CEU's were available for licensed CAM's and board members by experienced professionals like Becker & Poliakoff, Kaye Bender Rembaum, Siegfried Rivera and Basulto & Robbins Associates.
The Community Association Institute CAI had its 2015 annual Expo and Trafe Show at the Signature Grand in Davie, Florida.
CEU's were available for licensed CAM's and board members by experienced professionals like Becker & Poliakoff, Kaye Bender Rembaum, Siegfried Rivera and Basulto & Robbins Associates.
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The City of Miami Beach Leadership Academy is a civic and public information program designed for residents of Miami Beach. The Academy provides residents with the information and resources to become more knowledgeable members and participants in our diverse community and effective neighborhood leaders. Sessions are conducted by City staff with expertise in areas of concern. My class 2015 graduation took place in the Commission Chambers of the City of Miami Beach in the presence of The Mayor Philip Levine, Commissioner Michael Grieco and the City Manager Jimmy Morales and Caroline Defreze Community Coordinator. Thank you for this great experience.
A property/community association manager should be assisting your board of directors and association in virtually every aspect of its operation, whether you have an on-site manager, a portfolio manager or a part time manager. The degree to which an effective manager can lead and assist you in the nine major areas of association operations are influenced by their experience, work load, management contract and professional drive.
Let’s discuss these nine essential areas of a manager’s responsibilities:
Many condo association boards debate about whether to self-manage their association or hire a professional manager. First let’s identify the common reasons for self-management and professional management.
Sound Reasoning for Self-management There are two predominant reasons for self-management: Hope of saving money and control of decisions. Many associations were victims of poor professional management and sometimes associations are better off being self-managed than professionally managed. If the four issues listed above can be answered to the satisfaction of the board and owners for self-management, then your association is a very good candidate for self-management. I also would suggest that the building(s) not be too new or too old. Not too new because latent developer defects often require a persistent condo association manager and/or attorney. Not too old because if nobody on the board has experience with building maintenance and contractor negotiation, that is a burden that costs a lot of time and money. Some other issues to keep in mind with self-managed condo associations:
Small condo associations have a fair chance to save money with self-management, but one mistake or bad vendor can cost the association more than the association would have saved on management fees for the past five years. Then all the self-management time was wasted because the hoped-for cost savings were not realized. Sound Reasoning for Professional Management The only reason condo association boards hire professional managers is to overcome the disadvantages associated with self management. Below are some of the advantages of hiring a professional to manage your association:
What if I offered you a mortgage with no down payment, no closing costs and no fees? Let's throw in a fixed interest rate that won't rise and fall with the market and peg it at below market rates (4.0% at press time). I'll even make you this offer if you have less-than perfect credit and a low income. And one of the best things is that before submitting the mortgage application, you can further reduce the interest rate by putting additional funds down. For each 1 percent of the mortgage that is paid up front, the member receives a 0.25 percent reduction in the interest rate. There's no limit -- you could buy down the interest to zero percent. Are you interested?
A non-profit agency offers this mortgage deal to thousands of people each year. They organize FREE workshops to learn about this program every month in different cities. I thought the first time it was a scam, but IT IS NOT. While there are no income limits for using this non-profit agency, the group has garnered attention for lending to people that most banks would see as a risk -- people with little money in savings, an imperfect credit rating or a pile of debt. Google NACA and you'll find it. The U.S. has the most major markets in the world where buying property is considered affordable, according to the Demographia International Housing Affordability Study, an analysis of 360 cities in nine countries.
