Queens Harbour Homes For Sale

If you are on the market for a home in a Yacht and Golf course community in northeast Florida you have to consider Queens Harbour in Jacksonville Florida. This exclusive gated  community is centrally located in Jacksonville’s Intracoastal West area. Queens Harbour real estate is currently at record lows starting in the low $200’s up to multi millions.
This community is located 8 minutes to Jacksonville’s scenic beaches, 20 minutes to Jacksonville International Airport and 15 minute to downtown.  Jacksonville is located just north of Ponte Vedra and The World Golf Village, golf capital of the world.
Queens Harbour homes for sale offer golf course, marsh and wildlife views all in an affordable community. If you are interested in docking your yacht near your home in a freshwater lock system with direct access to Jacksonville’s intracoastal waterways which leads to the Atlantic ocean in under 30 minutes.
Queens Harbour is considered a prestigious community and is sought after by many homeowners desiring higher class living at affordable prices. As of the writing of this article many of the homes association dues where under $600 a quarter. Amenities include access to a golf course membership at resident prices and a guarded gate house controlling unwanted visitors, community swimming pools, tennis facilities and many community social events.
If you have been waiting to jump into the real estate market this may be the time to take advantage of record low interest rates and extremely affordable Queens Harbour real estate for sale. Visit Rob Burns with Prudential Network Realty at http://www.jaxhomeseller.com/

Waterleaf Jacksonville Fl Homes For Sale

If you have been considering the East Arlington area of Jacksonville Florida for your next home you should consider WaterLeaf. This community is conveniently located off of N Kernan Blvd between Atlantic Blvd and McCormick Rd. which puts you about 10 minutes to the gate of Mayport, 1o minutes to scenic Hanna Park, 15 minutes to the Beaches and 20 minutes to downtown or the airport. Waterleaf is also minutes to shopping, dining, schools and places of worship. Homes in Waterleaf and selling for a fraction of their new contraction prices from just a few years ago. The community offers a swimming pool, kids water park, playground, tennis court and scenic views. If you’re looking for an expert in the East Arlington, Intracoastal areas of Jacksonville give me a call to find out more.
904-485-7455 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              904-485-7455      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or http://www.jaxhomeseller.com/

Shadow real estate inventory remains flat

Current residential shadow inventory as of October 2011 remained at 1.6 million units – representing a supply of five months – down from a seven-month supply of 1.9 million units one year earlier, according to CoreLogic. It’s the same level reported in July 2011.
Currently, the flow of new seriously delinquent loans into the shadow inventory has been offset by the roughly equal flow of foreclosures and short sales.
CoreLogic estimates the shadow inventory, also known as pending supply, based on the number of distressed properties not currently listed on multiple listing services (MLSs) that are seriously delinquent (90 days or more) – properties most likely to foreclosures and short sales. Properties not yet delinquent aren’t included in the estimate of shadow inventory.
Data highlights:
* As of October 2011, shadow inventory remained at 1.6 million units, or 5-months’ supply and represented half of the 3 million properties currently seriously delinquent, in foreclosure or in REO.
* Of the 1.6 million properties currently in the shadow inventory, 770,000 units are seriously delinquent (2.5-months’ supply), 430,000 are in some stage of foreclosure (1.4-months’ supply) and 370,000 are already in REO (1.2-months’ supply).
* Florida, California and Illinois account for more than a third of the shadow inventory. The top six states, which would also include New York, Texas and New Jersey, account for half of the shadow inventory.
* Despite 3 million distressed sales since January 2009, a period when home prices were declining at their fastest rate, the shadow inventory in October 2011 is at the same level as January 2009.
* Because shadow inventory is often concentrated in suburban and exurban submarkets, where distressed sales compete with new construction sales, it is one of the reasons why new home sales continue to be weak. In normal times, new home sales account for 12 percent of all sales, but they are currently running at 7 percent of all sales.
“The shadow inventory overhang is a large impediment to the improvement in the housing market because it puts downward pressure on home prices, which hurts home sales and building activity while encouraging strategic defaults,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.

