Parkland Parrot

Archive for January, 2010

Parkland Real Estate Home Sales Update December 2009

There were 31 total single family sales in Parkland ranging from $232,000 to $875,000. 6 were Short Sales, 8 Foreclosures, and 17 Regular Sales.  55% of the homes that sold were Regular Sales, and 45% were Distressed Sales.

There were exactly 31 single family sales in the month of November in Parkland.  There were 5 more regular sales and 5 less distressed sales in the the month of December.  Prices have been continue to decline, as sales are increasing.  Many of the distressed sales were in the lower price ranges between $230,000’s to $330,00’s.

We are again glad to see that home sales have continued to pick up in Heron Bay and Parkland Golf & Country Club.  Let’s hope the Parkland real estate market continues to improve, and sales continue to rise.

To view November 2009 Parkland sales, please click here.

I Know The Value Of Your Home. Do You?  Please give us a call at 954-609-0591 for a free comparative market analysis.

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate home information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk.

If you are interested in buying or selling a real estate property in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.

Dog Sniffing Out Chinese Drywall In Parkland?

For decades, dog-sniffing canines have been used to detect bombs and drugs. Now, these trained dogs are being used to detect Chinese Drywall in South Florida homes.

K-9 Detection Services is a local company combining trained police dogs  and home inspection.  The dogs are trained to sniff out sulfur, which is the common chemical in Chinese Drywall.  The rotten egg-like odor that comes from Chinese Drywall can sometimes take years for humans to smell.  But, these trained canines are able to detect Chinese Drywall at a very early stage.

Homeowners usually spend hundreds to thousands of dollars just to test for Chinese Drywall.  Now, using trained dogs can be a lot cheaper and just as effective.  There are as many as 36,000 Florida homes that have Chinese Drywall, which corrodes appliances and wiring.

If a perspective buyer is looking to purchase a newly built home from 2001 or sooner, it is advisable to test for Chinese Drywall.  Also, homeowners experiencing the side effects should also have their homes tested.  K-9 Detection Services can be reached at: 800-381-2055.  Hopefully, more federal and state relief will come to homeowners effected by Chinese Drywall.

Other articles on Chinese Drywall:

• Unlike Florida, Louisiana Passes Law For 5 Million For Chinese Drywall Repairs
• 50% Reduction In 2009 Taxes For Homeowners Affected By Chinese Drywall
• December Chinese Drywall Deadline Fast Approaching
• FEMA Emergency Assistance To Chinese Drywall Victims?
• Finally Good News For WCI Homeowners With Chinese Drywall
• Parkland Chinese Drywall Task Force Established

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate home information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk.

If you are interested in buying or selling a real estate property in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.

Florida Courts Require Mediation Before Foreclosing

2010 is here, and the Florida court system has announced that banks and lending institutions MUST mediate before foreclosing on a real estate home.  I wrote an earlier article: Could Home Foreclosure Mediation Be Mandatory Soon? and now the court system in the state is intervening.

Now, both the lenders and borrowers on homesteaded Florida properties will have to meet at the bargaining table.  This court order, carried out by Chief Judge Peggy Quince, guarantees an audience for distressed homeowners and the lending institutions to discuss all available options from loan modifications or short sales before foreclosure.

Banks will be responsible to pay the court costs for each potential foreclosure, which will cost them approximately $750 each. Judges are hoping that this new requirement will help reduce the thousands of foreclosure cases taking over the court systems.

Distressed homeowners must be referred to counseling before mediation.  The mediation must take place no earlier than 60 days and no later than 120 days after a foreclosure suit is filed.  Also, non-profit organizations, such as the Collins Center for Public Policy, must be provied with mediators specially trained in mortgage foreclosure.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association in the third quarter of 2009, Florida’s 12.74 percent rate of home loans in foreclosure was the nation’s highest. As a result, 441,440 Florida home loans were in foreclosure at that time.

Hopefully, this new policy will help distressed homeowners remodify their loans or agree to do a short sale.  It is important that homeowners call their banks and speak with a real estate agent along with a real estate attorney.  Please give us a call at 954-609-0591 if you are in need of assistance.

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate home information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk.

If you are interested in buying or selling a real estate property in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.

Parkland Real Estate Agent Michael Citron Featured In Sun-Sentinel

Sun-Sentinel Interviews Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team

New Year’s is Here!  Everyone wants to know what the real estate market will be like in 2010.  Sun-Sentinel real estate writer, Paul Owers interviewed the Parkland Squawk along with one of our sellers to get our perspectives on the 2010 South Florida real estate market.  The article can be read in its entirety by clicking: Selling a home in the new year? Don’t delay.

Our expert advice is if you have equity in your home, it may be the best time to sell!  Parkland home inventory is at a record low, and buyers are still looking to take advantage of low interest rates, the first-time-home-buyer tax credit, and lower home prices.

Please also be aware that there is also a new $6,500 government tax credit for potential homeowners that have owned a homesteaded property for at least 5 years.  These owners that sell and then buy a home this year can receive a $6,500 tax credit, which could significantly help with closing fees or repairs on a new property.

The Parkland Parrot Team wants to personally thank Paul Owers of the Sun-Sentinel.  If you do not already read the Sentinel’s House Keys real estate blog, we strongly recommend it.

To stay updated with all of the current Parkland real estate home information, receive our blog posts directly to your inbox by subscribing to the squawk. If you are interested in buying or selling a real estate property in Parkland, please give us a call at 954-609-0591 or send a note to the squawk.