These graphs show the ratios of regular properties to short sales and bank owned properties in Palm Bay. The first graph indicates the properties that are currently available for sale. The second reflects the October 2011 sales in Palm Bay.  I find it very interesting that although the majority of the properties for sale are not short sales or bank owned properties, the combined majority of properties that have sold are those.  Currently there are more investors getting into our real estate market. Many are buying as long term investments. Rents are on the rise, and more people are shifting from being owner occupants to being renters.  And some investors are trying their hand at flipping properties.  While we are still seeing a large number of second home/vacation home buye... 11/04/2011

I got a call last week from buyers that had looked at a house over a month before and decided they were now ready to buy it. They asked me to draw up an offer. I told them that since it had been awhile since we had seen it, we should head back out to check the condition of this vacant property.  I recommended we walk the perimeter and double check the inside before they proceeded ahead. I contacted the listing agent, asked several questions and made my appointment. When we pulled up to the property we were a bit taken aback at what we saw. The grass was several feet tall. This was definitely a city code violation, but the vacant house sitting next door, also for sale, had grass and weeds equally as high.  It was dusk and the front culvert was filled with water. The mosquitoes were terri... 09/05/2011

This chart shows the percentage of Palm Bay FL properties for sale, broken down into regular/traditional sales, short sales and bank owned properties.  These are residential single family, condos and townhouses in Palm Bay. Melbourne FL Real Estate for Sale Ratios  Viera FL Real Estate for Sale Ratios Palm Bay FL Real Estate for Sale Ratios Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR® Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate We have a team to facilitate your Short Sale. Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate 321-253-4545 SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com ____________________________________________ Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years  Brevard County Resident for 36 Years Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge, Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, M... 08/26/2011

      Lockmar Homeowners......First Impressions......The Exterior of Your House.....Get it right the 1st time      Did you know that a first impression can actually make or break the sale?  Its important to make sure that the first impression is a good one.  Choose some of these helpful pointers and it will give the exterior of your property "curb appeal". Make sure that the sidewalk and front walkway is swept and free of weeds.   Repair any broken or cracked areas of the walkway.   Remove any debris and make sure that there are no obstacles to your house. Cut the grass and trim the shrubs and keep it cut weekly.  Flowers can really make your home look cheery or place a few potted flowers out front.   In the fall, rake the yard free of leaves.   Hoses should be coiled up and out of the ... 06/28/2011

This is the break down of properties currently for sale in Palm Bay Florida.  The properties offered as short sales are closely trailing behind properties being offered as regular sales (not a short sale or a bank owned house). For a list of foreclosures or short sales feel free to contact me at SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com. Let me that for you Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR® Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate 321-253-4545 ____________________________________________ Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years  Brevard County Resident for 36 Years Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge, Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beac... 03/21/2011

Palm Bay Homes For Sale - Search with free search tool for Palm Bay,  Florida If you want to search the MLS for Palm Bay homes for sale, you are just one click away! Click on the picture to the right to connected to a free MLS search tool that will show you all of the homes and condos that are currently for sale in Palm Bay. Whether you're looking for a home on a canal or a condo on the river, you'll be able to search for Palm Bay homes for sale by clicking the on the picture to the right or following the link below. It's free!     Andy and his wife, Abby, are full-time top-producing Realtors with RE/MAX Elite. If you are considering buying a home or condo in the Palm Bay area, they can help you with everything from luxury homes to bank-owned condos for sale in the Palm Bay, FL area.   ... 03/18/2011

Coral Key is a small community located just off Malabar Road west of I-95 in Palm Bay, Florida.  It is really close to shopping, restaurants, medical facilities and within a quick drive of the Indian River and public boat launches.  D.R. Horton's newest community is going to feature large home sites, brick paver driveways, 18" tile in all wet areas, double pane low-E windows and stain resistant Shaw carpets.  The builder is currently charging no premiums on any of the home sites and they are in pre-sales so it is the best time to choose where you would want your home to be. The homes in the community start at $179,990 and go up to $252,990 without any selected options.  The homes offer 4 or 5 bedrooms and 2 up to 4 bathrooms.  There are also floor plans with 3-car garages versus 2-car g... 03/09/2011

