Bloomin’ Blinds Brings Custom Window Treatments — & Repairs — To You! 

Mariana and Michael Imses, the owners of the local Bloomin’ Blinds franchise serving New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and other areas, are happy to bring their mobile showroom to your home. (Photo by Charmaine George) 

If you’re in the market for new window treatments — anything from plantation shutters and blinds to shades or drapes — local franchise owner Michael Imses says you should consider Bloomin’ Blinds, which offers a lifetime guarantee on its products, and also provides repairs. 

“Our warranty is great,” Michael says. “With us, customers don’t have to worry about if anything breaks because we always repair or replace our products for free.” 

Michael and his wife Mariana own the Bloomin’ Blinds franchise that serves homeowners in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas such as Lutz, Land O’Lakes, Tampa and South Tampa. 

Bloomin’ Blinds is a 25-year-old company that started in Dallas, TX, and began franchising within the last decade. There are now about 75 locations across the nation, including nine in the Sunshine State. 

About six years ago, Michael and Mariana, who are both accountants, decided that they wanted to own their own business. They searched for a franchise that would be a good fit for them and found Bloomin’ Blinds. Michael says they purchased the franchise at about the same time their only daughter was born. 

Michael and Mariana like that the company offers high-quality products, backed by a guarantee, so customers can have peace of mind about the investment they make in their homes. 

For window coverings such as roller shades, cellular shades, plantation shutters or blinds, Bloomin’ Blinds provides custom treatments direct from the factory, so the quality is much better than what you would buy off the shelf at a big box or home improvement store. 

Michael says Bloomin’ Blinds sells Norman shutters, Graber window treatments, and Alta window fashions, among other brands and yes, motorized, smartphone-operated shades also are available. 

“The automated systems are becoming more popular, because you can operate them from anywhere in the world,” Michael says. “And the prices for them have started to come down.” 

Kerry Estevez says she found Bloomin’ Blinds on an online community group when she built a new house in the Esplanade at Wiregrass Ranch. 

After the builder completed her home, she brought in a line of contractors to finish everything from customizing closets to crown molding and, of course, window coverings. 

“Bloomin’ Blinds was the only one where nothing went wrong,” Kerry says. 

She also says the best thing about hiring Bloomin’ Blinds was the professionalism and quality of customer service that came with working directly with the local franchise owner. 

“Dealing with the owner of the company directly and having him in the house, the communication was flawless,” Kerry says, adding that she appreciated that when Michael came to her home for a free consultation, he took his time and she never felt rushed. She considers herself to be particular, but says Michael was even more so. 

“He noticed things I didn’t even notice,” Kerry says. “I would recommend him to anyone for his attention to detail.” 

In fact, she says, he was accommodating in working on timelines of other contractors and that, when it came to installation, he personally completed the job, along with one of his employees. 

While some other companies she called would have taken months to even come out for a consultation, Bloomin’ Blinds was able to complete the consultation, order custom plantation shutters for every window in her home and have them manufactured and installed before she moved in. 

Kerry says the prices she paid at Bloomin’ Blinds were great, too. “I highly recommend Michael,” Kerry says. “I tell my neighbors if they’re getting estimates to definitely call him. I think once they get an estimate from Michael, I don’t know how people can’t hire him.” 

In fact, she adds, she’s hiring Bloomin’ Blinds again, to come back and add drapes in her home, too. 

Michael says Kerry’s not the only customer who has told him that they appreciate how accessible he is. 

“We’re not a big corporation where people have to call and call and wait on the line for a long time to be transferred to someone who can help you,” Michael says. “We’re a small, family-owned local business and people love that we’re easy to communicate with.” 

He says they also love the parent company’s warranty and that they don’t have to worry if anything breaks. While Bloomin’ Blinds will replace anything that needs to be replaced, Michael and his crew can often make repairs on the spot, or come back soon if a part needs to be ordered. 

In fact, if you have another company’s window treatments you already love in your home, and something breaks, such as a slat or a tilter, Bloomin’ Blinds will come out to provide a free estimate for the repair. 

