Market Report Titusville FL 4/6/09 - With Absorption Rate This is a short report which covers all of Titusville - MLS areas 102, 103 and 104 starting near HWY 46 to Kings HWY on the south end.   I do specific reports on each of the MLS areas separately as the dynamics are different for each MLS area. There are currently 706 activelistings in TitusvilleThere are currently 116 properties under contractThere have been 244 closings in the past 6 months There are fewer listings than the last report and more properties are under contract.  Number of closings in the past 6 months remains virtually unchanged. ABSORPTION RATE Simply stated it will take 17.36 months to absorb the inventory of properties for sale at the current levels.  This is an improvement over the 20.43 months indicated in the... 04/06/2009

Every now and again one gets to see or hear something that is uncommonly grand.  I felt this way when I watched "IL Divo" perform Amazing Grace at the Coliseum in Rome.  These 4 diverse opera singers will give you goosebumps when you watch them perform one of the best songs of all times in a setting so appropriate to the selection.  ENJOY! Embedding has been disable upon request but the link is still available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   www.Titusville-FL-Real-Estate.com   I'm adding the Wintley Phipps version as it is also AMAZING:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfGytXRpfho 03/30/2009

These are not the greatest pictures, but they are my first launch photos!  They're taken from our front yard, no need to even go down to the river, however the views are more dramatic from that vantage point.  This launch has been delayed several times in the past couple of weeks.  Sorry the pics are not better, but they're the first from my new camera and I was anxious to see how they would turn out. Copyright photo by Gail MacMillan, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Gail MacMillan, Home Sweet Home Florida Realty Inc, Titusville FL.  Permission granted with a link back to my website and/or blog providing site is appropriate for all ages.  Thank you for respecting my creative expression and not plagiarizing. www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   w... 03/15/2009

Here's another idea to help protect your photographs from unguarded plagiarism.  Earlier we talked about saving your photos in RAW format which records all information about each picture, including date and time stamps as well as your copyright information. Photo 101: Metadata & Your Photo Copyright We learned that as good as you are in photography there is no guarantee that your photos won't be captured and made viral without your knowledge. Photo Copyright Not Protecting ~ CASE Study to prove a point But there is another layer you can put between yourself and the unintentional (or not) "photo grabber".  Very simply, link your photos back to either your blog or website, where the C&P (copy and paste) person will unknowingly be providing a link back to you.  The caveat here is that they... 03/12/2009

Photo by GailMacMillan, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Gail MacMillan, Home Sweet Home Florida Realty Inc., Titusville FL.  Permission usually granted with a link back to my website and/or blog, providing site is appropriate for all ages.  Thank you for respecting my creative expression and not plagiarizing.  www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   www.Titusville-FL-Real-Estate.com   03/05/2009

In one of my recent posts Photo 101: Metadata & Your Photo Copyright someone suggested using Copyscape to help monitor the use of our photos.  I went ahead and added Copyscape to my photos and then ran a test.  The results were somewhat confusing so I sent an email to their support.  This is what I got back. Unfortunately, Copyscape does not work with images, only text. Would have been nice but better to know the reality.  In the process I learned that Copyscape is part of Google Alert ~ how about that! They are also having issues with with API errors on Google's back end web index and are working to fix it ASAP. So now you know the rest of the story - sorry guys!!! For those not familiar with Copyscape, it is a bit of html code that you can add to your web page or content that produces... 03/02/2009

Photo taken by Gail MacMillan, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of Gail MacMillan, Home Sweet Home Florida Realty Inc., Titusville FL.  Permission usually granted with a link back to my website and/or blog, providing site is appropriate for all ages.  Thank you for respecting my creative expression and not plagiarizing.  www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   http://activerain.com/blogs/homesweethomeflorida 02/21/2009

