Asking Price: $1,199,000
6,422 Square Feet
6 Bedrooms Plus Den, Gym, & Private Office
4 Full Bathrooms, I Half Bathroom
3-Car Garage
Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

Parkland Realtor Michael Citron just listed another stunning home in the prestigious man-gated community of Tall Pines. This Amazing 2-Story Lakefront Estate Home Is Located On A Full Sized Acre Lot In Parkland’s Man-Gated Community Tall Pines.  This Home Is Perfect For A Large & Growing Family.  The Home Also Sits On A Large Cul-De-Sac Lot.  The Home Was Built By Prestigious Mrachek Builders!

This Home Has Soaring Ceilings That You Have To See In Order To Fully Appreciate, 6 Bedrooms Plus Den, Gym, Loft, & Office.  The home has 4.5 Bathrooms.  There is a private in-law suite on the first floor that is perfect for guests or family.There Is A Floor To Ceiling Built-In In the Family Room With Wall Unit & Wood-Burning Fireplace.The Home Has A Prestigious Entry With A Long Driveway  With Enough Space For A Full Basketball Court.  There Is An Oversized Three-Car Garage.  This Home Is Also Lushly Landscaped With Large Palm Trees & Canary Palms That Shade The House.  The Backyard Has A Screened-In Patio Area With A Full Bar With Built-In Barbeque Area Perfect For Entertaining Guests.  The Long Tropical Pool Also Has A Kids Shallow Area Which Is Perfect For Young Children.  There Is Also Plenty Of Patio Space To Soak Up The South Florida Sun! There Is Also A Cabana Bath Which Has A Private Entrance To The Patio & Pool Area.

Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This PropertyThe Master Bedroom Is Fit For A King & Queen With A Stunning Built-In Entertainment Center, 2 Large Walk-In Closets, & An Oversized Sitting Areas.  Master Bath Has Separate His & Her Vanities & Sinks, Jacuzzi Tub, & Large Sauna Shower.  The Home Has Hurricane Shutters Throughout.  Spacious Separate Bedrooms On The 2nd Floor Gives The Rest Of Your Family Privacy.  This Home Also Has An Office Right Off The Master Bedroom That Has Built-In’s.This Home Has A Warm & Open Feeling That Is Truly Special.  The Kitchen Has Plenty Of Counterspace With An Island, Spacious Walk-In Pantry, Oversized Sub-Zero Refrigerator & Freezer, And Double Oven.  The Eat-In Kitchen Is Perfect For Breakfast & Overlooks The Patio & Pool Area.  The Formal Dining Room Is Just Perfect For The Holidays Or Entertaining Guests.  There Is Also A Separate Den & Guest Half Bathroom On The First Floor.
Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

For more information on this amazing home in Tall Pines, please contact me directly at: 954-609-0591.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

Parkland and South Florida Realtor Michael Citron was quoted in yesterday’s Sun-Sentinel article entitled: South Florida housing strategies for 2012.  It appears that the housing market collapse is fading away bringing a stronger and more stable market in the coming months and years, especially in more stable communities like Parkland, Florida.

Home sales in Parkland and South Florida are on the rise, as the real estate bottom nears.  But, the shadow inventory of bank foreclosures soon to hit the market and less than stellar job market could prolong the recovery.  Sun-Sentinel reporter, Paul Owers, provides a guide to help both buyers and sellers, and homeowners “underwater” on their current mortgages in 2012:

Sellers:

DO: Consider selling early in 2012, before foreclosures hit the market
DON’T: Try to attract buyers with cars, cash or most other incentives

Underwater Borrowers

DO: Plan now if you’re considering a short sale
DON’T: Think you’re necessarily stuck with an underwater mortgage

I was quoted in the Sentinel article giving advice to potential buyers in 2012:

DO: Write a letter to the seller, explaining why you want the home

DON’T: Sound desperate or let the seller know how much of a mortgage you’re approved for

If you’re writing to a lender, be sure to explain that you’re pre-approved for a mortgage and can close quickly, Broward County (and Parkland) real estate agent Michael Citron said. If the seller is the existing homeowner, go into more personal detail.  “If the home has a pool, tell them that you hope your kids can learn to swim in that pool,” Citron said. “A regular seller wants to know the buyer will appreciate the house as much as they did.”

