The North Tampa Law Group Offers Legal Help For Your Family

Attorney Brian Arrighi is the managing partner of the NorthTampa Law Group, located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park in Wesley Chapel.

Dealing with routine legal issues, such as creating a will or selling a home, is part of daily life and the attorneys of North Tampa Law Group, located in the Cypress Glen Professional Park, about one mile east of the I-75 exit at S.R. 56 (behind MINI of Wesley Chapel), are ready to help clients seeking legal assistance.

The firm was established in 2014 and attorneys Brian Arrighi (the managing partner) and Laurel Ackley each possess a decade or more of legal experience in areas that routinely affect families, such as real estate transactions, estate planning, probate proceedings, divorce, bankruptcy and other family law cases.

Arrighi says, however, that the North Tampa Law Group does not handle criminal or personal injury cases.

Ackley and Arrighi each earned their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees from Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, after earning undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Both lawyers are licensed to practice in the courts of the State of Florida and the U.S. District Court, Southern and Middle Districts of Florida.

Ackley also is licensed to practice in North Carolina.

With the active real estate market in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, there are lots of deals being made, including a lot of “For Sale By Owner” transactions. Arrighi says that having an attorney involved can be a worthwhile expense.

“The misconception is that it’s more expensive to get a lawyer involved and that’s not always the case,” he says. “There are a lot of issues that can arise during a transaction.”

One of the problems Arrighi cites is the inability to clear a property’s title, due to an existing judgment against a seller, something that can sometimes be negotiated to a lower settlement price to clear the title if a lawyer is involved in the process.

He also says that it can save valuable time if an attorney is reviewing a transaction and finds a potential problem.

“We see it right away and get working on it,” he says, adding that using North Tampa Law Group to handle a real estate closing does not necessarily increase the cost of a transaction. “Our fees are very competitive compared to a standard title agent.”

Estate Planning & Family Law

Estate planning is a legal area where it can be beneficial to pay attention to the different options so that assets can be managed and distributed according to the client’s wishes — all with minimal cost.

A will is the basic document many people use to direct the distribution of their assets, but it involves a sometimes lengthy and expensive court process known as “probate.” North Tampa Law Group handles probate cases and Arrighi says it’s a good idea to consider all of the options available to minimize court involvement.

Brian Arrighi

“For estate planning, your goal when you’re working with a client is to avoid the probate process entirely,” he says. “If you have a proper estate plan, you can have it set up using something like a trust to automatically pass the assets to your beneficiaries.”

In addition to asset distribution, Arrighi says considering real-life factors, like long-term health care and guardianship, also can be part of estate planning.

Sometimes life presents challenges with legal consequences, such as financial problems that result in a need to consider bankruptcy or a marriage that may be trending towards divorce. The North Tampa Law Group can help you work through what can be difficult, related legal processes involving issues like child custody, enforcement actions and even domestic violence injunctions.

Arrighi says that the breadth of services North Tampa Law Group provides offers convenience to the firm’s clients, whose legal needs may encompass more than one practice area.

“We’re really an all-inclusive kind of place for your typical family in the New Tampa area,” Arrighi says. “There’s really a lot we can help you with. A lot of our clients are very relieved to find out it was not as expensive a process as they thought and it wasn’t as difficult as they thought.”    

Laurel Ackley

Clients who have expressed their satisfaction with services they received from North Tampa Law Group include Scott Radtke, who awarded 5 stars on a Google online review.

“I have not always had the best luck dealing with attorneys, but Brian made the experience great,” Radtke wrote. “The staff was courteous and professional. He was knowledgeable of the subject matter and answered all of our questions. He was very reasonably priced and was also right on time for my appointment. I am extremely pleased with the North Tampa Law Group.  They are my new go-to attorneys!”

Arrighi says that communicating effectively with clients is an important part of the firm’s success. “I think we do a really great job of explaining things in simple terms and making the complicated simple to understand,” he says.

