Marcus Burke's Blog

55 West Condos downtown Orlando

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:47:04 GMT

55 West condos, downtown Orlando: ("55 West on the Esplanade") were originally built for sale, however the collapse of the condo market means that the owners are now renting in earnest. This is a great opportunity to live in a building that was never intended for renters. Pricing is also very competetive. For more information, or to schedule a tour, contact Orlando's Condo Metropolis or call 407-290-3408.

Orlando Condo Sales Spike

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:15:43 GMT

They may have been be distressed sales, but Orlando condo resales were more than four times higher in October 2009 than the same month in 2008, according to the most recents statistics. "Distressed" includes short sales but most of course were Orlando condo foreclosures.

Local Realtors reported sales of 612 existing condo units in Orlando last month, up from the 145 units sold in October 2008. But the median sales price of a condo fell 47.5 percent, from $102,000 in October 2008 to $53,500 last month, the Association reported.

Most of these cheaper sales were all-cash, garden style community sales, not Downtown Orlando condo sales.

Florida-wide, Realtors also reported an 82.5 percent increase in sales of existing condos in October, from 2,958 units sold in 2008 to 5,398 units sold in October 2009. The median resale price of a condo was $105,200 last month, nearly 29 percent less than October 2008’s $147,900.

Orlando Top Fall Destination

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:00:02 GMT

Orlando was ranked among the top 14 best destinations for fall 2009 by MSN Travel.

According to the Web site, Orlando ranked No. 8 behind New York, Maine and Seattle.

“Fall is the perfect time to visit Orlando. For one thing, there are fewer tourists to compete with at such attractions as Walt Disney World, the Universal Studios resort and SeaWorld. On top of that, autumn in Florida feels like summer in much of the rest of the country, making this a great destination for extending warm-weather fun,” said MSN Travel.

Foreign destinations such as Munich, Rome and Puerto Vallerta, Mexico also made the list.

Many holiday makers who regularly visit Orlando are now buying cheap condos, as opposed to staying in hotels. With Orlando condos foreclosures costing as little as $40K for a 2-bed, 2-bath, that would certainly seem a good investment. Contact Condo Metropolis for more info on Orlando condos, or call 407-290-3408.

55 West Condo Update - Downtown Orlando

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:37:58 GMT

The 34-story 55 West at the Esplanade condominium tower in downtown Orlando is scheduled to be sold in a foreclosure auction during Oct 2009.

SNSPF Interim Finance B.V., (the Dutch lender that financed the project), completed foreclosure on the tower this week. SNSPF claims that the developer owes $239 million in construction financing.

Faced with a sale condominium market, SNSPF said this summer it would lease units in the building which it began to do a month or so ago.

In the 55 West sale, SNSPF would be the likely buyer since lenders are able to apply what they are owed as credit in foreclosure auctions, making them the likely high bidder in cases where a property is worth less than the debt.

For more information on Orlando's downtown condo scene visit our downtown Orlando condos page or see our Orlando condo home page.

Orlando Condo Auctions

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:02:56 GMT

Orlando condo auction - coming soon!
Three condo communties, one central Orlando condo auction venue in Altamonte Springs.

Date: August 29th, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. sharp (doors open at 09:00 a.m.)
Venue: Hilton Orlando / Altamonte Springs: 350 S. Northlake Blvd. 32701
Deposit to buy: $2000 per condo (Cashier’s check only)
Registration: Required (see below to download form)

The 3 Orlando condominium communities for auction are:

For more info and the Altamonte Springs auction venue, head over to our Orlando condo auction page!
Or call Condo Metropolis on 407-290-3408.
See you there!

Dedicated Pages for Orlando Condos On Condo Metropolis

Sat, 16 May 2009 01:52:25 GMT

Condo Metropolis is developing dedicated pages for its most popular condos, particularly those downtown Orlando condos.

You will now find special pages for the above Orlando condos for sale at: CondoMetropolis.com

Have fun!

Orlando Condos Under $50K -- Now A Seller's Market!