Pittsburgh leads the pack in affordability among major cities around the globe. Other affordable major U.S. cities that topped the list were Detroit; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Rochester, N.Y.; Atlanta; Buffalo, N.Y.; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Indianapolis; and St. Louis. Of the 360 worldwide markets evaluated in the study, 95 were labeled “affordable” (of which 84 were in the U.S.). On the other extreme, 67 metros in the study were labeled “seriously unaffordable markets” (23 in the U.S., led by San Francisco). The study showed that those who pay the most in the world for housing are often getting the least as far as house size. “The smallest houses are in the most expensive market (Hong Kong), while the largest houses are in the United States, which has the best major-market housing affordability. (Ireland has the best overall housing affordability),” according to the report. See the complete report in PDF here Your Strategic Sales Plan
Consult with an expert, local real estate agent to ensure your house is priced competitively and well-staged. Why? Because while there are always three factors to getting a home sold—location, price, and condition—only two are under your control: price and condition. Of the two, which is more significant? Price. Remember that price will correct bad condition, but condition will never overcome a bad price. Contact us, we can help you with a free comparable. Act fast. You’re in a race against time—the best price you’ll get in today’s market is the one you get now. If you wait, it will be lower. And every month the price on your home decreases, your costs remain the same. For example, Keller Williams research shows that sellers who listed their home at the price the agent originally recommended, sold the home 38 days faster. This is over a month of mortgage and tax payments! For a home that cost $200,000 at time of purchase, with 20 percent down and an interest rate of 6.5 percent, selling a month sooner results in a savings of $1101.31 for the mortgage alone, not including the taxes and insurance that the homeowner would be paying during this time. Don’t worry about where the market has been, keep your focus on where it is going. The price your neighbor down the street got six months ago is not relevant in a market where your house is competing with others from all across town. Again, a local real estate agent will have the kind of long-term, wide-ranging data that will help you decide how to pinpoint your price with precision. Move up. Whether you are moving to an area where prices are in a downturn, or dreaming of nicer, bigger, home in your own town, selling your house now can get you into the home of your dreams. Falling home prices are a great opportunity for a savvy homeowner looking to move up. Even though your house price may be lower, the smaller loss at sale can be made up by greater savings at purchase. For example, let’s take that same $200,000 home, and imagine that it has decreased in value by 5 percent, reducing the sales price to $190,000. At the same time, let’s imagine that you would like to move up and the $400,000 home you have been eyeing has also decreased by 5 percent. That’s a savings of $20,000, and it is a home that is likely to be better positioned for appreciation when the market rebounds. We'll be glad to help you price your home, contact us to [email protected] or call 786-370-3459 for a free consultation. Buying a house is not a child's play; you will be pooling in your life's worth of savings and you better be 100% sure. While there are plenty of sources where you can do your research from, how do you know which source is actually reliable? Forget about those unlimited "researches" done by experts on the Internet and so-called "expert advice" from realtors; you need to go with your gut feeling. Rather than groping in the dark, get your hands on solid facts. Here are the 6 commandments of buying a home.
Buy a House Only When You Are Ready There is more to buying a house then just shouldering the monthly mortgage payment. Maintaining a house can be pricey affair, not to mention hectic considering the tons of responsibilities that it comes with. Unless you are in the right frame of mind, with an income substantial enough to foot the bills, don't make any hasty decisions. Get Rid Of Unwanted Fears Every time we are on the precipice of making a huge decision in our life, we are plagued by irrational fears. It is normal; everyone goes through that and people who say they don't are outright lying. Get a firm grip on your fear and learn to face it. Even if your decision goes awry, the worst that will happen is you will face a loss, but you can always learn from your mistakes. Do Your Homework It is foolhardy to foray into something new without first knowing everything about it. Collect basic information such as what kind of property you are looking for, the area that will be suitable to you and the amount you are willing to spend, based on these basic facts start your search. From the current rates prevalent in the real estate market and availability of property to documentation work involved, there are a lot of things that you need to know about. Know Your Credit Standing Before you go ahead and apply for a home loan, know exactly what your credit standing is. To get started, get your credit report, check every single detail given and try correcting any inaccuracies. Do all those things that will improve your credit score? Remember, higher the credit score the faster will your loan get approved, and that too at a low interest rate. Get Pre-Qualified For Loan This should probably top your priority list. Before you start making offers on the property, make sure to acquire pre-qualified letter from your lender. It will give weight to your offer and put you in a good stead with the seller. Getting the letter is not hard; many lenders will be more than willing to oblige you if you have a good credit history. Make a 20% Down Payment Small down payments can put you in a bigger financial ditch. With the ever so turbulent economic conditions, you never know when recession strikes again. When you make a 20 to 30% down payment, your loan plan will be easy to manage. Understanding all the complicacies associated with real estate dealing is not easy, especially if you are a novice. It is better to hire a credible realtor who can help you work through the intricacies involved. By Marion Rene Tons of advertisements make reverse mortgages appear great. Commercials feature celebrities talking about the benefits of this feature. However, what they are not actually telling you is that it can put your home at a huge risk. So, it is worth knowing about reverse mortgages and the dangers that come with it.
