Christmas in Space Coast!

By Jennifer Alvarez, Realtor®

Coldwell Banker Cocoa Beach Realty

realtor.jenniferalvarez@gmail.com   

www.cocoabeachrealty.com/jenniferalvarez

Looking for Holiday events around town?  Here are some great activities you have to choose from in our very own Space Coast... 

Cape Canaveral "Reindeer Run" on Saturday, December 1st 8:00am @Cherie Down Park 8492 Ridgewood Avenue, Cape Canaveral. 

17th annual run is the final leg of the Holiday Beach Classic Mini Series.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Brevard County Police Athletic League. Run includes award presentations and door prizes.   Contact r.lefever@cityofcapecanaveral.org or call 321-868-1226

"Lighting of the "Riverfront Park Christmas Tree" on Saturday, December 1st  5:00pm-9:00pm @the Riverfront Park in Historic Downtown Cocoa Village. 

An event where attendees can enjoy a variety of holiday entertainment on the main stage, visit with Santa Claus, play in the snow and watch "Arthur Christmas" on the outdoor big screen scheduled to start at 7:00pm. Stage entertainment and visits with Santa are FREE, for kid’s activities such as the bounce house, game area, snow play and etc. there's  a $5.00 activity band fee

"Melbourne Light Parade" on Saturday, December 8th 6:pm @912 E. New Haven Ave, Melbourne. 

Parade route begins at the Florida Marketplace and ends in downtown Melbourne.  Spectators are asked to bring a non-perishable food item or new unwrapped toys to the event (collected at the first float in the parade).

"Cocoa Beach Christmas Boat Parade"  on Saturday, December 13th 6:pm @the Banana River in Cocoa Beach.  The 30th Annual Parade will float through the canals of Cocoa Beach The parade starts at 6:00pm at marker 101 on the Banana River, in Cocoa Beach.  Scheduled to proceed east to Sunset Bar and Grill, then south through the residential canals in the city, and ending at the west end of the Cocoa Beach Golf Course.  Sponsored by the Cocoa Beach Boating Club, awards will be given for best decorated boat over and under 30 feet. For questions or more information, call Walt Blazer, (321) 783-1207.

Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol" on Saturday, December 22nd 7:30pm @King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne. 

Musical version with an ensemble of 28 performing a full array of timeless carols such as “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Away In a Manager” and “Here We Come A-Wassailing” interwoven within the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and all the other characters from Dickens' 1843 novel.  With the colorful scenery, elaborate costumes recreating the Victorian period;  exceptional voices, lively dancing and neat special effects... collectively create a wonderful holiday treat for the entire family!

Hope to see you there!

Realtors: A Well Earned Reputation That Is No Longer Deserved

Ask the average citizen about realtors and the responses received will be less than lavish. Shady, cut-throat, lazy, greedy, and these will account for the less imaginative terms. Do realtors deserve this reputation? They certainly did. Do they presently deserve this reputation? Not at all, but you can’t simply change people’s opinions without work.

Now before you decide to light your fiery torches, grab your pitchforks, and march in my direction, realize this does not apply to ALL realtors, but I’m sure it relates to someone you know or have worked with. Remember, only few bad apples ruin the bunch, and when the general public is looking for a scapegoat, that is all they need.

During the realtors “hay-day”, everyone jumped on the realtor band wagon. Being a realtor was easy. Get your license and make money, lots of money. In some cases, realtors didn’t even really have to know what they were doing, and in many cases didn’t. Bad decisions were made with no consequence. Well, not immediately anyway. Like anything moving too fast and out of control, our profession jumped the tracks and the gravy train came to a crashing halt.

Unfortunately, the problem was so inflated that the casualties affected the whole country. People lost their jobs, their homes, and their faith in the American dream. Normally, I am a little over dramatic, but unfortunately, this time I am dead on. Now of course realtors can blame the banks, and the mortgage brokers, which they have, but realtors need to realize that their clients are their responsibility. They need to protect their clients. They simply didn’t (not all of you…).

The reputation, as a generalization, was well deserved. What then public does not realize is that the primary fatalities of that train crash were those realtors. The ones that survived were the hardworking, honest ones. Unfortunately, they are also the ones living with the aftermath of the catastrophe. The question is, what do we do?

Well, the market has shown improvement and is definitely on its way back. As realtors, we now have to show extra care. It’s not just about making a buck; it’s about keeping our profession alive and healthy. I was once told, “Don’t worry about making money, worry about doing the best job possible. If you do that, then the money will come, and you set be set with a foundation that will last.”

