The new construction housing market continues to make gains. Wednesday, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Housing Starts for single-family homes up 5.5 percent in August to a seasonally-adjusted, annualized count of 535,000 units nationwide. The report marks the fifth month of six that single-family starts increased, and marks the highest starts tally since April 2010 -- the last month of that year's federal homebuyer tax credit program. A "housing start" is a new home on which construction has started and the steady growth in single-family homes starts suggests a stronger FL housing market into 2013. All four U.S. regions showed single-family housing start growth on both a monthly basis and on an annual one : Northeast Region : 4.5% monthly growth; 31.4% annual growth Midwest Region : 1... 09/20/2012

Home builder confidence continues to make new highs. As reported by the National Association of Home Builders, the Housing Market Index, a measure of builder confidence, rose to a reading of 40 in September -- its highest mark since June 2006. The index is now higher through five straight months and 11 of the last 12. For home buyers in Parkland , the survey may be signaling higher new home prices ahead; when builders are more confident in housing, they may be less likely to make concessions in price, and to "sweeten" deals with free upgrades and/or subsidized mortgage rates. The Housing Market Index is published monthly, based on responses to a 3-question survey that the NAHB sends to its members. The questions cover three distinct parts of a builder's business, each requiring a simpl... 09/19/2012

Mortgage markets improved last week as the Federal Reserve introduced new economic stimulus. The move trumped bond-harming action from the Eurozone, and a series better-than-expected U.S. economic data. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate dropped last week for most loan types, including for conforming, FHA and VA loans. 15-year fixed rate mortgage rates improved, as well. Mortgage rates are back near their lowest levels of all-time. Last week's main event was the Federal Open Market Committee's sixth scheduled meeting of 2012. Wall Street expected the Fed to launch a third round of quantitative easing (QE3) after its meeting and the nation's central banker did not disappoint. It launched QE3 and did so with such scale that even Wall Street was shocked. The Federal Reserve announced a ... 09/17/2012

The Federal Open Market Committee ends a 2-day meeting today, the group's sixth of 8 scheduled meetings this year. As a Parkland home buyer or would-be refinancer, be ready for mortgage rates to change. The Federal Open Market Committee is a 12-person sub-committee of the Federal Reserve. Led by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, it's the group within the Fed tasked with voting on U.S. monetary policy. The act for which the FOMC is most well-known is its management of the Fed Funds Rate. The Fed Funds Rate is the interest rate at which banks borrow money from each other overnight. It's one of several interest rates under Federal Reserve management. "Mortgage rates", however, is not among them. The Federal Reserve does not set or make mortgage rates -- Wall Street does. Further, there is no his... 09/13/2012

The number of U.S. housing markets showing "measurable and sustained growth" has increased by 19 this month, according to the National Association of Homebuilders' Improving Market Index. The Improving Market Index is a monthly report meant to identify U.S. markets in which economic growth is occurring broadly -- not just in terms of home prices. The IMI's conclusions are based on three separately-collected data series, each from a different division of the U.S. government and each tied to specific local economic conditions. In this way, the Improving Market Index gives a better idea of which markets will outperform averages in the months and years ahead. The three data series incorporated into the Improving Market Index are : Employment Statistics (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)... 09/12/2012

For today's home buyers and refinancing households, the value of "good credit" has never been higher. Mortgage approvals hinge on your FICO score, as does your final mortgage pricing. If you're shopping for a home in Parkland or Coral Springs Florida , therefore, or contemplating a refinance, be aware of how everyday credit behaviors can affect your FICO. Even small events can make a big impact. Here are some common-sense steps to help improve your credit score. First, keep a "cushion" on your credit cards. 30 percent of your credit score is linked to "Amount Owed" and a big part of Amount Owed is a raw calculation of (1) What you owe in dollar terms, against (2) How much credit you have at your disposal. The credit bureaus want to see at least 70% of your credit "available". If you ca... 09/11/2012

Beginning as soon as next week, new mandatory mortgage fees will push mortgage rates higher throughout Parkland and nationwide. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are raising their respective "guarantee fees". Guarantee fees are fees that mortgage-backed securities providers charge to lenders for mortgage-related services including the bundling, selling and reporting of mortgage-backed bonds. Guarantee fees are also used to insure providers against credit-related losses. As announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, effective for all conforming loans delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, beginning November 1, 2012, guarantee fees will be raised by an average of 10 basis points per loan. Conforming mortgages already average close to 30 basis points in guarantee fee per loan. This is the... 09/07/2012

