If you are in the market for a single-family home in Fort Lauderdale, here are some statistics that may be of interest to you: Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Single Family Homes) Available (total # and price range) 2,157 ($89,900-$15,500,000) # of Listings Entered (7/1/07-7/7/07) 71 Pending Sales (total # and price range) 118 ($119,900-$6,750,000) # of Closed Sales (week of 7/1/07-7/7/07) 7 Search the MLS for Broward County real estate and Fort Lauderdale homes for sale. 07/08/2007

07/05/2007

Pelican Landing Bar & Grille is part of the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Resort Spa and Marina property.  I went to Pelican Landing for the first time in April for a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward event.  I'm a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward and for the past 28 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward has held a Fishing Tournament every Summer where local Boat and Yacht Captains donate their time and vessels one Saturday to take the "Bigs" and the "Littles" out Fishing.  The Pelican Landing event was a "Thank You" Reception to honor the Captains who are involved with the annual Fishing Tournament.  Since my first introduction to Pelican Landing, I've been a frequent visitor.  It's a cool spot on the Intracoastal where you can have a bite to eat and have a drink or t... 07/02/2007

The hot strategy in the mortgage industry as of late is to push the concept of Equity Harvesting.  This is a strategy where homeowners are advised to refinance there homes every five years or so and take cash out the equity position in the property to invest elsewhere.  The idea is that by borrowing at one rate and investing at another will create a personal arbitrage which will allow people to accelerate the creation of wealth.  I have posted another blog which outlines 6 potential pitfalls to this strategy that are rarely if ever mentioned by its advocates and it can be read by clicking the link below. Money Merge Account vs. Equity Harvesting - The TruthWhat I am going to address in this blog is how the parties who are advocating this strategy are compensated.  I am addressing this p... 06/26/2007

I am writing this blog as a direct retort to the one posted by Robert Ashby titled:Money Merge Accounts Vs Equity Harvesting: Harvesting Wins by Over $1.5MI posted 2 responses to this blog and Mr. Ashby deleted the second.  Due to this I am now posting my own blog on this topic as I believe people have the right to the truth.  The Equity Harvesting strategy that is currently being advocated by many in the mortgage profession has multiple risks associated with it that the people promoting it are either selectively ignoring or are completely ignorant of.  I don't know which is worse.In his blog Mr. Ashby advocates that his supposed "client" refinance their home every five years, extracting equity for the purposes of investment and then proceeds to assume that these people will achieve a r... 06/24/2007

May, 2007 Market ReportThere are currently 2,172 Single Family Homes for Sale in Ft. Lauderdale Of the 2,193 Single Family Homes currently listed for Sale in Ft. Lauderdale:295 are priced under $250,000900 are priced between $250,000 and $499,999472 are priced between $500,000 and $999,999468 are priced $1,000,000 and above, with the highest priced home offered at $35,000,000The $35,000,000 home is, of course, Ft Lauderdale waterfront property.  It's fabulous!  Click here to check it out. It's located in Rio Vista Isles.There are 120 pending Sales of Single Family Homes in Ft. Lauderdale (priced between $82,000 and $6,450,000).  Since May 1st, there have been 85 Single Family Homes sold in Ft. Lauderdale (sold at FINAL prices between $144,000 and $5,500,00). Click here to view the homes... 06/12/2007

Las Olas homes and condos for sale are some of the most sought after real estate in the country. Situated just west of the Intracoastal Waterway and only minutes to the Atlantic Ocean, makes this esteemed waterfront community a must for serious boaters. Often referred to as the "Venice of America" because of the many waterways weaving through the area and leading out to the Atlantic Ocean, Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale is where luxury and waterfront living blend seamlessly together. Many athletes, entertainers and ceo's have made Las Olas their home or second home. Las Olas Boulevard, the cental shopping avenue offers residents and tourists high-end boutique shopping, elegant terrace dining and impeccable art galleries and connects the many isles adorned with mansions, multi-million dollar... 05/23/2007

