• A Posh Penthouse at Coconut Grove Residences

• Buying now cheaper than renting

• Foreclosures Nosedive

• 3 ways to get the most from back-to-school shopping

• Tips for Snowbirds

• The Short Sale Misconception

• Costlier Mortgages May Be on the Horizon

June (1)

May (1)

April (1)

March (1)

February (1)

2008 (1)

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Beauty of 2009 Marietta Drive

With the abundance of waterfront surrounding the city and its moniker as the “Venice of America”, you'll find Fort Lauderdale homes for sale near the water in large quantities.  Whether you're seeking to live in Las Olas or somewhere else entirely, we think you'll find this month's spotlight very appealing in more ways than one.

The Harbour Isles are an easternmost neighborhood located across from Harbor Beach, east of Lauderdale Harbours and northeast Port Everglades.  One of the Fort Lauderdale homes for sale you'll find within this neighborhood is 2009 Marietta Drive, a four bedroom three bathroom residence situated near the southwestern side of the isles.  With more than 2600 square feet of living area inside and a lot that's over 9300 square feet, space is clearly emphasized here.  Features include a large private swimming pool, a beautiful courtyard, stainless steel kitchen appliances, gorgeous gardens and much more.

To learn more about 2009 Marietta Drive property or other great Fort Lauderdale real estate, please click here.

Friday, October 28, 2011

A Posh Penthouse at Coconut Grove Residences

When exploring Fort Lauderdale real estate, you'll come across a number of condos located in some of the best areas of the city: right in the downtown area, on Las Olas Boulevard, near the beach, overlooking the waterfront.  If you're considering near the beach, you may wish to look at the Coconut Grove Residences found just off of Seabreeze Boulevard.

The Coconut Grove Residences has a number of highly appealing Fort Lauderdale condominiums within a building that's stylish and has every amenity you need to enjoy the living experience to its fullest.  One of these is the penthouse unit which has five bedrooms and bathrooms and has over 11,500 square feet of living area.  Overlooking the ocean, the residence has a spacious balcony, modern appliances, floor to ceiling windows and much more.  You'll love the vistas and the copious amount of space to make the home your own.

To learn more about the penthouse unit of the Coconut Grove Residences and the building itself, please click here.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Buying now cheaper than renting

Buying is now cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities

August 16, 2011 02:15PM

 Purchasing a home is now cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities, thanks to drops in home prices, rock-bottom interest rates and increased demand for rental properties, CNN reported.

Buying made more economic sense than renting in 74 percent of the country's 50 largest cities in July, according to data from Trulia.com, with renting winning out in only 12 percent of cities, including New York. In the remaining 14 percent of cities, the costs of buying and renting were similar.

"It's a personal decision, of course. But if you have a steady job and you are planning to stay for seven years or more and have enough cash to put 20 percent down and enough left over for seven or eight months of expenses, you're better off buying in most places," said Daisy Kong, a spokesperson for Trulia.com.

At one end, Las Vegas was most obviously a buyer's market in July, with prices having plunged 59 percent from their 2006 peak. The median price of a two-bedroom property was $60,000.

New York remains quite clearly a renter's market despite the average asking rent hitting $2,980 per month, the highest of all the U.S. markets. To buy a two-bedroom home in New York costs an average of $1.3 million. [CNN]

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Foreclosures Nosedive

Here's a bit of seemingly good news for the Fort Lauderdale real estate market: foreclosure throughout the county plummeted by more than fifty percent during the month of July when compared to the numbers of 2010.  Good news, right“  Unfortunately, it's not quite as nice as it may initially seem.

The dramatic drop in Fort Lauderdale real estate foreclosures and beyond is actually a result of the turmoil that's currently happening around the nation, namely loan modification efforts, state level foreclosure prevention and mortgage payment help for those who are currently unemployed.  So in reality, the situation still isn't quite as rosy as we'd like it to be.

Of course you could interpret this in an entirely different way: the slow pace means there's a lot more assistance out there if you own a piece of Fort Lauderdale real estate and are having trouble making those mortgage payments.  Remember that lenders generally prefer to work out a suitable payment plan with you instead of having to deal with the hassle of a default so it pays to contact them if you're in such a situation.

Monday, July 25, 2011

3 ways to get the most from back-to-school shopping

Wait to shop until Florida's sales tax holiday, during the three-day weekend of Aug. 12-14 -- unless you now see a sale you cannot resist. Just remember that not only are most clothing under $100 and supplies under $10 are tax-free during Aug. 12-14, many retailers run sales during those days.

Start rounding up what school supplies you already have -- pens, pencils, notebooks, calculators and flash drives before you shop. Make a list and buy only from that to eliminate impulse buying. Watch the sales in weekend newspapers: In past years, for example, some discount stores offered notebooks for a dime to attract shoppers. Dollar stores also offer basic supplies.

Consider shopping at consignment or thrift shops for uniforms and other school clothes. Resist buying a full wardrobe. Go through your child's wardrobe and discuss what new pieces are needed and what can be dressed up with a new top. And remember: One pair of stylish $60 jeans may be worn more than three pairs of $20 jeans kept in the closet.

(Source: dgehrke@sunsentinel.com)

Monday, May 09, 2011

Tips for Snowbirds

Snowbirds frequently travel to Fort Lauderdale for the summer season.  After all, South Florida is nearly unrivaled when it comes to the sunshine and the beaches.  For decades now, these snowbirds have rented Fort Lauderdale condominiums and homes to use as their vacation residences, but what happens when those condos or homes aren't being used“  A little precautionary protection can go a long way.

A house sitter, or perhaps a friend or family that you don't mind giving the keys to can be a good way to make sure your home isn't empty and that problems are taken care of promptly.  Fort Lauderdale condominiums are susceptible to risks like plumbing that suddenly decides to start leaking, an appliance that goes haywire, many things can happen out of the blue.

If there's no one you can trust with your keys, do your own part to make sure you lessen the probability of an unwanted loss.  Make sure that before returning back home, curtains and/or blinds are closed to lessen the odds of curious eyeballs or worse a break-in.  Since the summertime is also when hurricane season is in full swing, objects that aren't bolted to the ground should also be removed as they can become airborne projectiles should a major storm appear.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Short Sale Misconception

Are you considering eschewing the traditional means of selling Fort Lauderdale real estate in favor of a short sale“  You're certainly not alone; plenty of homeowners are choosing short sales as a means of moving on for various reasons.  However, there's one major misconception that many tend to overlook until it's too late which you may want to seriously consider before moving forward.

A short sale does not necessarily guarantee that you won't owe the bank any more money if and when the short sale is successful.  Sellers should always strive to get something in writing stating that the bank has chosen to waive its right to pursue the remaining unpaid balance before moving forward on selling any kind of Fort Lauderdale real estate or agreeing on anything for that matter.

Always make sure that you understand what you're agreeing to and what you're signing before proceeding with a short sale.  While not having an unmanageable mortgage payment is a huge sigh of relief despite the credit ramifications, the last thing you want is to find that you still owe money a home that you no longer own.