Palm Beach County has lots of beautiful natural areas and preserves from Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean. The Department of Environmental Resources Management (E.R.M.) manages” a range of environmental programs designed to protect, preserve, and enhance Palm Beach County’s natural resources, both on land and water. Fresh drinking water, unpolluted waterways, a large tree canopy, and controlling mosquito populations provide a welcoming outdoor tropical experience to snorkel and dive, visit sandy beaches, fresh or saltwater fish, kayak waterways, hike in the woods all while viewing wildlife in their natural habitat.”

To bring awareness to the community, the E.R.M. will host the annual family fun event known as the Natural Areas Festival.  Palm…

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Courtesy of Festival of the Arts BOCA

The Festival of the Arts BOCA is an astonishing, multi-day cultural arts event bringing exhilaration and innovative experiences to Boca Raton. The festival begins March 2, 2017 and concludes March 12, 2017. The Festival of Arts Boca has won numerous awards including:  the “Muse Award” from The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, “Best Festival” by Boca Magazine and “Best Cultural Festival of 2014” from Palm Beach Illustrated. The Eleventh Anniversary season will continue to feature the finest in classical music, jazz, dance, film and authors. Spectators will enjoy some of the most sought after jazz and classical performers as well as well recognized authors.  Boca Raton, and the Palm Beaches, are Florida's…

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Florida conjures up images of luxurious palatial homes, palm trees swaying in warm breezes, sparkling swimming pools, expansive stretches of sandy beaches, and seas of boats moored in harbors. It’s where luxury living has been elevated to its limits.  Thinking of moving to South Florida in 2017, consider the hot forecast for real estate in 2017.

Expect a hot year for home sales in 2017, per recent forecasts from the National Association of Realtors, the Mortgage Bankers’ Association, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and more.

NAR is predicting “existing-home sales to reach 6 million in 2017, higher than its 5.8 million forecast for this year. But other entities are even more bullish. MBA is predicting home sales to eclipse 6.5 million next year,…

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Valentine's Day is a time of velvet hearts, chocolate sweets, romantic dinners, and love. It's not clear who the original Valentine was — there were several — but a saint's day with that name was established on the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar as early 1,500 years ago. There are indications that Valentine's Day may have originally been adopted in part to replace of the ancient pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia, which fell on February 13 to 15. By the time of Chaucer in the Middle Ages, the Valentine's Day had become associated with romantic love.

Many couples dream to go to Paris on their honeymoon or on Valentine's Day because the city is so well-known for its romantic walks along the Seine River, sidewalk cafe dining and the sparkling…

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Now that the housing market has steadied after more than a decade of difficulties, this could be the perfect opportunity to invest in a home. It is said that South Florida is an earmarked real estate market and it’s driving the prices of real estate up. 

The Case-Shiller 20 City Index noted that home values rose 5.7%.  Leading economists think prices will continue to rise, at least in the interim. Nationally, Miami is considered one of the top 20 metropolitan cities with highest growth forecast.  Topping the list is another South Florida city, Tampa. 

The National Association of Realtors is forecasting a 4.4% increase in existing home prices and in 2017 an increase of 3.4%.  According to Miami Board of Realtors, “South Florida housing…

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Image Courtesy of Turtle Beach Construction.

One of the first things many South Florida homebuyers look at when purchasing a new home is the kitchen. The kitchen can "make or break" a home.  In the Palm Beaches, indoor/outdoor living is paramount and the kitchen is the most trafficked room in the house. An upgraded kitchen can make your home stand above others and make it irresistible. 

If considering a kitchen renovation, building a new home, or just an update to your existing decor, take a look at the current design trends for 2016. Some of the hottest trends in kitchens these days, according to Forbes Magazine,  include hardwood floors, transitional styling and white in the kitchen. As a general rule of thumb, spend between 6-10% of the total…

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Photo Courtesy of Riviera Beach Maritime Academy

Palm Beach County divers have a new underwater landmark to discover. The new reef will honor a local three-time breast cancer survivor, Andrea Torrente. “Andrea's Reef”, a 60,000-pound mermaid honoring the valiant woman, has established a home just 3/4 miles east off the Lake Worth Inlet, submerged under 75 feet of water. The sculptures for the reef were deployed off Ocean Reef Park on Singer Island, August 11, 2016.

Thomas McDonald, sculptor, found the inspiration to model his mermaid after the local woman who has survived breast cancer. McDonald started work on his commissioned sculpture during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month last October. He said in a release, "I work at a women's health…

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Most people associate learning with formal education at school, college, university etc.  We are all told, from an early age, that we should ‘get a good education’.  However, ‘schooling’ is only one type of learning. There are many opportunities to further your knowledge you will need throughout life.  There is no age limit on learning.  Lifelong learning can enhance ones understanding of the world around us, provide additional and enhanced opportunities and improve our quality of life.

Florida Atlantic University  Lifelong Learning Society is “dedicated to enriching the intellectual and social lives of adult learners by offering stimulating educational opportunities, taught by outstanding university faculty and guest lecturers, designed to…

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Welcome to South Florida summer sunshine.  Summer is the warmest season of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.  Summer season runs June through August. So during these bright and cheerful summertime months, everyone throughout the United States experiences warmer temperatures. 

Warmer temperatures means we’re all using more energy to keep our homes cool.Florida, Power and Light  states, "Because A/C units run twice as long in the summer than during cooler months and account for more than half of your energy bill, you likely will notice your summer bills are higher than normal. Now is the time to take control of your energy use, because forecasters predict August to be another extremely hot month."

You can not control what you cannot see, so…

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South Florida's MIAMI Association of Realtors (including Jupiter/Tequesta to South Miami areas) celebrates a "milestone 90th anniversary and illustrious history of success and achievements."

 As a client of a Realtor, you can expect honest and ethical treatment in all real estate transaction-related matters. Using a professional Realtor is well advised and advantageous. They are competent members of the National Association of Realtors and here in South Florida, they are members of MIAMI as well. Realtors are not just agents. According to RealtorMag.com, Realtors make a significant difference for home buyers/sellers:

      "1). An expert guide. Selling a home usually requires dozens of forms, reports, disclosures, and other technical documents.…

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