Come Be a Santa’s Helper With Us

Our second annual “Santa’s Helper” event is coming up. We would love for you to join us for this special event.

Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner, and Christmas and Hanukkah will be here before you know it. We are already getting in the holiday spirit by planning our second annual “Santa’s Helper” event. The inaugural event last year was a ton of fun, so we thought we should reach out to you and give you the details on year two.

With this event, we’ll be able to help 50 local children right here in Palm Beach County who may not have much under their tree if it wasn’t for this event. We are excited to take them and their families to Target, give them a gift card, and allow them to shop for their toys and maybe even buy mom or dad a little present. This isn’t about the necessities; it’s about making Christmas and Hanukkah special for these children.

If you would like to be part of this event, there are a couple different ways you can help out. One way is by being one of our 50 shopping buddies. Our shopping buddies last year all had a wonderful time and many of them will be back this year. As a shopping buddy, you’ll be able to take some kids around the store and help them spend their $100 gift card, which is covered by other donations.

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This is about making the holidays special for these kids.

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The second way you can participate is by donating. Any donation you give is appreciated. If you’d like to adopt a child and cover their entire $100 gift card, you can do that. If you would just like to give a few dollars so we can help more kids, you can do that too. Once again, any donation is appreciated. We are always happy to help give back during this time of year.

The Santa’s Helper event will be held on December 1st at the Boynton Beach Target. Helpers will arrive, meet their child, shop, and enjoy the true meaning of the Holiday season. We would love for you to join us.

To sign up to be a Santa's Helper, click here. To donate or sponsor a child, click here. If you have any other questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Saving Thousands of Dollars on Property Taxes

Since market values have gone up 9.5% on our taxes for homes

in the past year, you need to know how to budget for your tax amount.

Property taxes are an important part of our budgets when we’re buying a new property or looking at how a property cash flows. This past year, our market values went up 9.5% on our proposed taxes for our homes. What does that mean? If your property was homesteaded, it likely means absolutely nothing. For example, for my primary home, the market value actually went up $125,000, and yet, my assessed value only went up $2,000. If you own an investment property or a commercial property, however, you don’t have that benefit. You may be a little shocked this year when you get your tax bill, but you can make that payment in November. The other person who might be a little shocked this year is the one who purchased a home last year, especially if that home had the “save the home” benefit. You may have budgeted for a lower tax amount or had a lower tax amount in your escrow account, and now you’re having to make up for last year, plus your lender will adjust your escrow account for next year.

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It’s not important what the taxes are today, but what they’ll be in the long term.

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We’re getting a lot of calls from buyers and sellers who are confused about taxes, especially those who’ve just made their purchase. If this includes you, here’s my advice:

1. If you already own a home and it’s not homesteaded, and it’s now a financial challenge for you, give us a call and let’s look through your options. Maybe that property that did create cash flow is no longer the right option.
2. If you just purchased a new home, make sure you file for homestead exemption. That will save you thousands of dollars in the future, plus provide other benefits.

If you’re in the home buying process, it’s not important what the taxes are today; focus on what they’ll be in the long term. What you need to do is look at the current owner’s market value versus the assessed value. If there is a differential, your taxes will likely go up in the future. That’s OK as long as you budget accordingly. 

This is important to remember if you know your escrow account might be a little short. You can set that money aside and you won't be as surprised next year when you receive a higher tax bill. So, go ahead and file for the homestead if you can. If you sold a home in Florida and purchased another home in Florida this year, you have another benefit called “portability.” That means you take some of your benefits of that previous home—the tax savings—and bring it to your new home. If you're interested in learning more about property taxes and homestead exemption in Florida, click here. If you have any more questions about property taxes, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Updates in Real Estate in Palm Beach: Tips and Advice to Sell Your Home.

In this fluctuating market, traditional subdivision are selling faster and easier than luxury homes. It is really important for sellers to have the three factors right: price, condition, and marketing to reach a successful closing. It is also imperative for high-end property owners to do something especial to stand out. Having the help of an agent that knows and understand those changes in the market can make all the difference. Join Lisa Treu and Brian Mudd while they share the most reliable market analysis and the best advice to get your home sold fast and for the most money.

What It Takes to Sell Luxury Condos

Our team knows what it takes to sell all different kinds of homes!

South Florida's Version of Real Estate Tax Relief

The interesting aspects about Florida taxes.

Palm Beach County Real Estate in 2016

The latest real estate info and how it impacts buying or selling.

Beyond Real Estate- Making a difference

Listen to this and our other radio shows on our iTunes page! 

Lessons from Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful

Buying a home? Click here to perform full home search 
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (561) 352-3056 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

I want to answer a question I'm getting a lot right now, and it's about Mr. Wonderful, AKA Kevin O'Leary, from ABC's hit show Shark Tank. I had the opportunity to spend some time with him a few weeks back, and he had some great things to share about what he has learned about businesses from Shark Tank.  Here are a few of my favorite tips, and how we use each of them every day at Treu Group Real Estate:

Put clients and shareholders first
At Treu Group Real Estate, we don't have shareholders, but we do have team members. When we make decisions, we are always conscious about whether it is good for our clients and team members. If the answer is yes, we will do it.

Use technology to give yourself a competitive advantage
We offer the best and latest technology to both our clients and team members to help us serve our clients better.

Be passionate about your business or what you sell
Nobody loves real estate more than Treu Group Real Estate, and it shows. It's why our clients sell their homes faster and for more money, and it's how our buyers find their home after only looking at 5-7 of them. 

If you have any questions for us, you can always give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Why Are So Many Millennials Buying Palm Beach Homes?

Buying a home? Click here to perform full home search 
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (561) 352-3056 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Welcome back, everybody. As the real estate market continue to heat up in Palm Beach County, more and more sellers will enter the market. Many of these buyers will be millennials, a name given to the current generation of adults under 35. 

Recently, we had the opportunity to interview a handful of millennials who have recently purchased their first homes. We wanted to see what inspired them to make such a large investment at such a young age, and here's what they had to say:

"It didn't make sense to me anymore to pay rent on a property I didn't own. I have two other people living with me now, helping me pay my mortgage." - Courtney, 25

"My parents were in the real estate industry and kind of instilled in me the fact that you could either waste your money on rent or put it back into an investment that you own." - Alex, 23

"I bought when I was 25 because I wanted to put my money towards something worthwhile." - Ashley, 25

Buying a home isn't a simple task. It takes a lot of time and effort to get done. Here at the Treu group, we are all about making things as easy as possible for our millennial buyers. We listen to what they say and help them out accordingly. Here's what they have to say about our service:

"Having someone that is able to answer questions and stay in touch at a moment's notice was huge. Fast communication is key." - Alex, 23

What about advice for buyers on the fence? Here's one piece of advice from our client, Chris:

"Don't be scared. Pull the trigger. The cost is not much different than renting, but it makes a whole lot more sense. Take advantage of these rates while you can, and don't wait until you are 30 to buy a home like I did." - Chris, 30

As you can see, we work hard for our millennial buyers and want to help them make the best decision for their future. If you, or somebody you know, is interested in buying or selling in Palm Beach County, feel free to give us a call or pass along our information. We look forward to speaking with you soon!