Venice Florida is "Where to Retire"

Venice, Florida was featured in the September/October 2010 edition of Where to Retire magazine. The author Karen Feldman writes "Venice on Florida's Gulf coast, walkable town entices with 'calming' design, great beaches, sense of community." She noted the white-sand beaches, palm lined downtown district, and the sense of community. "Come for a weekend, stay for a lifetime" is much more than a slogan. Those of us who call Venice, Florida home can attest to that!

For more information on Venice, Florida or Venice Florida Real Estate, visit http://www.Live4Venice.com

Homestead Exemption Cheaters Beware!

The following is an exerpt distributed by the the Sarasota County Property Appraiser:

"IF YOU ARE VIOLATING HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION LAWS YOU WILL BE CAUGHT! So BEWARE, penalties can be severe.

The Property Appraiser has added powerful fraud detection weapons to the office's investigations arsenal. Using these new tools we're instituting a neighborhood and condominium homestead audit program, so WATCH OUT fraudulent homesteaders!

• The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department is providing us with access to the Driver and Vehicle Express (DAVE) database. With this tool we are able to confirm driver's license, car registration status, residence addresses and any homestead exemption recipient who is holding an out-of-state license.



• We've contracted with a private sector data provider for an indepth investigation program allowing us to find other addresses, licenses, where and when someone votes, telephone numbers, and any persons other than the homesteader who may be residing on the property. This tool has already proved very effective.



• The Sarasota County Utility Department has given us access to their database. Using this tool we can find non-owner account holders and consumption patterns. We're working on database access with North Port, Venice and the City of Sarasota.



• We have put to use the Department of Revenue list of duplicate social security numbers. Using this tool we identify people trying to claim homestead on multiple properties across Florida.

This office will always depend on its most valuable weapon; information from our taxpayers. We will also continue to use those tools proven to be effective, such as:

• The databases of Propery Appraisers, Assessors, and Tax Collectors across the country to determine who might be benefiting from residency linked tax benefits in other states.



• The databases of the Division of Business and Professional Regulation, the Department of Health and the Office of the Secretary of State to confirm primary addresses.



• The Clerk of the Court's official, civil and criminal databases for addresses listed on recorded or filed documents such as lis pendens, summonses, evictionproceedings, and subpoenas.



• Returned mail, field inspections, permitting and code enforcement.

The Property Appraiser's office is committed to finding homestead violators, removing the exemption for the current tax year, and recovering any previous years' improperly exempted taxes, plus interest and penalties. In 2009 this office

1. recovered over $290,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest through homestead lien process and



2. removed the homestead exemptionfrom 2,967 parcels, returning over $220,000,000 in taxable value and over $2,500,000 in taxes to the community.

Which is pretty good when you think about it-but we believe there are more fraudulent homesteaders out there waiting to be caught."

For more information on Venice Florida Real Estate, contact Wayne Welsh, P.A. or visit http://www.live4venice.com/

RE/MAX Outperforms the Competition

The 2010 U.S. REAL Trends 500 survey once again revealed that RE/MAX agents outperformed the competition.

RE/MAX brokerages held 122 spots, or 24%, on the list of 500 positions, more than any other brand. RE/MAX also led the rankings in total transaction sides and total sales volume, according to the report's top 500 rankings based on transaction sides.

For more information on this or Venice Florida real estate, contact Wayne Welsh, P.A. with RE/MAX Alliance Group at 941-234-6070 or visit http://www.live4venice.com/ .

RE/MAX International 100% Club Award Winner

Realtor Wayne Welsh, P.A. was again awarded the prestigious 100% Club Award on May 18, 2010. The 100% Club Award is a coveted award presented to Realtors who qualify by earning between $100,000 and $249,000 in gross commissions for the previous year. Peter Crowley, Broker for RE/MAX Alliance Group, presented the award. RE/MAX Alliance Group is the largest RE/MAX office in the state of Florida.

Wayne specializes in Venice Florida real estate and the surrounding areas. He is also known for his personal donation program in which he donates 10% of his personal commission to charity and his clients choose the charity.

Venice Florida Boating

Another beautiful weekend in Venice, Florida. Another perfect day for boating, fishing, scuba diving, or just a vist to a local waterfront restaurant by boat. Venice boasts miles of pristine beaches and the vast Gulf of Mexico. For more information on Venice Florida boating or Venice Florida real estate, visit www.Live4Venice.com .

Venice Florida Fishing Heats Up

With the arrival of spring, comes a frenzy of fishing fun. Spanish makerel, kingfish, and cobia are taking both live and artificial baits. Mike Watson caught this 42 pound cobia about 9 miles off the Venice Jetties on his vessel Reel Hard. The warmer the water...the hotter the fishing.
Visit www.Live4Venice.com for more information on this or Venice Florida real estate.

Sharks Tooth Festival 2010 - Venice, Florida

Venice Florida will host its annual Sharks Tooth Festival from Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April 11, 2010. Venice Florida known as the Sharks Tooth Capital of the World is famous for its fossilized sharks teeth that wash up on its picturesque beaches. The teeth which are millions of years old, delight both tourists and serious fossil collectors. The event benefits Sarasota County Special Olympics.

Admission: $3. per person, Children 12 and under are free.

Friday, April 9, 2010 4 pm - 9 pm
Saturday, April 10, 2010 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday April 11, 2010 10 am - 5 pm

Location:
Venice Airport Festival Grounds
120 E. Airport Ave.
Venice, Florida 34285