NEFAR Releases September 2013 Housing Sales Results 1,691 closed sales up 25 percent from a year ago, down slightly from past several months. Less than 35 percent of sales are now lender mediated. Sales averaging just 80 days.   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – September 2013 real estate market statistics are now available from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. Except where otherwise indicated, statistics reflect combined results for single-family residential and condominium properties.   Closed sales of 1,691 during September is a 25 increase from a year ago, although down a bit from the past several months. The share of sales that are lender mediated continues to decline, with 590 sales (34.9 percent) for the month being lender mediated and 1,101 being traditional. Pending sales hit ... 10/15/2013

       This great starter home, located in the Meadowbrook neighborhood of Orange Park, is also a PERFECT investment opportunity. You'll be just FIVE MINUTES from the mall and Interstate 295. Inside this Meadowbrook home, you'll have tile and laminate throughout and inside the laundry room as well.            Make this Meadowbrook home your own with the family room upfront, a separate dining room and adorable kitchen with white cabinets. You'll also have plenty of windows throughout to let in the sunlight. This Meadowbrook home is located on a huge fenced corner lot, where you'll also find a single-vehicle carport.            To learn more and to see if you qualify for huge savings through our Homes for Heroes program, contact the Sellin' With CC Team at 904.252.1158. You can also visit... 10/15/2013

I remember when I got my real estate license in Jacksonville 2 years ago telling my broker that I had a lead on a condo listing. He asked me if that was something I wanted to 'get into'. I was confused because having had my license since 2005 in SC, working on condos wasn't really different than selling a home. Now that I'm more in tune with the Jacksonville market, I understand what he meant. Condos here often just sit. The monthly fees can be very high and the values were decimated during the market crash.  Selling Condos at Grand Reserve in Jacksonville FL Recently I listed my second condo in Jacksonville's Grand Reserve. The first one was a previous rental property. I advised the seller to repaint and recarpet, along with a few other changes. Then we staged it. The results were noth... 10/15/2013

I know we all run into challenges when we are listing properties for sale.  I've got two situations this week I've not had previously: A short sale where the owner is now serving the US Navy in Italy. Her Mom lives in the house, it's got a lot of stuff all over it, and the Mom seems to have ZERO motivation to clean it up. Plus there are three small dogs, and Mom's work schedule to work around. I should be able to get this listed this week, but showing it will be a different sort of process. A tenant occupied property. The tenant has told the owner she is not going to pay rent any more. Her lease is up in December. He wants to meet me at the house at 4pm today, sign in hand, to see the property, draw up the listing docs, and hold an open house Saturday and Sunday. Better to have listing ... 10/13/2013

I'm just hearing about this, not sure HOW it missed my radar screen, but glad I found out about it now, while there is still time to enjoy! This is the first inaugural Jaxtoberfest, a family friendly fall festival on the site of the Jax Shipyards. The two day event features:  Brat eating competition Corn Hole Stein Holding Oversized Beer Pong Beer Barrel Race 5K Beer Run This is just an overview of the two day event, there are many more events, and entertainment and you can learn more about them here: Inaugural Jaxtoberfest   10/07/2013

I love Fall, and October! Growing up in Northern New Jersey, this is when the weather would get crisp, and the leaves changed color, and it was fabulous! Here in Jacksonville, I've come to love the annual Spooktacular event at the Jacksonville Zoo - it's 10 nights of fun with pumpkins, candy and excitment. You and your little goblins can enjoy music, dancing, food, giant slides and bounce houses set up around your favorite zoo animlas.  You can visit with fairies, wizards, pirates, scarecrows and the frog prince, plus may more. This is Jacksonville's premier family Halloween event, and you can purchase your tickets online, in advance, saving you both time and money.  For more information and to get your tickets, click here: Jacksonville Zoo Spooktacular   10/07/2013

This is a new opportunity by our local Adlib Tours to get a different perspective on our local Jacksonville! River City Haunts starts on 10/4/13, and runs every Friday Night.  This walking tour, which runs for an hour and a half, features the "darker" side of Jacksonville, with tales told by local ghosts. You will hear from the first settler of Downtown Jacksonville, Lewis Zachariah Hogans, and why the spirits continue to haunt the city. If you don't think we have some spirits here in River City, you will be fascinated to hear more about our local ghost presence! Tours are Friday nights, 8-9:30pm and are typically $20.  Meeting place is at the Jacksonville Landing escalators, at 2 West Independent Drive, Jacksonville.  You can call tel:904-827-1845 to make reservations.      10/07/2013

