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Melbourne, FL Real Estate News

By Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
(Stage it Right!)
The very same people who helped contribute to this housing problem are back in business, snapping up everything in sight.  I have a friend who has been trying to buy a house since last May.  Everytime she finds one she can afford, makes an offer somewhat higher than asking, along comes an investor and out bids.  This is a great time for first time home buyers to buy a house, but the competition for some is too stiff.  I'm wondering, what are those investors going to do with those homes?  Price them higher than they paid and price potential buyers out of the market?
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
Two weeks ago I placed a beautiful home on the market here in Melbourne Florida.  It is a home priced at $123,400 that shows like a model.  Everything in it is immaculate.  And, the sellers have impeccable taste. They have put many upgrades into the home and it shows. There is no clutter anywhere.  Buyers walking through the home are quite impressed. We received an offer the day after the house went on the market.  We had 5 additional showings that week, with the promise of an out of town offer coming in.  We received another offer on the property after 5 more showings and the home continues to be shown. The owners have been a delight to deal with and the home has been a pleasure to have on the market. I just wish I had 12 more homes, just like this one to sell. This article is authored...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
My husband's mother lost her battle with cancer yesterday. We got the call at 4:30 to come immediately as it would only be a matter of time.  We walked into her apartment 5 minutes too late. Her sister Joan and niece, Debbie were with her when she passed away. My teenage daughters were devastated. Dawn was one of the most courageous women I had ever met.  She was diagnosed almost four years ago. She had a pea sized lump on her lung. In time it grew and became the size of a grapefruit. She had the slow growing cancer, squamous cell cancer.  As time progressed the cancer began wrapping itself around her heart and her left lung. Her lungs began filling up with fluid, so she had to have one drained twice a week.  Doctors feared that her heart would give out because of the strain. The cancer...
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By Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
(Stage it Right!)
Recent articles have surface regarding the use of chinese made drywall in new construction here in the U.S.  To date, in excess of 20 builders are being sued by people who bought homes between 2004 and 2007.  The reason?  Chinese made drywall contains fly ash, a by product of their coal fired power plants.  This fly ash, when subjected to moisture causes the drywall to emit sulfur fumes in the home.  A wide variety of symptoms can include respiratory problems, chronic cough, nose bleeds, and fatigue.  Different people react differently and may have one or all of the list of symptoms.  Lennar, the most prominent builder named in a class action suit filed in Miami, has admitted using chinese made drywall and are working on mitigating the issue with different homeowners.  Mitigation means ...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
We talk to investors and soon to be investors all the time only to find that there is so much misinformation floating around today about real estate investing. Perhaps this could be one of the reasons there are vacant properties sprinkled about town. Now, I know that if you put 20 investors in a room, each one would have different opinions and views on what 'works' in the business and what doesn't 'work'.  Some of the myths we hear in the investing business... MYTH #1 -The nicer and more expensive the house that I buy, the better the tenant I will get. That sounds good, in theory.  The only problem with this is that the higher the rent on the property, the less tenants there are that can qualify for the property. In my experience people that are renting for over $1000 a month here in Br...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
Today, there is so much talk about sellers that are putting their homes up for a short sale, that often times we take for granted that everyone knows what the term ‘short sale’ actually means.  Last week I was on the phone with a buyer and I mentioned short sales, and quickly realized that this client didn't quite understand the term. According to the Melbourne Association of Realtors here in Melbourne Florida, ‘a short sale is when a bank or a mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance due to an economic or financial hardship on the part of the mortgagor.  The homeowner/debtor sells the mortgaged property for less than the outstanding balance of the loan, and turns over the proceeds of the sale to the lender to satisfy the debt.’  The lender has the right to approve or disapprov...
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By Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
(Stage it Right!)
