Call to Action - Loan Originator Credit Reports Made Public...Call Your Florida Senator Now!   The Florida House and Senate passed a bill (SB 2226) giving the Office of Financial Regulation permission to require individual credit reports to be part of Mortgage Loan Originator licensing and re-licensing requirements. By doing this the credit reports automatically become part of the public records available for anyone to see. There was an exemption bill that passed the House, however, its Senate companion (SB 2652) was never heard on the floor and the House bill (HB 7115) was never taken up by the Senate and died in Senate messinging. This bill would have made the credit reports obtained as part of the Mortgage Loan Originator licensing process exempt from public record requirements. Som... 05/04/2009

Ft. Lauderdale, known as the Mega Yacht Capital of the World and "The Venice of America" is Broward County's largest City and has ~183,000 Residents.  Ft. Lauderdale is most popular for its' Atlantic Oceanfront Beach and 165+ Miles of Waterway. Homes that are located East in Ft. Lauderdale have the advantage of being located close to the Beach.   Homes that offer Ocean Access are an obvious  benefit for Boaters, those who enjoy Waterfront views, and the property value benefit of owning Waterfront Ocean access property.  Ft. Lauderdale Waterfront Homes are those located on Ocean Access Canals, the Intracoastal Waterway, the New River, and the Atlantic Ocean (Ft. Lauderdale Oceanfront Homes are located in the Ft. Lauderdale Subdivision of Lauderdale Beach). Currently, there are 1,783 Sin... 05/02/2009

Over 15,000 fires caused by clothes dryers are reported annually, causing injury, death and loss of homes.  The majority of these fires could have easily been prevented with proper maintenance; dryer vent cleaning to remove lint build-up from the ducts, heating element, wiring, motor and behind the clothes dryer.   When a water hose on your washing machine bursts, hundreds of gallons of water will cause thousands of dollars in damage as your home is flooded.  Homeowners insurance may cover the cost; however, they will also increase your premiums.     Properly maintaining your washer and dryer will prevent this from happening in the first place.  Here are some maintenance tips for homeowners:   Preparation   Turn off the water valves going to the washing machine, unplug it and pull it aw... 05/01/2009

Neglecting to maintain your washer and dryer can result in thousands of dollars in property damages   Fort Lauderdale, FL - Horatio Chiorean, owner of Dryer Vent Wizard of Palm Beach and Broward County, Florida, recently spoke to first time home buyers about preventative maintenance on washers and dryers.  Horatio said, "Over 15,000 clothes dryer fires are reported each year, causing injury, death and loss of homes.  When a water hose on your washing machine bursts, it can result in thousands of dollars in water damages."   Horatio told the group to replace old washer hoses with new steel braided hoses and to clean the filters.  "The washer is the easiest one to handle.  The dryer is more involved; most average homeowners can do some maintenance on their own, but a professional dryer ve... 05/01/2009

Visit My Website http://www.condoshomesforeclosures.com  to view over 125,000 Foreclosures & Luxury properties !   Amenities It`s the river lazy curves the first draw you to NuRiver Landing s inviting setting. Once here, you find so much more. 24 floors of quiet waterfront living in residences brimming with panoramic water; city and park view; amenities and features that are modern-day earthly delights. Like, for instance, a serene rooftop Meditation Garden and pool. The fitness center with indoor racquet and basketball courts. A full-service business center and executive boardroom. And granites, stainless steel and warm natural tiles that grace every unit. FEATURES AND AMENITIES Residence Features: 17x17 ceramic stone flooring in foyer, living and dining room and kitchen Carpeting wit... 04/30/2009

Not all resort vacations require travel.  Those of us lucky to live and work in Fort Lauderdale need not travel far to experience a bit of stress-relieving decadence.  I've conducted some "back yard" research and discovered luxury weekend vacations are only a coconut's throw away.  Beach side resorts were my target for this search.  I started south by the Port Everglades Inlet and worked north.  I predict the first "back yard" vacation could begin in the long-established oceanfront resort, Lago Mar, at 1700 South Ocean Lane, nestled between the beach and Lake Mayan in Harbor Beach.  Rated one of the best resorts in Fort Lauderdale by Zagat, Lago Mar will restore your serenity with their "hidden" tropical location, their 6000 square foot, state-of-the-art spa, a specialty restaurant offe... 04/30/2009

