Finally, Some Good News for the Housing Market!

Reuters is reporting that home sales have seen the biggest gain since July, 2003, a 5.5% increase last month!

Read the full article on reuters.com:

http://www.reuters.com/article/gc03/idUSTRE49M5Q320081024?sp=true

Even though sales volume is up, prices, unfortunately, are still dropping and most likely will continue to do so until the large inventory of homes on the market bottoms out. We are seeing a huge increase in investors buying cheap, foreclosed homes. A sad and unfortunate way to decrease inventory.

We won't actually know when we've hit bottom until we've started back up, but hopefully this news is an indicator of good things to come.

- Mona

Children's Miracle Network & RE/MAX "Art Through the Eyes of A Child" Auction

Join Children’s Miracle Network for art and inspiration at the RE/MAX “Art Through the Eyes of a Child” Art Auction. The event will be held October 30th at the UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute. It will begin with a VIP reception at 5:30 p.m.; the main auction event begins at 6:30 p.m. and consists of both a live and silent auction. The unique artwork, all created by patients of Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, tells the story of hope and encouragement through the eyes of a child and is completed as a part of the Arts In Medicine program. Arts In Medicine promotes healing during activities using music, dance and the creative arts. Many of the Shands for Kids artists are children and adolescents waiting for organ transplants, undergoing dialysis treatments, or recovering from accident or trauma. Each item is accompanied by a powerful personal story of the pediatric patient and their motivation for creating the piece.

Many of the items will be created with this year’s theme “Up, Up and Away”. Large pieces such as a play house, rocking chair, toy chest and child-sized table and chairs will be painted by patients at Shands Children’s Hospital. Other items include canvas artwork framed by Central Florida Office Plus, and ceramics donated by Do Art. Since 2002, the children’s art auction has raised more than $300,000 for Children’s Miracle Network at Shands Children’s Hospital. All of the proceeds from the auction stay locally to fund life-saving medical equipment, pediatric research and a variety of programs, including the Arts In Medicine program. VIP tickets are $50 and general admission tickets are $35.