I just closed today on my bank owned listing in the Bel Aire community of Lauderdale by the Sea, FL. It is a 3 bedroom home located on a canal with direct ocean access with no fixed bridges for boaters. It is also just a five minute walk to the beach.  The home had an asking price of $469,900 and sold for $440,570.  It needs remodeling, a new roof and landscaping It actually sold in a matter of weeks but ended up taking a long time to close due to code compliance issues and a hefty lien from the city for the associated fines.  We had to get the sewer hooked up to the municipal system and then get the fines reduced, which amounted to well over $100,000. I got the fines reduced to $7600 and we finally closed today after being pending for most of the year.  When it comes to selling real es... 10/31/2012

  Wave Watch In Lauderdale By The Sea Lauderdale By The Sea has it's own zip code. It's hard to get a parking spot even in the morning all year round. There is always live music and fresh seafood right there just before the beach sand starts. Once you find a place to park, there is shopping, ice cream, dancing and a nice canopy to catch the ocean breeze while people watching. Or wave watching. There is the Aruba Beach Cafe that's always packed and alot of fun. Phenominal veiws of the ocean while you eat. Lauderdale By The Sea is nestled between Ft. Lauderdale and Pompano Beach along A1A. And right now, has some tremendous real estate deals going on in the condos, villas and single family homes. The prices may never be this amazing again. Lauderdale By The Sea, FL Real Estate Expert – Ma... 05/01/2012

Many residents enjoy the gated communities and amenities in Lauderdale Beach's homes for sale. Golden Beach houses and Hillsboro Mile's beach homes are loaded with great amenities to make life within the communities enjoyable and safe. Private beaches on the ocean are an alluring prospect when looking to own a Lauderdale Beach property. The demand for Lauderdale homes for sale is huge. 12/04/2011

Wave Watch In Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Lauderdale By The Sea has it's own zip code. It breathes it's own air. It's hard to get a parking spot even in the morning all year round. There is always live music and fresh seafood right there just before the beach sand starts. Once you find a place to park, there is shopping, ice cream, dancing and a nice canopy to catch the ocean breeze while people watching. Or wave watch. There is Aruba Beach Cafe that's always packed and alot of fun. Phenoninal veiws of the ocean while you eat. Lauderdale By The Sea is nestled between Ft. Lauderdale and Pompano Beach along A1A. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL Real Estate Expert – Making it Happen for Home Buyers & Sellers! I personally live in Coral Springs and consider myself a Lauderdale By The Sea real estate ex... 11/28/2011

It's no wonder why people choose Lauderdale By The Sea to call there home or to use as a vacation setting. On just a thin strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal waterway with amazing views from every vantage point. Take advantage of the boating or fine dining, or just take a stroll  along the beach and explore all that this city has to offer. There is something for everyone to enjoy. Find your next home or condo by choosing one of the neighborhood links below, and claim your piece of paradise. Lauderdale By The Sea Real Estate     BEL-AIRBougainvilla Court Coastal Arms Cristelle Europa GOLDEN SHORESLAUDERDALE BY THE SEAMarina Village Ocean East Ocean Walk Terrace PALM CLUBSea Ranch Club Starlight Towers BEL-AIR ISLEBougainvilla Pointe Corniche Cristelle BeachHampt... 10/29/2011

Ocean Colony Condominium is located at 1620 S Ocean Blvd in Lauderdale by the sea, FL. It was built in 1971.  It is a sixteen story building shaped like a large L and features one of the largest pool decks in Broward County.  There are one, two and three bedroom floor plans.  The three bedroom units are 1601 square feet and are all in the stack closest to the beach.  The units that are lettered A, B, D, F, K, M, and P all have ocean views.  The rest either face north or west. Ocean Colony is a beautiful building that has had major renovations lately.  The most important improvement to potential buyers being all the glass in the building has been replaced with impact resistant glass that eliminates the need for hurricane shutters. Owners were assessed up to $50,000 each for that one impr... 10/05/2011

No depressing results for SE, Florida, we're doing just fine and property values are up! Totally AMAZING!  SE, Florida is down to close to 13,500 properties for sale in Broward County.  The property values are up from 5-15%...amazing 15% increase in value in Tamarac...which is 12 miles west of the beach. Yes, I agree, the banks are holding back some of their inventory as some of my investors continue to beat me up with...if they are correct. However, if the investors are wrong and the economy here is what is protests to be..,we are doing very well. It's within about 10% either way condo's or homes. We are without much new inventory and when it appears...it's gone. So, SE, Florida is the place to buy because our location is always warm, always cordial, and always where snowbirds love to ... 09/11/2011

