When you want a new home in Melbourne, Florida - Choose Stanley Homes Buying a new home with custom features may seem out of reach for some, but not for home buyers looking for new homes in Melbourne and Palm Bay, Florida. Stanley Homes has new homes with very custom features ready for you to move in now. No waiting. No hassles. And these move-in ready homes are very affordable and in great locations. Starting from $139,900, you can own a beautiful new 3-bedroom / 2-bath home with custom features in Palm Bay, Florida. When you buy a new home, your home doesn't just come void of all the problems you can find with re-sale and foreclosure, your new home comes with a warranty! You should expect no out-of-pocket, hidden maintenance or repair costs! PLUS, you are the first owner and everythin... 04/28/2009

I had a situation with a buyer in the past couple of weeks that had spoken to an internet lender they were not familiar with, to get preapproved to buy a home. This is not to say that all internet lenders are bad, however you must know who you are doing business with.  The buyer received a good faith estimate with an interest rate that was 1/2% higher than the going rate. And, the estimate had a $2895 mortgage broker fee attached to the loan!  Ouch! There aren't many buyers in this market than can afford a fee like that tacked onto their loan. I always recommend buyers talk to more than one lender to be sure they are being quoted the best rate and terms on their mortgage.  I also recommend they talk to a local lender, as they work in and understand the Brevard County Real Estate Market... 04/18/2009

The answer to that question is something we are all asking ourselves these days.  Tough time are already here, and many people are doing everything they can to try to keep up with feeding the kids, paying the bills, and caring for their animals.  One man, as pictured below, has come up with a novel way of asking strangers for help.  If this doesn't melt your heart and make you smile, well what can I say?   04/12/2009

Acccording to the Brevard County Clerk of Courts office, there were 963 foreclosure filings here in Brevard County for the month of March 2009.  The number for the first three months of this year are 2,676.  These are not necessarily properties that will all slide into foreclosure.  The numbers are for foreclosures filed. On Monday April 13 there will be a foreclosure forum held at the Melbourne Rialto Hilton from 7:00 - 9:00 PM.  There will be representatives from United States office of Housing and Urban Development, Consumer Credit Counseling and the Community Credit Union.  United States representative Billl Posey will host the meeting and a local attorney will also be present. They will shed some light on how consumers can work with their lenders. They will also examine what progra... 04/10/2009

WHY HOME STAGING WORKS Please visit www.MelbourneHomeStaging.com PRICE YOUR HOUSE COMPETITIVELY A Perfectly Targeted Audience – Most buyers who come to your house are good prospects: they are actively shopping for the product you are selling, a feeling of home. Never miss any opportunity to make it appealing. A Captive Audience – The buyer is in your house and will probably spend up to 30 minutes studying it. We set the stage to move them from room to room, imagining their items in your home. An Opportunity to Make Multiple Impressions – Each room gives us the perfect opportunity to make dozens of “first” impressions. With each detail we will move the buyer from looking at your house to evaluating whether it could be THEIR HOME. HOMES ARE PURCHASED BASED ON EMOTIONS…LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT ... 04/06/2009

I've written before about my 85 year old neighbor here in Melbourne Florida. She is an incredible woman, tough as nails, with a heart of gold.  She's incredibly feisty and I love that about her. Yesterday, she told me that a couple came to her door the other day and asked her if she wanted her bushes trimmed.  She thought it was time, so decided to go ahead and let them do it for her. When it was time to pay the workers, they invited themselves into her home. As she began to pay them (I never asked her how much they charged her) they began asking her if she lived alone or if she had any family around. They began asking her if she was interested in selling specific items in her home.  And, they persisted.  She became very uncomfortable and was finally able to get them out of her house. T... 04/04/2009

