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Show Your Home Pride: 7 Home Improvement Projects for $1,000 (or Less)

Print PDF By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Americans still think buying a home is one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. Here are some ways to increase your home’s value and comfort for less than $1,000. We knew reports of the death of American home ownership were greatly exaggerated (nod to Mark Twain), and now… Read More

About 1 million homeowners may get mortgage write-downs

Print PDF WASHINGTON – Jan. 19, 2012 – About 1 million homeowners would get write-downs in the size of their mortgages under a proposed deal with banks over shady foreclosure practices, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said Wednesday. The deal, which could be reached within weeks, would mark the largest cut in the… Read More

NTSB Urges Cell phone Ban While Driving

Print PDF TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Dec. 14, 2011 – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday urged states to ban cell phone use while driving, the first such call by a federal agency. In Florida, bills that would prohibit kids under 18 from talking-while-driving are filed by a Senate Republican and a House Democrat,… Read More

Are banks getting better on short sales?

Print PDF CHICAGO– Oct. 21, 2011 – Are short sales getting easier? Some homeowners are reporting that banks are now not only more willing to consider a short sale, but are even offering incentives to complete a short sale. For example, a homeowner in Chicagosays his lender approved his short sale and then gave him… Read More

Top 10 reasons to own rather than rent

Print PDF WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Oct. 17, 2011 – In an era of foreclosures, buyers focus on financial reasons for purchasing, but ownership has emotional rewards too. A California condo developer, the Met Warner Center, put together the following list – but it applies from Florida to Alaska. 1. You own it: With no… Read More

Buyers of high-priced homes in a bind

Print PDF WASHINGTON– Sept. 7, 2011 – Time is short for some buyers and owners of more expensive homes to get the best terms on mortgage loans. Starting Oct. 1, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will cut the size of loans they buy from lenders. That will force many future borrowers into more expensive and… Read More

Rate on 30-year mortgage falls to lowest on record

Print PDF WASHINGTON– Aug. 19, 2011 – The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen to its lowest level on records dating to 1971. The rate on the most popular mortgage dipped to 4.15 percent from 4.32 percent a week ago, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Its previous low of 4.17 percent was reached… Read More

“For Sale by Owner” – Pay attention!

Print PDF Do It Yourself!  This is the phrase we all hear when it comes to cutting costs.  Well, with Real Estate, not a good idea.  A recent article released proved this fact by stating that the owner and CEO of the “forsalebyowner” website learned this the hard way. He was not successful in selling… Read More

Turned down for a loan? Now you can find out why.

Your credit score determines the interest rate you pay for a credit card, car loan, private student loan or a home mortgage. A low score could prevent you from getting a loan at all. But for years, this important number has been a mystery to most consumers. Starting today, that will change.

Citizens inspections reduce mitigation discounts

Print PDF TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 20, 2011 – Some customers of Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the Florida-owned insurer of last resort, are now receiving higher insurance bills. Homeowners get insurance discounts if they harden their homes against hurricane destruction, but Citizens has started to check on clients to make sure they actually have the… Read More

Wealthy Americans upgrade to pricier primary homes

Print PDF NEW YORK – July 13, 2011 – Amid still-depressed housing numbers that dominate headlines, a new survey by the independent New York City-based Luxury Institute and the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing finds that high net-worth U.S. homeowners are taking advantage of the downturn and trading up into higher-priced primary residences. Lured by… Read More

Fight continues against 20% down payments

Print PDF TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – July 7, 2011 – Florida Sen. Marco Rubio released a strong letter against proposed Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) and Qualified Mortgage (QM) rules, and sent it to major players in the discussion, including The Federal Reserve, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Department of the Treasury, Comptroller of the Currency,… Read More

‘Secret’ Short Sale Reward in Florida?

