With the rate of foreclosures in the city growing at the rate of 10 percent every month, Coral Springs officials recently mulled ways of reducing its impact on property values in the community.

At a workshop to discuss the issue, staff recommended using city funds to maintain single-family homes located on public streets to prevent neighborhood decay. An accelerated code enforcement process and additional special magistrate hearing are needed. Homeowners should maintain properties within their legal right while new processes or codes should be introduced for vacant and abandoned properties, they said.

Apart from using its own funds, the city should look at potential federal, state and local grants, in addition to Community Development Block Grants, to fund maintenance of foreclosed properties. Educating residents about foreclosures was important, staff said.

In 2006, the city saw 2,531 sales, of which just 1.3 percent were foreclosure sales. In 2007, the number of sales fell to 1,961. As many as 14.4 percent of these were some form of foreclosures. In 2007, real estate ownership totaled 183 units. The corresponding number, in just four months this year, is already 211.

As many as 80 percent of the foreclosures are primary residences, Donmez said.

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Stan and Merrily Cundiff weren't alone when they went house hunting in Coral Springs last week. The couple had a 10-member Home & Garden Television crew following them around as they looked at homes that were big enough for them and their four children. Their successful search for a house will be featured in one of the future episodes of the Canada-based HGTV show “Property Virgins.”

“We were nervous when we started out, but the television crew made us feel comfortable,” Merrily Cundiff said. “It was a lot of fun. What made the whole thing worthwhile was the fact that we got the house we wanted. I’m anxious to see how they present the whole thing.”

The couple has since left for Mexico, but will come back in June with their children to live in their new four-bedroom house in the Westchester area near the city's aquatic center.

“Stan’s job took us to Brazil and Mexico. We have been away for 10 years. We are all really excited to be able to come back,” Merrily Cundiff said.

The good things he heard about Coral Springs influenced his decision to buy a house in the city, Stan Cundiff said. “We were looking for a good family community. I know this city has a lot of great schools and excellent facilities for after-school activities. The place is really beautiful as well.”

The couple’s search for a house went right down to the wire, said Sharon Edelman, realtor with Remax Partners and a real estate consultant for the show.

“They wanted a four-bedroom house. The kids wanted one with a pool," she said. "We showed them a lot of properties and it was only on the fifth day that they decided on the house to buy. The negotiations took another two days. There wasn’t much time left, but we got the perfect ending. I’m glad Coral Springs will be showcased internationally."

The show, into its third season, showcases the buying process and helps first time buyers pick up tips, said Christle Leonard, producer of the show.

"There is a lot of stress involved in relocating, especially for first-time home buyers," she said. "We show the challenges involved in the process. It’s a mix between a reality show and an education program, not tabloid television for sure. It is very popular; we have many people writing to us, wanting to be on the show.”

Leonard said she was impressed by what she saw of the city. “Coral Springs is beautiful," she said. "You have good houses. I really liked the architecture. The water bodies behind houses are really special, too.

Leonard said the show was in Texas last year, and from Coral Springs they plan to go to Miami, Washington D.C and Richmond, Va. The show featuring the Cundiff’s home selection will air sometime in August.

For more, read the April 24 issue of the Coral Springs Forum.

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If you or your family likes pancakes, this event is for you.

The Coral Springs Downtown Lions Club will host a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. May 10 at Wings Plus in Coral Springs to help raise funds for its scholarship program for local high school seniors.

The club started the scholarship program seven years ago, said Theresa Sadowski, event co-chairwoman. "We will award five $500 dollar scholarships to graduating seniors this year," she said. "One student each will be picked from Coral Springs High School, Coral Springs Charter School, J.P. Taravella High School, Coral Glades High School, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School."

The menu for the event includes fresh strawberries, sausage, bacon, orange juice, coffee and tea. The cost for adults is $5 and $3 for children age 10 and under. Tickets can be purchased at Wings Plus or from a Coral Springs Downtown Lion member.

Call Sadowski at 954-340-6369.

Read more about this in the April 24th Coral Springs Forum.

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Rinah Segal’s story is as much about a sickness that nearly took her life, as the music that is helping her get back on her feet.

The 26-year-old woman, who grew up in Coral Springs before moving to California, turned to music after contracting a mystery illness on a trip to Costa Rica. She was left so sick that many wondered if she would survive. Although she is still ill, Segal believes the worst is behind her now.

“I have met several doctors, but no one has been able to tell what exactly is wrong,” Segal said. “I had neurological symptoms like twitching, shaking and eye problems. I was so sick at one time that everyone thought I was going to die. Then, things turned around for some reason. I am still far from being healthy again, but I refuse to let that weigh me down.”

Working on music on days when she did not feel as sick, Segal wrote and composed song, before getting home recording equipment to record them in her own voice. She has finished working on the album.

"These are not sad songs," she said. "They are about hope. I don't know how to market it, but I will first give copies of the album to my family members and friends. People who want the album can e-mail me. I will give the money I make from people's donations to charity," Segal said.

To read more of Segal's story, read the April 24th Coral Springs Forum.

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A bunch of students at J.P. Taravella High School who are passionate about history are busy preparing for something future generations will thank them for.

Students in Rho Kappa, the history honor society at the school, will interview 31 Holocaust survivors, listen to their stories, and record them for posterity. This is part of the club’s effort to create an educational documentary and book on the survivors. Members of the club plan to supply copies of the documentary to schools across the nation, said Katie Gillen, Rho Kappa historian.

"We feel there is a lack of knowledge on the Holocaust among school students," she said. "By sending the documentary to schools, we hope to change the situation. We plan to sell the book that we will publish and use the money to support relief programs in Darfur, Sudan."

For more, read the April 10th Coral Springs Forum, or e-mail Arun.

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