Lakeland Real Estate Information

Florida is known for its many species of fabulous birds, from pink flamingos to the tall regal sand hill cranes to white ibises. In fact, Florida is home to nearly 500 species of birds. To help Floridians get a look at these foul, the Great Florida Birding Trail was founded. It comprises over 2,000 miles of trails with 489 special birding sites throughout the state.

Polk County is part of the East Florida Section of the Birding Trail which was opened in November of 2000. Polk has eleven birding sites which includes one of the three East Section "gateway" parks, the Tenoroc Fish Management Area, located two miles northeast of Lakeland. This special area has a staffed visitor center where visitors can get free trail guides, birdwatching tips and even free "loaner optics" - binoculars that are loaned out for a day, free of charge when certain criteria are met.

There are 486 native birds and 13 established non-native species residing in Florida. Get your own list of these birds and see how many you can identify. Pre-printed and online guides are available listing the birding sites in each of the four sections and giving details about what visitors can expect at each site.

You can also use the Great Florida Birding Trail Trip-Planning Tool to help you determine which part of the trail and which birding sites you may want to visit. With a variety of ways to search, you can select the particular species of birds you're interested in seeing, special amenities you may have an interest in, such as handicap accessibility, and bird habitats. You'll also find more info on the many species or habitats you may see.

Now that you know where to find some of the local bird habitats, maybe it's time to find a habitat of your own. Contact Damion Boyce today for help finding the perfect "nest" for your family. The Boyce Team has many beautiful homes available in the Lakeland area.

Anyone who has lived in Florida probably already knows that we can have mold problems in or on our homes. This is due in part to Florida's humidity levels. While most homes in northern states never have a problem with mold growing on their roofs or siding, many Florida homes do suffer from this malady.

Mold is found floating around in the air wherever you live, but when it lands on a host that can offer it moisture, it can quickly set up housekeeping. Dewy rooftops and siding, windows that have condensation build-up, air conditioning units and wet carpeting are all favorite habitats for mold.

Since mold can cause illness in humans, including allergic reactions from skin rashes to hay-fever type symptoms, getting rid of it as soon as you spot it, or better yet, preventing it from forming, is always the best way to proceed with indoor mold.

What Can be Done?

For roofs and siding, washing the home with a power washer and a mold-killing soap or bleach formula will usually keep the mold at bay. While this will take care of the mold that is there, it is not a permanent cure and will probably need to be carried out at least once a year.

Mold on the inside of your home can also be cleaned and removed with a soap solution and water. Bleach is another alternative although bleaching mold is not the only effective way to kill it. Once the mold is removed, however, your job is not complete because if moisture continues to be present, the mold will most likely return.

So if you have a leak, fix it. If you have high humidity in your home, you should try to lower it with dehumidifiers and by venting moisture-producing appliances such as clothes dryers to the outside if at all possible. When showering run the bathroom fan or at least open the bathroom door so that humidity doesn't condense.

To prevent mold formations in the first place, clean up and dry out any wet areas in your home as soon as possible. For windows with condensation, dry them off every morning or whenever condensation appears. Also lowering the relative humidity in your home to no more than 50% will help with moisture in your house.

For more information on what mold is all about and tips on how to keep it out of your home, visit this EPA site.

For help finding a great mold-free home in Lakeland, visit The Boyce Team and let Damion Boyce show you some of the great listings they have to offer.

The Obama Administration has now made some changes to its $75 billion Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) to help homeowners in the Lakeland area avoid foreclosure. Designed to help 3 to 4 million homeowners nationwide by 2012, the plan is currently falling short of this goal, with a total of only about 170,000 homeowners being helped thus far. While there is currently no specific time frame, the plan should be available in the next few months.

The HAMP re-design is focusing on jobless homeowners and those who are "underwater", meaning that their mortgage is larger than the value of their home. Right now, approximately 6 million homeowners have missed at least two mortgage payments while another 10 to 12 million are expected to be in danger of foreclosure in the next 3 years.

How Will HAMP Work?

Help can come in three different forms, depending on the problem.

 1. Jobless Homeowners living in a home with a mortgage of less than $729,750 and receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for a 3-to-6-month break on their mortgage payments. During this period they won't have to spend over 31 percent of their jobless income on their mortgage payment. This break is designed to give the jobless breathing room to find new jobs at which point they can be re-evaluated for a mortgage modification which may permanently decrease their monthly mortgage payment amounts.

