Archive | Editorial
Go Global The Truth About Foreclosures, Bargain Priced Property And The Loonie! By Patricia Tan Florida is now acknowledged in international circles as THE place to buy real estate. There is growing evidence that the prices in many parts of our state have bottomed and started on the road to recovery, but buyers are still hesitant and search for data to support a buying decision. One key indicator that many buyers research is the number of foreclosures in a market. Another deluge of foreclosed properties will surely mean prices will drop further, right? Many investors look to the press for […]
Hit It Further And Straighter With Your Driver! By Jonathan Yarwood “Keep your head down!”….. How many times have you heard that! Well, I am here to tell you, that advice is responsible for a lot of problems with the driver including ‘skying’ it, ‘slicing’ it and a lack of power. It actually perpetuates many problems too, let me explain…. The more you keep your head down, the less your body winds up behind the ball. Your right hip gets ‘high’ as you go back and acts as a barrier to moving your weight. You end up in a classic […]
Top 10 Questions to Talk Over with Your Attorney Prior To The Pre-Foreclosure Decision By Jim Soda It is imperative that any homeowner seeking to determine if a short sale is in their best interest, be able to distinguish between their own interests and the interests of lenders, buyers, investors, and real estate-related professionals
Design Lines – Lightening The Look By Pamela Hughes One of the pleasures of life is simplification. As the world itself seems to be moving faster and becoming more complicated, the sanctuary of our homes is our place to restore peace, quiet and balance. Paired with making more time for ourselves is the possibility of making our homes more serene and welcoming. And that is what we will be focusing on this month. Particularly, as one retires or is just coming to a second or part-time home, the ease of one’s life there, with minimal upkeep or effort, is important. […]
Outdoor Living Design By Steve Murray For the majority of people moving to Florida, drinking a cocktail and flipping the steaks on the barby whilst looking out over their pool or bayfront view is their idea of utopia. Every day begins and ends the same way….enjoying their outdoor living space. As a result, over the years we have seen a trend in how homes have integrated lanais, covered decks and pool areas into the overall flow of the home. Homes built inland typically have more land and are less restricted on lot coverage allowing large living and eating areas under […]
A No Non-Sense Approach to Green Building By Mark Miller Everyone today is talking about “Green” from your neighbor next door to the President of the United States. With the topic on so many minds one would think that everyone has a good understanding of what the term green means. Who should we turn to for information on what it means to build “green”? Should we turn to our government for that answer? It wasn’t too long ago when it became news that ethanol production, which was supposed to be “green,” used more fossil fuel than it yielded. Even worse, […]
Interiors By Clifford Scholz The majority of what architects talk about is the exterior package of a structure, when in reality the majority of the time we spend is actually in the interior of the structure. I believe if you were to compare the two amounts of time that the interior part would be considerably longer in duration. Sleeping itself represents about 30% of the time spent inside. Regardless it is very obvious that as much time, or even more time, may well be spent on designing our interior surroundings as compared to the external package. My architectural internship kept […]
Go Global – Brazil, The Land of Opportunity? By Patricia Tan We hear much talk today of the global economy and the growing role of the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. The term BRIC was first used in a Goldman Sachs report in 2003, which speculated that by 2050 these four economies would be wealthier than most of the current major economic powers. Of the four countries, we probably see and hear more of Brazil, here in Florida. Brazil covers nearly half of South America, is the continent’s largest nation and the only South American country whose […]
1031 Exchange By Jeff Riddell Although 1031 Exchange has been in the internal revenue code since 1921, the scope of its use in recent years is unprecedented. Originally an “out west” phenomenon, the use of 1031 Exchange has spread rapidly east in recent years. With all of the “unintentional millionaires” out there today, even the little guys are doing 1031 Exchanges. “Unintentional millionaires” are all those folks who bought a lot, house, condominium, etc. a few years ago who wake up one morning and find that their $250,000 property is now worth more than a million, but you knew that […]
Want To Make Putts? By Jonathan Yarwood Want to make more putts!? Who doesn’t? A common thing I encounter is that people cannot read greens or putts correctly. As you can see in the photos, all putts are actually straight! The slope takes the ball off the line that you choose, but mentally you are thinking that the putt you are hitting is actually straight at your target, not necessarily the hole. Let me explain. The amount of break is dictated by the slope, speed of the greens and how hard you hit it. When looking at a putt, get […]
Design Lines – Window Dressing By Pamela Hughes We’ve talked about many elements of interior design in previous columns, and we have a few more to go! One very important component of a great space is windows. They are in every room, they control light and air, and they give us an opportunity to add decoration, so this column is dedicated to them. First, let’s talk about the reasons why we treat windows. There is obviously the decorative element: draperies and fabrics add a softness to a room and an opportunity to coordinate other elements and fabrics in a decor. […]
Seller Financing By Jeff Riddell It’s hard to get a mortgage these days. So, what’s a seller (and maybe the seller’s real estate agent) to do? Seller financing (sometimes called owner financing) may do the trick. Florida recognizes several approaches, each with its pros and cons. First there is the traditional seller carry-back mortgage. The buyer and seller sign a purchase agreement that not only describes the purchase price, but also the seller financing covering a portion of the purchase price. Seller financing could, of course, cover the entire purchase price, but that usually isn’t prudent—sellers want buyers to have some […]
Out With The Old, In With The New By Steve Murray For as long as I have been building in Sarasota, stretching back to 1995, architectural trends have been fairly staid and proponents of “evolution” rather than “revolution”. The “Spanish-Med” style that has adorned so many of our new subdivisions and neighborhoods has finally been laid to rest. Almost. There are still some models and new construction homes that display the applied foam trim, earthy colors and Corinthian columns that is the hallmark of that style of architecture. But there is a new movement in Sarasota being facilitated by our […]
What Is The True Value Of Exceptional Design? By Clifford Scholz In our quest to perfect the art and skill of exceptional architecture, we cannot help but contemplate its “true” value. Value as defined both in any quality piece of art and also value as in true capitalistic and financial terms. It is apparent that marginal architecture does little to improve or even reduce the monetary value of a property as compared to exceptional skillful architecture vastly enhancing the monetary value of the same property. The same is true to the enhancement of the artistic quality of a property. This […]
Go Global – Go Fractional By Patricia Tan There is a growing trend in the international real estate market towards fractional ownership. The global recession undoubtedly influenced this growth, by causing many people to stop and consider their financial position and formulate new strategies for fiscal management and wealth preservation. In recent years there had been a tendency for those who could afford it, to buy not just a second home, but a third or fourth home around the world, to meet their lifestyle needs. It would not be unusual for someone to have a loft in New York to […]
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Monday, June 28, 2010
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