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.

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.

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.

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 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.

We all know Florida is a wonderful place to reside, with it's year-round warm weather. Termites like it too! They enjoy the moisture that accumulates when higher humidity and summer rains show up. They love all the beautiful landscaping we do since it often involves mulch that holds the moisture in the ground. Here are a few things you can do to keep these dreaded creatures from setting up housekeeping near your Lakeland home.

1. Mulch. Since wood is the food of choice for termites, the point where the wood of your home meets the ground is where they like to live, especially if moisture is present as well. When landscaping close to the house, don't put mulch against your home's foundation. In fact, most termite experts recommend that mulch be no closer than one foot from your home. One of the main purposes of mulch is to hold moisture for your plants, which is a good thing. Not such a good thing, however, is keeping the soil moist for your termites!

2. Water. Don't let water stand in your gutters and downspouts, as this becomes another source for termites. Also be sure to eliminate moisture that may be in crawl spaces under the house. Dark, moist spaces are the dream home of termites!

3. Firewood. If you have stacks of firewood on your property, be sure it's stored at least several feet away from the house. The wood itself can harbor these pests, so also be careful when cutting or buying the firewood in the first place. Check it out to make sure you're not bringing home unwanted problems.

4. Termite Inspections. Have your home inspected for termites and treated if they are detected. Getting rid of them before they can do structural damage to your home is a MUST. A healthy infestation of these bugs can quickly do major damage before you realize it so keeping a watch on things is very important. Some companies also offer preventive treatments.

When purchasing a home in Lakeland, The Boyce Team can provide you with the names of termite inspectors to check out the home you're considering. And if you're still looking for just the right home, they can certainly help with that as well. Contact Damion Boyce today and find a new home for yourself - but NOT for the dreaded termites!

The population of Lakeland is about 90,000 people, making it Florida's 19th most populated city. 171,000 more people live in a 7-mile radius of the city proper. Money Magazine recently rated Lakeland as its 10th "Best Place to Live in America."

Those planning a move from the north will be happy to hear that Lakeland averages 330 sunshiney days per year. While July is the warmest month of the year with an average high temperature of 95 degrees, gentle breezes are usually stirring by 10 a.m. making golf possible even in the warmest months, especially for those who live here year-round and whose bodies seem to adjust to the warmer temperatures.

There is lots of wild life to see in Lakeland as well. You'll enjoy egrets, ibises, sand hill cranes, blue herons, pink spoonbills and, on occasion, wood storks. Exotic alligators live among us as well as turtles, deer, raccoons, bunnies and squirrels.

And, yes, there are even tigers in Lakeland. The Detroit Tigers baseball team, that is. They take their spring training in Tigertown at the 8,500 seat Joker Marchant stadium on Lakeland Hills Blvd. These big cats have been here every spring since 1934, except for the war years of 1943-45.

Lakelanders enjoy over 40 golf courses, the world's largest one-site collection of architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College, and an easy commute to Disney World, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Dinosaur World and Universal Studios.

Gulf beaches, including St. Pete Beach and Clearwater Beach, are within about an hour's drive of Lakeland while a two to three-hour drive to the east will get sun lovers to Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach or even to Cape Canaveral where the John F. Kennedy Space Center is located.

And the world's best strawberries can be found about a half hour from Lakeland at Plant City. Stop at the annual Strawberry Festival for an out-of-this-world strawberry shortcake. Even after the festival ends, the berries continue to please at local fruit stands in the area.

Beautiful Lakeland is in the heart of much of what makes Florida an exciting place to reside. Now's the time to make the move from the cold northern states to sunny Florida. Let the Boyce Team find you the perfect home, whether you're a retiree wanting to relocate, a snowbird or a family with kids, there's something in Lakeland for everyone to enjoy year round.

So you've made the decision to sell your Lakeland home. You have Damion Boyce as your realtor, all lined up and ready to sell your home, the paperwork has been taken care of, the carpets are cleaned and other deep cleaning has already been done. Now all you need are some buyers ready to see your home and fall in love with it.

