Category: Business

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Gives You The Power Of A Winning Smile

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry on BBD is about more than just the talents of family dentists (both in white) Dr. Neeraja Jasthi (left) and Dr. Sandra Pojtek. The office’s friendly, professional staff speaks seven languages.

The logo for Family & Cosmetic Dentistry has these words: “A smile is the same in any language.” It is a statement that expresses a basic truth of daily living and guides the work of the professionals who work at this family-friendly dental office.

Before she chose dentistry as her career, Dr. Neeraja Jasthi, DMD, says she considered becoming a physician. But, learning first-hand how the power of a smile can change one’s life set her on the road to Tufts School of Dental Medicine in Boston, where she earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree in 1996. The road after dental school ultimately brought her to open Family & Cosmetic Dentistry on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., located just south of County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as Amscot) in New Tampa, where she has been practicing dentistry for the past 10 years.

Dr. Jasthi says it was her own experience with orthodontics, while wearing dental braces that helped move her teeth into proper and visually appealing alignment, that enlightened her to the importance of helping people with one of their most basic physical attributes — their smile.

“I had an orthodontist who inspired me,” Dr. Jasthi says. “I saw how it changed my teeth and how a smile is so important. It shows your character and you can boost others and show compassion with a smile.”

Relieving people’s pain and improving patient health are other reasons Dr. Jasthi cites for pursuing her career as a dentist. She is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), Florida Dental Association (FDA), the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

By investing in training and technology, Dr. Jasthi and her team are able to provide numerous services, ranging from procedures that maintain oral health or repair dental damage to cosmetic treatments that can brighten and enhance a smile. Some of the available services include basic dental cleanings and exams, fillings, crowns, root canals, bridges, veneers, whitening, Invisalign braces, dentures and extractions.

Working with Dr. Jasthi to deliver high-quality care is her team of about a dozen dental technicians, assistants and hygienists, as well as Dr. Sandra Pojtek, DMD, who recently joined the practice.

“My team has to reflect my values in providing the best care possible and being sensitive to patient needs,” Dr. Jasthi says.

The growth of Family & Cosmetic Dentistry’s patient population created a need for an additional dentist and resulted in the hiring of Dr. Pojtek, who is a 2014 graduate of the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Dental Medicine in Montreal, Canada. She also completed a one-year residency at East Carolina University’s School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, NC. Just as Dr. Jasthi found a sense of direction from an established dental practitioner, so has Dr. Pojtek.

“I would consider her (Dr. Jasthi) a mentor figure,” says Dr. Pojtek. “We have similar values. The philosophy here is about putting the patient’s needs first and the quality of work, offering the best dentistry.”

The hiring of Dr. Pojtek means patients can now schedule treatment or a consultation at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Some of the advanced technology used at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry are the i-CAT Cone Beam 3D Dental Imaging machine which, according to its manufacturer, provides more detailed images than analog X-rays, improving diagnoses and treatment. The office also offers crowns, inlays, onlays and veneers, often in one visit.

But, even with advanced technology to improve treatment options and outcomes, Dr. Jasthi is a firm believer that each of her patients actually provides the first-line of their own dental (and overall health) defenses when they develop good habits like proper brushing and flossing, as well as becoming informed about how proper dental hygiene contributes to their overall well being.

“I’m also concerned about (my patients’) physical health,” she says. “We educate our patients about oral and gum health and how it will impact their general health.”

Multiple Payment Options

Paying for dental work is always a consideration in choosing where to get treatment. Family & Cosmetic Dentistry accepts most dental insurance plans, major credit cards and Care Credit Financing. Another option is an in-office dental savings plan for patients can enroll in. These plans carry enrollment fees of $99 for adults and $69 for children 13 years and younger, but enrollees receive one cleaning and exam at no charge each year and a 15-percent discount on many procedures, such as fillings, perio scaling, crowns and veneers. Check with Family and Cosmetic Dentistry for complete details, including restrictions. Patients also accrue financial credits to their accounts through a new patient referral program. And of course, first-time patients can schedule a free consultation appointment.

Sharing the talents and skills that she and members of her team possess with people whose needs exceed their ability to access dental care is one of the values Dr. Jasthi upholds. Her practice participates in scheduled dental camps at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, providing basic dental care to patients without charge. “I try to help people as much as I can,” she says.

