Jacksonville Beaches Real Estate

You can find great local Jacksonville, Florida real estate information on Localism.com Ronda Densford, REALTOR is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.

I have been trying to research the subject of foreclosures in the Jacksonville area. It's really sad. Depending on exactly what search criteria I use, the average number is somewhere in the neighborhood of 1300 homes. This does not include Condos. There are approximately 100 of those. These homes are either in some stage of preforeclosure, have already been foreclosed on and are now owned by the lender, or they are currently offered on the market as a short sale. I think that the community of Realtors needs to figure out how we can HELP these people that still have a chance to keep their homes. There are a whole lot more people that are just one late payment away from getting into arrears on their home loan. These are the folks we need to concentrate our energy on. There is hope! If you are in trouble, please read the following tips taken straight from the HUD web site. This will keep you out of trouble! If you are unable to make your mortgage payment : 1. Don't ignore the prob...

Here is the "official definition" of a short sale Qualifications for a Short Sale Before you eagerly climb aboard the short sale bandwagon, consider the following to determine whether you may qualify for a short sale. If you cannot answer yes to all four requirements, you may not qualify for a short sale. The Home's Market Value Has Dropped. Comparable sales must show that the home is worth less than the balance due the lender. This unpaid balance may include a prepayment penalty. Have your Realtor do a CMA or BPO on the house to be sure. A Realtor will do a CMA for free. Some lenders might require a appraisal. The Mortgage is in Default. A lender will not consider a short sale if the payments are current. As long as the lender is receiving timely payments, the lender is satisfied. You should probably be 60-90 days late on the mortgage payments. Please contact your lender direct to see if they will work with you to get the payments current. Some are being more helpful...

I attended a 3 hour seminar today about the Short Sales opportunities we now have in the Jackonville market. There are SO MANY of them on the market! I found out that not all "upside down" homes are true short sales. The criteria is very clear on what qualifies as a short sale. The seller must a) be insolvent with NO ASSETS (no IRA, no 401K, car paid for car, no boat NOTHING of value. b) must be behind on the payments (60-90 days) c) mortgage balance must be higher than actual market value d)Seller didn't cause the problem that caused the issue (medical bills, act of nature etc). Wow. That's not quite what I thought a short sale was. I thought if you were upside down, and you wanted the bank to take less than you owed; you were a short sale. Wrong. The guidelines are very clear. Are you facing troubled times with your mortgage? There is help out there. I have contact numbers for several agencies that can help. Please call me before the situation gets any worse. The fu...

Once again, the interest rates have begun to creep back up. Now is the time to lock in your rate and BUY A HOUSE! My seller at 12641 Ashglen Drive N is entertaining offers. This home is the least expensive home in the South Kernan Blvd area. Priced at $199,900.

This condo is being sold for 219K. Fully furnished, right down to the linens! Even includes the washer and dryer. All furniture is included. This unit has a garage plus a reserved parking spot. Motivated seller has already moved. Bring offers. Community includes 2 pools, cabanna bar, business center, mini theater, total fitness center, tennis court, gated entry and more.

The problem of foreclosures and preforclosures is worse than I realized! I have heard a LOT about it on the news and I've read a lot about it in my Real Estate Forums, but until I did a home search the other day--I didn't realize just how serious the problem is in the Jacksonville area! If you're facing the possibility of being foreclosed on, please don't stick your head in the sand! What should you do if you can't pay your loan? 1. Call your lender immediately. The sooner you contact your lender (look for the toll-free number on your monthly statement), the more options will be available to you. Ask for the loan mitigation department. 2. Talk with a reputable credit counseling agency. You can call the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (toll-free 888-995-HOPE) or find a local HUD-approved counseling agency (toll-free 800-569-4287 on weekdays) or go to www.hud.gov . 3. Know your loan modification options. Depending on how quickly you call your lender, the followi...

Once in a blue moon you come across a company that truly cares about their customers, employees, community and their reputations. When you find that company, you'd better latch onto it for dear life!!! Whether you're having your car repaired, your washer or dryer repaired, if you're buying a car, hiring a contractor, buying or selling a house, or having brain surgery!! When you find that one-in-a-million company--you better use them AND tell your friends about them! I've been looking for a company like that to hang my license with. I finally found it. If you want to deal with a company that has more integrity than any other brokerage I've ever dealt with, you've come to the right place. Magnolia Properties is a Southern Tradition. A tradition that consists of deep roots, deep conviction, compassion and empathy and a strong desire to make the world a better place...a true Southern Tradition. We promise to NEVER list your house and leave you like the agent in this...

Interest rates are lower than they've been in AGES! There are (literally) thousands of homes to choose from. So where in the world are all the buyers?? I think I just answered my own question: they're out there in the world somewhere! For that very reason I have now expanded my horizons and have placed my listings on International Web Sites including Realtor.com International! Overseas investors are converging on Florida looking for a "deal". The Euro goes much further now and I think it's sort of been a "dream" of many foreigners to own part of America. I know of two little pieces of America they can get for a great price! Please read the following ads and give me a call. 请买我的房子。我并且有一公寓房待售-- 新建筑特价。 Achetez s'il vous plaît ma maison. J'ai aussi un immeuble en copropriété pour la vente - la nouvelle construction le prix spécial. 나의 집을 사십시요. 나는 또한 판매 -- 신축 특가를 위해 콘도가 있는다. Παρακαλώ αγοράστε το σπίτι μου. Έχω επίσης ένα condo για την πώλη...

