The Dawn Of Real Estate - Dawn Mathisen

If You Can Apply For Homestead Exemption This Year - Be Sure To Do So In February

2012-02-02T17:43:00.001-08:00

Did you buy a new home that you owned and resided in permanently as of January 1st of this year? Heads up because the deadline for applying for the Florida Homestead Exemption is March 1st!

Want to know more about Homestead Exemption, how it works and what you might be eligible for, hop on over to my recent article at The Snowbird Journal

and learn all about it. While this article was written with our seasonal residents going from part to full time residency in mind, the information provided will put you on the right track.

If you are eligible to apply, please be sure to put this on your to-do list for February and you'll enjoy additional property tax savings from the coming years you own your property and use it as a primary residence.

Here's the article:

NOW IS THE TIME TO FILE FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION

Homeowners Hints For Annual Insurance Checkup, Home Inventories and More

2012-01-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

The New Year is upon us and while we all lead very busy lives, homeowners could serve themselves well by giving themselves an annual homeowner's insurance check-up including taking stock of their coverage. These articles shared offer some helpful hints on just how to do so!

It's also a great time to include in your resolutions for this year maintaining a Home Inventory so you know what the contents of your home are at all times. The time to think about that is not after disaster strikes, but before, and by using these helpful hints you can save yourself a lot of grief in the event something happens. Also, cameras can be your best friend so be sure to take lots of pictures and save them on a remote computer or print off and save in a safety deposit box. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and it could be true in this case.

Enjoy the articles and more soon from "The Dawn of Real Estate"

The Cost of Umbrella Insurance for Homeowners

The surprising thing about the cost of umbrella insurance is that it can be influenced as much by your driving record as it can be by your record as a homeowner. Read

Compile a Home Inventory with the Right Tools

A home inventory of your belongings for insurance purposes is a relatively inexpensive way to make any future claims go smoother. Read

The Right Disaster Insurance for Your Region

The region in which you live dictates what kind of disaster insurance you might need to protect your home from Mother Nature’s wrath. Read

Homeowners Insurance: Time for an Annual Check-Up

An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook. Read

How to Correct Your CLUE Insurance Report

An error in your CLUE insurance report can increase your homeowners insurance premium or even prevent you from getting coverage at all. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Ho-Ho-Happy Holiday Information From The Dawn of Real Estate

2011-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Ho ho ho! At the Mathisen household, we are still busy "decking the halls" in preparation for family, friends and guests in the coming weeks.

Here are some articles you might find of interest during the Holiday season.

We wish you and your's the best and brightest season ever!

7 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas

With a few conscious choices, your merry Christmas can also be an eco-friendly Christmas. Read
LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips

LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you. Read
Real Christmas Trees vs. Fake Christmas Trees: Which are Greener?

How do real Christmas trees and fake Christmas trees stack up when it comes to the environment and cost? We’ve got the dirt. Read
5 Holiday Hosting Disasters and How to Avoid Them

Take a look at the most common things that can go wrong when you have guests and learn how to prevent them. Read
Holiday Fire Safety Tips

The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires, so take note of these tips to reduce your risk. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

5 Reasons For A Refinance Other Than Lowering Your House Payment

2011-12-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

5 Reasons for a Mortgage Refinance Other Than Lowering Your Payment

There’s more to a mortgage refinance than lowering your monthly payments. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

In The Market For A New Home? Here Is Some Great Information For You.

2011-11-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

Are you in the market for a new home? Now is certainly a great time to buy - with housing prices still at historical lows and some pretty incredible mortgage interest rates available.

Here are some great articles I wanted to pass along for those considering a new home purchase. Enjoy and give me a call if I can help you make your home ownership dream come true!

Negotiate Your Best House Buy

Keep your emotions in check and your eyes on the goal, and you’ll pay less when purchasing a home. Read

Keep Your Home Purchase on Track

You’ve found your dream home. Make sure missteps don’t prevent a successful closing. Read

7 Steps to a Stress-free Home Closing

By doing homework in advance, you’ll understand what you’re asked to sign when you close the sale of your home. Read

8 Tips for Finding Your New Home

A solid game plan can help you narrow your homebuying search to find the best home for you. Read

Find the Home Loan that Fits Your Needs

Understand which mortgage loan is best for you so your budget is not stretched too thin. Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Discover Some Of Lehigh Acres History

2011-10-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Lehigh Acres is my hometown and has been since 1978 when I became a transplant here from New Jersey. With the exception of the "true Floridians" (who sometimes like to call themselves Crackers), most of us became residents of the area by way of our hometowns elsewhere.

