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 –

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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

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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

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Everyone loves the holiday season – the music, the parties, the jovial moods, and of course, the food! We here at Carlos German & Team would like to wish you health and happiness this holiday season!

As you prepare to visit family and friends, take the extra time and effort to ensure that your holiday season is a safe and memorable one. This is also the time of year for spreading joy and caring, so don’t forget to send good cheer to those less fortunate. Take the time to smile at a stranger, give what you can to those in need during this time, and give thanks for your blessings and the simple pleasures of being with family and friends. And please remember our troops who are unable to be home for the holidays – keep them in your thoughts.

As

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As many of you who are following the real estate market in Florida know, Florida State Farm Insurance has been hashing it out with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation for a good part of 2009. What originally started the trouble between the two parties was a proposed 67.1 percent rate increase by State Farm, and an announcement shortly thereafter, stating that State Farm was going to stop insuring property in Florida.

That type of rate increase could make affording homeowners insurance impossible for many of Florida’s residence. But because State Farm insures such a large amount of Florida homeowners, the complete loss of State Farm could mean quite an upheaval. It’s simply not easy to find quality homeowners insurance like what State Farm

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Orlando Florida (December 3th, 2009) – Carlos German & Team, with Orlando Classic Homes, announced today, the official launch of their new state-of-the-art real estate website for buyers and sellers in the Disney World Orlando area, www.CarlosAndTeam.com. The new website provides visitors with powerful tools to narrow down their search and find properties with improved ease of use.

“We really wanted to provide the most powerful real estate search in the Disney area and I think we’ve achieved that,” .said Carlos German, Realtor®, ABR®, e-PRO® and Team leader at Carlos German & Team

The website provides access to the entire database of MLS listings in Orlando, Kissimmee, Davenport, Clermont, Haines City, Windermere and surrounding areas. It also allows

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Orlando ,Florida (November 14, 2009) - Orlando Real Estate Professional, Juan Carlos German unleashed his new brand for real estate services, Carlos German & Team, under the brokerage Orlando Classic Homes (previously Amerivest Realty of Central Florida).

Carlos has always had a support team behind him. However, he wanted to brand himself in a way so people really understood they were not only working with one agent but with an entire support team to help them with their real estate needs.

“I just want people to know that I’ll be here when they call, I’ll respond when they email. I’m not pushing papers and blogging all day, I’m working with buyers and sellers and helping them achieve their goals.”

The marketing move allows Carlos to build a more

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Hello and welcome to the all new blog of Carlos German and Team! In this space, you will find the latest and greatest news and tips about the real estate market in central Florida, and especially the Disney World area.

Who Are We?

Carlos German & Team is a real estate team that specializes in the sale of property around the highly desirable, Central Florida and Disney World areas. We work with new, resale and foreclosure properties in vacation, residential and golf communities near Disney World in Orlando.

Why Should You Read This Blog?

You should read this blog if you want to stay up to date with the real estate news and market conditions around Disney World in Orlando. National news outlets tend to talk about market trends after research groups

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