08/30/2016

 The Daily (083016) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now    Interest rate hike coming - but no timetableARMs could go up sooner rather than later - and perhaps long-term mortgage rates too - based on comments the Fed chair made in a speech on Friday. Read more.Primary election: Solar amendment has wide supportHaven't voted yet? It's today. Go. Analysts say Amendment 4, which appears on the ballot and supports solar energy tax breaks for businesses, has wide support and no organized opposition. Read more.NAR forecast: Commercial real estate expansionBuoyed by an improving labor market and multifamily housing demand, commercial activity should remain on an upward trajectory, especially in smaller markets. Read more.No easy fix for affordable housing shortageIn some Fla. metros, ... 08/30/2016

Home Prices in Valencias Delray, Boynton and Lake Worth FL for July 2016 Real estate market data for  the Valencias in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth, FL provided by Elyse Berman of Realty Associates Florida Properties.  The Valencias Real Estate Market Report for July 2016 includes the 55+ gated communities of Valencia Lakes, Valencia Isles, Valencia Shores, Valencia Falls, Valencia Palms, Valencia Pointe, Valencia Reserve and Valencia Cove.  These senior housing, baby-boomer communities are not the 55+ active adult communities of our parents.   These 55+ gated communities in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth are upscale luxury communities with state-of-the-art fitness centers, grand clubhouses with pools, card rooms, cafes, social events, clubs and an active lifes... 08/15/2016

Home Prices in Delray Beach FL for July 2016 Real estate market data for Delray Beach, FL provided by Elyse Berman of Realty Associates Florida Properties. We continue to see higher prices on home prices in Delray Beach FL and don’t expect things to slow down anytime soon.  July market report shows an increase in single family homes as well as an increase in condos, villas and townhomes.  If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Delray Beach, but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. Don’t wait on the sidelines for too long. Many of our listings are selling within a few days of hitting the market. As you can see from the graph below, listings are not selling exactly for asking price. To make sure you don't overpay for yo... 08/13/2016

The Daily (081216) Hot Sheet Of The Top Real Estate News Trending Now  Average 30-year mortgage rate ticks up to 3.45% Mortgage rates edged higher this week, though they remain at historically low levels and are sharply down from a year ago. The 15-year FRM dipped to 2.76%. Read more.TaxWatch: Fla. beating pre-recession job growthAfter a debilitating recession from 2007 to 2009 that cost thousands of Fla. jobs, the state is once again a national job-creation leader at mid-year 2016 and on a path of economic growth. Read more.Neighbor fence dispute hinges on the permitLegal Q&A: A new fence is four inches over a property line. The fence's owner, informed of the problem, has not yet moved it. What are the options? Read more.Underwater owners regain equity slowly but surelyATTOM Data: Than... 08/12/2016

Delray Beach...5 Reasons Why We Kept Coming Back. We moved to Delray Beach from my hometown of Houston in 1987.  That was the first time.  We moved away and back two more times for work, and finally chose this as where we wanted to retire when the time came.  Let me tell you why I love this Village-by-the-Sea.  1.It lives up to its name.There are many towns and cities that are on great bodies of water, but Delray is truly like living in a village by the sea. Delray isn’t a huge metropolitan complex of skyscrapers, miles of freeways or rush hour traffic. You can go out and totally remain anonymous or walk along Atlantic Avenue or A1A and say “hello” to familiar faces and friends. (In the 1920s we had a population of 1501; in 1960 it was 12,230, and it surpassed 30,000 in 1980 and more th... 08/08/2016

4317 Palm Forest Dr South in Delray Beach - Shadywoods - Coming Soon  UPDATE - SOLD! Rare 3 Bedroom Villa in Shadywoods backing tranquil greenbelt.  Coming to market soon! 3 bedroom, 2 bath Villa with Screened-In Patio and Covered Shed in very desirable community of Shadywoods. Peaceful location on greenbelt with no rear neighbors. Air Conditioner 2013. Water heater 2015. Roof 2006.  Shadywoods is an all-age and pet-friendly community in Delray Beach FL. Centrally located close to Downtown Delray Beach, beaches, restaurants, shopping, schools, houses of worship and major highways. All information deemed accurate but not guaranteed or warranted. This charming villa for sale in Delray Beach will go active tomorrow.   If you are thinking about a villa in Shadywoods, please call Elyse Berma... 08/06/2016

