Vacation Home Rental and Ownership
2006-08-18 23:12:00
In recent years there has been a surge in the number of people purchasing a second home to be used as a vacation home. The majority of vacation homes are located near lakes, ski resorts, or along coastal areas. Some people have purchased second homes to be near other family members (especially children or grandchildren). According to the reports I've read, this is in large part thanks to the baby-boomer generation and low interest rates.
Buying a second home for many people sometimes means taking on a second mortgage and some opt to treat the vacation property as an investment by renting it out part of the year. Dozens of websites dedicated to assist you in finding renters for your second home have popped up on the Internet. Owning a vacation home does not come without additional responsibilities. Below are links to some articles that go into further detail on the different aspects of buying or&nb
Read more: Vacation
, Rental
, Ownership
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-17 20:17:00
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Flagler County, FL: A community of nearly 4,000 homes along with commercial space is set for last large land tract. Read Full Article...
Southwest Florida
: Affordable housing out of reach of students enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). Read Full Article...
Polk County, FL: State rejects housing plans due to water and school issues. Read Full Article...
Sarasota, Florida: The 26-unit Devonshire Park development in downtown Sarasota stresses 'smart growth' and will offer a live/work/play lifestyle. Read Full Article...
Broward County, FL: Affordable apartment stock to increase; decaying projects in Hollywood and Deerfield Beach to be torn down, to be replaced with new, additional units. Read Full Article...
Palm Beach County, FL: Centex to back out of deal to buy 83-acre Meadowbrook mobile home park and replace
Read more: Estate
, Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
FL Median Price Up, Sales Ease 2Q 2006
2006-08-15 23:25:00
In second quarter 2006, Florida's housing sector followed the national trend, showing signs of a market adjusting to a better balance between buyers and sellers. Statewide sales of single-family existing homes totaled 53,161 during the three-month period, a decrease of 27 percent compared to 72,870 homes sold during the same time a year ago, according to the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR).
"Sales
of existing single-family homes in Florida behaved like much of the U.S. in the 2006 second quarter, with the declining strength of the domestic economy continuing to act like a stiff wind in the face of the existing real estate market," says Dr. David Scott, executive director of the Dr. Phillips Institute for the Study of American Business Activity and professor of finance at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
The statewide existing-home median sales price rose 9 percent to reach $254,800 in the second quarter; a year ago, it was $234,500. In 2001, the sec
Read more: Median
Home Energy Conservation Tips
2006-08-14 14:55:00
There's no doubt about it... Florida can be very hot and humid during the summer months. I've also been hearing in the news that this summer has also been especially hard in other parts of the country as well. Whether it's due to global warming or just coincidental, it's always a good idea to take energy conservation seriously.
Taking steps now to conserve home energy costs can save you money over time. These steps range from the free or low-cost to the more expensive which are worthwhile but will take longer to see a return on investment (ROI). Examples of both include keeping your blinds closed (except during showings if your home is for sale), installing a programmable thermostat, regularly replacing your A/C filter, vacuuming any build-up of dust on refrigerator and freezer coils, lowering your hot water heaters' temperature setting, installing window tinting, or replacing your air-conditioning system with a new, mo
Read more: Energy
, Conservation
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-12 14:47:00
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Groveland, Florida
(Lake County): Despite much controversy, the city OKs rezoning for 500 homes in the environmentally fragile Green Swamp. Read Full Article...
Sarasota County, Florida: Housing costs keep work-force outside the county. Read Full Article...
Boynton Beach, Florida (Palm Beach County): Area strong in new home starts, thanks in part to Canyon Isles. Read Full Article...
Brooksville, Florida (Hernando County): A 25-acre community of 75 homes is slated for Emerson Road. Adjacent to this community, the developers of Emerson Oaks are undergoing approvals for a 245-unit townhouse community on 24 acres. Read Full Article...