Lauderdale by The Sea Live Cam of the High Noon Hotel in Fort Lauderdale Florida Link to Live Cam: http://173.12.107.18/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=487 The High Noon Resort Hotel is situated directly on 300 feet of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, in charming Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida. Location & Directions:High Noon Resort is centrally located in the quiet seaside hamlet of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida. Our charming beachfront community is neatly tucked into a one mile stretch just north of the City of Fort Lauderdale. High Noon guests enjoy easy access to local restaurants, shopping, attractions and other areas of interest, as the resort is located less than 40 minutes from Miami to the south and the Palm Beaches to the north. High Noon Resort Hotel: http://www.hi... 06/22/2011

SEA RANCH CLUB CONDOS The Sea Ranch Club has a plethora of features for any buyer interested in living the true South Florida Lifestyle directly on our beautiful golden sand. This enormous beachfront property is comprised of the three seperate condo buildings: Sea Ranch Club A, B, & C. Each building is home to over 200 beautiful and extraordinarily spacious condos (much larger than average, especially compared to those on the beach). Really, they are huge. These are simply single family homes in a condo structure with dazzling ocean views and steps from every important convenience. Why leave the beach when you have everything you need? Most of the Sea Ranch Club condos are over 2000 square feet and feature sepctacular views of the ocean and intracoastal. Just a hop across the street you... 03/16/2011

Restaurants - Blue Moon Fish Co. - Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida Looking for a great place for lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch?  If you haven't tried the Blue Moon Fish Co. in Lauderdale by the Sea, you're in for a real treat! We had brunch there this past Sunday.  It was fabulous!  Located on the  Intracoastal Waterway in Lauderdale by the Sea, Blue Moon Fish Co. has it all - great food, wonderful ambiance and attentive service.  Please note:  I am not a food critic.  This is just my personal opinion and that of the people who were with me.     To begin with, the restaurant is the perfect setting.  The brunch is laid out so beautifully.  After you are done inside with all the salads, homemade cinnamon rolls (unbelievable!), breads, fruits, raw bar with clams, oysters, shrimp and an ome... 12/20/2010

The High Noon Resort in Lauderdale by The Sea has the perfect beachfront location, right by the sand of the beach, steps north of Commercial Blvd. The resort offers 300' of direct ocean front of one of the nicest and best known beaches. I recently had the pleasure to appreciate the beauty of its common areas, kept in pristine condition by its managers and owners.  Located in the heart of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea,steps away from the Aruba Cafe, 101 Ocean and Village Grill, the oceanfront resort offers 42+ rooms, private parking in prime location, two swimming pools, Tiki, shuffleboard court, wi-fi, daily housekeeping service and great friendly atmosphere. The nicely furnished rooms offer microwave, stove, dishwasher, full size refrigerator and cable TV. Best of all, they offer 1 and 2 bedro... 09/24/2010

Searching for a place to Buy in Lauderdale by the Sea? Do you know if its a condo, townhome or single family home? Are you paying cash or do you need financing? What size? How many bedrooms do you need? What is your price range? These are all important questions that you need to ask yourself before you start searching for a place to purchase.   If you need mortgage to purchase your property in Lauderdale by the Sea, then you first step is contact your local Florida bank. It is much easier to obtain a mortgage of a single family home verses a condo. If you are in the market for a condo, then your lender needs to check which are the developments that are approved for Fannie Mae or FHA financing.   You can start doing your research online. Search for properties on Lauderdale by the Sea now... 07/29/2010

Villas by the Sea Residences Sales and Construction UpdateNovember, 2009 Construction of the first Oceanfront Building (4444 El Mar Drive) is now complete!  This is Villas by the Sea first DIRECT OCEANFRONT Building ON THE SAND and it contains 21 Residences on the top 3 Floors of a 4-story building.  Property Tax Records indicate that Closings started on August 28, 2009 and 14 Units have been purchased with purchase prices of $869,900 - $1,275,000.   The most recent purchase recorded was October 20, 2009.  Since 14 units have been purchased, only 7 remain with purchases that haven't been completed.  As discussed in my post in March of 2009, Construction of the first building located across from the Ocean (4445 El Mar Drive) at Villas by Sea is also complete and Closings started in Octo... 11/18/2009