Delray Beach homes for sale are always easy sellers. Well, some more than others. Delray Beach real estate professionals know that there are some areas that move properties faster than others, but there are some things that can help homes for sale in Delray Beach appeal to buyers.Besides indoor staging, which is very important, some home sellers forget about staging their outdoor areas as well. Selling homes during the summer mean people are definitely thinking about outdoor living. In Delray Beach, outdoor living is a year-long option and most definitely requires sprucing up to make one Delray Beach real estate property stand out among the others. Get 5 tips to pass along to your home sellers to help get their home sold!  08/04/2016

Testimonial - Emerald Pointe in Delray Beach FL Dear Elyse, I don't know how to thank you for coming into my life at a very important time. "Looking for a House" was most difficult. Could not find the right Realtor, since some were difficult for me to approach or they were not interested. I seriously needed help and you were there for me.  You worked so hard to let me know we were going to find the exact home I was looking for. I sincerely had so much faith in you and knew your professional knowledge and manner would get me exactly what I was looking for. I love my house, and have recommended you to both friends & coworkers. I enjoyed working with you, and then to know more of you on a personal level, since we spent so much time together.  I highly recommend you as a "Realtor" since it ... 07/30/2016

The Daily (072916) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Cash-sale disclosure rule expands to 2 Fla. countiesIn Miami-Dade, cash buyers of homes worth $1M or more must disclose ownership, even if it's an LLC - and that rule will soon expand to Broward and Palm Beach. Read more.NAR: Significant increase in commercial membershipAn annual report on commercial real estate finds many more members in the field as median annual income and per-member sales declined slightly year-to-year. Read more.U.S. 30-year mortgage rate edges up to 3.48%It's the second straight week that rates have increased slightly - the 15-year mortgage rate rose to 2.78%. However, they remain near historically low levels. Read more.Fed: Interest rates unchanged but Sept. hike on tableThe Fed didn't touch shor... 07/29/2016

Leads. That word can stir Delray Beach real estate professionals up with excitement or it can drag them down. The business of buying and selling homes for sale in Delray Beach is based on leads and lead production. But the question is where and how to do that.Of course, the best lead comes as a referral. Word of mouth drives an interested buyer to become one that is committed to a realtor because of his or her reputation. Wherever the lead comes from, it takes finesse to keep them and turn them into buying or selling customers. Visit Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty to find out one method. 07/26/2016

The Daily (072216) Hot Sheet of the Top Real Estate News Trending Now   Housing is for everyone - no exceptions At NAR's "Housing for All" symposium this week, NAR VP and Floridian Sherri Meadows said that while homelessness is down, "housing insecurity" is on the rise. Read more.Fla.'s housing market: Rising median prices in JuneSingle-family home median price of $225,000 is up 10.8% year-to-year; condo median price up 8.6%. NAR: Sparked by more first-time buyers, U.S. home sales up 3% over June 2015 and 1.1% over May's sales. Read more.All owners will have to pay for HOA's mistakeReal estate Q&A: A homeowners' association community was fined for hiring unlicensed contractors. Who pays? The board, only impacted owners or everyone? Read more.Average 30-year mortgage rate rises to 3.45%... 07/22/2016

Delray Beach real estate professional, like realtors everywhere, need to keep a competitive edge when helping clients buy or sell Delray Beach homes for sale. Most realtors think they are better than their competitors, but are they really. Are you?Successful realtors are aware of their competitive advantages as well as those areas where they could use a little work. That is the only way to remain among the top echelon of real estate professionals working any market. If you haven’t explored what your competitive advantage and hindrances are, find out 6 tips that can help you get started. 07/19/2016

