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By: Beach Blankets

Delnor Wiggins State Park is a favorite spot for beach lovers around the country. It has been rated one of the best beaches in the nation, and will continue to do so for years to come, we think. You just need to look at the number of beach towels on the sand in high season to see how truly popular this place is.

The Delnor Wiggins State Park is a 166 acre piece of tropical paradise that shelters Water Turkey Bay from the Gulf. It is a topical paradise in the true sense of the word. Sugar white soft wand with the sea on one side and a mangrove swamp on the other, it is part of a barrier island just off the coast and at the mouth of the Cocohatchee river.

The park was named after a trader who used to operate in the area, Joe Wiggins, who was also the first homesteader on record. In the 1960’s the land was set aside as a park to preserve the islands, mangroves and natural habitat from development, and it’s still going strong to this day.

The unique ecosystem of the area supports itself and the area around it. The barrier island that the park sits on is 80% mangrove, which shelters the mainland from the worst of the gulf storms and protects the island from erosions thanks to the tight knot root system. This system also filters the water around it so it stays clean and clear, while the leaves of the mangroves provide sustenance for much of the wildlife around them.

This combination of factors makes the Delnor Wiggins State Park a great place for wildlife. There are birds aplenty, from seabirds, waders and the more adventurous land varieties. Then there are smaller mammals, reptiles, corals, fish and crustaceans. Not to mention sea turtles in the summer, who crawl laboriously up the beach at night to lay their eggs.

The beach itself is extremely popular in high season so it pays to get there early if you’re planning to lay a beach blanket and spend the day. The park opens every day of the year from 8am until sundown and is at its busiest during the summer months. If you’re a sun worshipper and like nothing better than laying down a beach blanket, spreading on some lotion and not moving for hours, this is the place for you. You can also swim, snorkel, sail, kayak and wander round the numerous paths around the mangroves if you feel more energetic.

Delnor Wiggins State Park is one of the many beaches around Naples, and one of the more popular. When you see it, you can see why. Seemingly endless swathes of white sand, calm azure waters of the gulf, high rise condos one end and Wiggins Pass at the other. It’s a great way to spend a day.

Continuing from the last post discussing homework, there are another couple of circumstances to discuss. Last time we discussed how to help your child with their homework without doing it for them. This time we are going to talk about what to do if a child refuses to do it, or doesn’t bring it home. We will also touch on a homework routine and how to manage it. There are plenty of adult education classes in Naples, parenting being a popular one, and I would recommend parents take one if they feel unsure about their skills. For the most part, you’ll be fine as long as you research and take advice in the spirit it’s given.

If your child consistently refuses to do homework or never brings it home it can lead to strife both at home and at school. It helps to create rules, boundaries and limitations as soon as your child begins school. Set a rule that says homework when they get, it must be brought home and begun at a certain time. Also create a unique consequence for not doing it. Whatever consequence you choose, ensure it’s unique and only lasts for 24 hours, or until your child next brings work home so they have the opportunity to redeem themselves.

Hope is important here, if a punishment lasts longer than a day, the child might feel trapped and helpless, which will further exacerbate the problem.

To manage this situation, you’re going to have to work with the teacher. It might be worthwhile creating a homework log that the child is responsible for keeping. This should list the homework assignments each day and be initialed by the teacher. You will need to check this every day and keep this up until such time as the behavior has been eradicated.

Forgetting to bring homework home, or the log should also result in punishment. This is also something you want to train your child out of. We can’t help forgetfulness sometimes, but there needs to be a consequence for it. There certainly are in adulthood and that’s what we are preparing them for.

Giving a child a homework routine is a good way of getting them into the habit of doing it. A popular mistake parents seem to make is by giving them a time when it must be completed. This isn’t such a good idea, because sometimes it’s going to take longer and they will feel a failure if it does, even if they have done great work. It might also force them to rush the assignment, which we don’t want either.

A better idea is to give them a begin time. After school is the best time of day. Give them a healthy snack then set them to work. Tell them they must get their work done, but not give them a time limit. Use the lure of play, going outside or other motivation for completing it. Don’t be afraid to use the climate here in Naples, parenting is about blackmail too. Tell them they can go outside in the sunshine once they have finished, and you have checked it. There’s nothing like the lure of play to get a child motivated.

The real estate market has finished the freefall and is now sitting at the bottom of the value curve. Buyers are rare, as many families are deciding to stay put instead of move. Finance is still in short supply and the lending criteria is ever increasing.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom. There are buyers out there, with money in their pocket but it is their market, and they know it. Marketing a property to meet the new demands isn’t easy, but proper planning and application can make it happen.

Barbara Forks, 53 of Sarasota had her home on the market for over six months without a bite.

“The real estate agent kept telling me the market was too slow, that there were too many other properties for sale in my area. There was always some excuse. I think in all that time we only had about three viewings.” Said Barbara in a recent interview. “We decided to take a friends advice and withdraw the sale, which we did, much to the agents chagrin. Then we took a step back and looked at our home through the eyes of a buyer.”

“That was quite difficult, because you have to be critical about somewhere you have lived for years and thought of as home. The ‘to do’ list grew longer and longer as we looked at everything we could think of. It annoyed me that the agent hadn’t done this with us months ago. We could have been in a new home somewhere by now.”

