ORLANDO’S JOB GROWTH LEADS REST OF FLORIDA:

According to a recent article in the Central Florida Business section of the Orlando Sentinel, Metro Orlando led Florida in the rate of job growth, and added 31,500 jobs in the 12 months ending February 28, 2007, the larges employment gain in any metro area in the state.

The statewide unemployment rate was 3.3% in February compared to the national rate of 4.5 percent. There were 5,300 more construction jobs statewide in February than a year earlier. While many experts last year were predicting a decline in construction jobs because of the weak housing market, construction in hotels, shopping centers and state and local government projects are offsetting the decline in residential construction. This gain in construction jobs is viewed as a very positive factor for the economic well-being of the state, as well as Central Florida.

Ossama Mikhail, an economist at the University of Central Florida further credited the regions’s effort to diversity beyond the leisure and hospitality industries, which has allowed Metro Orlando to take advantage of the strong statewide gains in professional and business services.

Source: The Orlando Sentinel

10 'must-do' steps to sell your home this year

Wednesday March 14, 6:00 am ET
Dana Dratch

If you're selling your home this year, be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint.

In most places, those heady days of putting a property on the market, receiving multiple bids, getting more than you expected, and accepting an offer in just days -- or weeks -- are over.

Now, for most houses in most parts of the country, it's a buyer's market. That means that more houses are for sale, there are longer stretches on the market, and prices have slowed, plateaued or, in some places, decreased.

Sellers "need to be prepared for a sustained effort," says Colby Sambrotto, chief operating officer of ForSaleByOwner.com.

Homes are staying on the market for about four months, according to the most recent national averages from the National Association of Realtors.
Traditionally, spring and summer are "prime time" in most areas of the country when it comes to buying and selling homes. If that's when you plan to plant your "for sale" sign, here are 10 things you can do beforehand:

1. Recognize every market is different.
2. Get your home inspected.
3. Shape up before marketing.
4. Devise a marketing plan.
5. Check into company relocation assistance.
6. Interview real estate agents.
7. Set a price.
8. Understand your price.
9. Get rid of the junk.
10. Stay on top of the market.

1. Recognize every market is different. Your state, town or neighborhood could dovetail with national numbers or buck the trend entirely. "There really is no national market," says Sambrotto. "There's a patchwork of regional markets." Never rely solely on one person's advice or opinion. Talk to a handful of professionals, do your own research, and listen to your gut instinct.

2. Get your home inspected. "Before I would even call a real estate agent, I'd have my home inspected," says attorney Diana Brodman Summers, author of "How to Buy Your First Home." Some real estate agents advise against spending the money (most basic inspections range from $200 and $400, according to a 2004 survey from the American Society of Home Inspectors), because the buyers will get one anyway prior to closing. Others recommend it, because it gives sellers an early warning on any repairs they might have to make. But in this market, it's better to be proactive, says Summers. "I would rather know what the inspector is going to find and be able to fix it -- and pick who will fix it," she says. Her method also allows you to shop around for the best price instead of perhaps paying an inflated price later on.

3. Shape up before marketing. A buyer's market means you've got more competition. "You want to put your best foot forward," says Eric Tyson, co-author of "House Selling for Dummies." If your home isn't appealing and in good repair, potential buyers won't even stop. Some sellers feel it's OK to skip this step and take less, but if the house is not appealing you may not get the chance to negotiate. "Six weeks before you want to put it on the market is a great time to get it done," says Summers. You don't need to renovate, but make sure everything looks great and works well. There are some things you can do to make your home stand out:
New paint. Paint the whole house, if it needs it, or just the trim, shutters and door to freshen up.
A clean entry way. Sweep or pressure-wash the front walk and porch. Polish the outdoor metalwork, clean the windows and glass, and replace any burnt-out bulbs in outdoor lighting. And, if you can, add planters with flowers.
Lush landscaping. Think new mulch, sharp edging, a healthy lawn, and beds of flowers.
"Maximize your chances of people being excited about your listing when it hits the market," says Tyson.

4. Devise a marketing plan. Do you want to use a real estate agent or would you rather sell it yourself? If you try doing it yourself, have you set a time limit after which you want to enlist the aid of a professional? Selling it yourself can save you the real estate commission (often about 6 percent), which can be an advantage in a tight market. But a buyer's market (or rapidly changing market) is also a good time to have a little professional expertise to price, market and move your property. And don't forget, potential buyers may feel that if there's no agent involved the price should already be 6 percent less. Both the buyer and the seller can't save the same 6 percent.

5. Check into company relocation assistance. Are you moving to take a new job or position? If so, the company might offer some resources to make things easier, says Summers. Some companies will even provide a list of real estate pros who will work with you at a discount. If you're selling in a tight market, every little bit helps. Best source: call your human resources department.

6. Interview real estate agents. If you're interested in using an agent, interview several early on about listing your home, says Tyson. "Ask them for their advice," he says. "That's a good way to select an agent." What would they highlight about your home? What would they change before it goes on the market?
Ask to see an activity list -- a list of all the buyers and sellers they represented, the areas of town and the price ranges. You don't want private details, says Tyson. But you want to see if they've worked your neighborhood, in your price range and if they have a track record of successful sales.
How old are the comparable sales (often called "comps") they are showing you? A few years ago, you could study comps that were 6 months or a year old. This year, because many markets are changing, you want neighborhood comps that are no more than two to three months old, says Summers.
And find out how long each has been a professional. Experience counts. "If you're going to pay 5 to 6 percent, you might as well get the best your money can get," says Tyson.

