http://activerain.com/blogs/rerandy An ongoing discussion of Broward County's best golf course community, Palm-Aire. These properties feature condos, townhouses, villas, and large estate homes, most of which sit directly on South Florida's best real estate. en-us http://activerain.com/blogsview/3735336/florida-s-real-estate-market-shows-strong-gains-in-april-2013 <p>Florida&rsquo;s housing market reported more closed sales, rising median prices, increased pending sales, more new listings and a lower inventory of homes for sale in April, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors&reg;.</p> <p>Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 20,662 in April, up 17.4 percent compared to the year-ago figure, according to data from Florida Realtors Industry Data and Analysis department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. Closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.</p> <p>Meanwhile, pending sales &ndash; contracts that are signed but not yet completed or closed &ndash; for existing single-family homes last month rose 31.9 percent over the previous April. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes last month was $165,000, up 14.2 percent from the previous year.</p> <p>According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the national median sales price for existing single-family homes in March 2013 was $185,100, up 12.1 percent from the previous year. In California, the statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in March was $378,960; in Massachusetts, it was $290,000; in Maryland, it was $241,413; and in New York, it was $220,000.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 22 May 2013 12:42:09 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3735336/florida-s-real-estate-market-shows-strong-gains-in-april-2013 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3734113/5-reasons-to-leave-your-shutters-up-when-selling-a-vacant-property <p>1. The property is very dark when they are all down. No one ever came to Florida to buy a cave.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>2. To some degree they are buying the view. If they can't see it and envision the experience of living there, they're not buying it.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>3. Some shutters are not rated for hurricane protection, they are known as sun shades. Manufacturers of sun shares say that they are better off putting their roll up shutters in to the up position in a hurricane because they will not fly away.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>4. Agents are going to lift them anyway. Short of putting them under lock and key an agent is going to raise them whether you like it or not. A realtor's job is to sell property and lifting the wrol up makes a big difference towards making the property look salable.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>5. It looks like you have something to hide. In my experience if you don't want the shutters open that is because one or more is broken, or your view is awful and you hope buyers won't notice.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you have other more pressing reasons to leave them down, then we should cover those issues.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you have lots of valuables in the property and you like the added protection, then we should discuss removing the valuables since you will have to either way once it's sold.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you're concerned about dirt build up on the patio/porch, then think about how much traffic is going to be going through your property when it takes 3 times longer to sell it. Also we can talk about having a maid schedule regular touch up cleanings, which will typically help to sell your property faster and a higher price.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Selling your property in the fastest time possible is your best bet. You will save the additional expenses like maintenance and taxes, outweighing the incremental cost of a touch up cleaning if needed. Not to mention the fact that hurricane season begins in 11 days, so a serious enough storm would not only halt the market, but more importantly it would cause a lot more damage than a prospective buyer ever could.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I hope that helps to shed some light on the subject. ;)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>-Randy</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 21 May 2013 11:30:07 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3734113/5-reasons-to-leave-your-shutters-up-when-selling-a-vacant-property http://activerain.com/blogsview/3725898/florida-home-sales-jump-10- <p>Closed sales of existing single-family homes rose 10.2 percent statewide in the first quarter of 2013 over the comparable period last year, Florida Realtors reported this week. The trade group said the state&rsquo;s housing market showed strength with more pending sales, higher median prices and a reduced supply of homes for sale.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Realtors sold 48,976 existing single-family homes in the first quarter. Pending sales &mdash; contracts that are signed but not yet closed &mdash; rose 26.8 percent. The statewide median sales price was $153,000, up 13.4 percent from a year ago. Condo-townhouse sales totaled 24,655 units, up 3.2 percent. Pending sales rose 13.7 percent. The median sales price was $116,000, 18.4 percent higher than last year. The inventory for single-family homes stood at a 5.3-months supply, down from 5.8 months a year ago.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 13 May 2013 15:37:14 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3725898/florida-home-sales-jump-10- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3725732/average-on-30-year-mortgage-rises-to-3-42- <p>Average U.S. mortgage rates rose this week but remained near historic lows. Cheaper mortgages have encouraged more homebuying and refinancing. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for the 30-year fixed mortgage edged up to 3.42 percent from 3.35 percent last week. That&rsquo;s still near the average of 3.31 percent reached in November, the lowest on records dating to 1971.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The average on the 15-year fixed-rate loan rose to 2.61 percent from 2.56 percent last week, which was the lowest on records going back to 1991. Low mortgage rates have buttressed the housing recovery that began last year. Home sales and construction are up from a year ago, and prices are rising in most U.S. markets.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A survey released Tuesday showed that U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March compared with a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year gain since March 2006. The survey from Core Logic, a real estate data provider, showed that year-over-year prices have risen for 13 straight months. Prices are rising in part because more buyers are bidding on a limited supply of homes for sale.