Be honest, moral, and make decisions based on what is best for your client. It is up to all of us to repair our reputation and once again thrive in our given profession.

U.S. Mortgage Rates Close to Record Lows!

Mortgage rates were little changed, keeping borrowing costs close to record lows after home prices increased in more U.S. cities.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 3.4 percent in the week ended today from 3.39 percent, Freddie Mac said in a statement. The average 15-year rate fell to 2.69 percent from 2.7 percent, according to the McLean, Virginia- based mortgage-finance company.

Low interest rates are making real estate more affordable, while rising demand is bolstering values. Single-family home prices climbed in the third quarter from a year earlier in 120 of 149 U.S. metropolitan areas measured, the National Association of Realtors said in a report yesterday. In the second quarter, 110 areas had gains.

“There is absolutely a direct relationship between falling interest rates and rising prices,” Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com, a Pompton Plains, New Jersey-based mortgage-information website, said yesterday in a telephone interview. “More borrowers can come out and participate in markets that would have been considered too expensive for them.”

The 30-year average reached an all-time low of 3.36 percent last month, while the 15-year hit a record of 2.66 percent, according to Freddie Mac.

Port Canaveral Welcome Center!

PORT CANAVERAL — Port Canaveral officials are urging the public during the next several months to visit a special observation desk in the Cove area and watch the construction of a $16 million-plus welcome center.

That’s to see the the outside progress.

The center’s designers offered the public a view of what’s going on inside the center — seven floors showcasing the Brevard County’s ecological jewels, its relationship with the space industry, boating and surfing and a maritime history going back 12,000 years.

On the top floor will be an observation deck where people can watch cruise and cargo ships enter the port as well as capture breathtaking views of the Space Coast.

“I’m very excited,” said Stefanie Mattia, group sales coordinator for Courtyard by Marriott in Cocoa Beach and chairwoman of the Port Canaveral Association.

“I’ve been out here for more than 15 years and to see a plan like this in the Cove come to fruition is just wonderful,” Mattia said.

“I think it’s exciting, not only for the cruise passengers but Central Floridians as well,” said Keith Smith, marina master for Bluepoints Marina in the port. “This is really good stuff.”

The welcome center, located on Port Canaveral’s south side near the entertainment district known as “the Cove,” is being designed as a modernistic attraction that attracts visitors who may be waiting for a cruise to depart, but also act as a Brevard showcase for tourists.

One floor of the center also will be available for conferences and social events.

The center’s scheduled opening, July 2013, is meant to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon's landing on Florida's coast. Some historians believe he may have landed near Melbourne Beach.

At one of two public meetings to review the welcome center, the project’s designer, Jan Faulkner of Haley Sharpe Design, discussed plans for each of the seven floors and the intention to use local artists, photographs and exhibitions to promote the area’s history and present.

Another group of individuals are fast-tracking the development of state-of-the-art interactive exhibits. In total, they predict about $2.5 million in exhibits at the center.

And the open-air observation desk, with views of the ocean, the port, the space center and other attractions is meant to serve as a tourism brochure of sorts.

“It’s going to be a springboard to go out and explore the area,” Faulkner said of the expansive views of Brevard that will be visible from the deck.

Sindy Smith, manager of the Cove Marketplace, said the welcome center and the visitors it will attract means the vendor market, located next to the structure, likely will go from a seasonal operation to one that’s open year round.

“I’m very excited,” Smith said. “It definitely means more employment, more opportunity and more new beginnings.”

Cost-Effective Ways To Stage Your Home to Sell!

By Jennifer Alvarez, Realtor®

Coldwell Banker Cocoa Beach Realty

realtor.jenniferalvarez@gmail.com

www.cocoabeachrealty.com/jenniferalvarez

Staging your home is a key factor in its marketability and price validation.  Budget should not play a role, as there are different types of staging.  Most cost-effective method is simply removing and packing-away items.  You can either hold a yard sale to purge the items or move them into the garage or a storage unit/container.

            ◊ Remove all family photographs and memorabilia's...  

                        Allows buyers to visualize their personal possessions in the home.

            ◊ Put-away Seasonal things such as clothes, accessories, decors items, linens, etc...

           

                        Makes your closets and cabinets appear larger.

            ◊ Clear counter tops in the kitchen and bathroom... 

