Facing the loss of a family member or friend is often devastating. Imagine the constant reminder of the dearly departed as they appear through social media on your Facebook Timeline or Google+ Circle, in your Twitter Feed or MySpace stream, or even at work on your LinkedIn profile.I was reminded in a private message last week that one of the highly respected politicians receiving birthday greetings from me on Facebook had died last year. A quick update to “Happy Birthday in Heaven” hopefully fixed this.Many wonder about life after death through social media. In reality, there is no such thing as a digital death. This is especially so when the deceased user is received as a “friend recommendation" through an automated program or mutual friends.Facebook, Google+, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedI... 11/16/2013

Utilizing public record databases to find criminal, civil, or traffic violations in South Florida has became a little easier with the release of a semi-comprehensive list of online resources, according to Rico Petrocelli on Friday. "Comprehensive background checks are a necessity in today's society," stated Rico Petrocelli of Petrocelli & Associates in Plantation.  "A background check is basically a report on an individual. It can include criminal history, financial history, education history, public records, or any combination of reports." Locating and identifying a criminal history, civil litigation or traffic history is but a click away. You can also access resources in relation to inmates, those on probation, parole or community control, sex offenders or missing children, in additio... 11/16/2013

A U.S. district court judge has halted an operation based in Atlanta and Cleveland that allegedly used deceptive and threatening tactics to collect phantom payday loan “debts” that consumers either did not owe, or did not owe to the defendants, according to the Federal Trade Commission on Monday.    According to the FTC, the defendants operated under a host of fictitious business names that implied an affiliation with a law firm or a law enforcement agency, such as Global Legal Services, Allied Litigation Group, United Judgment & Appeals, Dockets Liens & Seizures, and United Judgment Center.   Using robocalls and voice messages that threatened legal action and arrest unless consumers responded immediately, the defendants collected and processed millions of dollars in payment for phantom... 11/16/2013

How Often Do You Blog? As a general rule, I usually blog, explore other blogs and comment on posts at least once a day. I used to blog regularly, back in 2010, before I got too busy to continue. The truth is, if you don't make a habit of blogging, the habit is lost. Like anything else, you have to practice your skills so that they get better, so that you learn and so that you can share what you've accomplished. If I take more than a few days off of blogging, it can become dangerously easy to loose all that I've accomplished.  For me at least, getting back to blogging was not like riding a bike. I had to relearn everything or, at least, brush up on all I missed. It was very time consuming but, hopefully, I never have to go through that again.  How do I make sure it never does? I blog (at... 11/14/2013

Las Olas Beach Club Condos Active MLS Listings Michael Gellert Realtor (954) 534-0730  The Beautiful Atlantic Ocean and the Popular Ft Lauderdale Beach, is home to Las Olas Beach Club Condos. This Tall Well Designed building with Ultra Luxury Condos, is a destination in it's self. Each Condo is upgraded with full Granite, Stainless Steel Appliances and ceiling to floor glass windows. Residence enjoy breath taking, panaramic veiws of the Ocean and Florida's Intracoastal waterways.  The ammenities included with this full service Beach Club atmosphere are endless. Full service concierge, State-of-the-art fitness center, Pool Cabana, and 24 hour security just to name a few. Las Olas Beach Club Condos sell for $350,000 to over $3.5 Million depending on the size and location of the unit you b... 10/30/2013

Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer Are You On The Fence Are you one of them and sound familiar to you? Are you a Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer who is on the fence you need to read this. If you are a Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer who are on the fence and wanted to wait and see what else it out there. This is a story of one of my buyers who didn't listen to our expertise and learned his lesson, I certainly hope so. The one place out of over 20 homes we saw with our buyer was a charming, lovely place. It was the one, but... the buyer was always certain they will find a better place they can call their Fort Lauderdale home. With this one home we made it even so far that the buyer was ready to write an offer right at that home. But then a funny thing happen, and the Fort Lauderdale home buyer decided to w... 10/30/2013

Halloween Costume Ideas on a Budget With every Halloween comes the added mission of finding the "perfect" costume. By "perfect" I mean a costume that will surprise people, make them laugh and be immensely creative at the same time. Most of time, these "perfect" costumes cost next to nothing.  For example, every though of being a Facebook "Like" button? It's instantly recognizable and very cheap to make. With a little bit of elbow grease, you'll shock, surprise and be creative without having to break the bank. How about the infamous Apple computers' rainbow "Loading" icon? It's a part of every Apply users life and cost next to nothing to make. If anything, it demonstrates that creativity goes a long way when it comes to Halloween.  You can be ANYTHING so make it count every year, especia... 10/28/2013

