Choosing where to live is all about lifestyle choices.  Most home buyers choose where to live based on their location to several key places:  work, schools, and friends and family.

Jacksonville is a unique city in that there is an opportunity to live in just about any location in the city and either be near the water or on the water.    If you are considering a home purchase, consider a home on the water.  You may need to stretch your budget a little, however a waterfront home will always be in demand when you are ready to resell in the years to come!

Top 5 Reason to Buy a Waterfront Home in Jacksonville Florida

  1. Demand: There is always a demand for waterfront homes when you are ready to resell.
  2. Boating: Fishing, water sports, or just…

1026 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

More news coming out on why this may be the bottom to the real estate market.  I doubt we will see a spike back up any time soon, however we will all be glad if this is the bottom of price drops.  Time will tell. 

897 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Reported this morning on a national news channel, only 5% of Americans are either in the market or about to be in the market to buy a home.

This number is very low, but not surprising considering the current economy.  The really good info was the demographic as they reported the MAJORITY of that 5% were under the age of 35.  The "under 35" category is made up of Gen-X and Y, and they believe the market has bottomed out and now is a great time to pick up good values.

Jacksonville home buyers support the national news report

The majority of homes that I have sold in the past few months were purchased by first time home buyers which supports the national trend as well.  Not surprisingly, the homes that were neutral in color, very clean, with well…

883 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

I get this question often:

How do I speed up a Short Sale in Jacksonville?

A short sale is a long and tedious process for the seller, the buyer, the agents, and the bank/s holding the mortgage.  No matter what, it takes more time to close a short sale than a regular real estate transaction.  Can you speed it up?  Yes, absolutely.  However, it requires knowledge on the front end before making the offer.

Keys to speeding up a Short Sale:

  1. Work with Professionals: First and foremost, you must choose the right REALTOR to sell your home.  Choose the wrong REALTOR from the beginning and you have pretty much sealed your fate.  Questions to ask?  How many years have you been doing short sales?  Have you ever closed a short sale deal?  Do you…

892 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Jacksonville Homes rank as a Top 5 for best deals in the country!

Check out this video!  This is one of the leading experts in the real estate world, Barbara Corcoran, talking about the top 5 best places to get a good deal in the country in a good location.

In the report she states that Jacksonville homes have seen a nearly 50% drop in value from 2008 numbers driven by one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country.  She's right, the values have dropped considerably from the over-inflated values of yesterday.

Realistically, most home owners in Jacksonville are coming to terms with the value of their home.  It's less than last year.....especially if your neighborhood has many homes that are selling for bank pricing.

Two distinct…

916 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

"Chasing the market down":  What Jacksonville Home Owners need to know

This term has been tossed around more frequently over the last few months.  I've heard sellers use it, buyers, mortgage professionals, and appraisers.  Just what the heck does it mean?

The best definition is an example of what is happening every day in Real Estate during a declining or flat market.   It's happening everywhere and it's definitely happening here in Jacksonville.  Here are the steps as it most often occurs:

  1. Real estate agent suggest house price of $280k as comparable sales support that price.
  2. Owners insist on $300k.  "Our house is nicer and we've added a _fill in the blank_"
  3. 3 months go by, little action after multiple potential buyers look at the home.
    4. …

1136 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

More positive news for Florida Real Estate

Stand back!  The positive real estate news has started!

Many are calling the bottom of the housing market this past April as more stats keep hitting the market on sales volume and pricing.  For now, there are still too many homes on the market to meet the demand which would point us towards the supply and demand curve of our Econ 201 days.  However, it appears to be picking up and there is even a a little buzz in the air.

This is a short round up of the latest news housing news:

Case Shiller Report: This report indicates 95% of markets are seeing home price improvements.  That's 95% of the markets they track.  Their gauge isn't exactly scientific as it only tracks 20 markets.  That being said, it is…

1098 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

The real estate market has presented an incredible opportunity for Florida vacation home buyers.   Values have dropped off their highs in 2005 and many sellers are now very willing to start negotiations at much lower prices.  This has prompted many vacation home buyers to get back in the market.

What's most important for Florida vacation home buyers? If you were to ask 10 prospective buyers the same question, you would get several common answers:

  • Proximity to the beach or ON the beach
  • Golfing in the community or very close by
  • Waterfront home or boating access
  • Close to the airport for easy access
  • High Quality medical facilities nearby

TOP 2 Misconceptions of Florida Vacation home buyers:

  1. Condos Only: Some vacation home…

17374 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

I've had continued interest from waterfront home buyers looking for foreclosures and  bank owned homes in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra FL.  There are several great deals out there on these homes, but you have to know where to look.

Searching for Waterfront Foreclosures?

Bank Owned Waterfront Homes: I did a quick search this morning and found 10 homes that are waterfront bank owned homes.  These are homes that are classified as "navigable" waterfront.  A list of 10 is not many, but they are sure to result in a good deal for the right buyers!  A bank owned home is a home that has already gone through the foreclosure process and has ended up back in the banks hands.  The banks don't want these homes & they take legitimate offers from legitimate…

1140 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post