Upcoming Events in Central Florida

Some people think Florida has no culture, but those people simply don’t know where to look. The Central Florida area has plenty of unique events where you can sample fine food, watch talented actors in great plays, listen to interesting music or take in works of art. These are the top upcoming cultural events that you can only attend in the Central Florida area. Each is sure to be a unique event where you can experience something new and leave with stories to tell your friends and family.

Megacon Convention, May

Megacon is billed as the South East’s largest comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming event, and it attracts visitors from all over the country. Taking place over four days at the Orange County Convention Center, the event includes plenty for fans and people watchers alike to experience. Attendees go all out with costumes, and celebrity guests talk about their work and pose for pictures. It’s quite an interesting experience, even if you aren’t a big sci-fi fan, as there are mainstream movie stars, famous writers and legendary performers on the lineup each year. For 2017, visitors will get to see the stars of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, including Tim Curry.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, March to May

Disney’s annual celebration of Spring includes topiaries and gardens featuring flowers and plants from multiple nations all over the world. In addition to featuring a beautiful display of nature, guest presenters include famous gardeners and agriculture experts. Special catering options include gourmet, farm to table dishes with seasonal ingredients. There’s even a concert series featuring classic performers like The Pointer Sisters and The Spinners. If the festival leaves you wanting to know more about Disney’s agricultural practices, you can visit the Living With The Land ride in the Land Pavilion within Epcot to get a tour of the park’s greenhouses.

The Orlando International Fringe Festival, May

The Fringe Festival celebrates the best in theater, improv, and comedy, like many other festivals around the nation. However, the Orlando festival is unique in that it is the longest running one in the US, modeled after the original festival based in Scotland. Because organizers and attendees have been doing this for so long, the festival is well organized and includes a kids component so the whole family can enjoy the event. Broadway stars and aspiring performers will be equally featured in venues in and around Loch Haven Park, some with traditional seating, some in open settings where the audience participates.

If you’re ready to immerse yourself in life in Central Florida, and you’re tired of paying rent, it might be time to consider buying a home. The Core Group can help you find the right place to call home in the Central Florida area. Click here to contact us and get started with the process of purchasing a home in beautiful Central Florida.

Top Home Maintenance Tips for New Homeowners

The importance of maintenance is something many first time homeowners learn the hard way. Proper maintenance can help prevent many home catastrophes that end up costing you money and time to repair. Monitoring the major systems in your home and how well they work is one of the best ways to make sure you know exactly what is working properly within your home, and which systems will soon need repair or replacement. Here are some of the basic, simple ways you can maintain and protect your home.

Keep Your Heating and Cooling System Clean

Change any filters in your heating or cooling system regularly to ensure the air quality stays high inside your house. Depending on the age of your home, presence of pets or smokers and other factors, you may have to have the inside of your air vents cleaned to allow the system to work properly. This will not only leave your family more comfortable, it will keep your energy bills lower and reduce the presence of allergens and germs.

Take Steps to Prevent Pest Invasions

With warm weather and a host of tropical creatures living outside our doors, it stands to reason that Central Florida residents have to do regular pest control to keep their homes safe. There are a variety of invasive pests that may attempt to get into your home in Central Florida, including:

Snakes
Termites
Possums
Vermin

The best way to prevent having to undergo a costly and inconvenient extermination effort Is to stop pests from coming inside the home in the first place. A professional pest control service can identify any vulnerable spots in the home where pests can gain entry and seal them for you, as well as perform a regular pest control service to keep critters out.

Evaluate Your Electrical System

If you’ve purchased a historic property, the electrical system may not be ready to support your modern power needs. Some of the telltale signs that your system is overtaxed include:

Flickering lights
A circuit breaker that continually flips when used
Outlets that do not have a built in reset switch

If not properly equipped to handle the amount of power your system uses, an outdated electrical system can cause an electrical fire. A qualified electrician can assess your system for you and give you a solid answer on whether or not it requires an upgrade.

Assess Any Leaks That Exist

Any spots in your home that let in water can be potential starters for mold, and reduce the structural integrity of your home over time. While some pipes will naturally sweat or give off a little moisture, you shouldn’t be seeing water pooling in any spots in your home. If there are pipes that drip or spots in the roof that let drips come through, take note of how much water enters and continue to monitor to ensure it doesn’t get worse.

Maintaining a home doesn’t have to be difficult or costly, particularly if you make these tasks a part of your regular plan. If you’re ready to find your first home, let the Core Group help. Contact us today to see our available properties in the Central Florida area.

