Housing and Economy

Housing and Economy Headed for Sustainable Recovery: First Time Home Buyers Lead the Way http://htxt.it/0OG3

WHERE IS YOUR DEAL?

WHERE IS YOUR DEAL? Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Rise in 3Q 2009 http://htxt.it/Ipfr

Orlando-area foreclo

Orlando-area foreclosure actions drop for second month http://htxt.it/cb30

Tax credit boosts ho

Tax credit boosts home sales in Orlando area http://bit.ly/hTacz

Tax credit boosts ho

Tax credit boosts home sales in Orlando area http://bit.ly/hTacz

Have you heard? Sena

Have you heard? Senate Clears Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension; May Pass as Early as This Week http://htxt.it/UADM

Good sign for econom

Good sign for economy: Business spending is up http://bit.ly/ZzEZ8

Thougths? Economy gr

Thougths? Economy grows in 3Q, signals end of recession http://htxt.it/2qmT

Some good news - Reg

Some good news - Regional Spotlight: Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Up in September 2009 http://htxt.it/Mxoc

Green, green, everyw

Green, green, everywhere!-Dr. G shows off shiny new 'green' morgue http://bit.ly/xMANX

I've had short sales

I've had short sales work but good info- Considering a short sale? Get ready for long haul http://bit.ly/xPsQt

Paris Bistro will so

Paris Bistro will soon open its new Park Avenue location http://htxt.it/sfAA

If agents educate we

If agents educate well, this less likely: $8,000 tax credit's hoops frustrate house hunters. http://bit.ly/5l0xj

If agents educate we

If agents educate well, this less likely: $8,000 tax credit's hoops frustrate house hunters. http://bit.ly/5l0xj

Record Streak Contin

Record Streak Continues for Pending Home Sales http://bit.ly/FlMBN

Orlando's Downtown D

Orlando's Downtown Development http://htxt.it/HYhk

Top 12 Tips for Buyi

Top 12 Tips for Buying an Investment Property http://htxt.it/3ris

Home Buyers Want to

Home Buyers Want to Save Energy – but Only at Right Price http://htxt.it/lpu0

Home loan demand jum

Home loan demand jumps as mortgage rates fall below 5%. http://htxt.it/biNL

Economy: Jobless cla

Economy: Jobless claims down, housing starts up 9/17/2009 http://bit.ly/k3D6A

Lowest since May, mo

Lowest since May, mortgage rates again flirt with 5% 9/17/2009 http://htxt.it/9QuG

According to TheStre

According to TheStreet.com-1.14 million have filed for 1st time home buyer tax credit. The full article here: http://bit.ly/RgRMt

is thankful for the

is thankful for the wonderful compliments from a recent client! Plus she's been referring me to everyone she knows that is buying or selling!

-today is a big, big

-today is a big, big day w/ great stuff happening-showing NSP houses to a buyer, closing in the afternoon & celebration!

Kafe Kalik is pretty

Kafe Kalik is pretty good for being at the Outlets-makes the shopping woes fade away

wishes my generous,

wishes my generous, patient & good looking husband a Happy Birthday-we're going to Disney!!! (Thanks zookeeper<3)

Housing starts jump

Housing starts jump unexpectedly http://bit.ly/5dfUE

Open House Sun 1-3 p

Open House Sun 1-3 pm *cupcakes* 3BR/2BA Single Family House in Sanford, FL, $199,999 - http://htxt.it/DMI7

AirTran moves to red

AirTran moves to reduce carbon footprint http://bit.ly/wbi2V

Home inventory drops

Home inventory drops to 8-month supply http://bit.ly/z9JQe

Expressway authority

Expressway authority joins world of Twitter http://bit.ly/m8B7J

RT @kwri Can trees h

RT @kwri Can trees help sell your home? Interesting statistics in a Realty Times article: http://bit.ly/Sk09P .