Building successful dental practice one smile at a time has paid off in terms of positive online reviews at sites like Zocdoc.com and Healthgrades.com as well as patients like Rana Hayes of Wesley Chapel, who are happy to share their experiences at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.

“Dr. Jasthi is a perfectionist,” says Hayes, who lives in Bridgewater. “She pays strict attention to detail.”

Hayes has been a patient of Dr. Jasthi’s for more than 10 years and also commended the staff at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry.

“They’re extremely courteous and professional,” Hayes says. “You’re treated like you want to be treated.” She adds that she found the staff to be helpful and accommodating, even when her appointments sometimes needed to be changed.

Another patient, Denis Cole, an Englishman who lives outside of London, includes stops at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in his travel plans. Cole resides in the Wesley Chapel area from October to April each year and now starts and ends his annual visits with dental cleanings and checkups at the office after undergoing extensive treatment from Dr. Jasthi four years ago.

“She’s very good and has a good staff there,” the self-described “rainbird” says. “They did the work very efficiently and at a good price. You won’t get that kind of work with National Health in England.”

Treating international visitors and residents of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas is facilitated by the ability of the staff at Family & Cosmetic Dentistry to communicate in several languages besides English. Other languages spoken at the practice are: Telugu (a native language in India), Spanish, French, Russian, Slovak and Lithuanian.

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry (20441 BBD) treats patients age 4 and older. For more info, visit DrJasthi.com or call 866-9913. There is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week answering service available if the office is closed when you call. Or, use the office’s online contact page at DrJasthi.com/contact-us to ask questions or to request an appointment.

Dr. Jasthi Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

New Adventist Private School Breaks Ground On County Line Rd.

New Tampa families looking for a private, Christian education for children in grades pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) through high school will soon have another option — thanks to the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists.

Scheduled to open for the 2018-19 academic year, the still-unnamed school will be located on County Line Rd., on the New Tampa (south) side of the road. A groundbreaking ceremony for the school was held at the school’s future location on Nov. 6.

The Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists has hired Georgia-based School Growth to manage all aspects of the school’s opening, aside from the design and construction of the building.

“We work with the Department of Education and the Florida Conference to design everything from the structure of the school, its operation, brand, and curriculum, to human resources strategies,” explains Scott Barron, the founder and CEO of School Growth.

school-groundbreaking3 The campus will occupy about 43 acres of land. In the fall of 2018, it is expected to be open to students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, although Barron says the school would enroll a ninth grade class if there is enough demand for it. Higher grades will be added in subsequent years.

“We expect to attract families looking for a more personalized approach to learning,” says Barron, who explains that the school will emphasize project-based learning and will provide, “awareness and support for each student as an individual.”

Barron says his company works with public and private schools all over the world and can take best practices from these schools — as well as the best professional development strategies — to impleme school-groundbreaking2 nt one of the most advanced schools anywhere. “It’s kind of like a dream school,” he says.

The school will integrate outdoor learning as an essential focus of its curriculum. Barron says his company is working with an ecological architect to create an estuary and outdoor classroom, and take advantage of retention ponds on the property, so that students will be able to learn about birds and other wildlife that are attracted to the campus.

“We can do this in a way you can’t in many other locations,” says Barron. “First of all, because of the weather, and then also because of the natural features of the land.”

Barron says Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is owned by the Adventist Health System, part of the worldwide organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is supporting the school by providing resources for its development.

Architects for the project are Fielding Nair International, a global firm that builds schools worldwide, which has an office in Lutz, and St. Petersburg-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.

The new school will be located at 5814 E. County Line Rd., Tampa. For more information, visit SchoolGrowth.com/tampa-new-school.

school groundbreaking

Hourly Childcare With No Reservations: Just Drop In At KidsPark!

kidspark-copy — Owner Amanda Justus (left) and director Heather Perez invite you to check out KidsPark, located just off I-75 on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.

KidsPark is a totally new concept in childcare for the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area.

“If you’re a mom, you get it,” says Amanda Justus, the owner of the KidsPark Tampa, located just off of S.R. 56, east of I-75, in Wesley Chapel. She explains that KidsPark is available for children ages 2 through 12, for drop-in childcare.