CNNMoney has released its Best Places To Live 2012 list. The annual survey is based on data from Onboard Informatics. Using Quality of Life factors such as education, crime and "town spirit", and focusing on towns with between 50,000 and 300,000 residents, this year's survey ranks the country's best mid-sized cities. To be eligible for ranking, towns must have a median household income greater than 85 percent, and less than 200 percent, of the state median income; must not be a categorized as a "retirement community" or a town with "major job loss"; and must be racially-diverse. From a list of 744 eligible towns nationwide, Carmel, Indiana ranked first. The complete Top 10 Best Places to Live as cited by CNNMoney, and average local home listing price as of July 2012 follows : Carmel, In... 08/26/2012

  The Jack Brewer Foundation The Jack Brewer Foundation strives to “Empower From Within” through our various self-sustaining initiatives and programs, offering educational opportunities and economic development in partnership with underprivileged people around the world. Learn more about our mission. Board Executive Committee Jack Brewer, Founder/Executive Director     Brewer Sports International – CEOMark Peikin, Director of the Board     Bespoke Growth Partners, Inc – PresidentCortney Taher, Deputy Executive Director     JBF WorldwideJesse Meehan, Director of Operations     Brewer Sports International – COONikki Myers, Director of Marketing and Communications     Brewer Sports International – V.P. of Corporate Advisory  MARK IS THE General Partner Bespoke Growth Fund LLLP   Purveyors... 07/30/2012

Million Dollar Homes In Parkland Florida What a million dollars will get you in the zip code 33067 of Parkland Florida. An equestrian city where traffic lights have been kept to a minimum. There is a rich mixture of gated communities and wide open spaces. Lots with alot of acreage to raise horses. There are still streets of beautiful homes that sit on an abundance of acreage. And Parkland offers buyers exquisite properties that are unique in floor plans and architectural design. Parkland Million Dollar Listings Terri Poehler -Parkland, FL Real Estate Expert – Making it Happen for Home Buyers & Sellers! I personally live in Coral Springs and consider myself a Parkland real estate expert.  Allow me to assist you with the purchase of your new home. Thinking of selling your Parkland, FL  h... 07/18/2012

Jon Klein | Real Living 1st Choice Realty | (954) 415-5595 12480 NW 76th St, Parkland, FL Heron Bay Pool Water Golf 5BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $639,000 Year Built 2002 Sq Footage 3,101 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 3 Car garage Lot Size 10,873 sqft HOA/Maint $180 per month DESCRIPTION Beautifully maintained 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 car garage pool home with water & golf views. Triple split floor plan. Outdoor pool w/separate screened patio. Plantation shutters, silhouettes, and custom window treatments. Large kitchen with 42" wood cabinets, granite counters, & large center island. Gated community with 2 Clubhouses, pools, tennis, golf. Near highways and shopping. Heron Heights elementary school. 07/06/2012

Friday morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Non-Farm Payrolls report. More commonly called "the jobs report", Non-Farm Payrolls is a monthly market-mover. Depending on the strength -- or weakness -- of the data, mortgage rates will change. Perhaps sharply. Unfortunately, we can't know in which direction. If you're actively shopping for a mortgage in Parkland , therefore, today may be a prudent day to lock a mortgage. The job report's connection to mortgage rates is straight-forward. As the number of U.S. citizens earning paychecks increases, reverberations are felt through the economy. First, higher levels of income are tied to higher leve... 07/04/2012

Good To Great Schools Does it really matter what high school you go to? As long as you hold up your GPA, you can apply at any ivy league college, right? Well, the fact of the matter is, schools get grades too. And parents flock from all over Broward County Florida to get their kids into Parkland schools. The teachers make the grade, the students ace their SATs and best of all . . the enviroment encourages hard work. And not to mention the beautiful city with beautiful communities to live in, such as Parkland Isles, Heron Bay, Cypress Head, where you get a lot of land with a lot of house, BBB Ranches, Ternbridge, these are younger houses and many more communities. Parkland Florida Schools Elementary {5} Middle {3} High {2} Preschool {1} High Schools in Parkland, FL, 3 2 High Schools fou... 06/26/2012