How To Get Started 

The first step is to schedule an appointment for a free estimate in your home. This allows Michael to show you the available products in your own environment, so that colors and styles can be best matched to your existing dĂ©cor, and you can see exactly what it all will look like in your space. 

Michael says he can help you, even if you have absolutely no idea what you want. New products are often available, and he’s happy to spend time going over all the options you may not even know about. “We bring all the samples and colors to our customers, help them pick out what would work best, and share all that we’ve learned from our experience.” 

Another advantage of Bloomin’ Blinds always coming to you is that the business doesn’t have a lot of overhead expenses so, Michael says, “We can give our customers a better price.” 

While in your home, he will measure every window to ensure that any product you buy is custom fit to each of those exact specifications. 

“We don’t have anything stored [in a warehouse or their home] or any standard sizes,” he explains. “That way, if your windows are slightly different sizes — even off by a portion of an inch — you won’t have gaps on the sides, especially with a shade or blinds.” 

He says plantation shutters currently are the most popular choice, although many clients also have been choosing roller shades. 

“Roller shades are a more modern product,” he says, “and they are much improved now, including using a smooth, easy-to-use cordless system.” 

Because these cordless systems are becoming more popular — now that regulatory bodies in the window treatment industry require that anything sold in the U.S. has to either be cordless or have inaccessible cords, because of the safety hazards they pose to children, the systems are continually being improved and also are becoming more affordable. 

Michael says he usually can install your new window coverings just three to four weeks after you order them, although shutters may take just a little longer. 

Bloomin’ Blinds comes to you & offers a free in-home estimate. You can schedule an appointment by calling (813) 444-5536, or get more information by visiting BloominBlinds.com. 

Mother Of Four Kayla Long Needs A New Kidney To Keep Singing 

On Friday nights, if she’s feeling up to it, Kayla Long loves to belt out her favorite karaoke tunes — maybe Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” or “Jesus Take the Wheel” — while her fiancĂ©, Chris Candelora, and four boys, ages 13, 9, 8, and 7, cheer her on. 

Kayla says it’s the only time she feels normal. “It brings me a whole lot of joy,” she says. 

The Zephyrhills mom, who grew up in Wesley Chapel, has end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a condition where the kidneys have permanently lost most of their ability to function. She says it stems from years of taking too much ibuprofen, trying to manage pain after surgery to correct severe scoliosis when she was 14. 

“My mom struggled with addiction, so I had been adopted by my grandmother,” Kayla says. “I was afraid to take opiate pills after surgery, so I used ibuprofen instead. But, it was an extreme level of pain and you just can’t take ibuprofen for that.” 

The irony, she says, is that she is still in pain, but now from the effects of ESRD. 

“I literally killed myself not taking pain pills and there’s nothing they can do,” she says. “It just gets worse and worse.” And, Kayla says, it will continue to get worse. 

That is, unless she gets a new kidney. 

“I have been on dialysis for the last two years,” Kayla says, adding that those two years have been filled with pain and setbacks. 

Unable to work, her days are filled with traveling to and from Plant City three days a week for dialysis. She’s away from home for about six hours on those days. The other days, she goes to other medical appointments, if she feels up to it. 

In addition, Kayla has been legally blind since birth, which adds to her challenges. 

It’s all a lot to navigate. Even on the best days, dialysis leaves her tired and unable to do much of anything. “Dialysis is very hard on your body,” she says. “It can cause heart damage, gout and other health complications. I’m exhausted and nauseous all the time.” 

She adds that she had two blood transfusions last year, even having to leave her son’s birthday party halfway through for an emergency visit to the hospital. 

She’s hoping to receive a kidney as soon as possible. Kayla’s been on the transplant list since February. If someone passes away whose kidney is a match for hers, she would be eligible to receive it. But even better, she says, would be a living donor. 

“Transplanted kidneys last an average of five to 10 years from a deceased person,” she says, “but from a living donor, the average is 20 years.” 

Kayla is working with the AdventHealth Transplant Institute to find a living kidney donor. She needs a kidney from someone with type O blood, and says it doesn’t matter if it is O positive or O negative. 

