The Poinciana Crane

Auction on Third-Acre Waterfront Home

Make this one, the one with the greatest view in the neighborhood, yours!  Auction Saturday, May 31st, at Gaylord Palms, Orlando, from 12:30 p.m. until the last home sells!  Open House Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

This stunning, custom-built family home could be yours today.  Gorgeous inside and out. This home has many updated and remodeled features. Interior features include 4 nice-sized bedrooms and 2.5 baths.

This home also includes a generous living room area with formal dining room. Living room includes a large, vaulted and very romantic stone fireplace, while the kitchen area provides a multi-purpose and second formal dining area, all with a fantastic view of a small lake and golf course green.  Other interior features include a Tuscany-style Sun Room and a foyer large enough to fit a piano.

This home sits on third of an acre facing a golf course.  With two mature oak tress and plenty of mature landscaping, this home provides high-end luxury, plenty of room and eye-catching uniqueness, all with an eye towards peace and tranquility.

Action Alert from ACORN

As a proud supporter of ACORN, I'm re-posting their action alert.  I too agree that Congress needs to do more to resolve the credit crisis.  Maybe you can help.

Action Alert: Tell Your Member of Congress to Pass an Effective Economic Stimulus Package

Congress is currently discussing a second growth package to stimulate the economy and provide relief for low- and moderate-income people. It's up to us to make sure their proposals succeed in reversing the impact of the recession on ordinary Americans. Many economists and advocates agree that by increasing aid to programs such as food stamps, LIHEAP, and Unemployment Insurance, and preventing cuts to Medicaid, we can help stimulate the economy and provide much needed relief to those Americans most in need.

Take Action: Email and call your Representative and tell them to vote for recession relief for low-and moderate- income people. Tell them that to really boost the economy, we need to help the unemployed and provide Food Stamps and home energy aid. If your Representative says he/she supports this economic stimulus package, thank him/her for their support. Click here to take action!

Florida's Fatigued Footwork

A serious budget crunch and seemingly clueless reps led to an uneventful legislative session for Florida lawmakers last week.  Nonetheless they managed to squeeze out some dribble for both their constituents and Poinciana property owners.  Here are some highlights from this year's bull pen.

Fraud Against Distressed Homeowners. Homeowners beware.  Anyone who asks you to pay up front, including lawyers, are mortal demons.  Let those courting your financial failure prove that they can help.  With  HB 643 (Rep. Clay Ford, R-Pensacola) anyone offering you foreclosure assistance is now required to enter into a written contract and these contracts must spell out services provided.  So what are you going to do next time anyone asks you for money before they provide you with service?

Affordable Housing.  An approval of this bill will allow lawmakers to dip into a $250 million housing trust fund reserve to make up for shortfalls in the state budget.  Careful with your Hancock, Mr. Crist!  Floridians want and need affordable housing but it needs to provide affordable homes for your human constituents, not developers.

Credit Crisis Mortgage Fraud.  Last year, 70-80 percent of the almost 300,000 foreclosures in Florida involved mortgage fraud, and just this week, Fannie Mae made public its fears that our housing crisis will extend into next year!  I ask, "Can it get any worse?"  Per HB 743 (Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami), our reps, have put some teeth into mortgage fraud laws with a

Lock Rate Recommendation

Friday's bond market opened down sharply following the release of stronger than expected employment figures. The stock markets are showing gains with the Dow up 66 points and the Nasdaq up 2 points. The bond market is currently down 23/32, which will likely push this morning's mortgage rates higher by approximately .250 - .375 of a discount point.

The Labor Department brought us today's big news with the release of April's Employment report. They said that the unemployment rate fell to 5.0% when it was expected to rise to 5.2%. The payrolls number was also bad news for bonds with a 20,000 job decline compared to the forecasted 75,000 drop. Those readings indicate that the employment sector may not be as bad as many had thought. This has hurt bond prices and led to this morning's increase in mortgage rates.

Making Customers into Local Stars

Excellence in all aspects of real estate is just as important to us as the variety of real estate services we offer. One of our services, for example, includes placing only the best tenants available in the Kissimmee area inside your home.