Florida Realtors top 10 stories in 2011

1. Once-in-a-generation time to buy. Who’s in?
Most renters want to buy a home: 72 percent consider homeownership a good financial decision, and 64 percent believe the time is right, according to the National Association of Realtors® 2011 Housing Pulse survey. Mortgage rates hit a record low of 3.94 percent this year, homes sold for a fraction of their value five years ago, and excess inventory provided every buyer with a range of options. In some cities, homeownership became cheaper than renting. But job insecurities made buyers nervous to commit. Those who did found it difficult to get financing despite stellar credit scores. As a result, 2011 saw a real estate market with great deals, yet fewer buyers than needed. In 10 years, however, many Americans may look back on 2011 as the best time in a generation to invest in real estate.
2. The economy rebounded, sorta, kinda, a little
The Florida economy remained sluggish as unemployment rates stayed uncomfortably high and home sales stayed uncomfortably low; but, across the board, the state showed signs of recovery, with almost every economic indicator suggesting brighter days ahead. Home sales edged higher most months; selling prices held their own and, in a few cases, median selling prices rose. Floridians’ consumer confidence also rose toward the end of the year after bobbing around for most of the summer. Employment followed, and while the state has a long way to go to hit “normal,” it reached a 2011 level of “better than last year.”

3. Commercial market leaves “dire” for “not as bad”
Florida investors increasingly want to buy office, retail and industrial properties, says Cynthia Shelton, Florida Realtors’ 2009 president and a director at Colliers International in Orlando. Vacancy rates, while high, have stabilized, along with rental rates. Core assets (essential to businesses) are selling and lenders – including the life insurance companies – are lending again. Banks are more realistic about prices for distressed properties, and 2012 should see the entry of more commercial tenants. “With modest economic growth and job creation, the fundamentals for commercial real estate should gradually improve in the coming year,” adds Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist.
4. Florida Legislature: We got Amendment 4 and scrapped the cap
Florida Realtors had a number of victories in the 2011 Florida Legislature, but none as important as a constitutional amendment voters will consider in November 2012, and none so hard-fought as a law to “scrap the cap” on Florida’s affordable housing trust funds. Amendment 4, if approved by Florida voters, will create a property tax increase cap of 5 percent each year on non-homestead real estate, down from the current 10 percent cap. It will also give some first-time homebuyers a property tax break that decreases over time. In 2012, Florida Realtors will roll out its “Yes on 4” campaign. In the “scrap the cap” victory, the Florida Legislature agreed to allow all doc stamps earmarked for the affordable housing Sadowski Trust Fund to actually go into the fund.
5. Fasten your seatbelts. Property insurance is a bumpy ride.
Lawmakers wrestled with a question that has been around for years: Should property insurance be affordable or available? If affordable, a major storm could bankrupt the state. If widely available, the cost could drive buyers away and hurt current homeowners. Citizens Property Insurance, the state-owned insurer, sits squarely in the middle of the debate since it covers most of the high-risk properties and, should a major storm hit, would force all Floridians to help pay for damages. To attract private insurers to the state and cut down on the number of owners under Citizens, Gov. Scott and lawmakers made changes. Sinkhole coverage became optional and much more expensive. Citizens dropped about 7,500 coastal homes in early December, and policy costs and rules are set to become even stricter in 2012. The uneasy balance between affordable or available insurance shifted a bit closer to the “available” side.
6. Facts at your fingertips: Florida Realtors adds research department
Florida Realtors Industry and Data Analysis Department (IDA) opened for business in June 2011. Designed to provide practical information for association members, Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo says the department will help Realtors in Florida deal more effectively with increasingly educated consumers. The services provided by IDA include current analyses of Florida’s real estate market and support for Florida Realtors’ public policy efforts in Tallahassee. IDA products are available to all members and can be found on the Research page of floridarealtors.org. “Members are free to pull down and use any information provided by IDA,” says Tuccillo.

7. HAMP, HARP, TARP do little for at-risk homeowners
Falling home values and risky mortgages caused more Florida owners to face foreclosure. The government created, and modified, a number of programs slated to help owners keep their homes, but most applied only to about half of those in trouble – owners who had mortgages held by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Even then, however the carrots held out by HAMP, HARP, TARP and others didn’t entice lenders that feared principal cuts and long-term changes. The issue led to some strategic defaults – foreclosures where investors could afford to pay but walked away as a financial decision – court backups, and a system that allowed some non-paying owners to live in a home for over two years before authorities finally foreclosed. Analysts expect the problem to improve but continue in 2012.
8. Should we slow the recovery to avoid another crisis?
U.S. regulators have conflicting goals: Speed the recovery but, at the same time, take steps to make sure it never happens again. Unfortunately, it hasn’t figured out how to do both. While the federal government has tried to spark home sales through a number of programs (see No. 7 above), it has also created obstacles to homeownership by boosting mortgage rules, tightening appraisal standards and restricting the amount homeowners can deduct from federal taxes. A key concern of Realtors heading into 2012 is the qualified residential mortgage (QRM) rule – a minimum standard that mortgage loans must meet before Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will consider buying them. Some lawmakers have suggested a 20 percent downpayment, a high standard that will force many buyers to wait years before they can afford homeownership. The discussion will continue in 2012.

