Great Florida Homes Blog

Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce Resources for Learning

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:29:44 -0400

One of the things I enjoy about being a member of the Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce is their Referral Groups. They call them CRG's and I like them because they are included in my chamber membership, unlike other referral groups that charge for the same service.

Mine meets every other week at 4pm. Usually we meet at the Chamber office, but often we meet a members business and today it was at Huntington Learning Center in Coral Springs

What I enjoyed most was learning what I did not know.

I didn't know that they helped adults too.
I didn't know that they not only held the students accountable, but the parents as well.
I didn't know that they had specialized testing for EVERYONE, so the remedy was individual and not a blanket one size fits all. This part was most interesting because in their testing they could determine that a problem began two years ago, so that is where they need to start.
I didn't know that they had a classroom setting to replicate the learning environment.
I didn't know that they did 1 on 1 training for SAT/ACT.
I didn't know that they had programs for the learning disabled.
I didn't know that their training was so comprehensive for reading, writing, math, spelling, phonics, study skills, state testing prep, confidence, self esteem and motivation building!

Michael Bush, the owner and the most visible person of the organization, is a strong proponent for the local schools by utilizing his site to collect school supplies for the under served schools. He is even partnering with local eye doctor, Mark Gendal on how to identify and recognize potential visual learning difficulties in students.

It was worth my time today to learn what I didn't know and become a better resource for my clients relocating to the area that may have a need for a teaching and learning resource in Huntington Learning Center in Coral Springs.

Broward County and Palm Beach County Real Estate Listings and Sales for July 2010

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:33:11 -0400

REAL ESTATE UPDATE FOR BROWARD COUNTY & PALM BEACH COUNTY
July 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010

Broward County includes well known cities of Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Highland Beach, Hillsboro, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac and Weston.

There are currently 8209 Single Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County.

4001 priced under $250,000
2318 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
705 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
385 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
315 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
154 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
331 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of July, 859, Single Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

491 were sold under $250,000
271 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
50 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
25 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
9 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
6 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
7 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 12,486 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

9796 are priced under $250,000
1601 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
490 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
291 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
170 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
79 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
59 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of July, 971 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

Note that many of the lower priced multi family homes are located in Adult only communities with a over the age of 55 requirment to live there.

886 were sold under $250,000
70 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
6 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
4 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
3 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,00
6 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
2 were sold over $2,000,000

Palm Beach County includes well known cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

There are currently 7296 single family homes listed For Sale in Palm Beach County.

2798 priced under $250,000
2252 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
725 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
423 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
373 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
242 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
483 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of July, 484 Single Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach County. (Selected Cities Referenced).

272 were sold under $250,000
144 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
33 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
7 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
9 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
8 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
8 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 8744 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Palm Beach County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

7077 are priced under $250,000
1083 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
309 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
162 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
93 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
34 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
69 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of July, 509 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach county. (Selected Cities Referenced).

466 were sold under $250,000
22 are sold between 250,001 and $500,000
9 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
5 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
3 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
3 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
1 was sold over $2,000,000

To see specific details on a specific category of homes actively for sale or sold, please email us at Team@GreatFloridaHomes.com and we will forward the information for your reference or review.

Information deemed reliable as provided by the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale
and the Realtor Association of the Palm Beaches.

Single Family listings in both counties were up mildly. Sales for both counties were down slightly. In Multi-family listings were up in both counties and sales were down. All of this could be attributed to summertime vacations or the economy. I'm going with vacations, since sales in the summer are normally down.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:16:50 -0400

I was reading the Food Network magazine and of all places came across what I thought was such a cool idea.

The ability to turn your water bottle into a tripod. http://tinyurl.com/BottleCapTripod

I don't work for these people....I just thought it was a terrific idea especially if you were traveling and didn't always have someone around to take your picture and so reasonable to toss into a travel bag.

Sometimes your arms just won't stretch far enough.

Also in the Food Network magazine, besides some FABULOUS Recipes. Try the lemonade chicken if you are looking for yummy. I used chicken wings and drumettes instead.

On page 43 they had a story, called JUST ADD CHOCOLATE.....I love Chocolate, Dark or Milk. I love Peanut Butter too, but do not like it mixed with my chocolate-Sorry Reece's! In the article they had some interesting items to mix chocolate with......

PORK RIND CHOCOLATE BARS (I like Pork Rinds, I'm just not sure about in my chocolate)

M&M is now adding chocolate to PRETZELS. I already know that is a good choice.

