Your Orlando Realty

Author: Your Orlando Realty Admin

  • Investment Opportunities at Orlando’s Lake Buena Vista Resort

    Investment Opportunities at Orlando’s Lake Buena Vista Resort

    Central Florida seems to be one of the hottest markets in the United States right now. Much of that is fueled by the foreign investments in the vacation home market around the Walt Disney World Resort. One of the most popular resorts, and one of our personal favorites, is the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village.

    The Lake Buena Vista Resort is a condo hotel – it looks and acts like a large resort hotel but each unit is individually owned. The owner can stay in his/her unit anytime they would like. But, when the owner is not using it, the resort will rent out the room on behalf of the owner. This is a great deal and investment for the owner. This resort has a high occupancy and is able to charge high room rates. In fact, the resort can even guarantee that the owner will receive a 6% return during the first two years!

    Condo/hotels are becoming very popular in the Orlando area but none more so than the Lake Buena Vista Resort. This is a full resort with restaurants, health spa, fitness center, meeting rooms, convenience store, game room and pirate-themed pool and aquatic center. The resort is connected to the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet mall – one of Orlando’s favorite shopping destinations.

    Rooms have 2, 3 or 4 fully furnished bedrooms and are priced from $269,000 to over a million dollars for the penthouse units. Rooms are furnished with Tommy Bahama style amenities with whirlpool spa, large screen TV, granite counters, and washer and dryer.

    If you are in the market for an investment in an Orlando area property, be sure to check out this resort. To learn more about the Lake Buena Vista Resort, or other vacation investment homes, or for a full list of properties for sale, please contact real estate broker and attorney at law David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, by email at david@PanAmOrlando.com, or visit us online at www.PanAmOrlando.com.

  • Florida Vacation Investment Homes

    Florida Vacation Investment Homes

    Ever thought about investing in a vacation home in Florida? Central Florida is the vacation capital of the world and the real estate market here is flourishing. Having a vacation investment home would give your family a beautiful, comfortable (and affordable!) place to stay when you visit Walt Disney World and the other attractions that the Orlando area has to offer.

    It can also be a great investment. Orlando has just been named the second fastest growing city in the United States by Forbes magazine. Thousands of people from all over the world have investment homes here in Florida that they rent when they are not using the home. We at Pan Am Real Estate can help you find renters and will manage your home for you when you are not here. Our attorney-owned company has managed foreign-owned properties for years.

    So what kind of home should you buy? In general, you will have three choices. One, is a standard single-family home. Two, you can buy a condominium or townhome. Three, you can invest in a condo/hotel. A condo/hotel is basically a large resort hotel where all units are individually owned and then rented out like a hotel by the property management company. Our most popular resort is the Lake Buena Vista Village Resort.

    All of these options can be great opportunities. And the prices can vary for each – from as low as $100,000 to over a million dollars.

    To learn more about Florida vacation investment homes, or to see properties for sale, please contact real estate broker and attorney at law David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, email at david@PanAmOrlando.com, or visit us at www.PanAmOrlando.com

  • Orlando is one of the Fastest Growing Cities in the U.S.

    Orlando is one of the Fastest Growing Cities in the U.S.

    Forbes magazine recently released its list of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Orlando came in second, with six of the top 10 fastest growing cities being in Florida. What a great time for us to buy or sell!

    The official top 10 list is:

    1. Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, FL
    2. Orlando/Kissimmee, F
    3. Provo, UT
    4. Daytona Beach/Deltona, FL
    5. Jacksonville, FL
    6. Sarasota/Bradenton, FL
    7. Seattle, WA
    8. Tampa/St. Pete, FL
    9. Portland, OR
    10. Salt Lake City, UT

    Orlando’s home price growth for 2016 was 9.52%, and is projected to have a growth rate of 8.64% in 2017. So what does that mean for us? Well, if you are considering buying a home, now is the time. Buying now could give you the opportunity for increases in your new home’s value in the near future. And if you already own, you home’s value is probably at its highest value in many years. So selling could be beneficial to you as well.

    Either way, we all benefit when the real estate market is active and values are increasing. As home values go up and transactions take place, more people are buying appliances, yard tools, grills, and so on. More handy men have work. This means people have more money to spend in restaurants and stores, thereby benefitting servers, stock boys, and more. Also, the county collects more property taxes in order to provide all of us with better police and fire services and other benefits.