Occasionally we see it.  A seller moves out of their house and puts it on the market for sale.  They leave a couple of items; a chair, a motorcycle, a lawnmower, or a freezer.  They're coming back - they're just leaving the items there in storage.  They figure on coming back and getting the things out of the house when it sells, before a buyer takes possession. Well, be careful, with this thinking. If a seller has a house listed for sale, and it is 99% empty, and the seller leaves an item or two, typcially, buyers assume that those items are being left with the house. So, when an offer to purchase comes in, you can bet your bottom dollar that chair,  motorcycle, lawnmower or freezer will be written into the contract. Buyers see those items and automatically want them. Who can blame them... 02/28/2011

Yesterday, I went out with out of town buyers, to take a second look, at the houses they saw the day before.  These were their favorites. The buyers were trying to make a decision on which house they wanted to buy; the house that suited their wants and their needs. It's good for a buyer to look at houses a second time, on a different day, at a different time of day (if possible, in our market of multiple offers). Houses can look different the second time around.  The buyer has seen numerous properties, by this time, and their perception has changed. The way they look at houses has changed, as they get a better idea of what's on the market, what they want and what their money can buy.  Lighting, shadows, temperatures and neighborhood activity changes at different times of day. Often, bu... 02/26/2011

On Wednesday night at 10:00, while at my computer, I received an automatic alert.  The search is set up to send clients new listings, that specifically meet their criteria, as soon as they hit the market. It was a new listing on a great little house, in a good area, at a very attractive price. Although it was a bit late, I emailed my client immediately, as we had already scoured the entire market for houses in her criteria.  I told her there was a new listing that we must go to look at right away. First thing the next morning, I sent her a text message telling her to check her emails for the new listing I sent over.  This was the first day this little gem would be on the market. I already had appointments set up for that day to look at 10 houses with out of town buyers that were referr... 02/25/2011

For those of you who never got to see the minion fields, here they are. At some point you are going to see the shorties with their Dad going down a walkway at a potential school. From that point on you've left SC and are hanging with the wee people in FL. As usual, when asked what they want to do, the shorties usually say, "Lets go outside..." (LOL) ;-) 01/05/2011

I need a FL cell phone for vacation. Truck flips over, I speed dial 911 and get New York. My "duh" moment for today (LOL). Being a blogger, of course I had to run and fetch my camera... Will post Christmas pictures later. ;-) 12/26/2010

  Life With Wee People: Do not feed the alligators... it's a felony... Only a New Yorker would spend the entire time on a gorgeous nature walk in a fabulous sanctuary contemplating the stupidity of people feeding the alligators (LOL). I was completely distracted for two miles imagining all sorts of Saturday Night Live scenarios... Needless to say, the cartoons in my head had a field day with this. :-) Knowing there were critters anticipating a possible meal kept my fight or flight switch flipped the entire time we were wondering about without a map. Ironically, it also resulted in my taking 181 photographs and film clips as I habitually zoomed in to scope out creepy sounds and interesting bends in the path. Every time something surfaced in the water I was capturing that puppy whether it... 08/30/2010

. . Life With Wee People: Minion Landscaping 101 I was tweeting with my gal pal Chris Elizabeth Griffith ( http://lifeinbonitasprings.com )and spoofing with my kids during a recording session when I promised her that I'd post pics of the shorties landscaping contribution to our yard. They are very helpful little buggers. You can get a lot out of them for some M&Ms. Even more out of me for the right pint of Hagen Daz (LOL).   We plan to go bird and butterfly hunting with our Nikons later today. Will let you know how that turned out during our vacation. ;-) 07/17/2010

