Welcome to Hurricane Season.....

So we've received our first Tropical Storm on the first day of Hurricane Season! This is the time when many of my buyers who are in the process of finding a home here tell me they have changed their minds; "Hurricanes scare us!" I understand the apprehension, but these same buyers may be moving here from the mid-west (tornadoes) or the north (blizzards), so I jokingly say it's the tradeoff for living in paradise and having over 320 of sunshine each year!

But seriously, once this storm has passed (which should be by late this afternoon, I understand) it's the perfect time for buyers to take a ride around the communities which they are considering to see about flooding and low-lying water. If you're afraid of the areas which require flood insurance (especially in Tarpon Springs), take a ride down the streets. Having been born and raised here I can tell you that the only areas that even remotely flood are the streets that circle the bayous. Sure there are streets that have standing water after heavy rains, but this is primarily due to an overload on the city's drainage systems which are currently being improved. Also, in many of the communities built after 1968, we have underground power lines so we rarely lose power in storms.

We are lucky to have Anclote Key directly at the mouth of the Anclote River in the Gulf. This provides Tarpon Springs with shelter from storm surges. And you'll probably be pleasantly surprised when you drive through the areas that do require flood insurance in Tarpon Springs and note that everything is high and dry.

Besides, we have needed rains like this for quite some time. I'm happy to see them come and soak the ground.

Stay dry and enjoy your weekend. It's the perfect time to work on those indoor projects you've been putting off!