Look at the Great Deal this Buyer Got in Palm Bay Florida... - 08/31/08 07:42 PM
Buyers are always asking if there are affordable homes available for sale in Palm Bay Florida.
They want to know if this is the time to buy, or should they wait.
Be careful, waiting could cost a buyer more in interest soon.
I feel like a picture is worth a thousand words.
I worked with a first time homebuyer that closed on a beautiful home this week. 
 They bought this beautiful 2 year new in SW Palm Bay Florida. It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with over 2100 square feet of living. The house was barely lived in.  It was beautiful. The buyer … (6 comments)

All Eyes are on Hurricane Gustav Headed for New Orleans -This Storm is a Monster! They Can't Afford Another Katrina! - 08/31/08 06:44 PM
All eyes are on Hurricane Gustav, headed straight for NEW ORLEANS AGAIN, This storm is a monster, like Hurricane Katrina was!  It is a category 3 hurricane, that was a Category 4.  This is absolutely devastating for the people of the Gulf Coast!
Gustav has skirted past Florida and has a direct path to Louisiana. 
New Orleans cannot afford another storm after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 that devastated them!
Many families are still in FEMA trailers as their homes have not been rebuilt yet.
The levees have not been fixed. They are not ready for a storm of this magnitude.
Tropical Storm … (20 comments)

My Tenant Moved in the Night...the House is Full of Their Stuff, And it's a Mess! - 08/31/08 01:54 AM
I've been a landlord for almost 13 years. 
I have placed 100's of tenants in  rentals.
I have only had to evict a handful of my own tenants. I have been so blessed and never had any real tenant issues.
I've never gotten a house back in deplorable condition! Now, I'm not saying that I haven't gotten plenty of them back that were really dirty and desperately needed paint.
Well, I have to say...I've just had my first EVER tenant that left in the night.  They left on the 23rd of July and their rent was paid until July 31.  I had … (84 comments)

Running Errands in Melbourne Florida...Look at What we Found at the Grocery Store... - 08/30/08 04:59 PM
I love living in Melbourne Florida! I have been here since 1975 and will probably stay for another 30+ years if I'm lucky.  This is where my family and I call home.
There are beautiful sights everywhere we go.
Today, I had oodles of errands to run.  One stop took us to the grocery store.  As we were pulling out, this is what we found...


… (4 comments)

FHA is putting the Squeeze on Buyer's Wallets! - 08/29/08 08:09 PM
Beginning October 1, 2008 FHA, Federal Housing Administration will increase it's minimum down payment amount for loans from 3% to 3.5%.
On a $200,000 home this would be an additional $1000 down to a buyer.
Is this a concern to buyers, lender and REALTORS?
FHA has tighten it's guidelines in the last couple of years.
Will this squeeze some buyers out of the market?
FHA will also no longer allow charities to provide down payments or down payment assistance to buyers. I know that in 2004-2006 many buyers used charity assisted down payments in order to purchase homes. 
This could put … (17 comments)

Is Your Brevard County Florida Home Located in a Flood Zone? - 08/29/08 07:20 PM
Is your Brevard County Florida home located in a flood zone? 
Do you know? How do you find out if it is?
Usually at the time you purchase your home, you are notified whether your house is located in a flood zone.  If it is, your lender will require you to purchase a separate flood insurance policy to cover the property in case of rising ground water.
However, if it is determined that your house is not located in a flood zone, did you know that you can still purchase flood insurance?  The premium amount varies depending on your home and … (0 comments)

Stage your House to Sell it, or NO Sale or LOW Sale! - 08/28/08 01:07 PM
Sellers ask me all the time, "What can I do to help sell my home?"
Remember this, your house will most likely look completely different when it is on the market for sale, than it did before you put it up for sale. 
One of my first recommendations is to GET RID OF THE CLUTTER before the home ever hits the market!
How important is it to really to get a house in "show" condition?
Extremely important.  It may mean NO SALE or LOW SALE if the home ever does eventually sell.
I remember in 2001 when I was getting ready … (0 comments)