9. Social networking goes from ‘cutting edge’ to ‘must do’
New technology no longer surprises Realtors, who have been inundated with “cutting edge solutions” that now allow them to post videos, track complete transactions stored in a “cloud,” sign contracts without actually signing anything and politely ask their phone to look up information. Social networking was once the realm of early-adopters, and Realtors sold it to clients as “look what I can do for you.” Now, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Goggle+ (new in 2011) and other social networking sites are standard in the real estate business. If you’re a Realtor, you have a Facebook page – it’s that simple.
10. 2011 Realtors are different than 2005 Realtors
The skills needed to sell a house have changed. Realtors spend a lot more time talking to banks, trying to find out what’s happening with a client’s short sale; asking what paperwork they needed to file or re-file; and understanding new laws that oversee what they can do – and can’t do – when working with short-sale sellers. Realtors learned to accept disappointment – sales that fell apart at the last minute; appraisals that came in lower than hoped; and clients who wanted a bargain below any reasonable expectations.

Florida Home Sales on the Rise

We Realtors have been seeing it for the last few months but the numbers confirm it, Florida sales of existing homes and Condos have been on a steady increase since January of this year. Existing home sales increased 10 percent last month with a total of 15,036 homes sold statewide compared to 13,723 homes sold in September 2010.
I have personally been involved with 3 multiple offer situations in the last month and we are seeing our days on the market for well priced homes dropping. Foreclosures and distressed sales are still keeping our average sale prices down but with an increase in activity the prices will follow as our inventory dwindles. Condo sales are a large driving factor due to their affordability and investors and first time buyers are coming back to scoop up these bargains. In Florida’s year-to-year comparison for condos, 6,666 units sold statewide in September, a 10 percent gain over the 6,035 units sold in September 2010. The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $87,200; a year earlier, it was $81,800 for a 7 percent increase.
Activity in the Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach homes for sale are also on the rise.
If you would like any further information or market reports for the Jacksonville Florida area please contact me I will be glad to help.

Mayo Clinic and Jacksonville Real Estate

The Mayo Clinic is world renouned for its quality medical care and state of the art technology. The Jacksonville Florida Mayo Clinic is located on San Pablo Rd in Jacksonville’s Intracoastal area. There is easy access to JT Butler Blvd which is a major artery connecting the beaches area to the town center.
Many people purchase property in the immediate area not only to live close to a quality facility for personal medical care, but also for rental property. Many people rent homes in the area while family members receive medical treatment it is also a popular area for medical professionals. Many doctors purchase homes in the area driving property prices up. If you are a medical professional or an investor looking to take advantage of this great area and the oppurtunity this facility provides be sure to check out my predefined search of properties for sale near the Mayo Clinic. Dont forget about the beaches and World Golf Village within an easy commute.

Tips For Locating Neptune Beach Homes For Sale

Finding the perfect house can be challenging when you are not prepared. Getting prepared means you making
choices about the home you would like to have and about a qualified real estate agent to help you.
Home buying is exciting and pressuring at the same time. Follow these tips for locating Neptune Beach homes for sale
and enjoy less stress looking for your new house.

Choosing a particular neighborhood where Neptune Beach homes for sale are located depends on the type of area you want
to live. Many people choose an area close to their job while others make the choice surrounding the schools they want
their children to attend. Contacting a real estate agent can allow you to learn details about an area you are considering.

Making choices about the number of rooms you want is important for narrowing your search. Many homes are listed by the
number of bedrooms available in each one. When you know what you want, you can skip over the ones that are not going
to provide you with enough bedrooms. Many real estate websites include an information form for listing this information,
thus allowing only the listings you may be interested in to show.

Your listings can be narrowed as well by listing how many bathrooms you need. You may want a three bedroom home with
only one bath. Some three bedroom homes have one and a half or two baths. By listing only one bath, the homes with more
than that are not shown in your list of available Neptune Beach homes for sale.

