One of my regular customers...

http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ HernandoLuxuryHomes = Spring Hill FL Real Estate


...came by, even in all this wind, for a late lunch:





This Cardinal is at the point where as soon as I turn my back he's on the feeder. He's come to realize that I'm no threat to him, and he has no reason to be scared of me.



Spring Hill, FL is classified as a bird sanctuary, and as a result there are so many beautiful birds seen through out the area. I love hanging out and watching them stop by my place for a snack. I find their nests in my trees and even in one of my rose bushes and I'm always blown away with the ingenious way they create their little homes. Yes, I'm even obsessed with bird's homes, lol. Like the way the twigs are just perfectly intertwined...so uniform and sturdy. All done with a little beak and no hands. Amazing. And then to see the little torn piece of plastic the bird found and used right at the bottom to provide something to keep the the cushy items from falling through.



When my Miicoh was still with us I used to put clumps of his fur out on the trees to give the birds something to line their nests with. He was a prodigious shedder and I'm sure he kept many a little egg warm and snuggly. I miss him so much.

Miicoh

I'm sure he's still watching those feeders and keeping track right along with Nermal of the comings and goings.

Springstead Marching Eagle Brigade of Spring Hill, FL is BRINGING IT this year!!!

http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ HernandoLuxuryHomes = Spring Hill Real Estate

I knew my day was headed for an upturn, and I was absolutely right. They did not disappoint. All the blood, sweat & tears...and more sweat...did I mention sweat, lol...is paying off big time. We were blown away with how well their performance was already. Westside Story makes for a fantastic show. The music lends itself to participation, whether by yelling "mambo!" along with them, doing a little cha cha in your seat, or the way you can't help but burst into applause with hoots and hollers coming out of you that you didn't even know you were capable of because you're just that into it.

Great, great job guys & gals. And of course my own Snew...you make your Momma proud each and every time. You're your own worst critic, I know. But, trust me when I say that you're doing your best out there, and it shows!



Josh is out at our 3rd rental right now w/ the window guy. He's doing the two in the living room while he's there so we don't have any future issues. I feel like a slot machine, and all I can here is the money pouring out of me, lol.

I look around my own home and wonder if I'll ever get it up to the standards of my rentals. My "to do" list for my own house just grows and grows. It's always someday, where with our rentals it has to be now.

Then again, I look at what owning those homes means to me. Both emotionally - it's a passion of mine - and financially - hopefully they'll serve to be a way to help my family in the future. In the end I still think it's all worth it, and we'll come out on top.

On a side note:

For those who've asked, if you have any questions for Josh Hanoud, please contact him at Josh@HernandoLuxuryHomes.com . He specializes in Spring Hill, FL, Real Estate, which includes Brooksville, the rest of Hernando County, and up into Citrus, and down into Pasco & Pinellas counties. To view homes for sale in Spring Hill, FL please go to http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ or http://www.searchhernandohomes.com/ . He's got a really user friendly home search on there that you do not need to register for.

Hellish day saved by the Night of Flight

http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ HernandoLuxuryHomes = Spring Hill Florida Real Estate


We had the walk through and I definitely spoke too soon. Not done. Had to have our handyman out to fix a couple drains, and have to have a window company come out for some windows. Ack! I'm already over budget on this house, dang it! In any case this was the first pre-lease walk through I've ever walked away from feeling bad. So bad I cried. Yup.

We'll see where this leads...right now I'm wishing I had held off and done the lease option that came up the day after I told the other agent her people had been approved. If only I had a crystal ball.

Maybe things will improve drastically from here, and all will be well. Maybe I'll actually feel good about this whole thing again.

The trellis I put up yesterday and tied the yellow flowering vine to looked spectacular IMHO. Wish it was at my place. Ah, well...live and learn.

As soon as I publish this blog I'm heading off to Snew's Night of Flight! What a fantastic way to turn a day around and brighten my spirits. I'm ready to have my socks knocked right off. Well, I live in Florida, so I guess it'll be my flip flops getting knocked off, lol. Their show is based on West Side Story...I know, right! I'll report back ASAP.

And I'm back to smiling as quickly as that.

Another milestone

http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ HernandoLuxuryHomes = Spring Hill Florida Real Estate

Tomorrow is Snew's "Night of Flight" for her marching band. She's been looking forward to, and working hard towards, this moment for several months now. We'll be seeing a full on performance of their program for the first time. I can hardly wait! Glad my parents and niece will be there to enjoy along with us.

We've ordered mild BBQ Wings from Pit Boss BBQ (if you're ever in Spring Hill, FL check'm out!) and need to get'm picked up and at the school's cafeteria by 5:30 the latest. Not an easy task for people whose schedules change in the time it takes a phone to ring.

Additionally we're doing the walk through, and handing over the keys on our latest place at 10am. It's always bittersweet for me. I'm thrilled to have someone living in them, and hopefully loving them as much as I do. At the same time it's weird not being able to go in them anymore, lol.

Each of them is such a great little place, and we've purposely put the rents at slightly below market because it makes us feel really good to have people happy because they found a great place in their price range.

Need to make sure all the smoke detectors get fresh batteries tomorrow, vaccum the last two rooms....and my work is done. At least I hope it is!

Oh, also, finally having the two problem spots in my garden cleaned out tomorrow. I'd given up on keeping the invasives in those areas under control and I'm just going to start from scratch. Hope I remember pics...and have time to take them...and then share them.