7. Set a price. The rules are different in soft markets. "You don't overprice your house 20 percent to leave wiggle room for negotiating," says Tyson. While that kind of strategy might never be a good idea, it can really backfire in 2007. If your property is overpriced 20 percent, the buyer's agent "may not even show it to them," he says. Again, it's not a matter of being willing to negotiate. If your price is too high potential buyers may not even look at it. And they very well see a negative message in such a high price. "Those who overprice their homes in this market are wasting everyone's time," he says.
If you're not using an agent, get your own comps -- from the local paper, sites like Zillow.com and Realtor.com to see how similar houses in the area are priced. Also find out which paper in your area publishes notices when properties are sold -- sometimes it's the local daily or legal paper. Tracking those is a good way of tracking actual sales prices, as opposed to asking prices.
Then set a realistic figure. Your goal: To maximize the chances that the perfect buyer will actually see it, Tyson says.
To get an idea of what's going on now, you want recent comps. But you may also want to look at comparables from the last six months. "You will see trends," says Patricia Fitzgerald, broker/owner of Coastal Properties in Jupiter, Fla. "You also need to look at what is in the market" in that area, she says. Are properties moving? Are prices holding steady or are sellers dropping prices?
Pricing is strategy. And much of it comes down to just how motivated you are to sell -- or how quickly you have to leave.
If you have to pad the price, it's "an art, not an exact science," Tyson says. "Five to 10 percent is one thing. Fifteen to 20 percent and you have a problem."
Two more points to consider:
Modern technology. Agents and buyers are often using computers to search for properties. If you want to sell yours for around $400,000, consider listing it at $399,999, rather than $400,500. That way, a computer search of anything between $350,000 and $400,000 will include your listing.
Commissions aren't add-ons. Don't add the real estate commission to the value of the home to come up with your asking price, says Tyson. If you use an agent, the fee comes out of your share of the profits.
Otherwise, "you're going to get penalized for overpricing your house," he says. Instead: try negotiating your commission with the agent. When the recent seller's market was in full swing it was easy to get agents to list your property for as low as 4 percent (split with a co-broker). They knew the property would sell in days or weeks and their marketing costs would be low. Now it's reversed. Agents are commonly looking at four to six months to sell a property and so their marketing expenses are now running higher than normal. This makes them hesitant to offer any discounts.
Beware hidden financing costs. Not all financing is the same from a seller's point of view. With some types of financing, like FHA and VA home loans, the seller pays the points on the loan, says Summers. Understand the different types and what will be required of you as a seller, because that could affect how much you net in a sale.

8. Understand your price. While you don't want to undervalue your house, many sellers today won't make as much as neighbors who sold last year, says Summers. If you have your heart set on a certain amount, and find out that houses aren't selling for that, you may "have to change your mind and sit on the house," she says.

9. Get rid of the junk. "This year it's more important because buyers are going to be more fussy," says Summers. "Buyers are going to come in with an attitude." Throw things out, ship them early or rent a storage locker. But clear out that clutter. Buyers look for space and light. To show it off, you need to be able to tour a group comfortably through the house, as well as actually walk into those "walk-in" closets.

10. Stay on top of the market. "You must be aware of market changes," says Summers, which is one reason she recommends using an agent. Stay on top of what is happening with mortgages and finance rates, keep looking at comps and, "See trends before they happen," she says. "The real estate market is still in a time of correction. You have to be so careful with both buying and selling."

A Surge In The 'Burbs

Demography
A Surge In The 'Burbs
Brian Wingfield, 03.22.07, 12:01 AM ET (Forbes, Online)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -

