Here is the Febrary 2012 Market Report that shows (3) Month Statistics on the Gainesville Florida Condominium & Townhouse Market.   These charts reflect December 2011, and January  & February 2012.  This data is compiled from the Gainesville Multiple Listing Service. This first chart below shows the total number of active listings in the MLS and how that compares to the number of pending sales, and the closed sales for each month.   You will see that our inventory has gone up a bit in February.  The current inventory is ready for the Spring buying season for incoming students.   This chart shows the average days on the market for the Gainesville Condominium market and that numbers relationship to Closed Sales and Pending Sales.   The Gainesville condominium market is good for buyers, th... 03/18/2012

Spring has Sprung so Mark your calendars!  Here's a Gainesville event you won't want to miss.  It's the Spring fling to do in Gainesville!  Kanapaha Botanical Gardens  located in southwest Gainesville, presents The 2012 Spring  Garden Festival.  This is Gainesville's premier horticultural event every year.  The Spring Garden Festival features about 200 booths offering plants, landscape displays, garden accessories, arts and crafts, educational exhibits and, of course, foods.  Also featured are a walk-through butterfly conservatory, children's activities area, live entertainment and live auctions.  It's great fun you will enjoy! This is the biggest fundraiser for Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, which receives its money through admissions.   So please mark your calendars and plan to visit thi... 03/16/2012

Gainesville Florida Single Family Homes Market Report – February  2012 Here are the statistics for Gainesville Florida single family homes real estate market for the months of December 2011, January 2012, and  February 2012. This chart below shows you the number of CLOSED SALES for the months of  December 2011 and January & February 2012.  Also the relationship of (DOM) the average days on the market for those sales, and the current PENDING SALES. This chart below provides a graph as the number of ACTIVE LISTINGS in the Gainesville Florida Multiple Listing Service for this same three month period.  You will see that our total inventory has has not changed much this month.  I am seeing a steady stream of the number of homes sold in relationship to the number of homes that were active lis... 03/15/2012

I recently had a meeting with Dolores Foster, the Senior Account Executive of Old Republic Home Protection.  We thought it would be a great informative post for all homeowners in the area to understand that a home warranty plan is a great way to protect your investment....your home.   Take a moment and read what Dolores has to say.... The purchase of a home is often the most expensive investment of a lifetime.   Adding a home warranty protects this investment by keeping the covered home systems and appliances in good working order for the term of the Plan.  It also provides peace of mind and budget protection for the homeowner, since repair or replacement of major systems or appliances in today’s dollars can easily cause financial strain. In addition to budget protection, home warrantie... 03/13/2012

Spring is here, and if you are looking for something awesome to do this weekend, March 10th & 11th, then make plans to go to The Home Show at the O'Connell Center!  I plan to be there as a visitor on Saturday afternoon....I need to learn about my options for updating my own kitchen!! The North Central Florida Home Show will take place at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center located at the University of Florida. Presented by the Builders Association of North Central Florida (BANCF) and The Gainesville Sun, the show will feature products and services related to home improvement, landscaping, remodeling, decorating and home sales. In addition to the many home and garden exhibits, the Home Show also includes informational seminars, how-to clinics, and a farmers market. The Home Show is unique in... 03/09/2012

A tradition has developed at the Tioga Town Center!  The beautiful stage & pavillion at the Tioga Town Center has become the home to some great concert events all year, but the Free Movie Night is becoming a great family thing to do at Tioga. Bring a lawn chair or spread out a blanket in the grass and enjoy the Concert And Movie Series At the Square on selected Fridays. Check the Events Calendar at the Tioga Town Center Web Site for what is scheduled through the spring and summer. Begins at DARK!  Food & Drinks are available for purchase.   This is a great way to spend some of your Friday Nights! Tioga Town Center is located in the Jonesville area, on Newberry Road across from the West End Golf Course....you can't miss it! Originally Posted at: Gainesville Real Estate Talk 03/07/2012

In an effort to offer information on the condo real estate market in the Gainesville Fl area, I thought I give an example of a recent sale in the area. Last week, one of our listings in the Cricket Club Condominium complex in SW Gainesville closed.   It was a new listing on February 3rd of this month.   The seller was an investor and wanting it priced to move quickly.   We had a handyman do some minor repairs that we knew might be an issue for any future buyer inspection, the carpets were professionally cleaned, and a cleaning service put the final touches on this unit. This was an end unit, 3 bedrooms with 2.5 baths, and 1,384 sq ft.  This townhouse had covered assigned parking as well.   The list price was $ 65,900, and was not a short sale or foreclosure. It closed on 2/28/12 with a ... 03/06/2012

