect the owner and the potential resident.

If you are renting from someone out of Country and your toilet breaks...how are you going to have them fix it for you? It really does make a difference having someone 5 miles away and 5,000 miles away.

I adore the internet, I think it is a great tool! But, a word of warning to those surfing the waves of the internet: 'these waters are shark infested'. There are predators out there looking for your identity, money, or worse. Please surf with caution.

When in doubt, check it out.

I can't say enough for the wisdom of this young woman who not only was smart enough not to be fooled by a very convincing story, but also to take the initiative to contact the real me and verify what was going on.

Thanks!
We appreciate it.

I have contacted the FTC and IC3 in regards to the poster, notified craigslist and yahoo, but I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that scums that scam are out there and they are looking for you.

Some of these ideas may seem too big, and some may seem silly, but doing whatever you can over the year can result in some major annual savings!

A: Check your Air Conditioning Unit every year. I would normally reccommend getting the A/C checked prior to the really hot expensive days of summer especially since most A/C companies might give you a discount (if you ask) during their slow times.

B: Opt for the energy saving light Bulbs. You don't have to do it all at once, but start replacing your old Bulbs with those great flourescent ones and watch your electricity bill savings grow.

C: With the new detergents we have out there, sometimes using Cold water in your washing machine is better than using hot. Not to mention that it is usually better on the clothes.

D: Dryer, dryer, dryer...Clean out the lint trap, clean out the dryer vent and make sure that it is not too long and getting clogged, and a very cool trick is to throw 2-3 dry hand towels in with a load of wet clothes.

E: Eliminating drafts by checking the seals around windows helps keep out the hot air and keeps in the cooler air, this goes a long way in reducing your electric bill.

F: Change your a/c Filters once a month. They are only a buck or two but they provide you with cleaner air throughout your home and the electricity will be lowered since the a/c doesn't need to work as hard to push air through a dirty filter. By changing the filters regularly, you will be saving an a/c bill when the lines get backed up with gunk and you have to call the repairman to come in and clean out the system.

G: Don't forget to seal up any Gaps in doors. The idea of paying for cooler air and then letting it blow right out the door is almost painful.

H: Save big bucks by Hanging your clothes up on a clothes line outside.
This is really great if you have a larger family since you are probably needing to do clothes in the dryer everyday.

I: Look into getting rebates and Incentives from your local electric company and local government for buying stuff you need anyway. If you need a new appliance, or window unit a/c you might be able to get money back just for buying an energy efficient model. Hmmm...more energy efficient AND a rebate check??? Too cool!

J: Just turn on a fan. Why crank the a/c all the way if it's not needed?

K: Keep the doors to the garage, attic, and basement closed.

L: Install a Low flow shower head and save on heat and water at the same time.

M: General Maintenance on your refrigerator, a/c, dryer etc takes very little time and effort but can lower your electricity bill dramatically each month.

N: Embrace the Nightlights! They are great! You can pick up some really cute ones at your local dollar store, cost almost nothing in electricity and you can even get some that only turn on when it gets dark. This way, when you get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water, you don't have to sting your eyes with mega bright overhead lights.

O: For Outdoor lighting, install the motion sensor lighting to add security but also save on electricity as well.

P: Program your thermostat, it seems simple enough not to run the a/c in an empty house all day but so many people don't take the time to save the money.

Q: Quit yelling at your kids (and sometimes your spouse) to turn off the lights when they leave a room, instead, opt for motion sensor lamps for inside the house.

R: Request an energy inspection from your local electric company, sometimes there is not even a charge for them to come out. Basically, the inspector will come out and let you know any and all areas in your home that are costing you big bucks.

S: Solar, I know it is intimidating, but solar panels are amazing! Not only do they really help reduce the electricity that you get from the local electric company, but sometimes the electric company will pull from your additional power and give you a credit on your electric bill. Who wouldn't love to get money from the electric company?!?

