Dave Lechuga Realtor

09/11/2025

On this day in history:
Alexander Hamilton is sworn in as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (1789); D. H. Lawrence, English novelist, is born (1885); Theodor W. Adorno, German philosopher and sociologist, is born (1903); Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the United States (2001); Wife and children of Charlie Kirk wake up without a husband and father for the first time (2025).

“I wanna be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith in my life”.

- Charlie Kirk

09/02/2025

On this day in 2021, I had my last chemo infusion. I was cautiously optimistic about the outcome and began the waiting process to see if it had worked or not.

I wasn't able to have a PET scan right away because the chemo would skew the results so I had to wait until October. When I had the scan in October, they told me that not only had the chemo not worked, but the lesions I had were bigger and I had developed new lesions. I would need to have a biopsy of one of the new lesions to confirm that it was still Lymphoma and not a second form of cancer. That would be in November.

November came and I had the biopsy. It takes two weeks for the results. There was a lot of prayer and talks and being with each other in a way that just doesn't happen when your life isn't on the line. If you've never been through that, I pray that you never have to. The results were incredible.

They called me to come in and go over their findings. To everyone's surprise, they found zero cancer. They had gotten very good samples but they found nothing but healthy cells. They said that they needed to do another PET scan to see what was going on. That meant I had to come back in December.

I had to wait for the PET scan results the last time, but this time they did the scan and I got the results within a few hours. I was ready for anything. Anything at all. Except this.

My doctor pulled up my scan from two months ago and showed me all of the white that showed up. He said that's all cancer. Then he pulled up my scan from a few hours ago and did a side-by-side view. He pointed out that there was so little white that he had to zoom in again and again just to find anything at all. He said that the tiny little amount was too small to do a biopsy on. That's really small.

I wasn't ready for that. I looked at him, then the nurse, then my wife, and repeated that again. Then again. And again. Not saying a word. He was asking me if I had any questions but his voice wasn't getting through to my brain. Finally, he smiled, patted me on the shoulder, said he would see me in ninety days for a followup, called me a "mystery man", wished me a happy holiday season, and left the room. The nurse was smiling and said "do you understand what this means? Do you have any questions?" I said "I think I understand."

She walked us to the counter to get checked out, we made the next appointment and left. It finally hit me when I started the car and the tears began to flow. I guess I still have work do.

All praise, honor, and glory to God. I would praise Him even if the news was the exact opposite. Because He is the only one worthy of praise.

Someday He'll call me home. My work will be through and I'll get to see Him face to face. Then I'll praise Him for eternity with shouts of Hallelujah and songs beyond my current comprehension.

I am not perfect...yet. I'm still human and make mistakes. But with His help and guidance, I pray that I'm becoming more like Him. May His name be ever praised and His kingdom come!

08/09/2025

Upcoming Open House

07/26/2025

IN MEMORY OF ROCKY

Sometimes, if you are extremely blessed, God sends you a bundle of love wrapped in fur for you to take care of for a few years.

When they arrive, they are so wide eyed and curious and everything is a new experience for them. It's incredibly fun to get to know them and watch as they play with everything.

As the years roll by, they become such a huge part of your life and you love seeing them every day. They develop routines and build their life around you and you include them in all of your life-plans.

We found Rocky in the parking lot of Stonewood restaurant on Bloomingdale after having dinner there one night. He was so fluffy that we thought he was doing very well. But we gave him a piece of leftover pork chop and he devoured it. He was still meowing so we gave him more and he let us pet him. That's when we felt how skinny he was.

We knew we couldn't leave him there so we threw the rest of the pork chop into the back seat of the car and he jumped in after it. We closed the door and he ran around the car thinking the worst must be happening. He had no idea that he had just found his forever home.

We already had four cats at the time and thought we would take him to a shelter. He never left our home.

We loved watching him grow up into a big boy. We learned that he was a Norwegian Forest cat which was why his paws were so big and he was so fluffy.

He became such an amazingly loving boy. He would sit on the floor in front of the couch waiting to be asked to jump up and join me there. He would lay next to me and reach out with his paw as if to say "love on me, daddy." I would pet him and he would put my arm by his belly and wrap his arms around mine, lay his head on my forearm and fall asleep. We spent many many hours like that.