Document Preparation, Too

One way the North Tampa Law Group helps people who may not be able to afford the full legal representation that retaining a lawyer provides is by offering some services — such as document preparation— without coming on as attorney of record.

Arrighi says there are a lot of resources available for people who want to be their own legal advocate, and that North Tampa Legal Group can assist in these cases, too, also reducing your legal costs.

“We do offer services that are the nuts and bolts of legal advice that can really help with the process, without spending too much money,” he says, adding that the initial free consultation is a good way prospective clients willing to do some of the legal “lifting” themselves can begin the process of getting their day in court. 

A law firm is operated much like any other business and Arrighi says the North Tampa Law Group’s move to Wesley Chapel from the Tampa Palms Professional Center more than three years ago was influenced by a need to be accessible to a growing client base.

“We work with a lot of homeowners and deal with personal legal issues,” he says. “With the growth in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes, it’s more convenient to be in that area.”

The North Tampa Law Group is located at 26852 Tanic Dr., Suite 102, in Wesley Chapel. To set an online evaluation of your case, visit NorthTampaLawGroup.com or make an appointment for a free initial consultation at (813) 518-7411.

Farina Orthodontic Specialists Opens New Building & Office In Wesley Chapel!

Orthodontists Dr. Rudy Wagner (left) and Dr. Mark Farina will keep your kids smiling at their new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office on BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, just north of S.R. 56.

I try not to have to write too many of these business feature stories anymore because, after 24 years of owning and editing the Neighborhood News, I’ve written so many stories about (for the purpose of this story) doctors and dentists of all specialties that it’s hard for me (or anyone, really) to approach each story with a fresh perspective.

So, why I am I so deliriously happy to write this story about Farina Orthodontic Specialists, which recently opened an amazing new office on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel?

Because, quite honestly, I will always feel personally indebted to orthodontist Mark Farina, D.M.D. (Doctor of Dental Medicine) because not only did he truly transform the smiles of both of my sons, he showed my entire family his heart. He didn’t just ask the boys questions when they would visit during the years they wore braces, he genuinely cared about what they had to say and still can recite back information about both of them to me today, 15+ years later.

First, a little background about Dr. Farina’s schooling and training. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from Boston College in Boston, MA. He earned his D.M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in Philadelphia and did his post-graduate orthodontic training at New York University in New York City, NY.

He also has received advanced training in the integrated diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular joint pain, or TMJ, and has served on research teams at both New York University and the University of Pennsylvania to help find new and better ways to solve orthodontic problems.

The new office has lots of great new technology, including a digital impressions machine that eliminates the need for goopy molds.

He also participates in Continuing Education to stay up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs and most effective innovations in the industry and attends more than 80 hours of professional seminars so that he may bring the most advanced diagnosis, treatment and technology to my patients.

Mark started advertising in my publications way back when he only had his original offices — on N. Habana Ave. in West Tampa and an office he shared in the Palm Lake at Tampa Palms office building with oral surgeon Dr. Ted Grellner. He continued to promote his business in these pages when he and general dentist Dr. Rodney Holcombe built a new office in the professional plaza adjacent to what is now called the Shoppes of Amberly in Tampa Palms in 2000.

He did eventually take something of a hiatus from advertising with me a few years after he had transformed Jared’s crossover canine teeth and Jake’s giant “Chicklets” into the gorgeous smiles both still have today. Why? Quite honestly, his Tampa Palms office was already so busy he really couldn’t handle more new patients.

Enter: Dr. Rudy Wagner

When you talk to Mark about his wife, Lissette (who handles the marketing for his practice, which now has three offices) and his own sons, Stefano and Sergio, you will believe he cares about you and your children the same way he cares about his own family. He doesn’t just appreciate your business. He feels it is his honor and privilege that you have entrusted something so precious to any parent as your child’s smile to him and he will always take the time to ensure they end up looking the way you expect when he finishes his work.   