 2. Underwater Homeowners with a mortgage under $729,750 who can show financial hardship, are spending at least 31 percent of their pre-tax income on their mortgage and owe more than 15% over their home's current value may be able to get help in the form of a reduced mortgage. Banks will be given incentives to lower mortgage balances over a three-year period during which time borrowers must not miss a payment.

 3. Lenders will be able to offer refinanced FHA-backed loans to certain jobless and underwater borrowers after their mortgage is reduced by the bank by 10%. The FHA will be getting incentives of $14 billion from the Federal Bail-out Fund. Individual mortgage companies will be evaluating whether or not they want to offer this help to borrowers so it may be necessary to shop around to find such an offer.

Should you be in the market to buy or sell your home, Damion Boyce and The Boyce Team can offer lots of resources to help you determine what's right for your situation. Contact Damion today and set up an appointment to learn more about current housing situations in the Lakeland area.

While living in Lakeland or visiting with your kids or grandkids, a wonderful learning opportunity awaits in downtown Lakeland at the Explorations V Children's Museum. While museum members and kids under 2 get in free, adults and kids up to age 65 will have to pay $5. Those over 65 get in for only $2.50, not a bad price for a whole lot of fun!

Let's see what's going on!

On the Lower Level:

Learn about the life and times of an orange, one of Florida's best-known exports, with a hands-on exhibit showing you all the things an orange can do during its lifetime.

Up to the Main Floor:

Only kids under 4 can participate in the Tot Spot exhibit where they can crawl, build, climb and explore a special exhibit just for them.

Kids will learn about medicine and nature at the Body Shop and Fun Park.

Next stop, Artrageous, the Walt Disney World Company sponsored exhibit that lets kids learn hands-on about their art skills.

The School House lets children be either teacher or star pupil and learn all about both of these endeavors.

At The Financial Center, kids get to go to the bank, use the ATM machine, deposit or withdraw money, or even become the banker themselves.

Plan a meal, do pretend grocery shopping, or be the clerk that checks you out, all at The Explore Store, a kid-sized supermarket just like the ones mom and dad visit!

The News Stations let kids be on the news or forecasting the weather. Work behind the camera or be the newscaster.

The Theatre lets visitors be the star on-stage, dress the part and be a singer, dancer, actor or musician.

End your visit by shopping at The Museum Store. Full of puzzles, toys and gifts, the store lets your kids continue their education at home.

Besides all these adventures, every day has its own teaching time. Magical Mondays focus on literacy, Terrific Tuesdays teach school-readiness skills, Wacky Wednesdays feature a kids' cooking program, Thrilling Thursdays focus on science and math and Fun Fridays offer a creative art activity. Plus all these activities are included in your general admission price.

Lakeland is a great place to live and The Boyce Team can find you a great house in Lakeland to live in. Contact Damion Boyce today to help you buy or sell your Lakeland home now.

We recently discussed the presence of termites in Florida's landscape, and among other termite truths, I suggested that it was a good idea to have your home inspected for termites on a regular schedule. This advice goes for those purchasing a home for their family as well. Now I want to mention some other areas that should be closely inspected when purchasing a new or used home in Lakeland.

1. Swimming Pool

Since Lakeland has good weather year-round, many homes have their own swimming pool. If buying a home with this great feature, be sure your inspector looks for cracks in the pool walls or tears in the pool liner. Be sure he checks the pump and looks for damage to any walkways surrounding the pool. Pool repairs are not something you want to encounter in your new home.

2. Heating and Air Conditioning System

In Lakeland, the air conditioning system may be in use more often than the heating system so be sure to have them both thoroughly checked. Also be sure inspectors look at the ductwork to make sure it's intact and mold-free.

3. Septic System

While homes within Lakeland's city limits will probably be on city water, there are those in more outlying areas that may have their own septic system. When purchasing such a home, be sure your inspector checks the septic system by digging small holes around the area to determine how it's operating. If there's a problem, you'll want to know it upfront, since septic system repairs can be quite costly.

4. Inspecting a New Home

If you're buying a brand-new home, you may think getting it inspected is a waste of money. After all, county inspectors have been around to see how the work is going. Plus it is new construction, what could be wrong? Well, lot's of things. Plumbing problems, cracks in walls, or heating and air conditioning defects can all become a headache if not detected early on.

5. Termites and Other Critters

As mentioned above, be sure you have a termite home inspection for any home you purchase in Florida. These little critters love living in Florida, but there's no reason they need to do it on your dime. So have your prospective home checked for their presence and for any damage they may have done. While they're at it, have inspectors check for other "bugs" that may find the prospective home or its surroundings a great place to live. Send them on their way if any are found and protect your home from any future visitors as well.

