Irene skirted us but we not be so lucky the next time. Katia has already formed and heading this way.  I put together a checklist, which will help everyone who might be affected by another storm.

Home Preparation Checklist for Hurricanes

1. Get to the Bank early and take out extra CASH (credit card machines may not be working).

2. Extra gallon jugs of water, bottled water (put bottled water in freezer to thaw later if power outage.

3. Batteries for flashlights, radio, etc. – extra candles, matches, etc.

4. Stock up on canned and dry foods (PET foods if appropriate)

5. Get extra bags of Ice for your freezer, which can go into a cooler if necessary to evacuate.

6. Get a Power inverter for your car (plugs into cigarette lighter with elec. outlet at

7. Put plenty of gas for your grill which hopefully has a “side stove” to boil water.

8. Fill your bathtubs with water for flushing toilets or washing.

9. Wash all clothes beforehand.

10. Have a manual can opener for opening canned food. 

11. Have on hand water-purifying supplies such as chlorine or regular household bleach. 

12. Remove or secure everything in your yard, Deck and Screened Porch – flower pots, furniture, hose reels etc. (These things become missiles and can break through windows.

13. Keep all windows closed (Hurricane speed air entering a home can lift the roof).

14. If you have a cell phone or laptop computer, charge it fully.

15. Keep an “old fashioned” phone (not electronic) which can plug directly into the wall jack. They usually work well with power is out or cell towers fail.

16. If you have important info or photos on your computer that you want to keep, transfer files to a flash drive and keep the flash drive with you.

17. Prepare “evacuation bags” for all members of the family (including pets) which contain important papers, extra clothes, toiletries, pillows, blankets, first aid kit, medications, food, passports, etc., in case you need to evacuate.

18. Find a safe place in your house where there are no windows, and stay there during high winds.

19. Have an evacuation route planned out where you can go. Make hotel reservations early (they can always be cancelled).

20. If you have to evacuate, drive AWAY from the line of the hurricane (west, south, end) where you can charge your cell, radio, laptop, etc. or “Make coffee!”

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home shopping website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 17 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

An exciting opportunity for competitive athletes age 50 and over is coming to the Orlando area September 10-17th, the Kissimmee/St Cloud Senior Games.  You can come out and support these athletes as they compete in 23 different events, including a 5K run/walk, Basketball free throw, Billiards and many others.  There will be events for every type of athlete.  Participants can enter as many events as they want.

The top 5 finishers will have a chance to participate in the State championship games.  The events will be hosted around the Kissimmee area.  Come out and support local Orlando senior athletes as they compete.

Free mobile app to search all homes right from your phone!

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.

Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale, having become the Best Listing Agent in Orlando. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.  

The end of summer is quickly approaching and what better way to send the summer off than with a picnic and parade at Lake Eola.  The Central Florida CLC will be hosting this family friendly event in Orlando September 5^th from 10 am until 2pm at the Northeast corner of Eola Park. 

Enjoy your day off at this fun event that will include a parade, food, music and entertainment.  There will things for everyone in your family to enjoy at this event that celebrates the hard work you do daily.  So enjoy your Labor day in Orlando at Eola park. 

Free mobile app to search all homes right from your phone!

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.

Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale, having become the Best Listing Agent in Orlando. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.  

This that time again Orlando to dust off your cowboy boats and put on your hat then head down to the Kissimmee Rodeo.  This year’s rodeo will be held at the Kissimmee Sports Arena and will feature team roping, bull riding, and barrel racing.  The kids even get in the action with a calf scramble.  Pick your favorite cowboy or cowgirl and start cheering!

The rodeo helps preserve the rich history of the Orlando area and it’s ties to it’s western heritage. 

There is something for everyone to get excited about at this year’s rodeo, so bring the family for a fun evening starting at 7pm on August 27^th. 

Free mobile app to search all homes right from your phone!

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.

Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale, having become the Best Listing Agent in Orlando. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.  

Calling all Orlando BBQ masters, Trinity Downtown is hosting the 3rd annual BBQ Cookoff and Family Festival August 20th from 11am to 6pm. Bring your best recipe and enter to win the $2,900 prize. The categories include Best Pulled Pork, Best BBQ Chicken, Best Ribs, Peoples Choice Award and overall Grand Champion. You can even participate in the voting for the Peoples Choice Award at one of the two seating being offered for a $10 wristband that includes pulled pork samples, baked beans, coleslaw and your vote for the best pulled pork.

This is a family fun so bring the kids so they can enjoy the Kids Play Zone with its supervised kid’s activities that include wet and dry games for the kids to enjoy. Kids of all ages will enjoy the fun activities for a $10 play all day wristband that includes a hot dog lunch pack.

There will also be live music at this year’s event featuring The Johnny Bulford Band from Nashville TN. This is a fun family event everyone in Orlando will enjoy so come out and enjoy some great BBQ.

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.
Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.

Family Fun – Kissimmee Florida Vacations

Family vacations are all about huge grins, frequent hugs, and lots of laughter. It’s one spectacular day after another of snapshot moments as your family shares the best of times  together.

Kissimmee is at the heart of everything that’s Florida and should be the center of your family vacation. With Kissimmee as your hub, your family can easily achieve all (or very close to all) the “must do’s” on your vacation wish list.

For a Central Florida vacation, Orlando area theme parks are generally at the top of the list of things to do. And all three of the major park resorts, Walt Disney World® Resort, Universal Orlando® Resort, and SeaWorld® Orlando are easily accessible from Kissimmee.