America's cities are exploding with growth, but the surrounding counties might just be the best places to live.
The U.S. Census Bureau released its figures for the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. Thursday, and the results show a significant trend: As cities become increasingly congested and expensive, there has been a massive exodus to the suburbs, with people seeking a better lifestyle.
"The underlying theme of this is affordability," says Dr. William Frey of the University of Michigan, one of the country's most renowned demographers and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. "People are moving from unaffordable to affordable places."
In Pictures: America's Fastest-Growing Counties
The bureau's figures cover the period from April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2006, providing a snapshot of the country's population movements during that time. The period coincides with historically low interest rates, a housing boom, urban renewal and soaring home prices in metropolitan areas.
People have been taking advantage of these factors, particularly in the Sun Belt, loosely defined as that broad crescent of land spanning the southern half of the country from Virginia to Arizona. In the information age, businesses and their employees can operate just about anywhere, and they're both moving to where the land is cheaper and the quality of life is relatively good.
Flagler County, Fla.--tucked between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach--tops the bureau's high-growth list this year, as it did in 2006, with a galloping 67% growth rate since the beginning of the decade.
But a bigger story is the astounding growth of three states in particular--Florida, Texas and Georgia.
According to Scott Cody of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research, high land prices in southern Florida have made cheaper parts of the state increasingly attractive. Two examples are the counties surrounding the Orlando area--Osceola and Lake--and those around booming Jacksonville, such as Flagler and St. John's County, just south of the metropolis. All four counties are among the county's top 25 fastest growing.
Texas boasts half of the top 10 counties with the greatest population gains in numeric terms. (Maricopa County, Ariz., which includes Phoenix, topped this list.) But in terms of growth--meaning percent increases in population--four Texas counties also made the list: Rockwall and Collin near Dallas, Williamson County near Austin and Fort Bend near Houston. Much of the growth in these metropolitan centers has to do with the prosperous high-tech industry. Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ), for example, is located in Williamson County, and Ericsson (nasdaq: ERIC - news - people ), the North American subsidiary of the Swedish telecom company, is located in Plano, much of which is located in Collin County.
The suburban explosion of Atlanta is one of the biggest growth stories of the last few decades. Six north Georgia counties--Forsyth, Henry, Paulding, Newton, Barrow and Cherokee--appear in the top 25 of the Census Bureau's fastest-growing county list this year, all of them Atlanta suburbs. With a constellation of major business, including CNN, Coca-Cola (nyse: KO - news - people ), Home Depot (nyse: HD - news - people ), Georgia-Pacific and the Southern Company, located in the region, the city and its suburbs has become an international destination.
Atlanta has few natural barriers to keep growth in check, and land is plentiful as long as people are willing to live further and further away from the downtown area. Asked to explain the region's growth, Judy Hadley of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget says simply: "It's a nice place."
Suburban growth, of course, is not just confined to the Sun Belt. Chicago suburb Kendall County was the second-fastest-growing county from 2000 to 2006. Hamilton County, a short drive from Indianapolis, Ind., also made the top 25 list. So did Scott County, Minn., and Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, just across the water from Anchorage. But throughout the list another theme emerges: People are escaping crowded urban centers because they appear to want a better lifestyle. What the bureau's figures do not reveal, however, is just who is moving to the suburbs.
Obviously, there are drawbacks to suburban growth, among them congestion and sprawl. "Certainly it's putting a tremendous strain on our infrastructure," says Debbie Singer, general counsel of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, the transportation advocate for metro regions. She notes that more and more money is needed to build new roads, tying up funds that could be used to make repairs on existing highways.
A major economic slowdown would likely stymie suburban expansion, demographers say. In addition, Frey points out, "Affordability may bottom out after a while." If that happens, people could seek to move elsewhere. If climate change becomes an issue for the Sun Belt states, he says, the Northeast and Midwest--regions with an established infrastructure and record of development--could become more attractive.
None of this is particularly new, of course. Suburban expansion has been happening for decades--beginning with the return of the first GIs following World War II and the growth of suburbs like Levittown, N.Y., which sprang up on Long Island potato farms. In fact, most of the counties on the bureau's 2007 list of fastest-growing counties make repeat showings from last year.
"It's always been a quest to sort of open new horizons," says Frey of the suburban exodus. "In the initial cases, it was an escape from highly congested polyglot areas. Now it's sort of a quest for your own neighborhood, something you can call your own."
"It's kind of the American Dream," he adds. "It's kind of just taken on a whole different new geography."

The Value of a Good School

Why your district matters, even if you don't have kids

By Jon Ann Steinmetz, Yahoo! Real Estate EditorFebruary 2, 2007

Any parent knows that school districts are important when buying a house, but even buyers who don't have kids should be aware of the effect that schools have on a property's purchase price and resale value.

In its 2006 survey of homebuyers and sellers, the National Association of Realtors found that 27 percent of buyers cited the quality of the school district as a factor influencing their choice of neighborhood, said Walter Molony, spokesman for the association. Another 19 percent cited convenience to schools as an influence.

For those with kids, the benefits of highly rated schools are obvious. For those without, the decision is more nuanced, said Sandy Kasik, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in San Jose, Calif. - one of the nation's most expensive housing markets.

"Someone without kids could be better assured of maintaining or increasing the value of their home if it is located in a better school district," she said. "However, they would likely be able to get more home for their money in a lesser school district. So it basically comes down to what is more important to the individual couple - lifestyle or money."

There's no hard data on how much a good school district might add to the price of a home, Molony said, but anecdotally, it can be significant.

Kasik gives an example of two houses of roughly the same size - about 1,250 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms - built by the same builder at about the same time in San Jose and neighboring Los Gatos, an upscale town that's highly desirable because of its schools. The houses sold nine months apart: the one in San Jose went for $720,000; while the one in Los Gatos fetched $845,000.

In the Midwest, Realtor Pam Sison estimates home prices in Bath, Ohio, run about 2 percent to 5 percent higher than those nearby in Cuyahoga Falls.

Coldwell Banker agent Chris Conklin, also in San Jose, is currently working with a couple on the school district dilemma. They have no children, and no plans for children, but have their hearts set on a house in Cupertino - home of Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, and schools with a national reputation for excellence.

"I've been trying to get them to look elsewhere, pointing out that they would be paying a premium for a school district they won't be using," Conklin said. How much of a premium? One house they made an offer on ended up with 24 bids, and sold for $110,000 over the asking price.
"My clients say, well, we don't want to use the schools, but it helps for resale," Conklin said. "We are still looking!"

That kind of foresight could very well pay off, said Molony of the National Association of Realtors. "If you're in a situation where all things are equal, the house in the better school district might be easier to sell," he said. "It'd be a selling point, in other words."

Golf In Florida Leading the Way.

