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        <title>Disney Orlando Real Estate News Blog Articles, Market Updates &amp; More</title>
        <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/orlando-real-estate-thoughts/</link>
        <description></description>
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            <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!
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            <pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:18:38 -0500</pubDate>
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            <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!
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            <pubDate>Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:46:51 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/tourist-flow-in-orlando-on-the-rise.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/tourist-flow-in-orlando-on-the-rise.html</link>
            <author>admin@carlosandteam.com (Carlos And Team)</author>
            <title>Tourist Flow In Orlando On The Rise</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Orlandos economy vastly hinges on tourism. One would imagine with the recent recession that numbers are down, but&nbsp;here are&nbsp;some of the facts. Tourism accounts for nearly 380,000 jobs in the tri-county area (31% of total employment in the Orlando three-county area). 2009 had $27.6 billion in visitor spending.

2009 brought more than 46.5 million visitors to Orlando, roughly a 6% drop from 2008. That accounts for domestic and international visitors for both leisure and business. 2010 on the other hand brought 51.45 million visitors, a 10.5% increase from the previous year, as you can see on the table below.



You can see significant increases all around except for in business and in visitors from UK.

Overnight visitors account for nearly two-thirds (64%) of all domestic visitors. Leisure travelers represent 83% of domestic overnight visitors. Transient business, convention and group meetings have been slightly going down whilst leisure overnighters has been steadily growing.

The United Kingdoms share of international visitors has declined from 35% in 2000 to 25% in 2009. While visitors from UK are less stable, the amount of visitors from Canada, South America and other countries overseas&nbsp;have increased&nbsp;substantially.

These are just a few statistics from Visit Orlando: State of the Market. There you can see more details regarding Orlando visitation, economic indicators, market performance indicators and forecasts.

There is a lot wrong with the economy, but one thing were sure of is that people are still vacationing in Orlando.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:00:43 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/interest-rates-going-up-down-sideways.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/interest-rates-going-up-down-sideways.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Interest Rates Going Up, Down, Sideways?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
So what has been going on with interest rates lately? It is important to know that according to all relevant surveys and expert opinions, mortgage levels will see little change in the current rates. The 30-year fixed mortgage rates tend to fluctuate in unison with the yield on the ten-year treasuries. This is not to be confused with the Prime Lending Rate that typically receives the most press. Ten-year treasuries are used to partially fund the national debt in the United States. Since the debt continues to grow, we have to continue to attract more overseas capital to fund our debt. When this capital starts to seek other safe havens and begins to dry up, the interest rate on the ten year notes start to climb in an attempt to attract more capital. The old clich of supply and demand is applicable here, i.e. less demand = higher rates. Depending on which economist you might follow there are predictions that financing the U.S. debt is becoming a more risky investment for our overseas investors and they are demanding a higher rate of return as compensation for their perceived risk, and thus drive interest rates higher. The trickledown effect is that long-term mortgage rates follow. The ten-year note is in a constant state of flux, and most predict that while rates may climb slightly over the summer, the ten year note will continue to trade in a fairly narrow trading range. The impact on mortgage rates will typically also follow this narrow trading range. We can expect mortgage rates to trend slightly higher but still remain near historical lows. What this boils down to is simple. It is still a perfect climate for buying and selling property at reasonable prices and reasonable rates. You can feel confident that we can assist you in not only finding that perfect new home or vacation property for your needs, but that we will also be able to help you navigate successfully through the mortgage process and secure the best possible rates and plan to suite your need. The Florida market has always maintained a strong and constant level and according to all forecasts, that will not change for the rest of this year. We look forward to a strong year and we are here, ready and able to help you!
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            <pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:16:07 -0500</pubDate>
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            <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.
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            <pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:19:24 -0500</pubDate>
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            <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!!
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            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:06:10 -0500</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/what-canadians-need-to-know-about-buying-real-estate-in-florida-and-the-united-states.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/what-canadians-need-to-know-about-buying-real-estate-in-florida-and-the-united-states.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>What Canadians Need To Know About Buying Real Estate In Florida and The United States</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
You wouldn't believe how many questions I receive from Canadian residents interested in purchasing properties in Florida and other parts of the United States. There are certain things to consider as a Canadian resident interested in purchasing property in the US, but they aren't anything that can't be overcome without some help from your realtor.


