Central Florida & metro Orlando real estate services

Remember, 2 important deadlines are looming for property owners. 

    The big one is March 3, 2008.  That is the last day to claim your homestead exemption.  If you bought a new homestead in 2007, or if you sold your old homestead in 2007 and replaced it with a new homestead you need to file your claim prior to this deadline in order to receive the exemption from your November tax bill. More info on this exemption.

The other deadline is April 1, 2008.  If you are a landlord or business owner, Amendment 1 gives you a $25,000 tangible property tax exemption.  In order to receive this exemption, you must file your appraisal form with the property appraiser before this deadline.  More info on this exemption.

You can find specific information on where and how to file by contacting your local county property appraiser.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com/   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

The City of Mount Dora recently passed an ordinance requiring all owners of rental property to obtain "Rental Licenses".  This new license requires the property owner to have city inspections once every 3 years and every time a new tenant moves in.  It also requires the property owner to pay annual licensing fees. You can read more on this on the City of Mount Dora's website and in the Orlando Sentinel.      

   The intent of this ordinance besides to generate more revenue to the city is to keep slumlords in line.  I do not know if an ordinance like this will do that though.  The problem is not just with the slumlords, but also with the tenants that they rent to.  Even nasty people have to live somewhere.  It does not take into consideration that some landlords do a fine job of maintaining their rentals and some owner occupant homeowners allow their home to fall into disrepair.  Some of the nastiest run down homes I have seen are owner occupied properties. At least a landlord has some financial incentive to keep the tenants from tearing up his property. Remember the Seminole County "Junk Man", he was an owner occupant.

The big issue is how to enforce this ordinance.  How does the city know when a tenant turnover occurs?  Considering that in most cities about 20-30% of all properties are non-owner occupied rentals or businesses, the city will have to police thousands of rental properties in order to enforce this ordinance.

The Lake County Association of Realtors and many local landlords fought this ordinance's approval, but it was passed and is now in effect. This is a major negative blow to real estate investors and Realtors in Mount Dora because of the increased fees and regulations that this will cause.

Similar ordinances have already been passed in the cities of Deltona and Cocoa during 2007.  The cities of Orlando and Winter Park have rejected similar proposals because the policing of them would be to burdensome. It will be interesting to see how this will play out, but it definitely is not a good thing from a real estate investment point of view.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com/   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

I have several houses for sale. Get thousands in free down payment money. Buy these houses for no money out of your pocket. Easy monthly payments and fantastic deals. Will take car, boat, etc. in trade to get these houses sold immediately. Possible creative financing. Some of these are properties I own, some of them I represent the owner as their Realtor. 3% commission offered on all properties, some properties also offer sales bonuses. All are priced quite affordably and can qualify for up to $35,000 in FREE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE money.

    3019 Needles (sold)                 4404 Saddle Creek (rented)         522 Midland (sold via lease option) 

3 bed/1 bath house for cheap cheap cheap, off of Clarcona-Ocoee & Rose, $79,900. 5209 Vatican Avenue, Orlando, FL 32810. MLS# o4823344

3 bed/1 bath house near Maitland Blvd & Magnolia Homes, $149,900. 3019 Needles Drive, Orlando, FL 32810. MLS# o4831446 *** SOLD ***

3 bed/2 bath house with 2-car garage and big Florida room off Clarcona-Ocoee & Powers, $159,900. 4512 Flintlock Road, Orlando, FL 32808. MLS# o4827696 

3 unit apartment building - all 1 bed/1 bath units in east Apopka. Brings a solid monthly cashflow, get 10% return on your investment, $1725 per month gross rents. $159,900. 504 S. Ocean Avenue, Apopka, FL 32703. MLS# o4818431

3 bed/2 bath house with 1-car garage and big backyard near Edgewater & Rose, $179,900. 5458 Windridge Lane, Orlando, FL 32810. Not in MLS, but link to property appraiser.

3 bed/2.5 bath house with giant 4-car garage + workshop in downtown Apopka, $179,900. 522 Midland Avenue, Apopka, FL 32703. MLS# o4821247 *** SOLD VIA LEASE OPTION ***

3 bed/3 bath house in Winter Park off Fairbanks $192,000. Possible 2/2 house and 1/1 in-law apartment. 1931 Oglesby Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. $179,900. MLS# o4810963 *** RENTED ***

3 bed/2 bath/2-car garage house. View of pond from the back patio. Quiet cul-de-sac. Possible Lease Purchase. $209,900. For rent at $1190 per month, $1190 deposit also. 4404 Saddle Creek Place, Orlando, FL 32829. MLS# o4827675 *** RENTED ***

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    http://www.sdrhouses.com/   http://www.webuyhousesflorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

