The tax credit which has been really working well has officially been extended to April 30, 2010.  It also has been extended to all homeowners.  Homeowners who are not first time buyers but have lived in their home for 5 out of the last 8 years are eligible for a tax credit of $6,500. The income requirements have also changed.  Now you can received the credit as long as you make under $125k if you are single and under $225k for married couples.

Many times when I go on a listing appointment I hear the property owner tell me that they need a certain amount of money for their property because they need the proceeds for their next home or some other endeavor. Regardless what the market will bear they feel strongly about receiving a set amount of money. They somehow feel that they will somehow get it because their home is extra special.

Though their home may be very special to them its the market that will set the price for it.  Regardless of how much money we need, like any other commodity such as gasoline, oil, or even lobster, the market will set the price.

When you sell a stock that is trading for $100 per share you couldn't call your stockbroker and tell him to sell yours for $150 per share because you need the money.  Selling real estate is the same way.

In this market you must list your property right to sell it fast. Below are some tips on how to list your property right so you are not watching every property in the neighborhood sell except yours.

1. Hire a good hard working Realtor.

2. Price it correctly regardless of how much it hurts.

4. Use a complete marketing system.  Print, Internet, Word of Mouth, etc.

5. Superior Photography.

6. Professional Vitual Tour.

7. Never, ever miss a showing.

The luxury single family home market continues to be busy as buyers are getting some great deals especially on the water.  The condo market over $1,000,000 continues to be slow  though there is activity. People don't necessarily have to buy a condo right now in that price range for a second residence. Unlike the homes where in most cases it will be their primary residence.  As we enter the high season everything should get busier. Below are the numbers for all properties in Boca Raton priced over $1,000,000 for October 2009.

Luxury Single Family Homes

Total Properties Available  513

Price Range    $1,000,000  -  $24,900,000

Total Properties Pending  13

Total Properties Sold  15

Price Range   $2,813,000 - $1,116,500

Average Price Per Sq. Ft.  $331

Luxury Condominiums

Total Properties Available  101

Price Range  $1,000,000  -  $7,250,000

Total Properties Pending  1

Total Properties Sold  1

Boca Raton is a great place to be for Halloween.  The children will be out trick or treating in a nice safe environment and the weather will be perfect as always.  There are many activities to do around town or you can just go to the mall and spend some time in there which is great if you have small children.  Have a nice and safe Halloween.

The $8,000 tax credit program currently in effect is really working and helping many people buy homes.  Many customers I speak with throughout the day are in the market only because of this tax benefit. The numbers don't lie.  People are closing on homes directly because of this program.

This is probably the best Government program out there right now that gives the country the most benefit everytime someone uses it.

Right now it looks like it will be extended to March 2010 and then slowly be fazed out by reducing the amount of the credit until its gone in December 2010. With something working this well Washington  should open this up to all home buyers and even raise the amount. With all the money that is spent trying to help the economy this should be a no brainer. Nothing will get the country back on track until the real estate market is where it needs to be.

People have different opinions when it comes to buying a home with a pool and everyone has different needs. Even though maintaining a pool is simple, it does take time and it does cost money. Figure on spending about $60 per month plus any extra chemicals you may need if you hire a pool service here in Boca Raton, Florida. This maintenance is very easy to do yourself if you live here full time. There is also a cost for the electricity for the pump.

The nice thing about having a pool is that it will keep your backyard much cooler and even if you don't swim alot it is very nice to look at all year long when you live in a warm climate.

There is no place like Boca Raton, Florida and here are ten great reasons to call it your home!

1. Beautiful, Sunny Weather.

2. Easy access to fine dining, shopping and popular recreation destinations.

3. Superior Air Quality.

4. A Great environment for kids.

5. Great activities all year long for everyone from adults to children.

6. The Boca Raton Police Department makes it one of the safest places to live in the country.

7. Great Schools.

8. The beautiful Atlantic Ocean is just steps away.

9. One of the Best managed cities in the country.

10. Reasonable taxes.

As I speak with many customers around the world I see that many of them only have information that they get from their local news station which quite often does not paint an accurate picture of what the market is currently like here in Boca Raton.

The problem is that when a local news station does a story on real estate in South Florida they usually are talking about Miami or West Palm Beach and people hearing it do not realize that those two markets are very different than Boca Raton and many other South Florida communities.

We don't have empty buildings here where half the building has stopped making their maintenance payments and we don't have beautiful buildings that have turned into rental communities because of the numbers of investor owned units.

The Boca Raton area is very stable mainly because we were not saturated with many new buildings being built at the same time. West Palm Beach and the Miami area will recover but on a much different time frame than Boca Raton where the market appears to be getting busy.

Things are busy across Palm Beach County as inventory continues to decline and buyers become more and more comfortable buying. Cheap money, low prices and a good selection continue to drive the market.  Now is the time to buy!  Below are the numbers for Palm Beach County for the past 30 days.

Total Properties Available  22,305

Total Properties Pending  2,766

Total Properties Sold  1643