Reynolds Realty of Manatee, Inc.

House #1 A 20-room mansion ( not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool ( and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400. per month. In natural gas alone, this property co nsumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern “snow belt” area. It’s in the South.

House #2 Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every “green” feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet ( 4 bedrooms ) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.

The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summe r. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000-gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the hou se. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

Now, for the clincher:

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of the “environmentalist” Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford ,Texas; is the residence of the President of the United States ,
George W. Bush.

Is this an “inconvenient truth?”

You can verify it at:http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

The Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota Florida is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Huge rooms that house some of the most famous paintings around. The Ringlings spent years collecting art and displaying it in this wonderful building.

The courtyard is breath taking as you stroll through the gardens and view the statues interlaced among the grounds. When you sit on the veranda, you get the view of Sarasota Bay just past the grounds facing West.

If you are in the area, this is one place that needs to be on your must visit list.

Looking for a place to explore in a day? Try out the Ca d Zan, it has been refurbished and the original furniture still remains. The home is 4 levels high and is 22,000 square feet in size. The regular admission of $20 will get you into the first two floors, you have to pay another $20 to see floors 3 and 4. While I recommend the general admission price, I did not feel the extra $20 was worth seeing a couple more bedrooms and the terrace that sits atop the house.

The mansion sits on the edge of the water on 66 acres. John and Mable Ringling built this home in 1924 and when you tour the home you will see they spared no expense. Marble is all throughout the home and gold leaf on the ceilings. They travelled through Europe collecting furniture and art and was decorated in the Venetian Gothic style.

It certainly is worth the trip to view this beautiful mansion.

Below is a list of events that will occur before you start looking for a home, while you are looking for a home and after you have found a home and have it under contract:

1. You need to find out how much of a home you are pre-approved to purchase.
2. Before you find a home and put it under contract, you need to choose a lender that you will be getting financing through and who is going to give you the best terms and conditions.
3. This is a list of the documents lenders typically ask for, the sooner you get these to them the easier the process goes. I suggest giving a copy of these documents to them right at the start.
a. Last 2 years work history
b. Last 2 years W-2’s
c. Last 2 years verification rental history or mortgage payments
d. Year to date pay stub
e. If on disability, social security or pension and you are claiming that income you have to show proof of that income
f. Bank statements from the last 12 months
g. If you are divorced or separated, you must provide either the divorce decree or separation agreement.
h. If claiming Child support income, you need to show proof of receipt
i. If you have filed bankruptcy, you will need to provide a certified legal copy of discharge
j. Any judgments or tax liens must be paid off
k. If you are paying child support, you must show proof that you have been paying in a satisfactory re-payment plan
l. If you have any 401k, IRA, Stocks & Bonds or savings accounts, you will need to provide statements from those accounts.
4. You need to get a copy of a pre-approval letter without a dollar amount on it to accompany any offers you make on a home so the sellers are aware that you are already pre-approved.
5. Now it’s time to start looking for a home. Your agent will set up an automated search for you and email you all the active listings in the MLS that fit the criteria of the home you are looking for based on the amount you have been pre-approved for. This saves you time from having to drive around looking for homes that are for sale.
6. Once you find the home you are looking for and make an offer on it, and the offer is accepted, you are now under contract to purchase that home.

NOTE: Additional documentation may be requested depending on your situation. Your lender maty also require you to pay any outstanding bills as well before closing on the home. You lender will let you know if this is required. Do not change your job, charge your credit card or affect you credit in any way, this will stop the loan process and no money will be funded. The mortgage company runs a second credit check right before lending the money, for this reason you will need to wait until after the closing for any change or purchase.

