Haile Plantation Oktoberfest 2009 Celebration - Haile Village Center Friday October 23rd 5-11pm Fall is in full swing here in Gainesville, FL, and the community is celebrating at the annual Oktoberfest party at the Haile Plantation Village Center.   Come join us for live music, after-hours shopping at the Village boutiques, fabulous food and drinks, and tons of family-friendly activities including a bounce house. Help us kick off the fall season with style! Date: Friday, October 23rd, 2009Time: 5:00pm - 11:00pm View Google MapLocation: Haile Plantation - The Village Center5323 SW 91st Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32608 Upcoming Haile Plantation Fall Activities: October 23rd - Haile OktoberfestOctober 31st - Halloween Hauntings at Haile Pasture 10/22/2009

Gainesville Real Estate Foreclosures Market Update - Data released from September 2009 Gainesville Foreclosures The following foreclosure actions occured in September 2009 in Gainesville, FL Default Notices: 98Sheriff Sale Notices: 29Bank Repossession: 22 Bank Owned (REO) means the lender has already completed the foreclosure process and is now the seller. Learn more about the foreclosure process. A Short Sale is a process a homeowner attempts to go through to prevent foreclosure. In most cases, the homeowner has already defaulted and asked the lender for permission to sell the property for less than what is owed. Because the sale must ultimately be approved by the lender, short sales are often more difficult and time consuming for both buyers and sellers. Learn more about the short sa... 10/20/2009

Countdowns 10/18/2009

Local Gainesville, FL Real Estate Market Conditions October 17, 2009 Pending home sales have increased for seven straight months, the longest in the series of the index which began in 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in August, rose 6.4 percent to 103.8 from a reading of 97.6 in July, and is 12.4 percent above August 2008 when it was 92.4. The index is at the highest level since March 2007 when it was 104.5. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said not all contracts are turning into closed sales within an expected timeframe. "The rise in pending home sales shows buyers are returning to the market and signing contracts, but deals are not necessarily closing because of long delays re... 10/17/2009

Despite the rain clouds over central Florida, we are enjoying our homecoming weekend celebration. Gainesville residents and thousands of fellow returning gators celebrated at the Homecoming Parade and Gator Growl today. Tomorrow, we'll pig-out at the barbeque before the big game.   More Homecoming History From Florida Blue Key: While Homecoming at the University of Florida is a long established tradition, it was not always the sensational experience we have come to know today. Each year, members of the Gator Nation strive to make the Homecoming experience better than the last. The University of Florida's Homecoming celebration began with Dad's Day in 1907, over one hundred years ago. This was a weekend that served as a visitation day for fathers of the all-male student body. Gradually o... 10/16/2009

The Difference Professional Photography Makes - Gainesville Real Estate Listing Example   After several disappointing listing photo shoots, we decided to hire a professional. Not only does it free up our time to do more real estate and income-producing activities, the results are 100 times better than what we could have produced on our own. The photos on the left were taken by us with a point and shoot camera. The photos on the right were taken by a professional with a much fancier camera and several accessories. Our goal is to get as much traffic into the house as possible... not to make the house a disappointment to buyers and their agents. We want the home to look even better in person. We will be utilizing the services of a professional photographer for every listing in the future. ... 10/14/2009

Found this little guy in Haile Plantation this afternoon.         Referencing this way cool handy-dandy chart with full-color photos (after our whole wrangling episode) leads me to believe it could be a green garter snake.    What kind of snake do YOU think it is? 10/12/2009

Fall Open House and Plant Sale - Kanapaha Botanical Gardens - Gainesville, Florida     On October 10 and 11, 2009, the Fall Open House and Plant Sale at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, Florida, celebrated its 14th year. The event featured the Gainesville Orchid Society's annual show, and more than 40 vendors were on hand to sell various plants and gardening supplies. As always, Kanapaha Botanical Gardens opened its grounds for free for this event. Kanapaha Botanical Gardens was founded in October 1987.  Their Open House each year at this time is its way of celebrating its birthday with the community at large.   The Gainesville Orchid Society meets the fourth Monday of every month at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens at 7:00 PM in the Summer House.  Membership is open to all who are ... 10/11/2009