With meetings lined up this week with investors and builders, the excitement continues to build! I spent 2 hours over at the Beach today just riding around checking out all of the existing Condos and Townhomes in South Jax Beach. I also spent some time looking at the proposed developments coming in. None compared to mine!! :) Seriously. With the amenities, location, size of the units, AND a roof top party deck, nobody can touch this! I just can't imagine any place else offering 10% down to hold your unit until ground breaking. That's just unheard of. So--you're watching the market? Fine! Put 10% down and KNOW that you've got yourself a GORGEOUS, hip and hap'nin townhome! Then, just sit back and watch it come back up! I think it bottomed out at Christmas. I look for prices to begin to creep back up this Spring. The preconstruction pricing on Vista Bella won't last for long! Come on board with us now and save yourself a load of money. We hope to start construction...

Private rooftop terraces with views of the Atlantic Ocean-- Outdoor living area with built-in summer kitchen and optional private Jacuzzi -- Atrium foyers that extend three floors upward -- Three stories and a private rooftop terrace/ party deck -- Large two-car garage with 520 square feet -- Private gated entrances -- Pneumatic, cylindrical glass elevators -- Optional third floor layout with larger kitchen area -- Private pool for Vista Bella’s 12 residences -- Granite countertops and ceramic tile -- Two large balconies on the second and third floors with views of the Atlantic Ocean-- Gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances-- Located one-half block from the Atlantic Ocean-- Within walking distance to entertainment, dining and retail establishments-- Blocks from the SeaWalk Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheatre that hosts festivals, and concerts -- Minutes away from the award-winning Ponte Vedra Inn & Spa, PGA Tour headquarters, TPC golf courses and Sawgrass Marriott Resort Hot...

I continue to be amazed at the drop in prices in the Jacksonville market! It's no wonder, with all of the negative press that we're exposed to every day! I think that the prices will bottom out the day the news outlets say they have bottomed out. Until then, there will be lots of "fence sitters" biding their time until they feel like the prices won't fall any more. It seems like there are lots of different predictions out there right now. I am hearing anything from mid 08 to early 09 before prices stabilize. Maybe if the Feds reduce the prime interest rate again soon, things will pick up. I am waiting to see how many new foreclosures there are in early 08. There are several million ARM's that are due to re-set in January...this should tell us a lot. Hopefully, there won't be too many more people walking away from their houses. It's just sickening to hear how much the monthly payments have gone up. It's no wonder they are in financial trouble...

Listed at 219,000.00 Call for your private showing today. 904-885-9907

WASHINGTON – Dec. 14, 2007 – Hundreds of thousands of minority and moderate-income home buyers would become eligible to get low-rate, low-down-payment mortgages insured by the federal government under an agreement struck yesterday in the Senate. The measure, which had been held up by a lone senator, Republican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, is expected to get a full floor vote today or Monday. It would greatly expand the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance program that helps people with questionable credit get low-interest home loans. The delay of the bill drew the ire of the Bush administration and House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as the pressure increased on the federal government to address the worsening mortgage crisis. The House passed its version in September, 348 to 72. The legislation aims to draw people away from subprime loans, which offer low “teaser” rates that can jump as high as 11 percent after two or three years. By the summer of 2010, about 600,000 ...

In this day of information overload, it's easy to feel like we know more than we really do. I often hear people say: "I know your seller bought the house in 2004 for ______ amount". Yes, this public information is easy to find. I always give the tax info with the amount a seller paid to my buyers when we look at property. This is merely a starting point and often doesn't tell the entrire story. Have you considered a possible, second mortgage, often even a third mortgage? Many homes have a HELOC in addition to second and third mortgages. I think buyers just assume that every seller is trying to make a "killing" with every sell. This is often NOT the case. Some sellers are walking away with ZERO but at least they didn't have to bring money to the table!! Facts. Make sure your REALTOR always gives you as much info as possible. My cream puff at 12641 Ashglen Dr continues to be shown like crazy. I am going to reduce the price and take away the clos...

I've posted this before, but this is definitely worth repeating on Halloween!! 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 t...

After spending the past 3 days looking at homes from St. Johns County all the way to the Northern most end of Duval County, I am beginning to think that the market has picked up! I was pleasantly surprised to see that several of the homes we were interested in had gotten contracts in just the past 4 or 5 days. I'm not sure exactly what this means because I don't know what the homes "closed" at. I won't know what the homes sold for until they actually close in a few weeks. I also heard from several Realtors that I scheduled showing appointments with, that they have had a LOT of activity on their listings. I wonder if this means that we truly have finally bottomed out? I will say this, there continues to be new listings posted every night in MLS, and the prices continue to drop on homes already on the market. I don't know if the influx of new listings is just seasonal, or if it's people "testing the market" again. I'm anxious to see the numbers...

This beautiful South Jacksonville Beach home has been completely refurbished from top to bottom. Including all new siding, new insulation, new paint, new roof, new tile floors, new plumbing, new kitchen appliances, new decks, new lighting and more! This home is located on a quiet, one-way street and is just steps to the beach!! The master retreat has a balcony with a great ocean view. Call today to schedule your private showing. Ronda Densford, REALTOR (904) 241-2386