Lisa Schlitz's Blog

Olympia at Wellington Florida- Homes For Sale

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:27:06 -0500

Olympia is still one of the big sellers in Wellington, with its resort style pool and clubhouse, to the many different style homes at different price levels, there is something for everyone! See what Katerina wrote:

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):

Olympia at Wellington Florida- Homes For Sale

Olympia at Wellington Florida is a resort style neighborhood consisting of 1,000 homes. You can choose homes around a lake or up against nature preserves.

Olympia at Wellington Florida has one of the nicest clubhouse set ups I have seen. As you drive to Olympia's clubhouse and recreation areas you are surrounded by Palm trees and a bubbling fountain right in front. Even the parking area is secluded and landscaped nicely with native landscaping. The grand entrance of the clubhouse opens into an outdoor seating area which looks like a wonderful place for a wedding or a Graduation party. Friend and family get togethers are sure to please and be remembered for ages in this neighborhood.

Olympia at Wellington Florida has some shady and comfortale walking and jogging trails around the community and many areas are backed up to wonderful Eco preserves. Pavered walkways add to the elegance and comfort of Olympia.

Not only is the clubhouse really state of the art and upscale so is your own private residents only fitness center. You can meet your trainer here for morning or afternoon workouts. There is also a great room, an indoor basketball court and a children's area.

After working out you can go take a dip in one of the pools and soak in some sun. You will feel like you are some famous resort area on an island somewhere. There is even a safe and fun play area for the little ones. Enjoy outdoor tennis courts and basketball courts.

Nestled off of Forest Hill Blvd and State Road 7 Olympia at Wellington Florida is very conveniently located right across the street from the new Wellington Green Mall, the new Whole Foods Natural Grocer, the Wellington Regional Hospital and the new Palm Beach High School. You have easy access to Florida's Turnpike and also just about 15 minutes from I95 should you need to travel on I95.

View Olympia at Wellington Florida Homes For Sale in a larger map The builder Minto Homes is still building new construction in Olympia at Wellington Florida at this time so if you want to choose all of your own upgrades this may be an option if you can wait for the construction to be completed. Please make sure you have an agent with you when you go and see the model homes so that your agent get registered as your agent. There is no charge to you to use the services of an agent to help you with your new home purchase. Be aware that no one in the sales office works for your interest, they are there working in the builder's best interest.

Minto teamed up with architect Mitch and together they are honoring one of the greatest architects from the first Golden Age of Palm Beach, Maurice Fatio. Maurice's legacy continues to inspire builders and homeowners of more than 130 stately mansions of Palm Beach. With Minto homes his inspiration led to incorporating a few of Mr. Fatio’s architectural details.

Olympia at Wellington Florida- Homes For Sale

Currently there are 85 homes for sale in Olympia at Wellington Florida. Nearly all of them are short sales. There are a lot of these listings that have an offer on them and so they are listed as Contingent; meaning that there is an offer on this property and it is waiting for approval from a short sale lender. For more information about short sales click here to visit our Florida Short Sales page that will help you to understand all about short sales.

Of these 85 homes;

27 of them are asking between $200,000 and $299,000- bear in mind that most of these homes were originally bought for over $500,000 and many of these homeowners owe more than 400,000 on their mortgages.

27 of these homes are asking between $304,900 and $399,999;

11 homes are asking between $400,000 and $499,000;

then there are 2 homes- one is asking $500,000 and the other is asking $515,000;

there are 5 homes asking in the 600,000's;

7 homes are asking between $720,000 and $799,999 ( these will be McMansions);

there is one house asking $889,000

and then there are about 5 estate homes asking between $1,050,000 and $1,250,000.

We sold homes in Olympia at Wellington Florida and closed on short sales in Olympia as the listing agent side. We understand short sales and have a lot of experience in getting a short sale accepted by the short sale lender.

Currently there are 39 homes under contract and 22 of them have sold since the middle of May 2009. There are 17 homes that are pending and ready to close.

The lowest price that sold was a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home for $192,000! WoW! That was an amazing price!

12 homes sold for between $209,125 and $295,000. These are the same homes that when Minto was selling these sections brand new people were sleeping outside on the street camping overnight waiting for the sales office to open! The lots were selling for these prices that the houses are selling for today!

4 homes sold for between $306,000 and $355,000;

3 homes sold for $400,000, $425,000 and 485,000;

1 homessold for $505,000;

there is one home that sold for $600,000 and one for $700,000.

You will find some awesome values in the resort style community of Olympia at Wellington Florida.
Enjoy the scenic tour around Olympia Wellington below:

You can do an interactive search of all the homes for sale in Villagewalk in Wellington Florida right here on this blog article. Below is an interactive search tool that you can use and you do not even have to give us your name or number or email to search for a home with this search for a home in Wellington Florida tool. You can change your search specifics also; like choose the bedrooms, baths, pool and other criteria to see what is available in real time.

FASTEST AND EASIEST SHORT SALE CLOSING EVER!

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:21:51 -0500

I just closed on a short sale in the Grand Isles neighborhood in Wellington, FL with my clients that were relocating from Ft. Myers-the West coast of Florida. I showed them quite alot of neighborhoods in Wellington since they had really never been here, just had heard about what a great, family oriented town we are! They have 2 pre-school children and wanted to start their new life on the East coast with them in mind.

After repeated trips of travelling over every weekend, with their own work and family schedules to juggle, we started looking in the Grand Isles. They really got a good feeling from the community, and loved the fact that friendly people were actually outside, walking on the sidewalks, kids playing basketball in their driveways. Read this blog for more info:

Katerina's blog on the Grand Isles

We made our intital offer right before Memorial Day weekend and, dare I say it, had a response form the lender in 2 weeks! Yes, thats right....2 weeks! And who was the lender, you ask, low and behold, it was good old Bank of America! I'm still not sure what kind of stars were shining on that transaction but it went smooth as could be, all the way to the end! The listing agents were professional and communicative, the lender was cooperative, and my clients were wonderful to work with!

Another day's work comes to a grateful end!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2009 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. FASTEST AND EASIEST SHORT SALE CLOSING EVER!

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

Versailles in Wellington Florida- Homes For Sale

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 06:28:41 -0500

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Versailles in Wellington Florida- Homes For Sale

Versailles in Wellington Florida has some of the best prices for mini mansions in the country! Where else can you get gorgeous renaseance style architecture with over 6000 square feet under air for less than a million dollars in Wellington Florida or anywhere in South Florida? These are amazing values.

Often buyers ask why are the prices so low in Versailles in Wellington Florida and what is wrong with the houses or the community if the prices are so low. Well, one man's folly is another man's opportunity! Versailles in Wellington Florida was being built at the height of the boom here in Wellington Florida. Mostly what happened is speculators and individuals who had dreams of flipping these McMansions for $100,000 and more profits bought several homes at the same time. They were gambling on selling the properties before the builder was finished and before they would have to close on their loans. It just so happened that this people were caught when the bubble burst. There was also a lot of mortgage fraud going on in Versailles in Wellington Florida. Needless to say, the people could not afford to make all these house payments on these high prices homes.

Most of these homes were selling from $1,000,000 to over $3,000,000 during the boom. It was hard pressed to find one for sale under a million dollars. Well, now you can just about name your price to live in this awesome gated and secured neighborhood at Versailles in Wellington Florida.

Versailles is close to Wellington Regional Hospital, elementary, middle and high schools and minutes from the Wellington Green Mall with all the shops and eateries you need right at your back door. If you love to shop at Whole Foods, well, it is just a couple minutes away! You also have easy access to the Florida Turnpike and you are right off of State Road 7 or 441.

View Larger Map

The clubhouse and the entrance itself cost over $3,000,000 to build and is better than a resort complete with an amazing pool and spa, fitness center, recreation room, kiddie areas and a lot more.

Let loose on the basketball courts or enjoy a game of tennis with one of the many friendly neighbors you are bound to run into. The clubhouse is complete with a game room, library, fitness center, business center and more.

Soak in the sun around the resort style pool and spa. Have a fun get together with neighbors, families and friends.

The tree lined roads are filled with upscale Palm Trees and landscaping that make you feel like you are on some island resort complete with a 24/7 guard gate for security. Enjoy the fabulous lakes and walk ways around Versailles.The community is divided into different sections of smaller island type settings.

