I hate to beat a dead horse, but… each day we get folk calling in on Orlando condo conversions – foreclosed –  that cost under $50K – and they want to finance them. When we tell them it will be very difficult, we get the “Oh that’s not a problem - I have a great credit score [...]

I recently heard from a co-owner who is concerned about a neighbor who walks his dog at various evening times using the grassy areas between the buildings and sometimes behind and around those buildings.  This neighbor’s walk is very disturbing since it results in a person suddenly appearing outside of the co-owner’s window and behind [...]

With mortgages so hard to come by, investors who can’t pay “all-cash” are having a hard time scooping up some of today’s “fire sale” deals – which can be incredibly frustrating. It’s like being (a diabetic) kid in a candy store. (I’m diabetic so I know how that feels.)
However since first time home buyers are not subject [...]

It’s official: Barack Obama is the Commander-in-Chief, despite some impromptu rewording of the presidential oath.  He even still has that new president smell.  In the midst of two wars, rapidly increas­ing unemployment (Caterpillar, ING, Microsoft, Home Depot, Sprint, Pfizer, and US Airways all cut thousands of jobs today), and a sharp and growing international recession, [...]

Condo Metropolis in conjunction with Orlando Real Estate Pros are now producing Orlando’s “Top Ten” real estate deals for a zingy new, nationwide real estate website called, yes… Top10RealEstateDeals.com
Each month, we’ll be selecting the best of Orlando’s real estate deals and will bring them directly to this new listings site.
These opportunities represent just a few of the [...]

OrlandoTop 10!
Frames are not enabled – To view list goto Marcus Burke’s Orlando Top 10 Luxury Condo and Real Estate List

News comes today that the fabulous Reunion Resort has decided to close the sales office both here in Orlando, and at Hammock Beach. The news yesterday afternoon left their in-house agents suprised -and looking for new work.
According to one source, “Sales were pretty good but we just can’t compete with the wave of foreclosure properties that are coming through the [...]

After months of negotiations and hints that 55 West condos, downtown Orlando will be partially bought out by a major hotel company, word on the street is that the deal fell through – and they are back to the drawing board.
However in the Orlando Sentinel this morning, Bob Hensley, the developer overseeing 55 West for the Dutch bank [...]

CondoDomain have been at the forefront of Boston condo sales for a while now. A new breed of online broker like Condo Metropolis, they were due to join forces with us here in Orlando in the coming months.
But now, their operation is in  jeopardy as a former partner has decided to sue them over what [...]

Like them or not, Real Estate Auctions will be around for sometime.  According to the National Association of Realtors, one out of three real estate sales will be marketed through Auction in 2010.  Whether you are a buyer, seller or broker knowing the auction process and benefits will be crucial to you over the next [...]

Rates have notably slipped today in response to the decision to release the remaining $350 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program (lovingly known as the TARP) funds.  Here’s the short list of why this is not boding well for mortgage investors:
1) Nobody knows where the 1st $350 billion ran off to and no one really thinks [...]

FINALLY… SOME GREAT NEWS! 
Yes, we’ve finally caved in to your almost endless nagging and are putting together our first Orlando real estate bus tour – a tour that will take you to see some of the best deals in town!
As ground zero for so much of the recent real estate fall out, there is no doubt that Orlando [...]

Check out the exciting improvements to our search engine for 2009!

1. Special foreclosure search New
2. Google satellite maps with toggle for terrain etc. New
3. Schools information New
4. Neighborhood info & crime stats New
5. Mortgage calculator New
6. Zillow Zestimates New

And don’t forget you can still:

Save your “Favorites”
Save your search criteria
Have matches sent to you each day
Manage your profile

If [...]

High-end fraud.
It’s the latest blow that has been dealt to the investment markets.  First, Bernie Madoff misappropri­ated $50 billion dollars of investors’ money in a gigantic pyramid scheme (and no, it was not called Amway).  Those affected include high-net worth individuals, hedge funds, pension funds, even charity funds.  This event undermined the already faltering confidence [...]

For the developers of The World Quest condo hotel resort near Disney, 2009 is off to a poor start.
Following their failed auction last year, the owners have struggled with sales - as have most of the area’s condo hotels. Now, according to the Orlando Business Journal, Wachovia has filed a foreclosure suit for $31 million.
“The incredible nature [...]

Good news for Orlando condo hotel owners – or any Orlando second home owners who rent out their condos:
According to a Smith Travel Research survey, Orlando’s hotel room occupancy levels rose last week, posting the second largest year-over-year increase of the nation’s top 25 lodging markets.
Orlando area occupancy increased 14.7 % during the week for January. [...]

Question: We have a number of vacant homes in our homeowner association. Does the HOA have a responsibility to secure and protect them?
Answer: This is more of an issue in HOAs that have attached or common wall housing like condominiums and townhomes. Most of the damage to vacant units is caused by rodents, freezing pipes [...]

Multiple Offers are soooo 2006… Well if you think so, take a deep breath because while it might seem ludicrous to make an offer on an Orlando condo – or any other home, if it means competing with another buyer, things have started to change. In the last few weeks, there has been a sharp rise [...]

The new year is upon us.  2009.  Wow.  This time last year gasoline was over $4.00 a gallon, all five of the major investment banks still existed, our country hadn’t ‘bailed out’ any major institutions, and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were still battling for the democratic nomination.  Seems like so long ago already.
2008 shook [...]