Until recently, only our Neighborhood News print advertisers could advertise on our NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net website, which averages more than 30,000 legitimate “hits” every month — people who log on to actually read our exclusive content — and some stories have generated more than 50,000 hits in a single day. The most recent to generate huge numbers were our breaking story about the new Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit opening soon and our story about the “Two Curley Rds.”
Call (813) 910-2575 or email Jannah at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com for more information about both print and online advertising with the Neighborhood News!
Whether or not you’ve ever entered one of our previous Reader Dining Survey & Contests, I hope you’ll consider entering at least once this year.
Yes, while we still have at least three (there could be more) free dining prizes, from $35 to $100 — to the restaurant of your choice, no less — we’re making it easier than ever before for you to enter.
Instead of a full page or more of different dining categories, all we’re asking you for is to answer one or two questions in every issue between now and Thursday, November 16, and you’ll receive one entry into those random prize drawings for each Survey question you answer.
This issue, we’ll start with one question that asks you for FIVE (5) answers — “Name your Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) located in Wesley Chapel or near the Tampa Premium Outlets (aka Lutz).”
For your entry to be valid, you must name five different restaurants. If you only name one or two restaurants or fill in the name of the same restaurant in all five spaces, you’ll only have one or two votes counted and your entry will not be eligible for any of our prizes.
Then, in each of the next five issues, we’ll ask you to name only one or two of your favorites — for example, your Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Coffee Shop or Pizza Place — and we’ll give you one additional entry into our random prize drawings for each valid entry you submit. We feel as though this should stimulate more people to enter the contests, because the task won’t be as daunting as having to completely (or nearly completely) fill out an entire page of favorites.
As always, there’s no purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. All we ask is that you follow the following rules:
1. Enter by filling out the entry form in the issue or by filling the form out online by clicking HERE.
2. You can drop your filled-out entry form in the mail (send it to “2023 Neighborhood News Dining Contest,” 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., Suite 102D, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544) or even email it to us at Ads@NTNeighborhoodNews.com. *Note-Entries filled out on our website do not need to be mailed or emailed to us.
3. Please check the address and zip codes of the restaurants you choose, as only votes for restaurants in zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 (Wesley Chapel) and zip code 33559 (Lutz, within 1-2 miles of the S.R. 56 exit off I-75) will be counted as “Wesley Chapel” votes. When we ask you next issue for your “Five Favorite Restaurants (of any kind) in New Tampa,” only restaurants located in zip code 33647, or in the Oak Ramble Plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (in zip code 33613) and in or near the Palms Connection Plaza on E. Bearss Ave. (zip code 33559) will be counted as “New Tampa” votes.
4. In order to be eligible to win any of our free dining prizes to the restaurant of your choice, your entry form with a response to at least one of our questions over the next five months must include your name, full mailing address (including your zip code), the community you live in (Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, Seven Oaks, etc.), a daytime phone number where you can be reached and your valid email address.
We look forward to seeing how this year’s contest shakes out. Good luck!
(Above l.-r.) Matt, Mary & Nick Catchur of Marimark Mortgage, which is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (Photos by Charmaine George)
Since its founding by Mary Catchur in 2006, Marimark Mortgage has been a trusted mortgage brokerage for potential home buyers in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.
Mary received both her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Accounting and Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She also has earned licenses as both a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and as a Realtor in Florida.
Before founding Marimark, she worked as an auditor for public accounting firm Klynveld, Peat, Marwick & Goerdeler and also served as both the chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO) of New Homes Realty. Mary says that this experience allowed her to learn the business from the financial side.
“Between my background as a CPA and then as the CFO for a real estate company, I think my skills are somewhat unique (for the mortgage business), particularly the CPA background, because I understand the financial part of it.”
Since its origination here in Florida, Marimark has been able to expand to also provide mortgages in Pennsylvania, where Mary is originally from, as well as in Virginia, where she says she had multiple clients due to the solid housing market there.
Recently, Mary has been joined at Marimark by her sons Matthew (Matt) and Nicholas (Nick) Catchur. Matt works as a loan originator while studying at USF, while Nick is a real estate agent as well as a loan originator. With all of this combined expertise, Marimark strives to be a one-stop shop for people looking to buy real estate in New Tampa.
