Happy Fourth of July Fort Lauderdale. July 4th is not only a day we
celebrate independence from England, but also a day when families convene
and watch fireworks and wear red, white, and blue. Florida, and Fort
Lauderdale in particular, is fortunate to be surrounded by water and filled
with lakes so the fireworks displays are spectacular. I hope you spend the
holiday with your loved ones and enjoy the festivities Fort Lauderdale has
to offer below. Happy Independence Day!

Where to Celebrate the Fourth of July?
The City of Fort Lauderdale: Free festival on Fort Lauderdale Beach with
festivities beginning at 1 pm including live music, and beach games, ending
with the annual fireworks show at 9pm The fireworks are located off of A1A
and Las Olas Blvd.

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea: Celebrate with the Lauderdale by the Sea Independence
Day parade that begins at 10:00 a.m. behind the Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town
Hall. Festivities will be starting after the parade at 11:00 a.m. to 9:00
p.m. and the evening concludes with fireworks at Anglin's Pier.

Pompano Beach: The City of Pompano Beach is hosting a Beach Bash and
Fireworks Extravaganza spanning from the Fishing Pier to the Great Lawn.
Fireworks are held promptly at 9 p.m.

Deerfield Beach: Main Beach Parking, Ocean Way & SE1st St. is the site of
all day concerts and food. Fireworks will be held at the International
Fishing Pier at 9pm. There will be a free shuttle service from the Cove
Shopping Center.

City of Coral Springs: 4th of July at Mullins Park This is a family friendly
event with bounce houses, games, and food. Parking is available at the
Coral Springs Gymnasium and at the main Mullins Park/Center for the Arts
parking lot. There will be a firework display at 9pm

City of Hollywood: Hollywood hosts a stunning fireworks display on the ocean
starting at 9pm. Have dinner on the main strip at Young Circle and go to the
fireworks after for a more romantic 4th.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors announced the May numbers last week and, despite incredibly tight inventory, buyers are still voraciously snapping up listings. Home prices are on the rise, and buyers continue to take advantage of the low mortgage rates. One of the reasons experts believe that buyers are continuing to buy is that The Federal Reserve Bank announced that they would be dismantling the mortgage buying program, which was initiated in an attempt to stimulate the economy and the housing market. Adam Cohn, of the Primary Residential Mortgage brokerage in Boca Raton noted that "We're seeing people are getting more aggressive in their home search as they're seeing interest rates going up." I am seeing the competition amongst buyers every day in the waterfront condominium market and single family home market and well priced properties are being sold within weeks of listing, in some cases, within days.

Multiple offers, bidding wars, and increases in home value are all indicators of housing recovery, and the numbers that were announced in May will quiet even the most adamant skeptics. In May 2013, the sale of singlefamily homes rose 17.1% year over year, and the sale of condominiums rose 9.3%. The inventory of single family homes decreased by 19.6% and the condos decreased by 5.6% from May 2012, which means the demand has continued and there are simply not enough homes on the market to support this demand.Leading to there being currently a 3.4 month supply of single family home
and a 4.3 month supply of condominiums on the market in Broward, far below what is considered a healthy supply of 6 months. The average time for asingle family home to be on the market is now only 32 days; for condos, 41 days. Although most listing agreements stipulate a 6 month window in which
a realtor will market and sell your home, selling a home in under two months is becoming standard in the Broward real estate marketplace. If you are looking to sell your condominium or home, now could be the best time. For a complimentary comprehensive market analysis, contact me today, and you could be selling tomorrow.

Hurricane season has officially begun and extends to November 30. The second
named storm is expected to be announced this week, and I would like to take
the opportunity to discuss hurricane preparation, since so many of my
clients have waterfront homes and condos. Having a plan and supplies
beforehand will greatly reduce stress before during and after a storm, and
if you are a part time resident, I am happy to recommend management
personnel to implement your individual hurricane plan. I hope you find these
tips informative and that all are safe throughout this hurricane season. For
more detailed information, the Broward County website has a complete guide.

http://www.broward.org/hurricane/Pages/Default.aspx

Calm Before The Storm
1. Have a Plan. It is very important to have a plan in place for your
family, from explaining to children what is happening to going over a list
of items to prepare.
2. Stock up. Having bottled water, canned goods, and batteries and
flashlights are always a good idea. Non perishable items may be purchased in
advanced and stored indefinitely, so getting them now can reduce stress
before a storm and long lines later.
3. Secure Your Home. Take inventory of hurricane shutters, making sure they
have not been damaged in any way since the last time they were up. Take a
look at the vulnerable areas of the home such as openings and your roof, to
make sure there are not areas that are at risk.
4. Tidy up. Make sure all debris is out of your yard and have an arborist
check the area for compromised trees or branches that need to be removed.
5. Protecting your Assets. Go over your homeowners insurance to see what
sorts of documenting information is required, in the event you need to make
a claim.

During a Storm
1. Stay Inside. This may sound like very obvious advice, however during the
eye of a storm it may look very nice outside, but conditions can deteriorate
quickly. Be sure to stay tuned into a news radio station for updates on when
it is safe to leave your home.
2. Evacuate. If you are in an evacuation zone, evacuate early to avoid
traffic.
3. Refrigeration. In the event you lose power and do not have a generator,
put all appliances on the highest settings and avoid opening the doors to
refrigerators.

