With construction prices dropping and the government offering incentives to home buyers, is now a good time to leap into ownership? 

Never has it been a better time!  Economic forecasters all agree that this year is the year to achieve the BEST value for a home.  Don’t look back and regret not making the move into home ownership. 

We can help with new construction or help you find the perfect existing home.  Cyndi the Builder is also Cyndi the Realtor.  Cyndi knows real estate inside and out.

Emerald Ventures, Inc. is now a “Preferred Builder” in this beautiful acre plus community.   Located in the historic city of High Springs and just minutes from Poe, Blue and Ginny springs.  Phase I and II are sold out!   Call Cyndi at 352-538-3540 to reserve your lot in Phase III today.  Cyndi is a licensed Builder, Realtor and a certified Home Stager.  Cyndi knows real estate inside and out!  Call today.

Yes, building is coming back and coming back strong.  We have two new projects underway in the Meadows on the Prairie Community.  Amand and Paul have chosen Lot 62 to build their beautiful home, “The Walnut Hill II”.

While Hoang and Kim Loan with their son Jet will be living in the “Meadowbrook” model on Lot 27.  Come watch us grow! 

Clearing begins this week.

Call Cyndi at 352-538-3540 to reserve your lot today.  Only two left!

Install programmable thermostats

Add new insulation

Seal all ducts and vents

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs

Change to energy-efficient applicances such as Energy Star Applicances

Use low-flow water fixtures in toilets and shower heads

Change air filters monthly

Use motion-censored lighting

Use Low E window treatments

Use paint made out of organic compounds

Lot 44 exceeds the Energy Star rating.  This is equivalent to:

• Eliminating the emissions from .49 vehicles
• Saving 2,964 lbs of coal
• Planting .81 acres of trees
• Saving homeowners $447 on their utility bills.

See what one quality built energy efficient home will do!

Yes, you should change you air filters every month.  I recommend every month for one reason.  It gets you in the habit of checking them.  Filters are relatively cheap.  Changing them monthly isn’t going to break the bank and it will become a regular routine for you.  Forgetting them could cost you thousands! 

When I purchase my filters I buy enough for the year.  In my home we use two diffrent sizes.  I order them on line and save.  When the filters arrive I use a marker and label each one for each month.  After you label your filters, store them in a cabinet that you open often.  Each time you open the cabinet you will see the label.  Hopefully this will help remind you when to change it out.  “Change filters” should be put on your calendar or a reminder stored in your cell phone.

Part of the stimulus package gives a first time home buyer a tax credit of $8,000.00.  This is great news for those buyers.  Check out our home located in the Meadows on the Prairie subdivision to use this tax credit on our high efficent home.

Our fairy tale story is over.  We had lunch at a Tia place near Sonoma’s.  The limo soon arrived and took us back to the Airport.  The line was long but we made our flight ok.  It was good to be back in Gainesville.  My 15 minutes of fame was over.  It was a great ride.  I must say that everyone I met during this unexpected event was above and beyond NICE!  The reporters, PIC 2009, the people everyone.  It should be like this always!

I’ve never been to a “Ball” before.  I envisioned a large room with lots of beautifully decorated tables and people doing the waltz.  Kinda like Cinderella.  I wasn’t sure if my dress would be considered a Ball Gown or not.  Everyone wanted to know what dress I was going to wear.  I got my dress from Macy’s in Gainesville.  I think I paid around $200.00 for it.  I knew it wasn’t a designer gown but hey I’m a struggling builder in a bad economy.  My shoes cost four times as much as my dress (I purchased them in the housing boom)  I Like booms better! 

Chris and I got ready and headed for our transportation….a bus.  We had been given tickets to the Neighborhood Ball.  It was located in the Washington Convention Center.  On the way we stopped at three more hotels to pick up other Ball attendees.  I think we had three or four balls taking place in the Washington Convention Center.

The line to get in wasn’t too bad.  We of course has to go thru security.  We had our picture taken by someone in line behind us.  The picture came out fuzzy.  Oh well…..we saw Robin Roberts (from Good Morning America going inside).  She was lovely.  Tall and thin.  We went inside a large room filled with people.  There were several stages set up around the perimeter of the room.  Some food was available with a cash bar.  It was dark and everyone was hanging out by the stages.  A DJ was playing some funky music.  I thought….is this all there is?  But soon the performers started.  Some of the same performers as the concert on Sunday…..Mary J Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Stevie Wonder and Nick Cannon as DJ.  Also Sting, Vanessa Williams and of course Beyonce.  She sang “At Last” when the President and First Lady danced.  It was magical.  I got to see the President doing the bump.  What fun.  He’s a cool President. 

We left as soon as President Obama and Michelle left.  What a night.

I still get emotional when I think of this day.  Why……I’m not sure but I’m not alone.  CNN had contacted me earlier and had arranged for a car to pick Chris and I up at our hotel.  They wanted us to come to their studio and do an interview.  This was exciting!  We had to be picked up really early… I think it was around 6:30 or 6:45 am.  Oh well the price of fame.  We then got a text that we had more time and the car would come later…..however it came earlier! 

Our interview was to be aired at 9:15 am.  This would give us time to get to the Capitol to see the swearing in at 11:30 am.  However, when we got to CNN we were pushed back to 9:45 am.  Chris and I went to the green room for coffee and pastries.  We were watching the crowds gather at the Capitol on the TV.  We started getting nervous that we wouldn’t arrive in time to see the event we can all the way from FL to see.  So we ditched the show and took off on foot for the Capitol.  I think we made the right decision because the lines were so long that we couldn’t find the end!!!  We kept saying, “ is this the yellow line…yes it is, is this still the yellow line….yes it is”.  Finally we found the end!  We took our place and took one step at a time.  I think we were in this slow moving line for a couple of hours.  Once we got to security it went faster.  Unfortunately because of the temporary bleacher erected for the media we couldn’t see the podium.  However there was another large jumbo tron right in front of us just a few feet away.  The crowds were excited and emotional.  As were we. 

The festivities were: 

•  Musical Selection: The US Marine Bank, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and The San Francisco Girls Chorus
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
• VP (elect) Biden sworn in by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens (sounds like a musical group)
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
• President-elect Barack Obama took the Oath of Office using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible administered by the Chief Justice of the US, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.  (which the Chief flubbed up and the President had to retake the oath) 
• Then the Inaugural Address
• Poem Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery
• and then the National Anthem: The United States Navy Bank “Sea Chanters”

What a memory I have. 

Since Chris and I gave away our parade tickets to Kate & Karl on Monday we headed back to ….you guessed it…Sonoma’s!  It was the only place to eat.  We watched the parade and got to see President Bush board Air Force One for the last time and head back to Texas.  The crowd in the restaurant cheered!  It’s so nice to once again be proud of our President.  I felt sorry for President Bush and his wife.  What a tough job for anyone.