Orlando Ethnic Food Guide

Orlando has a reputation for being an unsophisticated tourist hub, but those of us who live here know there is so much more to this town than most people know. Central Florida has become a multi-ethnic place where you can find any type of food you might like to try as long as you know where to look. With thriving immigrant communities in Orlando and all around the Central Florida area, authentic food from many countries is easy to find all around the region. Here are some of the top destinations for authentic ethnic food in Central Florida.

The Vietnamese District

Orlando is home to a large Vietnamese community that dates back to the 1970s when refugees came to the area and established themselves. Along Colonial Drive, there is a 10 block stretch known as the Vietnamese neighborhood, though Thai, Chinese and Korean restaurants also call the area home. Stroll through the streets here and you’ll find some of the best banh mi and boba tea you’ve ever had. The Vietnamese district unofficially starts where Mills meets Colonial, but you’ll see the signs with Asian characters long before you pull up.

Italian Food Everywhere

For Italian food, there’s no particular area you have to head to, because good Italian food is everywhere in the city. From celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse to local legends, there are many cooks serving up classic Italian fare in a variety of settings from formal to down home style. Locals swear by the simple goodness of Il Pescatore on Primrose Drive and the Meatball Stoppe on Lake Underhill Road. But there are quite a few good spots for Italian along International Drive and at the Universal Studio properties.

Jamaican Food in Pine Hills

The thriving Jamaican and West Indian community in Pine Hills offers plenty of authentic choices at any time of day. The Caribbean Sunshine bakery on Colonial serves up authentic Jamaican ackee for breakfast, the national dish of the island nation. The ackee fruit is cut up and cooked with salted fish, eggs, and tomatoes. Nearby, a host of Caribbean restaurants on Silver Star Road offers authentic curries and Red Stripe for lunch and dinner.

Ethiopian Food at Nile Restaurant

Orlando has a large community of African immigrants and many Ethiopian restaurants, but Nile Restaurant on International Drive is the one that comes up most often. With an authentic look and feel, the servers dressed in traditional African outfits and décor straight from Ethiopia will transport you. Try some traditional dishes, like Dora Wat, a chicken, and egg stew, to get a real taste of Africa.

As you continue to explore and get to know Orlando and the surrounding area, you’ll find there are always more new spots to discover and diverse ethnic foods to try. If you’re ready to start calling Orlando home, the Core group can help you find the right place to set down roots. Contact us today to see the properties we have available.

Most Popular Home Styles in Central Florida

For a first-time buyer in the central Florida area, the variety of home styles on the market can be overwhelming. From historic homes that have a classic look to luxury resort style condos, there are a lot of options to choose from. One way to keep from getting overwhelmed on your home search is to learn a little about the different style of homes on the local market, and decide which ones you prefer. Even if you choose to custom build a home, it will be easier to communicate what you like and don’t like to your builder once you know which features are common to each architectural style. Here is a quick look at the defining characteristics of each architectural style you are likely to see around Orlando and the rest of central Florida.

Spanish or Mediterranean Style

One of the architectural styles most often associated with Florida is the Spanish or Mediterranean style. Although this style is more common in South Florida, many people dream of an Orlando home complete with palm trees set against a tile roof with stucco walls and iron window trim. Spanish style homes are usually easily recognizable, and there are several communities in the Orlando area where all of the homes keep this theme. Due to the added cost and extended life of a tile roof, you can expect a higher listing price on Spanish style homes.

Ranch Style

A ranch style home is typically laid out on one level, with an attached garage on one end. Ranch style homes are popular in central Florida for a variety of reasons. With everything laid out on one floor, these homes are ideal for Florida’s senior population and convenient for young families with children. They also allow for the easy addition of a screened porch or Florida room, which many homeowners in this area desire because they allow for more outdoor living.

Victorian Style

A Victorian style home is easy to spot thanks to the narrow, tall design and embellished details. Victorians get their character from the fact that they aren’t cookie cutter, and can have different kinds of trim, porches with rails and lots of smaller size windows. Because they tend to date back to decades ago, most Victorian homes are found in the historic parts of Central Florida.

Contemporary Style

The contemporary style home is a modern style that includes many of the features buyers in Central Florida desire, such as high ceilings and an open floor plan. Some potential buyers are put off by contemporary homes because they are not distinctive and lack the character of an older home. But contemporary homes are popular because they typically have enough room for a family, have a durable stucco finish, and tend to be newer constructions.
Once you have determined the right style of home for you, the next step is to begin looking at properties. The Core Group can help by showing you what’s available in the Central Florida area that meets your preferences. To get started, contact us today.

