Jacksonville Beaches Real Estate

Is it just me, or is this Christmas here to soon? I'm just not ready for it yet. It could have something to do with the fact that it's going to be 83 degrees tomorrow. Somehow, 83 degrees and Christmas just don't seem like a good match! How can we get past this heat?!?!? The real estate market remains hot too. I got another short sale listing today. Another investor owned property that would be a really good buy for someone. There still seems to be a lot of activity out in the market. Lots of buyers trying to take advantage of the First Time Buyer tax credit. Lots of buyers trying to take advantage of the foreclosures on the market as well as the short sales. Interest rates dropped so low last week that they are the LOWEST THEY'VE EVER BEEN!! Wow! At one point they were just above 4%. That's amazing! What are you waiting for? If you've been thinking about buying a house...NOW is the time to act! In the meantime, I hope the weather cools off, but not the marke...

If you've been thinking about buying a house, let's do it now and get you moved in before Santa gets here! The First Time Buyer Tax Credit is alive and well! There's even a new $6500 Tax Credit for people that sell their house and buy another one! Wow! It doesn't get any better than this! Call me today and let's get busy and find your dream home.

Congress Passes Homebuyer Tax Credit Posted By Steve Cook On November 5, 2009 @ 3:31 pm In Beyond Today's News, Crisis Programs | No Comments After the Senate gave final approval last night without a dissenting vote, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly this afternoon to pass legislation containing an extension and expansion of the homebuyer tax credit, completing Congressional action and sending the tax credit to President Obama for his signature, possibly as early as tomorrow. The $8,000 homebuyer tax credit for first-time buyers, due to expire in 25 days, will be extended through April 30 of next year and buyers will have an additional two months, until the end of June, to close. First-time buyers who are in process of making a purchase will no longer need to worry about qualifying for the $8,000 credit if they close after the November 30 deadline. The new legislation increases the income limit for couples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase abov...

Once again it's time for me to repost the scariest real estate story ever! It's become an annual tradition to repost this article. I call it my "List Em and Leave Em" post. Don't let this happen to you! The names have been changed to protect the slackers and the victims... I continually hear people say that their realtor bugged them for weeks to get them to list their house with them. They finally agreed to list it and they never saw the REALTOR again!! I'm not exaggerating! Check out this story.... New example of a "list em and leave em" real estate company Wednesday, May 02, 2007JANESVILLE, Wis. - A couple checking out a house for sale were shocked to discover the 55-year-old homeowner dead in her bed. Authorities said foul play was not suspected. Real estate agent Linda stood in the dining room while Justin and Colleen walked through a house Monday night. Before long, she heard Colleen scream."I thought, 'What's wrong?' Maybe i...

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The number of short sales in the Jacksonville market continue to increase while the number of REO homes seems to be decreasing. There are a lot of foreclosed homes (REO) that are being sold for MORE THAN ASKING PRICE with multiple offers! There are often more than a dozen offers on a foreclosed home that is in good condition. The short sale market is absolutely dead at the moment. In order for a First Time Buyer to purchase a short sale, they should have placed their offer MONTHS ago! Short sales are taking 5-6 months to get to closing so they're not a good option for a First Timer trying to meet the November 30th deadline for closing. As the homes that have been on the market continue to sit there, more and more of them are becoming short sales as the price has to be reduced. The price drops and the status of the home becomes a short sale. It's brutal out there right now for SELLERS and it's GREAT out there for buyers! Interest rates are approaching historic lows and the...

This is a quick overview of the Jacksonville Market. Call me today and let's see if we can get you into a home before the Tax Credit expires.

This is a post written by a REALTOR in South Florida that explains the way a short sale and loan modification works. It's easy to understand and makes it all a little clearer. Worth the read! Is Your Short Sale or Loan Modification Being Turned Down? Has your short sale or loan modification been turned down and you have no idea why? Let's examine some of the reasons. These reasons may not make you feel any better or maybe they are just excuses by your lender, however there are a few things you may not even know about your loan. Let's say that you make your mortgage payment to Wells Fargo. You can no longer handle your payments so you ask Wells Fargo to modify your loan- to do a loan modification for you. You are behind in your payments. You are in fact, in foreclosure but you are still living in your home and the judge in your case has not ordered the sale of your home at auction yet. You are scared. You see your neighbors losing their homes all around you. You are hopeful...

If they don't extend the November 30th deadline for first time buyers to get the tax credit--- you're too late !!! Short sales are consistently taking 3-6 months to close so you've waited too long. I predict they will extend the deadline, but you just can't count on that for one minute. If you're looking for a really good bargain in todays market, stick with foreclosed homes. They can close in 30 days or less. You can USUALLY get a response from the lender on your offer in 24-36 hours. Please note that there are multiple offers now on the nicer houses. I've heard that some homes have as many as 2 dozen offers!! In today's market, it's probably better to start out with your highest and best offer right from the "get-go". That way, if you really love the house, you'll know if you're in the game. With the number of offers being thrown on the table, you need to try to make yours the best! Call or email me today for a list of foreclosures i...