What is selling in Haile Plantation?   An analysis of absorption rate for homes sold in Haile Plantation reveals the following:   Number of homes for sale in the Haile Plantation area:  120 Number of homes sold in the Haile Plantation area during September 2009: 16 Number of months it will take to sell off this inventory: 8, which indicates that we are still in a buyer's market in Haile Plantation.   Seller's market = 1-4 months of housing inventory available Balanced/normal market = 5-6 months of homes for sale Buyer's market = 7 months or more of homes for sale   What is the most popular price range of homes selling in Haile Plantation?   Homes for sale in Haile Plantation for less than $200,000: 14 Number of homes <$200,000 sold in September 2009: 2 Amount of inventory available <$20... 10/10/2009

Gainesville Parks: Westside Park and Recreation Center Located in Gainesville Florida, Westside Park and Recreation Center offers a multitude of facilities and programs. There is something for everyone! Do you like to walk? Try the 1.5 mile trail. Want to learn how to swim or play tennis? Sign up for lessons! Looking for affordable summer camp alternatives for your kids? Chances are Westside Park and Recreation Center has something just right for you.   1001 NW 34th Street Gainesville, Florida 32605 (352) 334-2186 Recreation Center hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM; Saturday, 10 AM-3 PM. 10/09/2009

2009 Fall Parade of Homes, Gainesville, FL Gainesville's Fall 2009 Parade of Homes continues this weekend, Saturday, October 11th and Sunday, October 12th from 1pm - 6pm. Admission is free and you can start the tour at any location. Neighborhoods in the tour: Arbor GreensBelmontCottages of Country WayEllis ParkGarison WayLongleaf VillagePortofinoSavannah StationSorrentoThe Villas at 39thTurnberry LakeWeschesterWilds PlantationWillow Oak PlantationWyndswept Hills Download the PDF brochure. Visit AllisonAbles.com to see homes for sale in these neighborhoods or get more information about Gainesville real estate. 10/09/2009

Neighborhood Profile: Countryside at the University, Gainesville, FL Visit AllisonAbles.com to view all of the Homes for Sale in Countryside at the University. Since the beginning of 2009, 3 sales have occurred between $111,000 and $126,000. These 1,177 square feet, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom condos are within a bike or bus ride to the University of Florida - perfect for students and investors. The homeowners association dues is $225/month and currently units rent for $200-$350 per bedroom. Countryside has 6 buildings each with 3 floors and 24 units total. Community amenities include a large pool, hot tub, basketball courts, volleyball courts, small clubhouse with gym equipment, and bike racks. 10/09/2009

Haile Plantation Community Garden     Tucked away behind the horse pasture in Haile Plantation is a community garden.   Open to residents for a cost of $10 a year, the Haile Plantation community garden offers a serene setting in which to get back to nature.  The prime growing season is October through March.  Residents may grow vegetables or flowers.  For more information, please contact George Weiland at 352-335-7210. The picturesque horse pasture, located at the intersection of Tower Road and Haile Boulevard, is the main entrance into Haile Plantation.  The pasture and surrounding lands actually are designed as retention ponds for the community, which come in especially handy during hurricane season. Deeded to the three community associations which comprise Haile Plantation, the pastu... 10/09/2009

Price: $2,350,000 FIZBER.com ID 11648410 Single Family with 7 bed, 9.0 bath, in 17210 nw 32 ave Gainesville, FL, 32669 http://www.fizber.com/11648410/ 17210 nw 32 ave - For Sale By Owner Property Details: Type: Single Family Address: 17210 nw 32 ave, Gainesville, FL, 32669 Sq footage: 7860.0 Floors: n/a Bathrooms: 9.0 Bedrooms: 7 Year built: 1994 View full property details and seller's contacts. View more Florida homes for sale. Homes for Sale by Owner. Description: UNIQUE ESTATE IN JONESVILLE GREAT LOCATION LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO SHOPING AND RESTAURANTS BEAUTIFUL BRICK HOME + GUEST HOUSExc2xa0 GREAT ENTRANCE FENCE 25 ACRES Located in Jonesville, this 25 acre estate offers luxury living in a retreat-like setting. At the entrance to this French provincial, 7,200-plus square foot home is... 10/09/2009

