Blogging the Times....

This may seem like a trivial matter, but does having blinds in a window add to the attractiveness of selling a home? 

Blinds are a popular and useful addition to a house.  They help improve privacy, add an energy efficient medium to a house and help control the amount of light allowed in a room. Yes, blinds are important. 

First-time home buyers will often have very little funds available after closing for window treatments, so blinds are important to ensure some privacy without hanging sheets over the windows like I remember my mother doing when she bought her house in 1965.  Move up buyers more than likely became used to having blinds and will desire to continue with their use.

If you are seller and do not have updated blinds in your windows, have a conversation with the local hardware store salesperson about how you might install blinds at a price that is within your budget.  It is almost as important as fresh paint on the walls and unworn carpeting in ensuring your home stands out and makes the buyer's short list.

And if I'm walking around your neighborhood and like how your blinds look in your windows - I'll let you know! 

See you around the neighborhood!

  The interest and demand for housing in the Northeast Florida market is on the rise, and I have been assisting my existing and brand new customers with selling and buying homes.  I have 5 pending sales since mid-January, two of which are short sale transactions, and four of which are my own listings, so I have put my customers first and unfortunately, not kept you, the interested reader, updated.  I apologize for my delayed update to Blogging the Times.

I have been discussing this furious activity that I am seeing with colleagues in my local chapter of Women's Council of Realtors, the local Watson Realty Corp. offices and also with our local builders, and they are all saying the same thing.  Buyers are out, houses are selling, and from the trends seen in the latest update from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors market statistics, we are definitely on an improving track.  For the past 11 months, home sales have increased, and based on activity being seen in January and February, the data should support at least two more months of increased activity.  The Realtor community has been saying for some time now, we are touching the bottom of the housing prices, and in some communities, the bottom has already passed. 

So if you are interested in buying a home or selling your home and moving up to the next home, now is the time to get into the market.  If you are trying to "time" the market - chances are you will be too late by the time you think you have found it.  In addition, if you are able to take advantage of the home buyer tax credit of up to  $8,000 for first time buyers or up to $6,500 for "move-up" buyers, you must be under fully-ratified contract by April 30, 2010, and close no later than June 30, 2010.  This gives you just over 60 days to find that perfect house and get under contract, and if you are building, just over 4 months to close.  In other words - time is running out fast.  It does not appear that this tax credit will be extended again, or that new tax credits will be passed for purchasing a home. 

Now is the time to buy. I'll be driving around those neighborhoods, looking for houses for my buyers, and looking for opportunities to discuss selling your house.  So if you see me, give me a wave and let's have a chat.  See you around the neighborhood!

Being raised as a Southern girl, Southern hospitality is just something I obtained through osmosis. It was in the air I breathed, water I drank and house I was raised in.  It was in my friends homes, businesses I worked in growing up and my schools.  What is strange is to find people who today, have heard of this term but do not know what it is. 

It's the smile you get when you walk into a restaurant, corner store or dry drug store.  It's the hug you get after having just met someone.  It's the offer for a cup of coffee, piece of pie or a plate of whatever happens to be on the stove at the time.  It's the hug you get instead of the handshake.  It's the feeling that you belong, you are accepted and one of us, no matter what your dialect or language may be.

In case you missed it, it isn't so much a "what" as a "feeling".  In the south, we would rather get to know you than just pass by.  We want you to feel welcomed, to become part of us, to feel like you are family and not just a passer-by.  We want to get to know you. It's people being outgoing rather than introverted, caring if you are having a nice day or that the sofa is comfortable.  The Germans have a term for this - gemütlich.  In the Southeastern United States, we call it Southern Hospitality.  And if you have ever been in its presence, you know what it is. 

What does this have to do with real estate?  This is one of the reasons the Southeastern U.S.  and specifically Northeast Florida is so special, and why people want to live here.  Yes, the weather is great, the economy diverse here, the cost of living good, but it is the people make the quality of life wonderful for those who live here.  From Yulee and Callahan south to St. Augustine and Palm Coast and all points in between, the Northeast Florida area offers plenty of Southern Hospitality and then some.  So come check out our neighborhoods, and call me to show you the way.  We'll chat a while and have a cup of coffee, and even a piece of pie if you'd like.

See you around the neighborhood!

It's Official!  Naval Station Mayport is officially going to get a nuclear aircraft carrier, after several years of having none since the retirement of the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.  This is a huge win for Northeast Florida, which has two Naval Stations in the area. 

The coming of the carrier is a win on many fronts - the infrastructure improvements to the Mayport base will need to be modified to accommodate a nuclear carrier.  This means immediate and ongoing construction and maintenance workers will be needed, both military and civilian. 

With the increased jobs as a result of enlarging and modifying the Naval Base,  dredging that will need to be done,the personnel filling these jobs will need to eat, be entertained, be housed, buy vehicles, gasoline - you see where this leads.  All of the businesses that will provide goods and services to not only those performing these initial improvements, but also the more than 3,000 Navy personnel who will comprise the crew of the carrier and their families.  True, this is a gradual inflow of people into the community - but this is a good thing as it does not create an artificial demand that is not sustained.