The last one that I was curious about was by Komforte Chocolates. They mix CHOCOLATE with Broken TORTILLA CHIPS, SALT and LIME, among other items, but this one sounded the most appealing to me.

I have enough cookbooks that I should never have to look anywhere for a recipe, but I still like to peruse articles and friends suggestions once in a while. Just look at all the interesting things I found.

Off to my next food adventure (after work of course)! Joy

Broward County and Palm Beach County Real Estate Listings and Sales for June 2010

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:30:01 -0400

REAL ESTATE UPDATE FOR BROWARD COUNTY & PALM BEACH COUNTY
June 1, 20010 to June 30, 2010

There are currently 7994 Single Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County.

3446 priced under $250,000
2263 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
714 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
402 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
328 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
492 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
349 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of June, 1021, Single Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

627 were sold under $250,000
293 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
52 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
25 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
12 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
6 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
6 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 12,314 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

9547 are priced under $250,000
1673 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
493 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
285 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
172 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
83 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
61 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of June, 1217 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

Note that many of the lower priced multi family homes are located in Adult only communities with a over the age of 55 requirment to live there.

1111 were sold under $250,000
69 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
21 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
9 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
3 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,00
3 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
1 was sold over $2,000,000

Palm Beach County includes well known cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

There are currently 7180 single family homes listed For Sale in Palm Beach County.

2647 priced under $250,000
2266 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
736 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
412 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
385 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
240 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
494 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of JUNE, 741 Single Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach County (Selected Cities Referenced).

427 was sold under $250,000
220 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
43 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
15 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
13 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
9 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
4 were sold over $2,000,000

6941 are priced under $250,000
1098 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
324 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
175 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
97 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
36 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
73 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of June, 721 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach county. (Selected Cities Referenced).

655 were sold under $250,000
38 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
15 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
6 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
6 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
None were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
1 was sold over $2,000,000

Broward and Palm Beach counties have experienced regular declines and increase in sales until this month of June. Across the board both counties are up in inventory. In all the numbers are low overall, but still up over last month. Sales were down across the board but again in low numbers. it could be the lack of the tax credit.....but we don't think it is. We think it has more to do with the summer time period. We won't know for sure until the fall numbers come in and unemployment numbers are still an overall concern for the marketplace. In the end, we are optimistic that we will survive this adjustment in the marketplace because real estate is local and we are only monitoring two counties. For Broward and Palm Beach County that we serve, we are Optimistic!

HOA'S versus HOG'S

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:23:13 -0400

During a dinner conversation, with the Homeowner of one of my listings, they expressed their frustration over the sale of their home and trying to work with their Homeowner Association.

I would imagine that HOA's were established to keep multi-family and single family developments in order. Coordinating the landscaping maintenance and beautification, security and code enforcement issues, also in the case of condos with buyer approvals.

Perhaps they started small and then morphed into these uncontrollable, ego maniacs that my Homeowner called HOG's. HOMEOWNERS GESTAPO!

It made me laugh, but it was sad that much of what they said is true. For us, as Realtors, we have had the HOG's hold Buyers’ approval at bay. Reasons vary from; They are very busy, to they want to find a way not to approve your Buyer without getting sued. (This was our most recent experience).

They tell you that you will have your approval, but the day before closing you are calling for the fifth time and begging for the letter of approval.

When you show up at their office, to buy your Condo Documents that you called ahead to request, they treat you like they are doing you a favor. It is as if you are a low life in spite of the fact you are dripping with sweetness as you stand at the receptionist’s desk awaiting an acknowledgment of your presence. It takes a few minutes for someone to realize you’re standing there and then maybe they’ll look up to acknowledge you.

The funny thing is that, the service you’re there for, is not free…Condo Docs, HOA Docs and HOA applications.....you have to pay for!

Call and ask for the manager of the property you are representing and you are transferred to voice mail oblivion. Occasionally you win the lottery and you get a call back, but usually you have to leave two to three messages.

THIS IS NOT EVERY HOA...it just seems like it is too many. I am a salesperson. I know how to negotiate, get my way or get what I need. I feel inadequate way too often, when it comes to dealing with HOGS.