“We offer hourly childcare on days, evenings and weekends with no reservations,” says Amanda. “For date nights, meetings, grocery shopping, appointments, anything… you just drop your kids off.”

The concept is popular. Since opening in August, KidsPark has registered about 600 families. The Wesley Chapel location is part of a growing franchise headquartered in San Jose, CA. Its 17 locations are in seven states, including three KidsPark facilities in Florida.

“My first experience with hourly childcare was when I was living in North Carolina and my husband was in the Marines,” Amanda says. “Hourly childcare saved my life. Sometimes, it was the only way for me to get to the store or clean the house.”

Amanda and her husband Ricky live in Wesley Chapel with their two children, Camryn, who is 10, and Gavin, who is 6. Amanda worked as a microbiologist at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel before leaving her job to focus on opening and running KidsPark. While her undergraduate degree is in microbiology from the University of South Florida in Tampa, she also holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from nearby St. Leo University, which she earned in 2013.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and I knew this was something the area needed,” she says.

When Amanda realized that she could open a KidsPark franchise, she says she signed the paperwork immediately, “And, it’s exceeded our expectations.”

KidsPark’s full-time director, Heather Perez, has 20 years of experience as a preschool director in Pasco County. “Heather has been a huge help for me,” says Amanda. “My background is in science, so it’s great that Heather understands all of the licensing and requirements.”

Meeting Your Needs

For anyone who works 12-hour shifts or evening hours, such as nurses, servers, or anyone in retail, traditional daycare just doesn’t work. Amanda says that since her husband is a firefighter, she used to pay for full-time childcare, even though she didn’t need it.

kidspark3 — Whether your kids are pre-school age or as old as age 12, they are welcome to enjoy KidsPark.

Dads and moms apparently like it for date night, too. “Parents tell us we’re saving their marriages,” says Amanda. “Dads actually high-five us and say thank you.”

KidsPark has something for all kids, from dramatic play to air hockey, board games and puzzles, as well as karaoke, Wii dance, Wii sports, and Xbox. Kids Park also has a private, enclosed outdoor space so kids can get some fresh air.

While visitors to KidsPark get time for open play, there also are scheduled activities. “We try to make sure every child takes home a craft or art project,” Amanda says, “so parents can see what they’ve been doing.”

KidsPark serves lunch at noon every day, and dinner at 6 p.m. The meals are catered and cost just $4. Snacks are provided at no additional charge at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“It’s huge to know that you always have child care, and – unlike what might happen with a babysitter – that they aren’t just sitting there watching TV,” Amanda says.

Preschool, Too

In addition to hourly childcare, KidsPark offers both Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for four year olds and preschool for ages two and three.

KidsPark’s one VPK class filled up quickly. These families use a voucher and pay nothing when they pick their child up by noon. On any day, whether the parent is running late or would like additional childcare, the kid simply stays longer and parents pay just the regular hourly rate for any additional time.

“Buddy Preschool” also is held each day from 9 a.m. to noon, but parents have the flexibility to choose which days they attend and pay hourly just for the times their child is there.

Affordable Rates

“We try to make it so everyone can afford child care,” Amanda says. The hourly rate is just $7.75 for one child, or $11.75 for two. Additional siblings are $3 per hour. A “preferred customer rate” is available for anyone who pre-pays $100 or more (in $50 increments, up to $250). Ten percent is added to your prepayment, so if you pre-pay $100, you actually get $110 credited to your account.

There is a $25 registration fee per family (not per child), which is a one-time fee, as long as you come at least once a year. Also, once you’ve paid the registration fee at any facility, you can use all of the KidsPark facilities across the country if you’re traveling.

Amanda also offers discounts to hospital employees and to anyone in the military.

On Sundays, before and after Kids Park is open, the staff hosts birthday parties and other private parties.

“For a private party, you have the whole center to yourselves,” says Amanda. “You choose a craft and a game, and the cost includes face painting, two staff members to keep the kids busy, and also includes invitations, paper products and even decorations.”

Happy Customers

Denise Drury’s two-year-old twins, John and James, were KidsPark’s very first clients.

“It’s a wonderful place,” says Denise. “The caregivers there treat my boys like they’re their own.”

