How To Keep Your Privacy During a Lakeland Fl Home Showing   At one of my recent showings with a buyer, I could not believe what I saw when we toured this beautiful home in Lakeland. Credit cards and bank statements were laying open for everyone to see on the kitchen counter. We could see their mortgage statements, and other bills as well on that day. Idendity theft is on the rise and it is so important in today's time to remove such items.   If you are selling your Lakeland Fl home, make sure to take care of all your confidential information and keep it in a safe place before your open house. Don’t forget that you must guard you and your family’s privacy at these times, especially during open houses or showings.   Here are some tips on how to keep your privacy during a home showing:   ... 05/19/2013

Understanding Your Lakeland Fl Home Appraisal Arm yourself with knowledge and understand your appraisals Home Appraisal is a term every buyer or seller encounters during the Lakeland Fl home buying process. What is an appraisal and how does it affect the entire deal? Some sellers find themselves in this unfortunate predicament where they have some buyers lined up with an offer ready, only to find out that the buyer’s financing has fallen through. The reason: the asking price of the home is way beyond the appraised value. This scenario is an all too common cause of the high number of cancelled contracts for homes that are for sale in Lakeland as well as in other real estate markets. To avoid getting into this situation, make sure you know something about home appraisals: 1. Lenders will ... 05/18/2013

Considering Credit Repair After a Lakeland Fl Short Sale With the increasing number of short sales closing in Lakeland Fl in the past years, there is also a great backlog of homeowners who used to have great credit standing but now have to deal with poor credit scores due to incorrect reporting on their credit by the lenders. Some homebuyers who want to repair their below-than-average credit scores turn to credit repair companies for help to make it easier and faster. Choosing a good credit repair company can be a sound financial decision on your part since they can help you dramatically improve your credit score and clean up your credit file.   On the other hand, a bad credit repair company could leave you vulnerable and create more damage to your already poor credit score. Here are so... 05/15/2013

Summer Camp 2013 - Lakeland FL School ends June 5, 2013 in Lakeland Florida and the surrounding cities in Polk County and for most parents the search for summer camps is in high gear.  Let me provide you with a few examples of what is being offered.  There are many more programs available, but I find the selection right here are some of the best summer camps. City of Lakeland offers Camp Blast, which is an eight week session starting: June 17th - August 9th  Monday - Friday  7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Camp Blast offers recreational activities such as bowling, swimming, movies as well as arts and crafts, exercise challenges, talent shows and much more. The Polk Museum of Art is holding a Summer Art Camp for kids who completed 1st grade to 14 year olds.  There are 4 sessions: Session 1: June 1... 05/13/2013

Getting a Home Loan After A Lakeland Fl Short Sale With today’s strict lending policies, many homeowners think it would be almost impossible to qualify for a home loan after a Lakeland Fl short sale. If you dream of buying a new Lakeland Fl home but have just went through a short sale, you don’t need to worry. There’s light at the end of the tunnel since homeowners who have gone through a short sale can still qualify for another mortgage. Getting a second mortgage loan after a short sale doesn’t happen overnight though. There are two things a homeowner needs if he or she wants to get a new home loan: persistence and a discipline in their credit. What are the basic requirements for a homeowner to get a mortgage after a short sale? After a Lakeland Fl short sale, the homeowner must wait f... 05/12/2013

10 Tips In Writing An Offer Letter For A Lakeland Fl Home For Sale (Part 2) Even if you have established a good impression with the seller in person, your offer letter could either make or break the deal. Not sure what I'm talking about, then please read my article by clicking right here Let’s continue with the other 5 tips for writing the perfect offer letter for that Lakeland Fl home you wish to buy: 6. Be Humble Ask for the seller’s blessing on your offer. How you say it means a lot because the seller might interpret it in a different way. Saying “We will be honored to live in your beautiful home” will bring you further than “we are confident that you will accept our offer for your home.” Remember, the ball is in the sellers hands, and you should acknowledge that in your letter. 7. D... 05/08/2013

10 Tips In Writing An Offer Letter For Lakeland Fl Home For Sale (Part 1) If you already have your eye on a Lakeland Fl home and are ready to make an offer, you should know how to make the offer letter in a way that will make it appealing to the seller and will give you an edge over other buyers aiming at the same target. 1.  Compliment the Seller Your letter should have an emotional pitch to make it stand out and appeal to the seller. Remember, you are trying to tell the seller to like you and ignore all the other buyers. You can start out by saying what a great taste in color the seller has, or how you would love to live their kind of lifestyle, or what an amazing collection of paintings they have on their wall. But make sure to keep it sincere. There’s a fine line between complimenti... 05/08/2013