If you are thinking about selling or buying a home, it has never been a better time to make a move in real estate for 2012.  To read the complete Sun-Sentinel article, please click here It is a honor and privilege to be considered as a local real estate expert.  I look forward to working with the Parkland and South Florida community for all of your real estate needs in 2012.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Asking Price: $499,000
3,227 Square Feet
5 Full Bedrooms – Tri-Split Floor Plan
3 Full Bathrooms
3-Car Garage
Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

Parkland Realtor Michael Citron just listed another stunning home in the prestigious man-gated community of Parkland Isles.  Very desirable Bayshore Tri-Split Floor Plan In Bayside Estates, 3-Car Garage, Very Open Floor Plan Perfect For A Growing Family.This Home Boasts A Spacious Living Room With Multiple French Doors Which Lead To Pool Area, Fully Fenced-In Backyard, Pavered Patio & Front Driveway Areas, Back Pool Area Perfect For Entertaining Guests With Lots Of Room For Family Parties & Events & Large Cabana Bath.

This Home Has A Kitchen Fit For Family With Tons Of Counterspace With 42′ Cabinets & Eat-In Kitchen & Pantry.  The Master Bedroom Is Fit For A King & Queen With Plenty Of Space For A King Sized Bed, Separate Sitting Area With French Doors That Overlook The Pool Area.Two Spacious Walk-In Closets Lead To Oversized Master Bath With Separate Shower & Tub With Dual Sinks.

Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

Other Highlights Are High Ceilings, Hurricane Shutters, & Separate Laundry Room.Parkland Isles Also Has Amazing Resort-Style Amenities Including Full Clubhouse, Heated Pool & Spa, Tennis Courts, Playground, Exercise Room, Party Area, & More.  Live In One Of The Best School Districts In All Of Florida Which Is Within Walking Distance From Your New Home. This Home Is Perfect For A Family, As Many Children Live On 71st Court In Parkland Isles. This Home Will Not Last Long!  Immaculately Kept Home As You Can See From Clicking The Link Below:

Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

For More Information On My Exclusive Parkland Isles Listing In Parkland, Florida Or To Setup A Private Showing, Please Contact Me Directly At: 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

There were 21 total single family sales for the month of November 2011 ranging in price from $210,000 to $750,000 Last month, there were 25 total single family home sales. There were 4 less Parkland single family homes sold in the month of November, 2011 than in October, 2011. Among the November sales, 6 were distressed sales (bank foreclosures, short sales, or corporate owned properties).
29% of all sales were distresses ones.

Inventory is very low in the City of Parkland.  It is common at this time that potential sellers are waiting until the beginning of 2012 to put their homes on the market for sale.  Also, banks and lending institutions are also going to be releasing more foreclosure inventory in the coming months.  As a result, Parkland real estate inventory will increase in the coming weeks and months resulting in more sales and market activity.

I emphasized in my last month’s market update that distressed sales are down in Parkland, Florida.  This trend has continued for the month of November, 2011, as there were only 6 total bank foreclosures and short sales sold.  Hopefully this will help stabilize the real estate market in Parkland leading into 2012, as more buyers, especially investors, are purchasing the distressed real estate inventory.  The Parkland real estate market is much more stable than neighboring cities such as Coral Springs or Coconut Creek.  More and more people are looking to call Parkland home and live the Parkland Lifestyle.  With excellent schools, many parks, and a plethora of other activities for the entire family to enjoy, Parkland will continue to grow and become one of the most sought-after communities in South Florida.

