Fort Lauderderdale Real Estate

Fort Lauderdale Short Sales

2011-11-06T08:15:00.002-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Successful Short Sale

Eric Miller and Associates are pleased to announce the successful completion of another Fort Lauderdale Short Sale, this time in the Victoria Park neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, in the Pine crest Condominium. At 151 NE 16th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Pine Crest Village was originally a rental community in one of the hottest areas of the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market. The community received a complete renovation when it was converted to a condominium from 2004 to 2005. Originally after conversion this one bedroom Ft Lauderdale Condo sold for $157,900, two years later during the height of the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market this unit sold for $225,000. Today after numerous bank appraisals the property sold for $115,000.

Pine Crest Viallage, Victoria Park, Fort Lauderdale

This one bedroom Ft Lauderdale Condo was in immaculate condition and the only negative was that this Ft Lauderdale Condo unit did not have any exterior space. It is the perfect getaway for someone wanting a downtown Fort Lauderdale Condo at an incredible price. In today’s Fort Real Estate market any negative to a condominium unit can drive the price down dramatically where it may have meant little when the market was tight and prices were rising. Every condominium property has some units that are less desirable than others and in today Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market these units can represent the opportunity to purchase into incredible properties such as Pine Crest Village, in great locations such as Victoria Park, at prices that were unheard of in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate just a few years back. The least expensive unit in a Fort Lauderdale Condominium may turn out to be a great investment in the years to come.

Thinking about purchasing a Fort Lauderdale Condominium the team at Eric Miller and Associates is ready to help you starting hunting today with access to the Fort Lauderdale MLS.

Full Service Ft Lauderdale Real Estate Facts

2011-10-31T19:51:00.000-04:00

Full Service Ft Lauderdale Realtors

Fort Lauderdale Realtors, Eric Miller and Associates of Keller William Realty in Fort Lauderdale are pleased to announce that their driving mission that, everyone deserves a great Realtor has taken on the a new meaning during 2011. This Fort Lauderdale Real Estate team has participated in the sale of a beautiful Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home home in the Las Olas area of Fort Lauderdale, the sale of one of the lowest priced Ft Lauderdale foreclosure single family homes (in distressed condition), the successful short sale of a Fort Lauderdale Beach area condominium, and a regular sale of a Wilton Manors Waterfront home, all in the matter of a few weeks. The story is simply that great realtors study and perform in every segment of the market to best service their clientele.

Diverse Collection of Fort Lauderdale Real Estate

The Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market is a diverse collection of property from the multi million dollar Ft Lauderdale Waterfront homes in some of the finest areas of town, where lot values themselves often approach a million dollars, to some of the more challenged neighborhoods where so many homes were purchased during the speculative days of Ft Lauderdale Real Estate that many have ended up as Fort Lauderdale Short Sales or Ft Lauderdale Foreclosures. The bulk of the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market is made of many great neighborhoods, where prices are depressed but very few homes are ending up as distressed foreclosed properties.

National Real Estate Report

Recently a national real estate report came out quoting gloom and doom for many real estate markets including Fort Lauderdale. Nowhere in the report did it mention that the real estate numbers in Broward County are dramatically skewed by over 55 communities which are extremely large properties within certain areas of the Fort Lauderdale real estate market. These huge communities can dramatically skew real estate numbers and any broad stroke analysis of the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market will tend to be incorrect. I recently sold my mothers condominium in a community where there were over 300 units on the market, in the entire zip code there were only 340, it is clear that in this area one very large over 55 community ( where prices have always been lower than the median homes price in Broward County ) can effect the look of the market.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Facts

In Broward County, all tax records are available on line. Any Fort Lauderdale Realtor can access these records, and include in the search properties that have a lien on them. Curious about the distressed property situation of any Ft Lauderdale neighborhood or Ft Lauderdale Condo, before you buy ask your realtor for a real picture of the community, take a look at what to expect, ask your realtor, “How many unsold properties are their with liens on them”? A small number of distressed Fort Lauderdale properties will not spell gloom and doom, when a property is purchased correctly in today’s Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market.

Ft Lauderdale Real Estate - Check out Oakland Park Real Estate

2011-09-27T15:29:00.000-04:00

Homes for sale in Oakland Park, Florida are very competitively priced. When shopping homes for sale in the Fort Lauderdale area, Oakland Park is conveniently located near the beach, shopping and schools. Oakland Park is located in East Broward County, just North of Wilton Manors and just West of Fort Lauderdale.

One neighborhood to consider when shopping for a single family homein Oakland Park is Lloyd Estates, located in zip code 33309. Lloyd Estates offers an elementary school nearby, quiet streets, large lots and a dog park. Within Lloyd Estates, there are both starter homes and renovated fixed-bridge water front homes, for those looking to move up. You can find a park like settings, small bridges and an abundance of lush landscape in areas such as “River Wood Acres” and “Sleepy River Acres.” Many of these homes feature pools and large square footage.

Homes for sale in Lloyd Estates include a 4 bedroom and 2 bath home with garage offered at $260,000. Also listed is a 3 bedroom 2 bath renovated home with tumbled marble, California closets, 20” X 20” tiles, large master bedroom, custom finishes and high end lighting for $279,000. For a starter home in Lloyd Estates, there is a 3 bedroom 2 bath home, with an eat-in kitchen, and oversized back yard priced at $150,000.

Real Estate in Lloyd Estates is just one area to consider. It is an example of one well established Fort Lauderdale neighborhood to consider when shopping for Real Estate in the Fort Lauderdale area. There are many neighborhoods to explore, each with their own character and charm. Your experienced real agent agents at Eric Miller and Associates will assist you in finding the right home, in the perfect nieghborhood for you in the Fort Lauderdale area. Ready to start hunting you can view the entire Fort Lauderdale MLS.

Waterfront Homes in Ft Lauderdale

2011-09-26T08:29:00.000-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes represent the strongest segment of the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market. When Fort Lauderdale Real Estate slowed and many segments of the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market saw prices drop as much as 50% from their peaks, Fort Lauderdale Waterfront always held up better. Ft Lauderdale Waterfront Homeowners had staying power, understood the laws of supply and demand and simply there was never a glut as there appeared to be in the rest of the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market.

In the last two months over sixty Ft Lauderdale Waterfront Homes have been sold. There are less than 400 Ft Lauderdale Waterfront Homes on the market in the sample area we used, and understanding that the summer months would normally be the quietest for Fort Lauderdale Real Estate it is clear that there is a strong season is ahead for the prizes of Ft Lauderdale Real Estate, the ocean access Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes.

Over the last two months the two highest priced waterfront homes sold were both in the Harbor Beach neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. One on Lucille Drive, and the other on Mercedes Drive both homes sold for just under $4,000,000 and both had over 100 feet of prime waterfront. In the Idlewyld neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes, just off Las Olas, a home of over 5800 sq. feet with 65 feet of waterfront sold for $2,700,000. At the other end of the Fort Lauderdale Waterfront spectrum if you willing to travel 40 minutes up the New River through downtown Fort Lauderdale a home of just about 1200 Sq. feet sold in the Chula Vista area of Fort Lauderdale for $149,000. This Chula Vista home was a rarity, and did have a fixed bridge before reaching open water. Finding any Fort Lauderdale area waterfront at this price is a unusual, but please keep in mind this was a 3 bedroom/1 bath home located west of highway 95. A while back we wrote about a Fort Lauderdale Foreclosure on the Waterfront, truly another rarity. This home with 240 of waterfront on an intracoastal point lot sold for $2,000,000.

When you are thinking about Buying a Fort Lauderdale Waterfront home, the first thing to think about is what you plan to place at the dock. Some Fort Lauderdale Real Estate buyers seek Ft Lauderdale Waterfront solely for the view. Limited ocean access but spectacular natural vistas such as the Ft Lauderdale area waterfront homes in the City of Wilton Manors can certainly be had for lower prices. If your dream Fort Lauderdale Waterfront home is about keeping a large boast in the back yard and having easy access to the ocean, this means areas such as Harbor Beach or Rio Vista. These premiere neighborhoods of the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market allow quick access to the intracoastal and the ocean. The Fort Lauderdale Boat is in October each year and it’s a great time to decide on the perfect boat and home to dock it at, as always the team at Eric Miller and Associates is here to help.

Eric Miller and Associates are proud to have represented numerous Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes buyers, and are always here to help you begin your search on-line prior to arriving in the Fort Lauderdale areaby providing complete access to the Fort Lauderdale MLS. Contact Eric Miller and Associates today and let us keep you informed of the best buys in Fort Lauderdale Waterfront properties. Starting with Eric Miller and Associates at Keller Williams Luxury Division as your buyers agent is a great way to start your search for a Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Property.

2011-09-05T18:27:00.002-04:00

Wilton Manors Townhomes range is size from smaller 1100 sq. foot Wilton Manors Townhomes to the larger of the Wiltonn Manors Townhomes close to 3000 sq feet. At the larger end of the Wilton Manors Townhouse collection is Valencia with air conditioned living space in these Wilton Manors Townhome coming in at almost 2200 square feet. Add in the 3 balcony areas, and a large two car garage and it is clear that Valencia represents one of the largest townhomes built in the Wilton Manors Real estate market. Its

Private Dipping Pool

Front of Valencia

not all about size, Valencia is one of the highest quality Wilton Manors Town Houses in the City of Wilton Manors.
Wilton Manors Real Estate was booming when Valencia was started. Valencia units were completed in 2009 after being under contract for years prior to the slowdown of the Wilton Manors real estate market. The length of time the units took to build was a true hardship for the builder and the original buyers many of whom never

Master Bath

Valencia Kitchen

closed. The end result however was a piece of Wilton Manors Real Estate made up of 6 of the highest quality townhomes in the City of Wilton Manors with tremendous attention to detail throughout. The original concept of Valencia was to give each purchaser the ability to customize their townhomes throughout the process to create a townhome community which felt more like six custom Wilton Manors homes. The original plan had some bumps in the road, as did the Wilton Manors Real Estate market but today Valencia has turned into exactly what was planned, six totally differant attached Wilton Manors homes that have been customized by their owners to a point that each is its own piece of outstanding Wilton Manors Real Estate.

Buyers of Wilton Manors Homes who are looking for something unique will be hard pressed to find anything of this square footage, or quality, in pristine condition, in either the inventory of Homes for Sale in Wilton Manors, or Condos for Sale in the City of Wilton Manors. Simply there is no comparison to the resale listing at Valencia Townhomes, in Wilton Manors. Search all Wilton Manors Townhomes for Sale, and you will see why this masterpiece stands out. Since the original purchase at the end of 2009 the owners have put over$40,000 into the property to allow it to show the way it does today. From top of the line appliances, to beautiful flooring and a custom paint job this Valencia Townhome is truely a showplace in Wilton Manors Real Estate. Priced at $499,000 this townhome is only for the serious buyer who wants to own Wilton Manors finest and understands it will be along time before you see this type of contruction is available again in Wilton Manors Real Estate.

Ft Lauderdale Foreclosures - Missing from Fort Lauderdale Beach

2011-07-20T08:37:00.002-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate has become the subject of a new play, The name of the play is as of yet undecided but there are a few ideas out there. We start of with, "I want to buy a Bargain Condo in Ft Lauderdale !", the second is Coming to buy a Ft Lauderdale Condo", the third is " I want to steal a Fort Lauderdale Condominium". The subject of the play is clear, its is thankful that there are still tons of people looking to purchase their bargain dream condo in Fort Lauderdale, and we follow their disappointment as they hunt and wait simply because they have decided to ignore the facts.

Unfortunately as we wait to name the fictional play about Ft Lauderdale Real Estate, the facts are rolling in. We are starting to turn any fictional story about purchasing your dream Fort Lauderdale Condominium, especially a Fort Lauderdale Foreclosure, a bit into a Fairytale. Thinking about a Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home and the theme continues, as a bit of a nightmare, because if it is a Fort Lauderdale Waterfront home you want as a Foreclosure, there are currently 3 available, the least expensive of which is $276,000 for a small home in need of repair. Good deals don't always come in a Foreclosure package in Ft Lauderdale Real Estate.