So, even though neither of his sons took an interest in becoming an orthodontist, Mark’s nephew, Dr. Rudy Wagner, who was born in the U.S. but raised in Puerto Rico, did decide to become a dentist. The always-smiling Dr. Rudy joined Mark in 2015, after graduating with his D.M.D. degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine in San Juan, where he also earned both his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology and his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Dental Sciences.

Dr. Rudy also did post-graduate work at Lehigh Valley Hospital, in Allentown, PA, where he had a general practice residency, and his post-graduate orthodontic training at the University of Puerto Rico.

The New Office

Due to the overcrowding at his New Tampa office — he says that he and Dr. Rudy have now helped improve 20,000 smiles the last 24 years — and wanting to expand into the booming Wesley Chapel market, Mark and Lissette purchased some property from the Porter family three years ago in the Wiregrass Ranch area, between Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and the also-new Florida Medical Clinic building.

New Tampa residents should have no trouble finding the new Farina Orthodontics office in Wesley Chapel, because of its unique cube shape and clock facing BBD.

And, a few weeks ago, the unique, cube-shaped building housing the new Wesley Chapel office of Farina Orthodontic Specialists opened on the 5,333-sq.-ft. first floor of the three-story, 16,000-sq.-ft. building. Mark says a periodontist and an endodontist are going to occupy the 2nd floor of the building, but he still has the 5,333-sq.-ft. third floor available. “It has amazing views and would be perfect for an injury rehab center or any professional use.”

He adds, “It’s crazy, but we’re already seeing 20-30 patients a day at the new office,” Mark says. “Of course, this office is twice the size of the one in Tampa Palms.”

New digs require new technology and there’s no doubt that Mark’s new office has the most incredible technology I’ve seen at a dentist’s office to date — and I’ve seen a few.

There is a digital X-ray machine that takes complete, 3D images of your mouth, jaw and all of your teeth in 4.8 seconds, with lower radiation than any traditional X-ray machine.

But, the most amazing thing to me at the new office was the new digital machine (above right) that can create custom-fitted molds of your mouth for braces or sleep apnea appliances without having to chomp down into trays covered with goop. I know I’ve choked on that goop before, so I wasn’t surprised when Mark told me that, “People throw up from the goop all the time. But, not only is the new machine easier for patients, the digitally-created molds we make are so much precise than the goop. And, with our new machine, it only takes a few minutes.”

Think You’ll Save Money With ‘Smile Direct?’ Think Again!

Mark and Dr. Rudy agree that orthodontists across the country currently are dealing with the public perception that it’s worth the initial lower investment to get invisible aligners from on-line companies like Candid and Smile Club Direct. But, they say people who choose that route for themselves or their children don’t understand how much having an experienced orthodontist not only create your appliances,  but make sure that everything is going according to plan by actually meeting with the patient every few weeks, is worth.

“Mark and I literally spend one day per week working with patients who have had bad experiences with online aligners,” Dr. Rudy says. “Having to fix a problem is much harder and costs more than coming to us first.”

In other words, if you want to transform your smile or your child’s, you should at least visit the new Farina Orthodontic Specialists office in Wesley Chapel.

And, if you like the analog clock on the side of the new building, you can thank Stefano Farina. “People remember a building with a clock on it,” he told his dad. “It’ll set you apart.”

Farina Orthodontic Specialists’ Wesley Chapel office is located at 2370 BBD Blvd., Ste. 100. For info, call (813) 964-3081 or visit FarinaSmiles.com. For the Tampa Palms office (15303 Amberly Dr., Ste. E), call (813) 972-2929 and please tell them the Neighborhood News sent you!

Sylvan Learning Center Offers Successful Approach

At the Sylvan Learning Center in Wesley Chapel, (l.-r.) assistant director Kristi Chatham, director Lara Riordan, director of education Caitlyn Hussey and owner Dr. Judy Johnson tailor lessons, taught by certified teachers, to each student’s individual academic needs.

