Okay...I know in my profile I stated that I wouldn't bore everyone with RE stats...mortgage rates, etc.  But, I came across another blog just a bit ago, and it got me thinking about the real estate laws in other states.  It was interesting that in Michigan, a handicap or disability are defined differently than they are in Florida.  In Florida, with regard to real estate ONLY, I could not find in our statutes anything that breaks down handicaps into sub categories.  Here, we adhere to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination when selling or renting residential property when based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap status (physical or mental), familial status, or national origin.  ("FRESH CORN" was our memory tool to help us remember these seven classes (less the ... 02/08/2009

Port St Lucie Florida was hit very hard with the meltdown. In fact, Port St Lucie Florida was ranked the 3rd highest foreclosed city in the United States.   Currently there are 3,694 ACTIVE on the market listings, homes and condos for sale! This last month 327 were sold. The most expensive property listed for sale is a mansion on the river listed at $3,800,000. There are 144 active homes for sale between the prices of $539,000 and $3,800,000. All of these homes are either on the river or on Lake Corrente; or in the PGA and other golf club communities in Port St Lucie Florida. Some of the communities are: Tesoro Club, Ballantrae Estates, Vikings Landing and PGA Village. Many of these properties are short sales. If you are looking for a golf or waterfront luxury home you will find some gr... 01/30/2009

Today I was fortunate enough to have been invited to a lovely bridal shower in Tradition.  The venue was the new Olive Garden, and I do have to say, it is a really nice place to have a party.  The view from the room that we were in was lovely.  It overlooked a pond and there were vines "growing" off of the pillars on the outer part of the building.  Stunning! The food was delicious (of course), and the service was exceptional.  In my opinion, the staff were very professional, courteous, and efficient.  I would highly recommend that everyone within earshot stop in the Olive Garden for a simple lunch, or an elegant dinner.  You won't be disappointed. There are other fantastic eateries in Tradition as well.  Steak, seafood, burgers, sandwiches and the like are available within walking dist... 01/24/2009

How the wind of the real estate market has changed. It's unfortunate that some many homeowners have lost their home to foreclosure. This has contributed the real estate market shifting to the buyer. There are many factors that have contributed to this change, and we should look to hold many involved accountable. From the financial institutions, mortgage brokers, appraiser, even those past homebuyers, and real estate professionals. We have to continue to adjust our business to the every changing market conditions. The one good thing that has come from this unfortunate event is that home price has become low enough to be affordable for low-income buyers. They have seen this change, and are taking advantage of this. We should become these new first-time buyers Trusted Advisor and educate t... 01/21/2009

I had quite an interesting today.  I needed to be in just about every corner of Port St. Lucie in a very short time.  My supervisor told me that it would be geographically impossible for me to go to all of the places that I needed to go in one afternoon.  I took that to be a sort of a challenge.  I am always up for a challenge.  So, off I went.  My first stop, Tradition.  I did what I needed to there and continued on my journey.  My next stop was near the Prima Vista area.  Rather than take the usual "long way", I decided to "cut-through" and use the new Crosstown Parkway.  This road is such a time-saver.  The whole idea of the parkway is to lessen the traffic on the highly traveled roads, and to have a straight shot from US1 to I95.  Ideally the project will be finished within the next... 01/16/2009

  As many of you may already know, HGTV has designated Port St. Lucie as this year’s location for the HGTV Green Home.  I am curious to know if anyone has seen this house yet.  I go out to Tradition on a weekly basis, and I still have no idea where it is.  (Could it be so “green” that it is camouflaged so that NO ONE can see it?  Seriously, though, I haven’t really looked for it, so actually it is my own fault for not finding it).   Rumor has it that the home will be green from top to bottom; grass included (no pun intended).  I have been checking out one of the many blogs on HGTV regarding the green home, and from what I have read the grass will be synthetic.  I am wondering why synthetic grass.  Why not plant the real thing.  It makes more sense to me.  However, with the whole Reduce,... 01/12/2009

