The difficult economic times are forcing many people to fall prey to foreclosure. The foreclosure quagmire continues and this has opened a lot of opportunities for people to step into the real estate market and walk away with a great deal, especially in the more desirable places like Miami. While the national foreclosure rate slipped a bit, the greater Miami area continues to be plagued by a rising number of foreclosures. In fact as of the first quarter of the year, there were 40,598 foreclosures in the city. In addition, the Miami metropolitan area has the country’s 10th-highest foreclosure rate, with 3.89 percent of homes receiving a notice during the first half of the year.

Properties facing foreclosure in Miami have considerably pushed down home prices over the last five years. Roughly five years ago, the sales price median hit $351,000. To date, over 67 percent of the 41,000 previously owned properties on the market went on sale below $250,000. In a seemingly desperate push to attract buyers, home sellers in Miami are cutting prices by as much as 10 percent. This has made Miami homes the second highest number of price-reduced homes available for sale across the U.S. So it’s definitely a good time to consider buying a foreclosed home in this prime area.

As more and more Miami homeowners fall into the foreclosure process, homebuyers and investors are using it as an opportunity to own a property in this urban growt at great discounted prices. What was once regarded as among the least affordable cities in the United States, Miami foreclosures have made the city a home for all economic groups of people. The foreclosures continue and according to recent findings from various real estate companies in Miami. This has prompted enterprising minds to start up businesses on the back of this foreclosure boom, with the apartments as a primary goal. The concept is to acquire Miami condos while the prices are low and then resell at market rate or make the necessary repairs, fix up the place and then bring it on the market at its refurbished state at the new market rate.

A Miami condo realtor or a professional real estate agent can help you through the process so you can make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a foreclosed condo unit. You can also check online foreclosure listings, but you will still need the services of a real estate agent that knows the area, as this simplifies and expedites the entire process. For less experienced buyers, it may be a good idea to go with bank-owned condos as this is a relatively safe way to take advantage of the market. Still, having a seasoned agent is the best way to get the best deal on a Miami condo.

Golfers love to choose Florida for golf vacations. But while they often flock to places like Orlando, golfers often forget that Miami, Florida is also a world-class golf package destination.

There is no denying that the area has great restaurants, non-stop nightlife, and beautiful beaches but there are also world-class golf courses. The following article points you to some of the great golf courses you should play while visiting this South Florida vacation destination.

One of the first Miami golf resorts that comes to mind is the Doral Resort & Spa. Doral and its golf courses has hosted many PGA TOUR events and LPGA events in recent years. Whether you tee it up on Doral’s Blue Monster, the Red Course, the Great White or Gold Course; you will enjoy golf at its finest and most challenging.

Another golf package must is the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club. The Fairmont Turnberry, a Mediterranean-style property set among 300 tropical acres, recently underwent a $100 million transformation. During this time world-famous golfer Raymond Floyd redesigned both championship courses completely. Both the Miller and Soffer courses are spectacular to observe and to play.

Crandon Park Golf Course of Key Biscayne is a short drive from downtown Miami and is the only public golf course in the area. This is another must-play to add to your golf vacation package. The course is longstanding-host of the Senior PGA Tour and in the past has been listed as a top ten course by Golfweek and mentioned by Golf Digest as one of America’s top 75 upscale courses.

These golf course alone are worth making sure to include South Florida to your golf destination to check-list. Think about avoiding the hot summer months unless you really want to score a agreement.

You may still have to keep an eye out for hurricanes in early Fall but the weather during in early Autumn, Winter and Spring seasons are a great time to visit Miami, Florida and play some rounds of golf.