Hojin's SW Orlando Real Estate Scoop

Call me ignorant, but I never heard of the alien land law of 1926 until today. The law can stop people ineligible for US citizenship from owning property in the state of Florida. I did a little digging and it turns out the law came into existence out of fears that Asian immigrants would work [...]

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I noticed a bunch of PODS in front of Yellow Dog Cafe in Gotha the other day and was starting to feel bummed out that one of my favorite places here in town has closed. I then noticed a signed that said there was a fire at the Yellow Dog and they’ll be back better [...]

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Mayor Buddy Dyer just revealed the first renderings of the $400 million Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center scheduled to be completed in 2012. It’ll house a 2,800 seat theater and a 1,700 seat music hall. I’m not sure if it’s worth all the tax dollars, but every big city has a nice art center. I [...]

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All of us in Orlando are preparing for the arrival of tropical storm Fay. Believe it not, I’m heading out to show homes today. It’s gonna be a bad hair day for sure. The good news is that the storm doesn’t look real intense and it’s just gonna bring some much needed rain. The Butler [...]

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The Help U Sell franchise filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday according to Inman News, but the chief operating officer Ash Asensio claims the brand will survive. Asensio blames the recent downturn in the market as the culprit for the demise of the fee for service real estate company. Throughout my real estate career, I’ve [...]

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Holy smokes! One constant throughout my real estate career is that there’s always surprises and today is no exception. I just heard that a long time real estate pro here in Dr. Phillips has been arrested for fraud. Patrick Torre, the broker of Tower Realty Group on 5008 Dr. Phillips Blvd., was taken in for [...]

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Our wonderful Mayor Buddy Dyer recently proposed a property tax rate increase for Orlando homeowners to cover a part of the $30 million budget shortfall that the city is currently facing. With the increase, he’s basically eliminating all the savings to Orlando homeowners from passage of Amendment 1 earlier this year. He claims this increase [...]

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It looks like the Dr. Phillips and Windermere areas are finally gaining some prominence on Google Maps. They’ve recently added the super cool Street View feature for much of SW Orlando. It seems like they’ve covered most of the area, but the gated communities are excluded. You can virtually walk through any street with this [...]

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All of us in Dr. Phillips and Windermere have been awaiting the opening of Whole Foods on Sand Lake Rd. and Turkey Lake Rd.. I noticed this sign driving by this weekend and it looks like the grand opening is June 25, 2008. I love this place. There’s a Whole Foods within walking distance from [...]

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The Dellagio and Rialto are two of the most anticipated projects under construction on Sand Lake Road in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando. Dellagio, projected to for completion in October 2008, will feature a man made lake that will be surrounded by themed restaurants and boutiques. Some residential townhouses are also included in the [...]

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