The Venture

Fairview

The Venture

Sheridan Beach Club

Get your Emergency Loan before you need it

Most people apply for a loan when they need it, but there are good reasons to apply for one when you don't.

Getting a Home Equity Line Of Credit (HELOC) is somewhat simple under normal circumstances, but getting one when you are in a desperate situation may be next to impossible.

During our last hurricane season, many homes were stricken by the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma and while insurance agencies made a great effort to rush adjusters to the affected areas and cut checks to homeowners as diligently as possible, many homeowners waited for months before getting a dime and many others, while lucky to get their payments right away, lacked the funds to pay for deductibles or pay in advance before being refunded by their insurance companies. After a natural disaster, insurance companies stop underwriting and banks stop generating loans pending thorough inspections of the home securing the loan.

But hurricanes are not the only reason why you would be denied for a loan that you may have been given under other circumstances. Losing your job may cause you to not qualify for a loan, but had you gotten it while you were still employed, the funds already available could keep you afloat while you find an alternate source of income.

This is why it is such a wonderful idea to have a HELOC in place before you need it. A HELOC is a loan secured by the value of your home, but it does not have to be used if you don't want to, much like a credit card in that sense. If you do not use the funds available, you do not pay interest and you do not make payments. You can just have the loan in place, available for when you do need it or want it.

Prepare for your 1st Hurricane Season

If you recently moved to Florida, this summer may be your first hurricane season.
Whether you are nervous about experiencing one of Florida's inevitables or completely careless about it, there is one certainty, and that is that things are always better when you are prepared. So, here are a few pointers on how to be ready when a hurricane is on its way...

1. Make plans to secure your property. The best protection for your windows is offered by permanent storm shutters, although using a 5/8” marine plywood cut to fit and ready to install to board up windows is a good second choice.

2. Trim trees and shrubs around your house.

3. Clear loose and clogged rain gutters.

4. Keep a full tank of gas in your car. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family to reduce congestion and delay.

5.Listen to a battery-powered radio or T.V. for information.

6. Have cash available. If a hurricane hits, power outages may make ATMs and credit card machines at stores inoperable.

7. Close storm shutters, and secure outdoor items or bring them inside.

8. Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.

9. Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.

10. Buy bottled water and imperishable food.

11. Once the hurricane hits, stay indoors and away from windows and glass doors.

12. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm - winds will pick up again.

13. After the storm passes, follow local instructions. The storm may have caused property damages that may make it dangerous for people to be out on the streets, like trees blocking the roads or down power lines.

14. The most important rule of all is to stay calm.

Like every year, we are hoping that this year hurricanes don't visit our sunshine state, but if they happen to drop by, we hope this information serves you well.

Steve Jobs

Have a great week

Understanding your credit score

The Five Things That Count Listed below are five main categories of information on a credit report that Fair Isaac & Co evaluate, along with their general level of importance. Within these categories is a complete list of the information that goes into a FICO score. Please note that:

• A score takes into consideration all these categories of information, not just one or two. No one piece of information or factor will determine your score.
• The importance of any factor depends on the overall information on your credit report.
• Your score only looks at information on your credit report. Your FICO score does not reflect your income
• Your score considers both positive and negative information in your credit report.
• Your score does not consider your ethnic group, religion, gender, marital status and nationality.

The score itself can range from 300 to 900. The formula for exactly how the score is calculated is proprietary information and owned by Fair Isaac. Here is an approximate breakdown of how it is determined:

1. 35% of the score is based on your payment history. One of the primary reasons a lender wants to see your score is to find out if and how timely you pay your bills.
2. 30% of the score is based on outstanding debt. How much do you owe on your loans? How many credit cards? Are they at their limits? A good rule is to keep your cards at 30% or less of their limits.
3. 15% of the score is based on the length of credit history. More information about your past payment history gives a more accurate prediction of your future actions.
4. 10% of the score is based on the number of inquiries. These may be bad for your score because they indicate that you may be in some kind of financial trouble or may be taking on a lot of debt. FICO scores only count inquiries from the past year.
5. 10% of the score is based on the types of credit you currently have. What kind and how many of each? The credit mix usually won’t be a key factor in determining your score- but it will be more important if the report lacks other information on which to base the score.
You can have access to your credit report using Equifax

Port St. Lucie

In Port St. Lucie, one of the fastest growing cities in South Florida, this 1/4 acre lot awaits your new home.
Located in the sought after area of Torino this lot is surrounded by gorgeous homes and it is high and dry ready to build.

