Port Orange Real Estate: Gluten Free Food !!

Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, and links to Autism. These were the reasons why people tried to follow a Gluten Free Diet. Wheat is now required to be on the packaging Label for foods ( near the bottom for allergens), and it has become easier at the super market to find GF (gluten free) food.

Gluten Free Food has become a topic of interest in the Food World more recently, with a Gluten Free Diet for losing weight. People that had never thought of Gluten are now showing interest.

Finding restaurants that are able to provide GF without cross-contamination is still difficult. Most restaurants do have a seperate GF Menu, but it is mostly where some items are held back from the plate. (croutons from salad, crustini, etc.).

Here are a few Area Restaurants that do have GF food:

Alfredo's - located on Clyde Morris and Herbert (PO)- GF Pasta available , salads , etc.

Fresh Healthy Cafe -  located in the Pavilion (PO)- Have a GF Wrap , as well as Smoothies and Salads.

Red Brick Pizza - located at the Pavilion (PO)-  Have a GF Pizza , and salads, wings, Gelato , etc.

BJ's Brewhouse - located on International- have a GF Pizza, Pazooki , GF Ciders and Beer, and Menu.

Vanilla Bean Cupcake Bakery- Clyde Morris and Herbert (PO)- to order GF cupcakes , cakes , etc.

Olive Garden - located in the Pavilion - has GF pasta dishes available, Menu available .

There are several Restaurants that are GF friendly, meaning they will accomodate and try to make the dishes GF, but the chances for contamination are higher. Some Restaurants have not made GF Menus due to cross contamination possibility, although some of the dishes are naturally GF (ie: grilled fish and veggies with rice at La Fiesta  or similar dishes at Malibu Beach Grill)



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Port Orange Real Estate: Home Inspections!!

An important part of real estate transactions today, is the Home Inspection. If you are thinking of buying a house, you should have it inspected by an experienced and impartial professional home inspector.

What is a home inspection?

A home inspection is a non-invasive examination of the physical structure and systems of a home. (the walls are not opened and systems are not taken apart) They operate the systems that can be operated and determine their condition. When an item is found inoperable or damaged, it is noted and reported. Often, a WDO (wood destroying organism) inspection is done simultaneously.

Who benefits from a home inspection?

Everyone. The buyer : can determine some future costs/needs as well as immediate costs for repairs. The seller : benefits from the unbiased documentation of their homes condition and of any problems that need immediate attention. The real estate broker: ensures that their buyer is aware of the condition of the home and of any defects that need to be addressed.

What next?

The Home Inspector will generate a report from the inspection with physical notes and photos. The failing parts of the inspection will be noted seperately.  Depending on how the contract to purchase was written, you have a few options. Please, talk to your realtor for advice on how to proceed. 

Inspectors are getting paid to find the faults of the home. There may be a long list of small items (outlets, lightbulbs, faucet drip, etc) or a short list with one big item ( Roof age). The purpose of the inspector is not to scare the Buyer away from their purchase, but to make them aware of the condition the home was kept.

you can Search by Subdivision , Foreclosures, and by several MLS Categories. You don't have to sign in on Selling Daytona Homes , so enjoy your House Hunting. If you have any Questions or would like to see a home, please Contact Us .

Port Orange Real Estate: Luxury Home with Theater Room!

6627 Merryvale

This Beautiful, Lakefront, 3 Car Garage, Pool Home is located in the Gated Community of Covendale! This Saratoga Model is a One-of-a-Kind, featuring a State of the Art $40,000.00 Theater Room with 120 inch screen. Formal and Family areas, a Luxurious Master Retreat, Screened Pool with Paver Decking, Split Plan with 2 Guest Rooms, Custom Granite Counters and Gourmet Kitchen. Many Designer Details, 3 Total A/C Systems, 2 Total Hot Water Heaters, Crown Moulding, Stone Accents, etc. ... and Best Lakeview with Fantastic Sunsets.  Zoned for top rated schools, close to shopping, dining and much more!!
All Information and Measurements are Approximate, believed to be correct, but not Guaranteed.

To view more information on this Home follow, PORT ORANGE LUXURY .
Keep track of Homes in your neighborhood of interest by Searching by Subdivision. Or Contact Us for a daily E-mail of properties in your neighborhood. We can also E-mail a list of homes that have sold. You don't have to log-in to use Our Website, so feel free to peruse listings.

Port Orange Real Estate : Port Orange Night Out Against Crime !

It is time for the Port Orange Police to host the 8th Annual  “National Night Out Against Crime”. The Block Party will be on August 7th from 6 to 8 PM at the Port Orange City Center.

This event was designed more than 29 years ago and meant to heighten drug and crime prevention by strengthening police-community partnerships. Originally, the “night out” was front porch vigils and outside lights turned on to make unwanted persons aware that they were being watched. Since its earliest renderings, it has become events throughout the United States.

Our Local Police Department has organized their event to include Canine Officers, Traffic Division, Marine Unit, Emergency Response Team, Police Volunteers, and Police Explorers.  The Port Orange Fire Department will also have their “Fire Smoke Trailer” on hand for demonstrations.