What is a reverse mortgage? Basically, it refers to the loan taken by a senior citizen or home owner at a minimum age of 62. This is where neither the interest nor principal requires repayment until the individual, who borrowed moves, sells the unit or passes away. The fees for the loan related with this type of mortgage can be twice, thrice or more of the standard mortgages. Also, the fees are subject to compounding on a monthly basis over the entire loan term. In case you are worried about the high cost of loans, you may wish to explore all other alternatives for getting funds prior to opting for a reverse mortgage. Although this loan can serve beneficial in a very few instances, like letting senior citizens stay in their home instead of having it sold to pay for health and unexpected expenses. Yet, in most cases, a huge threat to financial security, so consider the dangers before acquiring one. Reverse Mortgage – The Dangers If you are not sure whether you should sign on a reverse mortgage loan, take a look at the following dangers:
There was a time when providing great service in real estate meant understanding the lifestyles of clients and teaching them what they didn’t already know. Simply providing them with information on homes for sale, pricing, current mortgage rates and data relevant to the transaction gave practitioners a strong leg-up since consumer access to such information was limited.
“Today, that doesn’t happen anymore,” says Austin Allison, CEO of DotLoop, which provides solutions that facilitate paperless real estate transactions. “They call up the agent and say, ‘Hey, I found these 15 homes. Can you show them to me?’” Consumers – especially those under 40 – want to find information on their own, Allison says. When they do contact a real estate professional, they’ve often done quite a bit of research on the web. Because they’re starting from a higher baseline of knowledge, what they want most from their agent today isn’t market intelligence or listing info, but rather someone to manage their transaction seamlessly. He points to Apple and Amazon as models to which real estate practitioners can aspire. At Apple’s retail stores, customers aren’t being bombarded with hard sells and extraneous information about things they don’t want. Instead, if they have questions about a particular product, they ask one of the knowledgeable people who work there and get a detailed, informed answer. If not, they pick up the item they came in knowing they wanted and purchase it. Similarly, visitors can go to Amazon.com knowing they can either get plenty of information and reviews on a particular product if they want it, or they can just buy it very quickly via the site’s one-click checkout. “The lower end of Generation X and Generation Y like it like this,” explains Allison, and adds that these consumers make up the majority of first-time homebuyers now. “A good experience is the real estate agent getting out of (their) way.” A great way to determine whether or not you’re providing an excellent customer service experience is to calculate the ratio of leads generated to leads converted, he says. The higher that number is, the better. And of course, the number of transactions you’re closing and how satisfied buyers and sellers are at the end of the process is critical too. Real estate professionals who make the adjustment to the Apple/Amazon model of service stand to benefit as housing recovers and new consumers enter the market over the next few years. But Allison is concerned that too many practitioners are locked into the old way of doing things. “A lot of the industry is in denial,” he says. “Is the real estate agent going away? Highly unlikely. But their role is going to evolve. The real estate agents who refuse to acknowledge that and make changes are going to pay for it.” Source: Brian Summerfield, Realtor® Magazine © 2012 Florida Realtors® Miami siempre se ha caracterizado por muchos
años en ser un sitio turístico por excelencia. Normalmente cuando se piensa en nuestra ciudad, la mayoría de las personas asocian a Miami con lindas playas, palmeras y un resplandeciente Sol. Pero lo que muchos no saben es que através de las últimas décadas la Ciudad ha venido ganando terreno y actualmente es una de las principales ciudades de los Estados Unidos, con una ubicación estratégica entre Latinoamérica y Europa. El condado de Miami-Dade tiene una población de 2.5 millones de habitantes aproximadamente, según el ultimo censo del año 2010, con una comunidad que se caracteriza por ser de un 57% hispana, donde mas del 50% de su población nació fuera de los Estados Unidos. Los 2 idiomas principales son el español e Ingles, pero se hablan más de 100 diferentes lenguas de otros países. El condado tiene 35 ciudades, y una de ellas es Miami, y con este nombre nos conocen en el mundo entero. El mercado