The holiday season is in full bloom! If you missed this year’s “Christmas on Las Olas” holiday event in Fort Lauderdale, be sure to put it on your calendar for next year. The event kicked off just as the sun went down. The boulevard trees are now wrapped in tiny white lights and there are interesting holiday light displays not only on the Las Olas Boulevard medians but also atop many of the local businesses. “Snow Mountain” was a big hit with kids and, of course, Santa was available for pictures! Everywhere you looked there was something going on. The festivities included Christmas carolers, dancers, performers dressed in Dickens-style costumes, as well as music ensembles, bell ringers, karaoke and live jazz. There was even a holiday movie being shown on a big screen with an open seating area. All this and admission was free!
The Las Olas Boulevard shops showed their holiday spirit with displays of all kinds, including live mannequins! Even the Riverside Hotel and restaurants along the route gleamed with lots of holiday lights, wreaths and other holiday decorations. The historic Stranahan House was also decorated for the season and open to the public at a discounted rate. See a 60-second show of some of the highlights of the 2007 Chrismas on Las Olas event! The Christmas ornaments pictured here are from one of my favorite Las Olas Blvd. shops – the Seldom Seen Gallery.
The single-family home community of Plum Bay features a lakeside pool with spacious sun deck, cabana baths, covered patio, two tennis courts (one of which doubles as a basketball court), a fishing pier and a boat launch ramp next to the fishing pier/dock. Homes in this South Florida neighborhood were built between 1995 and 1999. Plum Bay offers one- and two-story homes, some with lake or golf course views. Certain floorplans include a loft area, an ideal spot for a small home office, media center or play area. Prices currently range from the high-$200’s to the high-$300’s and the community maintains a low monthly HOA maintenance fee.
Relocation to South Florida can be stressful and one of the issues often taken into consideration when deciding which city to relocate to has to do with crime statistics. The 14th edition of the City Crime Rankings from CQ Press — published this week — can offer anyone relocating some useful information. 
Enjoy water views of the navigable canal with access to beautiful Lake Osborne! 
If you’ve ever driven around the downtown Fort Lauderdale area, chances are you’ve driven through the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel, more popularly known as the New River Tunnel. Actually, it goes under not only the New River but also Las Olas Boulevard on the north side and S. New River Dr./N. Rio Vista Blvd. on the south side. The photo was taken at the south entrance looking north. The buildings you see are the SunTrust building on the left and the Riverside Hotel on the right. It’s a 4-lane tunnel and pedestrians can use it as well since there is a sidewalk on the east side.
Many residents of this city work in Miami-Dade County due to its proximity and live in Pembroke Pines due to it’s relative affordability and the lifestyle it offers. If you’re in the market for an affordable single-family home in this area, you should have no problem finding one… even if you’re looking for one with a pool and/or lake views.
Just five days after the U.S. government unveiled a new website – 
Broward County Fair
Festival of Trees
Every once in a while I’ll show a home that has non-matching kitchen appliances. To be clear, when I say “mismatched”, I’m not speaking of ones from different manufacturers but of ones that are not color-matched. It’s rare that a buyer not notice these and comment on them as they tend to draw attention to all the appliances, making buyers often question the age of each one. Even a new white clothes washer will undoubtedly stand out when paired with an almond-colored dryer.
South Florida Real Estate Voice | Homes & Condos | South Florida Living 