Levi Salmans | Orlando Horse Properties

Yesterday, I showed a Solar Powered Home totally off the electric grid. Had an interesting conversation with the owner. Through trial and error and many hours on the internet he had set up a simple system that supplied him with all his electrical needs. I was amazed with the simplicity of the system. His cost was around three thousand dollars in equipment cost. He installed the system himself, so there was no labor cost involved. For several thousand dollars, some labor and creative thinking he was living life with free electricity. Makes me wonder…

Tips for hauling Your Horse in HOT Weather

Owning horses on your property in Florida or anywhere else where hot weather can be an issue, shows care must be taken during transport. Failure to consider hot weather transportation can potentially lead to your horse experiencing dehydration, heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Performance issues upon arrival are another consideration.

Even in ideal conditions traveling is work for your horse. Riding in a trailer uses as much energy as walking. Muscular energy is used maintaining balance in a moving trailer. Several hours of travel will fatigue a horse. Consider that on a sunny day your trailer can be 20 degrees hotter than outside temperatures.<!–more–>

Here are a few travel tips:

Schedule your travel during the coolest parts of the day.

Load equipment and feed first. Load your horse last.

The day before provide large amounts of water to your horse to ensure it is hydrated

Open all trailer vents and sliding windows for max air flow

Every 4 to 6 hours stop for a watering break. Allow at least 20 minutes for every stop. Try to park in the shade.

In extreme heat hose or sponge down with cool water

Give your horse electrolytes the day of travel.

It is recommended that trips 12 hours or longer horses should be unloaded and given an 8 hour rest from traveling.

Just for fun here are a few useless facts – Horses stomachs ca hold between 2 and 4 gallons of fluid. Horses can lose 0.44% to 0.55% of body weight per hour during transportation. If you’re interested in horse properties check out Levi Salmans of the Orlando area who specializes in equestrian property.

Interested in purchasing equestrian property? Here is an important question to consider.

How many horses can you put on a pasture? There are lots of variables:

The size and age of the horse

Plant species grown and productivity

The amount of grain and other supplements fed

Grazing management

Time of year is another factor

The more productive the pasture the less acreage is needed. Typically less productive sites require 2 to 2 ½ acres for one mature horse weighing around 1,100 pounds. On productive well managed pastures 1 to 1 ½ acres will be adequate to support a mature horse.

You can increase the number of horses per acreage by increasing the amount of supplemental feed and rotational grazing. Moving animals every 14 to 21 days allows pastures to re-grow and recover. Avoid over grazing, plants are weakened, bare spots develop which lead to the encroachment of weeds.

Interested in Property for horses?

Levi can help you find your next pasture. Call him today at 407-489-0155.

How low will house prices go? That’s a question I was asked yesterday. My answer, I don’t know. We won’t know we’ve hit bottom until we’ve bounced off it. Consider this, the harder the fall the bigger the bounce.

In Orlando home prices soared to unnatural highs. We saw appreciation ranging between 20% to 30% in 2005 and 2006. It’s early 2009 and we’re seeing homes selling for half of what they sold for new in 2006.

Think of the pendulum analogy. It swung too far one way, is it swinging too far in the other direction? Where is center?

Let’s reset back to the year 2000. I sold a house for 180,000. Historically we can expect real estate to appreciate 3.5% annually. By 2009 this home should be selling for $245,000 (3.5% compounded annually). Here’s the reality. Larger homes on better lots in the neighborhood aren’t selling at $224,000. My estimation is the home would sale closer to a 2003 price of $199,500. Since the owners have made a lot of improvements and the condition is outstanding it might fetch a 2004 price of $206,500.

It appears the pendulum has swung too far, the market is over compensating. Orlando homes are under valued – buyers are getting bargains at yesterday’s prices. History tells us those prices will come back.

Yes, home prices will bounce back. When and how fast? Does it matter? If you buy a house today and live in it for 6 years does it matter if the prices bounce back in two years, three years, four years or five years? Will this housing crisis be behind us in four years? I’m certain today’s buyers are going to make money tomorrow. Will it be you?