Jerry Piotrowicz

A lifestyle that is clean, healthy, and green is what makes Summerfield community draw continuous notice from homebuyers. This gated village was the first community established when Lakewood Ranch started to rise from an 8,500-acre site in Manatee County, Florida, during the mid-1990s.

From a modest start of two hundred Summerfield homes for sale sold the first year, Lakewood Ranch sales soon more than doubled. By the year 2000, house keys were turned over for some two thousand new residences. At last count, some 15,000 have taken up residence in the Lakewood Ranch Development which now consists of eight sprawling communities.

A choice to live at Summerfield means acquiring a home built to the green code of the Florida
Green Building Coalition. These homes are energy-efficient, single-family units built by construction companies whose expertise is not only building houses that are environment-friendly but also those that are stylish in their designs.

Such an ideal combination of function and style is a direct reflection of a thrust to develop Lakewood Ranch with utmost respect to the property’s natural surroundings. Methods and materials that went into the development of the real estate took into account the preservation of the natural environment. For instance, plants and trees used were only those that are indigenous to the area.

Moreover, the habitats of local wildlife were conserved and 3,500 acres of the Lakewood Ranch development were allocated as pockets of natural preserves akin to a state park. Summerfield even acquired a namesake lake, one of the several formed when dug-in areas for sand and shell were filled with water. These lakes and nature reserves, in turn, soon provided recreational outdoor activities such as canoeing and fishing for the Lakewood Ranch residents.

In addition to the miles of trails at these nature preserves are the greens and fairways of Lakewood Ranch’s golf courses. Likewise waiting for residents are elegant clubhouses, fully equipped fitness and athletic centers, and well-manicured cricket and polo fields. For more sports, the Lakewood Ranch development gave rise to soccer, baseball and football fields, swimming pools, and tennis courts, along with several community parks for community socials and family-oriented activities.

The amenities sought by a modern family are met by the business outfits within the Lakewood Ranch real estate development itself. Among these establishments that has already totalled at some 1,200, are boutiques, shops, restaurants and venues for recreation and entertainment. Combine all these with the excellent schools nearby and the local medical center, and for sure, Summerfield shall remain high in the options list of home buyers.

More information on summerfield can be found by following the links to my Bradenton real estate website. For those searching for the best deals, you can find them on a site I have dedicated to Bradenton Foreclosures.

A professional approach has to be undertaken when going for a Bradenton foreclosure purchase. The price of the foreclosed home may look like a bargain, but it is easy to come out on the losing end if a purchase is not carefully considered. Bankers and financial analysts call this process as doing due diligence on the property.

Simply put, this process is just having and accomplishing a detailed checklist of things to do when buying a foreclosure. This procedure is necessary in order to separate the chaff from the grain, so to speak. There are just so many foreclosed properties currently on the market it can be difficult knowing where to start. Deals may even be negotiated in pre-foreclosures, otherwise known as short sales, with homeowners trying to get the most out of their property about to be foreclosed.

In 2008 alone, close to 4 million foreclosures were filed in the US, a direct consequence of the worldwide economic recession. Among the states which registered the highest incidence of foreclosures are Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and California. Within Florida, places which can be included in a checklist for the localities to focus on a foreclosure purchase that offer some amazing homes is Bradenton and near-by Sarasota.

Following the law of supply and demand, the prices of foreclosed homes are relatively lower in these areas due to the many second homes that were lost to banks. A high incidence of foreclosures even tends to depress the prices of the entire real estate market in a certain locality and this certainly holds true for The Bradenton Florida area, we have seen real estate values drop as much as 47% from their 2005 highs.

Any Bradenton foreclosures checklist has to go in specific details and identify the cost of everything that will go into the acquisition and repair of a foreclosed home to make it habitable. These costs will consist not only of the acquisition price and needed repairs, but also consideration for the possible unpaid Home Owners Association fees or any undiscovered liens. Typically banks will satisfy all encumbrances and offer properties for sale that are believed to have a clean title but it is worth verifying the title is in fact clean. As we have seen recently banks have pulled properties off the markets for inconsistencies in the paperwork executed during the foreclosure process.