As a hometown Realtor, I find the story of Lehigh Acres, it's history and development very interesting. What was once cattle grazing ground is now the community we call home. It has some interesting beginnings and history.

I am proud to be a contributor to the Snowbird Journal, which is an online and email publication for the seasonal residents who visit Southwest Florida. For those who are interested in learning a little more about Lehigh Acres and our town's beginnings, you can do so by reading my article in the October 2011 Edition of the Snowbird Journal: Discover The History of Lehigh Acres.

If you have friends and family who are Snowbirds, please share the Snowbird Journal with them as it's growing each month and covers news and information they would find interesting as seasonal residents.

I am your honest hometown Realtor and am here to provide you with professional, experienced and friendly service so please contact me anytime! Happy Reading!

Lehigh Acres' Local Misconceptions About Lehigh Resort Club

2011-09-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's still a hot one in the Southwest Florida sun! Here's an invitation to cool off in the pool and discover or re-discover Lehigh Resort Club.

McWilliams Buckley & Associates will be hosting "September Sundays are September Fundays at Lehigh Resort Club" for the next three Sundays: September 11, 18 and 25. Each Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., the Resort will be open for the public to enjoy, discover and view.

As I have shared this Open House event around the community, I have realized there are some genuine misconceptions about Lehigh Resort Club among the residents here in Lehigh Acres.

Today's post is meant to dispell some of the rumors, misconceptions and incorrect information floating around out there. I certainly understand the confusion some might feel when they drive by the area on Joel Blvd., where the Admiral Lehigh Resort (Hotel) once stood to see a large parcel of vacant land. Or where once stood the Lehigh North Course, an 18 hole golf course and facility, things look different. From the view outside looking in, one might take it that there isn't a lot going on around that area, but this is hardly the case!

The first thing I have heard when inviting people to the upcoming event is "Didn't they knock that place down?". While it is true the hotel is gone, the property directly behind the hotel has been home to the Lehigh Resort Club, a timeshare and interval ownership property, since the 1980's and the days of the old Lehigh Corporation. The hotel and Lehigh Resort Club, the timeshare resort, were distinctly different enterprises and while one is a part of Lehigh Acres history, the other is very much still alive and well!

You can see Lehigh Resort Club from Joel Blvd. if you look beyond the empty space that once was the Admiral Lehigh Hotel. While passers-by can see it in clear view, from what I hear many still wonder what, if anything, is going on back there. I have had people tell me that they are or have been curious but haven't ventured back there to really investigate or see. Still others have told me it's been years since they've ventured back there.

Lehigh Resort Club is still very much open for business and hosts it's timeshare owners and guests each week. Once you move beyond the asthetics of Joel Blvd. and enter the property, one could liken it to entering a different world or a very small community unto itself. The area is really beautiful, a balanced mixed of tropical and wooded surroundings. Lehigh Resort Club is comprised of 10 timeshare unit buildings, a gorgeous Clubhouse, pool and tennis complex and many other amenities and facilities for owners and guests to enjoy.

If you were to venture off Joel Blvd. and enter the grounds, you would find a beautifully maintained mecca behind what was once the local hotel. As a timeshare resort, Lehigh Resort Club has consistently attained the highest ratings from RCI (Resort Condominium International), the largest timeshare exchange company in the world, for it's accommodations, amenities and all the resort offers. The people who own there know that because they enjoy great exchanges besides use of the property here in Lehigh Acres. Those who don't yet know it, or haven't seen it in years, should come discover Lehigh Resort Club during the September Fundays, when it's open to the public to explore, discover and enjoy!

The other common misconception is that "The golf course is gone." From Joel Blvd., some might not see that there is still a golf facility operating on part of the property. Lehigh Resort Club purchased 9 of the 18 original holes at the Lehigh North Course and operates it as a golf course that is open seasonally, from October 1 to May 31 each year. While it's available to the resort guests and owners, it is likewise open to the public for play. In fact, the Lehigh Resort Club actually offers seasonal memberships to locals at some pretty impressive rates! The 9 holes are beautifully maintained but hidden behind some maybe not so well maintainted property that doesn't belong to the resort itself.

Many locals have also said things to me like "Oh, those are expensive" or "Why do I want to own a timeshare in Lehigh Acres when I live here?"

That's all the more reason to come check out the resort during this Open House or get in touch with me! As an owner myself, I know the value of Lehigh Resort Club ownership as I've enjoyed it for decades. I can show you how ownership at Lehigh Resort Club is some of the most affordable timeshare ownership you could ever consider purchasing - from a personal use or exchange standpoint.

