Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for August 2008   The Cypress Knoll community has seen less foreclosures and deep discounted short sales erode away at the prices until recently It looks like we are seeing some weakening in the price stabilization in Cypress Knoll.  Last month there were O Bank Owned properties available for sale.  There are currently 4 Bank Owned properties now available in Cypress Knoll.   Search Cypress Knoll Bank Owned   Located directly across from the new Town Center Project, close to the Flagler County Hospital, easy access to the beach by way of US 100 into Flagler Beach and of course it is a ver... 09/02/2008

Title Insurance – Why do I need that? Title insurance is very misunderstood by most consumers. It is no less important than homeowner’s insurance. When you are purchasing a home or land or commercial property what you are actually purchasing is the title or the right to occupy and use the land. That title may be limited by rights and claims by others which may limit your use and enjoyment of the property and even bring financial loss. Title insurance serves to protect you against these types of hazards.  Generally, your homeowner’s insurance protects your home or investment against possible future events. That type of coverage is paid by annual premium whereas title insurance is purchased with a one-time premium. Also, title insurance protects against loss from defects that already exis... 08/27/2008

    WHAT MOVES RATES?   Many people want to know why the rates aren’t lower since the fed cut the bank rates.    What makes them rise, or fall? Is it the Fed? The economy? Inflation? Is it the president?    Rates are moved by a number of factors. One of the main reasons is the consumer. Mortgage money can come from many different sources. Some of the sources are deposits at banks, brokerages, and in most cases, from investors. These investors purchase debt instruments such as bonds.    In order to attract investors, sellers of bonds must compete with one another to get their money. They do this by offering a variety of instruments (products, or loan programs) with differing structures of risk and return over a given period of time (i.e., stated loans with lower credit scores have higher... 08/25/2008

After several months of stagnation in the Saltwater Canal Sales...I am very happy to report a significant change is beginning to occur.  Not only have I been receiving multiple requests everyday regarding the best values on the canals...but Inventory levels are dropping, bank -owned properties are disappearing and short sales are finally being taken off the market. So here is a quick update of what has been happening on the Saltwater canals lately....along with my top Ten best value picks of the week...enjoy. And feel free to contact me for any additional information. The Top Ten Saltwater Canal Best Buys under $400K Palm Coast Market Statistics - Saltwater Canal Homes Total Active for Sale - 129 homes (Considering the amount of Saltwater Homes in Palm Coast on over 23 miles of canals.... 08/24/2008

  Wall Street Journal Predicts . . . Some excerpts from a recent article suggest we may be seeing a turn in the housing market: YES, THE SUPPLY OVERHANG still is humongous, but at least the numbers are moving in the right direction, as even Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson noted last week. Speaking at a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. conference, Paulson declared that "we are well into the adjustment process." CHIP CASE, whose knowledge of the housing market goes back decades . . . three declines of similar magnitude -- from more than two million to less than one million -- have occurred in the past 35 years.  Every time this has happened before, housing-market activity has rebounded within a quarter and caught experts by surprise," he says. THE STEEP DECLINE IN HOME PRICES -- Case pref... 08/14/2008

Northern Peninsula - Beachside Properties - Market Update - YTD 2008 The Northern Peninsula/Beachside of Flagler County extends From Marineland to the north, down through The Hammock, onwards towards, but does not include Flagler Beach.  A1A runs the entire distance of Flagler County and much of it is a Scenic Oceanview drive.  Through the Hammock area of Flagler County, A1A jogs in and has left a pristine Oceanfront destination that has mostly just been developed within the last few years. You have many choices with property in the Northern Peninsula of Flagler County.  You can choose gated, non-gated, commercial property,condominiums and vacant land. The Northern Peninsula area of Flagler County is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the East and the Intracoastal Waterway to the West. T... 08/13/2008

