Landlording 123: How to Make it, Save It, & Spend It.       With prices dropping to historical lows, and banks only offering 1-2% on your savings, many people are considering buying rental property. This may sound great and attractive on paper, but Landlording does come with it's own set of risks & rewards. Following some simple guidelines will keep you in the black and not red. Being an Investor and Landlord takes both business sense and common sense. Presented below are some Top Tips to keep you on track for Successful Landlording: Your Lease: Standard leases are available at most office supply stores, however it is recommended that an attorney reviews them for your local area and property. Sites like www.mrlandlord.com are free and a great start. Choose the Right Tenant: It is wise ... 08/17/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, August 11, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Changes coming to FICO credit scores A change in the way FICO calculates credit scores could allow more people to qualify for a mortgage; and some who already qualify could secure a better rate. Read more. NAR: 2014 expected to finish strong Sales are down 5% so far this year, but NAR's chief economist predicts the second half of 2014 will make up for early losses and end on par with 2013. Read more. Fears fading over looming home equity resets The old fear: Many recession-era, interest-only home equity loans will reset, leading to new foreclosures. The new thought: The risk isn't as bad as feared. Read more.   Commercial outlook sunny with a few clouds Real Estate Roundtable Q3 ... 08/11/2014

15 Tips For A Successful Open House That Will Get Results   In light of the present market and the challenges to sell that Short Sale, REO, or Normal Sale, following these 15 tips for a successful open house might just be the answer. As we all know in this business real estate is determined by the three greatest rules, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.  Just as location is the key to a quick and easy sale, so is the right open house. Listed below are some easy points to remember when you host your diamond in the rough. ·        Advertise or feature the most attractive home in a very desirable area. ·        Street appeal is a big factor; choose it over the average site. ·        Draw from the strength of the community or neighbors. ·        Draw from the pool of homes in the upper price poi... 08/10/2014

  The Top 10 Reasons Why Short-Sales Do Not Spell Bargain.   1. They will take on average every bit of 120-180 days to close.   2. The property has been neglected by the owner or abandoned all together.   3.  More than likely they have debt owed not only to the bank, but to the HOA, City & IRS.   4. They are sold at market price not discounted.   5. The bank 90% of the time will counter your offer in the 4th, 5th or 6th month after sales have been documented and prices have risen.   6. Agents sub the process off to a third party, because of their inexperience  to negotiate.   7. No money to make the repairs by the seller or the third party.   8. There is a good chance the deal will fall through in the 11th hour meaning after five months or so.   9. You will miss out on better propertie... 08/10/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, August 4, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Foreclosure inventory down 35% but celebration muted U.S. foreclosure inventory plunged, but it's not yet time to break out champagne. Housing experts aren't quite ready to declare the foreclosure crisis over. Read more. Fla. Legislature to meet this week to pass new map A judge ordered the Florida Legislature to redraw congressional district boundaries by Aug. 15. The timing adds confusion to primaries and the Nov. election. Read more. Millennials hampered in buying homes Young adults who make up most first-time homebuyers took the biggest hit in the recession. They make less than earlier generations, have high college debt. Read more.   Trends show outlook for multifamily sector... 08/04/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, July 28, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Zillow agrees to acquire Trulia The $3.5 billion stock deal announced this morning would combine the two largest online real estate ad listing companies. It's expected to close in 2015. Read more. NAR: Pending home sales slip in June While the index remains in positive territory, June's 102.7 is a 1.1% decline from May and 7.3% in a year-to-year comparison. Read more. Florida Realtors releases Conference & Trade Expo app The app and its suite of mobile tech tools allow Realtors in Fla. to stay connected 24/7, download handouts, rate sessions and more. Read more. 'Seller-assisted financing' makes a comeback As home sales slow in some markets, some sellers may again consider hooking ... 07/28/2014