de bienes raíces en los últimos 2 años, ha venido ofreciendo muy buenas opciones para los compradores dentro y fuera de los Estados Unidos, ya que actualmente las propiedades se están vendiendo por un 50% por debajo de lo que se vendieron hace 5 años atrás. En esta edición queremos darte 4 razones por las cuales deberías tener una propiedad inmobiliaria en Miami: • Ofrece una economía estable y Dinámica Miami es la ciudad preferida por muchas empresas como sede de negocios y comercio, con mas de 1,200 multinacionales de 56 diferentes países, que tienen su operación en Miami para toda America Latina y el Caribe. Cuenta con más de 100 consulados, oficinas de comercio y cámaras binacionales de comercio. Las Compañías de Cine y video suman más de 2,400 en todo el condado. Además la ciudad de Miami tiene la más larga concentración de Bancos Internacionales de todos los Estados Unidos. El aeropuerto se encuentra de tercero a nivel nacional, por debajo de Los Ángeles y New York. Con mas de 80 aerolíneas que conectan a la ciudad con vuelos directos a mas de 120 diferentes destinos, en la mayoría de las capitales de Europa, el Caribe, Centro y Sur America. Transportando unos 33.5 millones de pasajeros cada año. Y generando unas ganancias a los negocios de $19 Billones anuales. El puerto de Miami se le conoce como “Cruise Capital of the World” la capital de cruceros del mundo, con mas de 4 millones de pasajeros al año. El puerto mueve unas 9 millones de toneladas de carga marítima, siendo China, Italia, Honduras & Brasil, los principales países de intercambio comercial. • Centro de Universidades, Organizaciones y Asociaciones reconocidas a nivel mundial Tiene la cuarta concentración más grande de colegios de distrito de los Estados Unidos; Ademas 5 Colleges y Universidades; y 3 escuelas de leyes. Con 33 hospitales; El Bascom Palmer es el líder mundial en la investigación para la cirugía de los ojos y es visitado por miles de pacientes que vienen del mundo entero cada año. El Jackson Memorial es uno de los 25 mas importantes en los Estados Unidos y el Miami Childrens Hospital esta catalogado en el mejor del país para la atención pediátrica de los niños. • El lugar de encuentro favorito por artistas, estrellas de cine y celebridades deportivas del mundo La ciudad cuenta con equipos que los representan en las diferentes modalidades de los deportes más populares de esta nación. En football Americano tiene a los Miami Dolphins, en basketball a los Miami Heat donde cuenta con 3 de las mas importantes estrellas de este deporte (James, Wade & Busch), en béisbol con los Marlins de la Florida que para el 2012 van a cambiar de nombre por Miami Marlins y vana inaugurar su nuevo estadio en cercanías del Down Town (Centro de la Ciudad). Además se llevan a cabo durante el año diferentes torneos de talla mundial que trae a los mejores exponentes de cada deporte. En Golf tenemos el torneo del DORAL y el Ericsson de Tenis, entre otros. Ofrece una gran diversidad de centros de arte, galerías, teatros, restaurantes, donde se puede degustar el sabor de la cocina internacional con platos de diferentes partes del mundo. Con Centros comerciales para ir de compras, con opciones para todos los presupuestos, gustos y edades. Puede realizar toda clase de Deportes acuáticos y es un paraíso para los amantes de la pesca. • Un destino Turístico por excelencia La ciudad tiene una temperatura promedio al año de 75 F – 23 C, con 84 millas de playa que bordean el océano atlántico, de las cuales 15 millas son famosas a nivel mundial y se conocen en el mundo como Miami Beach. La ocupación Hotelera es la quinta de los Estados Unidos y solo la sobrepasan New York, Oahu Island, San Francisco & Boston. Cada año pasan por Miami 12.6 millones de personas que se quedan por lo menos una noche en la ciudad, de las cuales 6 millones aproximadamente son visitantes internacionales. Son muchos más los puntos que podríamos agregar a la lista, y tendríamos no 4 sino miles de razones para optar por tener una propiedad inmobiliaria en Miami. No te dejes llevar por las malas noticias que dan a diario en los medios, investiga, has los números y busca la mejor opción que se adapte a tus necesidades y gusto. Si vives en Miami, recuerda que si puedes pagar la renta, vas a poder pagar la hipoteca. Escrito por: David Gómez Broker - Open Realty Inc realestatehoy.com Predatory lending is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as "imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers."[1] Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the phrase as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry. Predatory lending should not be confused with predatory mortgage servicing which is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of lenders and servicing agents during the loan or mortgage servicing process, post loan origination.
