High School Students are Graduating with College Degrees - 02/28/09 03:01 PM
Brevard County Schools are proud to announce another successful year of dual enrollment.
Brevard County Schools rank number one in participation in the ten largest school districts in Florida. Dual enrollment allows a high school student to enroll and earn college credit at a local community college at the same time they are working towards their high school diploma.
There were 4541 course enrollments here in Brevard County in 2008. 
In 2008 there were 87 high schools students that graduated with their high school diploma, as well as an Associate of Arts degree at Brevard Community College.
Now, that's impressive!
This … (7 comments)

Grant Seafood Festival This Weekend - 02/28/09 02:08 PM

The 43rd Annual Grant Seafood Festival will be held this weekend here in Brevard County Florida.
The festival boasts some incredible seafood, including shrimp, scallops, oysters, crabs, conch, clams, squid and shrimp and lobster bisque. There will also be hot dogs and hamburgers.
This annual event will also feature live bands such as Rush Release and Sweetwater Junction.  There will be over 100 craft booths and art displays.
The weather is perfect this weekend and they are expecting some 20,000 visitors.
The festival hours are 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday.
… (6 comments)

Dazed and Confused - What's An Investor to Do? - 02/27/09 10:23 AM
We talk to investors and soon to be investors all the time only to find that there is so much misinformation floating around today about real estate investing. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons there are vacant properties sprinkled about town.
Now, I know that if you put 20 investors in a room, each one would have different opinions and views on what 'works' in the business and what doesn't 'work'. 
Some of the myths we hear in the investing business...
MYTH #1 -The nicer and more expensive the house that I buy, the better the tenant I will … (8 comments)

Just What is a Short Sale? - 02/26/09 06:51 PM
Today, there is so much talk about sellers that are putting their homes up for a short sale, that often times we take for granted that everyone knows what the term ‘short sale’ actually means.  Last week I was on the phone with a buyer and I mentioned short sales, and quickly realized that this client didn't quite understand the term.
According to the Melbourne Association of Realtors here in Melbourne Florida, ‘a short sale is when a bank or a mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance due to an economic or financial hardship on the part of the … (11 comments)

Watch out for Those Deals That Are Too Good to Be True! - 02/26/09 11:58 AM
In the past 6 weeks we have been getting a lot of phone calls and e mails from people interested in buying 'distressed' property in Brevard County Florida. There is no question about it, currently in Brevard we have some exceptional deals on properties available for sale.
One woman last week asked me to help her find a $15,000 home.  She indicated that she had heard that the banks were giving homes away. I asked what area she was looking in and what she was looking for in a home.  I explained to her that there were many great deals available, … (10 comments)

Where Are All the Dogs? - 02/25/09 08:07 AM
Nearly everyday I make it a point to get outside and take a walk with my dog, Bailey the Boxer. He loves it.  It keeps him fit and trim and it gives me a chance for some "me" time.  I get to breathe the fresh air and I get the opportunity to clear my head and step away from everything for 45-50 minutes each day.  I love the feeling I have after coming back in from a brisk walk.
The weather here has been absolutely beautiful. It's been in the 70's during the day, with no humidity.  Sometimes I have to … (21 comments)

Howling in the Night, With A Crazy Man Running Down the Street in His Underwear - 02/23/09 03:56 PM
Last night I went to bed at my usual time, 10:00PM.  When I hit the pillow, I was dead to the world.  It was a very busy week and weekend.
At about 11:30 PM I thought I was dreaming. I heard what sounded like a baby wailing at the top of it's lungs...no, it was two babies.  Well, you know how often times we incorporate real world sounds into our dreams? Well, I started dreaming that I was out in the middle of a field, running towards a baby that I couldn't get to quickly enough. I ran and ran and … (17 comments)