The $8000 Tax Credit, as currently written, expires on November 30th. If you've been considering buying a short sale, you might be too late! They have consistently taken 90-120 to close and with that in mind, you need to write a contract TODAY! Of course, there are a few weird exceptions that have closed in 60 days, but for the most part, a 90 day minimum is the norm. Please don't wait! There is a chance they may extend the credit and I hope they do! It's keeping the real estate market alive right now. BUT. There's just no guarantee that they will. If you have a short sale in mind; if you like it, you'd better make an offer right away in order to beat the deadline. Call me today for more information about buying a short sale and about how you might qualify for up to $35,000 of bond money!

Okay people. If you're a first time buyer you need to WAKE UP and call me. TODAY! For a very limited time in addition to the FEDERAL TAX CREDIT being offered -- you can get an ADDITIONAL $8000 from the City of Jacksonville by way of the City of Jacksonville Dept of Housing and Neighborhoods. Did you hear that? An ADDITIONAL $8,000 to use as a down paymnent OR closing costs or both. In addition to this money ($16,000), you might be able to get up to $25,000 in bond money and first time buyer assistance!! What are you waiting for?? Call me today! The money available to Duval county residents is being given out on a first come, first served basis. Call me today to get the process started before it's too late! Hurry!!

I just had to share this story. My buyers and I found a fabulous house on Monday afternoon. We wrote up an offer for the lender and sent it to the listing agent. This is a bank owned, foreclosed home that has only been on the market for 10 days. Would you believe that we got a counter offer from the lender THE VERY NEXT MORNING ? We couldn't believe it! We immediately countered and sure enough, before noon the next day--we had a counter to our counter!! And then, phooeey. The weekend got here so they gave us until noon Monday to sign the counter to our counter offer! Guess what? We're going to counter again ! We are so close! I think we may wrap it up by Tuesday at lunch. I still can't believe the fast response. We still have a few "issues" we have to work out with them, but I'm confident they'll see the value of the offer we're presenting to them. FORGET SHORT SALES . They can take (literally) 4-6 months to even get a response to your offe...

Here I sit in a vacant house...waiting for prospects to stop by. I have iced down some bottled waters, I have a wonderful platter of cookies from the Publix bakery, Diet Cokes, Sprite and even the proverbial hard candy bowl!! Only one thing is missing: visitors! I will have to admit that it's about 99 degrees outside and the humidity is around 110%; but still! WHERE ARE THE "LOOKERS". I thought surely I'd at least have a nosy neighbor or two...you always get a few of those. Nope. I guess it's even too hot for them! This is a cream puff!If you know of anyone looking for a pool home in Arlington in the low 120's--please send them my way. Wait! Here come some lookers!! Better close up the old lap top and get to work! I have a contract sitting on the counter top...just in case! Open Houses just don't work anymore I guess. REALTORS have always said that, but sellers don't believe us. Oh well. Jus doin my job...right? Maybe those nay sayers are all...

Florida: Like California, home sales are up, and so are foreclosures and defaults. For the eighth month in a row, existing home sales rose--18%--in April, with existing condo sales up too--21%, according to Florida Association of Realtors’ numbers. The state, along with California, Arizona, and Nevada, powers the nation’s foreclosure abyss--10.6% of the mortgages in Florida are “somewhere in the process of foreclosure,” according to the Mortgage Bankers’ newest Delinquency Survey. This info from Florida Assoc of Realtors site. This just means that we're nearing "the bottom". These new and improved, lower prices will be around for a while and once the "distressed homes" are sold-- prices will begin to increase again. Buy now while the prices are low and interest rates are low. With all of the bailouts and now the proposed National Healthcare System looming...inflation will hit us next. The days of very high interest rates aren't too far off. How else can ...

Oh my gosh. I think I'm making believers out of my buyers these days! I'm NOT using car salesmen tricks by saying "you better buy it now or it'll be gone". Read my lips: you better put an offer on it or it will be gone!! I kid you not. That's how hot the Jacksonville market is right now. First time buyers are gobbling up the houses in the 100-185,000 price range like I can't even believe. This is a hot, hot price range and the inventory is there to give everyone lots of choices. The $8000 credit towards closing costs is really going to help a LOT. Call me today and let's go find one of these bargains for YOU!

Wow! Things have gone crazy in this market! The investors are fighting with the "normal buyers" and the "normal buyers" are coming out of the wood work! I guess it's the $8000 carrot that the Feds are dangling in front of the buyers noses! I am working with 4 different buyers. Let me say that again...I am working with FOUR buyers! These are preapproved, bonafide, ready to buy buyers! And just to add a little icing on the cake, they are the sweetest, nicest, funnest buyers I've ever worked with! Dare I say it? Oh what the heck: we are having fun ! There are so many "bargains" out there right now it's amazing. The prices are HOT HOT HOT ! Someone call the fire department! The Jacksonville real estate market is on fi-ya! Call me today and I'll find you a sweet deal too!

