Special offer

Orlando, FL Real Estate News

By Walter DiLoreto, Real Estate Short Sale Specialist
(PHP Houses)
If you’ve got a move on your mind, you may be wondering whether you should wait to sell until mortgage rates come down before you spring into action. Here’s some information that could help answer that question for you.In the housing market, there’s a longstanding relationship between mortgage rates and buyer demand. Typically, the higher rates are, you’ll see lower buyer demand. That’s because some people who want to move will be hesitant to take on a higher mortgage rate for their next home. So, they decide to wait it out and put their plans on hold.But when rates start to come down, things change. It goes from limited or weak demand to good or strong demand. That’s because a big portion of the buyers who sat on the sidelines when rates were higher are going to jump back in and make t...
Comments 6
By Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary, First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
(LemonTree Realty)
Every wonder how you can bid on Foreclosure houses without bidding at the court room steps? You have come to the right place. There will be a large auction coming to Central Florida April 13th. You can bid on nearly 100 homes in the Central Florida area. These homes can be previewd on April 5 and 6th from 1-3pm, but why wait til then? These properties are on the market now and can be seen anytime with the assistant of a buyers agent. Want to make an offer before the rest of the bidding public has a chance? Pick up the phone and call me. I can help sort through the good investments from the the good priced homes (there is a difference). If you would like to see a list of these properties contact me and I will email you a portfolio of these homes.However if you are interested in the thril...
Comments 4
By Carey Light, Light Team of Wemert Group Realty
(Wemert Group Realty)
It's very important to me in my business that I tell people the truth.  That often occurs with potential sellers looking to list their property at a certain price and I feel I must give them the brutal truth..."Mr. Seller, I understand you could have sold your home for X in 2005, but it is now 2008 and worth x---"  A lot of folks can't handle the truth, unfortunately, so I must walk away from the listing and allow them to fail with another agent.  However, we must be aware that we are at a pivotal point in the market.  Ask any major economist or successful investor (Donald Trump comes to mind)...there is a great deal of money to be made in the downturn.  As a matter of fact, the potential certainly exists to capitalize on the downturn and come out smelling like a rose.If you have been l...
Comments 2
By Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary, First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
(LemonTree Realty)
If you are going to be in Downtown Orlando on Sunday March 30th, there will be the 17th annual Puerto Rican Heritage Parade and Festival going on around Lake Eola. The festivities are from 8 am to 11 am. I will be watching from my balcony, but if you are looking for culture in Orlando come on down. 
Comments 0
By Judy Chapman
(Referral Network of Illinois LLC)
New Pending Contracts increased from 1,239 units in January 2008 to 1,537 units in February 2008, a 24% increase month to month. However, 2387 units sold in February 2007, which represents a 36% decline year over year. Inventory increased from 25,724 units in January 2008 to 25,984 units in February 2008, a 1% increase month to month. However, there were 22,055 units for sale in February 2007, which represents a 15% increase, reflecting this strong buyer’s market continuing with little relief in sight. Median Sales Price has ticked up to $223.0K in February from $221.5K in January 2008, reversing a decline that has been in place since June of last year but still stays in the range of affordability for the average homebuyer.
Comments 1
By Drew Peterson
(Keller Williams Advantage II Realty)
Welcome to our blog series on the Top Ten Realtor Myths. In the last blog we debunked the #10 myth, that the buyer pays a real estate commission in Florida. That means we're on to number nine.Myth: This is a two-part myth. Part one is that when you hire a Realtor, the Realtor's entire company also works for you. Part two is that the company a Realtor works for is an indication of his or her skill or experience.Fact: The vast majority of the time, the Realtor you hire is the Realtor who will market your home, communicate with you, negotiate offers, and close the transaction. You'll probably never have contact with anyone else in the brokerage. Also, great Realtors work for all kinds of companies, big and small.We'll start with part one of the myth, where there's actually a certain level ...
Comments 5
By Judy Chapman
(Referral Network of Illinois LLC)
You can feel it in the air ... people want to buy houses. You can also feel the trepidation ... people are scared to commit, fearing housing prices will continue to plunge. This is what U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson thinks. He thinks a drop in house prices is inevitable. “A correction was inevitable and the sooner we work through it with a minimum of disorder, the sooner we will see home values stabilize, more buyers return to the housing market, and housing again contributing to economic growth,” he said. He was critical of those who walk away from mortgages that are under water. “Washington can not create any new mortgage program to induce these speculators to continue to own these homes, unless someone else foots the bill,” Paulson said. Newsflash for Secretary Paulson. Here in Orl...
Comments 1
By David Welch, Real Estate Optimist - #OrlandoRealEstate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty)
I was in the paper today. Yippee! I just returned from Tallahassee, our state capital, where I was attending Great American Realtor Days. We spent the last two days meeting with our legislators and other officials to discuss the impact property taxes, insurance and work force/affordable housing is having on our business and the states economy. On the way up I was contacted by the Orlando Sentinel and asked about why Atlanta, Dallas and Houston are growing faster than Orlando. Of course, my ten minute conversation was boiled down to one line. I was quoted correctly when I said that one of the impediments we have in Orlando is the perception of having a solely service based job market. I also pointed out that most of the job growth in our area is not the typical lower paying jobs associat...