4353 Collinwood Drive, West Melbourne, FL 32904 - 02/22/09 06:20 PM
… (6 comments)

3012 Chica Circle, West Melbourne, FL 32904 - 02/22/09 05:12 PM
… (0 comments)

Town Hall Education Meeting at the Maxwell C King Center - 02/22/09 11:09 AM
Brevard County Florida public schools are facing $66 Milllion in budget cuts for the 2009-2010 school year in order to offset state and local revenue shortfalls.
There will be a Town Hall Education Meeting held at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:00 PM.  The meeting is being sponsored by the Brevard Federation of Teachers, The Brevard Association of School Administrators and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. It is being held as an effort to persuade Florida legislators to find an alternative to these budget cuts.
The budget cuts … (5 comments)

For Rent - 2748 Golf Lake Circle, #811, Melbourne Florida - 02/21/09 07:29 PM
For Rent
$645.00 Rent, $700.00 Security Deposit
Available March 15, 2009
2 bedroom, 2 bath ground floor, end, corner unit in quiet community
Centrally located, walk to the grocery store
Enjoy the community pool and clubhouse
Screened porch overlooking the pond, feed the ducks and the turtles


If this property doesn't suit your needs,
we currently have other properties available for rent
from $645.00 per month to $795.00 in the Melbourne area.

 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News
… (4 comments)

Favorable Investor Guidelines from Fannie Mae - 02/21/09 07:15 PM

 
According to the Florida Association of Realtors Fannie Mae has changed their guidelines and now real estate investors can own five to ten properties, instead of only one to four. The change goes into effect on March 1, for qualified homebuyers. 
Investors must have good credit for at least the past 12 months.
Here is a link to the new Fannie Mae guidelines. I think it will be instrumental in allowing additional investor opportunities in buying real estate across the country.

 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
… (6 comments)

We All Have A Guardian Angel...but a Guardian Dog? - 02/20/09 08:50 AM
Yesterday I wrote a post about Stephanie, my 16 year old that has the flu. She missed school yesterday because she was feeling terrible.  It seems that everyone we know is passing it around right now.  (Don't give it to me, I don' t want it!)
Stephanie had a fever and we were able to break it and she was back down to 99.0 degrees. This morning when I got up to check on her it was up to 103.8.  So, I called the doctor.  He told us exactly what to take.  So, we have been following his orders.
Since Stephanie … (16 comments)

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Tonight - 02/20/09 08:20 AM

West Shore Junior Senior High Middle School will be performing Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory tonight. The show will cast a group of incredibly talented students under the direction of Mrs. Fallon, head of the performing arts department.
The show will be held at the new performing arts auditorium on campus. 
Doors open at 6:30 for a 7:00 performance.
It is my understanding that the show has been sold out.
 

 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor
Brevard County Real Estate & Investing
Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News
 
… (2 comments)

Flu Season is Here and It Seems to Be Touching Everyone We Know - 02/19/09 08:02 PM
I just read in the newspaper that flu season is coming late this year. Well, it's here and my daughter's got it.  For the past month we have talked to dozens and dozens of people that have been sick or have a family member that has been sick for weeks.
In my house the flu started last month with my 13 year old feeling tired and lazy. At first I thought it was just because she was rundown.  Then, the next day she didn't want to get out of bed and said her head and throat were killing her. She didn't … (19 comments)

Where Are These Lowball Offers Coming From? - 02/19/09 06:56 PM
Our real estate market here in Brevard County is flooded with short sales and foreclosure properties.  There are some absolutely fantastic deals for buyers today.  There are short sales at under $100,000 that are 1700 square foot homes, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garages, on .23 acres,  2-3 years old, many never lived in.  The deals are phenomenal!
Over the past couple of months I have seen a trend with buyers.  Buyers are not interested in what comparable homes have been selling for in an area.  They are interested primarily in what THEY WANT TO PAY for a property. PERIOD! … (9 comments)

Things Aren't Always What they Seem At This Time of Year - 02/18/09 09:12 AM
My phone has been ringing off the hook for the past two weeks.  Lots of calls for rentals.  I currently have rentals available, so this is a good thing. BUT BEWARE...at this time of year, as years in the past, the rental calls tend to be a little bit different than at other times of year.
Why, you ask?
Many people filed rapid refunds on their income tax and have a wad of money in their hand, today.  Many are moving because they have to, some because they want to. The tone of the phone conversations tend to be very … (18 comments)