If she finds a willing donor with type O blood, they would go to AHLivingDonor.com to begin a screening process to see if the donor’s kidney is a potential match for Kayla. 

“I have four children,” Kayla says. “I worry all the time. Am I going to leave them before they’re ready? Am I going to get to see them graduate, grow up, fall in love, play with my grandkids? Can I even grow old and get married to the man I love? On dialysis, that’s all up in the air.” 

Kayla Long needs a kidney to continue to be around for her sons Jack, Ari, Keegan & Chris (nephew Leeland is 4th from left). 

Kayla first met Chris on the bus to Weightman Middle School when they weren’t even teenagers yet. “He used to ride his bike to my house and hang out with my brother and sister,” she says. “We’ve been together since we were 22.” 

She says being sick, blind and in chronic pain makes it so the couple can’t do a lot of things that typical couples in their 30s with young kids want to do, but Chris has stuck by her side through all of the trials. 

“My fiancĂ© works so hard to provide for all of us,” Kayla says. “If he’s not at his job, he’s doing a side job or working on our car or fixing something in the house or fixing something at someone else’s house.” 

Unless it’s a Friday night. 

That’s when they take the kids to Commandough’s in Zephyrhills, where they order pizza, the kids get up and sing and dance, and Kayla will take the stage. 

It’s only then that she says she feels true joy. 

“Everybody’s happy,” she says. “I’m happy. My kids are happy. I don’t feel self-conscious. I just get up there and sing, and then all of a sudden, I feel normal for a while.” 

Kayla says she is working on setting up a trust, with legal fees sponsored by Commandough’s, to help provide for her family so Chris can care for her full-time for a few months after her transplant, a necessary part of her recovery. 

To follow Kayla’s journey, search for “KidMe in Your Prayers: Kayla’s Transplant Journey” on Facebook. To start the process to learn more about donating a kidney to Kayla or someone else like her who is on the waiting list for a transplant, go to AHLivingDonor.com. 

Kristy & Megan Darragh — The Team To Call When Buying Or Selling A Home! 

(L.-r.) Jace Haitz, Megan & Kristy Darragh and Toni Osborn of Florida Executive Realty in Tampa Palms. (Photos on these pages provided by Kristy Darragh) 

If you’ve been seeing real estate headlines that make you think the sky is falling, long-time local Realtor® Kristy Darragh of Florida Executive Realty in Tampa Palms says to brush it off — it’s just click bait. 

“I monitor trends weekly, monthly and quarterly, as well as the long history and economics of housing,” she says, “and the local housing market lately has been a bit wobbly, but is still basically a flat line.” 

She says that plateau is a good thing (not a sign of death), meaning the local market continues to be steady and predictable for those who are looking to buy or sell. 

With almost four decades in the industry and a near obsession with crunching the numbers, Kristy has a deep understanding of the local market and promises her clients expert advice for how to sell their homes for the highest price or buy a home at the best value. 

A staple in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel real estate market since 1994, Kristy has recently updated her brand to include her daughter Megan, so you’ll now see ads for Kristy & Megan – rather than just Kristy – not only in the Neighborhood News, but also on billboards and in direct mail. 

Megan began working with her mom in 2020, after previously serving as the office manager for the Westchase branch of Florida Executive Realty. Now, they’ve solidified their partnership with the team’s name change. 

Kristy and Megan say they are able to serve their clients with client service umatched in the local market, thanks to assistants Jace Haitz and Toni Osborn, both of whom have worked with Kristy for many years. 

“There’s no way I could provide the excellence and volume of work I do without them,” says Kristy of her support staff. “They are what makes it possible for Megan and I to offer this level of service.” 

Kristy uses all of those years of experience to translate what’s happening in the market into useful information for her clients. 

For example, she says she tells her clients to always look at the current inventory to understand the basic fundamental principle of supply and demand. Historically, she says, the 33647 zip code has had around 300 active listings in a normal market. “Right now, we’re at about 170 active listings,” Kristy says. “We came from a peak during the pandemic where we only had 18 listings in the entire zip code.” 

At the time, prices were sky high due to demand. She says that while the market has recovered to be more balanced, there’s still plenty of room for more inventory. 