Denise adds that KidsPark is, “the best concept ever, for a mom to be able to drop her kids off at the last minute,” whether it’s for grocery shopping, an appointment, or a night out with her husband. “It’s affordable, and I can’t get over all of the activities the kids get to do there.”

KidsPark is located at 26240 Golden Maple Loop, just off of S.R. 56 (east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel. The center is open Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m., 8 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 1 p.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, see the ad on page 18, call 803-4972, or visit KidsPark.com.

KidsPark

New Tampa’s Massage Green Spa — Where Green Is More Than Just A Name!

Todd Phillips was the chief operating officer (COO) of a medical practice in Pinellas County when his attention first turned to overall wellness.

The doctor in the office, a young, forward-thinking physician, began focusing on wellness, and the last project he and Todd worked on together was a 10,000-sq.-ft. wellness facility that included a variety of services, including massage therapy.

“When I started to see some of the benefits of a more proactive approach to self care and wellness, it piqued my interest,’’ Todd says. “When my experiences started moving in that direction, that’s when we decided this would be a good move for us.”

Todd’s wife Kelly also was very interested in wellness, from her experience working as a registered nurse (RN) at Tampa Community Hospital in Town & Country. Together, the former New Tampa residents opened Massage Green Spa this summer in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at New Tampa Blvd.

So far, the Phillips’ say the spa has been a hit. They benefit from a great location (its proximity to Publix) and a huge amount of daily traffic, and believe they offer a great product that has created positive word-of-mouth, swelling the membership ranks at Massage Green Spa. Kelly spearheads the spa’s aggressive approach on social media.

“The response we’ve gotten from that (social media) has been amazing,’’ she says. “The biggest thing is that people are coming in. And, when they come in, we make sure they have a good experience.”

The concept is simple, but everyone at Massage Green Spa works hard to perfect it: create a fresh, clean environment and beautifully designed waiting room; while offering quality massages, infrared heat therapy, facials and aromatherapy. The spa also includes options for couples — the couples massage room is warm and inviting — and offer a discounted introductory price to go with membership pricing that includes a number of different, affordable combinations.

“The concept is affordable luxury,’’ Todd says. “For a business to offer these kind of services at a price point more people can afford, and see the benefits of wellness in their lives, I think that’s a great thing. It shouldn’t be an exclusive service.”

“Green” is more than just a word at Massage Green. The spa was built with recycled cellulose drywall and decorated with hand-cultured stone. Part of the Massage Green Spa mantra, in fact, is “Healthy Bodies, Healthy Buildings.”

The equipment, like the Sunlighten infrared sauna, is the highest-rated in terms of efficiency, Phillips says. The products used are all natural. Heck, you can even save a tree by having your receipt emailed to you.

The couples massage room at Massage Green Spa provides affordable, licensed couples massages in an intimate setting.

“All organic, no additives,” Phillips says. “We take it seriously. It’s an important part of what we do. We try to leave as small an environmental footprint as we can.”

Massage Green Spa is a membership-based spa, although non-members also are welcome. You’ll get a better price with a membership, with a variety of different combinations to choose from. And, if you’re unsure about joining, the spa offers introductory pricing for your first visit only.

“We think our price points are a little bit better than our competitors,” Todd says. “And, although it is still a subscription-based model, it’s a little less around-the-throat aggressive than some others. It is truly a month-to-month commitment. At other places, if you want to leave after two months, you’re still paying for another 10. Not here.”

Pro tip: I treated my wife to a massage at Massage Green Spa two weeks ago, and she couldn’t stop raving about the work Latoya, a licensed massage therapist (LMT), did on her. And afterwards, she was so relaxed she fell asleep during her infrared therapy session.

Latoya and fellow LMTs Keesha, Devonia, Malik, Nicole, Jose, Lynda and Clifton have all received similar reviews from their clients, Todd says.

About That Infrared Therapy

What Todd says truly sets Massage Green Spa apart from others is its Full Spectrum Infrared Therapy, powered by Sunlighten.

“It’s an amazing adjunct to licensed massage,” Todd says. The benefits of heat therapy have been around forever, in Finnish culture and in Asian culture for literally thousands of years. “Infrared is simply just a more efficient way of delivering the heat. The same technology has been used for a long time in hospitals and neonatal wards to warm babies.”

massagegreen3 — The Sunlighten infrared sauna offers a number of health benefits…and Netflix, too!