Rob Arnold | Sand Dollar Realty Group Inc. | 407-375-4567     3019 Needles Drive, Orlando, FL Beautiful home at end of cul-de-sac. Possible no money down deal. 3 Bdrm Single Family House offered at $149,900             Year Built 1970 Sq Footage 1,018 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking 1 Covered spaces Lot Size 10,889 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month   DESCRIPTION BUY THIS HOUSE AND GET THOUSANDS IN FREE DOWN PAYMENT ASSITANCE MONEY. SELLER OPEN TO CREATIVE OFFERS. 3/1 -GREAT for first time home buyer's! New roof in '07, house has been re plumbed, new appliances, new carpet, newer kitchen cabinets, new tile in bathtub, new vinyl in bath and kitchen, inside utility, large fenced back yard with mature trees. Close to Maitland Blvd. Forest City Road and I-4. Walking distance to Elementary School. Seller is builder/remodeler and can make changes to accomodate buyer's needs. Possible no money down or will consider car, boat, other property as trade-in for downpayment money. Seller is motivated, let's make a deal!   see additional photos below    PROPERTY FEATURES Central A/C Central heat Living room Dishwasher Refrigerator Stove/Oven Laundry area - inside Yard     OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES All new kitchen Ready to move in - shows great Large back yard Located at end of dead end street Walk to elementary school   ADDITIONAL PHOTOS   Seller contact info:      Rob Arnold Sand Dollar Realty Group Inc. 407-375-4567 For sale by agent/broker Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Feb 21, 2008, 6:24am PST

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com/   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

The Investors Resource Center a/k/a IRC is a real estate investment association that covers the metro Orlando Florida area with chapters throughout the United States.  Our firm has been a business member with this association since it was founded about 5 years ago. They have a monthly newsletter that is filled with many great articles and lots of fresh ideas on how to be profitable in this crazy market.  Last year I started writing articles for their monthly newsletter as well to cover local real estate topics and have enjoyed every minute of it. 

The association's founders are all experienced investors.  Their main meeting is the 3rd Thursday of each month from 6:00-9:00pm at the Winter Park Civic Center.  There is lots of teaching, training, and networking going on for both the novice and the veteran investor.  Throughout the month their are various smaller groups that get together in a more intimate setting for teaching and networking too.  You can find out more details by visiting their website www.ircflorida.com or coming to the monthly meeting.

If you have never attended a meeting, I encourage you to come check it out.  The February meeting is this Thursday evening 2/21/08.  See you then.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com   www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

Locally owned and operated in Altamonte Springs, Florida.  We currently service 22 counties in Florida, but we are not a giant listing factory.  We are more like a mom & pop establishment using 21st century technology and experience.

We offer flat fee MLS listings and discount real estate brokerage services in addition to the traditional full service available to our customers.  If you are a For Sale By Owner a/k/a FSBO in Orlando, Kissimmee, Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Deltona, or anywhere around Central Florida please consider our firm before you go the traditional Realtor route.

         These are just 2 of the MLS's that we are members of.

1. What exactly is the MLS? The MLS is a powerful tool that Realtors use to market properties. MLS stands for Multiple-Listing Service which is the computer database that Realtors use nationwide to list real estate. The MLS is owned by local member Realtor associations and is typically broken up into regions or counties. The Mid-Florida Regional MLS is shared by over 20,000+ Realtors in the Mid-Florida area including those in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter, Polk, Hillsborough, Western Volusia, and Eastern & Central Pasco Counties including the metro Orlando and metro Tampa areas. The Regional MLS of South Florida services the South Florida and Treasure Coast area and is shared by some 25,000+ Realtors in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County. Some areas like eastern Volusia County including the Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach area, Brevard County, Flagler County, Ocala/Marion County, Alachua County, Citrus County, Nassau County, and Hardee and DeSoto County MLS's cover much smaller areas. Realtors who are members of these MLS's can view your property information and show your property to their customers. The general public does not have access to the MLS. Generally only dues paying Realtors have access to these databases, however MLS data typically uploads onto many other real estate websites.

2. What other websites does the MLS load onto?By listing your property in the MLS, your property is automatically loaded onto the most powerful real estate website in America, Realtor.com where millions of potential buyers can review your property's information. The MLS also automatically uploads onto many other internet sites like Florida Living Network.com, Orlando Sentinel.com MLS search (not their paid classified ads) for Mid-Florida MLS listings, Google.com, Yahoo.com, MSN.com, SDRhouses.com, and many more similar real estate websites. Being that these websites are owned by 3rd party companies, we only have limited control over the exact content uploaded onto these websites from the MLS. However the exposure that uploading onto these websites provides is unmatched by any non-MLS real estate service provider.