The pricing and pre-inspection of the property being considered, necessary due diligence should definitely be carried out with the advice of these experts: A professional real estate appraiser, for instance, can help determine the fair market value of a foreclosed property. Similarly, a building contractor can provide the estimates of cost of repairs that will definitely go into acquiring a foreclosed home. And most definately, find a title company that will guarantee title.

As important as these costs, a checklist should also include certain intangibles that all home buyers invariably consider. These are the community conditions and amenities best answered by questions like: Is the neighborhood friendly? Does it have all the support facilities for modern-day living? Is it close to city and area attractions? How strong is the rental market in the neighborhood?

In Bradenton Florida, where acquisition opportunities are aplenty as cited earlier, you have the amenities that will certainly assist in a high resale value for the property in the future. The areas of Bradenton and Sarasota are noted for many amenities such as life and leisure centers, fabulous beaches, water sport activities, and warm climate. Despite the setbacks in the economy, this area still remains highly desirable for second home and retirement home purchases. This demand, which will always be there, bodes well for Bradenton real estate resale values as well as the liquidity of the investment.

For family-oriented reasons, many young couples and retirees, wind up their search for a home at the Greenbrook village of Lakewood Ranch. Made of up of three neighborhoods—Ravines, Preserve, and Banks—this village hosts affordable single-family dwellings in an 8,500-acre real estate property masterfully developed to be a self-contained community in Manatee County, Florida.

One thousand two hundred business establishments providing the comforts of modern-day living have set up shop in Lakewood Ranch since its development started during the mid-1990s. The business park in this seven-village real estate development project is now a beehive of activity for restaurants, shops, and a diverse selection of entertainment places. Public schools in the elementary, high school and middle levels have also sprouted along with private academies and daycare centers in and around the property development.

A medical center with modern facilities is also now ever ready to serve the health and medical needs of Greenbrook and Lakewood Ranch residents. There’s also a special center to take of women’s special needs. Resident seniors can rest with the thought that their community maintains an 80-bed medical facility specifically suited for their health and well-being.

But more than this is the chance to remain in tip-top shape courtesy of the other amenities that Lakewood Ranch real estate offers. Greenbrook residents need not tarry far as an Adventure Park is within their village’s confines. At this park are play areas like an obstacle course and an in-line skate/hockey rink. Likewise close are miles of walking paths and jogging trails to more promise of leisurely outdoor undertakings at the Heron’s Nest Nature Park and the Braden River Preserve.

For more organized sports and games, Lakewood Ranch boasts of four golf courses which contribute much to Florida’s reputation as a golfer’s paradise. There are also playing fields for cricket, polo, and soccer, as well as swimming pools and tennis courts that further widen the residents’ choices in sports activities. Additionally, physical fitness opportunities are offered in an Athletic Center with up-to-date exercise equipment.

The quality of life that could be had at Greenbrook, of course, more importantly rests on the homes in its enclave. All Greenbrook homes for sale and structures in this village and its sister Lakewood Ranch communities are environment-friendly, having been built in conformance with the code of the Florida Green Building Coalition. This being so, homes in the community are energy-efficient, easy to maintain, and augur well to the family-oriented character of Greenbrook.

My business website features all Lakewood Ranch homes for sale as well as Bradenton real estate. For those searching for the best deals, my Bradenton foreclosures website features all the foreclosures for manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte county.

The well-advised homebuyers now prefer to look first at foreclosed properties before short sales. Discounted deals certainly can be had in this market as real estate market prices have been bouncing on the lows for nearly a year now. Supply is definitely ahead of demand. In Florida, one of the hardest hit states in the real estate crash that began with the 2006-2007 US economic downturn, state figures showed a surplus of 300,000 homes.

Certainly, homebuyers will be very happy taking advantage of the decline in prices of new homes. Nevertheless, an lower home cost acquisition can be realized by the purchase of a foreclosed or short sale property. But which is better?

Purchasing a foreclosure can be about 25 percent lower than the cost of a house priced at current market value, one survey showed. And there are a lot of opportunities available within the current pool of homes for sale. Over a million home mortgages were up for foreclosure in 2007 alone. As for Florida, considered as the state with the most delinquencies in mortgage loans, there were as many as 80,000 foreclosures in a single three-month period, which was recorded during the 2009 third quarter.

