According to U.S. Census data, home ownership across the country has fallen since the record first quarter of 2005, and real estate agents across the country are trying to find a way to improve those numbers.

The Florida Association of Realtors is joining real estate professionals across the country in recognizing June as National Homeownership month. In a press release, 2006 FAR president Mike Dooley said that Florida's home ownership rate of 72.4% in 2005 represented a record high level, but there is still a great opportunity to help more people have a home to call their own.

As part of National Homeownership Month, real estate agents are encouraged to sponsor activities including financial counseling and homebuyer fairs. The first owners at Chicago-based MCZ/Centrum Development's Serenata-Sarasota condominiums have closed on their new homes. Located near the intersection of University Parkway and Tuttle Road, Serenata-Sarasota has 240 units with prices beginning in the $200,000s.

Turner Tree and Landscape were chosen by Lake Club at Lakewood Ranch as the official landscape artists for the new community. Darrell Turner, president and chief executive officer of Turner Tree and Landscape, has worked with Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch from the beginning and is looking forward to the opportunity to design landscaping for the 1,500-acre community. The Lake Club will be a fully gated community just east of the Country Club at Lakewood Ranch.

With the addition of four new agents, Lakewood Ranch Realty continues to grow. Milt Flinn, president of Lakewood Ranch Realty, recently welcomed agents Bob Bronston, Noreen Savinsky, Katie Klomp and Jan Cunningham. All four agents joined the company last month and have previous experience in real estate. Savinsky is a Lakewood Ranch resident who comes to the company from Coldwell Banker and has more than 15 years sales and marketing experience. Klomp was previously with Prudential Florida WCI Realty and is a top-producing agent.

Prudential Palms Realty introduced the Value-Priced Property Program in an attempt to try to draw in prospective homebuyers who may have been reluctant to purchase due to inflated prices. Sellers who choose to participate will have their property pre-inspected and pre-appraised in order to determine the pricing, which will be at or below the appraised value. o Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate's parent company, NRT Inc., has teamed with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition to promote fair housing practices for sales associates and consumers. NRT will examine current practices and implement additional policies where appropriate. NCRC was formed in 1990 to help encourage community reinvestment and activism as well as protect traditionally vulnerable populations.

By M. Sese
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