Read about a variety of topics and get links to interesting or important websites.
Local Government Information
Useful government information for Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte County.
Here you will find more information about the local governments and tax collector. You can also check the current weather conditions to see if you could live in Florida. More..
Schools and Hospitals
Read more about Schools and Hospitals.
The Florida Standards (LAFS and MAFS) are the culmination of an extended, broad-based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K-12 standards to help ensure that all students are college and career ready no later than the end of high school. The standards define the knowledge and skills in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Literacy in the Content Areas that students are expected to master within their K-12 educational careers. ; you one of the most important changes in education in the United States in the last fifty years and stands to positively affect students, parents, teachers, communities, and the workforce as we take a firm grasp on what 21st-century learning truly means. More....
Four Chambers of Commerce in the Area
Homeowners Insurance
What homeowners need to know about homeowners insurance!
If you’re looking for the best home insurance in 2017, plenty of national and local insurance companies will want your business. However, it’s hard to decide which company to pick with so many choices. More....
You are not Happy with your Energy Bill?
If your energy bill is higher than you’d like, there’s one simple item you can change in your home that could have a huge impact: light bulbs! Read more here...
Deck The Halls with LEDs: Save ON Energy
Fun Places, Restaurants, and Furniture Stores
Read more details about fun places, Movie theater, places of interest and restaurants. There are over 100 restaurants in Sarasota alone. Therefore, this is only a small number of what you can expect. Ask your friends or neighbors which restaurants they like, but if you are adventurous, you might want to explore them yourself. Trust your taste buds! More...
Florida Facts
Facts and stories about the Sunshine State. Some people just love "boring" numbers.
What is all the hype about Florida? In the early stages, Florida was recognized as a mosquito infested "redneck paradise." Okay, that was a long time ago. In the course of time, Florida, known as a tourist trap and retirement heaven...and a place where alligators were watching rocket launches. Now Florida has passed New York as the nation's third largest state. More...
Relocation Information
Help me relocate to Florida! A move to another state or even country is a significant step. You are not just changing a location, you are changing your lifestyle, your entire life. A lot of consideration and preparation is necessary. The right move can also set you free from problems like high living expenses, a dead job market or just a case of location-based boredom, however, it may change everything else as well. More...
Survival Tips
How to survive in Paradise Part One: Stingrays and Sharks.
The beauty of Florida is that you still live right smack in the middle of nature. Well, in Miami or Tampa you might have to drive a few miles, but after a few minutes, you will meet mother nature. While swimming in the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, you will be sharing the water with other creatures. Most "creatures of the sea" are harmless. No recorded Grouper or Redfish attacks; sharks do "attack" swimmers, but the danger is entirely overrated. To get stung by a stingray or by a jellyfish is more real, although you can minimize the risk. More...
More information about weather and creatures
How to survive in Paradise Part Two: Alligators, Red Tide, and Bad Weather.
Alligators are part of the equation in Florida. When there is a waterhole or canal, be prepared that there will most likely a gator be hanging out. Nobody, except drunken young kids, would jump into a body of water he doesn't know, and nobody would 'tease" a gator, no matter what the size. They can be fast, they can jump, and they can....bite or kill. Fortunately, there was a negligible number of fatal accidents with gators within the last 50 years. The vast majority of those accidents could have been avoided by "activating the human brain" before doing stupid things.
Sunbathing Tips
How to survive in Paradise Part Three: Everybody wants a "little" suntan.
On a bright summer day, your skin is dealing with a UV index of 10+, which is extremely high. It takes only 15 minutes of sun exposure without protection (between 11 and 2 PM), and the skin is already turning red. A tan is bad news, any way you get it. Ask your dermatologist:" Pale is the new tan." More...
Need someone watching your home?
Home Watch Service. We keep an eye on your Property while you are gone.
Not everybody wants to stay in Florida all year round. Family, friends or a cooler summer are some of the reasons why not every homeowner wants to stay 365 days per year. However, not everybody feels comfortable leaving home for an extended period without supervision. New home monitoring technology has become very affordable and helped a lot. But many times a real person could prevent costly damage. For example, a small wet spot on the ceiling is hardly visible on one of those little cameras. When it is visible on camera, it is most likely already a major problem. More...