Tag Archives: Florida Real Estate

July’s Florida Property of the Month

THIS PROPERTY HAS SOLD.

PLEASE SUBMIT A:  Custom Search Request

BRITISH HOMES GROUP Florida ~ Specialising in Florida Real Estate

Brand-New Luxury 5-Bedroom Luxury Villa Close to Disney

A BRITISH HOMES GROUP “BEST BUY”

Just Reduced $30,000 to

$239,000!

Pool, Spa, 5 Bedrooms and Close to Everything!

  • Over 2,600 square feet of air-conditioned living space
  • 2 En-Suite Master Bedrooms plus 3 additional bedrooms
  • Upstairs Theatre and Game Room
  • Backs on to wooded Conservation Area
  • Minutes from Disney, 3 Championship Golf Courses, Supermarket and Shops
  • Ideal for Second Home, Long and Short-Term Rentals

FINANCING AVAILABLE

For Overseas investors (including UK) with a 30%/ $71,700 deposit

THIS SPECTACULAR BRITISH HOMES’ “BEST BUY” WILL NOT LAST!

So if you are at all interested please contact MARK SHORE, our UK/Florida property specialist (from Bristol!), directly.

Mark will give you full details on this and other great buys in the Disney area and help you with the mortgage financing arrangements if needed – all in time for you to enjoy this year’s “Season” in the Sunshine State of Florida!

Mark’s Orlando Mobile Phone Number is 863-557-6443

Good luck – but please act quickly if you are interested!

Bill Cowie President

www.britishhomesgroup.com

Orlando, Florida

Kissimmee Office 407 396 9914
Direct (Mobile) 407 620 7777

British-American Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board

Request more information on this home or submit a Custom Search Request

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The BRITISH HOMES GROUP Florida
2960 Vineland Road | Info@britishhomesgroup.com or (+1) 407 396 9914

November’s Property of the Month

4 BEDROOM 3 BATHROOM POOL HOME CLOSE TO DISNEY…

Very nice fully furnished 4 bedroom,3 bathroom pool home on a corner lot with a south facing pool and spa.

This home is only 6 years old and has been well maintained by the current owners and has an upgraded furniture package.

Cumbrian Lakes is a very popular development and is also gated. It is three miles south of 192 so superbly situated to shops , restaurants and the attractions.

This property has been used as a short term rental property but would also make an excellent primary or second home. The pool and spa are in the sun all day long which is a great plus for short term holiday rentals, the pool also looks out over a lake.

There are two en suite bedrooms and the other two bedrooms share a bathroom.

Mortgages are available for British and other international buyers with a 30% down payment.

November’s Hot Property – click on one of the links below to make an offer or request more information on these homes. 
 
4  Bedroomed, 3 Bathroom Pool Home Close to Disney World
Status: Available 
Built: 2004
Listing Price: $215,000
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3
Sq.ft: 1874
 
Located close to Orlando’s World Famous Attractions, shopping, airports and restaurants. Take advantage of Orlando’s buyer’s market today.
 
Request more information on this home or submit a  Custom Search Request
 
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The BRITISH HOMES GROUP Florida
2960 Vineland Road
Info@britishhomesgroup.com or (+1) 407 396 9914
 

August’s Property of the Month

ALMOST 2000 SQ FT POOL HOME IN AVIANA, DAVENPORT…

4 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Pool Home in Davenport, FL

August’s Hot Property – click on one of the links below to make an offer or request more information on this home. 
 
 August's Florida Property
 
4  Bedroomed, 2 Bathroom, Golf View, Pool Home Close to Disney World
Status: Available 
Listing Price: $145,000
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 2
Sq.ft: 1940
Built: 2006
 
This month’s featured property is in a lovely development in Davenport, just off  Hwy 27.  Beautiful vacation/residential home with charm, located close to Orlando’s World Famous Attractions, shopping, airports and restaurants. This home is priced below the cost of building.   Take advantage of Orlando’s buyer’s market today.
 
Request more information on this home or submit a  Custom Search Request
 
 

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The BRITISH HOMES GROUP Florida
2960 Vineland Road
Info@britishhomesgroup.com or (+1) 407 396 9914
 
 

June’s Property of the Month

5 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom Pool Home in Davenport, FL

June’s Hot Property – click on one of the links below to make an offer or request more information on this home.
 