Amendment 4 Opposed by a Diverse Statewide Coalition

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:12:49 -0400

This is a re-post of an article authored by Ryan Houck. I support VOTE No on 4. I understand the oppositions view point, but in my opinion the amendment is not designed to empower voters. It is designed to hand over power to special interest lawyers and hand us taxpayers the bill. The amendment needs to be better written in order to be acceptable. As it is now, it is like taking a machine gun to kill a flea (as quoted by the Fl Times Union), and I agree with them.

Amendment 4 will devastate Florida's economy. By costing jobs and contributing to our state's record unemployment, this ill-timed, misguided proposal has the capacity to crush what is left of Florida's economic future. According to a study conducted by The Washington Economics Group, Amendment 4 would likely cost Florida 267,247 jobs and reduce economic output by $34 billion annually. Consequently, business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Economic Development Council are opposed to this amendment. Mark Wilson, President of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, stated, "If you like the recession, you'll love Amendment 4."

Amendment 4 will promote sprawl. Environmental groups, such as 1,000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Forestry Association, have expressed concern that Amendment 4 will actually serve to exacerbate the sprawling patterns of development it claims to remedy. They worry that, by making it more difficult to amend comprehensive plans, Amendment 4 will lock in place the poor planning decisions of the past, thereby making smart, well-coordinated growth impossible. 1,000 Friends of Florida cites "piecemeal planning, and the possibility of ‘planning gridlock'," as reasons for their opposition to the proposal.

Amendment 4 is poor public policy. For this reason, the Florida American Planning Association opposes the amendment. In fact, their website refers to Amendment 4 as "a single, expensive, and unwieldy solution to a complex and important set of issues." Under Amendment 4, Floridians would be forced to vote on hundreds, even thousands, of comprehensive plan amendments each year. According to the Department of Community Affairs Sunset Review, there were nearly 6,500 changes to local government comprehensive plans in fiscal year 2006-2007, and a 2003 Department of Community Affairs Program Summary reports 16,581 plan amendments in 1999.

Amendment 4 will delay community improvements. The WEG study states that Amendment 4 would "force local and state governments to either raise taxes or cut services." Ultimately, the study notes, "Public schools, public safety and local health care services would suffer from both the direct impact of Amendment 4 (delay construction until the next election) and the indirect impact of fewer tax revenues from which to fund needed operations and capital investments." As Floridians struggle to make ends meet, the last thing our state needs is a proposal which will delay the creation of much-need schools, hospitals, and fire stations. For this reason, the Florida School Boards Association opposes Amendment 4.

Amendment 4 will hurt Florida's working families. TheFlorida State Council of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, an AFL-CIO/CLC trade union, states "Amendment (4) poses a grave threat to Florida's unique quality of life, the stability of its communities, and the prosperity of its families..."

The coalition of opposition to Amendment 4 is virtually unprecedented in its diversity and scope because the threat of this proposal transcends traditional social and political boundaries. To learn more or to get involved, please visit www.florida2010.org, and remember, this November, VOTE NO on Amendment 4!

YOU LIVE WITH YOUR MOTHER?!?!?!

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:34:09 -0400

I am always amazed by the varied responses that I get when I tell people my Mom and I live together. Often it is, "YOU LIVE WITH YOUR MOTHER?!?!?" After all I am over 50.

The fact is she lives with me. The father of my children asked her to move in with us 25 years ago, when she suddenly became widowed at 46 years of age. She likes being Betty Crocker and Susie Homemaker and I like to work. We formed, in my opinion, the perfect partnership.

I give her a budget, a housekeeper, yard service and a pool man. She makes our home run smoothly and raised my PERFECT children (aren't they all perfect after your done raising them?)

She has made my home life WONDERFUL! I could leave before anyone got up and come home after they were all in bed. When the girls were little, I was home to get them to and from school, dinner and bedtime story's...then I went back to work. I can call her between appointments and she'll meet me in the driveway with a sandwich. She is accomodating without a complaint.

In 24 years we have had 3 disagreements....don't think there are too many married couples that can say that. Dating for me was sometimes a challenge....If Nana (her nickname), didn't like them...they didn't last long ;-)

Today I am successful because my Mom aka Nana chooses to live with me. I am lucky and blessed to have such a cool Mom (check her out at XMAS last year) and thrilled to tell people that we live together.

PS: My business partner is my younger brother and he lives in another town. He is in our home FREQUENTLY because he loves Mom too!