Yesterday, there was an open house for a home that I wanted to see.  Another associate and I headed out to view the property--as it fit the search criteria for one of my clients.  When we arrived, we found the realtor stretched out on the couch...he was casually relaxing on the couch with his feet up in his shorts and t-shirt.  Walking in, he never moved--just told us to take a good and was yelling out to us -- "This is a great house!" As we made our way into the kitchen area, it was messy--towels and trash on the counter--the whole place was not up to par for any showing.  (And by the way, this listing agent didn't have a morsel of food--not even a few cookies!) As we exited the open house, the listing agent was still on the couch--he never stood up...just thanked us as we left.  When ... 04/30/2009

Northeast corner penthouse with direct ocean views. Completely renovated to include a new kitchen with granite countertops, subzero refrigerator, double ovens just to name a few. Marble floors, crown molding, hurricane shutters, large wrap around balcony to take in the incredible view. This building has many amenities, is close to shops, nightlife and fine dining. 04/28/2009

AquAzul is a 25 story contemporary glass tower located directly on the beach in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida. The 79 residences, only 4 per floor, blend contemporary urban luxury with the serene beauty of tropical living. With the Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal to the west, you're embraced by nature's soothing rhythms. Amidst the ease of this seaside village you feel worlds away, while being conveniently near the area's finest dining, shopping, entertainment and culture.  Relax at the cafes and shops on Las Olas, revel in the nightlife of Beach Place, or wrap yourself in the upscale shopping of Mizner Park and the Town Center at Boca Raton. This unit has jawdropping ocean AND intracoastal views. Need I say more? As if that weren't enough, it comes complete with many designer f... 04/28/2009

Christopher Shearer Talking Points: Pursuant to the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), on May 1, 2009 lenders will no longer accept appraisal reports completed by an appraiser selected, retained, or compensated in any manner by any realtor, mortgage broker, customer or any other third party. Lenders will only accept appraisal reports from a pre-approved list of appraisers or appraisal management companies. Impact on Consumers  The HVCC negatively affects consumers by increasing the costs of an appraisal, reducing consumer choice and adversely impacting a consumer's ability to obtain a reliable and quality appraisal.  The HVCC increases the time to fund loans for consumers which necessitates longer rate locks or extensions of existing locks thereby increasing costs to consumers. In t... 04/24/2009

With $48 Million in green energy incentives coming to South Florida, I would like to contribute my two cents to energy conservation: streamlining standby energy in our own homes.  We all have standby energy usage and probably don't even know it.   I did some "green" research on the Internet and learned that by cutting down on standby energy we can save from 5-15% on energy usage.  The beauty of this practice is that it is simple. Although many home appliances may be turned off when not in use, they still continue to consume energy.  This is called standby energy, or leaky energy.   The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy say that appliances with an external power supply, a clock display or a remote control device are constantly tapping energy when off.   Appliances ... 04/22/2009

Christopher Shearer It may be true that knowledge is power, but knowledge without action is not very powerful at all. In fact, it is very common to see talent wasted because no action is taken to produce results. The following are a few tips for taking action, which is perhaps the single biggest key to success, in business and in life. Don't over-analyze tasks. Sure you need to think things through, but you can over-think them too. If you worry too much about getting it perfect before implementation, you can lose momentum, lose your window of opportunity, or worst of all...never do it at all. A good strategy is to be sure your idea is ethical and legal. Then, if you think your chances of success are at least 70%, implement your idea. Successful people tend to make decisions quickly and ... 04/21/2009

I had clients here from out of town looking for homes. They have two young boys and wanted to know where they could take them for some fun. I suggested to them Extreme Go Karts. I have never been there myself but heard great things about it. So they went and were very happy with the place. Now I have family in town and we decided to take them there. What a fun this place is! Its a indoor Go Karting place, with Miniature Golf, Full Arcade, and a Full Bar. I thought How cool is this!. So my husband and I decided to give it a try. Boy what a thrill that was. It was a 8 minutes session, and I know what you are thinking, only 8 minutes? Let me tell you 8 minutes is more than enough. I was able to get in 12 laps, my husband got 13. Not bad for my first time! I took some pictures to give you a... 04/20/2009