Marimark specializes in fixed-rate mortgages, which Mary says are the mortgages that her buyers are looking for the most, as well as being the most commonly recommended by Marimark.
“I do a variety of different types” she says, “but I think that most people are still looking for the standard, fixed-rate mortgage, not as much the adjustable rates anymore.” She adds that the reason is that conventional, fixed-rate mortgages often offer lower down payments, such as 3 percent down, for first-time buyers.
Other loans offered by Marimark are Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, which are government-backed and also offer low (usually only 3.5 percent) down payments, as well as Veterans Administration (VA) loans, which allow U.S. military veterans to buy a home with no money down.
Another type of loan that doesn’t require a down payment is a USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture) loan, which was originally offered as a way to develop areas that may not have been built up, although this type of loan is not as common in the New Tampa or Wesley Chapel areas due to the increased amount of development seen in our communities.
Marimark also offers reverse mortgages, which allow borrowers over the age of 62 with equity (meaning the house is worth more than what is owed on it) to eliminate mortgage payments altogether, leaving only taxes and insurance to be paid.
Marimark also focuses on helping self- employed people find mortgages, as Mary says that finding a mortgage when self-employed can be harder because the tax return documentation needed can be harder to understand and obtain. To combat this problem, Marimark assists self-employed people with what are known as bank-statement loans, where, as the name implies, deposits into that person’s bank account(s) obtained from their bank statements are used to determine their income, as well as what loans they would be qualified to receive. Bank statement loans also provide pre-qualification letters, which can be obtained through a phone call. These pre-qualification letters allow buyers to get an idea of the amount of credit they may be given by a lender during the mortgage process. Pre-qualification letters then allow home buyers to effectively negotiate with sellers.
Another thing that Mary says is becoming more popular these days is what is known as a debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) loan. This type of loan is useful for people looking to buy investment properties. Like bank-statement loans, DSCR loans don’t look at a borrower’s overall income, but instead consider how much money is going to come in from the investment property, and the borrower is qualified based on that amount. Debt-service refers to principal, interest, taxes, insurance, as well as Homeowners Association (HOA) fees. DSCR loans look at whether the income from the rent of the property will cover these fees, rather than looking at whether or not other income made by the owner will cover them.
Despite the local real estate boom cooling off somewhat, as people wait for home prices to drop more, Mary says that business at Marimark is still busy. Although there may not be as many people refinancing their existing homes, people are still moving into the area and are still looking to buy here. Even the refinancing market, which seems to have been somewhat slowing of late, is still a big part of Marimark’s business.
“One of the main things I do in refinancing is where people want to consolidate their higher-interest credit card and other debt,” she says.
Overall, the thing that Mary says sets Marimark apart from other mortgage brokers in the area is its borrower-focused approach without sales pressure. While some who get into the business are taught a sales-first approach, “That’s never been my way,” says Mary. “My method is I’m going to explain to you why this mortgage is the best thing for you or give you the options of what you have and explain the pros and cons of them. My approach is from a financial standpoint and an educational standpoint.”
Mary also says that she has some clients who have come to her after negative experiences in more high-pressure sales environments. Mary explains to clients what their rates look like, and notes that although rates could go up (as often said by people in high-pressure sales situations) they could also go down. This approach ensures that clients fully understand the process and are then allowed to make their own decisions.
Another thing that sets Marimark’s approach apart from other mortgage brokers is its attentive communication with its clients. This is evident from what clients have said about working with Marimark when obtaining mortgages, as well as home refinances.
“Refinancing with Mary has been an absolute pleasure,” says client Bret Brennan. “I had never been through the process before and she took the time to explain each step…The communication line alone made the refinancing process every bit worth it.” Communication is vital when making a big financial decision such as buying a home, so having good communication from the company allows clients to feel more comfortable throughout the whole process.
“I’ve been doing this for 17 years and it’s changed every year,” Mary says. “Either there are new rules or new documentation…but the one thing that remains constant is communication. If you just do that and educate people, you’ll still do good business.”
Marimark Mortgage’s office is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For more info, visit MarimarkMortgage.com or call (813) 910-8020.