Atlantis, of Palm Beach County, FL Market Stats & Facts for June 2014 Stats and facts about Atlantis, Florida, are out for the month of June 2014.  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 4.1 month selling point which is down nearly 27.2% 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 much more tha... 07/27/2014

  The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, July 21, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Flood insurance refunds to begin Oct. 1 All homeowners who deserve a flood policy refund because they paid a higher rate before Congress changed the program should receive money back before Dec. 31. Read more. Why did housing starts drop only in the South? June housing starts went up in every region but the South, where they dropped 30%. Analysts now wonder if that's temporary due to rain or an actual slowdown. Read more. Battle continues for dominance in online listings Online listing ads are here to stay. Realtor.com is upgrading to compete with Trulia and Zillow, which attract more viewers even though they're less accurate. Read more.   More Dodd-Frank financial rules coming s... 07/21/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, July 14, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Downside of low U.S. mortgage rates? Less selling Home sales will follow if Realtors can convince current owners that they can afford an upgrade. About 3.6M current owners lose a great mortgage rate if they sell. Read more. Citigroup to pay $7B in subprime mortgage probe The money includes $2.5B in consumer relief: construction financing, affordable housing, principal reductions and help for residential loans. Read more. Are first-time homebuyers making a comeback? Census Bureau: It's not much - just a 1% drop in the number of 20-somethings still at home - but it's the first decline since 2005. Read more.   More Chinese buyers coming to America NAR finds inflation, rising affluence... 07/14/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News  Monday, July 7, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Solid U.S. job gains pointing to a stronger recovery The unemployment rate in June hit 6.1%, the lowest since 2008, prompting some to call it a "textbook jobs expansion - both broad and accelerating." Read more. Americans keep positive attitude about housing market Fannie Mae: Latest housing survey shows consumers' confidence in the market has trended up during the recovery; 70% say it's a good time to buy a home. Read more. Missing in Miami's new condo boom: Miamians New construction is attracting buyers from Brazil, France, Russia and other parts of the globe, but locals can't come up with the cash deposit requirements. Read more.   Renters feel pinch as landlords raise rents aga... 07/07/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, June 30, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Pending home sales surge in May The number of homes under contract rose 6.1%. It's the largest month-over-month gain since April 2010 when a first-time homebuyer credit expired. Read more. New Florida laws go into effect tomorrow Some bills passed by the Legislature are effective July 1, including help for the homeless, and a return of some power to local gov'ts that oversee short-term rentals. Read more. You lose every third client to another Realtor. Why? What do clients really think? Why do some buyers reject you? Do your ads work? Do you inadvertently offend? Get answers July 11 at "Hear It Direct" in Orlando. Read more.   26K Floridians to get Ocwen foreclosure rebate A.G. B... 06/30/2014