June's Florida Property
 
5 Bedroomed, 3 Bathroom, Corner Lot, Pool Home Close to Disney World
Status: Available
Listing Price: $229,000
Bedrooms: 5
Baths: 3
Sq.ft: 2222
Built: 2006
 
This month’s featured property is in a small development of 96 executive homes in the Davenport area. It is on a corner lot that backs onto a conservation area. There is a sun balcony and a large screened in pool and patio area.
 
THE HOME IS GREAT FOR an investor or a buyer that wants to feel comfortable with costs for the first year – there is an existing tenant in the house that has renewed for 1 year!
 
The owner will also consider holding financing with considerable amount down. Great investor or second home opportunity – close to attractions and major roads.

Request more information on this home or submit a Custom Search Request

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The BRITISH HOMES GROUP Florida
2960 Vineland Road
Info@britishhomesgroup.com or (+1) 407 396 9914
 
 

Florida Property Market Bottomed Out?

BRITISH HOMES GROUP

April 30, 2010

From today’s Orlando Sentinel…

University of Florida survey: Florida’s real estate has bottomed out

Are things about to turn around for real-estate properties both private and commercial, such as in downtown Orlando? According to 1 study, that is a real possibility even if it is far from a certainty at this point.
 
Florida real estate has hit bottom and is in the process of stabilizing, according to results of a quarterly survey by the University of Florida.

Private capital – both foreign and domestic – continues to enter the state in search of high-quality investments, said Timothy Becker, director of UF’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies. As banks start to deal with their problem assets, more deals will come to market, he added.

Also, life insurance companies have started to reinvest in commercial properties after backing off for the past year and a half. Because those companies invest premiums from customers’ policies, they are not deterred by the lack of available bank financing, he said.

While most of the real estate professionals surveyed predicted the market probably won’t get any worse, few said it has actually begun to improve, Becker noted. “One of our respondents summed it up by stating that, ‘If anything, we will get less bad,’ ” he said.

“So if they think things aren’t going to get worse and they may actually get better, it follows that they’re going to want to start investing again,” he said.

While South Florida is one of the state’s strongest areas with its diverse economy, steady migration and influx of foreign capital, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville are also picking up.

“Florida’s big cities – those four areas – are less bad off than the rest of the state, and they’re going to be quicker to recover than other places,” Becker said.

The retail and office markets are in the worst shape and will likely continue to struggle until job growth improves and frees up more discretionary spending by consumers, the survey concluded.

Apartments continue to be the strongest sector in the state because of high demand from people moving out of foreclosed homes, Becker said.

Statewide, Florida’s new-home market will continue to be slow as more and more foreclosures become available on the existing-home market, Becker said. “That competition makes it very difficult for new homes to get built and purchased, because buyers can often get an equal or nicer home for a much cheaper price on the foreclosure market,” he said.

The report is more optimistic than some recent economic forecasts, which have predicted the market may further soften through at least the end of the year.

David Stiff, chief economist for Wisconsin-based Fiserv Inc, predicted in March that Orlando residential prices would fall by double-digit percentages through the third quarter and then increase by less than 2 percent from late 2010 until late 2011. Fiserv’s report predicts that housing prices in Florida will fall in all 22 of its largest markets, with prices in Miami falling by one-third through the third quarter of this year.

Mary Shanklin can be reached at mshanklin@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5538.
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Thank you for your business – please tell your friends!

Sincerely,

Bill Cowie  President

www.BritishHomesGroup.com

Kissimmee Office: 407 396 9914

Member: British-American Chamber of Commerce

Our Email Address: Info@BritishHomesGroup.com

Quick Contact Request

http://www.britishhomesgroup.com/contactus.php

Customised Property Search Request

http://www.britishhomesgroup.com/floridaproperty.php

British Realtor Joins the British Homes Group

March 30, 2010

We are delighted to announce that Mark Shore has joined the British Homes Group team.

British Realtor helping UK clients buying homes in the Orlando area.

British Realtor helping UK clients buying homes in the Orlando area.

We are sure that those of you who have worked with Mark in his over 30 years in the property and finance business in both the UK and US will agree that Mark is one of the most experienced, helpful and trust-worthy professionals in our business.

Mark hails from Bristol and moved to Orlando in 2003. Mark has now acquired an extensive and intimate knowledge of the DisneyWorld area of Central Florida. He also has access to more that 20,000 residential property “listings” in Central Florida’s current buyers market.