Mon, 11 May 2009 18:49:43 GMT

It's official, the under $50K bank-owned, foreclosure market is now an aggressive seller's market with multiple bids on many properties. They are usually over asking price and all cash! I've lost several the last few weeks to buyers who have bid way over asking price. (The rest of the market is still a buyer's market.)

Who woulda thunk it!?

Florida #1 for mortgage delinquency

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:03:09 GMT

According to a report by Transunion LLC, Florida has finally risen to the top (or bottom) of the pile and after many months can now claim it has the largest number of homeowners falling behind on their mortgage payments. Our delinquency rate was 9.5 percent. Nevada came in second, with 9.01 percent. Arizona's rate was 6.93 percent and California's delinquency rate was 6.9 percent.

North Dakota, at 1.21 percent, remains the state with the lowest delinquency rate. Not enough to make me move there unfortunately.

Nationwide, the report also found that the number of homeowners making late mortgage payments in the fourth quarter hit 53 percent from the same time in 2008.

The credit reporting agency’s database shows delinquencies jumped to 4.58 percent in the fourth quarter, marking the eighth straight quarter of increases and a 16 percent uptick from 3.96 percent in the third quarter.

"Unfortunately, the mortgage sector continues to experience increases in the delinquency rate due to worsening economic conditions in both the labor and financial markets," said Keith Carson, a senior consultant in TransUnion's financial services group, in a news release.

The company projects the national delinquency rate could reach 8 percent by the end of the year. TransUnion predicts the climate will not improve before the middle of 2010, however Florida is expected to continue to have the highest delinquency rate through the end of this year, with the possibility of doubling its current nonpayment rate of 9.5 percent.

The findings come from TransUnion Trend Data, which is made up of 27 million consumer records randomly sampled each month from the credit reporting agency's national consumer credit database.

For Orlando specific information, see our Orlando condo site.

See our real estate site for Orlando real estate info.

Villa Valencia Condo Auction - Orlando FL

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:49:05 GMT

As last weekend's auction winds down, Condo Metropolis is ramping up for another Orlando condo conversion auction scheduled for later this month at the World Center Marriott Resort.

Villa Valencia has 142 condominium units that will be up for auction. For those that don't know it, the complex is on the east side of town near State Roads 408 and 417.

The largest condo is about 1,227 square feet and in 2005 they sold for as much as $250,000.

At the auction, starting bids begin as low as $49,000, and financing will be available to those that qualify with as little as 3 percent down.

There will be an inspection period which will be every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 21st.

As usual, bidders will need to register in advance and bring a $5K cashier's check to the auction in order to bid.

For registration information and full auction details, contact us here at Condo Metropolis. Call 407-290-3408 or email Info@CondoMetropolis.com

Condo Vultures Flock to Florida

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:36:06 GMT

A recent report by the Florida Association of Realtors suggests that for the month of November 2007, Orlando saw a 35% decline in sales of single-family homes compared with November 2006, while condo sales plumeted by a massive 55%. Orlando condo sales were a meagre 125, down from 276 sold in November 2006 (already a bad year!). Median condo prices fell 18% from $172 to $140.5.

Statewide, sales dropped by 29% with a median sales price of $186,700, a drop of 9% from $204,500 in November 2006. (Source: Orlando Regional Realtors Assoc.) All of which suggests that the strong Florida buyer’s market is likely to continue well into 2008.

Something I’m noticing for 2008 that has the potential to drastically reduce inventory, is the trend for desperate developers to sell off their entire inventory at 50-60c on the $$ to investors who convert the conversions back to rental - and hold.

Our business in this area grows daily and I expect it to have a serious impact on the number of condos available for sale by the end of 2008 - which will start to drive prices up again. 2008 could go down as the year of the Great Condo Sell-off.

If you’ve been waiting around for rock bottom pricing - I’d start moving, because when the vulture-investors start grabbing condos by the bucket load, you know that’s exactly where we are.

See also this Realty Times article for further analysis.