The ratings this resort receives and how desireable Florida Timeshares are to others make it probably one of the most savvy purchases you could ever make for exchange purposes! Why buy a $10,000 timeshare in Orlando when you can buy at Lehigh Resort Club and exchange to the same property in Orlando for significantly less? Right now, you can purchase a 1 Bedroom Lehigh Resort Timeshare, out of peak season, for about $1,000. Even with exchange fees, one can certainly see the savings there.

Maintenance Fees (what timeshare owners pay each year for their week) at Lehigh Resort Club are below the average for Florida Timeshares as a whole. The good majority of them are $700 and up while Lehigh Resort's are under or around the $500 mark currently. That's an additional savings while still getting the same great vacation value.

I'm a big believer in saving money! Especially in these economic times and it's why I'm a big believer in the Lehigh Resort Club as being one of the best vacation values in the resale market today! From an exchange point of view, you can buy super affordably and exchange very well. Liken it to buying plane tickets. When you arrive at a resort, each exchanger paid different amounts for their particular timeshare and maintenance fees just like people in an airplane pay different fares for the same seats. While one paid top dollar, the other was a savvy shopper and got a super deal! Now wouldn't you want the one who got the great deal to be YOU?

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by joining us one of these Sundays during the next few weeks at Lehigh Resort Club!

Come learn about the property, see it for yourself, satisfy your curiosity and see what it really offers. Even if you aren't interested in owning there, perhaps you know someone who might be. Either way, it's sure to be a fun day where you can take an enjoyable dip in the pool and see for yourself what's really going on at 231 Joel Blvd. behind where the local hotel once stood. We hope to see you there!

Visit September Sundays are September Fundays at Lehigh Resort Club for more information or feel free to contact me anytime.

It's Spring Festival Week!

2011-03-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog, The Dawn of Real Estate! I am looking forward to sharing with you here for a long time to come. The welcome mat is always out for you here and please visit anytime or follow us to receive all the latest.

It is kind of neat to kick off this blog with an entry about the Lehigh Spring Festival. Despite being a fairly young community that doesn't go back centuries like many areas do, Lehigh Acres sure has quite a history! We will visit with more of the area history in future posts but for now let's talk about the Lehigh Spring Festival.

The Lehigh Spring Festival is going on right now at Veteran's Park. For those who don't know where the park is, it is right off Homestead Road as you head from the downtown area going out of Lehigh. The park is in the area of the Rec Center and Veteran's Park Academy For The Arts. If you proceed out of Lehigh from the downtown area, passing Lehigh Towne Center and the fire station, I promise you can't miss it! You are sure to see the rides and the crowds and hear some noise that equates to good ol' Lehigh Acres Spring Festival fun.

This year's Spring Festival is already in full swing, having kicked off on Friday, March 18th. This years theme, as the event has one every year, is "Around The World In 9 Days". Believe me, the Festival grounds stay busy between the carnival, the exhibitors and something is always going on at center stage on the fairgrounds. From great entertainment, pageantry and even our local Spring Festival Idol competition which packs in quite a crowd, there is plenty to do and lots of hometown fun to be had. I enjoy watching the Spring Festival Idol competition at least a few times during the week. It's great to see we have so many talented neighbors right here at home!

The Spring Festival is fun for young and old alike and you can view a complete list of the events and entertainment schedule here.

The Festival will end on Saturday, March 26th with the Grand Parade which starts off Beth Stacey Blvd. and ends up by the fairgrounds.

For more information about the Lehigh Spring Festival, you can visit their Official Website. While enjoying the Festival, be sure to remember that most of what you see there is the work of local volunteers and committee members and a host of local business sponsors. Without them, the Spring Festival would not continue to be the annual event that it is. My hat goes off to the volunteers, committee and sponsors because YOU are the hometown spirit of Lehigh.

The Lehigh Spring Festival began in 1973. Be on the lookout for more information including some history and trivia you might not know about the Lehigh Spring Festival this week.

As I write this blog post, I have one very anxious son questioning when we are leaving to go today. If you are there, I hope to see you and say "hi". Having lived in this community since 1978, I kind of equate the Spring Festival to old home week. As Lehigh Acres has grown, I don't see people I've known for years as frequently in day-to-day activities but I'm sure to see many of them when we attend the Festival every year. It will be nice to catch up with familiar faces as my young daredevil enjoys his afternoon of riding the rides.

Enjoy the Spring Festival!