The data in the December Case-Shiller 20-City index indicate that the rate of housing price decline is continuing to accelerate. The data show that house prices in the 20 cities fell at a rate of 2.0 percent in the month of December and were falling at a 21.3 percent annual rate in the last quarter of 2008.     It is important to remember that these data reflect sale prices in the three month period from October to December. Since there is typically a 6-8 week period between contracts and closing, these data reflect contracts in a period centered on October. This means that the data is already somewhat dated when it is released. If the recent rate of price decline has persisted, prices are already 8 percent lower on average than the data indicate. At this rate that translates into $4 tr...
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By Terry Haugen STAGE it RIGHT! 321-956-2495
(Stage it Right!)
The first big success of the produce-the-note movement came in 2007 when a federal judge in Cleveland threw out 14 foreclosures by Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. because the bank failed to produce the original notes. Michael Silver, a lawyer for two of the families in that case, said at least one eventually lost their home. Still, he considers that a success. "From the perspective of the person who's in the home, you may have kept them in the house another 10 or 12 months," he said. "If I can get a result with economic benefits to a client, then I think I won." Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio endorsed the strategy in a fiery speech on the House floor during debate on the federal bank bailout last month. "Don't leave your home," she said. "Because you know what? When those compani...
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By John Mayer, Your Beach Area Expert
(Oikos Realty, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach Florida)
What better way to spend a Sunday than enjoying Dippin' Dots at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida Being attacked by playful, hungry Parrots can be a little overwhelming at first but the birds are mostly good natured and know what's in those little cups! My niece's friend, pictured below, had a lot of fun and wanted to keep feeding them more after she got used to the little squawkers. 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.
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
Brevard County Florida public schools are facing $66 Milllion in budget cuts for the 2009-2010 school year in order to offset state and local revenue shortfalls. There will be a Town Hall Education Meeting held at the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:00 PM.  The meeting is being sponsored by the Brevard Federation of Teachers, The Brevard Association of School Administrators and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. It is being held as an effort to persuade Florida legislators to find an alternative to these budget cuts. The budget cuts could affect some 1000 Brevard County teacher's jobs, some performing arts programs, some elective programs,  junior varsity sports programs and some school busing programs, just to name a ...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
West Shore Junior Senior High Middle School will be performing Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory tonight. The show will cast a group of incredibly talented students under the direction of Mrs. Fallon, head of the performing arts department. The show will be held at the new performing arts auditorium on campus.  Doors open at 6:30 for a 7:00 performance. It is my understanding that the show has been sold out.     This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL Realtor Brevard County Real Estate & Investing Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News  
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By John Mayer, Your Beach Area Expert
(Oikos Realty, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach Florida)
You need to take a family break every now and then. Our Niece Katie and her friend Destiny really like the Giraffes at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida. The Giraffe said she would refer some African friends who are looking for vacant land in the Sunshine State. Does anyone have a place in mind for nice neighbors?
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By Stanley Homes
(Stanley Homes)
Your buyers will get a great deal on a new home and you'll earn a larger commission and maybe a trip to the Bahamas! These days Realtors have lots of options when planning on what homes to show clients. At Stanley Homes, we are proud of the strong Realtor relationships we've built over the years and the trust Realtors have in our company and our homes. To show our appreciation for the opportunity to work with our area Realtors and with their buyers, we are offering special incentives to our Realtor Partners when they show and when they sell a Stanley Home at any of our four Brevard County new home communities. •·         Through January 31st, just for registering a buyer online or at a model, our Realtor partners receive a $25 gift card. •·         For 2009, we are initiating a NEW grad...
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By Stanley Homes
(Stanley Homes)
No better time than now to buy a new home. Right now it looks like all the stars are aligned when it comes to buying a new home - especially if you are considering Florida's Brevard County.  Stanley Homes, a custom home builder in Brevard County, FL.  just announced a Builder Inventory Liquidation and is selling new homes in Palm Bay in Brevard County that are BELOW market appraisal!   You can purchase a brand new custom built 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in Palm Bay in the mid $100's - realizing instant equity up to $60,000! Then, Freddie Mac announced last week that average interest rates dropped below the previous record low of 5.1 percent to 5.01 percent.  This is the lowest rates have been in the last 28 years. Many people are concerned about "taking the plunge" now.  There's a sense of ...
