IT'S NOT THE SUNSHINE -- IT'S THE TAXES
At least one expert is advising Florida's snowbirds to make it official:
Declare legal residence in Florida and spend less time up north. In doing so, says Allan R. Lipman, an attorney licensed to practice law in both New York and Florida, snowbirds will save money in property taxes, courtesy of Florida's Save Our Homes (SOH) property tax cap -- a protection that does not exist in other states.
credit to
http://planetrealtor.com/Florida/News

Four ways to foster a fast sale in a slow market
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Oct. 10, 2006 -- A tougher housing market means that real estate practitioners must take every opportunity to get their listings noticed. Here are some ways that sellers can work with their practitioners to foster a faster sale:

• Exposure, exposure, exposure. Sure, it may inconvenient to have buyers visit the home at unpredictable times. But limiting the times at which buyers can view the house may mean that they’ll look at other homes instead. “More showings equals greater interest equals greater likelihood for more money,” says David Martz, an associate with Re/Max Valley Properties near San Jose, Calif.

• Lookers come; sellers go. Sellers should leave the house when buyers arrive. Having the sellers around can make buyers uncomfortable. “Their very presence can be contrary to the merchandising experience,” says John Dozier, owner of Cupertino Properties.

• Competitive commissions. Make sure the commission being offered to the buyer's agent is competitive, even if the seller’s agent is offering to take a smaller than usual commission. Otherwise, buyers' agents could focus on other homes first.

• No surprises. Don’t forget to mention things that could make a buyer or a buyer’s agent feel disappointed the first time they see the property: a bad roof, a foundation that needs major repairs. Disclose these flaws in the listing notes as well as the legal disclosures so buyer’s agents can prepare their clients before showing them the property.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
Despite a cooling housing market, real estate investment funds are up about 22.16 percent so far this year, and are on track to top the market for the seventh straight year, according to Lipper Inc.
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http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-10042006

Super-Luxury Homes,

This is quite the article, Residential listing prices are making history, for the first tim ever prices have gone over $100 million dollars, thats $100,000,000.00 for a house!!!

Check out this article.

http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-10022006

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PENDING HOME SALES
Pending home sales are up, a sign that a stabilization is taking place in the housing market, according to NAR. The index, based on contracts signed in August, rose 4.3 percent to a level of 110.1 from a reading of 105.6 in July, but it's 14.1 percent lower than August 2005.
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http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n3-10032006