Featured - Orlando and Clermont Real Estate

Where to Live in the Orlando Area? Why Clermont?

Clermont is the place to put your roots

Extensive research goes into the home buying decision. Luckily when it comes to purchasing a home in the Clermont area you don’t have to look too hard to see why it is a perfect place to call home. Clermont is a quaint little town with historic charm that offers serenity, breathtaking lake views and the convenience of bigger cities close by. With Orlando only 22 miles away, you are just far enough out of the hustle and bustle to get a quiet lakefront lifestyle, but also close enough to have some fun when you’re in the mood for a night out. Clermont is mostly a residential town offering one of the first constructed landmarks in Florida, The Florida Citrus Tower.

They say the happiest place on earth is Disneyland, but if we are being honest, how true is this?

While Disneyland is indeed, magical, sometimes the constant hustle, musicals, cheer and shrieking children over whelmed with glee, can get a little old, not to mention the continuous tourist traffic. Clermont is peacefully located 30 minutes from Disney World allowing you to be close enough to create magical memories, but also allowing for some quiet nights away from the fireworks.

While the cost of living and housing have slowly been rising in more recent years, many still love their Florida lifestyles and find the higher cost of living to be quite reasonable when you factor in all the amenities and activities of the surrounding areas. Unlike previous decades, citrus and cattle, while still a major part of Florida’s economy, the state has become a hot spot for tourists traveling to visit theme parks and bringing in tourist income. With tourists coming from all over the globe, it is easy to appreciate the quiet lifestyle in Clermont and feel blessed to live in a place so close to a coveted tourist hot spot.

For those of us who have not yet reached retirement, Clermont and surrounding towns offer many diverse employment opportunities. Both military and high-tech companies including Siemens, IBM, Electronic Arts, Veritas, General Dynamics and Northrup/Grumman have a large presence in Florida providing many different careers. There are also well-known companies in the service industries that have moved into Florida such as Darden and the Hard Rock Café.

With employment opportunities, lake views in quiet towns and tourist activities right next door, it’s hard not to fall in love with Orlando, Clermont and the surrounding towns. Contrary to some beliefs, Florida is lush and filled with deciduous woods and scattered with lakes. The rich environment allows you to grow and maintain orchards as well as citrus crops for a perfect and relaxing weekend hobby. While temperatures may rise during the summer, the coastal state provides soft breezes to help you stay cool and comfortable even on the hottest Florida days. Towns such as Clermont are inland enough to have low hurricane threats and can occasionally provide heavy rainfall during hurricane seasons to nurture your greenery. With so much to offer it is easy to take the step in choosing to make Clermont and other cities surrounding Orlando home.

Images by Jared

Clermont Best Place to Retire in Florida

Forbes compiled a list of the 25 best places to retire in 2016. This year the top cities are in 19 states all over the country. The list is complied of places that have warm or moderate climates. The results fall in line with research from the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Census that found baby boomers approaching retirement prefer to live in sunnier weather. These means that naturally there are some cities in Florida that made the list.

Retirement is a period of change. For most retiring people this means, less income and more time to do what they choose. One logical and popular response to both of these is to move to a place with a lower cost of living and attractive lifestyle features like a warm sunny climate, rich cultural and educational offerings, and plenty of choices to stay physically active and opportunities to get involved in the community through volunteer work.

Forbes compiled the list after looking through nearly 500 communities with a primary objective to “ identify places that provide what we think, all things considered, is the best retirement value.” The list of the top 25 cities are not ranked better to worse, so that no one can boast they are number one according to Forbes. They want people to know all of the cities mentioned are great places to live.

This is What Forbes wrote about Clermont:

Clermont is an inland city of about 30,000 west of Orlando. Pros of living in Clermont include a strong economy, great weather and good air quality as well as a low serious crime rate. Cons include a low Milken aging index.

Clermont is new to this year’s list.

Other cities/ towns that made the list include:

-Abilene, Texas
-Apache Junction, Arizona
-Athens, Georgia
-Bella Vista, Arkansas
-Blacksburg, Virginia
-Bluffton, South Carolina
-Brevard, North Carolina
-Cape Coral, Florida
-Colorado Springs, Colorado
-Columbia, Missouri
-Corvallis, Oregon
-Fargo, North Dakota
-Grand Prairie, Texas
-Largo, Florida
-Lexington, Kentucky
-Lincoln, Nebraska
-Meridian, Idaho
-Mount Airy, North Carolina
-Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
-San Marcos, Texas
-Smyrna, Tennessee
-The Villages, Florida
-Traverse City, Michigan
-Walla Walla, Washington

Clermont is a great place to live no matter your age! For more information on living in the Clermont area and Clermont real estate please browse our website or contact us at anytime. Image adapted by Jared

Using Technology Instead of a Real Estate Agent

We are a society glued to our phones. They no longer are used to call people but for games, social media interaction, ways to stay “in the know” and viewing everything from the next major news feed to a stupid cat video. We are literally missing the world around us. Now, I’m not saying that this technology is useless – far from it as it also keeps us in touch with loved ones, offers local news, the latest book, or just gives us something to do on the bus, in line or sitting an open house – ok maybe that’s just me. But will it ever replace the real interaction of a human being? I certainly hope not and of course in my line of work I hope that really never happens.

