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Best Buy in Heathrow! $549,000

November 18, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

Custom David Weekly Home in highly sought after, Kentford Garden

Beautiful Tile Roof Custom David Weekly Home in highly sought after, Kentford Garden in the Fine Gated Community of Heathrow. This home is a true 4 bedroom, 3 bathrooms with a downstairs bonus room & Office/Den. The expansive kitchen has custom cabinetry with corian counters, center island & very large breakfast nook.  Crown molding, a wood burning fireplace and one of the largest Master Bedroom floor plans in all of Heathrow.  A very private swimming pool area with a spacious covered patio, solar heated pool and best of all it's a salt water pool that doesn't call for trips to the pool store to pick up chlorine! You will not find a finer appointed home of this size in all of Heathrow at this price! Sellers will furnish a One Year Home Warranty & a One Year "Social Membership" to Heathrow Country Club." (Membership is based on application and approval of the club and excludes mandatory food purchase requirements)

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30-year mortgages dip to lowest level since April

September 12, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

WASHINGTON - Sept. 12, 2008 - Rates on 30-year mortgages dropped sharply this week, falling to the lowest level in five months, as the government's dramatic takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had the hoped-for impact of lowering mortgage rates.

Freddie Mac reported Thursday that its nationwide survey found that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dipped to 5.93 percent this week, down from 6.35 percent last week.

The sharp decline pushed the 30-year rate below 6 percent for the first time since late May and marked the lowest level for this rate since they averaged 5.88 percent the week of April 17.

Private economists had predicted that the government's move on Sunday to take control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would result in lower mortgage rates for consumers because it removed a huge uncertainty about the future of the two firms, which own or guarantee half of the nation's mortgages.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, said Thursday that he believed rates could keep falling and perhaps drop to around 5.5 percent on the 30-year mortgage, which would give a further boost to the battered housing market.

"This is the most significant positive benefit of the government takeover of Fannie and Freddie," Zandi said. "I think it is important that rates have fallen below the key 6 percent benchmark and hopefully rates will move lower in coming weeks."

The 30-year mortgage hit a high for this year at 6.63 percent on July 24 and had been above 6 percent since late May.

The Freddie Mac survey showed that other mortgage rates declined this week although one-year rates bucked the downward trend.

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Ways to save on food costs

July 28, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

With the price of gasoline rising and inflation reducing the purchasing power of the dollar, many are having to get creative when it comes time to shop for groceries so as to not break the bank.  I was reading an article in the OrlandoSentinel.com that mentions some ways shoppers can save on their food bills by shopping at some alternatives to supermarkets.  This article entitled, "Cheap eats: Food bargains can hide in unlikely places" mentions some not-so-conventional places where those who want to save on their food costs can shop.

According to trade magazine, Progressive grocer, 37$ of Americans cite "low prices" as key factor when deciding where to shop.  Another factor pointing to the growing popularity of alternative-shopping options was a study done by Bruce Westbrook of Deloitte LLP.  Westbrook has estimated that flea and farmer's markets are selling 25% more than in 2007.

So what are some of these alternative-shopping options?  The list includes closeout stores, dollar stores, deep-discount supermarkets, drug stores, farmer's markets, flea markets and warehouse clubs.  The article mentions how each of these options can help consumers save some of their hard-earned money.  The article recommends shopping often and stocking up on goods because inventory is likely to change more quickly than at traditional supermarkets.  Other bits of good advice include taking cash in case some farmer's markets or flea markets do not accept credit, comparison shopping for the lowest price, and browsing the entire store to be sure you don't miss any hidden specials.

There are numerous options here in central Florida for those who are trying to save on their grocery costs.  It is just a matter of doing a little research and exploring some of these alternative options.

If you have been thinking of potential ways of lowering your cost of living during while record gas prices are driving up the cost of groceries, I recommend reading this article in its entirety at the OrlandoSentinel.com.

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Posted in Heathrow Real Estate, Home Seller, Homebuyer, Lake Mary Real Estate, Orlamdo Real Estate, Seminole County | No Comments »

Smile for the cameras

July 26, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

According to an article that I have just read in the OrlandoSentinal.com, the city of Orlando has announced where they will install ten traffic cameras that will help to catch motorists who run red lights.  The cameras are expected to be installed at seven different Orlando intersections by September 1.  Those motorists who are prone to driving through stale yellow lights may want to give themselves more time to brake at intersections or face the financial consequences. 

There are approximately 100 fatalities and 6,300 injuries due to red-light running related incidents every year in Florida.  In 2007, there were 525 crashes at red lights in Orlando alone.  This is why the city has chosen to start monitoring the seven Orlando intersections that have with highest number of accidents per year.  Other Florida cities already using traffic cameras at intersections are Apopka, Gulf Breeze, Pembroke Pines and Port Richey. 

Initially there will only be seven intersections where these cameras will record 24 hours a day, every day.  However, the City of Orlando plans to be able to recoup their initial investment of $1 million for the first ten cameras and be able to buy more with the proceeds from fines collected from those who run red lights.

How do these traffic cameras work?  If the camera senses a car entering the intersection while the light is red it will automatically start taking digital photographs of the car and close-ups of the license plate.  The cameras will not take pictures of the driver's face.  These pictures will be mailed to the owner of the car along with a fine.  The owner will have 30 days to pay the fine or appeal.