Welcome to Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate facts for today, 5 minutes ago there are, 7 Foreclosed Condos in the Fort lauderdale Beach area offered for Sale. They range in price from $145,000 for a one bedroom, with a semi-blocked view (which we honestly thing is a great deal) to a unit for $579,000 at Las Olas Beach that has never been lived in and is "designer ready", which basically means no floors. That is it, 7 units foreclosed units for sale not much of a script to write. when our goal was to follow some happy buyers. Want to recieve a daily e-mail, free of charge containing new Ft Lauderdale Foreclosure Condos for sale, tell us what you are looking for and we will set up a custom search.

Today, Fort Lauderdale Beach is a story about the "Missing Foreclosure", simple there are far fewer that there are buyers. Even though there are great deals to be had in the Fort Lauderdale Condo market they usually come from of a motivated seller, not from a bank owned property. But dont wait, inventory in the best neighborhoods all over the country is selling well, and when seeking to purchase a home remember the most important goal is to buy one that is right for you, nobody is better equipped to help you in that search than your local real estate expert, in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate that is Eric Miller and Associates, and we are ready to help.

Wilton Manors Townhome - Just Listed

2011-07-09T09:14:00.000-04:00

Waterfront Wilton Manors Townhome

Wilton Manors Real Estate agent, Eric Miller of Keller Williams Real Estate preparing to bring to market a great Wilton Manors waterfront towhnome, on Townhouse Isle is Wilton Manors. Among the many unique offerings in Wilton Manors Real Estate, buyer are always amazed the first time they cross the bridge onto townhouse isle. Townhouse Isle is just seconds from Wilton Drive and yet feels like a secluded waterfront oasis made up up of numerous separate small communities. Just Listed in Wilton Manors is 645 Kensington Place, a renovated waterfront, two bedroom, two and a half bath townhome.

Wilton Manors Townhome on Townhouse Isle

Huge older landscaping adds to the tropical feel of townhouse isle, and the great sense of community makes this a special place to call home in Wilton Manors. This townhome at 645 Kensington Place has update throughout and listed for $249,000 represents a great deal in todays Wilton Manors Real Estate market. To set up an appointment today to see this great property call any Wilton Manors Realtor, or contact Eric Miller and Associates directly for your personal tour of this property and all your needs in Wilton Manors Real Estate.

Ft Lauderdale Waterfront Home Sold by Eric Miller and Associates

2011-07-01T17:24:00.000-04:00

Eric Miller, Fort Lauderdale, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Ft Lauderdale is pleased to announce the sale of this historic Ft Lauderdale Waterfront home originally built in 1931 in the Colee Hammock neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale - Colee Hammock Home

View from Master Bath Balcony

The home which sits on 60 feet of prime waterfront just seconds from the New River, and downtown Fort Lauderdale. When looking for a home in the the Fort Laudrdale Real Estate market three things that are often very high on buyers wish list.
The first is a great place to leave a boat. This home is has a great dock and a boat lift. The second is a property that is walkable to many of the things Ft Lauderdale has to offer. Being just of Las Olas and blocks from the many restaurants including the 24 hour a day Floridian, this home certainly offers that. The last but not least is, some South Florida charm. Often finding this type of charm in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market can be tough after years of building larger and larger homes built of concrete in order to withstand hurricanes. Built in 1931, and having received a major renovation in 1963, this home has seen its share of bad weather. The recent addition of hurricane windows and shutters throughout the home adds a level of hurricane security that will allow the new home owner to enjoy this home long into the future.

At Eric Miller and Associates we are pleased to have represented the buyers of the special piece of Ft Lauderdale Real Estate, and are always here to help you find your perfect Ft Lauderdale Home for Sale.

Decline in South Florida homes for sale giving sellers an edge

2011-06-19T09:45:00.000-04:00

Decline in South Florida homes for sale giving sellers an edge

Fort Lauderdale Home Gets a Tenting

2011-04-24T10:26:00.001-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate buyers are often from other parts of the country coming from areas where each winter they get a good solid freeze along with snow. As Ft Lauderdale Realtors we certainly appreciate the fact that it does snow in so much of the country and does remind so many people why a piece of paradise can be found in Fort Lauderdale Homes for Sale.

Ft Lauderdale Realtors work had to explain the ins and out of buyer a home in the Ft Lauderdale Real Estate market, and often one thing talked talk about is that word Termites, or what more properly is referd to as Wood Destroying Organisms or "WDO". Often Ft Lauderdale Realtors mention "WDO" reports without as much of a blink from their clients, who simply accept that they trust the realtor they are working with. Trust is the best basis for a working relationship with all Ft Lauderdale Realtor Testimonials.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate questions lead to knowledge, so feel free to ask questions. In Fort Lauderdale Real Estate we often joke that there are two types of termites, " here today and here tomorrow", or we mention the good news that they "dine slowly". Either way the important fact is that because we do not get major freezes there are numerous forms of wood destroying organisms which can effect your real estate purchase. Finding termites, or WDO organisms is not the end of the deal, in fact I tell most buyers, "having the house treated before moving in is often a good thing, and then maintaining your warranty is important." One method of treatment is called a tenting, and just the other day I saw one being done so I thought I would share it with you this common event in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes sometimes have a tougher propblem as water does attract more WDO's but as long as the home you are buying has an existing termite warranty, and there is no evidence of wood damage ( found during an inspection ) you can feel confident that the home has been taken care of. Tenting is just one type of treatment there are others. If the Ft. Lauderdale Home hasn't been taken care of you can rely on your WDO Inspection to spell out the best course of action so that you have many years of termite free living in your new piece of Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

For all your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate need contact Eric Miller at Keller Williams Fort Lauderdale.

Ft Lauderdale Restaurant For Sale

2011-03-20T10:56:00.002-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Restaurant - Wilton Wings - located just outside the City of Wilton Manors has been placed on the market as it continues to report growing sales and profits, and represents a great opportunity for an experienced restaurant owner who wants a new spot in Fort Lauderdale.

Check out the reviews of this restaurant, Sun Sentinel Review, and continue to dig further and further, what you will find is that people who have visited Wilton Wings only have great things to say. The current owners are willing to train the new owner and make sure the tradition of growth and profit continue. Staffed, operating, and ready to go.

Interested in finding out details about this business opportunity, call Eric Miller directly today at (954) 383-8170.

Fountains on Ocean Blvd | Gets Ready for Fort Lauderdale Auction

2011-02-04T20:30:00.001-05:00

Fountains on Ocean Boulevard Fort Lauderdale – officially became the site to sign twirling and a large sign saying "opening bid $125,000" as they developer roled out his latest marketing strategy to sell out the property. The remaining units available within this Fort Lauderdale Condominiums will be marketed via an auction process.

A long time supporter of the Fountains of Ocean Boulevard and the Fort Lauderdale Realtor who represented the Fountains Condominium through many of their sales, I do want to make it clear that anything said here is strictly my opinion. I have not officially worked with the developer since June of 2010, though our relationship has remained cordial.

Real Estate auctions are usually done for three reasons, 1) to establish a correct market value of a property, 2) To identify a large pool of buyers very quickly for the property, buyers who may buy units even after the process is complete, 3) To quickly sell as many units as possible at market value.

Often the marketing approach involves stating an “opening bid” that attracts tons of people to the property feeling that the auction is absolute and that this opening bid will involve the sale of units. This is often not the case, and I think it is very unlikely that any units will sell at the Fountains of Ocean Boulevard for the opening bid of $125,000. It is just an opening bid, and may not be a bid the seller will accept. The goal is simply to get two bidders, as that creates an auction.

Recently I attended an auction and bid on a property with an opening bid of $1000, with only two bidders myself being one of them the property was sold after auction for ten times the highest bid they received the day of the auction.

Please do not get me wrong, I do not think the auction process is a bad thing for the Fountains on Ocean Blvd., I just don’t think the units will be brought down to the prices that I see the marketing of the auction implying. There is a definite market value for the Fountains of Ocean Boulevard, and the units will sell accordingly. I have been a long time supporter of this condominium and if you’ve read my article about 2011 being the Last Year to buy a New Condominium in Fort Lauderdale, this marketing process is simply going to help move some additional inventory into the sold column.

As always Eric Miller and Associates is always here to help you with any questions about the Fountains on Ocean Boulevard or any Fort Lauderdale Condominium development. As the former sale manager of the Fountains on Ocean Boulevard, I am available to be your buyer’s agent, if you plan on pursuing a potential purchase of a condo at The Fountains on Ocean Boulevard. I am available to help make sure the condo at Fountains on Ocean Blvd. you purchase is the great deal you expect it to be.

Short Selling my Home | Common Questions

2010-12-29T09:46:00.000-05:00

1) Can I Short Sell My Ft. Lauderdale area home if I am current on my mortgage but see a problem coming ?

The answer is resounding maybe. Depending on your situation and the presentation that you and your Fort Lauderdale realtor put together for the bank, it may be possible to do so. Seems like the lending institution may want to avoid your falling behind and cooperate based on your honesty. However some lending institutions will tell you straight out that they will not even discuss a short sale until you are 90 days late. This issue of becoming late on your payments is the first impact on your credit score, and this is often the point that seller have a tough decision to make.

2) Can a Fort Lauderdale investment property be sold or is this for primary residences only ?

Investment property can be short sold but the process is usually scrutinized a bit more. The bigger issue in short selling an investment property is that there may be tax ramifications on the forgiveness of the debt. It is important that you discuss this with your accountant as it treating differently than the debt forgiven on a primary residence.

3) Can I continue to rent my property out during the short sale process ?

Yes you can, but fair is fair, I usually suggest to my clients that this money be used to pay HOA, or Condos fees first and the balance put away to help settle the negotiation with the bank.

4) How long does a Short Sale take ?

This is the question of the day, we have heard of one week approvals, we have heard of one year approvals. There is actually a published report card of which lending institutions are the best and which are the worst. For a starting point you should count on at least 90 days. Ever want to know which lending institution is the worst, go to any search engine and type in " Worst Banks to do Short Say With", read the first three postings that will come up, it most likely will be a clean sweep.

Eric Miller is a Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Broker Associate with Keller Williams Realty Fort Lauderdale. He is a Certified Distressed Proerpty Expert and has sucessfully completed many short sales in the Broward County area. If you are looking at Homes for Sale in Fort Lauderdale, or need some advise on a short sale. Call the team at Eric Miller and Associates for all your needs in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

Ft. Lauderdale Condo for Sale at The Tides at Bridgside Square

2010-12-14T08:15:00.001-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Condominium Experts, Eric Miller and Associates at Keller Willaims Realty are pleased to present their newest listing at The Tides at Bridegside Square. This penthouse unit on the southwest corner of the building features numerous updates including marble floors, grantie counter tops, and updated baths. With 11 foot ceilings and a double balcony this is one of the best units available at the Tides at Bridgeside Square.

The Tides at Bridgside Square is one of the newer buildings in the Fort Lauderdale Beach area, and at todays prices is one of the biggest bargains in town. This unit is currently rented and is a great opportunity for a buyer who wishes to use the unit in the future and enter the market at todays bargain prices. This two bedroom unit is listed for $389,000.

You can view the entire current inventory for sale on the Fort Lauderdale MLS at Condos for Sale at The Tides, Fort Lauderdale

Eric Miller owns a three bedroom unit, was on the original board of the building and is here to answer any of your questions about the Tides, Fort Lauerdale.

Keller Williams - This Month in Real Estate December 2010

2010-12-13T22:23:00.000-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market Update

2010-12-08T08:17:00.001-05:00

Fort Lauerdale Realtors, Eric Miller and Associates at Keller William's Realty have been saying for many many months that its time to find the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate that fits your wish list and get it under contract. As Fort Lauderdale Realtors working in the market everyday we simply see a very real trend. The great Fort Lauderdale Rel Estate that comes on the market is selling quickly, and the garbage inventory inventory is sitting on the market until it gets priced accordingly. We sincerely hope our customers work with us and seek our advise when it comes to buying and selling Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, and are proud to announce that in the last two weeks we have closed on three properties in what most people are still saying is a slow Fort Lauderdale Real Estate. We are proud to bring you this Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market update.

