There was nothing safe or sane about the Revolutionary War for Independence. It was a bloody, risky business, but well worth the price. Our celebrations of that event, however, run from the beautiful to the tragic.

At Roger Dean Stadium in Abacoa Town Center, the emphasis will be on safety and beauty…as glorious fireworks displays will be set off after the baseball games on July 3^rd and 4^th. That’s a smart place for kids to view them. And similar organized displays will be going on at locations up and down the coast. Romantic, exciting, holiday flares will light up the night sky.  Hot dogs and burgers will vie with watermelon, corn on the cob and ice cream for appetite appeal. And a great time will be had by almost all.

But even as the fun continues, emergency sirens will blare and emergency rooms fill up with people who make poor holiday choices… mishandling their own fireworks or driving lit up. And while I’m sure our founding fathers would be thrilled with our remembrance, I doubt they’d find that prospect worth celebrating.

So as my husband Dane and I wish you all a happy, yummy, family fourth…we also wish you careful handling of the holiday and all that goes with it.

Everyone has them. Those moments when something strikes you a certain way, alters your perception, changes the outcome.

Take Florida summer rains, for example.  They’re particularly impressive. The sheer heaviness of them. The electrical violence of lightening streaks and thunder booms that stun any new transplant. Dangerous. Dramatic. Run-for-cover rain that makes you pull off the Turnpike, duck off the golf course, head for shore in a small boat. Deluges that turn everything even greener. Refill our water supply. Refuel our ecosystems. And give everyone the chance to hide inside, snuggle up, take time out.

Summer rains in Florida offer a dramatic change of perspective. And if you’re looking for a new home, they make you pause…and consider things like hurricane glass. Lots that won’t flood. Landscaping that’s safe. Not getting soaked financially. Finding a Realtor that won’t leave you high and dry.

Yes, watching a summer storm will send your thoughts racing. And if they happen to run to real estate, turn on your computer and give me a click call. That single action could be a watershed moment that alters more than your perspective.

Remember a time when life was filled with magic with one wondrous experience after the other?  It’s time to set sail on that adventure once again – and we’re ready to give you the key.  This 146 Santiago Drive address in the highly desirable Valencia at Abacoa master planned community is the perfect home for today—plenty of space without being overwhelming.

You’re going to love this Mediterranean style home from the moment you step across the romantic arched porch, all the while admiring the artistic details draped with bright bougainvillea.  Inside the home, high ceilings, plenty of curved Moorish style windows, and open balconies and loggias capture the tropical breezes.  This house is designed for real indoor-outdoor living!

During sunny days (and there are LOTS of them), sip your iced tea or lemonade within your covered brick lanai and take a dip in your perfectly private lap pool.  When it’s time to go indoors, gather together in the expansive Great Room to watch the evening news (including the latest northern weather disaster or Miami traffic jam) or play a fast-paced board game.

Want to step inside for a midday snack?  The Euro kitchen is beautifully appointed with plenty of cabinet space and sunny bay windows.   And before you step through the lanai again, you might even want to play a game of billiards with a room that’s perfect for your pool table or an arts and crafts display.

Then, after a fun-filled day, enjoy your well-deserved sleep in the enlarged master bedroom suite with his-and-her closets and an expansive master bath.  There’s lots of sleeping areas on the second level for your entire family – including those inevitable guests from up north – 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bedrooms in all.

This gorgeous home 3307 sqft is a steal for $735,000.  So grab it up now…and you can toast with your neighbors who probably paid far, far more for their own homes of quiet sophistication.

If it floats…

It’s not remotely surprising that the Jupiter inlet and Intercoastal Waterway are a huge draw for serious boat people. What kind of boat you have is rather immaterial. It could be a ketch or a yawl, a sloop, a schooner, a motor launch or just a big-ass yacht. Regardless, if it floats, point it toward Jupiter and launch a whole new lifestyle.

Moor it in Jupiter.

The Jupiter Yacht Club was made for you! A glorious condo complex with both intercoastal and ocean water views, charming shops, little restaurants, boat slips practically at your door. It really doesn’t get any better.

You’re just minutes from Juno Beach pier and a terrific beach where you can bike ride, jog or just walk at daybreak. There are plenty of marine supply and yacht brokerage businesses in the area. Lots of great restaurants where you can dock and dine. Boat festivals and boating events all season…in fact. all year.

It’s simply the best of Florida.

With none of the nuttiness of Miami, and still just a short cruise to the Keys, the Bahamas, and the Jimmy Buffet islands beyond! Jupiter is a great place to slip your sloop.  And a wonderful place to live and love life.

Yes, it’s true. I live in Valencia at Abacoa. But even if I didn’t, I’d want to. Abacoa is a pretty remarkable planned community by anyone’s standards. And Valencia is by far its crown jewel. Sure, green parks, little bridges, a delightful lake, community clubhouse and pool add to its charm. But what I love about this particular little enclave is it’s gated community feel and value without the yoke of an equity membership!