If you are thinking about purchasing a home in Parkland, Florida, now is the time, as interest rates are at record low levels. Also, homes in Parkland have never been more affordable than right now!

Every month, I make sure to post each and every single family home sale that takes place in the City of Parkland, Florida. Being a Parkland resident, I know how important is to keep abreast of the monthly real estate sales and market activity. If you would like to see home sales in the past months, please click here.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

It is a pleasure to announce that the Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team just successfully help negotiate a short sale for a client of ours in the Cypress Head community.  Bank Of America agreed to accept almost $500,000 less than was was owed and gave my client a full release for the deficiency.

Our client was ecstatic to be able to successfully short sale his Cypress Head home in Parkland, Florida and now be able to move on with his life. The government implemented the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program which is in place to help homeowners settle their mortgage debt without going through a foreclosure.  The goal of this program is to help homeowners sell their properties through the short sale process and settle their mortgage debt if they owe more on the mortgage than what the home is actually worth.  With the help of this program, the short sale process is streamlined and also offers financial assistance to help with relocation.  In particular, our client in Cypress Head was even given $3,000 from this program in moving costs.

On Bank Of America’s website, here is the qualification to be eligible for the HAFA program:

1.  The property is your current principal residence, OR the property has been vacant or rented out for less than 12 months, and you have not bought another principal residence during that time.

It is a great pleasure for our team to be able to help someone in need and get them on to the next step in their lives.  In particular, this stressful situation was handled with the utmost professionalism and care.  Our short sale clients truly understand that we have their best interests in mind and are here to help throughout the entire process.  We were able to close this transaction in only 4 months, where most short sales take approximately 6-8 months to get done.

If you know anyone in Parkland or South Florida who is “underwater” on their home, tell them to give me a call directly at: 954-609-0591, so I can help answer all of their questions and concerns and provide them with pertinent short sale information.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Parkland Realtor Michael Citron just listed another unique home in Parkland’s prestigious community of Pine Tree Estates.  This Dome home sits on a private acre corner lot and was built in 1984 and offers  5  bedrooms plus loft with 3 full bathrooms and swimming pool.Asking Price: $599,000
Reduced To Sell!!
5,057 Square Feet
5 Bedrooms Plus Loft
3 Full Bathrooms
2-Car Garage
Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

RARE opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind dome home on a corner lot in Parkland’s Pine Tree Estates community.  No homeowner association dues!  Home features include 14 skylights, soaring ceilings, spiral staircase with three levels.  5 bedrooms plus an upstairs loft with bar area. House also features wood and tile.  Spacious kitchen includes newer granite countertops, 2 wall ovens, and separate bar area which is perfect for entertaining guests.
Home sits on over 1 acres on a private corner lot with a fenced-in back patio area with a swimming pool perfect for parties.  Home also features a very open floor plan with a formal dining room and living room.  Outside there is lush landscaping with 2 driveways leading to the front and back of the home.  There is a two-car garage and a circular driveway in the front of the home.  The home is also energy-efficient with low monthly FPL bills. There is a newer roof and A/C units.

Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property
Click Here For Full Details, Pictures, & Google Maps Of This Property

For More Information On My Exclusive Pine Tree Estate Dome Listing Or To Setup A Private Showing, Please Contact Me At: 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling real estate in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

The Obama Administration is releasing a brand new revision to the Home Affordable Refinance Program for homeowners that are underwater on their mortgages.  Struggling homeowners that owe more than their homes are worth can take advantage of this new program.

Below, please see the criteria that homeowners must meet to take advantage of this program:

• Borrowers must be current on their mortgage payments.
• The loans must be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
• Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must have bought these loans no later than May 31, 2009.
• To find out if your loan is owned by Fannie, click here. To see if it’s owned by Freddie, click here.

