Jacksonville Townhome For Sale

Short Sales in Jacksonville

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!

Jacksonville First Time Buyers

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!!

Jacksonville REO Market

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 offer! I've decided that foreclosed properties are the way to go.

Call me today and I'll find you a foreclosed home to look at too! We can probably close in 30 days or less!

Jacksonville Open House Blues

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 wrong! I'll know soon...

First Time Buyers: call me for info on getting $35,000 in down payment assistance!

Jacksonville Real Estate Market Update

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 we pay for all of the government spending?

Don't delay. Buy today.

Give me a call or send me an email and put me to work for YOU!!

Jacksonville Home Search

What do you mean the house is sold?

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!

Jacksonville Market Is On Fire!

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!

Jacksonville Homes For Sale

Short Sales Are The Name of The Game!

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.

Jacksonville Short Sales

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.

Neptune Beach Home For Sale

Jacksonville Area Homes For Sale

Call me today!

N st Johns County Home For Sale

FL Market Out of Control!

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 should take a closer look at the current opportunities for homeownership. As real estate professionals who know all aspects of their local market conditions, Florida Realtors are here to help counsel consumers making sound long-term decisions for their homes and their businesses.”

..."NAR’s latest housing outlook shows that home prices continue to fall, but also notes a trend of increasing sales activity in the Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada markets. “It appears some buyers are taking advantage of much lower home prices,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “The higher monthly sales gain and falling inventory are steps in the right direction, but buyers will continue to have an edge over sellers for the foreseeable future.”

TRANSLATION: Buyers market! Are you thinking of buying a home? Do you know you can get up to $35,000 in firt time buyer assistance? Do you know that you get a $8000 Tax Credit if you buy in 2009? Good grief! What are you waiting for???

Call me today and let's get out there and find YOU a bargain!

Jacksonville Home Prices Decline

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 spend Federal dollars on a "wish list" of things that won't do a thing for the Real Estate/Construction industry. Until these industries are back up and running, not much can be done about this economy.

Foreclosure Rates Continue to Rise

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 before the buyer can get to closing. All because the lender took forever! When the lenders get their act together, I'm jumping right back in! Until then, I think I'll pass on short sales.

I like selling REO properties. These are homes that have already been foreclosed on and are bank owned. REO stands for "Real Estate Owned" by the bank. A buyer can make an offer, submit it to the listing agent, get an answer in 12 hours and you can close in 30 days or less!! The buyer can get a FANTASTIC deal on these foreclosures! The bank does NOT want to be in the real estate business! They just want the property and the headaches to GO AWAY. The low prices being accepted are amazing!

Call me today and I'll send you info on foreclosures in the Jacksonville area.

North Jacksonville Townhome For Sale $99,900

Help For Renters Living in Foreclosed Homes

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 rates.”

Fannie Mae had indicated last month that it was planning to do so. Sibling mortgage financier Freddie Mac is working on a similar policy, company spokesman Brad German said.

But Amy Marx, an attorney with New Haven Legal Assistance in Connecticut, said Freddie Mac has not been responsive to requests that it do the same, and has continued with evictions of renters in recent weeks.

“We are thrilled that Fannie Mae has done the right thing,” she said. “Our hope that Freddie Mac will follow their lead.”

New Haven Legal Assistance and two other legal aid organizations in Connecticut represent seven tenants facing eviction on properties whose loans are held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The legal groups argue that financial bailout legislation passed in October requires the companies allow tenants to remain in their homes.

Some households, Marx said, haven’t been notified of Fannie Mae’s policy change by the real estate agents charged with selling the properties.

Fannie and Freddie said last week they will extend a suspension of foreclosure sales and evictions from single-family homes through the end of January. The companies had suspended foreclosures through the holidays.

The government-controlled home loan giants say the extension will allow borrowers facing foreclosure to keep their homes as they work to modify more loans.

Washington-based Fannie Mae and McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac own or guarantee around half of the $10.6 trillion in U.S. outstanding home loan debt.

The pair were taken over by the government in September and placed in a conservatorship after mounting mortgage losses put them in distress that was a prelude to the broader financial crisis that hit Wall Street last year.