Lakeland FL Mayfaire By-The-Lake 2013 - A Mother's Day Treat! Saturday, May 11th, 2013 The Lakeland FL Mayfaire starts out with a bang on Saturday Night May 11th from 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Bring your lawn chair or blankets for a free party on the shores of Lake Mirror. The Mayfaire Classic 5K Race kicks off this event along with fireworks after the sun sets of beautiful Lake Mirror.  There are vendors for you to buy food and drinks or you can bring your own and have a family picnic. What started out as a simple craft fair 40 years ago in front of the Lakeland Public Library, Mayfaire By-The-Lake, held every year on Mother's Day weekend is considered among the Top 100 outdoor art festival in the nation.  Lakeland FL Mayfaire By-The-Lake is also the oldest outdoor art festival in Central... 05/06/2013

6 Ways To Know If You’re Ready To Buy A Home In Lakeland FL   If you have been renting for some time now and are thinking about buying your own home or if you’re thinking of moving up, read these six ways to know if you are ready to buy your a home.   1.You are familiar with the market. You know you’re ready to buy when you have been paying attention to how much the average prices of homes are in the area you want to buy in. But if you are dreaming of owning a big home in Lakeland Fl without having an idea how much homes in the area are going for, then you might want to spend some time researching about the market first.   2. Have available money to pay for down payment and closing costs. Down payments usually range from 3-20% of the home’s value. This percentage will be determined by t... 05/06/2013

Lakeland FL Carillon Lakes Homes for Sale | Market Report for March 2013 The Carillon Lakes Community in Lakeland FL offer low monthly home owners association fee, provide 24 hr gated manned security, lawn mowing in open area on the properties, usage of tennis court, basket ball courts, swimming pool, fitness center, planned activities and much, much more.  Carillon Lakes in Lakeland Florida was developed over ten years ago and it is a deed restricted community. There are a variety of homes and condominiums situated throughout this lovely neighborhood that was developed in the early 2000. This community provides plenty of activities for its residents as well as for children. The community’s monthly calendar is filled with entertainment like, water aerobics, book buffs, game night, inves... 05/02/2013

Lakeland FL Sandpiper Homes - March 2013 Real Estate Market Update The Sandpiper Golf & Country Club in Lakeland Florida is a 55+ community offering the best for an active Florida lifestyle. This affordable community is located in North Lakeland minutes from Interstate 4 with easy access to shopping, churches and medical facilities. The Sandpiper Golf and County Club is open to the public. There are six entrances to the community giving visitors and buyers viewing Sandpiper Lakeland FL homes for sale with easy access from North Socrum Loop, Old Polk City Road, and Walt Williams Road. For its resident the community offers a variety of activities such as golfing, swimming, shuffle board, tennis, walking, fitness, dining and much more. The homes were built in the late 80’s through the late... 05/02/2013

Contingencies That Your Lakeland Fl Home Should Include There is a lot of uncertainty involved once you buy a Lakeland Fl home. You must understand and be careful about these risks because once you buy a home, you will be committed to it for years. One thing that will help lessen the risk and uncertainty in buying a home is the contingency clause in your Lakeland Fl home's purchase contract. This contingency clause will detail specific conditions that must be met before closing the sale. 1. Mortgage Contingency The Mortgage contingency protects buyers. One of  most common types of contingencies is the mortgage contingency. It protects the buyer during the home-buying process. The mortgage contingency states that the buyer will try to acquire a certain type of mortgage at or below a part... 04/29/2013

SOLD! Lakeland FL Homes for Sale - 503 Perch Place If the price is right it will sell, even if it is a manufactured home in Lakeland FL.  This move-in home is one of the newest kid on the block in the Village of Lakeland manufactured home community.  It was an estate sale and it took no time to get the right offer.   This home was listed on January 4, 2013 for $65,000 and with my online marketing presence the traffic this home received reached well our expectations.  By February 26, we received an offer that was accepted by the sellers. In the meantime a lawyer handled the probate case in a swift and timely manner.  Once we received the green light, buyers and sellers were eager and ready to close. The home was sold on 4/19/13 for $59,000  From the time it was listed to contract - only ... 04/21/2013