Life in your new Lakeland home can be a wonderful experience. Just be sure you're not stepping into any existing problems by having your new home inspected before you buy.

The Boyce Team can recommend inspectors who know what to look for in Florida properties. They can also recommend beautiful homes you might like. So contact Damion Boyce today and set up an appointment to see what The Boyce Team has to offer Lakeland buyers and sellers.

Let's face it, lots of people who move to Lakeland real estate are older, or as we say, mature people. This means that they may need more handicap accessibility in their homes, now or in the years ahead. If you or someone you know needs a home that is handicap accessible, here are some tips to make a home more user friendly for those with disabilities.

1. Not all improvements need to cost a lot. Moving clutter out of the way of an individual in a wheelchair or navigating the house with a walker can go a long way to making their life easier and the threat of falls less.

2. For people with arthritis or other problems with their hands, removing door knobs and installing door handles will help. Check home improvement stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot to see what they have available. Again this is not a super expensive fix, but it can make life much easier for those with disabled hands.

3. In the kitchen, consider installing a side-by-side refrigerator. This style of refrigerator is easier to get into when seated in a wheelchair. Also moving food items towards the front and bottom can make them easier to reach from a seated position.

4. A kitchen stove with knobs on the front and a mirror above to see how cooking food is progressing can help someone in a wheelchair cook for themselves or their family.

5. In closets, add low-level hooks and adjustable shelves so that people with disabilities can more easily reach, stack or hang clothing and accessory items such as belts, scarves and ties.

6. Add hand rails in the bathroom near the toilet and in the shower. Be sure they are securely attached to studs, not just drywall that could let go when weight is applied.

7. For those in a wheelchair, fold-away doors under the sink will allow better access for them. A tilted mirror over the sink is also a good idea for those who are forced to remain seated.

For handicap accessible homes available in Lakeland, contact Damion Boyce. The Boyce Team has many homes they can show you and lots of resources to help with handicap issues.

One of the best-known points of interest in Lakeland may be Florida Southern College (FSC). It's "Child of the Sun" collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is the largest collection on one site in the world.

The futuristic architect was first contacted in 1938 by Dr. Ludd Spivey, then president of FSC, to design a campus in Lakeland, Florida. Although FSC had no money to spend on special architecture, Spivey assured Wright that if he were to design the buildings, the money would be raised. Wright first visited Lakeland at the age of 67 in 1938 and his basic plan included 18 buildings, constructed of steel, sand and glass, coming "out of the ground, and into the light, a child of the sun" to quote Wright himself.

The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel was the first of the buildings to be constructed in the orange groves of southern Lakeland. It was dedicated on March 9, 1941. Construction of three seminar units quickly followed and people gathered to see Wright when he visited the Lakeland construction sites, often in a cape and carrying a walking stick.

The E.T. Roux Library (renamed the Thad Buckner Building in 1968) was built next and dedicated in 1945. It's interesting to note that the construction of these first three buildings was done by students willing to work to pay their tuition, an arrangement instituted by President Spivey.

The Emile E. Watson-Benjamin Fine Administration Building and the J. Edgar Wall Waterdome were next, with the Waterdome being completed in 1948. During this time 1.5 miles of esplanades, extending from the library to the Administration building were also being built. After the construction of the Ordway Arts Building, the esplanades were continued from the Seminar Buildings to the Ordway Arts Building and back to the chapel, completing the quadrangle.

Construction on the Danforth Chapel was completed in 1955 with the $1,000,000 Polk County Science Building, completed in 1958, rounding out the 20 years that Frank Lloyd Wright was involved in the building of Lakeland's Florida Southern College campus.

With its abundant offering of sunny days every year, Lakeland makes us all children of the sun. Contact Damion Boyce to help you find your home in the sun. The Boyce Team has many beautiful homes to offer, and although they may not have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, they are still quite impressive and worth a look.

With the cooler-than-normal winter weather we've had this year in Lakeland, pool owners may be wondering if they really need to run the pool pump as much as in the heat of a Florida summer. Wouldn't it be just as good to put a floater of chlorine tablets in the pool and allow the pool pump to be off while the weather remains cool? Here are a few thoughts on the matter: 

Purpose of Your Pool's Pump

Paul Roth, a member of the Florida Swimming Pool Association, an industry trade group, explains that the purpose of the pool pump is to circulate the pool water through the skimmer and main drain(s), through the filter and back into the pool. The pool filtration system depends on the pump being in operation.

