I finally decided to get an outside blog and just when I thought signing up was easy, I now have to choose my Domain name.   Now, I was given my name by my parents who named me after my grandmother; my university gave me a Student ID; my friends have given me my nickname (KG); when I was forming my Home Staging company, my best friend gave me Room Service Home Staging, and finally when I was designing my website and getting a domain name, GoDaddy.com, I was told which names were and were not available.                                     Easy Enough! So now another choice.  Choose a new domain name or use one I already have.  With keywords and meta-tags (try as I may, I have only a passing knowledge of this) and SEO and Internet crawlers from Google, I feel like I'm choosing the name of... 07/03/2009

I received a phone call two days ago from a Realtor I often work with. He took a listing on a house 8 months ago and advised that his clients have their house professionally Staged as he always does when he receives a new listing. The clients did not want to spend the money for Home Staging.It's eight months later and now his clients are "desperate to sell their house." The house has been sitting on the market and they already have reduced their asking price twice, totaling a whopping $25, 000 reduction. They've tried adding more photos to their online listing and a virtual tour - still no offers and very little traffic. Finally they agreed to have their home Professionally Staged.Of course I'm happy to take the referral and will be Staging their home. Unfortunately if the house was Sta... 07/03/2009

I have recently re-located my business to Delray Beach from New Jersey. I'm currently looking to form lasting business relationships with local Realtors. As I've skimmed the MLS listings, I've seen dozens of pictures of houses that are in desperate need of Home Staging! Let's work together to get your listings sold! Please contact me and I'd be happy to give a presentation to your company on the Benefits Of Home Staging. Please visit my re-designed site for more infomation at http://www.impressionsstaging.com Best Wishes & Be Creative! Jacqueline Oddo http://www.impressionsstaging.com For A Lasting First Impression http://www,impressionsstaging.blogspot.com 07/03/2009

Are you looking for a rental property in Delray beach Florida. I can help you find rentals all over Palm Beach County. My services are free and I have access to every available listing on the market. I can help you decide if buying is a better option and put you in a short term rental if it is. Give me a call 561-568-6238 or visit my website. 07/02/2009

Join the fun Saturday, July 4, 2009 from 8am-9:30pm at A!A and Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, FL. Patriotic parades, sand-sculpting contests, free concerts, food, and, of course fireworks await you at our Village By the Sea, beautiful and always friendly Delray Beach, Florida.  All along Atlantic Avenue, past one-of-a-kind boutiques, trendy restaurants, a "been there forever" breakfast hangout, and upscale art galleries up to A1A and the beaches, you'll find young and old celebrating our country's birthday.  There are plenty of places to relax                                                                      Lots to do                           and of course The Fireworks!                                           Take the time to celebrate our great country wherever you are!  HAPP... 07/02/2009

For many years I was in the restaurant business. Started as a bartender then manager and I ended up owning my own restaurants and being  the chef. Now I call myself a chef because I can create great tasting dishes. I take pride in my work. And there is nothing better when a customer finishes there dinner and tells his or her friends about the great meal they had and can't wait to come back. For me the real estate business is the same. I take pride in helping my customers whether they are new customer or previous customers, my goal is to be able to answer all there questions or help them find the right new home. As a professsional real estate agent I always answer my phone. And if I am on the line with someone I get back to then asap. They should never have to wait for me to get back to ... 07/01/2009

While many cities scaled back or are not having an annual firework celebration because of budget issues, it's nice to know some are "celebration as normal" Delray Beach plans to celebrate the Fourth of July with music, fun-filled activities and spectacular fireworks.   Festivities will include A sand sculpting contest on Delray Beach The 30 x 60 foot American flag raising Dancing on the beach The Patriotic Bicycle & Scooter Parade The Beautiful Baby Bathing Suit Contest 9:00 pm Grucci fireworks display, a grand finale tribute to our country's birthday.  STREET CLOSURES AND TRAFFIC ADVISORY- On Saturday, July 4th, from noon to approximately midnight, the following street closures will take effect:  All southbound traffic on A1A (Ocean Boulevard) will be detoured via Thomas Street back to... 06/29/2009