Haile Plantation Real Estate - Have We Hit Bottom? First off, just let me say that I am NOT an economist. I am NOT an analyst. I am a REALTOR who loves geeking around with the monthly/quarterly/annual sales figures.   Basically, I have no life.   Given those cautionary CYA notes, I just had to share my latest number-crunching foray into Gainesville real estate sales statistics.  As you can see from the chart (and accompanying graph) below, after a dramatic free-fall in the number of homes sold in Haile Plantation between 2005 and 2009, the quarterly results for the number of homes sold in Haile Plantation appears to be stabilizing.   This is not to suggest that we are anywhere near a "get down and party" mode...there is still a huge glut of inventory on the market, which will keep a dow... 10/05/2009

In my real estate career, there is always something new to learn about every day.  I have a client that I helped lease a very nice home recently, and yesterday she called me to ask "why are people knocking on my door asking to see the home?"   She told me the latest gentleman at the door, said its on Craigslist for rent. I started snooping on Craigslist and sure enough.... there it was..... The photos used in this ad were the same as a previous/valid ad done by the authorized property manager.  It's all a matter of cut and paste for these scammers. BUT....this is a Craigslist Scam - that is happening all over the country.  Now it's hit Gainesville Florida! I immediately responded to the Craigslist Ad via email asking about "WHO" posted this home "FOR RENT" and told them the home is NOT ... 10/02/2009

Haile Plantation Homes - Gainesville, FL Real Estate Market Update   September was a great month for Haile Plantation real estate. 20 homes sold for an average of $246,140 after 100 days on the market, or a little more than 3 months. Pending home sales in this area continue to break the trend and beat seasonally-adjusted estimates. Inventory is decreasing, sales are picking up, and prices are stabilizing. See all of the homes for sale in Haile Plantation on my website. 09/30/2009

UNIQUE ESTATE IN JONESVILLE GREAT LOCATION LESS THAN 5 MINUTES TO SHOPING AND RESTAURANTS BEAUTIFUL BRICK HOME + GUEST HOUSExc2xa0 GREAT ENTRANCE FENCE 25 ACRES Located in Jonesville, this 25 acre estate offers luxury living in a retreat-like setting. At the entrance to this French provincial, 7,200-plus square foot home is a beautiful carved Cantera stone fountain greeting visitors to this 3-story, brick beauty. Featuring panoramic views, stunning custom detail throughout and a separate guest house, this property is sure to impress! A towering central hall, filled with light, inspires you to explore the expansive first floor. An elegant formal living room flows into a luxurious family room with an attached office featuring its own entrance and covered patio. A formal dining room connec... 09/29/2009

Gainesville Day Trip: Anastasia State Park - St Augustine, Florida Less than two hours from Gainesville along the Atlantic Coast lies Anastasia State Park.  Located in St Augustine, this nature's wonderland offers kayaking, four miles of pristine powder-sand beach, an award-winning campground, and a rich history dating back to the time of the Spanish conquistadors.   Located within Anastasia State Park is Anastasia Watersports, offering water explorers kayak rentals and windsurfing lessons, among other things. Paddling in Salt Run gives kayakers and other water runners a chance to see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins up-close, as they are frequent visitors to this area.  Other frequent visitors to the area include manatees, great blue herons, and roseate spoonbills. Anastasia State Park bea... 09/28/2009

Allison Ables and her team have added a condos section to the Gainesville real estate website. Buyers and sellers interested in Gainesville Condos will soon be able to get information on current units for sale, pricing, homeowner association fees, location, rental rates, and more! Stay tuned for exciting updates. 09/26/2009