Sharon's Blog

Congratulations to everyone at Fleming Island High! Once again we are an 'A' rated school and also we are the 25th best high school in the entire state of Florida! This great news just came out in our most recent newsletter from our Principal, Sam Ward.

 Just to brag a little bit more for anyone considering a move to Fleming Island, our school was built in 2003 and attracted a very impressive group of dedicated, talented educators. Add the dedication of the parents and students, and you have the mix for an asset to the community.

59.44% of the student body has greater than a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) and 38.22% have greater than a 3.5 GPA. Even more amazing, 27.84% has greater than a 3.75 GPA! Don't think this is just a school for "brainiacs" because there are plenty of athletic and extracurricular activities going on. In fact, Mr. Ward was once a coach and football and other sports are definitely VERY important at Fleming Island High.

Our school led the county in students receiving college credit for AP exams and the list goes on. Suffice it to say, that there are good schools in Clay County, Fleming Island in particular, and we are very proud to let you know. Go Golden Eagles!

Copyright © 2008 by Sharon Alters, all rights reserved. * Fleming Island High - One of Top 25 High Schools in Florida*

After a Tuesday seminar we dropped by a Broker's Open. Suddenly a frantic call came from the co-listing agent for a $1,000,000+ waterfront property. Help! She had a buyer who wanted to see the property and she couldn't make it because she was already working with a buyer that afternoon. No problem, we were five minutes away. We raced to the house - Frank opening it and turning on lights while I introduced myself to the prospect.

When we walked in, it was obvious the man was smitten. In every room, he shared what he and his wife envisioned - how they would make it their own. He commented on the photographs and how well they portrayed the home. We spend almost an hour walking through every room, down to the lake, around the house, talking about the neighborhood, and he knew every step of the way. It was like he was visiting an old friend. How many times do you think he and his wife had studied the photographs and the virtual tour?

He left with an appointment for his wife to see the house on the weekend. What my co-lister commented and I agreed, was that this couple fell in love with this house and made up their minds about it before they ever set foot in the door.

When the photography was done, we worked with the photographer for a couple of hours staging the furniture, "cheating" to the camera to get the best photograph, carefully framing each room and re-photographing some rooms that weren't quite right the first time. It appears that the effort paid off because we think these people really want the house.

The power of photography.

Don't underestimate it. Buyers and realtors are eliminating listings every day due to poor quality or not enough photographs. This will be the third Buyer procured in the last 6 months from the quality of photography and virtual tours. If you're not comfortable in this realm, it's worth the investment to have a professional take the photos and virtual tour.