Looking to rent a home in prestigous Parkland Florida? There are selections available right now. Alot of folks are looking for addresses with garages, back yards and a community that has alot to offer. That describes homes in Parkland Florida. You can rent in Heron Bay, Parkalnd Golf & Country Club or many other Parkland communities. Parkland has great schools, I have written about it a few times. Take a long drive through the quiet city and you will see why it's highly sought after. Check out below the current inventory on Rentals in Parkland. And then call me to view these luxury homes.   Rental Properties In Parkland Florida Terri Poehler -Parkland, FL Real Estate Expert – Making it Happen for Home Buyers & Sellers! I personally live in Coral Springs and consider myself a Parkland re... 06/25/2012

Parkland Florida Many of the Parkland communities have unbelievable deals right now. Once, homes priced in the millions, now can be purchased for a lower amount. Buyers tell me years ago they could never even consider purchasing in the Parkland Golf & Country Club with all of it's amenities. But now, it seems affordable to many. But, Parkland communities are making a come back in real estate value. Even though there are still many once in a life time deals in this beautiful city, some of the neighborhood prices are on the rise. So, if this is one of the areas you have your eye on for your next real estate purchase, you better get over there! Nobody can really predict how long the discounts are going to be available. Or how fast prices can move. Interested in buying a home in Parkland, ... 06/16/2012

As a real estate agent at Prudential Florida Realty we have the luxury of knowing that our sales of WCI Community new construction projects in the state of Florida come with a 100% commission compensation, half of it paid up front. It is one of the many nice perks we receive as agents at Prudential in South Florida.   With that in mind, those potential buyers who seek a stable way to buy a home and get exactly what you want in it have a choice throughout the state. WCI is offering nine new home sites throughout the state ranging from Tampa, to the Southwest, to the Southeast. While South Florida only offers Heron Bay in Parkland, the Gulf Coast has a multitude of communites to choose from. Tampa offers the Westshore Yacht Club, Bradenton the Tidewater Preserve, Venice the Venetian Golf... 05/21/2012

Parkland Pine Tree Estates Pine Tree Estates in Parkland Florida is an equestrian community. Pine Tree Estates is a gorgeous area flaunting many different estate homes with beautiful landscaping and accommodations for horses. The community was first built in the 1970's but there are homes built in the 80's and 90's as well. Located in Broward County, the beautiful Pine Tree Estatesoffers 2 main sections with North Pinetree Estates on the top of Holmberg Road and South Pinetree Estates on the bottom half closer to the Sawgrass Expressway. The surrounding neighborhoods include Cypresshead, Countrys Point, Sable Pass, Ternbridge Estates, Cypress Trail and The Mews. Parkland Homes For Sale  There is alot do do in this lovely city. Horse back riding is a really big deal here. And they have ... 05/11/2012

Parkland Golf And Country Club Parkland Golf And Country Club has some of the most beautiful estate homes with breathtaking views of the fairways and water. A gated community filled with homes boasting great floor plans with huge lots. Many of the homes feature upgrades like gourmet kitchens, theaters, magnificent tray ceilings, huge lofts, wine cellars and much more. This prestigious community is situated on approximately 790 acres and offers an exclusive, amenity filled lifestyle. It is planted in a desirable location between Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. And Parklands A rated schools are nearby. You will find a 43,000 square-foot Sports and Social Club providing an endless source of recreational and fitness opportunities including resort-style pools and spa; tennis courts; state-o... 05/09/2012

Q: What are the two most important factors when selling a home? A: Price and condition are the two most important factors in selling a home, even in a down market. The first step is to price your home correctly. Use comparative sales information from your agent, or pay for a professional appraiser (usually $200 to $300), to objectively evaluate your home's worth. Second, go through the house and repair any obvious cosmetic defects that could deter a buyer. In a down market, you may have to consider lowering your price and/or making a major repair, such as replacing the roof, in order to lure a buyer. Also, make sure that your home is getting the exposure it deserves through extensive advertising, good signage and a listing on the local multiple listing service or online listings provid... 04/19/2012

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” this classic Dickens’ quote speaks volumes about Centerline Homes’ Parkland Reserve community. The builder has announced that the second phase of the community, 112 townhomes, are now sold-out in addition to the initial phase of single family homes. “We opened for sales at the bottom of the worst housing market in history,” noted Deb Marton, Vice-President of Sales for Centerline Homes. “The fact that we consistently sold between 8 and 10 homes and townhomes a month through that period is a testament to the Centerline Homes’ philosophy of providing buyers with the right location, design and value.” Today, Parkland Reserve is a happy, thriving community of families who took advantage of prices from as low as the mid-$200’s and the ou... 04/19/2012