Once a year the state of Florida issues a report on it's school systems. Just like being in school they are graded from A to F on various testing criteria. Each school is individually rated so you can see the grammar, middle or high school of your choice and how it's ranked. This report is for the latest 2006/2007 school year and covers every school in the Ocala and Marion County Florida area. 2006/07 Ocala Marion County School Report Card 07/23/2007

I like to contact expired listings of Ocala Florida Homes . It is my opinion that many sellers weren`t advised by their former Realtors about the market shift in prices reduction. I don`t know how many Realtors call expired listings, but for a great education of "Seller Denial" you should! Many sellers instead love the New Rage sweeping Sellers! "Let`s Play the Blame Game!" -It`s easier! That being mentioned it probably is. Yesterday, i spent 3 hours on the telephone contacting expired listings in my "Farm Area". It was really enlightening to hear why some homes never sold!   One seller denied that he actually had his home for sale,another claimed the Realtor never did an "Open House" to move their home, the best was the "Realtor never paid attention to their suggestions!" I kid you not... 07/17/2007

Talk about the Florida weather being HOT! The Ocala Florida Homes  market is just as hot, if not fierce! Yesterday,I was at a listing appointment in Marion Oaks.  The seller interviewed 6 different agents for their home. They need to sell the home quickly because they have issues with the lender. Needless to say they have to select a Realtor that is capable of marketing and selling their home.   I spent 1.5 hours in what felt like a job interview. I`m happy to report that we just got notice that we`re the winner and will be listing the property on activerain.com.   The Real Estate market is sizzling in Ocala,Florida and only the strong it appears will survive. 07/17/2007

  OCALA REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT  Homes Sold June  2007 .............327* $100,000.00 or less.......................72 $100 to $200,000.00....................157 $200 to $300,000.00......................60 $300 to $500,000.00......................24 $500,000.00 Plus...........................14 Active Listings as of 7/4/07......7335* Vacant Houses as of 7/4/07.......2165* ** This does not count homes sold by builders that may not be listed on the MLS.   Here in Ocala, we are still in a buyers market and I think it will continue well into next year. It's a great time to buy a home. There is a lot of inventory to choose from and prices couldn't be better.     Free MLS search of Ocala and Marion County Florida real estate.    Great buys in Ocala real estate.   I provide honest, straight f... 07/17/2007

 With consumer spending seemingly OK,Wall Street setting new highs,interest rates are still low, it would greatly appear that The Real Estate would seem to be moving out of its doldrums,wouldn`t it?   There are still many obstacles in our way, yet the feeling for many is with employment and inflation numbers at almost record lows our economy seems to be very stable.   Is it only a matter of time before we see the market change?   Many Realtors believe that if we`re able to ride out the "Great Debacle of 2007" we`re in for a very strong 2008 Housing market inspite of Foreclosures and Mortgage Fraud!Investors are quietly purchasing homes in Bulk.Banks are so busy dealing with paper work to resolve foreclosures that what used to take a few days to get answers now take weeks!   What`s reall... 07/14/2007

Today in the Ocala Star Banner there is a very interesting article for all Marion County Realtors to enjoy or cry about!It`s entitled:HOME SALES DOWN 50 PERCENT FROM 2006 (http://ocala.com/article/20070707/NEWS/207070343/1025/NEWS)  I`m never one to get involved in the media hype because i believe the media has a right to print the news as they see fit! After all that`s the "Newspaper game" I do take offense though to the huge void left in this article written by Mabel Perez.   Here is my rebuttal: The state of Florida as a whole has seen th market go from bad to worse. There`s no denying what`s happening in Real Estate. Marion County overall never really felt how bad the rest of the state has seen,and probably never will. Sure, it`s not a great market, but the opportunity is there. Par... 07/07/2007

I have a question that needs to be addressed to many Realtors out there who are risking their Real Estate license in order to complete a Section 8 rental.   Section 8 housing is geared to assist those who aren`t able to pay rent. There are  Programs & Guidelines  that we must adhere too.   That being mentioned why are some of you attempting to participate in Bribery?   Recently, I received a call from a Realtor who didn`t have a clue how the system works. They called me to ask if our landlord would accept Section 8 housing vocuhers plus an additional $350 per month from the tenant.   I explained that the voucher for a 3bed,2ba home is $1350 which is what the landlord receives,it`s very illegal for the landlord to take any additional monies and besides that the person on Section 8 who is... 07/06/2007