Some other revisions to the Home Affordable Refinance Program are that the government will allow some borrowers to refinance their mortgages even if their mortgages exceed 125% of the values of their homes.  Other noted changes to the program also permit less risk for lenders and decreased fees for borrowers.  Some homeowners can even qualify to refinance their mortgages even if they had a foreclosure in the past seven years!

This new program could help tens of thousands of South Florida residents that owe a lot more than their homes are worth.  In fact, Corelogic, a research firm, reported that four out of 10 homeowners in Broward and Palm Beach counties are currently underwater on their mortgages.  Today is the launch of this new program nationwide, but mortgage experts caution underwater homeowners looking to take advantage of this new government program to be patient, as many lenders are not prepared to accept many applications right away.  I caution homeowners to be patient and shop multiple lenders in order to receive the best rates and programs.

I think this program will indeed help many Parkland and South Florida homeowners.  As a result of underwater homeowners taking advantage of this program, the overall real estate market in Parkland will improve.  In the future, more homeowners will be able to refinance their mortgages and stay in their homes resulting in less distressed home listings being put on the market for sale including short sales and bank foreclosures.  If you are looking to take advantage of this new program and need to speak with an expert mortgage professional, please give me a call at: 954-609-0591.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your Parkland hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team.  If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experience local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact us at: 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

Decline in distressed homes helps housing market heal

Del DeMarino (left), had to take less money for his Coral Springs home because of foreclosures and short sales nearby. His real estate agent Michael Citron is helping him deal with a difficult market. (Jim Rassol, Sun Sentinel / November 11, 2011)

By Paul Owers, Sun SentinelNovember 14, 2011

Some South Florida homeowners can sell their homes at a better price this year because fewer foreclosed properties are on the market.  “People hear that the market’s terrible,” said Judy Trudel, an agent for Balistreri Realty in Lighthouse Point. “But there are certain neighborhoods that are doing well.”  The values of some homes not in distress are stable, if not rising, real estate agents say.

Although foreclosures and so-called short sales still account for a large part of the region’s housing market, the numbers are declining.  Distressed sales made up 48 percent of all sales in October, down from 54 percent in October 2010, according to the Miami Association of Realtors.  In Palm Beach County, distressed sales represented 23 percent of all transactions last month, compared with 27 percent in October 2010.

Fueling the decline has been a surge in South Florida home sales that is helping shrink the available housing stock, including the number of properties in some stage of foreclosure. Those properties have weighed down the beleaguered housing market the past four years.  Weston’s housing market has been especially robust. There are only 10 bank-owned homes on the market in the entire city, said Chip Rowand, a broker for the Keyes Co. in Weston. Bidding wars are common there.  “The days of coming in 20 percent under asking price are gone,” he said.

Since President Barack Obama took office in early 2009, the upscale enclave west of Fort Lauderdale has led the nation with the highest increase in home values, according to one research firm.  The median value of a home in Weston climbed 15.1 percent to $280,000 from February 2009 to August 2011, according to a survey of the nation’s 1,000 largest cities by Zillow.com for Bloomberg Businessweek.  Other communities also are reporting positive price trends.

In the Shadow Wood subdivision of Coral Springs, Beverly Rothstein of the Christopher White Group listed for sale a four-bedroom home next to a run-down foreclosure.  Regardless, Rothstein’s client had an offer within a week for near the $305,000 asking price — even without a for-sale sign in the front yard. The deal closed last month.

Another of her clients, Erwin Sefton, sold his three-bedroom Coral Springs home in three weeks for $245,000. He’s moving to a new house near Boynton Beach that won’t be ready until January, and his only disappointment is that his house sold too quickly.  “Everybody I talked to said it would take at least six months,” said Sefton, 67.  With buyers attracted to affordable prices, sales of existing homes and condominiums have soared in 2011.

Palm Beach County easily will surpass last year’s total of 9,584 home transactions. Broward County already has eclipsed last year’s home sales total of 7,997. Condo sales in both counties this year already exceed the annual totals from 2005, the peak of the housing boom.  Lenders are starting to resume foreclosures that had slowed dramatically in the past year amid the “robo-signer” controversy.