3. Why would I do a flat fee MLS listing instead of selling as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO)? The answer is simple: Market Exposure. Most serious buyers are working with a Realtor to help them buy a house. The MLS database is used exclusively by Realtors to search for properties for sale in the area. Thousands of Realtors use the MLS every day to search for properties. The MLS automatically uploads onto many real estate websites and exposes your home to millions of potential buyers by virtue of these websites. Some 70%+ of all house buyers begin their search on the internet, and nearly 80% of all FSBO sellers end up hiring a Realtor to sell their house anyway. The cost to list in the MLS is only a few hundred dollars, and you get all that additional exposure. If you are considering using one of those FSBO or For Sale By Owner type services that charge hundreds or thousands of dollars upfront and do not even offer MLS exposure, you may want to strongly consider doing a flat fee MLS listing instead of or even in addition to those services.

Other traditional FSBO marketing includes store bought (often unprofessional) yard signs, newspaper ads (quite expensive), property flyers, posting on For Sale By Owner websites, open houses, etc. While all these things can generate leads and we certainly do not discourage them, the exposure they give you is limited at best and often produces dismal results. As we stated before, most serious buyers are working with a Realtor. Smart Realtors are going to make sure that their buyer is pre-approved to obtain a mortgage before they even start showing the buyer a house. That Realtor is going to want to know that they are going to get paid a commission prior to showing your house to their buyer. That is another feature of the MLS. By advertising in the MLS, you are offering broker protection by automatically offering a commission to all of the member Realtors. While there is no guarantee that the MLS will sell your house, it is definitely your best avenue for getting your property exposed to the greatest number of potential buyers.

4. Why shouldn't I just hire a full service Realtor to sell my house for me? That is definitely an important question to consider. ...

To read up on more of what our firm can offer you please go to the Frequently Asked Questions page of our main website. You can read up on all the details of the creative services that we can provide to you.  Thank you Orlando and Central Florida!

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    http://www.sdrhouses.com/    http://www.webuyhousesflorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

Now we are into the challenging part of this transaction, finding a retail buyer that can qualify and afford this house.  I have had another dozen or so calls on this house since last week and yet another buyer who has told me they love the house and they want to buy it.  The challenge of course is getting someone who can actually qualify for a mortgage. With the banners and bandit signs you get lots of calls from totally unqualified prospects. (Sort of the wild wild west of the real estate buyers.) These buyers are sent directly to a loan officer who quickly screens them out.

One small obstacle is that FHA passed an anti-flipping rule a few years ago.  In order to do an FHA loan, the house itself must have been owned by the current owner for a minimum of 91 days before a contract can even be signed on the property. (It is the government at work, so don't ask why. Just accept the fact.)  Our 91st day is March 20 from my calculations, so even if we find a buyer, we may not be able to sign the actual contract unless they buyer is going to go with a conventional loan. My hope is that we will have a buyer by that 91st day, so that we can sign the paperwork on that date and run them quickly through the underwriting process. 

The average days on market in January 2008 for metro Orlando is 120 days, so we may have a long wait.  We don't plan on having it vacant that long though.  Even if we have to drop the price or put a lease option tenant in there.  However because this is the slow and challenging part, I will not be posting this "Flip this house" series as often as I have been.  I will only be posting new entries as something interesting or new happens with the house. (It ain't as easy to sell them right now as they might try to make you believe on TV.)

I promised to post a breakdown of the current costs for everything, so here goes.  Some of these repair costs have been lumped together because I just don't want to take the time to itemize in any more detail than this.

Closing costs, down payment                              $ 7,083.73

Utilities (2 power & water/sewer bills)                   $    107.20

Plumber - initial check & repair any leaks             $      92.50

Air-conditioning service & cleaning                       $    230.00

Roof repairs                                                     $    747.00

Rebuild exterior chimney                                   $    621.00

Exterior work (siding remove,stucco,paint,etc.)     $  3,121.47

Interior demolition work & trash out                    $     800.00

Repair both baths (tile,durarock,fixtures,etc.)      $  2,393.26

Electrical work                                                  $     750.00

Interior work (painting,texturing,fixtures,etc.)      $  4,955.70                                              

Kitchen cabinets & countertops                           $  2,255.91          

Kitchen appliances                                            $  1,442.02

Final plumbing work(appliances, baths, kit. sink)  $    440.00

Landscaping                                                     $    214.27

Professional cleaning                                        $    150.00                                                 

Orlando Sentinel for sale ad                               $    190.75

February mortgage payment                              $    896.44

Total costs as of today                                      $26,391.25  

1st Mortgage                                                   $98,000.00

My total cost                                                  $ 124,391.25

If for some reason my math is in error, please forgive me.  It's been a long day.          

