Monthly Archives: June 2007

Florida Blog: Finding content for you!

Our Blog, Florida Property, Florida Mortgages and Florida Vacation Rentals is  all you need for all things Florida, we are in Technorati and regularly found in Google. If you are reading this then you must have a passion for Florida.

How do you find blogs about things you like?

Well a blog search engine of course!! Technorati is THE search engine of the blog world, amongst others. Google also has an advanced blog search engine built in to its existing engine.
Blogging is all about updated content..so when a blog is not updated it probably isnt full of content that you will read – however our blog here for instance is updated pretty much on a daily basis with points of interest for you!

There are more than 90 million blogs on the internet so there is going to be something that you like on there!

The Orlando Sentinel Has a great guide (another one in the How 2.. series)
 check it out.

Happy Blogging!

Florida on the grow! But…not everywhere!

Whilst most cities in Central Florida are on the grow – especially the Four Corners area – some cities in Seminole County – north of Orlando, have seen a decline, but ot by much, most of this has been caused by the lack of annexation by the cities to new communities outside of the city boundaries. – Altamonte Springs for instane lost 408 residents last year, however with 1200 people moving to the state everyday these numbers are dwarfed by the influx of newcomers.

However in terms of population growth the City of Orlando itself increased its number by 6936 last year to a total now over 220,000 as part of the Orlando Metro area which encompasses 2 million people! Other top growers on the list included Winter Garden, Kissimmee and Sanford – as well as Apopka who has its large scale annexation to thank for the growth numbers.

Florida has two of the fastest growing cities in the nation – Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral.

As reported by the Orlando Sentinel

Distances often underestimated in Central Florida

Ok, its your first time in the Orlando area, things look so close on the map…but in real life, they are further apart than most people realize. How can you solve this problem and avoid the hassle of being late or a drive that you thought would only take 10 minutes taking half an hour?

Well, the Orlando Sentinel has a great selection of Vacation Planning tools for you to utilize on its website www.orlandosentinel.com one of these tools will help you out in this particular problem. It has an interactive map which allows you to pick a destination to start and then a terminus upon which a pop up appears telling you how long (in minutes) a drive between these two locations would be – estimated of course. Check out this link!
http://travel.orlandosentinel.com/mapgrid/mapgrid.asp

Sterling Vs Dollar Exchange Rate Update

After the headline grabbing news only weeks ago about the pound breaking the $2 mark and remaining there for a length of time the rally has started again, although a little quieter this time.

Experts therefore pose the question, can the pound remain at this level long term?

The answer is a difficult one, the mood is uncertain and with a lack of US data makes it hard to say. The sterling did not make headway nor retreat at the opening of markets on Monday. However with an expected Bank of England Rate Increase next month it could mean a gain for the sterling. Only time will tell.

The difficulty is to know what to do. Do you wait? Or do you buy dollars at around $2 to the pound? It depends on your perspective, however with Florida property prices suffering from a buyers market and the current exchange rate it makes it very attractive for UK buyers to invest in property in the state!

None of the information contained in this blog/blog post constitutes, nor should be construed as Financial Advice.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari Ride has change in script

If you have been to Animal Kingdom then you must have been on this safari, if you are planning a trip to Animal Kingdom, you must go on it! Having been myself I can say it is a great , fun, thrilling and yet somewhat relaxing experience.

You go on a "real safari" to the "plains of Africa" (acres and acres of Central Florida!) and are accompanied by a guide who drives you through forests, through mud and across rickety wooden bridges..all great fun! You follow a story of getting caught up in chasing poachers.

Despite a change in script I am sure the excitement still remains!! Go to Animal Kingdom and enjoy!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Update

What do you need when you are planning on one of the hottest theme park developments in a decade? You need a contractor. Not your average contractor but one that makes the magic come to life. These specialists – such as ones which build fake rocks for instance! – are aching to get a slice of the $265million Wizarding World of Harry Potter development at Universal Studio’s Orlando.

Members of the ‘theme park building trade’ are eager to get their hands dirty. The development coincides with other theme park developments around the world in response to a global upswing in visitor numbers. The Orlando Sentinel Has the Full Report.

Thinking of improving your Florida property?

When searching for your dream Florida home there is only three things that matter: Location, Location, Location! However, when it comes to home improvements there are three ‘different’ words – Research, Research, Research!

Whether you are having the house painted (tip: check with your Homeowners association for approved colours) or installing a pool and spa (again check with the homeowners association) it is important to do your research on a builder or as they call them here – Contractors.

The Orlando Sentinel has written a great guide, ’7 Steps to a Credible Contractor’ which gives some great guidance – especially to a Brit who isn’t used to things over here – on selecting a contractor for a job! One of the main points to note is that generally contractors have to be licensed by the state as well as in their county. You can check alot of this information on www.myflorida.com – however for the local county records the local county websites sometimes have the same search facility if not a call to the local countys administrative headquarters will often help point you in the right direction.

Here is the link to the Orlando Sentinel’s Article "7 Steps to a Credible Contractor!"