Here are a few tips to make sure your home is ready at a moment's notice for prospective buyers to see it and get that "gotta-have-it" feeling. Let's consider what needs to be done on a daily basis, preferably first thing in the morning, room by room:

1. Kitchen. Be sure all dirty dishes are either washed, dried and put away or at the very least, stashed in the dishwasher. Give the sink a quick swipe with a rag and cleanser and polish the faucets to make them shine. Wipe off the counters (no crumbs, please), and put away clean dishes, snacks, loose dishtowels and dishcloths or anything else that could be construed as clutter. Sweep the floor, brush the crumbs off the toaster, wipe up any spills anywhere in the room, remembering to check the floor and stove top as well. If the kitchen wastebasket is overflowing, take out the trash! And please, no leftover coffee in the coffeepot either.

2. Living or Family Room. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway - get rid of clutter. No dirty dishes from the night before, no DVD's, newspapers, chip clips, snacks, magazines, or any other loose junk can be left lying around if you want prospective buyers to feel comfortable in your home. Fluff the couch pillows, fold up any afghans or other throws, put footstools where they belong and box up the dog's toys. Dust any surfaces that need it and sweep up any undesirable dirt lying about.

3. Bedrooms. This is the foremost bedroom tip - make the beds! Then, pick up dirty clothes, the jewelry you wore yesterday and neaten your bedside stands. Put away extra shoes and slippers and be sure you don't leave your coffee cup in the bedroom when you leave for work.

4. Bathrooms. Take a wet wipe or a rag and cleanser and tidy up the sink. Be sure to wipe down the faucets till they sparkle like diamonds. A quick swish of the toilet brush will get the potty in shape and by spraying the shower after each use, you may be able to avoid any shower cleaning at all! Shake or sweep any rugs that are showing lint or loose hair. And of course, as in every other room in the house, put away any clutter such as combs or brushes, toiletries, and make-up.

As you can see, clutter is now your enemy. So get rid of it before it multiplies when you aren't looking. Remember, this is the day that the new owners of your house may decide to pay a visit so you must be ready!

The Boyce Team is ready and waiting to help you sell your Lakeland home, or if you prefer, buy a Lakeland home. They know lots more tips to help your house sell quickly, so why not contact them today!

After hitting an all-time low in late December of last year, 2009, mortgage rates were on the rise. As of January 5th, 2010, rates for 30-year fixed mortgages had risen four weeks in a row, but have dropped again as of January 12th. Here are some statistics on the weekly averages in current mortgage rates being quoted for borrowers in the U.S.:

30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Rates:

12/01/09: 4.62% (Lowest on record since April, 2008)

12/08/09: 4.67%

12/15/09: 4.72%

12/22/09: 4.77%

12/29/09: 4.93%

01/05/10: 5.05%

01/12/10: 4.99%

15-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Rates:

12/01/09: 4.19%

12/08/09: 4.20%

12/15/09: 4.21%

12/22/09: 4.24%

12/29/09: 4.37%

01/05/10: 4.48%

01/12/10: 4.41%

5/1 ARMS:

12/01/09: 3.74%

12/08/09: 3.74%

12/15/09: 3.81%

12/22/09: 3.85%

12/29/09: 3.98%

01/05/10: 4.15%

01/12/10: 4.06%

As we said, rates have risen in the past weeks, but they're still very low and this is still a great time to purchase a new home. If buying a new home is on the horizon for your family, contact Damion Boyce and the Boyce Team to see listings that are available in the Lakeland area. This is also a great time to leave the cold confines of the northern U.S. and see what it's like to live where temperatures are more moderate year round.

If you're a first-time home buyer or a home-owner who has owned the house you're selling for at least the past eight years and lived in it for five, you may qualify for the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. Let The Boyce Team determine if you qualify, and get ready to move into your new home.

As we know, Florida is a mecca for retirees and snowbirds. Many of these people find themselves with lots of possessions and a big house they no longer need now that the kids have their own places. So one of the basics of retiring to Florida often includes downsizing from the previous home.

If you fit this category, here are a few tips that you may find helpful in deciding what to get rid of and how to go about it before your move to Lakeland.