Until next time ...

Flip this house - Post #1     Flip this house - Post # 2     Flip this house - Post #3    

Flip this house - Post # 4     Flip this house - Post #5     Flip this house - Post # 6  

Flip this house - Post # 7    Flip this house - Post #8     Flip this house - Post # 9  

Flip this house - Post #10 

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    http://www.sdrhouses.com/    http://www.webuyhousesflorida.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

FEMA, you've got to love them.  When you say that word, I think most people envision New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. Well ...  FEMA recently revised the flood maps in Seminole County, Florida, and the new maps have put houses and subdivisions into flood zones where nobody has ever seen a flood.  Even subdivisions that withstood 3 back-to-back hurricanes in 2004 without even one sandbag are showing up in flood zones. I remember selling some ranchland back in 2005 that was about 25% underwater after the hurricanes, yet not in a flood zone.  Ridiculous isn't it, but that's your tax dollars at work ... and that's another story altogether.

So what's the big deal you ask?  The big deal is that if you have an institutional loan on your property, then by law your lender is required to make you get flood insurance.  And that insurance will cost you anywhere from a few hundred per year to a few thousand per year depending on what flood zone type (X, A, AE, etc.) and what your property's elevation is. In addition, you have to pay a surveyor to provide an elevation certificate to your insurance company, so that they can determine how much your insurance will cost. OUCH! Don't you just love your federal government?

You can go onto FEMA's website and do a search by address to see where your house lies on the flood maps.  I did a quick check of mine and found out that my street is in a flood zone, but my house is not.  Weird, huh?

I do have a great tip for you though, so get out your pencils.  About 7 years ago the flood maps in Orange County were revised and one of my rental properties had the whole subdivision re-zoned into a flood zone.  I was forced to buy some flood insurance on this property.  My father (a very clever guy) and I owned this property together.  He contacted a surveyor friend for the elevation certificate and the surveyor told him that he had been successful in the past at getting the flood maps amended to exclude certain properties.  It took about 6 months and cost us around $500 for his work, but we were able to get the flood map amended to exclude our lot from the flood zone even though every other lot in the subdivision was still part of the flood zone.  It was well worth the investment because flood insurance cost us about $500 per year anyway, and now we had a premium lot. My father used the same surveyor to do this on his personal home.

Revisions to other counties in Central Florida are in the works too according to the Orlando Sentinel. So remember my advice above, if the flood maps get revised for your property.  Until then ... stay dry.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com    www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

A few months ago I wrote an article about my own observations of the Central Florida rental market being soft.  At that time, many people reacted sort of surprised at this. They figured that because of the credit crunch and problems in the housing and mortgage industry that there would be more demand for rental properties and thus this would push rent prices upward.

I just read an online article today via the Florida Association of Realtors that mirrored what I was saying then.  The rental market is soft not just in metro Orlando, but in many areas around the country.  The main reason is that so many of the people that cannot sell their houses are being forced to dump their properties into the rental pool. Also lots of would-be condo conversions are being turned back into apartment complexes.  Thus the inventory of available rental properties has skyrocketed.  High supply with little change in demand equals a price drop. 

This makes yet another interesting twist on this crazy market that we are dealing with.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318    www.SDRhouses.com    www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Ocala, Volusia, and Brevard.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Daytona Beach, Melbourne, Mount Dora, Eustis, Leesburg, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, Lakeland, and more.

Now that the property tax Amendment 1 has passed, it was inevitable that a lawsuit regarding its constitutionality would ensue.  I think most people knew it would be coming.  Governor Charlie Crist stated repeatedly that if passed the amendment's constitutionality would be upheld by the courts.  I guess now we will just wait and see what happens.  I mentioned that this might happen in my previous analysis of the amendment.

The attorneys filing this lawsuit are the same ones who filed a similar suit in 2007 challenging the original Save Our Homes amendment.  Their previous lawsuit was thrown out of court.

I think there is a good chance that this new lawsuit will be successful in killing Save Our Homes portability.  If that does happen, the legislature will have no choice but to go back to the drawing board and try again to pass some real tax reform.

Here is an Orlando Sentinel story that goes into more depth on this lawsuit.

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(Copyright © 2008. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rob Arnold, ABR, CPL, CRB, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Licensed mortgage broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com/

Your full service and investor friendly Realtor in Orlando. Learn to invest in Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Investor mentoring and counseling available. I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central and South Florida.

We buy houses cash, sell properties, and list properties in Central Florida including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Pine Hills, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Mount Dora, Eustis, Clermont, Kissimmee, Saint Cloud, Davenport, Winter Haven, and more. www.WeBuyHousesFlorida.com/