T: Think about Tinting your windows, this will keep your home cooler in the hot summer months.

U: Unplug any machine when you are done with it. Some have found it to be helpful to even unplug the microwave while not in use. Look for the lights! You know at night when you walk through the house and the lights are already off, and yet there are little blinking lights from the dvd player, and that alarm clock that you never use, not to mention the camcorder, laptop, cellphone and handheld dirtvac that are sitting there 'charging' constantly. Unplug the little electricity thieves. Obviously, if it is something you use every single day, you need to charge that item every night...but what about the rest of the stuff?

V: I know it sounds scary, but when you Vacuum your refrigerator coils just to remove the excess dust, it actually makes your refrigerator much more energy efficient. Just make sure not to bend or break the cooling fins.

W: Stop Wasting the Watts. When you are done in one room, turn off the light.

X: Tank less water heaters typically reduce water-heating costs from 30-50% by replacing your eXisting storage tank design, while initially expensive to install, the investment pays off in reduced water heating costs over time.

Y: Try a few things out this Year, then compare to last summer's electric bills and those of previous Years. Let me know what you tried and what you saved. Let others know too.

Z: Zilch<----the amount you are saving right now by not trying some of these ideas. :)

Have you ever wondered about the SHIP program?

What about the USDA financing program?

Did you hear about the soon-to-be-expiring $7500 tax credit? Want to know more asap?

Have you ever wanted to ask a million questions about buying a home and not feel like an idiot?

You have an opportunity to learn.

AND IT'S FREE!

On Feb. 17, 2009 (yes next week). There is a free workshop for anyone interested in buying a home. You don't have to bring a dime with you, kids are invited as well, so you don't need a sitter, and there will be food.

Sounds way too good to be true? Nope. If you look outside your front door, there are gobs of for sale signs everywhere. Every person in the industry is looking for buyers, even buyers that can't buy right now.

Take advantage of it fully while you can!

I'll be there. No, I am not the one sponsoring it, that would be Silver Springs Shores Investments, LLC. You remember them, they recently made front page news with their ideas on what to do to improve the Shores. I'm just gonna be there listening, bringing my family and a few friends. I'll probably be one of the ones asking stupid questions.

Anyway, let me know if you are gonna be there so I can look for you.

Place: Silver Springs Shores Community Center
Time: 6:30 pm
Cost: Nothing

I have had many of the property owner's that I manage for calling lately to ask for a CMA.

What exactly is a 'CMA'?
CMA stands for comparitive market analysis.
Basically, I take 3 or 4 houses in the same neighborhood that have sold in the last few months, then I take 3 or 4 houses in the same neighborhood that are currently for sale, I learn as much as I can about those houses as compared to the owner's property and I give them an estimated sales price based on the comparable properties.

How is this different from an appraisal?
Well for starters, I don't do appraisals. Period. Am I allowed to do them? Yes, any licensed real estate agent in the State of Florida can legally appraise a home. So why don't real estate agents give appraisals?
Because for one thing, it is unethical. The appraiser should be an objective third party, someone who has no financial or other connection to any person involved in the transaction.

Is the appraisal the same as a home inspection?
NO! Appraisers make notations about obvious problems they see, but they are not home inspectors. They do not test appliances, look at the roof, check the chimney or do any other typical home inspection tasks. Never count on an appraisal or CMA to help you determine if a property is in good condition.

Now that we've established the differences between home inspections, appraisals, and CMA's. It begs the question, why would you want a CMA?
CMA's determine a REALISTIC asking price.

When I do a CMA, I don't ask what you have left on your mortgage, I don't ask what house you are hoping to buy next, I don't even need to know what you originally paid for your property. Those are all things you need to think about, and I would probably need to know if listing it for you, but all things considered, if your house is priced incorrectly, it will not sell.

A CMA helps you get an idea of what you can sell your house for NOW.

If you are interested in a free CMA, I will provide one for you as well.

Give me a call!