                        Provides a feeling of a clarity and well-being.

            ◊ Furnish each room appropriately, with properly sized furniture and theme decor as it applies to the subject room... 

                        Offers the feeling of a welcoming "HOME".

            ◊ Be attentive to scents and odors.  Exercise discretion when preparing meals the days your            home is being shown, or on a night before an open house is to be hosted.  Minimize pet odor with frequent cleaning; vacuum with carpet cleaner, mop with scented liquid regularly, and keep a bottle of "Febreeze" and/or a can of "Lysol” handy to spray just before an appointment... 

                        This will help allow your house to be a consideration to all buyers, even to those with allergies to animals or are simply not partial to pets.  

   

This little extra effort will help in reaching the main goal...selling your home as soon as possible, for as much as possible!

Slater Brothers Invitational October 26th - 28th!

Cocoa Beach, Florida, is expected to be the site of a charity surf and skate event the weekend of Friday, October 26, 2012. The event is being presented by Brighthouse Networks in association with the famed Slater Brothers. Here are a few more details:

Surf Event Basics

The Slater Brothers Invitational is an annual event that is designed to raise awareness and funds for the World Skin Cancer Foundation. It is scheduled to take place Friday, October 26, 2012 through Sunday, October 28, 2012 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The event is expected to include an invitation only surfing competition, a skateboarding competition, a live concert, complimentary skin cancer screenings and a Slater Brothers Look-Alike Contest. Surf fans that are unable to visit Cocoa Beach in person will have an opportunity to watch both the surf and skate competitions via the event's website. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

The surfing portion of the event is slated to run all three days, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., in Cocoa Beach. Participating surfers are expected to be competing for a top prize purse of $1,000. Both longboard and shortboard heats are planned. The heat draw has yet to be revealed. However, the competition has a history of attracting top name pros and amateurs alike. Surfers that have attended the event in the past include Rob Machado, Shea Lopez and the Hobgood Brothers. As such, I suspect that this year's surfing competition should attract top name surfers as well. Surf fans should keep an eye on the event's website for updates.

Other Event Basics

The concert portion of the event is anticipated to take place on Friday, October 26, 2012 at Coconuts on the Beach. The group scheduled to perform is Pepper. Tickets may be purchased through Coconuts on the Beach. The skate portion of the event is also expected to kickoff on Friday with an open practice and a best trick jam. Skaters interested in participating in the event should contact Cocoa Beach Skate Park's Scooter Newell. Additional details about all the events on tap for the weekend are posted on the Slater Brothers Invitational's website.

About the Cause

The World Skin Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization. It has been in operation since 2005. Several events are often held throughout the year to help further the organization's work in the fight against skin cancer. The Slater Brothers Invitational is just one of them. Surf fans can find out more about the organization's activities online.

U.S. Navy Ship To Be Named After Neil Armstrong

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the first Armstrong-class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) ship will be named Neil Armstrong, after the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission who died last month at age 82.  

Mabus named the future R/V Neil Armstrong (AGOR 27) to honor the memory of Neil Armstrong, best known for being the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong was an aeronautics pioneer and explorer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) serving as an engineer, test pilot, astronaut and administrator.  Armstrong also served as a naval aviator flying nearly 80 combat missions during the Korean War.  

"Neil Armstrong rightly belongs to the ages as the man who first walked on the moon.  While he was a true pioneer of space exploration and science, he was also a combat-proven naval aviator," said Mabus.  “Naming this class of ships and this vessel after Neil Armstrong honors the memory of an extraordinary individual, but more importantly, it reminds us all to embrace the challenges of exploration and to never stop discovering.”

 

Armstrong’s widow, Carol, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. 

The Armstrong-class AGOR ship will be a modern oceanographic research platform equipped with acoustic equipment capable of mapping the deepest parts of the oceans, and modular on-board laboratories that will provide the flexibility to meet a wide variety of oceanographic research challenges.  These make them capable of supporting a wide range of oceanographic research activities conducted by academic institutions and national laboratories.  Additionally, the research vessel will be outfitted with multi-drive, low-voltage diesel electric propulsion systems.  This upgraded system will maintain engine efficiency while lowering maintenance and fuel costs. 

 

Armstrong-class AGOR ships will be 238 feet in length, have a beam length of 50 feet, and operate at more than 12 knots.  AGOR 27 is currently under construction by Dakota Creek Industries, Inc. in Anacortes, Wash.