Additional rooms in a house like game rooms or basements should be listed so you can view listings with those types of
rooms available. However, many homes with these kinds of rooms are not listed with having them. This is the perfect reason
you should have a qualified real estate agent working with you. Agents know more details about
Neptune Beach homes for sale than would be in listings.

The home buyer looking for certain amenities should make it a point to list them at real estate websites as well.
If you would like property that also has a swimming pool, make sure you add that to your list. The buyer that would
like a fenced yard should list that amenities also. From garage parking to outdoor buildings, listing all the amenities
will help you to find the perfect house faster.

Paradise found in Northeast Florida real estate offerings

For many Jacksonville residents, life doesn’t get any better than coming home at the end of a long workday to the soothing ocean views or riverfront vistas.
Both can be found in the towns of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Known for their relaxing atmosphere and sense of community, they are strung together like gems on a necklace. Each offers a host of fine local restaurants, eclectic shops and an active outdoor lifestyle with its own unique flavor, from the quiet charm of Atlantic Beach to the posh country club setting of Ponte Vedra.
According to Don Cline, broker/manager of Prudential Network Realty’s Beaches & Arlington office, the area is also surprisingly affordable.
“The Beaches market offers something for everyone, whether it’s a large estate or a small beach cottage,” said Cline. “There are nearly 100 homes available priced under $200,000 right now as well as estates worth millions.”
Framed by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Intracoastal Waterway to the west, the Beaches offer abundant waterway access for surfing, fishing, water skiing and more, with magnificent views as an added bonus. Cline also pointed out that many residents are drawn to the area not only by their similar interests, but by the simple fact that many businesses are easily accessible by walking or biking.
“Nearly everyone has a bike or a scooter,” he said.
The Northeast Florida real estate market at the Beaches was affected when the economy began its slide, just like other parts of the city and the rest of the country. Cline said the effects were not nearly as severe, however.
In some parts of Jacksonville, for example, the housing inventory is still at an all-time high. But at the Beaches the numbers more closely resemble those of April 2006, before the industry took its downward turn. In fact, overall inventory is down 23 percent for September 2011 compared to September 2010 and prices have begun to rise in certain pockets of the beach.
“In condominium sales alone, sold listings are up 26 percent and active inventory has dropped 46 percent,” Cline said. “No doubt the time to buy is here.”
Cline’s office has been serving the Beaches Arlington area for over 23 years. There are 50 agents on staff, from 30-year veterans to newcomers just starting out in the last few years. All of them bring value to the table with their extensive knowledge, as well as their enthusiasm, for the market and the area.
Another key person on Cline’s staff is Kristen Gibson, whose official title is Director of First Impressions.
“Kristen greets everyone who walks through the door or calls by phone and schedules every showing,” Cline said. “Other than the agent who works directly with a client, this is one of the most important jobs in our office.”
Like all real estate agencies in Florida, Cline’s office allows its clients to choose how they want to be represented: no brokerage, transaction brokerage or buyer brokerage, which creates a single-agent relationship whether buying or selling. His associates take to heart the terms and duties of single-agent representation as directed by the state and Prudential Network Realty is one of the few companies that offers this representation.
Among those duties: dealing honestly and fairly; loyalty; confidentiality; obedience; full disclosure; accounting for all funds; skill care and diligence in the transaction.
Like all Prudential Network Realty employees, Cline’s team believes in giving back to the community. Their efforts include collecting backpacks filled with school supplies for foster children at the beginning of the school year, giving to the USO to support the military, and donations to animal shelters.