There are currently 2,193 Single Family Homes for Sale in Ft. Lauderdale There are 129 pending Sales of Single Family Homes in Ft. Lauderdale (priced between $119,900 and $6,450,000).  33 of these pending sales are for homes listed at prices of $1,000,000 and over.Since April 1st, there have been 111 Single Family Homes sold in Ft. Lauderdale (priced between $64,900 and $8,999,999). 26 of these sales were for homes listed at prices of $1,000,000 and over.Of the 2,193 Single Family Homes currently listed for Sale in Ft. Lauderdale:282 are priced under $250,000926are priced between $250,000 and $499,999519 are priced between $500,000 and $999,999489 are priced $1,000,000 and above, with the highest priced home offered at $35,000,000The $35,000,000 home is, of course, Ft Lauderdale waterfr... 05/13/2007

Coral Ridge Fort Lauderdale, Florida Are you considering relocating to Fort Lauderdale? If you are, the subdivision of Coral Ridge is worth investigating. Coral Ridge offers the most of South Florida living with magnificent waterfront homes, golf course homes, pool and dry lot homes as well as luxury condos and townhomes. Coral Ridge, Fort Lauderdale is considered of the area's prestigious communities and sits west of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway less than a mile to the beach and east of Federal Hwy (US-1). South and north boundaries are Commercial Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard. If you relocating to North East Fort Lauderdale, Coral Ridge could be just the place for you. Coral Ridge Homes date back to early 1950's. Because of the strong Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market, land ... 05/08/2007

05/03/2007

The St. Regis Resort and Spa, Fort Lauderdale, just opened May 1, 2007.   It's one of only 13 St. Regis Resorts worldwide.It features 166 guest rooms, including eight suites that feature breathtaking ocean and Intracoastal views. These spacious environments of soothing elegance offer custom furnishings, sumptuous details, and state-of-the-art entertainment and communication technology.  Numerous recreational and leisure sports facilities are also available including lounges, beach cabanas, and showers.The two-story, 17,000 square-foot European spa offers health, fitness, and beauty services-including steam, sauna, massage and other services in oceanfront treatment rooms as well as in-residence spa service. Of the 220 units in St. Regis Resort and Spa, 34 will be residences and 20 will b... 05/01/2007

April 2007Las Olas Outdoor Gourmet MarketSunday, April 8th - 9am-4pmLocation: 1201 East Las Olas BoulevardTo be held in the parking lot of Las Olas ChemistFull details at http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/new/events-gourmet.htmClueless on Las Olas benefitting Partners in EducationThursday, April 19thLocation: Las Olas BoulevardFull details at http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/new/events/clueless.htmLas Olas Outdoor Gourmet MarketSunday, April 22nd - 9am-4pmLocation: 1101 East Las Olas BoulevardTo be held in the parking lot of between Rino's Tuscan Grill and Mediterranean MarketFull details at http://www.lasolasboulevard.com/new/events-gourmet.htmFleet Week USA presented by McDonaldsMonday, April 30th - Friday, May 4thLocation: Las Olas Boulevard at A1A / Port EvergladesMore on http://www.la... 04/21/2007

Las Olas Boulevard is a popular thoroughfare located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It is home to many of the bars and nightclubs, as well as trendy shops, chic boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and hotels. Las Olas Boulevard has drawn comparisons to many of the most upscale places to shop in the United States. It is referred to as the "Rodeo Drive" of Fort Lauderdale. The name "Las Olas" means "The Waves" in Spanish.The boulevard was constructed in 1917, when Las Olas was just a dirt road that took people to the Fort Lauderdale Beach.There has been a radical change in the appearance of Las Olas over the past 10 years as a series of impressive office buildings and condominiums have been constructed.Ben GwilliamKeyes Company 1954.733.6332BenGwilliam@keyes.com 04/21/2007

The Keyes Company is a full-service real estate company whose heritage can be traced back to a small, one-desk office opened on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami in 1926 by Kenneth Keyes.  The company has become a legend in South Florida real estate and is now one of the largest firms in the country.As an independently-owned family business, Keyes has served the residential and commercial real estate needs of South Florida families, neighborhoods and business communities for over 80 years.  Today, Keyes has over 1,800 associates in 30 branch offices located throughout Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and Volusia counties as well as in Panama.  Keyes is a founding member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and consistently ranks among the Top 100 real estate companies in the cou... 04/20/2007

