The holiday season is here...and with the holidays comes decorating your homes in St Augustine! The following tips and suggestions will help ensure safety as you get in the holiday spirit.

As I’m sure you heard, President Obama signed legislation to extend and expand the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. These tax credit changes are included in the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, which also extends unemployment benefits to people who have been jobless for more than one year. This will help so many of the people of our community here in St. Augustine.

The St. Augustine Amphitheatre offers great events such as concerts and movie nights for the kids through out the year. However, now thru January 3rd it is transformed into a Winter Wonderland.

As a first-time homebuyer, you are are probably curious about how much you can afford before you even talk to a real estate agent or home loan professional. As a general rule of thumb most people who have good credit and a steady income can afford to buy a home that cost 2 and one half to three percent of their annual income.

Don’t let common Short Sale Myths land you in foreclosure.  But, what exactly is a Short Sale?  A short sale is defined by Wikipedia “as a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan”.  A Lender may agree to a short sale by deciding that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the current owner into foreclosure.  The foreclosure involves hefty fees for the bank and poorer credit report outcomes for the borrower.

Today, 1 out of every 10 homeowners in America is behind on mortgage payments. These are tough and frustrating times and now more than ever, it's important to identify your options. Foreclosure can be avoided, your credit can be saved, and your financial future can be salvaged. Negotiating a Short Sale with your lender has 5 key benefits and be the option for you.