January 2010

Fantastic vacation home! The location is perfect for a visit to Disney – it’s less than 10 miles away! Or take a relaxing and rejuvenating soak in the enclosed south facing heated spa and pool. The property is situated within walking distance to the Windsor Hills playground, and also nearby the state of the art clubhouse.

This beautiful vacation villa offers an open floor plan with high ceilings, arches, and a spacious great room. With 6 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2,469 feet of living space, it’s large enough for family and friends.

This could also be a rental property! The booking history shows a solid rental record with repeat customers calling every day. With Sea World, Discovery Cove, Kennedy Space Center and many more area attractions,…

Haven't seen just what you want in a home? Do what many people are doing and consider building your own! The recently-adopted federal tax incentives are spurring new home construction – in fact, 174 new residential and vacation home communities in our area report that building is occurring right now! Prices are in a great range from affordable family houses to luxurious estates.

The same rebound is happening all over the country. Construction companies KB Homes and Lennar Corp. both posted fourth-quarter profits this year for the first time since 2007 – and are still purchasing land for building.

Building your own home can be as simple as picking a floor plan or as detailed as you like, with choices of layout, flooring, counters, cabinets –…

When building, renovating or repairing a swimming pool in Florida, homeowners must use a licensed contractor. It’s illegal to hire an unlicensed contractor, and a contract with one is not enforceable under law; that means owners have no legal recourse if they do not fulfill the agreement. In addition, unlicensed individuals may not be insured, with homeowners insurance forced to pay any work injuries.

Getting a pool license requires a background check, experience and/or education, and insurance. Certain core courses and a number of elective courses must be taken every two years to renew a license. If owners have a problem, they can file a complaint against the contractor’s license. A pool contractor’s license number can be checked at…

Here’s something we can all be cheer about – Florida home sales are up and have been increasing steadily each month for the past 15 months!

2009 Florida Realtors President Cynthia Shelton states that, “Housing affordability is at its peak and the highest on record: Along with still-low mortgage rates, it means that the buying power of a typical family has never been better.” Interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.88 percent last month, a significant drop from the average rate of 6.09 percent in November 2008, according to Freddie Mac. Becoming a homeowner is now easier than ever!

The news is not only good for buyers, but also sellers are finding it a good opportunity as the market is beginning to balance.

The National…