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By Nora Marek, Melbourne Home Staging - (321)795-8761
(Home Stager Brevard County, Florida)
Specialized Interior Design For Selling Your Home We Have the Best Prices !   Quick Service !   Free MLS Photos For Your Listing ! Most Experienced Home Stager in Brevard *Please visit our website: www.MelbourneHomeStaging.com Serving the Following Areas: Suntree, Viera, Melbourne, Cocoa, Rockledge, Palm Bay, Bayside, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbor, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Cocoa Beach, Canaveral                                                 Call us today @ (321) 795-8761                                             
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
Today the West Shore Purrfections JV and Varsity Dance Teams competed in the 12th Annual Brevard County Florida Dance Competition held at Melbourne High School.  Teams from across the county competed. West Shore Junior Varsity picked up first place in the competition in the Junior Varsity Pom Dance Division. The team's coach is April Shaw. The Junior Varsity and Varsity teams were also awarded the Spirit Award! Congratulations to West Shore Purrfections!   This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Brevard County Real Estate Melbourne Florida Real Estate News  
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
These are the properties currently available through the Melbourne Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, MLS on January 16, 2009 MLS Current Active Listings        5953 Residential 2253 Rental 1769 Condo 491 Townhouse 2984 Vacant Land 143 Income 792 Commercial/Industrial       This article is authored by Sandy Shores, Brevard County Real Estate Melbourne Florida Real Estate News                
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
Last night we attended the Varsity boys basketball game at West Shore Junior/Senior High School.  Wildcats were playing the Astronaut War Eagles.  This was truly a night to be remembered! West Shore played with all their hearts, as if it were the last game they would ever play. The West Shore Wildcats were phenomenal. They played their hearts out.  It was like watching a fine oiled machine.  The teamwork was to be commended.  Every player pulled their weight.  They successfully executed many layup shots, coming up the center of the court, between the other team's players to make some absolutely beautiful shots, right up, under the basket. It was standing room only! The crowd was electrified!  The excitement was infectious!  We were cheering our hearts out! I felt privileged to be a part...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
West Shore Junior/Senior High School, a school of choice, is currently accepting applications through February 13.   They will be 175 openings for incoming seventh graders.  There are also some openings in grades 8 through 12.  Applications are picked by lottery.  Students applying must have a "C" average in all their classes and they must maintain a level 3 on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Students may apply from these feeder schools: Eau Gallie High, Melbourne High School, Palm Bay High, Bayside High, DeLaura Middle School and Johnson Junior High. Parent meetings will be held January 13 and 14 at 6:30 PM at West Shore at 250 Wildcat Alley regarding new applications. Any questions please call 321-242-4730. West Shore focuses on preparation for college. This article is auth...
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By Sandy Shores FL Realtor®, Melbourne Real Estate, Brevard County Real Estate, Florida's Space Coast
(M & M Realty of Brevard Inc.)
  I love chinese food.  But, I love GOOD chinese food. Here in Melbourne Florida located in Lake Washington Square Plaza, at the corner of Lake Washington and Wickham Roads we have a fairly new Chinese Restaurant, Hop Bo.  It is New York Style Chinese food and the food is excellent.  It is fresh and hot and it is some of the best chinese food I have ever eaten. We usually go for take out. But, we order when we get to the restaurant. You can call ahead if you wish. My girl's favorite is the sesame chicken.  We ordered 2 dinners and they feed 5 of us.  The portions they give you are very, very generous. Dinner was delicious tonight, as usual. So, if you're ever in Melbourne Florida and craving Chinese food look them up.  You won't be sorry.     This article is authored by Sandy Shores, M...
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