Not all homes are created equal. Realtors who have been in the business for any length of time know that statement is oh so true. When helping home sellers move their Delray Beach real estate on and off the real estate listings, it may take some real finesse to assist in making the home as marketable as possible.There are some basic features of homes for sale in Delray Beach and other places that make a home sell fast. In fact, researchers at Realtor.com took some time to examine exactly which homes sold the fastest from those listed online. See what they found at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty News Blog. 05/11/2016

 The Daily (050216) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Flood insurance solution takes big step forwardThe U.S. House passed a bill that makes it easier for owners to get private flood insurance or return to national coverage without penalty. It now goes to Senate. Read more. 'Ideal time' to buy a home say 3 out of 4 peopleSurvey: Despite economic concerns, current and prospective homeowners have an increasingly more favorable view of the real estate market. Read more. People's Trust limits water damage coverageThe insurer joins other Fla. firms in limiting water damage claims. It will now be supplemental coverage and max out at $10,000 for 40-year-old homes. Read more.Yes, your HOA can tell you how to parkReal estate Q&A: Condo owners who can't back into a spot or park a s... 05/02/2016

The Daily (042916) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   In 9% of U.S. markets, an all-cash sale costs more RealtyTrac: In Southwest Fla., cash buyers in two local housing markets paid more for listings than buyers taking out a mortgage - a possible sign of a peak. Read moreFreddie: Climate change a concern for housingProperty insurers consider many statistics to calculate rates, and a Freddie Mac suggestion to also include climate change could alter some owners' coverage. Read more.Average rate on 30-year mortgage rises to 3.66%The increase from last week's 3.59% may be temporary, however. Many experts think the Fed's lack of action on short-term rates this week will also impact FRMs. Read more.Florida Bar group gets $23M in mortgage settlementThe Florida Bar Foundation got ... 04/29/2016

Delray Beach real estate may have a brighter outlook for 2016 along with the rest of the nation. April data has experts predicting housing will maintain its momentum in 2016 and be an economic engine of growth. This insight comes from data recently released by Freddie Mac. The report shows that recent declines in mortgage rates have also boosted refinance potential."We've revised down our forecast for economic growth to reflect the recent data for the first quarter, but our outlook for the balance of the year remains modestly optimistic for the economy," says Sean Becketti, Chief Economist, Freddie Mac. "However, we maintain our positive view on housing. In fact, the declines in long-term interest rates that accompanied much of the recent news should increase mortgage market activity, p... 04/25/2016

Latest numbers from The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS) show mortgage application for new home purchases are up. Actually, it has shot up to 17 percent, which is a good indication that home sales should be continuing to be on the upswing for the next few weeks.The South Florida real estate market, including homes for sale in Delray Beach, Plantation, and other locations, are showing continuing strength in specific pockets. Single family homes with particular price points are doing well, as are condominiums and new construction.See more of the latest spring real estate market numbers at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty 04/19/2016

Take A Look At  A Few New Social Media Sites When most sales associates think of social media, the popular sites come to mind: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. However, there are other sites that are rapidly growing in popularity, some of which may help you build your business.  Instagram and Pinterest. These sites enable you to share pictures and videos. Many sales associates already share tips and listings on these sites. This site is growing fast and gets millions of visitors each month. For sales associates, Cafemom might be an ideal way to reach this audience. As the name suggests, this site facilitates get-togethers. A sales associate could form a meetup group for people who are selling their homes. This site enables you to create a live streaming video with your mobile device. You co... 04/17/2016

The Daily (041416) Hot Sheet of the Top Real Estate News Trending Now    Buyers' top mortgage complaint? Tax data errorsA home can receive six separate tax estimates between listing and an owner's first mortgage payment, and some estimates are more accurate than others. Read more.Fla. has two 'top 10' cities for RE investingA study that equated rental demand with job increases listed Orlando and Tampa as two of the nation's top cities for buyers who want to invest in rental housing. Read more.Non-bank lenders are servicing more mortgagesNon-bank lenders - ones that don't accept deposits like a regular bank - serviced 1 in 4 mortgages last year; in 2012, it was 1 in 14. Feds want more oversight. Read more.Report: Chinese foreign investment up 30%While more money flowed out of China, Fla.... 04/14/2016

On a glorious Saturday afternoon, April 9th to be exact, the affair took place. I was lured there after reading a post by one of our own Active Rainers. This was not to be a clandestine affair but one completely out in the open. I was not afraid to get caught........... The Delray Beach Affair 2016 04/11/2016

Home Prices in Delray Beach FL for March 2016  Real estate market data for Delray Beach, FL provided by  Elyse Berman of Realty Associates Florida Properties.    We continue to see higher prices on home prices in Delray Beach FL and don’t expect things to slow down anytime soon. If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Delray Beach, but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. Don’t wait on the sidelines for too long. Many of our listings are selling within a few days of hitting the market. As you can see from the graph below, listings are not selling exactly for asking price. To make sure you don't overpay for your home, you'll want to have an agent that does a thorough market analysis of the Delray Beach home on which you... 04/08/2016

Money issues can crop up at any time for anyone. Retirees enjoying their Delray Beach real estate properties may find that their senior years come with some setbacks, and they may need to find additional income. Financial strategists sometimes recommend homeowners who are 62 years old or older think about a reverse mortgage.Although it is certainly not for everyone, there are some who may want to look more closely at the features of a reverse mortgage. Visit the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty News Blog site to read the pros and cons of these types of home loans. 04/07/2016

