I am truly by no means a junkie. Through my Real Estate career I was dubbed the Reality TV star whore. Why you may ask, I have been on ABC's "The Bachelor" Season 7, HGTV's "My House is Worth, What?" and "House Hunters" (any time they have a show in Orlando they call me up now), I have been on Fox News and Channel 9 news for my real estate insight, featured in the Orlando Sentinel & Inman news. Ok ok ok that's great, but whats that got to do with me? Here's your opportunity to be on TV not sure if it's everyone's dream to be on this show or not, but if it is here is your chance and probably a blessing. Super Nanny is coming to Orlando this weekend only looking for families. Here's the information to try out for Super Nanny My tips: Be confident and outgoing, more importantly energetic,... 10/03/2008

What's selling in Lake Mary Florida?  Magnolia Plantation is home to the most expensive home sale this week in Lake Mary.  311 Pecan Ridge Point in Magnolia Plantation was listed on December 6, 2007.  This home was on the market 217 days.  The original list price was $1,450,000, the home sold for 81% of it's original price.  This home was built in 2007 and had never been occupied.  Single Family Homes Sold in Lake Mary Florida Sold Neighborhood Street Address Living Area Beds & Baths Pool $ 1,187,500 Magnolia Plantation 311 Pecan Ridge Point 4,912 5 / 5 Y $ 475,000 Heathrow 1224 Chantry Place 2,848 4 / 3 N $ 310,000 Heathrow 1208 Trentwood Court 2,077 3 / 2 N $ 240,000 Woodbridge Lakes 717 Tigris Lane 2,012 4 / 2 N $ 160,000 Crossings 468 Holbrook Court 1,681 3 / 2 N    Townhomes / Cond... 10/03/2008

Well, it's time to face my fears. In just two days, I'll be face-to-face with 160+ Lake Mary High School alumni from the Class of 1988. Yikes!! Do I have time to lose 15 pounds, workout so that my FLAB turns to "FAB" or better yet, how about a total body makeover? You know, the hair, the makeup, the clothes..you name it...I'd love it all right about now as my anxiety level is at an all time high knowing that I'll be seeing many of those classmates that I thought were "cooler" than I was or who were nominated "most likely to succeed" while I was in Spanish Club and on the newspaper staff...oh my...so many memories (worth forgetting) and now, I've actually PAID MONEY to have them all resurrected....what was I thinking??? Honestly, it's not like I didn't know this day was coming for the p... 09/30/2008

I've got GREAT news to share! The first speculative home in Washington Estates, a custom home community in Lake Mary, Florida, has power as of today! It's been nearly a year since construction began, but the wait is finally over! Estate 3 was smartly designed to fit perfectly on the 19,457 square foot lot. This fine residence boasts 4,924 square feet of living area and includes; Five Bedrooms Three full and two half Bathrooms A study in lieu of a formal Living Room A formal Dining Room as well as a separate Breakfast Room A downstairs Family Room as well as an upstairs Game/Media Room A three-car Garage Additional distinctive features include a Wine Room; a Wet Bar and a Sitting Area adjacent to the Master Bedroom A custom pool is included in the price of all estates and the Buyer has t... 09/30/2008

Click here to "Get a FREE List of all NEW properties just added to the market in Lake Mary FL" Beat other homebuyers to the hottest Lake Mary new homes coming on the market with my FREE list of properties meeting your specific requirements.  Right to your email.  Great Deals still sell very fast so sign up today for your FREE List of homes and don't miss out on a great opportunity. It's a Great Time to Buy a Home!! Call Rick Belben direct at (407) 341-1706 to set-up your FREE List of New Properties. Apopka Real Estate Orlando Real Estate Rick BelbenAmerivest Realty of Central Florida(407) 341-1706   09/30/2008

For the record I love bank owned properties around the Orlando, FL area. They are great deals for buyers, it allows most buyers to get into a great home in a great area for less, just needs a little TLC. However this week has been a trying one. My buyers wrote and offer on a property about a week and half ago. Banks sometimes get back to us right away and sometimes they take a little longer. The agent told us about 3 days after sending in the offer, she is pretty sure we have the deal but waiting for final approval. So we waited and waited. Mind you we are up against a deadline. See it was September 22, 2008 and we still didnt have an answer back from the bank and in order for my client to still receive Nehemiah down payment assistance we needed a finalized deal by today. So we continu... 09/29/2008

I love living in Lake Mary!  The City of Lake Mary is sponsoring another FREE event for residents to get out and enjoy our great Florida weather and listen to some live music.  Come and enjoy a FREE Concert this Saturday, October 4, 2008 from 6 to 9 pm in Central Park at City Hall.  The Smoking Torpedoes will be headlining this Blues Concert and area vendors will be providing food and beverages for your purchase.  Bring your blankets and your lawn chairs for fun evening of live music in the park. City Hall is located at the corner of Lake Mary Boulevard and Country Club Road...  Click Here For Map.     Licensed Real Estate Professional, ALHS, e-PRO @ 407.758.1020 or Debbie@CasAndDebbie.com Lake Mary is the Premier Orlando "Bedroom Community" and the #1 Place To Live In Florida! Do you w... 09/29/2008