Yes, technology and machines do eventually take the place of a human for many tech jobs such as assembly lines and such but there is nothing that beats real human contact. Technology, however, must be used in today’s day and age for listing, promoting and marketing and many forms are now available online – heck, some transactions can go through without a person every touching a piece of paper with electronic signatures and all. But are we so inundated with technology we’ve lost the goal of customer service?

I like to be in the know and provide my clients with flashy information on an iPad or tablet and show them what I can do and how we can accomplish their goals but often times they just don’t want that. They want to know how I can help them buy or sell a house. Pure and simple. No fuss, no fancy graphs or charts, just tell me them the facts and why they should hire me.

This is where it gets tricky – not every client is like that so this is where we have to “be all things to all people”. Find what they respond to and accommodate. Some clients are impressed with online communication, texting, electronic signatures and all, and for some this is the best way to communicate. But others prefer the face to face contact, the hand shaking, the look-them-in-the-eye approach so they know they can trust you.

While all agents should be able to navigate the Internet and provide online searches catered to their clients, they also should be able to provide printed documents to review later at a moment’s notice. Most agents can at least get into their MLS and send listing but some don’t even know what to do when a new addendum must be created or a contingency must be altered due to some unknown issue down the line. This is where technology and their knowledge of it is not going to help. Experienced agents can offer on-site inspection advice, information and suggestions on negotiations, what to ask for and how to get the terms the client wants. This kind of skill is not achieved online but in the day to day experience of this business. When time sensitive issues are on the line, no amount of tech savvy knowledge will beat the tried and true experience of a qualified and seasoned agent. It’s that clever negotiation tactic of voice to voice communication, convincing an inspector to take one more look at a property; it’s the subtle urging in the face to face contact that makes the seller come down another $1000 on an offer for the agent’s buyer, and it’s the smile on the face of the young family whom you just handed the keys to their new home that really makes the difference. These expressions cannot be handled digitally. This really is a people business and it will remain so regardless of how “techy” we all get.

5 Newcomer Tips for Living in Orlando

5 Newcomer Tips for Living in Orlando

Thousands of people move to Orlando each year and you are here because you are thinking about making the move. Well, do it. Orlando is a beautiful city in central Florida with something for everyone. Sports fan? We’ve got you covered. Nature lover? We have plenty of terrestrials and marine life here. Need to relocate to a warmer climate? We have more than enough sunshine and we are willing and ready to share it with you!

If you are planning an upcoming move to Orlando, here are 5 newcomer tips that should help you out once you get into town:

Have multiple interviews lined up – If you’re not currently employed, it is always wise to send out your resumes before moving into town. This will not only give you a feel for what type of jobs are available in the city but may also get a few interviews lined up for once you get here. Assuming you land a few interviews, prioritize them and figure out which one you think will be best for you. The best part of this is, if one doesn’t work out the way you want, the next just may be the start of your new career.
Know the cost of living – The cost of living in Orlando is one point lower than Florida’s average but is a bit higher than the national average. As the same goes with any upcoming move into a new city, you should have your financials set for at least the next six months before packing up and moving. Depending on you job and the lifestyle you live, in general, you can find a nice place in a decent area with nearby amenities and low crime rates.
Prepare for the weather – The Atlantic hurricane season is officially kicks off from June 1 to November 30, that being said, it is always a good idea to have a plan if a big tropical storm is headed our way. News Channel 13 has created a Hurricane checklist to help prepare you for incoming tropical storms. If you are moving to Orlando from out of state, chances are you’re not coming from Texas or Arizona so prepare for the summer heat. Temperatures have been known to peak in the mid 90’s but the humidity is what will make you sweat. We love our sunny days but it is always good to step inside to a nice air conditioned house as well.
Avoid Interstate 4 during rush hour – If you ask anyone who lives in Orlando and takes the I-4 to work during rush hour, they will more than likely tell you to stay off the interstate during rush hour. A $2.3 billion project named “I-4 Ultimate” will begin a 6 year ongoing interstate reconstruction in 2015, meaning that all lanes will be rebuilt, four variable-toll express lanes will be installed, and 15 major interchanges will be redone and 75 more bridges will be replaced – needless to say, stay away from the I-4 for the next six years.
Walt Disney World Annual Pass Discounts – What? You didn’t think we could give you tips for living in Orlando without even mentioning the discounts to Disney World? When people think of Orlando (or even Florida for that matter), many peoples minds immediately think ‘That is where Disney World is..’ – Yes, it is. If you go to the Disney World website, there are 5 different discount options you can purchase exclusively for Florida residents. If you choose to get a discounted Annual pass, you will be get more than $150 in savings.

Did you recently move into Orlando? Let us know how your move went and if you have any other tips for new and future residents of our great city!

Stunning Pool Home Just Listed in Clermont FL

This professionally landscaped home with brick pavers and covered entry will
impress any buyer with it’s curb appeal. Buyers who act quickly stand the best
opportunity at calling this house their future home. Four bedroom, three
bathroom house has a gorgeous kitchen with plenty of cabinets and tiled floors,
stainless steel appliances, large laundry room, living room, blinds throughout,
large master bedroom, dual vanities, tile flooring in wet areas and great room,
carpet in living and bedrooms, covered front porch, screened porch off living
room with private solar heated pool and covered outdoor living space, privacy
fence.

Overlook at Lake Louisa in Clermont FL is located near Golf Courses, HWY 27 and HWY 50, 429 Expressway, Theme Parks and Clermont FL Chain of Lakes.