Through our unique program, last year we placed two tenants in one of our for-sale properties.  Over the year, they improved the property – out of their pockets – cleaning up a stained pool, planting a rock garden under the pool's filtering equipment, excellence in maintenance of the home's landscaping, and a new fence.  And, one year later, our tenants, Tim & "Sweet" Sue Melnick, won the Poinciana Pioneer Star monthly award.

If you're ready to sell or rent your home, call Darhlene @ (407) 738-8042 to discuss these and many more options available to you from a bona fide Realtor.®  For a short list of our comprehensive list of services, either click the link at left, visit our web site at PoincianaHome.net, or visit our broker's site @ Overton Realty, Inc.  For our full list, write me and ask for our Shopping List for Sellers.

Housing Crisis Deepens Slightly

Poinciana real estate continues to behave like a house of cards.  While price per square foot decreased once again, and list prices did not fall below last month’s low of $69,900, sales have decreased and inventory is once again on the rise. 

A total of 98 homes have been sold in Poinciana so far in 2008.  The least expensive of these sells today for $44 per square foot, a decrease of $4/SF from March 2008.

Inventory continues to rise in Poinciana while sales dipped slightly in April.   It is expected that May will show a new low for home values, as  sales continue to lag behind the now-increasing inventory in the area.

Two More on Downpayment Assistance

If you're looking to buy in Poinciana, two more down payment assistance programs to consider:

• Orange County Housing Finance Authority: Offers up to $10,000 in down payment.  It is available for Osceola County home.  They feature 30-year fixed rate programs for maximum sales price of $304,875.
• Florida Housing Finance Corporation: Provides up to $10,000 in down payment assistance and offers below-market interest rate for fist-time home buyers.

Two 3/2 Homes - Only $119,000 Each

Two homes, two locations, identical prices.  One in Village 7, the other in Village 2.  Both located in the midst of brand new homes in quiet cul-de-sac neighborhoods. 

The home shown at right is a modernized home with glass-glossed ceramic tile flooring throughout.  Ceiling fans throughout, side-by-side refrigerator with open dining area.  Vaulted ceilings in an extra-large Great Room.  Screened patio. This is a turn-key home that features high-end ceramic tile flooring, ceiling fans in every room, a well-coordinated color scheme, every window treated, and a master bedroom far from the second and third bedrooms.  You can relax in an extra-large Great Room with vaulted ceilings or go out back to enjoy your view from a screen-in and roofed patio.  Your kitchen includes side-by-side refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/dryer closet, and an open dining area.  No worry about rear neighbors either, because almost 100 feet away from you, way out back, is an elementary school. 

The home shown at left is a three-bedroom, two-bath home is located in a country setting, just blocks from expansive cow pastures and orange groves.  A perfect home for nestling and relaxation in this quite, cul-de-sac neighborhood. It's a unique home with high-end interiors. It's graced with fashionable hues and bronze, floral-design fixtures that create focal points of interest throughout this beautiful home.

How to Tell if a Realtor is Licensed

I was recently called by someone wanting to show one of my homes.  She gave me her name and company.  As usual, the request was being processed when, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, it turned out the woman on the phone had been unlicensed for over two years.  For this homeowner, choosing me may have prevented a crime far greater than an expired license.  But how to tell if one is licensed without having to jump on the Internet?  It's easy.

Ask them for it.  Every bona fide real estate agent must have a license that looks like either of the one's shown in the photograph at left.  Of course, this is not a fool-proof method.  If you need verification, call me or go to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation.

And remember: Never, never, never allow anyone a foot-in-the-door, so-to-say, especially when it's your front door.  By not opening your door to someone claiming to be a real estate agent, you eliminate the possibility of a far worse crime than unlicensed real estate activity.  Stay safe!

Poinciana Realtor Appointed to IDA

Providing one more reason for you to choose Poinciana Home to sell your home, Darhlene was recently appointed to the Osceola County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), a citizen’s advisory board.  She will join other community leaders, such as James Kasper, Thomas Tompkins, Rajia Ackley, and Lawrence William, and will serve a two-year term with this group.  The IDA addresses finances for public projects that foster economic development in Osceola County.

Central Florida to Celebrate Earth Day 2008

Join us for Central Florida Earth Day 2008 presented by Florida School of Holistic Living.