Call The Real Estate Market The sign of the times or call it the TIME TO BUY!  Either one is probably correct right now.  Port St. Lucie Real Estate is falling right in line with what analysts predicted.  Port St Lucie Real Estate prices are DROPPING and are the lowest seen in years if not ever.  This is the worst Real Estate Market in history and Port St. Lucie has fallen right in line with the rest of the country, the prices are priced for BUYERS!  As the amount of homes coming on the market are increasing daily, the overwhelming abundance of homes available is astounding to say the least. What does Port St. Lucie offer?  Well who can resist the Florida Sunshine?  I can attest for the school system here, one of the best in the State.  There is plenty of activities here for all walks o... 01/10/2009

  "$79.95 Virtual Tour"Perfect Images 360Virtual Tours   $79.95 !  Virtual Tour Promotion     As a VALUED customer Perfect Images is Offering You 20% off, good for any package  Virtual Tour    Example: Standard Tour = $100 Promotion = $79.95                                                                      Perfect Images Residential Virtual Tour Packages for Realtors:   A Package:        Slideshow up to 30  stills shot by Photographer      $75.00                                  Slideshow up to 20 stills (you provide the photos)  $39.00                B Package:   Standard:5- 360 spins and 10-12 stills                                       $100.00 Now $79.95C Package:   1800 to 3000 SF  7- 360 spins and 12 stills$130.00  Now $100.00       Home should be ready for photo shoot. Second ... 12/30/2008

After reading an article today on "How to Convince your buyer to BUY NOW!".  I now realize that is something you just DON'T DO!   Helping convince someone to make one if not THE largest single transaction of their lifetime, is something that your buyer should not have to be CONVINCED to do. As a Realtor we should be there to offer Knowledge, which means knowing the area, the market conditions, the schools, the workforce, all aspects of the community itself not just the piece of property, take it to the next level and be supportive of your buyer, let him/her know that you are there for them to offer support and to offer advice when needed, and HELP them make a sound decision, don't convince them that "THIS" is the property they should buy, this is not the way to do it, taking it to the ... 12/29/2008

When it comes to real estate, Port St. Lucie offers something for everyone, with exceptional choices for busy families, senior citizens, golfers and seasonal residents.What Does Port St. Lucie Real Estate Have to Offer You? Traditional Neighborhoods: Port St. Lucie has been ranked as one of the cleanest, safest and fastest-growing cities in the United States . With that in mind, traditional neighborhoods are a popular choice in Port St. Lucie real estate. Ideal for growing families, traditional neighborhoods are made up of single-family homes-free-standing structures that share no walls with other homes. Port St. Lucie's neighborhoods are conveniently located, with a large selection of restaurants, schools, banking, healthcare services, shopping and entertainment opportunities nearby. G... 12/28/2008

This exciting community was developed in 2004 and is the only neighborhood in Port St Lucie to have a "Downtown" section in the heart of the community. It's just a bit south of the brand new Civic Center and this section of town will eventually have one big "City Place"-like look and feel. As of my tour through the area, the downtown seciton is not yet built but, when finished, will boast restaurants, bandstand, office, and retail space. The neighborhoods are a mix between 2-story Single Family homes and Townhouses. Every street is lined with trees and sidewalks. Personally, I'm a big fan of that friendly-neighborhood feel and I think it could be attributed to the mass amount of front porches and open spaces - which is what this community is brimming with. There was something about walk... 12/22/2008

Investors, what are you waiting for??? You should be lined up at my front door waiting for me to sell you an investment property! Prices in Port St Lucie Florida for bank owned homes have now hit $45-$65 per square foot!! That's right, do the math, buy a 1600 square foot home for approximately $72,000 then rent it out for $800 per month. How is that for a return on your investment??? A lot better than putting your money in the stock market! Email me at andrew@andrewsellsflorida.net today and let me place you on our teams automatic email list of bank owned homes. I look forward to hearing from you! 12/18/2008

To help get into the spirit of the holiday season, my husband and I took a drive around town in the Southbend and Floresta area of Port St Lucie in mid December. I don't know if it was because it was during the middle of the week and getting late, but I thought we would see MORE lights than we did. Maybe we should go out during the weekend to see if there are more. Here are our photos: If you are not able to see the Slideshow above, click here to visit my Realtor website. Copyright 2008, Sarah Taylor, Port St Lucie Realtor 12/18/2008

