10 Places in Orlando to Have Happy Hour and Watch a Sunset
Orlando is a city known for its theme parks and attractions, but it also has a vibrant nightlife scene. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy happy hour and watch a sunset, here are ten great options:
Grills Lakeside Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar. This restaurant has a beautiful waterfront location with stunning views of the Orlando skyline. During happy hour, you can enjoy discounted appetizers, drinks, and cocktails.
Grills Lakeside Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar, Orlando
AC Sky Bar. This rooftop bar offers 360-degree views of the city, making it a great place to watch the sunset. Happy hour specials include discounted cocktails, beer, and wine.
High Tide. This tropical-themed bar has a lively atmosphere and a rooftop deck with views of Lake Eola. Happy hour specials include discounted drinks, appetizers, and flatbreads.
The Wharf at Sunset Walk. This waterfront dining and entertainment complex has several restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. During happy hour, you can enjoy discounted food and drinks from all of the participating restaurants.
City Works Eatery and Pour House. This gastropub has a wide selection of beers on tap and a menu of creative American cuisine. Happy hour specials include discounted appetizers, burgers, and pizzas.
Estefan Kitchen Orlando. This Latin-inspired restaurant has a rooftop bar with stunning views of the city skyline. Happy hour specials include discounted cocktails, wine, and tapas.
The BOATHOUSE at Lake Eola Park. This restaurant has a dockside location on Lake Eola with views of the Orlando skyline and fountain. Happy hour specials include discounted appetizers, drinks, and cocktails.
The Veranda at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. This rooftop bar has stunning views of the surrounding area, including the Disney World fireworks. Happy hour specials include discounted cocktails, wine, and beer.
The Vue Rooftop Bar & Lounge. This rooftop bar has 360-degree views of the city, making it a great place to watch the sunset. Happy hour specials include discounted cocktails, beer, and wine.
The Landing at Disney Springs. This waterfront dining and entertainment complex has several restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. During happy hour, you can enjoy discounted food and drinks from all of the participating restaurants.
These are just a few of the many great places to have happy hour and watch a sunset in Orlando. No matter what your budget or taste, you’re sure to find the perfect spot to enjoy a relaxing evening with friends.
Here are some additional tips for planning your happy hour sunset:
Make a reservation, especially if you’re going to a popular spot.
Dress comfortably, as you’ll likely be spending some time outdoors.
Bring sunscreen and a hat, if necessary.
Be prepared to wait for a table, especially during peak times.
Stunning move-in ready FOUR BEDROOM, THREE FULL BATH, SEMINOLE COUNTY POOL HOME in the well-established and desired neighborhood of Springs Landing located on the Markham Woods Corridor. You are greeted with beautiful mature landscaping, side entry 2-car garage, and updated exterior stone facade. Upon entering, you will notice an abundance of natural light filling the home thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area and vaulted ceilings. This split bedroom floorplan has updated light fixtures, calming color scheme, & wood tile flooring throughout that provides a fresh and modern feel. The family room features a cozy wood burning fireplace with stack stone accent wall and mantle. Beautifully RENOVATED KITCHEN with QUARTZITE COUNTERTOPS, STAINLESS-STEEL APPLIANCES, & a GRAND 7 FOOT KITCHEN ISLAND that opens to your dining, living, and family room area. The kitchen is truly the heart of this home and showcases plenty of cabinetry, timeless marble backsplash, custom built storage pantry, recessed and pendant lighting, eat-in-breakfast bar, oversized undermount sink, custom range hood, and pot filler over the double oven glass top range. The master bedroom features vaulted ceilings, a large WALK-IN CLOSET and a LUXURIOUS spa-like master en-suite bathroom. The recently updated master bathroom features a spacious vanity area with plenty of storage, dual sinks, and OVERSIZED WALK-IN SHOWER. Across the home, you will find the secondary bedrooms with plenty of dedicated closet space along with two full bathrooms. The interior laundry room off the garage has two additional storage closets, tons of cabinets and counter top space, & a dedicated laundry sink. Plenty of room in the oversized garage for bikes, toys, and tools. Screened enclosed patio and paved pool deck area will feel like a tranquil tropical oasis. Enjoy swimming year-round with this electric HEATED POOL, 6 Seat Hot Tub, and OVERSIZED covered area – spacious enough for an outdoor living room and dining room set. Nested on just over a half an acre lot (0.58 acres) this POOL home is an entertainer’s dream. Cannonballs in the pool, hopscotch on the long driveway, morning walks & bike rides down your CUL-DE-SAC street — this Springs Landing gem will certainly win you over! Additional recent updates include: NEW ROOF (2016), (2) NEW HVAC Systems (Carrier & Lenox 2021), New Landscape Lights & Fascade (2020), & NEW Hot Tub Heater (2023). The neighborhood of Springs Landing features a community pool, clubhouse (available for private rental for residents), tennis courts, pickleball, basketball, relaxation pond, & access to the Little Wekiva River at $600/a year! Wow! Conveniently located to I-4; be at Disney, New Smyrna Beach, Orlando International Airport within 45 minutes / 20 minutes to Sanford International & downtown Orlando. Close to restaurants, shopping, hospitals, the Wekiva River, State Parks, and zoned for TOP RATED SEMINOLE COUNTY SCHOOLS! Owners are available for a QUICK CLOSE! It’s time to MAKE A MOVE to one of the most sought-after areas in Central Florida & call this place your new home!
