The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & Florida News Monday, April 6, 2015    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Most Americans want to move in retirement Bankrate survey: 3 out of 5 U.S. residents want to retire in a different state or city, including 50% of adults age 50 to 64. Read more. Home appraisal comes in below sales price, now what? Competing offers can lead to a final sale price that's higher than an appraiser thinks a home's worth. Sellers' involvement, however, can mitigate some problems. Read more. Seven homeownership tax-time tips Ownership has its rewards, and some of those come at tax time. Mortgage interest and PMI are deductible, along with other less-known items that may cut taxes. Read more. Average 30-year mortgage rate barely moves last week The 30-year FRM nudged upwar... 04/06/2015

Getting Started Toward That First Renovation Rental Property in 2015       Remember to always think before you act and give yourself all the advantages possible at hand. Listed below are a few ways to insure the best potential of success for that first venture.   Find a Bargain Location also known as a bread & butter property: This is an area where there will be steady value increases, above those borderline areas.   Look to increase your positive cash flow. The first plan may be to buy, fix & flip, however buying right in the best area gives you a second option if you decide or have to rent out the property.   Target your market or your buyer. If your plan is for a move-up buyer than that should be your target. It also could be a specific choice like the beach, military base, college t... 04/05/2015

  What is the best way to search for a home in 2015?         When you search ask yourself any of the following 21 questions?   Driving the neighborhoods?   Checking your commute time?   Is the shopping adequate for your needs?   Would you be happy with the schools?   Is the home going to be large enough in that neighborhood?   Do you want to live in a gated community?   How is that area going to affect your Home Insurance costs?   Do you want a newer home, older home or new construction?   How do you like living down town or in the city?   Would you consider a high-rise?   What about the beach area?   What is more important location or size?   What style of home do you prefer?   Does your home need a pool?   Does your home need a garage?   Do you need to live by a bus line?   What is mo... 04/05/2015

Buyers: 12 Secrets & Tips From Staging to SOLD in 30 Days Flat       Highlighting your homes strongest points while minimizing the homes flaws will grab the best possible pool of ready & able buyers with these tips.     Clutter be gone: The most important part to prepare your home is clearing the path of the excess knick knacks and extra furniture.   Group your furniture: Setting your furniture together in a smart way adds structure and a friendly inviting feel.   Furnishings that sing: Moving around your furniture and accessories will give a fresh new feeling to the space.   Light it up: By adding simple lighting & wattage will welcome your prospects to the newly created space.   Make it Bigger: By adding a uniform paint color will achieve this. Green is a great color to use. Also neut... 04/05/2015

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & Florida News Monday, March 30, 2015    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Investors turn to crowdfunding for flips As home prices rise, investors looking to cash in are back to flipping properties - but more are now using online crowdfunding sites to finance their flips. Read more. Pending home sales rise 3.1% in Feb. despite weather The number of homes under contract but not yet sold rose nationwide year-to-year; the South and Northeast saw a slight month-to-month decline. Read more. Census: Americans returning to far-flung suburbs The outer suburbs and new homes took a major hit in the housing meltdown, but new data finds that population growth in far-out developments is picking up steam. Read more. Home prices outpace wage growth in 76% of U.S. Realt... 03/30/2015

Atlantis, of Palm Beach County, FL Market Stats & Facts for February 2015   Stats and facts about Atlantis, Florida, are out for the month of February 2015.  The report is packed with information about the county and the local city mentioned above. In a nut shell the inventory of single family homes available for sale are at a 5.2 month selling point which is down nearly 21.4%from a year ago. That’s a good sign things are loosening up and people are buying. Click on this LINK, for more graphs and stats.   Whether you are buying or selling in this hot market of the County of Palm Beach, FL, choosing the right company will save you money, time and many sleepless nights. I not only have 30 years experience as a Realtor, construction was a passion of mine as well. This alone is worth so mu... 03/29/2015