“Prices on a lot of homes have come down, but they needed to, because people were pricing their homes the way they were in 2020 and 2021,” she says, “and that was when the market was unbalanced and somewhat frenetic.” 

Meanwhile, In Wesley Chapel… 

Wesley Chapel has its own trends and metrics, and Kristy explains that all of the new construction in the area means resale prices are somewhat suppressed. That means Wesley Chapel sellers need to have realistic expectations as to what they can sell their homes for, and that they should always work with an expert who can help price the home appropriately to sell quickly or meet the seller’s goals. 

“This is a normal cycle,” Kristy says. “You can’t use prices for new construction for your asking price on a resale home because builders offer incentives, such as money back toward closing costs, bonuses and interest rate buydowns.” 

She says these incentives can be valued at up to $100,000, so resale homes have to take that into account to be able to price to sell. 

“I’ve got 38 years of knowledge, including 30 years here in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area,” Kristy explains. “I see trends so clearly and have lived through so many real estate cycles that I can tell you the market is not falling and prices are not dropping. We are in a healthy plateau, and that is what you want so the market can normalize.” 

She says there also are annual trends that always happen, and that we’re just about ready for an influx of seasonal buyers in April, May, June and July. 

“This is when the most buyers are in the market, so prices definitely go up,” Kristy says. On the other hand, over the year-end holidays and the first quarter of each year is when resale prices are the lowest, giving buyers the best opportunity to purchase a home at a lesser cost. 

“This happens every year,” Kristy says. 

Kristy and Megan are each licensed as both a real estate agent and as a Broker. Kristy joined Florida Executive Realty in 1994 and became partners with Doug Loyd in the Tampa Palms location of Florida Executive Realty way back in 2003. Loyd owns five other offices of Florida Executive Realty located in and around the Tampa Bay area. 

Kristy and Megan have many satisfied clients, including Nancy and Mike Yetter, who recently sold their home in Ashington Estates in Tampa Palms to move to The Sanctuary (also in Tampa Palms), where Kristy and Megan helped them find the perfect smaller-sized home to fit their empty nest. But, the Yetters’ new home still provides enough room that they don’t feel cramped. 

“It was a lot of fun,” Nancy says. “We felt very lucky to work with both of them.” 

While most people wouldn’t call the stressful sale or purchase of a home “fun,” Nancy says Kristy and Megan made the process stress-free and actually enjoyable. 

Nancy also says that she and her husband first met Kristy when she was the seller’s real estate agent when they bought their Ashington Estates home in 2018, after experiencing what Nancy described as a “horrific” experience selling the home they were moving from on Anna Maria Island. 

“We were so impressed with her back then,” Nancy says. “We said if we ever moved, we wanted to ask her to be our agent.” 

Because the couple travels often, they trusted Kristy and Megan to handle the entire process, including showings and repairs that needed to be made to the home. 

“To have absolutely no hiccups was great,” says Nancy. “We were able to close on both homes the same day. It was perfect the way [Kristy] organized that.” 

Nancy says that both Kristy and Megan understood their needs and didn’t waste their time showing them homes that weren’t what they wanted. 

“I’ve recommended Kristy and her team to three people already,” Nancy says. “She’s very professional, she’ll work for the best deal possible, and she doesn’t let anything fall through the cracks. She knows the market and that’s so important.” 

The Tampa Palms office of Florida Executive Realty is located at 15802 Amberly Dr. For more information about Kristy and Megan Darragh, visit RealEstateNewTampa.com or call (813) 931-6700.

Marimark Mortgage Will Help You Find The Best Mortgage For You! 

(L.-r.) Matt, Mary & Nick Catchur of Marimark Mortgage, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, can help you find the best mortgage to suit your needs. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

When John Grime started thinking about buying an investment property in 2021, he needed a plan. 

He called his “go-to” mortgage broker, Mary Catchur of Marimark Mortgage in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, just off the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit of I-75. John says he’s built years of trust with Mary, as she’s helped him and his wife obtain financing to purchase a home, then refinance it when rates dropped. He knew if he ever bought an investment property, he would count on Marimark Mortgage to provide the financing to make that transaction happen. 