    For your FREE Buyer book or Seller book, please go to www.FreePropertyGuides.com. They’re all free and there’s no obligation. For more general information on buying or selling, please contact real estate broker and real estate attorney, David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or by email at david@PanAmOrlando.com, or visit us online at www.PanAmOrlando.com.

  • Please Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

    Please Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

    The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children’s catastrophic diseases. There are no costs charged to the kids to be treated at the hospital. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a nonprofit medical corporation.

    Research at St. Jude has completely changed how doctors treat children with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. Since St. Jude was established, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common type of childhood cancer, has increased from 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today. During this time, the overall survival rate for childhood cancers has risen from 20 percent to 80 percent. St. Jude has treated children from across the United States and from more than 70 countries. Doctors across the world consult with St. Jude on their toughest cases. Also, St. Jude has an International Outreach Program to improve the survival rates of children with catastrophic illnesses worldwide through the transfer of knowledge, technology and organizational skills.

    St. Jude needs your support in order to continue helping the kids. Please consider donating anything you can to help this cause. You are also invited to join friends for the third annual St. Jude Orlando Gala, benefiting the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Enjoy cocktails, dinner and a live and silent auction. Guests will be inspired by a St. Jude patient speaker, and will end the night with dancing and live entertainment. All proceeds from this gala further the St. Jude mission – finding cures and saving children.

    For more information on how to support the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the upcoming St. Jude Orlando Gala, please visit www.stjude.org or contact real estate broker and real estate attorney, David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or by email at david@PanAmOrlando.com

  • Looking For Homes For Sale In Glenmuir, Windermere, Florida?

    Looking For Homes For Sale In Glenmuir, Windermere, Florida?

    Looking for a home for sale in Glenmuir, Windermere, Florida? Glenmuir is a beautiful, gated community of luxury single-family homes in Windermere Florida, and is located on the west side of Windermere at the intersection of SR 535 and Chase Road.

    Adjacent to Lake Butler Sound, the Glenmuir community features beautiful Mediterranean-style homes with tile roofs and Florida architecture. Most homes have 3 to 5 bedrooms, range from about 2000 to 3600 square feet and are set upon spacious lots. There are about 225 homes in the subdivision, most built between 2001 and 2003. Among the amenities available to residents are basketball courts, volleyball courts, a soccer field, playgrounds, a pavilion and a large park.

    Interested in homes for sale in Glenmuir?
    Click here to find all the currently available homes for sale in Glenmuir, Windermere, Florida.

    What’s to do near the Glenmuir neighborhood?
    The Windermere, Florida community of Glenmuir is located about 6 miles north of the Walt Disney World resort and is within close proximity to the Universal Studios and Sea World parks, world-class shopping at the Mall at Millenia, casual outdoor strolling at Winter Garden Village, upscale dining in Dr. Phillips’ Restaurant Row, various parks and recreational activities, and Orlando area hospitals. Glenmuir residents don’t need to travel far to enjoy all of Central Florida’s finest boating, fishing, water sports, and golf activities.

    What schools will the kids attend?
    The Glenmuir community is served by the Orange County Public School System and has some of the best rated schools in the state.

    Windermere Elementary School
    11125 Park Ave.
    Windermere, FL 34786
    (407) 876-7520

    Bridgewater Middle School
    5600 Tiny Rd
    Winter Garden, FL 34787
    (407) 905-3710

    West Orange High School
    1625 Beulah Rd
    Winter Garden, FL 34787
    (407) 905-2400

    Now you really want to find a home in Glenmuir, right?
    I hope you found this article about homes for sale in Glenmuir, Windermere, Florida, helpful. If you are interested in the current homes for sale in the Glenmuir neighborhood in Windermere, click here to view all the available homes. Our property search engine is a direct feed from the local Orlando MLS and is updated daily.