(Unique Homes Newsletter 2006)

Stateside, Florida Leads the Way
By Scott Kauffman

Despite a slowdown, Florida still can't be beaten when it comes to luxury golf course real estate. After generating a record 398.5 new golf courses in 2000, the number of new 18-hole courses opening each year in the United States has been consistently dropping. And last year's number of new courses, 124.5, marked the lowest annual total since the mid-1980s. Visit Florida, however, and the golf industry still has a sunny outlook with 1,764 new golf holes since 2001, or the equivalent of 98 new 18-hole golf courses-tops in the country, according to the Jupiter, Fla.-based National Golf Foundation. And this year alone, Florida leads the nation with 153 new holes opened through August.

Of course, real estate continues to drive the majority of new layouts in Florida, which leads the world with 545 golf-course communities. And one of the growing leaders of luxury golf-course communities is the Celebration, Fla.-based Ginn Company. One of Ginn Clubs & Resorts' newer projects is the redevelopment of Quail West Country Club near Naples, Fla. After acquiring the property in April '05, 300 single-family lots still were left for sale in this private 36-hole Arthur Hills-designed community. By year-end '06, Ginn was expecting to have 200 of those lots sold (prices are $600,000-$1.3 million for half-acre to 1-acre home sites), according to Vice President of Sales Tom Brosnan. That should push Ginn's total sales revenue to $190 million since the acquisition, not including another $70 million in resales. One reason for Ginn's charged up sales activity is the $45 million-$50 million being invested to completely renovate the 70,000-square-foot clubhouse and upgrade the club's amenities and overall look. Among the additions planned over the next two years are a new spa and pool, and a members' beach club.

Brosnan acknowledges it's not the sales frenzy it was two years ago, but the "supposed slowdown" hasn't really affected Quail West. "This is such a unique trophy property," Brosnan says. "What's great about Naples and the Southwest is people here expect to see growth. We're adding so many premiums to Quail West there's still a feel for growth opportunities." Another Naples development generating a buzz is Grey Oaks, the only private golf club community located in the city limits of Naples.

Five years ago, Grey Oaks' developers, relatives of the well-known Barron Gift Collier family, added a third golf course to the 1,200-acre community, the award-winning Bob Cupp-designed Estuary Course. The course winds through beautiful preserves and represents the backdrop to some of Grey Oaks' priciest and newest real estate. For example, last December, Grey Oaks launched the final phase of its estate-size lots that border the Gordon River Estuary Preserve and overlook the golf course. The 35 home sites, which average just more than a half-acre each, start at $995,000 and go up to $1.9 million. Connie Dickinson, vice president of sales and marketing for Grey Oaks, says the estate lots are in high demand for a number of reasons.

"These lots are the very last of their kind within the city limits," adds Dickinson, whose 953-unit community is more than two-thirds sold out. "What's unique is you have all the amenities of country living with a city address. Once these are sold, there will not be another opportunity to find open land of this size and integrity that has the exclusive city address of Naples."

If estate-size living doesn't sound appealing, Dickinson points out that Grey Oaks has several other new real estate offerings worth looking into. For instance, Noble Heron and Marsh Wren are two new sections of luxurious golf-front "villas" being built by the prestigious Naples-based Lutgert Companies. According to Dickinson, the single-family residences, launched last year, start at $2 million for 3,400 square feet of living space.

At Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, a high-end private community that features resident golf members such as Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen and Annika Sorenstam, marketing executive Rob Adams also reports positive growth. "We're doing pretty good," says Adams, whose entry price point for the 600-acre country club is now more than $1 million. "We really haven't seen much drop in the high-end market." One of Lake Nona's newest neighborhoods is Kensington Shores, a 120-unit enclave where semi-custom homes are starting around $1 million. Additionally, there will be attached coach homes for $900,000 to $1.4 million (average size: 3,000 square feet).

Across town at Isleworth, Lake Nona's sister community, the Gardens at Isleworth is off to a strong sales start too. The final phase of new home construction for this exclusive community, where Tiger Woods, Shaquille O'Neal and numerous other celebrities live, the Gardens are maintenance-free luxury villas ranging from 3,800 square feet to 5,500 square feet, priced from $2.5 million. Of course, robust golf real estate news isn't confined to Florida or even traditional Sun Belt markets for that matter. Case in point is developer John Lang's latest project in Northern Michigan, Lochenheath Golf Club. Situated on Grand Traverse Bay, Lochenheath's 644 acres is being transformed into one of the Midwest's finest private golf clubs and residential communities with lot prices ranging from $225,000 to $2.2 million.

Previously, Lang was involved in two highly acclaimed private residential golf communities in Arizona: Estancia in Scottsdale, and The Club at Seven Canyons in Sedona, Ariz.. He is convinced the end result will be no different at his latest endeavor in Michigan. "Regardless of where you are, there's always going to be good places for what we do," says Lang, president/CEO of Scottsdale-based Pinnacle Development. "Scottsdale and Sedona have been two good spots and we've done some nice projects elsewhere.

We look for irreplaceable real estate. The most important thing in real estate is not what you build, and it's not selling it. The key is what is unique about this property or the market. So we've come across this term irreplaceable real estate." And even in today's sluggish golf course market, developers are discovering golf is still an "irreplaceable" component to the whole equation.

