This picture was taken in Cape Canaveral Florida,  just minutes from where the cruise ships come in to port. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Sandy Shores, Realtor. Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate Brevard County Real Estate & Investing I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.   Read Full Story

It seems almost impossible that Fall is already here. But, I love the Fall, when the air is crisp and clean and the leaves begin to change color and drop from the trees. Being in Florida we feel less humidity. The cool air starts creeping in. But, I can’t help but wonder, where did the time go?  Summer was here and gone in a blink. I was in the store yesterday and the shelves are bulging with Halloween and Christmas items – oh my goodness – not already. Christmas, not so fa... Read Full Story

When people sign a lease to rent a property of mine, I always remind them to get renter’s insurance.  I explain that my insurance policy covers the building itself, the applicances and liability issues that may arise.  However, my policy does not cover their belongings in the event of fire, theft, and natural disasters. Renters insurance typically covers your belongings in the event of: fire or lightning strikes or smoke wind or hail storms explosion theft vandalism or theft damage fro... Read Full Story

Today, it seems that we have passwords for everything. On some days it feels like I have about a hundred of them, and I can’t always remember what they all are.  So what do you do? According to talk show host, Clark Howard, there are some passwords to avoid.  The top 10 are:  1.  password  2.  password 1  3.  123456  4.  abc123  5.  letmein  6.  monkey  7.  qwerty  8.  blink182  9.  myspace 1 10. your name These are the first passwords that a hacker tries, when they are attempting to a... Read Full Story

I love blogging here .  But, I have been busy working with first time homebuyers that are hoping to get in on the $8000 tax credit that I really haven’t had a chance to write an article. This picture was taken at the top of Sheikra at Busch Gardens, Tampa Florida. I take pictures as I enjoy sharing them with others. (Just for the record, I didn’t take this one, as I really don’t like heights.) If you would like to use one of my photos, please ask, I am usually happy to obl... Read Full Story

With all the talk of identity theft today, do you ever wonder how vulnerable you really are to having your identity stolen? Radio and TV talk show host, Clark Howard says that the Identity Theft Resource Center is working with MyIDScore.com.  Log on and take a test to determine how high your risk of having your identity stolen really is. Click on the check my ID score banner. It will ask you to enter some of your personal information. Entering your social security number is optional. You may ... Read Full Story

This week a client was referred to me that wants to buy a house.  During our initial phone conversation, one of the first things I always ask is whether they have a lender and are pre approved for a loan.  He indicated that he did have a lender, that he found online. (Uh-oh).  And, that he was preapproved. The Brevard County Real Estate market is considered a distressed market.  It is so important for a buyer to have a local lender and a local appraiser that understands our market.   My nex... Read Full Story

This week I have been out showing properties to several different buyers.  They are looking at homes under $125,000. And, and they are hoping to get in under the November 30 deadline for the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. All are preapproved, FHA buyers, and two of them are getting bond money. We have seen some beautiful properties on the MLS.  And, my buyers were excited to get out to these homes to go inside and take a look. But, I had to keep checking the addresses on the houses we were... Read Full Story

  I received the phone call yesterday. The buyer was calling from up North. She has been watching the real estate market and has decided that Brevard County would be a great place to invest in some real estate. She’s right, it is a great time to buy in Florida. I asked her what she was looking for. She indicated that she would like a 3 or 4 bedroom, 2 to 3 bath, 2 car garage, situated on at least half an acre.  She would like 1800+ feet of living and minor repairs needed, preferably non... Read Full Story

Forbes has determined that these metro areas boast gains in real estate sales over 2008: 1. Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 2. Lincoln, Nebraska 3. Colorado Springs, Colorado 4. Salem, Oregon 5. San Luis Obispo, California 6. Bremerton, Washington 7. Denver, Colorado 8. Redding, California 9. Santa Barbara, California. 10. San Jose, California It’s not surprising that 4 of these areas are located in California. In placing the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area at the top of the list, this cert... Read Full Story