7. The Home Inspection and the Termite Inspection will be ordered. You are more than welcome to be there when the inspections are being done.
8. The lender that you chose to do your financing through will order the Appraisal. You are also welcome to be there for that as well. Survey will be ordered by the Title Company.
9. You will need to purchase homeowners insurance for a year, and provide the Declaration page to the Title Company as proof you purchased before they will allow you to close on the home. Your Insurance Company can fax a copy of that page to the Title Company.
10. Once the Home Inspection report comes back, your agent will meet with you to discuss the findings, and evaluate which items need to be repaired depending how the contract was written between the buyer and the seller. The seller will then make the requested repairs if the buyer and seller agreed that the seller would make repairs.
11. One day before closing your agent will do a final walk through of the home with you to make sure the home is in the condition it is suppose to be in and repairs were completed (if required)..
12. Your agent will go over the HUD-1 statement with you to make sure all figures are correct.
13. The Title Company will advise you of the dollar amount you need to bring to the closing in CERTIFIED FUNDS, personal checks will not be taken You will also need to bring your drivers license to closing.
14. Congratulations on the purchase of your home!!

As a reminder….It is imperative that you know what financing company will be doing your financing before you put a home under contract so the lender will have time to get all paperwork completed in a timely manner and it does not hold up the closing. The lender will also be able to provide your agent with the correct amount of closing costs so it can be written into the contract if you are expecting the seller to pay your closing costs. The more you get done ahead of time, the smoother your closing will go.

Forest Creek is located on US Hwy 301 south of the town of Parrish. This new community was developed by Neal Communities. As with all his communities, nature was left in tact. The mature trees were not just plowed down to make room for another development, Pat takes the time to build the community around the existing nature. For this, his developments are my favorites.

Forest Creek consists of three collections they are as follows:

Creekside Collection - This collection consists of maintanance free living. There are six different floor plans to choose from.

Oak Hill Collection - This collection consists of single family homes, there are eight floor plans to choose from.

Townhome Collection - This collection consists of the townhouses, there are three floor plans to choose from.

Amenities include:

Bird Rookery

Observation Gazebos

Nature Trails

10 acre lake

Community Gathering Area with pool and spa

Finally builders are starting to build affordable housing. The Rose Cottage is 1200 sq ft, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with a 1 1/2 car garage attached in the back.

You have your choice of 3 different elevations. This is truly a charming Key West style home that must be seen to be appreciated.

CDD fees for the Rose Cottage are as follows:

CDD Bonded Improvement Fee is $729.64 and will be billed on your annual property tax bill

CDD Operations and Maintenance Fee is estimated at $699.82 per year. This covers the maintenance of the lakes, common areas, recreation facilities, community pool, fitness center, gated entries and non potable water for your irrigation system and is paid annnually on your tax bill.

Homeowners Association is $86.80 per year and this fee covers administration and management of the community.

Basic Cable is $400.32 per year

HOA Capital Contribution is $487.12 a one time fee equal to the then current HOA regular assessment plus cable. Payable at closing.

REMEMBER - these fees are what is being quoted today we always need to double check prices and fees when you are ready to purchase.

Gull Cottage is a charming Key West style home which is 1,648 sq ft, 3 bedrooms 2 1/2 baths and a 11/2 car garage. The garage is situated behind the house to maintain the charm of the Key West style.

I have to commend Neal Communities for providing affordable housing. This home starts at $153,900, but be aware that the builder reserves the right to change the prices at any time, so don’t delay. There are only 63 lots available for these charming homes.

CDD fees for Gull Cottage is as follows:

CDD Bonded Improvement Fee is $729.64 and will be billed on your annual property tax bill

CDD Operations and Maintenance Fee is estimated at $699.82 per year. This covers the maintenance of the lakes, common areas, recreation facilities, community pool, fitness center, gated entries and non potable water for your irrigation system and is paid annnually on your tax bill.

Homeowners Association is $86.80 per year and this fee covers administration and management of the community.

Basic Cable is $400.32 per year

HOA Capital Contribution is $487.12 a one time fee equal to the then current HOA regular assessment plus cable. Payable at closing.

REMEMBER - these fees are what is being quoted today we always need to double check prices and fees when you are ready to purchase.

The Lake Cottage consists of 1,419 square feet, 2 stories with 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths and a 1 1/2 car garage.

