June 15, 2009

• Home Sales Up In Collier County

  Report Shows 10 Percent Inventory Reduction
  NAPLES, Fla.-June 12, 2009- May home sales in all Naples geographic areas showed a substantial increase over 2008, according to a report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS
  ® (NABOR). The report, tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island).
  Overall pending home sales in the greater [...]

May 31, 2009

• Single Family Home Industry Shows Improvement

  Total new housing starts have dropped significantly. April figures show that the number of starts is down 54.2 percent from April, 2008. There were only 458,000 homes started in the month. The Commerce Department reports that new housing starts are dropped at levels not seen since 1959. New building permits, another indicator of the health [...]

May 4, 2009

• Breaking News on the Latest Florida Real Estate Legislation!

  The House and Senate have completed their 60th day of the 2009 legislative session. This is the day the Legislature should be adjourning “Sine Die.”  However, as you have likely heard, the 2009 regular session of the Florida Legislature has been extended for a full week to finalize the budget.  While the session was extended [...]

• 30 Days to Hurricane Season. Think of Flood Insurance

  The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 – 30 days from now. Since flood insurance takes 30 days to become effective after a homeowner applies, today marks Floridians last chance to get flood insurance by the June 1 debut.
  “Past hurricane seasons have shown that storms can form as early as the beginning of June, so [...]

• Interest Rates Today

  Many Buyers continue to fence-sit waiting for the market “bottom” stating they are either waiting for the prices to drop another 45% or for fixed interest rates to fall to 2.5%.  (yeah, right!)
   
  Regarding interest rates, a little perspective may be in order.  For that reason, Will Dukes has conducted some research on the 30 Year [...]

April 29, 2009

• Consumer Confidence On The Rise in April

  The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index rose more than 12 points to 39.2, up from a revised 26.9 in March. The reading marks the highest level since November’s 44.7 and well surpasses economists’ expectations for 29.5.
  The consumer confidence survey showed a substantial improvement in consumers’ short-term outlook, including even [...]

April 20, 2009

• Federal Support To Homeowners Affected By Foreclosures

  The Federal Reserve has finally issued a plan that is not just targeted at saving the banks but pushing the support down to the homeowners affected by the foreclosure crisis.
  Under the plan, 9.9 billion will be issued to 6 banks for loan modifications. The banks will then use this money to help borrowers get their [...]

April 3, 2009

• Foreclosures Getting Snatched Up

  It is not just the savvy investors who are realizing that now is the time to buy….during the perfect storm, where the combination of incredibly low interest rates (4.3%-5%), a nice selection of homes and low prices with negotiable Sellers, make for a buyer’s dream come true. Foreclosures are rapidly being bought up and not [...]

• New Rental Property Scam Alert!

  Here is a consumer alert notice that I received from WASHINGTON, DC,  on Mar 27, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) —-The National Association of Realtors(R)’ name is being used as part of a property rental scam in which rental property is offered to consumers, who are led to believe that NAR is functioning as an [...]

March 25, 2009

• Homeowner Maintenance Tips

  Preserving Your Brass Hardware
  Real polished brass finishes on hardware and plumbing fixtures are preserved by the factory with a coat of clear lacquer finish. The lacquer prevents oxidation and tarnishing. Most of the shiny brass or antique brass finishes we see today feature a plated or painted finish, not real polished brass. You will find [...]

• Home Repair Tips

  Most people have automatic garage door openers on their garage. It’s a great convenience, one you take for granted…until the power goes out. With hurricane season ahead of us, it is a good idea to brush up on these safety items. What would you do?
  Your door opener came with an emergency release. This allows you [...]

February 19, 2009

• First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

  If you are a first time home buyer or have not owned a home in the last 3 years and you purchase a home this year of 2009… then it will be very likely that you will qualify for the $8,000 Tax Incentive which is almost FREE money that you won’t have to repay unless [...]

• Stimulus Package Signed Into Law

  As expected, President Obama today signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka “the stimulus”) into law.  Here’s a recap of how the stimulus bill became a law, and what the final plan means for home buyers.
  First, the Senate and the House passed their own ideal economic recovery bills.  The approved Senate bill included [...]

February 16, 2009

• Naples Real Estate Sales Increase Dramatically in January

  In January 2009, the highest number of pending sales since 2005 was reported in a report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS ® (NABOR), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). Overall pending sales, which are a key indicator of buyer activity, increased 85 percent year-to-date in January [...]

January 22, 2009

• Lee County Home Tour Starts in February

  This year home tour starts in February. For the very latest and most comprehensive in architectural design, construction, technology, cabinetry, lighting, landscaping and pool design, Lee Building Industry Association’s Parade of Homes opens its doors Feb. 5-8, 12-15 and 19-22.

  This is the 23rd year for the event, with model homes ranging in price from the [...]

January 13, 2009

• House Bill Addresses Foreclosures, Stimulus Package

  A bill that embraces the need for righting the housing market – the first big step toward economic recovery – was introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  H.R. 384, The TARP Reform and Accountability Act, was offered by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chair of the House Financial Services Committee. The bill would require the [...]

January 12, 2009

• Staging Homes and Offices Becomes the Norm in Today's Economy

  The staging industry, delivering benefits in today’s tight economic environment for home and office real estate, is experiencing extraordinary growth as the practice is setting the standard for preparing properties for sale.
  Staging, the act of making a property more attractive and appealing in order to highlight its best features, has never been hotter. From adding [...]

January 10, 2009

• Fannie Mae Testing Short Sale Pilot Project

  Fannie Mae has launched pilot projects in Orlando and Phoenix intended to reduce foreclosures by pre-approving short sales – agreeing on a price and the loss the bank will take prior to a deal even being made. Fannie Mae hopes the program will improve the popularity of short sales with real estate agents, who now [...]

January 6, 2009

• Mortgage Downpayment Clarifications

  There is some confusion in the media lately about the required size of mortgage downpayment  in today’s market, and the blog world is filled with misrepresentations and misconceptions.
  Here are the facts:
  1. An individual may be required to put down 20 percent based on that person’s financial situation – but that is not an across-the-board requirement for all borrowers.
  2. [...]

December 21, 2008

• IRS To Help With Refinancing

  The Internal Revenue Service said it will try to make it easier for homeowners in financial straits to refinance or sell their homes.
  The plan announced by IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman would speed up a process where financially distressed homeowners may request that a federal tax lien be made secondary to liens by the lending institution [...]