5 EASY BABY STEPS TO QUALIFY FOR A HOME LOAN   1.    Order your credit report and scores from all 3 bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.   Review your credit report, line by line, account by account.  Verify that the payment history is accurate.  Verify the amount owed is accurate.  Verify that your monthly payment on each account is accurate.  Be sure that old or closed accounts are not reporting a monthly payment.  If there is anything inaccurate in your credit report, go to work on it first prior to applying for credit.  It can make a major difference in how much you spend over the life of the loan and how much you may qualify to borrow.    2.    Establish a detailed report that outlines ALL of your finances.  Figure out where you are spending your money.  Gather up your mon... 03/09/2011

  8 Things to Consider with your Contractor in building your project:   8.  SHOW ME THE LICENSE.   Not every state requires licensure of contractors.  Florida certainly does.  Most states have a website that will allow you to look up licenses from an online database.  The Florida website is here: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp  Look on this website or call the licensing board and confirm that no disciplinary action has been taken against the licensee.    FYI, an occupational license is not sufficient in ANY construction trade.   7.  SHOW ME THE INSURANCE   This is such an easy thing to overlook.  Do not do that!  Why?  Let’s say an uninsured “handyman” comes to work on your house- maybe your roof is leaking.  The “handyman” climbs onto your roof, proceeds to lose his footing,... 03/09/2011

SunFest, Florida's largest music, art and waterfront festival, announces national acts scheduled to headline at the 29th annual event being held April 27-May 1, along one of the most scenic sections of Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach Florida. SunFest is Florida's largest waterfront music and art festival. Held annually in downtown West Palm Beach the first week in May attracts more than 270,000 visitors for 5 days of fun and sun. The line-up for SunFest 2011 for this annual waterfront festival's is stacking up to be one of the best in years with more groups still to come. Also in the mix there is enough '80s and '90s-era names (Styx, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Sublime with Rome and Ziggy Marley) to keep SunFest's reputation as a retro party intact, plus th... 03/08/2011

  If you have perused my profile here you'll know that RENT TO OWN properties are one of my favorite market segments.  I feel very strongly about this, especially given the current market conditions. Why?  There are a number of reasons: We have seen a collective perfect storm in the real estate and construction industries over the last 3 years.  Speculative buying artificially inflated home prices as well as construction costs.  We know that bubble has burst.  So where does that leave us now? In short, our economy has an abundance of qualified professionals and skilled craftsman that are out of work.  A large percentage of home buyers (most buyers who purchased in this market in the last 5 years) are underwater on their mortgages.  Investors who bought during peak market conditions now ... 03/08/2011

Educational Gallery Group at CityPlace West Palm Beach FL: "Creepy Crawlies" The Educational Gallery Group (Eg²) will be holding another great exhibition "Creepy Crawlies," which will showcase art created by students K-12 grade levels.The opening date will be Friday, March 4, 2011 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at The Educational Gallery Group in CityPlace. "Creepy Crawlies" will only be on display for a short period at The Educational Gallery Group and will be ending on April 4th, 2011.Information:477 S. Rosemary Avenue, City PlaceSuite 193West Palm Beach, FL 33401561-315-5947Wed-Fri: 4:00 pm to 9:00 pmSat: Noon pm to 9:00 pmSun: Noon to 6:00 pmwww.egsquared.orgIf you would like to make a donation to this wonderful organization, please mail it to:Educational Gallery GroupP.O. Box 7557West Palm ... 03/01/2011

West Palm Beach, FL Overview West Palm Beach, FL CommunitiesWest Palm Beach, FL Virtual TourWest Palm Beach, FL Single Family HomesWest Palm Beach, FL Condos and TownhomesWest Palm Beach, FL Multi FamilyWest Palm Beach, FL Lot and LandWest Palm Beach, FL Golf CoursesWest Palm Beach, FL MarinasWest Palm Beach, FL Dining Guide West Palm Beach is located along Florida's "Gold Coast", just 67 miles north of Miami. With nearly 80,000 residents, it's the largest of Palm Beach County's 38 cities, towns and villages, the third most populous county in Florida, and one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. Established in 1894 by the railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, this ever-changing community has experienced a boom like no other city in the U.S. In the early 1990's, West Palm Beach began i... 02/24/2011