Pool owners must realize that although pool water may be clear and look clean to the naked eye, it may in fact not have the proper chemical balance. Even though the floater of chlorine tablets is moving randomly around the pool, in actuality pool chemicals need the water circulation created by the pump to properly circulate them throughout the pool so that they can do their work on bacteria.

Interior Pool Damage

Roth further contends that concentrated chlorine tablets that are not properly circulated throughout the pool can damage the pool's interior as well by pitting plaster or gunite pool surfaces. Pitting or etching is also more likely to occur in pools whose chemical balances are not kept at an optimum level throughout the year. This can be a very costly problem to fix, usually requiring replastering of the pool's interior surfaces. It's also helpful to the pump itself to run since this heats up the motor and evaporates the humidity and water that can harm the motor.

So while enjoying life in the subtropical climate of central Florida, there is certain maintenance on the area amenities that needs to be continued even when the weather cools down a bit. Taking care of your pool properly year-round will go a long way to keeping it in good working order.

Finding Your Lakeland Dream Home

Finding a great home in Lakeland, with or without its own pool, is the job of Damion Boyce and the Boyce Team. Damion has the resources to help you determine that the home-with-a-pool that you're considering is in tiptop shape before you purchase it. Call the Boyce Team today to find your little piece of paradise.

Home shoppers everywhere have certain things they want in a home. And Lakeland home shoppers are no exception. With the economy in a downturn, home shoppers everywhere are looking for somewhat smaller, more energy efficient houses. But there are still certain things that they feel are must-haves and they're willing to cut down somewhere else to have them. Take a look:

1. The number one must-have is a large kitchen, preferably with an island. Most people feel that the kitchen is the heart of their home. Of course, it's where meals are prepared, but it's also often the gathering place for the whole family. Even when entertaining friends, everyone often winds up in the kitchen. Fill it with energy-efficient appliances to help save on energy costs.

2. A home office or study is a room that many people now consider a must-have. More people work from home, and in this electronic age, almost everyone has a computer and needs a place to keep and use it out of the general traffic flow. Consequently, such areas as formal dining rooms and home theaters are being shunned for the more popular home office.

3. As baby boomers grow older and become empty nesters, often downsizing and moving from the northern states to more weather-friendly areas such as Lakeland, having the master bedroom and bathroom on the main floor is becoming more popular. And as an offshoot of this move downstairs, utility rooms are also more often being located on the main floor.

4. Simple, fairly inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, and able to help heat and cool rooms efficiently at a minimal cost, ceiling fans have moved into the realm of must-haves in Lakeland homes. Gently circulating cooled air in the warmer months while pushing rising warm air back down to humans' levels in the heating season has made them a great choice for home owners.

5. Last on our list, but certainly not least, two-car garages are a definite must-have. Or for the more affluent, three-car garages where the third bay is often used to store yard equipment, outdoor toys, bikes or tools.

If these items are on the list as must-have for your new Lakeland home, Damion Boyce and the Boyce Team can help you find a house with all these amenities. Contact Damion Boyce today and let him or his team members show you properties you're sure to love in the Lakeland area.

Downtown Lakeland real estate, known as Dixieland even to this day, was started by real estate developers Henry B. Carter and C.W. Deen over a century ago, in 1907. They had purchased 160 acres between Lake Morton and Lake Hollingsworth and decided to call it Dixieland. It is believed that the name was in reference to the fact that this was the first subdivision to be developed south of downtown Lakeland.

Dixieland's streets were in place and a water system installed by the time Carter and Deen inserted ads in local newspapers touting Dixieland as a "fashionable suburb" of Lakeland real estate as well as the "surest, safest investment in Florida."

Dixieland continued to grow in the next few decades, becoming both a residential and commercial neighborhood. Private residences in Florida's popular bungalow style during the 1920's and 40's represent about one-third of the neighborhood's residential homes.

A historic site survey completed in 1993 confirmed the number of historic buildings over 50 years old in the neighborhood and the Lakeland City Commissioners gave Dixieland "historic district status". Dixieland was also later placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dixieland Historic District is bounded by Walnut Street, South Florida Avenue, Lenox Street and Hartsell Avenue.

Revitalization efforts have continued in Dixieland since the 1990's, and regulations were adopted in 2000 to preserve its architectural heritage. While only the exteriors of the buildings are covered by these regulations, before any demolition or renovation can occur, property owners are required to get city approval, thus ensuring the historic heritage of the area.

These and many other amazing neighborhoods can be found in the beautiful city of Lakeland, Florida. If you're looking for a special place to call home in Lakeland, why not contact Damion Boyce first and let the Boyce Team help you locate the home of your dreams in one of Lakeland's special neighborhoods today.