Wilton Manors Real Estate, 2229 NE 9th Ave, which is a beautiful Belle Isle Townhome closed this past week for $307,600. At over 2000 sq. feet the sale represented a newer townhomes sale in the City of Wilton Manors at just over 150 per sq. foot of living space. The property also has a two gar garage and is just of Wilton Drive, the center of the enteratinment district of Wilton Manors. Wilton Manors Realtor, Eric Miller is proud to have represented the buyer of this forclosed one, and says this sale keeps with the real attitude of the entire area, we will solve the real estate issue with one great new neighbor at a time. The buyer was local and simply moved from Fort Lauderdale to Wilton Manors.

Wilton Manors Townhome

Coral Heights Beauty

Oakland Park Real Estate this week saw the closing of 3951 NE 16th Terrace, a spectacular home featuring tranquil zen like garden on a canal in Coral Heights. Fort Lauderdale Real Estate has been compared these days to a beauty contest where to need to comptete in numerous events. This home was prcied right, showed beautifully and simply was one of the best homes on the market for the money in Coral Heights. We are very propud to have repreented the buyers of this great home. The buyers of this home are from upsate New York and at Eric Miller and Associates we always love to welcome new friend so the Fort Lauderdale Area.

To make for a perfect week, we are also pleased to welcome friends from Oakland Park to their new Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home at 701 NE 17th Court. When it comes to a large yard, with a beautiful water view at an incredible price this home could not be beat. It was great to see our clients immediately digging in to make this Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home their own. As Fort Lauderdale Realtors, Eric Miller and Associates are proud of the realtionships they have built with clients over the years but nothing makes them happeir when they are confident that thier cleints have bought well in this real estate market.

Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park for all your real estate needs contact the team that you know has the area covered, Eric Miller and Associates at Keller Williams Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale Condominium Monthly Maintenance

2010-11-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate interest is clearly up. With over 30,000 page views during the month of October, and over 26,000 reported through November 28th it is clear that our website is seeing the same thing that was recently reported by Zillow, and that is that there is huge interest in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, at these new lower prices. These have been two record traffic months for a site that is almost 10 years old in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

One request that appears to come up very often when people are looking to purchase a Fort Lauderdale Condominium is simply, "Find me a Fort Lauderdale Condominium with low maintenance"! This is very often the first thing some people request. Unfortunately the old adage, "You get what you pay for" sincerely applies.

A well run building is certainly something that should be high on your priority list, but inexpensive maintenance may not be the best measure of good value.

Some things to think about when it comes to maintenance.

1) Almost 30% of monthly maintenance charges go to pay for insurances.
2) Well run buildings often fund reserve funds based on a Fannie Mae Guidelines of 10% of the operating budget.
3) Buildings with very low maintenance charges may have a history of doing additional assessments for major repairs.
4) Here are two unique ones, 13 months, yes a condominium whose maintenance initially appears a bit low until you realize that they collect the fee 13 times per year. A separate insurance bill, yes the monthly fee does not include insurance that 30% we spoke about comes once a year in a separate bill.

When it comes to monthly maintenance a good rule of thumb is about 50 cents per square foot of living space per month. A building with many amenities can go above 70 cents per foot, and lesser ammenities can be a bit lower. Using this rule you will find that a building that is funding reserves and has few assessments will collect about $500 per month for a 1000 sq. foot apartment. This is just a guide to get you started. Judging a property soley on the monthly fees can be a mistake, a local realtor can help with a great deal of information and history. Additional information about Ft. Lauderadale Condominium ownership.

Symphony Condominium Lobby Fort Lauderdale

Want to get more information about a building that will have over $700,000 in their reserve fund before the end of the year, curious about a buidling that has just finished and completed a full renovation, Eric Miller and Associates are here to help with all your needs in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

KW - This Month in Real Estate November 2010

2010-11-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - from Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes to Condominiums, Eric Miller and Associates are here to help with all your needs in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

Fort Lauderdale at Night from Symphony Condominium

2010-11-28T16:55:00.000-05:00

View of Downtown Fort Lauderdale from Symphony Condominium to view units for sale visit us at http://www.ftlrealestate.com/

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Taxes

2010-11-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

Recently Zillow reported that Fort Lauderdale is one of the most searched cities on their real estate website. To local Fort Lauderdale Realtors such as myself this was no surprise. Our local websites such as FTLRealEstate.com have seen traffic jump over the last few months as more and more people have started to realize that the bottom of the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market may be nearby or may have past and its a great time to buy that Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home or Condo.

Along with the this jump in traffic have come a great many Fort Lauderdale Real Estate questions. It is our job to answer these questions in person as we search together for the perfect home, but sometimes, certain questions come up so often that they deserve their own blog entry.

What are the taxes on this particular property ? What are the taxes on this condo ? How much do taxes cost ? Why don't you show taxes on your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate website ? Send me the taxes on this list of 25 properties, please.

No matter how the question is asked the answer is the same. Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Taxes today have nothing to do with the taxes you will be paying once you purcahse the property.

Real Estate Taxes in Florida are paid in arrears. At the end of the year we are paying the taxes for the year that just past. The reason this is important to know is that on closing day you will receiveve a credit for the time the seller has lived in the home, because at the end of the year you will be getting the entire bill.

The actual bill the following year will be based on what you paid for the home. The general rule of thumb is you can count on about 2% of the purchase price of the property as a good estimate going forward. This will apply to every property from Fort Lauderdale Condos, to Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes. Once you have found the home you want a visit to the Broward County Property Appraisers website at http://www.bcpa.net/ will provide you a great estimate, but the 2% rule will not change by much.

Now Eric Miller and Associates has answered the question, What can I expect in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate taxes ? We have a question for you, When are you going to start looking for that perfect Fort Lauderdale Home you have been dreaming of ? At Eric Miller and Associates website, Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, we are always here to help you start your search. Thinking of a Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Home, we can take you directly there, if its a Fort Lauderdale Condo, start here.

Have a Fort Lauderdale Real Estate question ? We are here to help !

Fort Lauderdale's Bank Atantic Found Guilty

2010-11-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

A local Fort Lauderdale case that could have far reaching national ramifications was settled yesterday. A jury found that a local Fort Lauderdale Bank, Bank Atlantic and some top executives were liable for damages for misrepresenting the value of real-estate loans.

The case against Bank Atlantic Bancorp of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is one of the first jury verdicts of this type and could lead to other plaintiffs going after banks for losses tied to real estate loan products they invested in.

It has been mentioned that the verdict could cost the bank in excess of 40 million dollars. Bank Atlantic has already seen its financial troubles with shares falling to 71 cents that traded earlier this year above $3.00

The suit argued that the bank's management underestimated and intentionally downplayed the risks of loans on Florida property. The verdict simply means that banks can now be held liable for their investors making a bad investment. The results of this type of action are very uncertain.

There is no shortage of news or legal cases mounting from the collapse of Fort Lauderdale Real Estate prices, however, from what we see on the ground real estate prices have certainly leveled at the bottom. If you have been thinking about Buying a Home or Condo in Fort Lauderdale, it’s a great time to start looking at Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

Fort Lauderdale Foreclosures - Market reaction to the Mess

2010-11-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

"For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction", or something similar to that was once said, so when it came to the report that there were going to be freezes, in the processing of Fort Lauderdale foreclosures, we all needed to expect a market reaction.

The reaction we are seeing in the inventory of Fort Lauderdale Homes for Sale is not the one many of us expected. Three things have happened fairly quickly in reaction to this slowdown in Fort Laudedale foreclosure processing. The first is simple, less foreclosures are coming to market. The second, many of the foreclosures that are currently on the market have multiple offers and are not getting responses from the banks. This is causing the market to look like it has slowed ( it hasn't ). The third is long overdue, some banks are looking more willingly at the short sale option.

As the foreclosure process becomes more scrutinized the cost of the process goes through the roof. The time, the legal fees, the maintenance of the property all start to make the short sale process more appealing to the banks. For the homeowner facing foreclosure ( sooner or later ) the short process in an important option.
The one good thing that has come out of foreclosure mess is that more people may pursue a short sale option that may prevent a deficiency judgement down the road.

If you are thinking about selling your home by doing a short sale, Eric Miller and Assocaites at Keller Williams Realty are here to help, take a moment and look at what others have said about their experience, Eric Miller and Associates Testimonials.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Vacation and Short Term Rentals

2010-11-05T13:43:00.002-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Realtors often get the call from prospective Fort Lauderdale Real Estate buyers seeking a property that they can use occasionally and rent out to defer the cost. The Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market is a perfect market to own rental property because being it is the"city by the sea" you have demand for annual rentals, seasonal rentals, both furnished and unfurnished. The expectation is that a Fort Lauderdale Realtor rents out the property a few weekends a year you can just about pay for itself.

Unfortunately this is far from that simple. The first issue to be aware of is that most Fort Lauderdale condominium buildings have very strict limitations on the number of times per year, and the minimum length of stay for all tenants. The most common of these rules is no rentals shorter than 3 months, no more than twice per year, and often no rentals are allowed the first year of ownership. Fort Laudedale Real Estate buyers who decide to violate these rules quickly become enemies of the state, or in this case the condominium, and will face fines and possible legal action. Most Fort Lauderdale Realtors will not violate these individual condominium rules.

The reason for these rules are numerous. One of the more important reasons is the mortgage guideline that states if the number of investor owned units in the building becomes too high financing for individual mortgages will be unavailable. Certainly you want to buy in a builidng that approaches this issue responsibly. A second reason for these rules limiting rentals is wear and tear on the property. Every Fort Lauderdale Realtor can tell you a story of vacation renters who were here to have a great time and sometime that great time resulted in disturbing others or the damaging of property. Fort Lauderdale Condominium buildings are not hotels and are not set up to deal with these situations.

Another Broward County issue to be aware of is there is a toursit tax on all rentals less that 6 months and one day. This tax must be paid on all short term rentals. Your Fort Lauderdale Realtor can always provide you with details on this tax.

If you are planning to purchase a Fort Lauderdale condominium and defer the cost by renting it, plan on following the building guidelines and being a good condominium owner.

Two alternatives to think about if you are determined to generate cash flow with your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate investment. First, are condominium hotels which have dropped in value dramatically and now can provide you with a cash flow, and a realistic purchase price, most however must be cash purchases as the financing is limited. Your Fort Lauderdale Realtor will always be will to discuss the Fort Lauderdale Condo Hotel inventory with you.

The second is a single family home vacation rental. In this case you will have to be very careful that you purchase a home in an area where the city allows these rentals to exists. It is becoming more and more limited and your Realtor can certainly help.

Looking to invest in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, have a client who is thinking about a home in Fort Lauderdale, Eric Miller and Associates are always here to help with all your needs in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

October 2010 This Month in Real Estate

2010-10-24T21:22:00.002-04:00

Thinking of Buying in Fort Lauderdale, this is must see.

Fort Lauderdale Condo Market - Update

2010-10-24T21:03:00.016-04:00

Fort Lauderdale's Condominium Market has received a great deal of attention as a market that has suffered a quick painful death. However, for Realtors who work the market on a day to day basis that is not what they are seeing or feeling and simply the facts do not support the medias take.
Many Fort Lauderdale Realtors complain that each day there is less and less to show. They state that finding quality units at affordable price is getting harder and harder to do. So lets see what the facts say about condos in the price range of $200,000 - $699,999. We eliminated the lower price points in order to eliminate some of the over 55 communities, and condominiums where financing is not available, both these situations tend to skew the market, even though a majority of buyers are unable to purchase there.

In our sample inventory is down over 28% in the last year, the number of units sold is down over 24%, and the pending sales are down over 26%, lower inventory usually leads to lower sales initially. The cycle that follows however is that lower inventory leads to stabilized prices.

If we take this one step further to the next chart we may be able to see that lower inventory is leading to price stabilization. Using the same sample here is what we see for prices in the Fort Lauderdale Condo market.

What we see are stabilizing prices, leading to the next cycle for the Fort Laudererdale Condo market. If you have been thinking about buying a Fort Lauderdale Condominium its a great time to buy, while the one you have been dreaming about may still be available.

Stopping Fort Lauderdale Foreclosures

2010-10-16T18:33:00.000-04:00

Recently we have heard all over the news about a moratorium on Fort Lauderdale foreclosures because of an item referred to as “robo signing”: basically the signing of a document without reading it. The reaction to this moratorium on Fort Lauderdale foreclosures and the media feeding frenzy around it has been swift. Many people potentially facing foreclosure felt relief in the belief that they will be able to stay if their homes for a longer period of time than they had first believed as their Ft. Lauderdale foreclosure is delayed.