It is amazing the prices on some of the foreclosed homes in the area. While I can see how it would be bad for seller's since this brings even more competition and further reduces the prices on their homes. It is amazing what your dollars will buy you in the way of real estate here in Ocala.

There has been a lot of interest lately in obtaining lists of foreclosed homes which I give to prospective buyers frequently. But sometimes those lists just don't tell the whole story.

When people come into the office asking for a list of foreclosed homes, they are wary, thinking that there is a hidden fee, or I am out to get them somehow, some kind of high pressure sales pitch is about to spew from my lips. Not so.
But at the same time, I think it is a disservice to hand someone a VERY condensed list of addresses and properties that don't tell the whole story. Some of these homes might have serious problems that are explained in the Realtor's notes but wouldn't be on a foreclosure list of addresses with prices.

I have added a lot of foreclosed homes to my available listings page this week. But please keep in mind while sifting through that you are not comparing identical products and you really need as much information as possible about a residence before making any decisions.

In other words: 'Let me know if you would allow me to help you'.

On Thursday, Governor Charlie Crist signed an executive order allowing $571 million in financing that reluctant buyers can use to build and buy new homes!

Basically our government is hoping to get our economy rolling again by having builders build more houses and apartments. While I love the idea of more incentives to home buyers, I'm not sure that we need anymore new homes when we still have so many vacant and even abandoned homes in the area.

It seems like it's going to be a good week in a market that has been touch and go week-by-week for a while now.

GREAT WEBSITE!
I wanted to share with you a really great website that helps put the State Programs into calculable numbers for anyone.

First Time Homebuyer Program
Florida Housing’s First Time Homebuyer Program (FTHB) offers 30-year fixed interest rate mortgage loans to first time homebuyers through its network of participating lenders and lending institutions. However, if you are not a first time homebuyer, you may still be eligible for this program if you are purchasing a home in a GO Zone county, or other federally designated targeted area. This program uses income and purchase price limits to determine eligibility.

What about people that owned a home then divorced and the spouse retained the residence? A lot of these people qualify as well.

There are several mortgage brokers listed on the site that would be able to assist you in finding out what you need to do to qualify for some of these programs.

What if you think you make too much?
I typed in the basic info for my family and this is what it came up with for us:

First Mortgage Income Limits:
You indicated that there will be 3 persons living in your home. Based on this information, your combined household income(s) to purchase a home in Marion County may not exceed $68,320.00 to be eligible for a mortgage through the FTHB program. However, if you will be purchasing a home in a federally designated target area, your income may be as high as $80,080.00.

What if you really want to buy a home, but with paying rent and other everyday expenses you just can't quite get a big deposit saved up? Again I used my own example to give you an idea:

Down Payment Assistance (DPA)
In conjunction with the FTHB program, Florida Housing offers two down payment and closing cost assistance programs in the form of second mortgage loans, and up-front cash assistance to help eligible homebuyers cover their down payment and closing costs. Based on the information you provided, you may be eligible to receive ONE of the following:

Florida Assist (up to $10,000 available) Based on your 3 person household, to be eligible for down payment assistance through Florida Assist, your combined household income may not exceed $43,900.00. For a complete list of income limits by county for the Florida Assist program, click here. HAMI Program (up to $5,000 available) You may qualify for this program if your income exceeds the limits for the Florida Assist program and does not exceed $68,320.00. The interest rate for the HAMI program is 5 percent. Three Percent (3%) Cash Option This option, in the form of cash assistance, provides borrowers with 3 percent of the loan amount applied toward down payment and closing costs.

If you are renting, and you want to buy or at least start getting your act together to buy call me, or visit that website to get some more info:

http://www.floridahousing.org/Home/HomebuyersRenters/default.htm

City Council Meeting

I was doing some research for some of my owners and I thought I would share this information that I accumulated.