Comments 3
By Robert Schott & Paula Hemani, Your Link to Real Estate
(TeamConnect Realty)
Search Dr Phillips Luxury Estate Homes !Looking for luxury estate homes in Orlando the Dr Phillips community should be tops on your list.  What does Dr Phillips have, how about Location, Location, Location (ring a bell).  Let's dive into what locaton is. . . close to Award Winning Dr Phillips Schools (schools, one of the first question many buyers start with), area traffic is light you don't see a lot of traffic congestion in this part of Orlando.  It's nice leaving your drive way and not getting into bumper to bumper traffic right off the bat.  Access to major roadways that can get you any where fast, I-4, and the 408 are only minutes away.  Lastly, Dr Phillips has that community feeling and being apart of something great.  Pride of ownership and being apart of a great place, put all t...
Comments 0
By Lisa Spalding, REALTOR, CDPE
(Casa Latino Four Corners, REALTOR, CDPE)
My husband just forwarded me this pic of a cool idea for marketing/advertising.  I have seen a lot of REALTORs or mortgage people (and other service industries) do the car magnet advertising--but not like this.  While I DO have car magnets, I have not advertised on my car quite like this.  I also have a lot of business cards with magnetic backs that stick to magnetic things.  I've never tried both together quite like this.  Interesting concept.  What do you think?  Oh, forget the fact that REALTOR is a trademark and should either have the capital "R" circled OR the word should be all capitalized...Also, if you HAVE done this, what has been your return on your investment?  Or, if you don't keep track of those kind of things (and you SHOULD), what has been your experience in terms of gene...
Comments 48
By Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary, First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
(LemonTree Realty)
I know most first time home buyers have heard the rumors about tightening of the lending guidelines that no money down is gone, that if you go FHA you must have 3-5% down payment in addition to your closing costs. Well that is all true however there is a great program out there called Nehemiah. The good lenders, realtors and builders are using it every day to help first time home buyers purchase their first home and get around having to have excess funds for a down payment. So what is this Nehemiah you ask? Glad you asked. Nehemiah exists for one simple purpose: helping people become homeowners. The Nehemiah Program® provides gift funds for downpayment and closing costs to qualified buyers using any loan program that allows for downpayment assistance from a non-profit organization. Nehe...
Comments 5
By Drew Peterson
(Keller Williams Advantage II Realty)
That's right, for the next few weeks we are going to be counting down the top ten myths about Realtors. It seems like every day that a comment made by a client, prospect, or friend reminds us how misunderstood our profession is as a whole. Some of these misperceptions are innocent and just make us smile. However, there are other misperceptions that can result in frustration and feelings of ill-will for both the Realtor and the client. It is our sincere hope that this blog series will both educate and prevent future misunderstandings. With that said, let's get to Realtor Myth #10.Myth: In Florida, the buyer pays a commission.Fact: Only in extremely rare circumstances does the buyer owe his Realtor a commission.The commission system in Florida is truly buyer friendly. Here's how it works....
Comments 8
By Judy Chapman
(Referral Network of Illinois LLC)
“Want to live where the air is sweet, the water is pure and the streets are clean? Try the country. But what if you don't like the sticks? Then try Florida.” This is how the story opens in Forbes’s “America’s Cleanest Cities” article. The state of Florida took 4 of the top-10 metropolitan slots on the list. According to the magazine, clean water and air result from assertive steps taken by Florida’s cities as well as “the built-in advantage of weather patterns that blow out smog.” Miami took No. 1, followed by Jacksonville (No. 3), Orlando (No. 4), and Tampa/St. Petersburg (No. 8). On another bright note for Florida, air and water cleanliness apparently energizes economies, according to the survey. Nine of the 10 cleanest cities showed population increases between 2000 and 2006. Read th...
Comments 0
By Judy Chapman
(Referral Network of Illinois LLC)
As the result of a 2006 case brought by homebuyers against the sellers of a home in Melbourne, Florida, the state of Florida and the Florida Association of Realtors® are wrestling with that very answer. The buyers are suing for a reversal of the sale on the grounds that the prior owners should have disclosed the presence of a sexual predator living next door. In Florida, Realtors® and sellers are not required to reveal facts about sexual offenders or predators, just as they are not required to reveal the circumstance of a murder or other heinous crime having taken place in a house, or even that the house is haunted. The only facts required are those pertaining to the physical condition of the house and land, or any zoning regulations that may affect the property or surrounding area. If ...