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Prices rose in 46 states over the past year. Eleven states posted double-digit gains. And excluding distressed sales, which comprise foreclosures and short sales, prices rose in every state. A short sale is when a home sells for less than what&rsquo;s owed on the mortgage. Sales are rising in some markets hit hardest by the housing bust in part because investors are scooping up homes in hopes of turning a profit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 13 May 2013 13:35:50 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3725732/average-on-30-year-mortgage-rises-to-3-42- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3719653/home-prices-10-5-higher-than-march-2012 <p>Home prices in March were 10.5% higher than a year ago -- and a bit more if distressed sales weren't counted, says market researcher CoreLogic. The overall change was the biggest year-over-year jump in seven years and the 13th straight month for home price gains.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Excluding distressed sales, which are short sales and foreclosures, home prices were up 10.7% year over year. Price gains will slow slightly in April, CoreLogic says. It predicts prices will rise 1.3% month to month and be 9.6% higher than a year ago. But, excluding distressed sales, it says April prices will jump 12% year over year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Different home price indexes frequently come up with different results, but the trend is clear. Last week, the Standard &amp; Poor's Case-Shiller index of 20 cities showed February prices up 9.3% year-over-year. Contributing to higher prices is rising demand among investors and home buyers for a limited supply of homes for sale, CoreLogic says. Fewer foreclosures and other distressed homes in the market can also inflate price changes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Including distressed sales, the five states with the highest home price appreciation in March vs. March 2012 were Nevada, 22%; California, 17%; Arizona, 17%; Idaho, 15%; and Oregon, 14%, CoreLogic says. Prices were lower year over year in only four states: Delaware, down 3.7%; Alabama, down 3.1%; Illinois, which dropped 1.8%; and West Virginia, down 0.3%.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 07 May 2013 13:33:14 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3719653/home-prices-10-5-higher-than-march-2012 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3717747/what-does-the-typical-florida-buyer-and-seller-look-like- <p>There is no &ldquo;typical&rdquo; Florida homebuyer or seller, but the most recently released &ldquo;Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Florida Report&rdquo; provides an overview of the types of buyers and sellers currently operating in the state.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The report provides a baseline for Realtors&rsquo; business decisions. Where do most Floridians start a home search? How do they finance the purchase? How many home sellers choose to go it alone and sell FSBO?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Report highlights: Homebuyers</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; 25 percent of recent homebuyers were first-time buyers in Florida, compared to a national level of 39 percent &ndash; a slight rise from 2011.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; The typical Florida buyer was 55 years old; nationally, the typical buyer was 42 years old, a modest decrease from 45 in 2011.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; The 2011 median household income of Florida buyers was $74,200 ($78,600 nationally). The median income was $55,600 among first-time buyers ($61,800 nationally) and $82,200 among repeat buyers ($93,100 nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 66 percent of buyers were married (65 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida and nationally, 16 percent of buyers were single females.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 22 percent of buyers cited &ldquo;desire to own a home&rdquo; as their primary reason for buying a home, compared to 30 percent nationally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Characteristics of homes purchased</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; New homes made up 20 percent of Florida home sales (16 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; 76 percent of Florida buyers chose a detached single-family home (79 percent nationally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Top three factors influencing neighborhood choice: Quality of neighborhood, convenience to job and overall affordability of homes. However, neighborhood choice varies considerably among households.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; A home&rsquo;s heating and cooling costs were at least somewhat important to 84 percent of Florida buyers (87 percent nationally); commuting costs were at least somewhat important to 63 percent (76 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Home search process</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; For 40 percent of Florida buyers, the first home buying step was to look at properties online (41 percent nationally); and 10 percent looked for info about the home buying process online (11 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 86 percent of all buyers (90 percent nationally) and 95 percent of buyers younger than 44 (96 percent nationally) used the Internet in their home search.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; 99 percent of Florida buyers who used a real estate agent viewed it as a useful information source (97 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; The typical homebuyer in Florida searched for 10 weeks and viewed 10 homes, compared to 12 weeks and 10 homes on a national level.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Nine in 10 recent buyers were satisfied with the home buying process in Florida and nationally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 84 percent bought a home through a real estate agent or broker (89 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 35 percent of buyers in Florida used a referral from a friend or family member to find an agent and 8 percent used an agent they had used previously to buy or sell a home. Nationally, 40 percent of buyers found their agent through a referral and 10 percent used an agent they had used before.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Slightly more than 57 percent of recent buyers in Florida only interviewed one agent before they found the agent they worked with, compared to about two-thirds of recent buyers nationally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 87 percent of buyers would use their agent again or recommend him or her to others.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Financing the home purchase</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 70 percent of buyers financed their recent purchase (87 percent nationally); and if they did, 89 percent of the purchase price was financed (91 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 87 percent of first-time buyers financed their home purchase (95 percent nationally); and 64 percent of repeat buyers financed (81 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; More than a third of homebuyers in Florida and nationally said they made some sacrifices to buy, such as reducing spending on luxury items.