Sw Fl Real Estate News » Mike

Can the board tell owners what exterior paint colors can be used for their units?

Mike — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:06:22 +0000

Another column by Richard White. Read More.

Naples area housing inventory hits a 5-year low – Must Read

Mike — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:38:54 +0000

Buyers hunting for homes in the Naples area this season won’t find as many choices. The housing inventory has hit a five-year low, according a report released Friday. Read More.

The Experts are saying ….

Mike — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:46:50 +0000

John R. Talbott, previously a Goldman Sachs investment banker, is a bestselling author and economic consultant. When it comes to the housing market he is also a prophet. When housing prices started to skyrocket in 2003, he published The Coming Crash in the Housing Market correctly warning us that a real estate bubble was forming. Then in January 2006, he called the absolute peak of home prices in the US by releasing a new book, Sell Now! The End of the Housing Bubble.

Mr. Talbott, the person who accurately predicted the housing bubble and its bust, now has a new prediction – IT IS THE TIME TO BUY A HOME! In a recent article, Homes – Buy Now!, Talbott simply explains:

“I have been waiting for more than five years to offer this advice. It is now time in most cities across the country to buy a new home or refinance your existing home with thirty-year fixed rate mortgage debt.”

He goes on to explain that his conclusion is based on four different metrics, all of which favor buying today:

§ Home Prices Relative to Peak Prices During the Bubble
§ Home Prices Relative to Construction Costs or Replacement Costs
§ Home Prices Relative to Incomes and Rents
§ Home Prices in Real Terms, Not US Dollar Terms

Bottom Line

If the person who called the real estate bubble and its bust says now is the time to buy, we believe it is time to buy.
From the KCM blog.

You may owe federal income taxes in 2013 if you have a short sale, foreclosure

Mike — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:43:25 +0000

You may owe federal income taxes in 2013 if you have a short sale, foreclosure after this year. Now is the time to make the hard decision: Are you going to walk away from your underwater home?
Uncle Sam is still giving homeowners until Dec. 31, 2012, to go through a short sale or foreclosure without tax consequences – as long as the lender officially releases the debt.

But on Jan. 1, 2013, the rules change: The amount a lender forgives, ether in a short sale or foreclosure, on a primary residence will be taxable on federal income taxes. Read More.

Clubs taken over from Bonita Bay Group by members now finding success

Mike — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:21:34 +0000

Here’s a look at other Bonita Bay Group clubs and properties, past and present. Doing well with membership up. Read More.

Florida’s growth near top in U.S.

Mike — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:24:09 +0000

Florida soon could be the third most-populous state.Florida had the nation’s third-largest population growth in the past year. The U.S. Census reported Wednesday that Florida grew by 256,000 residents from April 2010 to July 2011.

Collier crime rate declines 15 years in a row; only county in Florida to do so

Mike — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:10:49 +0000

For the past 15 years, as Collier County underwent one of the most volatile times in its history — a population boom, a real estate market bust, unstable employment rates — one trend has remained the same. Crime fell. Read … Continue reading →

Study: Watch wording on insurance policies

Mike — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:23:27 +0000

Homeowner insurance policies can vary greatly, and if homeowners aren’t careful, they may find their claims denied when disaster strikes, according to a study to be published early next year by the University of Chicago Law Review. Read More.

Hurricane predictors admit they can’t predict hurricanes

Mike — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:32:02 +0000

Monday, December 12, 2011

By Tom Spears

Two top U.S. hurricane forecasters, revered like rock stars in Deep South hurricane country, are quitting the practice because it doesn’t work.

William Gray and Phil Klotzbach say a look back shows their past 20 years of forecasts had no value.

The two scientists from Colorado State University will still discuss different probabilities as hurricane seasons approach — a much more cautious approach. But the shift signals how far humans are, even with supercomputers, from truly knowing what our weather will do next.

Gray, recently joined by Klotzbach, has been known for decades for an annual forecast of how many hurricanes can be expected each official hurricane season (which runs from June to November.) Southerners hang on his words, as even a mid-sized hurricane can cause billions in damage.

Last week, the pair dropped this announcement out of a clear, blue sky:

“We are discontinuing our early December quantitative hurricane forecast for the next year … Our early December Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecasts of the last 20 years have not shown real-time forecast skill even though the hindcast studies on which they were based had considerable skill.”

Richard White: Tips on how to identify a well-managed condo association

Mike — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:08:56 +0000

Richard’s article is a must read if you’re in or thinking about purchasing in an association. Read More.