    If you are looking to find a Windermere area real estate agent to help you buy or sell a Glenmuir home, please contact Real Estate Broker and Attorney at Law David Dowell by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or email at david@PanAmOrlando.com

  • United States Work Visas

    United States Work Visas

    The United States welcomes thousands of foreign workers in multiple occupations or employment categories every year. Some workers are only here temporarily, while others can stay and work permanently. All foreign workers must first obtain permission to work legally in the United States. There are many different categories and types of work visas and each has different requirements, conditions and authorized periods of stay. It is important that you understand the specific terms of your visa category, as any violation could result in removal or denial of future re-entry into the United States. As a general rule, most work visas can be broken down into two categories – temporary and permanent.

    Temporary (Nonimmigrant) Worker
    A temporary worker is an individual seeking to enter the United States temporarily for a specific purpose. Nonimmigrants enter the United States for a temporary period of time, and once in the United States, are restricted to the activity or reason for which their nonimmigrant visa was issued. The most common visas are as follows:

    E-1 treaty Trader
    E-2 Treaty Investor
    H-1B Workers in a specialty occupation
    H-2 Temporary or seasonal workers
    L-1 Intracompany transferees
    O-1 Persons with extraordinary ability
    P-1 Internationally recognized athletes and entertainers
    TN NAFTA temporary professionals

    Permanent (Immigrant) Worker
    A permanent worker is an individual who is authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. The most common categories are as follows:

    EB-1 Persons of extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
    EB-2 Persons who are members of the professions holding advanced degrees
    EB-3 Professionals and skilled workers
    EB-4 Special Immigrants, which includes certain religious workers and employees of U.S. foreign service posts
    EB-5 Business investors who invest $1 million or $500,000 in a commercial enterprise

    To stay updated on current USCIS issues or for more information on United States work visas, please visit Central Florida’s premier real estate & legal team at www.PanAmOrlando.com, or call us at (407) 864-2265.

  • Asylum is an Option for Citizens of Venezuela

    Venezuela has gone through a tremendous transformation over the past few years. Political unrest is prevalent and the economic downturn has been severe. Basic foods and medicines are now hard to come by and work opportunities are disappearing quickly.

    But the biggest obstacle to living a normal life may be the rampant violence throughout the country. Even a simple trip to the store can be a dangerous venture to most. For this reason alone, many Venezuelans are fleeing to the United States to seek safety for their families.

    Most Venezuelans traveling here come with a tourist visa. This visa is only valid for up to 6 months. Once it expires then the Venezuelan tourist is illegally in the United States, becomes ‘out of status’ and is subject to deportation. Once deported, the immigrant could be banned from returning to the U.S. for many years.

    So what can they do? One option to Venezuelan citizens may be to apply for asylum. To qualify for asylum, an immigrant must show that he/she has been harmed or threatened with harm in Venezuela and that they fear such harm if they return to their country. Further, they must show that this harm or threats are based on a preferred category such as religion, political opinion or social status.

    With the political and cultural climate right now in Venezuela, its citizens may be eligible for asylum in the United States. Asylum would allow for them and their immediate family to legally live, play and work in the U.S. and can lead to them getting a Green Card and Citizenship.

    I have represented several asylum seekers and suggest the time is now to consult with an attorney about your options. I can offer you a free consultation with no obligation. And if you decide to move forward with your application I can offer a significant discount on your attorney fees. To learn more, please contact immigration attorney and real estate broker, David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or email at david@PanAmOrlando.com.

  • What Will Your HOA Allow You to do?

    What Will Your HOA Allow You to do?

    It’s summer time and you’re ready to landscape the lawn or build that backyard deck! But you may have a homeowners association that wants to know exactly what you are doing. So, what will your HOA allow you to do?

    Here in central Florida, many of us live in homes that are part of a homeowners association. The main purpose of an HOA is to make sure that the houses are in significant conformity with pre-established regulations so that the value of all houses, and the neighborhood as a whole, remains as high as possible.

    If your neighbor decides to paint his house bright orange with nude murals on the exterior walls, that may not be the best thing for you or any future buyers. Or, if your neighbor tries to put a jacuzzi in the 10-foot deep front yard, without a fence, that could pose a danger issue to the kids in the area.

    So, there’s a lot to be said for having HOA regulations for the houses in your neighborhood. But what exactly will they let you do and what do they regulate? First and foremost, the HOA will regulate what you can do to the appearance of your home. You will need permission to paint your house, to change the surface or size of your driveway, and to even use certain types of furniture or decorations on your front porch. Anything which could affect the aesthetics of the exterior will be regulated.

