I'm always striving to deliver more value on this website.  Being a more tech savvy agent, I'm almost obsessed with tweaking the site and analyzing the data and analytics from even the most minor changes.  It's an ongoing trial and error that never ends (and never should).

One piece of data that I analyze almost daily is the click difference between waterfront searches.  Oceanfront vs Riverfront vs Intracoastal to be more precise.

In the Jacksonville area, Riverfront Home searches far outweigh the oceanfront or beachfront search.  Why is this?

My well educated guess/theory:

  1. Riverfront is affordable: While oceanfront is typically a $1mm + purchase, Riverfront homes in Jacksonville offer a much more affordable purchase price of $200,000+.
    2. …

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Another completed short sale in Ponte Vedra Beach

This condo was directly across the street from the beach and only a few doors south from the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.  Great location!

AHMSI Short Sale with No Deficiency

AHMSI was the mortgage company and they agreed to take less than was originally owed AND waived their right to collect the deficiency balance.  This was a great relief to the sellers as the difference between what was owed and what was accepted by the bank was a very large amount of money.

This property sold due to its location, condition, price, and marketing.  With our top web marketing plan we had a constant flow of inquiries from many places around the web as home shoppers found this property when doing their searching. …

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Information is flowing from every angle about the local and national housing market.  Some of the info is good and some is completely false.  This is an attempt to debunk some of the more prominent Myths on the local Jacksonville Real Estate Market.

Myth 1:  Homes are selling at half price.

Realistically, homes are selling at 30-50% off from their highs in 2006, however they are not selling at half price from today's value.  If a home is listed on the market by an accomplished and professional REALTOR, chances are it's priced aggressively already.  Can you purchase the home for less, probably in most cases, but often barely less.  Realistically, you need solid representation to help you determine if the list price is a good deal or not.

Myth 2: …

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Top 7 Reasons to see this East Hampton Pool Home before it's SOLD:

  1. Location. East Hampton is at 9A and Baymeadows, a very popular and very convenient location.  5 minutes to the town center and a short drive to the beach.
  2. Pool! If you are shopping for a home or a pool, you know that buying a home with an existing pool is far more affordable than installing your own custom built pool.
  3. Resale demand. Nothing stands out faster than pool homes!
  4. Concrete Block Construction. Pulte Homes built this home with concrete first floor and wood frame 2nd floor....standard practice for 2 story concrete block homes in Florida.
  5. Floor Plan. This 5 bedroom floor plan was one of the top selling plans by the builder.  Everyone wanted it:  5 bedrooms, owners…

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American Home Mortgage Servicing Inc. Short Sales

or

AHMSI Short Sale

Let me just start by saying.....I'm a big fan of AHMSI short sales.  They are easy to work with, they are relatively fast, and they are very reasonable on home values and purchase prices.

Why are they so good?

  • We have an "in" as they are right here in Jacksonville Florida
  • AHMSI is big enough but not mega bank big
  • AHMSI has processes set up to handle the incoming volume of short sales
  • They are friendly....maybe because we are selling houses in their backyard?

If you have AHMSI as your mortgage company, and you need to sell your home via a short sale, you should rest assured that you have one of the better banks for us to work with.

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You drive past these homes everyday on your way to work.  You see them everywhere you go in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra.  It's the home for sale that's been for sale F O R E V E R.  The only thing that has changed is usually the real estate company's sign.

So why hasn't the home sold?  Is it the market?  Is it the condition of the home?  Is it the location?

No, none of the above. It's your REALTOR. Your REALTOR's job is to market and sell the home in the fastest time for the highest dollar the market will bear.  In order to market and sell you must create demand.  To create demand the home must be marketed accordingly with the correct photos, videos, advertising online and off, and pricing aggressively.  If all is being done correctly and showings…

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Question of the week:  How long does Foreclosure take in Florida?

The answer is simple and cloudy:  Forever....sometimes.

In the first three months of 2011, the average foreclosure in Florida took 619 days, according to RealtyTrac Inc.  For the math challenged, that's just shy of 2 years.  The calculation is from the time a home owner receives the Lis Pendens paperwork (you've been served) to the actual auction of the property.

619 days is average....that means some are much faster and some are much slower.

The real question behind the question is usually:  "How much longer do I have before they kick me out of here for good?"

In response to the real question, I'd respond with, "It's time to take control of your situation and stop waiting…

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If, and only if, the house going on the market will be correctly marketed:   The right listing price will create 3 items EVERY home seller should want:

  1. Showings:  The correct listing price from the beginning will generate showings at almost day 1 and will continue until the property receives offers and then goes under contract.
  2. Multiple Offers: A listing price that is aggressive will not only generate many showings but will also generate offers and usually multiple offers.
  3. A Fast Sale and Closing!

How to choose the listing price? As your listing REALTOR, I provide a complete market analysis to the homes currently on the market as your competition and comparable homes that have sold recently.   It's human nature to instantly start…

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It was only a matter of time before we started seeing a bounce in the luxury real estate category in the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra areas, and it looks like now is the time.

Million dollar home sales in Jacksonville are up 42 percent year over year in the first quarter.  37 homes sold in the first quarter for a million or more!

Who is buying up the million dollar properties?  The smart money who knows when to get in, that's who!  What the smart money knows:

  • Prices are low low low
  • Price declines won't continue forever
  • Home owners are willing to heavily negotiate.....for now
  • Interest rates are very low
  • They are using the market to their advantage!

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Real estate values in Jacksonville have been declining for years, and 2011 looks to be holding steady with the trend.  Several reports are out stating that we are back to 2003 values.

Home Buyers:  Should you buy a house in 2011?

That's an easy question to answer:  Yes, IF you plan to live there for 5+ years.  No, IF you know you will be moving within the next few years.

Reasons to buy a home in Jacksonville this year:

  1. Inventory: Plenty of homes on the market to choose from.
  2. Interest Rates: If you haven't heard the radio blasting commercials, interest rates are at very very low rates.  Buy more home with less money.
  3. House Prices: See graph above.  Prices are down, so again more house with less money.
  4. Timing: This won't go on…

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