Stumbled across this site on the web this week:  Metro Jacksonville. These  guys are covering stories and news on many issues in and around Jacksonville, FL.

Topics include:  News, Urban Issues, Transit, Neighborhoods, Learning From, History, Opinion, Development, and Culture.  Great information, articles, and full of good photos in all of these sections.  Best of all, the site is what I consider "fresh".  Definition:  Not old school Stale!

They even cover different Jacksonville real estate issues and real estate developments being built in and around the city.  Great site, check them out.

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Positive economic news is starting to float around the news channels more frequently.

This article from the Jacksonville Business Journal,  is calling for the end of the recession in the third quarter and even a stabilization of the housing market.  The article goes on to state that they expect a slight increase in housing values in 2010!

Additional positive news, Jacksonville is seeing some signs of a drop in the unemployment rate.   This graph from Google shows the unemployment rate for Jacksonville compared to Florida and the US overall.  Interesting to see the last high point in the 90's and the 8 years of falling unemployment that followed.  Will history repeat?

Jacksonville.com reports this story, as many economic indicators are…

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There are many graphs and charts showing the housing market, but I like this one.  This one is different in that it shows the actual emotions of what we feel as homeowners going through a major real estate cyle like we have all just experienced.

We are currently seeing the "Point of Maximum Financial Opportunity".  How long will it continue has been argued by many economist.  Doesn't matter.  The main point is that now is a great time to buy a home in Jacksonville, FL......especially waterfront homes!

If you are already a home owner, notice the graph goes up and goes down.  We are always somewhere on this cycle as the cycle will keep going on forever.  Amazingly, home prices always go up over the long term.  Proof:  Not many people will agree to…

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Jacksonville RE/MAX Agent

Ready to sell a home in Jacksonville?   A RE/MAX agent should be your first phone call.  To sell a home in Jacksonville you need the Marketing which creates traffic (Potential Buyers).  My motto:  Traffic = Sales.

With the RE/MAX marketing exposure, your choice is an easy one.  A short list of RE/MAX marketing and advertising in action:

  • Best Internet Exposure: #1 Most visited website of a Real Estate Company in the world.  Over 2.3 million unique visitors per month.  Almost all home buyers start their search on-line, this gives you a competitive edge.
  • Dominates the industry in Advertising: Selling a home in this market requires big marketing and advertising.  RE/MAX does more advertising which drives more…

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Jacksonville Florida Lifestyle

When shopping for a new home in Jacksonville, FL, one major consideration is your lifestyle.  Any house will be made your home, however your lifestyle is affected by the neighborhood and location in Jacksonville or Ponte Vedra.  A few lifestyle considerations:

  • Family: If you have family in the area, you may want to live as close to them as possible.  Family gatherings, Sunday dinners, Birthday parties, child sitting, etc, is all easier when you are closer to the fam.
  • Beach/Ocean: Jacksonville residents live so close to what so many pay dearly to come and see.  The beach is a great attraction and a great place for family and friends.  Want to walk to the beach, ride a bike to the beach, or be a short drive?
    • …

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Searching for Foreclosures in Jacksonville?

If you are searching for a foreclosure or bank owned home in Jacksonville, timing is critical if you intend to pick up a good deal.  With a major portion of the sales being distressed sales, the good deals get swiped up quickly!

To get the latest and greatest info on bank owned homes or foreclosures in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra, Sign up on our site.  THE List gets emailed out weekly and contains the most recent, new listings of bank owned and foreclosed homes.

Shopping is easier when you know where the Deals are!

The list is free, and I won't even call and bug you.  When you are ready to work with professional Jacksonville Real Estate Agent to represent you on the purchase of your next home or the…

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Not a surprise on this map.  Just about every area of Jacksonville is down in value as is most of the rest of the free world.  Even some of the "Best Locations" suffer equally as bad in this real estate down cycle.

Some of the North Jacksonville homes are actually appreciating.   Zip Codes for appreciation are 32202, 32206, 32208, and 32209.  Again, no surprise.  The areas in red are made up of very affordable housing that doesn't take much increase in price to affect the overall %.

The 2nd quarter map is due out in July, and I anticipate more price depreciation from 2008 numbers as most of us do.  Further increasing the affordability of homes in Jacksonville for today's home buyers while further decreasing the overinflated prices from the…

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Homes for Sale in Jacksonville -> Time is of the Essence!

If you are considering the purchase of a home in Jacksonville, don't try to time target the bottom.....you may miss it!

Key Factors to Buy Now:

  1. Deals: Deals are everywhere!  Most sellers who are not distressed sellers are becoming more realistic about today's Jacksonville Real Estate Market.
  2. Short Sales: Banks are getting very aggressive to move these homes before they have to foreclose and manage the property themselves.  They are very willing to take low offers to make it happen.
  3. Interest Rates: Rates are low but have started creeping up a bit.  Some estimates are saying this summer is it for low rates for some time to come.  Low rates = more buying power.
  4. $8000: Great…

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Jacksonville Homes For Sale Lead the Nation in Price Slashes!

This is not the best news! Based on a recent Trulia study, Jacksonville tops the nation in price cutting with 36% of all homes that get listed for sale, end up dropping their price.  This tells me those homes were over priced when they were originally put on the market for sale.  The Times Union did a story on this.

If you have a home to sell in Jacksonville, FL, do not fall victim to Nostalgia Pricing.  Definition:  Dreamy price appreciation of 2005.

Instead, price it correctly for today's real estate market, and watch it sell!  The buyers are out, looking, and making offers.  They want a Deal!  Don't get passed up by the Buyer who says "Their dreaming" after seeing your asking…

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This past week I visited several Homes for Sale in Jacksonville.

While walking through the houses, my buyer client and I both noticed several Do It Yourself projects gone bad!

The Do It Yourself craze has been great.  We all have updated and upgraded our homes while saving money and learning some handyman skills.  Unfortunately, the quality of work hasn't always been stellar and a few projects stand out like sore thumbs.  Uneven grout lines, bad paint jobs, botched drywall patches, and messy crown molding are the usual culprits.

If you need to sell a home in Jacksonville and the house needs updates, hire a handyman that has done the work before.  If you already have a project gone bad - Get it fixed ASAP!  Buyers don't want to come in and have to…

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