Wow! Check out this incredible Bank-Owned home for sale on North Shore’s nicest street, Hart Branch Circle! Backs to conservation and shady mature oaks. Beautiful cherry cabinetry, 16″ tile and brand new carpet. 4/3 with 2489 sqft. Move-in ready home and can close in 30-45 days. Located in North Shore at Lake Hart, a master planned community with golf course, community pool, and other recreational features on the shores of incredible Lake Hart. This home is in a FANTASTIC SCHOOL DISTRICT with the new Lake Nona High School that just opend last fall. Priced at $219,900! Call Carey for more details and a private showing.
Email: carey@careylight.com for more information! For all Central Florida Properties or a list of foreclosures, visit my website at www.CareyLight.com
Lake Nona’s New Baseball Coach
February 25th, 2010My son, Cody, has loved baseball all his life. He has been in training with an excellent batting coach over at Impact Sports for months in preparation for Lake Nona High School’s Inaugural season. Unfortunately, Cody is currently under Doctor’s orders to rest his back, so he is learning to contribute to his team in other ways (we fully expect he’ll be back in full swing, yes, that pun is intended, in just a few weeks). We have been most impressed with his new coach, “Coach K” as Cody has faced an injury for the first time. We are experiencing the fun of a new team, a new program and most importantly, the unification of our community.
We hope to see you out at the games…I’ll be at the concession stand! To see our JV and Varsity schedules visit our fan page on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lake-Nona-High-School-Baseball/296485548939?ref=ts
More on Coach K from the Orlando Sentinel here:
Baseball veteran Kirchgassner starts over again at Lake Nona
Baseball — posted by buddy collings on June, 26 2009 2:10 PM
George Kirchgassner, who has racked up 589 victories as baseball coach for four Orange County schools since 1977, is making another move to the new Lake Nona school, which opens in August.
It marks the third time Kirchgassner will crank up a new program. He left established Colonial, where he had a 312-114 record (1980-92), to be the first baseball coach at Cypress Creek, then left the Bears in 2004 to start Freedom’s program five years ago.
“I’ve never been to the final four, but for me there’s no better feeling than taking a brand new program and taking it to the point where it’s established,” Kirchgassner said Friday. “Once you get your system in place winning takes care of itself. I never have put that in the forefront and never will.”
Kirchgassner, 63, said he has two years of teaching to go, but plans to continue coaching “as long as I’m healthy, have the energy and somebody wants me.”
He ranks fifth all-time in career baseball wins among area coaches behind active coaches Mike Smith (632-264) of Lake Brantley and Bob McCullough (620-423) of Lyman, former Apopka coach Sonny Wise (618-189-1), and the late Buddy Lowe (599-246) of Lake County.
Kirchgassner had a 166-149 record at Cypress Creek (1993-2003) and a 91-69 mark at Freedom (2004-09). He began his head coaching career with three seasons at Jones (1977-79), where he went 20-40.
Freedom’s program is left on solid ground. The Patriots went 19-8 with five juniors and four sophomores starting last season.
Sign Guy’s Perspective on Agent Branding
February 18th, 2010This is a great post from Jack Pratt signs….nice to hear from someone outside the industry the business benefits we Real Estate Consultants reap by aligning with the best company in the business! Clients want a relationship with the AGENT NOT their COMPANY! Thank you for a great post!
Whether you are just getting started with your career in real estate, or looking to grow an already successful business beyond your current plateau, Keller Williams will catupult your business like no other. Please call or email Carey to learn more…I can help you boost your career anywhere in the US or Canada.
Read the entire Post below:
A sign guy’s perspective on real estate agent branding (edit/delete)
Amen! Fantastic post from Jack Pratt signs!
Via Monte Pratt (Jack Pratt Signs):
Now, I know most people are saying to themselves “What can a guy that makes signs know about real estate?” Okay, you got me… not much. I am a simple creature that loves graphic design that strives to keep a sign shop from running me. Furthermore, I pledge to each and everyone of you not to be an expert in your industry. However, there is something going on in the real estate industry that is notable and worthy of sharing.
The philosophy of marketing and branding according to Keller Williams Realty.
Stefan Swanepoel’s report on “The Most Recognizable Brands for 2009″ showed Keller Williams Realty as most recognized brand.
Why is that? In my opinion, it’s the agents with Keller Williams Realty that have made the company the most recognized brand. Gary Keller’s philosophy in marketing and branding allows the agent more freedom than any other national real estate franchise. Now, some might think that allowing the agent to use their own logos on their marketing materials could dilute the corporate brand. Remember the NAR survey? It was NAR that concluded that prospects choose to do business with real estate agents – not real estate companies. Gary embraced this concept and now the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. The irony of this report is that the most recognized brand is a brand that does no advertising, marketing or promotion for itself. Franchises, brokerages, and offices could learn something from this AND agents should learn something from this also.