1. Determine What to Keep. If you know the size of your new home, or at least the range of square feet that you're planning on purchasing, you'll be better able to select what larger pieces of furniture to keep and what must go. If you have 3 bedrooms now and will only have 2 at the new location, pick and choose the best pieces to fill the 2 new rooms and get rid of the rest. If you currently have a room for a home office and will now only have room for a small desk, you might consider visiting an office store for organizational storage.

2. Sort Out Any Must-Have Items. Everyone has some things they just can't seem to be able to part with. Go through your house and determine what these items are so you can be sure you'll have enough space for them in your new home.

3. Ask Relatives What They Want. Once you've determined what to keep, you may want to send a list of the remaining items to your children or other relatives so they can make known what they would like to have. Using their lists of choices, you can then make the final determination as to who gets what.

4. Sell or Give Away the Rest. For items that you don't plan to move with you, and relatives don't want them either, you may want to have a garage sale or sell them on consignment. If neither of these choices seems attractive, you can simply give them to charity. In fact, many local charities will often come directly to your home and pick them up.

5. Use Colored Stickies to Keep Track of Items. As you go through the process of choosing things to move with, what to give to friends and relatives, and what to sell or give away, it's helpful to put colored stickies on each item to enable you to easily keep track of what is going where.

6. Pare Down Kitchen Items. If kitchen cabinet space will be at a premium at your new abode, empty your cabinets, determine what you want to take, and see how many cabinets this will fill. Repeat this process of elimination until you're only taking what you'll have room to store. Chances are, once you're in your new home, you won't even miss the items you left behind.

If you're planning on downsizing and moving to Lakeland, let the Boyce Team help you find the perfect house for you. If you already live in Lakeland and just want a fresh start, they have many listings from which to choose a great new home.

In 2006, 80% of prospective home buyers were searching for homes on the Internet, in 2007, there were 84% and by 2008 the count was up to 87%.

Back in 1997, only 2% of home buyers found the home they wound up purchasing on the Internet while 50% found it through a realtor. In 2008, 32% found their home on the web with only 34% finding it through a realtor.

While all this Internet surfing can be a viable way of finding your new home, don't discount what a local realtor can do to help in your search. Here are some things you'll want to remember when searching for your new home in Lakeland:

1. Remember There's More to Buying a Home than Just Finding It. While finding the perfect home is the exciting part of home buying, there's also a lot of paperwork involved with the purchase of property. A real estate agent is used to working with the paper portion of home buying and can often save the home buyer money. So while you may be able to save money by not having to pay a realtor's fee, you may also lose both time and money resolving title problems, survey inaccuracies or other things by yourself that realtors are already familiar with.

2. Be Sure to See All the Homes that Fit Your Criteria. All houses for sale in the area you're searching are not listed on all real estate search websites. Therefore, you may be missing some houses that would be the perfect match for you and your family. By using a realtor to help you search, the homes that don't match your criteria can be filtered out, while those that meet all your needs can be shown to you in a timely manner.

3. Beware of Internet Real Estate Scams. Be sure the sites you're searching are reliable. There is a lot of scamming going on over the Internet these days, so it pays to be very careful. If a site doesn't have pictures of the home, it may not be legitimate. Most realtors use pictures with watermarks so this is another thing to look for, although savvy scammers may use watermarks as well.

4. Don't Rely Too Heavily on Home Values Found on the Internet. While the site you're searching may be quite legitimate, home values on the Internet may not be very accurate and reliable as they may not be using all the information a local realtor has at their disposal.

When looking for a home in Lakeland, it's fun to search on the Internet and get ideas of what's available. But when it comes time to buy, why not contact Damion Boyce and get professional advice on finding and purchasing your new home. Buying a home is a big investment and needs to be done correctly to avoid problems down the line. Start your web search by seeing some of the listings The Boyce Team is offering in Lakeland.

Once the Boyce Team helps you find that perfect home in Lakeland, it's time to get to work finding something else - a down payment. There are several avenues that you should wander down in your quest for down payment dollars. Here are six ideas to get you started. 

1.  Get Money from Family. If you have relatives with money, see if you can talk any of them into giving you some cash for the down payment. Hopefully, they'll do this as a gift and not a loan or you'll not only have a new mortgage payment, but a down payment loan as well. 