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, March 23, 2015   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla.'s housing market shows positive momentum Florida Realtors' Feb. data finds more closed sales, pending sales and new listings statewide. Median single-family price rose 9.1% year-to-year; condos 8.3%. Read more. Fed's consumer bureau takes aim at referral fees Many banks and lenders are changing their referral fee arrangements for brokers and builders as the CFPB tightens its definition of a RESPA violation. Read more. Leased solar panels could impede a home sale Solar panels save money on utility bills, but if a seller leases panels, a buyer must sign a new contract with the utility company and face some added risk. Read more. Real estate agents have a bull's-eye on their b... 03/23/2015

  The Do’s & Don’ts During A Mortgage Loan Process In 2015 Show Me The Money   The Do’s DO bring a cashier’s check made out to the title company for your closing costs. However must are requiring you to wire funds directly.  DO notify the lender if your salary or other compensation has changed from what has been noted on your loan application, to what it is currently. DO inform of any address changes from what appears on your original loan application. The lender will complete rental and mortgage verifications for all of your residences within the last two years. DO obtain homeowner’s insurance with minimum coverage equal to the amount of your total loan or the replacement value of the house. Make sure the agent’s name and phone number are known at least 10 days before closing. DO keep ... 03/21/2015

  Five Things Buyers & Sellers Should Definitely Do To Buy In 2015     Here is my short list of tasks I would put on my 2nd quarter to-do list if I wanted to buy or sell a home in the remainder of this year.   How’s The Credit: Perhaps you are void of credit problems, good for you!!! But let’s get real, this year will be a year in which many post-foreclosure, post short-sales, and laid off workers will find themselves sufficiently recovered. They will need to get back into the real estate market and buy a home. If you count yourself among the number of buyers who experienced a financial set-back of any degree during the recession you would be a candidate of course.     Eliminate: Time to give away all the things you know count as clutter - all of the stuff you know buyers won’t want to ... 03/21/2015

Internet Marketing Tips and Ideas to Help You Get the Most Out of Your Real Estate Website     How to Nurture Real Estate Leads with Content Marketing   by Vinny La Barbera As you should know by now, just having a website will never guarantee that you will generate business from it. On that same note, just getting lots of traffic, and even attracting a good amount of leads, does not mean that you will actually get new clients either. Successful lead generation campaigns – ones that produce actual business – must be comprised of all of these elements; a great website, a strategic traffic generation campaign, strong calls to action and one more thing….an effective lead nurturing campaign. In this article we are going to teach you how to nurture real estate leads with content marketing so ... 03/21/2015

The Daily Hot Sheet of palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News March 16, 2015   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Mortgage docs locked in stone 3 days before closing On Aug. 1, new mortgage rules kick in. One of the biggest impacting Realtors: Buyers will get docs three days before closing, and any change will cause a delay. Read more. NAR: Rents could soon outpace household income Recent buyers are financially stable thanks to fixed monthly loans, but life is getting expensive for renters as housing costs eat up more of their income. Read more. Fla. arrests man for $2.5 million real estate scheme The Dept. of Law Enforcement says a man used fraudulent paperwork and fictitious companies to obtain abandoned homes and sell them to buyers. Read more.   Feds push Fannie, Freddie to foreclose less often... 03/16/2015

Stuff you didn't know you didn't know, but will know now.....   Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better. Coca-Cola was originally green.   It is impossible to lick your elbow. The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska   The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%   The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400 The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000   Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair The first novel ever written on a typewriter, Tom Sawyer. The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king f... 03/15/2015

Ten Things Your Dog Would Love To Tell You.... If They Spoke English     1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be painful: remember that before you get me. 2. Give me time to understand what you want of me. 3. Place your trust in me- it is crucial to my well being. 4. Do not be angry at me for long, and do not lock me up as punishment. 5. You have your work, your entertainment, and your friends. I only have you. 6. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice when it is speaking to me. 7. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget. 8. Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that could easily hurt you, but I choose not to bite you because I love you. 9. Before you scold me for being uncooperativ... 03/15/2015