Glen Yudman has owned Running Great Automotive on N. Nebraska Ave. for 26 years. Glen (left) has now been joined in the business by his sons Danny (center) and Robby. (Photos by Charmaine George).
When Glen Yudman purchased Running Great Automotive on N. Nebraska Ave (just south of Skipper Rd.) in North Tampa in 1997, his two sons were just kids.
Now, 26 years later, Glen’s sons Robby and Danny work right alongside him every day at the shop that has grown to earn a reputation for honesty and reliability. And, Glen’s wife Barbi helps with the books and sometimes answers the phones.
That makes Running Great a true family business — despite the fact Glen says he actually encouraged his sons to do something else. “It’s long hours,” he says.
On the other hand, it’s also rewarding, knowing that the business helps people and provides the kind of honest, quality service that is harder and harder to find these days.
A staff of 11 handles automobile maintenance and repairs at Running Great — from oil changes to brake service to new tires and more — while an additional seven employees provide services in the body shop.
As an independently-owned, neighborhood automotive center, there are no sales commissions, no quotas, and no dealer prices.
“The body shop world is mainly franchises,” Glen says. “It’s not personal.”
Not so at Running Great, where the service is personal and the customers span generations. There are now young people who bring their cars in for maintenance and repairs who are the grown children of parents who have been Glen’s customers for decades.
That’s the case with Helen Lucht, who moved to the area in 1996. At that time, the air conditioning went out in her 1989 Honda Accord. She started asking around and was referred to Running Great.
“We’ve been going there ever since,” she says. “Because they’re honest.”
Raising two teenage boys who were hard on cars, Helen says she’s had all kinds of work done over the years, including replacing transmissions, A/C systems and even motors.
Now those boys are grown and they bring their own cars to Running Great, too, which might not be remarkable, except that one currently lives in Atlanta.
“Whenever he comes down for a visit, we go to Running Great,” Helen says. “He doesn’t have a mechanic in Atlanta.”
She says she appreciates that the technicians at Running Great advise her of issues with her car, but also let her know which things are urgent and if anything can wait.
Most of all, she’s grateful for the relationship that has been built over so many years. “It’s nice to call and say, ‘It’s Helen,’ and they know who we are,” she says.
That’s possible because of the longevity of the employees who work at Running Great. Glen says the shop has many long-term employees and very low turnover.
For example, Chris Bach is a certified Master Mechanic by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and has been working at the location for 32 years, starting out when Nebraska Ave. was just a two-lane road and the business was called Mad Hatter Mufflers, Brakes & Transmissions.
Many other technicians have worked at Running Great for 10 years or much longer, which is something else that sets it apart from franchise or dealer shops.
“We don’t follow any franchise rules. No one works on commission here,” Glen says. “Nobody out in the shop is going to profit by saying you need something. Whether you buy new brakes or you don’t, it’s all the same to the mechanic.”
He says Running Great has no need for quotas, as the shop is always busy, but never so busy that it can’t take in new customers and their vehicles. “We can’t promise every job can be done the same day, every day,” he says, while adding that his mechanics do their best to finish every job as quickly as possible.
The New Normal
Glen says that, as cars get more expensive, people are keeping them much longer. While it used to be the norm to trade in cars every few years, it’s not as common these days.
“We see cars with more than 100,000 miles literally every day,” he says. “Most people used to only take a four-year loan; now there are seven-year loans.”
He says the key to keeping your car in tip-top shape is still oil changes. Being in Florida, the oil gets really hot, so it’s important to change it every 3,000 miles for conventional oil and every 5,000 miles for synthetic oil. When you bring your car to Running Great, your oil change will include a complimentary — and legitimate — vehicle inspection.
“If you go to the quick oil change place, they don’t usually care if your steering is about to fall off or if you have a bald tire,” Glen says. “Most are not trained to look.”
He says his customers tell him all the time that they’re surprised that the people at the oil change place didn’t tell them about problems with their brakes or other systems, but Glen emphasizes that’s not what a quick oil change place is in business to do.
And, he advises, if your brakes make any noise other than just a squeak, get someone to look at them right away. “The longer you wait,” he says, “the more it will cost you.”