Please contact Raquel J.
(954) 362-0980 X 2011
raquelj@rightabouthomes.com

Hiring the right real estate agent in a buyer's market

With a shift in market conditions, what used to be a tilted scale for buyers and sellers has now become a fair ground for negotiations. Homes that are priced right and marketed properly continue to sell and buyers have the opportunity to negotiate basic terms.

In a market where sellers need to make a greater effort in order to sell their homes and buyers can get creative when constructing offers, it only makes sense that you hire a competent real estate agent to help you do so, but the question is how do you know who's competent and who's not?
When you hire a real estate professional that you decide to be loyal to, you can be certain that they will be loyal to you too and bear your best interest in mind, so before you go out and "tie the knot" with a real estate agent, ask some questions:

1. Are you a Realtor? Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she becomes a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, and voluntarily adheres to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and pledges to maintain incomparable knowledge of the real estate processes, becoming the experts of residential and commercial property transactions.
2. Do you work as a full-time Realtor®? The felixibilty of schedules in the real estate field tempts a lot of agents to keep their full-time jobs and sell real estate "on the side". While this may work for some agents, others tend to keep real estate "on the side of their minds" as well, relegating the clients' needs.
3. Do you have an assistant or partner? When a Realtor has someone they can rely on to take care of the myriad of details that a real estate transaction requires, they can spend more time on what really matters, like finding a buyer for your home or a home for their buyers.
4. What area and in what aspect of the market do you specialize?
5. Do you have a written marketing plan specifically designed to sell my house or help me find the right home for my family?
6. How do you market properties to buyers?
7. How many properties have you sold in the last three (3) months?
8. What kind of marketing materials will you produce to market my home ?
9. Do you have a written business plan and mission statement?
10. How often will I get an update on the efforts to sell my home or find a home?
11.In what ways do you encourage other Realtors® to sell my property? How do you network?
12. What can I do to help sell my property? A Realtor should have a list of ideas to help you spruce up your home.
13. How many listings do you have? What percentage of them sell?
14. What is the market trend now?
15. Based upon what you know about my situation, should I sell/buy? Why?
16. If I give you the listing, what are the first seven (7) things you will do in the first week to sell my property?
17. What methods do you use to communicate?  Pager  Phone  E-mail  Direct mail  Personal visit
18. What kind of internet presence do you have?
19. What kind of tools on your website are available for buyers / sellers?
20.How soon will my property be featured on your site?
21. On how many different sites will my property be found?
22. Why are you worth the commission?
30. Do you have any buyers for this home now?

Dania Beach Single Family, 411 SE 4th Terr MLS # H807075

This completely updated home is the largest in Dania Beach offering 3,100 sq.ft of charm. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, den/playroom with built-in bar, big kitchen with cooking island, breakfast nook and pantry. Wood floors throughout living areas. 9ft regulation pool table and brand new Jacuzzi in patio are included in the sale as bonus to the buyer.

38 SE 6th ST Duplex Dania Beach MLS # H807078

Great Investment! 2br,2ba rents for $950/month. 1br,1ba rents for $650/month. Both units are in perfect condition and allow for rent increase.

649-408 Sheridan Beach Club-MLS # H815912

THIS HOME HAS TRULY BEEN "DESIGNED TO SELL". DECORATED BY ONE OF TBS DESIGNERS, THIS BEAUTIFUL CONDO LOOKS LIKE IT JUST CAME OUT FROM A TV SHOW. HARDWOOD FLOORS THROUGHOUT, NEW KITCHEN, TRACK LIGHTING, SURROUND SOUND WIRED ARE JUST A FEW OF THE DETAILS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION BY THIS METICULOUS SELLER.

