I sold this townhome  to very patient buyers.  Listed for sale as a short sale; the buyers originally contracted on this property in February of this year, and almost 6 months later, they finally closed at the end of August.

Mozaic Townhomes is located in the Lake Ridge area of Fort Lauderdale, and consists of 4 modern multiple story residences, all with walk-out terraces and 2 car garages.

1228 is a corner unit with lots of windows for natural light.  A European kitchen with stainless appliances.  Stained concrete floors on the first level, and carpet upstairs.  2 walk out terraces, one from the master bedroom and one off the loft area.

 Originally listed at $225,000, after many months of negotiating with the lenders, the Closed Sales Price was $232,000.  The seller had previously paid $680,000 in 2007.  Well worth waiting for!

The other corner (also a short sale), 1234 NE 12th Ave sold in June of this year for $265,000.

For more information about homes and townhomes for sale in Fort Lauderdale including Victoria Park homes and townhomes for sale, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

View Fort Lauderdale MLS available property listings for sale including homes, condos, townhomes and lofts.

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Home Page

Looking for a great deal?  4901 NE 27th Terrace Lighthouse Point Florida is now listed for sale as a Short Sale priced at $1,375,000.

Originally listed at $1,795,000, This elegant French Chateau style 2-story residence features 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, 3 car garage situated on deep water with an invisible edge pool.

Custom designed with Italian state of the art kitchen cabinetry with built in double ovens, microwave, espresso coffee machine and Wolf cook-top.

Magnificent vein cut (24×24) marble flooring adorns the main living areas and Brazilian dark mahogony wood floors in every bedroom.  Top of the line Kholer shower features in the master bath with onyx mosaics throughout.

Seventy-five feet of  deep water dockage with a short cruise to the Atlantic Ocean.

Lighthouse Point Florida is located north of Fort Lauderdale and south of Boca Raton.

For more information on this home or other homes and condos for sale, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

Courtesy of Galleria International Realty

Please Note: Short Sales are subject to third-party Lender Approval with no guarantee of sale being approved at price agreed upon and subject to the owner of record accepting the terms of the short sale. It is also common for short sale properties to receive multiple offers and there is no guarantee of any offer being accepted.

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Home Page

The Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market report- August 2009 reports positive numbers for closed sales and pending sales for both single family and condominium/ townhomes and a decline in inventory.  Short Sales and bank foreclosures still make up a large percentage of closed sales.

Closed Sales for Single Family homes were up 11% in August as compared to July and up 28% from same time last year.  43% of these sales were classified as REO bank foreclosures in Fort Lauderdale.

The Average Sales Price for Single Family homes in August was down 3% from July and down 29% from August 2008.

The Median Sales Price in August remained the same as July and was down 26% from same period last year.

Pending Sales for Single Family homes were up 12% from last month and up 49% from August 2008.

Available Inventory for Single Family homes decreased 7% in August as compared to July and down 45% from August 2009.  Supply of inventory decreased in August to 8 months from 10 months in July and down 57% from August 2008. Thirty-Five percent of available inventory are classified as either home foreclosures or short sales.

Closed Sales for Fort Lauderdale Condos and townhomes were up 16% in August as compared to July and up 28% from August 2008.  Of these closed sales in August, 54% were classified as Fort Lauderdale condo foreclosures.

The Average Sales Price for Condos in August was up 8% from last month and down 24% from August 2008.

The Median Sales Price remained the same in August as compared to July and down 26% from same period last year.

Pending Condominium Sales were up 16% in August over July and up 83% from August 2008.

Available Inventory for Condos/Townhomes in August were down 5% from July and down 32% from same period last year.  Supply of Condo/Townhome inventory is at 14 months, just up 2 months from July and down 57% from August 2008.

Overall, the real estate market appears to continue to show good signs of recovering.  We have many more months of positive numbers than negative and supply of homes for sale is significantly down from 1st quarter 2009.

Interest rates are still attractive and the first time homebuyer tax credit for first time home buyers is expiring December 1st.  Efforts are underway to extend the tax credit.

For more information about buying or selling residential real estate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

Buyers can begin their home search online by searching Fort Lauderdale MLS available property listings for sale including short sales and foreclosures as well as tips and useful information for buying a home in Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Market Report - July 2009

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate - Home Page

Villa Medici Townhomes unit 1905 -  Sold!

This was probably the easiest of short sales.  The whole process took less than 3 months.

We brought the buyer for this 2 bedroom, 3bath townhome at Villa Medici in Fort Lauderdale with a roof-top terrace.  This townhome is at the furthest west end of the community, has just under 2,000 square feet of living area with a 2-car garage.

Purchased in 2006 for $570,000; this townhome, a short sale, closed recently in August by our clients at $195,000.

Villa Medici townhomes, located in the Lake Ridge area of Fort Lauderdale, were built by Shelby homes in 2006.  Villa Medici offers 118 residences modeled after an Italian Tuscan village with three floor plans; Raphael, DaVinci and Michealangelo.

For more information on Villa Medici townhomes for sale, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

View Fort Lauderdale MLS listings for homes, condos and townhomes for sale.

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate | Home Page

Nu River Landing - Recent Sale

It took about 4 months, but we successfully closed on Unit 1513 at Nu River Landing.

A 2 bedroom 2 bath, south facing condo recently closed as a Fort Lauderdale Short Sale at $205,000.  The unit originally sold in 2006 at $370,000 representing a 55% reduction.

Nu River Landing Condominium is located on the Nu River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, stands 25 stories and offers resort amenities including roof-top pool and club room, 2-story fitness area with raquetball and half basketball courts, business center, security and onsite managment.

