Do you think landscaping doesn't make much difference in the curb appeal of a home?  Think again!  Look at the two photos below of a Fort Walton Beach Florida home I have listed for sale."Before" "After"Isn't the difference in the "Before" and "After" photos are striking?  In the Fort Walton Beach market area, this curb-appeal change may bring the homeowner $5,000 - $10,000 more in sale price.  The investment?  Only a few hundred dollar for wood chips and cleaning the exterior siding.  Sure, if this home already looked good, and just a few flowers were added, it might help with "salability", but not so significantly dollar-wise.  But what if a home lacks any landscaping pizazz, and has perhaps overgrown bushes, weeds, and no obvious attention?  That's when the return-on-investment can ... 07/05/2010

A strategic default occurs when a homeowner just stops making payments on a mortgage even though they actually "can" make the mortgage payment. It is an ugly trend going on in some areas where housing values have fallen and some homeowners owe more than their houses are worth. But many of these are not due to the economy or job loss.   Some are the people who for example took out a second mortgage for home repairs, but paid credit cards, bought boats and cars.  At the height of the real estate boom, they borrowed all the equity in their home, without thinking about the fact that they have to pay it back.  So you bought a home for $200k and then borrowed another $100k.  The current market may still able to sustain the original value of your home, but not the $300k you now owe. But your h... 07/05/2010

Fort Walton Beach Real Estate Market Overview Total properties on the market for sale as of July 4th: 1056 (includes single family homes, townhomes, mobile homes and condos) Total sold since January 1st:  435 Total Pending/Under Contract: 166 (2nd qtr)   Avg. Listing Price $277,315 Wk ending Jun 30          Median Sales Price $145,000 Apr - Jun  Average price/sqft       $113                      +8.7% Number of Sales           150                        +25% Fort Walton Beach Summary Average price per square foot for Fort Walton Beach FL was $113, an increase of 8.7% compared to the same period last year. Compared to the same period one year ago, the median home sales price decreased, and the number of home sales increased 25%.   Info for surrounding  Cities                             ... 07/04/2010

Overview Photos (31) Map Mortgage Compare Price Trends Local Area Schools Contact NICE TOWNHOUSE IN CONVENIENT LOCATION,MASTER BEDROOM HAS A BIG WALK IN CLOSET. CLOSE TO BOTH BASES AND SHOPPING.Price reduced and *MOTIVATED SELLER* updated paint colors and updated kitchen floors adorns this great townhome. Immediate occupancy or great for investment purposes. This townhome features a screened porch with utility room for washer and dryer MASTER BEDROOM HAS A BIG WALK IN CLOSET and large closet in 2nd bedroom. Price is right and ready for new owners. Contact the agent View more details Home facts for 696 Tyner St #24Listing DetailsMLS/Source ID524477Price/sqft$63 32547 Brandon Jordan Contact agent 07/04/2010

From the wonderful lawn to the many improvements- this Fort Walton Beach Florida short sale home is easy to love! 225 Fliva Ave., in the Bayou Subdivision, has new hardwood floors, remodeled kitchen with custom cabinets, Corian counters, and all new lighting. That's just a start. All windows have been replaced, new air conditioner and new paint! The exterior is brick, the street appeal is upscale.  Located in the Bayou Subdivision in the Cinco Bayou area, just a few minutes to Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, or especially, the beaches of Okaloosa Island and Destin Florida. Make it yours!225 Fliva Ave., Fort Walton Beach Florida - short sale  - offered for $155,000 It's Wendy! Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc. Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-6... 07/01/2010

Last night Senate approved the homebuyer tax credit  AND without as much acclaim but equally important, they also passed the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act , which extends the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30 2010. This will allow home purchases in the 100-year floodplain to move forward. These homebuyers and homeowners have been sitting on pins and needles too since Friday when the house approved it, waiting for for the Senate to give the okay. What I found significant in this is that when signed into law by the President, the bill, which will apply retroactively, will cover the lapse period from June 1 to the date of enactment of the extension. Without flood insurance, households buying homes in the 100-year floodplain cannot obtain mortgage financin... 07/01/2010

Legislation in the Senate was approved tonight by unanimous consent! The House approved the measure on Tuesday.  Now, Congress has sent President Obama a plan to give home buyers the extra three months to close to still get their $8,000 in federal tax credits. Buyers who already have signed contracts will now have until Sept. 30 2010, to complete their purchases. Remember, this is not for new contracts, and our industry as a whole needs to be vigilent and police each other, because others will be in looking for those who will try to go and back date contracts fraudulently.  I don't know of anyone willing to risk losing their license over this, but I'm sure they are out there.  I know it took a lot to get this through for us, so we need to monitor it very closely, because if scams, fraud... 06/30/2010