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; 25 percent of Florida buyers reported the mortgage application and approval process was somewhat more difficult than expected (23 percent nationally); and 19 percent reported it was much more difficult than expected (17 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Home sellers and their selling experience</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, the typical seller lived in their home 11 years (9 years nationally, up from only 6 years in 2007).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, a real estate agent assisted 92 percent of sellers (88 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, recent sellers sold their homes for 93 percent of the listing price (95 percent nationally) and 67 percent reduced the asking price at least once (60 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 32 percent of sellers offered incentives to attract buyers (40 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Home selling and real estate professionals</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 40 percent of sellers found their real estate agent through a referral (38 percent nationally); 16 percent used an agent they worked with before (23 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Two-thirds of home sellers only contacted one agent before making a selection, both in Florida and nationally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; 88 percent of Florida sellers say their home was listed or advertised online (93 percent nationally).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; In Florida, 81 percent of sellers (84 percent nationally) reported they would definitely or probably use the same real estate agent again or recommend him or her to others.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 06 May 2013 04:58:06 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3717747/what-does-the-typical-florida-buyer-and-seller-look-like- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3717741/5-ways-to-improve-your-credit-score <p>One thing that I have learned in my 14 years of real estate is that you need to plan ahead to get the best credit score. Reporting from your tradelines and corrections to them can take 1-2 months, so you want to keep that in mind if you plan on buying a house or car on credit in the near future.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here&rsquo;s how:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>1. &nbsp;<strong>Do one scan for flat-out errors.</strong> &nbsp;Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and order your credit reports from all three reporting bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Look for accounts that aren&rsquo;t yours, that have long been closed or otherwise are erroneously reported (e.g., payments listed as late that were actually on-time, a short sale listed as a foreclosure, etc.). Follow the instructions on the reports to dispute such report errors immediately - both online/on the phone and in writing. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Be prepared that it might even take several rounds of disputes and submissions of documents proving your case to ultimately clear everything up - if you experience this, make sure to loop your mortgage pro in after the first dispute round, rather than waiting months and months to even make the first call. &nbsp;It might be the case that the hard-to-dispute items are simply not making much of a difference to your ability to get a home loan. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>2. <strong>&nbsp;Do another scan for small reporting inaccuracies you think don&rsquo;t make a difference - but do.</strong> &nbsp;In particular, you&rsquo;re looking for things like:</p> <p>delinquencies that should have aged off</p> <p>balances listed as higher than they truly are</p> <p>limits listed as lower than they really are, and</p> <p>short sales/foreclosures that are improperly dated, among other things.&nbsp;</p> <p>(Remember that your credit report is not updated constantly, so allow for some slack time on these)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Paying bills late or not at all is only one thing that dings your credit report and score. Having a maxed out credit account (loan, line or card) limits is another. &nbsp;So, if your credit report shows your balances as higher than they actually are or your limits as lower than they actually are, this by itself can actually impair your credit score. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>These sorts of little, technical errors can, cumulatively, create a serious, negative impact on your credit score. They are very common - and commonly overlooked by consumers who are looking primarily for big, bad errors and wrong reporting that might indicate identity theft or other nefarious goings-on. &nbsp;So take a second tour through your credit reports looking for inaccurate balances and limits.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In the same vein, triple-check the dates of any delinquent payments, collections, short sale(s), foreclosure(s), or bankruptcies that are legitimately reported. Another common error is for these sorts of derogatory credit marks to have been dated inaccurately. &nbsp;Delinquencies should age entirely off your report after 7 years, and bankruptcies after 10. &nbsp;The precise date of a short sale or foreclosure can actually make or break your ability to qualify for a home loan - so make sure it is reported accurately.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>3. <strong>&nbsp;Pay the right things off</strong> - and take care not to pay off accounts you need to show your responsible use of credit. A few things that most lenders will demand you settle, bring current or pay off entirely before you can buy a home:&nbsp;</p> <p>accounts in collections</p> <p>state and federal tax liens</p> <p>past home loans or lines of credit in default that were not extinguished through foreclosure or short sale (e.g., second loans, home equity lines of credit, etc.)</p> <p>defaulted federal student loans (for FHA loan applicants).</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>If you do have to negotiate with any such creditors for settlements or repayment plans, consider including the way they report the account as one of the negotiables in your settlement deal. &nbsp;Consult with your mortgage professional about how you should ask the creditor to report the resolution as part of the settlement - you might not get it, but it certainly doesn&rsquo;t hurt to ask.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Your mortgage pro can also help you understand how you should sequence and prioritize the various items on this little laundry list. For example, some lenders might allow you to simply extinguish a tax lien at closing, while most FHA loans won&rsquo;t allow for a credit pre-approval while you have a defaulted federal student loan on your report.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>But do exercise some caution when you start paying off debt in preparation for home buying. Some house hunters take the opportunity to pay all their debt off and close out old, unused accounts, thinking it will document their readiness for the financial responsibilities of homeownership. &nbsp;Not so: credit scores are optimized when they show that you (a) have credit available to you, and (b) are responsible in how you use it. &nbsp;The ideal for the FICO score calculations is to be using roughly 30 percent of the credit available to you on your accounts. &nbsp;So don&rsquo;t pay them entirely off, and whatever you do, don&rsquo;t close accounts that are open and/or current. &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>That said, don&rsquo;t go out charging up a storm trying to bring zero balance accounts up to 30 percent credit limit usage. &nbsp;A flurry of new charges can upset your debt-to-income ratio and be seen by the FICO calculating robots as a sign of potential financial distress.