So how long have you had your home on the market? This is a common topic of conversation lately in Ft Lauderdale. Many people have had their homes on the market for months without an offer. In years past all a Realtor had to do was put a home on the MLS (multiple listing service) within hours the homeowner would be presented with multiple offers. The Fort Lauderdale market has changed, almost over night we went from a sellers market to a buyers market. This happens when the local inventory of homes becomes greater than the demand for those homes. While this sounds like a scary prospect for homeowners the good news is there are several strategies you can use to sell your home despite the current market conditions. Price Your Home Right. The price you ask has to be the right price from th... 04/17/2007

Ft Lauderdale real estate has been booming for the last five years. Then a few months ago something changed. All of a sudden the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald had nothing good at all to say about the South Florida real estate market. I even read some where that the Florida real estate bubble had finally burst. I don't think what is happening in the market is quite that serious but there are changes happening. For years Ft Lauderdale was a sellers market. That meant that sellers held all the cards and where in total control. During this time it was not uncommon for sellers to get multiple competing offers with in hours of their property being listed. Homes where selling for above appraised value and buyers where bringing cash to the closing table to make up the difference. This creat... 04/15/2007

Ages 10 and over can take FREE scuba lessons in a 25,000 gallon tank on the beach!  Other features include over 200 dive and adventure sports exhibits, food, live music, fashon shows, and free seminars.  Adults $9 for the day (or $16 for all three days), and kids 12 and under are FREE. Don't Forget the sunsreen! Location: on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, by the Yankee Clipper Resort  Date: April 20 - 22 Infomation Provided By: Michelle Burgos, GRI  Visit our sites: www.RealEstateWish.com www.ILoveMiramar.com My Blog: bRAINstorming 04/12/2007

OK... so I don't always follow a strict diet...but in honor of my wife I made a stop by MICHAEL'S CHICAGO STYLE RED HOTS in Fort Lauderdale...why in her honor? My wife is from Highland Park, Illinois - a Northern Suburb of Chicago.There is a restaurant there called Michael's Chicago Style Red Hots... named for Michael Hoffman, the owner and proprietor.  My wife grew up there with her brothers and sisters.  Her little sister Liz is actually on the wall of the original Michael's... the picture is when she was 5 years old, covered in Ketchup and holding up two little paper cups full of the stuff.Michaels is a REAL Chicago Hot Dog joint - Suburbanized...  In Highland Park they have a huge salad bar where the employees add whatever you want to your own Salad Creation.They've got all the feat... 04/04/2007

PRICE - $2,100 per MBEDROOM - 3BATH - 2THE ONLY 3 BED/2 BATH IN THIS LUXURIOUS BLDG!! BRAND NEW, SPECTACULAR 5TH FLOOR UNIT IN THE HEART OF FT. LAUDERDALE! INCREDIBLE AMENITIES INCLUDE: RESORT STYLE SWIMMING POOL, FITNESS CENTER, & CLUBHOUSE. CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEAR RESTAURANTS, SHOPPING, AND BEACHES!                                                               BEAUTIFUL ! ! PLEASE CONTACT FLORIDA LIST FOR LESS REALTY - SCOTT DANIELS @ 954 - 275 - 0200http://www.browardbesthomes.com/ 01/22/2007

We recently received our renewal package for our company's E&O insurance.  We pay for the policy outright without charge to our associates.  We do provide E&O insurance coverage cards to each associate that are provided by the insurer. We opted for a $2500 deductible and it is indicated on the individual's coverage card. Some people wonder why we bother to carry these cards with our various other documents. We can display these cards to sellers and buyers and suggest that they should request proof of coverage from any other licensee that they may be considering engaging.  We were suprized by how many other licensees do not have any ability to demonstrate proof nor even have the insurance.  Usually, this happens with small to average sized offices. Even the larger offices do not have the... 12/22/2006