DEVELOPERS / INVESTMENT SYNDICATES - Contact CondoMetropolis.com or call 407-290-3048.

Our Top 10 Blogs of 2007

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:47:11 GMT

Our Top 10 Condo Blogs of 2007

By: Marcus Burke

We’ve posted over 250 articles on the Orlando condo scene since we went live just over a year ago, covering every conceivable condo angle from financing to home owners’ associations, to the very best deals Orlando has to offer. To celebrate the end of our first year, we’ve picked the TOP TEN posts that we thought were the funniest, most newsworthy or were the most helpful to our readers. Thanks for leaving your comments!

Thanks also to our staff, our blog writers, and most of all you - our readership and condo customers, for participating and for helping to make Condo Metropolis Florida’s best read condo blog - have a great holiday!

We’ll see you again in 2008!

1.) Buyer’s Market? So Why Aren’t Buyers Buying?
There’s a new Disney rollercoaster called The Volatile Real Estate Market ride (you have to be at least “this desperate” to ride), but I’ve been on it - and only half the ride is working. Sellers are selling, but why aren’t buyers buying when it’s so clearly a ‘buyers’ market? …Right now you can pick up some amazing deals best deals, with some unheard of incentives (someone just offered me their first-born child, if I could close in 30 days)…

2.) What’s In A Condo Name? Not Much…
People often tell me that they’re interested in seeing this new condo place, you know, the one… can’t remember the exact name, the one with “Millenia” in the title. Ok, that’s easy enough right? I mean, how many can there be? Other than the Residences at Millenia, Millenia Cove, Millennium Palms, The Plaza at Millenia, The Fountains at Millenia, and um, I’m already bored…

3.) Soup Kitchen For Starving Real Estate Agents:
In the face of the current housing bust, Orlando City Council is setting up a soup kitchen for the town’s starving real estate agents. Several varieties of soup including Chicken Noodle and Leek and Potato, will be available all over the holiday period from December 20th until the New Year…

4.) So What Exactly Is A Condo Conversion?
A girlfriend asked me at a party this weekend: “So what exactly IS a condo conversion?”
“That’s easy,” I said, “It’s when a community that was once for sale converts back to being rental again.”
“Oh, I see,” she replied…

5.) Orlando’s Buyer Market: The Beginning Of The End?
Take a gander below at the condo projects that have gone south in the last month or so. It’s depressing. Or is it? What else does it signal? (other than an increase in the sales of Head On: Apply Directly To The Forehead)…

6.) Orlando’s Condo Hotel Scene:
Every so often, I feel blessed. Like last month, when they came out with that new pill on TV where you can “Eat as much as you like and still loose weight!” (and they couldn’t say it if it wasn’t true). Ok, so maybe I wasn’t so lucky with that one since during the great “Prove-them-wrong-eat-athon” of October ‘07, I actually gained ten pounds…

7.) Price That Condo Right!
Most days, we get frantic calls from investors asking “Please sell my condo!?” I usually have to tell them “No” without even asking what or where it is. Because unless they’re willing to price it according to what they can actually get, as opposed to what they think they deserve to get, then we’re all wasting our time. Sound harsh?…

8.) Another Condo Hotel?!
Yep, you heard it right. There’s another on condo hotel the way. Lost count yet? According to the Orlando Business Journal, the proposed 16-story, 350-room condotel is set to break ground in spring 2008 and should be ready in 2009 at a cost of some $140 million - which really means (if it gets built at all) that it will come online around 2011 at double that cost. Call me a cynic…

9.) Do Condo Buyers Need an Agent?
Most sellers use a real estate agent when they list their homes for sale - even though it costs them a commission. Most buyers do not use a real estate agent - even though the service is free to them as buyers. (Why free? Because the seller usually pays the commissions.)…

10. How To Spot A Condo Community Deal:
I saw a rather pathetic site this morning. He was supposed to be the Statue of Liberty: A middle aged man with facial hair wandering around the intersection of Kirkman and Colonial wearing a green dress and a pointy star thing on his head. He was carrying a sign for Liberty Insurance…

Top 3 Videos

1.) Canada Goes Condo Crazy!
These guys are just too much…

2.) We were at the Orlando 2007 Home Buyer’s Expo!