      I'm looking for a new long-range lens and have narrowed it down to the Canon EF100-400MM f4.5-5.6L.  It's imaged-stabilized and sells for $1440 on Amazon. My other choice is the Sigma APO150-500MM f5-6.3 also imaged-stabilized and $875 on Amazon. The reviews have been favorable on both lenses, with some saying only Canon optics will do while others saying the difference in optics is not worth the difference in $$$'s. Canon's lens uses a push/pull which has been criticized for possible dust intrusion.  Also it is not tropicalized, which proved to be a problem for the 75-300 I'm currently using. The slight clouding on the inside has no major effect until a 2x is added, then the lens is rendered useless.  Is the "f" factor the main thing I should be weighing the decision on.  I'm no... 02/21/2009

Look at these STUNNING photos - my apologies to the original artist who received no recognition for these brilliant photographs.  No doubt the photo expedition was also quite expensive!!! I received an email today which contained these, among other, incredibly exquisite photos.  I did a little digging on Google to see who might have taken them.  Sadly, here is what I found: Mr. Stanley,Thank you. The pictures are indeed beautiful. But, I am not the rightful owner of those. I found them somewhere in the internet. Sorry, this just doesn't work for me and it shouldn't work for you either.  I'm looking for solutions and will share what I learn.  If you have protective ways, please share them for all of us.  Thank you.   02/19/2009

 What you are looking at to the left is about half the information which is stored on my saved RAW images. It is a permanent record and is part of every picture I take with my Canon Rebel XSi, using the Digital Photo Professional software (DPP).  Near the bottom you see Gail MacMillan Copyright 2009.  It doesn't just show up, you have to take the steps to program your camera with this information.  I will explain how it is done using the DPP software which came with the camera.  Most DSLR's will have something similar. First thing is connect your camera to a USB port and turn it on ;-) which will open the EOS Utility.  Click on Camera Settings/Remote Shooting.  The window which opens allows you to work with your camera settings similar to using the menu on the camera.  The second icon h... 02/19/2009

My goal here is to save you some valuable time...And make your digital experience more efficient. I'm using a Canon Rebel XSi with Canon Digital Photo Professional Software (DPP).  I imagine most camera software works much the same, but this tutorial is based on CANON.  I prefer to shoot in RAW format as it allows the most flexibility when it comes to the digital darkroom.  When you shoot in RAW format you cannot view your photos in say...Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Once you've downloaded your photos to the desired destination, open the DPP.  At this point all your images will be displayed as "IMG_"#".CR2.  In the upper right corner is an icon "Batch Process"  Here you get to choose between Jpeg and Tiff (or both, huge memory hog).  Most will select Exif-JPEG.  (You also have the op... 02/16/2009

For those who visit my website regularly you will be familiar with the stats I update every few days.  Today I want to draw attention to a trend which is developing and I feel is important if you have been putting off your next home purchase.  To the left is a snapshot of the listing inventory as of 2/14 as listed with The Space Coast Association of Realtors for all of Brevard County.  Titusville itself, in MLS areas 102, 103 and 104, has 712 active residential listings with 91 currently under contract.  The market is very active right now and the best properties are not staying on the market long.  Average days to close is 98 compared with 132 same period last year.  Don't let the high number of listings lull you into a false sense of market inactivity.  Undesirable homes and/or unattr... 02/15/2009

It finally happened and I want to say a great big THANK YOU to the many friends who helped all along the way :-)  I've tried other forums, good ones too, but never have I participated in anything like Active|Rain.The best  Real Estate Network site on the Internet I've often picked up the phone to share a thought, ask for some help, or just say hello to someone I like.  The response on the other end is always happy surprise accompanied with their full attention.  I believe in trickle-down management so this platform's enormous success has everything to do with the folks who run the show.  Thank You all for everything you do....everyday!   02/15/2009

 Photo taken by Gail MacMillan, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of Gail MacMillan, Home Sweet Home Florida Realty Inc., Titusville FL.  Permission usually granted with a link back to my website and/or blog, providing site is appropriate for all ages.  Thank you for respecting my creative expression and not plagiarizing.  www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   http://activerain.com/blogs/homesweethomeflorida 02/15/2009

