I want to sell my house now, Why people are looking to sell homes fast. Ft Lauderdale FL Sunrise FL Plantation FL Davie FL

“I want to sell my house now,” is what many people are saying in these difficult economic times. But why are they looking to sell their homes as fast as possible? Traditionally, house selling has been a way to cash in on an investment. For decades residential properties increase in worth or appreciated in value consistently and predictably. Therefore, the longer you held on to your house, the more likely you would be able to demand a higher asking price. However, in recent months, for the first time in a decade, house prices have been plummeting. Last November, the housing declined more than any other month on record. This means that the longer you hold onto your house, the lower the asking price for the property will be. It has therefore become necessary, for many home owners to sell their property as quick as possible, or they risk losing even more money. For a generation, home ownership was part of the American dream. It meant that a person was financially stable and was working towards being financially independent. Owning a house was seen as an investment in your future, a savings account, if you will, that a parent could pass down to their children after death. For many people, owning a home was the only thing that they owned outright. It was intended to be stable investment that would help generate personal wealth over time. This idea became so because, for many decades, residential properties slowly appreciated in value. This meant that, barring any natural disasters or general lack of upkeep, a property slowly, but predictably increased in value. Therefore, a house that an individual paid one hundred thousand dollars for in 1980 may have been worth one hundred and twenty thousand dollars by 1985. This means, that if the home owner chose to sell his or her property in 1985, he or she was generate twenty thousand dollars in profit. This profit could then be used for a down payment on a larger or more desirable home and the process begins all over again. It this way individuals can slowly increase their net worth. Iin recent months the paradigm has been turned on its head. Instead of steadily appreciating in value, the vast majority of residential properties have begun to depreciate in value. To understand this better, think of an automobile. As soon as you drive a car off of the lot, it is suddenly worth less. Other than some restored classics, you can never sell a car for as much as you bought it for. Houses have suddenly gone the way of the car. Now, the longer you own a house, the more likely it is that you are going to get less than what you paid for it. Therefore, instead of slowly increasing your net worth, owning a house slowly decreases your financial situation. It becomes much harder for the average person to better him or herself financially, and more and more people try to sell their homes before they lose too much money. Thus, the “sell my house” in the phrase “I want to sell my house now” is not the key part. People have always wanted to sell their homes. The key word is “now”. People are finding that they lose less money the faster they sell their homes. Written by N. Big

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Clearing out a parent's house means letting go Ft Lauderdale Fl Sunrise Fl Plantation Fl Davie FL

Up there in the category with death and taxes is this inevitability: At some point everyone will likely have to clear out a parent's home.

I'm not going to soften the blow. It's like having open-heart surgery without anesthesia.

"It falls into the 'most stressful' category," said Peter Brenton, of Medford, Mass., who, with his two older sisters, cleared out their childhood home this past year after their mother died. Having gone through this myself, I felt an instant rapport.

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"Our parents weren't classic hoarders," said Brenton, who is 47 and among the most clear-headed people I have ever talked to. (I learned he worked as an administrator in the nuclear engineering department atMIT.) "But they hung onto a lot of things they saw no reason to throw away."

"Tell me about it!" I said. I think of the dozens of gift bags Mom had stashed, and all the vases from every floral arrangement she'd ever received.

"Financial papers and receipts that went back 30 years," he said. "Wedding gifts they received in 1955, which they didn't like and never opened. Guns and ammunition."

"Wait. Guns and ammunition?"

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Photos: Miami Heat dancer auditions

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"I don't have a gun license," he said. "In Massachusetts it's illegal for me to carry even a bullet. What was I supposed to do with this?"

"The memorabilia was the most excruciating," said his oldest sister, Anne Brenton Isenberg. "We opened box after box marked 'miscellaneous.' Every box was like a time capsule."

"My parents had the exact same boxes!" I said. "You open one and fall into the Black Hole of Calcutta."

Every family moves through the process differently, some better than others. These siblings began last spring, and dedicated most Sundays to the task.

"As the executor, Peter felt the weight of the job," said Isenberg, who's 55. "He was the practical one and kept pushing. My sister and I would have let things sit for a year."

"Sometimes I had to be more firm than was polite," Brenton said.

The first two Sundays, they filled two Dumpsters. That was the easy part. "Here's where it got sensitive," Brenton said. "Most Sundays we worked six to seven hours, except when we got in a stupid fight."