At Eric Miller and Associates we are saddened by the level of people in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market we see in financial hardship and the possibility that they may face foreclosure. Never did we think in our real estate careers we would become so active as financial problem solvers and advocates on behalf of our Fort Lauderdale real estate clients. We certainly understand that some people feel a sense of relief from what has been portrayed in the media, as an extended delay.

Lost in the headline about the moratorium, however, were statements from the some banks that it would only take a few weeks to correct the processes and proceed as planned with these foreclosures. Many banks have already indicated how long the reviews would take and business as usual would proceed shortly.

The delay in Fort Lauderdale foreclosure processing is certainly warranted to assure that the banks do what is right. But if you are a Ft. Lauderdale area property owner facing a hard real estate situation it is not the time to be complacent as if the issue will just go away. It is the time to defend your foreclosure as you see fit, and if possible discuss alternatives to foreclosure with your real tor and or your attorney. If you are facing foreclosure and have not discussed the possibility of a short sale with a realtor, please feel free to email or call us with all your Fort Lauderdale Area Real Estate questions, as we are always here to help.

If you are seeking to purchase a Fort Lauderdale foreclosure, you can always find a link to a current list of area properties at Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

2010-09-27T08:23:00.002-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate media coverage as of late consistently speaks of something called the “ghost inventory”. They talk about a huge inventory of Ft. Lauderdale foreclosures and describe it as “ghost inventory”. The implication of the word ghost is that it is invisible. So if I am hearing this all correctly, as a buyer you may want to be fearful of a large inventory of Fort Lauderdale foreclosed properties coming to market that you can’t see yet, and this ghost, will hurt the Fort Lauderdale Real Market.

Buyers have no fear it’s a great time to buy in Fort Lauderdale and there is no invisible ghost, it’s actually very visible.

Fort Lauderdale’s Tax Records are available on line to the public. So let’s make a few assumptions. The economy has been rough, and if you’re homes is going to foreclosure there is a good chance in this economy you are already behind on your payments. Short Sales and Foreclosures for many reasons take a long time. In the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market we consider anything less that 10% of a Ft. Lauderdale Condominium or Fort Lauderdale Neighborhood on the market to be a balanced inventory level. Even if you do not agree on all these assumptions for the sake of this blog, please, go along with me for a moment.

Most liens are placed within 6 months of going late on a mortgage. From that point until the foreclosure is available on the market can be over a year. So let’s simply estimate that the process can take 18 months and maybe longer depending on numerous issues. Of the properties which currently have a lien over 50% are all ready on the market as short sales, and a portion of those will be successful.

So is there a ghost, not at all. Find the area where you wish to buy. Ask your realtor to find out how many properties in the subdivision have a lis pendis on them. Subtract the ones already on the market; this is easy for your Fort Lauderdale realtor to do, as the information is readily available. The remaining homes divided by the months it will take to process can tell you where inventory is heading. Simply, can the inventory be absorbed in your choice neighborhood without putting excessive pressure on prices?

Are there more distressed homes coming into the inventory in the Fort Lauderdale Foreclosurer market? Absolutely! Is there a ghost inventory? Not from what we see. Is there demand to absorb this inventory at today’s selling prices, we think so. Assuming we stop talking about a “ghost”, lurking in Fort Lauderdale Real Estate.

Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes for Sale

2010-09-21T08:12:00.001-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Waterfront Homes

What type of waterfront property are you looking for ?

If you speak to a real estate professional in the South Florida Real Estate market and say, "I am looking for a waterfront home", chances are it is going to lead to many more questions. Initially the agent will most likey think that you are talking about a home on a canal where you can leave a boat.

However it is important to talk first about the many different types of waterfront. At Eric Miller and Associates we can make your search easy by providing you direct access to all area waterfront homes, by visiting Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes.

Fort Lauderale Real Estate, consists of a broad assortment of waterfront offerings. From lakefront homes with water views, canal front homes with ocean access, canal front homes with fixed bridges, homes on the new river with ocean access, intracoastal front homes with ocean access, ocean front homes (very few and no place for a boat, usually), and homes that sit across from the ocean - all are considered Fort Lauderdale Waterfront Homes, but all come with an extremely different lifestyle and price point.

So when you talk of buying a Fort lauderdale waterfront home we first would like to know, What is the purpose of being on the waterfront ? - If its about a view, a boat, or surfing ? If it is about the boat - lets talk about what kind - so we can direct you to the right type of waterfront, for your needs.

Knowing the waterfront the way we do it is easy for us to send you a search which selects the best waterfront opportunities for you. We can se up an automatic search which will send you an email the moment a waterfront home with lets say 70 feet of waterfront for your boat comes on the market.

Simply, getting the best buy in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market is about timely knowledge and at Eric Miller and Associates we are here to help.

Simply tell us what's on your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate wish list, and we are here to help with real answers !

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Commercial Space at the WaterGarden Condo

2010-09-21T08:02:00.001-04:00

Fort Lauderale Real Estate

Fort Lauderdale Condominium - Commercial Space at the Watergarden Condo

Eric Miller and Associates of Keller Williams Real Estate in Fort Lauderale has listed for the sale the only commercial space at the Watergarden Garden Condominium. The commercial space is approximately 750 square feet with a loft like feel directly on the riverfront in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The space offers high ceilings, exposed duct work and a view of the New River. The owner of the space has access to all the Watergarden Condominium has to offer including valet parking for their guests, and two assigned parking spots for the space.

The Watergarden Condominium is very much like a residential five star resort. The building features concierge service, library, club room, theater, health club, heated pool, spa, a business center, billiards room , and 24 hour security.

The commercial office space is located at ground level with its own entrance at the south end of the Watergarden Condominium, Fort Lauderdale directly on New River Drive. It would make an excellent professional office space or retail establishment.

To be the first to see this great space, and for all your Fort Lauderale Real Estate needs call Eric Miller at (954) 383-8170.

Bringing More Potential Buyers to Your Home

2010-09-13T08:03:00.002-04:00

Selling Your Home – Bring more Buyers and a Higher Selling Price

Want to receive the highest and best offer for your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate; the easiest way to make this happen is to have more than one buyer interested in your property. And all of a sudden instead of looking like a motivated seller with a Fort Lauderdale Home for Sale and you may be a position to deal with motivated buyers looking to buy your Ft Lauderdale Home.

With so many Fort Lauderale Homes on the market how can you make sure that more buyers are brought to your home than any other Ft. Lauderdale Real Estate for sale in your area. The method is proven and works, but before I share it with you I want to discuss a couple of other issues that are proven facts in every real estate market.

The highest level of activity when a home goes on the market is usually in the first three weeks. It is important to make sure the property looks great and realtors are excited about showing the property. This part is particularly important we want realtors with qualified buyers excited about showing the property, the moment it comes on the market.

Every market has a current % of asking price that an average home sells for. Naturally this changes as market conditions change. In the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market homes sell for about 8% off of asking price. Keep in mind there may be price changes on the way to that sale but when the offer, becomes a contract it does so at about 8% off the last asking price.

Pricing your home correctly the first time will bring you more potential buyers and the highest price. A tired old listing that came on the market at too high a price originally, did not look its best on day one, will basically have realtors and buyers voting, no! It becomes hard to change that. The feeling that “oh that house has been on the market for ever” becomes stronger and stronger and often these homes end up selling for less, as price changes no longer bring the attention needed to get buyer sin the door.

I did promise you a method of getting more buyers in your home from day one and it really is simple. In this down real estate market pay the realtor with the buyer a higher fee for bringing that buyer to your home. List your home at 7% and offer the buyer’s agent a 4% commission for helping you to attract the buyer in a market where sellers certainly out number buyers.

Pay more commission you ask? Yes, simply think of it this way a 1% bonus that gets a great deal of attention on a $250,000 home will cost the seller $2,500. If the home does not sell quickly and starts to look like a tired old listing a price change of 10% will cost the seller $25,000. Sleep on the concept and tomorrow it may seem like a good idea to pay a higher commission on your home, inorder to get more attention to your Fort Lauderdale Realestate.

About the Author

Eric Miller is a broker associate /owner with Keller Williams Realty in Fort Lauderdale. Eric Miller and Associates is an award winning team of realtors and be found on line at Fort Lauderdale Real Estate. Thinking about purchasing a home in the Fort Lauderdale area Eric Miller provides complete access to all the listed Fort Lauderdale Homes for sale at Ft Lauderdale Condos for Sale. Eric has worked East Fort Lauderdale was a top agent at Prudential prior to joining Keller Williams.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Cheap Repairs, Big Profits

2010-09-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate — Cheap Repairs, Big Profits

You want the most from the sale of your Fort Laudedale Real Estate that you worked hard to buy. There are ways to improve your chances, without investing a lot more?

Even a person not very skilled in carpentry, plumbing, and other traditional trades can improve the saleability of a property with modest effort and a few common tools. Take a look at the photos of Fort Lauderdale Homes for Sale, it is a bit like a beauty contest and your goal is to win.

One of the first things a potential buyer will notice when viewing your property is the condition of those around it. Encourage your neighbors to clear away children's toys, junk cars, or other unsightly objects before buyers come looking. In Fort Lauderdale Condominiums you can do the same by making sure the hallways are clear, and if your neighbor has something hanging on their door ask them to take it down, temporarily.

Offer to mow the lawns of those to the left and right, or take their trash to the dump as an incentive. A small cash offer on successful sale will also motivate cooperation. In a Ft. Lauderdale Condominium if a neighbor is a smoker ask him to try and hold off while your trying to sell, it will be good for both of you.

At the same time, show them you're getting your own house in order. Mow the lawn carefully and repair any bare spots. Trim the edges. And invest in a few dozen inexpensive flowers and plants. Make the property look like you are pround to like in South Florida. If you are thinking of buying Fort Lauderale Real Estate for investment thse tips will serve you well.

Since a home inspection will almost always be done prior to a conclusive bargain being struck, take the opportunity to make those inexpensive plumbing repairs BEFORE showing the house. Some of the more expensive ones might wait, to be used as a bargaining chip. But fix that leaky sprinkler head that sprays the sidewalk and replace that dripping bathroom faucet. The less reasons the buyer has to leave the better.

Replacing carpeting throughout an entire house, or even one room, can be expensive. But getting it cleaned costs very little, typically. And repair any small damage or try to cover it with a piece of furniture. Eventually, you'll have to show every flaw when you have a concrete deal. But it needn't be the first thing they see. Replace those old welcome mats with new ones, and if you can cracked tile should be replaced.

New screens are low priced and can make the exterior look fresh and new. To save even more, you can remake the screens with mesh and rubber kits, provided the frames are still in good shape.

Replace any cracked or broken windows. You'll usually have to do this anyway as part of closing the deal. Of course, all the windows should be cleaned thoroughly to give that shiny new feel. Even a brand new house that's dirty will fetch a lower price. If you have hurricane shutters make sure they are stored neatly and ready to use.

Replace old air conditioning filters with new ones. Even though we should all be doing this every 90 days it becomes even more important when a potential buyer will be opening your air conditioning unit and usine this as a judgement of overall maintance.filters to give the appliances a newer look and the air a fresher smell.

A bit of spackle and a coat of paint on those rooms that have seen accidents needn't cost a lot and doesn't take a lot of effort. Be sure the work is done carefully, though, or it can come out looking worse than before you started.

A Fort Lauderdale Real Estate buyer that sees that you've made efforts to keep the property up will be more inclined to offer a better price. Think of the last time you bought a car. Didn't you favor the one that was well maintained? You were probably willing to pay a little extra to get that one. They will be too.

Looking for a list of Fort Lauderdale Short Sales - it is always here free of charge.
Looking for a list of Fort Lauderdale Foreclosurers - it is always here free of charge.

Buyer's Market Versus a Seller Market

2010-08-30T12:52:00.002-04:00

Buyer’s Market Versus Seller’s Market

If you have been paying closer attention to the housing market over the last several months, you have probably been hearing the term “buyer’s market” getting tossed around from time to time. In fact, many experts have been encouraging people to make a home purchase based on the fact that it is currently a “buyer’s market.” But, what exactly is a buyer’s market and how is it different from a seller’s market?