CINNAMON BEACH Cinnamon Beach is a 65 acre private gated Community within the 1,100 acre gated Community of Ocean Hammock located in Palm Coast, Florida, just 25 minutes south of St. Augustine, 30 minutes north of Daytona Beach and 90 minutes North East of Orlando. With 2.5 miles of cinnamon colored beach, the community features a harmonious blend of 275 magnificent Ocean front, Ocean/Golf view & Lake view condominiums with West Indies architecture in mind and 111 home-sites. For site selection, you can choose areas with Oak Hammocks, Ocean front, Golf Course or Lake locations. All residences are less than 300 yards from the beach. The theme here is a "Seaside Village". There is something undeniably alluring about ocean front property. The sound of the surf. The smell of the crisp salt ... 08/12/2008

Grand Haven Resale Homes Condos & Townhomes An incomparable lifestyle awaits you at Grand Haven, the premier residential golf community on Florida's east coast. Located on more than 1,478 acres along the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Coast, Grand Haven offers an array of fine amenities: a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a world-class country club, a gated community with large homesites and award-winning builders. This exclusive, gated, master-planned community is comprised of intimate villages linked by winding trails and tree-lined streets. Bike paths, parks and an adjacent 4,000-acre nature preserve highlight the community's natural beauty, making outdoor activities a way of life. Residents enjoy an active lifestyle with sidewalks and trails that weave throughout the community, l... 08/11/2008

I have been having a little comment disagreement today regarding if REALTORS should wear flip flops when showing proprieties.  There seems to be alot of opinions on AR on how some agents feel others should dress in order to be professional. So imagine how thrilled I was to stumble across this lovely documentary...with a very sharply dressed REALTOR conveying the utmost in professionalism...LOL ENJOY!!!  I think I will stick with my flip flops ;-) 08/10/2008

Weekending 8/9/2008 Flagler County Residential Houses # Active 1921     # Listed  74 Avg Listing Price $243,136 Median Listing Price $188,450 Highest $956,105 Lowest $28,500     # Listed MTD 93     # Pending  208 Avg Listing Price $219,105 Median Listing Price $179,000 Highest $2,190,000 Lowest $65,900     # Contracted This Week $25 Avg Listing Price $191,184 Median Listing Price $172,211 Highest  $475,000 Lowest $109,900     # Contracted This Month 36     # Closed 15 Avg Selling Price $169,857 Median Price $145,500 Avg Days on Market 175 Highest  $320,000 Lowest $117,850     # Closed MTD 19 Avg Selling Price $184,724 Median Price $152,500 Avg Days on Market 160 Highest  $385,000 Lowest $117,850         Palm Coast Residential Houses # Active 1506     # Listed  65 Avg Listing Price $218... 08/10/2008

ACTIVE INVENTORY REPORT January - August 2008 Inventory Decreases 2008 Active Listings have decreased 24% Short Sale Listings have decreased 54% Bank Owned Listings have decreased 86% Current Absorption Rate 15 Months Current Inventory Statistics 2008 Non-Distressed Homes are 70% of current inventory Short Sale Homes are 27% of current inventory Bank Owned Homes are 2.5% of current inventory Sold Inventory Report January - August 2008 Closed Sales 2008 15% of Closed Sales were Short Sales 25% of Closed Sales were Bank Owned 60% of Closed Sales were Non-Distressed Home Sales Activity Report January - August 2008 Activity Breakdown Report January - August 2008 Status Short Sales Regular Bank Owned Closed Sales 15 % 60% 25% Currently Pending 58% 32% 10% Currently Active 28% 70% 2% Ratio of... 08/09/2008

  Make sure to check back in  for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Here is a Market Update for Navigable Saltwater Canal & Intracoastal Front Properties July 2008   Active Saltwater Front Homes   175 homes for sale  Average List Price:  $620,464 Average Sale Price: $319,200   As you can see from the numbers above...much off our market sales recently have been on the lower priced homes as bargain shoppers have rushed in to pick up the bank -owned deals and lower end properties. At some point these great bottom feeder deals will be gone.  So if you have been sitting on the fence...now might be the time to hop off or miss out. There are currently 0 Bank Owned Homes f... 08/03/2008

  Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008 Let the numbers talk. Total Active Palm Coast Homes:  General Palm Coast, Florida Homes update Non-Gated Communities   1360 Homes for sale in July vs 1381 homes for sale in June ****Inventory is continuing to decline in Palm Coast, Florida*****   Average List Price: $248,352 in July vs $250,000 in June Average Sale Price:  $168,483 in July vs $172,682 in June ****Please be careful when analyzing these numbers...in addition to Real Estate being local to State, County & City...it is very, very important to know that Real Estate is also very HYPER - LOCAL within a community..... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   The following Palm Harbor Stats do not include Saltwater Frontage Homes   4 Homes sold in the Palm Harbor Neighborhood in July...none of the sales were bank owned or short sale properties.  You can see that an increase in both the average listing price and average sale price rose from June to July.  The number homes on the market decreased just under 5%.   Palm Harbor Neighborhood (East of I-95) 122 Homes for Sale   Average List Price: $231,934 in July vs $229,989 in June Average Sale Price: $153,563 in July vs $142,268 in June Total Pending Homes:   24 Pending Bank Owned:... 08/03/2008

  Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   Indian Trails is one of the most built out communities in Palm Coast, so it is not a surprise that it has high inventory levels of homes on the market.  Indian Trails has always been a desired area due to its proximity to schools, the Library, restaurants, grocery stores etc.  Located just to the North of Palm Coast Parkway - West of I-95 and to the south of Matanzas Woods...it is in close proximity to the new Palm Coast Park development. In July 13 homes sold in Indian Trails - 2 Bank Owned - 3 Short Sales and the remaining 8 were non distressed sales. based on the data... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   The inventory levels in Pine Lakes decreased just under 7% from the month of June to the month of July....again showing that properties are coming off the market.  Is it just people getting tired and pulling their properties off of the market and deciding not to sell in this tough market and at such low prices?  That answer will have to be saved for a different upcoming data analysis post about expired, and withdrawn properties...so keep checking back. In the meantime, let's take a look at the data for Pine Lakes in July. 10 homes were sold in July - 1 bank owned - 1 was a... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   There was only 1 sale in July in the community of Matanzas Woods...the good news...it was not a distressed sales and the home sold for $365,000.  Matanzas Woods has also held onto property values much better than most of the other non-gated communities in general Palm Coast, Florida.  Again, I think it is very important to point out LOCATION.  Matanzas Woods is located west of I-95 and is the furthest Palm Coast community to the North.  This community is very popular with people who commute and work in St. Augustine & Jacksonville due to its close proximity to US1 with dir... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   This community has seen less foreclosures and deep discounted short sales erode away at the prices.  There are many factors...the #1 of course being the most important rule in Real Estate...Location - Location - Location. Located directly across from the new Town Center Project, close to the Flagler County Hospital, easy access to the beach by way of US 100 into Flagler Beach and of course it is a very pretty community.  The Cypress Knoll golf course, although one of the toughest plays in town, is also one of the most beautiful.     Cypress Knoll Neighborhood (Town Center ... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment.   Market update for July 2008   11 Homes sold in the Belle Terre/Pine Grove Neighborhood in July. 6 Bank owned - 2 Short Sales and 3 non-distressed sales.  Looks like this neighborhood is bucking the trend of declining sold prices....this does show that it only take one very low distressed sale to throw off the numbers for any given month....hmmmm.  The list prices in Quail Hollow currently range from $105,000. up to $425,000. There are 52 Homes in these neighborhoods listed under $150,000 of those 77% of them are distressed sales - Short sales or Bank Owned properties.  This data continues to show us th... 08/03/2008

Make sure to check back in for updates on the Palm Coast - Flagler County Real Estate Market and Trends. I believe that information is power and am an advocate for customer empowerment. Market update for July 2008 Although 7 properties sold in The Quail Hollow neighborhood in July...the available inventory did not change and still remains at 37 homes for sale.  Half of the sales in July were bank owned...there were no successful short sales.   Quail Hollow Neighborhood (south of 100/west of I-95)   37 Homes For Sale   Average List Price: $201,063 in June vs $203,618 in May Average Sale Price: $149,571 in July vs $154,543 in June Total Pending Homes:   14 Pending Bank Owned:   2 Pending Short Sales:  10 Days on Market:  36 Sale Price/List Price Ratio:    96.76%   Search Homes for sale in... 08/02/2008