One of the questions that frequently comes up is simply &quot;Can a Canadian resident like myself purchase a house in the US?&quot; Yes. You pay for the house and receive a title, just like with any local purchase. Residents of Canada interested in financing a home in the United States as opposed to paying cash, should look towards Canadian banks that have branches in the United States.

Another concern many Canadian residents have when looking at properties in the US is regarding property taxes. Now, this varies state-by-state, but typically residents of Canada can expect to pay higher property taxes than other homeowners in the area because they fall under 'non-resident' status, just like any US citizen looking to buy property in another state than they live in. This is true for Florida and many other states, however there are some states where non-residents can get the same property tax rate as residents of the area.

Duration of stay is another topic that is often brought up by prospective homeowners that are residents of Canada. If you are not a citizen of the United States, you may stay up to a maximum of six months or 183 days out of any calendar year. When crossing the border, make sure any property ownership information you produce does not indicate that you live there other than on a vacation or temporary basis.

Canadian residents planning on renting out property in the US require two filings for taxes. Income and expenses must be claimed in both countries, the applicable taxes must be paid, and you will receive a credit for your Canadian taxes. There is a 30% withholding tax for owners of US real estate who are not US residents.


All in all, the process of purchasing a vacation property in Florida is very similar for residents of Canada as it is for citizens of the United States looking to purchase property in a state other than where they permanently reside. Your realtor will have all of the information you need to find the southern vacation home of your dreams. 
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            <pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:42:45 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-rich-to-own-an-orlando-vacation-home-not-in-this-market.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-rich-to-own-an-orlando-vacation-home-not-in-this-market.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>You Don't Have To Be Rich To Own An Orlando Vacation Home, Not In This Market!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
We are in interesting economic times. You cant turn on a national news network without hearing the talking heads go on about the economic downturn, soaring national debt and the unemployment rate. But the news is not all bad!The housing market crash has caused real estate prices and mortgage rates to be at an all time low! Now is truly the time to look into purchasing a vacation home. There are plenty of beautiful vacation condos in the Orlando area selling for only $50 thousand. Luxury homes in gated resort communities have for sale signs in their lawns and price tags as low as $100 thousand.The obvious reason to purchase a vacation home is to have a beautiful location to kick back and relax. But theres actually more to the picture than this. Prices are so low for Florida vacation homes that anyone buying today is going to quickly watch their new home appreciate in value. Investing in stocks and mutual funds is great, but you cant spend a weekend in your mutual fund playing golf under the sun and visiting some of the best theme parks in the world. It takes an Orlando vacation home to do that.So youre interested in purchasing a vacation property. There are a few steps you should take in preparation of your purchase to make things go as smoothly as possible. Firstly you should keep an eye on your credit and begin saving for a down payment. Having a high credit score will allow you to get a lower interest rate on your mortgage, which could mean saving thousands in the long run. Down payments on vacation properties usually run around 20% of the propertys sale price, so it is important to begin saving early. Whether youre looking for a small vacation condo or a million dollar vacation home, now is the time to buy. I recently saw a home that sold for $1 million a few years ago go on the market for $400 thousand. The fact that deals like this are out there is simply astounding. Keep your eyes locked on Orlando real estate and dont let that vacation home slip by you!
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            <pubDate>Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:36:56 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/understanding-the-difference-between-mortgage-pre-qualification-and-pre-approval.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/understanding-the-difference-between-mortgage-pre-qualification-and-pre-approval.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Understanding The Difference Between Mortgage Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Oftentimes you may see the terms pre-qualification and pre-approval thrown around seemingly interchangeably. Understanding the difference between the two, however, is very important in the mortgage process. Pre-qualification is generally faster than the pre-approval process, but by no means is it a replacement for pre-approval. In the pre-qualification process, you give the bank or lender your financial information; this includes your income, debt, and assets. After the bank or lender reviews this information, they are able to give you an estimate of a mortgage that you should be able to qualify for. This is only an estimate, it is subject to change, and it will get you nowhere in today's market, as it holds no guarantee. Its only real use, is to give you a very rough idea of a price range you may be able to afford. The pre-qualification process is not mandatory, and it can usually be done over the phone.Pre-approval is the process of actually applying for a mortgage without a property determined. You fill out a standard mortgage application, and your lender will perform a credit check. The results of this pre-approval process (provided the lender likes what they see, and feels they can work with you) will be what's called a Good Faith Estimate. This document will give you an estimate of the amount that you are approved for, an approximate interest rate, loan type, and closing costs. This will allow you to search the market for a house in your price range, and can help you if you find a house you are interested in, because it shows the seller how serious you are about your purchase.One common misconception about the pre-approval process is that it guarantees you a loan. This is not always true. Pre-approval only means that you are approved to get a loan unless something goes wrong. The lender still needs to appraise a house you are interested in purchasing before they can guarantee a loan, in order to make sure that the asking price is not greater than the actual market value. Don't start looking for a house until you have finished the pre-approval process! You don't want to waste your time looking at houses that you can't afford.Another misconception is that loans are determined solely by your income. Loans are not offered depending only on how much you make, so if you were thinking you might get a nice sized loan due to your large paycheck you may want to think again. Loan amounts are calculated on many factors (approximately 30!) which are grouped into five main categories. These categories are Payment History, Outstanding Debt, Credit History, Types of Credit, and Pursuit of New Credit. You may want to consider checking your credit report, to see if there are any issues that may need to be straightened out before you apply for a loan.If you have some money set aside for a down payment, this could be very helpful in the loan approval process, and help you save money on monthly payments. In some circumstances, a down payment may be required. Investment properties and vacation homes both require a minimum down payment of 20% for United States residents, and foreign nationals will need a down payment of at least 25% in order to get a loan in the United States.In some circumstances, no matter how good your credit score is, banks will not offer loans. This applies to most condo communities in Central Florida, specifically condo-hotel units and condos in short term rental communities. If you're thinking about looking into a condo, make sure you meet with a financing expert prior to beginning your search.All in all, getting fully approved for a loan should be the most important and first step in your home searching plans, and it will make the overall process easier on you.
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            <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:53:04 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-short-sale-bank-owned-and-regular-sale-in-real-estate.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-short-sale-bank-owned-and-regular-sale-in-real-estate.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>What Is The Difference Between Short Sale, Bank Owned And Regular Sale In Real Estate?</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Due to the turbulence in the recent economy, there are a few different types of real estate sales that one hears about frequently. When preparing to enter the real estate market, whether as a seller or a buyer, it is important to know the terms used, and the implications of each type of sale. 