There are 456 homes in the Versailles in Wellington Florida development. Currently there are 64 homes for sale and I even found a couple that have reduced their prices into the high $200,000's! Now, that is a bargain price for a high end luxury home! Now is your time to take advantage of South Florida's real estate market! There is one home that is listed for $280,000 but the owner paid over $630,000 for that home! These are bargain basement prices! Another home is listed for $500,000 and the owners paid over $900,000 for the house when it was being built.

In Versailles in Wellington Florida the prices of the 64 homes for sale consist of 3 asking $280,000 to $299,000. I am not sure if these are prices that the short sale lenders are going to take because those are lower than the market value. There are:

13 homes for sale asking for $315,000 to $399,000;

19 asking $400,000 to $499,000;

11 for between $500,000 to $599,000;

4 asking $610,000 to $699,000;

3 asking in the $700,000's;

5 for between $800,000 to $899,900;

1 is asking $990,000;

5 are trying to sell their homes for $1,000,095 to $1,295,000.

In Versailles in Wellington Florida there were 14 homes sold or under contract to be sold since May 26,2009. Of the homes that have actually closed by now:

The lowest price was $330,000 for a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom, 3 car garage;

there were 5 homes that sold in the $300,000's;

there were two homes sold in the $400,000's;

1 home sold for $665,000 which was a 6 bedroom home with 4.5 bathrooms and a 3 car garage.

Enjoy this video tour of Versailles in Wellington Florida:

You can do an interactive search of all the homes for sale in Versailles in Wellington Florida right here on this blog article. Below is an interactive search tool that you can use and you do not even have to give us your name or number or email to search for a home with this search for a home in Wellington Florida tool. You can change your search specifics also; like choose the bedrooms, baths, pool and other criteria to see what is available in real time.

3611 Aiken Wellington Polo Property For Sale- REDUCED!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:50:30 -0500

Never too early to get ready for the 2009-2010 Equestrian season! Yes, even million dollar homes are short selling! Come see what our team has listed now!
Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
3611 Aiken Wellington Florida Polo Property For sale. This short sale has just been reduced to $1,477,777.

You will love the open floor plan of this home right on the Polo Fields in Southfields of Wellington Florida 33414.

Below is the online flyer of this property. You can enjoy a video tour of the home as well as a slide show. There is a map of the location of the property as well as many highlights and descriptions of the neighborhood and the property. Feel free to click on the flyer below and browse around the property online at your leisure. There are also a lot of photos for your convenience. Please contact Nestor Gasset or Katerina Gasset for further information or a private showing of this Polo Estate.

Boca Raton Short Sales- 233 S Federal Hwy Boca Raton Florida- Boca Grand

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 06:33:51 -0500

Come see what my team has listed now-a 2/2 condo in a fantastic part of town! So close to the beach and with tons of shopping and restaurants near Mizner in Boca Raton.

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Short Sale! Boca Raton 233 S Federal Hwy #425
Location: Boca Grand
This is a short sale. Live near Mizner in Boca, walking distance to great shopping and restaurants. This 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo is located on the 4th floor. Enjoy city living close to the beaches and a short drive to Miami. You can be in Orlando in about 3 hours or be in Miami in less than an hour. The Boca Grand has private pools, fitness center, business center and full time valet. Call us now to schedule a time to view your new condo.

Window treatments, satellite dish, washer and dryer do not convey. Casablanca ceiling fans, crystal chandalier do not convey.
Information
Contact Information

Nestor & Katerina Gasset
561-753-0135
Contact Reply Form
Forward to a Friend
View Other Flyers
Pricing
Price: $239,777.00
Flexibility: Negotiable
Additional Pricing Information: This is a short sale. Brokers- please read broker remarks in the mls.
Property Location
233 S Federal Hwy #425
Boca Raton, FL 33432
View Map
Links
Florida Short Sale Information
View Boca Grand Condo
Features
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 2
Subdivision: Boca Grand
Located on Floor #: 4
School District: Palm Beach County School District
Square Footage: 1088
Agent Name: Katerina Gasset
Broker: International Properties and Investments
MLS #: R3007163
Attributes
Appliances
Range/Oven
Full Refrigerator
Washer/Dryer
Dishwasher
Sink Disposal
Satellite
Interior Amenities
Built in Shelves
Building Amenities
Swimming Pool
Guest Parking
Exercise Room
Recreation Center
Open Balcony
Photo Gallery
View as Slideshow View Photo Gallery (19 Photos)
Powered by vFlyer.com
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
VFLYER ID: 2385416

First Time HomeBuyers Tax Credit - $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit - The specifics

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 07:14:18 -0500

So how do you know when the housing market hits bottom? After it is back on the rise...which might be a little too late if you are looking for deals. Read below what Jeff has to say about the tax credits:

Via Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc):

First Time Homebuyers - In my opinion, this is one of the best times to buy in the last 10 years. Here are a few reasons why.

Home values are done 10% to 15% in many areas

Many foreclosures to choose from, possibly getting a better deal

Mortgage interest rates are just about the lowest in 25 years - interest rates from 4.5% to 5.5%

$8,000 first time homebuyers tax credit - Up to $8,000 depending on your purchase price

The $8,000 tax credit was revised in the 2009 stimulus bill. So how does the first time homebuyers tax credit work and how different is it from last years $7,500 tax credit? It's very simple and I won't got into full details, just the basics. But let's first define a first time home buyer - someone who had not owned a home 3 years previous to January 1st, 2009. In regards to the $7,500 tax credit, you couldn't own a home from July 2, 2005, through July 1, 2008. This revived tax credit is good for any first time homebuyer buying after December 31st, 2008 and up to November 31st, 2009.

So what do you need to know?

The maximum tax credit is $8,000 for either a single taxpayer or a married couple filing jointly. It is 10% of the purchase price. So in order to get the maximum credit, the purchase price must be $80,000 or more.

This tax credit for first time home buyers is not paid back like the first one of $7,500.

There are income restrictions which can range from $150,000 to $170,000 for a joint return or from $75,000 to $95,000 for a single return. There are other factors involved when determining the actual income restrictions.

This $8,000.00 tax credit can't be used if you are buying a home from a close relative, which is to include a spouse, a grandparent, child, or even a grandchild.

You can only use this tax credit for your primary home, not for a second home or an investment property.

Purchasers who utilize revenue bond financing can use this credit. With the $7,500 tax credit, this was not allowed.

If you sell your home within 3 years of the purchase date, the entire credit is recaptured.

There are a few ways to obtain this $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers. You can certainly file for your monies after you buy your dream house. You can also file an amended return if you buy your home after April 15th. But there is one other way to obtain some of this tax credit before you buy your home. Here is how.

If you believe that you are buying a home prior to the deadline date of December 1st, 2009, you can actually reduce your income tax withholdings. You can reduce up to the amount of the credit allowed, which will allow you to accumulate cash. This is done by raising your take home income, in which the money accumulated can then be applied to the purchase of your new home.

I am not a tax accountant, so it is mandatory that you speak to your accountant. But you would need to adjust your withholdings amount on your W-4 through your employer or if self-employed, through your quarterly estimated tax payments. Here are the rules and guidelines for your income tax withholdings. IRS publication 919 in how to adjust your withholdings. Keep in mind, if you don't use this money, you will have to repay it back. Overall, the $8,000 tax credit should be thought about when buying a new home.

Disclosure : This information is based on what I have read in regards to the new stimulus bill of 2009 for the $8,000.00 tax credit. Please talk to your tax accountant when it comes to the specifics of this tax credit and in regards to gifts and what is allowed before being taxed.

- FHA Loans - USDA Loans - VA Loans -

- Energy Efficient Mortgages -

- Conventional Loans - 203 k loans -

- Mortgages -

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For more information about the 2009 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers : 2009 Tax Credit

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags !!!!

Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Belonger

Boaters' Paradise! Waterfront Living at 934 Greenbriar Dr in Boynton Beach Florida

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:22:42 -0500

If you've ever awoken to the sound of water lapping at the edges of your dock and listened to the sound of birds chirping on the water, then you will feel right at home in this gorgeous property! Intracoastal homes are hard to come by-there IS only a small percentage of homes built ON the water-and at this price, very few! Read below for more details.

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Boaters' paradise awaits you and your boat! Come on down to join in on Florida Intracoastal living minutes from the best beaches in south Florida!