3.) Free Hugs!
Nothing to do with Condos. Nothing to do with Orlando. Nothing to do with real estate. Just 23 Million views worldwide.

The Orlando Condo Market: Part II - The Interstate 4 Analogy

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:54:22 GMT

I read a lot of commentary about how much “inventory” is on the Orlando condo market, and a lot of predictions about how long it will take to be absorbed. I think by and large, the predictions are pretty good, but they don’t always take into account the fact that many condo units are disappearing, often hundreds at a time, as developers get out of the condo business and slide back into the rental business.

Some condominiums have been postponed, others have been axed completely. I can rattle off over half a dozen condo communities that have done a vanishing act like this in the last few months (read more here). The inventory of condos for sale has dropped by several thousand, and the previously much sought after rental property has increased by much the same amount. Take a look at the leasing signs that have appeared outside former conversions in the last few months.

So slowly, the tide is turning and the market, always a slave to market forces, will eventually reach equilibrium again. For those of you waiting for even better pricing, for even better incentives; for those who think the worst is still to come, you may be about to miss the boat - and along with it, the opportunity to acquire property when the going was good. Legions are those who will eventually join the masses to buy - just as soon as the next scramble for equity begins - (which will be just as soon as the media tells you it’s okay to buy again). But by then of course, it will be too late, you’ll be the wrong side of the curve, just another body on an over populated bandwagon. And then will come that familiar refrain: “If only I’d bought when… I’d be laughing right now.”

If you want to be one of Orlando’s future hyenas, the trick is to stop doing what everyone else is doing and get back to basics: Buy low, sell high. It might seem pretty obvious, but if so, why did everyone buy high? Those same investors are now being forced to sell low. Now if you have a house to sell before you can take advantage of the current “buyers” market, I grant that makes life more complicated, but if you’re a first time buyer, there’s really no excuse for waiting. And if you’re hovering simply because relatives are telling you to wait, please shoot them, because developers are bending over backwards right now to sell you their condos. And their offers of free upgrades, waived HOA fees and countless other incentives will disappear overnight, the second the masses decide to join the party again. And that’s a promise.

Everyone wants to get ahead. But it’s impossible to get ahead of the crowd if you’re a follower - if you wait for everyone to tell you that the time is “right”.

Let me put it this way: Don’t you just love it when you’re driving into the city at the end of the day just as everyone else is trying to get out? You should try it some time. It’s fun when you’re doing 70mph eastbound (cough, by which I mean 55mph), while everyone else is doing 10mph westbound. The only people moving on I4 are the folk moving in the opposite direction to everyone else.

Real estate and stock trading are no different. In order to get ahead, you have to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. I have a friend who claims to make more money day trading before his 10am cup of coffee, than he makes the entire rest of the day in his own business. I asked him what his strategy was and he said: “Buy when no one else wants to buy. And sell when no one else feels like selling.” It’s simple economics. And it feels great. Unless, of course, you’re a fan of the parking lot we affectionately call I4.

The Orlando Condo Market: Part I - The Blackjack Analogy

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:40:12 GMT

According to data gathered by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, the median resale price of a home in Central Florida is about $250,000. At a quarter of a million dollars, most first time home buyers are effectively priced out of the housing market. But believe it or not, it is still possible to find an Orlando condo for under $100,000. And that could prove to be a vital first foot on the property ladder. In other words, condos are still affordable - just. But they probably won’t be in a couple of year’s time. Remember that between 2004 and 2005, the median resale price of a home in the Orlando area rose more than 60% according to ORRA and although prices are now dropping again, it is still likely that within the next decade, Orlando will be just another expensive city that regular folk can’t afford to live in - unless you’ve played your hand well today. Which means not allowing fear to make you keep your strongest cards until last.

