Treasure Coast Real Estate Editor - Featuring Julie Gaumond, REALTOR® -

With all of the negative news hitting the press, it's nice to see something this positive. Vought Aircraft Industries is planning on adding 100 permanent jobs at their Stuart, Florida facility. This will include building a $3.2 million dollar facility at their Witham Field location. The jobs planned are 60% mechanical and 40% professional. And there is a program that will train high school and college students for some of these positions. This is truly a win-win for everyone.

Looking for a home in Florida? - I'd welcome the opportunity to assist you with a purchase of a home or condo. For additional information please call me 772-260-5448 or visit our website www.FloridaHomes.PRO

Click Here to Subscribe to Mike's Blog

In recent months we are seeing deals fall apart because the Homeowner Association (HOA) or Condo Association (COA) dues are not being paid by owners that are facing foreclosure or units that have actually been foreclosed. When this happens, lenders take notice.

In fact, when delinquencies hit certain levels banks will not finance units in the development, and this include FHA restrictions. It is becoming a big issue, and making matters worse are the banks that are foreclosing on units, and then refusing to pay HOA and COA dues.

Another problem with delinquent association dues are the special assessments levied on those owners still paying their fair share.

Buyers Beware - If you are buying a home or condo, make sure your initial offer carries an addendum for your review of what percentage of owners are delinquent. For my clients, we simply make this determination with in our "free look" inspection period that usually runs from 10-20 days.

Looking for a home in Florida? - I'd welcome the opportunity to assist you with a purchase of a home or condo. For additional information please call me 772-260-5448 or visit www.FloridaHomes.PRO

Click Here to Subscribe to Mike's Blog

Instead of just giving you post after post about the business and serious end of real estate in Florida, I will spice it up with some fun things at least once a week. So here is a piece about restaurants in my backyard. If you have any restaurants you want to add . . . or if you have any ideas of things you want me to write about, please email me Mike@FloridaHomes.PRO

There are so many fine restaurants in Stuart and the surrounding area. Here are a few of my favorites . . . and a few you might want to avoid.

Seafood - The New England Fish Market - I grew up on the Jersey Shore and worked on fishing boats till I went off to college. When it comes to seafood, I am the pickiest of the picky. And with my family being in the restaurant business for 30+ years, I can tell you this is the best seafood restaurant I have ever found. Just minutes from Stuart in Jensen Beach - 1419 NE Jensen Beach Blvd., Jensen Beach, FL 34957 - (772) 334-7324

Seafood, Local and Waterfront - Shrimpers - Dine on the water in scenic Manatee Pocket. Great food and great views while you dine on the water. If you like cracked conch, this is the best you'll find on the Treasure Coast. But you will also find a variety of Florida and local favorites. Yum, Yum, Yum. - 4903 SE Dixie Highway, Stuart - (772) 220-3287

Pizza and Italian - Luna's in downtown Stuart - 80 SW Osceola Street - (772) 288-0550

Local Seafood - Conchy Joe's - STOP - Don't Go - turn around and go somewhere else. Even though Conchy Joe's is located on the Indian River and has great atmosphere, it has horrible service and the food ranges from questionably edible to basically fair. On rare occasion they hit on all cylinders and deliver a good meal and good service.

Nature's Way Cafe - For a healthy and hearty lunch go to Nature's Way for great food, relaxing atmosphere and great service in downtown Stuart - 25 SW Osceola Street - (772) 220-7306

Duffy's Sports Grill - Best burgers and all around great food. Also in downtown Stuart - 1 SW Osceola Street - (772) 221-4899

Fine Dining - 11 Maple Street - One of my favorite fine dining restaurants in the world is right here on the Treasure Coast. The quality of the food rivals any five start restaurant in the world. Best of all, the atmosphere is casual and relaxed, just the way we like it on the Treasure Coast - 11 Maple Street, Jensen Beach - (772) 334-7714

Breakfast and Lunch - Jan's Place - The BEST omelets on the Treasure Coast and a great variety of lunch sandwiches. - 1897 NE Jensen Beach Blvd. (772) 334-9598

Ice Cream, Candy Apples, Fudge and Chocolates - Kilwin's is the only place to go, and it is in downtown Stuart at 31 SW Osceola Street just a few doors down from Nature's Way - (772) 223-6446 - My favorites include their scrumptious toasted coconut ice cream and Stuart mud. For a bit of nostalgia, bite into one of their juicy, crunchy and very tasty gourmet candy apples.