2007 residential properties that were on the market:
January - 8493
February - 8476
March - 8503
April - 8535
May - 8631
June - 8641
July - 8617
August - 8788
September - 8785
October - 8895
November - 8818
December - 8394

Of those thousands of homes on the market 3,716 actually sold.
The peak being in March last year with 422 being sold that month.

Thus far 2008's residential properties that were on the market:
January - 8517
February - 8453
March - 8245
April - 8073
May - 7945
June - 7768
July - 7770
August - 7588
September - ?
October - ?
November - ?
December - ?

So how many have sold thus far in 2008? 1,937
The peak was in May at 294 sold in one month.

There was good news in the property management portion of it.
As I've tried to explain to people over and over, when there is a large portion of homes that aren't selling there will be a large portion of homes not renting, a large portion of the homes that were for sale, once expired (and sometimes before) are put on the rental market to at least hold an investor over until the market is better and he/she can sell again.

Anyway, back to the good news. In January there were only 372 homes listed on the rental market, but that number soared and by October it peaked at 703 available units, November and December stayed right up in that same area at 701 and 654 available units.
But we have seen a steady decline all this year, going from 599 in January to one of the lowest months ever in August at 459.

I have noticed that there are not nearly as many 'For Rent' signs crowded around stop signs on almost every street anymore. There are however, still plenty of 'For Sale' signs.

Personally, I am optimistic and hopeful for an economic recovery just around the corner. (A corner that when I turn it next is not littered with so many 'For Sale' signs). 

Have a good weekend!

WASHINGTON – Sept. 12, 2008 – Rates on 30-year mortgages dropped sharply this week, falling to the lowest level in five months, as the government’s dramatic takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had the hoped-for impact of lowering mortgage rates.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday that its nationwide survey found that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dipped to 5.93 percent this week, down from 6.35 percent last week.

The sharp decline pushed the 30-year rate below 6 percent for the first time since late May and marked the lowest level for this rate since they averaged 5.88 percent the week of April 17.

Private economists had predicted that the government’s move on Sunday to take control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would result in lower mortgage rates for consumers because it removed a huge uncertainty about the future of the two firms, which own or guarantee half of the nation’s mortgages.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, said Thursday that he believed rates could keep falling and perhaps drop to around 5.5 percent on the 30-year mortgage, which would give a further boost to the battered housing market.

“This is the most significant positive benefit of the government takeover of Fannie and Freddie,” Zandi said. “I think it is important that rates have fallen below the key 6 percent benchmark and hopefully rates will move lower in coming weeks.”

The 30-year mortgage hit a high for this year at 6.63 percent on July 24 and had been above 6 percent since late May.

The Freddie Mac survey showed that other mortgage rates declined this week although one-year rates bucked the downward trend.

Rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, fell to 5.54 percent, down from 5.90 percent last week.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 5.87 percent this week, down from 5.97 percent last week.

One-year, adjustable-rate mortgages edged up to 5.21 percent, compared to 5.15 percent last week.

The mortgage rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee for 30-year, 15-year and five-year mortgages averaged 0.7 point last week. The nationwide fee for one-year mortgages averaged 0.6 point this week.

A year ago, rates on 30-year mortgages stood at 6.31 percent, 15-year mortgage rates averaged 5.97 percent, five-year adjustable-rate mortgages were at 6.17 percent and one-year adjustable-rate mortgages stood at 5.66 percent.

This was written on 9/12/08 on National Association of Realtors website:
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-091208.cfm

Florida lawyers are now available to assist homeowners facing forclosure.

Florida Attorneys Saving Homes (FLASH) is a collaborative effort of The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Foundation, Florida Legal Services, and the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section designed to provide pro bono assistance to distressed homeowers.

As of June, an estimated 77,000 Floridians were in foreclosure and a recent report indicated that 11.6 percent of Florida property owners were more than 30 days past due on a mortgage payment or in foreclosure, suggesting more trouble ahead, said Kent Spuhler, executive director of Florida Legal Services, Inc.