Comments 2
By Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary, First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes
(LemonTree Realty)
Just recently Forbes published the top ten cleanest cities in America. Of the 10 cities 4 of them were located right here in the Sunshine state of Florida.Orlando ranked number 4 on the list, just behind Miami and Jacksonville.I guess Orlando isnt just about Disney or Tourism, we care about our enviroment and can boost some of the cleanest air in the country. Orlando scores big on ozone and air pollution levels. For information on buying or selling in Central Florida, Orange County and Seminole County, new construction or Relocation services contact your Lake Mary Real Estate Agent Heather Joubran @ 407-810-6304 or hjoubran@remax.net Seminole County consists of Lake Mary, Sanford, Heathrow, Longwood, Altamonte springs, Winter Springs, Oviedo. Orange County consists of Orlando, Downtown ...
Comments 0
By David Welch, Real Estate Optimist - #OrlandoRealEstate
(Charles Rutenberg Realty)
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the median sales price has picked back up from what I have been seeing. So far, it looks like there were 41 closed sales on Friday. There may be more added today and tomorrow. That brought the total closed sales for the month up to 603 with a median price of $220,000. If you follow my blog, you may recall that number has been running about $216,900. Looking at the sales expected to close by month's end, I do not expect that to be much higher. The median list price of the pending sales is about $219,900. It does appear though, that homes in that price range are not negotiating on price so much. Many are actually getting the asking price. They are probably paying some buyer closing costs though.http://www.davidwelch.com/
Comments 0
By Robert Schott & Paula Hemani, Your Link to Real Estate
(TeamConnect Realty)
View Larger MapDr Phillips is known for its prime location and one of the reasons is the beautiful lakes and ponds that make up the communities.  Popular Dr Phillips lakes are Big and Little Sand Lake, Lake Sheen, Tibet and Serene, Spring Lake and Pocket Lake.  Most of these lakes are great for boating, fishing and summer swimming and lucky waterfront residents enjoy the calming effects water views give.Working with many buyers over the years there always is a high demand for waterfront homes, of course not all of them can or want to spend the money for this luxury but many do.  Appraisal Experts Inc in their 2008 CMA Adjustment Guidelines (which are general guidelines for resales and may vary depending on area) have pond views going for $30,000 to $80,000 depending on the homes price. ...
Comments 0
By Drew Peterson
(Keller Williams Advantage II Realty)
In "No Market For Unrealistic Buyers I, II, and III", we introduced and began discussing the topic of crafting and presenting offers in a buyer's market. So far, we've covered completing the pre-offer research and crafting the actual offer. That means we're on to presenting and negotiating the offer. In this phase, more than in any other, skill and experience can make all the difference in the world.Once you have completed your written offer, it needs to be presented to the seller's agent. Since this is typically done by your Realtor, we're going to focus on the items you can include with the offer to strengthen your case. First, you should absolutely include the comps you used to craft your offer. Making an offer and presenting evidence to support your reasoning is an incredibly powerf...
Comments 4
By Tony Marino, Realtor, Broker, Owner
(Real Living Real Estate Solutions)
I still love Orlando... I can't imagine having to endure the challenging weather of the North and Midwest, as I did it for 36 years of my life...  With 260 days of sunshine combined with sharing our home with the #1 Mouse on the planet, Orlando is tops on my list.  Most original Orlando residents would think I was crazy to go to Downtown Disney at the height of spring break and the Friday before Easter but I went anyway... I drove around and around looking for a parking spot, eventually having to stalk vacationers as they made a move toward their rental car.   In my Real Living Golf Shirt and Carol in a light sweater, we caught the end of sunset (almost 8pm) as we became one of the cattle to herd our way through the Disney Stores and Shoppes.   Watching people, and soaking up the energy...
Comments 8
By Robert Schott & Paula Hemani, Your Link to Real Estate
(TeamConnect Realty)
 TeamConnect Just Listed 9518 Castleford PT!Dr Phillips is known for its gated communities huge custom homes and lake front estates but there's also some other truly unique neighborhoods that helped make Dr Phillips what it is today.  Brentwood Club is one of those communities.  Built in the 1990's this subdivision off of Apopka Vineland south of Sand Lake Road is comprised of 110 homes on winding tree-lined roads, a picture Norman Rockwell would paint.  If you are looking for home sites on a half to an acre then take a look at Brentwood Club featuring many beautiful conservation views, Tile Roofs, excellent Schools and neighborhood Tennis Courts.  All this and only minutes to Famed Dr Phillips Restaurant Row and the new Dr P Phillips Park, Shopping, Disney and Universal Studios.       ...
Comments 0
By Jerry LaRose, Orlando, Windermere FL. Real Estate, ABR, GRI, e-PRO, CLHMS
(Orlando Realty Partners)
I've read recently that Google Spreadsheets as part of the Google Docs suite added several new features; better revisions comparison through color highlights, change notifications, and a Google spreadsheet gadgets directory.I thought what google has a spreadsheet and word processor free. So I check it out and yes they do and pretty cool. It's worth a look. Here it is.http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html About the author: Jerry LaRose is an Orlando Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden Florida or any place in the country. Jerry has created a team of professionals throughout Orlando and the country to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit ...
Comments 0
Explore Orlando, FL
Orlando, FL Real Estate Professionals