There are not many places left where you can live with your dock in your backyard! This is a rare find. Your dock sits right off of your pool overlooking the Intracoastal waterway with southeast exposure.

Pride of ownership with attention to detail compliments this home. The home was renovated and remodeled with new granite counter tops and bathrooms. This is a great winter home for snow birds who want to have their boat available to them. It also makes a great home for anyone who lives here year round who loves boating and living on the water.

The home was expanded out to get more space inside. Most of the homes in this community were built in the late 1950's so they are being redone or torn down and new homes rebuilt. This particular home was redone, brick pavers surround the exterior driveway with a wonderful over sized overhang to provide a lot of shade to your home's entrance. There are new stainless steal appliances in the kitchen along with a cook top stove and lots of new upgraded cabinets. There are nice wide glass doors overlooking the water from the kitchen and great room areas.

There is peace and tranquility surrounding you in this nook of a neighborhood tucked away off of the beaten path. I like the fact that this quaint waterfront community is only about 3 streets in all and every home is on the Intracoastal with a dock. There is no HOA, no gates, just neighbors looking out after one another on quiet roads that lead to the water.

When you drive out of the community you head north a couple of blocks and there is the bridge to the ocean right there. This is biking distance from your home. The beach here is a wonderful state park, Boynton Beach Oceanfront park. I will be writing a post about the beach park here and link to this post so you will be able to view more photos of this favorite beach spot.

Even better, this home is NOT a short sale. You can move in quickly. The owners can make it possible for you to move into your new home within 30 days.

All this for the low price of only $797,777.

Call Nestor Gasset or Katerina Gasset at 561-753-0135 to make an appointment for your very own private viewing of your next waterfont home in Boynton Beach Florida.

**************************************************************

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Boynton Beach, Manalapan, Manalapan Point, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all South Florida Waterfront Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your home in Palm Beach County Florida : Call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

By TwitterButton

Boaters' Paradise! Waterfront Living At 934 Greenbriar Dr in Boynton Beach Florida was first published on South- Florida-Luxury-Living.com.

South Florida Short Sales and REOs Offer Great Values

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 06:35:42 -0500

Since I am the Buyers' Agent for this team, I thought it would be good to re-blog this post. Even the media agrees with us-now is the time to BUY!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
South Florida Short Sales and REOS Offer Great Values For Investors in Palm Beach County Florida.

Prices are the lowest they have been in years and with interest rates climbing back up this might just be a good time for the seasoned investors to purchase Florida properties.

This is not a flip and turn market, but rather a buy and hold market right now. With the stock prices falling there are many investors moving money into the real estate market. There are areas of Florida where you can get a positive cash flow on rental property that you was unheard of few years ago.

The rental investor market really took a beating for several years in Palm Beach County because the negative cash flow simply did not make sense.

Donald Trump is advising investors to buy now in Florida and also for move up homebuyers and first time homebuyers to purchase their homes using the new tax credit that is now available.

If you want to invest in the Wellington Florida area you will be able to find properties from Condos and Townhouses to Single family homes. The prices can range from below $100,000 to into the Millions. It all depends on what your use will be.

The lowest prices in this part of Florida are in Port St Lucie in St Lucie County which is north of Jupiter. You can find 3 bedroom single family homes with about 1600 square feet under air for $130,000. These are 2003 prices! You will be able to get some great bargain prices there as most of the homes for sale in Port St Lucie are either foreclosures or short sales. The prices have gone as low as 30 cents on the dollar of the mortgage owed by the homeowner to their lender.

Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset's real estate team can find you just the right investment properties that fit your criteria. We only work with one investor in one market area per agent at a time so that there is no problem about making choices of which investor to be loyal to in our findings. We simply ask you to sign a buyers' representation agreement with us. The retainer fee which is refundable at closing is determined by the scope and complexity of the criteria with which you are searching and the quantity and quality of the offers that will be presented.

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all the South Florida Short Sale Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

South Florida Short Sales and REOs Offer Great Values was first published by Katerina Gasset on South- Florida-Luxury-Living.com.

$3.1 Million Dollar Estate PGA Golf Home For Sale- 5 Rabbits Run- Palm Beach Gardens Florida

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:01:42 -0600

This home is so awesome, I just had to re-blog this post. Read below to see what my team has listed in PGA:
Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
$3.1 Million Dollar Estate Golf Home at 5 Rabbits Run is now being offered for sale in Palm Beach Gardens Florida by Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset- International Properties and Investments Inc.

Escape to your own private and secluded mansion estate on the 4th green of the famous Squire Golf Course in the world famous PGA National Golf and Country Club in Palm Beach county in Sunny South Florida! This estate home sits on nearly an acre of land consisting of 2 lots that abut the 4th Green of the Squire Golf Course designed by Tom and George Fazio, one of the five exquisite Golf Courses at PGA.

When I say escape I am talking about the ultimate in privacy that surrounds you. As soon as I entered this home the oasis of peace and good energy engulfed me as I gazed out towards serene waterfalls throughout the property. Small nooks and hideaways abound outside each of the angles that were especially designed for privacy and seclusion. I imagined children's doll houses or camping excursions right outside the gym area, expanded party areas off the library and sitting leasurely out on each private lanai attached to each bedroom of the west wing. This is definately a home that you need to see as my words will not begin to describe the feelings and the features that are a part of this golf estate right in the world reknowned PGA golf course.

I strolled along the outside perimeters of the property both front and back soaking in the amazing wildlife birds and views that each offers. One of the problems with Golf course living is that you might have a gorgeous view in the back over a golf course but you can hear your neighbor take a shower with mostly zero lot line homes. But this home is different. It offers the ultimate in privacy. I could see nor hear any neighbors to the front, side or back of this grand golf estate for sale in Palm Beach County Florida. The way the home is designed I know this is what the architect had in mind. I went for a walk behind the lot lines at the back of the property; I could see only green foliage, golf course green and wildlife preserve type forests for miles. The owners have placed privacy landscaping all along the rear perimeters of the home but if you wanted to just have the views of the never ending golf course you could easily remove the landscaping and really open this property up. The owners have also installed an invisible fence around the outer rims of the property.

With over 7400 square feet under air; the living areas are amazing. When the owners opened these stunning wooden double doors welcoming us into their home the Fieldstone fireplace that goes from the floor to the ceiling in the gathering room made a statement not only of pride of ownership but also of detail and elegance. This is not the typical Florida style type of architecture or design. If you love the look and feel of North Carolina, Colorado or the Contempary flair of Wyoming estates this is your next home. Don't even bother viewing this home if you do not appreciate contemporary design at its' best. However, if contemporary style and design is what you love this home will fill your heart's desire.

Off to the left of the grand gathering area with 17 feet high volume ceilings is an atrium area, another one of those nooks I told you about earlier. Directly next to the atrium you enter into the most amazing library in the entire Palm Beach Gardens Florida area. This is a readers paradise. Being that I absolutely love to read and books are my treasures I felt as if I had entered into one of my dreams even down to the book ladder that glides along the entire wall of bookshelves that go up 17 feet high. You know, at the moment my eyes noticed the stunning ladder the scene came to mind from the first Mummy movie where Evelyn is on the ladder in the library and accidently knocks over all those books. Remember that? Sidebar- That scene was done in one take!

The master bedroom is tucked away in its' own oasis with views of waterfall and lush greenery. The closets are larger than some bedrooms in some homes I have seen. But what is really spectular about this master suite area is that it comes with a full size dry sauna and a full steam unit in the shower area complete with 8 shower heads placed strategically for a full body shower experience complete with surround sound speakers.

I was greeted by another well built Fieldstone fireplace as I entered the Master Suite.

On the other side of the master suite is a professional 30 x 20 gymnasium with top of the line equipment fitting everything you can ever imagine. It even has the overhang television that the pro gyms have. You never have to figure out a time to run out to the gym because it is all right here waiting for you. Most home gyms are small and tight fitting with a lack of light. This gym has floor to ceiling glass for maximum light yet so private no one can see you exersising away in your pro gym. There is also a private bedroom with its' own entrance on the other side of the gym complete with its' own private bathroom, the perfect room for live in household help or for a private office.

So if you are not interested in having this area remain a gym you could easily tranform this into a mother in law suite, guest quarters, teenager getaway or a home office suite. The transformation possibilities are endless. That is hurricane impact glass you see there.