Photo taken by Gail MacMillan, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of Gail MacMillan, Home Sweet Home Florida Realty Inc., Titusville FL.  Permission usually granted with a link back to my website and/or blog, providing site is appropriate for all ages.  Thank you for respecting my creative expression and not plagiarizing.  www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com   http://activerain.com/blogs/homesweethomeflorida 02/08/2009

MLS Area 104 - State Road 50 (Cheney Hwy) to Kings Hwy - Feb 6, 2009 122 active listings *20  short sales   10 REO's (bank owned)15 properties are under contract *2 short sales are under contract  2 REO's 6 properties have closed in 2009*0 short sales   1 REO closed86 properties closed in 2008*7 were short sales 15 were REO's From this study you can see that many of the short sales are going into foreclosure.  At that point the bank-owned properties are making it to closing.If you're thinking of listing and want Absorption Rate information, please call or e-mail and I will be happy to provide the most current numbers. Links to previous reports:Real Estate Market Report/Absorption Rates - Titusville FL (MLS Area 104) - Nov 4, 2008 Real Estate Market Report/Absorption Rates - Titusville F... 02/06/2009

MLS Area 103 - Garden St. to S.R. 50 (Cheney Highway) - Titusville FL  Feb 6, 2009 In MLS Area 103 Currently there are: 418 active listings priced from $8,900 - $1,100,00066 are short sales30 are REO's (bank owned)There are 38 properties currently under contract 17 short sales  9 REO's 258 properties closed in 200820 short sales51 REO's23 properties have closed in 20093 short sales10 REO's From this study you can see that many of the short sales are going into foreclosure.  At that point the bank-owned properties are making it to closing.If you're thinking of listing and want Absorption Rate information, please call or e-mail and I will be happy to provide the most current numbers.Links to previous reports:Real Estate Market Report/Absorption Rates - Titusville FL (MLS Area 103) - Nov 4... 02/06/2009

MLS Area 102 - State Road 46 to Garden St. - Titusville FL - Feb. 6, 2009 184 active listings priced from $22,500 to $695,000 *32  short sales   25 REO's30 properties are under contract ranging in price from $29,900 to $250,000.  *4 short sales are under contract  16 REO's are under contract 4 closings so far in 2009*0 short sale closings  4 REO's closed 140 residences closed in 2008*4 short sales closed in 2008  37 REO's closed in 2008   From this study you can see that most of the short sales are going into foreclosure. At that point the bank-owned properties are making it to closing.If you're thinking of listing and want Absorption Rate information, please call or e-mail and I will be happy to provide the most current numbers.  Links to previous reports:Real Estate Market Report & Ab... 02/06/2009

DON'T READ ANYTHING BELOW THE PICTURE UNTIL YOU DETERMINE WHICH WAY THE GIRL IS TURNING:  CLOCKWISE - COUNTER CLOCKWISE - BOTHWISE!!!  No time limits. I've had trouble with the animation, so here's hoping it continues to work...so far so good :-)                     I think it's working now I played around with variations and think I have it solved, and will disclose later :-)  Meantime, let us know what you SEE.  When my sister was here after Christmas and looked at this, she could not see the change in direction.  However, she knew when the change occurred by looking at the feet...hmmm And now, if you're done looking and have detemined which way she turns, post your result and when curiosity peaks, I'll tell you what I know about the phenom!  This is purely speculatively, but fun none... 02/03/2009

                     Mark Your Calendars for the 10th Annual Orlando Wetlands Park Festival - Feb 7, 2009This year everyone meets at Fort Christmas Historical Park...yes Virginia, there really is a place called Christmas FL!  I'll attach the day's schedule with directions and eveything else you need to know.  The Festival runs from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, with the first Guided Photo Shoot starting at 6:00 am, perfect for those early birds...LOL The best part is that this habitat has been created from Reclaimed Water....this is simply amazing...the stuff we flush every day can become a thing of beauty...Thanks Orlando.   Here's a blog I did recently about this park:  Reclaimed Water Creates WILD-LIFE Habitat - Orlando Wetlands Below are the links to help plan your outing to the 10th Annual Or... 02/03/2009