Melbourne Real Estate News, Brevard County Florida by Sandy Shores Melbourne FL Realtor

Yesterday, my family and I drove up to Cape Canaveral Florida to visit a client that I had helped in purchasing a beautiful riverfront condo a month before.  We went straight down to the boat docks by the gazebo hoping to get a glimpse of the manatees playing.  We saw at least 6 of them.  These sea cows, known as gentle giants live in shallow waters in our lagoons. 

We we absolutely mezmerized at what we saw.

In the 35 years I have lived in Brevard County I have never seen anything like this before.

All of these pictures were taken in the backyard of my client's new riverfront condo here in Brevard County Florida.

These guys were drinking fresh water from a hose. They couldn't get enough of it.

They were circling and snorting and doing somersaults right in front of us. 

They were so close we could reach out and touch them.

They just loved laying on their backs and taking in the fresh water.

My friend, Tony, indicated that the manatees are very active early in the morning.  They love playing and and having fun in the water. Later in the day they usually are resting.

He has indicated that he can stand on his balcony and watch the porpoises jump, also.

Now this is what I call heaven. 

Such an incredible sight to see. 

My teenage daughters absolutely loved watching these playful, fun loving creatures.

My client, who has become a great friend of mine, has told us that anytime we want to visit, we are more than welcome to come to watch the manatees.

He absolutely loves his new home, as he says that everyday he feels like he's on vacation.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

I remember when I first got into the real estate business in 1996, my broker and I were discussing real estate investing. He told me that people sit, waiting for that one great deal, and in the meantime they miss out on the good deals. Because of their inactivity they may never end up buying anything. 

He has been in real estate for over 50 years and has been investing in commercial, residential and mobile home parks.

We hear it everyday, is the market going down? Have we hit rock bottom? Has the market started heading back up? Does anyone really know for sure?  Hindsight is always 20/20.  We do know that prices are at early 2000 levels. But, what does it all really mean anyway? Do all these questions just paralyze us into doing nothing, not making a decision to buy or to sell?  The reality is that no one really has the answers to any of these questions.  We are all attempting to make an educated guess based on a market in which none of us have ever experienced.

I started buying rentals in 1996 and continued buying in 2005.  I have bought in different types of markets, as I have kept my eyes and ears open and been able to scoop up some good deals.

But, often in real estate investing, when everyone else is buying, it's a good time to sell.

And, when everyone is selling, it's a good time to buy.

Investors getting into the market, thinking they are going to make a killing are usually the ones that lose their shirts.  Investors that are a bit more realistic, with the thought that they can make a comfortable profit, are often able to do just that... make a handsome profit.

What are your goals in buying? Are you hoping to flip a property today? Are you going to hold it for a period of time and use it as a rental?  These are all factors that must be considered.

Do your homework first. If the numbers don't work on paper, they aren't going to work at all. Don't fall in love with an adorable house that you think would make a great rental because it's brand new and beautiful.  It may turn out to be a terrible rental property.  Rental houses aren't always gorgeous.  Very often they are clean, small and affordable.  See what the demand in your market is. Be smart and research first.

And remember in real estate investing, Pigs Get Fat and Hogs Get Slaughtered.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

I received a call from a young man on a house that I currently have available for rent. I always ask a series of questions when a prospective tenant calls on a property.

I asked how many people would be occupying the property. He told me 3. 

Is there one person that earns enough money to cover the monthly rent?

He indicated that the rent would be split three ways and each occupant would pay their portion to the landlord.

Unfortunately, I don't care for situations like this.  As a landlord, I do not want to collect money from 3 different people living in the same house.  Sometimes one party has their money and one of the other parties or both of  other two don't. I want one check, from one person, covering the entire monthly rent.   They can work out the money amongst themselves and figure out who owes whom what money.

What happens if one of the occupants decides to move out?  Then, the other two don' t have enough to cover the rent?  In turn, they have to sublet the house to someone else so they can pay the bills. This can turn into another precarious situation.

Years back I purchased a rental, with the tenants in place, on a month to month lease.  They were roommates. When I went to pick up the rent, one occupant would have half of the rent, but the other wouldn't have her half.  This went on for another month. It was like pulling teeth. Neither wanted to be responsible for pulling together the rent and paying in one lump sum. I told them they needed to have it figured out by the following month.  They could bicker amongst themselves over the money. They did begrudgingly figure it out, and I received one check from then on for the rent.

Be careful when renting a property, that you know exactly who will be paying the monthly rent. Stipulate in your lease who the responsible party will be that pays the rent. Otherwise, you may be treading on thin ice.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

There are so many great reasons to buy a house today.  Interest rates are low, inventory is plentiful and prices are at early 2000 prices.  There are some great deals available today.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act offers an $8000 tax credit for first time homebuyers that purchase between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.  There are some stipulations on how the credit would apply to each homebuyer.

Buyers can claim the credit on their federal income taxes.

Individuals are eligible for the credit with an adjusted gross income of up to $75,000. It increases to $150,000 if filing jointly.

If the buyer(s) stays in the house for longer than 3 years they don't have to repay the money.

I am attaching a link provided by the Florida Association that outlines the benefits and more details of the tax credit.

