Can you beleive it's already almost the middle of May! Have you accomplished all that you wanted to? I know I haven't. I'm going to go over all my goals and reset them. If anyone is on the fence about buying or selling or investing, keep moving forward with your dreams and goals. I'm sure they will come true.

Many Realtors will tell you that open houses are a waste of time. But my listing in Tamarac just closed because of a Saturday open house where a family stopped by and fell in love with the home. Besides them, I got to meet several new neighbors and buyers. Many folks like to explore on their own without making a commitment. The buyers get a feel for the area and the sellers see what a Realtor will do for them. The real estate business is about meeting new people and this is a great opportunity.

I just listed for sale a single family home in a 55+ community and it sits on a oversized  waterfront point lot in Tamarac, Florida. While sitting on the large screened patio and enjoying the breeze and view I wondered if when this home was appraised what value the appraiser would put on this premium lot. In this short sale,reo driven market who knows if it does increase the value and how much. It used to be that waterfront lots added certain values depending on size and view in the Coral Springs area. Does anyone out there have a good answer? I do know that anyone who looks at this home will know what I'm talking about but will they give credit for it being a unique setting or compare square footage with the short sale down the road. I also know that being a former builder that they are also not manufacturing any more lots of this kind. You can renovate the home but cannot change the view.

It's a New Year and if you are looking to move or are a real estate professional, there are many opportunities out there. For buyers looking to move there are low prices,low interest rates and tax credits. For sellers, there are all these qualified buyers and the knowledge that tax credits and low interest rates will not last forever. So let's all get moving.  

What I like most about the holidays are the friend and family gatherings, eating great meals, some partying, songs, the traditions and and the feelings of love, comfort, peace and security they generate. Whenever I help someone purchase a home I know they are celebrating these same feelings. This makes me feel good and proud to be a Real Estate professional.

It seems that all priced right listings are selling here in the Coral Springs / Parkland area. Because of decreasing inventories of homes for sale, low interest rates and government incentives it is becomming a sellers market.It is an excellent time to sell because you never know when interest rates will go up. There are qualified buyers out there right now. So if anyone out there is undecided whether to sell now is the time because the market is getting hot.

Not only is it a great time to buy but also a great time to sell. Low interest rates,tax credits, and low prices are fueling the market here in Coral Springs,Fl. Selling inventories are way down and quality listings are hard to find. Now is the time to move! You never know when interest rates will go up and when the government will start upping taxes to control deficits.

Down here in Florida there is one sure way to reduce the high unemployment rate and that is to get the builders building new homes again. Every new home produces about 4 new  jobs. Builders are producing about 20% of what they would build in a normal year. That translates into about half the unemployment in Florida. Customers are purchasing short sales and reo's because they are about 25% less than a new home can be constructed for. Normally they would pay 10% more for a new home because it needs no work. So to make up the difference why not have the counties wave these super high impact fees and water meter fees. And why not have the federal government give builders loans, and tax credits to sell affordable housing.The benefit to all is undeniable and will get the housing market moving again.

There is much talk about going green. What are we as real estate professional doing about it? For one thing we are trying to save paper by emailing,text,presentingand advertising thru the Internet. Someday soon all newspapers,magazines,books,bills will be available thru the Internet. We now have paperless and virtual closings happening more often. And most of us have home offices from which we can do much of our business, take courses and to pay our bills. And I'm definitely for doing something for the environment and the economy , every little bit helps and we all need to contribute. But I want to remember that we are in the people business and that by treating everyone with respect,honesty and loyalty, we are also contributing to the good of all. 

Yesterday, I had a short sale contract offer accepted by the seller of a very nice home. It will be submitted to the bank for approval and hopefully soon the bank will respond and will close by the end of November. My buyer,a single woman, is a first time home buyer. She is hoping to get the $8,000 tax credit. This tax credit has been a boom to our area here in Coral Springs, FL. and I'm sure it has helped other markets as well. It makes me feel good to know that the tax credit is not only helping this young person in purchasing a home, it is helping many other people and the economy as well. I support the extension of this tax credit for another year.