January Magazine Pipal Group

Provided by The Pipal Group

Happy New Year!

What a roller coaster of the year 2024 has been. There have been a lot of changes in the Real Estate Market, both good and bad. We at The Pipal Group feel 2025 will be an even bigger year of change. We feel these changes will bring a positive change in the growth of homeownership. No matter what the market brings, The Pipal Group stands for consistency and decades of experience navigating the ever-changing Real Estate Market. Our Team has decided to bring a digital magazine to you that not only showcases some of our homes we have listed, but also brings you interesting articles, recipes and some miscellaneous fun facts. We will highlight some of the fun events and many interesting things about Highlands County and all it has to offer.

We sometimes lose sight of what an amazing County we live in and how lucky we are to be a part of it. We hope you will find the articles both entertaining and educational.

Hopefully this will be the beginning of something fun and exciting, that you will look forward to seeing each month’s issue hit your email!

Cheers to a Healthy, Prosperous and Fulfilling 2025!

Sara Pipal

NEW YEAR

Employment history and income are two of the most important factors considered by lenders when evaluating a mortgage application A new job may be a good career move, but if you plan to buy a home in the new year, keep in mind that job hopping can be a red flag to some underwriters especially if you're changing industries.

Monthly subscription services are convenient, but they can quickly add up Even if you pay off your credit card every month, if your credit report is pulled mid-cycle, you could be penalized for high credit utilization If you plan to buy a home this year, keep your monthly subscription services to a minimum.

Lenders prefer borrowers with a track record of paying off credit cards and other debts on time because it shows that you're a responsible borrower with less risk. Getting a home loan can be more difficult if you don't have credit. Records of on-time rent and utility payments, as well as student loan debt or cell phone bills, can demonstrate to a potential lender that you have a track record of managing monthly payments.

A low credit score can reduce the amount of money a lender is willing to lend you as well as your interest rate. Several percentage point differences in interest rates can cost you thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.

J A N U A R Y H O M E M A I N T E N A N C E

Clean under and behind any appliances, and in all closets This will keep dust and bits of food to a minimum, which in turn can prevent bad odors and reduce the occurrence of pests and allergies

Change Water and Icemaker Filters It is recommended that the water filter be replaced every 9 months, 2000 gallons of water use, when the indicator light comes on, or as needed.

Clean out the kitchen and pantry Remove everything from the pantry, toss out stale and expired foods and wipe down the shelves before putting everything back.

CREATE AMBIENCE

When trying to sell a house, the atmosphere is crucial Your rooms should be warm, comfortable, and inviting

IDENTIFY THE LIGHT

To make your property stand out, open your shutters and raise the blinds. Additionally, you can pull the drapes back on each window to showcase any external scenery that might compel potential buyers to submit an offer. You should think about turning on all of the lights in the house, including the ones in the closets and the appliances.

MAKE EVERYTHING GLISTEN

The other most crucial tasks are removing all the cobwebs and dusting your furniture, light fixtures, and ceiling fan blades. If necessary, you should also re-caulk your sinks, showers, and tubs and bleach any stained grout. The next step is to polish your chrome faucets and mirrors. Even when someone else might not open the refrigerator, it still benefits to clear it out.

HOME STAGING

An important part of staging a home is depersonalizing every room, which can be tough if you’re not aware of how to appeal to other buyers. It can be hard for homeowners to look at their property objectively, but luckily, a home stager can do just that Your home stager will know how to depersonalize each room and redecorate it to appeal to potential buyers

HOMES FOR RENT

4805 Boabadilla Ave

Sebring, FL 33872

3/2 $2000

Feature Neighborhood:

2727 Cheyenne Rd

Sebring, FL 33875

3/2 $2800

PLACID LAKES

If you love the Lake Life or Golfing, Placid Lakes has the best of both! It is centrally located in the Heartland of Florida only one and a half hours from either coast Placid Lakes has beautiful homes nestled between canals which lead to one of Highlands County most desirable recreational lakes - Lake June in Winter An ideal place to raise a family or enjoy your golden years, there is something for everyone!