Buyer’s Market

As the name suggests, a buyer’s market is a market that favors the buyer. When used in reference to the real estate industry, a buyer’s market occurs when there are more homes available for purchase than there are people interested in buying. With an overabundance of inventory on the market, it becomes more difficult for home owners to sell their homes. As a result, they reduce the prices on their homes in order to become more competitive against other sellers and to increase the chances of selling a home.
In addition to enjoying lower prices, those who are interested in purchasing a home in a buyer’s market also have more negotiating power. In other words, they are more likely to get the seller to agree to additional terms when selling the house, such as including the furniture as part of the deal or agreeing to pay for inspections or other professional services.

Seller’s Market

On the other side of the spectrum, the housing market is referred to as a seller’s market when market conditions favor the person who is trying to sell a property. In a seller’s market, there is not enough inventory to meet the purchasing demands of buyers. As such, the sellers can command higher prices for their properties and they have more power during negotiations. In a seller’s market, the seller may be able to place the burden of paying for inspections on the buyer. In addition, the seller has more freedom to turn down offers or to refuse to work with buyers who are planning to obtain certain types of loans or who haven’t already been pre-approved for a loan.

About the Author: Brian Kinkade is a broker and team lead with Brokers Guild – Cherry Creek Ltd, one of Denver's fastest growing full service Denver real estate firms. Brian's team of Internet savvy agents specialize in Denver luxury homes, International property sales, and Denver luxury short sales. Visit their advanced real estate website today to search for homes, gather local information, and learn about Denver neighborhoods. Brian and his team are ready to assist with your home purchase, property sale or Colorado relocation needs.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Market is Showing Strength

2010-08-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

Two days ago a local Fort Lauderdale newspaper started with the headline "Housing Sales Rise". Another Fort Laudedale Real Estate news source, Channel 10, which can be found at www.Justnews.com ran a similar story on the evening news the other night.

The trend is clearly, positive. Nobody is saying we are out of the woods and real estate prices are about to soar. What we are hearing loud and clear is inventory is tightening, prices ( on single family homes moved up slightly ), and if you are planning to buy close to the bottom of the market, well.... that train may have already left the station.

We have heard different numbers throughout the area, which is to be expected being there are so many sources and reporting methods. However the numbers we hear over and over again are that during the last quarter sales are up over 25% from 2009 and over 50% from 2008.

On that note if your thinking of buying its time to make a call or send an email to Eric Miller and Associates, Keller Williams Realty Professionals who are always here to help with all your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate needs.

Keller Williams Receives J.D. Power and Associates Recognition

2010-08-01T16:08:00.000-04:00

According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Home Buyer/Seller Study, Keller Williams Realty, Inc., the third largest real estate company in the United States, has received the highest overall satisfaction ratings from home buyers among the largest full-service real estate firms for the third year in a row. The company also ranked second among home sellers in the study for the second year in a row.

At Eric Miller and Associates we are proud to be part of Keller Williams Fort Lauderdale, and are here to help you with all your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate needs.

Florida Condominium Relief Act

2010-07-27T08:10:00.000-04:00

Over the last few years, as real estate prices plummeted many Fort Lauderdale Real Estate buyers and investors alike stayed away from the condominium market. One reason for their departure was simple. When you looked at the books of many condominiums, and saw low reserve funding, increasing short sale and foreclosure candidates not paying their monthly fees, and rising operational costs, the entire condominium market started to look like a bad business model. On July 1 2010, the State of Florida changed all that and many Fort Lauderdale Condominiums have been quick to act.

On July 1st 2010, the State of Florida passed the Florida Distressed Condominium Relief Act. Condominium associations will now have the right to collect rent from a tenant directly if the owner is behind on their association fees. The reduction of bad debt will allow condominiums to operate on the budget they planned, reduce reserves for bad debt and provide the services which were promised. The new financially sound condominiums will attract more investors, raising demand and prices. Banks will be more willing to accept the balance sheet of many condominiums allowing buyers to obtain mortgages, raising demand and prices.

The magicc words are " Raising Demand and Prices", this really is no surprise to Fort Lauderdale Realtors who have seen inventories shrinking for months. If you have been thinking about buying a Fort Lauderdale Condominium, it is a great time to become a serious buyer. At Eric Miller and Associates we are always here to help with all your real estate needs.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Foreclosures Decline

2010-07-20T08:37:00.001-04:00

We have always spoke about location, location, location, as the first rule of real estate. On Sunday of this week the Sun Sentinel and Realty Trac applied this rule to the Ft. Lauderdale Real Estate cover story.

The article said that foreclosures in Broward County had dropped by 10 %. With a map they laid out clearly where the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market foreclosures are. A very obvious point to take home from the story was one that realtors in the area have known for months as bidding wars break out in a matter of days on almost every foreclosed property. The point was clear that the number of foreclosures differ greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood.

A map of Fort Lauderdale Area Zip Codes clealy gave a range of the number of foreclosed properties available. The lowest range was "under 500". Six of the seven zip codes that make up the area east of US1 and closest to Fort Laudedale Beach fell into this category.

The real story is simply, there are some great bargains to be had in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market. Its a great time to be a buyer ! And at Eric Miller and Associates we are here to help with all your real estate needs.

Government may wish to Target Homeowners

2010-06-22T08:11:00.001-04:00

We have all heard throughout of our lives that "owning your own home is part of the American dream". With so many people losing their homes in the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market it is not difficult to believe that the American Dream may be turning into a nightmare for some.

This turn in economic events to me is one of the most important things our government needs to be thinking about. I am not talking a homeowner bailout. I am talking a consideration of this poor economic environment that helps people decide staying in their homes is worth it. When home owners who can afford to pay their mortgages are making a conscious decision to leave, and yet plan to stay in their homes as long as possible to recoup some of their perceived losses this is bad for their community, the real estate market as whole, the country, and I do believe for them as well.

When did homeownership come with a written guarantee that on any particular day, from the day of closing forward your home would increase in value? It never did. But if long term trends hold, real estate will still turn out to be a good hedge against inflation ( please remember inflation is close to non-existent right now ).

Maybe its time to stimulate this economy by helping homeowners make the decision to tough it out and stay in their homes. Maybe, a $10,000 tax credit in 2015 for every home owner who has owned their home for over 5 years. Maybe a tax deduction for every dollar a homeowner is willing to pay ahead on their mortgage for the next few years.

I don't have all the answers but I do know that many homeowners are not seeing any alternatives. No alternative, is not good for the American Dream or the economy as a whole. Not every homeowner can be saved from this economic downturn, but we need to encourage the ones who can save their homes to do so.

Eric Miller and Associates, a team of professional Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Agents, are here to help you with all your Fort Lauderdale Real Estate needs. If you are approaching foreclosure, considering a Short Sale or need a referral for Foreclosure Defensive we are always here to help.

Keller Williams This Month in Real Estate - March

2010-04-30T08:22:00.003-04:00

Prediciting the Real Estate Market - The New Blue

2010-04-30T08:11:00.004-04:00

The New Blue - oh yes it has become fashionable to predict the real estate market. As you sip on a Martini it becomes your turn to tell the story about your friends, uncle who made a fortune in real estate after the great depression, and has just issued his buy signal. Or it may be at the water cooler when you explain that you just bought a foreclosed home for 50% under market value, and now is the time to buy, by the way by definition what you paid is market value. In the last few days my level of confusion from all the predictions out there has risen to a new fluster, as fully charge crystal balls, have reached a new height, one morning show stated " Fort Lauderdale Real Estate has been hit way too hard based on the dynamics of the market and we should see a quick rebound of approximately 20%. At the same time I read an article in (Money Magazine) which said Fort Lauderdale was one of the most over headed markets in the country and would drop 20% in 2010. I felt really good about this article because as I read it further I made the assumption that the author may have simply misaligned his excel spread sheet as it became my opinion that numbers he quoted for 2009 ( facts based in history) were simply wrong. So were either of the fashionable predictors right, No way, predictions of a national real estate trend may be doable and there will be areas above the line and areas below the line. But predictions of a national real estate market make for good reading and nothing more. Sorry I can't tell you what is going to happen in New York City Real Estate, but if you want to discuss Fort Lauderdale Real Estate, where inventory is shrinking, prices are starting to rise, and multiple offers on good properties are the norm, we at Eric Miller and Associates are here to help. We consider ourselves local Fort Lauderdale experts. Visit us at http://www.ftlrealestate.com/, but please don't ask us what day the market will bottom, we think that has already been written in history. You can email Eric Miller at Eric@FTLRealEstate.com

The Tides, Fort Lauderdale Florida - Best Buys

2010-03-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

Over the last few years the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market can be viewed as the perfect storm. Bad loans started to surface, too many sellers became landlords and investors assuming the market could only go up, and the economy tanked, these and numerous other occurrences, not to forget 9/11 simply changed the world as we knew it and along with it our real estate markets. No real estate was excluded from this price correction, not even Fort Lauderdale Finest Waterfront Homes Sorry even you had the most special kitchen cabinets in the world chances are your home went down in value as well. However, as we enter a new real estate market in Fort Lauderdale, a more balanced one, where buyers don't out number sellers 100 to 1, I sincerely believe many of the rules of this normal market are returning. You all remember them, location, location, location - and there are a few more, the right time to buy, and quality sells. With all these in mind I want to bring your attention to The Tides at Bridgeside Square. The Tides, Fort Lauderdale is always on our top ten list of great buys of the Condos for Sale in Fort Lauderdale.

In today's crazy market 1 Bedroom Units can be had for around $200,000, two bedrooms for about $270,000, and 3 Bedrooms for about $390,000. The building owns an entire city block, is pet friendly, has a great pool and health club, and was built in 2002 to post Hurricane Andrew codes. The building does have a generator. For additional information about the The Tides - Eric Miller Miller and Associates are the #1 sales agents in the building and I personally do own a three bedroom in the building. In the last 6 months the inventory for sale at The Tides has dropped in half, this is the true sign that the bargains will be gone soon, and a normal market will emerge.

Currently two of our Best Buys in Fort Lauderdale are an approved short sale for $379,000 and a totally redone Penthouse Unit offered fully furnished for $499,000. The Penthouse unit is not currently listed so you will need to email me for details.

3020 NE 32nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Point of Americas - Great Short Sale Deal

2010-02-17T08:21:00.005-05:00

On 12/29/2009 a two bedroom unit closed at Point of America for $325,000, as a short sale which was in work since April of 2009. This unit which had a tax value of almost $500,000 was a excellent deal. As I always say the best thing about the conclusion of a short sale sale or a foreclosure is once their gone their gone, and the single biggest force effecting the value of property in the area just disappeared. Point of America is one of the single best locations in the Fort Lauderdale area. For those of you who have gone on a cruise you have passed the gleaming white towers, as the name would suggest, when you pass the point entering in to Port Everglades. The views are spectacular and a huge renovation over the years proves these building to be excellently managed landmarks. The unit that sold was a 1513 square foot unit with two bedrooms two baths facing North. It is a lower floor unit buy still had a great view of the beach. Today there are 18 units available between the two towers of Point of Americas and there is nothing even similar to this unit for under $500,000. If you are thinking of purchasing a short sale the two most important issues are an agent who understands the process, and patience, it will take time. Eric Miller is a Certified Distress Property Expert and here to help with all your real estate needs.

Keller Williams - This Month in Real Estate February 2010

2010-02-15T07:53:00.002-05:00

Portofino Condominium Sale

2010-01-23T08:19:00.004-05:00

Just before the end of the year a 12th floor unit sold at Portofino, which is located at 77 South Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale. This building sits directly on the intracoastal waterway, on the beach side, close to beautfiul Las Olas. It is a great smaller building with only 52 units all of which go through the building, east to west. Most have a partial ocean view on the east side ( some have been partially blocked by new constrcution over the years )and a downtown, intracoastal view on the west side. In most units the western view is from the kitchen area of the units. Over the years since its constructon in 1982 the building has been beautifully maintanined and renovated. The pool area, gym, and lobby have all been redone. The building does have dock space for up to 60 foot boats, however there is a waiting list for these docks, as they become available. The 12th floor unit that sold was 1692 square feet and sold for $425,000, which was a sales price of $251 a square foot.In 2007, similar units were selling for $291 a square foot. This shows that in two years the building has declined approximately 16%. This number is less than the overall market and should be expected when a building is in a superior location, and has been well maintained. Currently there is only one unit for sale in the building which again is a sign of a great Fort Lauderdale property. The building does allow small pets. If you are interested in seeing this property call Eric Miller and Associates, we are here to help with all your real estate needs in the Fort Lauderdale area.