Short Sale Property

You often will hear the term &ldquo;short sale&rdquo;. A short sale is when the homeowner owes more on their mortgage than the home can sell for in todays real estate market. There are a few ways this can happen. One way is when a homeowner takes out an equity loan (to pay off other bills) that amounts to greater than the home can sell for including closing costs. Another way this could happen would be if the homeowner originally bought the home with what is termed an Interest Only loan, where the payments for the first few years covers only the interest, and not the principle. With negative amortization and penalty fees for pay offs, which are included in these types of loans, the homeowner ends up with owing more than the home is worth. Generally, homeowners will opt for a short sale before starting the foreclosure process. A short sale must be approved by the sellers lender (mortgage holder) because the lender is often agreeing to accept less than what is owed. To qualify for a short sale, the homeowner has to prove an inability to pay for the home, provide W-2s, pay stubs, etc. to the lender. Short sale approvals can take from 3 to 6 months to be processed, so keep that in mind when pursuing a short sale property. However, once short sale approval is obtained, the buyer can close on the transaction as usual and without paying any higher closing costs. 

Bank Owned Property

A Bank owned property is exactly that. The bank has completed the foreclosure process and now owns the property. When you buy, you are buying from the bank. Its also important to note that foreclosure is a PROCESS, not a status. Before the process starts and during the process, the homeowner owns the property. If it gets carried through to completion, the lender owns the property. There are a few things to consider when buying a bank owned home. Bank owned homes are usually sold &ldquo;as is&rdquo; which means that you may have purchased the home for a lower price but you may also have to invest some money in getting it &ldquo;live-in ready&rdquo;. Many homeowners who have had their homes foreclosed, have been having financial difficulties for some time, which means that they have not been able to put money towards maintaining the home for a while. There may be unexpected repairs needed that were not apparent in the walk through of the house. 

Regular Property Sale 

Regular or traditional real estate sales are when there is a homeowner who is selling the property for at least what they owe on the mortgage, including closing costs, and they are not in the process of foreclosure.Click here for more information on short sales. Click here for tips&nbsp;on buying foreclosures.
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            <pubDate>Mon, 31 May 2010 18:53:30 -0400</pubDate>
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