Town home or Condo? Single-family or duplex? Gated Community or Guarded? Downtown or by the water? in the world of real estate , there are enough choices to make your head spin and much like fashion, in the words of Heidi, “one day you’re in, and the next day;  you’re out” especially when it comes to today’s turbulent real estate market. In fact right now most Americans are in,…debt that is, (up to their elbows), and although property is a  necessity of living, purchasing it has  become a roller coaster ride decision. When to buy? Where to buy? W.I.I.F.M (What’s In It For Me?), Will I lose my job, house, both???!!???

With all this to consider, finding the right fit is absolutely the most important decision you can make and the stress gets to most people particularly if you are new to real estate especially for most of my female homebuyers  who come to the table with high emotions and high expectations.

So with that said, here are a few things for us ladies to remember when shopping real estate here in the Orlando area and they all require you to think shoe!!!!!

1.) Window Shop first:

  We all love the lure of the high style shoe boutique on perfect shop lane with the beautiful window displays, allowing you to shop windows for hours and window shopping is a must for real estate. Taking a look at the first great property you see with your Realtor and putting your money down on the spot is never a wise decision. While we have all been guilty of  impulse shopping and kicking ourselves for it later, buying a home is a one decision that will hurt a lot longer than any pair of heels will (even at designer prices). Over-spending can hurt you on both buys whether its the perfect pump or a come and get it condo fully loaded with all the bells and whistles. Not window shopping can mean the difference from banking a buck and breaking the bank so double check your budget, and think about how this will affect your life over the next few years. Will this decsion be one you will regret in a few hours like those five minute heels you love but can never wear or is this home a house with staying power like those perfect marathon day to night stunner shoes you can’t get enough of. There are a lot of pitfalls in shoe shopping and real estate so before you hit the ATM to plop down a deposit on a home or the perfect set of heels, do your research! That house or  pair of heels may look nice now , but they may kill your budget later down the line and leave you with blisters. If you want your choice to have staying power, you will need to do take a step back and evaluate if this is a 2 year house or a lifetime house, as you would a one-hour shoe, or 12 hour shoe. If you are planning on having another child, that 2 bed 2 bath contemporary condo that is a perfect fit now may be a overstuffed nightmare in a few years so make sure you know what you want in your life, in your home, and on your feet. 

2.) Don’t Get Caught Up in the Sample Sale Syndrome

As a New York City hometown girl myself, there were only two words that could make my heart race when it came to fashion, “sample” “sale”. The opportunity to buy designer shoes at insanely low prices in a private industry sale that most will kill to attend and many left in bruises, often meant snagging the best deals to be had for killer heels. While the Louboutins or Manolo Blahniks  you broke your wrist over may be well worth the price, it is important to not get wrapped up in the drama of home buying just like the drama you’d find at a New York City Sample Sale.  In real estate, there are foreclosure properties and short sale properties that many would beg, borrow, and steal for particularly in the luxury sector of Orlando (Dr. Philips, Windermere, and Winter Park) and while many are only listed for a day before going pending due to all the bells and whistles and ridiculously low prices, it is important to not let the tunnel vision of the perfect price and the lure of Brazilian cherry floors (that show like a hot pair of Jimmy Choos) sway you out of your comfort zone when it comes to your budget, or coax you into a impulse buy that may cost you later. Homes need to be properly inspected and tried on just like a great pair of heels or you may just be left with  sole-ful woes later on.

3.) Finding the Right Fit!

Are you the class clown oddball of the bunch? The social butterfly with perfect pores? The traditional nice girl next door? The wild child who lives life by the seat of her pants?? Whatever your style makes sure your home fits the bill the same way the perfect shoe compliments your persoanlity and style.  If you are a student who loves the social scene and the cutting edge of whats hip – consider a trendy downtown condo. A mad scientist obsessed with privacy and a flare for architecture - consider creating your own dramatically different domicile. A wall flower romantic dreamer who is looking to recapture Norman Rockwell at his best- well a white picket fence may just be for you.  Either way, the home you choose like the perfect shoe will have a lot to say about you and keeping that in mind, you should have a lot to say and think about before making your final choice!

