Orlando Real Estate News

MIAMI (AP) - Jan. 14, 2010 - A record 2.8 million households were threatened with foreclosure last year, and that number is expected to rise this year as more unemployed and cash-strapped homeowners fall behind on their mortgages.

The number of households that received a foreclosure-related notice rose 21 percent from 2008, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Thursday. One in 45 homes were sent a filing, which includes default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions.

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Short sales may be the number one niche in the real estate market right now, but many agents are loath to handle such transactions. They insist that banks do not want to approve short sales, the process is too time-consuming, and it's difficult to get everyone to cooperate.

However, short sales experts say agents have a tough time because they often neglect BPOs and property valuations, fail to review the bank's guidelines, submit incomplete files or lowball offers, and do not follow up.

To position themselves for success in short sales, agents must assemble a team of escrow officers, BPO specialists, processors, negotiators, and underwriters with experience in short sales. They should market to homeowners who might consider a short sale, obtaining lists of individuals behind on their mortgages and sending postcards or making in-person visits to let them know their options.

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Home staging should be required for all listings!

How many homes in Orlando Florida do you see on the market that are total dogs?  Believe me when I say, there are too many.

Right now in Orlando Florida, there are many homes on the market with only so many per month selling.  As an Orlando real estate agent, it's our job to educate our clients on what sells Orlando houses; and in this market, only the best looking homes are selling.  There are too many choices for buyers to waste their time on the dogs, or even the mediocre for that matter.  Your home has to be the best of the best.

Read Also:  Realtors Weigh In on The Best green Updates

If you've ever wandered into a home builder's model home and been blown away by the decor...you've seen home staging.  Even if your home has great decor and you have impeccable taste, please realize that your taste is not everyone's taste.  Home staging is all about making the home appeal to everyone.  And in today's market, that is imperative.  Many people also think home staging is going to cost you money.  On the contrary, it will help you get more money from the sale of your home.  You'll spend a little, but the rewards will be tenfold.

Read Also:  Preparing Your House for Sale

If you don't know what home staging is, or if you need more information, please visit our friend Cassandra Branson with Mango Tree Interior Design.

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Power & Light and its suppliers on Thursday denounced state regulators' decision to reject nearly all of the company's $1.3 billion rate increase, calling the ruling politically motivated and short-sighted, though business and consumer groups hailed it as sound.

FPL focused on the impact the decision will have on potential jobs, announcing late Wednesday that the company will suspend about $10 billion in planned capital projects in Florida over the next five years.

Among the suspended long-term projects: the construction of two new reactors at the Turkey Point nuclear plant, a natural-gas pipeline, modernization of the Riviera Beach and Cape Canaveral plants and upgrades to its transmission and distribution systems.

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