Sarasota Florida Flat Fee MLS Listings FSBO – Discount Realtor & Broker

CNL occupies two towers that flank Orlando City Hall downtown.

Orlando-based CNL Financial Group and Sydney’s Macquarie Group have joined forces for the first time to establish a new global REIT, CNL Macquarie Global Growth Trust Inc., which will pursue opportunities in just about every sector of commercial real estate in various areas around the world. The partners can afford to think big, as the proposed total offering for the REIT is $1.5 billion.

CNL going on a global buying spree

ORLANDO, Fla. – Oct. 27, 2009 – CNL Macquarie Global Growth Trust Inc. announced its first public offering of $1.5 billion common shares for a new real-estate investment trust, with CNL Financial Group of Orlando serving as managing dealer.

The move marks the first partnership between the CNL group and the Australian-based Macquarie Capital Funds, an affiliate of Macquarie Group Limited, which has more than $189 billion of global assets.

Unlike traditional income-driven trusts, the product announced Thursday is growth-oriented rather than income driven, said a spokesman for CNL. The focus will be on acquiring commercial office, retail, industrial and multifamily properties that may “require repositioning or redevelopment” and that may face financial deadlines or be in markets with growth potential, according to a statement released by CNL on Thursday morning.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment »

How to beat the $8K tax credit deadline

CHICAGO – Sept. 28, 2009 – It’s not too late for a determined first-time home buyer to take advantage of the $8,000 federal tax credit, which expires Nov. 30.

Scott Voak, a San Diego practitioner specializing in first-time buyers, helps potential buyers target homes that can close quickly. To identify those properties without touring them, he suggests contacting the listing agent with blunt but important questions that aren’t usually addressed in the listing. These can include:

• Is there mold?
• Does the home need extensive repairs?
• Does the home have aging systems or appliances?
• Are there any troublesome neighbors?

Buyers should factor in these questions before making an offer:
Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

Good news about housing and stocks lifts Florida’s consumer confidence

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Aug. 26, 2009 – Rising housing prices, stock market gains and the lack of any new setbacks in the national economy boosted Florida’s consumer confidence three points to 70 this month, according to a new University of Florida (UF) survey.

“We had anticipated an increase in consumer confidence in August based on what appeared to be an unjustifiable two-point drop in July following what was already a two-point decline the previous month,” said Chris McCarty, survey director of UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “While the economic environment is by no means bright, the decline in July seemed unsustainable given the lack of any very bad economic news and some encouraging signs in Florida’s housing market and the stock market.”

Three of the five components in the index rose, one fell and one stayed the same. Perceptions of personal finances now compared with a year ago remained unchanged at 43, still only four points above its all-time low of 39. Perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next year jumped 10 points to 73; perceptions of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years rose eight points to 80; and perceptions of personal finances a year from now increased five points to 84. The only component to drop was perceptions of whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket items, which fell five points to 72.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

MIAMI – Aug. 4, 2009 – Jose Garcia looks over the contract for his Gables Estates home with Realtor Audrey Ross, who deals with the ultra-luxury housing market. The price of Garcia’s home: Just under $20 million.

Elite Realty. “Now, we’re getting five, six, 10 families coming through. I’m really praying and keeping my fingers crossed this is a permanent thing.”

Confidence seems to be returning, as well as a rising tide of money from outside the country, positive signs for both the high-end housing market, and the real estate market in general. Demand fed by foreign money has always been a critical piece of the real estate puzzle in South Florida.

“We’re on our way out of the worst (of the economic downturn)” said Manny Mesa, a Doral-based trial lawyer who is hunting for a bigger home for his wife and four children.

On Thursday, he toured the digs of former Miami Heat point guard Tim Hardaway. Hardaway is asking $3.9 million for the five-bedroom, five-bath home on almost two acres in the Pinecrest area. It boasts a six-foot coral rock wall for privacy and a closet the size of a very large bedroom.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

$599,900
8710 Cortez Rd.
Bradenton, FL 34210

2.4 Acres of Commerical Property with Building in Prime Location * 300′ of Cortez Road Frontage * 2 MILES TO GULF BEACHES (High Traffic Location with Tons of Beach Traffic) * 1,200ft2 of Commerical Building Space with 3 Offices & 1 Bay, Water, & Sewer * Property is on 4-Lane Road with no Median * 3 Entrances & Zoned Neighborhood Commerical * 2 Miles from Historic Cortez Fishing Village, Intracoastal Waterway, & Beaches to the Gulf Coast * Property is Currently Being Used for Outdoor Storage & Auto Sales * Outdoor Storage Consists of Boat, RV, & Trailer Storage Generating $5,000/month in Revenues & is Not Even Half Full * New Owner Can Easily Continue to Run Storage Business & While Marketing to Attract Owners in Need of Storing Boats, RV’s, Etc. to Generate Easy Revenues * Take Advantage of Beach Location & Traffic by Running a Boat Workshop & Storage Business * Boat Sales Business Would be Perfect Here! * Boat Detailing Business Would be Great While Storage Capabilities in Back of Lot Pays Expenses * 2.4 Acres in Prime West Bradenton, BEACH, Location Allows for Endless Possibilities * This is Great Opportunity that Already Has Revenues Coming In that New Owner Can Easily Maintain While Capitalizing on New Opportunities! 