The day they spent sticking their names on items they wanted "ended in a horrible argument," he said. "None of us was blameless."

"I love my siblings," Isenberg said, "but we had to pull away."

"We fought not over any (one) thing, but because of the emotional weight of sorting through it all," said Brenton. They made a rule: Nothing would leave the house without all three agreeing.

Then he nailed the heart of the problem: "We knew we had to get rid of 95 percent of the stuff," he said. "None of us has a huge house. We all have our own objects that have sentimental value."

They didn't need to explain it to me. I wanted to cling like a barnacle to every remnant of the lives that were slipping from me, but I also did not want to add to my load.

For those of you who still have this coming, here are some guiding lights that helped the Brentons get through it.

1. Keep the end in mind. When the siblings' spirits lagged, Brenton brought up their goal: Empty the house — which was costing them $1,800 a month — so they could sell it.

2. Know what you want and why. "I looked for things that I remembered the story from, or remembered my parents really valuing," said Brenton, "but also that I had room for and would use." For example: A monogrammed keybox his father carried so keys wouldn't poke holes in his pockets. It's small, personal and useful.

3. Remember: You're family. When two antique clocks became a little contentious, because Brenton wanted both and so did his sisters, this realization helped: "I really didn't want both clocks," said Brenton. "What I really wanted was to keep them in the family."

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4. Hire help. Although I chose to sell most of my parents' belongings myself through an estate sale, that's not for everyone. "I knew from the start we wouldn't be able to do that," Brenton said. After they sorted the personal items, they brought in professionals. MaxSold, a company their realtor recommended, has 50 years of auction experience and uses social media to liquidate households swiftly.

5. Beware of reverse sticker shock. "Like many people, we thought there was more money in stuff than there really was," said Brenton. "We weren't out to get the highest price, but MaxSold helped us see that the pricing was appropriate for the goal."

6. Buy yourself peace. In two weeks, MaxSold — which gets 30 percent of the sale proceeds — had grouped, photographed, cataloged and auctioned off everything. "For people in our situation ... this was absolutely worth the money," Branton said.

7. Listen to your parents. When Isenberg catches herself missing an item, she summons the voice of her mother. "She would tell me, 'You have to let that go, honey. It's gone. You have what's important: your memories, your children, your life."

The Brenton family house went on the market in November, and sold in January — 11 months after their mom's death.

Next week: MaxSold's founder shares tips on how to clear a house and how much the average household of stuff is worth.

Syndicated columnist and speaker Marni Jameson is the author of "House of Havoc" and "The House Always Wins" (Da Capo Press). Contact her through marnijameson.com.

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7 crucial facts about FHA loans Ft Lauderdale Fl Sunrise Fl Plantation Fl Davie FL

In the wake of the housing bubble's collapse, FHA loans have taken on renewed importance for today's mortgage borrowers.
Simply stated, an FHA loan is a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Borrowers with FHA loans pay for mortgage insurance, which protects the lender from a loss if the borrower defaults on the loan.
Because of that insurance, lenders can -- and do -- offer FHA loans at attractive interest rates and with less stringent and more flexible qualification requirements.
Following are seven facts all buyers should know about FHA loans


As of September 2010, minimum credit scores for FHA loans depend on the type of loan the borrower needs, according to the FHA, but scores should be 580 or better.
Those with credit scores between 500 and 579 are limited to borrowing 90 percent loan-to-value.
A credit score of 500 or less generally means you won't be eligible. The FHA will make allowances under certain circumstances for applicants who have what it calls "nontraditional credit history or insufficient credit" if they meet requirements. Ask your FHA lender or an FHA loan specialist if you qualify.

The FHA requires a down payment of just 3.5 percent of the purchase price of the home. That's a fraction of the percentage typically required on most other loans and a "huge attraction," says Dennis Geist, senior director, compliance and fair lending at Treliant Risk Advisors and formerly a vice president of government programs for another lender.
Borrowers can use their own savings to make the down payment. But other allowed sources of cash include a gift from a family member, or a grant from a state or local government down payment assistance program.

The FHA allows home sellers, builders and lenders to pay some of the borrower's closing costs, such as an appraisal, credit report or title expenses. For example, a builder might offer to pay closing costs as an inducement for the borrower to buy a new home.
Lenders typically charge a higher interest rate on the loan if they agree to pay closing costs. Borrowers can use the good faith estimate of closing costs -- commonly known as the GFE -- to compare interest rates and closing costs on different loans and figure out which option makes the most sense.