• Free Family-Friendly Festival April 19 2008 - Noon - 10 pm - hosted by Dandelion Communitea, Florida School of Holistic Living, and Misty Forest at 618 N Thornton Avenue, Orlando
• Central Florida's Largest Community Earth Day Celebration, featuring three stages of live music all day, with the Token Gamblers, Mr. Richard, Kaleigh Baker, Papa Kapala, and Bughead
• Full Moon Drum Circle - 7-10 pm
• Dozens of Eco-Craft and Sustainable Vendors
• Organic Beer from Orlando Brewing
• Educational Speakers and Environmental Organizations
• Wine and Food from Whole Foods Market
• Live Community Mural Painting, and Art Auction
• Children's Discovery Area from Playground Magazine and Misty Forest

A separate Community Day of Action will be held on April 20 2008.  Join non-profit community organizations for plantings, clean-ups, and other environmental action events to give back to Mother Earth.

Market Update – Sales Increase But So Does Inventory

In March 2008 there were 70,578 people who called Poinciana home and 18,918 homes. The least expensive of these sells today for $48 per square foot, an increase of $6/SF from February 2008. While price per square foot increased, list prices fell again from a minimum of over $87,000 to a new low of $69,900, which represents the least expensive single family home in Poinciana. A total of 77 homes have been sold in Poinciana through March 31st.

While for most of 2007, homes sold at about one per day, in January and February, the daily average had dropped to about one sale every two days. March showed improvement with an average once again of one home per day. (Normal is about four homes sold per day.)

Previous reports on absorption rates reflected rates throughout Osceola County, a method that has been improved to focus on the Poinciana area only. Absorption rate for Poinciana as of April 9 was 3.24%.

During the first two months of 2008, inventory numbers appeared to have stabilized at slightly above the 1,000-home mark for Poinciana-proper; however March-April numbers are showing a renewed increase in inventory of existing family homes for sale. On April 9, the inventory for all of Poinciana was 1,636.

Between excessive inventory and low sales, the market value for homes in Poinciana continues to decline. Sales continue to lag behind the now-increasing inventory.

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Numbers referred to as Poinciana-proper do not include the communities of Poinciana, such as Solivita, Crescent Lakes, Cypress Woods, Bellalago, etc. ©Apr.2008, Darhlene E. Zeanwick. All rights reserved. Graph may not be duplicated or copied without permission.

"Poinciana Home" Number One on Google

It's official!  I'm number one with the Google phrase "poinciana home."  Tambien, soy la unica en Poinciana que habla español y que se sabe el Internet cómo ningún otro.  Whatever that means to you, ultimately it means that Darhlene is quite the unique REALTOR when it comes to sales in Poinciana. 

Most agents marketing in Poinciana offer residential real estate expertise, but with Darhlene, you get a whole lot more.  The ability to speak Spanish to buyers, who these days - more often than not, need a REALTOR who can speak multiple languages - is exactly what you'll find with the one many call "Como Ningun Otro."  But speaking Spanish is not my only expertise.

My experience in the real estate industry spans decades, or at minimum, twice as much experience in the industry than many other REALTORS in the area.  How did I get there?

The diversity of my knowledge of real estate goes far beyond a little ole real estate license obtained in Florida in 2004, an exam which - BTW - I passed on the first try.  (Twas too easy.)  I began in real estate way back in mid-1980's, when I provided contract research to local politicians that promote industrial issues.  From there I moved up to working with local economic development departments, then I was snatched up by the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

I worked with the giants, like Nextel and Gateway, even meeting their CEO's at the time to develop contractual relationships.  No other REALTOR anywhere in Kissimmee can say the same thing.  In fact, I was recently invited to join the Industrial Development Authority of Osceola County, an honor granted only to those with a in-depth of real experience in real estate.

I market each of my properties to dozens of web sites worldwide, and I speak Español with buyers from countries like Venezuela, Mexico, and Spain.  The combination of knowing Spanish with an expertise in all things PC lends to my success. 

True ... I don't waste my customers' time with silly jokes, anecdotes, and an accounting of what I do in my spare time.  True ... I get right down to no-nonsense business and and work tirelessly for each of my listings.  True ... I'm resourceful at every turn, closing on transactions from which others would've walked without hesitation.  True ... I do work that others don't consider to be "their job."  And, true ... I work with both buyers and sellers.  (Why would anyone want to go with a REALTOR who doesn't work with buyers?) 

