I just had a very interesting time at an apartment
complex today in sunny central Florida. These are NICE apartments!

• A one bedroom, one bathroom with a den included has 1000 square feet and rents for $900 per month, including cable TV with HBO; NOT including water and electric.
• Two bedrooms, two baths and a den has 1400 square feet and rents for $1100 per month including cable TV; electric and water not included.
• A three bedroom and 2 baths apartment with a den has 1550 square feet and rents for $1270 per month including cable TV but not including water or electric.

Those numbers are pretty respectable considering everything.

The only thing is:

• All the money going toward rent is out the door to the property
  owner(s),the renter does NOT see any benefit monetarily.
• You CAN PURCHASE condos AND homes with the SAME numbers if
  you let a professional real estate agent help you find what
  you are looking for. (You will be putting money away in the form
  of paying down the mortgage note....... that is money YOU KEEP!!)
• Letting a licensed real estate agent help you find a condo or
  home to purchase so you can PUT AWAY MONEY for the future
  can cost you NOTHING for his/her services! (Did you know that??)
• If (WHEN) your rent goes up, you do NOT get a portion of that
  increase back...It ALL goes to the owner(s) pocket. (When the
  value of your home goes up, YOU POCKET the increase when
  you sell it!)

All in all, I spent over two hours there talking with the apartment sales person
and following her around as she "showed" the model I was interested in. In my head
I kept thinking..... "I can afford something like this AND BUY IT.... and I will have my
money growing in two different ways:"

• A "Savings Account" in the form of the equity build up in my property
  as I pay the mortgage off.
• An "Investment Account" as the value of the home increases over time.
  

Seeing as the Orlando and central Florida
real estate market is starting to bounce
back, NOW is the RIGHT TIME to invest
in YOUR future!

Don't wait till rates go up higher and
the asking prices start to rise again.

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON is HOT!

Here are some MORE numbers for you:

• There are about 18,300 homes for sale in the Orlando and central
  Florida MLS; this is about 1,000 LESS homes than were for sale this
  time last year. More people have jumped into the homeowners boat!
• MOST homes for sale that resulted in closed sales are in the $200,000 
  to $250,000 range. With the median Florida home income of $51,700 
  ALMOST ANYONE CAN (with good credit) buy a home in this price range,
  according to statistics for this month.
• Most condos that have changed hands are in the $100,000 - $140,000
  price range; WELL within the affordability of ANYONE with the median
  Florida family income. For the past five months, condos priced in this
  range made up the bulk of all condo sales. Just think of living in a
  nice apartment complex, BUT YOU OWN your unit -- now you can
  understand why these properties are selling!!

Just to let you know, I DID NOT sign a lease with the sales person.....
I am going to PURCHASE MY property, NOT RENT....and MAKE MY MONEY
WORK FOR ME (in TWO WAYS).

Are YOU ready to join the growing legion
of new Homeowners in central Florida?

If so, just contact us:

Alexander Harb PSEM®, E-Agent®
"The Knights Team" Sales Leader

Beach and Luxury Realty Inc.

(Information Gathered from Official
Orlando Realtors® Housing Statistics)