Broward County and Palm Beach County Real Estate Listings and Sales for May 2010

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:45:09 -0400

REAL ESTATE UPDATE FOR
BROWARD COUNTY & PALM BEACH COUNTY
May 2010

There are currently7685 Single Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County.

3508 priced under $250,000
2214 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
732priced between $500,001 and $750,000
394 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
314 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
162 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
360 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of May, 933 Single Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

545 were sold under $250,000
279 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
54 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
29 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
13 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
7 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
4 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 12,155 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

9349 are priced under $250,000
1704 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
496 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
278 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
184 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
86 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
59 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of May, 1164 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

Note that many of the lower priced multi family homes are located in Adult only communities with a over the age of 55 requirement to live there.

1037 were sold under $250,000
98 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
19 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
5 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
4 was sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,00
1 was sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
None were sold over $2,000,000

Palm Beach County includes well known cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

There are currently 7030 single family homes listed For Sale in Palm Beach County.

2420 priced under $250,000
2278 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
768 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
406 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
390 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
251 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
516 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of May, 609 Single Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach County.

342 were sold under $250,000
182 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
34 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
13 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
20 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
4 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
14 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 8450, Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Palm Beach County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

6698 are priced under $250,000
1126 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
302 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
193 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
94 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
37 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
73 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of May, 606 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach county.

544 were sold under $250,000
43 are sold between 250,001 and $500,000
12 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
4 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
1 was sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
None sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
2 were sold over $2,000,000

Broward County and Palm Beach County Real Estate Listings and Sales for April 2010

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:08:26 -0400

REAL ESTATE UPDATE FOR BROWARD COUNTY & PALM BEACH COUNTY
April 1, 2010 - April 30, 2010

There are currently 7538 Single Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County.

3327 priced under $250,000
2227 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
729 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
396 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
313 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
172 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
374 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of April, 979, Single Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

612 were sold under $250,000
278 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
60 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
14 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
6 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
2 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
7 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 12,005 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

9155 are priced under $250,000
1755 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
496 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
269 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
182 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
85 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
63 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of April, 1377 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

Note that many of the lower priced multi family homes are located in Adult only communities with a over the age of 55 requirment to live there.

1223 were sold under $250,000
108 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
27 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
8 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
10 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,00
None were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
1 was sold over $2,000,000

Palm Beach County includes well known cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

There are currently 7100 single family homes listed For Sale in Palm Beach County.

2348 priced under $250,000
2338 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
783 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
435 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
395 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
265 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
536 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of April, 601 Single Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach County.

337 were sold under $250,000
188 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
36 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
12 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
13 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
8 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
7 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 8,354 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Palm Beach County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

6502 are priced under $250,000
1122 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
322 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
192 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
99 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
40 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
77 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of April, 758 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach county.

675 were sold under $250,000
52 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
17 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
6 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
4 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
3 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
1 was sold over $2,000,000

Listings were down in both counties and sales were still strong. It will be interesting to see if the loss of the Tax credit makes a difference in these figures by the July Numbers.

How Much Prep Work Should A Home Seller Do for a Short Sale?

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:37:39 -0400

Yesterday I listed a cute home in Coral Springs, Florida owned by friends of mine that need to sell for a relocation and of course it is a short sale. When I got there I was floored. Fresh trimmed landscaping, new mulch, house smelt Pine Sol Fresh and Clean!

WOW! I don't get this from most Short Sales, because odds are if they are upside down they don't have the funds to keep the home up.

http://bit.ly/bBiwcy

They said this is our home, until it is no longer our home. We live here, we entertain here and want it presentable. They have three dogs too and you couldn't tell. In Florida it is usually easy to tell if you have dogs in a home because they sweat from their feet and the smell gets in the carpet fibers.

Short sale or not, presentation is a big deal! I had two showings tonight and now have two offers!!

Presentation and proper pricing is a BIG DEAL! I've listed four homes in the last couple of weeks and two are under contract within days! They were clean and showed fresh. The other two are clean but the price is a little too high. This makes a difference too.

Mike Ferry taught it best, when he said, "The world will communicate to you in one of two ways to tell you if you are priced correctly....One with their feet they come and Two with their pocketbooks they make offers. If they are coming and not making offers - wrong price! If they are not coming still the wrong price!"

Any objection or lack of attendance can be overcome by proper pricing, but a great presentation goes a long ways!

Glad I've Lived in Coral Springs, Florida for 25 Years!

