The National Association of Realtors is planning its first annual state wide open house to be held on April 10^th and 11^th.  This event will precede the April 30^th ending to the tax incentives offered to home buyers.  Realtors will be able to exhibit their listings this weekend for maximum exposure and unlimited buyer traffic. All realtors involved will ask to fly blue balloons at each open house for an awesome display visible from Tallahassee to Key West. This event offers buyers a convenient way to tour multiple homes to find the best fit for their needs.  This will be a great way to view what is available in the local housing market and a fun way to get familiar with your community. 

If we can answer any questions please call Florida Future Realty and speak with one of our knowledgeable team members. We look forward to speaking with you.

We are hosting an event the end of March to raise money for the American Cancer Society's, Relay for Life.  The main objective of Relay is to raise money for cancer research and cancer patients, to spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, remember those who lost their lives to cancer, and unite a community in the fight against cancer.  I am sure that we all know someone afflicted with this horrible disease or may have had to battle it themselves.  We at Florida Future Realty are joining the fight against cancer, and are hosting a silent auction/skate party scheduled for March 26^Th at Bamboozles skating and event center.  This event will be from 8-11p.m. and cost $10.00.  There will be games, door prizes, great auction items, and lots of fun!  Bring your friends and family and help make this event a great success.  If you would like tickets to this event please contact Sarah at marketing@floridafutureagents.comor call at 239-542-8521.  We are still accepting donation for the silent auction, or if you would like to make a monetary donation please do so at our office.

Some of the items up for auction include:

500.00 gift certificate to Ideal Image

Piece of jewelry from Zack's

Gift Certificates to Carrabba's, Look-Like-A-Million, Designer Shoe Gallery, Pennington Steam Just to name a few.

We also have gift baskets from many local retail stores.

Hope to see you there!

Pink in the Rink

Florida Future Realty is so excited to be a part of the second annual Pink in the Rink.  Pink in the Rink is a charity hockey game that will help raise money and awareness for cancer research.  This event will be held at Germain Arena on Saturday February 20^th, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets will be available the day of the event for $15.00.  The Everblades will be wearing special jersey's that will be auctioned off after this televised game.

Prior to the game will be a tailgate party to begin at 5:00p.m.  Local business will be on site to sell merchandise to help raise money for the event.  We are honored to be able to display the painting "Moody Faces."  This painting was done by a child with cancer and a few of his friends.  This amazing work of art will be auctioned off the night of the event and can be viewed at the Florida Future Realty tent.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.  Stop by the Florida Future Realty tent to get familiar with our services, meet our agents or to just say hello.

Homestead Exemption Laws

 Over 1,000 people move to Florida every day according to dmv.org.   Not only are families relocating from other states but they are also moving from other countries.  Is this because of the beautiful sand beaches, warm sunny weather, or miles of green golf courses?  It may just be because of the generous tax laws offered to Florida residents.

The law states that Florida residents are eligible for a 25,000 exemption on the assessed value of their home.  Those with an assessed value of more than 50,000 are eligible for an additional 25,000 exemption, depending on the value of their property. The exemption can only be applied to non-school taxes, and the property must be worth at minimum 75,000 to be eligible for the entire exemption amount.

In addition to the homestead exemption we have the Save our homes amendment which protects homeowners by limiting the tax assessment to a maximum of 3% each year.

You may also qualify for one or all of these exemptions listed below.

• Widow/Widower's Exemption $500.00
• Disability Exemption $500.00
• Veterans Disability Exemption $5,000.00

If you are a foreign buyer there is something to be aware of and that is the FIRPTA withholding Rule.  This stands for investment in real property tax act of 1980. FIRPTA authorized the IRS to withhold income tax on nonresident aliens and foreign corporations with sales of US real property. When a person or corporation purchases a US real property from nonresident aliens or foreign corporations, they are required to withhold 10% of the amount. This tax is intended to ensure that the US is able to tax the gains from the sale of property

Whether you are buying a new home or vacation home, moving from another state or another country or just planning to purchase an investment property,your taxes will always be based on the assessed market value of your property.  You will never be penalized and made to pay higher taxes simply because you are native to another place. The Homestead Exemption and Save our homes amendment are offered to full time Florida residents.

 There are exceptions to all tax information listed above we recommend visiting these sites for more detailed information.

http://leepa.org/Exemption/GeneralExemptionInfo.aspx

www.irs.gov

Once you have made the decision to relocate to this beautiful city of Cape Coral, contact our Florida Future Realty Team we are here to assist you.

Are we still selling homes in Cape Coral? The answer is yes, and in record numbers.  We have been getting so much negative national media attention, that our ideas are clouded with misinformation.

The National Association of Realtors published their polls and it shows that in 2009 with the assistance of realtors, 16,260 homes were sold.  In 2005 when the housing boom began, the record was 12,123

However one significant change is the declining home prices. In 2005 the median home price was 278,200, now in 2009 we were at 90,400. This decline is due to the record number of short sales and foreclosures now flooding the real estate listings.  Sellers are now coming to their senses and listing their homes more realistically, their homes are worth significantly less from what they were selling for 5 years ago.  The fact of the matter is that homes are STILL selling.  We may have to navigate through a few detours, from bank negotiations to new lending laws, but properties are moving.

Buyers also need to understand that there are great deals to be had, but when a property is under market value as many of them are, they may sell very quickly and most likely there will be multiple offers.

So when searching for real estate in Cape Coral, we suggest you secure your financing and act quickly when you find the right home at just the right price.  Call one of our agents at Florida Future Realty to assist you in your home buying experience.

Yours in Success,

Florida Future Realty Team

(239)542-8521

www.floridafutureagents.com 

www.florida-future-realty.com