Do You Listen or Just Talk? Know the Difference. A plateau is "an area of highland surrounded by consisting of moderately flat terrain". In a sense, if you are starting at the top of the plateau, you are above all else. Everyone and everything is below you, making you, essentially, untouchable.  However, if you are at the top of the listening plateau, what does this mean for your business deals, if you are above all else? In an article published by Reverse Focus, Amara Rose talks about a book she recently read, The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success. In Chapter 7, a chapter she considers highly beneficial to anyone who serves the needs of seniors, which details test results among children and adults, demonstrates that children are better test takers.  It's important to consid... 10/17/2013

Do the Needs of the 'Many' Outweigh the Needs of the 'Few'? Despite being disappointed by HUD's process for implementing change, namely, bypassing the public comment period which takes place during the rule-making process, the AARP is adamant in their support for the new changes calling them "well-intentioned." According to an article published by Reverse Mortgage Daily, "AARP: Reverse Mortgage Changes Will Bar Access but Improve Program," despite AARP's full support for the changes, and the good they can potentially do, they are still aware that the upcoming changes are likely to cut out some future borrowers. Cristina Martin-Firvida, Director Financial Security & Consumer Affairs, for AARP’s State and National Group, stated: “The changes announced yesterday will result in lower borrow... 10/10/2013

Top 10 mistakes to avoid when selling your home   1. Not hiring a professional to sell your house Trying to sell your home by yourself is sheer madness. You need the expertise of a professional. Home sellers who do it themselves often end up selling for far less.   2. Neglecting necessary repairs prior to sale You will lose money if you don’t take care of repairs before the house goes on the market.   3. Refusing to remove your clutter and junk prior to the saleClutter eats equity and kills deals. 4. Selling your house empty Selling an empty house makes buyers feel the same way—empty. Be sure you “dress” your house for sale. If you need help, talk to your agent about options for staging.   5. Mis-pricing your home Over-pricing or under-pricing your house is a huge money-losing mistake. ... 10/08/2013

Do You Retire with a Forward Mortgage or Get a Reverse Mortgage? Despite the recent changes, the reverse mortgage program will continue to be a beneficial program for the growing baby boomer generation as well as future borrowers. In fact, the new, consolidated reverse mortgage will bring the program back to basics, providing a secure retirement planning tool for retirees who want to age in place with an extra boost of cash flow for the proverbial "rainy day." Financial Planner, Michael Kitces, is in firm agreement:  “…while reverse mortgages have typically been viewed primarily as a ‘loan of last resort for those who have entirely depleted their other assets, the reality is that reverse mortgage strategies should perhaps receive much greater consideration in the earlier stages of an af... 10/04/2013

Don't Let One Bad Apple (Or a Few) Ruin the Whole Bunch Financial Freedom Strikes Again! An article on KHOU Houston's website, "Texas senior citizen's home ownership threatened by reverse mortgage loan," reports: "Janet Tannehill, in order to ease her financial burdens, took out a reverse mortgage through One West's now defunct reverse mortgage subsidiary, Financial Freedom. Now, she is in foreclosure because of her reverse mortgage..." Sounds appalling right? Well, there's more to this story, even if KHOU does not report it. Namely, the fact that Tannehill took out a reverse mortgage with a PRIVATE LENDER, uninsured by the FHA, and failed to pay her property taxes. First, it needs to be clear that this type of reverse mortgage NO LONGER EXISTS! In fact, hey only account for 1% of all o... 10/02/2013

Qualifying for a Home Loan in 2014 By Joseph Schutz EXIT Ryan Scott RealtyFt Lauderdale, FLhttp://JoeSellsFtLauderdale.com   Lenders in Ft Lauderdale, FL are definately more strict with their qualification criteria than in the past.  Most lenders are still licking their wounds following the collapse of the housing market.  As a result they are requiring higher credit scores, lower debt ratios, and more documentation proving your income.   Credit Scores Matter   Credit scores have always been important when applying for a mortgage loan, but today they are more important than ever. Your credit score can make or break your chances of qualifying for a mortgage.  Lenders use them to assess how much risk the borrower brings to the table.  Th... 09/18/2013

