Colonial Country Club located in Fort Myers, Florida

Colonial Country Club is located just off I-75 on the west side.  This beautiful community boasts a Gordon Lewis designed course with a play of 6,456 yards,  par 72.  Annual memberships and pay-as-you-play are available here. 

There are a pleasant variety of single family homes, townhomes and condominums.  There is a full service clubhouse, fitness center, community center, 10 tennis courts, nature trails and parks for all to enjoy.

Whether you are planning on being a full time resident or seasonal resident Colonial Country Club is worth exploring.

2012 Parade of Homes In Lee and Collier Counties

The Lee Building Industry Association (BIA)  2012 Parade of Homes offers the public an opportunity to view forty-one beautifully decorated model homes throughout Lee and Collier counties.

This 26th annual event is being held the first three weekends of February. The models are open on Thursdays through Saturdays from 10AM to 5PM and Sundays from noon till 5PM. This is free event.

A few examples participating communities in the event include Sandoval in Cape Coral, Bella Terra and Belle Lago in Estero, Paseo and The Plantation in Fort Myers and Palmira and Verona Walk in Bonita Springs and Naples.

Mortgage Rates are great right now

Mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed rate have risen marginally from 3.88% to 3.98% remaining at an all time low for the past eight weeks.  15-year mortgage rates are at 3.24%.  Average rates exclude points, which many borrowers have to pay in order to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.

This makes it a perfect time to buy a home and enjoy an affordable monthly payment. 

Resale home sales have been steadily rising and builders are optimistic again as they are seeing an increase in new construction purchases.

The American dream of home ownership is still alive and well.

Is it advisable to use a law firm to handle your short sale?

This article is strictly my opinion and based on my own experience with clients who have used or are currently using a law firm to represent them.

To date I have worked with only three such transactions.  None of them have been favorable.  The law firm gets paid no matter what the outcome so there doesn't seem to be any real incentive for them to pursue and negotiate like an experienced realtor does. 

In the last short sale I worked with that had a lawyer representing it took almost one year to get it to closing.  Imagine the frustration for both the seller and buyer. 

In the current one I am working with this is a replacement offer in to the bank because the first buyer walked because it was taking the law firm and bank too long to respond... more than six months.  We are now on month four of the replacement offer. 

On the other hand an experienced short sale realtor knows exactly what to do to get the sale approved and closed within 3-4 months or less.   You as the customer don't get charged anything by a realtor.  The bank pays the commission from the proceeds of the sale.  The realtor doesn't get paid until the sale is completed so there is incentive to get it to closing.

So I invite you to ponder that if you are thinking about putting your house on the market in a short sale.  I encourage you to find a qualified and experienced short sale realtor. 

Freddie Mac to give Unemployed Homeowners a Break

Homeowners who lose their jobs will be able to skip payments on loans backed by Freddie Mac for up to a full year under a new policy taking effect Feb. 1 at the mortgage finance giant. The change, doubling the forbearance extended to the unemployed, squares Freddie Mac's policies with those that its sister company, Fannie Mae, adopted in September 2010. The two firms, operating under government conservatorship since nearly melting down three years ago, own or guarantee more than half of all U.S. mortgages. The other pillar propping up the mortgage market, the Federal Housing Administration, also began providing a full year's forbearance as of last summer on the low-down-payment loans that it backs. Freddie Mac previously had allowed banks providing customer service on its loans to extend three months of forbearance themselves when borrowers lost jobs, with another three months possible with approval from Freddie, for a total of six months. Starting Feb. 1, servicers can now unilaterally allow borrowers to skip payments for six months, and add on another six months with Freddie's approval. The missed payments would be added on the loan balance unless the borrowers separately obtain a loan modification waiving that measure.

@ Chicago Tribune | Posted: 01/09/12 at 0326 EST