2/2 $1450

According to one home painting company, painting the exterior of your home yields a 55% ROI in terms of value increase. This means that if you’re selling your home, you most definitely want to consider giving it a fresh coat of paint before putting it on the market.

Two-Toned Olive

Two-toned olive paint can give a home’s exterior a sophisticated look. The two colors can complement each other and create an elegant effect. The darker color can also make the house look more stately and regal. In addition, two-toned olive paint can be used to highlight architectural features or to downplay problem areas.

Beige & Gray

Beige and gray paint is a mixture that looks good on the exterior of a home for a number of reasons.

First, these colors tend to be very neutral, making them a good choice for homes that are located in busy neighborhoods or areas with a lot of foot traffic Additionally, beige and gray paint can help to hide dirt and stains, making it easier to keep the outside of the home looking clean This can be a selling point when you speak to potential buyers

Is painting your house even necessary? Before thinking about the best colors to paint a house or browsing through some of the best house paint color boards on Pinterest, it pays to calculate the current value of your home You might be surprised to find that your home’s current value is fine as is and you don’t need to paint it

Lake June Luxury

Spaghetti Carbonara

Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish known for its simplicity and rich, creamy flavor. Here's a basic recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

4 large eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces guanciale or pancetta, cut into small cubes

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Cook the guanciale or pancetta: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the guanciale or pancetta until crispy and the fat has been rendered. Combine the pasta and sauce: Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with the guanciale or pancetta. Toss to coat.

Make the sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly pour the egg mixture over the pasta, whisking constantly to create a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water. Serve immediately: Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

Milkweed

Love butterflies? Then you’ll love milkweed. It’s a butterfly magnet. Florida is home to more than 20 species of milkweed, and almost all of them are native Florida plants. Milkweed is actually the required host plant for caterpillars of the monarch butterfly, so it plays a critical role in the monarch’s life cycle. But milkweed is disappearing in the monarch’s spring and summer breeding areas across the U.S., which means the vibrant butterflies are in danger.

Native milkweeds are crucial to other important pollinators, too, including bumble bees.

Help a butterfly — plant some milkweed.

Coontie

Funny name, cool native Florida plant. These primitive plants were common during the dinosaur age, which is a fun and impressive fact to share at your backyard parties.

It looks like a small fern, about one to three feet tall. It has stiff, glossy, featherlike leaves attached to a thick, short, underground stem. And it’s the favorite food of the larvae of the rare Atala butterfly.

Drought hardy, cold hardy, rare butterfly food — the Coontie is a keeper.

Fakahatchee Grass

What’s up with all these cool native Florida plant names?

This native’s tall, green, grass-like foliage rises upright to form clumps between 4 and 6 feet tall and wide, offering great texture to your landscape. The leaves have small, sharp teeth along their edges. It works well as an accent plant or plant it as a border. More butterfly news: it’s the larval food plant for the Byssus Skipper butterfly. Bonus: there are both regular and dwarf varieties. If you ' re short on space, the dwarf Fakahatchee only grows to two to three feet tall.

Southern Wax Myrtle

Need a great privacy hedge? Check out Southern Wax Myrtle, a multitrunked evergreen shrub that grows 6-12 feet tall. Its light olive green foliage has a spicy fragrance. Pale blue berries appear on female plants in the winter. Handsome gray bark is almost white on some plants. It’s great for screens and hedges.

Passion Flower

This flowering vine is easy to grow, rewarding you with big stunning threeto five-inch flowers in shades of lavender or purple, with a wavy fringe. Perfect for dressing up a fence, trellis, or arbor in a sunny spot, it often spreads beyond its original planting spot, so be sure to give it room to roam.

Happy in very dry conditions, it’s the host plant for the Gulf Fritillary butterfly, so it’s a must have for your butterfly garden.

