Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Don't Forget to Sign Up!

Don't forget to sign up for the Take Stock In Children golf tournament to be held on March 18th. Sign up is available outside the golf pro shop. The deadline for sign up is March 13th. You might also want to consider signing up to become a tee sponsor! Donated items from various golf courses and golf stores will be auctioned at the dinner. All proceeds will be donated to Take Stock in Children. If you would like more information on this wonderful organization, you may wish to visit their website at www.takestockinchildren.com.
Mary Posted by Picasa

Monday, February 26, 2007

Gate to Gate!

Thanks to Nikki Hoffman and Jerri Mayer for sharing their photos of the annual Harbor Hills Gate to Gate walk! Kathryn Dannelly and Rico Albanesi tied for first place. John Dakin came in second.


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Homestead Exemption Deadline Quickly Approaching

Thursday is the deadline for homeowners who qualify to apply for a savings of up to $500 on their property-tax bills. The homestead exemption allows owners to reduce the taxable value of their home by $25,000, resulting in a tax savings of up to $500. To qualify for the exemption, homeowners must show proof of residence as of Jan. 1. Other requirements vary from county to county but generally include:
A recorded deed or tax bill.Some form of identification (such as a state drivers license or state identification card) showing the homeowner's Social Security number. A resident alien card for noncitizens. Voter ID cards or vehicle registration also might be required. Applications are available at the county property appraisers' filing locations and on the appraisers' Web site. They can be mailed or hand delivered. Applications that are mailed must be postmarked by Thursday. If you received the exemption last year, you don't have to refile unless you have moved. For details, call the county or visit the appraiser's Web site. Here are the locations for filing Monday through Thursday:
Lake County Property Appraiser's Offices: 317 W. Main St., Tavares, 352-343-9748, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 912 Avenida Central, Lady Lake, 352-750-4545, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.; Minneola City Hall Building, 800 N. U.S. Highway 27, Minneola, 352-394-5116, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Sadie Hawkins 9'ers Style!

The weather was beautiful, the golf was great and the outfits were right out of Dogpatch USA! Congratulations to first place winners Carol & John Bircher, Pam & Jim Griffiths, Judy & Ed Cohan and Judy & Milo Gerber. Thanks to Barb Pelikan for sharing her photos!


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Friday, February 16, 2007

Thank You!

Thank you to all the generous residents, members and employees of Harbor Hills for your donations to our food drive these past two weeks. And special thanks go to Buck Bradley and George Andrews who delivered a load of food to the Leesburg Food Bank last week and to the Lady Lake Christian Food Pantry this morning. Both food banks appreciate your support!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

More Photos from the Mariner's Ball

Thanks to Tom Rice for sharing photos of the Mariner's Ball!


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Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Results Are In!

Thirty five residents competing in yesterday's first annual Mariners Fishing Tournament were proud to catch a total of 125 fish. With categories from the largest fish to the smallest fish, winners included John Pick, Rob Yaeger, Ray Johnson (we won't say which award he got!), Liz Shadoin, Jack Angel, Larry Bayless, Dave Elle, Janet Packard and Dale and Max Woods!


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Insurance Update

The following information comes to you courtesy of the St. Johns Insurance website:

How Much Insurance You Need
Basically, you need enough insurance to protect your house (not including the cost of your land) and possessions. Here are some key factors to keep in mind when determining how much insurance you need.

Insure your home for what it would cost to rebuild it, not your mortgage amount or market value. Your insurance agent can work with you to determine your home’s replacement value. One way for you to get a quick estimate is to multiply the total square footage of your home by local building costs per square foot. But keep in mind, things like type of construction, improvements, special custom features, etc., aren’t reflected in a generic cost-per-square-foot estimate. You can also have an independent appraisal done.

Don’t underestimate the value of your belongings. Generally, homeowners policies give you coverage for your belongings that is equal to anywhere from 25% to 75% of the amount of insurance you have on your home. To decide what’s right for you, do a video or written inventory of everything you own that includes what it would cost to replace it.This is not only helpful in determining what your belongings are worth; it’s invaluable if you have a claim. Consider insuring belongings on a replacement cost coverage basis. While it generally costs a little more, if you have a claim you’ll be reimbursed for what it costs to replace the item with no deduction for depreciation.

Make sure you have adequate liability insurance. If someone is injured on your property and you’re not properly insured, it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Basic homeowners policies give you $100,000 worth of liability insurance. Increasing liability coverage to $300,000 or $500,000 is generally worth the relatively small increase in cost.

Look for a policy that covers the cost of building-code compliance. If your home needs to be repaired or replaced, the cost of improvements needed to comply with currentbuilding codes may not be covered by a standard homeowners policy.

Monday, February 12, 2007

We May All Benefit from a Hard Lesson

Many of us who were fortunate enough not to have our homes damaged by the recent tornados may be able to benefit from a sad lesson learned by some of those who did face damage. Until they filed insurance claims they were not aware that they were underinsured. They had insured their homes for the purchase contract amount of their homes. Although their homes were very new, the amount to replace them has already far exceeded the amount they paid for their homes. It may be a good idea to have your insurance do an updated evaluation of the replacement cost for your home. We certainly hope we never face another natural disaster in our community, but we should all take advantage of the lesson learned by our neighbors and become financially prepared.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Many Thanks!

Thank you to the great number of people who attended yesterday's Round Table meeting to discuss the aftermath of the tornado. Information was shared and thanks were given to all who have participated in cleaning up and in taking care of their neighbors. Our food drive continues. Buck Bradley will deliver one load tomorrow but please continue to bring in food as a second delivery will be made next Friday. A 50/50 drawing was held to benefit Ray Smith, our controlled access employee whose home in the Sunshine Mobile Home Park was severely damaged in the tornado. Our hero is Paul Epperly who donated back his portion of the winnings to Ray Smith! Thanks to Mr. Epperly and to all of the other residents, members and employees who participated in the drawing or made donations to benefit Ray. We collected an amazing amount in just one day but donations will continue to be accepted. Cash or checks made payable to Ray Smith may be dropped off to Mary Huey.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

They Had a Ball at the Mariner's Ball

Thanks to Jack Harges for sharing his photos of the First Annual Mariner's Ball. It was a lovely event enjoyed by all.


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Monday, February 05, 2007

The Food Banks Need Your Help

We have received information that the local food banks are in need of non perishable food items. Many of you have asked what can be done to help victims of the tornados. This is something concrete that we can help with right away. Please bring your canned food and other non perishable food items to the drop off box outside the golf pro shop. We hope to make a first delivery at the end of this week and a second at the end of next week. We will be in contact about other ways you may be able to help. You may wish to attend the Round Table this Wednesday morning at 10:30 where tornado related items will be discussed.
Mary

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Round Table

The next meeting of the Round Table discussion group will be held at the clubhouse at 10:30 am on Wednesday, February 7. All interested residents are invited to attend. One of the main topics of discussion will be the impact of the storm on Harbor Hills.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Aftermath

Yes, a tornado went through a portion of the Lakeview section of Harbor Hills. Yes, there is damage. But thankfully there was no loss of life. The cable is already back. The power will come back on. Homes will be repaired. Thank you to all who have offered to help your less fortuate neighbors. Harbor Hills is a great place where neighbors do care about each other. Please contact Tom Warren if you have an extra room to offer for someone who may be in need. For safety reasons, please stay out of the Lakeview area for the next few days unless you live there. There is a great deal of traffic from workers and there is still debris in the road. I am on my way to get a flat tire fixed now!
Mary