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>4. <strong>&nbsp;Get your mortgage pro to help. &nbsp;</strong>Up to now, you&rsquo;ve been working on the reports that you can pull yourself, for free, as mandated under the federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) through AnnualCreditReport.com. These reports are free and are the smart starting point for your credit Spring Cleaning, but they have two important shortcomings:</p> <p>(1) They are almost never identical to the report your lender will actually use as the basis of your mortgage application, and&nbsp;</p> <p>(2) They do not include the FICO credit score on which lending decisions are based.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>So, once you&rsquo;ve dealt with any major or minor reporting errors you detect on the free reports, get your mortgage pro in the loop (if you haven&rsquo;t already) and ask them to pull your report and FICO score, and help you to troubleshoot it. &nbsp;From the report, they can tell you whether you&rsquo;ll have any challenges qualifying at the price range you desire and, if so, they can help you put a plan of action into place for finishing up your credit fitness program.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Many mortgage pros have software or expertise that can power a set of recommendations about what you need to do to complete your credit report Spring Clean, like paying 3 particular accounts down by a specific dollar amount, each. &nbsp;Also, they generally have access to Rapid Rescore or similar programs that will have your report updated and your credit score revised within a day or two after you pay a bill down or execute your mortgage broker&rsquo;s other score-boosting advice. (By contrast, it can take 30 days or more it can take for your score to be updated if you dispute your report on your own.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>5. <strong>&nbsp;Ask about augmenting your report with non-traditional &ldquo;tradelines,&rdquo;</strong> if needed. &nbsp;If you simply don&rsquo;t have much credit because you like to pay cash, kudos to you for managing your finances responsibly. &nbsp;Increasingly, lenders will allow borrowers to use non-traditional accounts to document their credit history. &nbsp;If you can document your history of paying your rent, health insurance, or even child care bills on time, every time, for at least 12 months, talk to your mortgage professional about whether you can use any of these accounts to prove yourself creditworthy to mortgage lenders.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 06 May 2013 04:45:09 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3717741/5-ways-to-improve-your-credit-score http://activerain.com/blogsview/3713058/florida-s-consumer-confidence-continues-to-rise <p><span style="font-size: 12px;">Floridians&rsquo; consumer confidence rose three points to 79 in April &ndash; the second consecutive monthly increase, according to a new University of Florida (UF) survey.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">Four of the five components used to determine Florida consumer confidence level increased and one remained unchanged in April. Respondents&rsquo; overall opinion that their personal finances are better than a year ago increased five points to 70, while their expectations they will be better off financially a year from now increased six points to 78.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">Meanwhile, their trust in the U.S. economy rose three points to 80. They also were optimistic about national economic conditions over the next five years &ndash; that assessment rose one point to 77.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">Left unchanged from March was whether now is a good time to buy big-ticket items such as cars and appliances. The response stayed at 90.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">Not all Floridians, however, are optimistic. Confidence among Floridians making $30,000 a year or less dropped six points to 61, but it rose four points to 85 for those earning more than $30,000.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">Age could affect views, too. The overall confidence level of Floridians younger than 60 increased 10 points to 87, but it fell three points to 72 for those 60 and older.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 01 May 2013 12:23:32 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3713058/florida-s-consumer-confidence-continues-to-rise http://activerain.com/blogsview/3711807/train-related-mass-transit-through-major-cities-makes-progress <p>The long-awaited plans for commuter rail along the Florida East Coast Railway appear to be gaining some traction after being stalled by the recession.</p> <p>The Southeast Florida Transportation Council, which includes planning organizations for each county, has approved a memo of understanding (MOU) outlining the process to create the commuter service along the 85-mile FEC tracks from downtown Miami to Jupiter.</p> <p>As the Business Journal reported April 18, the FEC's sister company, All Aboard Florida, has scheduled two environmental impact hearings in South Florida on May 6 and May 7 about its plans for high-speed rail service to Orlando.</p> <p>The expansion of the Tri-Rail system would not only help people get to and from work, but feed passengers to All Aboard, which will only have four stations &ndash; Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando.</p> <p>In contrast to a decade of slow progress, eight key organizations are expected to vote on the commuter rail MOU by the end of May. Among them are Tri-Rail's parent (the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority), the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida Rail Enterprise.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:01:03 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3711807/train-related-mass-transit-through-major-cities-makes-progress http://activerain.com/blogsview/3705315/canadians-buying-more-florida-real-estate-than-any-other-foreigners <p>Canadians are helping Florida real estate housing market emerge from the doldrums. The Herald-Tribune reports that Canadians are purchasing more Florida real estate than any other foreign buyers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>A study prepared for the Consulate General of Canada in Miami found that Canadians purchased $2.1 billion worth of residential real estate in Florida in 2010, accounting for 8% of all home purchases and 36% of all foreign-buyer deals. Jack Ablin, chief investment officer with BMO Private Bank, says more than 500,000 Canadians own property, including timeshares, in Florida.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:10:11 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3705315/canadians-buying-more-florida-real-estate-than-any-other-foreigners http://activerain.com/blogsview/3705309/app-upgrade-allows-home-search-by-school-district <p>Realtor.com announced a major update to its realtor.com mobile app for iOS (iPhones, iPads, etc.) and Android. The upgrade now allows homebuyers to target listings based on schools and districts. The app also includes other updates, such as intuitive navigation elements and enhanced maps.