For More Information Contact Linda & John @ 941-795-1080

No Comments Yet »

Young homeowners gain despite stagnant economy

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – June 15, 2009 – If the real estate bust has a bright side, it’s this: People like Lilly Thomas, Stephanie Driskell and Dexter Wuller can finally afford homes.

Falling home prices and an $8,000 federal tax credit are putting homes in reach of young people who couldn’t afford them a few years ago. As a result, real estate agents say starter homes are the only part of the real estate market that’s showing some life.

It’s not a lot of life. House sales this year are down by a third from the boom year of 2006, and the bust spans all price classes. But the lower end of the market – houses priced under $200,000 – is suffering less, and there’s some evidence that a comeback could be beginning.

Now, real estate agents are starting to worry that rising mortgage interest rates may dampen buyers’ enthusiasm. Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to an average of 5.59 percent last week, up from 4.84 percent a month ago. Meanwhile, many FHA lenders have raised their credit score requirements to 620 from 580, which will seal some people out of the home market.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

International buyers confident of Fla. recovery

MIAMI – June 15, 2009 – Gerson Lehman Group reports that international realty buyers believe the Florida housing market is poised for recovery, and they are paying close attention to distressed properties in the state. The report says these international buyers view homes in the United States as “desirable, profitable and secure” investments.

“Those who delay buying their dream home in Florida may soon find that they have to pay considerably more for the same property in just a few months,” advises the report’s author, Howard Liggett, president of Distressed Real Estate Consulting Services.

Liggett cites data from the National Association of Realtors® and the Florida Association of Realtors® indicating that 25 percent of international buyers are Canadian, 21 percent are British, and 21 percent are western European.

No Comments Yet »

First-time buyers – A hot market segment

Historically low interest rates. Attractive home prices. Impressive inventory. And now an $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers that can be used as a downpayment on a home.

What’s not to love about this unique scenario for first-time homebuyers in Florida? It’s no wonder this demographic is growing monthly.

Let’s look closer at why the first-time buyer market is so strong:

1. $8,000 tax credit. It’s hard to say “No” to free money, and that’s basically what the federal government is offering with very few strings attached.  Better yet, the money can be used as a downpayment, thanks to FAR’s efforts to pass legislation in Tallahassee in April. 

2. Other government incentives. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act opens doors to affordable homeownership to people who had not been able to qualify for loans or hand over large downpayments.    

3. Interest rates. Hovering around 5 percent, this means monthly payments are less than even last year for the same home.

4. A buyer’s market inventory. Nothing needs to be explained here. Everyone wants options and choices when making the most expensive purchase of a lifetime.

5. Price. Florida’s median sales price for existing homes in March 2009 was $141,300; a year ago, it was $201,700. Do the math.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

Federal program to help first-time buyers use tax credit for downpayment

 Confused about the first-time buyer benefits?

Two programs will allow first-time buyers (those who have not owned a home for at least three years) to use their income tax credit toward a downpayment. Neither the Florida program nor the HUD program has been fully fleshed out, however, and it’s unclear how soon money will become available under either program.

WASHINGTON – May 13, 2009 – First-time homebuyers will soon have another option if they want to use their $8,000 tax credit toward a downpayment. On the tails of a Florida-created program that Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to sign into law, the federal government announced its own downpayment assistance program at the National Association of Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo taking place this week in Washington, D.C.

While the tax credit applies to “first-time homebuyers,” the term is misleading. In general, anyone who hasn’t owned a home for the past three years is considered a first-timer under the program. Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), hopes to have additional details available within a few days, though it’s still unclear how soon homebuyers can apply for the credit.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »

 
(Florida Plays Host to One of the Most Desirable Places in America to “Tie the Knot”. Weddings Mean.. Romance, Paradise, Beauty, Love, Fun, & Relaxing.. It’s Interesting the Same Words To Describe Wedding, Describe Quality of Life in the Sunshine State..)

Prospects for Florida’s recovery heat up, economists say

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – May 5, 2009 – After two long years of recession, economists are beginning to see signs that the economy’s recovery is finally in sight. South Florida home sales are picking up, Wall Street has staged some solid rallies and even consumer confidence is rising.

But the road to recovery will be uneven. Economists say that an uptick in business spending will lead the way, followed by federal government stimulus projects that will create some jobs. Consumers, unfortunately, are likely to be the last to see good times return, because widespread unemployment – which is now just a notch below 10 percent – won’t start to go down until after the recovery is well under way.

It has been rough, but economists say it’s always that way for Florida.

“It performs better in good times, but during bad times, in recessions, it is one of the worst performing states in the nation,” said Moody’s Economy.com economist Chris Lafakis. “And during times of expansion it is one of the best.”

Some experts say they already see the early signs of such progress.

“The negative numbers just start getting smaller or they stop falling or they fall at a slower rate,” said SunTrust Chief Economist Gregory Miller. It’s like you tumbled out of a boat a while ago and “now we’re at the stage of swimming back to the surface.”

Other economists agree that the worst may be over as soon as this summer. Consumers surely have had enough, judging by the strong jump in Floridians’ consumer confidence this month.

Here’s how economists say the state will find its way out of the slump:

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments Yet »