Starting June 6th, 2007 and continuing every other Thursday through November 8th.
This is a unique program designed to educate and challenge the current and emerging leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing Hernando County.

For more information call Carla at (352) 796-0697 ext. 15 to request an application

Hernando Herb Society will meet at 1:00pm Monday April 23, at the Hernando County Extension Office, 19490 Oliver Street, off U.S. 41, Brooksville. The program will be presented by Edna Huff on the topic of chives, their origin and uses. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call Mary Repper at 352-799-5717.

Spring Hill Art League holds a “paint along” from 9:00am till noon Mondays at Davis Hall of United Church of christ, 4244 Mariner Blvd. Spring Hill. Artists get together to paint, learn from each other, and socialize. Please bring your own art supplies. Guests are welcome. For more information call 352-666-0876.

Spring Hill Camera Club meets at 7:00pm the second and fourth Monday of the Month at the Oak Hill Enrichment Center, located behind Oak Hill Hospital, 11375 Cortez Blvd. Spring Hill. A general business meeting and an informative presentation are held the second Monday of the month. A photo competion meeting is held the fourth Monday of the month. Membership is open to all begining and experienced film and digital photographers. Guests, visitors and new members are welcome. For information, call Strat Simon at 352-684-1850.

When: Saturday April 28, 2007 10:00am
Where: Pasco-Hernando Community College North Campus
11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd (U.S. 98 North) Brooksville
Free festive marketplace with friendly merchants and artisans
Handcrafted wares
Jousting
Weapons displays
Multiple presentations of Shakesreare’s “TAMING of the SHREW”
For more information visit www.hernandoarts.org

When it comes to selling their houses, most homeowners turn to a real estate professional.
The National Association of Realtors recently reported a drop in the number of For-Sale-By-Owner transactions to 12% of all sales today, from 18% in 1997. NAR spokesman Walter Molony says property owners believe sales associates are better equipped to achieve fast sales at top dollar in a Buyer’s market, adding that the median price for agent-assisted transactions was about 16% higher than FSBO sales last year.
Sales associates orchestrate showings, handle paperwork and identify serious buyers for their sellers, who often lack the time or experience necessary to complete such tasks, according to Molony.
NAR’s 2006 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows that 5% of sales from mid-2005 to mid-2006 involved FSBO sellers turning to a real estate professional, with only 1% of sales involving sellers who abandoned their sales associates to go it alone.

Seventy-one percent of homes purchased were detached single-family houses within 18 miles of the buyer’s previous residence: and the average price paid, including all forms of housing, was $217,600 for a 1729 square foot home. The average buyer searched for eight weeks and visited eight listings before he or she bought.
Looking at Florida home sellers, a full 72% contacted only one real estate associate before selecting someone to assist in the sale of their home, and 43 % based their choice on a recommendation from a friend or relative. Of the sellers, 34 % used the same sales associate for their home purchase as well.

As the number of homes available for sale goes up, it’s no surprise that more homes are vacant-more than 30% during the third quarter of 2006 compared to a year earlier, or 1.9 million homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
That’s about half of all single-family homes on the market, says Michael Carliner, vice president of economics for the National Association of Home Builders.

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink announced that the free home inspections would resume within the next two weeks, and 11 new windstorm inspection firms have been selected statewide through the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program. After a two-month competitive bidding process, these firms were chosen based upon their scores, capacity to perform a minimum number of quality inspections each week, and in-house resources available to manage the large number of applicants to the program.

Each inspection firm must ensure that their inspectors pass background checks, including fingerprinting and drug testing. Each inspector must also undergo the required education and training on mitigation techniques and the MSFH program.

After requesting and obtaining an inspection, along with an inspection report, homeowners will receive a grant application to apply for matching funds. These homeowners then must work with licensed contractors approved by the MSFH program and make recommended improvements to their homes. Once the work has been completed, the state will reimburse the homeowners for 50 percent of the actual cost of the improvements, up to $5,000. To date, more than $47,000 in grant money has been awarded to 19 Floridians in seven counties.

For more information, visit

Fixed mortgage rates moved higher following the Fed’s stated concerns about inflation.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.22 percent, according to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey of large lenders.

Fixed mortgage rates are still notably lower than last summer when the Fed last raised interest rates. At the time, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rates peaked at 6.93 percent.
Adjustable rate borrowers facing sharp payment adjustments may want to consider the fixed rate mortgage as an alternative means of refinancing.