What's selling this week in Lake Mary Florida?  There were 3 sales in Magnolia Plantation last week.  Magnolia Plantation is a guard gated, golf community in Lake Mary located just north of Lake Mary Boulevard off Markham Woods Road.  Magnolia Plantationfeatures 1 acre home sites, with views of the golf course, lakes and conservation areas to choose from.  There are a few custom home sites still available and a variety of homes for sale.    Single Family Homes Sold in Lake Mary Florida    Sold Neighborhood Street Address Living Area Beds & Baths Pool $ 635,000 Magnolia Plantation 913 Sweetgum Valley Place 3,173 4 / 2.5 Y $625,900 Magnolia Plantation 1081 Walnut Woods Place 3,835 5 / 3 & 2 Y $526,000 Magnolia Plantation 1583 Shadowmoss Circle 2,396 4 / 3 N $ 235,000 The Crossings 862 Tom... 09/29/2008

Okay buckle Up! Coming Oct 1st, there are a few changes to, not just Orlando FHA loans for people looking to purchase Orlando Real Estate, but all FHA Loans that folks need to be aware of. First the new up-front FHA fees are being modified. This is commonly referred to the ‘Mortgage Insurance’ or MIP. The on-going mortgage insurance premiums have also changed and are based on the loan-to-value [LTV} and whether it is a 15 or 30 year fixed mortgage. Read the whole story: Mortgage Chili: Effective Oct. 1 - FHA Makes Homeownership More Affordable Chris the Implementer Orlando Mortgages | Orlando FHA Loans Orlando Real Estate | Florida Reverse Mortgages | Florida Short Refinance | Mortgage Chili Blog 09/25/2008

Well it's official today I went from an Accredited Luxury Home Marketing Specialist to a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist. Specializing in luxury real estate in Orange and Seminole County including Lake Mary, Heathrow, Winter Park, Orlando, Windermere, Isleworth, Lake Nona and Baldwin Park. So what's the difference between the two? An Accredited member has received a few hours of training in the Luxury Home arena and passed a test. A Certified member not only has received training, passed a test, but more importantly has proved themselves with affluent buyers and sellers by demonstrating documented and closed transactions in the top 10% tier of his/her market place. Meaning I have worked with affluent clients such as yourself on both the buying and listing side of a transacti... 09/23/2008

What's selling this week in Lake Mary Florida?  Two of the top Lake Mary Golf Communities had multiple sales this week.  Heathrow and Timacuan posted sales in the second week of September.  The most expensive sale this week was in the Reserve at Heathrow, this luxury Heathrow home sold for just over a million dollars.  There was one "new" townhome sold this week in the Villas at Chase Grove. Just Sold in Lake Mary Florida - Single Family Homes   Sold Neighborhood Street Address Living Area Beds/Baths Pool $ 1,050,000 Heathrow 1054 Henley Downs Pl. 4,805 6 / 5 Y $ 875,000 Heathrow Woods 213 Shiloh Cove 4,569 4 / 4.5 Y $ 395,000 Timacuan 709 Hupa Court 3,543 5 / 4 Y $ 340,000 Woodbridge Lakes 685 Pickfair Terrace 2,555 4 / 2.5 Y $ 246,500 Timacuan 346 Mohave Terrace 1,730 3 / 2 N   *All d... 09/23/2008

I am an agent that lives the lives of most my buyers. I understand our needs for communication, education, flexibility and need for instant access and well wanting more then we can truly afford. I was a first time home buyer and now specialize working with first time home buyers in the Orlando area to help them realize their dreams of home ownership. Whether you want to purchase a home in Orlando, Lake Mary, Orange or Seminole County this blog will help you. With that being said I am contacted on a daily basis by first time home buyers who have found me via the internet on my first time home buyers site and via my blogs here on ActiveRain. So I thought I would use some of these questions to create a blog to answer some of those questions that most first time home buyers have. 1. My husb... 09/19/2008

Seminole County SHIP Down Payment Assistance Program (Lake Mary, Longwood,Sanford,Heathrow,Casselberry,Altamonte Springs, Fern Park, Winter Springs, Oviedo) As most of you know that read my blogs, my speciality besides the Luxury Home Market is with First Time Home Buyers in Seminole and Orange County. October 1, 2008 is just around the corner less then 2 weeks away and many buyers are anxious to be among the few that will receive down payment assistance funds from Seminole County. However today I found out a little secret that will help my clients increase there shot of getting their files accepted and being first in line. So lets review real quick what the guidelines are for SHIP: You must have a minimum of $1000 of your own funds towards the investment. You must complete a pre-purch... 09/17/2008