Above is another photo of the library- there is even room for a full size conference table in this library.

On the other side of the home I walked into an amazingly open gourmet kitchen complete with gas, subzero, 4 ovens, a warmer, instant hot water, 2 dishwashers, 2 garbage disposals, 2 ice makers and reverse osmosis for drinking water. Overlooking the pool, patio, summer kitchen and more native Florida landscaping, I imagined what a serene location for your morning cup of coffee. The kitchen overlooks the family room with another Fieldstone fireplace for cozy family and social gatherings.

Off in the same direction you find the west wing. The west wing consists of 5 more bedrooms of which they all have the pleasure of featuring their own private lanais built in such a way to afford total privacy from each of the other bedrooms. The laundry room has 2 washers and 2 dryers in the west wing along with numerous storage closets.

For those of you who love workshops or restoring cars; this is the dream 4.5 car garage! The garage is air conditioned so you can work on your classics to your heart's content. The floors are spotless and I could see this being also used for an amazing children's toy room or hobby areas. There are stairs, real stairs, not that ugly pull down attic ladder thing most of us here in south Florida, that you walk up to get into the attic with tons of storage. How cool is that! You actually walk up real stairs covered in carpet, no splinters, not pullijng and pushing the attic stairs up and down! For a home in Florida this has just so much storage. You know that is the biggest complaint anyone who buys a house in Florida is, there is not enough storage and we don't have basements!

So if golf is your passion or the simple peace of feeling your privacy surround you then you will want to call Nestor Gasset or Katerina Gasset to schedule your private showing of your new escape and new found freedom.

Set right on a world famous PGA golf course with miles of spacious views and the sound of native birds, you can own your piece of PGA right here in Palm Beach Gardens PGA today.

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Palm Beach Gardens,Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all the Palm Beach Gardens Florida Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your home in Palm Beach County Florida : Call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

Copyright © 2009 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.*$3.1 Million Dollar Estate PGA Golf Home For Sale- 5 Rabbits Run- Palm Beach Gardens Florida*

By TwitterButton

$3.1 Million Dollar Estate PGA Golf Home For Sale- 5 Rabbits Run- Palm Beach Gardens Florida was first published on South- Florida-Luxury-Living.com.

Equestrian Seasonal Rental By The Week, Month or Season- Wellington Florida

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:23:59 -0600

Check out this gorgeous and convenient rental my team has listed! A rental so close to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that you can almost reach out and touch the horses!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Equestrian Seasonal Rental for the Wellington Florida Winter Equestrian Festival for the week, month or the season is available right now behind the showgrounds in the Equestrian Club Estates at the Palm Beach International Equestrian center right on the lake! The best of everything is within your reach! This photo is take right from the backyard- that is the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center you are looking at!

How convenient is that!?!

This fully furnished 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home is available for the season at $15,000 per month or by the week for $4500 per week. 14289 Calypso Lane in the Equestrian Club Estates.

If you are coming down for the season this month and have run out of options for lodging this is the perfect house for your equestrian festival needs.

You can see the showgrounds from your backyard. You are right in the hottest spot in town while you are here for the season.

Please contact Nestor Gasset or Katerina Gasset at 561-753-0135 to reserve this home for your grooms, your riders or your family.

For More Information about the Palm Beach International Equestrian Club Click here.

***************************************************************************************

This home will also be available for sale shortly so that you can have your own place to come down to year after year for the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center where the top Equestrians gather and compete from all over the world!

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all the Wellington Florida Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Wellington Equetrian Property: Call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

Copyright © 2009 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.*Equestrian Seasonal Rental By The Week, Month or Season- Wellington Florida*

By TwitterButton

The original blog is posted at South-Florida-Luxury-Living.com.

First Time Homebuyer Tips : Summary - Red Flags to be aware of -- Part 5 of 5

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:29:07 -0600

BUYERS-you finally found the house you love, waited patiently through the whole short sale process, only to find out your mortgage broker has not been doing his job, and now you can't get a mortgage and you've lost your dream-home! I've seen it happen and believe me, it is heart-breaking.

I can't stress enough how important it is to be qualified BEFORE asking a realtor to start searching for a home for you and your family. Please read below for all Jeff's homebuyer tips!

Via Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages - USDA loans (Infinity Home Mortgage Company, Inc):

Buying a new home or refinancing your mortgage - How many of you are excited about buying a new home, yet are worried at the same time that it won't fall apart at the end because of horror stories that you have heard in the past. I am not here to scare you, this doesn't happen often, that real estate transactions fall apart last minute. But it does happen more often than many think. Overall, it just comes done to the loan officer or realtor giving you the basic education that comes with real estate and mortgages.

For many of you that read my blogs on a weekly basis, I have like 3 to 4 major pet peeves when it comes to loan officers and what they should be explaining to you in the beginning. I have even mentioned some of these throughout this first time homebuyer series, because it's extremely important that you pay attention to these types of red flags. Here are the top 3 that you should concern yourself with.

RED FLAGS !!!

Good Faith Estimates - So many will agree with me on this one, that there are times that a borrower doesn't get a copy of their good faith estimate, no matter if they are purchasing or refinancing. There is a law that requires that you receive a Good Faith Estimate from the time of application up to the 3rd day after application. An important FYI - Check through your paper work when you have the application in front of you. In many cases, it's there, but the loan officer didn't make a copy for you. If this is the case, make a copy yourself. Please read:

Good Faith Estimate -- Did you get one?

Good Faith Estimates - A true understanding of....

Know how to read a good faith estimate properly and what to look for.

Another red flag. When you actually shop for an interest rate, many loan officers will just give you a rate, but not explain to you that it's probably based on a 30 day lock. It's doesn't matter if you are shopping for a mortgage or decided to go with that loan officer. Please read the section locking in mortgage interest rates.

Which leads me to a major pet peeve of mine. Too many people focus on interest rates and allow themselves to get sucked up into the hype. Your loan officer's focus should be on what kind of mortgage payment that you are comfortable with and not selling you rate right from the get go. Yes, many of us have different ways of selling. But you can't get the lower rate unless you have more money to buy it down. Something a true mortgage professional will share with you and not ignore. Please read : Payment vs Rate   And when shopping for a mortgage, don't just shop APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Please read : APR vs Interest Rate

Red Flag : The bag & tagged concept : As you shopped for a realtor or a loan officer, this person was always getting back to you. Now you have signed a listing agreement, a buyers agreement, or the loan application and they do not get back to you right away or in many cases, it seems like forever. Hence that they got you into the door, bagged & tagged you as a solid client. Now you need to hunt them down per se, calling and e-mailing. Or that they use excuses such as, "I am just very busy right now". Time management is one of the hardest things for any person to become successful with. You need to be organized to a certain degree. Just keep in mind, do you think that your transaction will go smoothly at the very end, if this is like this in the beginning? The probability might not be good. Please read more about these types of red flags here .....

RED FLAGS !!!

Lastly, the bait & switch method. Beware, just because the loan officer put down a rate, promised you over the phone, or gave it to you on a good faith estimate, doesn't mean that it's guarantee. Even if they use the rate guarantee. If you want to shop for a rate properly, you need to do it all in the same day, because rates can change daily. Secondly, you want to get a good faith estimate from each loan officer.

Talking to not only a successful realtor and or loan officer will get your deal closed without major pain, but speaking with a professional, caring, & knowledgable realtor and loan officer will usually solidfy your deal also. Again, I don't have a problem with consumers shopping, it's the lack of information that is supplied to them, keeping them in the dark. Once you find out certain things that you should have been told, why do some of you still stay with that person? Yes, I believe in second chances, but buying a home and or refinancing is one of the largest transactions in your lifetime. And if something major has been left out of the process, and sometimes more than once, why give that second chance? Just words to think about.

For two more tips in regards to buying and refinancing, please read :

First Time Homebuyers -- Buying Steps & Tips that you need to know!!!

Mortgage tools for those buying or refinancing....... Understanding Mortgages

Good Luck to All !!!!

