The MLS has made it easier to find you the homes you are interested in.

The MLS (multiple listing service) has created a new stand alone search field that allows an agent to drill down deeper when searching for a home for you. The new search filed allows the agent to select from homes that are listed for sale in Central Florida as; REO/Bank Owned, Short Sale or None of the Above.

1. REO/Bank Owned. Buyers looking for homes that were foreclosed on and are now being sold by the many lenders in this country will want us to select this option.


2. Short Sale. Buyers who are interested in seeing only those homes where the seller is selling subject to a short sale contingency will expect the agent to select this option.


3. None of the Above. Buyers who are not interested in seeing bank owned or short sale listings will want us to search for homes from this category.

Do you have a preference? Let me know and we will create a custom home search designed just for you.

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Florida real estate agents promote the healthy homes call to action as part of our business

The Florida Department of Health announced that they would be responding to the United States’ Surgeon General’s Call to Action to promote healthy homes. The goal is to reduce or eliminate health hazards found in the home.

As real estate agents we continually do our part in support of helping current and future homeowners maintain a healthy home. We strongly encourage buyers to conduct a number of professional inspections that might reveal problems with the home. These inspections can include, water testing, septic testing, mold inspections, Chinese drywall inspections, radon inspections, electrical inspections and pest inspections. These inspection reports often reveal issues that need repaired or remedied before the buyer closes on the transaction.

Additionally agents will encourage buyers and sellers to sign up for a home warranty plan. Having home warranty coverage on your home when selling or immediately after buying can provide a peace of mind that should a major issue develop that impact the homes condition, the owner will be able to quickly have the issue resolved at a minimal cost.

I support the government’s initiative to promote healthy housing. It is something that the agents and I do daily as part of our careers. If you are buying a home and want information on the inspection or home warranty process, contact me.

How do I buy a Fannie Mae home?

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Q: I understand Fannie Mae sells the homes they acquired through foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure, or forfeiture. How can I buy one of these homes?

Fannie Mae sells single-family homes, condominiums, and town houses. Fannie Mae sells their homes 'as is". You must use the professional services of a real estate agent to make an offer and buy a Fannie Mae home. Right now according to information on the Fannie Mae website there are over 200 Fannie Mae homes for sale in Orlando and 90 in Kissimmee.

Contact me to find out about Fannie Mae homes in your area.


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Does your home have a dishwasher?

A recent U.S. Census Bureau report indicates that 70.8 million homes in the U.S. have dishwashers. Reviewing listings in the MLS reveal that 72% of the homes listed for sale are listed as having a dishwasher.

Email me if you are interested in purchasing a home with a dishwasher.


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- Greg Staker 407-304-0255

Newer homes have separate dining room

Details released for the Census Bureau 2007 American Housing Survey, 58% of the homes built since 2003 have a separate dining room.

Local MLS results show that out of 25007 homes listed for sale with a separate dining room, 9646 or 38.5% of those with separate dining rooms were built 2003 or later.

If you are interested in purchasing a home with a separate dining room, call or email me.


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- Greg Staker 407-304-0255

Older homes for sale in Florida

Older homes offer character and charm that home owners swear you can never find when buying a newer home. Older homes offer a glimpse back into history. The older homes being offered for sale include those that need some tender loving care to restore them back to their past beauty to homes that are show pieces of yesterday.

Where can you find older homes? I searched for homes in my market area with criteria being that the home must be at least 100 years old. The following indicate the number of such homes in the specific county listed.

• Lake 17
• Orange 12
• Osceola 2
• Seminole 18
• West Volusia 15

Call or email me if you would like a list of these homes emailed to you or if you would like to schedule a time to view the older homes in your county.

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- Greg Staker 407-304-0255

Buy a home with lots of trees

A major consideration for some buyers looking to buy a home is that the home must have a lot of trees surrounding it on on the property.

Buying a home with lots of trees allows the homeowner privacy, a shady area for lazy Sunday afternoon picnics, tree houses or a way to enjoy the beautiful natural canvas from their door or window.

Are you interested in buying a Florida home with lots of trees? Call me or email me providing me with your price range and location and I will send you a free report of available homes.

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Greg Staker - 407-304-0255

Where can I find HUD homes in Florida?

Search for HUD homes for sale in Florida

If you find a HUD home that you would like to visit or submit a bid on call or email me to have a real estate agent assist you with the HUD home buying process.


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- Greg Staker - 407-304-0255

Can you buy a home for $1.75 in Florida?

Probably not but you can find some really good housing deals. With bank owned, short sale, motivated builders and traditional home sellers all competing for the limited amount of buyers available, there are some very good deals to be made.

Start your Florida home search here.

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$7500 tax credit

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Have you heard about the $7500 tax credit available to first time home buyers?

If you are thinking of buying a home and would like to find out if you qualify for the tax credit offered to new home buyers, contact me or call me today. This tax credit is only being offered for a limited time.

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- Greg Staker - 407-304-0255

Interior layout features of the home you are buying

I can conduct a detailed search for you that includes finding homes that have an interior layout or feature that you would like your home to have. This detailed search includes finding homes with:

• Separate breakfast room
• Eating space in kitchen
• Formal dining room
• Formal living room
• Great room
• Kitchen/family room combo
• L dining
• Living room/great room
• Living/dining room combo
• Master bedroom
• Open floor plan
• Split bedroom plan
• Volume ceilings

Give me a call or email to find your perfect home.