Check out these Before and After photos of a one of our recent Palm Bay, Fl exterior repaint jobs. After we pressure washed this Palm Bay home, we repaired all of the staircase stucco cracks, applied a clear sealer to ensure good adhesion, and then applied two coats of Sherwin Williams A100 satin exterior paint. Photo Before: pressure cleaning and exterior painting: After: exterior painting of stucco, bands and garage door: Before photo: exterior painting After photo: exterior painting Before photo: exterior painting of front entry arch, bands and front door After photo: exterior painting of front entry arch, bands and front door Melbourne/Satellite Beach/Palm Bay/Suntree 321-777-9337 Merritt Island/Cocoa Beach/Rockledge/Viera 321-453-6233 Titusville 321-383-3574 07/05/2010

Sandy Shores, Realtor | M & M Real Estate, Inc | 321-253-4545 352 Jacaranda Ave NW, Palm Bay, FL Palm Bay 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Short Sale 2BR/1BA Single Family House offered at $62,222 Year Built 1983 Sq Footage 1,284 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 10,454 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Welcome Home! New roof, range and dishwasher 2005! New heat pump 2008! Spacious living area! Completely remodeled bathroom with glistening ceramic tile, seat in shower and pedestal sink! Owned alarm system. Reverse osmosis water treatment system. Sprinkler system with well. Screened porch overlooking large backyard. Over sized 2 car garage converted to 8x8 office and 15x12 bonus room, under air-added to living sq. ft. Sold As Is. 24 x 12 area for storag... 04/16/2010

Check the IRS code to make sure you are replacing with qualifying replacements  Then use form 5695 for your tax credits Tax Credits for Solar Water Heaters A federal tax credit makes energy-efficient solar water heaters a more affordable and sustainable option for many homeowners. Tax Credits for Replacing Heating and Cooling Systems Upgrading to an energy-efficient heating and cooling system can save hundreds on your utility bills and earn you a tax credit worth as much as $1,500. Tax Credits for Replacing Your Roof Replacing your roof with a qualifying energy-efficient metal or asphalt roof can cut your cooling bill and earn you a $1,500 tax credit. Tax Credits for Adding or Replacing Insulation A federal tax credit makes adding insulation an even cheaper way to improve your home's e... 02/23/2010

  Short Sales sure seem like a simple way for underwater homeowners to get rid of there over priced homes.  But some Lenders are increasingly adding language to the approval package, reserving the right to pursue the deficiency later - that is, the difference between what you owed on the house and what it sold for. Some homeowners, so anxious to get out of a pending foreclosure, skip right over that part of the letter. Some understand but opt to take their chances, betting they won't hear from the lender again. For some lucky buyers, this has been the case - so far. They've sold their home as a short sale, moved on, and haven't had any problems. But other lenders require the seller to agree upfront to pay back a set amount  Lenders don't always go after short sale homeowners. But in Flo... 02/23/2010

Ways to boost an already good credit score, or boost it after a foreclosure or short sale on your record.You never know when you will need your credit score again.   Tips to Improve your Credit 1. Review your current credit report for accuracy. Everyone is entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Get a copy of your credit report and look at it for accuracy. First, make sure that the information in your file is about you and only you, not someone who has a similar name or a similar Social Security number. It is very common for your credit reports to have mistakes or incorrect information. At a minimum, make sure that the information you are being evaluated on is current and correct. 2. Repair credit report mistak... 01/28/2010

        Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. This year celebrate the spirit of giving. Give a day of volunteer service in 2010, and get a day of Disney Theme Park fun - free! Disney Parks has announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day."  To inspire people to volunteer in their communities during 2010, Disney is offering a free, one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® theme park to the first one million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization (such as the Palm Bay Volunteer Service Corps). Starting Jan. 1, 2010, Palm Bay citizens can go to www.DisneyParks.com to search for eligible volunteer opportunities.  After you pre-register, sign up and complete your... 01/27/2010