Good card players play their cards at pivotal moments in the game. Aces are not your favorite pieces of candy in the packet, to keep until last so you can savor them at your leisure. When I did that as a kid, my friends would usually steal them right in front of me and then claim that because I wasn’t eating them, they figured I didn’t want them.

In short, it’s a mistake not to buy today because you’re unconvinced that the market is at its lowest. Because no one knows for sure when that is until it’s already passed - and rates are on the rise again. In truth, you don’t have to know when the market is at its lowest, just plain low is the right time - and we’re clearly there. Like Black Jack one must play the odds. You don’t have to make it exactly to 21 in order to win, you just have to be smart enough to know that 19 is probably close enough to win the game. Those who try and hit 21 nearly always “bust.”

Condo prices have dropped dramatically in the last year and are currently very low. They may go just a little lower before they begin to rise again. Then again, theyy may not.

Question: Are you going to “twist” and risk busting your whole hand by waiting another 6 months for an uncertain saving, or are you going to “stick” and buy one of the incredible deals that are out there right now?

Next week: The Orlando Condo Market: Part II – The Interstate 4 Analogy.

Condo Metropolis Adds MLS Access

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:58:31 GMT

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CondoMetropolis.com adds MLS access to website:

Creates largest e-roof for Orlando condo shoppers.

Orlando, Fla. – June 19, 2007: Condo Metropolis has added access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to it’s ever growing list of condo-friendly tools at CondoMetropolis.com. The condo website has allowed access to its own proprietary developer database since its launch in December 2006, but the company’s founders felt that MLS access was necessary to complete the user experience. Now there are “Two ways to Search.” Users can search the original database as well the new MLS and can thus compare the deals offered by individuals and developers.

“Frankly, if I were searching for a new condo, I’d probably continue to use the developer database, because that’s where most of the best deals are,” said Marcus Burke, company founder. “Developers understand the current market and are doing whatever it takes to move their units. They’re offering a ton of incentives from paid closing costs, to paid HOA fees, to complete kitchen upgrades. An individual reseller is never going to be able to compete with those kinds of terms. Many private sellers still don’t understand that their condo might not be worth what they actually paid for it and they’re asking way to much because they think that they’re entitled to get back what they spent. But the market doesn’t work that way. The only folk successfully selling condos on the MLS right now are those who are truly motivated to sell and don’t mind loosing a few thousand dollars to cut their losses. Now, if you can find one of those deals, then I’d take it.”

Launched in December 2006, CondoMetropolis.com hosts Orlando’s largest online database of condominiums - from pre-construction to condo-hotel and condo conversion. Developers are able to list for free and buyers are also able to browse Orlando’s condos for free without having to leave the comfort of home - and without hopping from site to site. Once a potential buyer finds a condo they are interested they can contact a Condo Metropolis agent who will visit the condo with them, help them negotiate the best incentives, take care of the paperwork, and close the deal - all at no charge. The company also has a condo news blog with all the lastest Orlando condo news.

Orlando's Majestic

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:47:19 GMT

After months of hand wringing, Baldwin Park’s condo conversion known as The Majestic appears to be going ahead after all with sales and marketing by Kelly Price & Co.

This week’s OBJ reports that the 177 unit conversion, which features retail on the ground floor, has begun presales and both a sales office and models are expected to open in the next 30-40 days. Prices for the Majestic condominiums will start in the area of $180k and will include studios, lofts, one- and two-bedroom units. Look out for news of their grand opening here at Condo Metropolis!

New Downtown Orlando Condo Project

Fri, 11 May 2007 15:59:05 GMT

Another company has received Orlando City Commission approval to build a $300,000, two-tower, mixed use building to be called SkyCity.

Construction is not expected to start until 2009 and they probably won’t be finished until 2011. By then the current condo glut should be pretty much used up - just in time for the baby boomer invasion.

The first tower will be a 25-story office building - and the first ten floors will be for parking. The 11th floor will feature a 20,000 square foot luxury fitness center. Nice!

The second tower will be an even larger, 35-story building featuring both a hotel and, on the upper floors, just 120 condominiums.

