Inspirational Power Quote   Entrepreneurs Always Search   "The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity."  Peter F. Drucker, management consultant    As I see it. . . . . . . . We live in a world where the only constant is change, seek it and search for opportunities to make a difference.    10/26/2008

  Inspirational Power Quote   The Best Years of Your Life   "The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny."  Albert Ellis   As I see it. . . . . . . . Once we take personal responsibility for our lives we control the outcome and our destiny. 10/25/2008

  Inspirational Power Quote   Your Action Will   "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."  Dale Carnegie, author    As I see it. . . . . . . . Create your activities and actions in the direction of your goals.     10/24/2008

Like any project you begin its important to do your research and choose the people who will ensure your success. When it comes to one of the biggest transactions of your life and the buying and selling of property, choosing the wrong people to work with can cost you money. Always be sure to start with the right Realtor and follow up with selecting the right title company, lawyer, inspector, etc.  This will ensure you get the professional service you deserve and the results you expect. In this challenging market you need to use companies and professionals with a good reputation and a good track record as opposed to just using someone you know. 10/24/2008

  Inspirational Power Quote   Do Something About It   "Realize that if you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it."  Anthony D'Angelo    As I see it. . . . . . . . Time misspent is gone forever. Therefore, it is important to invest your time wisely and find a way to make the most of your efforts and activity.  10/23/2008

Boca Raton enjoys some of the best weather in the country all year long which can really increase your enjoyment of life as well as extend it.  Our average high temperature in January is 75 degrees and 91 degrees in August. The average precipitation is 2.3 inches in December and 8.0 inches in June. The rain is a welcome relief from the warm temperatures and is usually in the form of quick showers and most of the time the sun stays out. What a true tropical paradise. Now and then a cold front will pass through in the winter giving us a little chill that last a few days and then disappears. The chill is around 57 degrees. For a complete weather forecast visit the site below.         www.weatherunderground.com       10/23/2008

October is Fire Prevention month.  Did you know your clothes dryer is the one appliance that is more likely to start a fire than a furnace or stove?  It's true, but, unfortunately, many people are not aware of this.  They are also not aware that it is ove of the easiest of tragedies to prevent. Dryer Vent Wizard of Palm Beach along with its fellow nationwide franchisees is committed to preventing such tragedies by educating the public about the dangers of not maintaining the dryer venting system.   http://www.dryerventwizard.com of Palm Beach inspects, cleans, maintains, alters, installs and tests dryer vent systems according to the most recent standards and building codes!  Please watch the short video below about dryer fire prevention.   See what the Today Show on NBC says about dryer... 10/22/2008

In the spirit of Halloween.  I thought these jokes may not be funny, but it should lighten up your mood. Why Pumpkins are better than Men? Each year you get a brand new crop to choose from.  Also, they are always on the doorstep there waiting to greet you. How do you address a pumpkin with three heads? .      Hello,      hello,        hello. What did one jack-o-lantern say to the other? Cut it out! What is a pumpkin's favorite sport? Squash John, a city slicker from Boston, bought a pumpkin patch.  He thought that he could make more money from chickens than the previous owner made from pumpkins, so he went to a poultry farm and bought 50 chickens. '50 is a lot of chickens for that little pumpkin patch,' commented the proprietor.  'I am used to big business' John replied.' A week later J... 10/22/2008

Let me be the first one to say that I am one of the biggest advocators of the internet, and its potential in increased business.  I have however seen an alarming trend.  Many agents have become increasingly lazy. I mean to the point where they stay in front of their computers all day waiting for business.  Many do not even answer the phones.  They either text or email.  Isn't real estate a people business?  Aren't we actually supposed to speak to people in order to make relationships, and create business?  Since the average agent has only been in the business less then 5 years, many do not know the normal times.  They do not know thta we had to beg and plead with people to just get them in your car.  Sometimes we even had to promise them Burger King.  When we got them in the car we did... 10/22/2008

We go through times where the market is great and then it swings around and its not so great for awhile but whatever market we are in it will always benefit somebody.  Right now the biggest winners to capitalize on this challenging market are first time home buyers.  I have been meeting many people who are either in the process of looking for their first home or they have just bought something and they all seem to be saying the same thing.  If the market was any different they would never be able to be homeowners.  Many of them are benefiting by moving into Boca Raton where their families are because they are able to find something to fit their budget which just wasn't possible a short time ago. Everyone in this category should enjoy the advantages the current market has as in time it w... 10/22/2008