7 Important Tips for Breaking Those Bad Financial Habits         For most of us, our financial habits were picked up early on from watching and learning from our parents as we were growing up. If you were lucky enough to have financially savvy parents to guide you, managing your finances probably comes easily to you and is second nature. For many of us, though, myself included, making smart financial decisions has been a process that we’ve learned by way of trial and error — just as our parents before us. In my case, my parents were simply repeating the cycle and following the financial habits they learned from their parents, which were most likely learned from their parents before them.   So, how do you break the cycle of bad financial habits? I’ll be the first to admit, breaking habit... 03/15/2015

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, March 9, 2015   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Canadian bank to clients: Fla. homes still a bargain A Fla. home purchase has grown a bit more expensive thanks to rising real estate values and exchange rates, but it's still a Canadian's bargain, according to BMO. Read more. Online home sales becoming a reality Over time, more buyers and sellers will be willing to conduct their entire transaction online – a growing niche. The question: Where does that leave Realtors? Read more. Property managers weed out problem tenants Some tenants can cause big problems. Global real estate network Lamudi offers five tips to help find the right ones. Read more.   Fallout from the boom years still felt in appraisals The bust led to stricter rul... 03/09/2015

  BASIC DAMAGE CLAIMS PROCESS & PROCEDURES FOR HOME & COMMERCIAL OWNERS       STEP 1            Inspects damage and reviews customer’s insurance policy           Takes photos of the property damage along with measurements           Customer provides copies of declaration pages (first 2-3 pages) of policy           Customer to provide copies of prior repair bills or pictures if applicable           Customer signs retainer and is given a copy STEP 2          Parrot Public Adjusters prepares damage estimate           Parrot Public Adjusters calls in claim to customer’s insurance company           Customer’s insurance company assigns a claim number STEP 2A. If claim is re-opened, Parrot Public Adjusters may go directly to an appraisal process. Note: Process may take 3-5 weeks for response a... 03/08/2015

A Great Lesson On Stress...20 Ways To Make It In Life A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'... She fooled them all .... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.  Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.   She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it i... 03/08/2015

Start at the Bottom (Flooring) to Sell Your Home at the  Top (Dollars)   How do your floors appear? Chances are, after a few years of family wear and tear, even the most well cared-for flooring may need sprucing up or replacing. If you’re looking to sell your home in the near future, replacing carpeted floors may help you get that top dollar.   Take this opportunity to select a light, neutral color that will open up your living space. Clean carpeting invites potential buyers to explore your home comfortably. Large stains or dirty areas allow a buyer’s mind to wonder what went wrong, instead of encouraging them to consider what’s right about their potential purchase.  Additionally, old carpeting carries your family’s scent (cats & dogs?), which may be imperceptible to you, but distracts ... 03/08/2015

The Sweetheart Test, If You Dare!!! A group of women were at a seminar on how to live in a loving relationship with their husbands.  The women were asked, "How many of you love your husband?" All the women raised their hands.  Then they were asked, "When was the last time you told your husband you loved him?"   Some women answered today, a few yesterday, and some couldn't remember.   The women were then told to take out their cell phones and text their husband: "I love you, sweetheart."  The women were then instructed to exchange phones with another person, and to read aloud the text message they received, in response.  Below are 11 replies; some are hilarious.  If you have been married for quite a while (a sign of true love) who else would reply in such a succinct and honest way?   1.... 03/07/2015

The Spring Fling Clean-Up Check ListHomeowners always want to know what they can do to ensure that their homes fetch top dollar when they're ready to sell. With spring finally here, why not throw open the windows and tackle those projects that you've been putting off all winter!   The checklist below is a fantastic start to keeping your home in great shape and at maximum value. Remove and donate unwanted items; reorganize and clean attic and garage   Power wash exterior walls, porch floors, deck patio, driveway and sidewalks   Clean outdoor furniture, umbrellas and outdoor light fixtures   Clean out gutters   Clean out refrigerator and freezer, making sure to vacuum the grill and coil   Reorganize closets, donating unwanted items   Remove lint from the hose attached to the back of the ... 03/02/2015