FEMA Flood Maps Are Changing and Some Owners Aren't Happy - 02/17/09 02:12 PM
Some homeowners are finding that they have to go out and shop for flood insurance on their home, when they were never required to have it before. The change is because FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is converting their flood insurance maps to digital maps. In the process, they are finding that some areas of the country have been rezoned, as the digital maps are much more precise than previous maps.
Some areas that were not considered to be in flood zones have now been classified as high risk areas. And, this doesn't necessarily have to do with whether an … (6 comments)

January 2009 Monthly Market Report - Brevard County Florida - 02/17/09 01:04 PM
According to the Melbourne Association of REALTORS here in Brevard County Florida,  Real Estate Statistics for January 2009 are as follows:
For single family residential units:
There were 692 new listings.
This is a decrease of 22.94% from Jan. 2008 of 898 new listings.
Year to date in 2008 there were 8602 new listings.
Year to date in 2007 there were 11305 new listings.
 
There were 209 sold listings.
This is a 29.81% increase from Jan. 2008 of 161 sold listings.
Year to date in 2008 there were 3139 listings sold.
Year to date in 2007 there were 3115 listings … (2 comments)

Appraisals Will Be Done By AMC's - 02/16/09 06:52 PM

According to Florida Association of Realtors, beginning May 1, 2009, a new federal regulation will mean that mortgage lenders will no longer be able to call or hire their own appraisers to do appraisals for them. The appraisals will be handled by a separate party, or an outside appraisal management company. Lenders and realtors will not be allowed to have any contact with these AMC's.  The theory is that a lender or realtor will not be able to put any undue pressure on an appraiser to make sure that an appraisal reflects a specific contracted sales price.
But, the … (16 comments)

The Miracle of a Woman - 02/14/09 10:31 AM
 
 

Give a woman a baby, she'll raise a beautiful child.
Give a woman a shack, she’ll turn it into her castle. 
Give a woman some food, she’ll turn it into a meal.
Give her a job, she'll turn it into a career.
 Give her a smile, she'll share a piece of her heart.
 She takes anything small and beautiful and makes it grand!
She turns it into a miracle.
But, if you give her a ration of garbage,
or forget about her on Valentines Day,
you'd better be ready to get out of her way!
HAPPY … (15 comments)

Cut Costs Wherever Possible - 02/14/09 09:34 AM

 
It's important to cut costs to help save money whenever and wherever possible. 

 1) Clip coupons and shop for items on sale.
 2) Buy store brands on items when possible.
 3) Plan for that large purchase ahead of time.
 4) Pay with cash only. If you don’t have the money. Don’t make the purchase.
 5) Pay your high interest credit card bills off first.
 6) Get rid of your landline and switch that number to a cell phone.
 7) Pay your bills on time and online. Save on late fees and postage.
 8) Consider generic prescriptions (talk … (16 comments)

Perception is in the Eye of the Beholder - 02/13/09 09:01 PM
There are variations of this traveling across the internet,
and each time I see it, it tickles me!
Your House as Seen by:Yourself ... Your  Buyer ...  Your  Lender ... Your  Appraiser ... Your County's Tax Assessor ... Don't you just love the dynamics of the real estate market? It depends on who you're talking to, the buyer, seller, lender, appraiser, tax assessor's office, as to how they view your property. 

 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor
Brevard County Real Estate
Brevard County Real Estate Investing
Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News
… (11 comments)

People Work Hard, But Are They Getting Paid? - 02/12/09 07:12 AM
My daughter came home from school the other day and said, "Mom, did you know that there are kids in my class that don't have a savings account?" Now this is coming from the kid that makes us pay her interest when we're running short on cash and haven't made it to the bank to withdraw some money.
Do you pay yourself first?  Do you pay yourself at all?
We come home with a paycheck. It gets deposited to a bank account.  We sit down and write out a check or get online to pay our:
mortgage or rent payment
… (14 comments)

