<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <channel>
        <atom:link href="http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/new-homes-near-disney-orlando/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
        <title>Disney Orlando Real Estate News Blog Articles, Market Updates &amp; More</title>
        <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/new-homes-near-disney-orlando/</link>
        <description></description>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/tis-the-season-to-vacation.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/tis-the-season-to-vacation.html</link>
            <author>admin@carlosandteam.com (Carlos And Team)</author>
            <title>'Tis The Season To Vacation!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Holidays are a special time of year. Many people will be traveling to their favorite places. Some of us will be spending the season at the homes of family or friends. Others will head off to a nurturing, peaceful vacation home. For a lot of us, the holidays mean hitting the road and going someplace fun.


Although we often associate vacations with summer, some of the most memorable getaways occur during the December-to-January holiday season. And the truth of the matter is that not everyone wants to make merry in cold weather! Pretty as it can be, a white Christmas can also mean shoveling snow, icy roadways, windy blizzards and hazardous travel. Sometimes the best winter holidays are those spent in warm and balmy climes.


We at Carlos German &amp; Team have been fortunate this year to have helped many of you to find that just-right holiday vacation home in Orlando. Regardless of how you plan to celebrate the season, we know you'll find plenty to do in the Disney World area. We also know that with wonderful weather, plenty of sun, and so many exciting things to do, those of you headed south for the holidays won't lack for festivity!


If you've been fortunate enough to have purchased a vacation home to enjoy this time of year, we know you understand that not everyone can afford the same kind of luxury. It's a season when we all want to share our blessings with others and to spread good cheer whenever we go.


Carlos German &amp; Team is pleased to take this opportunity to wish you, your family and your friends a joyful and blessed holiday season. Whether we've helped you find your dream home, sell a property, or assisted your search for a home away from home, we want you to know that it's been an honor and a pleasure to serve each and every one of you.


Wherever you go for the holidays, travel safe, be happy, and celebrate the moments that are waiting to become cherished memories. From our family to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:18:38 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/whats-new-at-carlosandteamcom.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/whats-new-at-carlosandteamcom.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>What’s new at CarlosAndTeam.com!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 



As you’ve probably seen, we have made some upgrades to our website. The new features had actually been in the works for about five months as nothing we do here at Carlos German And Team is taken lightly. Our online presence has really been a hit with customers and we didn’t want to take away the things you already love but we certainly wanted to make sure we stayed on the leading edge. However, in order to do that, some upgrades had to be added to our website to make your experience much easier than it has ever been.


Not only that, but there were many upgrades that needed to be done behind the scenes for performance, management of listings, management of inquiries, leads, follow up emails, property emails, etc. In the end, what we have today is a brand new website that was built from the ground up all over again. It may not look like it, but yes, you are using a brand new website with tons of new features that I’ll begin to describe now!


New features:


-Start from home! Our advanced search is now on the home page, where you can start your search and find the property you are looking for faster.


-Smart Search! You can now search by city, subdivision, zip code, street, and MLS # all at the same time and without having to switch pages thanks to our state of the art smart search, and again, all from the home page!


-Disney Homes Search! Find homes near Disney with ease by selecting how close to Disney you’d like your property to be during your search. You can select to view homes 5 miles or less from Disney, 10 miles or less, etc.


-Days on Market Search! Find new listings by searching for properties that entered the market in the last day, week, 30 days, etc.


-Enhanced Performance! All throughout the site you’ll experience faster browsing. The main improvement is in the search result pages as results now display 10 times faster.


-Click less and find more! Now it only takes one click to go from search, to your own customized results. Not only that, but you’ll view up to 48 properties in one single page so that you click less and find more! And all 10 times faster than on our previous platform.


-Foreclosure Banners! While on search res ults you’ll be able to spot short sales and foreclosures easily as they will be represented with a banner. In addition to that, we still have our priced reduced banner to show you which properties have been reduced in price.


 -Where’s the Map? We’ve moved the search results map to its own page so that you can now see all listings in a larger map, all instantly by clicking the “map” link next to the “List” and “Thumbnail” views.





