The 2009 Peace River Seafood Festival & Boat Show will take place on October 17 & 18 at the Laishley Park Marina.  Bring the family and enjoy delicious food, live music, boats, and great weather.  Activities include: fishing seminars, BBQ fish demos, kayak demos, business and craft vendors, seafood vendors, and an area for the litle ones complete with pony rides. 

The parking is free and the only a dollar to get in, so bring a chair and stay all day.  10am – 5pm on Saturday and 11am - 5pm on Sunday.

The Fat Point Board Shop, a surf and skate boutique is now open for business.  Fat Point is the English translation for Punta Gorda and Board Shop only begins to cover the treasures that can be found there.  The shop is the brain child and long time dream of owner and operator, Amy Dwyer.   Amy, a life long Florida resident, her husband, Rob and children, Oceana, and Colby are all avid surfers.  They recently enjoyed a surfing vacation in Costa Rica.

Amy’s experience in the retail business coupled with her love for ocean sports made this a natural fit.  She carries surf boards, skate boards, and all the apparel that true surf aficionados crave.

Skate Boards

Store owner - Amy Dwyer

If Board sports is not your thing do not let that deter you from stopping by.  Amy also carries all of the necessities for enjoying our Florida climate or a day at the beach.  She has a vast assortment of sandals, sunglasses, T-shirts, sun dresses, shorts, swim wear, hats, well you get the idea.  Did I mention jewelry?  The jewelry alone is worth the visit.  Earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces, in styles to suit any occasion.  I picked up a birthday present for a friend and got all kinds of great gift ideas for the holiday season.

Apparel for the Florida lifestyle

The Fat Point Board Shopis located in the newly opened Laishley Marina Complex on the water  in Laishley Park.  It is right next door to the Laishley Crab House Restaurant just a short walk from the heart of downtown Punta Gorda.      Be sure to put this on your things to see in Punta Gorda.  This is truly a unique shopping experience that won’t disappoint.    

Stop by and say hello to Amy.

If your business has not been affected by the economy considered yourself fortunate.  The real estate market has certainly been challenging for a while now.  Recently I found myself staring at my cell phone certain it must not be working properly because it was not ringing…at all.

Rather than stare at my computer and curse my cell I decided to do something for myself.  Golf is my passion and has been since I was a child.  I have always wanted to get a professional club fitting and it was something I had never allowed myself to do.  I made the appointment, over came my self induced guilt trip and went for it. 

Being the conscientious realtor that I am I of course brought my cell with me just in case it started functioning again.  The club fitting was quite an experience.  I hit golf balls for two and one half hours with every brand of club on the planet.  Did I mention I live in Florida and it was really hot, too?  During the course of this exhausting yet exhilarating  exercise my phone wouldn’t sop ringing.  Before it was over I had a new listing, two buyer leads and a transaction that was going to close ahead of schedule.  I also got a great set of clubs.

The point is you don’t have to be sitting in a office to be productive and sometimes getting out is far more productive.  The next time you feel like you have hit the wall go do something you really enjoy.  You might be surprised just how beneficial that can be.  I have to go  my phone is ringing.

A smile, a friendly greeting, answering a call or returning one.  These may not seem all that important but you never know how they may affect a customer or a potential client.  Random acts of kindness can be very powerful lead generators.

Far too often when meeting with sellers and buyers I hear the same mantra; My Realtor never calls me or communicates with me.  I don’t know why after hearing this repeatedly that I am still surprised or I guess puzzled by this.  Success in real estate has far more to do the with the efforts of the individual realtor than the company he or she represents.  How hard is it to make a call or make the extra effort?

I make it a point to call my sellers once a week.  During that period of time when it felt like absolutely nothing was selling these calls were not enjoyable but I did it anyway and tried to be as upbeat as possible.  At the end of those conversations without fail they all said thank you so much for calling.  They simply appreciated being informed no matter what the news may have been.  It is so basic yet so many Realtors just don’t seem to get it.

I was recently involved in a transaction and I had the buyers. The sellers had a limited service listing which only paid the buyers rep and they were handling everything for themselves.  These people were not experienced in the business side of real estate and when I arrived to present the contract they had numerous questions regarding the entire process.  I spent a great deal of time with them and took them step by step through the process.  In the days that followed I called and kept them updated on our progress.  The next time we met they asked me for a supply of my business cards.  They said they were so impressed with my service they wanted to recommend me to their friends.  All I did was give of my time and communicated with them.

The little things really do matter and they can pay tremendous dividends.

I am a golf nut…certifiable!  I started playing when I was seven and have been hooked, no pun intended, since.  I have played the game all over this state and Punta Gorda and Charlotte County have some exceptional courses.  Whether you want an executive style or professional layout it can be found here with glorious weather included.

