Affordable HousingIt is a New Year.   The market niche apparently overlooked lately and certainly in the "boom" of last year was affordable housing for middle income families. Ther is a unique opportunity here to work with clients who have previously derived no tax advantages for renting versus owning.  Mortgage Brokers and bankers alike will agree that the tax benefits to home ownership,vastly outweigh renting. Money spent on renting a place to live is not recoverable.  While many tax deductions are given for home ownership.  Making newcomers to the buying market aware of some of these incentives helps to solidify why NOW is a great time to buy.  Prices in Osceola County have adjusted downwards, which has opened the door for buyers who were previously shut out.   So the drop in pric... 11/10/2006

What's hot in Osceola County?  There is a plethera of things to do. Some weekends it is impossible to decide which activites take priority. Theme parks aside there are some wonderful venues to choose from. The "off the beaten path" activities are enormously entertaining and do not have high price tags. The Vaeteran's Day Parade will be in St. Cloud Tomorrow (Nov 11) the whole town turns out for this event. People line the streets and sit in lawn chairs as the caravan of floats go by. Dignitary's and Veterans march,and ride in antique cars and politicians wave and  throw candy along the parade route for the kids. There are marching bands, ROTC, and floats, lots and lots of decorated floats.   The Master of ceremonies will be stationed at City Hall as the parade passes by announcing who i... 11/10/2006

As a Realtor perhaps the number one question I hear is..."How is the Market doing?"                                   The answer may surprise you.  I usually smile widely and say only one word.... "UNbelievable".                      The numbers are most interesting. I have previously written blogs about Osceola County, why it is a great place to live, work and play, its growing population,schools, attractions, events, and activities.  According to the Mid Florida Region MLS there are presently 3333 single family homes which have been sold in Osceola County Since January 1st, 2006, as of this writing.                                                                        The median price was $260,000.                                                                                       ... 11/06/2006

  Osceola County is one of the fastest growing areas in Florida. Located east of Disney and Southeast Of Orlando, Osceola attracts more than two million visitors to the region annually.   Sales the first two quarters of the year are remarkably slower compared to twelve months ago. However, Osceola County has observed a major growth regionally. As urban sprawl continues the growth eastward down Hwy 192 toward Melbourne.  Housing is still afford and prices are adjusting downward. Which is providing more opportunities for area newcomers to buy homes at a reasonable cost.   St. Cloud has experienced a population increase, with developers offering steep discounts on new home construction and liquidating existing home inventory. The town has a population of over 28,000 up from previous years.... 11/06/2006

Coming from NYC and growing up in the shadow of mass transportation, overcrowded schools, people herding onto subways like sardines, and traffic jams that took hours out of daily life...   A lot can be said for re-discovering the country. I came to realize that Urban living works for some people but not for others.On the back of every penny is a phrase.."E Pluribus Unum" which is Latin and means  "One of Many".If individuality is more your cup of Mocha Double Latte (coffee) than consider a radical change of lifestyle.For me it was discovering summer can last twelve moths a year. It was about geography.Tired of sub freezing northern climate I sought refuge in the endless summer season  Florida. Yearning for the blend of cultural ammenties so often taken for granted in NYC but lack of tre... 10/14/2006

There is a lot of apprehension in today's Real Estate Market. Particularly in Florida where I am from.The market is soft certainly-no one is disputing that.  But just because buyers are not standing in line waving checks to buy the first offering-doesn't mean it is a bad thing.  In some cases they still are.Just last month I received multiple offers on a single property. What is the trick you ask?Simple it was priced right.  Sellers who have owned their property prior to the bubble in pricing have less to lose than someone who over bought last year. More importantly, if they not maxed out their home equity and spent it,they can expect to achieve a "reasonable" profit-with the emphasis being on the word "reasonable".Let's Take a small house that sold 5 years ago for $60,000 and is now on... 10/14/2006

        Talking about an AMAZING  Transformation!  This is a classic example of how a little paint and some new flooring can transform a Drab Cottage into a Fab Cottage resulting in $uccessful $ales.   In today's highly competitive market, Realtors need an upper hand and added skills to help promote interest in their listings and better serve their clients. Do you agree? Aside from the flash and dazzle of sales presentations, and the promise to work hard to get it sold having an edge and eye for decorating or staging can make a huge difference in how a drab area becomes a Fabulous area with very little effort. Granted this is not the "Magic Bullet" for the handy man special. It is more beneficial for the "average" clean home, that lacks luster or special attraction. While I have long be... 10/14/2006