-Refine Search Results! Now you can see how many results you are finding while you refine a search in the search results page. That way you know to narrow your search or when your options are getting too demanding.


-Save from Results! Now you can save your search after you get your search results and are satisfied with your findings. If you are not satisfied, you can refine the search and then save, much more efficient.


-Miles to Disney World! All listings now display their distance to Disney World on the results page and on the search details page, so now you can really know which properties are close to the theme park you most care about.


-Instant Favorites! Now you can click on the save to favorites star and the listing will be instantly saved to your favorites without sending you to a new page. 


-Details Overhaul! We have done a complete overhaul of our property details pages, putting the information that most matters to you front and center while also adding some more details and organizing everything better.





-Social Share! You can now share listings in social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter in addition to being able to email listings directly to a friend.


-Quick Inquire! You can now inquire on a property by submitting the form at the end of the property details page. Again, you can now get much more done with fewer clicks!


-Mobile Site! The mobile site alone has tons of features which include “find properties near me”, “map search” and “advanced search”. Plus, you can view your favorites, saved searches and much more on the go.


-Polygonal Search! You can now conduct a map search by drawing a polygon on the map around a given area and seeing properties only within the polygon regardless of what city, subdivision or county they’re in.





 -Radius Search! Just like the polygonal search, you can now search by drawing a radius on the map, which is then drag able and resizable so that you can place it in any area where you want to see properties.


-Schools and amenities overlay on map search! You can now find properties in an area and then see what golf courses are near those properties, what schools, what churches and much more by conducting a map search.





-Street View on map search! Conduct a map search and then navigate the streets and surroundings via Google street view.


And these are just the features we can remember off the top of our head ;) there are many other smaller improvements on this new website and I hope they serve you well while you find your perfect property in the Disney World area!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:46:51 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/upswing-on-vacation-home-purchases.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/upswing-on-vacation-home-purchases.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Upswing on Vacation Home Purchases</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
At last there are rebounds in the real estate market&hellip; Vacation Home sales have been reported at soaring levels that have not been seen since the days of the housing boom, according to The Wall Street Journal. Deep discounts and cash purchases are the reason according to analysts, in various areas across the country, and certainly the rise has been felt here in Florida. What does that mean for you? It means that now is the time for ACTION. If you are looking to buy or wanting to sell Vacation Properties, then we should be talking today. Sales across Florida are rising, for example in Palm Beach there has been a nearly 40 percent increase over the past year from 2009. Buyers are coming off the sidelines and stepping up to the plate to take advantage of lower prices and foreclosure lists. National Association of REALTORS Chief Economist Lawrence Yun attributes the increase to gains in the stock market and an overall improving economy. He says prices in these areas have come down so much that theres been high demand for these properties among buyers, particularly in areas with stable labor markets. For sellers of vacation property in Florida, this is good news. There are interested buyers seriously shopping and even fighting over the more competitive pricing levels that are available. Demand is up! Properties that have been stuck and unmoving, now have an opportunity to be seen and purchased during this upswing. For buyers, there are excellent opportunities available and you should be looking at making a move soon. Contact us and allow us to help you navigate the options, find the best financing, and help you find your new Vacation Home.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:19:24 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/oh-theres-no-place-like-home-for-the-holidays.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/oh-theres-no-place-like-home-for-the-holidays.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>"Oh There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays!"</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
The message from this classic holiday favorite is so very true. Each of us at Carlos German &amp; Team know that our mission is to help you and your family find that one special place to call home, or a home away from home! It is so heartwarming at this time of year to think of all the families we have worked with who are happily creating new memories to cherish for years to come. We would like to wish you all the warmth and joy that this holiday season brings! It is a pleasure and a privilege to help each of you open the door to your home and we thank you for your business as we wouldnt be here without you. &ldquo;If you want to be happy in a million ways&hellip;&rdquo; we are here to help! This time of year there are indeed millions of ways to help those in need and we hope you will find a moment to reach out and support those who are less fortunate. We are all so fortunate to live in this area and bask in warmth throughout the year. The kindness and generosity of our communities are not limited to a few weeks in December, and it is why living here is so very special. We hope that you will each say a prayer for our military who are fighting everyday for this bountiful land we all call home&hellip;and for those troops who cannot be home with their families&hellip; we pray that their hearts will be filled with love and comfort. We wish each of you a happy home, prosperity and good health so that you will have many new reasons for thanks&hellip;we are happy you are a part of our ever growing family of friends. We hope you will enjoy visiting our website and seeing all the wonderful homes we list and the services we offer for your convenience. 