 From: www.realestatechannel.com  By: Alex Finkelstein(OXFORD, ENGLAND) — Property Frontiers, a six-year-old real estate investment advisory firm in southeast England, is telling its international clients “the whole of Florida is currently a hot bed of foreign buyer activity.”

The company claims it represents properties worldwide and posts their offerings daily on its web site.

Without citing specific sales volume, Property Frontiers director and co-owner David Cox states “Florida property is currently presenting some of the biggest bargains that the world of overseas property has even seen.”

Cox says “quality properties (in Florida) are like gold dust, with the best ones selling without hardly any marketing.”

In his company’s latest release, Cox touts the low profile, nine-year-old, 94-unit Village at Town Center residential condominiums at Davenport, FL as “one of the best developments I have seen in terms of value for money.” Davenport, in Polk County, is 10 miles south of Walt Disney World and about 30 minutes south of Downtown Orlando.

Cox says starting prices are $54,900 for a one-bedroom unit.  The property offers two-bedroom and three-bedroom condos but Cox didn’t cite their asking prices.

He claims the units are 70 percent below market value and 50 percent below replacement value.  The condo community is 91 percent occupied, according to Cox.

“The development’s investment potential, which offers 100 percent capital appreciation, not including the 10 percent annual yield from rentals, sounds unbelievable, but it isn’t” says Cox.

He says, “When it comes to the yield, currently one bedroom condos near Disney rent for about $480 (per month).”  Cox adds, “With 100 percent occupancy, a 10 percent yield is achieved on (the purchase of) a one-bedroom” unit.

He notes the Village condos rent for $105 per week.  “Times that by four for quickness, means a quarter of the occupancy is needed, which is 25 percent occupancy and easily achieved on a condo near Disney World.”

Cox states, “When it comes to buying distressed property in (metro) Orlando, you don’t need to look very hard to see that it will go back to the original value not long after the world has fully recovered from the current downturn, and once all the distressed sales and repossessed properties are gone.”

Privately held Property Frontiers was founded in 2004 and has 20 employees, according to its web site. The principals include Cox and Ray Withers as owners and directors: Nadya Boynton, property consultant; Ben Jefferis, consultant sourcing manager; and Christopher Chadd, project manager.

Post From Wftv.com/eyewitness News Casey Anthony’s parents may be losing their home on Hopespring Drive to foreclosure. It’s the last place Caylee Anthony was seen alive and it has become infamous over the past two years for protests and fights.

The Anthonys face foreclosure despite the money that George and Cindy have made off the case, including getting paid $20,000 for an exclusive interview on CBS. And, even though they haven’t made a mortgage payment since last May, five months after that they went on a cruise.

Over the last year and a half, the house has been the scene of some strange goings on. Cindy Anthony has squirted at people with a hose, the Anthonys have had shoving and shouting matches with protesters and Casey has been taken away amidst a mob scene, surrounded by people angry that she was allowed to live in the house she once shared with her daughter Caylee.

Inside, Cindy has said Caylee’s room has been left exactly as it was the day she disappeared. Now, they might lose the house with all its good and bad memories.

Some neighbors feel it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“It’s good if somebody would buy it. There’s nothing wrong with the house. It’s only if you knew. It’s all in your mind,” neighbor Kevin Co said.

The Anthonys bought the house for almost $91,000 in 1989 (property appraiser’s listing), but court records show the Anthonys owe more than $115,000, plus interest, partly because of a second mortgage.

Cindy is on disability from her nursing job and George has been out of work almost since Casey’s first arrest. Their son Lee’s lawyer said Lee moved in with them last year to help them pay their bills, but right after that is when they stopped making mortgage payments and Eyewitness News has heard he’s moved out.

Neighbor Kevin Co obviously doesn’t know all the details of the Anthony’s finances, but says he wouldn’t feel sorry for them if it turns out they spent money on a cruise and other things instead of making their $785 per month house payments.

“That’s not the right thing to do if that’s the way they did it,” he said.

One neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, said if the Anthonys put everyone else’s property values in jeopardy by being irresponsible with their finances it’s not going to endear them to anyone in the neighborhood.

Still, an Orlando real estate agent told Eyewitness News the intrigue could be a selling point for some and others might want to help the Anthonys.

“I think there are so many followers of the family that they would step in and try to help the family and one way of doing that is make an attempt to purchase the house,” Sarah Eagan explained.