Preparing for House Guests in Your First Home

Having house guests visit you for the first time is an exciting but nerve wracking event. You want to be sure to make them comfortable without making yourself crazy during the time they are staying. If you’re wondering how you can make a good impression on your house guests when you haven’t been in your first home for very long, here are some tips from the professionals at the Core Group.

Put Yourself In Their Shoes

It’s practically a guarantee that your guests will forget things, and unless you want to spend time driving them back and forth to a store, you should prepare by stocking up on these things. A great way to start making a list of the items your guests may need is to think of the items you have forgotten when you traveled on vacation before. Some of the most likely items that people forget when traveling include:

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Contact lens solution and case
Soap and shampoo
Pain Relievers like Tylenol or Advil

Stock Up On The Staples

While in your home, there are some household staples that visitors will use and consume, and these are typically items you don’t want to run out of. For example, you don’t want to run out of toilet paper in the middle of the night. Some of the household items you can expect to go through at a rapider pace than normal include:

Toilet paper
Bottled water
Paper towels
Coffee
Dishwashing detergent
Garbage bags

Put Snacks on Your Shopping List

It’s hard to predict exactly what guests will want to eat, but it’s a safe bet that they will want snacks at some point. Simple things like sliced fruits and vegetables, pretzels, mixed nuts and granola bars are all good options for visitors to grab and graze on during the day between meals or if they wake up looking for a midnight snack. Display these items on trays on in large bowls in the kitchen to make them easy to find.

Test Your Guest Room

In many homes, the guest room furniture is not used very often and especially not by the homeowner. The issue with this is that you may never know if the bed is uncomfortable or the pillows are saggy. Guests certainly aren’t likely to tell you. Before your guests arrive, try out the space and make sure they will be comfortable. Test the pillows, mattress and lighting to make sure it is all ready for your visitors.

Don’t Sweat The Small Details

Visitors are coming to see you, not to analyze the way your home is decorated. While everyone has finishing touches they want to put on every room of the home, trying to complete these things while preparing for guests to come can be unnecessarily stressful. Prioritize the tasks you want to complete around your home, and take time over the week before your guests arrive to get as many as you can done.

If you’re looking for a property to call home with enough room to accommodate guests, the Core Group can help. Contact us to get started looking for a home in the Central Florida area.

Central Florida’s Most Beautiful State Parks

With so many man-made wonders in the Central Florida area, it’s easy to forget that the natural beauty of the state is all around us. But there are plenty of local places you can go to get some fresh air and enjoy lakes, hiking trails, natural springs, wildlife and more. Here are some of the top natural areas within the state parks in the Central Florida region to put on your must-visit list, whether you just stop in for a day trip or decide to camp out for a longer visit.

De Leon Springs State Park, Volusia County

History abounds in Deleon Springs State Park, where a plantation and sugar mill were built back in the 1800s. Shortly after, a hotel for wealthy visitors to stay in during winter months was put up, and visitors flocked to the spring believing it would give them better health and prolonged youth. The recreations of the sugar mill and wheel standing in the park today date back to the 1920s. Within Deleon Springs State Parks, there are many spots for nature lovers to explore. The spring is a great place to visit for swimming, tubing or scuba diving on a hot summer’s day, but the park offers much more to see. The butterfly garden has a beautiful variety of plants and flowers known to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and the walking and hiking trails give a great view of the state’s natural foliage.

Wekiwa Springs State Park, Apopka

A little closer to Orlando, Wekiwa Springs State Park contains thirteen miles of trails where you can ride a bicycle, horse or just enjoy a leisurely hike. When you’ve had enough activity, you can lay a blanket down by the spring and bask in the sunlight. The spring is perfect for canoeing or kayaking, and due to its shallow depth, makes a great place for families to take a swim. The sandy bottom of the spring is only five feet underwater and the water is mostly clear, allowing you to see your feet. Bear cubs, deer, butterflies, and turtles are just a few of the animals you are likely to spot as you work your way through the park. This park is particularly popular during the summer months, and campsites fill up quickly on holiday weekends, so arrive early if you’re planning to stay.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Okeechobee

Most people associate Florida with moist swampland, but prairies exist even in the Sunshine State. The Kissimmee Prairie State Park is home to 54,000 acres of prairie land and several species of endangered animals. The prairie is so large that you might think you’ve been transported to the Midwest for a moment! Wildlife enthusiasts can plan on seeing multiple types of birds, including herons, hawks, and caracara. There are also turtles, frogs, fish, armadillos and cattle to be spotted wandering on the plains. From fall through spring, visitors can hop on a buggy with a park ranger and take a tour of the most remote areas of the park.

Interested in living closer to one of these beautiful state parks? The Core Group can help. Contact us today to start your search for the perfect place in Central Florida to call home.