&ldquo;When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,For the holidays - you cant beat home, sweet home!&rdquo; 

Happy Holidays!!
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:06:10 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/housing-demand-again-on-the-rise.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/housing-demand-again-on-the-rise.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Housing Demand Again On The Rise?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
In the world of New-Home sales, the future is beginning to brighten up. Surpassing expectations, the government reported that sales of new homes increased by nearly 7 percent in September. But youre thinking, what should I expect if Im looking to sell my current home? Recent reports show that sales of existing homes rose 10 percent, leading experts to believe the housing demand is again on the rise after it bottomed out in late summer.While this is good news, new-home sales are still 21.5 percent below where they were last year. The first-time homebuyer tax credit is much to blame for this difference. Prices are rising slowly, but rising nonetheless. Barclays Capital economist, Nicholas Tenev says that it looks like new home sales have finally stabilized, expecting a &ldquo;gradual recovery over the coming months.&rdquo;What does this mean for Orlando and surrounding market? According to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, the average home sold for 95 percent of its listing price, which is a 1 percent variance from last years median price. The number of homes under contract in Orlando is nearly equal to the number under contract at this time last year. The sales of condos, however, increased almost 16 percent from last year.Much seems to remain the same, but the experts say a turn around is definitely on its way.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:12:06 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/carlos-german-wins-realtor-magazines-30-under-30-web-choice-award-2010.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/carlos-german-wins-realtor-magazines-30-under-30-web-choice-award-2010.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Carlos German Wins REALTOR Magazine's "30 Under 30" Web Choice Award 2010!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Votes are tallied!

More than 150,000 votes were collected in this years REALTOR Magazine &ldquo;30 Under 30&rdquo; Web Choice online poll to select the &quot;30 Under 30&quot; Web Choice Award winner. Voting closed at midnight on March 28. The highest vote-getter from the 50 finalists was Juan Carlos German, ABR, e-PRO, of Orlando, Fla. German, whos with Orlando Classic Homes, says friends and family helped him garner his 35,997 votes! 


This is an outstanding honor for me because real estate is a peoples business, and having my peers, friends and family vote for me and select me as the Web Choice Award winner is unbelievable. I couldnt have done it without everyone who voted and every past client whos believed in me and my services and supported Carlos German &amp; Team. This is our triumph!&rdquo;  Carlos German


Carlos will appear on the June issue of REALTOR Magazine and will be recognized at the Young Professionals Network event during the 2010 REALTORS Conference &amp; Expo in New Orleans this November.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 May 2010 13:29:28 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/cant-find-the-right-home-near-disney-build-it.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/cant-find-the-right-home-near-disney-build-it.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Can't Find The Right Home Near Disney?  Build It!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
 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  you name it. 



One concern with new home construction is the possibility of Chinese drywall being used in the house.  Poorly made Chinese drywall, which contained high levels of sulfur, has been in the news recently as hundreds of unhappy homeowners protest to their state government.  Theres currently a state bill in process to ban it completely, but in the meantime, new home buyers can protect themselves by working with a knowledgeable Realtor in the purchase of a new home. 



This growth is good news for the community and the economy, of course, but it also means that the discounts and incentives that came with new construction are rapidly disappearing.  Now is the best time to get a brand-new house with all the features you want at the most competitive price!



Call Carlos German and Team to schedule meetings with builders or shop for property!