A few years ago, there was an article in the Keller Williams Realty publication “OUTFRONT” that I think illustrates the mind of Gary Keller:
…three out of the four ‘for sale’ signs on one particular street were Keller Williams signs. “Look at those signs – every one of them is different. You might not even know that they’re Keller Williams unless you really looked at them,” commented Mary Keller. I appreciated her observation, but said, “Maybe you’re missing the real point: Our agents have the listings.” • Keller Williams® Realty OUTFRONT • Vol. 2 No. 5 Pg. 3
As a graphic designer and an approved vendor for Keller Williams Realty International, it is a wonderful challenge to work with almost 80,000 agents that all want the the same thing, something unique. A typical request from a Keller Williams agent is “I’m new and I want custom signs, but all I have is my name and photo. So, play jazz and dazzle me. Make it different!” We walk gingerly up to the standards but always keep mindful of what will be well received – both the customer, KWR International and in the community. Here’s a link to our Keller Williams Realty page on our website for some examples of what we have done.
So, what have I concluded? A personalized, custom yard sign gives prospects the feeling that they are working with someone they know. Someone they can trust. The ultimate goal in real estate is to create a continuous stream of new listings. By embracing Gary’s philosophy in marketing and branding, you can strengthen your business and image in the market place and generate the new listing activity for which you aim. We believe in his philosophy and focus on building the agent name and brand. The success of Keller Williams Realty proves that Gary’s strategy is a win-win and that the public gets it.
The philosophy at Keller Williams is one that we encourage agents in all size companies to embrace; Dare to set yourself apart with one of your most visible marketing tools, your listing signs. The only question is, does your company allow you the flexibility to differentiate yourself?
Join the most successful company in real estate…why not move beyond SURVIVING to THRIVING?! Call Carey (321.297.4330) or email carey@careylight.com to learn more. You owe yourself the opportunity to consider your business decisions in an informed manner. You will be glad you did!
Central Florida Children’s Home 5K in Lake Nona!
February 13th, 2010Hey everyone! Go Church is helping the Central Florida Children’s Home with their 5K. Let’s Run/Walk together to raise money to meet some of their needs. These kids are great and they are located right here in Lake Nona.
Will you join us – it’s simple!
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
You can join Go Church’s Team for $20 or support Pastor Barry
Thank you for your giving heart!
Together we can make a “BIG” difference.
All for Jesus,
The GO Church Team
Lake Nona area businesses developing slowly
February 1st, 2010News Not much to eat or shop for near ‘medical city’
Ron Tong says he is glad to have established Nona Sushi early in the construction of the ‘medical city’ at Lake Nona, even though crowds haven’t developed. Said another restaurateur in the area: “You have to hang on until it comes. Give it time, and it will.” (GEORGE SKENE, ORLANDO SENTINEL / January 27, 2010)
Ivy Chin opened a Thai restaurant in the Lake Nona area almost two years ago, hoping that the community’s “medical city” would bring her lots of hungry customers.
These days, the weekday lunch hours at her place, called Durian Durian, are fairly busy. But on weekends, Chin said business slows as residents leave the south Orange County neighborhood for shopping and entertainment they can’t get nearby.
“The area is not growing enough,” Chin said.
A cluster of biomedical research and health-care buildings at Lake Nona is expected to one day transform this quiet community into a boomtown. But the development has yet to attract many restaurants or shops.
So far, there is not much more than a cluster of fast-food chains, a few independent Asian and Italian restaurants, and an Outback Steakhouse.
Developers have big plans, but when those will come to fruition is anybody’s guess.
The lack of commercial development is “just a function of what’s happened in credit markets and the recession,” UCF economist Sean Snaith said.
“I think once the VA [Veterans Affairs hospital] gets built and some of the other commitments out there, that will help push some of the private stuff. The Lake Nona area will begin to show the promise that I think it held when all of this was just a conception,” he said.
As growth has slowed, “we don’t see nearly as many construction guys,” said James Cole, manager at Cariera’s Cucina Italiana. It’s one of the community’s more established restaurants, having been open several years.
At the restaurant in a strip center with a Publix, several tables were filled at lunchtime. Diners included folks from the nearby Campus Crusade for Christ headquarters; a manager from the Nemours Children’s Hospital construction site; and Mark Usseglio, who works near Orlando International Airport.
Usseglio occasionally grabs lunch in the Lake Nona area, he said, because “I like to find things out of the way. There’s no hustle and bustle down here.”
Many Lake Nona residents still work in other parts of Central Florida, said Nona Sushi manager Ron Tong. Business “could be better, could be worse,” he said. But by getting an early start, he said, “I feel like we have become part of the establishment in this area.”
Existing restaurants generally lie across Narcoossee Road from the 7,000-acre master-planned community of Lake Nona, owned and being developed by the Tavistock Group.
Lake Nona’s marketing brochures tout a future 1 million-square-foot-plus town center within the community, offering department stores, upscale boutiques and a movie theater. But no development schedule has been set.