Excellent opportunity to own a distressed property in Destin West. Unit has a great view of the Gulf from the master bedroom and the living area overlooks the bay, lagoon pool and will overlook the proposed marina. Enjoy floating in the lagoon pool during the day or under the lights at night. Very relaxing and fun for the whole family. Kids just love it. You must see this unit. This unit has been tastefully upgraded by the previous owner with installed custom made bunk beds in bunk room and added a door for privacy. Crown molding has been added and fans replaced with decorative palm leaf blades and lights. Custom paint makes this unit special. See pictures attached to this listing. Unit has washer/dryer hookup. Custom window treatments convey with sale. It's a pleasure and so relaxing t... 06/13/2010

Apparently short sales can continue to be reported that the account is still delinquent to the credit reporting bureaus  for up to  10 months even after the sale has closed.  For people already suffering through a hardship, this can severly impacting a persons ability to reestablish their credit and get back on their feet. I didn't say it was right, I said they are doing it.  What you can do is have clients, Realtors or Attorneys contact the servicer to let them know the sale has closed and to  please (don't forget that part) stop reporting continual late payments.  More than likely it is the trickle down effect, and until the word trickles down that the servicer no longer has this account, they will be on automatic pilot with the account.   FREE Search Homes For Sale: Fort Walton Beach... 06/01/2010

MLS#: 538824m ListPrice: $193,500 ApproxSF: 971 Project: DESTIN WEST SANDPIPER LastChng: 5/29/2010 BalconySF: 206 Address: 1324 MIRACLE STRIP PKWY , #503 FORT WALTON BEACH, FL Bedrooms: 1 Baths Full/Half: 2/ StoriesInUnit: 1 County: OKALOOSA YearBuilt: 2003 MainArea: 12 Fort Walton Beach OccStat: Vacant SubArea: 01 OKALOOSA ISLAND ImmOcc? Y ParcelID: 00-2S-24-2300-0000-0503 ConstrStat: Construction Complete ElemSch: OCEAN CITY Middle: BRUNER High: FORT WALTON BEACH Dir: On the bay side of Hwy 98, .4 miles east of Brooks Bridge. Unit 503 Sandpiper (Destin West Beach & Bay Resort). Legal: Sandpiper @ Destin West Beach & Bay Resort unit 503 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Excellent opportunity to own a distressed property in Destin West. Uni... 05/30/2010

Overview Photos (31) Map Mortgage Compare Price Trends Local Area Schools Contact NICE TOWNHOUSE IN CONVENIENT LOCATION,MASTER BEDROOM HAS A BIG WALK IN CLOSET. CLOSE TO BOTH BASES AND SHOPPING.Price reduced and *MOTIVATED SELLER* updated paint colors and updated kitchen floors adorns this great townhome. Immediate occupancy or great for investment purposes. This townhome features a screened porch with utility room for washer and dryer MASTER BEDROOM HAS A BIG WALK IN CLOSET and large closet in 2nd bedroom. Price is right and ready for new owners. Contact the agent View more details Home facts for 696 Tyner St #24Listing DetailsMLS/Source ID524477Price/sqft$63 32547 Brandon Jordan Contact agent 05/14/2010

    Project: DESTIN WEST SANDPIPER     BalconySF: 206 Address: 1324 MIRACLE STRIP PKWY , #503 Bedrooms: 1   FORT WALTON BEACH, FL Baths Full/Half: 2/ Zip: 32548 StoriesInUnit: 1 County: OKALOOSA YearBuilt: 2003 MainArea: 12 Fort Walton Beach OccStat: VacationRental SubArea: 01 OKALOOSA ISLAND ImmOcc? Y ParcelID: 00-2S-24-2300-0000-0503 ConstrStat: Construction Complete ElemSch: OCEAN CITY Middle: BRUNER High: FORT WALTON BEACH Dir: On the bay side of Hwy 98, .4 miles east of Brooks Bridge. Unit 503 Sandpiper (Destin West Beach & Bay Resort). Legal: Sandpiper @ Destin West Beach & Bay Resort unit 503 05/02/2010

My most recent Fort Walton Beach short sale approval was like going through ten rounds in a boxing match.  The senior lien, Carrington Mortgage, initially wanted the seller to pay a $150,000 promissory note, or about $450 per month, to cover the loss. The seller, having no income, said no.  Carrington then dropped the request and asked for a cash contribution of $10,000.  Again, the seller said no.  After weeks of wrangling, Carrington settled for the contract proceeds without any promissory note or cash contribution, and approved the short sale.  Flagstar Bank, the junior lien, received a small contribution from the buyer. Here is the summary: Short Sale property:  Single Family home in Fort Walton Beach Florida Senior Lien:  Carrington Mortgage – balance $570,000 Junior Lien:  Flagst... 04/13/2010