Mark has successfully bought and sold his own properties. And he is more than willing to share his actual, invaluable hands-on experience with his customers.

Mark has also already set up a “British Homes VIP Service” for UK buyers and sellers:

British Homes VIP Buyer Service – for UK property buyers who would like Mark to act as their sole “Buyers Agent” – at no extra cost – in finding the right property at the right price for them. Simple and safe!

British Homes VIP Sellers Service – for UK sellers who would like British Homes to feature their properties – again at no extra cost – on their web site, blog or other international publicity media.

You can contact Mark on info@britishhomesgroup.com or by calling (+1) 407 396 9914.

One such property, for example, is beautiful home – with a pool – close to Disney that was bought by a British Homes customer in 2003 for $196,000. The seller is now willing to accept $135,000 for a quick sale (see www.britishhomesgroup.com).

Thank you for your business – please tell your friends!

And welcome again Mark!

Sincerely,

Bill Cowie, Director
www.britishhomesgroup.com
Orlando, Florida

British Homes Group in the Sunday Times

March 2, 2010

From this weekend’s:

Sunday Times, Lucy Denyer

Florida: a mix of different personalities

Florida’s property market has collapsed, but with the worst over, it could be time to swoop in the Sunshine State

It’s freezing outside, there are at least a couple more months to go before the weather warms up, and the idea of a holiday home in the sun is probably pretty tempting right now. But Spain’s not hot enough, and the Caribbean and the Seychelles are too expensive. Could Florida be the answer?

With its country-club lifestyle and balmy climate, the Sunshine State has traditionally been popular with British buyers. In the past 18 months, however, it has fallen out of favour, as prices have come crashing down by 50% or more from their peak. Florida had the second highest foreclosure rate – the equivalent of repossessions – in America in 2008, affecting one in 22 properties. Many remain empty and abandoned, after being seized by the banks.

“Some people just dropped the keys and left – they were effectively handing the property back to the bank,” says Todd Swann, owner of Swann & Associates, an estate agency based in DeLand, central Florida. “Pricing didn’t seem to matter when times were really desperate. It felt like we were working in a morgue.”

In recent months, things have started to pick up. Although prices remain low, properties are starting to move again as people try to make the most of the bargains on offer. For UK-based buyers, there is also the exchange rate to consider: although the pound is already at a nine-month low against the dollar, some analysts expect further falls, which would add to the attraction of buying now.

At face value, there do seem to be incredible deals out there, with flats in some condominiums on sale for as little as $15,000 (£9,700) – sites such as foreclosuredataonline.com give an idea of what’s on offer. Yet it’s a case of caveat emptor, warns Bill Cowie, director of British Homes Group, a Florida-based company running online auctions where prices start as low as one cent, with no reserve. “A $15,000 condo might sound good, but it’s in a building with no homeowners’ association, with a wreck of a kitchen,” he says.

Instead, do your research, visit America in person – don’t even think about buying blind off the internet – and make sure your chosen area is an attractive one with good infrastructure.

Where should you go? Florida’s two coasts have different personalities: the relaxed west coast, with its subtropical temperatures, is centred on elegant, tree-lined Tampa and classy Sarasota, with its orchestra and concert programme. The east, by contrast, is defined by hectic Miami – cruise-liner port and nightlife central – and luxurious Palm Beach. Inland is Orlando – with Walt Disney World on the doorstep and easy access to both coasts.

If you like the thought of bath-warm seas, head west. Here you’ll find everything from supersleek condo units to estates with elegant colonial-style houses set in carefully landscaped grounds, complete with waving palm trees. Al Horrigan, chief executive of the Sarasota-based RSVP Real Estate, an associate of Savills, says prices on the western coast, from Tampa down to southern Sarasota County, appear to have stabilised, which means good deals for buyers whatever the price range.

At the bottom end, you can pick up a two-bedroom, lock-up-and-leave flat in a condominium within walking distance of the beach for less than £130,000 – although you’ll have to move fast, as competition is tough.

At the other end of the scale are the “McMansions” in ritzy Longboat Key, just offshore from Sarasota. Once priced at £1.5m, they can now change hands for just £520,000. Horrigan says the mid-market is the safest option: a detached three- to four-bed waterfront home with pool starts at £390,000. “Single family homes are always a better investment than condominiums,” he says. “More people want them, so they’ll always have a higher resale value.”

