Wellington Florida Broker’s Open

We had a very successful Broker’s Open today at 1395 Riverside Circle in Wellington Florida.

We want to thank all of the Realtors who were able to attend. We understand some of you had previous obligations and couldn’t make it.
We hope all who attended the Open enjoyed the lunch and we sincerely appreciate your input.
See More Here!

A great opportunity for income producing property!

Another Tax Credit Extension

By now I’m sure a lot of you have heard that on Wednesday the Senate voted to approve the extension of the First Time Home Buyers tax credit.

What does this do? It allows for buyers who had a purchase contract executed on or before April 30th of 2010 until September 30th to complete the purchase of the home.

Is this a good thing? Well, it’s a fair decision, but maybe not a good one.

Why? Because, as a Realtor, I can tell you that on average, in this market, it takes longer than 2 months to close most real estate transactions involving a distressed property, and even some that do not involve a distressed property. So, it does allow some home buyers the advantage of of the $8k tax credit, which is fair.

On the other hand, from my perspective as a Realtor, it’s just another method of propping up the economy and the housing market, instead of allowing it to regain stability and strength, organically.

By allowing this credit, it could possibly create a similar environment to develop which helped create the housing market collapse. It allows for a large number of home buyers to purchase a home with little, or in some cases, no vested interest.

Isn’t that a BIG part of what started this mess in the first place?

Warmest,

James Helms

Wellington Florida – Home For Sale

You must see this house. It’s a builder’s home, and it’s full of new upgrades! Click here!

The Four Questions every home seller asks.

It’s been our experience that when we sit down with a customer to begin the process of listing their home for sale, there are usually the same four questions that all home sellers ask us.

They are:

1. What is my home worth?
2. How long will it take to sell my home?
3. How much will it cost to sell my home?
4. CAN you sell my home?

The answer to those four questions really depends on YOU, the home seller. However, we do have an idea of what it takes. For OUR answer to the Four Questions, visit us on our website by clicking here.

Palm Beach County Property Taxes are due!

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t want you guys to forget and incur late fees.

Remember!

2009 Palm Beach County property taxes are due on March 31^st, 2010. If you want to begin making installments on your 2010 property taxes, go to the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s website for more information. http://www.pbcgov.com/tax/

Home Seller Seminar

We will be hosting a “Home Seller Seminar” at the Keyes Real Estate office in Wellington, FL on Thursday, April 15th, from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Seating is limited, so RSVP with Marc or James from our website, http://SellMyWestPalmHome.com and receive a FREE gift after the seminar. Refreshments will be served.

More Testing for The Acreage Cancer Cluster

I just read in the Palm Beach Post that top officials from Tallahassee are vowing more testing out in The Acreage to try to determine why there is an abnormal amount of childhood cancer out in that area. The Florida Surgeon General and the Florida Department of Health have requested help from the federal Center for Disease Control as well. Hopefully they’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on out there. Gotta protect the kids.

Deadline for Filing Homestead Exemption

Did you buy a home in 2009? If you did, remember to file for Homestead Exemption before March 1st. You can E-file at http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/papa

Top Ten Features that Home Buyers Want

We would like to share with you what we, and Paul Cardis of Avid Ratings, have discovered to be the top 10 features that home buyers want.

1. Large kitchens with islands, preferably with upgraded counters such as; granite, corian, or tile, and a back-splash.

2. Green thinking such as; energy efficient appliances, solar pool heaters, super insulation, dual-zone AC, and hi-efficient windows.

3. 1st Floor Home Offices.

4. More Feng Shui oriented homes.

5. Ceiling fans.

6. 1st floor master bedroom with French doors, a Roman tub and/or an over sized shower with a seating area.

7. Screened-in outdoor living Space.

8. Stone and Brick exteriors, instead of siding and stucco.

9. Community walking paths and playgrounds.

10. Two or three car garages.

We SELL homes faster than you can BUY them! Get a FREE market analysis!

Short Sale versus Foreclosure

Are any of you out there struggling with this decision? Is your back against the wall? As a Real Estate professional and a Certified Distressed Property Expert, I can assure you there is a big difference between the two. Allow me to give you my analogy on the two; as far as your credit goes, a short sale would be like falling of your bike and scraping your knee. A foreclosure; that would be like getting hit by a train.

Think about your decision carefully.

James