One less contentious definition of the term is "the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against."[2][3] Other types of lending sometimes also referred to as predatory include payday loans, certain types of credit cards, mainly subprime, or other forms of (again, often subprime) consumer debt, and overdraft loans, when the interest rates are considered unreasonably high.[4] Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, the poor, racial minorities, and the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics.[5][6] Predatory lending typically occurs on loans backed by some kind of collateral, such as a car or house, so that if the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can repossess or foreclose and profit by selling the repossessed or foreclosed property. Lenders may be accused of tricking a borrower into believing that an interest rate is lower than it actually is, or that the borrower's ability to pay is greater than it actually is. The lender, or others as agents of the lender, may well profit from repossession or foreclosure upon the collateral. Abusive or unfair lending practices[edit source | editbeta] There are many lending practices which have been called abusive and labeled with the term "predatory lending." There is a great deal of dispute between lenders and consumer groups as to what exactly constitutes "unfair" or "predatory" practices, but the following are sometimes cited.
It’s that time of year when families consider moving to get their children into a good school district. At realtor.com we recently conducted a back-to-school survey to see how much weight schools have in the home-buying decision. The results show that school-district boundaries do impact the buying decision for more than 60 percent of realtor.com home buyers. We also found that home buyers are willing to pay more and give up certain features for a home located in their district of choice. These buyers are especially willing to give up access to shopping and nearby parks and trails, among other amenities, to reside within the school-district boundaries of their choice.
A majority of the home buyers surveyed said that school-district boundaries will have an impact on their buying decision:
Everybody likes the beaches in Miami , but not everybody likes the noise and party ambience in some areas like South Beach. One good alternative is 30 minutes north at Hollywood beach where real estate prices in this area are more interesting. This place has a very long boardwalk full of restaurants and little hotels. This area is not yet invaded by the high buildings like Sunny Isles so it is like a little town neighborhood. If you choose to stay in this wonderful place for your vacations, you can try the Caribbean Resort by the Ocean. Check this pictures: The Caribbean Resort at Hollywood Beach, FloridaIn 1562, Jean Ribault (jawn re BOW) was sent from France to Florida in order to explore the area and begin a new colony. His lieutenant was Rene Laudonnière. Ribault sailed with three ships that carried one hundred fifty people: Huguenots, or French Protestants. France wanted to control this new land and drive out the Spanish settlers.
Ribault landed near the St. Augustine area. As he sailed further north, he found a river that was called the St. Johns River. Because he did not like the river's Spanish name, he renamed it the "River of May." (Today, it is known again as the St. Johns River.) At the mouth of the river, Ribault built a stone monument to mark his visit and claim it for France. Afterwards, Ribault continued north to a place in South Carolina that he called Port Royal. Here, the Huguenots built a fort and named it Charlesfort, in honor of their king. Before long, the supplies began to dwindle, so Ribault sailed back to France to gather more. Much to his dismay, religious conflict had broken out and he was unable to raise any money for supplies. Ribault went to Queen Elizabeth of England for help. She had him arrested for establishing a French Colony in Spanish Territory. He was put in a London prison. Rene Laudonnière builds Fort Caroline During the time that Jean Ribault was in prison, Rene Laudonnière (wren AY day law dun YAIR) was sent to rescue Charlesfort in South Carolina. Laudonnière led an expedition of 304 Huguenot colonists. The Huguenots were excited about moving to a new colony where they would have freedom to worship. Life was difficult for the Protestant Huguenots in Catholic France. When they arrived at the mouth of the St. Johns River in Florida, they stopped there and built a triangle-shaped fort for protection. They called it Fort Caroline. At first, the colony prospered. The French ships were well stocked with cattle, supplies, and tools. On board were farmers, artisans, women, and children. Laudonnière set out to explore the interior of this new territory. Initially, he established good relations with the Timucuan Indians. Soon, however, supplies ran short and the French colony was unable to get food from the natives. Some of the colonists no longer believed in Laudonnière's leadership. They stole boats and sailed south to become pirates and raid Spanish treasure ships. Most of the colonists at Fort Caroline decided to go home to France. The French colony was in trouble. Jean Ribault returns to Florida After Ribault was released from prison, the king of France sent him back to America with 500 soldiers. Ribault planned to rescue and take control of Fort Caroline. Meanwhile, a Spanish explorer named Pedro Menendez de Aviles arrived in Florida. Menendez wanted to drive the French out of Florida. He built a fort at St. Augustine, just south of Fort Caroline, and prepared his men for battle. Ribault tried to capture St. Augustine, but his ships were destroyed in a severe storm. Menendez and 500 of his men marched north from St. Augustine and destroyed Fort Caroline. Then Menendez located Ribault and the other shipwrecked French sailors and killed them too. Rene Laudonnière was wounded in the Spanish attack. He managed to escape to France where he documented the events of his tragedy. Laudonnière died in 1582. No further French settlements were established in Florida. It’s Florida’s birthday or at least the birthday of its name. Ponce de León, during the week of April 2, 1513, became the first documented European to arrive anywhere in the current United States of America.