Lauderdale by the Sea is a hidden seaside gem located just north of Fort Lauderdale. Luxury waterfront condos include Aquamarine, Aquazul, Cristelle, and Europa. Typical prices are in the $800k to $2m. These complexes offer large 3 bedrooms, great amenities, and spectacular views of big blue. Waterfront homes typically range from $600k for a fixer-upper/teardown to $3m for a newer Intracoastal Estate. South Florida communities offering Oceanfront and Intracoastal Estates include Palm Beach, Manalapan, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Boca Raton, Hillsboro Beach (Hillsboro Mile), Fort Lauderdale, and Golden Beach. Visit www.EliteWaterfront.com for current Waterfront homes and condos Sales and  Listings.Selling the Best Waterfront Homes and Condos from Palm Beach to South BeachBen Giordano, ... 10/26/2009

Lauderdale by the Sea is often overlooked by buyers, but it is a small beach town just north of Fort Lauderdale that offers several oceanfront luxury condominiums with a quieter setting than Fort Lauderdale. Values have gone down by at least 30% and savvy buyers are now snapping up great buys in this city. Contact me for the latest listings or if you are considering selling your Lauderdale by the Sea property.   Ben Giordano, MBA, REOS, CDPE, Realtor®Fluent in French and English. www.EliteWaterfront.com Selling the best waterfront homes and condos from Palm Beach to South Beach.   10/15/2009

    It's time to have a quick class on FHA loans, the fees for FHA mortgages, and just a basic understanding on how all of this works. This is truly frustration on my part from some loan officers blatantly lying to borrowers, just to justify their fees and such. It's total BS and it needs to be talked about. Just today, I spoke to a borrower that is having a concern with their 2nd lender, after the first lender failed them miserably.  This lender is charging them 6.00% with 1 1/2 points as an origination fee.  His credit scores are above 670 and the purchase price is $272,000 with the minimum down. And they are being charged a $495 commitment fee.  With this scenario, they should be getting at least a 5.50% interest rate.  Here is what they are being told.....        So here is the sto... 06/13/2009

  BEWARE               of web sites when searching for information. Who or what you think is behind a specific site might not be what you think.  Just as the picture, 'who is the man behind the mask'. Just as in mortgage web sites, are you dealing with the government such as HUD or USDA, or lenders and lead generators pretending to be someone else. What leads me to this blog is because someone left a comment on one of my USDA loan blogs and left a link to a web site. It was one of theirs that makes it appear as a web site for the USDA. If you do your research, it's a lead generator. It's wear you leave your information and this company puts you in touch with numerous lenders. But you would not know this unless you know what to look for. Besides, he had an Active Rain profile, which desc... 04/26/2009

  http://www.yasou.org/       An interesting chance meeting in Florida……   I was at a recent business trip to St Petersburg, Florida.  I attended a dinner meeting with a group of clients.  I am a very observant person and noticed a group of three at a nearby table that peaked my interest.  They were dressed in suits, which you don’t see often in South Florida.  The interesting part was that on a Saturday evening at about 7:30pm they were not ordering a meal, but drinking water and having the bread that was initially brought to the table.  Their behavior during my entire meal was looking across from where I was sitting, which was blocked by a privacy wall.  Our group of 8 guests enjoyed the meal and everyone was conversing about their nationality and customs.  One of the other guests wa... 08/13/2008

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting and showing Condos to an International Buyer who located my Website while searching for Cristelle and Aquazul Condos and called me last week to introduce herself and schedule viewing appointments while she's here on vacation from Bogota, Colombia.  Later this week, we'll be viewing Condos in L'Hermitage, Coconut Grove Residences, and L'Ambiance.Cristelle and Aquazul are two of Lauderdale by the Sea's premier Luxury Condo communities, in addition to Europa by the Sea, Corniche, and Cristelle Cay (not the same as Cristelle), all of which hold the distinction of being direct Atlantic Oceanfront buildings, located directly on the Sand, on Ocean Blvd.,/A1A (these Condos are on the Ocean side of A1A, NOT across the street from it).Lauderdale by the Sea... 07/08/2008

Look up in the sky.... it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Robert D. Ashby.....mortgage planner by day and pilot by night. Okay, sometimes it's the other way around. Robert is a pilot for American Airlines, but he also owns his on mortgage company. And most importantly, Robert Ashby is a Mortgage Planner and not just a loan officer. You might ask what a mortgage planner is?  It's a cross between a loan officer and a financial planner/adviser. In any case, I had the pleasure of meeting Robert two Saturdays ago when he e-mailed me that Thursday telling me that he was arriving Friday night and leaving Sunday morning. Robert was one of the first 5 AR members that I started talking to on here when I first joined. That was back in October of '06 and we started talking on the phone by December.  ... 04/24/2008