    Some HOAs are very easy to work with, but you must first go through the formalities. That means, anytime you are ready to make a major change to your home’s exterior, you will need to notify the HOA. Most will have a form for you to fill out to send in for their review. The HOA’s Architectural Review Board will look at your plans and issue a decision. It typically takes an HOA about 30 days to make a decision, so don’t schedule the pool company to come out the day after you submit your HOA request!

    HOA regulations are good for your community, and many are easy to work with. Unfortunately, there have been too many horror stories of HOAs that are not quite friendly. I hope yours is the former!

    For more information on what your HOA will allow you to do, please contact real estate broker and real estate attorney, David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or by email at david@PanAmOrlando.com

  • Windermere Little League is Ready for the Fall Season!

    Windermere Little League is Ready for the Fall Season!

    Little League baseball is back! After taking its summer break, Windermere Little League is getting ready to start its fall season. For those youngsters who are ready to to get their bats and gloves out, it’s almost time to play ball.

    Windermere Little League, like most local little leagues, has two seasons per year. – spring and fall. All baseball games in Windermere are played at the fields at Bailey Park, at the corner of Roberson Road and Windermere Road. Bailey Park is an amazing facility with 6 playing fields, batting cages, concession stand, sheltered pavilions, and more. The girls will play their softball games at Windermere Fields, on Maguire Road.

    For any returning player, registration for the fall league can be done online at www.WindermereLL.org. For those new to the league, registration can be done in person at Bailey Park starting on Saturday, August 5th. If you register in person at the fields, you will have the opportunity for your child to try on uniforms to determine his/her exact size. Opening day ceremonies, and first games, will start on September 16th.

    Please register your child for this amazing league. I not only have my two boys in the league, but I am fortunate enough to have been a coach in the league for the past two seasons. I am also a proud member of the Windermere Little League Board of Directors and would be happy to answer any questions you have about the league. The Board does an amazing job organizing the fields, games and players. You can contact me, David Dowell, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or by email at david@PanAmOrlando.com.

    Play ball!

  • What is the First Step in the Home Buying Process?

    What is the First Step in the Home Buying Process?

    Looking for a new home? Where do you start? What is the very first step in the home buying process? Most people who are in the market for a new home like to go online to see what kind of houses are available in their targeted neighborhood. They will search homes that they think fit into their budget. That’s exciting to do.

    But once they make that decision to formally move forward with the process they need to know how much they can afford. Unless you can pay all cash for your new home, you will need to get a mortgage loan. The bank will then determine how much you can spend on a new house. This is accomplished by telling you how much money they will lend to you for this purchase.

    What you think you can spend and what the bank thinks may be two significantly different numbers. Banks have all kinds of formulas they use to determine the maximum loan amount. One popular formula determines how much your new monthly mortgage payment will be as a percentage of your income. Banks also compare all your monthly expenses to your total income. Other items they look at is the amount of time you have been with your current employer, amount in your savings account and other assets, and so on.

    So you will definitely need to speak with your bank at the beginning of the process. That’s why I believe the first step in the home buying process is to get pre-approved for a specific loan amount. It takes only a few minutes to provide a bank with minimum information about you for them to make a general decision – with no cost or future obligation to you. Within the same day they can issue you a pre-approval letter, stating the amount they believe you qualify for. Of course, they will need more details before the loan is actually issued, but this gives you a good idea.

    With this in hand, you can now start looking for homes in your budget. Once you find a home you like, and are ready to make an offer to purchase, you will likely need a copy of the pre-approval letter to give to the seller along with your offer. This is another reason why you need to get pre-approved at the beginning. Most sellers will not accept an offer to purchase without proof that you have the ability to purchase their property.

    So, if you are thinking about buying a new home, I encourage you to first speak with a lender to get a pre-approval letter. We can help you with this process. To get pre-approved, click here to fill out the needed information. We will then submit to our mortgage broker who will then be in touch with you to complete the process.

    To learn more, please contact real estate broker and attorney at law David Dowell of Pan Am Real Estate, by phone/text at (407) 864-2265, or email at david@PanAmOrlando.com.

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