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Home buying checklist

Here are a sample of questions you should include in your home buying checklist:

• How long has the home been on the market?
• Has the home had a price reduction?
• What have other homes in the neighborhood sold for?
• Is there a written seller disclosure available?
• Will the seller assist with my closing costs?
• Is the seller leaving the appliances?
• Does the seller have a termite bond?
• Has the seller made any major renovations or repairs recently?

A home buying checklist will include those questions a more. We can help you prepare your home buying check list and show you available homes. Email or call me.

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First time home buyers in Florida incentives

Search for a home

First time home buyers in Florida who are are need of buying a house, want to buy a house or are thinking about buying a house should give special consideration to the tax credit now available for a limited time to first time home buyers.

Considering the advantages of this financial incentive of a tax credit up to $7500, this may very well be the right time for a first time home buyer to purchase a home.

To discuss your personal situation and find out more about the new home buyer tax credit, contact me or call 407-304-0255.

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Homes for sale with 100 acres or more

Room to roam takes on a whole new meaning when you purchase a home with 100 acres or more in Central Florida.

Currently there are 12 homes for sale in the MLS with acreage from 100 to over 500 acres. These huge property estates are priced between $2.1 - $11 million.

They each offer their own characteristics including:

• Breathtaking views
• Horse trails
• Fenced and cross fenced
• Stocked ponds
• Lake front
• Pasture land

Are you looking for a home with a lot of land? Email me or call 407-304-0255 to receive information about available property.

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- Greg Staker - 407-304-0255

I want a home on the golf course.

Are you a golf lover and would love to own a home on the golf course or in a golf community? Perhaps you have heard that property values are decreasing and now offers an excellent opportunity for you to buy a home on the golf course of your choice.

Golf course homes are definitely being offered for sale and prices better than have been seen in years. There is a large inventory of golf course homes currently for sale in Central Florida. When looking at the inventory as of today in my 5 county market area I have found that;

• Lake has 870 golf community homes for sale
• Orange has 1041
• Osceola has 707
• Seminole has 358
• Volusia has 189

This huge selection is to your benefit. If you would like to see if there are homes for sale in a golf community you are interested in, email or call me.

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- Greg Staker - 407-304-0255

Top 10 condo markets

Which Central Florida county has seen the largest number of condos sell during 2008? Here are the latest statistics covering January 1, 2008 up to September 21, 2008.

1. Sarasota 943
2. Hillsborough 833
3. Orange 775
4. Manatee 513
5. Seminole 197
6. Charlotte 197
7. Osceola 146
8. Polk 120
9. Pinellas 117
10. West Volusia 91

If you would like detailed information about a specific county condo sales or are interested in selling or purchasing a condo, email me today.

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Luxury kitchen real estate features

Kitchen features and trends that luxury home buyers are becoming interested in include pot fillers. Pot fillers are convenient for those chefs who would rather not carry large pots of water from the sink to the stove.

A recent search of homes for sale in Central Florida reveal that there are homes priced from just under $400K and up that offer this kitchen luxury feature.


Give me a call and let me find you a luxury home with all the features you expect.


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- Greg Staker - Watson Realty Corp. - 407-304-0255

Is sailing your passion? We may have a home for you.

Recreational sailors will be pleased to discover that I can narrow down my home search to locate property that will allow them enjoy their past time by simply stepping out of their home.

As of this post there are several homes in Central Florida that indicate they are on water suitable for sailing! Prices run to $1.1 million.

If you want to plot your home buying course in a direction that will lead you to a home where you can also enjoy sailing, call or email me to receive a list of available property matching your price and location criteria.


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- Greg Staker - Watson Realty Corp. - 407-304-0255

Skiing allowed! Orlando homes for sale.

There are currently over 150 homes for sale in Orlando that are on a lake or a canal that leads to a lake suitable for water skiing.

These homes range in price from just under $200K to over $13 million.

The water skiing lakes include; Lake Sheen, Buck Lake, Little Sand Lake and Lake Pocket.

For a complete list of homes available in your price range on Orlando water skiing lakes, send me an email or give me a call.

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- Greg Staker - Watson Realty Corp. - 407-304-0255

How much for a home on 10 acres?

How much do you have to spend to buy a house on 10 acres? That is going to depend. Where are you interested in living and how big of a home are 2 choices you will make that will affect the cost.

If you are interesting in Lake County; Clermont, Eustis & the Mount Dora area, you can currently find 56 homes priced $150,000 to 0ver $4 million. In the Orlando county of Orange there are 13 homes for sale priced up to $13 million. In Osceola, home of St. Cloud and Kissimmee your selection is limited to 7 homes starting at $250,000. 13 homes on 10 acres are shown as being available in Seminole County. West Volusia, home to Deland, Deltona, and Orange City offer the biggest selection with 70 homes on the market at the present time.

If your really need room to roam then I can find a house for you. To arrange to view any property available, contact me today.

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- Greg Staker - Watson Realty Corp. - 407-304-0255