Sales of existing, single-family homes rose in Miami and West Palm Beach, but slid in Fort Lauderdale in May, according to statistics from Florida Realtors. At the same time, the median sales price in all three counties ticked up.

Existing home sales in Miami rose 22 percent, to 727 in May from 597 a year ago. The median price rose 1 percent, to $196,700 from $194,700.

Existing condo sales in Miami shot up 70 percent, to 972 in May from 571 the year before. But, the median price of a condo in Miami fell 10 percent, to $126,100 from $140,300, according to Florida Realtors’ data.

Existing home sales in Fort Lauderdale fell 6 percent, to 731 from 780 a year earlier. On the upside, the median price of an existing home rose 14 percent, to $216,400 from $190,000.

Condo sales fared better. Sales were up 21 percent in Fort Lauderdale, to 965 from 799 a year earlier. The median price rose 1 percent, to $81,500 from $80,400.

West Palm Beach home sales were up 20 percent, to 887 from 737. The median sales price rose 1 percent, to $235,200 from $232,900. Condo sales in West Palm Beach rose 30 percent, to 877 from 676 a year earlier. However, the median price of an existing condo dipped 7 percent, to $99,600 from $107,500.

Across the state, a variety of housing opportunities continues to be available at attractive prices, while mortgage interest rates remain historically low, according to 2010 Florida Realtors President Wendell Davis.

Statewide, sales of existing homes rose 18 percent in May, with 16,745 homes sold. That was up from 14,172 homes sold in May 2009. Condo sales rose 40 percent, year-over-year, statewide.

The statewide median price of an existing home was $140,400 in May, up $300 from April. The median price of a condo in Florida, however, fell 13 percent, to $98,700 from $113,500 a year ago.

Nationwide, existing home and condo sales fell. Home sales slipped 2.2 percent in May, while condo sales fell 6.8 percent.

The drop may not be bad news. Because of the second homebuyers' tax credit, realtors were trading off sales in the second half of 2010 for sales in the first half, noted Patrick Newport, a U.S. economist with IHS Global Insight. He said the drop implies that payback from the second homebuyers' tax credit will be smaller than that from the first tax credit.

A piece of good news is that prices are increasing nationwide. The median and average prices were both up compared with prices a year earlier. And average prices of single-family homes increased, year-over-year, in all four regions and in 16 of 20 cities surveyed. Rising home prices will reduce the number of homes that will fall into foreclosure, Newport noted in a news release.

Listing Price: $1,250/Month Furnished

Property Type: Condominium

1 Bed, 1 Bath, 690 Sq. Ft


Check all of your windows to make sure they open and close easily. If not, a spray of WD40 often helps. Make sure there are no cracked or broken windowpanes. If there are, replace them before you begin showing your home.

Do the same things with the doors – make sure they open and close properly, without creaking. If they do, a shot of WD40 on the hinges usually makes the creak go away. Be sure the doorknobs turn easily, and that they are cleaned and polished to look sharp. As buyers go from room to room, someone opens each door and you want to do everything necessary to create a positive impression.

Odor Control

For those who smoke, you might want to minimize smoking indoors while trying to sell your home. Actually, it is best to move smoking outside.  You could also purchase an ozone spray that helps to remove odors without creating a masking odor.

Apologies to pet owners, but pets come with odors.  You may have become used to them, but they are immediately noticeable to those with more finely tuned olfactory senses.

For those with cats, be sure to empty kitty litter boxes daily and use plenty of baking soda.  For dog owners, keep the dog outdoors as much as possible, even those adorable lovable little dogs. You might also try sprinkling carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic basis.

Check all the ceilings for water stains, whether the leak is caused by plumbing or a faulty roof. Find the leak and repair it and make sure a proper job is done. Nothing irritates a buyer more than finding out - after the fact - about plumbing or roofing leaks. They will be talking about calling a lawyer faster than your car engine starts when you turn the ignition key.

If a water stain is left after something you have already repaired, do the cosmetic work necessary to improve the desirability of your home. That means painting.