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&ldquo;We understand that when searching for the perfect home for your family or soon-to-be family, schools are an incredibly important consideration in the home-hunting process,&rdquo; says Errol Samuelson, chief strategy officer of Move and president of realtor.com.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Realtor.com updates</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; &ldquo;Nearby Schools&rdquo; button on the home screen uses the phone&rsquo;s GPS to find schools in surrounding areas</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Pins on an interactive map display GreatSchools ratings and assignment boundaries, and allow users to search homes for sale within a school boundary</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Schools tab, which is displayed within each property listing, that provides information about the grades taught at each school, student-teacher ratios and GreatSchools ratings</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&bull; Ability to search listings based on their assigned public school or school district</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:04:56 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3705309/app-upgrade-allows-home-search-by-school-district http://activerain.com/blogsview/3696364/fla-insurance-commissioner-buy-flood-insurance-now <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty encourages Floridians to prepare for the upcoming 2013 hurricane season by purchasing flood insurance now. Most flood insurance policies &ndash; with a few exceptions &ndash; don&rsquo;t take effect for 30 days.</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administers the coverage rather than local insurers, and private policies &ndash; if available &ndash; generally cost significantly more. Homeowners&rsquo; policies generally cover water damage from wind and storms, but they don&rsquo;t cover rising water in a flood, even though it&rsquo;s the nation&rsquo;s most common natural disaster.</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">McCarty cites another reason to buy flood insurance sooner rather than later: NFIP policy rates are set to rise on Oct. 1, 2013. McCarty calls the increase &ldquo;significant.&rdquo;</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">&ldquo;Florida&rsquo;s risk for severe weather is well-known and, even though a hurricane has not impacted our state in recent years, several tropical storms have caused significant flood damage to many Floridians,&rdquo; says McCarty. &ldquo;Regardless of the storm type, I strongly urge Floridians to prepare now and purchase flood insurance by May 1, as a typical flood insurance policy takes 30 days to become effective. This will ensure you are covered on June 1, the first day of hurricane season.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">To learn more, visit the new&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.floir.com/Office/HurricaneSeason/2013hurricaneresourcepage.aspx" id="http://www.floir.com/Office/HurricaneSeason/2013hurricaneresourcepage.aspx|" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #43626e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Hurricane Resource website page hosted by the Florida Insurance Commission</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">.</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">For more info on the National Flood Insurance Program, visit the federal website&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/" id="http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/|" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #43626e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">FloodSmart.gov</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">.</span><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">&copy; 2013 Florida Realtors&reg;</span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:05:20 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3696364/fla-insurance-commissioner-buy-flood-insurance-now http://activerain.com/blogsview/3695175/6-things-to-consider-when-applying-for-a-home-loan <p>Here are six tips for improving the chances that the mortgage math will add up in your favor:</p> <p style="margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 11px; border: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 14px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">1. Build a strong credit score</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">One of the main factors that lenders look at to determine a borrower&rsquo;s creditworthiness is, aptly, their credit score.&nbsp;Bad borrower behavior, like late credit card or other loan payments, having a foreclosure or bankruptcy in one&rsquo;s credit report and carrying high balances will weigh down your credit score.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will accept FICO scores below 600, but expect to pay a significantly higher interest rate the lower your score. A stellar score ranges from 760 to 850 and can give you greater negotiating power over the terms of the mortgage and ultimately, the total cost of the loan.&nbsp;If your credit is less-than-stellar, make sure you give yourself time to rack up good credit history well before you attempt to apply for a home loan. This starts by checking your credit.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">2. Know your loan options</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Apart from increasing the chances of qualifying for a loan, making a down payment of at least 20 percent of the sales price or appraised value of the home will spare you from having to pay private mortgage insurance.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">If you can&rsquo;t afford that, you might qualify for financing on an FHA-backed loan. Those loans allow borrowers to make a down payment of as little as 3.5 percent of the purchase price. That&rsquo;s great if you&rsquo;re a first-time buyer and haven&rsquo;t saved up for a bigger down payment. But to protect itself from potential loan defaults, the FHA requires lenders to charge extra fees to cover monthly mortgage insurance payments.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Until this week, the FHA had dropped the mortgage insurance requirement for homeowners with 30-year loans who made payments for five years and managed to bring their loan-to-value ratio to 78 percent. Now, borrowers with a loan-to-value ratio between 78 and 90 percent will be able to stop making mortgage insurance payments after 11 years. But those borrowers who still have a loan-to-value ratio greater than 90 percent will be required to pay mortgage insurance for the life of the loan.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">3. Consider making a larger down payment</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Given the prospect of not being able to get out of paying private mortgage insurance, some experts say borrowers who can afford to put down more than 3.5 percent on a home should consider getting a loan that&rsquo;s not backed by the FHA, sometimes known as a conforming loan.