Southwest Florida: Region's cooling housing market is starting to pinch people whose livelihoods are tied to housing. Smaller construction-heavy communities such as North Port, Nokomis, Osprey and East Manatee will likely
Read more: Estate
, Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
Foreclosure and Ways to Lose Your Home
2006-08-10 23:20:00
If you've been keeping up with the news this year, you've probably read some articles that state that foreclosures are on the rise or at least expected to rise by the end of the year. If you have any reason to be concerned that you may face foreclosure, now is the time to take some action if you are to have a chance to keep your property, the equity you've built up, and avoid foreclosure. It's also important to keep in mind that there is more than one way to lose your home. These other ways include not paying your taxes, filing for bankruptcy, failure to pay homeowners dues, and illegaly activity. Below are links to some articles that can provide you with your options and the best ways to deal with the potential loss of your home.
Articles for further reading:
H.U.D. - How to Avoid Foreclosure
H.U.D. - Help Save My Home
Ways You Can Lose Your Property
Take Action Early to Avoid Foreclosure
Losing Homes to Ignorance, Inaction and Den
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-08 21:54:00
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Melbourne, Florida
(Brevard County): Planning board says downtown project -- The Summit at Melbourne Place -- is too big. Read Full Article...
Manatee County, Florida: Road crisis sparks call for action. Read Full Article...
Brevard County, Florida: Sales fall, but home prices hold. Read Full Article...
Boca Raton, Florida (Palm Beach County): Workforce housing ideas face debate. Read Full Article...
Miami, Florida (Miami-Dade County): Conflict slows Overtown project. Read Full Article...
Fort Lauderdale, FL (Broward County): Storefronts shuttered on Fort Lauderdale beach as billionaire's condo-hotel development falters. Read Full Article...
Volusia County, Florida: Building rate slows as market corrects itself. Read Full Article...
Cape Coral, Florida (Lee County): In an attempt to h
Read more: Estate
, Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
Blog Posts Worth Reading
2006-08-06 01:18:00
In recent times, real estate agents have taken to blogging. Real estate bloggers can be found in many large (and a few smaller) metropolitan areas and each seems to have a style all their own. As time permits, I read the writings of some of my favorite real estate bloggers. Below are a few recent notable reads that may interest you:
For those of you who enjoy home renovation or just watching old episodes of "This Old House", Bonnie Erickson in Minnesota writes some posts that come straight from the heart and her love of fixer-upper homes.
Susan Pruden in Maryland offers up some examples of interesting experiences she and her buyers have had while viewing homes on the market... and why, no matter why we may think otherwise, it's not a good idea to leave pets at homes for sale during showing appointments.
One of my personal pet peeves as a Realtor® is the way I hear some peop
Read more: Worth
, Reading
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-03 21:46:00
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Sarasota, Florida
(Sarasota County): Broker's plan could mean affordable condos. Read Full Article...
Marion County, Florida: Rural Shiloh Country may give way to development. Read Full Article...
Emerald Coast, Florida: A buyer's market? Read Full Article...
Punta Gorda, Florida (Charlotte County): Suriol finds support for Harbor Inn condos. Read Full Article...
Collier County, Florida: Officials look northeast for housing solutions. Read Full Article...
Naples-Fort Myers, Florida: Study sees long-term demand in local market. Read Full Article...
Longboat Key, Florida (Manatee County): Estate
sells for $18 million. Read Full Article...
Central Florida: State to buy part of CSX rail track for commuter transit. Read Full Article...
Leesburg, Florida (Lak
Read more: Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
Home Inspection Tips
2006-08-01 21:37:00
As an experienced Realtor, one of the things I strongly recommend any buyer do within days of a seller accepting their offer is to hire a reputable home inspection company to inspect the property. Even new homes can have construction defects so do not let the fact that it's a new house give you any assurance that nothing could be wrong with it. Any number of items could need repair or replacement. Typically, the home inspection period is 3-14 days (depending on the market) from the date the sales contract is fully executed. Try to schedule the home inspection so that you or your representative can be present at the time. Don't be afraid to ask questions of the home inspector, either during or after the inspection. If you are unsure of which company to choose to perform the home inspection, you can check out the links on my sidebar to the two home inspection organizations that many inspection companies ar
Read more: Inspection
, Home Inspection
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-30 21:29:00
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Sanford, Florida
(County) : Retail center is part of acquisition. Read Full Article...
