CATALINA ISLES Neighborhood Association Meeting Feb 28th    At the Catalina Isles general meeting held at the Merritt Island Library Feb 28th our guest speaker was Brevard County Sherriff Commander Paul Chalko   Paul had fascinating statistics about our community. Merritt Island has 55,000 residents. 10,000 of them are in grades 1-12, that’s 20% of our resients! We truly ARE a family friendly place to live.   Paul shared with us that violent crimes were down a whopping 32% in 2010 from the previous year! That’s great news especially with the current state of economy.   Paul says forgetting to lock your car leads to one of the most popular crime opportunities. Cars get stolen for joy rides and items left in the cars get stolen. LOCK YOUR CARS!   Fortunately, we have 80 swarn officers here in Merritt Island to protect us. Our neighborhood, Catalina Isles is located in the safest area of the Island, where the lowest number of crimes occur.   The #1 resource we have for security, is each other. Report any suspicious activity you see to 211 (the non-emergency version of 911). So, watch out for other people’s homes and they will watch out for yours! Leigh Giannotti is the OWNER/Broker Associate of Serving Brevard Realty located at 950 N Courtenay Pkwy Ste 3, Merritt Island Florida 32953. Catalina Isles is the nearest neighborhood to our Real Estate office. Leigh has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation. An appraisal of your homes value will cost about $400 or for a FREE current market assessment of your homes value please contact Leigh Giannotti. Leigh Giannotti (321) 749-4179 http://activerain.com/blogsview/2209809/catalina-isles-merritt-island-real-estate-update   Since August of 2010, there have been 14 sales in the Catalina Isles subdivision of Merritt Island.  The prices have ranged from $50,000 to $245,000.  7 of these homes were foreclosures 1 was a short sale 6 were regular sales This means that in the last 7 months over half the properties sold in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island FL were distressed properties.. Currently there are 10 properties listed as active in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island FL in the Brevard MLS.   5 of these properties are waterfront homes. 2 out of the 5 waterfront homes are listed as short sales.           Tony Giannotti is the Owner/Broker of Serving Brevard Realty in Merritt Island Florida.  He lives in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island and specializes in helping people buy and sell the dream homes I just found this on my door the other day, and thought I should share about our Catalina Isles Homeowners Association Meeting on Monday Feb 28th 2011 at the Merritt Island Library, across from Merritt Island High School. There will be a meet and greet at 6pm and then the meeting will start promptly at 6:30. At the meeting there will be discussions about the election of new officers and we will have a special guest, Commander Paul Chalko with the Brevard County Sherriffs Department. I look forward to attending the meeting and meeting more of my neighbors in Catalina Isles and sharing with them the great new waterfront listing I have at 455 Carrioca Ct. Tony Giannotti is the owner/broker of Serving Brevard Realty in Merritt Island Florida.  He has lived on Carrioca Ct in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island since 1999 and specializes in the area.  He lists and sells many foreclosed properties in Merritt Island and has helped many of his friends and neighbors find affordable homes in the Merritt Island area. Here's a quick update on Merritt Island homes for sale.  In Central Merritt Island, there are currently: 34 waterfront homes listed. 4 of these Merritt Island Homes are Bank Owned - 12% 7 of these Merritt Island Homes are Short Sales - 21% That means that 1/3 of the Central Merritt Island Homes that are on the water are in some type of distress. Of the Bank owned properties the prices range from $148,500 - $259,900 Of the properties listed as short sales, the prices range from $110,000 up to $799,900 Of the 23 homes in Central Merritt Island that are not distressed properties, the newest one to hit the market is 455 Carrioca Ct located in Catalina Isles.  It is listed at $259,900 and has been listed for 3 days on the local MLS. 455 Carrioca Ct in Catalina Isles Merritt island FLorida Posted at Tony G's listings by Tony Giannotti Feb. 18, 2011 Tagged with: waterfront for sale catalina isles merritt island florida 455 Carrioca Ct in Catalina Isles Merritt Island FL I just met with my good friends Emory and Betty about selling their home in Catalina Isles.  They have trusted me to sell not only 2 of their properties but also their daughter's home in Catalina Isles. This 1496 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It is located at 455 Carrioca Ct Merritt Island, Florida. This home is in the Brevard County School District. The nearest schools are Mila Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Merritt Island High School. This home is on the water with awesome views of Sykes creek.  There is a new sea wall and dock.  I think I can even talk them into including their boat. Imagine sitting out on your screened in patio sipping margarita's in your new hot tub! The 2 car garage is a guy's man cave dream!  This is going to be the best deal in all of Catalina Isles and Merritt island. Tony Giannotti is the Owner/Broker of Serving Brevard Realty in Merritt Island Florida.  He lives in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island and specializes in helping people buy and sell the dream homes. Housing Stats In Catalina Isles Feb 14, 2011   There are currently 8 homes for sale in Catalina Isles in Merritt Island FL. Prices range from a low of $77,000 to as high of $259,900 The lowest priced waterfront home in Catalina Isles is $119,900 and is a short sale. Of the total 8 listings: 3 are short sales 1 is bank owned Therefore 50% of th listings in Catalina Isles are distressed properties. Tony Giannotti is the owner/broker of Serving Brevard Realty in Merritt Island Florida.  He lives in Catalina Isles and specializes in distressed property in Merritt Island and Brevard County.  He can be reached at 321-917-1634.