When Was the Last Time You Reviewed Your Homeowner's Insurance Policy? - 08/28/08 12:27 PM
Here in Brevard County Florida we all know that we are currently in the midst of Tropical Storm Season. 
So, my question to you is, when was the last time you reviewed your insurance policy?
What about REALTORS and Lenders, when was the last time your previous customers reviewed theirs? Do you know?
When was the last time you contacted your insurance agent to discuss your policy?
I have had homeowners tell me that they haven't spoken to their insurance agent in over ten years, nor have they updated their coverage! I am shocked and I tell them so!
When was the … (0 comments)

Criminal Background Checks for FREE! - 08/27/08 01:30 PM
I found this great website and I wanted to share it with all of you...
Do you have a prospective tenant?
Have a completed rental application?
Need to do a credit check?
Need to do a criminal background check?
Or just looking for additional information on someone?
Well, you can pull a criminal background check for FREE!
Just go to http://criminalsearches.com/. Type in the name of the person that you are researching and if there is a record available, it will provide you with the information.   
This is a great tool for landlord and property managers!
Happy Searching!
… (49 comments)

FEMA Aid for Tropical Storm Fay Victims in Brevard County Florida - 08/27/08 10:05 AM

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be helping Brevard Tropical Storm Fay flood victims in Brevard County Florida. 
Homeowners can apply for federal money to repair damages.  They could be eligible for up to $28,800 to use towards temporary housing and home repairs.
Call the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 1-800-621-FEMA between 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM to register for aid.
… (0 comments)

Bye Bye Tropical Storm Fay - So Glad to See you Finally Go! - 08/26/08 06:56 PM
Tropical Storm Fay has been classified as a 100 year storm! It has been 100 years since Florida had over 30 inches of rain!  No storm has ever intensified after it reached land!  It left land a couple of times, only to come back and hit Florida over and over again.
Here we are in Florida and some families lost everything in Tropical Storm Fay.  Note, 'Tropical Storm', not hurricane.
Some people across the state still can't get out of their homes, because of the flooding!
Some areas got over 30 inches of rain in less than 24 hours!
Ponds and lakes … (2 comments)

Stand in Front of Any House in the United States & View It Without Leaving Your Desk! - 08/26/08 05:15 PM
Interested in finding out more information about what a particular home and it's surrounding area looks like?
Many of you may have heard of this before. 
But, for those who haven't...Check out Google Street views today. 
Just go to http://maps.google.com/ and type in the complete address of the home that you are researching, including city and state.
First, it will pinpoint it on the map for you. 
Then, choose street views. It will ‘take you to the home'. It is as if you are standing in the street directly in front of the house.
Don't forget to switch to full screen, so … (2 comments)

Tropical Storm Fay is Here in Florida! - 08/19/08 07:05 PM
Tropical Storm Fay is officially here in Melbourne Florida.  Brevard County Schools are closed today and tomorrow. And the first day of school was yesterday.
My husband just got off the neighbor's roof in 30 mile per hour wind gusts in the driving rain. His roof is leaking around his chimney and saturating his ceiling.  So, they tarped it to try and keep the rain out.
We helped another neighbor pump the extra water out of his side yard and off of his pool deck to keep it out of his house.
We just finished getting sand bags for our dear 85 year … (6 comments)

Welcome to Palm Bay Florida - 08/18/08 04:18 PM
Palm Bay Florida is one of Brevard County's largest and fastest growing communities. It is located just south of Melbourne.  It covers land from Indian River to west of Interstate 95. Palm Bay is Florida's sixth largest city. More than 88,500 residents live in Palm Bay.
Palm Bay Florida is home to one of Brevard's largest employers - Harris Corporation. Due to Harris' location, many other technology related companies are located here in Palm Bay.
Palm Bay has movie theaters, strip malls, convenience stores, and family attractions all within a few minutes drive, Palm Bay has great amenities, like fishing, boating and swimming in the Indian River.  Do you … (2 comments)

School Starts On Monday here in Melbourne Florida - 08/15/08 10:40 AM
Well, here we are...school starts on Monday August 18, 2008 here in Melbourne Florida.  We get so many questions from buyers and owners about the local school systems here in Melbourne Florida. 
Did you know that you can visit the Brevard County Schools website for the most comprehensive school information available? Did you know that you can view each individual school's scorecard to see how well that school has performed over the last several years? The county website is full of good information for parents and students.
I know as a parent, every year I look for the Melbourne Florida 2008-2009 School Calendar  for Brevard … (8 comments)

