Real Estate Blog - Orlando Real Estate

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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NEW HOME PLANS AND COMMUNITIES NOW AVAILABLE AT CARLOSANDTEAM.COM

Carlos German & Team  announced today the expansion of its online real estate inventory, which will include new communities and building plans within the entire central Florida area through its website www.CarlosAndTeam.com. This website includes content sourced directly from the Builders Digital Experience (BDX) database, which assures the most up-to-date  content for new communities distributed by any competing brokers in the area.
 
Customers browsing www.CarlosAndTeam.com now have access to over 200 communities under development with over 2,000 new homes not listed in the multiple listing service (MLS). This is in addition to the over 40,000 listings currently showcased on the website, which features resales, foreclosures, and short sales.
 
“We are…

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Home Upgrades That Produce Highest Return On Investment

Looking for ways to increase the value of your home? Here are some key renovations to consider!

Bath

Adding a full bath to your home will give you an excellent return on investment. Depending on how much new plumbing is needed, it can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. If that's too steep, updated fixtures, paint, vanity and hardware will also go a long way.

Kitchen

A modest kitchen remodel can cost upward of 15,000. It's worth it. The kitchen is the heart of any home, and if it's fresh, modern, bright and welcoming, it can also be a key selling point. New countertops, cabinetry, hardware, lighting, appliances and flooring are all important targets for replacement!

Landscaping

Curb appeal is another investment that has a high return.…

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Tips for Buyers and Sellers in a Hot Real Estate Market

After a long time spent down in the dumps, the real estate market is finally heating up again. Houses that have been sitting for ages are beginning to move, and some houses are snapped up as soon as they enter the market. Whether you are buying or selling, there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind as you move forward.

First, both buyers and sellers need to be aware that now is the time to act aggressively. When a market starts to heat up, it does not always stay that way for very long. You never know when things are going to fall out from under you, so be willing to jump in. Take good offers, do not hold out for something miraculous, and be willing to act immediately.

If you are a buyer, make sure that you do your research. Make sure…

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Florida Cities Top List Of Largest Year-Over-Year Increases In Average List Price

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. Miami
Average list price: $640,332
Year-over-year increase: 27.4%

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

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

4.…

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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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Foreclosures the Lowest in Over 3 Years

News gets better in the housing market as foreclosure filings dropped to over a three year low in April.  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 don’t lie.  Foreclosure filings (notices of default, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions) sank 34 percent from a year ago last month, making the lowest it’s been since December of 2007.  8.6 percent less homes were repossessed in April than in March and that’s a 32 percent drop from last September’s high point.

Hope of improvement is present; with the…

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