Boca Raton Real Estate News

With rising gas and food prices, college tuitions, higher utility bills, what can you do to make ends meet? Even if you earn a salary of $40,000+ today it doesn’t seem like enough to get by with the higher costs of living. Second jobs seem to be the wave of the future. It is not just lower and middle income workers that has been affected, There are many people in all income ranges that have either lost their jobs or their hours and benefits have been reduced.

A friend of mine found herself in this predicament recently and decided to be creative. Not being able to find a job in her field, she thought about what she else she was qualified to do. She has a sales, real estate and a legal background.

Creatively she started doing contract work in those

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BOCA RATON RETAIL BARGAIN HUNTING

For you savvy bargain hunters out there, Boca Raton has a lot of great shopping.  One of my favorite places to shop is Banana Republic at the Town Center Mall. The store manager Darryl and customer support management team, Natalie, Georgia and Martha are friendly, professional and each customer receives the personal attention of their sales staff. In my opinion, the value and quality of the clothes cannot be matched.   Weekly sales promotions and benefits of their Banana Rewards Card are offered to entice you to shop at their store.  Stop by when you are in the neighborhood and ask for my salesperson and personal shopper Sheri. Tell her Caesar sent you.

BANANA REPUBLIC
BOCA RATON - TOWN CENTER
6000 GLADES RD
BOCA…

With all the upside-down borrowers out there today, is purchasing a pre-foreclosure short sale home a good idea or bad idea?  If you have the money and time, it is worthwhile to take advantage of purchasing a short sale property. Short sales are situations where the seller owes more than he can sell the property for at current market conditions. If you are successful at getting the seller’s bank to accept the reduced price, you will be able to purchase the home at or slightly below market prices. However, keep in mind that the process could take anywhere from 30 to 90 days and there may be other buyers making offers at the same time which could increase the sales price.  Also, the properties may not be in top condition because the struggling

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There are some positive signs that the shaky housing market has hit its rock bottom.  For the second month in a row, Palm Beach County home prices have inched up in month-over-month increases.

The Florida Association of Realtors reported that the median single-family home price increased from $343,200 in January to $344,600 in February.  It’s a slight increase, but definitely a move in the right direction.

Home prices are still 8 percent below last year’s figures and total sales are still down 28 percent, but John Mike, chairman of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches told the Palm Beach Post, “We’re no longer in a free-fall.” He also states that the market is in a period of stabilization.

Experts anticipate that we will see an

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Boca Raton Vacations Just Got Easier

    One fantastic amenity of owning Boca Raton real estate and living in the south Florida area is the convenience of a quick Caribbean getaway. It’s a luxury most American’s don’t have and American Airlines has made it even easier to enjoy those oh-so-necessary diversions.   Starting Nov. 20, 2008 American Airlines will offer daily, nonstop service from Miami to Antigua. Plans call for a Boeing 737-800 airplane with 16 first class seats and 132 seats in the main cabin.   Antigua is approximately 290 miles from San Juan and the new nonstop flights will compliment existing flights from San Juan and Puerto Rico to Antigua by American and its affiliate, American Eagle.   The Island’s claim…

Great news for Realtors and developers in South Florida! There are more potential buyers and sales are starting to gather momentum. A recent article in the Palm Beach Post stated that one real estate agency sold 20 homes in the Valencia Pointe community, which caters to active adults. In addition, over 1,700 people attended the grand opening of Portosol in Royal Palm Beach.     It was the most successful sales launch of any new-home project in Palm Beach with over 40 new homes being sold in just 3 months.   Many Realtors attribute the demand picking up in large part to the number of buyer incentives available in today’s tough market. The market also seems to be more realistic in regards to pricing.    Currency exchange benefits are…

Enjoy at day inland at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. It’s just 20 minutes from Boca Raton. It promises to have something for the whole family to enjoy, but it is truly a bird lover’s paradise.

 The park protects and preserves wildlife on almost 150,000 acres of land and is home to the American alligator.

It’s amazing to think that as many as 257 species of bird take advantage of the diverse wetland habitats in any given year. If you’re a bird watcher, it’s the perfect place to get away from the hectic tourist areas and get some great photos. In fact, the park is known as the gateway to the Great Florida Birding Trail; a collection of over 400 Florida locations that were chosen to conserve and improve the state’s bird habitats by

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There was some interesting news in the Palm Beach Post on Sept. 12th. An article written by Gretel Sarmiento noted that city officials here approved sending two hot-button issues to the State to review. One is the Ocean Breeze Golf and Country Club development (proposed is 211 town homes and a 10,000 sq foot community center, plus an upgrade of the existing golf clubhouse and an addition of 46 more rooms at the Inn at Ocean Breeze). Also the existing three golf courses, at 5800 N.W. Second Ave., will be reconfigured and re-done into an 18-hole golf course and a brand new nine-hole executive golf course.

 As usual, there are people both for and against the project and some things needed to be ironed out. Neighbors of the proposed community are happier

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There are people who swear by the feel and long lasting benefits of organic clothing! There’s a company here in Boca Raton that designs organic items for your home and for you to wear. Managing Director of Under The Canopy (which has been in Boca Raton for over 10 years) Barbara Cavanagh, told the Miami Herald that “Organic is the new luxury”.

Everything produced by her company is eco-friendly. "The main fabric we're using is organic cotton and that means the cotton is grown without the use of any kind of pesticides," said Cavanagh. The article explained that 25 % of the world's pesticide use goes to growing conventional cotton. "A normal t-shirt, for example, uses a third of a pound of chemicals," said Cavanagh.

They sell t-shirts that have

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Florida roads soon could be up for bid, according to “Land Line”, a business magazine aimed at those in the trucking industry. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he is considering turning some highways over to private groups, in hopes of plugging a $1.1 billion hole in the state budget.http://www.dot.state.fl.us/ “I don’t know if it’s good or bad at this point, but I think it’s important to continue to be innovative,” Crist told The Associated Press. Privatization of certain roadways in Florida could help rebalance the state’s $71 billion budget. Officials say the shortfall is because of lower tax revenue caused mainly by a slump in the housing market.
 
Gov. Crist signed a bill into law this spring allowing the Florida DOT to lease most toll roads in the…