Barbara’s story is by no means unique. We have heard of many others who have done much the same thing, often through watching home makeover shows, of people asking friends to act as a buyer.

Barbara then talks about what work they had done. “We did as much of it as we could, but we aren’t as young as we used to be so I called John Sweet of Sweet Sheldon Homes to come and talk to us. He was nice, straightforward and honest with us. The quote was a bit more than others we had received, but he seemed much more genuine, and spend over an hour talking to us about things. Even about some of the things that can go wrong.”

Sweet Sheldon Homes are Naples renovation contractors who also do remodeling and new home building. They have been in business since 2003 and is run by John Sweets. His website propounds his business ethos of being straight and honest with people and telling them what they need to know, not what he wants them to hear.

Barbara’s house was refurbished by Sweet Sheldon Homes, a Naples  Remodeling company over a four week period. The exterior was painted, the driveway cleaned, the interior decorated and new cabinet doors in the kitchen we added.

The house then went on the market again, with a differed real estate agent and sold eight weeks later, for just under the asking price.

“Sweet Sheldon Homes worked miracles, and turned our tired old house into something someone wanted. Everybody who is having trouble selling their home should do this.”

Local Estero firm Clutter Busters are making easy work of turning trash into cash. While that may seem a little harsh, after all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, it is certainly true that there is money in your old stuff.

From estate sales to moving sales, liquidations to interior decorating, Clutter Busters of South West Florida have you covered. The husband and wife team Joseph and Alana enjoy sorting through other peoples unwanted items and turning them into profit. They are a full service company that offers everything for the downsizer or mover alike.

They specialize in home sales, but are adept at selling anything, to anyone. A typical sale works like this:

A client will contact them and say they are moving home, downsizing or want a full service to help them move home. Clutter Busters team will visit the client, assess the potential value of the items and have a chat about the situation and settle the details. The client grants them access to the property, and clearly marks what is to be sold and what isn’t.

The Clutter Busters team then springs into action and prepares everything for sale. That includes tidying up the property if necessary to advertising the sale. On the day they will manage the sales, the cash and collection of items. Whatever is left is advertised on Ebay and other online sites, as well as advertised locally.

Once the sale is over and any auctions finished, the cash is handed over to the client, minus a cut of course and the team moves on to the next sale.

It isn’t all about the bad times either, these guys don’t concentrate on people who have landed on bad times. It isn’t all about liquidations and foreclosures. More and more families are turning to these kinds of services to make a few extra bucks.

There are other businesses like clutter Busters dotted around our area, but none seem to have the combination of gravity and brevity that this operation does. One minute they are serious as they consult on a probate, the next they are engaging visitors to their sales with jokes and harmless banter in order to draw them in.

It’s good to see local businesses making good in this tough economic climate, and it’s good to see Clutter Busters up there with them. A diverse but related service portfolio appeals to a wide range of clientele both residential and commercial. While one team might be working on a relocation project involving a yard sale and some listings online, another might be dealing with a business liquidation or interior decorating, or even home staging.

Homeowners are making use of every trick to secure a buyer for their home. Home staging is like having a professional make-up artist work their magic on you before going out on a first date.

Let’s just hope other local businesses are just as fortunate as Clutter Busters in making it through these times intact.

Clutter Busters can be contacted at their website http://www.clutterbustersofswfl.com

Thinking of purchasing a home among the breathtaking land sceneries and seascapes in Sanibel, Florida? While it is well known that real properties are priced slightly above average in Sanibel that does not mean it should stop you from acquiring property on the island. There are always bargains and deals to be found, so don’t discount the idea until you try it. Cheap Sanibel real estate is out there is just waiting to be snapped up by a canny investor or family.

You will most likely have to evaluate various styles of homes in Sanibel before deciding to make a purchase. Even before you start canvassing a property, it helps to take into consideration the kind of home you want what elements are essential to you. Buying a home on the island is about more than location after all.

Look at different advertisements posted in newspapers, browse online, visit real estate agents and ask around to score cheap Sanibel real estate while in the area. Searching for bargains involves negotiations, lowered expectations, and future value considerations. So if you have the extra cash, you may want to tap a few island realtors and ask for their opinion. Getting an expert opinion may save you a lot of money in the future.

Even if you are looking for a cheap property, the house must have good structure and a well-built facade. Forget about acquiring dilapidated houses and then refurbishing them up later as it will cost you much more than buying a newly constructed one. Consider the way the house looks like from across the street. Does the structure have any additions or extensions to it? Does it look sturdy or strong enough? Sanibel has a subtropical climate with the occasional drizzle. If you are from a state with frosty winters, you might be a bit surprised how much living here is done outside so you should also consider the outside space.

Take a walk around the neighborhood and see if the other properties are in good shape. If the surrounding houses look decrepit and rundown, it may be a sign of a questionable neighborhood. You don’t have to have a trained eye to spot the warning signs. Lots of people hanging around during the day, old cars in the gardens, litter and general mess can all be signs of a neighborhood down or on its way. There could be the cheapest homes around down these streets but would you want to live there? Would your tenants want to if you’re planning to invest?

Condos may be less pricey than residential homes, although the service charges can add to the cost. They often also offer a range of extra services and additional amenities like security or a gym. But these types of homes usually don’t appreciate in value as fast as residential homes do. A cheap Sanibel real estate is also a good investment should you decide to sell both land and structure for a steeper price in the future.