Buying a home in Northeast Florida

Home ownership is still part of the American Dream, despite a gloomy economy and a slew of naysayers. Now is a perfect time to become a homeowner, with mortgages near record lows and the market starting to heat up a bit.
Seventy percent of Americans still consider home ownership a central part of the American Dream, according to Trulia.
Trulia also found that nearly two-thirds of young people — 65 percent of those aged 18 to 34 — also consider home ownership to be part of the American Dream, even though ownership figures within that group have slumped since 1980.
With that in mind, what should you keep in mind as you search for your dream home among the many choices in Northeast Florida real estate?
First and foremost retain the services of an experienced Realtor™. A knowledgeable agent – such as those at Prudential Network Realty – can help you find the house of your dreams, in part because of their understanding of the market and in part because they know of hidden gems that meet your needs but that you wouldn’t be aware of. Driving around searching on your own is not the way to go.
After you have an agent signed on to help you find just the right house, set up a realistic budget. Don’t try to get into more than you can afford. You will also need to sit down with your agent and prioritize “must-haves” and “would-likes.”
Make sure your agent knows that you must have, for instance, four bedrooms and a fenced yard or a one-story home. Then add the features that would be nice, though not necessary, such as lots of trees or a mother-in-law suite or being a bike ride away from your favorite coffee shop.
You should consider a neighborhood’s characteristics that are important to you, and of course, schools, even if you don’t have school-age children. Good schools add value to a home. Buying in a neighborhood that is growing with low crime rates is usually important as well.
Once you have educated your Realtor™, he or she will get to work and find you a handful of options to visit. It is important to see a number of properties before settling on one. As you begin to look at houses, you might find that your lists of needs and wants will change. Also, be open to properties your Realtor™ finds that might not seem good at first blush. Sometimes the agent will discover hidden needs you didn’t know you had!
Finally, rely on your Realtor™ to help you decide on an offer. You rarely want to offer the asking price right off the bat. Give yourself a little bargaining room. On the other hand, don’t try to lowball the seller just because the economy is sour. Let your agent be your guide. Keep in mind such things as when the house may need a new roof or air conditioning system, and other expensive repairs. If the house is in excellent shape, then keep that in mind when you make your offer.
Buying a home, whether it is your first or your fifteenth, is one of the most important investments in your future that you will ever make. Why would you want to go through the complex process of negotiating a price and repairs and shepherding the sale through closing all on your own?
Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach are a fantastic beach front community which many homeowners are exploring.

Short Sales In Jacksonville Florida

If you are like many homeowners in Florida your house may be underwater, not literally but finically. Many people purchased or refinanced their home during the real estate boom and are now looking to get out.
If you need to short sell your home in the Jacksonville area there are a few things you need to know.
You need to consult with a real estate agent who can take a look at your home and make an assessment as to the current fair market value. A major misconception is to list the home really cheap to get it sold quickly since the seller will not walk away with any cash anyway. Although the home should be priced aggressively it should not be priced too far below fair market value and should spend a reasonable amount of time on the market. The reason for this is banks will require 3^rd party valuations called BPOs (broker price opinion) to determine the market value of the property, if the BPO is significantly higher than the offer on the property the lender will reject the deal costing the seller precious time and the buyer in most cases becomes inpatient and walks from the deal. Here in Jacksonville Florida Short Sales are the name of the game, with more than 70% of the transactions being distressed sales, we agents are on the front line on a daily basis putting and keeping these deals together.
Another key to completing a short sale in Jacksonville Florida is the owner of the property needs to be qualified to do a short sale. Banks require 2 years tax returns, income and bank statements to determine the seller’s ability to repay the loan. Also a hardship needs to be established, meaning a reason why the seller must sell the home and can no longer repay the loan. Once it is determined the seller is eligible the agent markets the property to receive and offer which is then agreed upon between the seller and the buyer pending the lenders acceptance of the short sale. This can be a lengthy process with many lending institutions but some have streamlined the process to where we are seeing Jacksonville Short sales closing in 2 months!! If you feel you are a candidate to do a short sale in the Jacksonville or Beaches area give me a call to set an appointment.

Queens Harbour Real Estate

 

If you are on the market for a home in a Yacht and Golf course community in northeast Florida you have to consider Queens Harbour in Jacksonville Florida. This exclusive gated  community is centrally located in Jacksonville’s Intracoastal West area. Queens Harbour real estate is currently at record lows starting in the low $200’s up to multi millions.
This community is located 8 minutes to Jacksonville’s scenic beaches, 20 minutes to Jacksonville International Airport and 15 minute to downtown.  Jacksonville is located just north of Ponte Vedra and The World Golf Village, golf capital of the world.
Queens Harbour homes for sale offer golf course, marsh and wildlife views all in an affordable community. If you are interested in docking your yacht near your home in a freshwater lock system with direct access to Jacksonville’s intracoastal waterways which lead to the Atlantic ocean in under 30 minutes.
Queens Harbour is considered a prestigious community and is sought after by many homeowners desiring higher class living at affordable prices. As of the writing of this article many of the homes association dues where under $600 a quarter. Amenities include access to a golf course membership at resident prices and a guarded gate house controlling unwanted visitors community swimming pool, tennis facilities and many community social events.
If you have been waiting to jump into the real estate market this may be the time to take advantage of record low interest rates and extremely affordable Queens Harbour real estate for sale.