Sandy Shores, Realtor | M & M Real Estate, Inc | 321-253-4545 2748 Golf Lake Circle #811, Melbourne, FL Melbourne Florida Townhome - Ground floor, end, corner unit tucked in the back of this community 2BR/2BA Townhouse $645/month Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Sq Footage 1,140 Parking 1 dedicated Pet Policy No pets Deposit $700 DESCRIPTION Charming well maintained townhome in great central location! Attractive light colors! Screened porch overlooking pond and pool area. Owner will leave it partially furnished if tenants wishes. Rent includes cable and water. Minutes to I-95, US1, Wickham Rd, the beaches, across from shopping and Harbor City Golf Course. see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES Air conditioning Central heat Tile floor Living room Dining room Refrigerator Stov... 04/02/2009

Home Buyers get job-loss protection Printed in the Sun-Sentinal (South Florida Newspaper) by Paul Owers and modified by Josephine Carpenter for release. Dated: Mar 27, 2009 Keller Williams Realty of Brevard (KW international) is joining a growing list of companies starting job-loss protection programs for customers People who lose their jobs within two years of buying homes through Keller Williams may receive up to six months of mortgage payments. The program has been approved for borrowers with FHA, VA and USDA loans, and the real estate firm hopes to make it available for people who have conventional loans.  To be eligible, borrowers must qualify for unemployment benefits. This protection plan is offered only to home buyers that work with Keller Williams Agents. The Keller Williams Re... 03/31/2009

Recently an applicant contacted me who is a first time homebuyer. She had no idea where to begin on the loan process. Even if I believe the person will not qualify for a mortgage at this time, I try to educate the person in order to prepare for the future. The following are a few tips I use to help you get started in your quest for a mortgage for your home purchase:There are 5 criteria for mortgage underwriting: We call this E-CASA1. Equity - How much money you will be putting down (down payment). 2. Credit - You will need a credit score of 620 or higher as well as anyone else who will be on the loan application. Bankruptcies need to be discharged 2 years ago for FHA and 4 years ago for Conventional. If you had a foreclosure, it will be extremely difficult at this time to obtain financ... 03/30/2009

In the last couple of weeks I have heard this question so much! I cannot stress to a homebuyer enough that there is even more of a reason now to get a pre-approval than ever.A gentleman telephoned this week in need of a mortgage for a second home in Florida. He is currently working with a Realtor and he has already obtained a home inspection - meaning he has already spent money out of his own pocket. He stated that he has excellent credit scores (over 800 and that is excellent) and that he won't have a problem getting a mortgage. That may be true - 1- 2 years ago! What once was, is not true for today. He only has 10% to put down on his Second Home that he is under contract to buy. He needs 20% down. He has called all over the state of Florida trying to find a lender who will lend him 9... 03/30/2009

We have just received word that a Foreclosure Forum will be held on Tuesday, March 31 from 9:00 to 11:00 AM at the Melbourne Association of Realtors facility at 1450 Sarno Road in Melbourne.  Speakers will include Circuit Court Judge W. David Dugan, as well as Brevard County Clerk of Court Scott Ellis. They will discuss trends in legal filings, forclosure proceedings, mediation processs and future outlook.  It should prove to be an interesting session. Be sure to mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 31.     This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor Brevard County Real Estate & Investing Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News 03/28/2009

Just a reminder that Earth Hour begins tomorrow, Saturday March 28 at 8:30pm your local time!  Get out the candles, board games, and snacks, and enjoy one hour during the year of time spent with your family, no distractions included.  Unplug your electronics, turn out the lights, throw the circuit breakers, and go dark for one hour.  Its fun, easy, and free! 03/27/2009

OK, we all know the economy is bad.  But have you noticed that the price of some food products has risen over 100% in the past year?  One way to reduce your food spending is by planting a garden.  It doesn't have to be large, you can container plant on patios, and after the initial setup it doesnt take much work beyond some fertilizing every couple of weeks and watering.  And the money saved can be in the hundreds of dollars. Container plant tomatoes, one plant can yieeld several pounds of vine ripe, yes real vine ripened tomatoes.  You can container plant potatoes, one container will  yield around 10 pounds of organic potatoes.  Green peppers, herbs, onions, almost everything can be planted and effectively grown in containers, if digging up the yard isn't on  your list.  OR you can mak... 03/26/2009