I just can't take it anymore.  Eveytime i turn on the Television a negative attack on one or the other canidate is on.  Everyone is talking about well after the election we will have this..., or when this president gets elected we are going to have a great economy.  Are people so shallow to think the President matters to our economy.  He doesn't.  We are going to have some tough years ahead of us no matter who the president.  Presidents are basically figureheads, and in most cases ecomomies are cyclical with not much you can do to change it.  Yes we need to increase our consumer confidence, and the confidence in our country, but this has become a global economy now so there are many more factors that have to be revisited before our economy starts to stabilize.  Has anyone seen the show ... 10/22/2008

With the election right around the corner many people are taking advantage of early voting.  You can head down to City Hall and cast your vote to avoid delays on November 4th.  Another good reason to vote early is to cover yourself if election day turns out to be real busy for you. With such an important election upon us its time to make your voice heard and vote.   Boca Raton City Hall 201 W. Palmetto Park Rd. Boca Raton, FL  33432 561.393.7700   10/21/2008

Even though Boca Raton enjoys a very low crime rate its good to get involved and know whats going on.  The Boca Raton Police department is one of the finest police departments in the country and one of the programs they run is the Citizen Crime Watch program where they encourage citizens to be aware of what is happening in their neighborhoods.  Through them you can form a group for your community and have your own crime watch group.  They also have an email program that alerts you to any police activity in your area that you can sign up for.  For more information on how to get involved you can visit their website below.   http://ci.boca-raton.fl.us/police/crimewatch.shtm. 10/20/2008

There is a new law on the books for the state of Florida and it effects people who will be entering into leases.  Now when you enter into a lease you will be given the option of paying 2 months rent as a penalty if you decide to break the lease.  If you choose not to exercise this option the lease falls back to the way its always been in the past. The large rental companies who own many buildings have been trying to get this on the books for a couple of years and this provision should be showing up in their leases soon.  In the future you will probably see it in some form in all leases. Some tenants will like it giving them a way out if they change jobs or wish to move to another neighborhood. You may see landlords take things a step further and only rent to people who do wish to sign o... 10/17/2008

Here in Boca Raton we see luxury home buyers from all over the world as they look to secure their piece of paradise knowing when they want to relax this is the place to come.  The last few months I have seen a big increase of foreign buyers from places like the UK, Brazil, Germany and Dubai. Its always a pleasure to work with these people and find out their take on the Boca Raton Real Estate Market. Many of them feel they can't pass up this opportunity with such a strong buyers market here and the many benefits of currency exchange that they will realize when buying property. The ones who wish to finance are finding they are having no trouble getting their loans. Even though the market could be better for alot of people right now someone is always able to take advantage of its conditions. 10/14/2008

If you are like me then you are tired of hearing about bailouts and financial crisis.  I prefer to talk about the positive.  With all this negative attention to our markets there has come some greater good. The old adage applies here.  "He who does not learn from history is deemed to repeat it"  We all know where this is going. Competition is a lot less.  We locally have lost 30% of our membership with probably another 20% to come after the board and MLS Fees become due early next year. We are tougher now.  Most of us will remember these times, and will reflect on them when considering on living above our means. We need to build from the ground up, and get stronger with our selling skills, our cooperation with other realtors, and responsibly representing our customers.  Till next time. ... 10/10/2008

The weather is always so nice here in Boca Raton many times the holidays sneak up on us. We don't have the heavy weather changes to let us know certain holidays are coming. Be sure to check out one of the many things going on for Halloween that the City of Boca hosts. 1.  Ghoulish Comedy Magic & Frightful Illusion Show and Shriek Week. 300 South Military Trail 561.347.3901   2.  Halloween Spooktacular Staff Show 200 NW Boca Raton Blvd. 561.393.7968   3.  Scary Stories & Crafts 20701 95th Ave. S. 561.482.4554   I'm sure there are many more as well so have a happy Halloween.   10/10/2008

  I was looking around in the NY Times Archives, and found this article showing we knew the risks of Fannie Mae, but did nothing about it.  This is pretty serious as we predicted exactly what happened.  See below the highlighted article.  Fannie Mae Eases credit To Aid Mortgage Lending- New york times September 3, 1999 Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending By STEVENA , HOLMES ln a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders. The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to i... 10/10/2008

Driving in Boca Raton just a little North of the downtown area you will come across a little neighborhood called Pearl City.  This neighborhood was one of the first in Boca Raton and was where the many workers of the local hotels called home. The community is made up of just a few streets. There are many opinions where Pearl City got it's name but most people believe it was named after the Hawaiian Pearl Pineapple which was a major crop of the area.     10/09/2008

Seems like all we hear about these days are foreclosures. It may not be as widespread as you might imagine in your town or maybe it is. Check out this interactive map that lets you see how your area is doing. You can check anywhere from Boca Raton to Los Angeles. The map also lets you check to see what areas are experiencing late payments and the other beginning stages of foreclosure as well.   www.newyorkfed.org/mortgagemaps/ 10/07/2008