After the Storm
1. Document Damage. Once it is safe to leave your home, document any damage
immediately.
2. Avoid Down Lines. Treat all power lines like live lines, and report down
lines to FPL immediately.
3. Stay In. Debris from the storm may be hazardous and filled with snakes or
insects.
4. Protect Assets. Have ply wood and tarps on hand to protect property that
was damaged, from any further damage that being exposed to the elements may
cause.

Hurricane Checklist, Courtesy of Broward County

• Drinking Water: At least one gallon per person per day for three to five days, preferably two weeks. Extra water is needed for food preparation and personal hygiene. To store drinking water, use food-grade containers. You can use clean, airtight containers such as two-liter soda jugs, but no milk containers. If you re-use disposable plastic bottles, do not keep them for more than a month.
• Food: At least enough for three to five days, including non-perishable packaged or canned food, canned or shelf milk, cereal, etc.; ice and snack foods
• A three- to five-day supply of special items for babies such as formula, food, wipes, diapers; special foods for the elderly; toiletries and extra toilet paper
• Manual can opener/bottle opener
• Paper goods such as plates, bowls, napkins, towels, and plastic eating utensils
• Unscented household bleach and medicine dropper
• Extra bedding such as blankets, pillows, sleeping bag, etc. in case you must evacuate
• Clothing, including rain gear and sturdy shoes
• First aid kit
• Medicines/prescription drugs: A two-week supply
• Hand sanitizer
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-operated or hand-crank radio
• Disposable batteries, car charger or solar charger for your cell phone
• Hardline telephone with jack (not cordless)
• Books and games or toys
• Pet food, cat litter and other pet care items
• Tool kit including cord, rope, hammer, wood nails, saw, hatchet or axe, crowbar, chain saw blades, tarp, duct tape, and heavy work gloves
• Plastic trash bags and ties
• Extra resealable plastic storage bags, heavy-duty aluminum foil and disposable aluminum pans
• Extra charcoal or propane gas for outdoor cooking. Sterno can also be used. Never cook with any of these items inside your house. The smoke and fumes are deadly.
• Fire extinguisher (ABC type)
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Mosquito repellent with DEET, and sunscreen

While inventory throughout Fort Lauderdale is incredibly tight, with some areas well under a 3 month supply, I am pleased to have several residence listings in The Berkley South condominium. Last week I featured Unit 11F and this week, I would like to show you 3F. Both are large corner units and share the full service amenities of The Berkley South including, a heated freshwater pool, new designer finished lobby, two separate fitness rooms, tennis court, billiards, BBQ, 24 hour security and covered parking under the building . Some of the items that I did not mention regarding Berkley South in previous posts include the excellent school systems that the building is zoned for. Residents at Berkley South are zoned for Bayview Elementary School, Sunrise Middle School, and Fort Lauderdale High School. While many of my buyers are looking for second homes or investment properties, I would like to point out that a home in Berkley South is also advantageous for families seeking the best school district. With all the amenities in the building, the friendly staff, and short walk to the beach, The Berkley South provides the best of locations.

Residence 3F would thrill any buyer as it has been completely renovated and is spacious with the most popular floorplan in the building. Unit 3F is a two bedroom and 2 bath residence within 1,340 square feet under air. The gourmet open kitchen has brand new custom cabinetry, beautiful granite counters and backsplash, top of the line stainless steel appliances, and a window with serene views above the kitchen sink. Each bathroom has been completely updated with granite topped custom vanities, newly tiled walk in showers, new lighting and fixtures. This particular floor plan offers huge walk in closets as well as an oversized pantry, linen closet and extra storage. Ceilings have all been smoothed, and crown molding has been installed as well as hurricane impact glass on all openings. This residence overlooks the pool, which is situated on a 40,000 square foot deck surrounding the building. The offering price of $279,000 is an excellent value for the high quality upgrades in this unit, and it should sell quickly. For more information on this listing and others in Berkley South, I encourage you to contact me today for a showing.

The Fort Lauderdale real estate market has witnessed incredible growth the past two years. Distressed properties are experiencing multiple offers leading to bidding wars, and homes and condominium selling prices are increasing monthly as a result of the decline in distressed properties and the continued demand from buyers. In fact, the pace of growth in the market is making the job of the appraiser more difficult, since the data appraisers use is not at pace with the market. Appraisers in up markets who have poor knowledge of local conditions or those who do not have accurate data mechanisms to keep up with the market, put many contracts in jeopardy, and force cancelations. Last year the National Association of Realtors reported 35% of realtors reported contract problems relating to low appraisals. In Fort Lauderdale, 11% of contracts are not coming to fruition, due to issues relating to appraisals.

According to the National Association of Realtors Confidence Index, which polls nearly 3,000 members of NAR monthly, “65 percent of Realtors® surveyed in September report no contract problems relating to home appraisals over the past three months, 11 percent said a contract was cancelled because an appraised value came in below the price negotiated between the buyer and seller, 9 percent reported a contract was delayed, and 15 percent said a contract was renegotiated to a lower sales price as a result of a low valuation.” In Fort Lauderdale, home prices have consistently risen at a fast pace due to demand and constricted inventory. These conditions give rise to appraisers issuing appraisals that do not reflect the current market, which may lead to an impasse between buyers and sellers. In some cases, contract cancellations occur unless the parties come to an agreement. Properties priced accurately are least likely to encounter these problems, making the advice of a reputable realtor, with expert neighborhood and condominium market knowledge, essential to selling your home. If you are looking to sell your waterfront home or condominium, please contact me today.