Was Your Summer As "Boring" As Ours Was? What???? - 08/14/08 06:00 PM
Summer is over!  Can you believe it?  Time just seems to fly! 
Oh my gosh...how did we get here already?  Brevard County Florida students report back to school on Monday, August 18. Registration has been going on all week! 
Summer was fun!  But to talk to my teenagers you might get a different story. 
I heard one of my girls telling one of their friends, "oh, you know...we didn't do much, I guess it was kind of boring."  Now, how can that possibly be?  Boring?????  I was surprised to hear that coming out of one of my girl's mouths. Or is that just … (4 comments)

Vacancy Rates the Highest in 50 Years! - 08/12/08 02:57 PM
The United States Census Bureau has reported that the United States is currently experiencing the highest vacancy rates on homes in over 50 years. 
Over 2 million homes were sitting empty in the first quarter of 2008, as reported on Interest.com. That's almost 3% of all homes in the United States. Many of these homes are properties that are short sales; the owners have made an arrangement with their lender to sell them for less than the mortgage balance. Other vacant properties are sometimes bank foreclosures.

These empty homes are providing attractive buying opportunities for buyers.  Some are being negotiated with … (6 comments)

Motivated Seller, Priced to Sell, Show Condition...Are you Sure About That? - 08/11/08 03:43 PM
We've all seen them...
We all drive by them everyday...
We all feel for them...
Those stale listings that just sit and go unsold...
But why?  Why are they still for sale?
Over priced? Poor location?  No curb appeal? No staging?  Poor condition?  Knee high grass? Or just plain old bad luck? Which is it? Or is it a different situation for every one of them?
Well, frankly for me...I feel for the sellers... but, let my clarify myself......I feel for the sellers that truly have an interest in selling their home...BUT CAN'T!
Everyday I drive by the same 4 homes … (14 comments)

Do You Know What Your Suntree Florida Neighborhood Walkscore Is? - 08/11/08 12:55 PM
Do you know what your neighborhood walkscore is in Suntree Florida?
Did you know that you can find out which of America's neigborhoods are most walkable?
Your walkscore is a number between 0 and 100. The higher the number, the closer your home is to area conveniences. My neighborhood walkscore in Brevard County is a 42 out of 100. For me, I find that my neighborhood is convenient to most of the spots I want to walk to.


I love walking; anything to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.  I like to walk to the store to pick … (0 comments)

The House was Covered in Paint and so Were the Two of Them! - 08/11/08 12:08 PM



My teenage daughters, Stef, 15, Sam, 13 and I painted the inside and outside of our rental, including all the cut in work in 2 days, in between raindrops!
I have to say that I truly love the comaraderie of working together with my family on one of our rental houses here in Melbourne Florida in Brevard County.  It is such a feeling of accomplishment when we walk out, at the end of the day, with a job well done.
Our girls have been working on our rental houses with us since they were both 1 and 3 … (6 comments)

Are Landlords Repositioning Themselves in Today's Market? - 08/07/08 06:05 PM
Currently, there are almost 90 million Americans that rent their homes. 
And about a million more are expected to be added to that number this year alone. These will be previous homeowners that have sold their homes by short sale, or for less than the balance of their mortgages. And, there will be owners that have lost their homes to foreclosure.
So, what does this mean to the landlords? 
Some rental houses will begin filling up.
But, what about landlords that rent to only people with perfect credit?
Will some landlords have to shift their thinking?
There will be previous homeowners joining … (15 comments)

Do You Know What Your Neighborhood Walkscore Is? - 08/06/08 10:46 AM
Did you know that you can find out which of America's neigborhoods are most walkable?
My neighborhood walkscore here in Melbourne Florida located in Brevard County is a 42 out of 100. For me, I find that my neighborhood is convenient to most of the spots I want to walk to.


