Jacksonville Beaches Real Estate

Okay First Time Buyers out there. You have 41 days left before the Tax Credit ends! That may seem like a long time but trust me--by the time we look at lots of houses, we'll need every single one of those weekends to go look.That will be FIVE weekends to be exact! Not very many. There continues to be more activity in the 125-175 dollar price range. There are even rumors of multiple offers. It seems like all of the buyers are looking in the exact same price range and in the same areas! Please don't wait too long. Time is running out. Don't miss this opportunity to get a $8000 Tax Credit. Call me today and let's get busy!

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 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...

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.

In the spirit of Halloween... This is a post worth repeating: 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 Chabucos-Galow stood in the dining room while Justin and Colleen McKeen walked through a house Monday night. Before long, she heard Colleen McKeen scream."I thought, 'What's wrong?' Maybe it was a dead mouse or something," Chabucos-Galow said.But then she peered into the bedroom and saw the body of Linda L. O'Leary. An autopsy determined O'Leary had been dead for two to three weeks, Rock Cou...

The developments in the finance and mortgage world come as no real surprise to those of us in the trenches. Currently there are 15,000 homes on the market in Jacksonville and of those, 20% are distressed sells. I define a distress sell as either a preforeclosure, short sale, or REO property. A REO property is owned by the bank and has already had all foreclosure proceedings completed. There are 2604 condos listed in MLS and 13% of those are distressed properties. It didn't take an MBA from Harvard to know that something had to give. When buyers can't get financing--Realtors are out of business. When lenders require a credit score of 720 and at least 20% down--Realtors are out of business. When homes drop by 15-20% in value in 6 months--Realtors are out of business. I now have 5 short sale listings. They are located all over town! I think that this is why I really got into Real Estate. I am trying to help alleviate the pain and pressure that a homeowner suffers through whe...