New home construction jumps 22%

Orlando Business Journal - by Tucker Echols Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 2:24pm EDT

New home building unexpectedly rebounded across the country last month as builders increased their housing starts to a 583,000 annual pace from a record low of 477,000 set in January.

The Commerce Department reported March 17 that starts of new homes in the South jumped 30 percent last month compared to the month before, but they were still 44 percent below home starts in the South one year ago.

Full Story : http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/16/daily20.html?ana=e_du_pub

30-year fixed mortgage rate slip

Source: The Associated Press
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-031309.cfm#

McLEAN, Va. – March 13, 2009 – Rates on 30-year-fixed mortgages declined this week amid reports of a weakening job market and easing concerns over inflation, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage slipped to 5.03 percent this week from 5.15 percent last week. A year ago, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.13 percent.

Full Story: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-031309.cfm#

Manpower: Hiring outlook improves in 2Q

Orlando Business Journal

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/daily23.html?ana=e_du_pub

More Orlando companies expect to add to their workforce than cut jobs in the second quarter of 2009, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. That’s a reversal of the outlook for the first quarter, reported in December.

Seventeen percent of companies interviewed plan to add workers from April to June, while 12 percent expect to reduce payrolls. Another 68 percent expect to maintain current levels, and 3 percent aren’t sure.

Full Story: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/daily23.html?ana=e_du_pub

Orlando-area home sales up in February

Source: Orlando Business Journal
http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/daily19.html?ana=e_du_pub

Orlando area home sales grew 28 percent in February, but values fell 34.8 percent, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Association members sold 1,219 existing homes last month, which compares to 951 sold in the same month a year prior. Orlando Realtors also reported a total of 4,348 homes under contract — considered an indicator of future sales activity — in February, nearly double the 2,175 pending sales in February 2008.

Full story:
http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/daily19.html?ana=e_du_pub

4 new tenants at Uptown Altamonte

Source: Orlando Business Journal
http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/02/daily48.html?ana=e_du_pub

Four retailers signed lease deals totaling more than 8,000 square feet at Uptown Altamonte over the past two months, bringing the center to 99 percent occupancy.

Two new franchised restaurants replaced similar but separate franchises that left the 25-acre Altamonte Springs mixed-use center. Shane’s Rib Shack in February signed a 10-year deal for 3,080-square-foot space left vacant by another Shane’s. Cold Stone Creamery also signed a five-year deal in January for 1,533 square feet left vacant by another Cold Stone Creamery.

Full story: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/02/daily48.html?ana=e_du_pub

ProLogis buys Orlando industrial sites for $46.6 million

Source: Orlando Business Journal - by Anjali Fluker
http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/story4.html?ana=e_ph

A Denver firm has been on a buying spree in the Orlando area — even though it announced last month it’s selling 33 million square feet of its industrial sites nationwide.

Between December and February, real estate investment trust ProLogis (NYSE: PLD) bought four parcels totaling 67 acres in southeast Orlando’s Beltway Commerce Center for nearly $46.6 million, said Orange County records.

Full story: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/story4.html?ana=e_ph

Allegiant February passenger traffic soars

Orlando Business Journal

Full Story: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/02/daily19.html?ana=e_du_pub

Allegiant Air LLC has announced that its February passenger count increased 10.9 percent over the same period in 2008.

The Las Vegas-based carrier, a major player at Orlando Sanford International Airport, reported that its scheduled service registered 361,778 passengers last month, up from 326,159 passengers in February last year.

The low-cost carrier also reported that its load factor increased substantially in February to 90.2 percent, up from 86.4 percent the year before.

Sanctuary Diner

Good Friday Afternoon!