Because the FHA is not a lender, but rather an insurance fund, borrowers need to get their loan through an FHA-approved lender (as opposed to directly from the FHA). Not all FHA-approved lenders offer the same interest rate and costs -- even on the same FHA loan.
Costs, services and underwriting standards will vary among lenders or mortgage brokers, so it's important for borrowers to shop around.

Two mortgage insurance premiums are required on all FHA loans: The upfront premium is 1.75 percent of the loan amount and is paid when the borrower gets the loan but can be financed as part of the loan amount.
The second is the annual premium, which varies based on the length of the loan, the amount borrowed and the initial loan-to-value ratio (LTV). The current annual premiums for loans less than $625,500 are:

• 15-year loan, LTV more than 90 percent: 0.70 percent
• 15-year loan, LTV 90 percent or less: 0.45 percent
• 30-year loan, LTV more than 95 percent: 1.35 percent
• 30-year loan, LTV 95 percent or less: 1.3 percent

"The perception is that that sounds expensive," Geist says.
However, he adds, borrowers need to compare the FHA-insured loan to a loan that's not FHA-insured (and consequently requires a much larger down payment). In many cases, the FHA loan is still the best choice, he says.

The FHA has a special loan product for borrowers who need extra cash to make repairs to their homes. The chief advantage of this type of loan, called a 203(k), is that the loan amount is based not on the current appraised value of the home but on the projected value after the repairs are completed. A so-called "streamlined" 203(k) allows the borrower to finance up to $35,000 in nonstructural repairs, such as painting and replacing cabinets or fixtures, Geist says.

FHA insurance isn't intended to be an easy out for borrowers who feel unhappy about their mortgage payments. But loan servicers can offer some relief to borrowers who have an FHA-insured loan, have suffered a serious financial hardship and are struggling to make their payments. That relief might be a temporary period of forbearance, a loan modification that would lower the interest rate or extend the payback period, or a deferral of part of the loan balance at no interest. Written by Marcie Geffner.

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How to choose and hang shutters Ft Lauderdale Fl Plantation FL Sunrise FL Davie FL

By MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON

Associated Press

Although glass and screens have eliminated the practical need for shutters, they’re still popular for decoration. “They add another layer of thoughtful detailing to a house,” says Ted Cleary, a landscape architect in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But to get the right look, you still have to consider function when choosing and hanging shutters, experts say.
“Beauty in architecture, as with many objects, often stems from seeing a detail that illustrates its purpose,” Cleary says.
A pair of shutters can cost anywhere from $100 to more than $1,000. Some tips on choosing the right ones for your home:
SIZE
Originally, shutters were used to keep out weather, noise and animals; when closed, they had to cover the whole window.
So shutter size is the most important thing to consider, says Lindsay Daniel, a Charlotte architect, who agrees with Cleary that homeowners must “think function first, not decoration.”
Make sure the shutters meet and completely cover the window opening. Otherwise, she says, the shutter “looks like a stupid afterthought.”
This means that shutters don’t work on double-width or picture windows, says Richard Taylor, an architect and president of RTA Studio in Dublin, Ohio. “To my eye anyway, it looks ridiculous,” he says.
And take care about their shape when hanging shutters on arched windows, Cleary adds. “Shutters are perfectly legitimate on arched windows as long as the (closed) shutter covers it,” he says.
MATERIAL
Shutters are primarily made of wood, composite material or vinyl.
Vinyl shutters are typically mounted directly onto the side of the house, which means they break the rule about looking functional, Taylor says.
He prefers wood, which looks the most authentic but does require regular maintenance, or composite products, a low-maintenance alternative.
STYLES
Louvered shutters, made with horizontally slated boards, are probably the most common style in America, Cleary says. When shutters served as the primary window covering, people in hotter climates used louvered ones to allow fresh air into the house.
Panel shutters have a traditional look. They are solid pieces that resemble small doors, and are often inset with square or rectangle patterns. They were regularly used on Colonial-era homes in New England and were a good defense against snow and rain.
Board and batten shutters are made with three or four vertical boards of the same size connected with narrow horizontal boards. They have a rustic appearance and were often used on country houses or barns. They are the easiest style for do-it-yourselfers to make at home, Cleary says.
BE CONSISTENT
Don’t feel you have to put shutters on every window. It’s better to have some windows without shutters than to put them on windows that are too wide for them.
Don’t use a shutter on one side of a window where a door or the corner of the house prevents you from adding its mate.
Do consider painting shutters the same color as your front door.