1st Ever Delray Beach Restaurant Week  Delray Beach will now have its own first Dine Out Downtown Delray Restaurant Week Aug. 1 to 7, 2016.Some of the restaurants participating will be 50 Ocean, The Office, The Atlantic Grille, Big Al's Steaks, Boston's on the Beach, Tryst, Caffe Luna Rosa, DaDa, Deck 84, Eat Market, Gary Rack's Farmhouse Kitchen, Honey, Juice Papi, Max's Harvest, Max's Social House, Mellow Mushroom, Racks Fish House & Oyster Bar, Salt7 and Solita & Mastino.Each restaurant will offer a 3 course meal, there will be a class for "crafting your own cocktails" on Aug. 5 for $25 and will include small bites. Should be a fun week here in Delray Beach! 07/18/2016

Home Prices in Delray Beach FL for June 2016  Real estate market data for Delray Beach, FL provided by Elyse Berman of Realty Associates Florida Properties.  We continue to see higher prices on home prices in Delray Beach FL and don’t expect things to slow down anytime soon.  June market report shows an increase in single family homes and a modest decrease in condos, villas and townhomes.  If you are considering buying a home you can still find deals on a house in Delray Beach, but having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. Don’t wait on the sidelines for too long. Many of our listings are selling within a few days of hitting the market. As you can see from the graph below, listings are not selling exactly for asking price. To make sure you don't overpay for y... 07/13/2016

  The Daily (071216) Hot Sheet Of Top Real Estate News Trending NowGet ready for a baby boomer sell-off Freddie Mac survey: There are a lot of baby boomers out there, and many plan to downsize or move soon - and that would add a lot of homes to the market. Read more. All condos need sprinklers or opt-out vote by Jan. 1The Fla. agency regulating condominiums says all condos - not just high rises - must have fire sprinkler systems installed unless owners vote to opt-out of the requirement before the end of 2016. Read more. Office market landlords unlock bigger profitsOffice vacancies dipped below 16% in 2Q 2016 - the lowest vacancy rate since the recession seven years ago, according to new data released by Reis Inc. Read more.Brexit fallout could be good for U.S., less for Fla.UBS analyst... 07/12/2016

Testimonial - Palm Greens in Delray Beach FL  Since we were relocating from Pennsylvania, Elyse was invaluable as my representative in purchasing our home in Delray Beach. She answered all our questions and helped buying our house an easy transaction. We are still in touch and she is always ready to answer my questions and guide me in the right direction. I highly recommend her, she's a pleasure to work with. Diane & Richard Paul It's so nice to receive a note like this.   It makes me happy that Diane, her husband Richard, and their dog Dixie are happily settled in to their new home in Delray Beach. 07/06/2016

Renters, Buying May Be A Better Option! According to a new report by RentCafe, an online rental marketplace, rental prices are up 7% and the spaces are 8% smaller! With developers paying more in construction costs and the demand in large cities being higher, they are forced to fit more units in a smaller space. New studio apartments may be the smallest in size, having been downsized nearly 18% since 2006. The average size is now 504 sq. ft. One-bedroom apartments have shrunk by 5%, from 794 sq. ft. 10 years ago to 752 sq. ft. today. Two-bedroom apartments, however, have mostly held steady over the past 10 years, actually increasing 1% to 1,126 sq. ft.This may be a better time to buy, unless a renter has certain circumstances that make it less feasible. Those reasons could be, lack of cr... 07/06/2016

Buying homes for sale in Delray Beach are most likely to be made by couples, but there is a buying power that is growing in the Delray Beach real estate market as well as across the country – single women.Single women are coming into their own when it comes to being financial independent. In years past it seems that many women were unsure about their future financially and matrimonially, holding on to renting properties until they married. That type of mindset could end up costing them a lot of money that could have better been used in building up their own home equity.Take a look at some of the statistics defining this up and coming new home buyer at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. Some of the numbers may surprise you. 06/22/2016

Home insurance in Florida is optional, at least if you are paying cash for a property, like Delray Beach real estate. However, for most home buyers, a home loan will be required and most mortgage lenders typically require insurance to cover their own investment.When examining the different types of insurance coverages, insurance shoppers need to know that there are standard areas of coverage that will provide the bare bones. Although paying the lowest annual premium may be an attractive feature, it isn’t all there is to think about when insuring your biggest investment.There also are some lesser known factors that may affect a potential property owner’s coverage to their Delray Beach real estate property. Read 6 not-so-well-known aspects at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Re... 06/20/2016