Top 10 States (by golf real estate)

State Total Facilities

Florida- 545

California- 224

Texas- 194

N. Carolina- 172

Arizona- 143

S. Carolina- 129

Georgia- 125

Michigan- 118

Illinois- 89

Ohio- 77

Source: National Golf Foundation

2006 Street of Dreams Bella Collina - Alessandria

Oxford Realty Just Listed Home #2 on the Street of Dreams!

Bella Collina is Central Florida’s newest luxury community with waterfront, golf, country club and equestrian amenities with walking and bike paths.


About the Residence – “Alessandria”:
A beautiful lakefront home finely crafted by PGM Builders to reflect the romance of Mediterranean design with a series of stately columns supported by exquisite Corinthian columns.

This 9,406 square foot (heated and cooled) residence is situated on Lake Sienna and is framed by a lush, Florida landscape.

Balconies on the front and rear of the house provide beautiful views of the grounds and the waterfront.

Alessandria is approached through double cathedral doors adorned by beautiful stone work in the form of an arch and a pair of stately Corinthian columns on each side.

Upon entering this magnificent home, you step into a two-story marble foyer and are greeted by a grand 30’ Grand Salon With a panoramic vista of the sparkling waters of Lake Sienna and a magnificent pool setting.

A spacious Dining Room is open to the formal Grand Salon making it a perfect use of space for formal entertaining. A 19’ Den is located to the right of the Foyer; however, in order to guarantee privacy in the office area, it does not open to the foyer.

The right side of this open floor plan is completed dedicated to the “master” of the home and consists of a lakefront Master Bedroom with Sitting Room, wardrobe rooms, and exercise room and a luxurious bath with a jetted tub in a rotunda setting.

The left side of the floor plan consists of a beautiful Kitchen which opens to a lakefront Family, Butler’s Pantry, a 20’ Media Room, Staff Quarters and a Laundry room.

A grand 26’ lakefront covered Patio is approached from the Family room and overlooks the artistically designed pool and lakefront.

An open winding staircase leads to a spacious second level where there are three Bedroom Suites, a 24’ Loft, and a marvelous 28’ x 21’ Billiard Room complete with an Entertainment Bar and adjoining Powder Room.

An open “bridge” crosses over the two-story entry from the guest sleeping areas to the Billiard Room.

A 4-car Garage with Automated Recycling and Refuse Robot.

Alessendria is priced at $7,000,000.
Beautifully furnished with all the accessories, with the exception of the live plants.

We believe this property is well-priced and offers a very attractive lifestyle in this exceptional setting. $7,000,000

2006 Street of Dreams at Bella Collina - Villa Esperanza

Oxford Realty, International Luxury & Estate Specialist's announced Today that They have Listed 2 of the 8 Homes in the 2006 Street of Dreams, at Bella Collina.

About the Community – “Bella Collina”:

Bella Collina is Central Florida’s newest luxury community with waterfront, golf, country club and equestrian amenities with walking and bike paths. Bella Collina has it all!

The community is themed to replicate a Tuscan design and when you overlook the beautiful lakes you can well imagine that you are overlooking the Mediterranean from these exquisite properties.
Vacant lots are available for sale where one can built a custom home or you can purchase this spacious lakefront estate which is available for immediate occupancy.
Bella Collina is situated just 20 minutes from Orlando, close to Orlando International Airport, and Executive Airport, as well as Disney and all the major attractions.

About the Residence – “Villa Esperanza”:
Truly one of the most beautiful lakefront properties in all of Central Florida, finely crafted by River Oaks Development Corporation, and proudly positioned on the shores of Lake Sienna.

The interior is specifically designed with an open floor plan so that its residents and visitors can enjoy the panoramic vistas of a sparkling waterfront, whether it is from the first floor, second floor balconies or terraces.

Villa Esperanza is approached from an exterior arched entry crafted of Tuscan-like stone, which leads to a private courtyard complete with reflecting pool and fountains.

Pass through majestic double door entry into the marble Grand Salon with soaring ceiling, and immediately capture a panoramic view of the waterfront through a ceiling-to-floor, wall-to-wall clear glass picture window!

The ceiling of the formal Dining Room is reminiscent of Tuscan architecture with a barrel-shaped brick -lined ceiling.

Charming and beautiful!

In addition to the formal rooms which are located toward the front of this open floor plan, there is a handsome study crafted of wide-plank walnut flooring and custom woodworking – and a Kitchen which was built and designed out of a chef’s dream!
A large Family room boasts a revolving bookcase that conceals a 50” plasma television.
A luxurious Master Bedroom suite offers a morning bar, fireplace, oversized wardrobe rooms.

The second floor offers 4 bedroom suites, a state-of-the-art theater with wet bar and a generous game room with doors opening to a lakefront balcony.

The residence has four garages, a lakefront heated pool and spa embraced by a terrace complete with Summer Kitchen.
Price includes all furnishings!
Just move in! – And enjoy – this magnificent one-of-a-kind luxury estate!
Consider a corporate or family retreat with all the amenities you could ever dream of! $8,900,000

Sales of area high-end homes up 17%

Orlando Business Journal - October 4, 2006


Despite what you may be hearing on the streets about the housing market, homes priced at a million dollars or more are selling with better success than last year in the Orlando metropolitan statistical area.

Sales of those homes jumped 17 percent in the second quarter of 2006 compared to the year-ago period, according to data released by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association and Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund.

These figures include the sales of new and existing homes, and those sold through and outside of the Multiple Listing Service.