2.  Sell Some Assets. Do you have an extra car or a boat or other asset that's paid off and not used much any more? Why not sell it and use the proceeds for your down payment? Plus you'll no longer have to insure it or spend money on maintenance and best of all, you won't have to move it when you move into your beautiful new Lakeland home. 

3.  Liquidate Some Investments. For those with savings bonds or stocks, now might be a good time to liquidate some of them to fund that down payment. 

4.  Use Your Income Tax Refund. With any luck, you'll be getting a sizable income tax refund this year, just in time to put it towards your down payment. Often people use an income tax refund for something special and what's more special than putting money down so you can have your dream home. 

5.  Check Out Home-Buyer Programs.  There are often federal, state and possibly even local home-buyer programs available that can help home buyers, especially those purchasing their first home, with the down payment.  At the moment, of course, there is  a home buyer tax credit for first time buyers and repeat buyers. 

6.  Luck Out and Get a Bonus or Raise at Work.  If you're the lucky type, perhaps your job will suddenly decide to give you a bonus or even a raise this year. If that happens, sock it away for your down payment. That's putting your bonus to work. 

Don't forget, the more money you can put down, the less money you'll have to borrow and the lower your mortgage payment will be. So in the long run, a large down payment is a great idea. 

Whatever methods you use to find the down payment for your new Lakeland home, let the Boyce Team help you find the house. They have knowledge to help with the financial aspects of home-buying as well.

And why not? Who wouldn't prefer to watch football in the Florida sunshine at 70-degrees-or-better than huddling in sub-freezing temperatures with a bitter wind?

After the St. Pete Bowl on the 19th, fans in Florida will have to wait till December 29th for the next bowl game which is the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando. Then there are three on New Year's Day, the Outback Bowl in Tampa, the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando and the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.

For those still interested in seeing more Florida football after these first five, the Orange Bowl wraps up this year's Florida Bowl games in Miami on January 5, 2010.

So if you get the chance, pick one (or more!) of these great Bowl games and, for those lucky enough to get tickets, enjoy the great weather and all the fans who've flown in from across the country under the pretext of watching their team. Those of us who live in Florida know the real reason though - the weather here in the winter is great!!

If you'd like to enjoy the balmy Florida winters, why not take a look around Lakeland. Nestled halfway between Orlando and Tampa, Lakeland is its own little paradise. Let the Boyce Team help you find the perfect home to begin your life in paradise.

Basic Mortgage 101 for Lakeland Buyers

The first one we'll discuss is the Pay-Option Adjustable-Rate Mortgage. Just like the ARM we discussed last week, after the great rate that was locked in for the first few years of the mortgage ends, the rate can then be adjusted to a new higher rate. With the Pay-Option ARM, the rate will still be adjusted, but the mortgagee can opt for a locked-in monthly payment amount.

This sounds like the best of both worlds, but that may not be quite the case, due to something called negative amortization. If the interest now due after your rate is adjusted happens to go beyond the amount of your pre-set monthly payment, you could lose equity in your home since the difference will be added to your mortgage balance. For people planning to move or refinance before the introductory period is ended, this type of loan may work. For everyone else, it's better to look for something more solid.

Another option is the Interest-Only Mortgage. For the first ten years, the buyer only pays interest. After that, the balance is spread out over the rest of the term. This is good because the home buyer can have a smaller payment during the first ten years. But not so good, because none of the loan balance is being paid. For buyers whose job has a guaranteed potential, (and is there such a thing in this day and age?) or for those who absolutely, positively plan to live in this Lakeland house for more than ten years, this type of loan could work. For everyone else, better look for something where you pay on the principle as well as the interest.

Moving right along, we come to the Balloon Mortgage. With this mortgage, for the first few years, often seven to ten, the home buyer happily pays a low monthly payment. But then, the bubble bursts and a lump sum to pay off the loan is suddenly due. If you can't make the payment, you must refinance, possibly winding up with a higher interest rate plus more closing costs. In the worst-case scenario, you might be unable to qualify for a refinance at all and wind up in foreclosure. Bottom line, think long and hard before settling for this type of mortgage to buy your beautiful Lakeland home.