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:22:40 -0400

I grew up in an aviation family which moved every 8 months to 5 years. When that is all you know, you think it is normal. Normal not to have repetitive friends, normal not to stay connected to people you loved and enjoyed.

Long before the days of EMAIL, FACEBOOK and TWITTER. (On that note I have connected with the friends I went to high school with in South East Asia and they all live in different parts of the world). Thank Goodness for that part of social media!

I am grateful for technology on many levels and on many levels I abhor it! Abhor it when it comes to the over whelming amounts of emails I receive in ONE Day. God forbid you go on vacation and have NO ACCESS to email. I would want to shoot myself at 200 plus emails a day. I'm the techno for the team....My Brother/Partner would rather find another career than have to handle the Teams emails. I on the other hand leave the details of contracts up to him. Being the type "A", multi-Tasker, I miss the contract details that he can catch so we each manage a different aspect of the business. This is what makes a GREAT Team and in our case family-(Mom who lives with me after being widowed is our Bookkeeper).

Back to the point of this BLOG! After dealing with this week's overwhelming contracts, negotiations and just the normal amount of stuff that goes with being a successful team.....I left the office early (8:00pm), on a Friday night.

I wanted to go to the mall to see what I had been missing out on the latest and greatest for fashion. Admittedly I get a lot of good ideas from the magazines that arrive at the house but the trip to the mall, was the GREAT reassurance, that I was not MISSING THE BOAT! Or maybe at 51, I'm just too old for that, "HOT BOOTY", look. I did catch myself saying this a lot as I walked thru the mall...."THAT IS NOT ME!"

Prior to reaching the mall - I saw the AT&T store and whipped in there. Nana/Mom/The Bookkeeper needs a NEW CELLPHONE. She text's my kids, me, my brother and I think her personal trainer. Nana wants nothing to do with Google - she is actually AFRAID of Computers! We really have to push her! She is hilarious at family functions as she tells people, "My Daughter tells me to, "Google", whenever I need anything." Hey, works for me (the Daughter)....Nana on the other hand would rather I do it for her. NOPE-I still have to push her beyond her fears of technology.

So back to the title of this BLOG! At the AT&T store, I think I am going to waltz in there and say, I need a phone for Nana aka Mom. She likes to text....doesn't need Google and has to be able to see the numbers and keys. Well this just was not going to be as easy as I thought. If they had one choice and color, I could have called it an evening! There were three choices of phones and multiple colors. UMMMM SORRY - Love you Mom and I AM NOT MAKING THAT DECISION for you!

So Anthony says to me, WELLLLLLLLL................If you are sending Mom in without you she has to be an authorized account user, Anthony! FIX ME UP!!! After he accesses my account he says....Oh Tara Carter is on your account as an authorized user. Yes Anthony that is my oldest daughter. Anthony says, I know Tara. Is she still friends with Taimy? Yes Anthony. If you know Tara and Taimy, then you know NANA, He responds with - THAT'S YOUR MOM?!?!?!?!

The end result is - Anthony will be taking care of Nana and all I have to do is pay the bill. I am INCREDIBLY Happy as I leave AT&T and thinking to myself.......Thank goodness my girls were fortunate enough to grow up in the same town, with the same friends since pre-school (unlike me who had to wait 40 years for Facebook to come around to reconnect).

In the end as I drove to the mall, I could not stop smiling and being happy about living in the same town for 25 years!!! I am SOOOOO Lucky!!! Joy

MARKETING YOURSELF IN CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:57:39 -0400

When I left new construction sales with Coral Ridge Properties (the developer of the city of Coral Springs, Parkland and the Galt Ocean Mile in Fort Lauderdale), in "1996", it was one of the scariest moves in my life. I had a strong reputation and sales were good, but I was so unhappy with all of the corporate downsizing and how it affected our morale.

When the downsizing took its toll on my emotional system, I left in tears. My boss said, Are you sure you want to leave? No, I wasn't but I knew there had to be a better place out there than being emotionally distraught over something I could not fix.

I went to Re/Max Partners in Coral Springs. Why Re/Max? One evening I was standing in the valet line for a Woman's Council of Realtors event. This really cute guy pulls up with a baby seat in his shiny pick-up truck. How often do you see a baby seat in a pick-up truck? Somewhere during the evening while talking we discovered we both had family in South Dakota (so not the norm for South Florida). Conversation was professional and enjoyable. In the end, he says, you are thinking of changing jobs? As I sputter out a, "No, Not Me!" I add, I couldn't work for Re/MAX. He (Larry Revier) gave me one of the best lines I think I ever heard...."You do not know, that you know, what you know".

