Neighborhood News

Real Service... Real Results                                         October 2012 
  102A Palm Point
Laura Cole & Tana Gaskill
  (561)        (561)
 776-4429    776-4444
 Illustrated Properties
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In This Issue
Real Estate Trends
Featured Property
Restaurant Review
Greetings!

A sure sign of Autumn in Florida: less humidity, car trailers and the return of absent friends!  The BallenIsles pool has been reopened and looks very inviting.  The summer has seen refurbishment and renewal all around.

Once again we feature another mouth-watering review from our favorite resident gourmet critic, Vicki Slotnick.  Be sure to read her marvelous review of Cafe Sapori, her new fav!
 
And of course, don't forget to keep up with Real Estate Trends and property news from BallenIsles.

Happy Halloween!
Laura & Tana

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REAL ESTATE TRENDS  
5 Reasons to Buy a home and BallenIsles Sales*
 102A Palm Point

We share a brief reprint from a previous article that is even more true today then when we first printed it 2 years ago.  Let's set the record straight with five well-grounded reasons why owning a home or moving on to a new property is a very good thing.  Here are the "Whys:"

  1. You'll get a great deal. With new buyers steadily creeping back into the market, determined sellers are more than willing to come to terms.
  2. Mortgages are cheap. 30-year fixed-rate loans bear the lowest interest rates in recorded history.
  3. You'll save on taxes. You can deduct your mortgage interest and real estate taxes from your itemized federal taxes.  You'll also get a tax break on capital gains when you sell. 
  4. It'll be yours. You can have all the space and privacy you typically lack as a tenant; and it will be all yours to improve as you please.
  5. You'll get a better place to live. Want a better home in a better neighborhood? You'll probably have to buy it.  Rentals like these are hard to find.

                                      BALLENISLES SALES -SEPTEMBER
ADDRESS                                  BR  BA     SALE    ORIGINAL   DATE        TIME

210 CORAL CAY TERRACE

   3

  3.0

   $215,000

$249,000

 09/10/2012

   668

116B PALM BAY DRIVE

   2

  2.0

   $335,000

$389,000

 09/13/2012

   464

17 ST JAMES DRIVE

   3

  3.0

   $940,000

$979,000

 09/13/2012

   181

120 ISLE DRIVE

   3

  3.0

   $310,000

$319,900

 09/28/2012

    49

 

*This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Realtors Association of the PalmBeaches or its Multiple Listing Services thru 10/07/2012.  

To learn more about current Real Estate trends in BallenIsles, click on the links below.

 

 

 

 

FEATURED PROPERTY                  

 

NEW LISTING
147 Orchid Cay Drive
  

Fabulous Marigold model home on wide pie-shaped lot with 3 bedrooms plus a den/office and 3 full baths. Enjoy lovely water and golf views from the paver stone patio with pool and spa. The entry doors lead into a spacious foyer which flows into the living room and separate formal dining room then on into an open kitchen and family room area. A large master suite with double entry doors, well appointed master bath and 4 incredible custom outfitted closets. A separate golf cart garage, 2 additional guest bedrooms each with its own full bath and an office with custom wood cabinetry makes this home perfect seasonal for year round residents. Available stunningly furnished or turnkey and ideally located in the center of BallenIsles. Enjoy fabulous country club amenities with a minimum purchase of a social equity membership!


See All BallenIsles Properties for Sale

RESTAURANTS
Cafe Sapori reviewed by Vicki Slotnick
  

Visiting Caf� Sapori is a must! It starts out great, especially on a rainy night, because you don't have to get wet even for a moment. You drive into a port cochere and navigate a covered walkway into a room that is hospitable, but at the same time, not-at-all-stuffy. There is a large and inviting front room for private parties tucked behind a long bank of beautiful, faceted glass French doors.

 

A tasty assortment of interesting breads arrived with menus immediately, and our waiter took our drink orders right away as well. The menu is quite extensive for an Italian restaurant. Even four anti-garlic foodies had a good selection, unusual in many Italian eateries in South Florida. For an appetizer, hubby and I shared a full size order of pappardelle in a light, but meaty, veal Bolognese sauce as an appetizer. Laura's salad was beautifully presented, fresh, unusual, just wonderful!  It had shaved fennel, fava beans and orange segments and was lightly anointed by citrus vinaigrette. Rodney's prosciutto di Parma over melon was just as good. The melon was nice and sweet, counterpointed by the not- overly-salty imported prosciutto. Entrees devoured by the 4 of us included snapper livornese which was fresh and well seasoned with the requisite tomatoes, olives, to name just a few ingredients.  Eddy and I shared a Mediterranean sea bass which was very similar to branzino.  It was grilled simply, accompanied only by juicy grilled lemon and olive oil and served over evenly and lovingly diced vegetables, a m�lange of carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. In a word...sublime!

 

The menu lists separate sections of tapas, salads, antipasti, soups, focaccia and pizzas, and that's before you even get to the fresh pastas, dried pasta, meats, fish, vegetables etc, etc, etc! Really, an excellent assortment...  Laura shared her dessert with us, an apple almond tart. That was not my cup of tea, a bit too mushy for my taste, but there were several other great sounding desserts on the menu, albeit no room in our bellies.

 

To sum it up, Food was fresh, imaginative, well prepared, and delicious. Prices were in the upper-moderate range. We'd go back in a heartbeat, BUT, not on a Saturday night. You guessed it: a high noise level of people obviously enjoying the experience was the only downside to this otherwise perfect restaurant!

 

205 Southern Blvd.

West Palm Beach, FL  33405

561-805-7310