Playing golf is certainly an asset to my real estate business.  Many of my customers are golf nuts too and often are looking for golfing communities in which to reside.  Finding the right course is almost as important as finding the right home.  It is a marvelous way to spend the day and a great way to get to know people.

If you would like more information on the courses in this area please visit my website: http://www.DebbieSaunders.com or contact me.

I guess the folks down here aren’t buying all of the negativity that the media is selling regarding the real estate market.  What they are buying is property.  Pending sales were up 6.3% in January in our area.  I have noticed the surge in activity and yes, I have been busy and no, I am not complaining.  I am also not surprised.

Home prices are extremely attractive and mortgage rates are as well.  What a great combination and the result is sales are happening.  Owning a home has been and probably always will be the great American dream.  The current economic situation has put a damper on morale and spending but Americans are a resilient bunch and we will climb out of this and be better than ever.

Real estate…Uh oh, gotta go that pesky phone is ringing again.

If you are a dog lover as many of our visitors are you probably do not like to leave your furry friend with strangers.  If your destination is Punta Gorda you don’t have to worry.  The Hounds on Henry awaits your arrival. 

THIS WAY TO DOGGIE FREEDOM

The Hounds on Henry is our local dog park.  The place where your dog can get off the leash, make new friends and get some exercise.  The park is divided into large and small dog sections but if you have a small dog with a big attitude he can run with the big dogs.

Water is always available and covered picnic tables are also provided.  It is a great way to spend the afternoon and enjoy our glorious weather.  Fido gets a workout and you might just make some new friends as well.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

Punta Gorda recently passed an ordinance that allows pet owners to bring their dogs to restaurants that include outside dining.  Leashes are mandatory but at least the pooch can tag along.  No excuses now, bring your pet and come on down.

I walk daily, usually in Burnt store Isles, the subdivision of Punta Gorda where I live.  It is great exercise and a great way to keep an eye on what is happening in the “hood”.  Normally I enjoy this, but days like today it is an unpleasant task.  It is 38 degrees this morning and windy so it feels much colder.  On days like this the “locals” break out the winter attire if they bother to face the elements at all. 

Not long into my journey I noticed a couple walking towards me dressed in t-shits, shorts, and sandals and carrying beach towels.  Tourists, popped into my head.  I chatted long enough to learn they were indeed from the north and they were headed to the pool.  Ok, 38 and windy is a heat wave if you are use to snow and ice and the pool is heated but you have to get out at some point.  My teeth began to chatter.  I tightened the drawstring on my hoodie,  zipped my coat and walked faster in an effort to regain sensation in my feet.  I seriously could not imagine swimming on a day like this.  I get nervous when the temperture dips below 75 degrees and I don’t go any farther north than the mall.

The cold truth is, this type of weather is the exception not the rule and we take comfort in knowing that that it will be short lived.  It is a gentle reminder of why we live here.  The weather fuels my business and most others here, as the snowbirds head south for the winter.  The cold truth is I depend on the cold.

Just a reminder that you should Suport your local Punta Gorda Merchants and check out Think Thursdays for fun to do stuff!

If you live in Punta Gorda or have visited for any length of time you may have heard the expression “over the bridge”.  The bridge is the span over Charlotte Harbor that connects the city of Punta Gorda with Port Charlotte.  To the locals “over the bridge” is that arduous and seemingly endless journey to the great beyond.   It’s that chore that you just don’t want to do.  

Many residents it seems have an issue with going over the bridge.  Punta Gorda is a small city and we try to shop locally and support our merchants but now and again you want or need something and you can’t find it here and that is when you hear, “Aw geez I have to go over the bridge”.   The bridge is only about a two mile span and Port Charlotte while larger than Punta Gorda, is no booming metropolis, so what is the big deal? 

A long bridge to be sure, but the view is always great!

I am not sure what causes this phenomenon because it seems to manifest itself over a period of time.  It sneaks up on you gradually and you don’t realize it is happening.  Here is my theory.  When in Punta Gorda you are never more than ten minutes from any other destination here.  The traffic is minimal and so it easy to move around.  Port Charlotte is larger and the main road, US41 is more congested and filled with those pesky traffic lights that surely add minutes to the trip.  Basically we are spoiled by our little piece of paradise and we don’t want to venture away from it.  Interestingly enough the folks coming over from Port Charlotte don’t seem to suffer from this syndrome. 

Personally I don’t mind going over the bridge.  The view of the harbor is magnificent and it is a constant reminder of why we love living here.  I’ll go “over the bridge” but I won’t go any further north than the Mall.