If you are ready to sell your Gainesville area home, there are two very important things to consider when selling your Gainesville area home.    PRICE and PRESENTATION   Let's talk about Presentation first.  You have to know that today's home buyers have started searching online before they start viewing homes with their Realtor®.   This is why your Gainesville home must make a good first  impression from the moment they pull into the driveway.  Some call this curb appeal.   Take a hard look at this list to see if you will need to tweak some things to make your home interest the buyers that come to your home. Attractive front entry: Polish your front door handle and other hardware. Fres paint or stain your front door does wonders. Set out pots of flowers near the front door and/or where... 03/04/2012

If you are a fan of NHRA and Gatornationals you know this Gainesville Event is right around the corner!  Every year Gainesville is home to the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals. Our Gainesville Raceway held the first NHRA Gatornationals in 1970 and is considered to be one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit.  There is a rich history of the Gainesville Raceway. And on February 16th, 2012 , our Gainesville Raceway got a new name,  The AutoPlus Raceway at Gainesville. NHRA announced that Uni-Select USA and its Auto-Plus® network of automotive retail stores have acquired the naming rights to the NHRA owned and operated facility in Gainesville, Fla. This will be the 43rd Annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 8th through March 11th, 2012 You can find full event schedule and ticketing ... 03/02/2012

If we had to pick just one thing, it would be: “Don’t let the list of defects in the home inspection report keep you from buying the house.”    We make a point of never telling our customers whether they should buy--or not buy--a house, because our job is providing you with information to help you make that decision yourself. And, while sometimes we wish we could tell a customer some version of “run, don’t walk, away from this house,” more often we see a buyer walking away from a perfectly good home because of a list of minor defects we uncovered.   No home is perfect, and we have never done a home inspection that found zero defects. There’s always at least a few little things that need fixing. And some homes have a longer than usual list of annoying repairs that are required. But it’s... 03/01/2012

No. We inspect the electric power system of the home, but not the telephone, internet, or cable/satellite television wiring or providers. However the FCC provides a database of internet providers serving any address in the United States that can be helpful, especially if you require high-speed internet and want to be sure that your future home can provide it.    Here’s the link to the website: www.broadbandmap.govType in your new address and it will tell you which providers serve it and what range of speeds they offer, so you will know what service is possible to get at your new address. But it will not, of course, necessarily be the provider to which the seller of the home is currently connected.Data speeds vary widely between different providers and areas of Gainesville they serve. R... 03/01/2012

   Devil's Millhopper Awesome sinkhole you can walk down into with thestairs provided.  Trails surround the sinkhole.  The only downside is the climb back up the stairs! San Felasco Hammock San Felasco comprises two distinct parks separatedby a creek.  The strictly hiking trailhead is located offof Millhopper Road and the biking and equestrian trailhead is located off of 441.  Miles of trails through gorgeouspreserve land where you will more than likely see a deer or five! Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Kanapaha is a 62 acre facility home to not only thestate's largest display of bamboos and other plants, but it is also the site of the popular Kanapaha Annual Artsfestival with tons of vendors, food and live entertainment! Paynes Prairie Hawthorne State Trail Morningside Nature Center Ichetu... 02/29/2012

Where to play GOLF in Gainesville The link below covers all the basic information for the golf courses in Gainesville.  UF golf course is the only one that is not a community course, and of course the Gainesville golf practice center:   http://www.gogainesville.com/golf.htm   Click on the neighborhood name to view their website!   Turkey Creek is a very nice neighborhood with homes and patio homes.  The course is currently not active and is for sale so look for it as a future offering.  (Info believed to be accurate as of 2/29/2012)     Meadowbrook is primarily attached units and patio homes with a few stand alone homes:     Gainesville Golf and Country Club There is a tennis facility and the club house offers sumptuous meals:     Ironwood Golf Course     Haile website   More Info/Slid... 02/29/2012