In response Florida Attorneys Saving Homes has launch a toll-free hotline — (866) 607-2187 — to take calls weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from those who fear they may soon be unable to make their mortgage payments or have already missed payments.

“We believe this is the first project of its kind that pairs homeowners with volunteer attorneys before the foreclosure is started in an effort to hold back the flood of foreclosures,” Spuhler said.

Bar staff will collect information from the callers and Florida Legal Services will screen the calls and forward to the RPPTL volunteers only those homeowners who appear “ripe” for a workout with their loan, according to Terry Hill, director of the Bar’s Programs Division.

The pro bono lawyers will in turn negotiate with the lenders on behalf of the homeowner with the hope of creating a relationship where the lender and the homeowner can together create a loan that allows the homeowner to remain in the home, thus avoiding foreclosure.

“The concept for the project began with the announcement from the banking industry of their HOPE NOW and Project Lifeline Projects,” Spuhler said. “We felt homeowners having trouble with their mortgage would have better success negotiating with their lender if they had the assistance of an attorney.”

Several months ago, Florida CFO Alex Sink approached The Florida Bar Board of Governors and asked that the Bar try to help Floridians facing foreclosure, said Sandra Fascell Diamond, chair of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section.

“The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section is pleased to have the opportunity to assist with the coordination of the efforts of volunteer attorneys in this task,” Diamond said. “We hope to help individual owners and their families find a way to keep their homes.”

Lawyers interested in volunteering for the effort can visit http://www.floridaprobono.org for more information.

This was taken from the Florida Bar News July 15th 2008 edition www.floridabar.org

OPEN HOUSE on Sept. 20, 2008 from 11 am to 3 pm

216 NE 43rd Ave. Ocala, FL 34480

Amazing house that is a definite must see!

Check out the virtual tour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxXWjK4e740

With Tornadoes lurking from Tropical Storms that are turning into Hurricanes and spinning all over the place, it makes living here in Florida feel at times as if you are a bowling pin with an out of control bowling ball coming at you.

Taking precautions with your rental/home insurance, and stock piling water, batteries, canned food and the like, does make you feel as if you still might get hit with the giant spinning ball, but you won't break. In other words, peace of mind is a beautiful thing.

Personally, I have been here for countless storms, and they do eventually blow over. Unfortunately, many get complacent about these storms.

With Faye, we were all interested and on pins and needles as to what it was going to do, where and when it was going to hit, etc. But really, it was nothing, we've had several thunderstorms this year that did more damage than Faye did. So now we have Gustav and Hanna bearing down on us, it looks like both of them won't hit Florida, but would it hurt to be prepared anyway?

I know there are some parts of Florida that did get hit with Faye pretty hard and they are currently in need of government assistance. But for the rest of us, the hurricane season is a long way from being over. From one bowling pin to another: stay on your toes and protect your home as best you can, because even though this one didn't hit us too bad, is it really worth taking the chance on the next?

For help with hurricane preparedness go to: www.ready.gov

According to the National Association of Realtors:

Rates on 30-year mortgages fell for the second straight week, declining to the lowest level in more than a month.

Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 6.40 percent this week, down from 6.47 percent last week. The new rate was the lowest since the week of July 17 when 30-year mortgages stood at 6.26 percent.

The 30-year mortgage has been above 6 percent since late May, reflecting the view of financial markets that rising inflation pressures will keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates further even though the economy is still mired in a period of significant weakness.

The housing market continues to struggle to emerge from its worst slump in decades. Reports this week showed that sales of existing homes, the largest part of the market, and new homes managed to post small increases in July although activity still remains far below the level of last summer.

Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac, said one hopeful sign was that the pace of home price declines has slowed in recent months.

“There are also signs more buyers may be getting ready to return to the market,” he said, noting that the Conference Board’s latest survey showed that the number of households planning to buy a home within six months has now risen to its highest level since March.

