Well, lookie here!  

I often am asked by buyers relocating...what about the schools?  I need GOOD schools for my kids.   Well, look no further.   Flagler County School District got an A rating.   It's a fantastic achievement and my congratulations to all the administration, personnel and teachers for a job well done!   Keep up the good work.

For more information visit: http://schoolgrades.fldoe.org/default.asp

Call me for any information you need on homes here in Palm Coast, Fl   

386-793-7302     or visit my website www.palmcoasting.com   to check current listings and register for automatic notification of homes coming on the market!

Many homeowners today are facing difficult times but help is here.  And it's FREE. 

 Florida Legal Services and the Florida Bar Association have partnered in establishing a toll-free hotline - (866) 607-2187 -  to assist homeowners facing foreclosure.   If you're having difficulty or can see you will be having difficulty in the near future it is *always* best to start a conversation with your lender.   But that can be scary and emotionally taxing.   So, get some FREE help from an attorney that is donating their time to assist you.  More than 10,000 attorneys are volunteering their services!  

If your goal is to stay in your home and/or avoid foreclosure, give them a call.  When you first call you will be asked some questions about your situation.  This will enable the service to place you with the attorney that can best assist you in keeping out of foreclosure.

The City of Palm Coast, in it's infinate wisdom has come up with a plan.  We have a sign ordinance here that doesn't allow signs advertising various things...unless of course it's politically connected and we're in an election year. 

The Realtors® and homeowners went to the City and pretty much said..."Hey.  Back off.  Times are tough, we need to be able to place signs to direct people to open houses since our streets are winding and difficult.   Hey.  Back off.  We want to be able to place signs for yard sales...times are tough and we want the leeway to direct people to the right location".   The City relented and put a moratorium on the ordinance.

Well, fast forward to today.  A City council member, who STRONGLY opposes any signs, has now come up with a plan.   And it goes like this:

$250 per address registration for an open house.

$30 per directional sign per open house.

No more than one sign per corner. (so if another Realtor® already has an open house registered for that day, you're out of luck)

City employees will place and remove the signs.

The City will start advertising the open houses on their website, which of course takes traffic off of the Realtor® websites.

There will be one day per month designated as open house day.

Say WHAT?   You're going to pay city employees overtime to place and remove the signs with an offset of the funds you collect??   You're going to interject government into private enterprise and advertise open houses on the city website??   You're going to put yourselves in the middle of the mix and what, hold arbitration hearings when you mess up or call and apologize to the homeowner?  You're going to decide, in a city that is known for visitors coming here looking to move here permanently or purchase a second home throughout the year, that only one day per month open houses will easily be found?

So, let's see.  That's $250 for the permit and at least $120 for the signs.  That's $370 to the city.  Add an additional $50 for the ad in the newspaper.  Let's see..beverages (at least water in this weather) and a little something for the visitor to munch on, another $20.   Total: $440

Missed clientel that may have come to the open house if it wasn't regulated to one day per month: PRICELESS

So, be prepared sellers in Palm Coast.  The price of selling your home may just go up. 

Questions about Title and Ownership in Palm Coast, Flagler?

LET REALTOR CYD WEEKS ASSIST YOU IN FINDING YOUR NEW HOME, CONDO, LOT OR INVESTMENT HERE IN PALM COAST AND FLAGLER COUNTY!    CALL 386-793-7302 OR VISIT http://www.palmcoasting.com/ TODAY! 

I invited Sue Rogers of First Choice Title Services to give us all a little explanation about ownership here in Florida.  She will be helping to educate us on various subjects that come up when looking at buying or selling and how this effect title.

I contacted Sue to find out about husband/wife relationships and how that effects ownership of the property and here is what she had to say:

SUE: Most married persons own property as husband and wife, which means, tenancy by the entireties in the state of Florida.  On the Warranty deed you do not have to specify tenancy by the entireties, using husband and wife is sufficient.

Tenancy by the entireties is a tenancy created between husband and wife and by which together they hold title to the whole with right of survivorship, so that upon the death of either the other takes the whole without probate to the exclusion of heirs, or homestead claims.  Neither party can alienate (sell) or encumber (mortgage) the property without joinder of the other spouse in the conveyance.