You could consider Lease-to-Own if the seller is willing, which he may not be since with this type of loan the seller assumes most of the risk involved. In a Lease-to-Own arrangement, the tenant/potential buyer pays monthly rent, and the seller puts a specified amount of the rent into an escrow account. After the lease ends, the buyer can then use the money in escrow as a down payment and move on to purchase the property or simply walk away from the deal putting both seller and buyer back at square one.

While one of these options may be the perfect fit for you to purchase a home in Lakeland, it's always best to ask for help from a qualified real estate agent. Call The Boyce Team and let them use their knowledge and expertise to help you find the perfect house and the best way to pay for it. Learn more about their great team then contact Damion Boyce with all your questions.

The governmental programs are administered by government agencies, including the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veteran's Administration (VA) for home buyers who are also veterans. For home buyers in rural areas of the country, there is the Rural Housing Service (RHS) or the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA).

There are three main types of mortgages. They are the Fixed-Rate Mortgage (FRM), the Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) and the Jumbo Loan.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage (FRM): For buyers who plan to be in their Lakeland homes for the long haul, this is a great option. The interest rate never changes during the life of the loan, so the monthly payment will always remain the same, a good option for those who want to be able to plan their budget ahead of time. The pay-back on the loan can be spread out over a longer period, making for smaller payments. The drawback to this, however, is that lenders charge a higher interest rate because there is more risk to them.

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM): The interest rate on this type of mortgage, as the name implies, will change, making it just the opposite of the FRM. These mortgages often offer a really low rate for the first one to five years. After that, however, depending on the size of interest rates at the end of this happy period and the cap on a particular mortgage, which is often 2% annually and 6% for the life of the loan, the rate, and therefore the monthly payment, can go up. This can be a risky business if interest rates happen to surge upward as they did in recent years. If you know you’ll be transferred in three years, ARMS are a great idea.

Jumbo Loans: Named because of the larger amount that the loan is for, these loans also generally have higher interest rates because of the increased risk to the lender. Currently, jumbo loans are for amounts in excess of $417,000 (or $625,500 in Hawaii and Alaska), which exceed normal Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming loan amounts. However, loans up to $729,750 are considered “conforming jumbo,” while those in excess are considered super-jumbo and are increasingly hard to get.

There are alternative financing programs available as well, and we'll discuss those next week. The Boyce Team is well-qualified to help with any of these loan programs. Why not contact Damion Boyce to learn more about the specifics of home buying in the Lakeland area.

Ever wish someone would explain a "short sale" to you? Well, let's give it a try right here.

A short sale can be defined as a sale wherein a home is sold for less than the current mortgage balance. There are some qualifiers to this type of sale, however. First, the lender has to agree to accept the lower price, and a buyer must be found who is ready to purchase. The seller must also prove they are a hardship case.

Not just any buyer is going to work in a short sale transaction. The best buyers are those who have already shown an interest in buying a short sale and are willing to accept the lender's demands and extended deadlines. A short sale can take up to seven months or more to close.

The lender as well must feel confident that the buyer is willing to work with them and meet their demands. If done properly, the short sale can be a winning situation even for the lender. After all, most mortgage companies aren't interested in foreclosing on a property and then having to deal with selling it again.

The seller must have their ducks in a row from the beginning to make the short sale as painless as possible. If buyers are forced to wait too long for the transaction to be completed, they may decide to back out and look for a home elsewhere.

There may be some negative impact on the seller's credit score, and there can be tax implications of selling short. Therefore, the seller must take these possibilities into account when deciding if a short sale is a good option.

Short sales are not for cowards, and definably not the type of thing for you to leave in the hands of an inexperienced real estate agent. A pile of paperwork is involved, as well as numerous deadlines, so you need someone who is an expert at navigating the system. To learn what options are the best for you, contact the Boyce Team to see what they can do to help sell your home. Or if you're a buyer, find out why buyers in Lakeland love the Boyce Team.

1. Historically Low Interest Rates. With the economy in its present state, interest rates have been going lower and lower. You may never see interest rates this low again, or at least not in the near future. So this reason alone may be why you'll want to become a homeowner now.

