Real Estate Blog - Investors

Shannon Christian, Our Own Rising Star

YPN'S 20 UNDER 40 RISING STARS AWARDS - 2016

Shannon Christian, a senior agent with Carlos German & Team, Inc., was recently honored by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. Shannon was chosen as a local rising star in the first annual ORRA Young Professionals Network 20 Under 40 Rising Star Awards. We have always known Shannon was a star agent, but now she has the title to prove it!

The ORRA Young Professionals Network exists to empower young real estate professionals by offering networking and offering continuing education. The organization is also involved in community service projects benefiting the Central Florida area. This is the first year that the YPN has offered the Rising Star Awards, and this honor was only given to 20 area real…

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Orlando, #2 Housing Market for 2016

If you've considered buying property in Orlando it might have been due largely in part to being in close proximity to Disney World and other amazing theme parks as well as our warmer climate. Orlando, the City Beautiful, is a family oriented city with an abundance of entertainment and easy access to beaches on either coast. Now, Orlando is proclaimed as the #2 housing market to invest in for 2016.

Forbes teamed up with Local Market Monitor, a North Carolina based data company to determine the 20 best housing markets to invest in this year. The characteristics used to determine the best buy cities included healthy job growth, strong population growth, and forecasted home price appreciation.

Orlando has seen a 10% home price increase year over…

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Tourist Flow In Orlando On The Rise

Orlando’s economy vastly hinges on tourism. One would imagine with the recent recession that numbers are down, but here are 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%)…

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New Attractions Sure To Keep Central Florida A Top Destination

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 Florida’s main destinations have added new attractions this year. Disney’s Hollywood Studios revamped its Star Tours ride with a 3D Star Wars theme. Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers an add-on experience which allows guests to join a small group on a guided expedition to see the park’s wild animals on foot and by special vehicles. Sea World features a new whale show called “One Ocean.” An hour away in Tampa, Busch Gardens is touting its new…

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Foreign Buyers Take Advantage Of Low Prices, Sales Surge!

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.

“The U.S. has always been a desirable place to own property and a profitable investment,” said NAR President Ron Phipps. “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.”

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Another Sign Of The Market Turning Around - Investors Are Back In Real Estate!

If you thought that the idea of real estate being a great investment was a thing of the past, think again.  The fact that the home prices are so low and rent has not dropped to match, investors are beginning to come back.  Another interesting change is that there is an increase of buyers paying with cash.

The share of home sales involving all-cash transactions was 26 percent in January, up from 18 percent a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors.  The reason for investors paying cash is largely due to the fact that they can avoid paying interest charges on loans and get a larger return on their investment.

National Association of Realtors data shows a pickup in investment activity. Home purchases made by investors climbed to 17…

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