Walter’sViburnum

AnothernativetreetogrowinCentral Florida,thisappealingviburnumwinsfor flexibility itcanbegrowneitherasa20foottreeorasashrub,ifyouchooseadwarf variety.Thesmallerversionmakesagreat hedge.Thisnative’sleavesareglossyand darkgreen.Crushthemandyou’llinhalea pleasantscent,abitlikevanilla. Massesofsmallwhiteflowersappearinthe spring,attractingbutterflies,anditsfallfruit attractsbirdsandotherwildlife.It'salsoa favoritenestingsiteforcardinalsandother songbirds.

Seagrape

Are there native trees to plant in Central Florida? Yup, Seagrape can be grown as a shrub or tree, depending on its planting site and pruning. Here we go with another fun name. This coastal plant grows grapes by the sea, producing clusters of red, grape-like fruits. They’re not actually grapes, but feel free to munch them. They do taste grapey. As a tree, it can grow to 35 to 50 feet high and 20 to 30 feet across but can also be pruned into a hedge, screen, or windbreak.

Its flowers are small and cream-colored, blooming in long clusters They usually bloom from spring to early summer

Like most natives, it’s not fussy, growing in full sun or partial shade It’s drought tolerant once established But it’s sensitive to frost and freeze, and will benefit from protection when temperatures drop.

Agent of the month

Denise Woodhull is an exceptional real estate agent whose dedication goes far beyond simply finding homes for her clients As an affiliate of the Hometown Heroes program, Denise passionately supports veterans, first responders, and community heroes, guiding them every step of the way on their journey to homeownership

Her deep commitment to service reflects not only in her professional expertise but also in her genuine care for the well-being of those who serve and protect our communities.

Her clients often describe her as compassionate, attentive, and endlessly patient Denise listens closely to every need and works tirelessly to ensure the home-buying experience is smooth and rewarding Whether helping a veteran transition to civilian life or assisting a first responder with their dream of owning a home, Denise embodies kindness, respect, and gratitude for the sacrifices these heroes make daily.

Denise Woodhull is more than just a real estate agent she is a trusted partner, an advocate, and a community champion whose passion for helping others shines through in everything she does

This month Denise participated in the American Legion Post 69, 10th Annual Veterans Expo in Avon Park FL As usual she was present to help Veterans discover what benefits they have when it comes to Home Ownership

You can contact Denise at 941276-6160 or email her DeniseDeLoge@gmail com

241 N Main Ave, Lake Placid FL 33852

$425,000 2836 SF - 2 Buildings, large Parking Lot

Let your imagination run wild on the opportunities you can have to create unique retail space. Retail Space in downtown is very limited and an opportunity like this does not happen often. Lake Placid has a thriving downtown that is reminiscent of the old main streets of yesteryear!

Henderson Fish Camp - 35 Henderson Rd, Lake Placid

$2,900,000 7.10 Acres

Great opportunity to own a piece of paradise in Central Florida. This is a turnkey freshwater fish camp that sits on Lake Istokpoga which is a 26,762-acre lake in Highlands County. 12 cabin rentals, 32 residential lots, 8 RV sites, 18 covered boat slips rentals and 20 open boat slip rentals.

204/206 E Interlake Blvd

Lake Placid FL 33852

$525,000 4422 s/f

Looking to start a business in Lake Placid, this building is perfect! Located in the heart of downtown Lake Placid right on E. Interlake Blvd. The Possibilities are endless.

3229 Kenilworth Blvd , Sebring

$105,000 - Turnkey Business

Established Pizzeria!

12963 Hwy 441 SE, Okeechobee, FL

$3,000,000 20 Acres

Property offers a mix of multi-residential homes and a dedicated event venue, making it a versatile space for both living and hosting gatherings. The residential homes are designed with a blend of modern comfort and rustic charm, ideal for families, guests, or rental opportunities. The event venue boasts scenic views of the pond, perfect for weddings, parties, corporate events, or retreats. The Tiki holds up to 150 people.