Organize Keepsakes. Use the inside of closet doors for storage and to display special keepsakes. Artwork and photos stack up on memo boards mounted low where kids can reach them. When the paint dries  on new works of art, transfer old drawings to storage baskets on  upper shelves.

Use Wall Space. Hang a roll of art paper on the back of a closet wall. The handy holder? The same one used for a roll of paper towels. Store crayons and other art supplies nearby in baskets with handles.

Closets for Grown-Ups. Bring order to your busy life in a grown-up space filled with cards and wrapping paper, decorating materials, and craft supplies organized on bulletin boards and in bins, baskets, pocket organizers, and "in" and "out" folders.

Rethink Function. Convert plate holders into "in" and "out" racks outfitted with folders to keep bills and other business papers organized. Follow the rules for shredding credit card receipts, sales receipts, and deposit and withdrawal slips after one month. After a month, transfer records you need to keep for a year or longer into a filing cabinet. Source: Better Homes & Gardens.com

 If you are planning a move, give us a call!   IF YOU WANT TO BROWSE THE ENTIRE MLS PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW

www.ServingBrevard.net

FOR ANY REAL ESTATE QUESTIONS CALL US AT (321)576-0037

HURRICANE SEASON IS COMING - BE PREPARED

     Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Once a hurricane strikes, it’s too late to make emergency preparations.  Use this checklist as a starting point to ensuring you and your family are ready when the time comes. Financial/Important Family DocumentsKeep copies of records in a waterproof, portable container (or place in a secure location such as a safety deposit box).  

Water and Food SuppliesKeep at least 3-7 days worth of food and water on hand. 

Tools and SuppliesCheck regularly to ensure that items followed by (*) are functioning properly. 

Clothing, Bedding and Personal ItemsKeep these items in a waterproof container or bag. 

First Aid KitAssemble a First Aid Kit for your home and your car.  Keep a 3-7 day supply of vital medications. 

Other Recommendations for Hurricane Preparedness

• Select an emergency meeting place in case your family is separated.
• Keep your vehicle fuel tanks filled, and know your community’s evacuation routes.
• Learn about emergency plans for your children’s school or day care.
• Keep cash on hand (banks and ATMs may not be open or available for extended periods).

 For more information on how to protect your family and home in the event of an emergency, log on to www.fema.gov/. This information is brought to you as a courtesy of EXiT Island & Beach Realty conveniently located on SR 520 in Merritt Island.  If you have any Real Estate needs please feel free to call us at 321-576-0037 or visit our website at: www.ServingBrevard.net 

 Serving Brevard Realty 321-576-0037

**Exit Island & Beach Realty is not associated with Catalina Isles Skylark Estates Homeowners Association in any way. **