Dr. Judy Johnson brought Sylvan Learning to the Tampa Bay area more than three decades ago, when she opened her first Sylvan Learning Center in Carrollwood in 1985.

Her students from 30 years ago now bring their children — or those who brought their kids now bring grandchildren — telling Dr. Johnson they remember how much it helped them, and how much they enjoyed their time at the center.

Over the years, the success of the program has led to expansion locally, and Dr. Johnson opened her fifth Bay-area center this past October. The newest location is here in Wesley Chapel, in the Summergate Professional Center in Seven Oaks, off of S.R. 56, behind Sam’s Club.

Her Bay-area locations, which also include Carrollwood, Westchase, Temple Terrace and Zephyrhills, are among the more than 750 Sylvan Learning Centers worldwide.

Dr. Johnson is a lifelong educator who holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Special Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa, which she received in 1995. Previously, she completed a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Counseling from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, in 1977 and a Master of Education (M.E.) degree in Biology from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1971.

Since the Wesley Chapel center opened last fall, Kristi Chatham has served as its director. She has been with Sylvan for three years, and previously was at the Zephyrhills location and prior to that, worked as an instructor at a Sylvan Learning Center in Alabama.

“I like it because I know it works,” Kristi says. “I’ve seen it.”

As of May 1, Kristi took a step back to be the assistant director of the center, allowing her to spend more time with her family. Lara Riordan is now the new director. Lara has been the director of the Temple Terrace center since 2005. She started with Sylvan as an instructor in New York in 2000.

A Proven Model

The Sylvan model means students have a maximum ratio of three students to one teacher, so they’re never in large groups where they can be overlooked. Students come to Sylvan to get ahead, for extra practice, for test preparation or whatever they need.

“We’re not tutors fixing one skill for one test,” explains Lara. We are a solution for all (of your child’s) academic needs.”

“We’re not just for remediation,” adds Dr. Johnson, “We work with accelerated kids – kids who want to go to Harvard.”

Sylvan Learning Centers are staffed by certified teachers who receive additional training in the Sylvan program. They then teach students lessons, which vary based on the child and are flexible for each individual student. The Wesley Chapel location currently has about 10 teachers on staff, including the director, assistant director and director of education Caitlyn Hussey.

“I still teach,” Dr. Johnson says. “It’s a good way to see what’s going on and meet with families.”

Sylvan’s program starts with a diagnostic assessment, then the teacher creates a “prescription” for the student, to ensure lessons are properly tailored to each individual’s needs.

“All of us have a knowledge base,” explains Dr. Johnson. “When we go to school, we have to sit through things we already know.” Sylvan is different, she adds. “We find out what a child knows. We figure out where they’re strong and weak.”

Then, she explains the child is taught “on the edges of where they need to be,” so the lesson is neither boring nor too hard.

“The programs are as individualized as they need to be,” explains Caitlin. “My challenge is to ensure that each program is sufficiently challenging to meet each student’s needs.”

As an endorsement of Sylvan Learning Center, Dr. Johnson shares that recently, an investor traveled from China to the U.S. to evaluate all of the different learning center companies, doing an extensive investigation before making his investment in education in China.  The result of his research? “He bought 200 Sylvan Learning Center franchises,” Dr. Johnson says.

Here in Wesley Chapel, Nicole Buzard has been bringing her son, Carter, to Sylvan twice a week for the last couple of months and says, “It’s been all positives so far.”

Carter is a gifted student who is at the top of his class, so Nicole says his teacher recommended advanced skills.

“I tried working with him at home,” she says, “but I didn’t feel structured enough.” She says once Carter mastered one skill, she didn’t immediately know the next skill he should work on.

“I was looking for enrichment and it led me to Sylvan,” says Nicole. “He enjoys the extra math work. He’s excited, and I never have to force it.”

Nicole says her son’s enthusiasm for attending Sylvan is rubbing off on her 10-year-old daughter, Ava, too.

