Lipply's Blog: Florida Life

Take a Walk!

According to author and Florida hiker Sandra Friend, there are so many places to take in Florida’s natural beauty on foot that you could spend a lifetime taking one step in front of the other and never grow tired. Having written over 2500 pages on the subject and completed over 600 hikes, Friend is a trustworthy source on where to set foot in the Sunshine state.

Friend’s website, www.floridahikes.com contains a wealth of information and personal touches as to where the best places are to stroll along a natural or man-made path. She has spent a lot of time doing her enjoyable research and has posted her findings for all to see with pictures and summaries and recommendations. For more detailed information, please visit Friend’s website. For…

Under the "My Safe Florida Home Program" Florida homeowners stand to save some money on their homeowner's insurance premiums.  The My Safe Florida Home program was designed to help Floridian homeowners learn how to harden their homes to better protect themselves and their families from windstorm damage. By registering at the website below you can sign up for a free inspection which is valid only on single-family, site-built homes.  An certified inspector will come out to the home and conduct the windstorm inspection to see if your home qualifies for a rate reduction.  After the inspection, you will get a document via email which you submit to your insurance company.

Wind insurance incentives apply to existing houses, new houses, and rebuilt houses in…

Largo, just south of Clearwater, in the Tampa Bay area of Floirda has strong community pride.  A page on their city website states:  "Help Shape Your Largo".  It's a page where you can go and take a survey answering specific questions about Largo and how you would like to see it shaped in the coming years. 

The City of Largo is working toward developing a community brand.  They are trying to get a stronger identity with the Tampa Bay Community.  When you take the survey you will be asked a series of questions of how you view the city, who you are, what you think attracts the visitors and businesses, and what makes it unique.  You will also have an opportunity to make suggestions and to volunteer to join a focus group to help continue this effort.

In my…

Recently, Zagat surveyed more than 7,000 frequent fliers who ranked large U.S. airports on quality and service.  Zagat has been in the business of surveying for over 26 years in more than 70 markets. 

In their recent survey project for airports in the United States, Tampa International Airport came in the number 1 spot.  The survey covered 7,498 frequent fliers who rated 84 airlines and 46 major airports. Each airline was separately rated on its premium and economy service for both domestic and international flights.  The typical survey participant took 19.7 flights in the past year aggregating 147,000 trips.  Tampa International received top marks for overall quality (a 21 rating out of a possible 30).

This is another plus for our area.  Having a…

The Florida Association of Realtors published some interesting stats today.  They say that according to economist Hank Fishkind, Florida's population growth will grow next year (2007) by 325,000 people.  (The U.S Census Bureau latest estimate for total population in Florida stands at roughly 18 million people.)  Recorded statistics from the years 2000 to 2006 average an additional 350,000 people per year are added to the Florida population.  New births are included in those figures but only account for about 47,000.  That means that approximately 300,000 come from other states and countries.  More importantly though the Census Bureau data reveals that Florida will rank third in terms of population in 2010.  That's only a few years away!

The article went…

Many Floridians travel out of Florida and to the north over the holidays to see family or snow.  Thanksgiving and Christmas is always what you make it, but many people have a hard time associating Santa Claus with 80 degree weather.

If your holiday plans take you away from Florida, be sure to take some simple precautions for your home so that it is not obvious you are away.

1.  Grass grows year round in Florida, make sure your lawn is getting mowed while you are gone.

2.  Stop your mail delivery, you can do it easily on-line.  Opt for one or two days before you actually leave so that you can follow up if the action is not taken.

3.  Also, stop your newspaper delivery.  This can also be done on-line.  Search "stop newspaper delivery [name of…

If one wants to make money long term, then real estate is always the preferred investment option. Investing in real estate in Florida, an investment hot spot, is a different ball game altogether. There can be returns of up to 30% on investment in properties and given that this state lies at the very pinnacle of the real estate food chain, things are bound to look up even more.

The key to being successful in such an investment is to know what you are getting into before you are knee deep in it.   So arm yourself with all relevant information about Florida real estate to educate yourself. Investment seminars, books, websites offering tips on how to go about this are good ways to start. Then there are the testimonials of successful investors. Most…

Did you know that Florida is home to over 150 state parks? One of the most uniquely beautiful is Bahia Honda, located in the Florida Keys. Home to one of the best beaches in the United States and the entire world, Bahia Honda welcomes thousands of visitors each year.

As with a lot of the best places to visit in Florida, we once again must pause and thank Henry Flagler for putting this beautiful landmark on the destination list of many travelers to the Sunshine State.

During the construction of the Florida East Coast Railroad, Flagler witnessed Bahia Honda Key transform from an uninhabited island, to a “must see” for all visitors that come to the Florida Keys. The FEC Railroad is still there and although no longer in use, remains available for…