The First Time Homebuyer Series :

Understanding if you should rent or buy :

Renting vs Buying -- Understanding the difference........ FHA? -- Part 1 of 3

Renting vs Buying -- Showing the difference in $$ -- Part 2 of 3

Renting vs Buying -- Knowing your loan options -- Part 3 of 3

First Time Homebuyer Tips : FHA - Conventional - VA - Subprime - The Basics -- Part 1 of 5

First Time Homebuyer Tips : Getting Qualified & Knowing your Credit -- Part 2 of 5

First Time Homebuyer Tips : Understanding the total mortgage process -- Part 3 of 5

First Time Homebuyer Tips : FHA, a better mortgage program? -- Best Programs & Why -- Part 4 of 5

First Time Homebuyer Tips : Summary - Red Flags to be aware of -- Part 5 of 5

Buying Tips :

What's behind a home inspection.....

FHA Loans & Energy Efficient Mortgages...

FHA 203-k Loans

Asbestos and Your Health, Tips for Remodeling your Ann Arbor Home  -- This post does talk about some specific places in Michigan, but in general, Missy Caulk gives us some great information on homes built prior to 1980 in regards to asbestos. This is a must read.

- FHA Loans - USDA Loans - VA Loans -

- Energy Efficient Mortgages -

- Conventional Loans - 203 k loans -

- Mortgages -

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For more information about the 2008-2009 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers : 2008 Tax Credit

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags !!!!

Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Belonger

Short Sales- Countrywide Changes Short Sale Procedures Again!

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 06:54:47 -0600

I am re-blogging this because, as a Buyers' Agent, I have many clients that have offers in on a Countrywide-owned mortgaged property. It is very frustrating for a buyer to have to wait months to get a response from this lender.

I am closing short sales in 2 months, from start to finish, while my buyers for CW properties still haven't heard a word-this is ridiculous! What don't they get about time is of the essence? Surely, with the amount of money CW has made on all the borrowers out there, they could cooperate better. Maybe we, as realtors, should start telling our buyers not to make offers on CW properties-let them get stuck with all the foreclosure if thats how they want to play!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Short Sales- Countrywide changes their short sale procedures for the third time in the last 16 months. It seems they just do not understand how to get through the short sales they have stacked up on their desks. Now- which road do they take? Which way do they turn?

As you may recall the last time I wrote about the changes; Countrywide had decided to ship most of their files off to India for processing. Well, then came the problems. The employees there are trained to be like robots. They go down a check list and if anything does not fit the mold they deny the loan modification, deed in lieu or the short sale. This created a lot of problems because rarely is a file sent in totally perfect no matter how hard one tries.

We make sure we use a check list for our short sales but there are always situations in which all the documents will not be in the package. For instance, we have a seller who does not work and is not required to file tax returns so they would be denied because the tax returns would be missing. Instead of picking up the phone and asking us about our explanation for the tax returns they just deny the file.

Countrywide then decided that was not the greatest of ideas and pulled the files back to the U.S. but now instead of expedientely going through the files they decided to break the short sale files up into 3 departments. Now they will examine every single file and call the real estate agent or homeowner regarding all missing documentation. The file will remain open.

They can not even handle the complete files and now they will address all files! Hmmmm, I wonder how much longer short sales are going to take now with Countrywide.

We have 2 listings that have been going on for over one year with Countrywide.

The other important thing to know about Countrywide is that they treat each offer as a new file. We had one offer in, the buyer walks because CW takes too long, then we get the next buyer and can substitute the buyer. Well, unlike all the other lenders we work with, CW does not let you sub a buyer. The file with the first buyer has to be actually closed down and then you have to get a new file started!

Back to the back of the line! So while we can get an approved short sale offer through in one week with many lenders if a buyer walks; NOT with Countrywide! You are looking at another 30 to 90 days! WOW!!! Some improvement!

If your homeowner has a deed in lieu request or a loan modification open; you can not also work on the short sale. Those files need to be closed first. We have one with a loan mod that was declined but until we have an offer on the short sale they will not close the loan mod file. I wonder if this has anything to do with padding the books in any way?

Oh, another thing- Country wide will no longer accept offers without the sellers's signatures on them. We use this in order for us to accept multiple offers in certain situations. When I asked why that is, the team leader told us that the offers not signed by the sellers are creating buyers who are walking away from the deals in the middle of the short sale!

EXCUSE ME!!!! That has nothing to do with it. The buyers are walking because they don't want to wait 6 months to 12 months to buy a house!!!!!! What part of this picture do they not understand??? The buyers are walking because of the clause in the offer that says 'the time period for acceptance is 45 days' or whatever days is put in that box! That means Countrywide that if you don't give the buyers an answer by that time they do not have to buy the house!!! HELLO!!!

If they pay our fee; Nestor and I will go into Countrywide and organize their short sale department and make it run like a well oiled machine! It is NOT rocket science! But you do need to know short sales and real estate!

Hmmmmm, and banks want to be in the business of real estate! I think some public relations classes are in order!

Read our short sale series by clicking here.



Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all the Wellington Florida Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and St Lucie Country; we will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Wellington Home or Land ; call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 561-753-0135 to find out more about Palm Beach County Short Sales and Port St Lucie Short Sales.

Copyright © 2009 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.* Short Sales-Countrywide Changes Short Sale Procedures Again!

Live In Binks Forest Preserve-474 Cypress Circle- Wellington Florida 33414- Not A Short Sale

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:56:59 -0600

When we first moved here in 1998, we lived in Binks Forest, and it is one of the best residential areas in Wellington. Lots of mature landscaping, beautiful homes set on good-size land parcels, close by all the great Wellington schools! This particular neighborhood, Binks Preserve, has always been one of the most sought-after areas to live in.

Read below to see what our team has listed now for sale:

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Are you looking for a home in Binks Forest Preserve, the Lennar built side that is NOT a short sale?

You will feel right at home at 474 Cypress Circle in Wellington Florida.

This part of Wellington has always been one of my favorites. I was here watching these homes being built by Lennar. I remember bringing buyers to the sales office and how excited buyers were with the Lennar; 'everything included' concept that was the Lennar tagline. The golf course was absolutely gorgeous and the landscaping was really well done. In fact, I almost bought my home in the Binks Forest Preserve when the new construction began.

When I walked up to the door of this home to take photos of this listing I was pleasantly greeted with a wide foyer and a home that is mint condition. This home has been owned by the same owners since it was built in 1998. You would never know that this home is ten years old. Everything has been attended to, you know the cliche'; you can eat off the floor, well, I am telling you the truth about that here.

The best part of this home is the open and flowing floor plan as you can see in the photos here and in the video below. The living room is in the center of the home with the master bedroom on the left of the living room and a den right next to the master.

To the right of the living room up towards the front of the house is a formal dining room which has enough room for large entertaining formal sit down meals. The kitchen is on the other side of the wall from the living room and is tucked in just enough so that your company does not see the kitchen in case you haven't cleaned the dishes before the door bell rang.

You can cook to your heart's content in a sparkling white kitchen and still have room to socialize and gather around. The breakfast area is comfy and cute. It was really tempting to sit down in the breakfast area and chill for a while. The kitchen overlooks the family room, the pool and patio. The other 3 bedrooms are on this side of the house with 2 other bathrooms one being the cabana bath with easy access to the pool area.

The house sits right on the golf course but has privacy hedges all around the back yard. As I was taking photos of the pool and the patio I noticed how much care the owner has taken in making sure that the flowers and bushes were trimmed and very appealing to the eye. The pool area is gated in and right outside of the gated area is a large section of lawn that would fit a big trampoline or an over sized play-set.

We have friends that live in the Binks Forest Preserve so we visit in this gated community quite often. For many years my Creative Memories consultant lived in the Binks Preserve and I would be over there every other Friday night to do her scrap-booking madness nights where we would start at like 7 p.m. and go until midnight.

Right across the home is a lake with a secluded seating area where you can hang out with your favorite book in South Florida sunshine.

This home is NOT a short sale and is currently listed for only $449,777. Call today for an appointment to view your next home! Enjoy the show!

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

Read our Short Sale Series at Short-Sales-Florida.com.

To view all the Wellington Florida Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Wellington Home or Land ; call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

Copyright © 2009 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.*Live In Binks Forest Preserve-474 Cypress Circle- Wellington Florida 33414-Not A Short Sale *

Winter Equestrian Festival 2009 in Wellington Florida! (LOCALISM FEATURED)

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:51:13 -0600

When I moved to Wellington from Atlanta in 1998, my main concern was the school system and the neighborhoods. Little did I know I was moving into one of the most popular Equestrian areas in the world. Wellington offers many activities and the equestrian season brings many more! Read on:
Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Come see the sights of what makes Wellington Florida one of the most famous Equestrian centers in the world. Here we host the annual Winter Equestrian Festival which is gearing up to be in full swing. The Winter Equestrian Festival runs through March 29th this year and started today.