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More South Florida Home Buyers Making Cash Purchases. We Buy Houses. Sunrise Fl Ft Lauderdale Fl Hollywood FL

Never mind the rising price of homes. Buyers are coming with fistfuls of cash.

In fact, homebuyers in South Florida now pay cash more often than they get a mortgage.

During the first quarter, 68 percent of Broward County homebuyers paid cash, up from 47 percent in the first quarter of 2013, according to a report Thursday from RealtyTrac Inc. And that number was higher than the year before, when cash accounted for 42 percent of sales in Broward.

No one expected this. Analysts predicted that cash deals would fall as prices rose. So what happened?

RealtyTrac says a dearth of properties for sale, tighter lending standards and an uptick in interest rates still favor cash buyers.

The influx of cash also makes it difficult for first-time and “move up” buyers to compete for homes, said Daren Blomquist, a vice president for RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing firm in Irvine, Calif.

“It's not a sustainable recovery to have such a heavy reliance on cash purchases,” he said. “I don't think it's healthy over the long term.”

Investors started buying foreclosed homes on the cheap after South Florida prices hit bottom in early 2012. That fueled a strong bounce-back, with monthly median prices shooting up by more than 20 percent year to year. Homes typically appreciate at about 4 percent annually.

The market was so overheated in 2013 that some real estate agents and analysts worried about another housing bubble. The increases have since leveled off, and industry followers expect more modest price growth for the rest of 2014.

Cash buyers are coming from Europe, Brazil and Russia, he said. A hedge fund contacted him recently about buying 350 houses in Palm Beach and Broward counties over the next 18 months.

“If they have cash to invest, people feel like they will miss the boat if they don't buy now,” Levinrad said.

In Palm Beach County, cash sales accounted for 69 percent of sales in the first quarter, up from 42 percent a year earlier, RealtyTrac said. Statewide, 64 percent of sales were all cash, compared with 35 percent last year.

Nationally, 43 percent of sales in the first quarter came from cash buyers, the highest level since RealtyTrac started following the trend in the first quarter of 2011.

The RealtyTrac figures include sales at foreclosure auctions as well as transactions that were not advertised on multiple listing services.

South Florida real estate agent Amanda Wilson said mortgage underwriting has become so stringent and unpredictable that some buyers don't know until closing day whether the deal will happen. Sellers prefer cash because it provides more certainty, she said.

“When we get a cash offer, it's like ‘Hooray!'” Wilson said. “I would like to see more first-time homebuyers because I think that's what the market is missing, but it's very difficult.”

Suzanne Smith and her husband, Paul, recently paid $91,500 cash for a two-bedroom condominium in Boca Raton. She said the seller knocked nearly $10,000 off the price because no financing was needed.

When they started looking at places, Smith said she had no idea of the power in paying cash.

“I wish we would have gotten into the market sooner,” she said. Written by Paul Owers.

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Florida Real Estate awesome investment! Ft Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Sunrise

From apartments to rental homes and beach homes, Florida real estate properties give something you should have had a long time ago. That feeling of satisfaction and justified is just at your doorstep. All of Florida’s real estate is inspired by nature. So imagine living in a relaxing environment with unspoiled nature, the beauty is just a reach of the hand.

 Outdoor Life In Florida everything is extremely outdoors. To fishing and just plainly going to the beach, the options for your enjoyment are very vast. Investing a home or merely just visiting, the state of Florida assures your enjoyment upon staying. From hotels and beach resorts, Florida would make you choose otherwise if you want to stay or stay only for vacation

. A Very Warm Community 
The state offers great getaways and warm community. Investing here would mean only one thing, seeing your business grow. Everybody wants to see their life grow in a way that it could bring joy in the people surrounding you. Because people in Florida State are so full spirited and very warm, expect that your business will gain much attention. The community is essential in the growth of your business, and at Florida they play a big role because of their characters.

 The Florida Real Estate 
The Florida real estate is basically for the living. Events and activities present in the state are just for the people who want to live life to the fullest. That’s why the benefits of investing here would be greatly rewarded. The business would also grow to the fullest.