Buying a foreclosed home indeed is advantageous, but such a move has to be carefully considered to avoid certain pitfalls. Usually, snags can be avoided through a thorough examination of the titles of foreclosed properties being considered for purchase. The buyer has to exercise due diligence to discover the titles’ liens, if any or at least ensure the title company you hire does a very through job.

If you are interested in purchasing a short sale the outstanding loan balance of the pre-foreclosed property has also to be evaluated. Those that require close scrutiny are the short sales involving buyers with second mortgages. More often than not, these home loan borrowers are so upside down in their mortgages that the multiple banks involved may be very reluctant to take a severely discounted offer. Banks holding second mortgages can be very difficult to deal with and will be reluctant to forgive all of the debt so the home can close. If the current home owner can not contribute any cash to the second mortgage lender, it could be up to the buyer to pony up some additional cash in order to close the deal. Sound like a headache? It certainly is.

Thus, the properties to avoid are the short sales that do not have a bank approved price or those with second mortgage lien holders. The time required to wade through all the red tape could find your offer being rejected. In the mean time you have missed many good deals that you could have closed in a month or less by purchasing a foreclosure.

The appeal of a foreclosed property will also certainly depend on its location. To be a sure winner under this criterion, among the safest bets are the foreclosures in Bradenton as well as those in Sarasota, Florida. Sarasota and Bradenton foreclosures possess the locations that made Florida one of the leading choices for second home buyers in the first place: World-class sports and leisure facilities, prestigious arts and entertainment centers, and environment-friendly communities. And then there are the top-notch beach resorts that have converted many visiting tourists into long-time Florida residents. These tourists ensure there is a steady flow of new buyers in the future that will be looking for your property when you decide to cash out in our next boom cycle off in the horizon.

I am a real estate broker in Bradenton Florida currently assisting many buyers and investors with purchasing Bradenton foreclosures. More information on Bradenton real estate can be found by following the links.

Luxury, elegance, and sophistication all rolled into one—this is Lake Club at Lakewood Ranch. One of the eight communities at Lakewood Ranch, this 768-homesite village is a masterfully planned enclave of homes with complete resident amenities and juxtaposed with lakes, wetlands, parks and nature preserves. Partaking of such wonderful integration involves a choice in lot sizes between half an acre up to an acre and a half .

Homes at this gated community are all custom-built creations from the drawing boards of some of the best builders in the US. These studies of fine architectural masterpieces are all fittingly integrated into 1500 acres of a well-preserved natural environment in Manatee County, Florida. For a residence to be constructed in Lake Club, its builder has to ensure that all materials and methods employed in the project are environment-friendly. For the definitive guidelines, the green standards of the Florida Green Building Coalition are used.

The luxurious living in this community is defined in its exclusive Grande Clubhouse. At its Tuscan-inspired structure, no less than first-class services and benefits are generously provided to the Lake Club residents. Its many desirable amenities range from day spa treatments to concierge services. At this 16,000 square foot clubhouse built at a cost of more than $10 million, are sports, health, and fitness facilities like its modern athletic center, tennis courts and swimming pools. All these are for the private and exclusive use of the Lake Club residents.

For a broader social interaction of the Lakewood Ranch villagers and guests, a myriad of venues are available and within easy reach. Close by are four golf courses, all of which are suitable to all levels of playing abilities and are of world-class standards in their design as well as maintenance. Also within the Lakewood Ranch area are polo and cricket clubs, ball fields, pavilions, and community parks. For more serene and quiet pursuits, Lakewood Ranch presents miles upon miles of nature trails and pathways, in addition to several lakes for boating and fishing.

Living at Lake Club is likewise made convenient by the numerous establishments that have set their business address at Lakewood Ranch. Included among these are fine restaurants, boutiques, and shops ready to supply the goods and services that the residents require. To cap these all, residents have access to top-notch healthcare facilities and excellent schools within the Lakewood Ranch real estate development that has become synonymous to convenient living as well as elegant lifestyle.

The Lake Club homes for sale range in price north of $1 million. This is a true custom home neighborhood. For more information on other Bradenton real estate my business website features all listings for Manatee County. For those seeking the best real estate deals, my Bradenton foreclosures contains the listings of every bank owned property currently listed for sale in Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte county Florida.