The Orlando Condo Blog

On Thursday, the Florida Association of Realtors (F.A.R.) reported its first monthly sales jump in Orlando since late 2005.
F.A.R. reported a total of 1,641 homes sold in June, a nearly 3 percent increase when compared with 1,595 homes sales in the same month a year prior.
The existing median sales price was $219,500 in June, a [...]

I’d like to open this post by thanking each and every one of you for bailing out my industry’s big brother and sister, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. I really appreciate you paying your taxes in a timely manner to a government that has fully embraced the “too big to fail” concept of our [...]

The future of real estate looks bright – at least technologically speaking – that’s what I’m learning at the Inman News Connect conference in San Francisco this week. The gadgets and software that will be coming online in the next few years will make the online home search process ever easier and more efficient [...]

Orlando Timeshare vs. Condo Ownership
- Which is right for you?
One of our new pages looks at the differences between Timeshare, fractional and regular condo ownership. The choice can be a difficult choice, especially for foreign buyers struggling to understand the U.S. real estate system. These are two very different real estate options with different legal [...]

Tuscany Preserve in Kissimmee has 12 units priced from $139,900 – $294,900. The gated community has all the usual amenities and 4 golf courses and shopping plaza within 1-2 miles.
The following great incentives apply:

ADDITIONAL $10,000 – $25,000 CASH BACK ON SELECTED MODEL FOR THE FIRST 3 BUYERS.
POSITIVE CASH FLOW OF $1,954 – [...]

Our recent blog “Where is your Personal Bottom?” looked at how fence-sitters risk losing out on the “waiting-for-precise-bottom” game due to the way the housing market is always three months ahead of where it appears to be at any given time. Let’s use some real numbers using data just released from the Orlando Regional Realtor [...]

Short Sales: An acceptable exit strategy?
Most of you who bought investment condos in 2005-2006 have told me the same gut-wrenching story: You’re desperate to sell and wouldn’t even mind taking a small loss if that’s what it took. At that point, I usually ask you what you paid – and what you are asking [...]

Federal banking regulators have just closed California leviathan IndyMac Bank FSB. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has been named as conservator. I think this is the fifth bank to fail this year.
The FDIC said it will transfer insured deposits and “substantially all the assets” of IndyMac Bank, to a newly created successor, IndyMac Federal Bank, [...]

I’m pleased to announce that the news relating to mortgages and economics has gotten a lot more in­teresting for everyone this week. Lots of reasons to feel positive about where rates may be headed.
At least in the short-term.
First off, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced earlier this week that the Fed governors were con­sidering extending [...]

“I’m not buying yet. I’m waiting on the sidelines for the market to hit rock bottom.”
You and the rest of the country.
I’m not saying you’re wrong. But I have two questions for you:
1.) How will you know when rock bottom happens in a complex market where the only perfect vision is hindsight, and the best [...]

Some of you may have noticed a new “widget” on the top right hand side of the blog which displays current Orlando listings. Click on it and it will take you directly to our MLS search engine. And if you have those cool GI Joe eagle eyes that move from side to side you might [...]

According to the latest Orlando Sentinel Story MetroWest’s most luxurious new condo building Veranda Park is having financial troubles.
And who isn’t?
Just another Orlando developer clipped by an anemic economy and housing market which is hurting everyone – except savvy buyers who are beginning to move in and take advantage of great pricing.
In April we posted [...]

As promised last week, here is news of the latest deals at Reunion Resort in Orlando. Last weekend, Bobby Ginn met with the Reunion sales team and announced several new phases of amenities to come to Reunion along with the immediate expansion of their own multi-acre Water Park. Ginn will also make all Reunion owners [...]