You find the perfect house, start creating all of your Home Décor Pinterest boards and BAM – you find out that the sellers didn’t accept your offer. Your dreams of making dinner in the beautiful farmhouse kitchen are crushed and you’re wondering what you did wrong. Well here are a few reasons your offer could’ve been rejected that can help you next time you find a house you want to write an offer on.
PS – I promise your real estate dreams aren’t crushed. There will be another one!
Reason #1: You’re Missing a Pre-approval Letter – Not only is it important to have a pre-approval letter so that you know how much house you can afford, but the sellers are very unlikely to entertain offers without them. If you haven’t taken the time to get pre-approved and show that you are serious about buying a home, why would the seller risk taking their house off the market before knowing if you can even afford the mortgage.
How to Correct This: Talk with local lenders about your options and get a pre-approval letter from them that you have in hand, ready for your Real Estate Agent to scan over with the offer.
Reason #2: You’re Unrealistic – This could relate to a few things, one of them being that you have too many contingencies. Do you have a home sale contingency before even having your house up for sale with an accepted offer? Did you include a long list of items that your offer is contingent on in addition to the absolutely necessary ones. Did you ask for the wine fridge and pool table when the sellers said they are not included? Many items can be negotiated but if you really want the house, you need to be realistic and not over the top.
Another way you can appear unrealistic is to low-ball the sellers with your offer price. When this happens, the sellers may get offended of think you’re not serious. Have market data that backs up your offer price rather than throwing out a number that you think you want to pay if you want to be taken seriously.
One more reason you might be being unrealistic is that you gave the sellers an extremely short turnaround time to respond to your offer. This is a MAJOR turn off. Even if you are in a competitive offer situation, you should focus on strengthening your offer and submitting what you feel is the best you can do rather than pushing the sellers to respond in an unreasonable amount of time.
How to Avoid This: Stick to what is the most important to you when it comes to writing offer contingencies. Make sure you’re going over market data with your Real Estate Agent so that you’re backing up the offer price you’re putting out there. Lastly, give the sellers a reasonable turnaround time. Pushing them into a corner will not result in getting what you want and it will only get you off to a bad start with them.
Reason #3: The Seller is Difficult or Unrealistic – This one isn’t necessarily you can do much about but it could be the reason your offer didn’t get accepted. Unfortunately there are some sellers who are going to be very difficult to work with or unrealistic no matter how strong your offer is.
How to Avoid This: While this one isn’t entirely avoidable, it’s important that before starting your home search that you understand that some sellers are just going to be difficult. Having the expectation that not every seller will agree to what you offer will help eliminate a lot of frustration for you as a buyer when your offer is rejected.
Reason #4: Your Buyer’s Agent Isn’t Easy to Work With – You might be wondering what the buyer’s agent has to do with how much you’re offering the seller. Well the buyer’s agent actually plays a very crucial role in this process because whoever you choose is going to be the one communicating with and negotiating with the listing agent and therefore the sellers, throughout the entire transaction. If the listing agent has had bad experiences with them in the past, they may share this with the sellers, making your offer less appealing.
How to Avoid This: Make sure you’re interviewing your Buyer’s Agent before committing to working with them. Find out what their negotiating style is and get a feel for their personality. Do they seem easy to work with or like they’d make others mad?
Reason #5: You Didn’t Find Out the Seller’s Timeframe or Situation – If you and your agent write an offer without ever asking the listing agent what is important to the seller such as their timeframe for closing or any other factors that might be deal breakers, you might put yourself out of the running when the seller has to decide whether or not they want to accept your offer.
How to Avoid This: Make sure your agent takes the time to get in touch with the listing agent and find out any details that may help you write a more desirable offer.
If your first offer got rejected, there is likely a reason. The best way to make sure your next offer is accepted is to go in fully prepared. Following these guidelines will not only prepare you for what to expect but can help set you up for success! Soon you’ll be entertaining in that beautiful open concept space you’ve been dreaming of (insert your #1 home wish list feature)!
Are you looking to buy in the near future? I would love the opportunity to meet and guide you to presenting an offer that WINS! You can reach me directly at 407-474-0600 or click my Online Calendar and pick a day and time that is convenient for you.
Today, I’m diving into an important topic that could make a big difference in the amount of money you net from your home sale.