“She’s not one who would want to do extra schoolwork, so I didn’t really explore it as an option for her,” Nicole explains. “But, she has seen how excited my son is, and now she wants to go.”

Nicole says the office staff is easy to work with and flexible to meet her needs and schedule. She says the Wesley Chapel Sylvan Learning Center is a quality program.

“They know what they’re doing and — even with my son already being good at math –— I’ve seen improvements.”

While many people believe these learning center programs are expensive, the Sylvan staff says they are happy to work with families to make it affordable. “We offer different programs at different price points, with budget-friendly programs,” explains Dr. Johnson

“It’s a really good option for an extracurricular activity,” she adds. “Kids enjoy intellectual stimulation and learning things they don’t usually learn in a typical education setting.”

Sylvan Learning Center will offer STEM camps this summer, including robotics, engineering, coding, LEGO, writing, MATH and ACT/SAT prep. Most camps run Monday through Thursday in the morning or afternoon.

The Sylvan Learning Center at Seven Oaks is located at 27724 Cashford Cir., #102. Business hours for the center are Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Fri. by appointment only and Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon. Teaching hours vary based on the day and will be different in the summer. For details, call (800) EDU-CATE, visit Educate.com, or see the ad on page 36.

Pelican Water Systems Brings Its Mobile Showroom To Your Front Door

Pelican Water Systems technicians use mobile units like this one to bring the company’s water filtration products showroom right to your door in Wesley Chapel.

Do you have an aging water filtration system in your home that isn’t quite cutting it anymore?

Are you concerned about chlorinated water and contaminants that slip through your tap water’s purification process? Do you spend too much of your hard-earned money on bottled water?

If you answered yes to these questions, Pelican Water Systems would like to come to your home to give you a free consultation and water test, and set you up with a no-waste, no-salt, customized water filtration system that will meet your family’s needs.

“We want to educate people (about) what’s happening with their water,” Pelican Water Systems CEO Iain Whyte says. “Ours is a new way of approaching water treatment systems.”

Typically, buying a water filtration system is a multi-step process. Businesses will have a storefront where their products are on display. They’ll come to your home and test your water and then you’ll visit their store, sift through available products and eventually get a quote. This is after they come back to your home and conduct an inspection.

That process can be cumbersome, but Pelican Water Systems has a different approach. The company is designed to be a one-stop shop.

“We keep our best-selling products in our vans,” Whyte says. “Two-thirds of the van is showroom, the other third is inventory. We also test for up to nine major contaminants on site.”

Pelican Water Systems does not have a storefront, at least not in Tampa. The company’s Florida headquarters is located in Deland (northeast of Orlando).

Instead, Pelican offers what Whyte calls Mobile Retail Centers. These $45,000 mobile showrooms provide everything a technician/salesman needs in order to take care of everything on the checklist, from the initial water test to scheduling the installation of the system.

The company was formed in 2007 and broke into the Florida market in Ocala and Orlando in 2016, moved into Jacksonville and The Villages in 2017, and opened up in the Tampa Bay market a month or so ago.

Whyte says that sales to customers in Tampa, despite not having a location here, served as a catalyst to entering the market.

“We’ve been selling products online to Tampa customers since 2007,” Whyte says. “Now, we want to promote in-home service in the area.”

Whether you use well water or municipal water, Pelican Water Systems has a solution for you.

The most common issues with well water are iron and sulphur. Iron leaves those rusty stains in your bathtub and sulphur is responsible for that unappetizing egg smell.

If you have well water, it’s likely that you have a septic tank. Septic tanks can let harmful bacteria like E. Coli and fecal coliform into your well water.

Pelican Water Systems can test for these bacteria in your well water, which is sent to its lab in Deland. Typically, the turnaround for results is 36 hours. Whyte recommends that you install a UV (ultraviolet) system if bacteria is detected in your well water. The UV system typically kills 99.9% of all waterborne microorganisms.

With municipal water, particularly with the City of Tampa, chloramines and/or chlorine are used to purify the water. While it’s theoretically safe to drink, most people dislike the chlorine smell and the way the chlorine dries your skin when bathing or showering.