The closest major retail is a Kohl’s department store a few miles north on Narcoossee Road, near State Road 528. Home Depot and Staples also have stores there.
To the south in Lake Nona, pieces of the “medical city” have begun to take shape.
Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute has been completed, as has UCF’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. Students and staff will move into UCF’s College of Medicine. Nemours Children’s Hospital is slated to open in 2012, the same year as the VA medical center.
Facilities will have their own cafeterias, but Rob Adams, vice president of marketing for Lake Nona, said that eventually other restaurants and stores are envisioned within walking distance.
For now, construction workers often eat from a lunch cart at the site. At the completed facilities, many workers are choosing brown-bagging.
“Most of us actually are bringing our lunches now, wanting to save money and save gas money and distance — everything is too far away,” said UCF graduate research assistant Shannon Ruppert, who works at the Burnett building.
Copyright © 2010, Orlando Sentinel
Start Your Real Estate Career
February 1st, 2010IFREC Pre-Licensing Class Beginning February 5th!
Hosted at Keller Williams Advantage II Realty
Waterford Lakes Market Center
Who do you know that is considering becoming a Real Estate Sales Associate? Now is the time for them to jump into this exciting market! IFREC has new classes being offered to help interested students take the next steps in their career!
Feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who may be interested in cultivating a career in real estate!
Click on the link for information on how to register for Sales Associate classes:
Sales Associate Pre-License Courses http://www.ifrec.com/courses/schedules/bycourse/salespre.htm
Courses located at the Waterford Lakes Market Center can be found under
East Orlando Heading
Act Quickly – the next session begins February 5th!!
Let me know if you are interested in a career in real estate…I’d love to help!!
Race to Save Pine Castle Christian Academy
January 30th, 2010Pine Castle Christian Academy, a cornerstone community school in the Conway/Belle Isle area for over 27 years is looking for a new home. Time is short as families must make decisions about where their children are to attend school this fall. PCCA has been granted permission to become an independently operated school and solely responsible for it’s own operations.
The faculty and staff of PCCA are committed to keeping the doors open of this amazing community school. New locations are being considered. Will you help?
To Donate to Independent PCCA, please go to this url: https://www.sagepayments.net/sagenonprofit/shopping_cart/forms/donate.asp?M_id=631111688148
Follow their progress on Facebook and Twitter, or check back here for updates.
This school has meant so much to my family and myself personally, as well as countless other children over generations.
GO Church Grand Opening in Lake Nona!
January 27th, 2010Go Church is having it’s Grand Opening Service in the auditorium of LAKE NONA HIGH SCHOOL Sunday, Jan 31 at 10:00 am.
GO Church has been around for about 5 years and has met in various locations including Narcoossee Community School, Odyssey Middle School, Moss Park Elementary School, and has just moved onto the beautiful new high school campus in order to better serve the families of Lake Nona. “GO” stands for “Greater Orlando” Church….and “Go into all the world” and cool stuff like that.
Wear your blue jeans to GO Church! Dress is casual, people are authentic, the worship is contemporary, and the teaching is relevant. Refreshing.
Grand Opening Sunday introduces the next teaching series, “Lionhearted- the courage to lead.” Lion- hearted….get it? As in Lake Nona Lions? And kind of a Brave Heart, no wimpy Christian leader man thing. Come check it out.
Five Powerful Weeks:
Jan 31- “Courage to Sacrifice”
Feb. 7-”Courage to be…”
Feb 14- “Courage to Love”
Feb. 21- “Courage to Stand”
Feb. 28- “Courage to Lead”
Childcare provided in a Rockin Fun atmosphere in the Lake Nona High School Cafeteria.
Coffee and kids check in at 9:40am
Lake Nona High School
12500 Narcoossee Road
Orlando, FL. 32832
Contact GO Church at 407-306-8800. Office located on the campus of Wycliffe Bible Translators
See you Sunday!
Nona Sushi
January 13th, 2010Have you ever noticed that things come in threes? This seems to be especially true in Lake Nona. Three banks, three sub shops, three sushi restaurants…
I finally made it to the newest sushi place yesterday for lunch…Nona Sushi. What a delight! A nice upscale dining experience with excellent, personalized service. Our sweet server was very concerned about our enjoyment of our meals.
I had the bento box with the garlic chicken- very spicy! My only disappointment was that I didn’t get a full order of the crunch rolls. I tried one of my husband’s and it was super yummo….but he wouldn’t share anymore. 
The ingredients were fresh and beautifully prepared. This restaurant has beat the other area sushi restaurants hands down!
Nona Sushi is located at 10743 Narcoossee Rd in the new plaza just south of the Publix plaza. Dining in is a very pleasant experience, but you can reach the restaurant at 407-381-7777 if you prefer take out.
Give it a try!
Warmly,
Carey Light, PA
Keller Williams Realty
Cell: 321.297.4330
Email: Carey@CareyLight.com
Web: www.CareyLight.com