 It’s a Good Weather 
The weather in Florida has average rainfalls and temperature which has a great impact in their growth as a state is very well taken care of by the government. Knowing the significance of this, they set up many different weather stations. Also knowing the importance of nature like the beaches, river, and the woodland forest the government and the community takes care of this for this is where they get their much deserve popularity. Water is one of the major reasons why Florida is boosting with recognition. Every water sport is present and if you want to enjoy it, they’ll arrange it for you. The growth of every water sport finds an investor the interest to devote himself in the state. 

What You Get in Investing
 Investing in a business or merely planning to buy a Florida real estate will make your living more consequential. Energetic neighborhood creates a very warm community. So building your future here means a better life for you and your family. With some of their contemporary style of living, it’s perfect for that lively atmosphere you’ve always wanted in your home or in your business. Florida’s real estate also offers that wonderful benefit of enjoying some of their nature life and those astonishing events. 

As the sunshine state and much renowned for its attractions, Florida is leaving out everything to your pleasure. The Florida real estate properties, hotels, beaches and camping, the cruises, golf parks and water sports are at your doorstep. Investing in Florida real estate means gaining something of more than you could have expected.

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Broward County property values rise 7.2 percent. We buy houses. Sunrise FL Ft Lauderdale FL Hollywood FL Pompano Beach FL

Broward County property values exceeded expectations this year, rising 7.2 percent, another sign of the rebounding real estate market.

Broward Property Appraiser Lori Parrish released the annual tax roll Friday, posting the third straight increase after the real estate bust and Great Recession. This year, all of Broward's 31 cities improved in value.

The increase surpassed early county estimates of below 4 percent, and Parrish's preliminary forecast a month ago of 6.4 percent.

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Increases were highest in Lazy Lake, Hollywood,Coconut Creek, Tamarac, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Hallandale Beach, all of which rose in value 8 percent or more. Wilton Manors surpassed them all with a better-than-10-percent increase.

While property owners might be pleased their values are rising, the downside could be rising property taxes. Some officials have already announced plans to keep tax rates steady, which would result in larger payments for those whose values rose. Those decisions will be made at budget hearings in September.

For instance, Broward County plans to keep its tax rate the same as last year, using the increase in tax income to give raises to employees, improve mass transit and strengthen security at the county courthouse, among other things. The money also would allow Broward Sheriff Scott Israel to increase his budget by $27.9 million, a 7.1 percent increase.

If the county rate remains the same -- $572.30 for every $100,000 of taxable home value -- a $280,000 home with the average increase in value would pay the county about $1,718 in taxes, an increase of about $115.

Officials in some cities said they'll use additional tax income to restore some of what they cut during the tough years. But this time they have the benefit of experience.

"This is definitely not the time to pop the champagne corks, and go on a shopping spree,'' Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober said in an email. "The reality is we should continue being cautious and conservative in our expenditures. We should continue prioritizing public safety, gradually restoring slashed employee benefits, and modernizing the city's aging housing stock.''

Miramar Mayor Lori Moseley said the city can "speed up some of the maintenance projects that we had to slow down because of the economic downturn,'' but should "continue on a fiscally conservative road.''

Property owners can find their valuations online at bcpa.net, the Property Appraiser's website. Property owners have until Sept. 17 to file appeals.

Broward's strong showing this year was mirrored by the flanking counties. Miami-Dade reported a 6.5 percent preliminary estimate, with just a few cities — Opa-Locka, Florida City and Medley — still declining.

Palm Beach County's taxable values rose 7.4 percent to $139.6 billion — nearly the same as Broward's — with every city showing a value increase.

Even with the large increase this year, Broward's $141 billion tax roll remains far beneath the 2007 peak, when the taxable value hit $175 billion. Soon after began a descent marked by foreclosures and local budget cuts.

The recovery began a year earlier in South Florida than in the rest of the state, with values beginning to climb again in 2012, state data shows. written by  Brittany Wallman, Sun Sentinel.