The Tallest Oompa Loompa in Town - 02/11/09 08:00 AM
Last week my teenage daughter tried out for the school play, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I love that movie, it's one of my all time favorites.
Willie Wonka the world renowned owner of a chocolate factory, decides to put 5 golden tickets into thousands of his chocolate bars. The kids that find those five golden tickets win a tour of his highly secretive factory.  A poor boy, Charlie Bucket, who has no money to buy a ticket finds a coin in the gutter and buys himself 2 Wonka bars. He wins the last golden ticket.  The adventure begins there … (8 comments)

Hey Wait A Minute, I Must Have Landed on the Wrong Planet! - 02/10/09 10:55 AM
Recently, I was calling agents to set up showings on homes available for sale. We were going to be looking at a number of properties that day.  The buyer had picked out one property that he absolutely HAD TO SEE!  He was excited about!
I noticed that the property was listed for $100,00 less than it was listed last year. (Okay, I know some of you are saying, that doesn't mean that it was worth that extra $100,000 it was listed for. If it had been, it would have sold. Right? I know.) And, I also noticed that the home had … (24 comments)

Rent to Tenants with Blemished Credit? YOU BET! - 02/10/09 08:01 AM
As a landlord, would you rent to tenants with poor credit? Especially in light of the current changes the real estate market is undergoing.  I SAY ABSOLUTELY!* A tenant with a foreclosure or bankruptcy?
What is the reason for the bankruptcy or the foreclosure? Did they get caught up in the sub prime mortgage mess and their taxes, insurance and interest rate adjusted up? I know many people that were comfortably paying their mortgage payments, until their interest rate adjusted and the payment went through the roof.
I have no problem with renting to tenants that have certain credit blemishes. … (14 comments)

Buyer Incentives, Do They Work or Are They Just a Waste of Time? - 02/09/09 03:58 PM
Free car, free boat, free furniture...just buy this house.
Catchy idea...or is it?
I just saw an ad in the paper advertising...buy a house, and get a car.

Interesting idea, or it is just a waste of time?
Today some sellers are offering buyer incentives.  They are offering something of "value" to entice a client to buy a specific home.
Realtors know they must do everything to make their property listings appear "different" from similar homes offered for sale. So, they're advertising free sailboats, cars, furniture and more. 
Some builders have been offering free swimming pools.  If a … (39 comments)

Just Say No If It's Not the Right House for You, It Won't Hurt My Feelings! - 02/09/09 09:13 AM
A very old friend of mine called me on Friday from Georgia to tell me that her friend was in our town for a couple of weeks, from Indiana. She said he was looking for a home to live in and one to buy to use as an investment property.  She indicated that he loved our area of Brevard County. I thanked her very much for the referral and immediately called this friend of hers.
We spoke at great length, about the current market conditions and what his real estate goals are.  He knows exactly what he wants and is pretty … (13 comments)

A Rose, Like No Other - 02/07/09 08:19 PM
A friend of mine sent this to me.  I have seen it before, but each time that I see it, I am touched by it.
'The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged uo to get to know someone we didn't already know.  I stood up to look around, when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled old lady beaming at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
'Hi handsome, my name is Rose. I'm eighty seven years old. Can I give you a hug?' I laughed and enthusiastically … (5 comments)

At the End of Your Life, Will There Be Regrets? - 02/07/09 05:21 PM
Morbid thought isn't it?  But, when you really take time to consider it, is it really?
Will you be saying?
I wish I had loved more.
I wish I had lived more.
I wish I had taken more vacations.
I wish I had spent more time with my kids.
I wish I had spent more days enjoying myself. 
I wish I had spent more time golfing.
I wish I had spent more time focused on being the best I could be, so I could share that with others.
I wish I had laughed more.
I wish I had played … (21 comments)

Google Street Views is a Great Tool For Out of Town Buyers - 02/06/09 09:53 PM
This might be information that many of you already know about. But, I have spoken with 3 potential out of town buyers, this week that had never tried it before.  2 called me back and told me that they LOVED IT!   To me, it's great, especially for out of the area or international buyers looking to move to your city.
GOOGLE STREET VIEWS.  Just click on the link, you can either click on the map itself to get an overview of a particular city or county,  or you can type in a specific street address.  Once you do, click on street … (19 comments)

Try Rentometer - Free Market Rents in Your Area - 02/06/09 07:55 PM

Tenants and landlords often ask what the market rent is in a given area.
They can easily find the information on this free handy website.*
Type in an address across the country and it will provide an estimate of what approximate comparable rents are.
I have tried it in my area of Brevard County Florida and found it to be pretty accurate.
 