“This week marks an historic anniversary for Florida and the entire United States of America,” Gov. Rick Scott said in a release. “This special anniversary is an opportunity to share Florida’s unique story and reflect on the people, places and events that made Florida the dynamic state it is today.” As part of his drive to create jobs, Scott added an invitation for “more people to come to Florida to contribute to the overall economic vitality of our state.” A website celebrates the anniversary, VivaFlorida.org. © 2013 Florida Realtors® After so many years living in France, finding good bread in Miami can be traumatic and frustrating. Hopefully I survived and later we discovered places like Fresh Market, Whole Foods and even Costco where it is possible to find a good classic french bread. If you don't have those stores nearby you can solve this problem with your hands. I'll tell you how: Remember: If you can make toast, you can make French bread ! Four basic things: flour, salt, a packet of yeast and warm water. Add the warm water {about 110-115 degrees} into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over top and watch it bloom. While that’s all goin’ on above, add the salt to the flour. And give it a quick whisk. Now dump the flour into the yeasty water. Stir by spatula… Just to get the flour incorporated. Insert the dough hook and mix until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl… about 4-5 minutes. If you find it’s still a little too sticky… add a smidgen more of flour. Add a little olive oil to bowl. Drop in the dough and toss it around to coat and then use the dough to coat the entire bowl. Set the covered bowl in a warm place to rise for about an hour. By now it should have doubled in size. Press or “punch” it down to deflate it. Form it into a classic “French loaf-y” shape. You can make a few slits on the top with a knife for presentation purposes Place it in a COOL oven And then set the temp to preheat at 375 degrees. As the temp slowly climbs, the bread will slowly rise {and bake of course!}. Voilà !
Easy Homemade French Bread Yield: 1 loaf Ingredients: 2-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt 1 cup Warm Water Olive Oil, for greasing Directions: In the bowl of your stand mixer pour warm water {110-115 degrees} and sprinkle in one packet of rapid rise yeast. Let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes. Grease a large bowl with olive oil. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl measure and mix the flour with the kosher salt. Stir the flour into the yeast-water until just combined. Using a dough hook, mix until the dough is smooth and tacky. Form the dough in to a ball and toss it in the oiled bowl. Roll the dough to coat with oil. Place a damp towel over top and place the bowl in a warm area to rise, double in size. Punch down, form into a long log and slide into an cool, un-preheated oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees {while the loaf is in the oven} and set the timer for 30-35 minutes Hispanics are the fastest-growing group of first-time homebuyers and have the purchase power to push the U.S. housing recovery into high gear if inventory shortages and investor-favored regulations didn’t challenge them, according to
the 2012 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report released by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). The NAHREP report offers an update on the Hispanic homebuyer market and traces the minority group’s rise in household formations, jobs, income and education – variables that make them homeownership-ready and able to drive demand in the current first-time homebuyer market. Based in San Diego, NAHREP has more than 20,000 members in 48 states and 50 affiliate chapters. “Despite a difficult economic environment and a tight mortgage market, Latinos are making gains in all the ways that make them ready for homeownership,” said Juan Martinez, president of NAHREP. “Their biggest obstacle now coming into the market isn’t the credit crunch, it’s the lack of available housing to purchase. They will play an increasingly significant role in the nation’s home purchase market, if conditions permit.” According to the report, Hispanics continue to lead the surge in U.S. homeownership and