Some real estate agents and analysts believe these imminent foreclosures make up a “shadow inventory” that threatens to hurt the budding housing recovery. Others are skeptical, saying the onslaught of foreclosed homes predicted for the past two years hasn’t happened yet and won’t be as bad as feared.  “Banks are handling the disposition of distressed properties better,” said Bill Richardson, president of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. “I don’t think we’ll see any significant price deterioration from where we are now.”  But that doesn’t mean neighborhoods hit hard by properties in the foreclosure process won’t face price declines in the months ahead.

Del DeMarino wants to move closer to the ocean, so he put his four-bedroom home with a pool in Coral Springs on the market for $319,900. When he dropped the price by $10,000, he immediately had four offers. It’s now under contract for the asking price, and he expects to close next month.  There are dozens of homes in his Maplewood subdivision that are in or near foreclosure, said Michael Citron, his real estate agent. Without that drag on the market, DeMarino easily could have netted 15 percent more for his house, Citron said.  “The foreclosures and short sales are definitely still a factor,” DeMarino said. “You’ve got to price it right if you want to sell it.”

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

There were 25 total single family sales for the month of October 2011 ranging in price from $208,000 to $1,250,000 Last month, there were 29 total single family home sales. There were 4 less Parkland single family homes sold in the month of October, 2011 than in September, 2011. Among the October sales, 6 were distressed sales (bank foreclosures, short sales, or corporate owned properties).24% of all sales were distresses ones.

As stated in our September market report, it is typical that Parkland and South Florida home sales decline around this time as buyers and sellers focus more on the upcoming holiday season.  But, great news is that there were only 6 distressed sales in the entire month of September.  With less bank foreclosures and short sales on the market, the overall Parkland and South Florida will stabilize in the coming months.

If you are thinking about making a move to Parkland, Florida, now is the time, as interest rates are at record low levels.  Also, homes in Parkland have never been more affordable than right now!  Parkland is one of the best places in the country to raise a family with excellent schools, parks & recreational activities to enjoy.

Every month, I make sure to post each and every single family home sale that takes place in the City of Parkland, Florida. Being a Parkland resident, I know how important is to keep abreast of the monthly real estate sales and market activity. If you would like to see home sales in the past months, please click here.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.

To stay updated with all Parkland real estate information, receive our blog posts via email by subscribing here. After registering, you must activate the subscription in a follow-up email.

How long does it take for a bank to foreclosure on a homeowner?  Surprisingly, it takes approximately 761 days from the last mortgage payment to when the bank finally forecloses on a home according to LPS, a technology and mortgage data firm based in Jacksonville, Florida.  Foreclosures are dragging in the State of Florida and take about 6 months longer than non-judicial states.  As a result, the overall Parkland and South Florida real estate market is negatively impacted.

The repossession process in Florida remains low with less than 2 percent of the foreclosure inventory going to auction.  Florida’ s Governor Rick Scott and other lawmakers are calling for court influence on foreclosures to be ended.  These lawmakers believe that a faster process would help stabilize the housing market.  But opponents to Governor Scott believe that not having a third party court system involved in the foreclosure process would allow banks to quickly push homeowners out of their homes.

I believe that banks must follow proper protocol before being able to foreclose on homeowners.  Distressed homeowners should also be able to receive enough notice in order to move out of their homes.  Only time will heal the real estate wounds from bank foreclosures and short sales.  But, if we are already behind 6 months from the rest of the country with non-judicial influence, we can help speed up the process in order to get our real estate market back on track in Parkland and the rest of Florida.

Know the neighborhood. Know the value. Know your hometown agents: The Parkland Parrot Real Estate Team. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in Parkland or South Florida and are looking for experienced local Realtors, please do not hesitate to contact the Squawk at 954-609-0591 or send us a message here.