Maybe I should wake up my two assistants. They are sleeping under my desk:

Butch the Poodle, and Nermal the Siamese

Selling your home? Listen to this man.

http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com/ HernandoLuxuryHomes

Flipping Out's Jeff Lewis - aka my personal flipping guru

Some absolutely invaluable advice from someone who's opinion I absolutely value:

http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=136275

I know the commercial before the clip is annoying but I'm telling you: his advice is worth it!

This man needs to put out a book. I need to buy it.


Nat :)

End of the summer!

http://www.blogger.com/www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com HernandoLuxuryHomes

Summer came and went so quickly. I haven't even had a chance to comment on it and we're a week into school.

This summer we had our neices visiting and it was so much fun. I miss them bunches already, and I wish it could've gone on and on. There was so much more I still wanted to do with them!

In any case, I thought I'd share a pic:

This was taken at the Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Orlando.

One of my top 5 favorite things about living in Spring Hill, FL is being a short drive away from so many of the Florida attractions. It is awesome. Simple as that. We go to Disney, Sea World, Universal, or Busch Gardens and then we sleep in our own beds at night. It makes going to these special places with the kids a possibility because it is so much more affordable when you don't need to worry about hotels, flights, etc. Just as an example...we've been to Disney 3 times just this year. Before moving to Spring Hill I had been twice in my life. And I was one of the lucky ones.

Huh? What was that? A what? Pat on the back...I like...

=http://www.hernandoluxuryhomes.com HernandoLuxuryHomes = Spring Hill Real Estate

I so often concentrate on what I'm not doing right, what I haven't gotten around to yet, what goals I'm not reaching, that to have a positive thought creep in is literally like a ray of sunshine peeking into my mind through the dark clouds.



It makes me stop. For me that is no small thing. I'm always all over the place mentally. And to stop for a moment and think of one thing is a nice break.



I've realized we must be doing something right. I've been in this buy/fix/rent game for a short time. I've done 3 so far. Some how we've already reached a point where we've developed a bit of a rep and get calls from agents asking if we have anything for their renters.
We're told it's because they've seen what we do, and they know their renters will love our places.



Pat, pat, pat. That feels good.

We've completely put our money where our mouth is. We've made a deep commitment to Spring Hill, Florida, and our belief that it is absolutely worth investing in. Would you like to join us? Let Josh know of your insterest, and any questions you might have.

Well, we're in process of negotiations with the bank for our fourth. Wish us luck. I promise to share more pics at some point! In the mean time here's our 3rd place. She's a beauty, and we're proud of her transformation.


Nat






Also, please keep speaking out in behalf of Georgia. You cannot imagine what they're going through right now. Russia is breaking them down. They are being so brave. They are holding on. They want peace. They want freedom. They want democracy and a chance for their little ones to have the same lives as our little ones. Good people deserve good things. Please don't let their struggle be in vain. It is our struggle, too. All together we make a difference.

Stop this train

This morning I woke up with a realization prompted by two of the girls returning up North, and Tasha & Liya heading back to school. Summer, for us atleast, is over. The day was here. It had felt so far away.

The realization was that I was on what felt like a fast rolling train. It's moving full speed ahead. I catch glimpses of my life through my window. Sometimes the view makes me smile, sometimes I truly can't help but laugh out loud, sometimes I desperately look around for a pull chord to stop the train and enjoy my view just a bit longer. Unfortunately there never is one, and on the train rolls, and I'm sorry to see that moment end and pass into memory.

Other times the view makes me sad...or mad...and in those instances I am glad that this train cannot be stopped and thankful that soon those moments will be behind me. As I barrell through them, down this bumpy track, I press my cheek against my window full of hope for what is around the corner.

I realized we're all on the train. Some close to finally reaching their stop, some just getting on and beginning their own journey.

A bit before it was time to bring Tasha to school I had the additional realization that Mr. John Mayer had a song that darn closely resembled how I was feeling. Thought I'd share it here with you:





John Mayer - Stop this Train

Lyrics:

No, I'm not colorblind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind
But I just can't sleep on this tonight

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

Don't know how else to say it
Don't want to see my parents go
One generation's length away
From fighting life out on my own

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man
Said "help me understand"
He said "turn sixty-eight
You renegotiate"

"Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
And don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we'll never stop this train"

Once in awhile, when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark
Singing

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can
Cause now I see
I'll never stop this train

Please do not look the other way - Russia out of Georgia NOW!!!

Update: Let's go even further back in time! Georgia has been trying to avoid this for MONTHS, and asking for HELP!!!
http://www.caucaz.com/home_eng/depeches.php?idp=1921


First let's go back in time a bit - read below - see what Georgia offered Russia - and Russia invaded anyway. This is disgusting!!!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/07/georgia.ossetia.ap/index.html


Please continue to pray, and speak out in any way you can about what is going on in Georgia!!! Please, they need our attention or Russia is going to steam roll them!!!


Please watch this video:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2008/08/08/pilgrim.david.satter.interview.cnn


I am ashamed that a democratic nation can be attacked like this without those it supports coming to it's aid.


They sent their soldiers to die along with ours in Iraq!!! Please speak out!!!

They are using internal strife to settle an old score!!! And stop them from joining NATO in the future and becoming an even stronger US supporter & friend!

http://www.cnn.com/video//video/world/2008/08/08/dougherty.georgia.conflict.cnn