&nbsp;

 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:34:49 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/sales-are-way-up-in-the-florida-real-estate-market.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/sales-are-way-up-in-the-florida-real-estate-market.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Sales Are Way Up in the Florida Real Estate Market!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Heres 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, &ldquo;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.&rdquo;  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 Association of Realtors (NAR) says that there is definitely an upswing happening in the industry.  Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said &ldquo;We should reach self-sustaining housing conditions and firming home prices in most areas around the middle of 2010. That would mean broad wealth stabilization for the vast number of middle-class families.&rdquo; 



Lets take a look at some examples in Florida:



For the second month in a row, all of Floridas metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported increased existing home sales and higher condo sales in November. 



Existing home sales rose 61 percent last month with a total of 14,026 homes sold statewide compared to 8,694 homes sold in November 2008.



In Floridas year-to-year comparison for condos, 4,889 units sold statewide last month compared to 2,320 units in November 2008 for an increase of 111 percent!  Thats incredible!



We are beginning what looks like a stellar year in Florida real estate, and Carlos German and Team can help you enjoy the benefits!  

 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:24:01 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/carlos-german-team-announces-the-launch-of-new-real-estate-website.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/carlos-german-team-announces-the-launch-of-new-real-estate-website.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Carlos German &amp; Team Announces the Launch of New Real Estate Website</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Orlando Florida (December  3th, 2009)  Carlos German &amp; 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.


&ldquo;We really wanted to provide the most powerful real estate search in the Disney area and I think weve achieved that,&rdquo; .said Carlos German, Realtor, ABR, e-PRO and Team leader at Carlos German &amp; 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 visitors to search for residential and vacation homes near Disney by subdivision, map, zip code and even street address.  Visitors are also able to view information and statistics on most communities near Disney which are categorized by their denomination of &ldquo;New Community&rdquo;, &ldquo;Vacation Community&rdquo;, &ldquo;Golf Community&rdquo; or &ldquo;Residential Community&rdquo;.



&ldquo;We also added tools to allow users to really delve into properties like never before,&rdquo; German said. Users on the site are able to map individual listings, get directions to points of interest from any propertys location, get &lsquo;Birds Eye Views from Microsoft, map nearby local amenities, and even see &lsquo;Street Views of the property and nearby establishments through Walkscore.


The website planning began over 12 months ago, and what originally was meant to be a small local real estate website with a planned launch date of August 14th 2008, ended up being a much bigger project that took well over a year to complete.


&ldquo;Sometimes people dont realize how much research and development goes into these projects. Once we were done with the research phase and had all our ideas gathered, we contacted the best real estate web developers we could find and were able to put it all together in less than 4 months. It takes a lot of work though, no question about it,&rdquo; said Carlos German, whom took it upon himself to spend countless hours looking through other websites to see what ideas were worth implementing on his teams site. Research also involved study of market data for proper segmentation, search engine optimization, keyword and content analysis among other things.


The site was developed by Real Estate Webmasters, one of the leaders in real estate website design and marketing in the United States and Canada.


About Carlos German &amp; Team


Carlos German &amp; Team specializes in the sale of property around the highly desirable, Central Florida and Disney World areas.  Carlos and his team work with new, resale and foreclosure properties in vacation, residential and golf communities near Disney World in Orlando. If youre looking for a vacation, residential or investment property around Disney World theres no better team to assist you with your search.  For more information visit www.CarlosAndTeam.com or call 407-910-2553.

 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:54:47 -0500</pubDate>
                    </item>
        <item>
            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/welcome-to-the-all-new-carlos-german-team-disney-area-real-estate-blog.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/welcome-to-the-all-new-carlos-german-team-disney-area-real-estate-blog.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Welcome To Our Disney Area Real Estate Blog</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 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 &amp; 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 have released them. By this time, it is usually old news in the given market. It is always better to get a fresh perspective from a local agent before making assumptions about the real estate market in an area.



So What Now?

You should now bookmark this page, subscribe to RSS, or follow along with your preferred method. You may also email us with questions at Info@CarlosAndTeam.com or leave us a comment using the form below.



Stay tuned. This is going to be the best blog for real estate news around the Disney area and central Florida.



Do you have any tips on topics we could cover in this blog? If so, please leave us a comment below.

 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:14:38 -0400</pubDate>
                    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>