Why use a Realtor

If you are buying, a Realtor will show you available homes matching your criteria. A Realtor can help you determine the right price of a property. A Realtor can serve as an emotional protection (buffer) between you and the buyer/seller. A Realtor is the difference between your property being "For Sale" and being "SOLD". A Realtor is the difference between receiving the highest price possible for your property and receiving too low a price. A Realtor will sell your house (on the average) at 16% higher than it would have had you done it on your own according to NAR statistics. A Realtor will save you days on the market. A Realtor makes sure you have a legally binding contract and complete the proper disclosures so you are treated fairly and you do not get sued. A Realtor is an excellent negotiator and makes sure you do not get eaten up in fees that reduce your bottom line. A Realtor has excelent relationships with lenders and can help qualify buyers. A Realtor will manage the hundreds of phone calls involved in selling and/or buying a property. A Realtor will develop a marketing plan to sell your property. A Realtor will spend money and effort in the sale of your home before he/she gets paid. A realtor will show you the flaws you don't see in your home so you can fix them rather than have no offers come in. A Realtor follows up during the transaction process to ensure the deal gets to closing. A Realtor represents your best interests. A Realtor will schedule all of your appointments. A Realtor is a real estate professional. A Realtor can reach a lot of buyers due to his/her targeted marketing methods and realtionships in the industry.
If you are still not convinced of the value of a Realtor, see what the National Association of Realtors has to say...click

Business Travel Tips

It's that wondreful time of the year, when we get to spend time with our families and take that well deserved vacation. While some of you may be able to get completely unplugged while you are away, some of you may need to bring you laptop or PDA along for the ride. For those of you that simply cannot leave technology behind, here are a few tips to ensure that your information remains safe while you check your e-mails, fine-tune that business proposal or just browse around the web either at the airport, your hotel room or an internet café.

Security Software: this may seem like common sense, but do not forget to update your anti-virus before you travel. Make sure your computer is password protected. Even a basic password can help protect your information if your device is lost or stolen.
While most wireless networks have some level of security, the more protection you have on your device, the better.

Keep it Simple: Take only what you need. Sometimes security can get very complicated at the airport and you may have to check you laptop. An alterante idea is to make sure that the hotel or the place that you are visiting has public computers and internet access. You can log onto your home or office computer using a remote server and a third party vendor, such as gotomypc.

Protect Yourself: Back up your data in case your laptop is stolen. Copy your essential files in a flash drive.
Hotspots: Software programs called packet sniffers can allow people to look at wireless transactions and capture the information being transmitted between the laptop and wireless access point. To avoid having someone hack into your system, turn off your bluetooth device and make sure your soft firewall is turned on.
Beware of Public Computers: Just as you need to protect your privacy on your own hardware, take extra precautions if you use a public computer. Remove all traces of your work by deleting any documents you have viewed, clear the browser cache and the history file, and empty the computer's recycling bin before you walk away. There is also a risk that a password-capturing program may have been loaded onto the computer. If you check your e-mail using hotmail, yahoo etc make sure you log out or sign out before you leave the computer.

If you leave your laptop at the hotel room or in any way unattended, use a cable lock, and be sure to lock your computer bag in the trunk rather than leaving it in the front or back seat. Taping your business card to the laptop helps ensure your computer can be easily returned to you in the case that it is lost.

Great Tools for real estate professionals

Rentometer great tool to find out the average rental in a community Google Readear Great tool to keep track of all of your friends blogs or companies you like to keep track of what the writh Edit pad EditPad Lite is a general-purpose text editor, designed to be small and compact, yet offer all the functionality you expect from a basic text editor. EditPad Lite works with Windows NT4, 98, 2000, ME and XP. Printer Anywhere print documents and photos on other people's printers as easily as on the local one connected to your machine.

Plan for 2007

Right About Real Estate - Plan for 2007

Florida – Emergency Insurance Assessment

Due to the unprecedented hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund has exhausted nearly all reserves accumulated since 1993. To rebuild its hurricane emergency funds, the state of Florida has issued an Emergency Order requiring all licensed property and casualty insurance companies, including mortgage guaranty insurers, to collect from Florida policy holders a special assessment of 1% of direct written premiums as of January 1, 2007. Depending on when their systems are updated, the special assessment may appear as ‘Surcharge' and will be included in the total amount due.

This assessment will apply to both new and renewal premiums on insured loans (including hazard, flood and MI) secured by properties located in Florida. The initial assessment period is for one year; however, Florida has the option to renew it. The assessment will appear as follows:

The insurance commitment and certificates for loans on properties located in Florida will include the 1% assessment effective January 1, 2007. Bills for premiums that are due and payable January 1, 2007 will include the 1% assessment.
The special assessment is required for all Florida loans that close on or after January 1, 2007. If the insurance commitment/certificate is issued prior to January 1st, and the loan closes after that date, the 1% assessment will be required in addition to the total amount due as shown. The following condition will be hard-coded in the UW Portal and used by the underwriters for Florida loans underwritten prior to January 1st:

Effective 1/1/07 a 1% surcharge applies for all hazard, flood and MI insurance policies. If a loan does not close prior to 1/1/07 updated policies will be required and the loan must be satisfactorily re-underwritten.