If you're wondering who or what an Echo Boomer is, you might be surprised. By the title I assumed it had to do with something green or echo friendly, but that wasn't the case. An Echo-Boomer is a child of a Baby Boomer. A study done at Harvard University predicted that the Echo Boomers are going to be the ones to bring the housing market back to life. Between 1979 and 1995 there were 75 Million Americans born. The study correlates the amount of people born between, 1979-1995 with a need for housing. I was born between these years and so are a lot of my customers who are looking for their first home!!! I guess the government gave the tax-credit at the right time. The one part of the article I found really interesting is that although they predict a lot of these Echo Boomers will begin to... 06/26/2009

 Currently, first time homebuyers qualify for a $8,000 tax credit. What would you think if it went from $8,000 to $15,000? I think it sounds pretty good!!! In Washington on June 11th, 2009 The Housing Working Group made recommendations to the Obama Administration regarding efforts to stabilize and bring back the housing market. They feel that if the housing market is not addressed and corrected, we could sink further into economic hardships. Their recommendations to the Obama administration include: Keeping interest rates for 30 year fixed mortgages at historic lows for the next year. Also, along with some other recommendations, they want to increase the tax credit to 10% of the purchase price with a cap at $15,000. They also want to make this available to all homebuyers and not just fi... 06/18/2009

I feel to better connect with both real estate buyers and sellers, and to give them the information they are seeking and to help them find real estate listings in the Delray Beach, Boca Raton and Highland Beach Florida area through my Search Communities page on my website, I have changed my domaine name to www.delraybeachprimepropertioes.com This I am sure this will help with any questions or inquires they may have about the area.   06/12/2009

Purchase a Carbon Monoxide Detector for Your Home! Delray-Beach Fire-Rescue and the American Red Cross (ARC) will host a hurricane preparedness seminar on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 10:30 am in the Commission Chambers at Delray Beach City Hall, 100 NW 1st Avenue.  Community Education Specialist Lt. Trisha Dunkelmann and ARC representative Steve Bayer will provide valuable information on general hurricane preparation with a focus on generator safety and carbon monoxide poisoning. Everyone who owns a generator or gas-powered appliances/equipment should purchase a carbon monoxide detector with battery backup for your home.  Generator safety brochures are available at Fire-Rescue Headquarters, which is located at 501 West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.  06/05/2009

Many condo projects scheduled for completion late 2008, are now in there final stages of completion for late 2009 and early 2010 occupancy. 5th Avenue Delray Beach, The Seagate Residence, The Astor, Worthing Place just to name a few, all promise to be beautiful homes for everyone. A Baby Boomers paradise. Why not live close to the action on Trendy Atlantic Avenue, Pineapple Grove Art District, and a short walk to Delrays beautiful sandy beach area. These Condos feature many different amenities, Pool and spas, gardens, secured covered parking, fitness centers. Private elevators. Each one will be a little different. Buyers will have many floor plans to choose from. Worthing Place will open as a rental community with retail on the ground level. Across the Intracoastal Bridge The beautiful ... 05/28/2009

Another fun local event in Delray BEach... Join Delray Beach Parks and Recreation at Veterans Park for a splendid adventure in musical fun for "Just Me and My Dad" in celebration of Father's Day.  Children from six months to six years old are welcome to join Delray Beach Parks & Recreation on June 9th from 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Veterans Park for a special concert with Kindermusik. The cost per child is $5.00 for Delray Beach residents and $7.00 per child for non-residents; grown-ups are free. Register at Veterans Park by June 1st. Space is limited. Want the latest updates from Florida builder Centerline Homes? Follow Us on Twitter and Check Out our Corporate Blog for Additional Information   Visit our Coporate Site www.CenterlineHomes.com Over 5,000 families are enjoying their Center... 05/25/2009

