Events and Real Estate news for this week

Monday, March 29, 2010
Events and Real Estate news for this week

Hello again everybod, after some technical difficulties we are back with some of this week evnts and happenings around our neighborhood.


* EVENTS


*
Eggsplore at Fairchild
Spring-themed activities and an egg hunt. Part of Family Fundays, which are held on the first Sunday of every month
Where:Fairchild Tropical Botanic GardenAddress:10901 Old Cutler Rd.
Coral Gables, FL 33156Phone:305-667-1651Website:http://www.fairchildgarden.orgCost:$20, $15 seniors, $10 kids 6-17, free for kids 5 and under and members
When:Sun, Apr 04, 2010 12:00 PM


*
Moonlight Garden Tours at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Wander through Vizcaya’s breathtaking gardens along Biscayne Bay under the light of the full moon. Enjoy informal concerts of live music and light refreshments for sale in the Courtyard of the Main House. Vizcaya's Volunteer Guides will be on hand to answer questions and lead area tours in the gardens. Admission is $15 per person; $10 for students, seniors, and Vizcayan members. Reservations are not required.
Where:Vizcaya Museum and GardensAddress:3251 S. Miami Ave.
Miami, FL 33129Phone:305-250-9133Website:http://www.vizcayamuseum.orgWhen:Tue, Mar 30, 2010 6:30 PM
Wed, Mar 31, 2010 6:30 PM
Tue, Apr 27, 2010 6:30 PM
Wed, Apr 28, 2010 6:30 PM

*
Dine with Diego
Have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet with family and friends and meet Diego. Buffet includes turkey sandwich or ham sandwich; lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and assorted cheese; seasonal whole fruit; chips; carrots and dips; cookie and fruit punch, lemonade and water. Includes zoo admission, monorail all-day pass, buffet lunch and refreshments, souvenir cup, zany zoo animal straw, tiger lunch box for kids 3-12, meet and greet with Diego and a souvenir picture with him. Event date is Sept. 5. Event timing is 9:30 a.m. Advance reservations required by Sept. 3
Where:Miami MetrozooAddress:12400 SW 152nd St.
South Miami-Dade, FL 33177Phone:305-251-0400, ext. 84940Website:http://www.miamimetrozoo.comCost:non members: $34.95, $31.95 kids 3-12, members: $28.95, $26.95 kids 3-12, free for kids 2 and under 0.00 0.00


*
Aquatics Class
Gentle indoor warm water exercise class available to people who suffer from arthritis
Where:Jackson South Community HospitalAddress:9333 SW 152nd St.
Palmetto Bay, FL 33157Phone:305-992-4069Cost:Free


* NEWS

*
White House launches 2nd phase of mortgage aid
Related Content
http://www.latimes.com/
By ALEJANDRO LAZO AND JIM PUZZANGHERA
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration unveiled new measures Friday aimed at getting lenders to reduce the principal balances on problem mortgages and to refinance "underwater" borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth into government-sponsored loans.

The initiatives are part of an escalating effort to buoy the housing market - and an acknowledgment that more steps are needed to prevent a fresh wave of foreclosures from swamping the still-fragile housing market.

One provision will allow many unemployed homeowners to get three to six months of reduced mortgage payments while they look for a job.

But the most significant change to the $75 billion program is aimed at helping underwater borrowers. It would do this by encouraging banks to reduce the principal on loans in default, and by refinancing troubled loans into Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages.

The change could help borrowers such as Hector Antonio Gomez and Sandra Segovia of Los Angeles. They were among the relatively small group of homeowners to get a permanent reduction in payments under the administration's current program.

The Salvadoran natives avoided foreclosure but are still saddled with big debts: They owe $460,000 on a two-bedroom bungalow that is assessed at $350,000, but that probably wouldn't fetch more than $286,000, according to a real estate industry estimate.

"We will never be able to pay that off," Gomez said in Spanish as he stood in his tiny tomato garden. Like many first-time buyers who purchased during the heady days of the bubble years, the couple figured that home values would keep going up.

With the changes announced Friday, the administration hopes its Home Affordable Modification Program will meet its target of helping 3 million to 4 million homeowners avoid foreclosure through 2012.

To date, just 170,000 people have gotten permanently lowered mortgage payments under the year-old program - which barely puts a dent in the projected 10 million to 20 million foreclosures expected in the next three years.

"It's really important to recognize we're not going to stop every foreclosure," said Diana Farrell, deputy director of the White House's National Economic Council. "It wouldn't be fair, it would be too expensive and we probably wouldn't succeed, in any case, because many people got into homes that they simply cannot afford."

Slashing the principal on underwater mortgages is seen by many experts as a key to helping borrowers stay in their homes, but the administration has resisted such a move as it could encourage some borrowers to fall behind on their mortgages intentionally - and sticking taxpayers with the bill.

But under greater pressure from the government, and with more foreclosures looming, lenders are suddenly warming to the idea.

On Wednesday, Bank of America Corp. said it would offer to erase as much as $3 billion in principal owed by thousands of severely delinquent borrowers.

"There have been growing pains in that program. I think that we all think that we could have certainly done better," Assistant Treasury Secretary Michael Barr said. "And as the crisis unfolded, we wanted to be mindful of the need to adjust the program along the way."

Still, the new incentives just "tinker around the edges" of the problem, said John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. Taylor is concerned that the new incentives won't be strong enough to get mortgage servicers and investors to modify loan terms.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/26/1549714/white-house-launches-2nd-phase.html#ixzz0jaJQ2jMd





RECENT SALES

*10601 SW 126 ST$410,000.00 ($122.72 ppsqft)Buyer: RIVAS, RICARDO M
Assessed value: $457,459.00
Seller: LEWANDOWSKI, KENNETH M
Beds/baths: 4/2
House square feet: 3,341
Lot square feet: 15,093


*13527 SW 114 PL$172,000.00 ($84.52 ppsqft)Buyer: ALVAREZ, FELIX
Assessed value: $262,392.00
Recording date: 11/25/2009
Seller: HSBC BNK USA N A TRU
Beds/baths: 4/2
House square feet: 2,035
Lot square feet: 0


*12220 SW 99 AVE$340,000.00 ($132.55 ppsqft)Buyer: FERNANDEZ, JILL
Assessed value: $177,495.00
Recording date: 01/14/2010
Seller: MAROON, ELSA M
Beds/baths: 3/3
House square feet: 2,565
Lot square feet: 15,000


*9901 SW 139 ST$399,000.00 ($105.39 ppsqft)Buyer: GOODEN, LAUREN K
Assessed value: $595,005.00
Recording date: 02/11/2010
Seller: KONDAUR CAPITAL CORP
Beds/baths: 4/3
House square feet: 3,786
Lot square feet: 20,323



I hope to keep bringimg you events, and Real Estate news every week, I hope my information is useful, and remember to contact me with any Real Estate question you might have.