If you're game, this recipe is easy and cheap enough to make.  Especially if you have the ingredients used to make your own laundry detergent. Mix together one cup borax, one cup washing soda, and one cup sea salt. Its just that easy, and costs mere pennies compared to off the shelf.  You can add white vinegar to the "jet dry" cup to give your dishes that sparkly shine we all love. 03/21/2009

On March 28 at 8:30pm local time, thousands of cities, and millions of people worldwide will  throw the switch and  go dark for one hour.  Earth Hour is designed to promote one small thing we can all do  to  help the planet.  Imagine the CO2 emissions that will be saved, as cities large and small turn  out  the lights.  Sign up, be part of the solution!   http://www.earthhourus.org/main.php 03/20/2009

How much do you spend on laundry detergent per month?  Probably in the neighbohood of $10 or more.  Here is a simple recipe for making 3 gallons of  your own laundry detergent at an approximate cost of $3. 1 bar bath soap - I use Ivory 1 cup borax - 20 Mule Team can be found most places 1 cup washing soda (sodium carbonate) - hard to find but can be phone ordered from Arm and Hammer 3 gallons of water 5 gallon bucket Boil 4 cups of water.  Grate the bar of soap and add to the boiling water.  Continue to "cook" till the soap melts. Fill the bucket with 3 gallons of lukewarm water Add the soapy soup, borax, and washing soda, mix well and let set overnigt. Note: washing soda can be ordered from Arm & Hammer, and if you order two boxes for $3.99 each, shipping is FREE.  You will probably sp... 03/18/2009

Those of us who began haunting healthfood stores way back when, for environmentally friendly, socially conscious products, never had to worry about the claims made by the manufacturers.  Today its a different story, as large corporations, whose business practices often lead to polluting the environment, are snapping up products right and left.  Ever wonder why you started seeing Burt's Bees at regular grocery and drug stores?  Here's why: Burts Bees bought by Clorox Ben & Jerry's bought by Unilever Toms of Maine toothpaste bought by Colgate/Palmolive Stoneyfield Farm yogurt bought by Dannon Horizon Milk bought by the largest dairy in the U.S. Dean Foods Odwalla, Dasani, Glaceau owned by Coka Cola Naked Juice bought by Pepsi Aqua Fina owned by Pepsi Knudsen and Santa Cruz bought by Smuck... 03/17/2009

Today I joined Terrylynn Fisher, her husband Bob, Chris Fisher, her daughter Rhiannon, cousin Lucas, Fernando Rosado, and friend Antonio, for a play date at Universal Studios.  While we all focus on our businesses, networking, communicating with fellow Active Rainers, we often forget to take time to enjoy the company of our compadres, and just play the day away.  Light hearted activity is a great way to form friendships and cement bonds.  So what are you waiting for? P.S. Pictures will be forthcoming courtesy, Fernando Rosado 03/16/2009

Are you prepared to roll the dice? A common misconception among homebuyers today is that the best values in the market are foreclosures. Yes, there are some good deals on foreclosed homes, however, if you take a closer look, you might find that buying a NEW home is actually a better value, a safer investment and offers more peace of mind.  Probably the most important consideration when comparing a new home versus a foreclosure is the protection you have when you purchase a new home. If anything goes wrong after closing, a new home is covered by the builder's one-year limited warranty on workmanship and materials, as well as a ten-year structural warranty. You have peace of mind knowing there won't be any unanticipated out-of-pocket repair costs to absorb.Most people aren't aware that pr... 03/16/2009

Are you starting to feel those scratchy eyes, itchy throat and runny nose?  Well there's a good reason for it. We are hearing that the pollen count here in Brevard County currently is quite high. This is not that uncommon from February to April in our area. Tomorrow oak and grass counts will be at their highest level on the the pollen scale. Currently the level is at 8.6 on a scale of 0 to 12 with 12 being the highest.  Sunday it will reach 10.8 according to the Allergy and Asthma Center of East Orlando. We breathe pollen into our lungs, where it then enters out bloodstream.  There it causes histamine and gives many people much difficulty in breathing. So, bring that tissue box with you this weekend and be sure to take an extra allergy tablet before you head out for the day (check with ... 03/14/2009