The Orlando Condo Blog

In our last Orlando Property Management blog, we went over some of the things to look out for when hiring a property management company if you are a landlord with a condo, town home or single family home. Fraud, embezzlement, firings, loss of license: we’ve seen it all before and it often starts when real [...]

The beautiful but beleaguered Veranda Park condos in MetroWest finally had their remaining units picked up by a Canadian buyer from the bank. The sale, towards the end of last year means that the Canadian buyer Geosam Veranda LLC, now has a majority interest in the residential block. This means they can raise the monthly dues (COA [...]

Investors purchasing distressed foreclosure condos and short sales in the Orlando area are usually from out of state – or even the country, which usually precludes them from managing the property themselves. Most simply opt to use an Orlando Property Management company. However, locals might be tempted to go the do-it-yourself route – not a [...]

A reserve study is a homeowner association’s essential long range planning tool. It charts a schedule for the board to follow for major repairs and replacements (paint, roofing, etc.) and forecasts a budget for each event so the board can set aside money (reserves) each year so adequate funds will be available when the various [...]

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Orlando is one of five Florida cities named as best markets in which to invest in rental property. This, according to a quarterly ranking of 100 U.S. markets. Orlando came in at No. 4, Fort Myers No. 5, Fort Lauderdale No. 8 and Tampa No. 9. Not surprising when Orlando [...]

UPDATE: 1/9/12: First 10 now SOLD OUT. Call 407-290-3408 to get on backup list and be notified of further releases. UPDATE 12/27/11:  Going fast – only 3 townhomes remain: #1543, 1545 and 1531… $89,900…   Season’s Greetings – Here are two great ways to close out your Orlando real estate investment year! Deal #1 – As [...]

Remember last newsletter when I said that Orlando was ef­fectively underwater?  Well, analysts have one-upped me in a humongous way, boldly stating that half of homes backed by a mortgage are effectively underwater.  By their train of thought, homeowners who owe 85% or more of their home’s value are effectively underwater because they lack the [...]

Question: The HOA manager told me that my swimming suit was not appropriate and that I should wear something that would cover more. I am Brazilian and I was wearing a bikini that is smaller than the others. But there’s no HOA rule that says that Brazilian bikinis are forbidden. The guide only states “proper [...]

Two bus loads of Canadians invaded MetroWest in search of cash condo deals that most locals just can’t afford. Thanks to the hospitality of the Madison COA management team, they were allowed to run amok around the condominium while they learned about what it takes to pick up a foreclosed condo and other distressed real estate [...]

“According to the news, real estate is still going to drop by 10% so I’m going to wait.” I hear that a lot. And those folk are losing out big time right now - if it’s a condo they’re after. Because the truth is, if you want to buy an Orlando condo, you’re already too late for the best deals. Orlando [...]