Mack's Groves Closes

Another of Broward County's "landmark" businesses (opened in 1954) has closed their doors. Mack's Groves, which had two stores - one on the corner of A1A and Commercial Blvd. in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and another on Federal Hwy. in Pompano Beach was run by two sisters who decided it was time to retire. Mack's Groves is remembered by many who visited them as being one of those uniquely Floridian type of stores which started out selling oranges/orange juice and eventually added a variety of other products including home decor, clothing and souveniers. It will surely be missed.

Hurricane Supplies Sales Tax Holiday

This year Florida residents will have the opportunity to save money while stocking up on certain hurricane supplies in limited quantities. The hurricane supplies sales tax holiday runs from May 21 - June 1.

This is expected to encourage residents to become self-sufficient for the first 3 days following a hurricane. Governor Bush is pushing for a "culture of preparedness" so that Floridians can be better equipped to reduce hurricane damage and public dependency on the government's help in providing water, ice and other essentials.

Although this is the second year that the hurricane supply sales tax holiday is taking place, it will now become a permanent Florida holiday that will coincide with National Hurricane Preparedness Week.

Some notable improvements to the list of items that will be tax-free include the addition of carbon monoxide detectors (important to have when using a generator), storm shutters (up to a cost of $200 each, but does not include plywood), and an increase in the amount allowed for generators (double last year's tax break of $500 - now it's $1,000). Other items exempt from sales tax during the hurricane preparedness tax holiday include many types of batteries, flashlights, radios, tie-down kits, ice chests or coolers (except electrical coolers).

Free Annual Credit Report

Thanks to federal regulations, you can now get a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the top three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Simply go to AnnualCreditReport.com.

Remember that your credit report contains valuable information and experts recommend that you check them at least once a year. If you're thinking of buying any real estate in Broward County, it's important to check your credit reports as they sometimes have incorrect information on which mortgage lenders and credit card companies rely when deciding how much of a credit line to give you or even what interest rate to offer you. You may request your free credit report online, by phone, or through the mail. The site offers a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page which should answer any questions or concerns.

Articles for further reading:

• Five Reasons To Check Your Credit Report Regularly
• How To Inspect Your Credit Report
• Credit Report Errors Common, Costly
• Review Your Credit Report Before Your Lender Does

Local MLS Statistics for March 2006

The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale, of which I am a member, has released their March MLS Statistics:

New Listings:

• Single Family: 2,626
• Condo / Townhouse: 3,213

Available Inventory:

• Single Family: 8,109 - (11% over February)
• Condo / Townhouse: 10,570 - (11% over February)

Average Sale Price:

• Single Family: $483,560 (3% over February)
• Condo / Townhouse: $257,831 (-1% over February)

Median Sale Price*:

• Single Family: $375,000 (6% over February)
• Condo / Townhouse: $205,000 (-5% over February)

*The median sale price is the market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.