*Please remember, a Realtor is your best source of the most up to date market info on your local area.


 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Brevard County Real Estate
Brevard County … (14 comments)

Turn Off the TV, Stop Listening to the Dismal News, And Talk to A Knowledgable Realtor - 02/05/09 01:35 PM
"The sky is falling, the sky is falling."  Do you remember the story of Chicken Little? He runs through town screaming.   He says that a piece of the sky, shaped like a stop sign, has fallen on his head, when he was sitting under the big oak tree, in town square.
Sound familiar, sound like something off the evening news? 
The dismal state of the economy?
The black trenches that the real estate market if enduring? 
The reports that the world appears to be coming to a screeching halt?
The bad news just goes on and on, according to the media.
… (18 comments)

Do Your Homework Before Signing on the Dotted Line - 02/04/09 09:06 AM
There are several factors to take into consideration in purchasing a Brevard County Florida home. 
Obviously, the price of the home will be one of the biggest considerations. 
The next question typically is how much will my taxes be? You can visit the Brevard County Property Appraisers Website. There you will find a property tax estimator that will give you an idea of what your property taxes will be. But, be sure that you understand that depending on the time of year that you purchase the home, the taxes may be computed based on last year's assessed value of the property.  … (10 comments)

What's the First Thing you See in the Picture, the People or the Houses? - 02/03/09 10:24 AM

My friend sent me this picture yesterday.  And, it immediately struck me.
What's the first thing you see in the picture?
The people or the houses...and lots of them? 
At the peak of the real estate market in 2004-2005 houses were selling like hotcakes for over inflated prices. 
The numbers of new realtors in the business double and tripled in many areas.
The number of mortgage companies multipled. 
The number of appraisers increased.
The number of people that became real estate investors, overnight, grew immensely. 
It became a market, where for many, it was all about the money.  No … (27 comments)

Homes Purchased By Florida Buyers in 2008 - 02/03/09 09:00 AM
 
According to the Florida Association of Realtors in 2008:
 

Single family homes accounted for 70% of purchases.
New home purchases accounted for 25% of  purchases.
The median price of homes purchased was $207,000.
The median square footage was 1760 square feet of living.
Buyers purchased a home within 15 miles on average of their previous home.
79% of buyers said commuter costs were a factor in their home purchase.
Buyers indicated they will live in their home for an average of 10 years.


 
This article is authored by
Sandy Shores, Brevard County Real Estate
Melbourne … (4 comments)

How Many Licks Does it Take to Get to the Tootsie Roll Center of the Tootsie Pop? - 02/02/09 07:57 AM
Do you remember that commercial from TV? The little boy goes up to Mr. Turtle and asks, "Mr. Turtle, how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of the tootsie pop?"  And Mr. Turtle says, "I don't know, ask Mr. Owl." So, the boy takes the tootsie pop to Mr. Owl and asks the same thing. Mr. Owl takes 3 licks and then bites the lollipop.  He tells the boy it takes 3 licks to get to the tootsie roll center of the tootsie pop.
It reminds me of buyers of real estate...some people buy the … (20 comments)

Communication is Key in Dealing with Non Paying Tenants - 02/01/09 09:20 AM
I recently wrote a post about my friend, the one that every tenant loves, that has tenants that hadn't paid him rent in over 5 months. Well, here's an update.
The article indicated that my friend is the most lenient landlord in the world.  He has a weak spot in his heart and lets tenants go for months without paying. He's too nice to be a landlord, and he knows I feel this way about him because we've  talked about it.
He has tenants that haven't paid him rent in over 5 months now.  Yes, they've sent him a payment here … (9 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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