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Jackie Colson-Miller

Jackie Colson-Miller, CIPS
Certified International Property Specialist
NAR Liaison to Austria
Tampa Real Estate
Direct - (813)629-5757
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3401 Henderson Blvd
Tampa, FL 33609
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'Travel'

        

School is out in The Tampa Real Estate Market…Where are the Best Vacations for Kids?

Filed under: Buying a House in Tampa, Fun and Frolic, Relocation, Schools in Tampa, Tampa Neighborhoods, Tampa Real Estate Agent, Tampa Real Estate Market, Tampa Schools, Travel

The latest news on the Tampa Real Estate Market, Moving to Tampa, Tampa Neighborhoods and Tampa Schools, every day, on The Real Estate Sizzle.

School is out in Hillsborough County and summer is well underway. Students will return to the Classroom on August 24. Florida schools have an earlier summer than the rest of the country, which can make vacation planning a challenge. If you want your child to have other children to play with on vacation, you should plan a vacation sometime in late June to early August, when the rest of the country is also out for the summer , or stay in Florida and enjoy some of our fabulous family-oriented resorts. Conversely, if you are heading to Europe, go in Early June and avoid the summer crowds and the heat, as many shops, restaurants and smaller hotels do not have Air conditioning and all of Europe seems to be on holiday in August.

These are some of my favorite family vacation spots. C_bCape Cod, Massachusetts .There is something for everyone on the Cape from Beaches to Bumper Cars. You trip is not complete without a meal at the Clam Box! Stay at the Chatham Bars Inn for a little pampering right on the ocean, New England-style.

Sanibel and Captiva, Florida Shelling is the favorite pastime on the islands off the coast near Fort Myers. The islands are perfect for long bike rides and the living is sweet at South Seas Plantation. Its laid back Florida with fun dining at the Bubble Room and the Mucky Duck.

 Cruises Ru_insCruises are family friendly with plenty of activities for kids and their parents. The trips to the Caribbean exploring Mayan ruins and local treasures are loads of fun. The ship has activities from dawn to the wee hours…If anyone is bored, it’s not because there is “nothing to do!” From Pool games to limbo dancing and blackjack tables to feasting on the “Midnight Buffet”…who could complain? You can leave from the Port of Tampa!

Charleston, South Carolina. Ghost walks, low-country cooking and plenty of old-fashioned Southern Charm abound in this great waterside city! Wander through the old cemetery and take a horse-drawn carriage ride. This is my favorite “Southern” City! Be sure to feast on some low country cooking shrimp and grits!

Vermont You can explore the Green Mountains, go boating on Lake Champlain and enjoy a tour, and a taste, at Ben and Jerrys ice cream factory! Head to a local Maple farm for some maple syrup, or the Cabot cheese factory for a little Vermont cheddar. Smugglers Notch is a family-oriented resort in the heart of it all.

 Paris Ei_ffelThe ultimate destination, in spite of the cost of the Euro, especially for teenagers. I took my son several years ago, as a special reward for several years of “perfect” grades!  You can spend an entire day in the Louvre, ride to the top of the eiffel tower and seek out the perfect skateboard in a local skate shop! Nibble on crepes from street vendors and enjoy french pastries from the local patisserie. Stop in at Angelina, for the best hot chocolate in Paris.

 

For information on the Tampa Real Estate Market, Urban Living in Tampa, Tampa Suburbs, Tampa Schools, or Moving to Tampa  contact me today.

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Posted by jackie   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   06.09.2009

Tampa Schools Are on Summer Vacation…Where to Take the Kids This Summer? Tampa Real Estate News and More!

Filed under: Best Places, Real Estate News, Single Parent News, Tampa Real Estate, Things to do in Tampa, Travel

June 4th is the last day of school in Hillsborough County and summer is well underway. Students will return to the Classroom in August . Florida schools have an earlier summer than the rest of the country, which can make vacation planning a challenge. If you want your child to have other children to play with on vacation, you should plan a vacation sometime in late June to early August, when the rest of the country is also out for the summer , or stay in Florida and enjoy some of our fabulous family-oriented resorts. Conversely, if you are heading to Europe, go in Early June and avoid the summer crowds and the heat, as many shops, restaurants and smaller hotels do not have Air conditioning and all of Europe seems to be on holiday in August.

These are some of my favorite family vacation spots.

C_bCape Cod, Massachusetts

There is something for everyone on the Cape from Beaches to Bumper Cars. You trip is not complete without a meal at the Clam Box! Stay at the Chatham Bars Inn for a little pampering right on the ocean, New England-style.