“Mary broke everything down and laid out a good roadmap for me of what the lender would ask for and what I would need,” he says. “Now, here I am, closing on a place.” 

He says that type of honest, straightforward advice is the reason he always counts on Marimark Mortgage and highly recommends Mary. 

“She’s detailed and she’s immediate with information,” John says. “Whether it’s a phone call, a text or an email, Mary constantly communicates.” 

Mary says that’s a hallmark of her business, which she opened in 2006. When she first dipped her toes in the mortgage side of the business, while working for another company, she quickly realized the typical way of selling mortgages wasn’t going to work for her. 

“A lot of people who sell mortgages are sales people,” she says. “They want to sell the rate or sell the payment, but I take a different approach. I’m an educator and a financial person, so I first listen to understand, then figure out what make sense for that person, and then, I explain why.” 

Her financial background comes from both the education and work experiences she had before moving into the mortgage industry. 

Mary received both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in French from the  University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. She holds Florida licenses as a mortgage broker, as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and as a real estate Broker. 

She worked as an auditor for “Big Four” public accounting firm KPMG for 13 years, then served as the chief financial officer (CFO) for a real estate company. 

Marimark has recently expanded, as Mary’s sons, Matt and Nick Catchur, have both joined the firm. 

Matt graduated from USF in 2024 with a B.S. degree in Finance. Mary says Matt’s education benefits their clients. 

“Similar to my CPA background,” she says, “the more you know about finance, the better you can understand the products you offer. We can better evaluate our customers and find the best product for them.” 

She explains that a salesperson who doesn’t have the background that Marimark Mortgage has will leave it up to the underwriter to determine if a buyer is qualified for a loan. Mary says this can cause frustration for a buyer who has been pre-qualified by someone who doesn’t fully understand the buyer’s financial situation or the nuances of the mortgage product they are selling. 

Meanwhile, Mary’s son Nick is a fellow real estate Broker who also works at Marimark in loan origination. As a team, this trio can offer multiple services that are helpful to buyers, and bring a greater understanding to the home-buying process. 

Know What You Don’t Know? 

Mary says that beyond their commitment to excellent communication and education, another important skill is to know what they don’t know. 

“There’s so much to know and to keep up on,” Mary says. “The rules and guidelines are constantly changing, and there are so many different products out there. There are a lot of moving parts and everyone’s scenario and source of income is so different, so every person you work with is completely new.” 

For example, she says, income earned by a truck driver is completely different from that earned by a nurse, which is completely different from that of a business executive. 

“Our business background helps us understand how all these people get paid,” she says. “We have to constantly think outside the box, be creative and understand the scenario to put them with the right product.” 

While many buyers are looking for a fixed-rate mortgage, Mary says there are many different options. 

For example, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans offer low down payments and Veterans Administration (VA) loans allow U.S. military veterans to buy a home with no money down. 

Mary also says that those who are self-employed may want to consider a bank-statement loan, where account deposits determine income, rather than pay stubs. 

For investment properties, a debt-service coverage ratio loan doesn’t require a borrower to have a specific income, but instead considers how much money is going to come in from the investment property and whether or not it will cover the principal, interest, taxes, insurance and Homeowners Association fees. 

Marimark also offers reverse mortgages, which allow borrowers over the age of 62 whose home is worth more than what is owed on it to eliminate mortgage payments altogether. 

Mary says Marimark often helps homeowners who want to refinance and get cash out for debt consolidation, renovations or other purposes. Right now, though, many who refinanced their homes when rates were low don’t want to give up that low mortgage rate. In that case, homeowners can add a second loan or home equity line of credit, which Mary says is popular among those who want to use the equity in their homes without having to refinance. 

She also says it’s a misconception that working with her will cost a buyer more than not working with a mortgage broker. 

“Sometimes your bank will have a good product for you, but sometimes they’re not your best option because they only have their own products,” Mary explains. “Your situation might be a little different and you might need a different product. I have several lenders I can go to and search for a product that meets your needs. But, if your bank’s products don’t fit you, they can’t help you.” 

