About
Richard Schwartz
I’m Richard Schwartz. Friends call me Cardo.
A clear-eyed guide to lakefront and lake-community living in North Central Florida Lake Country.
I help buyers find lakefront homes and lake-community properties around Melrose, Keystone Heights, Interlachen, Florahome, Hawthorne, and Middleburg. If you already own a lake or acreage home here and you are ready to sell, I do that work too.
The job is not to hurry you into a house. The job is to help you see the property plainly: what it is, what it could become, and whether the value holds.
Who I Work With
Most of the people who call me want a real place on or near the water. Room. Privacy. A home that can last.
That usually means:
-
Buyers relocating from Gainesville, Jacksonville, another part of Florida, or out of state
-
People who want lakefront, a quiet cove, or a well-chosen lake-community home
-
Owners who think in terms of use, improvement, and long-term value
I live in this lake country. I spend my days on these roads and these lakes. If the property does not fit, I will say so.
How I Work
I look at a property from more than one side.
What would it cost to own, not just to buy.
What is the water access worth in real life, not in the listing photos.
What could the house, the dock, the acreage, or the outbuilding become with the right work.
And when the better move is to keep looking.
You get options, not a pitch. Calls get returned. Details get handled. If you are buying from a distance, I can walk the property, send what you need to see, and keep the next step simple.
1. Discovery
We start by understanding your lifestyle and priorities to identify the lake properties that truly fit your vision.
2. Search & Evaluation
Deep-dive into the market, evaluating homes for their unique features and potential to provide lasting value.
3. Closing
From negotiations to final walk throughs, we handle every detail to ensure a seamless and stress-free transition.
RELOCATING TO NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
How I Got Here
I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. I started first grade speaking only Spanish. Ricardo became Cardo, and the name stayed with me.
I have been an entrepreneur most of my life. I spent more than thirty years in music as a musician, promoter, producer, songwriter, performer, and record-label owner. Along the way I earned a BBA from SMU and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Real estate was never a sideline in name only. I worked with my father on development projects in El Paso and later partnered on smaller apartment projects in Michigan. After years of travel and high-pressure work, my partner and I came to these lakes for warm weather and room to breathe. Melrose, Keystone Heights, Hawthorne, Interlachen — that is the landscape that made us stay.
I understand a move because I have made one.
Life On These Lakes
The stories on this site happened.
Neighbors we had not met yet came to the door with cookies the day we arrived.
A man once walked through the yard with a lariat because his cow had taken a shortcut.
I stepped onto the porch with a guitar before sunrise and found an eagle on the roof, watching the house as if it lived here too.
That is this area when you give it a little time. Quiet water. Oaks. Space between houses. A pace that is not the coast and not the city.
I still play. Music is part of who I am. It is not the reason to hire me. Hire me because I will look at the property carefully and stay with you until the decision is sound.