2. Great Tax Benefits. With the renewal of the Home Buyer Tax Credit, you now have until the end of April, 2010, to find the perfect home in Lakeland and sign a purchase agreement. Meet some other requirements and close on the home by June 30th of 2010 to take advantage of this bonus. Read my previous post from November 15, to help determine if you meet the requirements. This legislation can save qualifying home buyers up to $8,000 on their purchase.

3. Buyer's Market. Home prices are low making this a buyer's market. Decide what features you want in your new home and start your search. With prices as low as they are, you may be able to get a lot more house for the same price as you could have just a few years ago. Or you may be able to buy a suitable home for much less than you could have several years back.

4. Ample Inventory. Even though prices and interest rates are low, many people are still unable to afford a new home. This means that there are a lot of houses available on the market today. So for those who are still able to purchase a home in today's economy, there are a lot of great homes in and around Lakeland to choose from.

5. Personal Needs. There are many individual reasons why you may be wanting to move into another home. Maybe you have a growing family and need more space, you want to be closer to work, you're retiring and want a smaller abode, or you just need a change of scenery. Whatever your personal reasons may be, combined with all the other things just mentioned, now is a great time to buy.

For those wanting to take the next step to home ownership, contact Damion Boyce and let the Boyce Team use their expertise to help you find the perfect home and the perfect deal in Lakeland.

You've probably heard by now that the FirstTime Home Buyer Tax Credit has been rewritten and signed into law. If you're thinking of buying a new home in Lakeland within the next few months, even if you're not a first-time home buyer, you still may qualify for the credit under this new legislation. Here are five questions to ask yourself to see if your purchase will qualify:

1. Will you be purchasing your new home before June 30, 2010? If the answer is yes, and you can sign the purchase agreement by April 30, 2010 and close by the June 30th deadline, so far you qualify.

2.  Will the new home you purchase be priced at under $800,000? That's the upper limit for a home to qualify for the new tax credit.

3.  Will the new home be used as your primary residence? The newly purchased home must be the homebuyer's primary residence. It cannot be a vacation home or investment property.

4.  Are you going to purchase your new residence from a relative? To qualify for the tax credit, the new home cannot be purchased from a spouse or relative, such as a parent, grandparent, son or daughter.

5.  If you're single, is your income $125,000 or less per year? If you're a married couple filing a joint tax return, is your annual income $225,000 or less? If it's less in either of these cases, you have this requirement covered.

6.  If you are a repeat buyer, have you lived in your home for at least five of the last eight years? You should qualify for the repeat buyer credit of $6,500.  If you previously owned a home, was it more than three years ago?  You will qualify as a first time buyer.

If you meet all six requirements, you're probably eligible for the new tax credit, which for first-time buyers can amount to as much as $8,000 or for previous homeowners, up to $6,500, depending on the purchase price of the new home.

For those planning on taking advantage of this bonus, why not let The Boyce Team help you find the perfect house. Lakeland has much to offer homeowners and now you can move into your own home for even less. Contact Damion Boyce and let him help you find the perfect home for you.

Ever wonder just how many people call Lakeland, Florida, home? Well, at the present time, about 93,000 people consider themselves Lakelanders. And of that amount, 46.5% are male and 53.5% are female. The population of Lakeland is actually up about 14.6% since the year 2000.

Lakeland boasts 5 high schools, 7 middle schools and 26 elementary schools. What about private schools and other types of schools in Lakeland? Well, there are 17 of those. So if you can't find an education in Lakeland, you're just not looking in the right places.

The U.S. cost of living index is 100 but Lakeland's is only 84.5 so despite how it feels when you're checking out at the grocery store, it does actually cost less to live in Lakeland than a lot of other cities in the United States. Lakeland is 190 feet above sea level and covers 45.8 square miles.

How about some information on the weather. Our annual precipitation is 49.13 inches with April being the driest month at an average of 2.04 inches and September being the wettest with 6.33 inches.

And then there are Lakeland's tropical temperatures. Daytime average high temperatures are in the 70's in January, February and December, in the 80's in March and April and in the 90's the other seven months. Lows range from the 50's in January, February, March, November and December, the 60's in April, May and October and the 70's in June, July, August and September. This all works out to an average annual high temperature of 85.5 and an average low of 63.2.