Searching For A Home For Sale During The Holidays

“I’m going to wait until after the holidays to look at homes” seems to be the standard response I’m getting from my buyer clients this time of year. We each have our own reasons not to shop for a home during the holidays and for some it may not be practical but for those bargain hunters this is the best time of year.
It is understandable to put house hunting on the back burner with all of the chaos of gift shopping and event planning not to mention the holiday parties but the fact is motivated and distressed sellers still want to sell and during the holiday months it is a daily reminder that their funds may be low. The scarcity of other home buyers and lack of showings may be enough to motivate them to accept a lower offer than they normally would.
Homes for sale in Jacksonville Beach are already a terrific bargain and our interest rates are still near all-time lows, couple that with motivated sellers and banks who are coming up on yearend audits makes for a perfect storm of real estate deals.
Making an offer on a property this time of year does not obligate you to close before the holidays, especially with short sale homes your offer may not be accepted until the new year but you can still reap the benefits of the psychological mindset of the seller during this season.  If you have been considering a new home in Jacksonville Beach or the surrounding area hopefully this is food for thought.
Happy Holidays and Home Shopping!!

Real Estate and an investment strategy for the average home buyer.

Historically real estate has always been viewed as an investment and in most cases someone’s largest asset. This has been a fairly true statement with an average of 3-5% appreciation in value up until the early 2000’s. When real estate started to skyrocket in 2004 almost everyone jumped on the investment band wagon and many people made a lot of money during that time period.
Personally as an investor I bought properties and advised my clients to buy cash flowing properties, with the occasional short term flip mixed in.  By buying cash flow properties even if the property value dropped the rental income should be stable and in our current market it is actually on the rise.  Many of my clients used my cash flow investment system to purchase their primary property. We would evaluate what the monthly payment would be on their dream home and adjusted our investment stragety to cover the entire monthly cost with cash flowing assets. I would buy enough cash flowing properties to cover the cost of a liability such as a primary residence or automobile. A primary residence is a liability you ask? Yes, as author Robert Kiyosaki writes in his “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” series anything that requires your constant cash input to sustain it is considered a liability. If you lose your job tomorrow who will pay your mortgage? If you lose your job and you own a rental property the tenant will continue covering the cost of ownership on your “Asset” and hopefully provide you with additional income on a monthly basis. I am still a firm believer that real estate is a true path to wealth but it must be viewed as a long term investment with a clear business plan in place to reap the rewards in any market.
“When I met Rob I was coming out of a divorce and looking for a new home for me and my 3 children. I was looking for a large single family home and had a sizable down payment to offset my payments. After some discussing, Rob showed me how I could leverage my cash by buying 3 cash flowing rental properties which produced enough monthly income to pay for each property and cover my monthly mortgage on my new farmhouse!!! Needless to say without Robs business savvy I would have settled for a basic home and would have been stuck with a huge monthly payment but now not only do I livein my home for FREE but I have a passive income for many years to come. I can’t thank Rob enough for his insight and the time he took to help me and my family.”
Catherine
Homeownership is a powerful thing and even if an investment strategy like the one above does not work for you, I advise anyone with stable income to consider the possibility of homeownership just be careful to stay in your comfort zone and don’t bite off more than you can chew.
-Rob Burns, Realtor
http://www.jaxhomeseller.com

Why Are People investing In Jacksonville Beach Homes?

It is no secret that Florida was hit hard by the housing downturn, but there are a few exceptions. Much of Florida caters to tourism and vacation homes, when the economy went south, no pun intended… the first expense people cut where the luxuries such as vacations. This affected the tourism industry and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods’. People stopped making payments on their vacation homes and allowing them to go into foreclosure which also brought down neighboring homes.

The difference between Jacksonville and Daytona as an example is that Daytona makes most of its money from tourism and Jacksonville as a whole is a military and corporate city. Many of the people that live in or around the Jacksonville Beaches area work in the area or have retired from the military and choose to purchase their home here. As a result our home prices did not decline as sharply as some areas in the state and now we are seeing an influx of people investing in Jacksonville Beach homes. The area has a lot of employers and colleges as well as an NFL football team. The arts and leisure activities are also well represented.