We first found out that he had problems with going to the bathroom pretty early on and he would get severely backed up several times a year for a while. He was on two medications for life to help with his condition. We learned about what to avoid and got him the best food possible. He would still get backed up but only once a year.

A few weeks ago he had gotten some p**p stuck in his hind end fur and we took him in for a sanitary shave. While we were their they did blood work and found that his kidneys were starting to show signs of age-related issues. They prescribed food for that and we got it right away.

He seemed to like it at first but quickly began to reject it. We found and ordered a different kind of food that fit the prescription and he ate it at first. Right away he seemed to be backed up again and we took him in last Monday.

They did an e***a and he came home to see if he would pass the blockage. He had a bunch of failed attempts that night so we brought him back the next day (Tuesday). The did a more advanced procedure and sent him home for us to monitor him and we were hopeful that he would be OK.

Two days passed and he hadn't passed much of anything so we took him in again Friday morning. They did another advanced procedure and he came home.

We kept him in our bedroom so that we could keep track of anything he might pass. We were suddenly awakened around four this morning to him howling in pain and then some sounds that we couldn't make out. We jumped up and rushed him to the 24 hour animal hospital but he had passed away. He had aspirated and couldn't get air with his lungs full of his throw up.

We miss him so much already. If you've read this far, youre probably an animal lover and know the pain of losing a furry member of your family. We are "seeing" him around the house and missing him like crazy.

The thing about furry babies is the pain you feel when you lose them is directly connected to the love you shared with them. This is going to hurt for a very long time.

We love you, Rocky. Thank you for so many years of love and cuddles. My little baby boy.

07/14/2025

New on the Market

06/14/2025

On this day in history:
Continental Army founded by the Second Continental Congress (1775); Flag Act establishes the design of the Stars and Stripes (1777); German troops occupy Paris during World War II (1940); Pianist Lang Lang born (1982); U.S. Army General and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Commander of U.S. forces in Europe (1942).

“History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.”

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

05/19/2025

How's the market? Here is the most up-to-date information for all ZIP codes in Brandon, Valrico, and Riverview for the last seven days. This represents Single-family homes that are not short sales, bank-owned, auction, government-owned, or probate listing.
If you want to know the meaning behind the numbers, call, text, or email me. (813) 629-2884 [email protected]

05/06/2025

If you're looking for a home, I always recommend including new construction in your search. And quality builders with great floor plans like William Ryan Homes Tampa should be at the top of your list. Call, text or email me today to schedule a tour. (813) 629-2884 [email protected]

One of the best features of modern homes is the seamless flow between living rooms, kitchens, and dining areas. These open-concept spaces create the perfect environment for both everyday living and entertaining, allowing natural light to fill the room and making your home feel larger and more inviting.

PRO TIP! Define each area within your open-concept space with strategic furniture placement, rugs, or lighting. A well-placed pendant light over the dining table or a rug under the living room seating can help create distinct zones while keeping the space cohesive and inviting.

Ready to design your perfect open-concept space? Explore our new home construction opportunities at https://heyor.ca/aeNKJz

04/11/2025

Watch Me Swim - Survival Swimming & Beyond put on an amazing demonstration at their ribbon cutting with the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce today. It was so exciting to see so many from the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Team and the INSPIRE Faith-based networking group in attendance.

As a representative of the chamber board, Ambassador Team, and Florida Executive Realty it's great to know that this company takes such care and pride in developing the ability for kids to save themselves and/or flip over and float until help arrives. We live in a vacation destination for people from all over the world and kids need this important skill.

Thank you to Aubrey Eikenberry, Tom Mitchell, Andrew Graves, Annette Bilyeu, and all the others who joined in celebrating 25 years of helping kids in our community be safer around the water.

03/19/2025

How much is your property worth? If you'd like to get a free automated valuation report in your email without anyone visiting your home or talking to your neighbors, follow this link and sign up. You control how often the report comes.

Call, text, or email me with any questions. [email protected] (813) 629-2884

Sign up now for your free home value report!

01/23/2025