This Month in Real Estate - January 2010

2010-01-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

Illini Tower 545 South Atlantic Blvd, Fort Lauderdale

2010-01-17T09:07:00.004-05:00

Just prior to the end of the year a 2 Bedroom condo sold in the Illini Tower for $395,000. These units are approximately 1600 square feet, and this relates to a sales price of about $246 per square foot. It April of 2007 a unit sold for $795,000. On the surface it looks like prices have dropped almost 50%. This is not true. The unit that sold for $795,000 had received a total, spectacular renovation that I would estimate today would cost today over $150,000. This would place the price decrease from 2007 to 2010 at approximately 30%. This is a much more realistic number for this superior location. The Illini is all about location, and it is not for everyone. It is located on a triangular piece of property where A1A's North and South bound lanes separate. It is in the middle of Fort Lauderdale's busiest beach area, and simply its a location that people who live there love, and find irreplaceable. Remember those rules of real estate location, location, location, they certainly apply to the Illini what you are buying at the Illini is location. The building was built in 1964, it is 17 stories tall, and has only 52 units. The building was built without central airconditioning ( common for its age ) so each condominium has individual units through the wall. The builidng does sit feet from the beach and the swimming hall of fame. When buying in the Fort Lauderdale area, Eric Miller and Associates can help you comparison shop with an expert on your side, we are always here to help.

Happy New Year - Fort Lauderdale Real Estate

2010-01-12T19:51:00.002-05:00

It will not be a year that many in real estate will soon forget, but as the year came to a close we did start to see many good signs on the horizon. Please understand that a good sign does not mean we started to see prices moving dramatically in any direction. Good signs mean that we started to see signs of a normalizing market where buyers and sellers were more on an even playing field. A market where we could call both sides winners in the deal.

To help people understand the Fort Lauderdale market I thought it would be enlightening to look at the last 5 condominium sales of 2009 and the last single family home sales of 2009.

Today I will list the beach area condominium sales and over the next few entries will discuss each in more depth. If you are thinking of purchasing a condo in Fort Lauderdale reading about these recent sales should help you understand the market a bit better.

Please also remember we are always here to help.

Illini Tower 545 S Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. 2/2 Listed $450,000 Sold $395,000
Portofino 77 S Birch Rd. 2/2/1 Listed $429,000 Sold $425,000
Point of Americas 2100 S Ocean Lane 2/2 Listed $399,000 Sold $325,000
Birch Brest Condo 336 N Birch Road 2/2 Listed $397,500 Sold $300,000
Atlantic Towers 1920 South Ocean Drive 2/2 Listed $249,000 Sold $180,000

Keller Williams December Real Estate Report

2009-12-14T08:57:00.003-05:00

Keller Williams November in Real Estate

2009-12-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

Keller Williams October in Real Estate

2009-12-14T08:53:00.000-05:00

Ask Any Realtor in Town and You Will Hear the Same Story

2009-12-14T08:41:00.002-05:00

Fort Lauderdale's real estate market is on fire. Do not take this to mean that prices are rising and the fire means your going pay more. The fire means that if you want to buy in the Fort Lauderdale area and have some inventory to select from, now is the time to call Eric Miller and Associates and get to work. Another important note, if your goal is to purchase a short sale or a foreclsoure and skip buying from a motivated real equity seller, you need to figure out how to be first in the door. You may need to leave a deposit in an escrow account and be prepared to purchase the day a property comes on the market. The reason for this is that other buyers are being fast, and is no second when it come to purchasing a property. There are clauses that can protect you should you change your mind and this where an experienced agent can help, but being second is not going to buy you a home in this market.

Fort Lauderdale Welcomes The Oasis

2009-11-15T15:21:00.002-05:00

This weekend Fort Lauderdale welcomed the largest cruise ship in the world to its new home in Fort Lauderdale. We felt it was a video worth sharing.

Welcome the Oasis

Fort Lauderdale Home Sales

2009-11-15T15:03:00.002-05:00

Everyday we have the same conversation with buyers from all over the country and all over the world looking for a bargain home in Fort Lauderdale. The great news is they all still see South Florida as a place they want to own a home. The bad news is most often they have an incorrect impression of our markets pricing. I see no better way to approach this than with that line "a picture is worth 1000 words". With that in mind I have created a link to 30 of the most recent home sales in Broward County, it will help to give an idea of single family home pricing in this market. At Eric Miller and Associates we are here to help you become an educated buyer in the South Florida market.

MOST RECENT HOME SALES

Rumors of a Foreclosure Flood

2009-11-08T09:56:00.003-05:00

Everywhere I look these days, every meeting, every class, every periodical I see rumors of the flood of foreclosures about to come on the market. In some cases it gets even better as they predict the quarter and the month this is all going to happen. Sometimes I feel a bit left out, as someone that many would consider an expert on Fort Lauderdale real estate why am I not totally on board with this prediction of a flood. Simply its because I am much more about facts and here are some to ponder. Taking a random sample of East Fort Lauderdale Area properties, a fairly large sample 46,926 to be exact. 3247 have Lis Pendis filed on them, this is approximately 7%. Out of these 3247 - 389 are already on the Multiple Listing Service for Sale and based on current sales trends 95% will be under contract within 30 days. This leaves us 2858 properties currently heading to foreclosure, far from a flood. Even as more and more get added daily, and more and more sell daily there are too many "What ifs" to simple predict a flood. Most Realtors know that to find a nice two bedroom near the ocean you are going to hard pressed to find one with and an accessed value ( tax value ) under $300,000. We pay our taxes in arrears so this reflects values of last year. When you apply this number to the 3247 properties heading to foreclosure half of them disappear. So "what if" the majority of homes heading into to foreclosure are not the dream home you have been waiting for. Then simply its a great time to be a buyer in the Fort Lauderdale Area. Please watch this blog for any sign of the gates opening I promise to report the facts.

Keller Williams September 2009 Update

2009-11-04T08:55:00.001-05:00

Glooming Predictions Just Don't Fit

2009-11-04T08:06:00.004-05:00

Each day another article appears predicting gloom in 2010 to the real estate market in South Florida. One recent article ended with "distressed properties will drive the market". Finally someone almost pointed out why the numbers will look like gloom for the market. Lets look at the issue, the price point that feeds the story of gloom and doom. If you want to see real numbers add a few zero's but this is to prove my point. If 10 properties sell in January 2010, and 9 of them are trashed out foreclosures needing massive renovations, then distressed properties have driven the market. If those properties sell for $30,000 each for a total of $270,000 and the one lone sale occurs in great condition, beautiful view, and in a superior location for $400,000. The doom predictor says the average price of the market has crashed and the price of a home is now $67,000. Over a period of time, the banks will get back to work, and really start moving these distressed properties, and when their gone, their gone. Using the example above, if there were only two distressed properties, the average price would be $173,000 and if there were no distressed sales the average price would have been $400,000. So as long as there are distressed properties at numbers that can skew the market they will, but if your not looking to buy one of those keep in mind once their gone their gone. Some say a picture is worth 1000 words, so with this in mind I did want to insert a photo of a recent $30,000 sale is the Fort Lauderdale area, the house is 582 sq. feet. and by the way it sold for $29,000. Please remember we are here to help you navigate this market, and find great deals at realistic prices.

Gloom and Doom in South Florida - Not Really !

2009-10-21T19:41:00.002-04:00

In was another beautiful say in paradise. The sun was shining and I am looking forward to dinner with friends at the 954, the beautiful new steak house at the W Hotel tomorrow evening. Oh. sorry, I started to talk about fun in South Florida and now I remember, I titled this article "Gloom and Doom in South Florida", and there was this morning when I read the Sun Sentinel ( note to self : I need to stop doing that ). In it was an article about South Florida and the pending disaster, you can read it at "Gloom and Doom in South Florida - Not Really !", please note I have changed the name on the link to match my blog post. If you prefer I can cut through the whole article for you and give you a sense of what they are saying in the last two lines. Buyers are lining up for Florida bargains, with banks processing these deals slowly there will be a supply of bank owned neglected crap for a year or two to come. These homes will sell for what they are worth, in a matter of days. So as more and more of these sell the perception will be that the median price has plummeted. However, once they are gone their gone and if you wish to buy a nice property that costs $200 a square foot to build and has nothing wrong with it your going to pay a reasonable margin for it. Want to find a bargain we are here to help, but if you are waiting for the Sun Sentinel to report the bottom of the market, and mention your dream home in the same article you will have missed the best buying opportunity in years.

Fountains of Ocean Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale Condo

2009-09-27T08:29:00.009-04:00

As talk continues to start of the bottom of the real estate market we on the ground are sounding a giant "oh really". Buyer are watching the market daily waiting for a sign, asking their realtors to show them 100's of properties, and contacting their realtor with amazement as they notice the one they liked has just sold. These buyers are starting to realize that finding the perfect property for them at a great price is what counts. Finding that same property in a distressed sitaution with no other buyers around is extremely unlikely. Buyers are starting to realize that these other buyers looking at the same property they are, are causing multiple offers to reappear. You are not alone, many people are looking for the value in todays South Florida market. As buyers start to understand the market, a mind shift happens, and buyers realize the best deal is a property that fits them at the right price. This personal mind shift will cause a huge shift in the market. A more balanced market is already on the horizon.

If you have been thinking of a condominium near the beach in Fort Lauderdale, please check out the Foutains, and give us a call. We are proud to annouce that last week alone three additional buyers decided to call the Foutains home. Check out our floor plans at Fountains on Ocean Blvd.

Short Sales - At Eric Miller and Associates

2009-09-23T05:15:00.004-04:00

Certainly like all other realtors we love closings as simply they mean many things. Buyers and Seller get to move on with their lives, and we as realtors get to celebrate another sucessful trasaction and a pay day. But as of late some have become more meaningful. The closing of a short sale is a true victory. When the short sale is a more difficult one with two loans, two unresponsive banks, and that occassional negotator who thinks $225,000 is more than $250,000 because she has more files on her desk than she can or wishes to concentrate on, and you have already decided to allow her to call you by your wrong name; well closing these types of deals are total joy. At Eric Miller and Associates we have listened to many large real estate companies tell their agents to stay away from short sales. They have refered to them as a "waist of time". With this attitude I agree it is best they stay away, and if you are a ligimate short sale candiatate we are here to help. A short sale can and does work if the seller is truely a hardship situation. At Eric Miller and Associates we are always pleased to meee with a seller and discuss their sitaution and if we think we can get the job done, and decide to take on your short sale we will not stop until closing day. Just yesterday after 14 months we have recieved a full approval on a small short sale which we refused to give up on. After closing day I hope to post from the owner, as he has continual expressed his amazment how hard we worked on his file. By the way Scott G. your welcome :)
Considering a short sale, want to avoid foreclosure, we can help!

Keller Williams - Market Update

2009-09-19T12:19:00.001-04:00

Waterfront Homes

2009-09-10T08:21:00.004-04:00

When you start thinking about a waterfront home in the Fort Lauderdale area it is important to be aware that all waterfront is not the same and we are going to ask many questions to make sure you find the right property. When you see a photo on the internet of a lake front home for $200,000 chances are this is a lake, with access to no major waterways, hence we may ask you if the water is about a view or about a boat. Other things we may wish to talk about, ocean access, fixed bridges, beam, depth, width of a canal, timing to the intracoastal, distance to the inlet. As a starting point, you can count on the larger boat you can house in your backyard the more expensive the property will be. It is rare to find a no fixed bridge, waterfront home under the $600,000 mark even in our current market. When it comes to seaching for a waterfront home you can rest assured we are here to help you find the property that fits.

Follow the link to a current listing of all Waterfront Homes For Sale in the Fort Lauderdale Area

Mortgage Application Rise - Sales Rise

2009-09-09T07:56:00.011-04:00

This morning news reports continue to talk about the rise in sales and mortgage applications. Interest rates remain at their lowest point in months. I am sure we will have our standard day in the office with calls from all over the country, looking for the best deal in South Florida. There are are two conversations that buyers need to understand in this unique real estate enviornment.