Sanibel and Captiva, Florida

Shelling is the favorite pastime on the islands off the coast near Fort Myers. The islands are perfect for long bike rides and the living is sweet at South Seas Plantation. Its laid back Florida with fun dining at the Bubble Room and the Mucky Duck

Cruises

Ru_insCruises are family friendly with plenty of activities for kids and their parents. The trips to the Caribbean exploring Mayan ruins and local treasures are loads of fun. The ship has activities from dawn to the wee hours…If anyone is bored, it’s not because there is “nothing to do!” From Pool games to limbo dancing and blackjack tables to feasting on the “Midnight Buffet”…who could complain?

Charleston, South Carolina

Ghost walks, low-country cooking and plenty of old-fashioned Southern Charm abound in this great waterside city! Wander through the old cemetery and take a horse-drawn carriage ride. This is my favorite “Southern” City! Be sure to feast on some low country cooking shrimp and grits!

Vermont

You can explore the Green Mountains, go boating on Lake Champlain and enjoy a tour, and a taste, at Ben and Jerrys ice cream factory! Head to a local Maple farm for some maple syrup, or the Cabot cheese factory for a little Vermont cheddar. Smugglers Notch is a family-oriented resort in the heart of it all.

Paris

Ei_ffelThe ultimate destination, in spite of the cost of the Euro!especially for teenagers. You can spend an entire day in the Louvre, ride to the top of the eiffel tower and seek out the perfect skateboard in a local skate shop! Nibble on crepes from street vendors and enjoy french pastries from the local patisserie. Stop in at Angelina, for the best hot chocolate in Paris.

For information on the Tampa Real Estate Market, Tampa Schools, or Moving to Tampacontact me today.

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Posted by jackie   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   06.04.2008

“I’ll Take The Filet With My Legroom”…Tampa Real Estate News and More

Filed under: Real Estate News, Things to Ponder, Travel

If you are buying a house in Tampa, or anywhere in the world, chances are good that you will need to board an airplane. Lets talk about how the Real Estate Industry is still focused on customer service, while many industries have lost sight of “the happy client”.

The Real Estate Industry seems to be one of the few which has INCREASED its level of customer service over the past 10 years! Since I started selling real estate in 1994, I have seen major changes in the industryall of which have led to a more educated, more tech-savvy, more consumer-oriented Real Estate Agent. From cell phones to online listings to internet advertising to online transactionsconsumers and sellers have become accustomed to better customer service, more comprehensive marketing plans and a faster response time, than ever before. Discount Real Estate brokers are losing ground to full-service, customer-oriented Real Estate Brokerages. Customers want service from the Real Estate Industry, but we seem to be an anomaly in the service industry across the nation.

Contrast the level of response and service offered by a Professional Real Estate Agent, with that of other Tamparealestatetravelindustries, most notably the airline industry, over the past 10 years? When was the last time you called a customer service number and was able to speak to a live person, other than a voicemail system that leads you through a series of orders to press 1 for this, or press 2 for thatuntil, ultimately, none of them apply and you hang up in frustration. I have learned to press O with abandon, until someone, who might speak English, appears on the line!

The Airline Industry is the perfect example of how corporate efficiency and competitive pricing have translated into WORSE customer service over the years. Compared to Airline Travel of years gone by, what has changed? Checking in?? Do It Yourself Kiosks are becoming the norm. Planes have been reconfigured to cram more passengers into the same amount of space. Seats are smaller and rows are closer together. Most airlines have stopped serving meals in all but Business, or First Class, sections. Flights are overbooked, so purchasing a ticket doesnt really mean you get to board the plane! They often board the passengers and THEN inform them of a flight delay, so the disgruntled masses are trapped and cannot make other flight arrangements. Lost luggage statistics are staggering. These practices are widespread among all airlines. If such practices occurred in the Real Estate Industry, one might lose a license over a practice called price fixing . But, at the very least, you would definitely lose clients over poor customer service. Ive become accustomed to wrangling some last minute upgrades, bulkhead seats and navigating Seat Guru, just to get a little comfort on a long flight, but why is that necessary? I just want “a little filet with my legroom”...take me back to the air travel of the 70′s, please! Why are travelers treated worse, and worse, with each passing year?