For additional information, please refer to the website for Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation at http://www.floir.com/hurricanes/fhcf.htm.

Homestead:much more than just a tax break

The most commonly known benefit to claiming your primary residence in Florida as Homestead is a tax benefit. By claiming your property as Homestead, you have two tax benefits: the first one is that you are exempt from paying property taxes on the first $25,000 of the assessed value of the residence.The second one is that your annual property taxes are capped at a maximum increase of 3% per year (may vary in each county). In order to qualify for Homestead exemption in 2007, you must occupy the residency prior to December 31st, 2006 and apply prior to March 1st, 2007 (if you are planning on purchasing a home soon, make an effort to close prior to December 31st so you can qualify for the tax break). You can apply for Homestead by visiting any of the property appraiser's offices or on-line at your county's property appraiser's website. You will need the following documents to qualify:
1. Proof of Ownership: Recorded Warranty Deed, Co-op Propriety Lease, Notice of Proposed Taxes or Tax Receipt.
2. Proof of Permanent Florida Residence (preferably dated prior to January 1 of the tax year for which you are filing): Florida's Driver's License or Florida I.D. Card, Florida Voter's Registration; or Recorded Declaration of Domicile.

And the sometimes overlooked benefit of claiming your Florida residence as Homestead is that of asset protection. The Florida Constitution exempts homestead property from levy and execution by judgment creditors with unlimited monetary protection. However, Homestead is not protected against tax liens, mortgages, homeowner association assessments, or from mechanics liens associated with labor or materials to repair or improve the homestead property.

Miami "The Sunshine State"

To your right, the Freedom Tower, where the first Cuban immigrants arrived to become American citizens. Do I sound like a tour guide? Well, that may be because eight years ago I had the opportunity to work as a tour guide in Miami, a city where great shopping and white sand beaches are the main attraction. But working as a tour guide, I learned that Miami has a lot more to offer, so allow me to give you a few recommendations of places to visit next time you fly down to the Sunshine State.
Let's start our tour in Downtown Miami. Take a boat tour from Bayside to see up close the homes of the rich and famous. Since real estate is our business, hop on the Downtown monorail (free ride) and watch from up high the old and new construction in contrast.
Continue your tour through Coconut Grove, one of Miami's oldest cities. Watch on your left Miami's first airport , where PanAm used to be the only airline. After being one of the most poor areas of Miami, Coconut Grove became one of the most expensive pieces of real estate thanks to the 1930's mafia. Adjacent to Coconut Grove is one of the cities with most charm: Coral Gables. Banyan trees give shade to streets with spanish names and houses built of coral. On Sundays, The Biltmore Hotel, where Al Capone used to stay, offers one of the cities best brunches with buffet tables wrapping around the pool.
Just drive a little further and you'll be in "LA CALLE OCHO" (8th St with a flavor of Cuba). Stop for a Cuban coffee (cortadito) to give your day a jolt and watch the Cuban culture at its best with folks playing chess and smoking cigars. Finish up your tour in South Beach (notice I say finish the tour, not the day). South Beach doesn't sleep and neither will you. Spend all day lying on the beach or just watching people go by (you can spend all day watching people go by and don't get bored). When the sun sets, have dinner at one of Lincoln Rd's amazing restaurants and then it's off to Salsa! Dance all night at any of Miami's great clubs (Level and Bash are great choices). If you like salsa (and even if you don't it is still a scene to watch), don't miss Mango's on Ocean Dr. On Sundays, Nikki's Beach is the place to see and be seen. This Miami's hot spot is right on the sand, perfect after a day of sun and fun.
And at last, my favorite place: The Everglades, wich means "The Never ending river of grass". While most people think it is a swamp the Everglades is one of the world's slowest moving rivers(it moves one mile per day). Take an air boat ride through the river's sawgrass and watch the most exotic birds fly by and maybe spot a few alligators.
And ok, I know you can't miss the opportunity of being in Florida and not going shopping, so just for kicks, the most popular malls are the Aventura Mall in NE Miami-Dade, Sawgrass (an outlet mall in SW Broward), and the Dolphin Mall in NW Miami-Dade.