Gluten Free Food Expo - West Palm Beach, FL - Saturday Feb 19, 2011 Where:  South Florida Fairgrounds, Expo East Building, 9067 Southern Blvd, West Palm Beach When:  Saturday, Feb 19, 2011 Time:  11:00 am to 4:00 pm   A Gluten Free Food Expo will be held tomorrow, Saturday Feb 19, 2011, at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach.  This is a good chance to learn more about Celiac Disease and taste Gluten Free Foods from all over the country.   Free Admission.  Free Parking. All information deemed accurate but not guaranteed. 02/18/2011

The Salvation Army: FREE Donation Pick Up The Salvation Army in West Palm Beach Florida not only accepts donations at their West Palm Beach and Lake Worth locations they will also pick them up. I recently had an out of state seller who wanted to donate a house full of furniture, so I contacted The Salvation Army in West Palm Beach Florida and within days they picked everything up for FREE.  Plus my client received a receipt for his donation, which he can get a tax deduction for. All proceeds from your donation will be used to help programs offered by The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County Florida.  If you want to donate furniture, but have no way to drop it off call The Salvation Army in West Palm Beach Florida to pick up your donation for FREE at 561.688.9153.  If you want to make a ... 02/06/2011

Cypress Lakes Real Estate & Homes for Sale in West Palm Beach Florida Overview Maps Photos Features Description Neighborhood Market Stats $115,000 Single Family Home Main Features 2 Bedrooms2 BathroomsInterior: 1785 sqft Location 5289 Crystal Anne DriveWest Palm Beach, FL 33417USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Michelle Gibson P.A. Hansen Real Estate Group Inc.(561) 333-0446contact@sellingcentralpalmbeach.comhttp://www.SellingCentralPalmBeach.com Listed by: Michelle Gibson See more West Palm Beach, FL real estate for sale 02/06/2011

Cypress Lakes Home for Sale: 5289 Crystal Anne Drive West Palm Beach, Florida 33417 MLS# R3172874 Just Listed!!! Spacious 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 2 Car Garage home located in the gated community of Cypress Lakes, which is conveniently located in West Palm Beach Florida. Cypress Lakes is an active adult 55+ community that has fabulous amenities and events throughout the year. This beautiful home features an open floorplan, vaulted ceilings, skylights and ceramic tile throughout. Upon entry you will be lead into the oversized formal living and dining room. The great kitchen has white cabinetry and a breakfast area. There is also a very light and bright family room with sliding glass doors that lead out to the enclosed patio/ Florida room. The master bedroom features a private bath and wal... 02/05/2011

Palm Beach Zoo - West Palm Beach, FL - Fun Things To Do - Palm Beach County                      We took our granddaughter to the Palm Beach Zoo.  At 3 years old she was eager to go.   Since she lives out of state, she was delighted by the Palm Beach Zoo.  Animals living in their natural habitats  are far different than the zoos she has seen up north.   There is also an interactive fountain for kids to run and splash in.  Bring a bathing suit, it said, and we did. We saw a lot of animals!    My favorite is always the Flamingos, and they did not disappoint!    Look at their beautiful color!  I read that they get that color from the shellfish they eat.       These giant tortoises were quite real and were eating a fruit bowl for lunch!     If you look close in this photo, you can see a Pan... 02/03/2011

Cypress Lakes Home for Sale - Coming Soon!Spacious Home for Sale in Cypress Lakes coming soon! This great 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, 2 Car Garage home is located in the gated community of Cypress Lakes, which is conveniently located in West Palm Beach Florida.  Cypress Lakes is a 55+ active adult community that has fabulous amenities and events.  This beautiful home features an open floorplan, vaulted ceilings, skylights and ceramic tile throughout.Monthly HOA fees are currently $230 a month and include lawn maintenance and access to all of the fabulous amenities; Clubhouse, Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Saunas, Men's and Ladies Exercise Rooms, Bocci, Shuffleboard, Tennis and FREE Golf.  Cypress Lakes also has monthly sports and recreations like; Water Aerobics, Tai Chi, Wii Bowling, Bike Club, M... 02/03/2011