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Broward Real Estate. Best in Florida. We buy Houses. Ft Lauderdale FL Sunrise FL Davie Fl Weston Fl Plantation Fl

Located in the state of Florida, Broward County is the second largest county in the state in terms of population. According to the most recent estimate the area had a population of more than 1,785,000 people. Fort Lauderdale is the county seat of Broward County. This area is one of the constituents of the South Florida Metropolitan Area. This county has an area of about 1,300 miles sq. and two-thirds of its area lies in the undeveloped Everglades conservation region. The history of the county goes back to the year 1915, when it was created. Two counties, Palm Beach County and Dade County, contributed equal portions and thus came about Broward County. It was named after Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, who acted as Governor of Florida from 1905 to 1909. Presently Broward County is bordered by Palm Beach County to the north, Miami Dade County to the south, Hendry County to the north-west and Collier County to the west. Broward County is served by the Broward County School District. It is presently the fifth largest school district in the US and the second largest in the state of Florida. Besides having the advantage of an extensive network of schools, colleges and universities, the place is also home to one of the largest public library systems in the country named Broward County Library comprising 37 branch locations. Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood, Coral Springs and Sunrise are all part of Broward County Real Estate. In terms of transportation, Broward County scores well since three major interstate freeways consisting of Interstate 75, Interstate 95 and Interstate 595 operate in it. Apart from this a street grid runs throughout the county’s area. The Sawgrass Expressway is the basic east-west connector. Good infrastructure in the area is one of the biggest reasons why the economy is doing well commercially. Fort Lauderdale International Airport is known and admired worldwide. Broward County Real Estate is gaining ground as there are currently 2,271 homes available for sale in Fort Lauderdale, 1,424 homes in Pembroke Pines, 1,767 in Hollywood and 1,515 in Miramar. Broward County economically depends most on the manufacturing sector for subsistence. A range of durable goods like furniture, machinery, transportation equipment etc. and non-durable goods like paper, apparel and chemicals are produced here. Broward County enjoys the best real estate in Florida due to its excellent weather, beautiful beaches, and most friendly and tourist oriented government that are always encouraging an influx of both domestic and international tourism. The economy also has a strong retail trade base with building materials and general merchandising leading the order. A flourishing economy has prompted real estate trade to grow immensely in the area. Rate of growth of employment is high in Broward County, predominantly because of the service sector. Unemployment rate is very low in this part of the US, most people being self-employed and some being in Government jobs. This is definitely a reason why more and more people are making Broward County their home. Broward County real estate is very popular and in 2014 is expected to continue to rise. Written by Hector Lesende.
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South Florida Real Estate - Florida's finest. We buy houses. Sunrsie FL Ft Lauderdale Fl Miami FL West Palm Beach FL

Situated in the southeastern part of the United States, South Florida has the popular name of Miami- Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach metropolitan area and is also referred to as the Miami Metro area and even the Tri-County area. The last of the names is most justified as South Florida includes the three counties of Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward. When considering the different counties of Florida, these three can be held as the most populous. Among the three counties, Palm Beach was the smallest to be added. Miami happens to be the largest city in this region. A recent census estimates the population of South Florida to be nearly 5,500,000 and the density is about 1,570 people per square mile. The area has a tropical wet and dry kind of climate with certain areas also being affected by humid subtropical climate. The wet season and the season for hurricanes arrive in the area during the same time. As South Florida is situated between two water bodies, chances of hurricanes affecting the otherwise stable climate get increased. The two most famous hurricanes to have blown over the area are Hurricane Andrew and Katrina. Education offered in South Florida is one of the most well known in the state. It is served by the Miami- Dade County Public Schools district which has its own elected school board. The day- to-day functions of the school network are taken care of by the Superintendent of Schools. The other two school networks operating in the area comprise the School District of Palm Beach County and Broward County Public Schools District. Tertiary education is provided by several good colleges and universities including University of Miami, Florida National University and Broward Community College. South Florida is served by three major airports namely, Palm Beach International Airport, Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Local transport includes Metrorail that stretches across 22 stations. Apart from this there are five interstate highways that help the area to maintain good connectivity with other places. This region has a flourishing economy with several public companies operating successfully. These companies are the major employers in the region. Approximately there are 100 profit making public companies running in the region with 200 private companies also making their mark. South Florida has one of the greatest numbers of Fortune 500 companies in the whole of United States. South Florida real estate is among the most thriving in the state of Florida. It is not only because of the high growth of employment opportunities but also because the place is famous for welcoming external businesses to flourish. A great variety of real estate is available here including residential homes, condominiums and even land. There are over 115,000 properties currently available in South Florida. The number of foreclosures is staggering and presents an opportunity for both owner-occupants and investors. In a recent study Broward county was ranked second in the United States in the foreclosure rate. Miami-Dade County was ranked fourth in foreclosure rate and Palm Beach County was ranked thirteenth. Now is the time to invest in South Florida real estate. Written by Hecter Lesende.
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Credit Scoring boost coming for renters’ credit. We Buy Houses cash. Sunrise FL Plantation FL Davie FL Weston FL

Anybody buying a first home quickly learns how important credit scores are to mortgage lenders. They like them high.