    If you're having trouble selling your home here in Ocala try thinking like a buyer. By stopping for a minute and putting yourself in the buyers shoes you might get a better perspective on how to sell your house. You are now a sales person. Just like the owner of a store you are in competition for the public's business. You have to offer the best product at the best price. We're all used to being the consumer. We all want to find a great deal. It's the American way, the home of Walmart. If you have a home to sell in today's market you are now on the other side of the coin. You have to think like a business and find the best way to sell your product, your home.  Very few homes are truly unique. Although you may have spent years getting your house just so, there are probably a dozen si... 06/29/2007

We received an offer on our listing in Marion Oaks. The offer came in with an assignees added.That`s all well and good.The problem though is that if the actual assignment isn`t completed the seller is left holding the bag! many sellers don`t realize this!  Assigning contracts are fine for the investor,but when you`re representing the seller`s how cautious are you in protecting their interests?I like to write an addendum which states:" Buyer agrees to close regardless of the assignees failing to" It`s happened before and will happen again.It isn`t thesellers concern what the buyer wishes to do in "Flipping" the home, our job is to insure that the transaction closes in a timely manner.   It`s always important to know what can transpire before hand, be ready and make adjustments to protect... 06/28/2007

    This is a really cool tool put out by the Governor's office that lets you compare average home owners insurance rates in a county from one company to another. You can even compare average property insurance rates of a given company in one county to those in another county. So in effect you can compare this one aspect of the cost of living in one area to that of another area. I plan to use it as a tool to convince people to move toOcala.  I am glad to report that Ocala does very well when compared to most parts of Florida. I used State Farm as a test case, partly because that's the insurance company I have and partly because it's the largest home owners insurance company in Florida.  Here are some comparisons of the average insurance rates by county offered by State Farm. I chose the... 06/27/2007

We just rented a home in Ocala,Florida. It was placed on the MLS,two weeks ago. The owner was ecstatic to have the home rented and signed the lease. Yesterday, he received a call from another agent who told him that he may have a buyer for the home!   Some agents have a habit of being sneaky! They are predators of sorts. Of course this agent didn`t have a buyer, they were clearly attempting to get the listing by fabricating stories.   The mere fact that this person continues to do this has given them the distinction of being "Public Enemy #1" with alot of Realtors in this area.Agents keep a list on the Good,Bad and Ugly" of our profession.     There are ways of doing things correctly. Going behind another agents back and dealing with their clients will cost you one day whether you belie... 06/25/2007

Thinking about moving to Florida? Ocala is the place to go. Ocala has the second lowest median home prices in the entire state of Florida. Ocala is centrally locate, about an hour north of Orlando and about the same distance from either coast. Ocalahas never been hit by a hurricane so it doesn't suffer from the high property insurance that exists in south Florida. Another benefit is the slower pace of life and the small town atmosphere. Money Magazine even voted Ocala as one of it's Best Places to Live. If you want to know more about moving to Ocala then you need to see Joe Dallorso. Joe is an Ocala Real Estate expert. Visit Joe's web site OcalaHouseHunter.com information about buying Real Estate in Ocala. Contact Joe for all your Ocala Real estate needs:Joe DallorsoKeller Williams Cor... 06/25/2007

The first fundamental of investing is value.  Value or market value of an investment is the most basic concept of investing.  Value is what a willing buyer will pay.I remember back in 1974 I was a freshman in college and one of the courses I took was Investment 101.  This course focused on the stock market, but Surprise, Surprise, Surprise, the same fundamental rules apply to all investing.  Investors need to understand several things before they shell out the cash, regardless of the type of investment.In my investment class the professor told a story of a newbie stock investor who saw a penny stock in the paper - the price 2 cents per share.  This legend in his own mind bought 10,000 shares at a cost of $200.00.  The next day he saw in the paper that the stock had gone up to 5 cents pe... 06/24/2007

Property values are declining, the key thought now is buyer options.  There are more options for the serious buyer than ever before.  Two years ago sellers faced competition from only a few other homes on the market in their subdivision.  Now, savvy buyers are expanding their searches north to Gainesville and south to Orlando to comparison shop making the market more price sensitive than ever.Less closings.  Last year, there were 5487 closings in Marion County - or about 15 per day for the whole year. This year, through May 31 there were 1804 or only 12 per day. Last year same period, January 1- May 31, there were 2942 or almost 20 per day - about a 28% decrease in homes sold.   More homes on the market.  As of June 24, the MLS shows 7391 homes available - almost a 619 day supply of ava... 06/24/2007

