Gabriel Properties

HOA boards are faced with a challenge. They have limited time and resources, yet must meet the financial obligations of the reserve study by following a funding plan that provides adequate member contributions and additional revenue from prudent investment of reserve funds that reduce those member contributions. Here are four hurdles the board must jump when tackling reserves investment.

Hurdle #1: Failure to use the Reserve Study or not having one in the first place. Homeowner association boards have the duty to conduct long range planning to identify common elements, their current condition, their useful lives and current cost of repair or replacement. This exercise is called a Reserve Study. Some boards believe that a reserve study provides little benefit except to point out the obvious.

These same boards either elect not to pay the cost of one or put the one they have in a file to gather dust.

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Tags: Fund, Fund Investment

Over the last few months, each time Chicago Real Estate Forum has written about an increase in the Mortgage Index, it has been the result of a boost in refinancing, not home buying.

Not anymore.

Mortgage applications decreased 2.4 percent for the week ending March 9, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.

The decrease is a result of less homeowners refinancing their mortgages, despite record-low mortgage rates. The Refinance Index declined 4.1 percent to its lowest level since January 6.

The good news is in the Purchase Index, which increased 4.4 percent to its highest level since January 13. This is the third week in a row that more U.S. home buyers applied for mortgages.

The rise in demand coincided with data released last week that showed U.S. e

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Tags: Buying, Buying Homes

A new restaurant will open soon in Riverside Plaza, filling a central location left vacant last summer by the departure of Citrus City Grille, but new challenges have emerged at the outdoor shopping center.

The liquidation of the Borders bookstore chain has left a prime, 20,000-square-foot retail spot vacant, and it’s expected to remain empty at least through the holiday shopping season. And the future of the plaza’s largest retail space, currently occupied by Forever 21, is up in the air.

Work is under way on the new restaurant, Mázz Bar & Grill, which is expected to open before the holiday season in the space formerly occupied by Citrus City. It’s an entrepreneurial project for Ray Garcia, a former vice president of operations for El Torito Restaurants.

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Tags: Restaurant, Riverside Plaza

The real estate and property market Dubai has gained great significance in the Middle Eastern region in recent years due to continuously increase in the demand of real estate properties in Dubai and also due to high rate of return on the investment made by the investors. This is why property investors from all over the world are investing a lot of capital in the real estate market Dubai.

Investment in projects like The Palm, The World, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Arabian Ranches, Business Bay, Dubai Internet City, and Dubai Media city have brought in a large number of real estate properties for sale in Dubai. The attraction of a higher rate of return on the investment is also another reason for the progress in the real estate market Dubai as many property investors from around the globe are tempted to invest in Dubai property market.

The buyers are also very much attracted in buying properties for sale in Dubai as not only they are sure to find some stunning choices in terms of architecture design and facilities but the quality of construction is also very good.

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Tags: Market, Property Market, Real Estate