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        <title>Disney Orlando Real Estate News Blog Articles, Market Updates &amp; More</title>
        <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/</link>
        <description></description>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/totalorlandocom-a-new-resource-for-vacationers-in-the-disney-area.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/totalorlandocom-a-new-resource-for-vacationers-in-the-disney-area.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Totalorlando.com A New Resource For Vacationers in the Disney Area!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Totalorlando.com looks set to be the best orlando vacation travel guide that we've seen so far, not only does it cover all of the theme parks in great detail, but includes a very powerful and simple to use search engine. For example, just enter the kids height, and the type of rides they love, and all of the theme parks show their results for you. Brilliant!


But it's the Ticket Wizard that wins our vote. Complex ticketing options for the theme parks can unnecessarily add hundreds of dollars to the vacation bill just by picking the wrong ticket options. Totalorlando.com has fixed this forever and their simple yet powerful database will shrink your bill by picking the perfect tickets for your perfect vacation.


If you don't believe us, put it to the test by guessing what you think the cheapest deal at the gate is, then letting the Ticket Wizard do the Magic! We'd be shocked if it didn't beat you!
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            <pubDate>Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:54:24 -0400</pubDate>
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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/florida-cities-top-list-of-largest-year-over-year-increases-in-average-list-price.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/florida-cities-top-list-of-largest-year-over-year-increases-in-average-list-price.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Florida Cities Top List Of Largest Year-Over-Year Increases In Average List Price</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Prices are rising in Florida: Florida cities have had the largest year-over-year increases in average list prices, according to the latest real estate data from Realtor.com. Florida cities make up 9 of the top 10 places for highest year-over-year list price spikes, based off of August data of 2.2 million listings in 146 markets.

Nationwide, the average list price is $320,325, up 2.36 percent year-over-year.Here are the top 15 cities boasting the highest percentage of year-over-year increases in average list prices.

1. MiamiAverage list price: $640,332Year-over-year increase: 27.4%2. Fort Myers-Cape Coral, Fla.Average list price: $443,570Year-over-year increase: 26.27%

3. Central-Fla.-RSAAverage list price: $405,809Year-over-year increase: 19.41%

4. Punta Gorda, Fla.Average list price: $267,066Year-over-year increase: 16.37%

5. Macon, Ga. Average list price: $193,520Year-over-year increase: 15.98%

6. Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.Average list price: $466,785Year-over-year increase: 15.86%

7. Naples, Fla.Average list price: $713,087Year-over-year increase: 15.13%

8. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.Average list price: $591,895Year-over-year increase: 14.68%

9. Ocala, Fla.Average list price: $193,360Year-over-year increase: 12.07%

10. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.Average list price: $181,409Year-over-year increase: 11.48%

11. Orlando, Fla.Average list price: $319,419Year-over-year increase: 10.56%

12. Portland-Vancouver, Ore.-Wash.Average list price: $314,537Year-over-year increase: 10.52%

13. Boise City, IdahoAverage list price: $212,588Year-over-year increase: 10.43%

14. Springfield, IllinoisAverage list price: $174,537Year-over-year increase: 9.12%

15. Shreveport-Bossier City, La.Average list price: $211,414Year-over-year increase: 8.34%





Reprinted from REALTOR magazine (REALTOR.org/realtormag) with permission of the National Associaiton Of REALTORS. Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
 ]]> </description>
            <pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:01:22 -0400</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/new-attractions-sure-to-keep-central-florida-a-top-destination.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/new-attractions-sure-to-keep-central-florida-a-top-destination.html</link>
            <author>admin@carlosandteam.com (Carlos And Team)</author>
            <title>New Attractions Sure To Keep Central Florida A Top Destination</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
After seeing modest attendance gains in 2010, Florida theme parks have high hopes for 2011 and going into next year. Indirectly, this is good news for real estate investors and second home owners, with better attractions and new venues in the area, resort style communities will surely be in higher demand.

Many of Central Floridas main destinations have added new attractions this year. Disneys Hollywood Studios revamped its Star Tours ride with a 3D Star Wars theme. Disneys Animal Kingdom offers an add-on experience which allows guests to join a small group on a guided expedition to see the parks wild animals on foot and by special vehicles. Sea World features a new whale show called &ldquo;One Ocean.&rdquo; An hour away in Tampa, Busch Gardens is touting its new Cheetah Hunt roller coaster that launches riders from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of seconds, and lets not forget Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter introduced last year.

However, thats not all, Central Florida will add yet another allure to its long list of tourist attractions. LEGOLAND Florida is scheduled to open in Winter Haven on Saturday, October 16th. The worlds fifth LEGOLAND theme park, and first one on the US East coast, is going up on the site of the old Cypress Gardens, one of Floridas first theme parks. Planners say 50 million LEGO building bricks will be incorporated into rides, statues, and attractions geared toward children ages 2 to 12 and their families. The 150-acre park will feature 10 lands, more than 50 interactive rides, shows, and attractions including amazing LEGO models.