You may have to paint anyway, especially if dirt has accumulated in spots or you have an outdated color scheme. Painting makes a home look fresh and new on the inside and never fails to impress.

Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. It is not a very expensive operation and often you can do it yourself. Do not choose colors based on your own preferences, but based on what would appeal to the widest possible number of buyers. You should almost always choose an off-white color because white helps your rooms appear bright and spacious.

Carpet and Flooring

Unless your carpet appears old and worn, or it is definitely an outdated style or color, you probably should do nothing more than hire a good carpet cleaner. If you do choose to replace it, do so with something inexpensive in a fairly neutral color.

Repair or replace broken floor tiles, but do not spend a lot of money on anything. Remember, you are not fixing up the place for yourself. You want to move. Your goal is simply to have few negative impressions upon those who may want to purchase your property.



Do not do anything expensive, such as remodeling. If possible, use savings to pay for any repairs and improvements – do not go charging up credit cards or obtaining new loans. Remember that part of selling a house is also preparing to buy your next home. You do not want to do anything that will affect your credit scores or hurt your ability to qualify for your next mortgage.

Pkumbing and Fixtures

When looking at a house, prospective home buyers often do not really know what to do. So they play with things. They flick light switches. They open everything with a handle. They turn on all the faucets and flush all the toilets. Having nice shiny fixtures makes an impression.

All your sink fixtures should look shiny and new. If this cannot be accomplished by cleaning, buy new ones. If you don’t buy something fancy, this can be accomplished inexpensively. Make sure all the hot and cold water knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. If they do, replace the washers.

It sounds like hard work, but it's pretty easy -- even for the inexperienced.

Check to make sure you have good water pressure and that there are no stains on any of the porcelain. If you have a difficult stain to remove, one trick is to hire a cleaning crew to go through and clean your home on a one-time basis. They seem to be wonderful at making stains go away.

Costs of Repairs

Do not do anything expensive, such as remodeling. If possible, use savings to pay for any repairs and improvements – do not go charging up credit cards or obtaining new loans. Remember that part of selling a house is also preparing to buy your next home. You do not want to do anything that will affect your credit scores or hurt your ability to qualify for your next mortgage.

Plumbing and Fixtures

When looking at a house

All your sink fixtures should look shiny and new. If this cannot be accomplished by cleaning, buy new ones. If you don’t buy something fancy, this can be accomplished inexpensively. Make sure all the hot and cold water knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. If they do, replace the washers.

It sounds like hard work, but it's pretty easy -- even for the inexperienced.

Check to make sure you have good water pressure and that there are no stains on any of the porcelain. If you have a difficult stain to remove, one trick is to hire a cleaning crew to go through and clean your home on a one-time basis. They seem to be wonderful at making stains go away.



First, get everything off the counters. Everything. Even the toaster. Put the toaster in a cabinet and take it out when you use it. Find a place where you can store everything in cabinets and drawers. Of course, you may notice that you do not have cabinet space to put everything. Clean them out. The dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used? Put them in a box and put that box in storage.

You see, homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their "stuff." If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much "empty space" as possible.

For that reason, if you have a "junk drawer," get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer. Create open space.

If you have a large amount of foodstuffs crammed into the shelves or pantry, begin using them – especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don’t want to be lugging them to a new house, anyway – or paying a mover to do so. Let what you have on the shelves determine your menus and use up as much as you can.

Beneath the sink is very critical, too. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible, removing all extra cleaning supplies. You should scrub the area down as well, and determine if there are any tell-tale signs of water leaks that may cause a homebuyer to hesitate in buying your home.



Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.  You want as much open clear space as possible, so every extra little thing needs to be cleared away.

Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting defensive. Let your agent help you, too.



There may be "personality" - but no person.

The reason you want to make your home "anonymous" is because you want buyers to view it as their potential home. When a potential homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall, it puts your own brand on the home and momentarily shatters their illusions about living in the house themselves.

Put away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Put them in a box. Rent a storage area for a few months and put the box in the storage unit.

Do not just put the box in the attic, basement, garage or a closet. Part of preparing a house for sale