We have not yet visited...but the new Sanctuary Diner (formerly Fifi's Pattisierie) is having the Grand Opening today.... the hours are below:

Hours of Operation

Mon-Fri 11am-8pm

Sat- Sun 9am-4pm

We were hoping for longer hours - like 24hrs...or close @ midnight.... since it's supposed to be a diner ;-) ....still looking forward to going soon though

Coming Soon - The Black Olive Restaurant

Make sure to peek your head around the corner at The Plaza on Orange Avenue and see the latest dining establishment to hit Downtown Orlando. The Black Olive, located at the bottom of The Plaza on Pine Street and across from the City Arts Factory is set to officially open in the next few weeks. The Black Olive's warm yet inspiring ambiance is the perfect setting to enjoy a refreshing lunch or to indulge in a relaxing cocktail after work. Join them for an elegant dinner that will leave you feeling pleasantly rejuvenated.

According to their website, "at The Black Olive fresh is more than a word. Fresh is the aroma of locally grown herbs, the light healthy touch of olive oils and the savory finish of fine sea salts. The Black Olive offers you Mediterranean Inspired Italian Cusine, featuring authentic fresh and flavorful ingredients, simply yet elegant dishes and the health benefits of olives, fine salts, and the Mediterranean diet." For further information go to www.eattheblackolive.com or call 407.849.1689.

Source Downtown Confidential 2/16/2009 www.downtownorlando.com

Relax Grill - Now Open

Relax Grill, at Lake Eola Park, is now open. Make sure to stop by the newly renamed and renovated dining establishments as you are in for a treat! Diner can enjoy kabobs, amazing seafood and pita and hummus as they relax across from the swan boat rides at Lake Eola. On Fridays the restaurant will host movie nights. So by day or night site next to the City Beautiful's crown jewel, enjoy the wonderful weather and just relax. For further information please call or visit Relax Grill at: 407.835.1797, 211 Eola Parkway, Orlando, FL 32801.

Source: Downtown Confidential 2/16/2009 www.downtownorlando.com

Orlando home sales second-best statewide

Source: Jerry W. Jackson | Sentinel Staff Writer
2:32 PM EST, February 12, 2009

The reports keep getting better for Metro Orlando's existing homes sales, as the four-county market ended the fourth quarter on a strong note, rising 22 percent to 4,247 homes, the second best showing out of 20 markets statewide, the Florida Association of Realtors said this afternoon.

Only the far larger Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater market sold more homes during the three-month period, 5,579, but Orlando was closing the gap as Tampa's increase was only half as great, at 10 percent.


Full story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-housing-market-improving-021209,0,5824895.story

Pizzuti to build 11-story tower on Orange near Colonial

Source: Jerry W. Jackson | Sentinel Staff Writer
2:42 PM EST, February 17, 2009

Bulldozers were clearing land near the corner of Orange Avenue and Colonial Drive in downtown Orlando on Tuesday as Ron Pizzuti, one of Central Florida's best-known commercial developers, looked on and vowed to move quickly to build an 11-story retail-office tower on the site, despite the real estate slump.

"We're not in the land-bank business," Pizzuti said as he and Scott Hall, his top executive in Orlando, talked about the 165,000-square-foot building and why they are pressing ahead with a downtown office project now.

Full story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-pizzuti-021709,0,4793267.story

Harvey's, Manuel's shut down in downtown Orlando

Source: Orlando Sentinel

Sandra Pedicini |Sentinel Staff Writer

1:12 PM EST, February 16, 2009

Two fixtures of the downtown Orlando dining scene -- Harvey's Bistro and Manuel's on the 28th -- have closed.

The two restaurants, both in the Bank of America building, served their last meals on Valentine's Day.

Full Story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-harveys-closed-021609,0,5079735.story

Mortgage rates fall to record low again

Source: Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON – Jan. 9, 2009 – Rates on 30-year mortgages fell to a record level for a fourth straight week, dropping to the lowest mark since Freddie Mac started tracking the data nearly 28 years ago.

Rates have been falling since late November, when the Federal Reserve announced a plan to spend up to $500 billion to buy-up mortgage-backed securities in efforts to buttress the distressed U.S. housing market.

For Full Story: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-010909.cfm