UPDATE! Silence of the Lambs house still available!

You may find the fact that the "Silence of the Lambs" house is still available to purchase, is almost as shocking as the (fake) crimes committed inside.  Who wouldn't love to live in a house with such a infamous stigma attached to it?  To read the whole story of what's going on with the sale of this PA home, go here.

Looking in Florida?

I know a lot of people here in WNY like to "snow bird" part of the year down in Florida.  For those of you interested, I just found a quaint little place down in Palm Beach County.  This home sits on 15.7 acres and has 1,200 feet of ocean frontage.  The home on the property has a modest 33 bedrooms.  Asking price is $195,000,000.  Since I'm not licensed in FL, I can't actually sell you this property myself, but I can always get you set in the right direction and make sure you have proper representation to facilitate the transaction.  To learn More about the property, see the links below:

Palm Beach Post

Realtor.com

How To Speak Realtor®

AVAIL LUX TOWN COND GOOD 3/2 HDWD WIC FDR GRNT APPL DW W/D CAC FRPLC (NRTC) PAT ASRSV ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

If you've ever picked up a paper listing homes for sale, you've probably noticed some pretty strange and confusing abbreviations.  Some agents find it necessary because they have such a small space in print ads to describe a house, but what good is an abbreviation if the reader can't understand it.   Heck, I'm an agent and I don't even know what half of these mean.  Here is a list of 116 commonly used abbreviations used by realtors in their listing descriptions:

• AC – Air Conditioning
• APPL – Appliances
• APPT – Apartment
• ASRSV – Assigned Parking
• AVAIL – Available
• BA – Bathroom or Bath
• BALC – Balcony
• BCHFRNT – Beachfront
• BLDG – Building
• BSMT – Basement
• BTH – Bathroom
• CAC – Central Air Conditioning
• CBL – Cable
• CEIL – Ceiling
• CEN – Central Air Conditioning
• CFAN – Ceiling Fan
• CONC – Concierge
• COND – Condition
• CONT – Contemporary
• CRPT – Carpet
• CTY – City
• CVAC – Central Vacuum
• DEC – Decorative

• DEP – Deposit
• DCK – Deck
• DK – Deck
• DPLX – Duplex
• DR – Dining Room
• DRY – Dryer
• DSP – Garbage Disposal
• DW – Dishwasher
• EIK – Eat-in Kitchen
• ELEV – Elevator
• FDR – Formal Dining Room
• FIX – Fixtures
• FOYR – Foyer
• FRPLC – Fireplace
• FSBO – For Sale By Owner
• FT CTR – Fitness Center
• FURN – Furnished
• GAR – Garage
• GDN – Garden
• GRNT – Granite
• HB – Half bath
• HDWD – Hardwood (floors)
• HRWD – Hardwood (floors)
• HSE – House
• HW – Hot Water
• HVAC – Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning
• INCL – Included
• INLW – In-law unit
• LFT – Loft
• LNDRY – Laundry
• LOC – Location
• LSE – Lease
• LUX – Luxury
• MRBL – Marble
• MINT – Mint Condition
• MIN – Minimum
• MOD – Modern
• MICRO – Microwave
• NBHD – Neighborhood
• NGS – Natural Gas
• NR – Near
• OFC – Office
• PAN – Pantry
• PAT – Patio
• PKG – Parking
• PRIV – Private
• PRTL – Partial
• REC – Recreation Room or Center
• REFRG – Refrigerator
• RENO – Renovated
• REQ – Required
• RM – Room
• RNGE – Range
• RTO – Rent to Own
• SAT – Satellite
• SF – Square Feet
• SHWR – Shower
• SKY – Skylight
• SPAC – Spacious
• SQFT – Square Feet
• S/S – Stainless Steel
• STU – Studio
• TERR – Terrace
• TOWN – Town House
• TRAD – Traditional
• TRPLX – Triplex
• UNO – Unit Number
• UPSTRS – Upstairs
• UTILS – Utilities
• VU – View
• VW – View
• WAT – Water
• W/D – Washer/Dryer
• W/I – Walk-in
• WIC – Walk-in Closet
• WIND – Window
• WLKP – Walkup
• YD – Yard

Real Estate Agent Abbreviations

• ABR – Accredited Buyer's Representative
• ALC – Accredited Land Consultant
• CCIM – Certified Commercial Investment Member
• CIPS – Certified International Property Specialist
• CPM – Certified Property Manager
• CRB – Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager
• CRS – Certified Residential Specialist
• GAA – General Accredited Appraiser
• GREEN – NAR Green Home Specialist
• GRI – Graduate of REALTOR® Institute
• MRP – Military Relocation Professional
• RAA – Residential Accredited Appraiser
• RSPS – Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist
• SRS – Seller Representative Specialist
• SRES – Seniors Real Estate Specialist

If you know of one that's not on this list (I'm sure there are many) drop me a line and I'll include it.  To see the original blog post at point2.com, click here.

Buy Buffalo Bill's House!!!

No, not "The Ralph"!  The home where the fictitious Buffalo Bill did all of his dirty work in "Silence of the Lambs" is now up for sale.  The home is in the small town of Layton, Pennsylvania and was originally listed for $300,000.  Quite a bargain if you're into the macabre.  To see the complete article originally posted by NBC News, go here.

Best Places To Retire For $100 A Day

Everybody dreams of one day having to work no more.  To finally not have to do the daily grind of 9-to-5 is what we save up in our retirement accounts for.  Once finally retired, we will want to spend as little of our saving as possible.  Recently usnews.com rated the "10 Best Places To Retire On $100 A Day".  Go to their website to see if you agree with what they found.

http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2015/10/13/10-best-places-to-retire-on-100-a-day

Image courtesy usnews.com

Credit Score SCAMS!

Even if you're not currently looking for a mortgage, it's always a good idea to keep your eyes open to what scammers & crooks are up to.  Cyber-thieves are attempting to get your financial information by posing as "help".  They tell you that your account has been compromised and offer to "fix" the problem.  Listed below are three ways they go about their craft:

1. Disputing credit with credit bureaus

2. Falsely claiming identity theft

3. Misusing credit protection numbers.

To read a full description of what these tactics are and what to do to protect yourself, go to the source article at housingwire.com:

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/35551

Renaissance Painter's Home Up For Grabs

Connoisseurs of fine art might want to go all in on the latest home for sale in Tuscany.  The home of renaissance master Michelangelo is being offered for just over $8 million.  The artist bought the home in 1549 and kept it until his death 1564.  For more, read the articles at Domain and Swide.