April Is Fair Housing Month - There Is An App For That! The Civil Rights Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson on April 11, 1968 prohibits discrimination regarding sale, rental, and financing of housing based on sex, race, religion, national origin, and as recently amended, handicap and family status. This  is known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968 or Title VIII.   Good news for Lakeland Fl homeowners, the Fair Housing Act has been updated again to address discrimination by lenders and other servicers offering loans and financial assistance to borrowers, including those borrowers struggling financially.   Now, there is an app for that - The HUD is now using technology to address an old problem by introducing a fair housing app this year called "Housing Discrimination Complaint App." Thi... 04/17/2013

5 Things You Should Look For Before Buying A Lakeland Fl Home For Sale   With low interest rates and home prices starting to go up, now is actually the best time to buy a Lakeland Fl home. But with the huge number of foreclosed homes and short sales, there is also a bigger range of physical conditions that these Lakeland Fl homes for sale are in. Some homes may be well-maintained while others may be in need of major repairs.   The process of sorting through and finding the right home could be overwhelming for a first-time home buyer. One could easily fall in love at first sight with a home, only to find out too late that it costs more to repair and maintain because of all the hidden damages and the essential things that the buyer failed to look at. Use these tips to guide you in looking... 04/15/2013

SOLD! Lakeland FL Homes for Sale - 1337 W Honeytree Lane  Sometimes a seller has to do to get the home sold, even if it means to replace the roof.  This home was listed by Petra Norris of CDV TransAtlantic on February 11, 2013, after 18 days on the market we received an offer which was negotiated and accepted.  However inspections revealed in order to get financing and insurance, seller would have to replace the roof.  Seller agreed and replaced the roof to get it done. Home closed on March 29, 2013 - Sold for $70,000 - From listing to closing 46 days - seller even gave the buyer closing cost credit of $2000. Seller was happy to sale the home for more than we originally thought it would net and buyer is excited about being a homeowner paying less than what the monthly rent payment was. ... 04/09/2013

How To Write a Perfect Purchase Offer for a Lakeland FL Home How To Write the Perfect Purchase Offer for a Lakeland FL Home Inventory is decreasing and buyers sometimes hurry when when writing an offer to purchase a house.  They may not even give much thought about how to write a perfect purchase offer for a house in Lakeland FL.  While buyers typically rely on real estate professionals, there are a buyers out there who prefer to do it alone.  If you are going to be doing this on your own as you so freely can, especially buying a “For Sale By Owner”, it is helpful to understand more about these important contracts. Home buyers usually rely on their Lakeland FL agent or real estate attorney to write their purchase offers. It is safer to have it written by an agent since the offer must fo... 04/08/2013

Things To Do In Lakeland Florida - Weekend April 5-7, 2013 March is gone... and oh how time flies when you have fun in Lakeland Florida with plenty of things to do in April.  Hang out time Downtown Lakeland near Munn Park, Joker Marchant (Tiger Town), Dixieland and Lake Mirror are the places to be this weekend.   Check out the lineup of family events! April 5  - First Friday and it is  the event of the Motorcycle Mania filled with many motorcycle on display.  This is a free event that takes place downtown Lakeland in and around Munn Park from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Classic Car show and much more, in addition local shops and restaurants will stay open late. April 6 - Florida Ice Cream Festival in its 1st annual event which takes place at Joker Marchant Stadium at Tiger Town.  Gate Admissi... 04/04/2013

Choosing Between Two Lakeland Fl Homes   Some buyers have problems finding the right Lakeland Fl home. On the other hand, there are buyers who have a hard time choosing between two Lakeland Fl homes for sale that they both like. Deciding which home to buy could be tough when they are both in the same price range, have the same size and offer the same features that made you fall for both of them.   Here are a few factors you should consider to help you come up with a decision on which Lakeland Fl home for sale to choose and avoid “buyer’s remorse:”   1. Neighborhood   If both homes are similar on the inside, then it makes sense to go outside the homes for a better perspective. When you are buying a home, you are not just moving into the home but into a new neighborhood as well. So it wou... 04/02/2013

Attention Buyers and Sellers! Have you Noticed the Lakeland FL Real Estate Market is Shifting My primary real estate market is Lakeland Florida, which is located in Central Florida of Polk County.  Lakeland happens to be the largest city of this county and is located smack dab in the middle between Orlando and Tampa. Because of the easy access to these cities and it’s affordable home prices compared to Orlando and Tampa, Lakeland’s population has grown steadily in recent years. It is not uncommon for homes listed to receive multiple offers which exceeds the listing price. Overall existing home prices saw increases in average sales and median prices since October 2012. Double digit increases from the previous year suggest the housing market in Lakeland FL is starting to shift.  The curre... 03/31/2013