For more info, see: http:www.CondoMetropolis.com/blog

Central Florida Holding On

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:33:24 GMT

With the mortgage gloom of late now compounding the real estate gloom, here’s a reminder why the land of the mouse is still a great place to live - and why those large ears are shielding us from the worst of the nonsense out there.

1.) Industry continues to move to Orlando. Last week, another simulation company moved to Orlando citing Orlando as the “capital of simulation.” Who knew? Lockheed Martin are also securing a few more multi-million contracts.

2.) With so much industry moving here, unemployment is low. Unemployment was just 3.3% for January 2007. Not bad eh?

3.) Spring travel numbers are up. This week, Orbitz placed Orlando as No. 1 in it’s recent list of favorite spring break destinations for non-students. Perfect. Hotels are sold out.

For the rest of these thoughts, plus more analysis on the Orlando condo market, visit the Condo Metropolis blog

Blue Rose Prepares for Ground Breaking

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:13:09 GMT

Crews began clearing the ground at the site of the Blue Rose yesterday. The 13 acre site will become home to Orlando’s largest condo hotel. Work will continue as the property prepares for actual groundbreaking. For more on the Blue Rose and other condo opportunities visit CondoMetropolis.com. For the latest condo news in Orlando see our Blog!

Making a Killing in Real Estate

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:10:02 GMT

The world of real estate can be brutal. Real estate agents don’t rank just above lawyers in the list of most disrespected professions for nothing! (Not so at Condo Metropolis of course.)

But now there's a movie to prove it.

“KILL HOUSE is a modern day tale of bloodlust, rivalry and greed - all masquerading as the American Dream. As news of a brutally murdered San Francisco realtor throws the Los Angeles real estate community into a tailspin, fear and panic spread as more and more agents turn up dead. Who’s behind these crazed serial killings? The prime suspect is an ex-con hired by one of the property owners. But after he’s caught, the killings don’t stop - they only get worse! It’s a self-indulgent world of terror, where no one’s who he or she seems to be — and everyone’s a suspect. A bloody black comedy with a satirical twist.”

I guess we had it coming.

See the trailer here. (QuickTime required.)

Condo Metropolis Recognized by Google

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 14:07:08 GMT

After 3 months since the launch of Condo Metropolis, the Orlando online condo company has rocketed to the first page of Google’s search results.

CondoMetropolis.com currently ranks about #9 out of about 3.3 million results. The MSN and AOL search engines also return Condo Metropolis on the first page. The results are not paid for but are considered “organic” – a result of relevant content.

We’re very pleased,” said Marcus Burke, founder of CondoMetropolis.com. “High Google rankings have been a primary goal of the company since its inception, but we didn’t expect it to happen so quickly because real estate terms are so incredibly competitive.”

But getting there doesn’t guarantee staying there. “We’re going to have to work hard to maintain this,” said Burke. “Rankings change regularly. This time next week we could be on page 5 if we don’t work at it every day.”

YAY!

Life Without Local Knowledge

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 01:46:05 GMT

Part of the reason Condo Metropolis suggests using an agent to buy is because buyer agents usually have the inside scoop on the market. So even if you fancy yourself as a crack negotiator and are prepared to breeze into the developer’s office and demand 3% off because you don’t have an agent, you better know what you’re buying. Otherwise, cutting the agent out of the deal might turn out to be a poor decision, costing a lot more than you ever saved.

Case in point: Two years ago, a buyer purchased a condominium from a conversion in MetroWest. Local agents knew that there was a mold problem at this particular conversion. The buyer purchased without an agent, and he also purchased the mold along with the subsequent remediation expenses.

At the Condo Metropolis blog, we apply this argument to what's happening downtown in Orlando right now.

Job Prospects Spur Orlando Market

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 02:26:07 GMT

There are many reasons that Orlando has not fallen victim to the much hyped housing bubble. The influx of baby boomers is one. Even an over supply like the one we are experiencing can only last so long in the face of a thousand new wrinklies a week. But an equally strong explanation has to do with the availability of work to those who have are still in the workforce.