The report indicates that 156 luxury homes were sold during April, May and June of this year, while 133 were sold in the second quarter of 2005.

As a group, the counties encompassed by the Orlando MSA (Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole) posted a 17 percent increase of home sales valued at more than $1 million for the second quarter compared with second-quarter 2005.

Lake County experienced a 55 percent decrease in the number of million-dollar homes sold during the quarter compared with a year ago. Ten homes out of the 1,711 sold in the second quarter of 2006 fit into the million-plus category, whereas in second-quarter 2005, 22 homes out of 2,445 went for more than $1 million.

Thirty-eight percent more million-dollar homes sold in Orange County this quarter than a year ago. Orange County luxury homes accounted for 105 of the 5,563 homes that changed hands. The numbers for the second quarter a year ago were 76 out of 6,502.

Osceola County saw the biggest increase in the number of big-bucks homes sold in the second quarter -- a whopping 90 percent. Only 11 out of the 2,464 homes sold in Osceola County in the second quarter of 2005 were sold for more than $1 million, while in the second quarter of 2006, 21 of the 1,866 homes that changed hands cost at least $1 million.

And the percentage of homes sold in Seminole County surpassing the $1 million mark dropped by 17 percent in the second quarter, with 20 of 1,919 homes selling for more than $1 million, compared with 24 of 2,691 homes selling in the year-ago quarter.

In addition, million-dollar-plus existing homes are selling faster in 2006 in the greater Orlando area, according to ORRA's figures. The average number of days on the market has decreased by 8.3 percent to 144 days in 2006 compared with 157 days in 2005.

The MLS-only figures also show the inventory of available luxury homes currently mirrors that of existing homes in all price ranges. Inventory for million-dollar homes to date in 2006 is up 85.1 percent over 2005 (1,194 currently on the market compared with 645 in 2005).

"Some of the increase in inventory can be explained simply by the increase in values enjoyed by Orlando homeowners," says Orlando Regional Realtor Association President Beverly Pindling. "Homes that previously fit into a lower-priced category have simply been nudged into the upper echelons by their new, higher values."

Super-Luxury Homes Hit Market for $100M

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press Writer
The front of Donald Trump's Palm Beach, Fla. home is seen in this Aug. 1, 2006 file photo. Trump's property has all the big-time extras one might expect from the flashy real-estate mogul, such as solid gold bathroom fixtures and a huge fountain. Perhaps the biggest thing about the home, however, is its price tag: $125 million. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, File)

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Donald Trump's property for sale here has all the big-time extras one might expect. Pricey marble and 24-karat gold fixtures decorate bathrooms. There's a gargantuan fountain in the driveway and 475 feet of oceanfront out back.

Perhaps the biggest thing about the home, however, is its price tag: $125 million. And (sorry Donald) that price has already been trumped. A home in Aspen, Colo., is now listed at $135 million. Another home in Lake Tahoe, Nev., was recently listed at a flat $100 million.

The listings represent a monetary milestone in American real estate: the first time U.S. homes have broken into a whopping nine figures, according to real estate experts, and they've done so in quick succession. A May survey of the nation's most expensive homes by Forbes.com put Trump's home at the most expensive and the first to break the $100 million mark. At the time, the next highest listing was a $75 million estate in Bridgehampton, N.Y.

Now, the trio has market followers wondering: Will they sell? And what do you really get for $100 million?

"I'm surprised it took so long for people to realize value," Trump said of the listings. "I'm the one that did it, started the trend, and I'm surprised that people haven't done it sooner."

Usually the top 10 percent of any marketplace is considered the luxury market, but these properties are a tier above.

"They're super luxury properties," said Trump, the real estate mogul and reality TV star.

Shari Chase, whose company Chase International has the Lake Tahoe listing, acknowledged the shock value of the recent prices.

"This is stratospheric for offering prices, but I think we're going in that direction," Chase said. "I think these three properties, they are really the Super Bowl of real estate."

The word "high-end" is too common a term to apply to the properties, she said.

And the listings are extreme. At these prices, bedrooms, bathrooms and square-footage are almost irrelevant. The homes, like their price tags, are gigantic.

At the Aspen property, owned by Saudi Prince Bandar, the main residence, finished in 1990, has over 56,000 square feet (about 1,000 square feet bigger than the White House). That's set on a 95-acre site. Think roughly twice the size of Boston Common. It even has its own car wash and gas pumps.

Need more space? The recently listed Lake Tahoe home, owned by Tommy Hilfiger Corp. co-founder Joel Horowitz, comes with 38,000 square feet of livable space on 210 acres. That includes a private trout-stocked lake and two par-three golf courses. Features also include a grand staircase replicating one built on the doomed ocean liner Titanic.

Smaller on acres but bigger in square footage is Trump's property, called Maison de L'Amitie, which he bought for about $41 million in 2004. He assigned renovations to "Apprentice" winner Kendra Todd. The home's approximately 80,000 square feet are spread over several buildings. Separate coat closets and bathrooms for men and women off the main entryway make entertaining easy as does a pantry area nearly the size of a small convenience store. The large pool overlooking the ocean seems like a given.

Sara Clemence, an editor for Forbes.com who wrote its listing report, said properties at the top end of the market have been moving upward for years, but the recent 100-million-plus listings are significant.

