Salut francophiles!

J'habite a Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, ou nous avons les plus belles plages du monde, sable blanc et fin, ocean emeraude, et riche en poisson.  Nous avons quatres saisons differents en climate - il ne fait pas trop chaud toute l'annee.  Je suis agent immeubilier, et il y a beaucoups d'affaires excellentes ici, surtout avec le prix de l'Euro contre le dollar.   Les taux d'interet ici sont pres de zero.  Quand les taux d'interet vont augmenter, la valeur du dollar va augmenter aussi.  Alors, il ne faut pas attendre trop!

Robert Monk, Florida Real Estate Agent, http://www.rmonk.com

Have been  lazy for a while.  Hope I didn't miss too much...  It's been so hot here in Florida, that all one wants to do is sleep or float in the pool...  I'm looking forward to Fall, even Winter!

Real Estate seems to be moving again.  All the steals have just about been stolen, prices have gotten more realistic.

If the hurricane season is again kind to us, look for the Florida market to be off and running again.  The tourist are definitely back, which is a wonderful thing for Florida. 

Tourism and oranges are about all we have to offer, so it's good to have the tourists back.

It seems to me, that with all of the tax dollars that we taxpayers are graciously offering to banks and financiers in the form of 'government' bailouts, we are simply diluting the dollar more and more, which equals inflation.  Now that we are all inflated, and soon we will inflate even more, with the 'governments' expected creation of jobs for needy citizens, whose earnings will be paid again by taxpayers, the result can only be additional inflation due to further dilution of total dollars in circulation.

It then seems that today's prices for any real estate are unbelievably low, in view of the certitude of drastically increasing inflation just down the road.

So, isn't it time to start buying, at whatever asking price?

Some while back, greed raised its ugly head, and the appraisals sky-rocketed, and lender money was available to every warm body, and the real estate market went way out of realstic proportion.  Today, reality has set in, as salaries and flippings could not keep up with the frenzy.  Foreclosures, auctions, bankruptcies, bank failures, and destitute 'buyers' or overpriced homes are in the bread lines...

There is some that can be done, but greed, again, prevents that something from happening...

Those who are trying to pay their mortgages, and see interst rate coming down, down, down..., would like to refinance and possibly be able to keep their homes and make their mortgage payments.

The problem is that in order to refinance at a lower interest rate, the mortagee must pay doc stamp taxes, etc., to the state governments.

This make refinancing unaffordable, and results in mortgage payment defaults. 

It's all about greed, isn't it....

Place Vendome, in front of the Ritz Hotel, where Princess Diana spent here last night a while back.

This tree, made of glass and lights, and many others covered the plaza like a small forest.

My business there was to reconnect with French investors and real estate companies.  I display their listings on my website, www.rmonk.com, and they give my listings exposure in France.  With the value of the dollar vs the euro in it present state, European investment in Florida, and elsewhere in America is very interesting for Europeans.

Avec touts les evenements de l'economie, qui pouver nous dirent quand le marcher immobilier reprendra ses pieds...  Esperont que la nouvelle annee 2009 nous apporteront des changements positive, sans guerres, sans evenements meteologic graves ou severe, avec la paix, la nouriture, et la sante pour tout les habitants de la planette bleu.  Et, peutetre, nous verons encore des touurists francais, et memes les demanegements des francais chez nous, ici en Floride, a Santa Rosa Beach.

So, it's time to get busy with some serious research about where you want to be calling home for Christmas 2009.  Lots of things are happening.  Interest rates are advertised at 5.1% over 30 years, the housing market is loaded with great bargains, unemployment is high - if you are unemployed, that sucks; if you are employed, that should mean that you're still a contender to cash in one of the great housing bargains out there.

First question to ask is 'Where do I want to live'.  That's the easiest one!

Why, you want to live right here in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, zip code 32459, maybe in my favorite, Driftwood Estates.

Why again?  We're either on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, with white, sugary sand and emerald seas, or on Choctawhatchee Bay.  Either way, the views are incredible.

We have four seasons, (winter is gentle, summer isn't smoothering), we always have a breeze, we fish, we sail, we swim, we dance, we sing, why.. we're just the happiest, luckiest folks on the planet.

So, wherever you may be at the moment, you might be happier here on the beautiful Northwest Florida Gulf Coast.  Check us out, Visit my website at www.rmonk.com, call or email me, Robert Monk, Realtor.  I put a lot of pictures there, and here, for your viewing pleasue.

Hi, long time no post, with holiday season, and the election, and the new year coming, and the economy, and the weather, and the rain, snow, drought, etc., i became a little complacent at Active Rain.  Seems now that the Real Estate market may be finding its legs.  When all the foreclosures are actioned away, we may be able to work some more...  today, the industry belongs to the auctioneers and their PR folks...  Maybe with the change of politics, things will get better.  I sure hope so.

Seated on an airplane, next to a complete stranger, enjoying complete anonymity, one ofter shares unguarded and unsuppressed thoughts and ideas.  A bit like talking to a mirror, and brainstorming in a think tank with the added benefit of assurance that the participant in your conversation will most likely never cross your path again, unless you chose to extend or accept that invitation.  This scene is a natural environment in which to release your uninhibited ideas and opinions about our future.  Listen to yourself, listen to the words of indulging participant in this little-guarded exchange.  You may discover a lucid interpretation of the past, or an enlightenment of the future, or you could be wasting a great nap time.

Did you see these coming?  If you did, you are probably rich beyond imagination.

1. A couple of years back, it was the moment to short stocks, not buy stocks

2. Three or four years back, it was time to sell the gas-guzler and load and buy that hybrid electric car.

3. Three or four years back, was a good time to sell your home, your rental property, and your raw land.

4.  Three to four years back would have been a great time to sell all your stocks, and open savings accounts in a few different banks