But if you’ve been renting for years and have a stellar record of monthly payments to your landlord, you typically run into a sobering reality when you shop for a mortgage: All your on-time payments show up nowhere in your credit bureau files and do not contribute to your scores.

Ditto for other routine credit payments — your cellphone bills, cable and satellite TV, utilities. You may have perfect payment histories for all these, but nobody knows about them. Why? Because the landlord, phone and cable companies, and many other creditors don’t report your payments to Equifax, Experian or TransUnion, the big three credit bureaus. In the all-voluntary American credit system, they are not required to report anything to anyone.

This is a big deal. At a time when record numbers of first-time buyers are missing in action in the home purchase market — many of them in part because their credit scores don’t make the grade — the non-reporting of key credit records is costly to them and the economy as a whole.

But here’s some good news. Two of the national bureaus — Experian and TransUnion — have begun incorporating verified rental payment data into credit files where it can be included in the computation of consumers’ scores when they apply for a mortgage.

Experian announced last week that it is teaming up with RentTrack, a service that allows tenants nationwide to pay their rents online and have their monthly payments included in Experian credit reports. TransUnion confirmed that it too is working with RentTrack and is introducing a “ResidentCredit” service that encourages rental property managers to report monthly payment information for their tenants.

TransUnion also released a new research study that showed how the inclusion of rental data can raise consumers’ scores. When their monthly payments were reported to the bureau by landlords, nearly 20 percent of renters saw a 10-point increase or more in their score after just one month. Nearly two-thirds of renters saw at least some increase in their scores within a month or remained neutral.

The same study documented that simply transitioning from renter status, where monthly payments are not reported, to homeowner, where mortgage payments show up in credit reports, boosts most consumers’ scores. On average, said TransUnion, people who bought a first home in 2012 saw a 5.2 percent increase in their credit scores during the year.

With the advent of Resident Credit, the company said rental managers and landlords will be able to report payment information at no charge, and that TransUnion will, if requested, share the data with other national credit bureaus for inclusion in their records and scores.

RentTrack (RentTrack.com) could be especially helpful to tenants, whether they’re in large apartment complexes or off-campus student housing or are renting from Mom-and-Pop landlords. Not only are payments reported directly to two of the three major credit bureaus, but tenants can pay rents using electronic checks rather than paper and can track their credit score progress.

The service costs $1.95 a month, but Matt Briggs, RentTrack CEO and founder, told me that most tenants don’t pay anything because the property manager or landlord picks up the charge. Renters who are interested simply have to ask their landlord or manager to visit the RentTrack site and sign up.

Other efforts are underway to help first-time buyers and others get monthly payments into their credit profiles. Brannan Johnston, Experian RentBureau managing director, said his company is exploring ways to incorporate utilities and cable payments into standard credit reports.

Equifax has created a consumer services database on individuals’ telecommunications, utilities, cable and satellite payments that mortgage lenders can access if borrowers believe these records will improve their chance to qualify.

ECredable.com, an alternative credit data company, will verify a long list of your payments that aren’t reported to the major bureaus, then create a credit report and score based on these records. You can then present them to a mortgage loan officer and request that the information be considered as part of your application. Under federal credit regulations, the mortgage company is required to do so.

Bottom line: Just because you don’t have lots of traditional credit data on file doesn’t mean you can’t buy your first house. Things are looking up. BY KENNETH R. HARNEY

We buy Houses cash, take over payments call 954 247 1353 or click here!

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/28/4197054/scoring-boost-coming-for-renters.html#storylink=cpy

Florida is home to 1/3 of U.S. zombie foreclosures. We buy houses. Ft Lauderdale Fl Miami FL West Palm Beach FL Sunrise FL

 

IRVINE, Calif. – June 26, 2014 – According to RealtyTrac, Florida was home to one-third (48,630) of U.S. zombie foreclosures in the second quarter – properties in the foreclosure process in which the owner has moved out but the bank has not yet taken back the home. Other states in the top five include New York (12,666), New Jersey (12,170), Illinois (11,925), and Ohio (7,390)

Nationwide, 21 percent of properties in foreclosure – one in every five – is vacated by the owner before the foreclosure is completed. While high, the number is down 7 percent from first quarter 2014 and 16 percent from second quarter 2013.