accounted for 355,000, or 51 percent, of the total net increase of 693,000 owner households. This trend has unfolded over the past 12 years and shows homeownership gains in all but two of those years, despite losses suffered during the foreclosure crisis. The number of Hispanic homeowners grew from 4.24 million in 2000 to 6.69 million in 2012, a remarkable increase of 58 percent at a time when the rest of the U.S. population saw a net increase of only 5 percent. Notably, the data indicates that while the Hispanic homeownership rate has dropped from 47.5 percent to 46.1 percent since 2010, the total number of owner households has increased by nearly 500,000. This is due to the net increase of more than 1 million total Hispanic households in the U.S. during the same two-year period. As their population increases and Latinos start to buy housing en masse, the most outstanding metric of their impact will be the total owner-occupant housing units purchased, not the homeownership rate, according to study findings. The report, which was researched and produced by NAHREP, asserts that a combination of economic and demographic trends explains why this consumer segment will be a major factor in the revitalization and growth of the nation’s economy in the future. Some of the key statistics highlighted in the report include: Population Driver: Hispanics continue to lead population growth in America. Hispanics have accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the past decade. Every month, 50,000 young Hispanics reach the age of 18. Hispanics dominate household growth. Over one million Hispanic households were formed in 2012, compared to a decrease of 704,000 non-Hispanic White households. Education: Hispanics are achieving higher educational milestones. Hispanics are now the largest minority group on the nation’s college campuses. In 2011, the number of 18 to 24-year-old Hispanics enrolled in college exceeded two million and reached a record 16.5 percent share of all college enrollments. Employment and Income: Hispanics are dominating the growth of the nation’s workforce. In 2012, Hispanic job growth accounted for approximately half of total U.S. job growth. They are also earning more. Forty percent of Hispanic households earned over $50,000. Hispanic households earning more than $50,000 are growing at a faster rate than that of the total number of U.S. households. Consumerism: Hispanic purchasing power exceeds $1 trillion. The purchasing power of Hispanics is estimated to be $1.2 trillion and is projected to grow to $1.5 trillion by 2015. Homeownership: Surveys show they remain passionate about homeownership. Fifty-six percent of Hispanics said that a major reason to buy a home was because it represents a symbol of success or achievement, compared to only 32 percent of all Americans. Hispanic real estate leaders assert that despite historic low rates and housing values and the sizable opportunity this market presents, large investor-controlled housing markets threaten the growth of Hispanic homeownership. Specifically, government and corporate policies like REO-to-rental programs have removed affordable housing stock from the owner-occupied market, creating an imbalance in supply and demand. This constitutes the most significant barrier to Hispanic homeownership, according to NAHREP leaders. “It is critical to understand the demographic trends which are likely to impact housing demand in the years ahead,” said Mike Fratantoni, vice president of research and economics for the Mortgage Bankers Association. “This report provides information for lenders, builders and policymakers regarding the future shape of housing demand, which will be substantially impacted by the housing choices of Hispanic households.” Source: National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals © 2013 Florida Realtors® Trulia’s Winter 2013 Rent vs. Buy Report looked at homes for sale and for rent on Trulia between Dec. 1, 2012, and Feb. 28, 2013, and compared the costs, factoring in transaction costs, taxes and opportunity costs. For homeownership costs, study authors assumed a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, 20 percent down, itemizing tax deductions at the 25% bracket and a stay of seven years in the home.