If you want to learn more about such things as politics, where to volunteer in Lakeland, government resources or other community info, check out the American Towns website.

If you want to learn more about finding housing in Lakeland or selling your home in Lakeland, check out The Boyce Team. Contact Damion Boyce and let him and the rest of the team use their extensive knowledge of the area to find your perfect home.

Today many people are wanting their homes to be more "green". This month's Parade of Homes in Lakeland is featuring one home, located at 4322 Tokose Place, which is the state's highest scoring Florida Green Building Coalition "Platinum" Level home.  It is also the first home in the state of Florida to receive NAHB ANSI Gold Level Certification.

ANSI approved the National Green Building Standard, or ICC-700 as it is also called, in January of 2009. There are four levels, bronze, silver, gold and emerald that can be earned for an energy-efficient home. By incorporating green features into the homes they build, builders receive points in six specific areas, including site development, energy conservation, water conservation, indoor air quality, resource conservation and homeowner education.  These accumulated points will determine the level of certification that a home attains.

Lakeland's featured home uses such things as solar power, special insulation and extra-tight construction practices to make it more energy efficient throughout the coming years. While many homes on today's market may not have quite as many "green" upgrades as this special home, there are homes available that have been constructed or remodeled with the idea of lowering utility costs in the years ahead.

When househunting in Lakeland, look for such things as upgraded insulation, solar lighting, Energy Star rated lighting fixtures and appliances, double-pane windows and doors, and even counter tops created from recycled products.

Check the outside of homes you are considering as well, since another way to save energy costs is in a home's landscaping. Homes that feature Florida-friendly landscaping which includes plants that require less water, irrigation systems that use less water and even rain collection systems such as the cistern used in the home mentioned above, can all lower water bills and help conserve Florida's water.

When you begin your house hunt in the Lakeland area, keep in mind that a "green" home can save you money in the future. Let Damion Boyce and The Boyce Team help you find that green home for a lifetime of savings, both in utility costs, and the earth's resources.

Whether you're a native of Lakeland, a visitor, or just moving to the area, you've probably noticed the beautiful swans on Lake Morton. They're such a part of the city that the swan has become Lakeland's  mascot with statues of swans at every turn and pictures in every brochure.

Native swans have been in the area since about 1923 and their population was at about 20 by the mid-1930's. Disease and predators, however, took their toll on these beautiful creatures and in 1954, the last of Lakeland's swans wound up as a quick meal for a local alligator.

A previous resident of Lakeland, Mrs. Robert Pickhardt, then residing in England, heard about the demise of the swans and decided to see if there was anything she could do to remedy the situation, so she contacted the Queen of England to ask for help.

In 1954 a large flock of swans was living on London's Thames River. They were the descendants of a pair of swans given to Richard the Lion-Hearted by  former Queen Beatrice to honor his work in the Crusades.

After learning of the loss of Lakeland's last remaining swan from Mrs. Pickhardt, Queen Elizabeth graciously agreed to donate a pair of swans from Richard the Lion-Hearted's flock. However, Lakeland would be required to come up with $300 to cover the cost of catching and shipping the swans to Florida.

A former visitor to Lakeland, after hearing about the tragic demise of the swans and wanting to help Lakeland in its effort to bring new swans to the city, decided to donate the money needed. Soon thereafter, a graceful pair of Mute Swans was transported to Lakeland and released on February 9, 1957, to set up housekeeping in their new home on Lake Morton.

The pair of swans quickly adapted to their new surroundings, learning to outwit the alligators who would have them for lunch, and presently about 80 descendants of these swans live and thrive on Lake Morton and other city lakes.

You too can live and thrive in the Lakeland area and Damion Boyce and The Boyce Team are ready, willing and able to help you find the perfect home here. With its beautiful weather, unique wildlife and sunny disposition, Lakeland is the perfect place to raise a family or retire from a cold climate. Contact Damion to see some of the homes available in the Lakeland area and you too can begin enjoying the Florida lifestyle sooner than you think.