If you're looking for a REALTOR with real experience and real integrity, come out to Poinciana country and look for me.  I'm easy to find.  Just Google "poinciana home."  You'll see I'm numero uno.

La Agente Mejor en Poinciana, Florida

Price Drop on Unique Padova

Original list price was $385,000, lowered to $351,990 on this unique Padova model loaded with features.  Just two blocks from the "Pool Club" house, this home offers a unique environment in which to entertain guests.

Brick walkway.  Tile roof.  Security personnel 24/7.  Appliances included. This home also features a finished, private loft bedroom with bath on 2nd floor.

The oversized sunroom comes complete with French doors, modern windows, tiled floor, and air conditioning to enjoy your view from your hill overlooking the wildlife Reedy Creek Nature Preserve.  Parlour-style kitchen is tiled with full breakfast nook and island.  Master bedroom includes garden bath and ceramic tile, as do all four bathrooms in this uniquely styled five-bedroom home. 

This home is located inside the gated communities of Bellalago, Florida, near Lake Toho, a center for world class bass fishing championships and about 20 minutes from Disney.  Community amenities abound with heated pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, Tot Lots, and boat facilities, just to mention a few.  Unique and outstanding in every way. 

Not a short sale.  A Nehemiah Home.

Just in Time for Spring

Do you like Thank You cards?  I do.  I got one just in time for Easter from a client with whom I worked for six months!  A pre-foreclosure too.  It was a bear of a deal, unlike the cute bunny I received on my card.  But in the end, I got my buyer exactly what he was looking for and at a fantastic price.

The home I helped him buy was a generous 1,794 square feet.  With three bedrooms, two baths, a free pool table with cues, and a backyard facing the preserve, it was a magnificient deal at only $170,000. On top of that I helped to ensure the buyer received a minimum equity of $50,000 walking into his just cleaned home.  Even in today's credit-crunched society, that's amount is tough to achieve.

Pre-foreclosures are in full swing in Poinciana and aren't going to go away until after this year's presidential elections.  They're tough to close and will get you in trouble if you're not working with an experienced agent.  If you're ready to buy a pre-foreclosure, contact me.  I'll make sure you get everything you're looking for in a home and the best deal in Poinciana.  Guaranteed.   Darhlene.

Poinciana Realtor Turns Green

As of yesterday, Darhlene Zeanwick became one of the only-3,100 Realtors in the entire U.S. with Green Leadership certification from the National Association of Realtors.  The research is voluminous.  Green really affects every aspect of life and lifestyle.  For example, do you have any idea how much carbon dioxide your home puts out into the air each year?

Try about 13,500 pounds for a 3,000-square-foot home.  Most of Poinciana's homes are not quite that large but still:  If you have a 1,000-square-foot home, that property is  putting out more or less 4,500 pounds of carbon dioxide every year and, let's see, each person lives how many years?

With the mug-me levels of heat in Florida, especially in August, it's not that unusual to hear of cooling bills as high as $400 in one month!  And we're not talking in-door marijuana grow houses either.  These are real people who apparently like it cold.  Frosty!

Improving technology and something called a credit crisis will have an impact on the affordability of energy-saving devices such as "tankless" water heaters, a great idea for smaller homes. Or try this one on for size: The "sealed attic," which is said to keep the temperature of an attic within 10 degrees of the temperature inside your living room. Now wouldn't that be a money-saver here in Central Florida? 

If you're looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint, save energy or water, and save money in the process, check out this blog in the future for green information you can use.  And, if you've received LEED, FGBC, or Florida Yard certification, selling your home with Darhlene will maximize exposure for your home, exposure that no other offers yet in Poinciana.

Preventing Pests From Entering Home

From Love to Lady, Florida abounds with Bugs. Here are some suggestions for limiting the ways pests can infiltrate your home and for safely handling pesticides.

• Seal cracks in walls, floors or ceilings to keep out bugs.

• Clean kitchen daily removing food from under toasters and packages. Most important is to keep floors swept, which also offers an opportunity to inspect floor areas for evidence of rodents and other wood boring pests.

• Remove broken or unused appliances to avoid pest from nesting.

• Eliminate stagnant water outside home to prevent attracting pests.

• Empty pet water and food bowls nightly. Sweep and dispose of pet food that may have fallen on floor.

