Florida Real Estate Blog

Should I Make Major Upgrades to Sell My Home?

The idea of selling your home in today's market is not a pleasant one. With so much inventory for buyers to choose from, sellers are anxious to do everything they can to help their home stand out from the crowd.

On the other hand, prices are at near record lows and may well dip further before they bottom out. So, sellers are hesitant to spend money on upgrades to their homes when they're not sure of how much of that investment they'll be able to get back when the home sells.

The balance between attracting buyers and preparing financially for a lower sales price than you hoped is a tough one right now.

The best advice we can give people whose homes need repairs or upgrades is not to try and sell right now. Waiting until there's less inventory and…

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Are Orlando's Older Homes a Better Buy?

The real estate market in central Florida is starting to turn around, though by everyone's admission, the recovery is slow. It's still a buyer's market, and there is still plenty of inventory available. Still, we know that this area of the country should prove to be one of the best areas of the country in which to invest in real estate, because it is one of the country's fastest growing areas. Today, Orlando

Though Orlando and surrounding areas offer plenty of new construction, there are also plenty of older homes available. Many of these homes have been significantly remodeled and updated, too.

Because Orlando and the surrounding areas are attracting new businesses, and employees of large corporations, many of our buyers are more interested in…

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Get Your Home Ready to Sell: Curb Appeal

 Spring is the best time of year to put your home on the market. So, if it's time to upgrade or get out of town, get busy and get that house on the market. Be sure, however, that it looks great and is priced right.

It's important to remember that there's a lot of competition in the market right now, so it's critical that your home stand out among the pack, especially if you want to land the best price in a market where you'll be competing with foreclosures and short sales that are at rock bottom prices.

Your first chance to make a good impression with potential buyers is before they even get out of the car. Take care with how your home looks from the street and from every angle of the driveway and yard. Here are some tips for making sure that your…

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Get Your Home Ready to Sell: The Interior

 Once you've made the decision to put your home on the market, you may wonder where to begin in terms of getting it ready. With so much competition in the marketplace, it is critical that your home show beautifully. Here are some tips to ensure that your home is appealing to buyers.

1. Depersonalize. When buyers come into your home, it's important that they be able to see themselves living there. Your personal items may detract from their ability to do so. Remove family photos and knick-knacks.
2. Declutter. Less is definitely more when it comes to selling a home. Not only should you remove personal clutter like your family's coats and shoes, but you should also really minimize the items on shelves, counters and walls. Pick a few of your most…

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Longwood Real Estate: A Great Place to Find Your Home

Longwood is one of the best places to live in central Florida, especially for families. This is truly a community that offers a quiet living style, but still retains access to everything a family could want in a community.

Longwood has long attracted visitors, but really began to boom after 1971, when Walt Disney World opened. Longwood is located close enough to Disney World to allow it to be a great commuter town for Disney employees, but far enough away to allow locals to escape crowds during the tourist season.

Longwood has many different home styles to appeal to different types of buyers. There are lots of families in Longwood, so you'll find lots of single-family homes, many with the enclosed swimming pool room that Central Florida is so famous…

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20 Reasons to Buy a Home in Lake Mary

Prospective homebuyers in the Orlando area should definitely consider Lake Mary as a great potential option. Lake Mary is one of the best places for a family, couple, or single person to call home for many reasons. Here are 20 reasons to consider Lake Mary as you choose a Central Florida Community.

1. CNN/Money Magazine ranked Lake Mary as the number 1 town in Florida. In 2007, it was ranked as the number 4 best place to live in America.
2. Lake Mary offers warm weather year round.
3. Lake Mary housing prices are near an all time low, so you can afford a great home in a great town.
4. Lake Mary is home to many golf courses, including Timacuan Golf and Country Club, rated one of the best in Florida.
5. Lake Mary schools are also among the best in Florida.
6. …

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Central Florida Commercial Real Estate

Most of the news we’ve read about the real estate market in recent years has been pretty depressing. But, the news is actually quite exciting for Central Florida when it comes to commercial real estate.

Did you know recent reports have ranked Central Florida at 9th in the USA for new commercial real estate construction? It may seem surprising, but it’s a reality.  In addition, occupancy rates in the downtown area of Orlando, the largest metro area in Central Florida, increased in quarter four of 2010 as compared to 2009. So, while the vacancy rate still remains in the high teens for the central Florida, the occupancy numbers keep increasing, which means over time there be more competition for the office space that is available.

Central Florida has…

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Is Home Staging Worth the Cost?

If you're getting ready to put your home on the market, your realtor may have mentioned hiring a stager for your home. It may seem like this is just another expense you don't need right now, but the money you spend on a stager can actually be well worth it.

Here's why you should consider home staging:

• Today's market is very competitive – With so many homes in inventory, and so many of them at rock bottom prices, your home needs every possible edge to get it sold. Properly staging your home can be a great way to make it stand out in the buyers' mind. You're competing with foreclosures that have great prices, but that will often look pretty bad. Central Florida has a lot of homes in inventory right now that are at record low prices.
• Most people don't…

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Foreclosures in Orange County FL Still High

Foreclosures in Orange County Still High The housing market is definitely beginning to show signs of improvement, but Florida still ranks as one of the hardest hit states. And, Central Florida is one of the harder hit areas in the state, though we're seeing this area recover faster than some other areas.

Central Florida has a lot to offer real estate investors, whether they're purchasing a home for themselves or purchasing long term or vacation rental property. Because of Florida's popularity as a vacation destination, you really can't go wrong by purchasing a rental property in any one of several beautiful and popular vacation areas. You will, however, have to endure dips in the marketplace like the recent one. But, investors who can stay in their…

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Realty Executives and Dave Brewer Realty Join Forces

Eastshore Investment, LLC would like to announce the merger of its subsidiary, Realty Executives Seminole and Dave Brewer Realty, Inc. The announcement of the merger was made the morning of February 1, 2011 and received an overwhelmingly positive response from both the sales agents of  Dave Brewer Realty and the agents of Realty Executives.

The merger is truly a win-win transaction. Both organizations have similar core values, culture, and vision but each complements the other with the types of benefits that they can provide to their agents and clients.

Dave Brewer Realty has long been the publisher of the popular real estate publication The Perfect Home Guide which features high end properties in Seminole county. Subsequent to the merger, the…

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