Sarasota Speaks - real estate

To Your Freedom!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:23:03 -0400

Siesta Key Home Under Contract

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:54:28 -0400

Some clients of mine put this Siesta Key home under contract a few weeks ago. They are from France and came to us via this website. If you want your home marketed effectively internationally you need a Realtor with an extensive online presence.

Banks To Cancel Loans?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:15:05 -0400

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule sometime this month on a case that could force the U.S. banking industry to cancel or rescind loans if borrowers prove that their lenders violated a federal lending disclosure law.

8 Tips For Sellers In A Buyer's Market

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:26:22 -0400

It’s a buyer’s market, but sellers can increase the chance of a sale in today’s climate by working with a Realtor and considering these eight things.

Don’t count on open houses to sell your home. According to the California Association of Realtors, less than 5 percent of buyers find their home at an open house. An open house should never be the center of a prospective real estate agent’s marketing plan.
Target your marketing. Know what buyers in your area look for and emphasize your home’s appeal accordingly. This includes everything from the description (whether you highlight transportation and parks, or restaurants and nightlife) and how you stage the home (whether the third bedroom becomes an office), to where you advertise the listing (a newspaper in addition to online).
Tour similar homes in the area to better understand the competition – what a home sold for 12 months ago, or even six months ago, may not be a good estimate for today.
Consider staging your home. Although not always necessary, staging can make a difference in how your house is viewed and compared to others.
Offer prospective buyers a neighbor “reference” list. Make a list of your best, most reliable neighbors, so that buyers can reach out to get a better feel for the area, the locals, and what makes the neighborhood a truly unique place to live.
Photos posted online should be taken on a sunny day with a wide-angle lens. Approximately one-third of buyers who responded to a recent survey said they would eliminate homes they saw online if they had too few or poor quality photos.
Consider a pre-inspection to give you a selling edge. Include information about any repair work you’ve completed since you bought the home. If you don’t market your improvements, you won’t get as much return for them.
Once your house is on the market, accept feedback and tweak as necessary.

$5 Million For Affordable Housing!

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:13:19 -0400

Florida Housing Finance Corporation released $5 million to the Homeownership Pool (HOP) Program yesterday. Created by the Florida Legislature 25 years ago to fund workforce housing, Florida Housing began the HOP Program to enable developers to match qualified homebuyers with help to purchase their properties. HOP operates on first-come-first-serve basis where developers apply online to reserve funds for eligible homebuyers.

Just Sold in The Oaks

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:10:04 -0400

Our clients recently purchased this home in The Oaks located on 653 Eagle Watch Lane. This lovely lakefront home was built in 1992 and boasts 3,795 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 1 half bathroom.

Crist Vetos Homeowners Association Disclosure Bill

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:14:07 -0400

More details to come.Christina Pitchford PerezRE/MAX Gulfstream Realtywww.YourHometownConsultant.com(941) 350-4411

Green Features on New MLS!

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:33:04 -0400

The Sarasota Association of Realtors' Green Realtor Alliance of Sarasota committee was amazingly able to have 4 green feature options added to our new Mid-Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service system's listing form. This makes us one of a small handful of Realtor associations and multiple listing services in the country to offer green features (1) as a way to distinguish your home for sale and (2) as an option to look for in your home. Go Sarasota!

Sarasota real estate market stabilizing

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:22:06 -0400

There was an interesting article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune today about whether the Sarasota real estate market has hit bottom or not. Take a look a the chart below. This was in the newspaper recently.

Have home prices hit bottom?

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:07:02 -0400

In today's Sunday newspaper there is an article about whether the Sarasota real estate market has hit bottom. You can read the article here.Here are some highlights from the article: In the Sarasota-Bradenton area, sales of existing homes th

Palmer Ranch Price Reduction & More To Come!

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:27:07 -0400

Seller wants out... seriously. So much so, in fact, that she has authorized me to reduce the price of the condo by $16,000 to $149,000 and then an additional $1000 every week until it's sold!

"Home-Value Web Sites Miss the Mark"

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:19:10 -0400

I often hear from clients or folks "on the street" that their home is worth X amount of dollars according some online home valuation site and, therefore, should sell for more than the current market conditions seem to allow. While I'm generally a fan of free access to information and go out of my way to make sure my buyers and sellers are as informed and aware of the current market conditions as possible, I feel it is important to take a moment to share with all my opinion on these sites.

Interesting Graphs of the Sarasota real estate market

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0400

Below are some interesting charts of the Sarasota/Bradenton area home sales and prices. Median home prices in 2008 was $246,200. The Realtor sales of 858 is impressive. The chart below graphs the median prices of homes in Sarasota/Bradenton

Sarasota market hits highest sales figure since March 2007

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:35:09 -0400

Below is the press release from the Sarasota Board of Realtors about our May sales statistics. This is good news about the Sarasota real estate market. This is a good time as prices appear to be stabilizing

Existing home sales rise on price drop

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:13:05 -0400

Realtors' group says the number of existing homes sold in May gained 2% to an annual rate of nearly 5 million. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Sales of existing homes rose slightly more than expected in May as home buyers responded to plummeting home pr