This charming Key West style home resides in the new section just opened in Forest Creek. Prices start at $136,900 for this model, The builder reserves the right to change prices at any time without prior notice so you will want to grab yours quick before those prices start to rise.

CDD fees for the cottages are as follows:

CDD Bonded Improvement Fee is $729.64 and will be billed on your annual property tax bill

CDD Operations and Maintenance Fee is estimated at $699.82 per year. This covers the maintenance of the lakes, common areas, recreation facilities, community pool, fitness center, gated entries and non potable water for your irrigation system and is paid annnually on your tax bill.

Homeowners Association is $86.80 per year and this fee covers administration and management of the community.

Basic Cable is $400.32 per year

HOA Capital Contribution is $487.12 a one time fee equal to the then current HOA regular assessment plus cable. Payable at closing.

REMEMBER - these fees are what is being quoted today we always need to double check prices and fees when you are ready to purchase.

The Blue Sky is a beautiful home which consists of 2,132 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a 2 car garage. The prices start at $202,900 but the builder reserves the right to change the prices without prior notice so don’t delay purchasing your new home today.

This section of Forest Creek just opened this past weekend, judging buy the volume of people that were there, these lots won’t last long. It is clear to see that this is just what our buyers have been waiting for, affordable housing.

While out for a drive yesterday, I came across a tiny neat little neighborhood tucked away in North East Bradenton. It’s just off of Manatee Ave and 27th St E. I just happened to glance up and saw a sign that said Historic Neighborhood with an arrow, so I quickly turned down the street and ended up in this neat little community.

It’s a 55 and over community that sits where the Braden River meets the Manatee River. The first thing I noticed were that the streets are only wide enough for one car to pass and these homes are pretty close to each other, so there isn’t much yard to worry about for maintenance. As I drove through the winding streets and up and down a few hills, I knew I was in a historic community. You could tell just from looking at the homes. They were all old homes that were built back in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Each one different from the next. Unique in it’s own way.

As I continued to drive through the community, every person that I saw walking, driving a golf cart, riding a bike or just sitting outside of their home waved at me. All of them. This is small community full of friendly people. It was so nice to drive through someplace unknown to me and have people smile and wave as I passed them.

Making my way around this unique community, I came across the ruins of the Braden Plantation House, that was long known as Braden Castle. The Braden Plantation house was built in 1850 by Dr. Joseph Braden, whom Bradenton was named after. The Castle had 20 inch thick walls, was two stories high and measured about 100 ft on each side. There were 4 rooms on each floor that were all the same size measuring 20 sq ft each. The Castle also had 8 fireplaces and 4 chimneys.

In March of 1856, Indians attacked Braden Castle.

Dr. Braden fell onto some financial hardships in 1857. The home was foreclosed on by Daniel Ladd, but Ladd did not evict him. Braden later left Manatee for Texas around 1864.

The Braden Plantation was then purchased by Mary El Pelot and J. Crews Pelot after the civil war for $2,000. She then gave 320 acres to her father. For the next 10 years, Braden Castle was center of social life on the Manatee. When Mary’s father died, the Plantation House and land was then deeded back to J. Crews Pelot. He later sold 34.75 acres that is now known as Braden Castle Park to Schmidlapp and McPherson.

Sometime around 1903 a fire that was reportedly started by vandals destroyed most of the home leaving only the concrete walls standing. A short time later, the walls collapsed into the ruins that still remain today. A fence has been placed around the ruins, but they still remain. It truly is a historic site to see.

In 1924 the Tin Can Tourists (Camping Tourists of America) purchased the 34.74 acres.

By 1930, most of the 197 bungalows had been built. Many of them have undergone several renovations yet still remain as they were, when they were built.

Originally there was a barbershop, post office, western union office, general store, a filing station, fire station, men’s club house, women’s club house, pavillion and 13 rental tourists cabins.

Today, this small 55 and over community has boat ramps, shuffleboard courts, a pier, a lagoon with a gazebo in the middle of it and beautiful views of the Manatee River. Sorry, but they don’t allow pets here!

