I am thrilled to be able to share that I was installed at the Miami Association of Realtors  MAR Installation that was held in February at Jungle Island.  There were over 900 people in attendance and I was installed as a Governor for the Broward Council.

What was so exciting about this was the fact that Moe Veissi? The 2012 National Association of Realtors President who is a former President of our board came out to speak with us as well as his wife Madey Veissi? Who is the current Secretary for Florida Realtors.  Their excitement and dedication to the real estate business and as Moe extolled the benefits of homeownership from children being more likely to go to college, have better grades, lower rates of teen pregnancy and more I felt so humbled to be a part of this amazing group.

Although we have faced a lot of setbacks in our local real estate community over the past 36 months I see the hard working, ethical and motivated realtors showing up to support one another and to support a cause we all believe in, home ownership; responsible homeownership.

It is an honor to be serving for MAR again this year and will be focusing on responsible Homeownership.  Making sure that people understand both the responsibilities and benefits of homeownership and are aware of all of the amazing programs designed to help set them up for success.

As I work with an amazing group of my colleagues I always reflect back to when I purchased my first home, I was married and our daughter Heather, who is now 20 and a college student in NYC was two years old, it was one of the proudest moments in my life.  

Home ownership has never been so affordable with historically low interest rates, home prices and amazing programs it feels so good to be of service, especially in this market.

Time for me to wind this up and go play with our puppy Buster (the cutest boxer ever) and my loyal companion Mozart (my doxie).

Please let me know if I can be of service.

Search all South Florida and Miami Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

The Miami Association of Realtors has announced positive news for the South Florida real estate market.

Broward County Pending Home Sales Rise 53 Percent

The total number of listings – including single-family homes and condominiums - that pended* during the month of February in Broward County increased 53 percent, up from 2,555 to 3,902 compared to a year earlier, according to the Broward Council of the 27,000-member MIAMI Association of REALTORS and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems.  More specifically, single-family home and condominium sales that pended during the month increased 53 and 55.2 percent respectively. Read more...

Miami-Dade Pending Home Sales Rise 29 Percent in February

The total number of listings, including single-family homes and condominiums, that pended* in Miami-Dade County during the month of February increased 29 percent, from 2,872 in February 2011 to 3,695 in February 2012, and 14 percent compared to the previous month, according to the 27,000-member MIAMI Association of REALTORS and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems. More specifically, single-family home and condominium sales that pended during the month increased 49 percent and 17 percent respectively compared to the previous year. Read more...

When sales increase, prices are soon to follow. If you want to get advantage of low prices, give us a call and we'll help you get the best deal around!

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

With an investment as large as a home there are many things to consider when choosing an agent to represent you when buying a South FL home. Market trends, area information and government programs should all play a role in the decision to buy. Use this video to learn why RE/MAX agents are uniquely qualified to help you identify your ideal place.

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email. 

South FL Real Estate For Sale:

2314 Wilson St, Hollywood FL 33020
MLS# A1635481

Open Concept and Completely Remodeled!

Completely remodeled 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home. Open concept. New cabinets, appliances and countertops in kitchen. Ceramic tile throughout. Large master bedroom with walk-in closets. Neutral colors. Hurricane shutters in all windows. Outdoor custom-made kitchen. Fenced-in backyard. Hardscape (easy maintenance landscaping). Great outdoor living. 1,000 sq. ft. pavers. Plenty of room for a pool and space for boat. Large driveway in front. New roof. Updated electric. New central air conditioning.

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

South FL Homes For Sale:

2115 Funston St, Hollywood FL 33021
MLS# A1635533

Great Investment Opportunity With Lovely Yard!

Description
Great investment property currently used as a 2 bedroom 1 bath plus large studio. Property brings $1600/monthly rent. Updated electric. Hurricane shutters. New Shift A/C system. Lovely fenced-in backyard.

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

Most of us grew up thinking that if we planned well and played by the rules, we’d never have to stand by as our financial lives unraveled. 

But upheaval on Wall Street, unacceptable rates of unemployment and plummeting real estate values have taken their toll.  Since 2007, 7.9 million homeowners have lost their homes to foreclosure. Current estimates are that one in four homeowners owe more on their mortgages than they could get from the sale of their home. Millions more homes will be lost to foreclosure before this real estate crisis runs its course.

The sad fact is that foreclosure is not an isolated event. For months leading up to the loss of a home, financially strapped homeowners live under a cloud of uncertainty.  And then for many years afterwards, the blow to credit gets in the way of buying another home or buying anything on credit. Foreclosure even complicates employment prospects.

The impact of foreclosure is huge and the sad fact is that it’s often avoidable. 

As a real estate professional who has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, my mission is to provide financially strapped homeowners with options to foreclosure, ensure that they steer clear of scams, and help navigate them through the solution that best meets their needs.

