The Lake Mary / Heathrow Florida Real Estate Blog

In the current real estate market in most homeowners are facing a scary reality; a rapid depreciation in their home’s value.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing home prices continue the downward trend and are not expected to recover until well into 2009.

One way to buck that trend and boost the value of your home is to make some basic renovations however there is no need to embark on big ticket projects, you most likely will not recoup all of the costs anyway. Instead, seek out some inexpensive projects that will not only brighten up the place may put a little extra cash in your pocket should you decide to sell your home. Here are five you may want to consider:

1. Paint;  a little fresh paint or varnish can go a long way but remeber to keep neutral colors if you are selling soon.

2. Basic Maintenence;  aim to complete a few small maintenence projects each month, like fixing the creaky floor or replacing the cracked light swith plate.

3. Energy Efficient Upgrades;  such improvements will cut your energy bills, but they will also be attractive to buyers hunting for more earth-friendly homes.

4. Install New Fixtures;  new hardware can completely refreshen an outdated home and the cost is cheap.

5. Landscaping;  a first good impression is critical for buyers as is having good curb appeal.

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RE/MAX Central Realty which had previously operated from its location in Colonial Town Park near Heathrow has relocated to the professional office park in Primera which is located just off Lake Mary Boulevard.  The new address is 605 Crescent Executive Court #332, Lake Mary, Florida 32746. “We enjoy our new and refreshing atmosphere here at Primera says Rick Arbutine”, real estate agent and mortgage lender with the team Arbutine which is lead by his sister Karen Arbutine.

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Are you searching for something fun for the entire family to enjoy this Halloween?  Look no further than these two exciting events:

Candlelight Tales: 7 p.m. Oct 10th and October 17th at Lake Mary Historical Museum, 158 N. Country Club Road, Lake Mary.  Storyteller Joe Rosier will tell tales by candlelight. This program is recommended for children over five years of age.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m.  $5.00 for Adults and $1.00 for Children.  Call 407 324-3011 for more details.

Ghost Walk:  6:30 p.m. Oct 11th and October 18th; Lake Mary Historical Museum, 158 N. Country Club Road, Lake Mary.  Guides will lead visitors on a walk from the museum to the cemetery and back.  You may be spooked by some local ghosts along the way!  Walks will leave from the museum every ten minutes. $5.00 For Adults and $1.00 for children.  For more information call 407 324-3011

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Mention Lake Mary and you get images of business and a resort-like city. But remember that Lake Mary offers the locals and the visitors more things to do than a day doing business and playing golf. This is a place as well for the artsy individuals- the ones looking for great entertainment done in taste and style. The city plays host to many events every year, and every year a different set of events will surely meet the demands of the locals and the visitors.

For 2008, the city hosted the 22nd Annual Lake Mary-Heathrow Festival of the Arts. This festival is known as a premier event that combines first class entertainment, world class art and also craft exhibits. Last year’s festivities play host to more than 50,000 people who viewed the artists’ works and for thus year the same number of people or more is expected as well. For this year’s edition of the festivities, the festival is set to return to Oval Park in Heathrow just off the International Parkway. The festivities will also put at the center the well-known Classic Car Show and other festivities will also be announced in the coming months. The aim of the festival is to inspire and also develop an appreciation for quality art forms as made by the artists and at the same time award scholarships to the local students who aims and desires for an advanced education.

This said event is just one of the many events that bring flavor to Lake Mary and one of the reasons as well why this city looks good in the eyes of the locals and home buyers. In fact one of the best reviewed cities in the US is Lake Mary. For an A-one location like Lake Mary, you need help just in case you are setting your sights in the area. We tell you; let Lake Mary Fl Remax group help you in realizing your aims.

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How about a golf course that runs through the town’s center? Sounds like a site straight from the golf-lover’s design handbook, isn’t it? Well this isn’t just the product of the imagination of one loyal golfer-cum designer. This is a reality and has been adopted. This was adopted in the city of Lake Mary, and that golf course is the Timacuan golf course. A golf course in the middle of the city is the right accent that you need to make a town look like a resort town, and that’s exactly what Lake Mary is.

Lake Mary is acting like a resort town for those in need of a relaxing break and for locals who need a respite from every day work and stress. But more than the golf course, there are many things here that make Lake Mary top-notch and help make a Lake Mary FL Real Estate one of the most sought after. You see for the year 2007, a survey was run by CNN Money and it was found out that the city of Lake Mary figured prominently in the list of the ‘best places to live in the country’.

To put the exploits of the city in proper perspective, the city of Lake Mary scored well and placed in the Top 5 nationally and this ranks first in Florida. So it’s not a wonder that those who seek a day or a week’s vacation are all figuring out that this city is the place to be. The latest population is pegged at 13,200 and the city is known for the big-economy jobs yet you have that small-town feel. And here’s one thing that should raise eyebrows out there; the city of Lake Mary collects no income tax. That’s sweet and perhaps this is one of the small reasons why the real estate here is sold fast.

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Exciting; it’s one of the many words that can be used to described Florida. And this is the reason why a number of people see Florida as the perfect retirement place. And for those who are young and the young at heart, Florida is the place to be for a brief yet an entertaining relaxation. This is possible thanks to the many themed parks in the state. And when winter and the Christmas season starts, then fun is doubled in these themed parks. It is here where families can experience the fun at the Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. The Universal Studios is hosted at this state as well and the studio often kicks off the holiday season with the presentation of the Macy’s Holiday Parade and this parade often features balloons and floats that are made famous by the New York’s Thanksgiving version.