I'm sure most of you already know about the Government's $8,000 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers. Originally, the tax credit was given after you had already purchased your home. Now, in order to stimulate the market further the Florida Legislature has allocated $30.1 million for downpayment assistance programs. What this means for first time homebuyer is that the $8,000 tax credit can be used towards the DOWNPAYMENT on your house. For example, if you are a buying a $250,000 house, and doing a FHA loan with a downpayment of 3.5% ($8,750), you could now use the tax credit to pay for $8,000 of it, and only be responsibily for $750 out of pocket!!!!! The way it will work, is beginning on July 1st, those that qualify will apply for downpayment assistance before closing, and then re-pay t... 05/22/2009

I just read an article on 3 reasons not to buy a new home now. By the time I finished reading the writer must have mentioned 20 reasons not to buy a home now or ever for that matter. The only thing I agreed with was you should only buy a new home when you can afford it. This is true with anything you purchase. You need to know the expenses there are in owning a new home. One of the things she mentioned was its good to rent. For the most part no extra expanses. That's true, but who benefits, the landlord who owns the property. You are helping him pay his mortgage and he is building equity in his property. Just like leasing a car you make payments for 3 years, driving a new car but at the end of the 3 years you would have paid  out a lot of money and you don't have a car. So here is what ... 05/21/2009

The Delray Beach Historical Society (DBHS) will host a Celebration of Generations at the grand opening of the Ethel Sterling Williams History Learning Center and Archives from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at the DBHS Campus located at 3 NE 1st Street.  Also known as the Hunt House, the building will be named in memory of Ethel Sterling Williams (1891-1987), who was the first president and co-founder of the DBHS in 1964. She was a life-long resident of Delray who gave much of her time and energy back to the community. Event festivities include live music and guest speakers.  Model T Fords from the early 1900s and a horse buggy from the late 1800s will be on display.  All three cottages at the DBHS campus will be open, featuring the 1926 Bungalow which is currently showin... 05/20/2009

This past week HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan decided to allow the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit to be used toward the buyer's downpayment and closing cost. What a fantastic opportunity this presents to those home buyers who haven't been able to scrape together the money for their downpayment. So for all you home buyer's sitting on the fence because you don't have the downpayment, now is the time to take action and start looking for that dream home. According to HUD, FHA approved lenders, government agencies and non-profit organizations can supply home buyers short term loans upto the amount of the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. To help buyers that need down payment and closing cost assistance when purchasing a home with the tax credit, a number of Housing Finance Agenci... 05/17/2009

Besides being a fire hazard, insufficient dryer venting and exhaust systems cause a clothes dryer to use up to $300 extra per year in gas and electricity   Palm Beach, FL - As with any appliance, there are several things that can go mechanically wrong with a clothes dryer; however, maintenance has been discovered to cure most problems.  Horatio Chiorean, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, Florida shows his customers how they can save money on utilities while prolonging the life of their clothes dryer and preventing dryer fires with simple maintenance.   Horatio explains, "It is not normal for an older dryer to take several cycles to properly dry a load of clothes.  Many people think this is the case when their dryers are not working as well as they did when t... 05/16/2009

4th Annual Delray Beach Film Festival May 19th, 2009 An interesting and fun event coming up in Delray Beach, FL in the Delray Beach Film Festival.  You're able to view many different films that you probably wouldn't otherwise be able to.  Opening Night "THE ANSWER MAN" Starring Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham and Lou Taylor Pucci will be played.  On May 21st there is a special evening of Jewish and Israeli made films.  This great event happens annually in beautiful downtown Delray Beach Florida.  Downtown Delray Beach is a short drive from Briella and Parkland Reserve but within 30-45mins of most south FL communities. More about the organization: The DBFF is a non-profit organization 501 c3, dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of... 05/05/2009

This blog post is intended to give first time homebuyers a better understanding of how much a monthly mortgage payment would be, based on a purchase price.  I find that a lot of times first time homebuyers do not realize that your monthly payment is not just the mortgage, but also taxes/insurance and a HOA payment depending on where you buy. This all may feel overwhelming at first, but the more you read about it and research it, the easier it becomes. Before I give a few examples please note that rates change on a day to day basis, which will affect your mortgage payment.  The examples below are Hypothetical Examples. Please don't assume that if you buy a home for the same price as the examples below, that your payments will be similar or the same. You can only truly find out where your... 04/12/2009