"One of the things that surprises me is that all this is happening all at once," Clemence said. "I'm not sure if all these sellers and Realtors are looking at each other or if they're just coming to the same conclusion all at the same time ... you can price a property for $100 million and up.

"That said just because you ask for it doesn't mean you're going to get it," Clemence said.

The price tags on the homes don't seem to have deterred a small cadre of buyers. The Lake Tahoe property, called "Tranquility," and the Aspen property called "Hala Ranch," have both already entertained buyers according to agents. At these prices it's often the agent who brings the property to a particular buyer's attention, though they also get inquiries.

The interested parties are confidential, but business people from the U.S. and overseas are some of those interested. To own the properties, however, one has to have quite a bit in the bank. Taxes alone on the Palm Beach property if sold at its current asking price would amount to more than $2 million annually, according to the Palm Beach County property appraiser Web site.

Joshua Saslove, of Joshua & Co., in Aspen has the listing there. He's not concerned about having such a high-priced property.

"When the right property hits the right buyer it all happens very quickly. People who look at properties like this by and large know what they want," he said.

Trump, for his part, was surprised to hear his property had competition for the top spot in the U.S. "Who's at 135?" he asked.

He didn't seem sore, though.

"I think my property is worth more than $125 million," he said. "It's a bargain."
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Luxury Real Estate's Board of Regents Had Record-Breaking Sales

Oxford Realty, Inc. is a prestigious real estate firm specializing in international luxury and estate private brokerage. During the past 10 years, it has been the exclusive member of The Board of Regents for Central Florida. Their members are international luxury brokers and the governing body of the Luxury Real Estate network, and have recently experienced record-breaking sales for 2005.

Collectively, the Board of Regents, which is comprised of 78 brokerage firms representing 425 offices from around the world, has reported a gross sales volume of $42 billion for last year. This is a 25% increase over 2004, also a record-breaking year for the Regents affiliation.

Luxury Real Estate selects only one Regent per market on the criteria of longstanding excellence in the real estate profession. Considered experts in their markets, Regent members have been interviewed multiple times by various national publications about the subject of the real estate bubble. While most acknowledge that the frenzy of the last two years is unlikely to continue, all are predicting 2006 will continue to be a healthy market with a slight correction in prices and a longer listing period.

Carol Ann Hewitt, President and Broker of Oxford Realty has had record-breaking sales in several Central Florida counties. "It appears that in 2006 we will again achieve record-breaking sales," said Carol Ann. While 2005 was a year with strong sales, we are expecting 2006 to be about the same.

The second home market appears to be particularly well positioned against a downturn as baby boomers vie for vacation homes. According to Brian Hazen, of Coates, Reid & Waldron in Aspen, Colorado, "2006 is going to be all about inventory. There was a tremendous amount of sales last year that reduced our listing inventory so I think repeating our 2005 sales numbers will be difficult, but clearly the buying activity is still very strong." After 29 years in the business, Hazen reported his personal best in 2005.

A sampling of Regents who reported an increase above 25% in 2005 include Bahamas Realty of Nassau, Bahamas (100%), Exclusive Mountain Retreats of Breckenridge, Colorado (41%), Kurfiss Real Estate of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (39%), and Preferred Properties of St. Helena, California (30%). Florida continues to draw from the northeastern states and California. The overall climate, tax advantages and homestead laws are very attractive to the high-end buyer.

The Luxury Real Estate membership is made up of more than 776 boutique and specialty real estate brokerage firms from around the world which consistently sell in the top 10% of their markets. LuxuryRealEstate.com has been named "Best of the Web" by Forbes magazine for five consecutive years and currently provides access to more than 35,000 for-sale properties from around the world, with an average list price of $2,212,000.

Windermere #1 Top-Choice Town for Families With Children.

NeighborhoodScout has issued a special report identifying Florida's 10 best towns for families and children.

The report combines data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the U. S. Bureau of Census, the FBI, the U. S. Justice Department and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

His work has produced a list of the top choice towns for families in Florida.

Here are NeighborhoodScout's top-choice towns for families with children in the Sunshine State:
1. Windermere

2. Boca Raton

3. Winter Springs

4. Key Biscayne

5. Longwood

6. Orange Park

7. Fort Lauderdale (west of the Florida Turnpike)

8. Jupiter

9. Oviedo

10. Naples

These top towns range in price, setting and location, from the very expensive to average price relative to Florida, from smaller suburban towns to densely populated areas, and from the Jacksonville vicinity to south Florida. The panhandle was included in the research, but no towns there made the elite list of top 10.

"We were looking for those very select communities that have both top-quality public schools and an exceptionally family-friendly environment, not towns that may excel at one or two criteria but are lacking in other ways." Schiller said.

For this research, the criteria used included quality public schools, safety from crime, a high proportion of families with children in the community, many adults with college degrees or even advanced degrees, many families who own their homes, and homes that are predominantly single-family residences, regardless of the setting being urban, suburban or rural. Median house values were included to find the family-friendly towns that qualify as best values for the money in each metropolitan area.

"Home ownership is important because research has shown that it helps keep crime lower, and represents an investment in the location by those living there," Schiller said. High educational attainment by adults in the community is a good indicator that the populace places a high degree of importance on education, and is well equipped to make key decisions about the future of the community.

Many families with children in the town signifies that other families have selected the town as a good place to raise their children, and helps to promote a family-friendly environment with good social networks for both children and their parents.