Housing inventories in Northeast Florida have been trending favorable since April of 2009.  Northeast Florida is "where Florida does business", versus, where "tourists come to see the Mouse".  Northeast Florida - which is Jacksonville and the beach communities of Fernandina Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Volano Beach, St. Augustine Beach and parts south - as well as Orange Park, Amelia Island, St. Augustine, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Palm Coast and Middleburg to name a few - will all benefit from today's announcement.  And - the increased activity will help pull the State of Florida out of the economic clamp down with a higher influx of sales taxes coming in from business happening in our area. Our area schools will benefit, as will our citizens.

I love our neighborhood, and know you will too.  I hope to see you around here soon - and when you see me, give me a wave, OK?

At least once a week, I am asked by someone if they should still rent or go ahead and buy.  With the real estate market showing steady signs of improvement, 90% of the time I will respond that it is definitely a good time to buy.  But there are some instances where it makes sense to continue to rent.  Here's a quick formula to determine what is best for you:

* Divide the price of a home you are considering by the annual rent for a place that is comparable in features and location. If the number falls below 15, the scale begins leaning to buying.

* Consider whether you will stay in the home long enough to make the purchase worthwhile. You will need to factor not only the cost of the home, but also paying of closing costs if you are not able to negotiate the seller paying them, as well as any necessary improvements or repairs that you would do. Even if the market value does not decline, should you sell the house and buy another in two or three years, you could incur a loss of investment.

* To have true recovery on your investment, analysts say you should not buy unless you are committed to stay in that dwelling for at least 5 years.  Not all real estate markets are alike, so it is always best to get professional advice from a trusted and professional Realtor®.

So, whether you rent or own, just keep an eye out - I hope to see you around one of our Northeast Florida neighborhoods!

Just a couple of days ago, there was an engulfing fire in an apartment complex not far from my home.  An entire building was destroyed and the cause was a chimney fire. 

With the rare cold temperatures that we have been experiencing in Northeast Florida, many residents with fireplaces have been making use of those fireplaces.  Since we typically only have a handful of evenings that we truly get to enjoy them, we usually take every advantage we can to get a fire started.  But because we only burn a few a few times a year, homeowners get complacent in having the proper inspections done to ensure that the chimneys are free of clogs and debris.  A costly and sometimes deadly mistake.

If you have a fireplace, you should be having an inspection done by a professional at least once a year.  Even with chimney caps, "critters" can still manage their way in, soot can build and cracks can form, leadly to significant if not total property damage and even worse - loss of a loved one.

I've placed a link to a Fireplace Safety Tips document on the "Helpful Links" page here on my website.  Be safe - and I hope to see you around the neighborhood soon!

To listen to the media, one would think that there is absolutely no money available for buying a house, or if money is available, a huge down payment is required and/or a credit score above 750.

The truth is, there is money available for many home buyers, and in many cases, even with minimal down payments and lower credit scores.  True, guidelines have tightened when compared to guidelines in 2005 - but then again, they needed to.  And, if you are in a "jumbo" category, or looking for condominium financing, it may be a bit more difficult.  However, for the average home buyer looking for financing of $417,000 or less, there is money available, at very good interest rates. For loans above $417,000, money is available, but down payment requirements and interest rates will be a bit less attractive, but still very reasonable.

The fact is, lenders are loaning money the old fashioned way - based on the three "C's" of credit.  The buyer should demonstrate the capacity to repay the debt (have a job/income), the creditworthiness to repay the debt (satisfactory credit history) and the collateral to back up the debt should an unfortunate and unexpected situation arise where the buyer cannot repay the debt.  Capacity, Creditworthiness and Collateral are the 3 "C's", and are very much back in demand in the lending front.

Rather than listening to all of the talking heads on the TV and radio spew conjecture, talk to a mortgage professional and get the facts, based on your situation.  Make informed decisions - talk to the professionals in the business and get accurate information.  And don't just talk to one - talk to several, because there are many different programs, terms and features. Find the best fit for you!  And should there be concerns with your ability to gain financing, your mortgage professional is the best counselor as to what you can do to improve your financing options.

I hope you find this information valuable.  See you around the neighborhood!

Is it me or do people seem to be a bit merrier this year?  Last year, there was so much doom and gloom everywhere I went, I avoided going anywhere.  I stopped watching the news - except for the first 15 minutes of our local broadcast at 6 or 11, and the last 15 minutes of the morning local broadcast. My thinking is that what ever I need to know will be said in that time slot, and if they need to talk about it in another time slot - then it isn't so important.  I'm hearing from my friends and customers they are doing the same thing.  Too much "noise" out there.  I digress.....

So - this year, even the Salvation Army bellringers are happy. People greet me with smiles in the stores, my fellow Realtors are chipper and my neighbors are all waving and smiling.  I think the last couple of years has put perspective in everyone's life. Those that have jobs are really happy that they have them, those who have lost their jobs are thankful for the time they now have with their families and to do things which are enjoyable and less stressful.  I've asked many of my friends "what's going on", and I don't hear about their jobs, careers or new cars - I hear about their families and their hobbies.  I know that these are the things that keep a smile on my face, so perhaps others are finding the same remedy.

So, if you see me walking down the street, stop me and tell me "what's going on" with you.  I'd love to hear your great story!

See you around the neighborhood!