And when the visitors and family members are all caught up in the whirlwind of activities of New Years Eve, then it is always suggested to take a break at the Universal’s CityWalk. Visitors and residents all say that this is the place to be when it comes to New Year’s Eve entertainment. Another exciting theme park in the state is the SeaWorld Orlando. Christmas season is a special season for SeaWorld Orlando as this park is transformed into the ‘SnowWorld’. Somewhere in Tampa, Florida there is also a themed garden that can be the sanctuary of those who love their flowers and plants. It’s the Busch Gardens and some of the flowers and plants here include the poinsettias, yuletide topiaries and visitors can expect the holiday musical that will open come November. These are the things that visitors always seek when they come back to visit Florida and some take residence here to be near these parks for the rest of their lives. And that’s the reason why these properties are selling well in Florida. Remax Realty will help you adopt that kind of lifestyle these people enjoy right now. Just call this realty company, indicate what you want and your vacation for life will soon be yours.

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They often say that after the slump, comes the great times. This is applicable as well to the real estate market. With so many foreclosures that have happened for the past few years, the market right now is awash with low home-resale prices. Some of the players in the market say that the lenders are now aggressively unloading the foreclosed properties. These are known as the ‘real estate owned’ or the REOs. These properties are priced low and these are expected to be sold within the 90 day span. And the way home and commercial real estate prices in Central Florida is falling, the average wage earner can now afford his own average home.

The situation right now is favorable in a sense that real estate properties in the market are now priced reasonably and these are marketed using lousy selling conditions. This then opens a great opportunity for those who have the financial muscle to own a home or the dream Central Florida Commercial Real Estate. In fact it’s beginning to pick up. Records and available data suggest that the Central Florida market featured a 12 percent increase in home sales for the month of July if compared to the figures exactly a year ago. It isn’t just the sales for the month of July as pending sale contracts for the rest of the year are up as well. One of the main reasons why the figures are resilient can be a function of the location as well. It has been said that the established neighborhoods with good schools and also in the urban core are known to be as solid choice. And the new developments at the outskirts of the city may be shaky. The key in getting a commercial real estate is to look and shop around. There will always be something better out there, like in the greater Central Florida area.

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“Mortgage rates have dropped .5% and are expected to drop even further.”

Just recently the US Government has assumed control of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in efforts to stabilize the financial markets. This move was taken as a necessary reaction to financial concerns that Fannie and Freddie could collapse due to financial insecurity.  If Fannie and Freddie were to collapse, the housing market would collapse altogether.

This is good news for home buyers and aims to put downward pressure on mortgage rates to ensure home loan funding remains available. These necessary steps will help to strengthen the U.S. housing market and promote stability in our financial market. In turn, we will see lower mortgage rates, continued availability of funding for consumers with good credit, renewed global investor confidence, and stocks prices increasing on “improved economic stability”.

Mortgage rates are expected to drift into the 5.5% range within the coming weeks. This could be temporary. So now in the time to review your mortgage and see if you can take advantage if the changes in the mortgage market.

For more information on how you can take advantage of this great opportunity in the mortgage market call Karen Arbutine at 888-727-7778.

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It has never been a better time to build an Orlando Florida custom home or to do that renovation that you’ve always wanted to do than now. Prices of lots in the Greater Orlando area have come down significantly and mortgages are still at an all time low.

Now is your chance to have that dream home. There are many custom home builders here in the Central Florida area that are ready to get to work for you. Land is more affordable, sub contractor and supplier costs are down, turn-around time is quicker due to contractor availability, quality standards are higher, and interest rates are at a 40 year low. Orlando builders and interior designers are offering better services.

The time is now to start your custom home project in Orlando. It takes approximately 18 months to complete new home construction. If you wait until the market “looks good” then you will have missed your opportunity. Take full advantage of this buyers market now. By getting in now, you will have the chance to develop your custom home plans, pull permits needed to complete the project and then go through the approximate 12 month building process. By the time your custom home is complete the economic market conditions as predicted will have recovered. Once the market has recovered prices will go back up. So it will cost you more to build if you wait too long and miss out on this great opportunity.

If you are looking to get in on this excellent opportunity to build a custom home in the Greater Orlando area, call Karen Arbutine today at 888-727-7778. She is an expert in the in the custom home building field and can help lead you on the right path to building your dream home and in finding the right location for you. If you are looking to renovate Karen Arbutine can put you in contact with some of the most sought after contractors in the renovation business.

Click here to search for available lots for sale in Greater Orlando, Fl.  

————– Special Deal —————-

If you are looking to build a luxury custom home in the Lake Mary / Longwood area there are still 3 beautiful lake front lots available in the Lake Rice community, just waiting for you to bring your builder. Call Karen Arbutine today for more information on these lots. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.

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Florida and Central Florida are considered as two of the top tourist destinations in the country. Florida is one state that gets one of the larger shares of visitors in the country and the central part of the state is getting roughly half of the number of visitors. With that in mind, it can be said that the area offers a number of opportunities and sights for the locals and the visitors as well. But what makes the area of Central Florida such a big tourist draw in the country?

Central Florida is the area where the Walt Disney World, the SeaWorld and the Universal Studios Florida are located. These are just three of the many tourist draws in the area and the reasons as well why many are venturing into this part of the state. With that the area effectively contributes to the tourism industry of the state and at the same time offers investors and business people with a lot of opportunities for growth and development. Businesses who may want to expand its trade and its reach can see Central Florida as a perfect place for doing business. So it isn’t just home real estate that is popular in the area, but a Central Florida Commercial Real Estate is alive and well in this part of the state. Projects are on-going in the area right now and a number of buildings and real estate are being constructed in the area almost on a daily basis.

From Class A offices and commercial buildings to Class B buildings; these are just some of the many improvements that are being made in the area. Restaurants are getting the entire buzz in the area, and these are some of the properties that have been selling well right now. With these kinds of movements and activities in the area, it’s no wonder why Central Florida is one of the country’s leading tourist draw.

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