This year there are competitors and horses from around the world including Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the Middle East.

Competitors compete for over $6 million dollars in prize money.

Glen Straub and other land owners and developers around here might have a lot of money but Mark Bellissimo has class.

Mark Bellissimo has done a first class job of putting $10 million dollars into sprucing up the showgrounds and surrounding roads and property. Bellissimo visited one of the top rated Equestrian centers in Europe and decided he wanted to turn his Palm Beach International Equestrian Center into the best center in the world.

The transformation of before and after is like night and day. You will really enjoy the new seating that Mark has installed already.

He put in all new bleachers and much more seating to accomodate the spectators that love to watch the Equestrian competition here in Wellington Florida.

Lush landscaping with colorful gorgeous flowers adorn the rings and walkways all around the show grounds.

You can stop off for lunch by walking over the bridge to the Tavern on the Green. Jenny Oz is down here riding her horse.

Take a look around at our photos for a behind the scenes look at the workings of the Winter Equestrian Center.

The horses are happy with the largest improvement; special sandy material that is easy on the horses. This is an Olympic type footing and 3 of the rings have this material.

South Shore Blvd down towards the Equestrian center has been widened to 4 lanes with easier turn arounds for large horse trailers.

Admission is FREE on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Tickets are $15 per person on the weekends. Kids under 12 and seniors get in free.

If you know anyone who is coming down and needs a rental we have a rental right next to the showgrounds for $15,000 per month. Contact us at our office, 561-753-0135 for details.

Enjoy The Show!



Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 561-753-0135 to find out more about Palm Beach County Short Sales and Port St Lucie Short Sales.

Copyright © 2009 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.*Winter Equestrian Festival 2009 In Wellington Florida.*

About Wellington Florida

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:17:41 -0600

Katerina writes wonderful, informative posts regarding, well, just about everything. I wanted to re-blog this post because it is written about the fabulous community I live in, too! She did a great job-read on:

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Wellington Florida is a small home town 'feel' place to raise horses, families and friends. Living in Wellington Florida is like living in Old Florida where mature trees provide the backround and imagry of horse and rider riding off into the sunset come to mind. Below sunsets are children playing and friends walking or biking along the community trails and pathways.

Our Community is the Village of Wellington, our neighborhood is our Village.

Wellington is a bedroom community. Wellington Florida is a planned unit development. It is the developmemt. In short we call it a PUD. That means that everything basically was preplanned and established as to what will be allowed to be built and what not. We became incorpororated in March 1996 as a Village. We are called, the Village of Wellington. We have our own zip code however when you try to order something online or over the phone, most of the time this zip code still pulls up West Palm Beach not as Wellington.

But believe me, we might be a small town of only about 38,216 year round population in the 'Real Wellington' but we are a mighty famous place! We happen to be the Polo Capital of the world inspiring some of the best Polo Teams from around the entire world to compete at top levels. We are also home to the Winter Equestrian Festival drawing crowds of spectators as well as contestants from all over the world.

Attracting famous people to Polo and Equestrian events is commonplace in Wellington Florida. Prince Charles plays polo here. The actor, Tommy Lee Jones (from Men in Black) owns his own Polo team in Texas and spends much of the Equestrian season here in Wellington. Sylvester Stallone plays polo here too.

In fact we are so sought after of a place to live and play that during the boom of real estate builders would use our name, Wellington as part of a name of their new subdivisions they were building even it they were NOT in Wellington! You can drive down in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth and see the name Wellington being used as a marketing tool and you say to yourself, 'but that is not a part of Wellington'. There was also a rush for annexing into Wellington. Builders were swarming to be annexed in so they could use the name of Wellington. Some of these areas are really not a part of our town in a community form of speaking. Also, there are people who live on the border of Wellington and Lake Worth and they will tell you they live in Wellington.

Even real estate agents from as far away as Fort Lauderdale and Miami use the name of 'Wellington' in their marketing even though they are an hour away! We are only 14 miles away from Sunny South Florida beaches.

Wellington was named after C.Oliver Wellington who bought all this land back in the 1960's. Wellington did not start being developed until the late 70's. But most of the homes built here were built in the late 80's and 90's. It used to be all farmland, cow pastures and strawberry fields. For information about the developing of Wellington click here.

The total area of land that Wellington makes up is 28 square miles. This includes huge Equestrian ranches, Polo fields, Equestrian centers, homes, parks and schools. There may be a bit of a discrepency as to the actual size because of some outer areas annexing in so they could use the name Wellington.

Wellington has no downtown. We have no factories or industry. Most people who live here travel to work outside of Wellington. They leave in the morning and come back in the evenings. In the near future we are working to change that infrastructure. During the next 7 years there will some moves and ideas shaping on making Wellington able to produce income from revenue generated other than property taxes.

We get together for neighborhood and community events at our Wellington Recreation center or one of our Wellington village parks. There are summer concerts in the park and 4th of July fireworks. There is a Village of Wellington Easter egg hunt once a year and a holiday parade.

Click here to see our community built Tiger Shark Cove park, one of our most popular parks.

There are 2 high schools in Wellington Florida and 2 middle schools. We have A rated elementary public schools and a few top notch Private schools. We also have a very supportive community home school support groups.

We just had a wonderful new library built and welcomed a large Mall on the outskirts of Wellington's east border. Our community is our Village Of Wellington, our neighborhood is our Village. Stay tuned for many more posts on the highlights of the Village of Wellington Florida.

**********************************************************************************

Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

Call us today at 561.753.0135 or Toll Free 800.444.3316. Contact us by email if you prefer by clicking on email me on the right side of this page under our profile.

To view all the Wellington Florida Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and will help you get your home Sold if you need to Sell your home and help you buy your Wellington Home or Land ; call us today.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done. We are doing successful short sale packages. Call us at 561-753-0135 to find out more about Palm Beach County Short Sales and Port St Lucie Short Sales.

Copyright © 2008 By Katerina Gasset, All Rights Reserved.*Wellington Florida- Where Equestrians and Suburbanites Live and Play *

Rock Band is Rocking My House!

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:23:26 -0600

Don't you just love it when you search and search for that perfect gift that, when opened, makes every other gift pale in comparison? That was the story at my house yesterday-kids from 8 to 80 were enjoying the Rockband for XBOX 360 yesterday. Unfortunately, I got tired of hearing the drums after 12 hours of continuous play.

I hope everyone enjoyed lots of food, fun, and family time together on Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate! My wish to all my Active Rain friends and clients is a healthy and prosperous New Year in 2009!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2008 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. Rock Band is Rocking My House!

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

Wellington Florida Horse Paradise Is Ready For Your Horses- 6 Acre Ranch

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:57:38 -0600

Look what my broker has listed now. Another breath-taking ranch tucked away in the heart of Wellington FL. Call me now to view this luxury, equestrian home at 561-214-3216!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
Have you been looking for a horse friendly property in Wellington Florida in time for the Winter Equestrian Festival? Well look no further because this property is ready for a quick closing so you can move your horses down and still have time to get them exercised and ready to compete.

Your horses will love this 6 acre ranch complete with 8 stalls and paddocks with plenty of room for you to build more paddocks and jumper rings or dressage rings. Located at 483 Cindy Drive nestled in the seclusion of Little Ranches of Wellington with easy access to the showgrounds.

Not only will your horses love this acreage you will appreciate the historic value of this home complete with 3 working fireplaces with over 6,590 square feet of living space.

Outdoor living is a part of your dream come true with wonderful ranch views including outdoor living patio and pool complete with green year round landscaping.

My favorite room in this home is the air conditioned Conservatory which can accommodate large parties, events and conferences. It reminds me of the times we had high tea in England in rooms this large. The difference is in England there was a lot of foggy, gloomy days whereas this Conservatory is light and bright filled with the natural sunlight that South Florida has to offer year round. A Mizner sculpture from the Phipps Mansion from 1916 is set right into one of the walls in the conservatory.