For more Information , contact : Crime Prevention Officer – Serena Besuden at 386-506-5822.

Source: http://www.port-orange.org/calendar/

Keep track of Homes in your neighborhood of interest by Searching by Subdivision. Or Contact Us for a daily E-mail of properties in your neighborhood. We can also E-mail a list of homes that have sold. You don't have to log-in to use Our Website, so feel free to peruse listings.

Port Orange Real Estate : Short Sale News

One of the problems with Short-Sales has been having to deal with Second Liens. They wait to respond, ask for more money from first lien holder, or money from homeowner, and often want them to take line of credit to repay balance. They stall and often kill the first offer on a Short-Sale.

This is done with the knowledge that they will get no money if the home is foreclosed and they will have to sue the homeowner for balance. This, in turn, forces the homeowner to file bankruptcy.

"Why cause the delay and unneccessary hardship? Just make the decision and get on with it." This may be what U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif. was thinking when he proposed The Fast Help for Homeowners Act.

By eliminating the delays, first liens may be more willing to negotiate with second lien holders. If nothing else, it will improve response time. The Act will give second liens on Federal Mortgages 45 days to respond, and on the 46th day will have to accept the deal.

If nothing else, this Act will make second lien holders respond faster.

If you are thinking of Buying or Selling in the Port Orange Area, contact us at Selling Daytona Homes. Use our site to look for homes in the Area and see what some of the Cities have to offer.


Source: “Evasive Second-Lien Holders Thwarting Short Sales,” HousingWire (July 25, 2012)

Port Orange Real Estate : Appraisals in Today's Market

   In spite of Rising Home Prices across Florida, a concern of many Realtors is that low Appraisals are delaying or stopping closings. They have to negotiate deals or buyers walk away. There are a few ways to help the Appraisal process.  Now, while the Dodd Frank Act helped to reform the Appraisal process, it is still an art. They can only work with what is available to them and the actual numbers. There are steps that home sellers and agents can take to ensure a fair and accurate appraisal.

1) - Don't Overprice-  While every homeowner wants as much as possible, it can be tricky when pushing the edge of the Market. Make sure that your Realtor gives you accurate Comparables of your home when pricing it. ( Sold in last 6 Months, Square Footage, etc. ) Use this information and price accordingly. While we can hope for a Cash Buyer that won't ask for an Appraisal, it might not happen.

2) - Be Accomodating - Agents cannot pick the Appraisor, but they can be helpful to them. Making themselves available to Open the House and any Questions they may have. There should be no pressure put on the Appraisor, so it is reccomended that Homeowners not be there. This is particularly helpful if the Appraisor does not have access to MLS or Lockboxes in your area.

3) -Provide Information- It has become frequent that many of the Appraisors are from out of the area. They may not know everything about your area. The Realtor can provide the comparables from the area as well as any community information and Dates and types of repairs done to improve the home.

While there is no Guarantee that your home will Appraise, these tips should help. Pricing in the Market is the biggest factor, but being pro-active by providing information will be helpful.

If you are thinking of Buying or Selling in the Port Orange Area, contact us at Selling Daytona Homes. We will help you find the right home, or sell yours. Use our site to look for homes in the Area and see what some of the Cities have to offer.

Port Orange Real Estate : "Scraping" , Taking Real Estate info !!

Web scraping is when information is taken from the internet and used for a purpose other than originally intended. There is software available to do this. Most of the time, it is used for informational purposes, statistical data, etc. . There are always those people who will misuse information, often for monetary gain.

"Scraping" may be new to some people, but most Realtors have had their run in with it. "Scraping" in Real Estate is when somebody takes information from a website and uses it as their own. It is typically used for rental scams. We have had at least three of our listings "scraped". The info was put on Craig's List as an unhappy seller who has decided to rent. We eventually get phone calls because prospects find our listing and become confused. We made our sellers aware and they resolved problem. Some people are not that lucky and lose their money by sending a check to a Fake owner to rent a property.

Realtor.com has implemented steps to prevent this act on their website. They have dramatically reduced the number of attempts on their website. This act is very common and very inexpensive for a Cyber-criminal to do. 

There are some writers who have been downplaying the attention "scraping" has been getting. I'm not sure if they understand the implications of "scraping". This is not a way for Realtor.com to garner attention. People have been renting houses and getting evicted due to these scams. Homeowners now are subject to litigation to protect their rights.

Suggestions:
1- try to use known sources for information.  (from MLS, a Real Estate Company site, or one that takes from MLS like realtor.com)
2- check for copies of information. (if it is on more than one sight with different information)
3- arrange for a showing. (if its real, this will be easy)

Most people will never feel the effects of "scraping". Those that have, feel a lack of trust in the information available. If in doubt, call a Realtor and ask questions.

All information on our Website is deemed to be correct, but not guaranteed. Source for listing info is directly from area MLS. To Search for Rentals on our Site, use the MLS Search in the Quick Search box by selecting RENTAL under property type. You can also request an automatic daily search for rentals or properties.