The Daily Hot Sheet of the Top Real Estate News Trending Now April 5, 2016  Millennials angry at the cost of Fla. housing SW Fla. millennials criticized developers for ignoring them, saying the few lower-cost rentals built sell as second homes to buyers who could afford more. Read more.Freddie Mac: 2016 will be housing's golden yearOfficials at Freddie predict that housing starts and home prices will be at their highest levels in a decade, thanks to jobs, mortgage rates and a growing housing supply. Read more.Feb. single-family construction at 8-year highWhile overall U.S. construction fell 0.5% in Feb., the drop came mainly from government and commercial projects. Home starts rose almost 1%. Read more.Was police dog sniff outside Conn. condo door legal?A Conn. ruling won't impact Fla.,... 04/05/2016

INFO THAT HITS US FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 28TH, 2016 ... People were certainly looking at where to place the blame for February's 7.1% drop in Existing Home Sales, to a 5.08 million annual rate. Winter storms in the Northeast did slow down contract signings in January, which lowered February closings.  More importantly, housing data can be volatile, month to month. So thank goodness the broader trend in Existing Home Sales keeps going up. The past six months have seen an average 5.27 million annual rate, increasing to 5.33 million the last three months, with sales up 2.2% over last year.  Supply is tight, but new homes are going up at the fastest pace since 2007. Best of all, people are buying those new homes. February saw New Home Sales move up 2.0% for the month, to a 512,000 annual rat... 03/29/2016

It’s a seller’s market in many areas, including the Delray Beach real estate market. For home buyers wanting to secure a property in this kind of market, the more information they have, the better off everyone will be.Realtors need to help guide home buyers in making the best choices and bids, along with the proper negotiations styles in a market that is favoring the home owner. Assisting them in navigating through what they should ask for, what they can expect, and what they should be willing to compromise is important in sealing the deal.See more negotiating tips for home buyers at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty website. 03/21/2016

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE - NO CHARGENot A Joke!!   Even If you dislike attorneys..You will love them for these tips. Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. Maybe we should all take some of his advice! A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company: 1. Do not sign  the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'  2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts,  DO NOT put the complete  account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the  last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it. 3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of yo... 03/19/2016

914 Foxpointe Beautiful Manned Gate Community 3 Bedroom Home For Sale at Seagate Country Club at The Hamlet Delray Beach , FL The Seagate Country Club http://www.seagategolf.com A world class golf and country club located in Delray Beach, Florida Join us at our world-class golf and country club featuring one of the finest championship golf courses in all of Palm Beach County. Located just off Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, The Seagate Country club offers a full array of amenities for the exclusive use of our members and hotel guests. Championship 300-acre, 18 hole, golf course. State-of-the-art practice facility, with instruction available. Relax at our clubhouse boasting a variety of dining and refreshment options. With something for everyone, we offer onsite Har-Tru tennis courts, ... 03/18/2016

Like everything else, homes are in constant change. Whether it is just the normal aging process to home owners tired of looking at the same four walls, homes like Delray Beach real estate properties and others can expect to evolve through several updates and remodels if not full blown demolition.This year, home owners and home builders are expecting to see a lot of new additions going up all over the country. To prepare, take a look at what last year’s numbers show were the most popular remodeling projects and how much value those projects retain at resale. Visit the News section at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty to read about them and what additions home builders says are most likely to be requested in 2016. 03/14/2016

918 Foxpointe Beautiful Manned Gate Community 3 Bedroom Home For Sale at Seagate Country Club at The Hamlet Delray Beach , FL The Seagate Country Club http://www.seagategolf.com A world class golf and country club located in Delray Beach, Florida Join us at our world-class golf and country club featuring one of the finest championship golf courses in all of Palm Beach County. Located just off Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, The Seagate Country club offers a full array of amenities for the exclusive use of our members and hotel guests. Championship 300-acre, 18 hole, golf course. State-of-the-art practice facility, with instruction available. Relax at our clubhouse boasting a variety of dining and refreshment options. With something for everyone, we offer onsite Har-Tru tennis courts, ... 03/10/2016

2016 has started off with a bang! Income gains, consumer spending, and economic growth are healthy signals for the nation as a whole and real estate markets everywhere. The latest news coming from consumers is that all is well in their world, despite previous predictions of economists and financial analysts that were anticipating a slowing down of the economy, inflation, and interest rate hikes.Read more about why this shift in thinking has taken place as well as what can be expected in local real estate markets, particularly Delray Beach homes for sale. 03/09/2016

The Daily Hot Sheet of Real Estate News Trending Now March 09, 2016   Study: Renters moving from cities to suburbsCity renters once moved to the suburbs to buy a home and start a family, but almost one in three suburbanites (29%) now rent their home. In 2006, it was 23%. Read more.Commercial trend: Local 'talent' beating out costCBRE study: 50% of commercial firms consider "talent availability" their top strategic reason for real estate decisions. Execs view environment as a recruitment-retention tool; only 31% cite cost. Read more.Does homebuyer education really help?It seems logical: Teach renters about homeownership and you lower their chance of foreclosure. Fannie and Freddie believe it - but some studies raise doubts. Read more.Realtor University receives accreditationThe NAR-creat... 03/08/2016

1. Teams rise and fall on culture, leadership, relationships, attitude and effort.Great teams have a great culture driven by great leadership. Relationships are meaningful and teammates are connected. The collective attitude is very positive and everyone on the team works hard to accomplish their mission2. It’s all about teamwork. Sometimes you are the star and sometimes you help the star.3. If want to be truly great you have to work as hard to be a great teammate as you do to be a great player.I tell this to athletes all the time but the same is true for any profession. When we work hard to be a great team member we make everyone around us better.4. Your team doesn’t care if you are a superstar. They care if you are a super team member.5. Three things you control every day are your att... 03/06/2016