We appreciate the architecture and the very interesting historic pieces that embelish the home like the brick was brought in from the old Chattanooga Tennessee South Railway Hotel from 1870. The hotel no longer exists. This may just be the most historic home in Wellington because most of Wellington did not even get built until the early 1980's.

This ranch was the original hunting lodge her in this part of Florida and has oversized living areas for all the entertaining and lodging that was done back in the day. The northwest wing of the house is all interlocking knotty pine on the ceiling and another part of the house, another wing is all cypress.

Current Offer Price is $1,869,000 for the complete package of lots 8 and 9 together including all the improvements. Call Nestor Gasset or Katerina Gasset at 561-753-0135 to schedule your private showing.



Contact Nestor Gasset and Katerina Gasset, CIPS, Realtors®, International Properties and Investments, Inc. Licensed Realtors® in Florida at 561-753-0135 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Hypoluxo Island, Lantana, West Palm Beach and the rest of Palm Beach County Florida and Port St Lucie Florida. We are accepting referrals.

To view all the Wellington Florida Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Search For Homes We know Palm Beach County and St Lucie Country.

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. Wellington Homes Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on Wellington Homes Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author(s). Wellington Homes Blog does not express the views of International Properties and Investments, Inc or those of the broker.

Wellington Florida Horse Paradise Is Ready For Your Horses- 6 Acre Ranch by Katerina Gasset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

What in the World Does Leaping Lords and Swimming Swans Have to do With Christmas!

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:16:42 -0600

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge, who won't come out of the pear tree, have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.
Someone, during that era, wrote this carol as a Catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-->Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

Merry Christmas

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

So What Does This Mean To You, The Consumer!

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:31:57 -0600

Yesterday the Fed made a statement that they would be purchasing up to $600 billion in mortgages. The Fed's comment triggered a large drop in interest rates on mortgages.

So what does this mean to you, the consumer. It means that if you have been sitting on the fence, ready to buy but not sure because maybe those home prices will drop...more, maybe the interest rate will drop... more, well, they HAVE dropped!

We don't know how long this will last, but we know it is here now! Spread the word, now is the time to purchase! Don't let this opportunity pass you by.

One of the mortgage brokers I have the pleasure to work with is saying today, right here, right now - a buyer borrowing $250,000 with a 20% down payment can get a 30 year fixed rate mortgage at 4.875% with No Points and No Origination Fee! Thats right, you do have to have some money to put down, but look at the rates! Its a no-brainer!

Call me today-I'd love to help you find a new home! I work as a Buyers' Agent for Nestor and Katerina Gasset at International Property & Investments, Inc., which means I work solely with buyers and with only your best interests in mind. It costs you nothing but peace of mind, especially if you moving from out-of-state.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2008 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. TIME TO ROLL THE FRIENDSHIP BALL FORWARD !

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

Realtor® Alert - Safety First and Safety Tips.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:25:57 -0600

I always feel that it won't happen to me, but you never know. Read below:

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.):
The Realtor® Association of the Palm Beaches has been notified that there is a man who is calling himself Mr Antonio (Tony) Zalbumbide contacting female Realtors to show him luxury properties and apparentley misleading them. He has broken NO Laws. He is not being accused of anything other than his pedegree is false.

There are some risks not worth taking. If you feel unsafe, always, go with your gut feeling no matter how much you need a deal or how much you don't want to offend someone. It is better than turning up missing, dead or robbed. Your life is too important to take risks for any amount of commission.

Below is the alert that the Realtor Association of the Palm Beaches has posted on their member email:

REALTOR® ALERT! - Members are advised of a gentleman who is approaching female Realtors expressing interest in high end and luxury properties but who is apparently misrepresenting himself. He chooses to contact only female Realtors. He promises gifts. In some cases he offers gifts consisting of articles of clothing. He wants to be shown these upper end properties. He claims to have substantial resources. He has broken no laws. Yet. However, research into his assertions by several members has proven his pedigree to be false. Please be careful and use appropriate prudence in any dealings with Mr. Antonio (“Tony”) Zalbumbide.

Please pass this information along to anyone that you know in real estate:

Make sure you follow safety rules. Recommend to your broker to establish safety proceedures and protocol:

Get a copy of the buyer's drivers licenses and leave the copy at the office.

Never go with anyone who you feel uncomfortable with.

Give your cell phone number to your family and office.

Have your spouse or someone at the office call with security checks.

Have a code phrase that you use when answering your cell phone if you feel in danger.

Always leave someone in your office a list of homes you are showing with addresses and times.

Do not drive strangers in your car.

Meet all your buyers at your office before you show them homes.

Never meet someone you don't know at a vacant or secluded property alone.

Remember that women have set up agents to be killed too. It is not just men that attack and kill.

Male agents are also robbed and killed while showing homes so men take precautions also.

Keep your keys in your hands at all times, do not lay them on a counter while showing a house.

You can use your keys as a weapon if you are being attacked.

Use the buddy system when showing houses. When I worked as a buyers agent I brought my teenage sons with me to showings.

Get a license to carry a concealed weapon. But remember to be trained in the use of the weapon.

Never go with anyone against your will even at gunpoint. Remember that if they are holding a gun to you, your best chance to get away is right then. If you go with them, your chances are almost Zero that you will get away. If you run and they shoot at you, they may miss you, if they do not miss you, the likelihood of the bullet being fatal is not that high compared to the likelihood of you being alive after they take you to another location.

Be Safe out there. Please reblog this and pass this along to all the agents in your offices. You may just save a life.

Short Sale in Paddock Park 14877 Stirrup Lane Wellington Florida- over 1 Acre

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:07:34 -0600

Buyers, if you are lookling for a great deal, this home is located in one of South Florida's hottest areas-Wellington, Florida. It is priced at $599,777 and is listed with very successful realtors, Nestor and Katerina Gasset, that know how to close a short sale!

Call Lisa Schlitz to view this home!

Via Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes :
Short Sale in Paddock Park 14877 Stirrup Lane Wellington FL 33414
Location: Paddock Park
Elegant style home with a magnificent pool on over one acre of property with a total of 3964 Sq. Ft. living space in the exclusive Paddock Park, surrounded with natural landscaping, fruit trees and native plants. Inside this fashionable home you will find vaulted ceilings, a kitchen with granite countertops, cherrywood cabinets and ample space. In the master bedroom has hardwood floors, that leads to the master bathroom with a roman tub and shower with six heads for that extra touch. There is a two story wood floored studio with a seperate entrance that could easily be converted into a in-law suite. A 2 1/2 car garage that leads to a ten car driveway, a full alarm system, hurricane shutters and water purifying system, all in a home that was renovated in 2000. This is too good to pass up, don't let it slip by you!
Information
Contact Information

Nestor & Katerina Gasset
katerinag@bellsouth.net
561-753-0135
Contact Reply Form
Forward to a Friend
View Other Flyers
Pricing
Price: $599,777.00
Flexibility: Negotiable
Additional Pricing Information: Short Sale Brokers please see mls broker remarks
Property Location
14877 Stirrup Lane
Wellington, FL 33414
View Map
Links
Visit Our Site
Features
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 4
Parking Spaces: 2
Year Built: 1984
Subdivision: Paddock Park
Garage Size: 2 .5
School District: Palm Beach County
Square Footage: 3964
Agent Name: Nestor & Katerina Gasset
Broker: International Properties & Investments, Inc.
MLS #: R2961930
Attributes
Appliances
Range/Oven
Full Refrigerator
Washer/Dryer
Dishwasher
Sink Disposal
Microwave
Intercom
Interior Amenities
Vaulted Ceilings
Exterior Amenities
Patio
Grass Lawn
Photo Gallery
View as Slideshow View Photo Gallery (8 Photos)
Powered by vFlyer.com
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
VFLYER ID: 1943082

Another Testimonial from a recent client (and now friend)!

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:15:20 -0600

Testimonials are a wonderful reassurance that I am in the right business. Sometimes, just when it seems like I'm fighting an uphill battle with all the short sales and foreclosures in the market these days, I get an email that goes like this:

Lisa,

Now that we have settled in our new home, I wanted to write and tell you how wonderful it was to have you has our realtor and now our FRIEND!

You have been more than a real estate agent to us, going above and beyond business hours. You treat us like we are your family. Encouraging, loyal and an Inspiration. You were always there if we had a question or concern. If you didn't know the answer, you'd find an answer for us.