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Such a loan typically only requires that the borrower make a 5 percent down payment. Although that means you still would have to pay private mortgage insurance, at least you&rsquo;re not locked in, notes Jack Guttentag, Wharton School professor of finance emeritus and founder of www.mtgprofessor.com, which offers advice and online calculators for weighing different mortgage scenarios.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">4. Keep an eye on fees</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">In addition to a down payment, you&rsquo;ll also have to set money aside for closing costs, which can run into the hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars. Lenders charge all manner of fees, some of which are negotiable, while others are not. They are required to itemize all fees required to close the deal, so review them carefully.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Your bank could charge you to cover items such as credit reports, appraisals, documentation and administrative costs. The total expense will vary depending on where you live and your particular situation.&nbsp;Also, if you end up with mortgage insurance, that could cost $100 or more a month, depending on the type of loan.<br><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">5. Wait for a good deal</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">Rising home prices and warnings, usually trumpeted by lenders, that interest rates will soon rise can create a sense of urgency to purchase a home. But if your finances and credit score are not solid enough to enable you to qualify for a loan at an affordable rate, it&rsquo;s best to not rush into buying.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">6. Comparison shop</strong><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">It&rsquo;s prudent to get a feel for what different mortgage lenders will offer. After all, getting a home loan is not unlike getting financing for a car. Borrowers should &nbsp;approach lenders and state what kind of loan term and interest rate they want, and how much of a down payment they&rsquo;re willing to make. Borrowers also should ask what can be done to accomplish this with the least amount of points, or fees that can be charged based on a percent of the loan amount.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;">As leverage, it&rsquo;s best to have quotes from competing lenders, which can be obtained on several websites. They may be enough to sway the lender to match more favorable terms offered by the competition.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:48:14 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3695175/6-things-to-consider-when-applying-for-a-home-loan http://activerain.com/blogsview/3687253/83-of-realtors-report-constant-to-rising-prices <p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: georgia, times, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;">With strong buyer demand and tight inventory, 83 percent of REALTORS&reg; reported constant or rising prices in the February RCI Survey. The survey also showed that among the respondents:</p> <p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: georgia, times, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;"><br>&ndash; About 16 percent reported a sales premium compared to the asking price.<br>&ndash; About 92 percent expect prices to remain the same or to increase in the next 12 months.</p> <p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: georgia, times, serif; line-height: 20.796875px;"><a href="http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/files/2013/03/Capture4.png" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; color: #005299;"><img title="Capture" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11668" src="http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/files/2013/03/Capture4.png" height="361" alt="" width="594" style="margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; display: block;"></a></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:23:45 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3687253/83-of-realtors-report-constant-to-rising-prices http://activerain.com/blogsview/3686045/pending-home-sales-slip-on-constrained-inventory <p>February pending home sales flattened with limited buyer choices, but remained at the second highest level in nearly three years, according to the National Association of Realtors&reg; (NAR).&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, slipped 0.4 percent to 104.8 in February from a downwardly revised 105.2 in January, but is 8.4 percent higher than February 2012 when it was 96.6. Contract activity has been above year-ago levels for the past 22 months; the data reflect contracts but not closings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Before January, the last time the index showed a higher reading was in April 2010 when it was 110.9, shortly before the deadline for the homebuyer tax credit.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said limited inventory is holding back the market in many areas.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:47:08 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3686045/pending-home-sales-slip-on-constrained-inventory http://activerain.com/blogsview/3686041/consumer-confidence-holds-up-in-florida <p>According to the Miami Herald, the latest numbers from the University of Florida&rsquo;s consumer-confidence index showed a small gain, even as a national barometer recorded renewed worry among consumers who have been facing higher gas prices, higher deductions from their paychecks and seemingly endless headlines about cutbacks from Washington. A round of federal cuts known as &ldquo;sequestration&rdquo; began in March, and was expected to dampen consumer confidence.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The March results from UF could be a fluke, or they could reflect Florida having one of the first housing markets to enjoy the kind of sustained rebound now gaining steam nationwide. Though it bounces around each month, a 12-month average of the UF index puts it at 76. That&rsquo;s highest reading since 2008. The March reading was also 76, a bit lower than the reading of 80 in the fall of 2012 during the presidential-election season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:43:14 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3686041/consumer-confidence-holds-up-in-florida http://activerain.com/blogsview/3685395/eight-of-the-20-best-markets-for-investors-to-nab-single-family-rentals-are-in-florida <p>Eight of the country&rsquo;s 20 best markets for investors to purchase single-family rental homes are in Florida, according to a new analysis by RealtyTrac. Analyzing median price and average rental rates in hundreds of metro areas nationwide, the report determined the top 20 markets for buying rentals, based on markets that give investors the biggest returns on three-bedroom homes.</p> <p>Ocala was fourth on the list, with a cash purchase capitalization rate of 10.23 percent in a market where the median sales price for a three-bedroom home is $75,357. Palm Bay placed sixth, with a 9.77 percent cap rate and a median sales price of $91,950.</p> <p>Other Florida markets on the list were Jacksonville, Deltona, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Orlando and Lakeland.