Those were like the vibrations left over from the touch of a symbol. I kept hearing them over and over.

I met with him and his partner, Ray Glynn for an interview. If I recall I took a friend from Coldwell Banker with me, who was already a resale agent. I loved the Re/MAX concept and I liked Ray and Larry, so I signed up.

It was a GREAT decision and I loved being part of the organization and their team but since we were a team of 3 members the Re/Max model became a little too expensive for my budget.

My previous employer, Coral Ridge properties had not stopped soliciting me to return and join their resale department. I could not go back, because I have a rule in life-NEVER GO BACK-ONLY GO FORWARD (Childhood lesson and 90% applicable), so I kept rebuking them, until they said we are going to be a Prudential franchise. OKAY, now I could consider another move.

The net net result cost me $1200 a year (at that time), but it was an incredible peace of mind. My monthly expenses were $2300 to $3200 a month whether I sold something or not and some months that were really uncomfortable. I was willing to take the loss for peace of mind and peace of pocketbook and sadly left Larry and Ray.

I've been with Prudential 10 years now and will tell you that I HATE TO MOVE companies! I was in new construction for 11 years and went to Re/MAX for 2 and a half years. After 5 years at Prudential (and I market the heck out of myself to my clients), some thought I was still at Re/MAX. Although 10 years later Re/MAX is a favorable distant memory because I respected the people I worked for).

Moving offices is still a challenge when it comes to marketing yourself in real estate. Fortunately, after 10 years at Prudential, past President of the Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce and many other leadership and committee positions in the city of Coral Springs, people know where to find me.

MY BEGINNINGS IN REAL ESTATE IN CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:02:51 -0400

I was, 26 years old, married and I arrived in Coral Springs, Florida, with a real estate license that I obtained in Jacksonville, Florida, working as a receptionist for a Property Management firm. I didn't even know what a REALTOR was, until I became one and I only became one as the result of a bad experience my parents had, from being taken advantage of by one. (That is a whole different story in itself).

Friends of mine were builders in Coral Springs and lo and behold unbeknown to me, my Dad's cousin from Nebraska was a builder here also. Our family friends said, if you have a real estate license, you need to live and work in Coral Springs. The developer, Coral Ridge Properties is who you need to work for. I had always been a salesman, so how difficult could selling real estate be?

My friends said, we build for the developer of the city we'll get you an interview. Okay and VERY GREEN behind the ears....I'm all in! Friends said they'd set me up and I call for the appointment. Quickly I realize that they NEVER MADE THE CALL, to get me an interview with the developer of the city of Coral Springs. OH WELL! I've already made a fool of myself....I might as well go for broke!

I did get the appointment and the Executive Vice President, Dick Steven (RIP), was BRUTAL in the interview. Why should I hire you?!?! YOU know nothing about real estate, you know nothing about land and you know NOTHING ABOUT Coral Springs!!! I was flabbergasted but needed a job, so I countered with. Come On......What do you have to lose? I am a FAST LEARNER and I'll only take up space. I got the job and he was right....I was a miserable failure for the first 6 months, until someone took pity on me (and that's another story!)

After that, with some coaching, I figured it out and took off! Sold a million dollars in real estate and was flying after that, always in the top ten sales people.

Lots of good years working for Coral Ridge Properties, the developer of the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland until the early 90's when the corporate downsizing began. I was miserable. I had worked for Coral Ridge Properties for my first 10 years of my real estate career and loved it. Made lots of friends and enjoyed success. The corporate downsizing took its toll on my emotional system. Even though I knew I wouldn't get let go because I kept making the company money, I couldn't stand the toll it took on my friends so I decided to go into business for myself.

I've never been so scared in my life!!!! By that time, I was divorced and had, my Mom and two little girls to support. I felt like I jumped off a cliff. I knew I wasn't going to hit bottom, but I did not know how long I would fall.

I didn't fall far. Went into debt the first year for a tremendous amount of money and paid it all off, very quickly. Tripled my income and said, DARN, I wish I'd made the change sooner.

The bottom line is...IF YOU BELIEVE in what you are doing is RIGHT!!! JUMP and Don't let anyone talk you out of it. You WILL BE AFRAID.....Just Keep pushing Forward because DREAMS DO COME TRUE! (Sometimes they just take a little longer than we want!)