“I’ve had problems with my skin ever since I started living in my house, so I decided to try as much as possible to improve my skin,” says one of the company’s online reviews. “I then got a shower filter from Pelican, and I’ve had a nice experience with them. Now the water comes out nice and I’ve noticed that my skin is smoother.”

If you’re on municipal water and sewer, you’re paying for the water you consume, as well as the water you dispose of. That’s another reason why Pelican Water Systems sells salt-free systems — homeowners don’t consume water through the filtration process. There are no discharges. The system doesn’t even need electricity.

“You get good, quality water from every faucet in your home,” Whyte says.

The headline product that Pelican Water Systems is promoting is the Smart Combo, a water softener and filter combination system. It combines a certified carbon filter with a certified salt-free softener.

The carbon filter, which is tested and certified by the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), in accordance with National Standards Strategy (NSS) standards, reportedly reduces chlorine levels by 96.7 percent. The salt-free water softener is certified by the German Technical & Scientific Association for Gas & Water. Pelican Water Systems uses the German standards because there currently are none in the U.S. for that type of technology. The salt-free softeners are reported to reduce scale that can clog pipes and appliances by 99.6 percent.

If budget is an issue, Pelican Water Systems can even finance the system you choose.

Based on credit score and the length of the loan, monthly payments can be as little as $60/month, and Pelican Water Systems does not hide these prices. The company is a full-service retailer and the prices of all of their systems are available on the Pelican website.

Installation costs can vary based on where a customer wants the system installed. If the system needs to be further away from the source, your installation can cost more than it might if the system is going in directly adjacent to the water source. It takes between 3-5 days from the time you order for a technician to come out and install your system.

If you prefer the do-it-yourself route, Pelican offers a wealth of tools available for you to install the system yourself. There are even YouTube videos and tutorials that can be accessed through the website, and tech support is available through the Deland office six days a week (closed on Sunday), from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Pelican Water Systems also prides itself on giving back to the community. The company has partnered with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Our Home Transitional, the International Bird Rescue and Operation First Response. Pelican also sponsors Sustainability Scholarships every year to students who are U.S. residents and are enrolled full-time in an accredited university. Students are asked to submit a 30-60 second video demonstrating how they conserve water and write a 250-word essay highlighting what water conservation means to them.

There are two contests every year that award first, second and third-place scholarships. The next deadline to apply is October 15.

Pelican Water Systems’ Mobile Retail Centers can be at your home for a free consultation within three days of making an appointment. Appointments are set Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and can even be made on Saturdays. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (8440 237-9949, visit PelicanWater.com or see the ad on page 29.

Better Realty Services For Home Buyers, Sellers, Renters  & Business Owners

(L.-r.) Mike Kane, Kathy Rieger & Monty Bryan have joined forces to open Better Realty Services , located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, to serve all of your real estate & business brokerage needs.

The three co-owners of Better Realty Services say their name says it all: Their real estate firm will help you have a better experience in a wide range of services, whether you want to buy a home, sell a home, rent a home, manage an investment property, sell a business or buy a business.

Although their company is only three years old, Monty Bryan, Mike Kane and Kathy Rieger bring decades of experience to Better Realty Services, located on Cypress Creek Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (off of S.R. 56, just east of I-75). They each have their own specific area of expertise.

Monty has been a Realtor in the Tampa Bay area since 1982. He started his own real estate company in Tampa Palms in 1989, called Florida Properties Tampa, Inc. He sold that business to Coldwell Banker in 1999 and continued to work at the firm. He now handles the real estate sales and purchases for Better Realty Services.

He met Kathy when she purchased her home — with Monty as her agent — in 1999. He says he recruited her to join him at Coldwell Banker, where she specialized in property management. Today, Kathy brings her property management expertise to Better Realty Services, where she manages investment properties on behalf of owners, making the process of finding tenants, collecting rent and maintaining the property much easier.

