First let me recap the weather here in Ocala Florida during December. December weather in Ocala was unusually warm. The average temperature in December is 72 and half of the days approached 80 degrees. If you remember November was unusually cold with temperatures struggling to reach the ow 70's.   January is the dead of winter here in Ocala. Temperatures will be in the low 70's most days and we may even experience at light frost or two at night.   How was your Christmas? What does that have to do with my weather report you might ask? Well it was almost 80 degrees at my house in SW Ocala on Christmas day!!   01/05/2009

  The Foreclosure market here in Ocala Florida is boomimg! Foreclosures are selling at huge discounts off their peak prices back in 2005-06. I represented the buyers in the Foreclosure sale below.   Built 2007 1818 sq ft living area 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage .24 acre lot Marion Oaks sub division Sold Price $110,000.00   If you need more info on on Ocala Foreclosures I have everything you need on my free Ocala Foreclosure Guide.    01/05/2009

    COLDWELL BANKER ELLISON YEAR TO DATE ACTIVITY Below are homes that sold through Coldwell Banker Ellison Throughout 2008, some were the listings of the company and some were sold by Coldwell Banker Ellison.  Others were both listed and sold within the company.  CBE Listings Sold CBE Agent Sold Both List & Sold CB           January 16 18 9   February 40 29 18   March 32 19 11   April 42 36 21   May 55 42 23   June 46 37 22   July 36 28 18   August 46 44 24   September 38 25 13   October 48 35 18   November 40 29 17   December 16 17 8   Year to date statistics from the Ocala/Marion County Board of Realtors provide a birds eye view of the market activity for the Marion County Florida real estate market. SOURCE:  OCALA MARION COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS    Board : 2715 Start Date: 01/01/200... 12/19/2008

   The weather in Ocala Florida during December is warm and dry. The occasional cold front comes through and brings welcome rain and cooler temperatures and then we go back to warm and dry. Temperatures during the days are in the 70's and in the evenings they go down to the 50's.    Looking back to November, it was unusually cold by Ocala standards. Most days struggled to get to 70 and several nights went down to the 30's. Temperatures like these belong in January and not November. 12/16/2008

  HOMES SOLD IN November 2008 $100,000.00 and less..........................70 $100,001.00 to $200,000.00................89 $200,001.00 to $300,000.00................10 $300,001.00 to $500,000.00.................2 $500,001.00 plus.................................3 TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH...........174   ACTIVE LISTINGS..........................7,015 ** Only homes listed & sold on the Ocala Marion county MLS. Does not include For Sale by Owner or Builders not listed on the MLS. Numbers subject to change due to late reports from Brokers.   Sales have remained the same for several months now. We average 200 houses a month in Marion County. Inventory just can't seem to drop below that 7,000 mark and we have around 35 months of inventory. As a result prices have been declining.    It is my... 12/16/2008

Every state has it's own rules, actually various areas in a particular state can handle things differently according to their contracts. Knowing your rights and responsibilities is vital!  The story's below! I've practiced real estate in NY and now in Florida...the process is very different in both states!  Mainly the difference is that in NY the offer is written and then goes to the seller's attorney who writes a contract, normally within 2 weeks.  During that time period the buyer will have a home inspection and make a final decision based on the results.  There usually is no escrow turned over until a contract is written therefore it is not in jeopardy. Florida is more defined concerning escrow.  When an offer is made by the buyer and the seller agrees and signs on the dotted line a ... 12/14/2008

  Okay, so I have been online for many years. It is actually a funny story, in 2000 I was given the opportunity to purchase a computer, which back then was around $1,000. As a Mother of 3 at the time, all of my children under the age of 7, I was very skeptical about "Wasting" that much money on electronics. I actually put up a pretty good fight about it and just about "Won". Thankfully, I did not win that argument! I relented and we purchased a HP. It had Windows 98, there was a CDRW and it had one of those huge 19 inch monitors. It was barely faster then a snail and could not run too many programs all at once or it would freeze up horribly. I was in HEAVEN. I never knew how much I could learn just from being online. We subscribed to AOL which to this day I join in with everyone and cal... 12/10/2008

      The styles of homes and the structure of the homes can vary from ranch to two story and from Concrete Block to Concrete Block with Stucco to Wood Frame to even some Mobile Homes.               There are several 55+ Adult Communities here in Ocala to choose from. Subdivisions included in this selection are: Cherrywood Estates, On Top of the World (a golf course community) Marion Landing, Oak Run (Golf Course) Palm Cay, Pine Run, Spruce Creek, Spruce Creek Preserve.            Many of the homes have 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with a 2 car garage, however we also have 3 bedroom homes, 1 bath homes and garages range from 0-2 and some may have a golf cart garage.                    Homes on or near the golf course are often higher priced, however access to the golf courses are convenient ... 12/10/2008

Escape the cold and winter snow.  Bring a light coat or sweater and come on down buy a home in a 55 + Adult Community for Under $100,000 (of course that is if you are 55+).  There are plenty of homes to choose from and plenty of communities too!  I venture to say "You'll like Ocala enough to call it Home!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Listen to the Demo of Merry Gentlemen as my friend Mike Pollice sings it...you'll never be the same again!   12/08/2008

      Okay, so everywhere you go these days you hear the word RECESSION!! When I was growing up my parents used to talk about recession all the time and I began to fear it because of what I would hear when they spoke about it. When I was a Teenager growing up in Ocala, Florida we used to cruise up and down the Blvd. (Hwy 40 for those who remember) We used to literally drive up and down this road all night long, meeting people at Burger King on 40 and then parking at the cascades and just talking into the early hours of morning before going home and crashing for most of the next day. In the 90's we could do that because we were paying around $1.00 per gallon for gas. I moved away for many years and came back in 2005 and always wondered what happened to the people who used to cruise the B... 12/08/2008