I am also attaching a link that outlines how the tax credit can be used towards the purchase of your home, using an FHA loan.  It cannot be used for your 3.5% down payment, however it may allow a buyer to put down a larger down payment.

With incentives such as the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, there's no reason to wait to buy a home. 

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

According to the Melbourne Area Board of Realtors

There are currently 4758 single family homes available for sale.

There are currently 1635 condos for sale.

There are currently  441 townhouses for sale.

There are 2884 vacant parcels of land for sale.

There are 885 commercial properties for sale.

There are 142 income producing properties for sale.

There are 2078 rentals available.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Yesterday, was the first day of Summer and it proved to be a beautiful one.  Melbourne's temperatures reached 96 degrees, with humidity figured in, it was a sweltering 109 degrees. There was about 50% humidity.

We had the perfect solution, as did a few other people.  We headed for Spessard Holland in South Melbourne beach.

It was quite warm, but the ocean water was cool and refreshing.

         We spent a good bit of time out in the water, as my daughters are learning to surf.                  

We also did some fishing, but unfortunately caught nothing.

It was one of those days where you had to be really careful not to get fried from the sun, as there was a bit of a haze in the sky.

This is when people inadvertently get too much sun, without realizing it.

When we get these hot, humid temperatures it so important to get plently of fluids, to remain hydrated.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

I love Bill Cosby during his stand up comic routines.  Have you ever read his book entitled Fatherhood?  It is an absolute classic.  It is absolutely hilarious.  If you have never seen him do a stand up routine, take the time to go see him.  He's great - and all of his jokes are clean.                        

On this Father's Day, I pulled out his book, to go back to some of my favorite parts.

'When a man has children, the first thing he has to learn is that he is not the boss of the house. I am certainly not the boss of my house. However, I have seen the boss's job and I don't want it...."

"Before we were married, my wife was a stunningly beautiful woman.  Today she is a stunningly beautiful woman whose mouth droops and who has conversations with herself."

"It doesn't make any difference how much money a father earns, his name is always Dad-Can-I?"

"No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal...but you will find yourself strolling down the road to the funny farm."

"People who have no children say they love them because they are so truthful. Well, I have done extensive fieldwork with five childred and can tell you as scientific fact that the only time they tell the truth is when they are in pain."

"No matter how much the pressure on your spinal cord builds up, never let these small people know that you have gone insane."

'If the American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right."

"No matter what you tell your child to do, he will do the opposite."

"I am never as happy as I deserve to be on Father's Day.  The problem is my presents...instead of buying them for myself; and so I get soap-on-a-rope.  ...I have 5 children, so each gets $20.  They go to the store and get two packages of underwear, each of which costs $5 and contains three shorts.  They tear them open and each kid wraps one pair of shorts for me.  Therefore, on this Fathers Day I will be walking around in new underwear and my kids will be walking around with ninety dollars change."

Happy Father's Day!

All of these quotes were taken from Bill Cosby's book, Fatherhood.

My teenage daughters are ready to visit a couple of theme parks sometime during their Summer vacation.  We have visited all of the Disney Parks: the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom over the years, multiple times.  My girls favorite is the Magic Kingdom, as the park is filled with rides.  They love Space Mountain, their famous roller coaster.  They also enjoy Thunder Mountain, another roller coaster.  Splash Mountain is a water ride with one big drop.  My favorite of the theme parks is Epcot, as there is so much culture there.  

The parks are only 45 minutes away from us, in Orlando, so it's a quick jump in the car and short drive over. In Orlando we can also visit Sea World, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Wet 'n Wild, Aquatica, or Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Wonderworks.

This year we are thinking that we will head over to Tampa, on the west coast of the state, to visit Busch Gardens.  This is just over a 2 hour drive. Busch Gardens has a lot of roller coasters. They are running a special where you pay one admission, and that gives you 2 days in 2 parks. The first day you can go to Busch Gardens and the second day you can visit Tampa's water park, Adventure Island.  We haven't been to either of these parks yet.    

We are in such a great central location here in Brevard County, it's hard to decide where to go. And it's great because they're all in our own backyard!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Brevard County Schools took third place in the state, with 84% of schools receiving a grade "A".

The scoring is based on scores that students get on the FCAT, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.  "A" rated schools are awarded $75 per student.

All of Brevard County Middle Schools earned an "A" for the fourth year in a row.

St. John and Gilchrist County took 1st and 2nd place in the state.

We love to pass this information along to potential homebuyers, as we receive so many inquiries as to the quality of our local schools.

Another great reason to consider living in Brevard County Florida!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

The Brunswick Harbour Lanes will have 99 cent a game bowling this Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  This is a great way for a family to spend some quality time together. A family of four can bowl 4 games for less than $20.00!  What a great deal! 

When they aren't running this particular special, normally, if you arrive on a Sunday morning before 10:00 for bowling, then all the games you play are 99 cents a game.  You really can't beat it.

Currently bowling shoe rentals are $3.99 + tax.  That drives the cost of bowling up.  My husband and I already had our own bowling shoes. I went to the local thrift store, and was able to pick up 3 pair of bowling shoes for $1.00 a pair.  Two pairs looked like they had never been worn.

So, head on over to Brunswick Harbour Lanes for 99 cent bowling.  You'll have a great time!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.