Before I'm labeled "not a football fan", please be aware I grew up in Northern NJ, and cut my teeth on the Giants in the early 70's. We tailgated in freezing temps, with snow on the ground, to a team that would lose on a regular basis. I have had Jaguars season tickets in the past, and enjoyed the team, and I enjoy the game. I don't particularly care for spending 8 hours on a weekend to watch a team lose poorly ( and, yes, it is possible to lose well). The field improvements outlined in this article include some pretty hefty investments, and the team seems to think they should be financed by our local hotel bed tax.  Seems our Mayor think this is a fine idea, too. The City Council still has to approve this proposal, and the owner of the Jaguars will be putting in $20 million (not a smal... 10/02/2013

I realize this does not happen often, but watching the terminal being evacuated last night, and the stranded travelers walk back to their parked cars got me thinking: how prepared am I to lug my luggage back to the most affordable parking lot? Or, what if I had parked in the parking garage where one of the alleged bombs was located? I'm betting the authorites weren't allowing any access to that garage, which means I would have to walk further, or find alternate transportation with hundreds of others. It might be a great practice for to have someone drop us at the airport, and actually remain at the airport in the waiting area until our plane has departed to avoid a nightmare such as this. You can read the full article here: JIA Evacuated 10/2/2013 10/01/2013

I started in real estate full time in 2005.   I didn't know it wasn't a good time, just like I didn't know the failure rate is something like 95% the first year.   Guess those were good things not to know and focus on.   Then, I would print every document I could ever need to be prepared. Worked ok, except when forms where updated.   Now, I am mobile based, not place based, and can accomplish anything with the iPad, PDF Expert, and Dropbox.   Then, I would show anyone just about anything.  I drove to Starke, FL one Sunday to show a house. Starke is about an hour from my home. I know zero about Starke.    Now, I have a defined area, and anything that doesn't fit is referred out to a pro in that area.  It helps me maximize and leverage my time and resources.   Then, I searched the MLS for... 09/30/2013

Eagles Hammock Community in Jacksonville Gets New Informative Website Eagles Hammock in Jacksonville Florida’s expanding Northside is a fabulous family friendly community of single family homes. A new website, EaglesHammock.com, was recently developed to provide relevant information about the community such as community profile, covenants and restrictions, amenities, and current listings. The Eagles Hammock community profile on EaglesHammock.com provides current and future residents with information about the community, details on location and surroundings, and entertainment and dining options close to the community. Eagles Hammock is located on the ever growing Jacksonville Northside and provides residents with many new shopping and business developments be sure to check out the websit... 09/23/2013

Summer Key Condo Community in Jacksonville Fl The fantastic condominium community of Summer Key in Jacksonville Florida offers gorgeous nature views and phenomenal amenities. The extremely informative website of SummerKey.com, provides residents and future homeowners with all pertinent information concerning the community. Information includes community profile, real estate information, amenities, and floor plans. The community information provided by SummerKey.com includes facts about the condominium community, information about location and surroundings, details of entertainment, shopping, and dining options for residents of Summer Key. Another great resource on the website is the community’s covenants and restrictions. These posted covenants and restrictions allow residents quick and... 09/23/2013

       Lots continue to get quickly bought up in the Jacksonville area, EVEN MORE proof that the growth seen in River City is not a fluke.  As a follow-up to our blog post from last Tuesday, a Jacksonville Business Journal article from September 16, 2013 announced that two Florida homebuilders have purchased five lots each in the Payasada Estates neighborhood of Ponte Vedra Beach.  Ossi Development of Jacksonville and Mercedes Premier Homes, LLC of South Florida have put down $1.25 million and $1.46 million respectively, for lots in the single-family community at County Road 210 and A1A.                                  Principal Ben Ossi stated that the homes his firm plans to build will range in size from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet and have prices ranging from $850,000 to their $1 mi... 09/19/2013

