THAIFLOWERS

Archive for April, 2011

Palm Beach real estate has always been in demand, and even during Florida’s real estate slump of 2009, it was the last market to feel the pinch and is now the first to jump back in, with strong numbers for both single-family and condominiums for sale. Based on figures reported in the Palm Beach Post, in 2010 single-family home purchases were up 40 percent and condominium sales grew 35 percent. Based on real estate trends, the market is expected to continue to climb throughout this year and into 2012. Homes and condominiums for sale in Palm Beach continue to outpace the national average, and that’s a trend that’s on the upswing.

Growing up, did you always envision yourself in the corner office, having an assistant, and making lots of money? Did you graduate college only to find yourself copying papers and going on coffee runs? Life doesn’t always turn out the way we thought it would. There are ways that you can still achieve your dreams in this dog eat dog world. We have put a list of ways to help you climb the corporate ladder and keep your sanity.

Real estate investing has many different facets. There is investing for the long term, the short term and our secret real estate niche.

By long term, we normally think of holding an investment and then renting it out. Most purchases for the long term are made using leverage, a small down payment and the balance covered with a mortgage. The monthly rent should cover the mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and repairs and eventually pay down or off the balance. A disadvantage is you have the ownership problems of dealing with tenants and toilets.

The availability of affordable housing is an issue in most cities and states. There always seem to be more residents than units, and tracking available units can be difficult. Though there aren’t enough units to meet residents’ needs, there are more than enough to make it nearly impossible for anyone to know exactly what is available and when. That’s why a group from New York University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy began working on a database for affordable housing. After years of planning and programming, the database is complete. If it works, it could provide an important framework for other cities looking for ways to effectively monitor affordable housing availability.