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:38:46 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3685395/eight-of-the-20-best-markets-for-investors-to-nab-single-family-rentals-are-in-florida http://activerain.com/blogsview/3685391/broward-county-makes-another-push-to-develop-hotel-upgrade-convention-center <p>After three failed attempts spanning over two decades, Broward County is refocusing its efforts to upgrade its convention center and build an adjacent 750-room hotel, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.</p> <p>A group of business leaders known as the Broward Workshop told the Sun-Sentinel that the convention center was now a top priority. &ldquo;The county commission has kicked this ball around for too many years,&rdquo; Broward Workshop chairman Harry Moon said at a Sun-Sentinel editorial board meeting on Thursday. &ldquo;It needs immediate attention.&rdquo;</p> <p>The county commission will meet April 16 to discuss a new study on adding an adjacent hotel and 80,000 square feet of meeting space. Last year, the largest annual convention held in Broward left the county after being there two decades, citing the need for more meeting space and a hotel.&nbsp;</p> <p>Broward expects to lose $400 million in business and 960,000 room nights between 2008 and 2016 because of the lack of a convention center hotel and the inability to compete with nearby second-tier cities such as Nashville, Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the Sun-Sentinel.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:35:56 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3685391/broward-county-makes-another-push-to-develop-hotel-upgrade-convention-center http://activerain.com/blogsview/3682897/housing-prices-went-up-in-february-by-the-most-in-7-years- <p>U.S. home prices jumped in February by the largest amount in seven years, evidence that the housing recovery strengthened ahead of the all-important spring-buying season. Home prices rose 10.2 percent in February compared with a year earlier, CoreLogic, a real estate data provider, said Wednesday. The annual gain was the biggest since March 2006. Prices have now increased on an annual basis for 12 straight months, underscoring the recovery&rsquo;s steady momentum.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The gains were broad-based. Prices rose in 47 of 50 states and in all but four of the nation&rsquo;s 100 largest metro areas. Delaware, Alabama and Illinois were the only states to report price declines. CoreLogic&rsquo;s measure of national prices also rose 0.5 percent in February from January. That&rsquo;s a solid increase during the winter months, when sales typically slow.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>An increase in home sales has helped lift prices. In February, sales of previously owned homes reached the highest level in more than three years. Still, much of the demand has come from investors. Sales to first-time buyers remain below healthy levels. Another reason prices are rising is the supply of available homes for sale remains extremely low. In January, it reached a 13-year low. The supply of homes for sale did rise in February for the first time in 10 months. That suggests more people are gaining confidence in the housing recovery, which could help ease supply concerns and drive sales higher in the coming months. (According to the Associated Press)</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:51:28 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3682897/housing-prices-went-up-in-february-by-the-most-in-7-years- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3682621/south-florida-real-estate-sales-climb-while-inventory-drops <p><img title="South Florida Real Estate Inventory 2013" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/1/2/6/9/9/ar136501187699621.jpg" height="418" alt="South Florida Real Estate Inventory 2013" width="570" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">The South Florida real estate market continues it's path of steady sales combined with declining inventories.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px; color: #1b1b1b; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Residential inventory in South Florida slipped to 32,995 from 33,350 active listings for the week ending April 1, 2013. During the same period, pending sales increased slightly, to 24,413 from 24,406. Active listings are properties where no current sale contract exists; pending sales are properties in which a contract for sale has been executed, but not yet closed. Listing brokers control the status of a property listing.</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:00:42 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3682621/south-florida-real-estate-sales-climb-while-inventory-drops http://activerain.com/blogsview/3669019/homes-now-selling-faster-in-several-places-across-the-nation <div style="">Homes sold faster last month than in any February since 2007 as eager buyers met a tight supply of homes for sale, industry figures show.</div> <div style=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;</span></div> <div style=""> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Homes were on the market for a median of 98 days last month, down from 123 days in February 2011,&nbsp;Realtor.com&nbsp;says. That means half the homes listed for sale in February were on the market for less than 98 days and half for more than that.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Even 98 days is long for many markets.&nbsp;</span> </div> <div style="">&nbsp;</div> <div style=""> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While eight of the 10 fastest-moving markets were in California, Denver and Seattle made the top 10, too, with median market times of 28 and 33 days, respectively, according to Realtor.com</span>&nbsp;s<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ays. Nearly all of the markets with low median market times are also seeing big declines in home listings.</span> </div> <div style="">&nbsp;</div> <div style=""> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In Greater Fort Lauderdale the median number of days on the market was less than 60. South Florida</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;has begun the home-price recovery, with prices up 10.2% in December vs. a year earlier, according to the Standard &amp; Poor&rsquo;s Case-Shiller index. The market there has been helped by strong investor demand for homes.&nbsp;</span> </div> <div style=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;</span></div> <div style=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With such fast-moving markets, buyers and sellers are less likely to see price reductions on properties and more likely to see more multiple offers. In parts of Broward County, two out of three single-family homes sold in February drew multiple offers. I have personally experienced this while working with a buyer this month in Weston where properties were listed and sold in less than a week.&nbsp;</span></div> <div style="">&nbsp;</div> <div style=""> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cash buyers accounted for 28 percent of existing-home buyers in January, the National Association of Realtors says. Cash buyers are often investors. Their presence in a market can be tough for first-time buyers, who usually need a loan. Sellers typically prefer cash offers.