Print PDF FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – June 29, 2011 – Two lending giants are reportedly offering homeowners who are behind on their mortgage a cash reward to agree to a short sale in Florida. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. aren’t releasing many details about the short-sale incentives, but defaulting homeowners in… Read More

Fixed mortgage rates drops for 7th straight week

Print PDF WASHINGTON (AP) — Fixed mortgage rates slid for the seventh consecutive week, but the lowest rates of the year have done little to lift the struggling housing market. Freddie Mac says the average rate on the 30-year loan fell to 4.55 percent from 4.60 percent. The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage,… Read More

8 Things Your Movers Don’t Want You to Know

Print PDF After you’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new home, hiring a mover can almost seem like an afterthought. But if you’re not careful about which mover you choose and which questions you ask before you hire them, you can wind up paying unforeseen charges and moving in with damaged property…. Read More

Uncover Best Investments with the Right Data

Print PDF NEW YORK – May 20, 2011 – Supplying key housing data based on ZIP code – instead of an entire geographic area – can give investor clients greater insight into short-term and long-term appreciation potential of a property and help them make more informed decisions, experts say. Here are three key pieces of… Read More

Fla. files lawsuits for foreclosure rescue fraud

Print PDF TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – May 3, 2011 – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office filed a lawsuit on Friday against three South Florida companies that allegedly charged upfront fees for loan modification services to homeowners facing foreclosure. Charging upfront fees is illegal under Florida Statute 501.1377. The three companies are: Home Owner Protection Economics… Read More

Bargain prices help reduce glut of foreclosures

Print PDF WASHINGTON – April 27, 2011 – A wave of foreclosures is forcing down home prices in most major U.S. cities. But economists and real estate agents are noticing what they call a key first step for any housing recovery: a drop in the glut of homes for sale in markets hit hardest by… Read More

How can you beat a cash bidder?

Print PDF NEW YORK – April 15, 2011 – Cash buyers are flooding the real estate market in record numbers to take advantage of bargain housing prices. But these buyers may put consumers who need financing at a disadvantage. Sellers often prefer cash deals because it can mean faster closings and transactions that are less… Read More

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers!

Print PDF Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers Don’t let pet odors derail your home sale. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

South Florida Realtors Open Doors to Homeownership

Print PDF South Florida Realtors Open Doors to Homeownership During Florida Open House Weekend March 26-27 Realtors are preparing for Florida Open House Weekend, March 26-27, 2011 – a prime opportunity for buyers to visit many homes for sale in a single weekend. Sponsored by the 115,000-member Florida Realtors, it’s the largest open house weekend… Read More

Banks want higher down payments from buyers

Print PDF WASHINGTON – Feb. 17, 2011 – Banks increasingly tell borrowers that if they want to buy a home, they need to come with a higher down payment. The reason: Banks hope to minimize the risk they’re taking on should home prices continue to fall. Plus, banks say larger down payments discourage delinquencies. The… Read More

Home Ownership and The American Dream

Print PDF Despite the hit it took in the wake of the downturn, ownership remains good for individuals and society. And, yes, Americans still long for a home of their own. By Brian Summerfield | February 2011 In a special Forbes magazine report in 2007, the publication asked dozens of prominent cultural, political, and economic… Read More

Lowest SF home prices since the boom

Print PDF January 25, 2011 12:00PM According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, prices in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties fell 0.2 percent from October, and 3.5 percent from last year, the lowest price level in the region since late 2005 to early 2006, one of just eight metro areas in the country to… Read More

Florida existing home sales rise in December

Print PDF Good News Florida existing home sales rose on a year-over-year basis by 4 percent in December, and 5 percent during 2010 overall, according to new data from Florida Realtors. In Miami, sales rose 18 percent for single-family homes and 29 percent for condominiums between December 2009 and December 2010. The West Palm Beach-Boca… Read More

5 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Print PDF By: G. M. Filisko Published: February 10, 2010 Working to get your home ship-shape for showings will increase its value and shorten your sales time. 1. Have a home inspection Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. For $250 to $400, an inspector will warn you about troubles that could make… Read More