Fort Lauderdale Florida Mortgage 97% Financing, Fort Lauderdale FL Mortgage Lender     Fort Lauderdale home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Fort Lauderdale Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Fort Lauderdale Florida FHA loan program include: Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs. Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs. 100% Financing available No reserves required. FHA regulated closing costs.   Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:   No ... 04/19/2009

  January - March, 2009Following is the Las Olas River House Market Report/Activity Update for the months of January - March, 2009.  During the 1st Quarter of 2009, 5 Las Olas River House Condos sold with final purchase prices ranging from $390,000 - $,1,000,000. Per the MLS, there are 4 pending sales of Las Olas River House Condos (Contracts have been submitted and accepted for their purchase, but the purchases are not yet final).   I currently have 2 Las Olas River House Condos for Sale--Unit #2410, offered for Sale at $1,150,000 and Unit #3009, offered for Sale at $750,000.  Unit #2410 is located on the 24th Floor, has 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths, 3,239 square ft. of living area, has beautiful New River and Atlantic Ocean views from the Terraces and features a Private Elevator, Gourmet Kit... 04/18/2009

To my mind, one of the gifts of a more challenging economy is awareness.  I have become aware of a positive trend in the South Florida luxury real estate market.  I am curious to know how perceptive people are to this good news and if anyone else has some positive input to add.  My personal sales for the first quarter of 2009 were up about 5%.  Not a huge amount, I know, but when adding my $10.5M sales to Premier Estate Properties company wide sales of $93.5M, I was pleased.  Progress is still to be made even in these hard times!  Real estate activity appears to be on the increase as the two offers I received on listings this week are very encouraging.  I am also proud of be part of an office which has actually expanded and increased office space since January.  I am planning my market... 04/15/2009

Christopher Shearer Building a Financial Foundation On this page you will find links to many other websites. When you go to another site, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of that site. FHA cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided there. Linking to a web site does not constitute an endorsement by FHA, or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the site or the products presented on the site.  FHA cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials on linked websites. You will have to request authorization from the sponsor of the linked website. FHA cannot guarantee that outside websites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act. Here are some tools to help you on your way towards building wealth and managing your money: ... 04/14/2009

Starting A Business Many people approach us in the early stages of their new dream - starting a small business.  There are so many things to be aware of.  While there are many important aspects to take into consideration such as corporate structure and business planning one piece always gets overlooked.  Where is the funding going to come from? We want to talk about a few key components to getting funding as a start-up business.  Here are a few key points to remember: -Be experienced.                 Many people pick an industry that they know will do well.  Right now, auto repair facilities are one of the easiest industries to finance.  The problem is, if you've gone to school for education and your experience with auto repair consists of changing your oil - this is not the industry fo... 04/13/2009

Christopher Shearer March 12, 2009                                                                      MORTGAGEE LETTER 2009-08   TO:                 ALL APPROVED MORTGAGEES                        SUBJECT:    Limits on Cash-Out Refinances   Effective for case number assignments on or after April 1, 2009, the loan-to-value (LTV) of any cash-out refinance to be insured by FHA may not exceed 85 percent of the appraiser's estimate of value.    Given the continued deterioration in the housing market, and FHA's need to limit its exposure to undue risk, this reduction to the maximum LTV for cash-out refinances is being instituted on a temporary basis while FHA further analyzes the housing and mortgage industry as well as its own portfolio to determine whether permanent measures should be take... 04/13/2009

 Christopher Shearer BORROWER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS UPDATED MARCH 18, 2009   What is "Making Home Affordable" all about? Making Home Affordable is part of President Obama's comprehensive strategy to get the housing market back on track. Through the Making Home Affordable Program, up to 9 million American families may be eligible to refinance or modify their loans to a payment that is affordable now and into the future. HOME AFFORDABLE REFINANCE   1. I'm current on my mortgage. Will the Home Affordable Refinance help me?   Eligible borrowers who are current on their mortgages but have been unable to take advantage of today's lower interest rates because their homes have decreased in value, may now have the opportunity to refinance. Through the Home Affordable Refinance Program, Fann... 04/11/2009