Institute for Luxury Home Marketing members have 33 listings totaling $404 million on Unique Homes' new list of highest priced properties in the U.S.

DALLAS — January 18, 2006

The 1000 most expensive homes currently on the market in the U.S. range from a $125 million dollar estate to a $7,995,000 home, both located in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Unique Homes' 2006 "Ultimate Homes" edition. New York leads the way with 333 of the 1000 luxury listings, followed by California with a total of 183 properties, and Florida a close third with 174. 38 states had properties that made the list. The total dollar value of all the properties on the list is more than $14.7 billion dollars. The highest priced listing is the Palm Beach property "Maison de l'Amitie" owned by Donald Trump and listed by Kendra Todd, winner of Trump's television show "The Apprentice". Unusual amenities featured in a few of the other luxury listings include a U.S.G.A.-rated golf course (Three Ponds Farm Estate in Bridgehampton, NY), a Sonoma, California estate with a professional recording studio and disguised as a New England horse barn, and an equestrian estate in Connecticut with a 7 acre pond (complete with two islands) and a fully functioning pub.

21 members of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing made the exclusive list, representing 33 luxury listings totaling $404 million dollars. Patricia Choi, of Choi International, based in Honolulu, HI, topped the Institute's list with a total of 5 listings. Also included on the list were Betty Brachman, The Brachman Group, Sotheby's International, San Francisco, CA; Debra Caney and John Cotton Jr., Cotton Real Estate, Hyannis, MA.; Elaine Casteleyn, Sheri Chase, and Trinkie Watson, Chase International, Lake Tahoe, NV; Yvonne Doran and Mary Anne Horne, Daniel Gale, Manhasset, NY; Barbara Gray, Coach Realtors, Port Jefferson, NY; Carol Ann Hewitt, Oxford Realty, Orlando, FL; Edward Kent, Baird & Warner, Lake Forest, IL; Angela Lam, Pacific Union GMAC, San Francisco, CA; Judith Lenchewski, Daniel Gale, Roslyn, NY; Cheryl McAuliffe, Coach Realtors, Garden City, NY; Kathi and Bob McLean, RE/MAX Olson, Westlake Village, CA; Debbie Reed, RE/MAX Real Estate Group, Rehoboth Beach, DE; Linda Sandlin, RE/Max Results Realty, Marco Island, FL; and Wendy Zoller, Jenny Pruitt & Associates, Atlanta, GA..

"The strong showing by Institute members on the Unique Homes "Ultimate Homes" list is indicative of the superior marketing skills these individuals possess in the luxury arena," said Moore-Moore. "Agents chosen to list these multi-million dollar homes must have a proven track record of success, as well as the tools, market knowledge, and luxury agent contacts necessary to market these homes to potential buyers."

About The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing The Institute was founded in 2003 and has 4,300 plus members on 4 continents. Those members who have completed special training designed to build expertise in the marketing of upper-tier properties and met performance standards earn the prestigious Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist designation. Associates who also demonstrate competence in the million dollar and above property arena are recognized with membership in The Institute’s Guild. The Institute is based in Dallas and has an International Membership base.

The Million Dollar Market

by Carol Ann Hewitt, CIPS, CLHMS Oxford Realty International Inc.

Who is buying million dollar homes? Typical buyers are about 47 years old, married with a few children, and have transacted with a real estate agent. They take their time buying — 40 percent taking an average of 6 months or longer.

A huge transfer of wealth from a prior hardworking generation to the baby boomers and a constant flow of foreign investors continue to fuel the luxury market, as the world market perceives the United States as a safe haven for investments.

Florida is the fifth hottest market in the United States. CNN recently reported that Orlando’s median price of $195,000 represents a 60.6 percent increase above the past five years, and it projects a 14.3 percent growth in the future.

Square footage is the “Holy Grail,” while larger rooms — and more of them — come at the expense of lot size. Well-designed quality kitchens and baths, sophisticated media rooms and wine cellars are favorite amenities. Children’s playrooms or bonus rooms are also essentials for the luxury buyer.

According to the local Multiple Listing Service system, the million-dollar-plus market in the Southwest Orlando/Windermere areas has had the greatest growth in the tri-county region since 2001. Consider the following sales of more than $1 million: 189 in 2005, 116 in 2004, 62 in 2003, 47 in 2002, and 23 in 2001.

Global statistics reported in USA Today indicate that during the past five years, a 154 percent increase in home values in the United Kingdom, compared to a 73 percent increase in U.S. values. The United States ranks ninth among other countries with increased home values, preceded by South Africa with the highest at 244 percent, 192 percent in Ireland and 145 percent in Spain. Germany, Japan and Hong Kong have experienced a decline in home value throughout the past five years, with Hong Kong down to 43 percent.

When compared to other types of investments, home ownership, with its favorable tax benefits, is still considered one of the best investments.

Welcome to Oxford Realty's Blog....Day One!!

Oxford Realty, Inc. is Central Florida's only firm specializing in luxury property and estate brokerage services for national and international clientele.

The firm is known for its exceptional, personal services which are designed exclusively for buyers and sellers of high-end real estate.
Our outstanding reputation ensures that each transaction is handled with discretion and assures our select national and international clientele of privacy and confidentiality.

Oxford Realty serves 6 counties in Central Florida: Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Polk and Volusia
Counties.