I love walking; anything to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful sunshine.  I like to walk to the store to pick up a couple of items, to walk to get a taco, or a movie or some chinese take out food.  My dog, Bailey the Boxer … (18 comments)

30 Year Reunion Held at Hilton in Indialantic Florida - 08/05/08 08:04 PM
My husband's 30 year high school reunion from Satellite Beach High School was recently held at the beautiful Melbourne Beach Hilton located in Indialantic Florida, here in Brevard County.  Special accomodations were made for the guests at the Hilton.
The reunion gave us all an opportunity to stroll down memory lane and catch up on the last 30 years.  Alumni traveled from across the country to attend the special 3 day function.
I just wanted share some of the beautiful views of Indialantic Florida out the Melbourne Beach Hilton windows. 


… (2 comments)

Palm Bay Florida Regional Dog Park - 08/05/08 02:23 PM

My dog, Bailey the Boxer, loves the fresh air of being outside.  So, we let him out every chance we get.  He is very social and loves to meet other dogs.  We take him in the car for regular rides, as he doesn't like to be left out of the family fun.  We love to exercise and play with him.  Then, he's happy!
For those of you dog lovers here in Palm Bay Florida, Palm Bay Regional Park has a dog park where you can take your dog to socialize with other dogs.  It is 40,000 square feet of fenced off section, with one … (0 comments)

Wickham Dog Park here in Melbourne Florida - 08/05/08 02:10 PM

My dog, Bailey the Boxer, loves the fresh air of being outside.  So, we let him out every chance we get.  He is very social and loves to meet other dogs.  We take him in the car for regular rides, as he doesn't like to be left out of the family fun.  We love to exercise and play with him.  Then, he's happy!
For those of you dog lovers here in Melbourne Florida, Wickham Park has a dog park where you can take your dog to socialize with other dogs.  It is a fenced off section, with one area for small dogs … (0 comments)

Thunderstorm Coming - Palm Bay Florida - 08/04/08 08:28 PM
I love the smell and fresh air that an upcoming thunderstorm brings. It's almost as if you can feel the entire sky shifting, while taking on a new form.  I prefer to not be on the roads when it's raining or a storm is looming.  Curled up, in the evening with a great movie is the best time for a storm.
 I was recently finishing up a day of showing houses in Palm Bay Florida and had to pull over to take pictures of the incredible sky. The sky and the land were completely separated by a black line of threatening clouds. 


… (2 comments)

Selling your West Melbourne Florida Home - 08/03/08 08:41 AM
Just the thought of selling your West Melbourne Florida  home in Brevard County can be mind boggling.  So many things to do, but you're probably wondering, where should I start?
Well, let me try to make it a bit easier for you.
1. Get Pre-Approved for a new Home Loan
Know where you're going before you consider moving. Research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement home. Then, find a lender you trust and get pre-approved for another home before you start the … (0 comments)

Selling your Palm Bay Florida Home... - 08/03/08 08:33 AM
Just the thought of selling your home can be mind boggling.  So many things to do, but you're probably wondering, where should I start?
Well, let me try to make it a bit easier for you.
1. Get Pre-Approved for a new Home Loan
Know where you're going before you consider moving. Research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement home. Then, find a lender you trust and get pre-approved for another home before you start the selling proces.
Start researching at … (0 comments)

Thinking of Selling your Melbourne Florida Home? - 08/01/08 04:37 PM
Just the thought of selling your home can be mind boggling.  So many things to do, but you're probably wondering, where should I start?
Well, let me try to make it a bit easier for you.
1. Get Pre-Approved for a new Home Loan
Know where you're going before you consider moving. Research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement home. Then, find a lender you trust and get pre-approved for another home before you start the selling proces.
Start researching at … (0 comments)

 
Sandy111 Rainmaker_large

Sandy Shores Broker-Associate, Melbourne /Palm Bay, Brevard County FL Real Estate

Melbourne, FL

More about me…

M & M Real Estate Inc. / Florida's Space Coast

Address: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Indian Harbour, Satellite Beach, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge, Titusville, Cape Canaveral FL

Office Phone: (321) 733-6080

Cell Phone: (321) 253-4545

Email Me

Melbourne Real Estate and Brevard County FL Real Estate and Investing. _________________ Sandy Shores on Zillow Sandy Shores…


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