If you’re looking to live in a historic community, this may be the place for you. The bungalows range in size from about 450 sq ft to 1700 sq ft. Most are on the smaller side though. They make perfect winter residences or year round living if you don’t mind a small home to take care of.

While out for a drive yesterday, I came across a tiny neat little neighborhood tucked away in North East Bradenton. It’s just off of Manatee Ave and 27th St E. I just happened to glance up and saw a sign that said Historic Neighborhood with an arrow, so I quickly turned down the street and ended up in this neat little community.

It’s a 55 and over community that sits where the Braden River meets the Manatee River. The first thing I noticed were that the streets are only wide enough for one car to pass and these homes are pretty close to each other, so there isn’t much yard to worry about for maintenance. As I drove through the winding streets and up and down a few hills, I knew I was in a historic community. You could tell just from looking at the homes. They were all old homes that were built back in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Each one different from the next. Unique in it’s own way.

As I continued to drive through the community, every person that I saw walking, driving a golf cart, riding a bike or just sitting outside of their home waved at me. All of them. This is small community full of friendly people. It was so nice to drive through someplace unknown to me and have people smile and wave as I passed them.

Making my way around this unique community, I came across the ruins of the Braden Plantation House, that was long known as Braden Castle. The Braden Plantation house was built in 1850 by Dr. Joseph Braden, whom Bradenton was named after. The Castle had 20 inch thick walls, was two stories high and measured about 100 ft on each side. There were 4 rooms on each floor that were all the same size measuring 20 sq ft each. The Castle also had 8 fireplaces and 4 chimneys.

In March of 1856, Indians attacked Braden Castle.

Dr. Braden fell onto some financial hardships in 1857. The home was foreclosed on by Daniel Ladd, but Ladd did not evict him. Braden later left Manatee for Texas around 1864.

The Braden Plantation was then purchased by Mary El Pelot and J. Crews Pelot after the civil war for $2,000. She then gave 320 acres to her father. For the next 10 years, Braden Castle was center of social life on the Manatee. When Mary’s father died, the Plantation House and land was then deeded back to J. Crews Pelot. He later sold 34.75 acres that is now known as Braden Castle Park to Schmidlapp and McPherson.

Sometime around 1903 a fire that was reportedly started by vandals destroyed most of the home leaving only the concrete walls standing. A short time later, the walls collapsed into the ruins that still remain today. A fence has been placed around the ruins, but they still remain. It truly is a historic site to see.

In 1924 the Tin Can Tourists (Camping Tourists of America) purchased the 34.74 acres.

By 1930, most of the 197 bungalows had been built. Many of them have undergone several renovations yet still remain as they were, when they were built.

Originally there was a barbershop, post office, western union office, general store, a filing station, fire station, men’s club house, women’s club house, pavillion and 13 rental tourists cabins.

Today, this small 55 and over community has boat ramps, shuffleboard courts, a pier, a lagoon with a gazebo in the middle of it and beautiful views of the Manatee River. Sorry, but they don’t allow pets here!

If you’re looking to live in a historic community, this may be the place for you. The bungalows range in size from about 450 sq ft to 1700 sq ft. Most are on the smaller side though. They make perfect winter residences or year round living if you don’t mind a small home to take care of.

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Downtown West Bradenton (Area 11)
Historic Downtown, East Bradenton (Area 12)
Tara Peridia, Creekwood Areas (Area 21)
Oneco (Area 22)
Whitfield (Area 23)
Braden River to I-75, North of SR 70 (Area 24)
Palm Aire Area (Area 25)
Bradenton East of I-75 & South of SR 64 (Area 26)/b>
Bradenton East of I-75 & North of SR 64 (Area 71)
Bradenton SW of Cortez & 34th St W (Area 31)
Bayshore Gardens Area, Bay to Cortez Rd (Area 32)
NW Bradenton, Riverview Blvd Area (Area 41)
West Bradenton Area (Area 42)