About Polk County, FL

We list homes in the local My Florida Regional MLS that services all of Central/Mid Florida including Imperial Polk County, Florida. Our MLS listing service provides you exposure to all of the thousands of Realtors in the Central Florida area as well as millions of buyers via the internet and websites like Realtor.com, MyFloridaHomesMLS.com, and hundreds of other sites. Additionally we can provide you a free price analysis to determine your home's value, as well as provide marketing tips, and a professional For Sale sign all for a super low price. If you do want our upgraded Deluxe Plan, we will provide you a Realtor electronic lockbox, a professional 360 virtual tour, and post your listing onto FSBO sites like Craigslist and Postlets.

Polk County covers the cities and areas of Winter Haven, Lakeland, Haines City, Bartow, Lake Wales, Davenport, Polk City, Auburndale, Frostproof, Babson Park, Eagle Lake, Fort Meade, and Dundee, Poinciana, Champions Gate, Kissimmee, Mulberry, and Plant City. Four Corners, Gibsonia, Loughman, 4 Corners, Lake Hamilton, and Lake Alfred. Our firm also covers the rest of Central Florida from Daytona Beach to Orlando to Tampa and a total of 29 Florida counties.

For more details on pricing and services check out our Frequently Asked Questions webpage or simply give the Sand Dollar office a phone call.

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(Copyright © 2009. Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. All rights reserved.)

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Rob Arnold - Your full service and investor friendly Realtor ® in Orlando and Central Florida.

ABR, CPL, CRB, CSP, GRI, Managing real estate broker, Notary Public

407-389-7318 / 1-877-389-7318 www.SDRhouses.com We Buy Houses Florida

We sell foreclosures, short sales, and bank owned REO properties throughout Central Florida. We sell and list Central Florida real estate and Orlando real estate. Free list of foreclosure and short sale houses available.

I also provide flat fee MLS listings, For Sale By Owner, and menu-based services in most parts of Central & South Florida, the Space Coast, and the Treasure Coast including Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Ocoee, Winter Garden, Apopka, Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Lake Mary, Sanford, Deltona, Debary, Deland, Mount Dora, Eustis, Clermont, Kissimmee, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton, Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Port Saint Lucie, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville, Palatka, Jacksonville, Volusia, Brevard, and more.

Richard Zaretsky’s recent post..........

"WALK AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY - STRATEGIC MORTGAGE DEFAULTS GROW TO 26%"

got me thinking. His post is talking about the amount of people who are making the "Strategic” decision to default on their mortgages.

TheTruthAboutMortgage.com site had this to say about the topic.

“A new survey conducted by the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago suggests that more than a quarter of mortgage defaults are strategic, especially when negative equity exceeds 15 percent.”

Some of the comments on Richard’s post were calling this a moral issue. As in “It is morally wrong to strategically default on your mortgage”.

So…….my question is…“Is deciding to default on your mortgage, or not, a moral issue?”

Here are my thoughts: "Strategic Defaults" are rampant in my area. People are living in their houses as long as they can for free and saving their mortgage payments so they can move on with their lives and have a little bit of a nest egg.

These are people with families that have mortgage balances over $200,000 on homes that are now worth $60,000. Foreclosures and short Sales make up 90% of the market in Poinciana Florida and are still dragging prices down.

There is no chance in hell of these properties EVER being worth $200,000 again. At least not in the next 10-15 years..

These borrowers are so far underwater they will NEVER be back on top again. So…. whether they make payments or not, at some point they will have to sell, due to life circumstances i.e. job relocation, divorce, marriage, death.....it makes sense to take the hit now and start rebuilding.

To compound the issue....folks see all of the "bailouts" for the banks and start thinking "Where's mine?" So they create their own bailout.

Is this a moral issue? I don't think so. As much as I hate to say it…I think it’s a sound financial decision. What say you?

Are you a Florida REALTOR(R) looking for a change? Check it out. http://TTRealtyNet.com

CENTRAL FLORIDA REALTOR(r) OPPORTUNITIES

Copyright © 2009 http://www.brokerbryant.com/ | All Rights Reserved

This month, our monthly First Friday celebration coincides with "Red, White & Kaboom!" So as usual, go to Munn Park and the adjoining areas for Downtown Lakeland's First Friday celebration beginning at 4 p.m., but make sure you stay for the fireworks . . . literally. Beginning around 6 p.m. you should make your way down to Lake Mirror & the Promenade. The popular local band, MillHopper will be playing music up until 9 p.m. when the fireworks are scheduled to begin. You can park in the city garages, as they will be open. There will be food & drink vendors during the festivities as well. See you there!

Don't forget to visit Central Florida's premier real estate website at www.GateArty.com for all your real estate needs!

A Pink Flamingo vacation home testimonial. This lovely Canadian couple recently closed on their bank owned vacation home in Sandy Ridge. They had the entire house furnished and put under management within in days of closing. The property is already booked out for the summer and they are as happy as can be. If you are interested in renting this Sandy Ridge beauty for a holiday visit to Orlando you can visit their site at: www.orlandohouse.me

Sandy Ridge Bank Owned Properties For Sale in Davenport, FL

The Carillon, of Bok Towers is a musical instrument that only few in the world have the ability to play. I first heard an open-air concert about four years ago when they played songs from the Sound Of Music. It was a memorable experience and even my children were impressed with the sounds they were hearing. The carillon is a unique and remarkable musical instrument and it is designed to play the bells that vary in size to obtain the beautiful sounds that you will hear. The tower itself is grand in both design and stature and is the focal point of the spectacular gardens and nature trails. The architect of Bok Tower, also known as the "Singing Tower," was the creation of famous architect Milton B. Medary. His inspiration came from the "gothic" design of the European Churches.

Edward Bok native to the Netherlands, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, and editor of The Ladies Home Journal, created the wonderful gardens with the assistance landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead Jr. The gardens are located on the highest point of the Lake Wales Ridge, named "Iron Mountain." Bok used to come and enjoy the majestic sunsets and the abundance of birds. He wanted to create a sanctuary for the wildlife and preserve the hilltop. Bok Tower today is home to over 100 species of birds open for all to enjoy.

The nature trails; lead you to the "Singing Tower," which is a favorite swimming place of the elegant swans. Zeus, the male swan is quite the showman and is sure to entertain you.

I enjoy landscaping photography and the outdoors so I am a frequent visitor of the gardens and one of my favorite places to photograph in Florida. It is lush with native trees and landscaping. The trails of which there are many are easy on the feet and you can take in the wonders of all of the native wildlife and vegetation along the trails.

You can pack your own picnic lunch or take advantage of the restaurant for a quick bite to eat. It is a great way to spend the day with family or friends. You will relish the wonderful family memories.