There seems to be a rumble around Gainesville, that our real estate market is picking up.   Just by the number of showings on my own listings proves that buyers are out looking at homes. Over the weekend, I held an Open House on my listing in Landmark Woods in NW Gainesville.  It was a rainy day and there were 10 sets of visitors to the home that day!   Whenever we have good traffic of showing at an Open House, that is a very good sign! My newest listing in Hunters Glen went on the market 8 days ago.....and we had multiple offers and that beautiful Gainesville home is now PENDING !! Our local Gainesville area market is picking up ! Are you ready to start home hunting?   Visit our site that let's YOU view all homes for sale in the Gainesville Fl area.   Search all homes for sale in Gaine... 02/29/2012

On February 18th, 2012, Michele Incollingo danced her final performance with Dance Alive National Ballet  in Carmina Burana at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts.  Michele joined the company in 1983 and has performed in over 700 individual shows.  Her talent and gift for dance is evident and it's no wonder she has been DANB's principal dancer for so many years.  A toast was held in her honor after her performance in Carmina on Saturday.  Paula Delany spoke and declared February 18th "Michele Incollingo Day".  Michele thanked her previous dance partners, the company and her salon customers and of course, the patrons, for making her long lived career possible.  Michele will still be found at All About You Salon and possibly teaching at Pofahl's Dance Studio.  She will be greatly mis... 02/22/2012

Gainesville - Bank of America Cooperative Short Sale Program - The bank of America’s new Cooperative Short Sale Program is designed to increase its bottom line profit and through this, homeowners/borrowers will benefit as well, since it makes the short sale process less difficult to handle. This is good news both for Gainesville short sale agents and home sellers and buyers. The bank makes more money with short sales than foreclosures. The Bank of America would gain control of the whole short sale undertaking once it has the authority to pick the short sale list price and through the Cooperative Short Sale, it will be able to approve the short sale earlier. The Cooperative Short Sale would also help patch certain setbacks that the bank had faced such as: - A bad reputation for delayed p... 02/17/2012

Choosing the Best Offer for Gainesville Short Sales It’s always hard to choose among many choices and this applies when choosing a buyer for Gainesville short sales since short sales attract many buyers. It’s best to seek professional advice from your agent. But to get you started, here are some insights in choosing the best offer to your home. The first thing you should consider is the short sale buyer’s eligibility for financing. It’s enticing to always go for the highest price without digging deeper into financing. You should ensure that the buyer is highly eligible. Normally, the lenders give a 30-day leeway time on short sale approval. Once the short sale approval expires, the short sale needs to be re-negotiated and may take 2-6 months more lead time. With this in mind, you have t... 02/17/2012

Mariko McMillan and Bobby Hodgkinson move from Colorado to Gainesville, FL in the newest episode of House Hunters airing tomorrow, Tuesday, February 14th at 10 p.m. EST.  Gainesville Realtor Matt Thomas of Thomas Realty (previously with Bosshardt Realty when the show was taped) assisted the lovely couple in their search for the perfect home.  Tomorrow they will watch the episode together at Thomas' office!  Watch which house they pick and enjoy arm chair exploring Gainesville, FL tomorrow night!  I know I'll be tuning in. :)   For more details, visit the article on the Gainesville Sun online: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120213/ARTICLES/120219820?tc=cr&tc=ar       Angela Elliott is a licensed Florida REALTOR® with Classic Properties Realty Services in Gainesville, FL. Please vis... 02/13/2012

Here is a great iPad/iPhone app for anyone looking at homes for sale in the Gainesville area and curious about what schools serve the neighborhood.  We are always looking for cool apps for our mobile devices and this is great for home buyers. I was at a Tech Tools seminar and learned about a great app called GreatSchools Finder. It is available for FREE at your iTunes App Store. If you are a home buyer, or home hunter in Gainesville Florida- you will like this app. When you drive through a neighborhood and wonder what schools serve that area, this "GreatSchools Finder" app will give you an instant answer to that question. No more guessing! Every school nearby will be displayed and provides a community rating. Don't you like instant info at your fingertips? If, I am out showing homes to ... 02/13/2012

Short Sale Agents in Gainesville specializing on short sales are privileged to report about the rules by the FHA obligating lenders to extend their fortitude to homeowners who are unemployed for the span of 12 months. These rules took effect in July 2011 and are geared toward giving assistance to unemployed homeowners for them to make it through the economic depression. The original fortitude timeline was limited to four months but the timeline for most homeowners had been extended to 12 months after the prolonged state of unemployment. More than 45% of the unemployed have been hunting work for more than 24 months.Short Sale Agents in Gainesville believe that homeowners will be given more chances to find employment during this time of economic depression if the timeline for the fortitud... 02/10/2012