Palm Beach Real Estate and Loans

If you are considering luxury real estate in Palm Beach Gardens, you don't want to miss the homes in San Michele.

Everyone, including myself, is always talking about BallenIsles, Mirasol, PGA National, Old Palm -

San Michele is different.....

It is a very private, gated community of only 90 phenominal estates in the north of Palm Beach Gardens - just north of the intersection of Hood Road and Central Blvd.

 A perfect example of what you can expect there is 3132 San Michele Drive - a 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom Tuscan-style courtyard home that you can come and see at my Open House this Sunday (7/13/2008) or you can go to the virtual tour here.

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There are currently 11 homes for sale from $1,199,000 to $1,750,000.

For information on any of these homes just call me @ 561-282-7406.

How would you like an easy way to search for real estate in Palm Beach Gardens - or anywhere in the southeast of Florida for that matter?

Most people would - that's why I offer a simple solution.  Located on the left of this screen you will see 2 buttons:

• Search for Homes - the quick way to get basic knowledge of property that is available in the areas that you are interested in AND
• VIP Registration - this is where you sign up to get the specifics on the properties that are most important to you.

When you sign up for the VIP Membership not only do you get the specifics on any home(s) that you like, you can also sign up for any/all of the informational series on Buying, Selling, Investing, Financing, etc.  Most importantly you can also set up specific searches for Homes in target areas that are AUTOMATICALLY updated whenever new Homes become available.

In return, I do ask for your information, including your phone number and email address. Why?

It's more simple then most people realize - to update you I do need to know WHERE to send the information!

Believe it or not, I was actually contacted by a man who was upset when he didn't get any updates.  Well, he'd provided a bogus email address, so none of the emails ever got to him!  He said he just didn't want to be 'pestered' but he still wanted the information.......  Some people just never seem to make sense.

I do understand that people are careful when giving out personal information - and you SHOULD be.  But let me assure you that I NEVER share or sell your information.  Unfortunately that isn't the case with some sites, but with me it is secure.

So, now that I've gotten completely off-track....

The advantage of being able to use this search is that YOU can search for any listed properties on your own time frame - you feel like doing it at 2 in the morning? Go right ahead.  That and the automatic updates - something new gets listed and it meets the criteria that you set, the information will automatically be sent to you.  Much better than having to check every day.

I've had a lot of positive feedback about this search system.  Feel free to give it a try and let me know what you think.

It's going to be a busy Sunday in BallenIsles with some of the best Palm Beach Gardens real estate on display.

Starting with 205 Coconut Key - a gorgeous 4/3.5 courtyard home with both water and golf views (12th hole of the South course) and an inlaw / guest cottage.

For questions about these BallenIsles Properties - or any other Palm Beach Gardens real estate - call me anytime at 561-282-7406.

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Back in February I wrote an article:

Do You Want to Buy Palm Beach Real Estate - Or Just Play Games?

It was basically about making serious offers for property that you and your family are interested in.

There is something that needs to be added to it - the importance of not waiting FOREVER to make a decision!

I would never want anyone to buy something that they really don't like, can't afford or aren't sure about.  Let's face it, we're talking about one of the biggest transactions you will ever make.

However...... 

Once you find the Palm Beach Gardens real estate that you like, you had better make an offer!

Granted, things aren't 'flying off the shelves' like they were a few years ago.  But if you find a home that you like, the odds are that someone else will like it too.

Make sure to put adequate thought into the matter - but avoid 'paralysis by analysis'. 

If the answer is 'NO', that's fine - we'll move on to something else.  If the answer is "YES", even better.  The worst possible thing you can do is 'just wait for the price to keep coming down because that's what the newspapers say to do'.

Don't even get me started with the newspapers.

Two recent events illustrate this perfectly.

• A couple had looked at several single family homes in PGA National.  We'd narrowed things down to one that they really liked - it had everything that they wanted and a better water view then they had hoped for.  Great, let's make an offer!  Well, ahh, no, not right now - we've been following the news and they say that if we wait for a few more months we'll save some money because prices are going down everywhere.  I cautioned against that and added that if they REALLY liked the home they should make an offer for what they thought it was worth.  Nah, they'd rather wait.  I kept in contact with them and stressed that I thought that they were waiting too long.  Guess what? They did decide to finally make an offer, but someone else had already bought the home.
• I'd shown a family several rental homes in Palm Beach Gardens - they found the one that they liked.  They had very specific needs and this home satisfied all of them.  I urged them to rent the home.  They waited also - I'm sure you know what happened.  Now they are running out of time before the new school year starts.......

I deal with a lot of high-end Palm Beach Gardens real estate.  More often then not, I'll be showing homes that have a lot of custom work & decorations.  I'm not talking about row after row of cookie-cutter identical homes, so when you find what you like..... it's time to get serious!

This morning's post has been provided by Jason Price with Knightlines Mortgage Services.

Before the questions start... Jason did write this about Lake County, FL - but the good news is that this type of loan is available in a lot of areas in Florida, including western parts of Palm Beach County.

"That's right!  100% Financing still exists in Lake County, Florida.  Despite all the obituaries about these mortgage programs, there is still one program that remains alive and well.  This is all thanks to Lake County being USDA Grade A land... and I mean that literally.

The USDA 100% mortgage loans offer many benefits to potential home owners.  The biggest being no down payment.  Also, at the top of the list is the fact that there is no extra costs in your monthly payment in terms of mortgage insurance.  Eh, what the heck?  Here is a list of all the benefits a USDA loan has to offer:

1. No Down Payment.
2. If the appraised value comes in higher than the contract sales price, you can wrap closing costs into your loan.
3. No PMI (AKA Mortgage Insurance).
4. No Reserves.  This means you do not need to have lots of money in savings, as some banks require.
5. No Minimum FICO Score.  You must at least look creditworthy.
6. Available For First Time Buyers and Non-First Time Buyers.
7. Substitute Schooling/Education for Job History.
8. Unrestricted Gifts.  Gift money is not sourced or seasoned when used for closing costs."

You can read the rest of Jason's post HERE.

For answers to all of your Palm Beach Gardens mortgage questions - or anywhere in Florida - just call me at 561-282-7406.