Steak - Peter's Steak House - Unfortunately, another STOP - Don't Go - turn around and go somewhere else. They want you to believe that this is just as good as THE Peter Luger's in New York and they buy the same meat, etc. but my experience has been awful. You'll get a better steak at Outback. And if that was not enough, the service was horrible.

Thai - Bangkok Bay - Consistently good Thai food and service. Thai is one of my favorites, so I can't say this one is world class, but it is far better than the local options. There curry sauces are outstanding, and I have never had a bad meal here. I take clients here on a regular basis, because I can depend on consistently good food, service and value - 1833 SE Federal Highway (US 1) - (772) 286-2141‎

Deli - TooJay's - It's definitely not New York quality, but it's the best you will find on the Treasure Coast. For breakfast, try the Lox, Eggs and Onions Omelet with toasted Challah. 2504 SE Federal Highway, Stuart - (772) 287-6514

I will add to the list over the next few weeks. If you are visiting the area and want a few more of my favorites or want to ask about a restaurant, feel free to call or email me - Mike@FloridaHomes.PRO or 772-260-5448

Things to To Do in Stuart, Jensen Beach and Martin County - visit www.FloridaHomes.PRO/Stuart

Looking for a home in the Stuart area? - I'd welcome the opportunity to assist you with a purchase of a home in Stuart or one of the other marvelous communities in our area. For additional information please call me on my private cell phone at 888-227-5217 or visit http://www.floridahomes.pro/

Not only cheap, but you'll save $50,000 - $500,000 on renovations. So many restaurants have shut their doors in Florida that landlords are willing to rent restaurants that are broom cleaned and ready to open . . . just add food, drinks and waiters.

In fact, some landlords are so desperate that they will provide operators with free rent and leases based solely on percentage of sales. In many strip centers and malls, restaurants and the food court are vital to the life of the property.

So if you are considering opening a restaurant in Florida, now might be the time to start looking. But make sure you have a rock solid business plan, experience and the cash in the bank to get through the tough times. For many, we recommend a year's worth of expenses, and you'd better be prepared to lose it all. Restaurants are the at the top of business failures, because many people think they cook for friends and family, so they can make money cooking for others.

My family has been in the restaurant business for more than 30 years. I can tell you from experience, it is far more difficult than anyone imagines. Just like some people consider a boat, nothing more than a hole in the water to throw money into . . . for most people, a restaurant is just a place where your friends and family come to eat for free, and your staff rips you off, and if you are not careful, the health department and the tax man will be shutting you down.

So be careful, but if you know what you're doing or you have done this before, now might be the time to consider looking at some of the deals you can strike up with landlords.

For more information on Florida restaurant opportunities, feel free to email me at Mike@Morgan7.com

For information about homes in Florida visit our www.FloridaHomes.PRO

In law school, the most valuable thing I learned . . . is the answer to most questions is . . . IT DEPENDS. And that truly applies here. Yet another real estate website SmartZip.com is out there touting real estate advice on a national level, even though they have no clue what is going on in the local areas they are writing about. Port St. Lucie is a perfect example.

SmartZip.com has listed Port St. Lucie as a Top 10 for investors. Yikes. What do they know about what is really going on or what areas of Port St. Lucie are good, bad or ugly. They know nothing, so beware.

There are deals to be made in Port St. Lucie real estate, but it still not time for investors to step in unless they are prepared to another 1-3 years of losses.

Investors can buy foreclosure properties for 10-25% less than buyers that require a mortgage, so if you do your homework, you have a huge advantage as a cash investor. But the next step is very tricky. You now have two options. One, you flip. Or, two, you find a renter. Both are scary. Flipping is out of the question because of the costs of marketing and flipping. Rental is just as scary.

There are so many homes on the market in Port St. Lucie that rental prices are less than half of what they were just two years ago. But the really ugly part is the quality of the renters. If you buy a foreclosure property in an area that is still declining in price and quality . . . you are in trouble. You need to purchase a property that is in a stable area, and one where the rental percentage is less than 25%, meaning one in four neighbors are renters.

All of this requires hiring an expert. I believe we are the best experts on Florida's East Coast because we have been working with banks, financial institutions AND residential clients. We have a unique perspective on the markets.

For additional information visit our website www.FloridaHomes.PRO or email me Mike@FloridaHomes.PRO - You may also call me at 772-260-5448