• Except for paper-only or dry-waste containers, make sure all garbage receptacles have sealed lids. Clean and cover trash receptacles and place them on cleanable material, such as concrete.

• Store insecticides away from other items in a locked, cool cabinet.

• Dispose of bags, bottles or cans as soon as they are empty.

• Do not pour leftover pesticides down the drain.

Putnam at New Post Office Dedication

After a delay caused by federal funding being redirected to Hurricane Katrina victims, Poinciana is finally seeing the first stages of its soon to be upgraded post office.  The new, 7,270-square-foot post office will be located behind the Publix supermarket on Cypress Parkway in the area known as the Promenade Shopping Center.  The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 25 at 10 a.m. will be attended by U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, for the 12th district, which covers Poinciana.  The ceremony will be held at 4774 San Remo Road in Poinciana. 

Although postal services without the frustration of long lines will be one benefit of the project, a non-discussed side effect would be to make Poinciana more attractive to those who work in Orlando.  Coupled with other future projects, such as the hospital and connections to both I-4 and the Florida Turnpike, Poinciana is destined to become the community envisioned by early leaders of the area.  Click here for Ledger article.

Mint Condition "Champagne" Pool Home

Only $195,000 for this immaculate Mercedes pool home.  It's in mint condition and includes spa, lanai, and one beautifully maintained white, vinyl privacy fence.  Also featured in this spacious home are an eat-in kitchen that includes a large pantry and ample breakfast bar, all comfortably overlooking your romantic, playful "Champagne" pool. That's Florida style!

You'll feel both safe and pampered in this Floridian-style home.  Gutters surround this home and keeps it clearn and dry all year round for those little guests to play. This home includes an "ADT" alarm system and timed exterior lighting. 

After the pool and after the spa, you still have a master bedroom made for two to enjoy with a garden bath and double sinks. It's built for family.  Built for you.

This home is located in a safe, picturesque community named Poinciana in Southwest Kissimmee, Florida.  It includes settings for over 18,000-acres of outdoor activities such as parks and pristine lakes, and competitive sports such as golf, tennis, handball, shuffle board, and swimming.  Poinciana is a bedroom community of Disney World and was built adjacent to the Disney Nature Preserve.

For more information, go to this property's home page, located at Poinciana @ Home.  $195,000.  MLS# S4635068.

The SHIP Arrives in Osceola

Osceola County has a downpayment assistance program, although only available for eligible first-time homebuyers.  It's called SHIP and stands for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership.  From helping buyers to find homes who were qualified through this program, I heard that it is not a difficult program to understand nor too difficult to complete.  And for upwards of $69,900, it's likely to be worth your time.  Maximum sales price is $240,000 within Kissimmee city limits, which includes both sides of Poinciana.

Nehemiah Helps First & Repeat Home Buyers

Nehemiah is a non-profit corporation specializing in homeownership, affordable housing, and community development. They can help you with:

• Gift funds up to 6% of the final contract sales towards your downpayment and/or closing costs
• Gift funds for both first time and repeat homebuyers
• Gift funds for both new construction and resale homes
• No repayment of gift money
• No income or asset limits

If you are a qualified homebuyer using an eligible loan program, such as an FHA loan, you may be able to move into your new home with zero cash out of pocket!  Call Darhlene at (407) 738-8042 for help with applying for the Nehemiah program.

Teachers Buying Homes

HOME Investment Partnerships Act, you may find assistance if you are a teacher. If you are a teacher and are looking for assistance buying a home in Poinciana, look no further than the Florida teacher downpayment assistance programThen call me, Poinciana's premier real estate agent for the best deal in the area.

Buyer Takes Green Pool by Horn!

After six months and last minute challenges, a beautifully maintained Poinciana home was sold to a long-time resident of the area, one I call the the Good Samaritan dude. What he bought was a home with a pool and a view.

With a backyard facing one of Poinciana's many preserve area and an interior with a whopping 1,794 square feet, this 3 bedroom, 2 bath was recently sold. The home was in great condition with nothing more than a green pool. Not at all bad if you consider that all the buyer had to do was turn on the water and electric and clean it up.

Original asking price for this property was $186,500, but was negotiated for a sales price of $170,000. Come back to this site for updates on how this great deal came to be and photos.