I pray that God may bless you abundantly. Thank you for making our home buying experience a successful and smooth transition.



                                                                                                 Sincerely,

                                                                                                  April & Laz Rodriguez

This is in response to a short sale that went from contract to close in two months flat! You can read about it here.

Many thanks to all my customers that make my job so enjoyable and worthwhile!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2008 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. Another Testimonial from a recent client (and now friend)!

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

TIME TO ROLL THE FRIENDSHIP BALL FORWARD !

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:19:44 -0600

Passing on the Friendship Ball.

When I was hired by Nestor and Katerina to be their Buyers' Agent, they suggested I join Active Rain. Having no idea what it was or where it would take me, I can say that I have been pleasantly surprised. I remember reading posts about the Friendship Ball and feeling a little envious (only human!). Recently I received the Friendship Ball from a co-worker and a friend, whom I've never met, but plan to one day!

My friendship ball was passed to me by Marey Hoeppner. She is a Virtual Assistant who lives in, well, she is virtual! Just kidding, she lives in Michigan, but the way Active Rain works, it feels like she lives next door. Marey never ceases to amaze me with her knowledge of the internet and how organized she is. She has been nothing but helpful to me in my endeavors to understand how things pertaining to the internet work. We have lots in common as working Moms with never enough time in the day. I am honored she has chosen me as a friend!

Now for the hard part-who to pass it on to? There are many Rainers that I keep up with daily, and many that I read ever so often and enjoy! And I'm not all that sure about Friendship Ball etiquette. If someone has just received it, can you still send it to them just to let them know you appreciate them?

Vicky McCartney, I love her professionalism and proactive attitude towards her clients, and am motivated by her enthusiasm for real estate and life in general. Her blogs are always upbeat and straightforward. Keep it up Vicky!

Jessica Bigger: - Jessica is always very refreshing and I enjoy reading about whats going on in her market. I admire her outlook on life and truly am impressed with her knowledge of real estate. If you haven't connected with her yet, try her out-you'll feel the same, I'm sure!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2008 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. TIME TO ROLL THE FRIENDSHIP BALL FORWARD !

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

Lower Prices + Lower Rates = Great time to buy!

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:13:24 -0600

Lower Prices + Lower Rates = Great time to buy!

Rates are dropping substantially as the government agreed to purchase $600 Billion of Mortgage debt issued by FNMA, FHLMC, and GNMA. Rates on 30 year fixed-rate mortgages are averaging 6.04 percent, down from 6.14 previously.

Rates on other types of mortgages also fell last week. For 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, rates have dropped to 5.73 percent while rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to 5.87.

Buyers have been sitting "on the fence" just waiting for the right time to buy. Now is the time! Many of my clients can save hundreds of dollars each month as a result of the improved interest rates.

A year ago the nationwide average rate on 30-year mortgages held at 6.2 percent while 15-year mortgage rates were averaging 5.81 percent.

This is what we needed on the mortgage side of the equation to get things moving. Let's get going, folks! Rates are down, prices on homes are down, and I am ready and waiting for your call! Let me help you find your next home, a home you will love! Please give me a call or email me. I'd be happy to assist you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit my profile to find out more about my services. Call me today at 561.214.3216 or 561.753.0135. Contact me by email if you prefer at LisaSchlitz@gmail.com. To view all the Wellington Fl Luxury Homes For Sale Click here and then click on Multiple Listing Search where the globe is on the right side of the screen that opens up. I know West Palm Beach and will help you find and purchase your new home.

Copyright © 2008 By Lisa Schlitz, All Rights Reserved

The material herein may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. Lower Prices + Lower Rates = Great time to buy!

Contact Lisa Schlitz for all your Wellington Florida Real Estate Needs at 561-214-3216.

"WE'RE NOT IN ANY HURRY!" AGENTS CAN'T SPEND A HYPOTHETICAL COMMISSION CHECK!

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:57:26 -0600

Although, as a Buyers' Agent, I love meeting new clients and getting to know them while helping them to find a new home, I've come to realize over time that while this is my job, I still have a life and a family outside of real estate. Most jobs end daily at 5:00 and always turn a paycheck at the end of the week. This job, you can work for months with one client and never even see a paycheck at all!

Please read below for a little enlightenment!
Via Lenn Harley:
THE ONLY SALE THAT COUNTS IS THE ONE THAT CLOSED!

THE ONLY COMMISSION CHECK THAT CAN BE DEPOSITED IS FOR THE SALE THAT CLOSED!

WHAT IS OUR BUSINESS?   Our business is real estate brokerage. Our business is not conducting house tours. One of the most important lessons new agents and some seasoned agents learn is to identify serious non-contingent home buyers.

IDENTIFY THE BUYER'S NEEDS and GOALS? A very important task for an agent early on when speaking with a new prospective buyer client is separating the serious buyers from folks who are more interested in negotiating than buying. We often meet prospective buyers who are in a month-to-month lease and faced with the option of renewing their lease or buying a home. Our task is to identify those folks who are excited about home ownership from folks who "will buy if the price is right". These consumers will often try to control the market rather than understanding the dynamics of what determines a "good price". When hearing these words, an agent must understand that they may be dealing with a consumer is likes the idea of home ownership, but is more interested in negotiatingthan finding a home. These consumers have no cognizance of what it costs an agent in time and expenses to prepare for and conduct house tours.

OUR TIME IS VALUABLE TOO. Is it possible that they are not ready to buy? How much time should an agent devote to folks who want to look, but are not anxious to buy?? Time spend with less than serious home buyers is simply sending serious home buyers to other agents.

DOES THE BUYER NEED A HOME? If so, they are most likely going to make reasonable offers. Further, if they do make a very low offer and lose a property to a better offer, they usually learn that the market isn't going to treat them in any special manner. Their next offer should be in the ball field and should result in reasonable price, terms and conditions for both buyer and seller.

You've done everything right to get the buyers to a point of buying a home.

Qualify the buyer and establish credit worthiness,

Identify the areas of choice,

Select the best property listings in the price range,

Preview the homes and select the best on the market to show the buyer.

Adjust the criteria based on the tour.

Go back to #2 and repeat #3 and #4.

WHEN QUERRIED ABOUT MAKING AN OFFER, YOU HEAR THAT DREADED:   "WE'RE NOT IN ANY HURRY"? Well, what are they waiting for? Fact is, when non-contingent buyers continue to repeat the "we're not in any hurry", the likelihood of them buying at all is, in my experience, remote. An experienced Buyer's Agent will:

TIME TO SELECT A HOME TO BUY. By this time, the buyers have seen the best of the best in their price range and areas of choice. It's time for the buyers to make a decision and start the contract process. They have expressed interest in one or two listings that meet all of their criteria.

LEARN "WHEN TO HOLD THEM AND WHEN TO FOLD THEM". When asked about their plans for buying, the answer will, at that time, determine whether you put those buyers on the back burner or continue to show them MORE OF THE SAME. If their response is "We're not in any hurry.", it may very well be time for the agent to move on to other things or other prospects.

THESE ARE, IMO, NOT SERIOUS BUYERS.   Agents handle this situation in many ways depending on their personal client load. While our agents handle only 2-4 buyers at a time, we do not have time to spend with folks who are not serious buyers.  The success of the Buyers Agents in my network depend on identifying serious buyers, identifying the best homes that meet the buyers criteria and going to contract. Agents who are committing a Saturday, Sunday or any day to buyers who have already seen the best on the market may not be using their time wisely.

MAKE A PLAN WITH YOUR BUYER AND STICK TO IT. It's a good idea speak seriously with new buyer clients about what to expect in the home buying process; identify good homes, preview the best, get pre-approved, make offers, negotiate and go to contract. If buyers understand early on that the goal is to buy a home and not to just tour listings, the agent should not hear the dreaded "We're not in any hurry".



Agents who are doggedly showing more and more homes to buyers who are not making a decision may be losing better opportunities and could be available for a new buyer referral from Lenn. When I contact an agent in my network about a good buyer referral and they are already booked with buyers to whom they've been showing homes for 2 months, I have to question the agents perspective. Either the agent is not working with motivated buyers or the agent has become too "comfortable" with a buyer.

HOME BUYERS HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOOD PRICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE FOR MANY YEARS.   If they are not buying NOW, it may very well for an agent to simply say:

NEXT!