As a NAPA-certified auto care center, any repairs done at Running Great use NAPA’s better quality parts and have a nationwide guarantee. Glen says that means if you take a road trip or move, if something fails, it will be fixed at no cost to you. He adds the he will get parts from dealers when needed, but even if the parts aren’t from NAPA, the work is still guaranteed and can be repaired at no cost at any NAPA-certified repair shop.
Over in the body shop, Glen says a steady stream of cars that have been in accidents come in for repair, with many more fender benders than they used to see.
Running Great uses a computer matching system for paint that has a camera with an eye that goes up against the body of the car to match the color. If it’s not perfect, the body shop can make adjustments based on what they see. They tint the paint on site so adjustments can be made as needed.
Drivers who have been in an accident have the right to take their car to any body shop they choose, so even if the insurance company recommends a specific shop, you don’t have to go there.
He says Running Great works with directly with all insurance companies and he recommends that you never pay out of pocket if your car needs body work.
“Always go through insurance,” he says. “Otherwise, you won’t get a rental and, if someone else agrees to pay for your repairs, they aren’t going to pay more if we find something else wrong. But, the insurance company will.”
Running Great Auto (14513 N. Nebraska Ave.) is open Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 7:30 a.m.-noon on Sat. For more information, call (813) 971-0642, visit RunningGreatAuto.com.
(Above) Nearly 100 runners took part in the first-ever Freedom Firecracker 5K run & 1-mile fun run at Freedom High in Tampa Palms on a hot and humid July 4. (All photos by Charmaine George)
Our first Freedom Firecracker 5K (and 1-mile fun run) turned out to be a huge success on the morning of the 4th of July. When all was said and done, 98 people had registered for the race — after the numbers were much lower (at only about 30) until the last several days before the event.
Eight-year-old Lochlan Lawley finished the 3.1 miles in 24.48, or almost exactly 8 minutes per mile
Race day was bright, clear, sunny, hot and humid and there was lots of red, white and blue. America-themed pop music played over the loudspeakers. Several members of the Freedom PTSA were there to help with setup, face painting and providing course directions for the runners. A number of student volunteers from Freedom’s Key Club also came out to help with face painting, handing out bead necklaces and providing water to runners at stations along the route.
After the playing of the national anthem, the race began promptly at 8 a.m., with an actual firecracker start! The course took the runners off Freedom’s new track, and then twice around the back of the school, up past the New Tampa Recreation Center along Commerce Park Blvd., and back through the parking lot, finishing up back on the track.
The overall winner at the Freedom Firecracker 5K was Mason LaBlance.
Hot dogs and red, white and blue popsicles were enjoyed after the race ended!
Medals were given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in male and female categories. The fastest runner overall was Mason LaBlance, who finished the 3.1-mile (5K) run in a time of 17:35.2. Mason, a student at King High, finished more than a minute ahead of his nearest competitors!
The other 5K medal winners were:
Male:
2. Joseph Kuhns – 18:44.5 (Freedom student)
3. Noah Brucculeri – 18:51.5
Female:
1. Elsi Rehberg – 22:08.5
2. Madelyn Ammirati – 23:22.3 (Freedom student)
3. Abigail Lawley – 23:27.2
The top-three male finishers were (l.-r.)Joseph Kuhns, Mason LaBlance & Noah Brucculeri. The top-three female finishers were (l.-r.) Elsi Rehberg, Madelyn Ammirati & Abigail Lawley.
The link at the end of this story will take you to a complete listing of the race results. Thanks to Freedom’s track coach Alex Hernandez for providing the link so everyone who participated can check their official results!
The 5K was followed by a 1-mile run/walk around the Freedom track. Mostly parents and some staff members participated in that event.
Freedom assistant principal Jenna Lamour and Coach Hernandez did an outstanding job organizing our school’s first-ever Firecracker 5K event. Thank you to them, the runners and their families, the Freedom PTSA and Freedom Key Club for their participation and support of the Freedom Athletics program.
Ms. Lamour says that the event generated about $2,000 in proceeds, which will be used to purchase athletic equipment, supplement uniforms, support coaches at clinics, recognition banquets, varsity letters/pins, etc.