Why have Americans accepted being abandoned, starved, and herded like cattle, in order to travel by air? Have we become so used to poor customer service that saving $30.00, or $50.00, or even $100.00, on an airline ticket is more important that having a little leg room, a little nourishment and a polite employee check our bags and insure that the trip is a positive experience. Have we become so numb to being treated badly, that we accept it as the new norm in the travel industry. When you dine in a Restaurant and receive poor service, do you continue to patronize that establishment? When a store clerk is rude, or a pizza is delivered cold and with the wrong toppings, how quickly would you choose to recommend them?? While the local establishments, and local Real Estate agents, depend on a high level of customer service to keep their clientele, the airline industry has taken a different stance Take it, or leave it If you want to fly from here to there you are stuck with the poor service in the industry.

I challenge even ONE of the airlines, to step up to the plate, and provide its customers with old fashioned customer serviceOR, at least ,my kind of customer servicebigger seats, more leg room, live, polite employees and a meal with a smile, where a paid ticket is guaranteed a seat on the flight I will pay more for the return of the “old days”, and so will many travelersairlines just never seem to give us the option!

As you can imagine, many of my articles are borne of my real-life experiencesafter a flight-delay and a near-miss connection, during my sprint from Terminal D to Terminal A (avoid Atlanta at all costs) and no time for a quick biteI am still waiting on my lost luggage, which has been entrusted to a courier service, who cant find my office building on one of the busiest streets in South Tampa! There IS a better wayWho wants to start an airline? Warren BuffettWhere are You???

What do YOU think? Would you pay more for better airline service? Don’t you want ” a little filet with your legroom?”

If you would like a client-centered level of customer service in the Real Estate Industry, I can help with your move to any Tampa neighborhood, including: South Tampa, Davis Islands, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Hyde Park, Culbreath Isles, Palma Ceia, Westchase, Waterchase, Odessa, Cheval, Avila, Brandon, Riverview, FishHawk, New Tampa, Tampa Palms, Hunters Green, Arbor Greene, Apollo Beach, South Shore, MiraBay, Golf Communities, Waterfront Homes, Luxury Homes in Tampa, Condos in Tampa and International Real Estatecontact me!

 

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Posted by jackie   |   Click Here To Comment »   |   12.10.2007

School’s Out…My Best Family Vacation Ideas!

Filed under: Fun and Frolic, Single Parent News, Travel

Thursday, May 24th, was the last day of school in Hillsborough County and summer is well underway. Students will return to the Classroom on August 20th. Florida schools have an earlier summer than the rest of the country, which can make vacation planning a challenge. If you want your child to have other children to play with on vacation, you should plan a vacation sometime in late June to early August, when the rest of the country is also out for the summer , or stay in Florida and enjoy some of our fabulous family-oriented resorts. Conversely, if you are heading to Europe, go in Early June and avoid the summer crowds and the heat, as many shops, restaurants and smaller hotels do not have Air conditioning and all of Europe seems to be on holiday in August.

These are some of my favorite family vacation spots.

C_bCape Cod, Massachusetts

There is something for everyone on the Cape from Beaches to Bumper Cars. You trip is not complete without a meal at the Clam Box! Stay at the Chatham Bars Inn for a little pampering right on the ocean, New England-style.

Sanibel and Captiva, Florida

Shelling is the favorite pastime on the islands off the coast near Fort Myers. The islands are perfect for long bike rides and the living is sweet at South Seas Plantation. Its laid back Florida with fun dining at the Bubble Room and the Mucky Duck

Cruises

Ru_insCruises are family friendly with plenty of activities for kids and their parents. The trips to the Caribbean exploring Mayan ruins and local treasures are loads of fun. The ship has activities from dawn to the wee hours…If anyone is bored, it’s not because there is “nothing to do!” From Pool games to limbo dancing and blackjack tables to feasting on the “Midnight Buffet”…who could complain?

Charleston, South Carolina

Ghost walks, low-country cooking and plenty Southern Charm abound in this great waterside city! Wander through the old cemetery and take a horse-drawn carriage ride. This is my favorite “Southern” City!

Vermont

You can explore the Green Mountains, go boating on Lake Champlain and enjoy a tour, and a taste, at Ben and Jerrys ice cream factory! Head to a local Maple farm for some maple syrup, or the Cabot cheese factory for a little Vermont cheddar. Smugglers Notch is a family-oriented resort in the heart of it all.

Paris

Ei_ffelThe ultimate destinationespecially for teenagers. You can spend an entire day in the Louvre, ride to the top of the eiffel tower and seek out the perfect skateboard in a local skate shop! Nibble on crepes from street vendors and enjoy french pastries from the local patisserie. Stop in at Angelina, for the best hot chocolate in Paris.

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Posted by jackie   |   1 Comment »   |   06.11.2007