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nationwide, the inventory of homes for sale fell in January to a 4.2-month supply, almost an eight-year low, the National Association of Realtors says.</span> </div> <div style=""><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">&nbsp;</span></div> <div style=""><em>What you need to know is that this means that sellers have gained value in equity and greater leverage and buyers need to be aware of the changing market conditions so they can maximize their opportunities. Please contact myself or my staff if you would like to take advantage of today's market.</em></div> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:30:04 -0700 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3669019/homes-now-selling-faster-in-several-places-across-the-nation http://activerain.com/blogsview/3650118/it-s-time-to-spring-ahead- <blockquote style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">Daylight Saving Time begins&nbsp;<strong>on Sunday, March 10^th, 2013 at 2:00am</strong>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;">ISoon we will all have more sun light in the late afternoon. I don't know about you but I'm glad.</p> </blockquote> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:57:53 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3650118/it-s-time-to-spring-ahead- http://activerain.com/blogsview/3630933/7-reasons-to-own-the-single-greatest-access-to-individual-wealth <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman, serif; font-size: 10pt;">Real estate is the single largest component of wealth in our society. Because of its magnitude, real estate plays a key role in shaping the economic condition of individuals and families. It can substantially influence a family&rsquo;s ability to finance their education, health care and other important needs. Changes in the value of real estate can dramatically affect your wealth and capacity to grow. This is best exemplified by the real estate boom and bust over the last 10 years when fortunes were made by some and lost by others. However, this was not an example of the typical real estate market. It was a bubble and it probably will not happen again in the next 20 years.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><strong>7 Advantages of Owning Real Estate</strong></span></p> <ol> <li>Fixed rate housing expenses &ndash; When you&rsquo;re renting, you&rsquo;re expenses are subject to your landlord</li> <li>Financial Appreciation &ndash; When your wealth goes up without&nbsp; you having to do any work</li> <li>Tax Deductions &ndash; Use your mortgage interest and property taxes to lower your tax burden</li> <li>Borrowing Power &ndash; Owning a home improves your credit rating and allows you to leverage your property</li> <li>Stability &ndash; No one can raise your housing expenses without justification</li> <li>Freedom &ndash; Being the king of your castle with the ability to paint your walls whatever color you choose</li> <li>Equity &ndash; Your payments go towards complete ownership of your property. The best way to afford a bigger home is to own your current home outright because your $250,000 house makes your new $400,000 house only cost your $150,000</li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>I know people have become turned off by real estate after its role in the economic turndown a few years ago, however fundamentally nothing has made real estate wealth any different than it was before the bubble burst. The simple fact is that people are starting to recover from that financial fiasco and have resumed buying real estate for personal use and investment. Ask any full time agent or look at the news report and you will see that things have changed for the better and that now is the best time to buy a home before prices appreciate further. I work with 25 agents who specialize in matching people with homes that they love, so let me know if we can help you.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><br></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><br></span></p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:01:39 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3630933/7-reasons-to-own-the-single-greatest-access-to-individual-wealth http://activerain.com/blogsview/3614326/see-where-the-palm-aire-pines-sabals-golf-courses-went <p>If you are livin in Palm-Aire along North Course Drive, you're wondering where your golf course view went and when your new gorgeous lake views are going to be completed. You can find your answer to both below.</p> <p>The article in this link is about the runway expansion of the Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL). For those who are not yet aware, 2 of Palm-Aire's 5 golf courses were sold off (at least the dirt, that is) to the company doing the runway expansion as fill to create the additional earth needed.</p> <p>http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/2013/02/fll-runway-expansion-one-year-later-.html?ana=e_du_pub&amp;s=article_du&amp;ed=2013-02-05&amp;page=all</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:50:15 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3614326/see-where-the-palm-aire-pines-sabals-golf-courses-went http://activerain.com/blogsview/3605920/condo-townhouse-shortsales-slow-by-13-in-south-florida-in-2012 <p>Buyers purchased 13 percent fewer condo and townhouse shortsales in South Florida in 2012 on a year-over-year basis compared to the same January through December period in 2011.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Fewer than 875 condo and townhouse shortsales transacted on average per month in the the year 2012 in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties compared to an average of nearly 1,000 condo and townhouse shortsale resales monthly during the same 12-month span in 2011.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In 2010, buyers purchased an average of nearly 850 condo and townhouse shortsales monthly in the tricounty South Florida region, according to the analysis based on Florida Realtors association data. As of Jan. 3, 2013, more than 6,600 condo and townhouse shortsales are under contract waiting to transaction at a median asking price of about $72 per square foot. An additional 1,600 condo and townhouse shortsales are actively available for purchase at a median price of more than $80 per square foot on the resale market in South Florida.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="agent_signature"> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Wieder Realty</strong>&nbsp;is your best source of information when it comes to Palm-Aire and the surrounding area.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Call us at <strong>954-978-8300&nbsp;</strong>or<strong> 888-979-9788</strong></span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">1221 S Powerline Road - Pompano Beach - Florida 33069</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Next to&nbsp;Bagel Snack)</span></p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Wieder Realty - Your Best Move!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.Palm-Aire.com"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>www.Palm-Aire.com</strong></span></a></p> </div> Randy Harden - www.RERandy.com (Wieder Realty, Inc.) Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:58:11 -0800 http://activerain.com/blogsview/3605920/condo-townhouse-shortsales-slow-by-13-in-south-florida-in-2012