Aventura & Sunny Isles Beach Luxury Real Estate

From the beginning of time and maybe even before that, the world had a sense of order, and man followed time by patterning himself through his daily living. Mealtime, work, and sleep filled the days in very early history. At some point recreation evolved and filled parts of the day’s activities. As years and decades and centuries passed, work, sleep, downtime, and so many activities formed what we now know as our days and nights. Within those days activities of work and play we organize our individual arenas of home and office keeping up with all those “things to do” and the endless lists of responsibilities. Doctor appointments, food shopping, cleaning out the garage, vacation planning, teacher conferences, and appliance purchases. The list is endless. At work we have more responsibilities than any eight hour work day will suffice and we either stay later or the work comes home, or both. Twenty-four hour days don’t seem long enough and then again for others it is too long. Many people just go through the motions of each day, filling it with work, food and play unaware of how much really has to get done. Others cannot be organized enough, always making sure the laundry is done, the frig is well stocked, and all home and office supplies are always at hand. This in addition to all the original home, food, work and play activities. To each his own. But one thing is for sure: no matter how you plan, life will always throw you a curve ball. Being organized and on top of all your daily activities will not stop the unexpected. Life in all its neat little compartments that you have created can knock you for a loop each time. Health, work issues, travel delays, weather, fl at tires are only touching the tip of the iceberg in situations outside the norm. A big part of how you endure and recover from the unexpected is your outlook. Talk to yourself, put it all in some perspective that you can handle, and pep talk the heck out of yourself. After which lay out a plan of action that works for you. Take the bull by the horns, and map out your plan. Tell yourself “this too shall pass” and believe it or not it will. The key is to accept what is really beyond your control but don’t deny what is within your reach to deal with. It will make you stronger and able to help those around you as well as yourself. Being prepared equips you with the tools to stop, regroup, and deal with the situation be it temporary or permanent. Coping mechanisms come from different places within us, and we each have to know what they are and where and how to access them. Be strong, be prepared, and most of all be aware of what you can do for yourself and others, too.
by
Susan Koslovsky

Loss shows it’s ugly head in many forms and shapes. We know from loss of money, time, possessions, and the ultimate which is loss of life itself. The latter has the most impact on us as once a loved one is gone from our lives it is forever. All around us we hear and see all types of loss to people we know as well as strangers. But as human beings with hearts and souls, you cannot distance yourself from processing what has happened to another person even if you are not directly impacted by that loss. Nothing comes closer to this topic than the earthquake that struck Haiti in so many ways. Loss of life, property, and spirit. The earthquake did exactly what it was created to accomplish by shaking and destroying Haiti and its people beyond its very foundation. The impact has been felt around the world. The devastation was of such monumental proportions that it is on the minds and lips of everyone, everyday. You don’t have to look much further than a picture on the Internet or the evening news. Words are not even necessary as here a “picture speaks a thousand words.” In your own life your realize you have nothing to complain about that holds any credence, because what the people of Haiti will have to endure to recover does not even hold a candle to any ordinary nuances in your life. Yet loss is not contained to only this particular incident at this specific time in history. Each and every one of us has stories of our own that make up the days and years of our lives. Change is always happening and loss in all its shapes and forms is always part of that change. “I’m sorry for your loss” is a common phrase to extend when someone’s loved one has passed away. We clearly recognize the effect that a loss has on someone and we let them know we are saddened for them. Your life shifts into “perspective gear” and you become truly grateful for your own lot in life at the time. You remember at one time it was you and that it will be you again at some point, but for right now you are truly grateful that you have been spared. It is that perspective that makes us the compassionate human beings that we were created to be. Offering kind words, a helping hand, and support in the form of directly donating money or to a cause is how we let others know that we have put their loss in perspective. We let them know that we can be there for them to deal with their loss at this time and pray for the strength to endure when our time will come.
by
Susan Koslovsky

(Portions of this column have been reprinted from a Sun Sentinel article. The information sheds light on the Short Sale crisis.) Homeowners stuck while banks consider whether to approve short sales could benefit from new federal guidelines that give lenders a 10-day limit to respond to offers. The rules from the U.S. Treasury, which also allow for financial incentives to sellers and lenders, likely will figure prominently in South Florida as the housing slump meanders into a fifth year. “The cloud could be lifted and this could bring us back to some normalcy.” Still, questions linger. Some real estate agents doubt the guidelines will be enforced, while bankers wonder whether 10 business days is enough time to reply to offers. In a short sale, the homeowner sells the property for less than what is owed on the mortgage, and the lender forgives the difference. Hundreds of Thousands of mortgage holders in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties are “under water,” meaning they owe more than their homes are worth. Many due to refinancing when the market shot up. While short sales have been considered an ideal solution for banks and for “under water” homeowners on the verge of foreclosure, the deals often drag on as lenders take weeks or months to decide what to do. Frustrated buyers walk away during the delays. Aside from imposing a 10-day deadline, the Treasury rules call for sellers to receive $1,500 moving allowances, and the sellers will not have to repay any of the debt. Also, lenders will get $1,000 to cover processing costs. The 83 loan companies participating in the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program, including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase, are required to follow these guidelines for all borrowers who request short sales or who did not complete loan modifications. The rules do not specifically apply to loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The two government-run mortgage companies are working to finalize their own guidelines. The Treasury plan, which must be implemented by lenders no later than April, is meant to help sellers who have been waiting for their lenders to approve short sale offers. The guidelines are meant to make short sales “a more usable tool.” These rules provide standardized paperwork for all short sales and give buyers and sellers a more reasonable time frame for whether or not the sales will happen. Time will tell if the Government will have to increase the financial incentives” The incentives would be a great program if all these mortgages had only one lien holder. Meanwhile, some local real estate agents remain skeptical of the guidelines. Many think “the banks will still play their little games with people and make life difficult for everyone.” A spokeswoman for the Treasury says it will hand down “substantial” penalties to lenders that don’t comply. The agency said it can fine lenders, withhold or reduce incentive payments and require improperly rejected loans to be modified. Lenders have blamed short sale delays on the complicated nature of the transactions, sheer numbers of deals and on borrowers who don’t submit proper paperwork in a timely manner.
by
Susan Koslovsky