Today I went back into my listing history to see what has happened with listings I've had that didn't sell.  I don't like taking overpriced homes and then having to wrestle my sellers for price reductions. Times are tough and accuracy in pricing is vital!  The market is not as difficult as it appears, the majority of homes that are currently on the market are overpriced creating a dam in the river of real estate. It's not normal that a house should sit on the market for repeated 6 month listings and not get a showing, but there are plenty of houses all over the country that are doing just that. Now some of my listings that expired off the market have not relisted nor have the others sold in spite of multiple listings... My conclusion is that the sellers were not committed to selling.  G... 11/30/2008

The market may be slow but homes that are priced right are still selling!  The hindrances to homes selling are minimized by some very simple things, like fixing up & painting, decluttering and most of all pricing your home right.  Having an assertive Realtor is the key when placing your home for sale!  Take a look at these homes that have defied the market and successfully obtained a new owner, even in this market! If you are looking for a Realtor who is ready willing and able to market your home for success, I'd be more than happy to assist you in finding that Realtor.  Just call or email me today so you too can defy the market.                           11/24/2008

On Top of the World is one of the largest 55+ Communities here in Ocala.  When you visit On Top of the World you'll see that it has plenty to offer active adults, from lush Golf Courses to Recreation Centers to Clubs & Activities and more...  For the pet lovers there is a dog park to meet some new friends.  For the gardener in you, there is a community garden for you too!  So much to see & do and shopping is just a golf cart ride away, now that's convenience! Below are links to homes (just click on the various houses) that are new on the market and to spark the interest I've included homes that are currently under contract and recently sold homes in the past 30 days, giving you an opportunity to do some price comparisons.  Have fun searching and investigating the great deals that are t... 11/23/2008

In today's market many people are finding their homes languishing on the market.  The key to selling is pricing right!  Houses that are priced right and priced lower than the competing homes will get the most attention. This home in Marion Landing is a perfect example of how to get your home sold. Competing homes were priced at $159,900-$179,900 while this home was priced at $149,900 and I sold it  just 15 days into the listing at 95% of listing price!  It closed 6 weeks later. Homes that are priced right will sell quickly even in a down market.  It is vital to employ a Realtor who has the courage to tell you the truth and not try to make you feel good with unrealistic prices.  Another major factor in selling your home quickly is condition...Here's some tips: 1.  If the house needs pain... 11/19/2008

WE ARE DESPERATE TO SELL OUR HOME, WHAT DO WE DO???? This has become a daily challenge to many Americans across our country.  We are very use to the normal process of people selling their homes so that they can move up and buy a new home, just because they want one.  Today, we have families faced with the challenge of loosing their homes not only because of changing mortgage interest rates which make it prohibitive for the homeowner to pay the mortgage, but now we have job lay-offs, severe unemployment and many other factors facing homeowners causing the feeling "we are desperate to sell our home, what do we do?" Today we are experiencing the real estate market of "effective pricing".  Many neighborhoods are having foreclosed properties pop up all around them and these are the only prop... 11/18/2008

My favorite time of year is here!  Equestrian Events!!! I love to watch the horses perform, to see the talented horses & riders exhibit all the time & effort they've invested over the past year.  The cream certainly rises to the top!  If you have never seen "The Mane Event" it's time you did.  Below are the dates, times and directions.  Real estate is my passion and occupation but horses are my love! Lookin' forward to seeing you there! Come to the Florida Horse Park Nov. 14th-16th for hoof pounding equestrian excitement and great family fun!  Watch the finest horses and riders compete in dressage, cross-country and show jumping; bring your picnic and tailgate at Saturday's Polo in the Park; Sunday, you won't want to miss non-stop carriage action at the Sunshine State Horse Driving Tria... 11/09/2008

Such a quaint community with a warm feeling, located near shopping, medical needs and just so simple to get to.  Marion Landing has housing style and pricing diversity allowing people of various walks of life to own in one of the more comfy communities around.  Take a peek at all the available homes Marion Landing has to offer by clicking on the sign below. 11/09/2008

All Virtual tours are attached to the picture, just click on the picture & go there!                 This 3 bedroom 2 bath 2 car garage in ground pool home is located on a 1+acre lot in the country.  It needs some upgrading but is in very good repair.  Very nice brick fireplace too! Asking just $139,000, bring an offer and lets talk!                 An Absolutely Gorgeous home awaits you behind these walls! A 3 Bedroom 2 Huge Bath home with a beautiful fireplace and an amazing kitchen for the person who likes to cook and entertain guests in this very open floor plan.                 A well established Marco Polo Home with 3 Bedrooms 2 baths and a 2 car garage.  Enjoy the beautiful deck on the back of this house.  A very spacious home located near all shopping & medical needs.  A steal a... 11/08/2008

Here in Ocala Florida we have very affordable 55+ Adult Communities.  Many of these homes are owned by snowbirds while others are full time residents.  These communities are centrally located near medical facilities and shopping of all sorts. Click on each button to view current listings in each community.  Below you'll find a "Contact Me" button that will enable you to ask any questions or schedule a time to view some homes.                                                             11/08/2008

Golf Course Communities in Marion County Florida are plentiful!  Take a look at some of the homes in On Top of the World                                   Visit our other golf course communities in upcoming blogs on Oak Run, Spruce Creek Preserve and Spruce Creek Golf Course.  For a list of golf courses in the Ocala Florida area click on the golfer below.   11/08/2008