Volusia County, FL: Council to ask voters for more growth control. Read Full Article...
St. Petersburg, Florida (Pinellas County) : Three city-owned acres in Midtown may sprout affordable homes. Read Full Article...
St. Lucie County, FL: Harbor Branch moves sights from condos to FAU campus. Read Full Article...
Daytona Beach, Florida (County) : Are town houses the 'missing link'? Read Full Article...
Broward County, FL: Property taxes on the rise. Read Full Article...
Winter Haven, Florida (County) : Proposed nine 4-story lakefront condo buildings rile residents. Read Full Article...
Collier County, FL: Ave Maria gets go-ahead from Army Corps of Engineers. Read Full Article...
Read more: Estate
, Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
Florida Real Estate News
2006-08-25 22:32:00
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Polk County, FL: Building permits drop 56% from a year ago. Read Full Article...
Bradenton, Florida
(Manatee County): City nixes huge waterfront project. Read Full Article...
Cape Coral, Florida (Lee County): Commercial activity areas shaped; plans call for mix of stores, homes. Read Full Article...
Dunnellon, Florida (County) : Rainbow River Ranch developer to offer new plan. Read Full Article...
North Port, Florida (County) : Builder offers $100K new homes - but price does not include the lot. Read Full Article...
Read more: Estate
, Estate News
, Florida Real Estate
Verandah in Fort Myers Wins Environmental (ENVY) Award
2006-10-05 00:05:00
Verandah, a master-planned community located on almost 1,500 acres along the Orange River in Fort Myers
, has won the 20th Residential Environmental Award
from the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR). The award, popularly known as the ENVY, was presented recently at FAR’s 90th annual Convention and Trade Expo in Hollywood, Florida.
“Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Florida Association of Realtors’ Environmental Award has become THE one to win for builders of high-quality, environmentally responsible communities in Florida,” said 2006 FAR President Mike Dooley, in presenting the award. “Today, the ENVY Award recognizes the one residential development -- Verandah -- that best preserves our state’s natural quality of life.
The Bonita Bay Group serves as developers for Verandah, which opened for sales in February 2003.
Judges praised this development for the efforts taken to preserve the area's natural elements, such as setting aside
Florida Median Home Price Increased Slightly in July
2006-08-23 23:32:00
In July 2001, the statewide median sales price was $132,000, representing an increase of about 90 percent over the five-year period, according to FAR records. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.
Nationally, the median sales price for existing single-family homes was $231,500 in June, up 1.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). In California, the statewide median resales price was $575,800 in June; in Massachusetts, it was $370,000; in Maryland, it was $320,750; and in New York, it was $279,000.
Over the past few months, home sales in the U.S. have held to a narrow range -- a sign that the U.S. housing market is stabilizing, according to NAR housing industry analysts. Sales overall remain historically strong, NAR notes, with 2006 projected to be the third strongest sales year on record.
Looking to Florida
's existing condominium market, sales of existing condos also dec
Read more: Median
Florida Home Inspections
2006-11-06 23:37:00
Whether you're purchasing an older home or new construction, I always highly recommend to buyers I work with that they invest in a professional home inspection.
If you're buying a home in Florida
and are in need of locating a Florida home inspector, here are a couple of resources that may help in your decision making process:
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) - Florida Home Inspectors
ASHI has a code of ethics and standards of practice but be sure to read their membership categories and requirements. Also, check out their frequently asked questions on home inspections and view a virtual home inspection while you're on their site.
National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) - Florida Home Inspectors
NAHI also has a code of ethics (.pdf), standards of practice (.pdf) and different levels of membership. While on their site, check out their resource library and articles for home buyers and home sellers.
Though some home i
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