Hurry! If you've been watching the market, waiting for just the right time to jump in--- now is the time!! Short sales are the name of the game. There are a bazillion of them on the market right now and lenders seem to be getting their act together. I have partnered with one of Jacksonville's finest real estate attorneys, David Heekin, to ensure that my buyers AND my sellers are protected and under the watchful eye of an attorney. There are so many legal ramifications of a short sale that I just felt like it would be a good investment for my clients to have peace of mind throughout the entire process. David is involved from day one. Put us to work for you today before all of the bargains are snatched up.

The number of houses that are now pending in MLS is AMAZING ! I am blown away by the increase in business in our market. The number of REO's (bank owned--foreclosed homes) on the market is increasing too. I was shocked to revisit a search I did the first week in April on the Westside of town. Out of 11 homes that had been "active" at the time, 9 are now "pending". Wow! Now keep in mind, these are low priced homes ($100,000 or less) but they are an indication of the increase in sales. A lot of these homes are being purchased by investors. That's okay! We HAVE to get these homes off the market so the rebuilding process can begin. As long as these properties continue to bring the entire market value down, we're destined to stay in this declining market. I celebrate every single sell of a short sale or REO property in the Jacksonville market! That's one less low priced home that's keeping the price of every home nearby low.

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News from Florida Assoc of Realtors is a mixed bag, to say the least! Sales are way up--with prices WAY down. At least some of the inventory is "going away". There have been lots of sales because of all of the foreclosed properties and short sales. That's okay if you're a buyer....not so good if you're trying to sell your home right now. It's all about PRICE in this market. If you're a seller, you're competing with dirt cheap houses all around you. Now, more than ever, if your home isn't priced right, it's not going to sell. Pure and simple. Here's a little bit of what the experts have to say about this crazy market... ...“Many people are looking at today’s market and seeing opportunities to find the home or business they’ve always wanted,” said 2009 FAR President Cynthia Shelton. “With a range of available housing options, historically low mortgage interest rates and affordable prices, buyers who may have been hesitant before shoul...

Overall home values in Northeast Florida fell 11.6 percent in 2008, according to the latest data from Zillow.com. Median home sale values fell to $163,800, compared to the market peak of more than $210,000 in mid-2006, with nearly 30 percent of all homes selling at a loss . Single-family home values fell 11.2 percent, while condo values fell 17.3 percent. Nationwide, home values fell for the eighth consecutive quarter, declining 11.6 percent to $192,119. That means homeowners lost a cumulative $3.3 trillion in home values during 2008, with $1.4 trillion of it coming in the fourth quarter. It could be worse! We could be in South Florida where the value dropped 23.5% in 2008. Condo prices dropped 23.9%. It's been reported that more than 34.5% of those homes sold at a loss. Obama had better do SOMETHING to stimulate the building industry, free up mortgage money and make credit available to buyers or we are going to be in VERY SERIOUS condition in a very short time! Let's not sp...

The number of foreclosures continue to increase in the Jacksonville area. Several different auctions are held at least once a month and these tend to clear out large numbers of homes in one afternoon.You can even buy foreclosures online! Lots of empty, foreclosed homes continue to sit in many neighborhoods creating eyesores and in some cases, a safety hazzard. The upcoming bail out package has GOT to include some relief from this foreclosure nightmare! I think if they would lower the interest rates down to around 3.5%---we'd have buyers coming out of the woodwork! And why not? There are lots of good deals out there. I've decided NOT to work with short sales for a while. The time involved and the disaster that often befalls the poor buyer, has made me rethink this market entirely. As my short sale listings expire, I refer them to another agent. I just don't think they're fair to the buyers OR the sellers. They often take so long, the house ends up in foreclosure be...

Great news concerning renters of foreclosed properties! I have been complaining and worrying about these tenants for months! I am so relieved that SOMETHING is finally being done. I hope they follow through with all of this and really protect these families caught in the foreclosure mess. This is not fair to the tenants that have been paying their rent and playing by the rules. Please see the article below from the Florida Association of Realtors site today: Fannie Mae bans evictions of renters WASHINGTON – Jan. 14, 2009 – Mortgage finance company Fannie Mae said Tuesday it has adopted a policy allowing renters to remain in their homes even if their landlord enters foreclosure. The new policy will allow residents of about 4,000 properties to sign new leases with Fannie while the property is up for sale. Michael Williams, Fannie Mae’s chief operating officer, said in a statement that the change should “help bring a measure of stability to communities impacted by high foreclosure rat...

Great Article on Selling Your Home by Anonymous (I read it online and loved it! Started following other links and never got back to the article!) Enjoy the read. IT IS SO TRUE! Selling a home in a declining market starts with a proper attitude and finding the right Realtor® who is optimistic and knows the right sales techniques in this tough market. Even though most people and economists are down on the housing market (feel it is depressed, that the economic recovery isn't going to happen in the next few months, and consumer confidence is down), it doesn't mean that you can't sell your home. The truth of the matter is many people will sell their homes between now and this summer. While many sellers and real estate agents take a reactive approach to market conditions, those sellers who take a more proactive and realistic approach to the market will be the ones who sell their homes. These are the sellers who take advantage of this market and move up to their dream home! Firs...