Among the most important facts to keep in mind: the sooner help is sought, the better the options.

These are tough times, but more help is available than ever before. If you or someone you care about is ready to navigate away from the dark cloud of an unmanageable mortgage and realize that hope and blue skies are within reach, contact me today and let’s get started.

Search all South Florida and Miami Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

The second phase of the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, is expected to help millions of homeowners whose homes have lost a significant percentage of their values.

The program, dubbed HARP 2.0, is a less-restrictive mortgage refinance program that offers homeowners fixed interest rates and fixed payments on primary homes, investment properties and second homes.

HARP 2.0 lets you refinance no matter how underwater you are on your loan. Homeowners with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans could see interest rates drop to as low as four percent.

"It will have a significant impact on their monthly budget [and] give them more cash-flow," he said. "It could possibly give them more cash-flow to pay more toward their mortgage each month to pay down the mortgage balance quicker."

Watch the video explaining how HARP 2.0 can help you!

Find out if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owns your loan!

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email. 

South FL Condo For Sale:

1200 Tallwood Avenue Unit 101 Hollywood Florida 33021

MLS#A1628000

Own For As Little As 3% Down

Beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo. In a quiet community. Great amenities. Great area. Close to shopping, schools and dining. This is a Fannie Mae property. Purchase this property for as little as 3% down. This property is approved for Home Path Renovation Mortgage Financing. This property is under 1st look. Owner occupied offers have priority. 2nd home and investors will be considered after April 24, 2012. Rental restrictions cannot rent until lived in for 3 years.

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.

CNBC reported the Miami real estate market is on the go again:

If you’re looking for a cross-section of the housing market in the Southeast, Miami, Louisville and Atlanta are in varying stages of recovery, and each seems to be playing out a different style of rebound from the housing market’s colossal bust.

Miami is characteristically on the go once more, Atlanta has perhaps just recently awoken from the dead, and Louisville’s recovery is, like the city itself, steady and calm.

Let’s start with Miami, through the eyes of one of its foremost real estate watchers, Alex Sanchez, CEO of the Florida Bankers Association.

For four decades, Sanchez has watched the Miami real estate market go from boom and bust and back again. Now, after his hometown has survived a deep and long real estate collapse, Sanchez shows relief and perspective.

“Once again Miami will be saved,” he says. “It’s the story of Miami for the past 100 years. People from all over the Western Hemisphere come to Miami. The U.S. is stable, and they know that no matter what, they can invest here and never lose their investment. That’s why Miami is Miami.”

In fact, the Miami Association of Realtors says the city had a strong 2011, thanks mainly to these cash-rich international buyers, who choose South Florida over any other market.

The association notes foreign-born buyers pay more than their domestic counterparts, with a median home price of $222,500; what's more, 90 percent of international buyers purchase properties with cash.

Total sales for condos and single-family homes in 2011 at 24,929 units were 46 percent higher than in 2010. Equally important is that the number of transactions was actually 4 percent more than in 2005, the peak of Miami's housing bubble.

Sales of luxury homes rebounded crisply; Some 1,160 were sold in 2011, according to the Realtors association, versus 928 the year before. The median sales price tipped $1.6 million, up slightly from 2010, and the homes sat on the market fewer days (207 vs. 224).

Overall, residential inventory dropped 39 percent. The average price for a single-family home in Miami-Dade County increased 8.3 percent year over year to $327,060; that of a condo jumped 21.5 percent to $272,186.

Fernando Martinez, president-elect for the Miami Association of Realtors, attributes the drop in inventories to a combination of low home prices, rock-bottom interest rates and a 20 percent increase in the loan ceiling for federally backed loans to $429,000.

Miami's economy is also improving, lowering unemployment and raising consumer confidence, he says. The city's unemployment rate is down to 9.6 percent, 2.2 percent lower than a year ago.

“If you feel you won’t lose your job, and can heave a sigh of relief, and plan a vacation, then you can finally buy a house,” he says.

Even a new one, if you choose. Single-family housing permits — a sign of new construction —rose 32.3 percent from December 2010 to December 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors. The national average is down 7.4 percent.

Search all Miami and South FL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

The Prestige Properties Team has over 30 years of real estate experience from the US to Canada and speaks seven languages including English, Spanish, Polish, German & Russian.  We are a woman owned minority business that does extensive community outreach.  We are viewed by ourselves and others as a shining example of an unstoppable team that others are drawn to.  We seem to grow and excel beyond all expectations and we value each other and support each other both professionally & personally.

The Prestige Property Team is a leader in the South Florida real estate market. The team assists buyers looking for Miami real estate for sale and aggressively markets South Florida homes for sale. They are also Certified Distressed Property Experts (CDPE), committed to helping families in financial hardship find options to foreclosure. For more information you can visit EllenHelpsHomeowners.com.

You can reach the Prestige Property Team by calling 954-292-6412 or email.