Conversation One

Waterfront Homes - sorry there are no waterfront homes up and down the water ways of Fort Lauderdale sitting in Foreclosure waiting for you to bid on them. Waterfront values have maintained better than the overall market and there is still strong demand.

Conversation Two

Cash Flow - "I want to buy something cheap and it must cash flow" - Cash flow has to do with how much of a mortgage you take. Taxes, Maintnance, and Vacancy all effect cash flow. Please keep in mind many of the construction projects that have continued in the Fort Lauderdale area are rental communities, this has put downward presseure on rents. Buy a property because it fits for you, your needs and your investment goals, but if the cash flow is required for you to feel secure being a landlord may not be a wise choice.

A picture is worth 1000 words - Three recent water front sales in the Fort Lauderdale area.

1235 East Lake Drive, Fort Lauderdale Fl
Asking Price $10,995,000 Sold for $9,450,000

3211 N 58th Street , The Landings
Asking Price $799,000
Sold for $620,000

426 Victoria Park Road

Asking Price $599,000

Sold for $500,000

Ready to look at properties that are available check out www.FTLRealEstate.com

August The Down Time In South Florida

2009-09-07T09:24:00.007-04:00

Over the last few weeks we have watched an amazing thing happen in South Florida as more and more buyers are flocking to the area to buy the property they always wanted at a price they can now afford. Unfortunately many of them are still armed with media hype and few facts so often we see offer after offer is being rejected. Many leave with the attitude they will just wait, but many more are saying we are close enough to the bottom and I'm going to buy the property I want before it is gone. Over the last 30 days 38 condos in the beach area have gone into pending sale status. They range from a low floor 2 Bedroom at The Berkley South ( Asking price 169,000 ) to a penthouse unit at L'Hermitage (Asking price $3,000,000). Even more important is that of the units that sold the average days on market was 90 days. This means that when property is priced correctly it is selling in three months, that is a great sign of normality for this real estate market. The team at Eric Miller and Associates is always ready to help you navigate the South Florida Market, visit us at http://www.ftlrealestate.com/

CNN TALKS OF THE BOTTOM, Maybe a bit late

2009-08-01T20:26:00.004-04:00

Talk all over the media about realestate at the bottom, as if a line has been drawn in the sand and all areas of our country are the same. I find this amazing. If they were all capable of making perfect timing decisions they all would have bought Microsoft stock 30 years ago, and been long retired, very wealthy. Lets just all accept that marking the bottom of this market is impossible, but properties are being sold for less than would cost to build, simply this is a trend that can't, and won't continue. The best inventory has been selling away for months, the crap is sitting, and sooner or later the best properties at these amazing prices, will simply be gone. If your thinking of buying let me be the first to say welcome to Fort Lauderdale, and with good guidance you will be hard pressed to make a mistake. Its great time to be a buyer in the Fort Lauderdale market and you will be buying close to the bottom, even if turns out to have already passed. I am pleased to announce over the last few weeks we closed another town home in Wilton Manors at Valencia, two units at The Tides , and three units at Fountains on Ocean.

Fort Lauderdale Waterfront

2009-06-25T22:24:00.004-04:00

I am sorry to report that the law of supply and demand sincerely applies to waterfront property in the Fort Lauderdale area. Are there bargains to be had in waterfront homes, absolutely...however, there are buyers lined up for waterfront homes that are priced properly in this real estate market. It is a great time to buy waterfront property in Fort Lauderdale but don't expect to find these homes sitting as distressed properties without numerous buyers ready to take the plunge. If you are interested in a waterfront home we are here to help you find the best deals. Link directly to the Fort Lauderdale Multiple Listing Service at our home page at http://www.ftlrealestate.com or contact Eric via email at Eric@FTLRealEstate.com

Time to Buy in Fort Lauderdale ?

2009-06-20T07:54:00.005-04:00

Absolutely, this is a shout out to the entire news media who can't seem to make up their minds as what is going on in the Fort Lauderdale market. COME ON DOWN I'd love to give you the tour and let you present some facts. The Miami Herald reported Broward County heading back before Dade, for those of you who may be unclear, Fort Lauderdale is in Broward, Miami is in Dade, and they are both in this place the media calls "South Florida", but the way so is Key West. We talk to hundreds of people every month,l who are ready to buy in Fort Lauderdale but are simply waiting for the single we have reached bottom. The only sure single I know of the the bottom is the beginning of the move back up and then its too late for the the buyers who think they can buy at the absolute bottom. What ever single your waiting for to know it the right time time to buy in Fort Lauderdale I hope it comes to you soon, and remember we are always here to help you navigate this market. Vist us at http://www.ftlrealestate.com/

Foreclosed Fort Lauderdale

2009-03-09T20:28:00.002-04:00

Ok I'm bad, I have not posted in months, shame on me what kind of blogger am I ? Simply one with new committment, to write shorter, briefer, more often posts. Posts that quickly serve to inform Anderson Cooper (sorry to pick on you but you are one of my favorites), the rest of the media, and of course my readers the reality of the real estate market in Fort Lauderdale. Lets start with one fact for tonight, the ocean front is not flooded with foreclosures. The highrise condos that sit east of the intracoastal are not being boarded up, vacancys are not piling up and the fact is that buyers are lining up. Simply they are waiting for the sign that we have reached bottom. That sign for many will be the shrinking of inventory and the uptick in prices. For many others they are buying today, at discounted prices, often lower than it would cost to build, but not at firesale prices that the media has convinced them exsist. For those who decide to wait they may face, less inventory to select from, higher interest rates, and sellers who see the rainbow, and being less negotiable. Now sure sounds like a great time to get serious if you want to buy and as always we are here to help you find the best deal.

The Banks Are Still Out of Control

2008-10-03T08:02:00.008-04:00

I'm sincerely not smart enough to know if the banks and wall street should be bailed out. The way I see it, our current and future leaders say this should happen, so why should I disagree. If they continue to mess up hopefully, we will be smart enough to make them unemployed.
That being said the management of many of these banks already deserve the unemployment line. I know this is going to sound a bit bitter, but sincerely my business is holding its own without their foreclosure business. I often get asked for my price opinion and for this I get $50.00. I only do it to keep a pulse on the market. We have plenty of buyers to represent, and hopefully protect. We continue to do the business that has won us awards year after year.

I am shocked at the way these banks are managing, and attempting to liquidate these assets. Us tax payers will end up bailing out, as they continue to mismanage. Yesterday I spent the better part of the day showing bank owned properties. One of the hopes of the real estate down turn, by many realtors, was that many real estate agents who didn't take the business seriously would leave the industry, and as a profession we would raise our standards. This sincerely has not happened. I am sure there are many great agents out there servicing the banks foreclosed properties, and I sincerely appreciate their efforts. These people are in charge of saving neighborhoods all over America. However, very often a brand new agent, or one who has just come back to work, connected to someone somewhere, has become the agent of choice, often with 50 to 60 listings, they cannot possibly service. My day was spent jumping over fences where I had incorrect gate codes, going in through open doors where there were no keys, using a flashlight where there was no electricity, kicking roaches out of the way, and the best was the agent who informed me "I only take offers from my buyers, will you give up your commission".
Shame on the banks for being unwilling to sell property the way it has always been done, find the top preforming agents in an area and work with them. At a starting point the banks may wish to hire a few people to audit their assets often they may be shocked what they find. We are making an offer on foreclosed property we saw yesterday but the offer will be much lower than planned because of the lack of maintenance on the property, and our belief that the property will simply sit and not age gracefully.

Fort Lauderdale Rental Market is Booming

2008-09-30T07:46:00.002-04:00

Here we go again, a new real estate cycle visable on every corner that will lead us to the next cycle. Who said the next cycle of dropping real estate prices had to be rising real estate prices. All over Fort Lauderdale rental housing is being built, weve been this route before. When sales fall off, people start renting, rents go up, and builders build new rentals, when sales start to risee they convert them to condos and sell out, and we get to start all over. How long the cycle lasts is never perfectly clear unless your wathcing the news, as they all seem to have the answer. But one fact is clear major real estate developerss still believe in the Fort Lauderdale area, they are building rentals all over town, to service the people still moving here, and buyers are being welcomed to the perfect storm, simply if you find a home you like, buy it. If you what for the day you are convinceed it is the bottom of the market, the perfect home will not be available and you will have most likely missed the bottom of the market

Shame on the Banks

2008-09-27T05:55:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't written in while, but contrary to what the media is saying, we are busy. Our business is ahead of last year and people are buying the bargains to be had in the Fort Lauderdale area. We are working harder than ever, and it is frustrating to see how a correction in the real estate market, has caused banks to stick their heads in the sand, run for cover, and ultimately create a run on real estate and their own banks. I am not smart enough to comment on if the bailout being discussed is the right thing to do, but I have enough common sense to know executives who failed to perform should be given a ticket to Florida instead of a paycheck. We have many bargains that I am sure they can afford. Sincerely I don't blame banks solely for this current crisis, there is plenty of blame to go around but they are definitely responsible for a portion.

If your about to buy a home and finance it through a mortgage, you need to be prepared for a simple fact. The banks have told their appraisers exactly how they want them to perform. This in itself is a disgrace as appraisers have always had the job of doing an independent opinion of value, well, not any more. The banks have told them in many ways, protect your licence, be conservative, don't give credit for renovations, deduct for a declining market ( now they too predict the future), and basically be as pessimistic as possible. Notice I did not say as realistic as possible. Simply this creates a self fulfilling prophecy. Prices cannot stabilize, as long as banks, and their appraisers say they are still falling. From the best neighborhood in town to the worst appraisers are performing in the same fashion, if you have a massive huge bargain it may appraise at the price on your contract. In my opinion the contracted price is not even something an appraiser should see, or know about until they have completed the appraisal. How come nothing ever appraises above the contract price if this is suposed to be "an honest opinion of value". When you have five or six buyers bidding on the same property are they all dumb, this is an honest opinion of value. Value is what a property will sell for in a fair and open market.

So now I can predict this market, buyers will be limited to better than 20% down, or cash ( its still king ), many will be asked to accept properties which appraise below the purchase price and need more money down, foreclosures will continue as banks continue to tighten their lending practices, prices will drop until homes become very affordable, and then banks will step back in all over again and offer everyone money (once they feel safe), either through bargain prices that even they feel good about or guarantees that limit their risk. Something is wrong here and I know that sooner or later our leaders can find the way to stem the foreclosure market, keep people in their homes, and stop the downward spiral of real estate prices.

For the time being, and until then do, the herd is heading for the door and the smart money is buying real estate the old fashion way, location, location, location. In the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood/Pompano area we are always here to help. See you soon its early Saturday morning and we have buyers in town.

Where are the best deals in town ?

2008-06-06T08:14:00.000-04:00

Simple - Lets lay out a few facts first. All of these are based on total generalizations, from numerous sources, from numbers I have seen varying all over the place. The real estate market in the Fort Lauderdale area has risen 50% in five years, it has dropped 20% in two years, so the way I see it there has been a nice five year return, actually way better than the stock market. The cost of creating good real estate ( building ) continues to rise. There is less building going on because property is selling for less than it can be built for. The profit motive of building is temporarily gone. Sooner or later inventory will tighten, prices will level off ( I think we are there) and then start to rise. Remember, even when the stock market is bad there are good stocks and bad stocks. Just like the good stocks create millionaires when the market is down so does good real estate. Would it surprise you to hear that there are properties in Fort Lauderdale that have not dropped at all in this the current slow down, now these are great properties.

So where are the best deals in town ?

1) Waterfront Properties - the bigger the home for the boat the better, there is only so much waterfront in Fort Lauderdale and as a boating city it will always be in demand. The more water frontage the better.

2) Beach Area - East of the Intracoastal - Very close to the beach - There are only three new buildings going up in the entire beach area of Fort Lauderdale, visit http://www.fountainsfortlauderdale.com/ where we have the last two units from the developer available for sale. In addition many of the older buildings have spent a fortune upgrading since hurricane Wilma, as a buyer today you purchase these renovations for free.

3) Downtown Fort Lauderdale - Las Olas - The night life of downtown, and less than 2 miles to the beach, in an area where there is no land to build, in a city that is growing. Sounds good to me, please remember these are some of the most luxurious buildings in town, and the monthly maintenance charges will reflect the level of services. One last note - DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE IS NOT MIAMI, we do not have the same glut, so if you are interested don't wait too long.