Valencia is the architectural product of four top builders…Frankel-Paone, Issa, The Spear Group and Delcrest.  Each brings different floor plans, perspectives and personal touches to its Mediterranean style. It’s a neighborhood designed with winding streets, rear-entry garages, Corinthian columns, charming front porches and lush landscaping. No cookie cutter community…it warrants those higher (high $600’s to $2 million) price tags.  And Valencia residents make sure those values are well maintained!

So if you’re in the market for something that offers just the right measure of exclusivity, take a close look at Valencia at Abacoa…where every house, every street will surprise and impress you.

More people than you know suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) … caused by the lack of sunlight that accompanies fall’s short days and winter’s long nights. Oddly, that lack of light can play havoc with you physically and emotionally. According to the Mayo Clinic, it can trigger feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue, anxiety, social withdrawal, weight gain, even difficulty concentrating. No doubt about it … the winter blues can severely impact your daily life.

That said, treatment is really quite simple. You can spend hours a day sitting in front of a full spectrum light box. Or you can simply up and move to Jupiter, Florida, where sunlight is a cure-all … and the only blues you see are the cloudless sky and white capped water.

Is it any wonder so many New Englanders, Midwesterners and Northeasterners flock here every winter. And many never fly back. Especially now, because the only thing you’ll find depressed in South Florida this winter is real estate. So there’s more reason than ever to come buy, and stay to smile:)

One sure sign that the snowbirds are landing is the arrival of those massive auto carriers, unloading a Bentley here, a Mercedes there. And you have to wonder, why go to so much trouble every year.

A second home makes for a far smoother landing.

You can have a car garaged and ready when you get to town. Have all your own furniture and dishes, your Florida clothes, everything that makes for comfortable living in place and ready for your return.

No more renting a place or trucking a car. No packing for the season. Have all the creature comforts, a smart tax shelter, a terrific winter shelter all in one. 

What better time to buy!

N. Palm Beach County  Real Estate prices are finally bottoming out. There are lots of great homes for sale, deeply discounted … while there are actually very few rentals.  Mortgage rates are down. And the start of an upward trend is probably just another year or two away.

Your second home may very well begin to appreciate not long after you buy. But you need to catch the bottom of this bell curve before it starts to cycle back up. So why wait. Turn this economic downturn to a real advantage.

Invest in your life in South Florida.

Enjoy Florida on your own terms, your own turf. You’ll have the weather you want, the proximity you need. With direct flights to the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America. Short hops to anywhere on the East Coast. And the luxury of Palm Beach, the action of Miami, the ease of the Keys all so close by. Land in Jupiter. Buy it now!

In an area as upscale as Abacoa in Jupiter, FL., you’d expect child’s play to encompass something a bit more sophisticated. And indeed it does. No, I’m not talking about a swimming pool or home theater. I’m talking about real theater run by real thespians.

Craig Wich Studio for the Performing Arts

This nonprofit studio offers truly professional dance, voice, theatre and film acting classes for ages four on up. Tucked away in nearby Tequesta, it is quite literally a cradle of talent … nurturing students who share a true desire to learn, grow and perform. And are they ever in good hands!

Craig Wich, the Artistic Director, has taught and directed opera, musical theater and dramatic arts in hundreds of venues across the country… including the Boston Conservatory, The Boston Lyric Opera, and, more locally, the Maltz Theater. His School Director, Judy Gelman, and Acting Coach, Marc Durso, have taught students who have gone on to perform on Broadway, in touring companies, regional theatre, film, TV, and commercials.

All kids act out. But some would rather just act!

For those budding talents, this is an extraordinary opportunity. There is instruction in musical theater, choreography, you name it. And lest their parents get bored waiting in the wings, there are also acting classes and workshops for adults.

You’d expect to find this level of creative education in New York or LA. But to find it in Jupiter, FL is rather like finding the proverbial pearl in the oyster.

Performing arts are just one example.

There is, in fact, a wealth of artistic, educational and recreational opportunities for children, in the Jupiter area … where play is the thing. But don’t take my word for it. Check it out and see for yourself!

Where the sky’s so dark, the stars don’t just twinkle. They pop. And the moon seems to hang in mid-air, almost close enough to touch. So oversized, you expect to see the Dreamworks® logo… And the waves keep rolling gently in.

If all that sounds just a bit too picturesque, you haven’t explored the Jupiter atmosphere. Where you can live your life in flip-flops. Dine alfresco nearly every night. Sip a martini or a brew. Sail the intercoastal or bike along the beach. Scout the local art fairs that spring up on weekends. Alternate between the Food Shack and Kee Grille, depending on your mood.

Jupiter is a small town with a sophisticated soul. At any given time or place you’re just as likely to see a family outing, a retired couple, singles of any particular age. It’s easy living. Close proximity. Great shopping. Fine dining. Live music. Excellent education. And as Scripps® will attest, a smart place to do business.

And right now, thanks to factors well outside its sphere, Jupiter is a great place to buy property. The real estate market here has never been better or more accessible for all kinds of buyers, all kinds of homes. Condos. Townhouses. Estates. Gated communities. Vacation homes. Rental properties.

You can take my word for it. I’ve lived here for the past 6 years. And the only way to explore the atmosphere in Jupiter is to move here. An hour from Miami. A million miles from everything you want to leave behind.