CITY OF CAPE CORAL CODE ENFORCEMENT OVERVIEW

I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend a Code Enforcement overview given by Frank Cassidy. Frank has been the Division Manager for the City of Cape Coral’s Code Compliance Division since February 2007. Frank holds many certifications as well as being

a former law enforcement officer in Southern California and he also holds a Bachelors Degree with Honors from Florida Gulf Coast University. The meeting with Frank was held on Tuesday, February 15, 2011.

Code Enforcement stands for voluntary compliance to our rules and regulations. Code Enforcement does have the power to levy fines but it is non productive. Their entire purpose is to have the City of Cape Coral community work together so that we can all live in the “Paradise” that we have come to know as Cape Coral. The staff and organization of Code Enforcement today is 34 officers. Their goal is to have us work together for the betterment for the community. They have a huge task as a result of the short sales and foreclosures. There are 65,000 housing units in Cape Coral and thus far, 40,000 of them have been in foreclosure or short sale. Code Enforcement must strive to get the community to maintain these properties so we do not have blight overlooking our city.

The following are some of the common violations that can occur:

· You are allowed to store a boat in your back yard as long as it is licensed and operable. The boat must be stored between the end of your building structure and your lot line.

· If you own the vacant lot next to you and you strap that vacant lot to your property, you are allowed to use that vacant lot for storage as well.·

You are allowed to get a permit to park your RV for 3 days if you are the owner of the RV.

· You are allowed to get a permit for 10 days which is owned by an out of town guest.

· There are no costs for either of these permits.

· There are no rules or regulations regarding parked cars. Cars are allowed to be parked anywhere on your property.

· Utility trailers are not allowed to be parked anywhere on your property or on the vacant lots.

· A-Frame signs and realtor signs are allowed but there is a size limit.

· You are allowed to plant in right of ways as long as you contact the City of Cape Coral and get approval on what you wish to plant in that right of way.

The distressed sales have declined to 62% of the total. 35% of the totals are short sales and foreclosures so far in 2011. This compares with 2009 where 73% were short sales and foreclosures. By

getting these properties sold and in the hands of owners, it helps Code Enforcement because the owners will take care of their properties.

Just Right Realty Company will be happy to help you with your short sales and foreclosures. We have a very good history of receiving waivers for judgment deficiencies on our client’s short sales. Please contact Jerry if we can be of any help to you in selling or buying real estate.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Jerry Ruzicka

jerry@jrrc1.com

239-337-7387

http://www.justrightrealtyco.com/

http://www.capecoral.net/

SCUBA DIVING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

BARRACUDA!! LEMON AND BLACK TIP REEF SHARKS!! These were the two
interesting fish on the way down to the wreck. The wreck is laying in about 80 feet of water. It's a beautiful sight just on the way down to see the Barracuda's and Sharks. Such beautiful creatures of the sea. Once we're down on the wreck we now see Grouper, Hogfish, Snapper and all other types of colorful fish of the sea. It is summer time in the Gulf of Mexico and the water temperature is 88 degrees. It is extremely comfortable diving in that kind of water where you only need to use a skin, only if you want to. I always wear a skin only because it makes me feel more comfortable and if I'm spear fishing and have the fish hooked on next to me then I don't feel them on my bare skin. I really love watching the sharks which have inhabited the sea for well over 400 million years, and their appearance has remained the same up to today. The diving on the Gulf Coast of Florida is not as clear as it is on the East Coast. It is still extremely beautiful and we do have many days with 25 foot of visibility in the summer time. ln the winter time you do have some additional visibility because of less plankton in the water. Diving down with the sharks is really more beautiful than you can imagine and it is not dangerous as one would expect. There are shark attacks, but the shark experts state that the vast majority of attacks are most likely due to mistaken identity. Most of the shark bites are probably investigatory. I have not heard of a shark biting or attacking a diver. We have many man made reefs on the West Coast and these reefs tend to be full of fish and are exciting dives for all of us who do them. I had a friend who had a once in a lifetime experience of being able to dive with a whale shark who was as large as an l8 wheeler. They stayed togather in the water for over 20 minutes. This is truly a once in a lifetime occurrence. If you wish to come in to Cape Coral /fort Myers, Florida and look at real estate with Just Right Realty Company, we can go out for a 2 tank dive on different reefs.