Overall, buying a home is 44 percent cheaper than renting nationwide – down just slightly from 46 percent in 2012. In each of the 100 largest metros, buying is more affordable than renting, though it ranges significantly – from 70 percent cheaper to buy than rent in Detroit to only 19 percent cheaper in San Francisco. In the 10 Florida markets checked by Trulia, savings ranged from 40 percent to 60 percent. The include: Miami: 43% cheaper to buy Fort Lauderdale: 53% cheaper to buy West Palm Beach: 56% cheaper to buy Cape Coral-Fort Myers: 45% cheaper to buy North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota: 51% cheaper to buy Lakeland-Winter Haven: 55% cheaper to buy Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: 50% cheaper to buy Orlando: 51% cheaper to buy Tampa-St. Petersburg: 55% cheaper to buy Jacksonville: 54% cheaper to buy Individual own-versus-rent savings will vary depending on details, but Trulia posed an adjustable map on its website. Visitors can change the map to suit their circumstance by choosing the mortgage rate they expect to pay (3.5%, 4.5% or 5.5%), their IRS tax bracket (none, 15%, 25%, 35%) and the length of time they expect to be in the house. The map then changes its buy-versus-rent estimates based on input. For example, changing a Miami buy-versus-rent decision to a three-year stay, 15 percent tax bracket and 5.5 percent mortgage interest rate makes it wiser to rent for a 1 percent savings. “People who didn’t buy a home last year may have missed the bottom of the market, but they haven’t completely missed the boat,” says Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economist. “Buying remains cheaper than renting in all 100 large metros. Even buyers who can’t get today’s lowest mortgage rates will still find that buying makes more financial sense than renting in nearly all local markets – so long as they can get a mortgage in the first place.” © 2013 Florida Realtors® Everyone wants to stay healthy and no one wishes to get sick at all times: that is why you too do everything to make sure that the environment you live in is clean, by sanitizing and sterilizing the things that you use on a daily basis and defending your home from pests. However, many people out there choose to spend a fortune in buying different solutions to ensure that they achieve such results.
Living in a home that is clean means that you and your family members are very likely to be free from unwanted illnesses, because, believe it or not, dirt is what attracts pests, which are responsible for causing many diseases. In fact, if your environment is unkempt, different bugs and mosquitoes may thrive in it. Mosquitoes are great bearers of sickness: just think that some of them are so dangerous that they have taken millions of lives worldwide. However, if you are going to thoroughly clean your environment – even the hidden parts and corners of the house, you are assured that those unwanted bugs will not harm or put your family's health at risk. Let's face it, you feel worried even when a casual friend of yours is sick. They may pass their illness to you, or to one of your family members. But how much burden to your emotions it would be if the person involved is one of your children, a relative or a close friend? It will surely stress you out emotionally. Now remember that emotions play a big role in the entire human system. Emotional stress leads to anxiety, then to depression. Later on, you may lose your appetite, sleeplessness, restlessness and the list goes on. Having an ill member of the family creates a domino effect. On the other hand, you can definitely prevent this from happening. You just have to keep your environment clean With the unpredictable status of the economy these days, the last thing you want to be doing is to spend a hundred bucks in medicines and hospitalization. In fact, not everybody has the privilege of being covered by medical insurance. But also in that case medicines would cost so much you'd have to pay for them yourself. Well just think that you can save more and spend your money in other things if you just keep your surroundings cleansed and sanitized. Time is gold Money can be replaced and health can be restored in most cases. But what with time? You are familiar with the phrase, "Time lost is time wasted". It is so true. When you get sick, you spend time resting because you have no energy to do your work. The hardest part is that time can never be replaced and restored anymore. Make full use of your time in things productive. Clean your environment and maintain it that way. Another wise quote is, "Prevention is better than cure". By keeping your environment clean and healthy at all times you have just saved your own life and that of the people around you. Beautiful 2 bedroom 2 baths, 1213Sqft $189,000 (Negotiable with the owner) corner unit with a huge balcony with water views, all tiled, new water heater, Uverse cable included in maintenance, everything in excellent condition. Building recently with new fire alarm system installed, recently painted, new fire doors installed in the whole building. Located at the Reef Club Condo a peaceful gated community surrounded by water views with many amenities like swimming pool with amazing views, jacuzzi, 2 tennis courts, Basketball court, 2 separate exercise rooms for ladies and gentlemen, sauna, possibility to rent a dock for your boat, two car spots for this unit. THIS UNIT IS NOT LISTED IN REALTORS MLS.This is a direct SALE BY OWNER to prospective owners. By owner request, NO brokers or real estate agents PLEASE. See the following video: |
AuthorJose E. Guzman C. Archives
August 2015
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