4) Last but not least - great solid neighborhoods - they are never the least expensive place to buy, but most likely you don't purchase the least expensive shoes in the store, or the least expensive stock on the market, great solid neighborhoods come back strong when the cycle changes. We are here and proud to show you the best South Florida has to offer.

So where are the buys, simple start with the most basic rule of real estate, location, location, location - and let Eric Miller and Associates guide you through this market.

$100,000 Beach Front Area Two Bedroom Two Bath Condo in a Newer Fort Lauderdale Builiding

2008-05-15T03:25:00.000-04:00

Sorry Everyone They Don't Exsist - No time has ever been made more aware, that when we all read newpaper stories and read between the lines, a differant set of realities results. So let me help you see a clearer realty about the Fort Lauderdale area market. Think of your home town, think of the best street in town, think of the best view in town, think of a beautiful street. Visiualize it, the best address in your home town. In Fort Lauderdale this for many will be any street along the ocean, or other water ways. Now think of finding a distressed property in that area of your town. Use the numbers they talk about where you live, I know we have all read them. 1 in 300 as the media says in our city, lets look for that one perfect location property in foreclosurer. If 10 out of 300 in a differant part of town are having problems that may make that property I am hunting 1 in 3000 in my great neighborhood. Or ifs its 100 out 300, somewhere else in town and it maybe for a reason, inorder for the media statistic to hold, in may make in 1 in 30,000 on the best side of town. Now lets talk about the buyers in your home town, will they be lining up to buy that 1 in 30,000 distressed property on a great street. They will quickly bid the price to market value, and the property will be sold. Simply its happening to every prime forclosure in Fort Lauderdale, quickly, easily, and at higher prices than the media is saying.

There is a new market value in Fort Laduerdale, but sorry real estate is not selling in prime areas for pennies on the dollar, look for reality in 2003-2004 pricing, which in many cases in great areas can be 35% off th highs of 2005. But in some properties may really be holding. I would still expect to start looking fo a 2 bedroom / 2 bath beach area condo in an older builder in the $275,000 range, and go up quickly from there, depending on the property. Simply this is reality, we just sold a one bedrooom foreclsoure for $240,000 it was a great deal for the buyer, and fit the formula of about 35% off the 2005 high, and there were multiple buyers.

As always we are here to help, Eric Miller and Associates at Keller Williams.

The Banks are Doing it Again

2008-05-14T07:53:00.000-04:00

There are few people out there who would say that the banks had their eyes clearly on their businesses with an end in sight as they made loans to people who really couldn't afford them with more and More convoluted terms. I am sure it would be hard to find people to stand up and profess " the banks now get it they are in control of what they are doing now".

The other day we wrote an offer on a bank owned property for $245,000 about 30% less than it would have sold just a year ago, but in the current market, a valid offer. The property was on the market for $265,000. Within days the bank "REJECTED" the offer, and then proceeded to reduce the property to $240,000. We have now closed....... This is your money, my money, your neighborhoods, and the institutions you trust.

The real moral of the story here is we all need to pick our experts in life effectively and trust them to do a good job. It won't last long, but the banks are digging themselves deeper into this real estate problem by not allowing a broad spectrum of real tors who have been experts in each market for years to be their source, and help them out of this inventory crisis. Remember there is no real estate crisis, its a crisis of inventory and in many cases its inventory that few people really want, so follow this logic. Wouldn't the easiest place to get rid of real estate inventory to be go where the most buyers are, working with the biggest, and best real tors in town. Instead the banks are working with property liquidation teams that are appearing all over, are impossible to work with and continue make mistakes like the one I mentioned above. Many realtor's who have worked local market are no even talking to the banks other than if they represent the buyers, because many of the banks are impossible to talk to. They are in crisis mode but making it worse, currently we have a foreclosure deal which may die days before closing because someone at the bank has changed the terms days prior to closing ( we are taking $2000), we had another deal weeks ago where we were asked to accept a lower commission ( which we did ) and at the closing table found out the other agent was paid twice what we were from the bank. I don't blame the agent but shame on the bank.

On a last note - the best deal in real estate is a realistic seller - who understand the market and is ready to move on - work with a real estate professional who can show you the facts - and if the home you love doesn't have the word foreclosure in front of the address, believe me this is a win for everyone. Buy it right, know you got a great deal with a property which was taken care of , and enjoy that you bought in a buyers market where the banks helped you to get a lower price.
Remeber we are always here to help, and we help you negotiate, you can be assure you have a team of pros.

Good Moring - The Signs of a Bottom of are Upon Us

2008-05-11T06:44:00.000-04:00

Its been a long time since I wrote and this is one of things I am going to try and commit to do more often. Believe me there is no lack of suggestions or interests just a lack of time. It goes back to the article "I want to buy a steal" where I discuss that everyone still wants one. Well guess what they still do and the media has convinced them that there are 100's of ocean front condos, in foreclosure with a view, in beautiful resort properties sitting along the cost for $100.000. Guess what they don't exsist, but great buys do. I am so happy that in this market Realtors or real estate consultants ( how I prefer we be called ) become so much more valuable to these consumers. We can save then so much time, energy, and money. We work hard on our top 10 list of best deals, from every realtor in town each week, and we must be good at it, because 90% are sold within 30 days, in a market where the average days on market is closer to 180. What a great tool, a group of Realtors working together, putting together all the properties they have seen in a top ten list by category. If you are really looking to buy before the upswing gets back on track this is the tool you should looking at. Think back the media has sent you out in the world, with media interpretations before ( that as polite as I can be ) and they have done it again. Even though prices have dropped to great opportunity levels and the declines are different from neighborhood to neighborhood. Your real estate professional, can guide you through this market with skill. Any agent would be pleased to sell you your next Florida home, but we prefer you make an educated decision. Tell us what is on your wish list, lets discuss the budget and the goals, and let us see if we belong working togther to rech those goals, as we share with you our navigational skills in this new real estate market.

Just some pricing ideas - opening price points near the beach One Bedrooms starting at $250,000, Two Bedrooms starting at $325,000 - There are many less 3 Bedroom condos in the area and you will quickly jump up into the $500,000 range and higher.

Single Family Homes - Near the Beach $600,000 and up, on the sand, sorry $3,500,000 is a number which is holding well. Three miles inland we have homes we can show you in the $250,000 range needing some work as older Florida homes. Willing to venture a bit further west 6-10 miles there we still have condos and homes under the $200,000 market and depending on your needs we have a few special communities ( some which may require an owner to be over 55 ) that can be bought under $100,000.

When you are ready for expert advise the more you tell us the better we can help .

I WANT TO BUY A STEAL

2007-07-28T08:21:00.000-04:00

I want to buy a "steal"...

This is a line that many realtors will tell you they hear almost everyday in this new real estate market. Personally I feel solace in the fact that we are all hearing it everyday. I am not sure I fully understand the definition of a “steal”, but I find comfort in knowing there are so many potential buyers out there interested in South Florida all looking for one.

I have asked many clients to help me define a steal. Sometimes it leads to the word foreclosure. So just maybe a “steal” is a property that has been on the market, nobody else has wanted it, and now a bank owns it. The bank is willing to sell it at a lower number and because a bank owns it, it is a Steal. For many reasons this concept simply doesn’t work for me, certainly if a great property went into foreclosure I would call all my hunting clients, but just because a property is in foreclosure doesn’t make it great.

Its post dinner now, at Fort Lauderdale’s self proclaimed “most famous waterfront restaurant” Shooters, and the bar conversation was about buying real estate and finding a “steal”, and still no definitive answer as what a “steal” is. The good news is many locals at Shooters are looking for one as well.

I have asked another client about this word a “steal”, and I was told clearly that they want $100,000 off the asking price. Now I feel like I’m getting somewhere, if I find a $2,000000 waterfront home willing to sell for $1,900,000 I have a steal. If I find a $150,000 apartment willing to sell for $50,000 I have a steal. Even though the asking price of the $2,000,000 home has risen 100% in 5 years, and the $150,000 home has risen 10%, their both a steal. My concern here is, however, that I always find sellers willing to ask too much for their properties. Doesn’t a realistic seller deserve a little consideration, when they have priced their home correctly to sell? I know in my heart that asking price has never been a test of the true value for a piece of real estate. How could I possibly use asking price, or how much they are willing to give off of it to define the value of a piece of property, or this elusive word “steal”.

Then there is the client, who said, “I WANT A STEAL”, “I’m not buying until I can smell the blood of the seller”. For a moment I thought a steal had something to do with finding a crime scene. Simply the metaphor of “blood” bothered me. The client and I spoke at length and his definition of a steal was a client who came to the table owing money, a seller who had to write a check to sell. As of late, sellers in this condition have been easy to find, but simply I could not understand how a seller who bought at the peak of the market, and now needed to sell, indicated anything about value.

It is a wonderful time to be a buyer in the Fort Lauderdale, and there are great deals to be had. I try very hard to remind buyers that our market has returned to normalcy and we need to be careful to pay attention to the things that truly value real estate. The first is no secret, Location, Location, Location. The others are cost of ownership, quality of construction, and the laws of supply and demand. If you’re buying a home in South Florida work with a realtor who knows the ins and outs of every neighborhood. Find the neighborhood or building you wish to live in, and then find the most motivated seller. I assure you by buying well in the neighborhood which is right for you, someday it will feel like you found that illusive steal.

Thank for taking the time to read my blog, and remember we are always here to help you find a "steal"

visit us on line at www.FTLRealEstate.com

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Pricing

2007-07-26T18:42:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Fort Lauderdale Area real-estate market. In this first post I would like to discuss one subject, pricing. We sincerely hope you find it helpful as you start thinking about buying property in the South Florida Market.

It is not unusual for people coming to Fort Lauderdale to experience sticker shock. We are no longer the home of inexpensive beach front properties that you saw on vacation here ten years ago. The local real estate market has been experiencing strong price increases for many years, however, since hurricance Wilma and the national slow down of the real estate market we to have seen a major change. The change for the time being is that it is truely a buyers market, offers being accepted have come down, but sincerely I do not expect this to last. What makes the Fort Lauderdale, Broward County area differant from other areas of the country is simply, we are out of land. Being totally built out, the supply of property will sooner or later tighten, and we expect prices to stabilzie and start the next upword cycle. As a general rule of thumb, properties in South Florida are valued based on proximity to the beach and waterfront, no different from that famous rule of real estate, location, location, location. Waterfront properties are priced based on the type of boat which can be housed in the waterway, proximity to the ocean, and waterfront footage. It is not usual to find deep water, no fixed bridge building lots selling for in excess of $1,000,000. In contrast, fixed bridge waterfront homes, where only small boats may enter may be found in the $500,000 range. When in comes to Condominiums, proximity to the water and water views, rank high on peoples wish list – in general exsisting condominiums are selling from $300 - $400 a square foot. In older buildings, where some work may need to be done to update the unit, $250 a square foot is a possibility. Brand new condominiums, to be built over the next two years are priced from $500 a square foot and up, with some even selling in excess of $1200 a square foot. If you’re looking to be near the beach finding a 2 Bedroom/2 Bath condominium in a full service building for under $400,000 is becoming more and more difficult. When it comes to single family homes similar situations apply, and is common to find 1300 sq. foot renovated homes selling for over $300,000 - remember these are huge generalizations just to give an idea of pricing in the market – there are indeed exceptions to every rule, and we will do our best to come up with ideas to satisfy any wish list, and budget. We define close to the beach differently than people from elsewhere in the country. Finding 2 Bedroom/2 Bath condominiums within 3 miles of the beach can change your price point dramatically, and they can be realistically found in the $250,000 to $600,000 range. Thinking of an over 55 community or being even a little further from the beach – we can still find properties in the under $200,000 range, but it is getting tougher and tougher.
Please do not be shy – feel free to ask any real estate question and I will do our best to provide you with an accurate answer. Over the next 6 months to a year buyers will certainly be picking up some bargains in South Florida and it is our job to help you spot those bargains.
Thank you for spending the time reading this and I hope it has been helpful.

Best Regards,

Eric Miller
PS - Please remeber to visit us at http://www.ftlrealestate.com/