Those were the days… Real Estate in the 1900′s

Posted by on Feb 11, 2012 in Buyers, Florida, Forest Ridge Listings | 88 comments
The above picture is of a Real Estate Brokerage in the 1900′s.
Today  we reflect on the ever changing Real Estateenvironment and in particular: the marketing of homes.
Gone are the days of newspaper and magazine print marketing. Within the  real estate industry we have seen many printed media outlets close their doors.At one time, prior to our most recent change in the real estate market a buyer could search  for a home in numerous magazines dedicated to real estate. These magazines were glossy, hip, chic and trendy. Sadly many of these magazines have gone.

Many Real Estate Brokerages continue to  promote their offerings in local newspapers. The major difference today, in the 21st century these magazines and newspapers have gone on-line. They are visible worldwide. The world suddenly has gotton much smaller.

This is reflected in the methods used to  market homes. (more…)

Forest Ridge Hollyday Parade 2011

Posted by on Dec 31, 2011 in Buyers, DownSizing Today, Forest Ridge Listings | 7 comments
A big thanks to all that helped with the HollyDay Parade which was held on December 3, 2011.
Here are some clips from this fabulous day in Forest Ridge.
  • Susie Starkey (Councilwoman for Davie)
  • Kitty Preziosi (Founder of the parade)
  • Rhonda Gracie (Chairman of this years parade)
  • Gail Coniglio
  • Fran Smyth
The weather was splendid for the parade. We had over seventy participants in the parade. As you can see the day included other activities and of course the Jolly Man made his entrance( lucky him!).
Here are some clips from this fabulous day in Forest Ridge.

Forest Ridge Hollyday Event Patti Reid 954.854.6310

Susie and Rhonda at the Hollyday Parade

Forest Ridge Hollyday Event Patti Reid 954.854.6310

Fran and Kitty at the parade.

(more…)

Happy Holidays To All

Posted by on Dec 20, 2011 in Buyers, DownSizing Today, Forest Ridge Listings, Home Owner Tips, More Homes For Sale | 10 comments

A Look At Davie History: Bergeron Rodeo

Posted by on Dec 8, 2011 in Buyers | 40 comments

The history in Davie reaches into the past to include the real estate that was made from the draining of the Everglades through the delicious orchards and crops of our agricultural past to our rodeo. The history of Davie and our rodeo wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t cover a little about the history of the rodeo itself.

The rodeo was originally part of the normal tasks of the Spaniards and the ranch hands (vaquero). These hardworking individuals exhibited outstanding horsemanship, the skills of roping a wild horse and training the bronco for the rider, the experience of lassoing a calf to tie down and brand and the flowing grace of the round up. The event lasted three days as the herds were taken care of in their annual fashion to get them to the real estate where they belonged. (more…)

29 Real Estate Lingos & Other Words You Need To Know

Posted by on Nov 28, 2011 in Buyers, Sellers | 751 comments
Real estate ads are usually full of industry words. For those unfamiliar with the housing industry, whether you be a buyer or seller, here is a a cheat sheet.
1. 4B/2B — four bedrooms and two bathrooms. “Bedroom” usually means a sleeping area with a window and a closet, but the definition varies in different places. A “full bathroom” is a room with a toilet, a sink and a bathtub. A “three-quarter bathroom” has a toilet, a sink and a shower. A “half bathroom” or powder room has only a toilet and a sink.
2. assum. fin. — assumable financing
3. closing costs — the entire package of miscellaneous expenses paid by the buyer and the seller when the real estate deal closes. These costs include the brokerage commission, mortgage-related fees, escrow or attorney’s settlement charges, transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and so on. Closing costs are generally paid through escrow.
4. CMA — comparative market analysis or competitive market analysis. A CMA is a report that shows prices of homes that are comparable to a subject home and that were recently sold, are currently on the market or were on the market, but not sold within the listing period.
5. contingency — a provision of an agreement that keeps the agreement from being fully legally binding until a certain condition is met. One example is a buyer’s contractual right to obtain a professional home inspection before purchasing the home.
6. dk — deck
7. expansion pot’l — expansion potential mean that there’s extra space on the lot or the possibility of adding a room or even an upper level, subject to local zoning restrictions.
8. fab pentrm — fabulous pentroom, a room on top (but under the roof) that has great views
9. FDR — formal dining room (more…)

Tips On Getting A Home Mortgage

Posted by on Nov 10, 2011 in Buyers | 20 comments

When it’s time to think about purchasing a new home, there are several things to that you need to bear in mind to make it a successful buy.  Of course, before you can get to the successful buy, you need to make sure you have a mortgage you can afford and there are ways around this process to be aware of.

Your mortgage lender will want to see certain sets of documents that are referred to as income documents and asset documents.  Income includes a month’s worth of pay-stubs and a couple years’ worth of tax returns.  If either set shows any odd discrepancies, garnishments or deductions be ready to answer questions. 

Assets include your bank accounts, IRAs, and the like. The mortgage lender will look at two months of statements on these as well. Be sure you don’t make any large purchases or larger than normal deposits as these types of things create red flags. (more…)