Good diving to you all.
Your Dive Buddy and Broker
Just Right Realty Company
Jerry Ruzicka

Tarpon Fishing and Fun in the Sun in Southwest Florida

Tarpon Fishing Season is fast approaching!!! It will be starting up in April and we will be hunting for them. We call it hunting because we go to our spots and watch for them to "roll" before we stop and put or lines in the water. When we see a minimum of 3 rollers we will then put the hook down and throw our lines out. Rollers are when the fish comes to the surface and you see the fins “rolling” on top of the water. Imagine a bouncy ball rolling down the road…When you see those three rolls you know they are there! Using the correct bait for the area is very important. Some of our fishing areas require live bait swimming on the hook and others require bait lying on the bottom of the Gulf Floor. Whether it is live (which is obviously fresh) or cut bait on the bottom it should always be fresh or “fresh dead.” If you are an adrenalin junkie and want to get it flowing fast you need to experience the “Hook Up” with a 125lb Tarpon. The beauty and adrenalin combined makes me love the sport and love living in Southwest Florida. It is one of the main reason I choose to buy a house in Cape Coral on the water…I just love fishing so much. Back to my point…The beauty of the Tarpon Jumping and dancing on the water is something to behold. It is magical when the Tarpon come straight out of the water, and then dance on top with their tails. You really become one with the fish in this process. Now my favorite fish, HUGE HENRY, the uncatchable son of a gun, is much different. When you hook him he comes out of the water on his side. The last time I “hooked up” with Henry, he came out of the water three times and just before he spit the hook out, is swear; he winked at me just to remind me who rules the water. Huge Henry is 7 f

eet long and hundreds of pounds, truly a wonderful fish to hunt. The Big Boys will wear you out so you should have your arms in good condition to fight these pre-historic monsters. I love living in Cape Coral and Fishing year round. I fish Sailfish, Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Tuna and other game fish. Fighting these guys is as good as it gets in Southwest Florida. We are home to world renown Boca Grande Pass which is headquarters for Tarpon Fishing in Lee County Florida. If you are coming down to buy Real Estate in Florida, look no further than Just Right Realty Company. It is a company I own with my son, Justin Ruzicka, and through the Tarpon Season we are offering a Bonus when you buy with us. A FREE DAY ON THE WATER “HOOKING UP.” Oh, and not to mention some excellent waterfront knowledge about the real estate market. Come to Florida and have some fun in the sun!!

Ya’ll come down!! Jerry Ruzicka Broker, Just Right Realty Co. 239-337-7387

Family First, Enjoy the little time we have with each other

There are few things in life more important than family.  I love this time of year when the Northerners including my extended family start flying south.  My relatives are only here for a week or so at a time, which is perfect because our home become a very quaint bed and breakfast for the month of February and March, but we love seeing everyone.  The other night my nephew who is down staying with his in-laws at their vacation rental was over for dinner.  It was wonderful, my son his wife and two children coupled with my nephew his wife and two children then the in-laws too.  A house full of laughter, stories, memories and lies, since we all know once we get to talking our stories somehow work off a multiplier effect.  “I caught a 10 footer the other day in the Gulf of Mexico” really means; I cough a 30 pounder but saw a guy at the dock with the catch of the day and I am taking credit since nobody knows…LOL.   As a grandpa it brings me great joy to see the smiling faces of my grandkids every chance I get.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t spoil them, but I do embrace them often with love and affection.    The story of my family is similar to the story of my business as well.  I have never been one to sit on a high horse and demand this or demand that of my employees and now subcontractors for the realtors working for Just Right Realty.  Rather, I chose to place myself as an equal to my hard working staff.  As an equal it allows my staff to feel more comfortable asking questions and not worried about being judged.  As an equal it allows me to keep an open mind when a team member makes a suggestion that might not have been otherwise spoken if they didn’t see me as an equal.  We all have our roles, we all need to work hard and thoughtful in those roles, but we need to consider those around us are just as smart as we are and often can solve a problem in a different manner and yet have a successful result.  If you haven’t spent a minute or two lately with your family, then I suggest you take a day off soon and make them the spotlight for the day.  After all the reason we work so hard and tirelessly is for them in the end.   If you want to listen to some fishing stories or have a talk about anything else, feel free to drop me a line.

Jerry Ruzicka