Actually there was a time when shopping around did affect your scores severely when you shopped different lenders and online lending institutions as well.  Numerous inquiries gave the appearance that you were trying to open new lines of credit, which impaired your ability to buy a home.  So does that mean you are stuck with the first interest rate you are quoted? Most people don't realize that everytime a bank runs your social security number to check to see if you are "credit worthy"  there is a ding to your credit.  Ever been car shopping?  How about that big ticket item 65" television?  Or, hey if you open an account with us today you can save 20% on your purchase?  And then you say lets see if we qualify for a house ... sound familiar? I had clients who shopped around for about 3 mo... 04/10/2010

Green Tree Servicing has approved the short sale on this home in Elliotts Point, Fort Walton Beach Florida.  The odd thing about the approval was that Fannie Mae initially rejected the short sale because the seller was current on his payments, even though he had a hardship, as I wrote in "Current on  Your Mortgage? Short Sale Denied!".  He was told he could get 30 days behind, then  resubmit the short sale package. He did so, and another 30 days later, the sale was approved!  It's Wendy! Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc. Call toll-free 1-877-ITS-WNDY (1-877-487-9639) or local 850-650-7883 ext 204 Email Wendy: itswendy@rulnickrealty.com Fort Walton Beach FL Real Estate Fort Walton Beach Short Sales & Pre Foreclosure Help. Read Wendy's Fort Walton Beach Real Estate Blog Wendy i... 03/26/2010

Effective April 5th 2010 which is less than 30 days away, the FHA mortgage insurance premium (MIP) will be increased from 1.75% to 2.25 %. If you are considering an FHA mortgage for your new home, this is important news because it will cost you less to get it now.  So not only is the $8000 and $6500 Home buying tax credit ending next month, it will actually cost more to get the loan itself.  The FHA will seek authority to not only raise the up-front MIP but also the annual  MIP as well. Borrowers with weak credit will be required to pay more upfront, and will be required to have a minimum credit score of 580 to qualify for FHA's 3.5% down payment program.  New borrowers with less than a 580 credit score will be required to put down at least 10% ! These changes will be taking  place with... 03/07/2010

Joint Strike Fighter pilot instructors were fitted for their new gear this past week at Eglin AFB.  This state of the art suit is off the hook.  Rumor has it that the helmet alone cost more than most single family homes!  The Joint Strike Force pilots wearing them represent not only the Air Force, but also the Navy, Marines, and student pilots from allied countries as well. The most advanced step is the personalized helmet that weighs as much as a bowling ball. A laser scanner maps the head of each pilot and creates padding tailored to their individual heads. A process that doesn't take months, but in a matter of hours! The technology of the helmet lets them view underneath and outside the aircraft, literally seeing through it like a virtual game. The thermal suit itself includes flame ... 03/07/2010

The New Navarre Fishing Pier is Nearing Completion The nice thing about my office being on the beach is I can take a break and see what is going on. Today I took my camera and took a picture of The new pier. It's Tuesday and I have already had a busy week I worked with really nice family we found them a bank owned house which was price almost 33% less than the comperable homes. The only thing that was missing was the appliances. It has Granite counter tops security system, huge rooms, fireplace downstairs master suite. I also leased a commercial building and trying to find a short term rental for a new customer. It took us 3 months to find this Home. We had just made an offer on a short sale and the owner turned us down not even the bank. I had done a CMA and our offer was in line with... 03/03/2010

Only one week to go until the Power Up 2010 Energy Conference in Ft Walton Beach!  Discounts are available for groups of 4 or more, college students, and members of Gulf Coast Energy Network, US Green Building Council, Florida Green Building Coalition, SE Energy Efficiency Alliance, American Planning Association, American Istitute for Architects, and Society of Military Engineers.  There is also a free public expo on Saturday, March 13th. Any Realtors, Builders, or mortgage lenders who are interested in Green Building should attend, especially on Friday when the focus is on Green Building and Sustainable Design. For more information, visit the Power Up 2010 website. 03/02/2010

Are You Waiting For Lightning To Strike? If your home is over priced You are. Your are wondering what is he talking about? If you have over priced your home there a small chance that someone could come along and pay you what you are asking. They will have to pay all cash or the difference to make the loan to value at least 80 to 90%. Houses do get struck by lighting so keep hope alive. I have some lottery tickets that I only used once. Check out this house it has a $15K lightning rod protection system. http://www.uberrealty.com/PropertyDetail.aspx?mls=523682&feed=flidx&propIndex=0 02/22/2010