She says she talks with people every day who have special circumstances and that the more she learns about them, the more helpful it is to be able to work with a variety of different lenders. 

“We definitely have more options than a bank can offer,” she says. “There aren’t any extra fees, and you have the advantage of the many more products that we can offer you.” 

Marimark Mortgage’s office is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more information, visit MarimarkMortgage.com or call (813) 910- 8020.

Freedom High Chorus Set To Perform At New York’s Carnegie Hall In April! 

Freedom High chorus students last got to visit New York City in 2023. In a couple of months, 33 Freedom students will be taking a trip to the Big Apple to perform in the National Concert Chorus at the renowned Carnegie Hall, but they need some financial assistance. (Photo provided by Amber Faircloth) 

Freedom High chorus students are preparing for the experience of a lifetime — an upcoming trip to sing at the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City. 

Amber Faircloth, the school’s choral director, says Freedom students will perform in the National Concert Chorus, singing a variety of choral repertoire numbers under the direction of esteemed directors, along with several other high schools from across the country. 

The trip will include three days of rehearsals with the students from other schools. The students, their chaperones and teacher also will see the musical “Hadestown” and do some sightseeing. They’ll have a dress rehearsal and concert in Carnegie Hall, then attend a reception at the Hard Rock CafĂ©, where the venue will be shut down exclusively for them from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. 

The event is put on by National Concerts, an organization that aims to “provide impactful performance opportunities for musicians, empowering them to reach their highest potential through innovative collaborations.” 

Of about 70 total students in Freedom’s chorus program, 33 will attend the trip Mar. 29-Apr. 2. The National Concert Chorus performance will be held on Tuesday, April 1. 

Faircloth says her goal is to do a big trip every year. She wasn’t able to lead trips during and shortly after Covid but, in 2023, she took students to New York City to do a Broadway tour, where they saw three shows and participated in a workshop. Last year, they went to Williamsburg, VA, where they participated in the Williamsburg Heritage Festival and were evaluated on their performance. 

“The performance part of the Williamsburg trip made it so much more special because they had something to work toward,” Faircloth says. 

This year, she is thrilled to take them to the next level. “Carnegie Hall is a very special venue they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to perform in,” she says. 

Faircloth has taught at Freedom since her graduation in 2018 from Florida State University in Tallahassee with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. She’s made it a goal to give her students memories that will last a lifetime, like the ones she had as a student in Hillsborough County’s Newsome High in Lithia. 

“My high school chorus teacher gave me the best chorus experience,” she says. “I remember in vivid detail my madrigal dinners and competitions and trips. I want to give my students memories they can take and live with the rest of their lives.” 

She says chorus also offers students a positive experience and something fun in their day to look forward to, and exposes them to new things they can be successful with, such as Freedom’s own annual madrigal dinner, as we reported last issue. 

A madrigal dinner, an evening of Renaissance-style entertainment, may be something students are not familiar with until they join chorus, she says, but “it’s a fun, festive way to ring in the holiday season.” 

Upcoming performances that are open to the public include a coffeehouse fundraiser with solo and small group performances at Lutz Community Church on Friday, April 11, 6 p.m. “Shrek the Musical” will be held in the Freedom auditorium the weekend of May 1-3 and the chorus spring concert will be Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. 

Please Help! 

Faircloth says Freedom is looking for community support to help her chorus students take the trip of a lifetime to perform at Carnegie Hall. 

Students have already paid $1,725 each to attend, but that is well short of the actual cost of the trip. “A lot of students have taken up jobs to pay for the trip themselves, and their families are working very hard for them to have this opportunity,” Faircloth explains. “We’ve done quite a bit of fundraising and applied for grants to cover the cost as much as possible.” 

Faircloth says she’s hoping additional community support could help to limit the amount students have to pay for New York City’s famously expensive meals and activities. 

To support the students’ trip, visit FreedomHSChoralBoosters.square.site and choose the “Donate” option. Businesses that are interested in sponsorship opportunities, which will include recognition on social media and in concert programs, can email AmberFaircloth@HCPS.net for more information.