Still, many economists cautioned that until the backlog of unsold homes is reduced much more significantly, the housing slump is likely to persist. The problem is being made worse by surging mortgage foreclosures dumping even more homes on an already glutted market.

The Freddie Mac survey showed that other mortgage rates were mixed this week.

Rates on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, a popular choice for refinancing, fell to 5.93 percent, down from 6 percent last week.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.03 percent this week, up slightly from 5.99 percent last week.

Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages also edged up slightly to 5.33 percent, from 5.29 percent last week.

The mortgage rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee for 30-year mortgages, 15-year mortgages and five-year mortgages averaged 0.6 point. One-year mortgages carried an average fee of 0.7 point.

A year ago, rates on 30-year mortgages stood at 6.67 percent, 15-year mortgage rates averaged 6.12 percent, five-year adjustable-rate mortgages were at 6.35 percent, and one-year adjustable-rate mortgages stood at 5.84 percent.

Well, I had my visit to the Appleton and it was a first class art museum. I definately had my hands full with a very excited 10 year old artist on my hands. Not to mention the coin toss I lost...Mark went to the gym so I took 3 month old Lexi with me. I was very worried she would start crying and we would have to make a mad dash for the gardens so as not to disturb other museum visitors. Thankfully art had a tiring effect on the baby and she slept pretty much the entire time.

There were some amazing paintings and we were able to discuss the many different art mediums. There are some beautiful sculptures spread out in the museum. We got to discuss the masks from Africa and the contemporary paintings. We also walked past a few nude paintings that I wasn't quite prepared for the questions on. ( I told her that some artists just thought of the naked parts the same as hands and feet, it was just skin too...I hope she doesn't try and start drawing nudes!) We walked past those pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, my little artist was getting tired out so we left before she got to see all of the Oriental art down past the gift shop. Laura is now begging to be taken back soon so that she can see the Oriental artwork. She has an artistic soft spot for Oriental art thanks to her obsession with 'Aang the Avatar the last Airbender' cartoon. We have countless drawings in our home of the characters in this show.

All in all, it was a very good visit and I am looking forward to going back for the Oriental artwork, but next time I will probaby try out the coffee bar prior to walking around.

Silver Springs, the largest artesian spring system, by water flow, in the world. They have several mini-cruises that you can take throughout the park. This 350-acre nature theme park and the adjacent 6 acre Wild Waters water park are not only a big tourist attraction but really great for all of us locals. I have to admit that Mark and I have had many races down the side-by-side slides at Wild Waters...I even win some of the time. They have a new water ride at Wild Waters, but I haven't gotten to try it yet, I had my beautiful baby Lexi in late May and didn't think she was ready for the water park yet.

Aside from all of this, Silver Springs also has concerts and events throughout the year that keep us entertained.
Here is the schedule of events from their website for the rest of the year:
Tusks: Mammoths & Mastodons
May 17 - Sept. 7

3rd Annual All-G.M. Auto Show
Saturday, Oct. 4

Oktoberfest
Oct. 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26

11th Annual Corvette Show
Saturday, Nov. 1

Native American Festival
Nov. 13 - 16

16th Annual Festival of Lights (there are two different concerts planned for the festival as well)
Nov. 28-29 Dec. 5-6, 12-23 & 26-30

Traveling Vietnam Wall
Dec. 5, 6 & 7

The shopping in Ocala has definitely improved lately, not only around the Historic Downtown Square, but there are now TWO major shopping areas here now, the new Market Street at Heath Brook open air mall and the Paddock Mall.

Museum
I don't know about anyone else, but I am a sucker for an art museum any day. I've promised Laura (the budding artist of our family at age 10) that I would take her to the Appleton museum of art and I think this weekend is as good as it gets. I don't have any open houses scheduled for this Saturday and the museum is open and waiting for us, (Hours:Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m.) with the display of local artists which is ending soon. It is not at all expensive. Currently $6 for adult and kids 10-18 are only $3. (Seniors are only charged $4)

There is just so much to do in Ocala...