Monty and Mike first connected while their children were in preschool together, and the kids later played recreational sports on the same team. Mike launched a business in New Tampa 10 years ago called First Choice Business Brokers, helping business owners who wanted to sell or people who wanted to buy a business. Mike’s role at Better Realty Services is to continue to help business owners as they plan an exit strategy from their respective businesses.

Monty, Mike and Kathy teamed up to launch Better Realty Services in 2015 and will celebrate three years in business together in May.

“It’s synergistic,” explains Mike. “There are a lot of people who want to buy an investment property, and then, we offer professional management for that property. Or, we sometimes sell a business to an out-of-state buyer, who then may be looking for a house to move into this area.”

All three are licensed Realtors, and Mike is the Broker for the office. Because of their years of experience and commitment to hard work and the highest ethical standards, they say they can help any customer who may be interested in any of their varied services.

“We’re a boutique company,” explains Kathy. “We customize our service so that it’s personal and works for every client.”

Good Timing For A Move

Monty says that now is the time of year that the residential real estate market is the busiest.

“Most people want to move before the summer, so this is the busy season for both sales and rentals,” he says. “If you have considered putting your home on the market, this is the time of year when there is the most traffic, so my advice is to do it now.” Monty and his team can help you get your home ready to sell and price it correctly.

“If your house is in good shape and priced well,” adds Kathy, “it will sell quickly.”

Monty adds that the local real estate market has been busy for the past two or three years, after several slower years.

“It took from about 2008 to about 2015 for all of the foreclosures to clear out of the market,” he explains. “Now, we’re in a season of steady growth and lower inventory.”

While lower inventory may mean a higher price if you’re ready to sell, the team explains that it’s still a good time to buy, too. Interest rates are low, which is good for buyers, and builders are active again, offering many new home options in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel real estate markets.

Long-Term Relationships

Pauline Evans is a former New Tampa resident who now lives near the University of South Florida (USF) in a retirement home. She says she has been working with Monty and Kathy for 18 years, since Monty first helped her buy a home in Hunter’s Green in 2000.

Since then, Pauline says that Monty has been her real estate agent for several more transactions, as she purchased two investment homes in Wesley Chapel.

“My husband and I were managing our own properties, and Kathy and Monty were always there as advisers,” Pauline says. “They helped us to be entrepreneurs and manage our own properties.”

Since her husband, who was retired from the U.S. Army, passed away about three years ago, Pauline has turned her rental properties over to Better Realty Services for Kathy to manage. She says she trusts Kathy to manage her properties as well as she and her husband did, when they used to send one of their sons over to mow the lawn or fix small problems at any of their investment homes.

“Everything is in Kathy and Monty’s hands now,” she explains. “Now, they just send me a statement each month.”

Pauline says it’s much easier on her, and that the friendship and advice she has received from Monty and Kathy over the years has led to her trusting them with her investments.

“I am blessed to have these rental properties,” she explains, “which make it possible for me to live in this community, which is more expensive than living in a little house somewhere.”

Monty, Karen and Mike hope to become that trusted source of expertise for anyone in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area who is considering buying or selling their home, or an investment property, or even their business.”

Their years of experience have given them a perspective that is somewhat unique. When Monty opened the first real estate office in New Tampa in 1989, the only neighborhoods were Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Pebble Creek and Williamsburg.

“I knew this area was going to grow, because I could see this area of raw land on the map,” says Monty. “But, it’s kept growing and growing, and now moved into Wesley Chapel. That’s a lot of growth in 30 years.”

Monty says with all that he’s seen over the last three decades, he still truly enjoys what he does.

Mike concurs. “I think it says a lot that we’re all still in this business after all this time.”

Better Realty Services is located at 2654 Cypress Ridge Blvd., #103. The office is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and evenings and weekends by appointment. To reach Mike, Monty or Kathy, call (813) 793-4380. For more information, visit BetterRealtyServices.com.