While the idea of a sauna may not be pleasant to many, due to the stifling heat, the sweating and the boredom, infrared therapy offers a different experience.

“I’m a big guy,” Todd says. “If you put me in a traditional sauna, I’m running for the door in 10 minutes,. I feel like I can’t breathe; it’s almost claustrophobic. Because of the efficiency and the way the way the infrared heats, it doesn’t feel as hot but you’re still getting all of the health benefits.”

Todd says that infrared therapy aids in detoxification and dissolving toxins in the blood, helps with fat loss, chronic fatigue and skin disorders. He notes that 30 minutes of infrared therapy burns 600 calories.

It is also known to lower your blood pressure and increase blood flow — which has a ton of health benefits, including helping to reduce muscle soreness and even arthritis pain.

“The cardiovascular program is proven to lower your blood pressure,” says Kelly, citing a 2005 clinical study at the University of Missouri-Kansas. “Self-care is very important for everyone.”

Todd says the infrared sauna and massage go hand-in-hand many times. Many of Massage Green Spa’s clients use the infrared sauna afterwards to help with some of the residual soreness from a deep-tissue massage. And for those who have trouble relaxing on a massage table, the infrared sauna can be taken before to help with relaxation.

If sitting still for 30 minutes to an hour in the heat is too boring, the saunas are enabled with a wifi-enabled touchscreen, allowing you to pull up Netflix or Pandora or even check your Facebook page. There is even an app that will sync your health device, like a Fitbit, to the computer.

Customers can purchase Infrared Therapy memberships (or come in and try it once at a $19.95 introductory price). In fact, Todd says one client who recently signed up only comes for the sauna.

Massage Green Spa also has two licensed aestheticians on staff, Christina and Katrina, and the offer a number of different European spa facials. A typical one-hour session includes extractions, mask and a neck/shoulder. Massage Green Spa also uses Skin Script, an all natural-enzyme based product line.

The spa does not offer microdermabrasions or peels, but it does offer aromatherapy with doTERRA essential oils, hot stone treatments and if you’re short on time, try a 15-minute chair massage for $15.

Massage Green Spa, which is Michigan-based, has 80 locations nationwide, including one in Jacksonville and four in the Miami area. The New Tampa location is the first of three franchises that Todd and Kelly plan on opening in the Tampa Bay area.

They know the Massage Green Spa CEO, Allie Mallad, through Kelly’s father Keith Sirois — the current CEO of Big Boy in Michigan and former CEO of Tampa-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. — who also is a Massage Green franchisee.

But, don’t be fooled by the word “franchise.” Kelly says she and her husband go out of their way to make sure their location always has that hometown feel. One of them is always working behind the counter, and they are active in the community.

Massage Green Spa sponsors teams in the Police Athletic League Pop Warner football and North Tampa Athletic League baseball programs. They sponsor the Freedom High football team, the Freedom PTSA and Clark Elementary PTA, and even offer discounts on Tuesdays to teachers.

“Even though it’s a franchise, we have a real commitment to the community and doing business with other small businesses,’’ Todd says. “That’s the way it should be.”

Massage Green Spa is located at 19040 BBD Blvd., next to the Publix supermarket in the New Tampa Center and is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. Massage Green Spa has introductory prices on all of its services, as well as monthly memberships. For more information, visit MassageGreenSpa.com or Facebook/MassageGreenTampa, or call 333-7703.

Massage Green Spa

The Moody Group Is Your One-Stop For Real Estate, Mortgages & More

The team at The Moody Group includes (back row:, l.-r.) Erika Mendieta, Marcelo Mendieta, Leon Moody & Sherlyn Clark. (Front row, l.-r.) Haydee Irribarren, Vanessa Gallucci & Mitzi Hess.

Owning a home in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel can be a source of joy, but it also can be a burden when there’s a change in your employment or lifestyle.

As a one-stop real estate resource, The Moody Group Real Estate Sales & Property Management — located just south of County Line Rd. at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Oak Joy Ct. between the Walgreens and The Tire Choice (in the same building as Central Bank) — can manage the property of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents who quickly need to move on to other places. The office also can help newcomers to our area find a place to live.

