When buyers are out looking at homes they always ask how long a house has been on the market. This question can often provide some valuable insight. How motivated is the seller?  How flexible is he on price? Currently there are 981 single family, condos and townhouses for sale in Melbourne Florida in the MLS, Multiple Listing Service.  Over 100 of these properties have been on the market for at least a year and many much longer. Three properties have been on the market for over 1000 days. These 100 properties are stale.  These sellers are in a precarious position. They may appear unwilling to budge, or unmotivated, perhaps unrealistic in the eyes of a buyer.  Perhaps they truly can't budge on their price, based on what they owe on their mortgage. Are the houses continuing to be shown or... 06/08/2009

Today, MIMA Orthopedics and Sports Medicine here in Melbourne Florida performed school physicals on students that needed one to be able to play a sport this upcoming year.  MIMA took no money in from these physicals.  A donation of $10 was requested to the sport club of the student's choice at their school. I understand they were performing physicals for 5 area schools, free of charge. Each physical took about 15 minutes from start to finish. They were run like an assembly line, with no snags. On their way out the door, each student was given a free MIMA T shirt. Thank you MIMA for your great generosity in performing hundreds of free physicals today for these student athletes. This article is authored by Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate Brevard County Real Estate & Investi... 06/06/2009

Did you know honey has uses beyond cooking?  Allow a teaspoon of honey to dissolve in your mouth once a day, and plaque be gone!  The antibacterial properties of honey literally eats away at plaque.  This could potentially save you money at the dentist by avoided the dreaded deep scale cleaning of your teeth. Honey can also be used as a wound dressing.  Apply a small amount of honey to the wound and cover. This Native American solution to traditional antibiotic creams will amaze you as wounds heal twice as fast.  In addition, honey is now being used in the treatment of pressure sores.  So, keep a jar of honey in your medicine cabinet.  You won't be disappointed.   05/24/2009

If ever there was a time for frugality the time is now.  Making your own laundry, dishwasher and dishwashing liquid, costs mere pennies compared to purchasing ready made.  Here is my number 3 tip for saving money. Ingredients 2 Bars shredded Octagon soap 1 cup baking soda 1/4 cup washing soda 1/4 cup lemon juice Directions Put shredded soap in 4 1/2- 5 quarts of water and melt on stove. When melted, turn stove off and add all other ingredients and stir. When cooled down, pour in sealed containers. 05/24/2009

The number of vacant homes due to short sales and foreclosures is increasing in Melbourne, Florida. So, the Melbourne City Council has approved a new registration program for mortgage holders.  The city council believes that this will make it easier to contact the correct party should there be a code compliance complaint at the property.  Some of these abandoned properties are found in disrepair, with lawns that are overgrown. Some have broken windows, algae filled pools, or various other problems. The City council has applied to the Florida Department of Community Affairs. They are hoping for a nearly $2 million grant for a Neighborhood Stabilization Program.  The money will be used to buy and rehabilitate distressed properties.  The properties will then be resold and rented. This arti... 05/23/2009

It's time to dust off the 'ole crystal ball and see where the real estate market is headed. Several times a week buyers and sellers ask if the market has hit bottom yet. News reports have indicated that we have hit bottom. People tell me we've hit bottom. Many are convinced that it has.  And, that may be the case in some parts of the country. But, I'm not completely convinced. Have we seen signs that our market has bottomed out?  And if we're at the bottom, how long will we stay there? Or do we still have a ride till we get to the bottom? The locals have homes they want to sell, but they are competing with the short sales and the foreclosures on the market.  So, will these sellers eventually, in time, become among the statistics, a short sale or foreclosure, because they can't sell for... 05/19/2009

We have been getting calls from investors that are looking to purchase investment property. They want to take advantage of our low prices and interest rates. Some want to buy a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood, with top of the line appliances and amenities. The feeling is that the nicer the property, the better clientele will be attracted to the property, so the more money they will collect in rent, thus the more money they will make. There are many fallacies to real estate investing, and owning the nicest and biggest house on the block is one of them.  Real estate is local in nature. And, each market across the country is different. So, I can only speak about and from my experience with Brevard County Florida real estate. Real estate investing is all about the numbers. If the... 05/18/2009

Just Hangin' Around! These photos are copyright (c), all rights reserved and may not be used or reproduced without permission from John Mayer. Permission can granted with a link back to my website and / or blog, providing the site is appropriate for everyone. Photographs are a great way to share the world. Thank you for viewing. 05/13/2009

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