March Market Report – Values Drop, Sales Slightly Up

POINCIANA (PHN) | In February of 2008 there were 70,476 people who called Poinciana home and 18,893 homes. The least expensive of these sells today for $42 per square foot, a drop of $17 from January 2008. The least expensive single family home in Poinciana is listed with an asking price of $87,500.

Absorption rate for Osceola County stood at 2.2% in January, a drop of 0.6% from December 2007. From, January to February inventory numbers appear to be stablizing at slightly above the 1,000-home mark. Inventory of existing homes on March 1^st stood at 1,060.

While for most of 2007, homes sold at about one per day, since January 1^st the daily average dropped to one about one sale every two days. A total of 28 homes have been sold in Poinciana-proper so far in 2008.

Between excessive inventory and low sales, the market value for homes in Poinciana continues to decline but only slightly as compared to previous months. Conclusion: If a buyer is looking to move to the Central Florida area, now is the time to buy in Poinciana.

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Numbers in this report reflect an area referred to as Poinciana-proper. These numbers do not include its communities, such as Solivita, Crescent Lakes, Cypress Woods, Bellalago, etc.

©Jan.2008, Darhlene E. Zeanwick. All rights reserved. Graph may not be duplicated or copied without permission.

APV’s Gripe with Snail Mail

I look forward to receiving my monthly issue of the "Poinciana Pioneer" and applaud the paper's improved looks – both online and in print – but I have noticed a consistent something that I've been wanting to bring up for the longest time. It's about some of the resident letters published in this paper.

The way I figure it, the APV must not be getting very many letters from residents because, far too often, what is published is either difficult to read or verbose. Or, as recently as the December 2007 issue, they're pointless diatribes complete with grammatical errors brandished about like fireworks.

I have wondered at times if this is done on purpose, a kind of editor's laugh-at-the-dumb-folks approach, but it is done so consistently that I have to believe that the editor of the "Poinciana Pioneer" simply does not have a clue. It really is okay, Mr. Editor, to correct errors found in resident letters that you are about to publish. It's even okay to edit them, especially, if they either make no sense or are discussing a hundred different topics.

If a writer cannot deliver a letter that's espouses a particular point of view, other than, "I hate the association. Blah, blah, blah, #?'$¿. Blah, blah, blah!" or any point of view at all, the letter should fail the test of publish-ability. Again, Mr. Editor, unless there is a rule out there that says the APV must publish at least one resident letter in each issue, may I suggest – on months when the mail is snail slow – find a simple yet interesting topic and write on that instead.

HOPE to Respond to Crist by April

Gov. Charlie Crist recently appointed a group of 13 to a new program to combat the rising problem of foreclosures. The program, called the HOPE Task Force, stands for Florida Home Ownership Promotes the Economy.

"Last year one out of every 95 households experienced foreclosure in [Florida] with filings up more than 275 percent over the previous year," said chief financial officer Alex Sink, one of the committee members. "Working with the Governor's HOPE Task Force, my office will be focused on identifying solutions to help families work through the often confusing and difficult process of retaining their homes."

HOPE is scheduled to meet four times – March 3, March 19, April 2 and, via conference call, on April 9. HOPE will make recommendations to Crist, the speaker of the House, and to the president of the Senate by April 18. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp serves as chair to HOPE.  Click here for meeting agendas, a complete list of the task force members and additional information on the HOPE Task Force.

Source: FAR EarlyBird News, 02/21/2008.

The Four Billion Dollar Pie

The closer we move toward Election 2008, the closer we move towards an increasing need for adequate response in our worsening U.S. economic recession.  According to the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), Congress is now eyeing new incentives to address the subprime crisis.  Specifically?  Allowing bankruptcy judges to alter the terms of certain mortgages.

Another measure under consideration is a tax break intended for the self-employed and business sectors, a measure popular with FAR members.  A third: Allotting $10 billion to enable financial agencies (that industry that got us into this mess in the first place) to refinance people.  But there's one more area of interest.  This one to the average homeowner.

Lawmakers are considering $4 billion in block grants, to be distributed by locality, such as Osceola County or Polk County, and intended for Rehab's & Pre-Fer's.  The purpose of the grants will be to rehabilitate areas, like Poinciana!  The same areas recently slapped with "high risk" or D ratings by Fannie Mae and its counterpart in subprime, Countrywide.