"We Key" Locksmith, Inc. - West Palm Beach Florida Locksmith The day of closing is a very exciting one; the sellers are happy they sold their home and the buyers are happy they bought a new home. However with all of this excitement buyers often forgot to do the most important thing as a new home owner, which is CHANGE THE LOCKS.I always remind my clients the day of closing to change the locks right away because they have no clue who still has keys to the house. Unfortunately not all buyers make this a priority and one of my clients was VERY lucky and avoided what could have been a disaster, read all about their close call at Old Locks = House Party.If you don't want to buy a brand new lock,which can be very costly at least have the locks re-keyed by a local company like "We Key" Locksmi... 01/30/2011

The biggest benefit in this monthly marketing report for our readers is to provide content rich local information from a trustworthy source.  Understanding that an educated buyer and seller when provided with the latest facts in our marketplace creates trust and develops relationships to make educated decisions when it comes to buying and selling real estate. I hope you enjoy the reports and look forward in discussing any questions that you might have in one of the most desirable real estate markets in Florida, Palm Beach County.  01/25/2011

  KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA JANUARY 29, 2011     with Grand Marshall Hota Kotb   The Power of 20/20 Can Save a Life!In honor of our 20th Annual Race we invite you to take the 20/20 Fundraising Challenge!Ask 20 people to donate $20! How does a 5K race make a huge impact on the global movement to end breast cancer forever?Through the fundraising efforts of every participant.You don't need to be a fundraising expert in order to be successful at it - you just need the desire to stand up to breast cancer and make a difference. It is truly amazing how fast small donations can add up to very large numbers! Challenge yourself this year... if everyone strives to ask everyone they know to give just a little bit, together we will reach our $2 million fundraising goal.Remember... 01/21/2011

New Listings  147 Active Listings 3,114 Price Change  141 Back on Market  63   Total Available Listings 3,465 Median List Price is $100,000   Total Contingent Listings total 858 with a median list price of $80,000 Total Pending Listings total 613 with a median list price of $65,000   Total sales over the past year are 3,763 with a median sales price of $75,000   Current inventory level based on trailing 1 year sales is 11 months.     Always at Your Service,   Tom Priester  e-PRO "Results Driven Real Estate"   Keller Williams Realty  561 308-0175 tom@tompriester.com   www.tompriester.com 12/27/2010

Just Sold: 5145 Palm Brooke Circle, West Palm Beach, Florida 33417 West Palm Beach FL Real Estate - Just Sold 5145 Palm Brooke Cirlce, West Palm Beach, FL 33417. This West Palm Beach FL townhome was listed by Michelle Gibson, Hansen Real Estate Group Inc. for $79,900 and sold in 32 days for $75,000 Cash. This 2 Bedroom, 2.5 Bathroom townhome had over 1,000 square feet of living and was situated on a private lot in Jonathan's Cove. Jonathan's Cove in West Palm Beach FL is a townhome community that features two story townhomes. All of the townhomes have at least 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Some of the units even have a one car garage. Jonathan's Cove also has a clubhouse, community pool, tot lot, sand volleyball court and fitness center. Start your Jonathan's Cove Townhome Search Now I... 12/22/2010

The biggest benefit in this monthly marketing report for our readers is to provide content rich local information from a trustworthy source.  Understanding that an educated buyer and seller when provided with the latest facts in our marketplace creates trust and develops relationships to make educated decisions when it comes to buying and selling real estate. I hope you enjoy the reports and look forward in discussing any questions that you might have in one of the most desirable real estate markets in Florida, Palm Beach County.  12/21/2010

Ironhorse is located in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ironhorse is comprised of single family homes, many of which offer a mixture of ranch and Mediterranean-style.  Homes in Ironhorse feature French doors, split bedrooms, walk-in closets, volume ceilings, fireplaces, curved roofs, open porches, screened patios, a heated swimming pool, water views and large driveways. The average price of Ironhorse homes for sale ranges between $350,000 and $2,000,000. Residents can enjoy a number of amenities such as a game room, a community golf course, a swimming pool, a sauna, picnic areas and tennis courts. Ironhorse is located near beaches, schools and restaurants. For more information about the Homes for Sale in Ironhorse, please contact: Laurie NugentPGA National Specialist Waterfront Properties & ... 12/16/2010

Horses are invading the downtown waterfront! This weekend is Holiday Horsefest at the Meyer Amphitheater. The free event will be held from 1pm to 5pm this Sunday December 12, 2010. Olympic riders will be on hand and the public can enjoy exhibitions of show jumping and Lusitano 'dancing horses'. This free event sure sounds like a slightly different (in a good way!) way to get in the holiday spirit!   12/09/2010