For the second straight year, Forbes has listed the Orlando-Kissimmee metropolitan area the fourth-best city in the country for jobs. And we’re not talking minimum-wage fluffy-costumes-jobs in the land of the Mouse. Companies like jetBlue are have shifted a large part of their operation to our neck of the woods.

Forbes said it compiled the list by ranking unemployment rates, job growth, income growth, median household incomes and costs of living in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas. Jacksonville stole the highest ranking in Florida, moving up to third place from the eighth position last year. Other Florida metropolitan areas that made the top 25 included Fort Lauderdale (9th, up from 25th), Sarasota-Bradenton (11th, up from 26th), Tampa/St. Petersburg (13th, up from 29th) and West Palm Beach (16th, up from 37th).

To find out who got the top spot - take a peek at the Condo Metropolis blog.

Orlando's Builder Convention 2007

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 21:00:39 GMT

If you’ve ever been to the Orlando convention center you’ll know that it’s larger than 93.5 football fields side by side. Okay, I just made that up - but I’m telling you, it’s pretty darned big.

The annual International Home Builders’ Show has been in Orlando for the last 4 days – which is about half as long as you need if you want to see it all. But for those in the business, it’s where you have to be if you want to find more fellow builders and suppliers than anywhere else in the world. You’re confronted with all the latest building trends and can’t help but trip over the coolest new products and services. It’s everything you need to see, everyone you need to know, all in one place to give builders opportunity to do what they do best... more

For more info on Orlando real estate, see the blog of the Orlando Real Estate Pros.

Orlando's Blue Rose Wins Reader Award

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 06:10:18 GMT

The Orlando Business Journal has posted the results for its annual Best Real Estate Deals. The awards are a result of readers’ nominations; the criteria for choosing winners is based on the project’s “community impact, difficulties overcome and success.”

“And the award for overall best Real Estate Deal of 2006 goes too…” [clears throat]:

The Blue Rose. Crowd goes wild. Step forward. Take a bow. One billion dollars… well spent.

It’s true. Orlando has never seen anything quite like the Blue Rose - a building that might seem quite average in Las Vegas, but is quite stunning in the south east - even in over-the-top Orlando. Rumor has it that south of the city, even the M.O.U.S.E. is impressed.

Catch up with the rest of this blog, and other Orlando goings on at:

http://www.condometropolis.com/blog/blue-roses-pink-flamingos/

World’s largest real estate encyclopedia launched

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 02:12:14 GMT

Inman News, a leading real estate news site, launched the world’s largest real estate encyclopedia today. Named InmanWiki.com the site is part encyclopedia, part blog - an interactive forum where everyone can edit, add and contribute to standing entries. CondoMetropolis.com is already there… look us up and some say “Hi!”

Orlando Strong Despite National Slowdown

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:33:33 GMT

“The year 2006 was the second best year on record for the Orlando area housing market,” says Randy Martin, president of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association and broker-associate with RE/MAX 200 Realty Inc. in Winter Park. “A driving force behind the market this year is that builders have all this new inventory out there, so they’re offering these incredible incentives to clear and move their inventory of new homes. At the same time, they’re reducing plans to build new development. The anticipation is that builders will ‘burn’ their supply of available homes sometime in mid-2007. It’s why right now is an outstanding time to buy, plus the interest rates are still low. And looking to 2007, we anticipate another strong year, with opportunities for buyers and sellers.”

Continue reading here

Condo Metropolis
Orlando Condos. It's What We Do.

Condo Metropolis for Orlando Condos

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:43:00 GMT

If you're looking for a condo in Orlando, visit the experts at:

CONDO METROPOLIS (www.CondoMetropolis.com)

To catch up on the latest goings on in the Orlando condo market, be sure to visit the Condo Metropolis blog at: www.CondoMetropolis.com/blog We look forward to seeing you there!

Condo Metropolis Orlando Condos. It's All We Do!