While the theme parks provide daylong sources of kid-friendly fun, many other adventures await families in Kissimmee. From amusement rides to petting zoos to waterslides, there’s no end to all of the fun and excitement you and your children can experience here on your next getaway.

Better still, when you’re looking for unique kids activities or family adventure ideas, Kissimmee never disappoints. Here, you can experience one of Central Florida’s oldest family attractions at Gatorland, the “Alligator Capital of the World.”  After seeing hundreds of gators, you’ll enjoy the thrill of seeing just one in the wild. You can achieve that goal several ways – with the wind-in-your-face thrill of an airboat ride, the whoosh of a zip line safari or a the bounce of a cracker coach swamp tour at Forever Florida. There are more attractions and activities throughout the Kissimmee area than you can cover in just one vacation. That’s why we invite you to return often to Kissimmee, the heart of Florida.

Out and About

Getting to know the “real” Florida, enjoying outdoor activities, the lakes, the wildlife, is one of the greatest joys of a Kissimmee vacation. There is an abundance of trails for hiking, biking, or horseback riding; and you just might want to wet a line and test your skills against the wily bass of the world-renowned Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.  Professional fishing guides help assure you’ll find just the spot where the fish are biting. The thrill of seeing your children, or grandchildren, reel in a lunker bass, or seeing an American bald eagle in flight for the first time, happens just once. Such lifetime memories await your family when you vacation in Kissimmee, the heart of Florida.

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.

Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.  

Orlando FL real estate market trends for June 2011.

Orange County FL Real Estate Sales Statistics – June 2011  

Orange County FL saw 399 fewer homes sold in June 2011 than June 2010. A 19 percent decrease. The average sales price increased by 6 percent and the median sales price decreased by 2% from June 2010. 

Osceola County FL Real Estate Sales Statistics – June 2011

Osceola County FL homes saw home sales decrease by 80 homes, a 12 percent drop. Prices increased with the average sales price up 4 percent. The median price decreased 7 percent.

Seminole County FL Real Estate Sales Statistics – June 2011

Seminole County FL residential sales decreased by 24 percent with 165 fewer homes sold in June 2011. The averages sales decreased 4 percent and the median sales price dropped 3 percent from June 2010 levels. 

Lake County FL  Real Estate Sales Statistics – June 2011  

Residential sales in Lake County FL increased with 52 additional homes sold for a 3 percent iccrease. The average sales price decreased by 6 percent and the median sales price decreased by 11 percent during the same time period.

Polk County FL Real Estate Sales Statistics – June 2011  

Polk County FL followed the trend of the surrounding counties with 184 fewer homes selling, a 22 percent decrease.  The average sales price decreased by 6 percent and the median sales price decreased by 9 percent. 

Now is the time to get your best price on an Orlando home, before the prices move upward.

Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home shopping website.

Mascots are coming to Orlando for the 19^th Annual Celebrity Mascot Games that will be held at the Amway Arena.  The fun begins on July 28^th and runs through July 30^th.  Come out and cheer for your favorite mascot as they compete in a variety of games including, jousting, an inflatable obstacle course and dodge ball, just to name a few.  The event will include 30 mascots from the NFL, NHL, NBA, NCAA and the Arena Football League.  Bring the entire family for this fun event that benefits New Hope for Kids, an Orlando based non-profit organization that grants wishes for children who are suffering from life-threatening illnesses.  

Orlando residents don’t miss out on seeing the only Celebrity Mascot event of its kind in the world.

This information is brought to you buy Teri Isner and the Orlando Avenue Top Team. Teri Isner has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando real estate market.

Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando homes for sale, having become the Best Listing Agent in Orlando. You can reach Teri by filling out the online contact form or give her a call.

Ten of the highest performing major market metros are expected to improve their performance over the first half of the year, with five of the top 10 even expected to see modest gains, reports Clear Capital in its latest monthly Home Data Index.

While housing prices in the first half of the year were mostly negative among the metro areas, Clear Capital says the market is showing signs of stabilizing.

Top Performers
The following are the highest performing major markets based on first half 2011 data (January through June) and second half forecast, according to Clear Capital.

1. Washington, D.C.-Arlington, Va.
2. New York-Long Island, N.Y.-No. New Jersey, N.J.
3. Orlando
4. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.
6. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.
7. Honolulu
8. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, Calif.
9. Rochester, N.Y.
10. Memphis, Tenn.

Yet, only five of these markets are expected to boast home price gains in the second half of 2011: Washington, D.C., New York, Orlando, Dallas, and San Francisco, according to Clear Capital.

While most individual markets are also projected to post losses for the year, it is clear prices have begun to level off and are not exhibiting as much volatility as we’ve seen since the downturn began,” says Alex Villacorta, director of research and analytics at Clear Capital.

Orlando is ranked as one of the 10 Best Cities To Buy Rental Property according to Local Market Monitor. Here’s what they have to say about our fair city…

Average home price (2011): $165,200

The real estate market in Orlando — home to Disney and a slew of other theme parks — has been anything but magical lately. Prices have plummeted 43% since 2006, according to Local Market Monitor.

Winzer projects little in the way home price gains Orlando over the next three years. Rents, on the other hand, are expected to climb by a healthy 17% clip, he said.

The area’s ties to tourism should help as the economic recovery gains traction, he said. Visitors keep coming to the theme parks here, despite the lukewarm national job picture. If employment ever heats up, the area will attract even more visitors and that means more jobs for local residents.

He expects that real estate investors will net about 3% above the national average.