Florida ranked second in the length of time a zombie home remains empty: 411 days. In first-place New York it's 418 days, with New Jersey (378 days), Illinois (272 days) and Hawaii (249 days) rounding out the top-five list.

By lender, Wells Fargo has the most zombie homes in the foreclosure process with 18,695, followed by Bank of America (15,175), Chase (10,312) and US BankCorp (10,141).

Metros with most zombie homes

• New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island: 13,574
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach: 12,958
• Chicago-Naperville-Joliet: 9,975
• Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater: 9,643
• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington: 6,101
• Orlando-Kissimmee: 5,221
• Jacksonville: 3,532
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: 2,041
• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta: 1,906
• Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice: 1,845

Metros with biggest percent of zombie homes as a percent of all foreclosures

• Homosassa Springs, Fla.: 43%
• Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton: 37%
• Birmingham-Hoover: 37%
• Ocala: 36%
• Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin: 35%
• St. Louis: 34%
• Worcester, Mass.: 33%
• Port St. Lucie: 33%
• Punta Gorda: 33%
• Binghamton: 33%
• Las Vegas-Paradise: 32%
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: 32%
• Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach: 32%
• Gainesville: 31%
• Fort Wayne: 31%

Florida county zombie homes by percent and total number

Alachua County: 31% (464 homes)

Baker County: 27% (28 homes)

Bay County: 30% (372 homes)

Bradford County: 29% (40 homes)

Brevard County: 32% (2,041 homes)

Broward County: 20% (4,515 homes)

Calhoun County: 48% (20 homes)

Charlotte County: 33% (600 homes)

Citrus County: 43% (675 homes)

Clay County: 28% (615 homes)

Collier County: 21% (465 homes)

Columbia County: 32% (76 homes)

De Soto County: 22% (53 homes)

Dixie County: 14% (4 homes)

Duval County: 30% (2,356 homes)

Escambia County: 18% (356 homes)

Flagler County: 20% (256 homes)

Franklin County: 18% (21 homes)

Gadsden County: 32% (93 homes)

Gilchrist County: 37% (30 homes)

Glades County: 19% (5 homes)

Gulf County: 22% (29 homes)

Hamilton County: 29% (10 homes)

Hardee County: 28% (40 homes)

Hendry County: 19% (38 homes)

Hernando County: 32% (698 homes)

Highlands County: 33% (239 homes)

Hillsborough County: 26% (3,232 homes)

Holmes County: 31% (28 homes)

Indian River County: 27% (330 homes)

Jackson County: 35% (56 homes)

Jefferson County: 0% (0 homes)

Lafayette County: 55% (6 homes)

Lake County: 10% (309 homes)

Lee County: 29% (1,542 homes)

Leon County: 26% (371 homes)

Levy County: 34% (67 homes)

Liberty County: 10% (2 homes)

Madison County: 50% (10 homes)

Manatee County: 29% (721 homes)

Marion County: 36% (1,103 homes)

Martin County: 31% (322 homes)

Miami-Dade County: 15% (4,793 homes)

Monroe County: 16% (73 homes)

Nassau County: 28% (136 homes)

Okaloosa County: 35% (527 homes)

Okeechobee County: 27% (69 homes)

Orange County: 26% (3,117 homes)

Osceola County: 17% (642 homes)

Palm Beach County: 23% (3,650 homes)

Pasco County: 35% (2,321 homes)

Pinellas County: 32% (3,392 homes)

Polk County: 30% (1,744 homes)

Putnam County: 33% (142 homes)

Saint Johns County: 28% (397 homes)

Saint Lucie County: 33% (1,048 homes)

Santa Rosa County: 31% (324 homes)

Sarasota County: 29% (1,124 homes)

Seminole County: 29% (1,153 homes)

Sumter County: 27% (98 homes)

Suwannee County: 32% (42 homes)

Taylor County: 25% (12 homes)

Union County: 30% (12 homes)

Volusia County: 32% (1,304 homes)

Wakulla County: 35% (97 homes)

Walton County: 22% (132 homes)

Washington County: 37% (43 homes)