The Moody Group specializes in home sales, rentals, property management and investment property services in the neighborhoods located in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.

For Leon Moody, the basic principle guiding the organization that bears his name is one that reassures its customers.

“People are our business, real estate just happens to be our product,” says Moody, who was born in Dade City and, as an outdoorsman, spent a good bit of his early life enjoying the wilderness of what is now Wesley Chapel.

As a real estate professional, Moody has more than 30 years of experiences to draw upon and back up his candid assessments of situations when doing business. “The truth is the truth,” he says. “Just because you built those cabinets doesn’t make your house worth $50,000 more than the market.”

That straightforward approach applies, whether a customer needs to rent out their New Tampa estate for $3,000 a month when a far-away career opportunity arises or a family on a tight budget is starting a new life in the Sunshine State and needs to find a place costing less than $1,000 a month. For those whose credit rating may have taken a heavy hit during the recent recession (making it difficult to buy or rent housing in the neighborhood of their choosing), there may be a second chance at the “Good Life” available by working with The Moody Group.

“We’ll look at the whole person,” says Moody. “We may want to know more about you and get the last month’s rent, but we’ll try to help you.”

Assisting Moody in his work is a team of professionals who contribute their expertise and energy toward the company’s success and the care of its customers.

Buying and selling property is at the core of any real estate business and The Moody Group’s approach is to combine a high level of customer service with educating clients so transactions are successfully completed. Many client relationships involve a homeowner who may be facing a corporate transfer or military deployment and is unsure whether to rent or sell his/her home.

Marcelo Mendieta is a real estate agent with The Moody Group who says making that choice begins with a good look at the numbers, and the people involved.

“We do a market analysis to see if it’s better to rent the house or sell it and guide our client in the right direction,’’ Mendieta says. ”I like to sleep at night, so we treat people with respect.” He adds that extending that respect involves communicating honestly with clients, especially when a deal encounters problems. “We like to give people bad news right up front,” Mendieta says. “We’re straightforward and that’s what keeps people referring us.”

Being on top of problems is one of the positive attributes Google reviewer and condominium owner Lan Rice cited in his five-star testimonial about The Moody Group.

“The Moody Group has been managing a condo I own in Tampa for about a year now,” Rice wrote. “The few problems that have arisen with the condo have been handled quickly and professionally. The Moody Group has been very good about keeping me informed and they process the rent payments quickly and accurately.”

Russ Latimer moved with his family to Tampa from Maryland and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of The Moody Group in ensuring a smooth transition for his family in his online review:

“The pictures on the web showed a very nice house in a gated community with a pool and hot tub.,” Latimer wrote. “Unfortunately, the previous tenants, upon their departure, left the house in need of many repairs. The Moody Group kept us informed about the status of the property and did an outstanding job of correcting the many issues left by the previous tenants.”

Renting private homes in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel requires extensive knowledge of the area’s communities and the covenants and restrictions each of their Home Owners Associations (HOAs) and Community Development Districts (CDDs) have. Making sure a potential tenant is a good fit for a community in terms of comfort with its rules, or lack of them, is a big part of the work routine for Vanessa Gallucci, who is The Moody Group’s property manager.

“I get customers who say, ‘I don’t want to be in an HOA,’ while others like the restrictions,” says Gallucci, who also is the go-to person for many of the issues that arise in the course of conducting business. To her, the tougher the challenge, the greater the motivation to make things right.

“I love having an irate customer because I can put myself in their position and say, ‘Let’s figure out how to make you happy,’” she says. “At the end of the day, we want to earn their trust.”

For people who might consider using The Moody Group to buy a home, real estate agent Sherlyn Clark has one essential piece of advice. “First and foremost, buyers must be pre-approved,” says Clark, who adds that one of the ways The Moody Group plans on growing in 2017 is by establishing a working relationship with a mortgage company so the mortgage approval process can be handled in-house, easing that burden for potential buyers. “Customer service is our number one goal,” she adds.

For more info about The Moody Group (20701 BBD), visit LeonMoody.com. The Moody Group Facebook page features listing highlights and articles of interest. You also can call 994-0123 or see the ad on pg. 37 of our latest issue. The office can communicate in English, Spanish and Creole.

Moody Group