Atlantis, of Palm Beach County, FL Market Stats & Facts for May 2014   Stats and facts about City of Atlantis, Florida, are out for the month of May 2014.  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 4.9 month selling point which is down nearly 34.1% 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 much ... 06/27/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, June 23, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Florida Realtors May sales report finds stability Higher prices, more listings and a 3.6% single-family sales increase suggest market balance. NAR reports nation's highest monthly sales increase in three years. Read more. Should buyers see racial percentages when shopping? Some listing websites allow buyers to consider the race of neighborhoods by pulling it from publicly available Census data; civil rights groups say that's wrong. Read more. Home price unaffected by natural disaster risk While buyers know Fla. has hurricanes and Calif. has earthquakes, the natural disaster risk doesn't seem to impede home buying if weather and jobs are good. Read more.   Mortgage preapprovals ma... 06/23/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, June 16, 2014    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Expect stronger enforcement of RESPA violations Fully effective today, a different U.S. agency oversees mortgage referral violations. The law hasn't changed, but the real estate industry expects closer scrutiny. Read more. Gov. Scott signs Fla. flood insurance bill The new law, effective immediately, encourages private insurers to enter the Fla. market by giving them rate-setting flexibility and reduced regulatory burdens. Read more. 6 tips for buying a vacation home Vacationers know what draws them to an area, but they must also identify drawbacks to avoid disappointment if buying a vacation home there. Read more.   Surprise: Baby boomers aren't downsizing Fannie Mae: The propo... 06/16/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, June 9, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Consumer fears over economy slow housing activity Fannie Mae survey: Americans' concerns are making them reluctant to enter home buying or selling markets, keeping seasonal housing demand lower than usual. Read more. Fla. students get $150,000 in scholarships Awards go to 112 young people from across the state to help them reach their dreams for college and the future, says Florida Realtors Education Foundation chair. Read more. Seas rise, Fla. leaders balk at climate change Like many coastal areas, South Florida is vulnerable to rising sea levels. Debate over the issue could play an important role in the state's political future. Read more.   Survey: Growth to pick up, hiring ste... 06/09/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, June 2, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Foreclosures drop to lowest level since 2007 CoreLogic: Between 2000-2006, the U.S. had about 21,000 foreclosure sales per year; in April it was 46,000 yearly. Fla. No. 2 for foreclosure inventory: 5.4% Read more. Do little fixes boost home sales? A home improvement website tracked projects and found many buyers enter the process with plans to renovate; sellers should focus more on smaller repair projects. Read more. It's here: The 2014 Fla. hurricane season For the next six months, Floridians face possible storms. For now, families should know what to do, where to go and what to have on hand in an emergency. Read more.   PMI isn't just an inconvenience - it can harm buyers Survey... 06/02/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Tuesday, May 27, 2014 TODAY'S TOP STORIES Florida Realtors 2014 Conference & Trade Expo Check our now-live website and register for the Orlando Aug. 13-17 event. Identify trends, get money-making insights and network with Fla.'s busiest Realtors. Read more. U.S. consumers grew more optimistic in May It's been over five years since 20.2% of consumers believed their income would grow over the next six months, as slow-yet-steady rebound appears on track. Read more. Mobile home park investors bet on a poorer U.S. Real estate investors see opportunity in owning land for residents who earn less than $30K a year – about 1.8M Floridians, or five times the size of Tampa. Read more.   Realtors to condo boards: Get FHA certification ... 05/27/2014

    City of Atlantis, of Palm Beach County, FL Market Stats & Facts for April 2014   Stats and facts about City of Atlantis, Florida, are out for the month of April 2014.  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 4.7 month selling point which is down nearly 37.5% 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 29 years experience as a Realtor, construction was a passion of mine as well. This alone is... 05/25/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, May 19, 2014    TODAY'S TOP STORIES Consumer group says insurers pocket too much profit The Consumer Federation of America says state regulators go easy on insurance company rate requests, citing the industry's record $478 billion profit in 2013. Read more. NAR approves core organizational standards NAR's Board voted on a number of initiatives Saturday, including higher "unified, core standards" that all state and local associations must follow. Read more. Realtors say good things about commercial real estate Analysts say a commercial real estate recovery – a lagging indicator – suggests that the broader economy is strengthening as it rebounds from the recession. Read more.   Real estate agents less critical of appraiser... 05/19/2014

The Daily Hot Sheet of Palm Beach Real Estate & FL Realtor News Monday, May 12, 2014   TODAY'S TOP STORIES Fla.'s housing market shows strength in 1Q 2014 Single-family home median prices up 9.1% year-over-year, condo prices up 16.9%; single-family sales up 2.3%. NAR: Home-price growth slows in many metros. Read more. Florida aims to be 'most military-friendly state' A new law guarantees in-state college tuition, pumps $22M into benefits, expands a business program to hire vets and creates a veteran marketing campaign. Read more. Trendy tourism rentals raise legal questions It was once simple: A short-term rental was a home or condo rented for less than 30 days. But the Internet now allows owners to rent just rooms or even sofa beds. Read more.   House-hunters find more choices - and h... 05/12/2014