RENTAL MARKET IMPROVING

Print PDF Article from the Miami Herald: Rentals might be the only part of the real estate market in South Florida on the upswing.  But while it means rents are rising, economists say they could foreshadow the end of the housing crisis.  “Significant increases in rents at upper-class properties will raise market-wide rental rates modestly,” real estate… Read More

Home Owners Recoup More with Exterior Replacement Projects, REALTORS Report

As part of the 2010-11Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, REALTORS® recently rated exterior replacement projects among the most cost-effective home improvement projects, demonstrating that curb appeal remains one of the most important aspects of a home at resale time.

Strong Rebound in Pending Home Sales

Print PDF Washington, DC, December 02, 2010 – Pending home sales jumped in October, showing a positive uptrend since bottoming in June, according to the National Association of REALTORS. The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator, rose 10.4 percent to 89.3 based on contracts signed in October from 80.9 in September. The index remains… Read More

Homeowners recoup more with exterior replacement projects

Print PDF WASHINGTON – Dec. 15, 2010 – As part of the “2010-11 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report,” Realtors® recently rated exterior replacement projects among the most cost-effective home improvement projects, demonstrating that curb appeal remains one of the most important aspects of a home at resale time. “This year’s ‘Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report’… Read More

Watch out for the Grinch Come Cyber Monday: Five Online ‘Don’ts’ from AVG Technologies

Print PDF Press Release Source: AVG Technologies On Wednesday November 17, 2010, 9:00 am EST AMSTERDAM & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– In 2009, online spending during Cyber Monday equaled $887 million and more than half of those dollars were spent at U.S. websites1. As more consumers are expected to take advantage of online sales come this… Read More

Get a High Quality Remodel for Less

Print PDF (MONEY Magazine) — Ask any homeowner who has done an improvement on the cheap: You get what you pay for. Second-rate materials don’t last and contractors who make low-ball bids rarely deliver fine craftsmanship. Fortunately, there are a few effective ways to get good quality for less. One is simply to renovate during… Read More

9 Ways To Beat Negativity

Print PDF The economy is hurting. Home sales in many markets remain sluggish. Uncertainty abounds. In this kind of environment, it’s easy to get discouraged. But there’s no reason you have to stay that way, says Jon Gordon, author of The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work (Wiley, 2008). Here’s… Read More

Keeping In Touch With Past Clients

Print PDF Technology has really changed the way we do business today. We all enjoy the way it has simplified our business, but sometimes we need to go back to good old fashioned conversation. Many agents seem to be so caught up in technology that they have forgotten some ideas from the good old days… Read More

Video on Foreclosure, Short Sale, Deed in Lieu

Along with a Short Sale, you may need other opportunites and options to help Save Your Home. We can help walk you through the process and speak with your bank on your behalf. However, you need to be proactive in helping yourself also.

Facing Foreclosure?

Print PDF LET US HELP YOU! CALL 954-989-4909 TODAY! Are you facing A  Foreclosure?  What is Foreclosure? A legal process in which a lender takes the title or forces the sale of a property as a result of the borrower’s failure to comply with ther terms and conditions of the mortgage. We are Certified Distressed Property… Read More

Home Market Values Online

Print PDF ”Find Out What Your Home Is Worth-Call Us Today at 954-989-4909”  The Right Selling Price Affects Your Bottom Line… When you’re selling your home, the price you set is a critical factor in the return you’ll receive. That’s why you need a professional evaluation from an experienced realtor. This person can provide you… Read More

Find a REALTOR® who you can TRUST!

Print PDF This is the first step … The right Agent is Just a Phone Call Away!  Contact Us For a Private “No obligation” Consultation 954-989-4909 “Choose a COMPANY who specializes in representing home “Sellers & Buyers” Roger Portaro, Susan Green & the Agents from RSVP Homes Realty will guide you through the entire process of finding your new home… Read More