Just Listed & Just Reduced Home on a Hill

 

Just listed and just reduced $45,100 on this three-bedroom, two-bath, home.  Coziness inside the den and dining rooms in this home all lead to a vaulted kitchen facing a great Great Room.  Lease option to buy is available. This home is only two years old.  It features over 1,800 square feet with an extra-large master bedroom.  It is close to schools and has no rear neighbors. Make this home on a hill your perfect home. This home is located in a picturesque community named Poinciana in Southwest Kissimmee, Florida, the largest unincorporated master-planned community in the United States. Poinciana is a modern community, established in 1972, linking residents with a common interest in preserving the Community. Poinciana not only brings people together, it also links two county governments: Osceola and Polk, working together to ensure the success of Poinciana as a great Community. Poinciana is set within over 20,000-acres of prairie, wilderness, parks, pristine lakes, and preservation areas including Disney Nature Preserve and Reedy Creek Nature Preserve, home of some of the oldest cypress trees in the nation…read more…

Countrywide Becomes PRwide

Long before the housing crisis hit Poinciana, Countrywide led the community, not in home loans, but in foreclosures.  Shortly after saving face, via Bank of America, it threw out another in the amount of $25,000 to LULAC, a non-profit which leads the way to saving homeowners from foreclosure.  But that didn't amount to a hill of beans for Countrywide, which according to the Florida Association of Realtors, reported increased delinquencies again in January 2008.*

That report was subsequent to its announcement that it was widening its community service effort.  This time, according to Kissimmee blogger Mark Horan, Countrywide is reaching out to ACORN. Like LULAC, ACORN is a non-profit. ACORN is primarily known for its leadership in improving worker pay in the U.S.

For the complete list of agencies working to help homeowners in the Poinciana area, which doesn't include Countrywide, see The Poinciana Crane™ Sellers' Directory.

*Reference: LOS ANGELES – Feb. 18, 2008 – Countrywide Financial Corp. said Friday home loan delinquencies and foreclosures rose in January as more borrowers struggled to make their mortgage payments.  Reference: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-021808.cfm.

Options to Short Sale

If your home is your primary residence and you have an ARM, avoid going down the path of short sales. If at all possible, you want to do everything you can to modify your loan – your best option. Going down the loan modification path – over a short sale – will help you keep your home so you can sell it when the market will give you at least what you paid for it. Before entering into a short sale agreement with your bank or mortgage broker, call one – or all of the following numbers – and tell them you're looking to get help with modifying your loan.

• LULAC – (877) 445-8522 (National toll-free number although they work with all – not just Hispanic – residents of Kissimmee.)
• ACORN – (407) 254-5974 (Their Orlando number.)

How Does a Realtor® Benefit Poinciana?

If you have kids who are seniors in a Florida high school this year, they may qualify to participate an essay contest that’s offering a total of $106,000 in scholarship funding. The deadline to enter is March 7, 2008. Students must write a typed, double-spaced essay, 500 words or less, on the topic, “How Does a Realtor® Professional Benefit the Community?”

Sponsored by the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the scholarship program benefits students from across the state, with prize money going to the first-, second- and third-place essays in each of the Association's 13 districts in the state. Students turning in the top district-winning essays each win a $5,000 scholarship prize; second-place winners receive a $1,500 scholarship award; and third-place winners each receive a $500 scholarship award. The 13 district-winning essays then compete for three $5,000 FAR scholarships on the statewide level.

All essays, along with an official Essay Cover Form, must be postmarked no later than March 7, 2008, and mailed to the FAR, 7025 Augusta National Drive, P.O. Box 725025, Orlando, FL, 32872-5025. FAR’s statewide scholarship awards program is open only to high school seniors who reside in the state of Florida and plan on continuing their education at any college, university, technical school or other institution of higher learning.

Children whose parents or guardians are licensed real estate practitioners are not eligible for contest entry; nor are children whose parents or guardians are employed by any local Realtor board/association or by FAR. Scholarship contest rules and the official essay cover form are available at public and private senior high school guidance offices throughout the state. Or students, parents, teachers – anyone – can go to FAR’s Media Center Web site ( http://media.floridarealtors.org) to download the required essay cover form and all other scholarship/essay contest materials.