There was a post on this blog back in 2008, Disney Planning New Luxury Home Community, and now it’s finally coming to reality. I had my doubts as well, but it looks like Disney is finally getting this community underway.

According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, Disney unveiled it’s plans for it’s ultra luxury community called Golden Oak this week. Prices will range from $1.5 to $8 million and will encompass 4,900 acres with 450 homes in 3 distinct villages.

I believe this community is located on Osprey Ridge which Disney closed down a few years back. It’s arguably the most scenic of all the courses at the resort.

Owners will be allowed to bring in their own custom builder to create the home of their dreams within the set of guidelines provided by Disney. I feel sorry for the builder of these homes. If the guidelines are anything like the ones in Celebration, it’s probably the size of a small phone book but it did end up looking beautiful.

I don’t know if they’ve heard, but the real estate market here in Orlando and every where else in the world isn’t all that good.

Now they want to build something no one can afford?

Perhaps Disney knows something that I don’t know.

Having followed the market in SW Orlando for quite some time, I’ll be curious to see how all this pans out. I guess you don’t have to worry about the company going bankrupt before they finish, but how long will it take?

They quote 10 years, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a little while longer.

Anyway, here’s a SLIDESHOW of the community if you’re interested.

Please contact me for more information on this new community.

Sometimes you see things in your day that feel like a sign to you… literally. I noticed this sign driving back from watching the Super Bowl last night and lo and behold there’s a Hojin St. in central Florida. Does this mean I’m in the right profession? I’ll take it as a sign that it is.

How many places in this country has real estate with your name on it.

The video below confirms what I’ve learned over my many years helping home buyers… there’s a perfect home for everyone somewhere. Thanks to callchristoday.com for the find.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, the drywall coming out of China has some problems like a lot of Chinese products and now I’m required to provide a Chinese Drywall Disclosure to home buyers. Recent reports say drywall from China churns out sulfur based gases that eat away air conditioning coils, pipes, and wiring. Worst of all, it stinks…  literally. When building materials became hard to come by during the housing boom around 2004, builders started importing goods from China. Man, they make everything over there.

One of the major builders to do this in Florida according to the Wall Street Journal is Lennar. I gotta tell ya, they’ve built quite a few homes here in SW Orlando since 2004 including Stoneybrook West, Windsor Landing, and Brookestone to mention a few. I’m sure there’s other major builders that used this product and I’m sure they’ll get pulled out of the rank and file once the lawsuits start piling up.

I can’t believe there’s another toxic import from China. It seems like it was not too long ago, the news was about lead in kid’s toys made in China. One thing that’s for sure is that Chinese products are cheap, but at some point quality will have to come into play.

Here’s a pdf of the new disclosure: Chinese Drywall Disclosure

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Here’s a new and innovative way to sell a home. A homeowner in Edgewater, Maryland was having trouble selling his million dollar home. The depressed real estate market and shrinking paycheck created a necessity to sell, but there were not takers. So they came up with this idea of selling $50 raffle tickets to win this home. All in all, roughly 24,000 thousand tickets sold and one lucky winner got the house for a whopping $50.

This guy must have been desperate, because he was thinking way out of the box. I don’t know of too many people who could come up with such a crazy but cool idea. Perhaps he’s a bit more on the creative side. Either way, his the plan worked and the house sold for over a million dollars.

The Obamas will soon be moving into their fancy new digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW in Washington D.C. and it’s probably one of the few homes I have zero chance of selling. The Zestimate on Zillow values the White House at a whopping $303,362,000. I’m not sure, but it’s gotta be the highest price on Zillow. I wonder how much you’d have to make to qualify for a mortgage on that amount? Some of the most powerful and influential people in our country’s history have called it home and I’m sure Zillow takes that into account somehow. This baby will never go up for sale, but being a real estate geek gets you wondering how you’d price it.

With the ailing economy, businesses are becoming more cut throat with it’s advertising. According to an article on CNN, McDonald’s recently launched a billboard campaign exclaiming that paying $4 for Starbucks is for dumb asses. With the message plastered on over 14o billboards on some of the country’s most traveled real estate, the message is sure grab attention.

I have to admit I love Starbucks, but they charge you for Wifi which should be free at any legitimate coffee shop and even offered at McDonald’s for free. To be fair the coffee I normally get at Starbucks costs less than a couple bucks so the billboard is off base a little.

Nevertheless, you gotta admit it’s a funny ad.

Click here to view the embedded video.