(click to enlarge) The following are the market sales statistics for Lake Mary, Seminole County, Florida for August 2008.  Lake Mary is made up of the zip code 32746.  For purposes of this analysis we will be splitting the data according to single-family homes vs, condominiums, townhomes and villas.   There needs to be a disclaimer here.  These stats are only as good as telling us what it being purchased and happening at a certain period in time.  Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that not only is real estate local, but it is hyper-local.  What this means is that the trends that we hear about are overall.  Let's put it this way, what's happening in one neighborhood, may not be realized in the neighborhood next door.     Additionally, these are only monthly statistics and to... 09/16/2008

Well the good news came today that the Senate has passed the new HR bill that will also for Down Payment Assistance Programs like Nehemiah to stay around. There will be more restrictions on the program such as credit scores, which I think there should be, but it's a step in the right direction. One more push for it to go through Congress and hopefully come October 1 it will be business as usual and I will be able to continue helping first time home buyers such as yourself get into homes.I hope that you continue to come back to my blog or click to subscribe to my RSS feed For information on buying, selling, or auctions in Central Florida, Orange County and Seminole County, new construction, bank owned, short sale and foreclosure properties and Relocation services contact your Lake Mary R... 09/16/2008

Regent Interiors are State Certified General Contractors offering the following services throughout the Orlando and surrounding area. Specializing in Any Home Remodeling! Kitchen Remodeling Bathroom Remodeling Cabinetry Custom Closets Custom Wood Working All solid surface counter tops Wood and Laminate Flooring Wall and Floor Tiling Installation of windows, doors, etc Orlando Contractors Kitchen Remodeling Call Alan Fennell at (407) 423-1288 for an estimate! Alan Fennell, Owner Regent Interiors of Central Florida Inc (407) 423-1288 Direct (407) 423-1289 Fax (321) 948-7233 Cell http://www.regent-interiors.com 09/13/2008

What's selling this week in Lake Mary Florida?  The marquee Lake Mary neighborhood of Heathrow leads this week with 3 of the 5 sales of Single Family homes.  Heathrow is a guard gated, private golf community located just minutes from Interstate 4 and Lake Mary Boulevard.  This master planned community of over 2,000 homes has some of the most desirable addresses in all of Lake Mary.  For more information about homes for sale in Heathrow... please contact me. There was one "new" townhome sold this week in Fountain Parke at Lake Mary. Just Sold in Lake Mary Florida - Single Family Homes  Sold Neighborhood Street Address Living Area Beds/Baths Pool $ 529,000 Magnolia Plantation 1100 Cypress Loft Place 2,580 4 / 3 Y $ 510,000 Heathrow 270 Promenade Circle 2,744 4 / 3 Y $ 489,000 Heathrow 16... 09/10/2008

MARKET REPORT FOR REAL ESTATE IN ORANGE AND SEMINOLE COUNTIES, FL (CITIES INCLUDE: Lake Mary, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Sanford, Altamonte Springs, Heathrow, Casselberry, Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Apopka) AUGUST 2008 Looks like a whole lot of the same. Over the past year we haven't done much which is better then going down. It's still a great time to buy, but if you feel you need to wait or arent ready just yet, I would still love to be your agent you come to for questions and to receive your Real Estate news from. I hope that you continue to come back to my blog or click to subscribe to my RSS feed For information on buying, selling, or auctions in Central Florida, Orange County and Seminole County, new construction, bank owned, short sale and foreclosure properties and ... 09/10/2008

 Welcome back to the Magnolia Plantation Market Update.  Magnolia Plantation is a guard gated, golf community in Lake Mary Florida.  This community is located in the highly desirable Markam Woods Road Corridor and has easy access to Lake Mary Boulevard and Interstate 4.  Having a Magnolia Plantation address is smart choice!  Magnolia Plantation is just a 25 minute commute to Downtown Orlando and is a favorite among Seminole County residents. Magnolia Plantation was built by some of the areas top builders including Centex Homes, Beazer Homes, Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Hillcrest homes and Carmen Dominguez.  Magnolia Plantation offers waterfront, conservation and golf front homes from the mid $400's to over $1 Million.  Please contact me directly for more information, Magnolia Plantation Mar... 09/08/2008

Welcome home to the Lake Mary Real Estate Market Update for August 2008.  The home sales information for Lake Mary is for the zip code 32746 and includes Heathrow, Florida.  Lake Mary Florida was voted the #1 Place to Live in the South by Money/CNN.com in 2007.  Lake Mary Florida is a popular place for Orlando area residents to call home, just a short 20 minute drive to downtown Orlando, Lake Mary is a great place to choose your Seminole County home. Lake Mary is home to some of the most exclusive communities in Central Florida.  The guard gated neighborhood of Heathrow is the top choice of Lake Mary home buyers.  Your Heathrow home choices include condominiums, townhomes, villas, single family homes and luxury estates.  Heathrow is also home to the private, member's only Heathrow Coun... 09/07/2008