Once the property is homestead, each spouse has the rights of the property.  If the spouse's decide to divorce and one spouse is granted the homestead property, it would be wise at that time to have the other spouse sign off on a quit claim deed to that property, to avoid problems down the road when the other spouse who was awarded the property decides to sell the property.

If a property is homestead and the couple is married and only one spouse's name is on the deed.  The other spouse still has tenancy by the entireties rights, even though their name is not on the deed.  So the other spouse can not sell or mortgage the property without the other spouse signing off on the documents.

Question:  If the people are NOT married when, let's say the man, purchases the property, and then they marry, is this still tenancy in the entireties?    If the property was not homesteaded does that effect the situation at all?  If the husband had homesteaded and then married, how does that affect it?

Answer:  To the first question is yes, if it is homestead.  If it is investment property they could have some rights depending on how long they have been married and how long before they got married was the property purchased.  With investment property they can sell and mortgage the property with out the other spouse approval.

If the husband had homestead and then married yes it takes effects.  He would not be able to sell the property with out the wife's signature on the deed.  Even if her name is not on the deed, she would still have to sign off of the deed.

Question: If the man lives in the house but has not filed any paperwork to signify it's homesteaded and did not file paperwork for the homestead exemption, is it assumed this is his homestead?  

Answer: No, he would have to actually file with the appraisers office for Homestead.

If you have any questions you would like to ask of Sue, please feel free to email me at cydweeks@palmcoasting.com and I will try to have it answered here on the blog.   What you might be wondering, someone else probably is also.    Please remember, these questions and answers are for informational use only and do not constitute an attorney's opinion or legal advice.  If you have legal issues you need addressed it is best to contact a local or Florida attorney for answers pertaining to your specific situation.   

You can always visit Sue Rogers at her website:  http://www.1stChoiceTitleServices.net

LET REALTOR CYD WEEKS ASSIST YOU IN FINDING YOUR NEW HOME, CONDO, LOT OR INVESTMENT HERE IN PALM COAST AND FLAGLER COUNTY!    CALL 386-793-7302 OR VISIT http://www.palmcoasting.com/ TODAY! 

Just as you might think you need to be careful in purchasing or selling real estate, you need to be careful in renting (tenant) and renting out (landlord).

These days, it's just so easy to get scammed.   There are reports of tenants losing money to a "landlord" who isn't actually the owner of the property.  They somehow have the key to the property, show it, take your deposit, write and sign the lease and then at move in time...bingo!  No landlord, no key, no money.    As a landlord, the proposition is just as precarious.  If you aren't in the position to check on the references (real ones), do a credit check and a background check, you are leaving yourself open to disaster.

How can these pitfalls be avoided?   Use a REALTOR, use a property management company.  The management company should be running background and credit checks with the charges for the search going to the tenant.  Make sure they are using a multi-state program as we all know those with criminal backgrounds, bad check reporting, etc are likely to move around from state to state.   The only way to protect yourself is to make sure the check is throughout most of the states in the US.   We all know some people can go through hard times and their credit may not be up to par.  It could be from a couple of years ago, it could be from last month.  A professionally run credit check allows the property owner to determine if the prospective tenant is a "good risk" or not.  Often times, extra security is required to ensure payment.

For tenants, knowing the property is registered with a management company gives you peace of mind that the management company is dealing with the owners of the property.   You know that if you give a deposit it is held according to state laws and if it's not, you have recourse and are protected. 

Make sure you do yourself a BIG favor and protect yourself!

Realty Exchange offers property management services and does all of the above.  If you have a property you would like managed here in Palm Coast or Flagler County, give me a call at 386-793-7302.   If you do not want property management but would like for us to find and screen tenants for you, we have a program for that also.

And tenants...our properties are screened and researched to make sure the property is actually owned by our customers.   Your deposits and securities are held according to state laws.  

Cyd Weeks

http://www.palmcoasting.com/

Let Real Estate agent Cyd Weeks assist you with all your Real Estate needs in Palm Coast and Flagler County.   Serving you with homes, lots, rentals, condos and investments.