For more information about buying or selling at Nu River Landing or other properties downtown, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

Search the Fort Lauderdale MLS for available properties for sale including Foreclosures in Fort Lauderdale and Short Sales or search Fort Lauderdale Condos by building.

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Home Page

Greg Rand, a managing partner at Prudential Rand Realty shares 5 tips on Reducing Mortgage Costs on “Happening Now“- video below (Return To Fort Lauderdale Real Estate)

No Negotiation of Preforeclosure Sales Commission
Servicing Guide, Part VII, Section 504.02: Contacting Selected Borrowers
Effective March 1, 2009, closing of preforeclosure sales may not be conditioned upon a
reduction of the total commission to be paid to real estate agents to a level below what was
negotiated by the listing agent with the borrower, unless the fee exceeds 6 percent of the sales price of the property in aggregate. Servicers are reminded that they must continue to obtain any approvals that may be required by interested third parties in connection with preforeclosure sales….

You can read more on new guidelines at Fannie Mae.

It is about time that real estate agents are recognized for the amount of time and effort that goes in to successfully closing a short sale.

View Fort Lauderdale Short Sales and Foreclosures listings

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Home Page

South Florida real estate may be turning around and heading in a positive direction according to several Real Estate analysts, however, not before a possible further 10-15% decline in 2009.

It is important to understand, that South Florida encompasses a large area and many smaller parts; cities, neighborhoods, communities and condominiums, may face less of a decline and rebound sooner.

With huge property inventory levels including foreclosures and short sales, it will take time for these homes and condos for sale to eventually be absorbed.

Once the rebound begins, real estate values should return to realistic sustainable yearly gains of 3-6% instead of the unrealistic gains of recent years, which along with other elements lead to the real estate bubble bursting.

Real Estate will once again return to its inherent value; a home, a roof over your head, a neighborhood, etc., not the get rich quick opportunity.

If you have been patiently waiting on the sidelines searching Fort Lauderdale homes and condos for sale, contemplating a purchase and are planning to stay in the property for at least 5 years, this may now be the perfect time for you to buy.

Buyers can take advantage of rock bottom real estate prices down 30-40% or more, rolled back to 2004 levels.  Interest rates are still at historic lows. First time home buyers including those who have not owned a home for 3 years prior to a purchase may be eligible for a tax credit which is expiring soon.

Do your homework.  As with any great opportunity, the best time to get in for maximum benefit is at the beginning.

For more information about buying a home or condo, contact me today at 954-850-2397 or visit my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate website where you can search the Fort Lauderdale MLS for available homes and condos for sale.

Clients of mine just recently closed on this Fort Lauderdale Foreclosure at 635 SW 5th Avenue, near dowtown Fort Lauderdale.

Built in 2001, this townhouse features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and just under 2,000 square feet of living area.

Sales Price was $290,000 and closing date was December 23, 2008.  The property was previously purchased for $479,900 in June 2005.

Negotiating the contract was easy, however, dealing with the bank’s closing agent was a nightmare.  The closing was held up for 2 weeks and the buyers were almost homeless on Christmas.   The buyers had their own attorney which was prudent and in my opinion, instrumental in successfully closing the transaction.

You can view short sales in Fort Lauderdale or Foreclosusure properties in Fort Lauderdale, or contact me today at 954-850-2397.

Search property listings with access to the Fort Lauderdale MLS or search condos in Fort Lauderdale by building name

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Home Page

Follow me:  John Sabia on Twitter

The 2 most common questions I hear over and over about the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market are “Is now the time to buy?” and “have we reached the bottom?”

Every day we read and hear about real estate statistics and figures, inventory levels, foreclosures, sales projections and all sorts of experts claiming we’ve hit the bottom, the bottom is near or those claiming the bottom isn’t even close.

So how can you be certain that we’ve hit the real estate bottom? Financial Expert Suze Orman, in my opinion, gave the most clear and concise answer.

During a recent broadcast of her show, Suze explained “the absolute way to know for sure is prices always dictate if we have reached the bottom or not.”

Suze further explains that in her opinion, it does not matter how many properties are for sale, whether inventory levels are decreasing  or any other statistics.  If prices are continuing to decline, we have not reached the bottom.  “It is only when prices start to go up that we’ve reached the bottom.  

“Since real estate is local, it is important to understand what is happening with home prices in the area you want to buy in.  When home prices start to increase and begin to sell for more than in previous months instead of staying flat or declining, then and only then, can you be certain that the bottom has been reached.  No other facts or figures will accurately reveal the bottom.  Prices speak the truth.”

Home prices in Fort Lauderdale have declined on average approximately 30% +/-.  In most areas, prices have adjusted back to 2004 levels.  Opportunities exist today to buy condos and homes for sale in Fort Lauderdale that were considered unaffordable just a few years ago. Unfortunately, obtaining loans to buy these properties is not easy and it appears the government may step in further to ease this burden.

As with any market, in my opinion, the time to buy is not after, but before the real estate bottom has been reached and before the market begins to rebound.  Unfortunately, timing any market is impossible and we won’t know the bottom has been reached until several months have passed and we are well into recovery.

I think it is safe to say that we are much closer to a bottom than we are to the top.  Many buyers feel the same way and are scooping up great bargains from short sales, foreclosures and sellers who just want to sell and have priced their home competitively.

As with any buying decision, before making any sizable purchase, you must look at your own situation.  Do your own homework.  Does it make good financial and emotional sense for you to buy now?  If you will be staying in the property for a long time, even if prices decline a bit further, you may still be well ahead in the long run.

If you are considering buying or selling a home in Fort Lauderdale or buying one of the many Fort Lauderdale condos for sale, contact me today at 954-850-2397.

Return to Fort Lauderdale Real Estate home page