CYPRESS GLEN, CYPRESS ISLES, CYPRESS RUN, CYPRESS... WHAT?!?!

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:09:15 -0400

Back in 1963 when Coral Ridge Properties started to develop land in northwest Broward county (the middle of nowhere in those days)......they came up with these catchy names for their subdivisions.

The CYPRESS community names didn't come along until the 1980's. Well how catchy are they? Considering the Cypress Tree is native to Florida and often found in the Everglades. It is a tree of great strength that can live for hundreds of years and is known to withstand flooding. Sounds apropos to me.

How does a customer tell the difference between a Cypress Glen, Cypress Run or Cypress Isle? Age will be the largest difference and therefore the styling of the homes for that neighborhood.

One of the things that Coral Ridge Properties, now WCI Communities, as the developer of the city did was to create estate sections within communities.

For example, in Cypress Glen the estate homes were Glen Isles. In Cypress Run they were Cypress Isles. In Pine Ridge they were Pine Grove and in Brookside they were Brookside Grove, the later being built in the 1990's.

What defines an estate home, by the developer's standards? Larger home sites, such as or 1/3 acre or 1/2 acre and larger interior square footage. Note in Florida square footage is measured and calculated based on air conditioned space, also defined as, "living area". Then there is the total square footage that includes garage, patio's and overhangs.

Is one neighborhood better than another? It depends on who you ask. The biggest differences are going to be age and now it would be updates or remodeling.

The city started building up shortly after it was started in 1963 and pretty much finished up in the late 1990's. Coral Springs 50th birthday is right around the corner. I was here for the 25th birthday. It was a huge celebration at Mullins park, where the city fathers made a HUGE attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World records, with the world's largest hamburger and milkshake. I don't remember if they made it, but I wasn't eating it!

Broward County and Palm Beach County Real Estate Listings and Sales for March 2010

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team (Prudential Florida Realty) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:09:14 -0400

REAL ESTATE UPDATE FOR BROWARD COUNTY & PALM BEACH COUNTY
March 01, 2010 to March 31, 2010

Broward County includes well known cities of Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach,
Fort Lauderdale, Highland Beach, Hillsboro, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Plantation,
Sunrise, Tamarac and Weston.

There are currently 7,871 Single Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County.

3510 priced under $250,000
2317 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
733 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
435 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
323 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
185 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
366 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of March, 975 Single Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

583 were sold under $250,000
281 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
57 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
24 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
323 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
185 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
9 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 12,638 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Broward County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

9633 are priced under $250,000
1862 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
512 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
275 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
190 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
95 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
68 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of March, 1447 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Broward County.

Note that many of the lower priced multi family homes are located in Adult only communities with a over the age of 55 requirement to live there.

1304 were sold under $250,000
102 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
25 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
9 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
5 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,00
None were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
2 were sold over $2,000,000

Palm Beach County includes well known cities of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

There are currently 7520 single family homes listed For Sale in Palm Beach County.

2545 priced under $250,000
2470 priced between 250,001 and $500,000
810 priced between $500,001 and $750,000
452 priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
410 priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
257 priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
576 priced over $2,000,000

For the month of March, 605 Single Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach County.

331 were sold under $250,000
191 were sold between 250,001 and $500,000
33 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
20 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
15 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
6 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
8 were sold over $2,000,000

There are currently 8731 Multi-Family Homes LISTED FOR SALE in Palm Beach County. Multi-Family Homes include condos, town homes, villas, coops, all attached and or unattached as well as single story to multi levels.

6682 are priced under $250,000
1254 are priced between 250,001 and $500,000
347 are priced between $500,001 and $750,000
220 are priced between $750,001 and $1,000,000
106 are priced between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
46 are priced between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
76 are priced over $2,000,000

For the month of March, 721 Multi-Family Homes SOLD in Palm Beach county.

650 were sold under $250,000
42 are sold between 250,001 and $500,000
15 were sold between $500,001 and $750,000
4 were sold between $750,001 and $1,000,000
5 were sold between $1,000,001 and $1,500,000
3 were sold between $1,500,001 and $2,000,000
2 are sold over $2,000,000

Listings were less for Broward and Palm Beach and sales were nearly DOUBLED in both single family and multi- family. The only exception was minor in Palm Beach for multi-family homes, approximately 100 additional homes listed for sale.