Fines will run $125 for the first two offenses and $250 for every infraction thereafter.  Points will not be assessed to drivers' licenses.

Click the link to see a map of the intersections where these traffic cameras will be located.

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Testimonial

July 16, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

Nick,

Thank you very much for the assistance, guidance, advice, expertise, etc... You gave to Kevin and in these past few months - but especially yesterday and today! I appreciate your patience and knowledge!!! We are looking forward to our new home and working with you in the future!!!

Thanks,
Patricia & Kevin May

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Posted in Agents, Heathrow Real Estate, Homebuyer, Lake Mary Real Estate, Orlamdo Real Estate, RE/MAX, Relocation Info, Seminole County | No Comments »

Orlando in the top 66

July 8, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

While reading the real estate section of MSN today I ran across an article about the top 66 cities where buying makes sense.  This article entitled, "66 cities where buying makes sense" lists the U.S. cities where falling home prices have made home ownership a more realistic possibility. 

According to data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 57 of the country's 100 most populous metropolitan areas have higher average 3-bedroom rental costs than the cost of a 6% loan for the average low-priced home.  According to this article, the definition of a low-priced home is one that is 75% of a given area's median home price.  For those who have good credit, making the switch from renting to owning may be a good way to save some money while, at the same time, building equity.  The article also mentions that, "A prospective buyer with credit worthy of a 6% mortgage will pay a third less in monthly payments than someone who qualifies for an 8% loan - in many cities that can be a difference of hundreds of dollars and push them over the line to where renting actually makes more sense.  (For more on the costs of renting versus buying, see "34 cities where it's still better to rent.)"

With home prices in many cities starting to reach historic levels, it could be a good time to buy for those who have been waiting for prices to drop before committing to buying a home.  The 66 areas mentioned in this article can be a great place to move up to home ownership by buying a low-priced home as opposed to keep paying rent and you can even "be in the black in four years" should you choose to buy a home now.  Of course getting into the black within four years of purchasing a new home is something that would depend on your personal credit history and home prices in the area where you are thinking of buying.

If you are thinking of taking the step from renting a home to owning your own home, this article may help you find some of the areas in the nation where home prices have dropped to the point where the average apartment rental in higher than the average mortgage payment.

Click to read this article in its entirety.

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Posted in Heathrow Real Estate, Homebuyer, Lake Mary Real Estate, Orlamdo Real Estate, Relocation Info, Seminole County, first time homebuyers | No Comments »

Testimonial

July 6, 2008 by lakemaryhomes

Dear Nick,

We are so excited to be your newest neighbors!  We can't thank you enough for everything you have done to facilitate our relocation from Dallas-Fort Worth to Lake Mary.  After seeing you on House Hunters and reviewing your website, we were confident that you would be an excellent realtor.  To say the least, you exceeded our expectations!

As we began our search, you pointed us to the best neighborhoods in each community we considered.  As we narrowed our search you kept us informed regarding homes that met our criteria.  After finding "the one," you led us step by step towards the goal of making it our new home with your professional, accurate advice.

The lender, inspector, and insurance provider you recommended were fabulous.  Additionally, you kindly stood in on our behalf at the inspection and diligently followed up on all improvements required.  You wouldn't accept anything less than perfection, and it shows in the quality of our home and pool.  Thank you for your promptness and attention to detail.

Our relocation couldn't have been smoother.  We will be referring everyone we meet to our favorite realtor, Nick Burrafato!

Warm regards,
Joe and Shannon Batal 
Heathrow, FL
Todd Clark - Retired
eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR
Principle Broker Oregon

Nick that is a lot of information in one post. For better search engine placement you really should break these up into individual posts. Welcome to the rain.

Todd

Nov 20, 2008 02:46 AM
Greg Steffens
Mountain Country Realty - Lake Arrowhead, CA

Nick - Welcome to Active Rain and congrats on your first post.  Be sure to spend some time looking around at what and how others are blogging here - it is a great education and lots of fun.  Looks like you're off to a great start...keep it up!

Nov 20, 2008 05:16 AM
Dan Magstadt
Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc - Lake City, FL

Congrats on your first post - Welcome to ActiveRain!!

DM

Nov 20, 2008 06:10 AM
Sandy Childs
Keller Williams Realty - Spartanburg, SC
Realtor - Spartanburg, SC

Welcome the Active Rain.  This is a great site for networking. There is also a world of information available on this site. Plus you get to read blogs from other agents all over the country - it's interesting to learn how other markets are performing. Hope you enjoy this site as much as I do!

Nov 20, 2008 06:37 AM
Lorena Westervelt
Van West Realty - Greenville, SC
Co-Founder/Co-Owner

Hello, welcome to Active Rain! This seems like a wonderful environment to network as well as learn from others. I hope you enjoy yourself and participate often in the Active Rain environment!

Nov 21, 2008 10:15 AM
David Painter
Keller Williams Realty - Spartanburg, SC

Congradulations on your first blog. It is good to have you on Active Rain.

Nov 21, 2008 10:39 AM
Maria Tascon
Keller Williams Realty Spartanburg - Spartanburg, SC
Spartanburg SC Short Sale Specialist

Hi Nick, Welcome to Active Rain.  Happy Blogging!

Maria

Nov 21, 2008 01:33 PM