A report released by the On Numbers Economic Index for September shows that the Jacksonville Metropolitan area is now the sixteenth-biggest economy in the U.S., up from thirty-three last month and ninety-nine in September 2012.  The Index bases its findings on both the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.  Jacksonville is joined by fellow Florida cities Tampa (#20,) Orlando (#32,) the Cape Coral/Fort Myers metro area (#40,) and Miami/Fort Lauderdale (#44.)  The index includes all metropolitan area across the country having a population of 500,000 or more, 102 total.  Not to be overly optimistic, CNBC reports that while homebuilder confidence is still relatively high, buyers remain a bit hesitant due to increases in interest rates and a limited invento... 09/19/2013

       Hopefully, residents of Northeast Florida will be seeing more of these signs in our neighborhoods, much like many in Central Florida already do.  German discount grocery chain ALDI is considering a move to the Seabridge Square shopping center in Saint Augustine, potentially becoming a neighbor to large retailers Marshall's, Ulta, and Ross.  A 16,800 square-foot space in the center is the spot that the international grocer is eyeing for its move to the area.        ALDI's move to the Jacksonville area has been anticipated for years, with fans growing more restless after the opening of thirteen stores and a distribution center in the Orlando area.  ALDI is owned by the Albrecht Family of Germany, who also owns popular chain Trader Joe's, which was named by TIME Magazine as a "groc... 09/16/2013

         In a recent article by Jacksonville Business Journal correspondent Tracy Jones, the pace of residential home construction in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area is not only surpassing ALL other major cities in Florida, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is ECLIPSING major metropolitan areas across the country.        The Census Bureau notes that for the twelve-month period between July 2012 and July of this year, new home construction for single-family unites rose a staggering fifty-five percent, well above the usual national average of 25% growth per year.    Source:  The Jacksonville Business Journal, September 13, 2013.       09/16/2013

         In a continued effort to report good news in the Real Estate world and economy in general, we're happy to report that the figures for August continue to show more promising developments in the housing market.         According to a report released by the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR, for brevity's sake,) the median home price rose to $170,000, up nearly twenty-three percent from the same time last year.  The raw number of home sales closed also rose, up 15.6% from August 2012 to 1,898, as reported by Jacksonville Business Journal Print Editor Robert Ward.         Home inventory, however, decreased 37.8% over the past year, shrinking the number of homes on the market and spurring the seller's market that is now evident in the region.  These rises in sale pric... 09/12/2013

  I should have posted this PRIOR to the event, but didn't get to do that, so this will have to suffice. Our Global Business Council sponsored a day long seminar today on our growing international real estate market.  I had to be there, as the President of NEFAR, for the introductions, and I had planned to stay for part of the day. Turns out, the speakers were fabulous, and I spent the ENTIRE day at the program. We had two agent panels, one that addressed the European countries, and one focused on Asian countries. A money exchange company, a local lender who can do mortgages for foreign nationals, an immigration attorney - the list goes on. 95 people attended, and I saw many faces I had not seen before, which I love.  We all enjoyed a lunch featuring 3 stations: fajitas & tacos, lasagn... 09/12/2013

        Closed sales up 24.1 percent year to date; median sales price is $170,000; low inventory driving up prices and competition.   JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – August 2013 real estate market statistics are now available from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. Except where otherwise indicated, statistics reflect combined results for single-family residential and condominium properties.   There were 1,898 closed sales in August. This was a 24.1 percent increase year to date and 15.6 percent higher than August 2012. Of the 1,898 sales, 1,220 were traditional and 678 (35.7 percent) were lender-mediated. The percentage of lender-mediated sales was 40.7 percent a year ago. Condos-townhomes made up only 311 of the sales, with single-family properties accounting for the remaining 1,587.... 09/12/2013

              Jacksonville is now NUMBER TWO in the nation in foreclosures for the month of August, according to a report in the Jacksonville Business Journal.  This may sound like a bad thing (and it is,) but it is better than being the "leader" as we were in July.  According to industry tracker RealtyTrac, one in 304 homes were foreclosed in the Jacksonville Metropolitan area, which includes Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and Saint John's counties.  Though Nevada may have bumped Florida out of the top spot at the state level, six of the ten cities (including Jacksonville) with the highest foreclosure numbers were in Florida.         Another good omen that the real estate market is changing for better is the fact that foreclosure filings are down fourteen percent from last month and fifte... 09/12/2013