11600 NW 35 STOCALA, FL 34482MINI-ESTATE HOME with over 4800 SF under A/C! ALL THE COMFOrTS TO CALL YOUR NEXT HOME!To preview this beauty please contact the Scott Daniels Real Estate Group @ 1-866-268-2274.Visit us @ www.listfloridahomesforless.com $699,9005 Bed , 4 Bath4,865 Sq. Ft.More PhotosSingle Family Property, Status: Active, Year Built: 1995, View, Two ... moreListing Detail Preview < Previous1 of 9 PhotosNext >11600 NW 35 STOCALA, FL 34482MLS ID#: H826816$699,9005 Bed , 4 Bath4,865 Sq. Ft.Map & DirectionsSave This ListingSend to a FriendSend to your REALTOR®Single Family Property, Status: Active, Year Built: 1995, View, Two story, Central air conditioning, Swimming pool(s), Fireplace(s), Dining room, Hardwood floorsTo access this webpage directly, use http://www.realtor.com/Pro... 06/21/2007

RENTED IN 10 DAYS! ATTENTION: INVESTORS,LANDLORDS,WE CAN RENT YOUR HOME FAST! WE HAVE QUALIFIED TENANTS STANDING BY WAITING TO MOVE INTO YOUR HOME! OUR TEAM OF TRAINED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU WITH RENTALS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT!CONTACT US TODAY @ 1-866-268-2274!Listing Detail Preview < Previous1 of 1 PhotosNext >9 PINE CT LANEOCALA, FL 34472MLS ID#: H827351$900.003 Bed , 2 Bath1,523 Sq. Ft.FOR ADDITIONAL RENTAL PROPERTIES IN OCALA FLORIDACONTACT THE SCOTT DANIELS REAL ESTATE GROUP @ 1-866-268-2274.VISIT US @ http://www.listfloridahomesforless.com/ Save This ListingSend to a FriendSend to your REALTOR®BRAND NEW NEVER LIVED IN! BEAUTIFUL 3bed,2ba,2CG SFH. Near schools,shopping and parks! Rental Property, Subdivision: SILVER SPRINGS SHORES, Year Built: 2006To acces... 06/21/2007

Rental Property in Ocala: Looking for Affordable Single Family Homes, Townhomes or Condo`s in Ocala? Below is a list of rental property in Marion County. To preview any of these beautiful homes please contact us.1-866-268-2274.Our agents are standing by to assist you 7 days a week! 10178 SE 138 PLACE RD SUMMERFIELD, FL 34491 MONTHLY RENT $1,100 1396 SqFt 3/2 Lake Weir Shores Model: Abbate. 21 FISHER TRACE RUN OCKLAWAHA, FL MONTHLY RENT $ 900.00 NO MLS. 3/2 5681 NW 55 AVE OCALA, FL 34482 MONTHLY RENT $975.00 OCALA PARK EST MODEL: CATANIA 3/2 1165 Sq Ft 13 CHESTNUT CT OCALA, FL 34472 MONTHLY RENT $950.00 SILVER SPRINGS SHORES MODEL: BOWMAN 3/2 1229 SqFt 5970 NW 63 PL OCALA, FL $1000 A MONTH 2395 SE 46th CT OCALA, FL 34473 SILVER SPRINGS SHORES MONTHLY RENT $1000 3/2 1603 SqFt 563 MIDWAY T... 06/21/2007

Boosting your FICO in 30 daysGet a piece of paper and make a list of all your installment & credit card bills.  Call them up and find out when do they report to the credit bureaus.  Write that date right next to the debt.  Then you need to pay them about 4 days before that date.  If you pay your bill on the 18th and that card reports on the 16th, you are behind the 8 ball.  But if you pay it on the 12th you will probably boost your score 10-12 points per debt.  Many people call me and say "Well I always pay my bills on time but my score does not go up."  Well try this and it will. Very quick.  06/10/2007

More and more I`m noticing sellers who have listed their "Homes For Sale" looking at other marketing ideas in insuring that they`re property is either sold or at least the mortgage is covered. There aren`t too many people out there who are able to afford the luxury of two mortgages per month, therefore we`re noticing new and innovative ideas that are a least a solution to a slow market.   Renting out you`re home to a "Qualified tenant". There are several ways to insure that the person whom you`re renting your is capable of paying the rent each month. Many potential landlords are afraid to deal directly with the tenant. We offer our "landlords" the ability of having the best of "Both Worlds". Our job is to make sure we ask the following questions to the prospective tenant.1- Two Months o... 06/10/2007

We`ve been discussing on several blogs the essence of "Pricing a home to sell". As the market has changed so has the marketing and listing of a home. Today overpricing a home won`t accomplish anything except keeping the home on the market for a very long time!   Case in point:   Two months ago we had a buyer  make an offer on a home located in Oklawaha,Florida. The home is situated on an a small lake and the seller was asking $245,000. The Comps in the area didn`t justify the price and we made what we thought was a very reasonable offer based on the recent sales in the area. Our offer of $192,000 was indeed rejected and the seller refused to counter.   We spoke to the buyer and told him that we should  notify the seller to keep our offer and if anything changes, contact us. The home was... 06/07/2007