 Is your buyer one of the MANY looking for that "Perfect Home" in the Sea of Foreclosures?   There is no doubt that just about more than half of the properties shown are in some sort of Foreclosure process, making the process a more difficult one to understand for your buyer. As a Realtor we have to inform our buyers exactly what the Foreclosure process entails, we NEED to educate them (& ourselves), to let them know that there are different stages of the foreclosure process, and that there are advantages and disadvantages during each step of the process. It may be very difficult for some buyers to deal with distressed home buyers, in that instance buying a Bank-Owned property may be for them. It is up to us to help the buyer decide. We need to make sure that the buyer is aware that the... 12/06/2008

I myself am trying to figure out the most important question of all>???? Will this REALLY help the homeowner out, or delay the inevitable? The state of FL has issued a 45-day halt on foreclosures, that is if the foreclosure process has NOT already been started, I am also hearing that now a coalition of advocacy groups are wanting a 6-month halt on all foreclosures.  I feel that the 45-day moratorium is definitely not enough time.  It is in fact just delaying a major crisis for these families. Granted it is coming at a time when people need some sort of reassurance from the government, but is a 45-day grace period really enough time for people to work with their banks, get back on their feet and actually try and stay in their home, I honestly don't think that it is, I actually wonder if ... 12/02/2008

The week of December 1st commemorates the grand opening of the Port St Lucie Civic Center. I had the priveledge of attending the community tour on Tuesday, December 2nd around lunch time. The center boasts a whopping 100,000 square feet that includes ballrooms, conference rooms, a fitness center, a gymnasium, a game room, art gallery, and many other nooks and crannies. Outside there is a stage in front of the entrance that I am assuming will be used for concerts and events. To the south west corner sits a 4 level parking garage. Here is a slideshow of some photos that I shot during my tour: The facility is on US1 at the Walton Road / Veterans Memorial Parkway traffic light. 12/02/2008

Palm Pointe Educational Research School / Tradition Looking forward to the new school year, since my daughter is going to be attending.  Is your child going to the school, please contact me. If you think you need to sell your property short or might need someone to look at the situation and tell you if you are a candidate for a short sale then call me!  As an Internet-savvy real estate representative in the neighborhood, I've had the opportunity to help many homebuyers find their ideal homes and many sellers obtain top dollar for their homes. Brian Sharkey can be reached at All Florida GMAC Real Estate at 800-815-4194 ext. 7 or via email Brian@BrianSharkeyRealEstate.com   www.briansharkeyrealestate.com   11/08/2008

If you, or someone you know, are thinking of relocating to the Port St Lucie area I would be more than willing to earn your trust and business, please call me for professional and HONEST service! Hello my friends, if you are currently looking for a next to perfect place to raise a family....Look no further.  I moved to this area about 4 years ago from the Panhandle of Florida, and this is one of the best moves we have ever made.  We absolutely love it here, it is still close to the "Space Coast" and all the Orlando attractions and yes of course the Miami Dolphins.  Sports fans love this area due to the NY Mets Spring Training Facility here.  We also have a Minor League here the Port St. Lucie, Mets.     Here are some stats:   Port St. Lucie History    The area is rich in history, having... 10/11/2008

Short Sales in Port St Lucie Florida and Palm Beach county are found in abundance. The amount of listings on the market and in foreclosure in Port St Lucie is staggering. Prices are going down as well they should be. The market is correcting itself. It is a great time to buy- we are selling short sales!   Each time our fax machine rings with an acceptance letter for one of our short sale listings we do our victory dance! We jump up and down and celebrate with a smile, a hug, a prayer of thanksgiving to God and a big sigh of relief for a fight well fought, a battle well planned and a victory foreseen! This week we received 3 acceptance letters! While much of the market is at a standstill we are cooking those short sales.We are getting our full fee on 2 out of 3 of these acceptances. Yest... 10/08/2008

I thought this may be of some use to your clients.  Just some general information that they may or may not be aware of.  Just passing it along. I know what many are thinking, who in this market has Equity, but you would be surprised how many people ask me about this. ~Sharon~ Removing private mortgage insurance By Bankrate.com If you secured a home loan with less than a 20 percent down payment, chances are your lender required you to buy mortgage insurance to cover its exposure in case you default. Once your equity position in the home reaches 20 percent, however, you will want to stop paying mortgage insurance (unless you have an FHA-insured loan, which requires premium payments to the government for the life of the loan). Know your rightsBy law, your lender must tell you at closing h... 10/05/2008