If you prefer a wilder social life, head to Miami, for beaches, bars and nightlife. South Beach, in particular, has a trendy retro feel, its art-deco architecture mixed with towering skyscrapers. Oceanfront property is always going to be a safer investment here: while prices have come down 30%-50% from their peak, they are starting to stabilise.

Karla Abaunza, broker of Luxury Living Realty (luxurylivingrealty.net), a Miami Beach-based agent, recommends focusing on the first five roads south of Fifth Street, where half a dozen luxury condominiums represent the best of what’s on offer; a two-bedroom condo would set you back £490,000, but don’t forget the stiff monthly management fees of about 60p per sq. ft.

If you prefer to be away from the city, try Fisher Island, once the home of the Vanderbilts and now an exclusive community, accessible by ferry from South Beach. The cheapest property available at present is a three-bedroom house, in need of renovation, for £580,000. Prices can reach the millions.

In Orlando or other inland areas, it’s worth considering a gated community, for a property you can lock up and leave. Stirling Sotheby’s International Realty (stirlingsir.com) has a three-bedroom house in the Palisades, a golf community in Clermont, west of Orlando, for £120,000; the owner gets access to a pool, boating and tennis courts.

Northeast of Orlando, in the DeLand area, you are near Ocala National Forest and St John’s River, and still only an hour from Mickey and his pals.

Properties with land are a particularly good buy now – land values have dropped so sharply that the extra acreage is almost free. A three- to four-bedroom detached property, with outbuildings and a pool, costs between £116,000 and £162,000.

As with any overseas purchase, there are potential pitfalls. If you plan to a buy with a American dollar mortgage, then any further fall in the pound will increase your monthly repayments; for a fee, you can hedge against this, through a company such as World First (worldfirst.com). Or take out a mortgage half in pounds and half in dollars. Don’t forget that you will also be liable for real-estate tax – a yearly fee equivalent to 2% of the purchase price.

Nor should you count on funding your purchase by letting out the property: many condominium associations have rules governing how many rentals you are allowed in a year. Other local restrictions can also apply.

If that all sounds too complicated, you could always follow the example of Beverley Byrne and her husband, Richard Hearn. During a visit to Florida 18 months ago, the couple, both in their fifties, were tempted by a three-bedroom waterfront villa in Cape Coral, on the west coast, on sale for less than £195,000, but they decided not to restrict themselves to one area.

“Rather than become landlubbers, we bought a 44ft trawler yacht for $69,000, and we’re off exploring Florida’s Sunshine Coast,” Beverley says. Then she adds: “There are still plenty of real-estate bargains out there should we change our minds.”

Golden opportunities? A look at what’s on offer around the state

Palm Coast £180,000

Built 12 years ago, this 1,757 sq ft villa has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, one reception, a pool, a garden and a two-car garage. It is in Grand Haven, a gated community on the east coast of Florida, popular with British buyers. The agent estimates that maintenance costs would be about £1,100 a year. 00 1 386 445 9288, ecpremierproperties.com

Bradenton £130,000

This 1,861 sq ft villa in the Tampa Bay area, built in 2006, has four bedrooms, all with ceiling fans, two bathrooms and a large living room. There is no private pool, but it does come with a double garage, a large back yard and lakeside views. RSVP Real Estate, in association with Savills; 020 7016 3740,savills.co.uk/abroad

Davenport £81,000

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom house is part of a gated development in Davenport, Polk County, which is 20 miles from Orlando. The 1,700 sq ft property, which has an outdoor pool, was bought by the present owners for almost double the price – £156,000 – in 2007.  Call 00 1 407 396 9914 or visit  http://www.britishhomesgroup.com for more information.

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If you already own a home here and you are considering short or long term renting the home, or if you are considering buying a home (anywhere in Florida) please use one of our contact options below – The British Homes Group

We are located on the NW Corner of 535 and US highway 192 above the Edwin Watts Golf Shop and across the road from the Publix super market. Please feel free to visit anytime Monday through Friday, 9 – 5pm.

Our local number is: (+1) 407 396 9914

Our Email Address: Info@BritishHomesGroup.com

Quick Contact Request

http://www.britishhomesgroup.com/contactus.php

Customised Property Search Request

http://www.britishhomesgroup.com/floridaproperty.php