The market is hot. There are more buyers who need houses than houses for sale. That means your home is in demand and it’s not even listed yet! That sounds like great news for you and it is!
As a result of this, I know potential sellers are thinking… Hmm maybe we should just put a sign up in the front yard and see what happens.
The truth is, the worst thing you can do as a seller in a hot market is to do it alone. So before you head to the local hardware store for that “For Sale By Owner” sign, keep reading.
I know you’re doing the math and figuring out how much selling your home on your own could potentially save you… but I wanted to shed some light on a few important things to consider before you decide to go that route.
If you’re looking to the internet to determine what price to list your home at, you could be losing a significant amount of money. Online home values aren’t always entirely accurate which means basing your list price on what the internet is saying could result in you leaving money on the table.
Contracts and Negotiations can feel like a foreign language if you’re not a real estate professional. Not understanding how to navigate these or have someone work in your best interest could result in sticky situations and money lost.
Demand – when you’re in a hot market, one of the greatest benefits to the seller is that they’re typically in the driver’s seat. When there are more buyers than listings for sale, your house can spark a bidding war when it hits the market. However, without an agent helping you prep your home for the market, price it strategically, market it with modern methods and really get it out there, you’re missing out on that demand. You might have a buyer or two but that isn’t going to drive the price up like it would if you had someone working for you.
My best advice I can give to someone thinking about selling is this – Before you make the decision to do it alone, do some research and find an agent who has good reviews, comes highly recommended and who you can learn something about before reaching out. What does their experience look like? What are their clients saying? Then schedule a consultation with them to see how they can help you net the most money possible from your home sale.
Successful home selling is rooted in doing your research and making smart decisions that are going to position you in the best place possible when your house hits the market!
Are you looking to Sell in the next 6 months? Let’s chat. You can call me directly at 407-474-0600 or use my online calendar to pick a day and time that’s convenient for your schedule!
Home equity…Everybody wants it, but what exactly is it, and how do you get it?
Equity represents the degree of ownership an individual or entity has in an asset after subtracting any debts against the asset. To say someone shares equity in a company means they would share in any assets remaining after all debts are accounted for.
For example, if your business has sold $500,000 worth of product this year, but you have rent, operating expenses, and a business loan payment totaling $400,000 for the year, you have $100,000 of equity in your business. Equity changes as the value of your assets and debts change.
Home equity works the same way. When you take out a mortgage to purchase a home, your home is collateral on the mortgage loan, so the outstanding mortgage principal must be deducted from the value of the home to determine your home equity.
In most cases, you make a down payment when you purchase your home. That down payment is your initial home equity. If you pay a 20% down payment on a $200,000 home, you have $40,000 equity when you close on your purchase.
As time goes on and you continue to pay down your mortgage principal, your equity grows. Usually, the longer your own your home, the more equity you gain because you are paying down your mortgage. However, any debts you take on using your home value as collateral, such as a second mortgage or home equity line of credit (HELOC,) decrease your home equity.
The changing real estate market also influences your equity. If you paid $200,000 for your home, and two years later the homes in your neighborhood start selling in the $400,000 range, your theoretical equity increases. (Theoretical because you don’t realize your home equity until you sell your home and pay off all debts against it.) You can also lose equity if the market takes a dive but be patient and it should recover in time.
Equity also grows if you make improvements on your home that increase its value. Let’s say you add a swimming pool and all new appliances. You have increased the value of the home. Your equity doesn’t increase by the amount your spent on the improvements, but on the value you get upon resale. This is an important point when considering making improvements prior to putting your home on the market, and one that is often misunderstood.
Let’s say Joe spends $50,000 on upgrades to his home. He might tell his neighbor, “I have $50,000 in my home,” but when he goes to sell, the current market dictates how much he will actually get in return. If Joe ends up selling for $40,000 more than he originally paid, his $50,000 investment got him $40,000 in home equity.
Some things you can do to increase your home equity include:
1) Make a large down payment when you purchase your home. The more cash you put down, the more equity you begin with.
2) Make increased or extra payments on your mortgage principal. Adding to the principal portion only on your monthly payments, or making extra payments when you are able, helps chip away at your outstanding debt.
3) Be smart when making home improvements. Not all improvements build equity. Some improvements may be personal preferences that don’t necessarily add value for resale. Improvements such as a new HVAC system, new appliances, or a new roof are usually more reliable investments than a fountain in the front yard or surround sound speakers throughout the house.
4) Don’t borrow against your home equity unless you must. Home equity is often a homeowner’s biggest asset, and can help to build your retirement nest egg, but it can also come in handy if life throws you a curve ball and you need to borrow against it for an unforeseen emergency. Be careful not to borrow against your equity for frivolous purposes, so it will be there if you really need it.
5) Sell when the market is favorable. If you are counting on your home equity to help finance your next home, pay for your children’s education, or add to your retirement funds, try to sell during a seller’s market when inventory is needed in your area.
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