Our international airport is only 30 minutes from the beaches and we are a short drive to Daytona, Orlando, World Golf Village and southeast Georgia. If you are looking to purchase a home surrounded by a wide range of activities and diverse culture, you should consider purchasing a home in Jacksonville Beach Florida.

Representing People Or Paper

One area of confusion for Buyers and Sellers is the role Florida real estate agents have in real estate negotiations. There are three basic options in a real estate transaction that a brokerage firm can assume: no brokerage agreement, transaction broker and single agent.
In a no brokerage agreement the real estate agent is simply handling the paperwork of the transaction and cannot represent or negotiate on behalf of the buyer or seller. As a transaction broker the agent provides limited representation and does not have a fiduciary capacity.
In this form of representation the buyer / seller is a customer of the agent and has given up their right to undivided loyalty of the licensee. In other words, a transaction broker may not work to the detriment of either party in a real estate transaction, but conversely cannot work to benefit either party either. Many brokers have opted for this limited representation for financial gain and to avoid legal responsibility for both the broker and the customer.
The highest degree of accountability comes with single agency. As a single agent, the broker has a fiduciary relationship and owes complete allegiance to the buyer or seller, who is then referred to as a Principal or Client. This means that the single agent is not only allowed to work to the benefit of their Principal, by law the agent must work to achieve the best terms for their Principal.
As a fiduciary representative, a single agent must provide Loyalty, Confidentiality and Obedience to the Principal whereas other forms of representation may not. More and more buyers and sellers are looking for the full representation from their broker that single agency provides.
As our industry evolves and customers continue to demand a higher degree of accountability from their real estate broker, agents are faced with the question of whether they want to represent people or paper and in the end, it is the buyer or seller that will decide if they want to be a Principal or a customer.

Buying Jacksonville Florida Real Estate

Home ownership is still part of the American Dream, despite a sluggish economy and a slew of naysayers. Now is a perfect time to become a homeowner, with mortgages near record lows and the market starting to heat up a bit.
Seventy percent of Americans still consider home ownership a central part of the American Dream, according to Trulia.
Trulia also found that nearly two-thirds of young people — 65 percent of those aged 18 to 34 — also consider home ownership to be part of the American Dream, even though ownership figures within that group have slumped since 1980.
With that in mind, what should you keep in mind as you search for your dream home among the many choices in Jacksonville Florida real estate?
First and foremost retain the services of an experienced real estate agent. A good agent – such as Rob Burns with Prudential Network Realty – can help you find the house of your dreams, in part because of his knowledge of the market and in part because hes aware of hidden gems that meet your needs but that you wouldn’t be aware of. Driving around searching  on your own is not the way to go.
After you have an agent signed on to help you find just the right house, set up a realistic budget. Don’t try to get into more than you can afford. You will also need to sit down with your agent and prioritize “must-haves” and “would-likes.”
Make sure your agent knows that you must have, for instance, four bedrooms and a fenced yard or a one-story home. Then add the features that would be nice, though not necessary, such as lots of trees or a mother-in-law suite or being a bike ride away from your favorite coffee shop.
You should consider a neighborhood’s characteristics that are important to you, and of course, schools, even if you don’t have school-age children. Good schools add value to a home. Buying in a neighborhood that is growing with low crime rates is usually important as well.
Once you have educated your agent, he will get to work and find you a handful of options to visit. It is important to see a number of properties before settling on one. As you begin to look at houses, you might find that your lists of needs and wants will change. Also, be open to properties your agent finds that might not seem good at first blush. Sometimes the agent will discover hidden needs you didn’t know you had!
Finally, rely on your realtor to help you decide on an offer. You rarely want to offer the asking price right off the bat. Give yourself a little bargaining room. On the other hand, don’t try to lowball the seller just because the economy is sour. Let your agent be your guide. Keep in mind such things as when the house may need a new roof or air conditioning system, and other expensive repairs. If the house is in excellent shape, then keep that in mind when you make your offer.
Buying a home, whether it is your first or your fifteenth, is one of the most important investments in your future that you will ever make. Why would you want to go through the complex process of negotiating a price and repairs and shepherding the sale through closing all on your own?
If you would like to work with the best and most technologically advanced real estate agent in Jacksonville Florida, call him at 904-485-7455

Remember: we are the ONLY company that can work as a single agent, which is highly beneficial to both the buyer and seller. Go ahead. Call  and “Bring Your Challenges.”