With LEGOLAND Florida opening, and other theme parks adding to their repertoire, real estate in the resort areas of Orlando will continue to be a good investment!
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            <pubDate>Sat, 09 Jul 2011 10:22:33 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/foreign-buyers-take-advantage-of-low-prices-sales-surge.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/foreign-buyers-take-advantage-of-low-prices-sales-surge.html</link>
            <author>admin@carlosandteam.com (Carlos And Team)</author>
            <title>Foreign Buyers Take Advantage Of Low Prices, Sales Surge!</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
Foreign buyers are eyeing property in the US now more than ever with a $16 billion surge this year in international purchases. Total residential international sales in the US amounted to $82 billion in the year ending in March 2011, up from $66 billion in 2010. 

&ldquo;The U.S. has always been a desirable place to own property and a profitable investment,&rdquo; said NAR President Ron Phipps. &ldquo;In recent years we have seen more and more foreign buyers coming here to take advantage of low prices and plentiful inventory. In addition to the advantageous market conditions, REALTORS in this country have a global perspective and experience in working with clients from different cultures and real estate practices, helping them bring value to their international clients.&rdquo;

Why are foreign buyers so attracted to property ownership in the US? Take a pick. Primarily, homes in this country tend be a secure investment. You have the opportunity to rent. Theres the potential for long-term appreciation in value. In a different aspect, recent immigrants get a fulfillment in becoming established in this country when purchasing a home. More demand has come from a significant number of international students attending US colleges. Some families are purchasing property in college areas so their children have a place to live.

What makes this relevant to our market is that Florida had 31 percent of total international transactions this past year, almost three times as much as the next state. There are three primary factors foreign buyers mull over when deciding where to buy in the US: proximity to their home country; convenience of air transportation; and of course climate and location. Florida is most prevalent among South Americans, Europeans, and Canadians. Canada alone accounts for 23 percent of the total international sales.

All this does is point out that Florida is&nbsp; #1 amongst foreign buyers. Once you realize Florida is where you want to invest in, it wont be long before you realize that the Central Florida / Disney Area is the prime location. Mickey Mouse certainly plays a starring role in the festivities surrounding Orlando, but theres plenty of magic beyond the realm of Disney.

The only thing that remains is contacting us to help you find the perfect property for you. Whether youre looking for a new home to live in, a vacation home, or an investment opportunity, were here to help!
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            <pubDate>Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:36:49 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/foreclosures-the-lowest-in-over-3-years.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/foreclosures-the-lowest-in-over-3-years.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Foreclosures the Lowest in Over 3 Years</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ 
News gets better in the housing market as foreclosure filings dropped to over a three year low in April.&nbsp; This is great as fewer home owners are losing their homes. It is said that the slowdown is coming from delays in processing foreclosure paperwork but optimists believe the end of the crisis may be near as inventory level reduces and sale numbers rise in many areas of the country.

The numbers dont lie.&nbsp; Foreclosure filings (notices of default, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions) sank 34 percent from a year ago last month, making the lowest its been since December of 2007.&nbsp; 8.6 percent less homes were repossessed in April than in March and thats a 32 percent drop from last Septembers high point.

Hope of improvement is present; with the unemployment rate finally declining, more home owners will be able to make their mortgage payments. In addition banks are effecting more loan modifications to keep borrowers in their homes, they completed 77,000 mortgage modifications in March, a 26 percent increase from February of this year.

Although inventory has greatly reduced due to the great decrease in foreclosures, this is your chance to take advantage of historically low prices.&nbsp; If current trends continue, the great deals buyers in the Disney World / Orlando area are accustomed to will surely be hard to find.
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            <pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:53:47 -0400</pubDate>
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            <guid>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/real-estate-market-looks-bright-in-orlando.html</guid>
            <link>http://www.carlosandteam.com/blog/real-estate-market-looks-bright-in-orlando.html</link>
            <author>Info@carlosandteam.com (Carlos German)</author>
            <title>Real Estate Market Looks Bright In Orlando</title>
            <description> <![CDATA[ The market may be struggling 
to recover in America overall, but there are a few markets that are currently 
seeing good conditions for buying and rising sales. We're happy to say that 
Orlando is improving faster than most places, and it looks like a great time to 
buy.Consider the facts: According to the Florida Realtors latest housing 
figures, home sales increased by 12 percent in March compared to last year 
with over 18,522 total homes sold across the state. Condo sales are doing even 
better and are up 24 percent across the state in the same period. Seventeen 
metropolitan areas reported higher home sales.But, even though sales are 
up, it's an excellent time to be a buyer because prices are down from last year. 
The median price for homes in March was around $126,000 -- almost a $10,000 
decrease from a year ago. Condo prices also decreased by almost $10,000, down from a 
median price of $94,600 last year to around $84,000 in March. Prices 
are sure to rise and the great deals that are available won't be around for long 
as the real estate market quickly recovers. Investors and first time buyers are 
snapping up properties, and we highly recommend you think about buying a 
vacation, investment or residential property in the Disney World / Orlando area. 
You can find great properties at big discounts. Contact us and let us 
help you find the perfect property. The real estate market, and everything 
really, is sunnier in Orlando.



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            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:56:49 -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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