Baby Boomers are Prepared to Die...  But...are they prepared to retire? It sounds morbid, I know, but I think it's important to know that baby boomers are, currently, five times more prepared for their passing than their retirement. According to a new Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement study, which focused on 1, 299 Americans between the ages of 49 and 67 with a household income between $25,000 to $75,000, 81% of baby boomers have taken "at least one detailed action to prepare for their passing."  These preparations include, but aren't limited to, sharing funeral arrangement preferences, deciding where they want to be buried, purchasing life insurance to cover expenses or creating a will. In truth, baby boomers seem to be taking their cues from generations ... 09/17/2013

Fort Lauderdale Homes Negotiation Tip: Don't Get Insulted By Lowball Offers Some buyers are out in today's market that since your house is for sale, then they can make lowball offer. But even if you are still in a short sale situation here our Fort Lauderdale Homes Negotiation Tip: Don't Get Insulted By Lowball Offers! Many sellers in the turning market get offended over the offers they receive and turn them away. After going thru many short sales we have actually found that lowball offers are not necessarily a bad thing. Let me explain why. So you get the advantage of getting a good deal. Now, I am sure you are asking, “Why are short sales a bargain?” After you accept the buyer’s offer you have to wait for your lender to approve the short sale. This process can take from thirty to nine... 09/15/2013

It is my pleasure to keep you updated on some of the trends that are influencing the luxury market here in Fort Lauderdale.  Julie Jones and Associates are gearing up for the main South Florida sales season.  As the market improves the stale inventory is being absorbed and making way for exciting new offerings. 2501 Hibiscus $1,795,000   2301 Aqua Vista $12,900,000 Vacation rental performance in Fort Lauderdale remains strong – HomeAway Inc., an online marketing service for vacation rentals reported strong performance during this summer season. Average occupancy was at 77% with 23% of owners increasing their rates this year. With a nation wide average of $254 per night about half of the owners who have a mortgage on their vacation property were able to cover at least half of the payment... 09/09/2013

Oktoberfest 2013 Celebration In Fort Lauderdale Oktoberfest 2013 Celebration In Fort Lauderdale is a bavarian celebration of beer and good times which today is celebrated around the world. It is a celebration for good times with of beer,Potato Salad, Leberkaese, Suaerkraut, pretzels and bratwurst. The original Oktoberfest actually starts in Germany on September 21st and concludes October 6th. Every year you can find traditional Oktoberfest celebration and in 2013 is no difference. Most Oktoberfest 2013 Celebration In Fort Lauderdale will be held on the second and third weekend of October throughout Broward County.   American German Club The biggest Oktoberfest 2013 Celebration In Fort Lauderdale will be held similar to the  "Original "Oktoberfest" under pavilions and massive tent. Origi... 09/07/2013

Retooling Retirement: Baby Boomers and Beyond "People in their 40s and younger have some time to retool their plan, but Baby Boomers need to think with more urgency," says Philip Rousseaux, founder and president of Everest Wealth Management, Inc, explaining how retirement planning has changed, published in Life After 50. I have to agree. One of the benefits of youth is you have time. Even if you had everything worked out in your 30s, and were slowly working toward it, unexpected events can alter those plans. You can, however, always course correct. But what about Baby Boomers, some who had invested in stocks that were depleted during the recession? For them there is no time anymore because, even if they had a Plan A, it's over now. The unexpected recession ruined much of what they had a... 09/06/2013

Blogging...Getting Started Isn't Always Easy I sometimes wonder how great books--and by extension movies and television shows--come up with that dreaded, but amazing, first sentence (scene). I wonder if it was always there from the beginning or if it took a lot of fine retooling before the first sentence came to fruition. Fellow Active Rain Blogger, Bryan Robertson, asked an excellent question in one of his previous blog posts: "Should I blog today? how do power-bloggers stay committed?" and it's a fair one. Sometimes it's hard to find inspiration, it's even harder to keep posting meaty information that will benefit the consumer, fellow agent or both, but you have to do it. If you're going to keep up with a blog, don't fill it with nonsense. Nonsense is good once in a while when you're ... 09/05/2013

What To Do First When Buying A House In South Florida Yesterday receiving a call from a potential first time home buyer who just started thinking about buying instead of renting. Nervous he asks : "What To Do First When Buying A House In South Florida?" I need advise and don't know where to begin. Not only would this apply to the South Florida House market but all over the country when buying a house. The buyer made the first step in the right direction and contacted a real estate professional who can assist him on his way and all the way until buying his first home.   When we spoke we laid out the process and assured when buying a first home preparation is the key. In fact, it doesn't matter if you buy your first home, second or third home - preparation is always the key. You may switc... 08/31/2013