Although we know the market is improving and homes are selling, don't take our word for it.

An optimistic excerpt from an interview yesterday on CNBC with Warren Buffet (owner of Berkshire Hathaway) and his POSITIVE PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET...

Buffet says, "The mortgage terms you can get now you may not see mortgage terms like this three years from now or five years from now. And you change interest rates by a few hundred basis points and that changes the cost of a house to you by a dramatic amount for— if you're going to pay out— pay for it over 30 years. So I personally think that in most parts of the country, not all parts of the country, but in most parts of the country that if I were— if I were looking to buy a house, if I were renting now and I had the down payment and I had a job I was comfortable with, I would buy a house in a minute, I'd get a 30-year loan”.

He also bullishly predicts that construction will come back by the end of 2011 and that will not only help real estate but jobs and the unemployment numbers.  It is all good for real estate and all good for the economy and clear motivation that if you are in the position to buy a home and invest in real estate for your future, NOW IS THE TIME!

View the entire Part 3 of Warren Buffet's interview regarding real estate in the video below.

Home Staging in the process of preparing your home for selling. While there are many professionals who provide Home Staging services, the 15 Home Staging Tips below can be followed by anyone and will greatly increase the chances of your home selling.

1.       De-personalize your home by removing family photos and mementos.

2.       Remove clutter. Too many belongings in plain view distract potential buyers from being able to envision a home as their own.

3.       Pull furniture away from walls. Rooms look more spacious and inviting when furniture is grouped together.

4.       Adjust lighting until rooms are brightly-lit but still feel soft and comfortable.

5.       Clear the bathrooms of toothbrushes, hairdryers, deodorant, etc. Buyers are especially critical of kitchens and bathrooms.

6.       Make sure the outside of your home is well-groomed. Neatly trimmed bushes and freshly-cut lawns show potential buyers that a house is being well-maintained.

7.       Small rooms look bigger when painted the same color as the rooms leading into them.

8.       Try painting common areas like living rooms in neutral colors.

9.       Deep colors work well in dining rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.

10.   Open windows so that the house smells fresh and not like what you last cooked (unless you happened to be baking). Studies have shown that people are drawn to the smell of cookies baking. If you don’t bake, try a cookie scented candle. Realtors have been using this trick for ages.

11.   If you have art hanging on walls, position them in interesting ways. Refrain from putting them in expected places (like in high positions on the most obvious walls).

12.   Accessorize in odd numbers (3 candles of varying size, etc…).

13.   Add some fresh flowers.

14.   Clear closets of unnecessary items. Buyers love discovering that a home has an abundance of closet space.

15.   Finally, make sure that everything is spotless (this includes tidying basements, attics, and laundry rooms). The cleaner a house is, the more appealing it will be to others.

Related articles

• Sell Your House for Top Dollar Through Home Staging (trianglehomestaging.wordpress.com)
• Home Staging Tips: Beauty is in the Eye of the Buyer (fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com)

Land west of Delray Beach is currently being cleared to make room for the building and development of 656 new homes. Construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2011 on the Lyons Road homes that will target young families, older adults, and out-of-state buyers.

In a time when new development is rare and many areas of the country are experiencing a double-dip market, Palm Beach County is witnessing an encouraging level of growth.

Not only have home sales in Palm Beach County jumped 21 percent but buyers are also feeling confident in their ability to buy homes that are in move-in condition. They are no longer seeking fixer-uppers or properties that have undergone foreclosure. This is good news for luxury home communities like Steeplechase and Mirasol where pride of ownership has always been a top priority and the homes are more than well-maintained.

The Bridges project on Lyons Road will consist of 656 properties priced from $500,000 to more than $1.5 million.

Related News:

Delray Beach one of several areas getting new home starts

Palm Beach County is topping the list of home sales in Florida. The Palm Beach Post reported that in April of 2011 single-family home sales in Palm Beach County increased 21% compared to the same time in 2010. More than 2,000 homes were sold in the months of February and April.

In May, Michael Leibowitz of Leibowitz Realty spoke with The Palm Beach Post about recent changes in the housing market.  Mr. Leibowitz stated that "Things have surged and we've even seen sellers make profits, which we haven't seen in a while."

Leibowitz Realty specializes in luxury home sales in prominent areas throughout Palm Beach County. The company has seen a notable increase in the number of buyers looking for second homes. These buyers often pay cash and are in good spirits about the economy.  

While home sales continue to drop across the country, Palm Beach County is on the rise. Buyers are confident in the area and investors are taking advantage of low interest rates on mortgages.