Martin County Renters Contemplate National Trend to Rising Rates

07.07.15 by

Martin County Renters Contemplate National Trend to Rising Rates

 Martin County rentals

“WHY YOUR RENT CHECK JUST KEEPS GOING UP” was the headline in CNN Money’s real estate special report last month, which could have explained to Martin County renters why it is that U.S. rents keep rising faster than home values. After all, that doesn’t seem to make sense!

The list of reasons was long, and taken all together, fairly convincing:

  • Millennials are renting longer
  • Housing inventory is tight and getting tighter
  • The housing crash scared those who would otherwise have become homeowners
  • Baby Boomers are downsizing
  • Rental construction slowed when confidence sank after the housing crisis

It all comes down to demand and supply—less of the latter, more of the former. Although the author may have exaggerated a detail or two (“…there just aren’t enough ‘For Rent’ signs to keep up with the demand”), more than one Stuart renter will probably agree with the gist of the piece: rents have been on the rise long enough that it makes you want to think about the alternative: buying.

Some of the more extreme cases are urban: in San Francisco and Denver, for instance, renters have seen yearly increases of 15% and 11.6%, respectively, according to Zillow. Martin County renters can find themselves in something of a bind, though—since those higher rent bills make saving for a down payment more difficult. It’s just one reason. Per CNN, “There are a bunch of things keeping renters on the sidelines, meaning “the folks that would be normally making the switch to become homeowners are still taking up the rental units.”

The result: more units remain occupied, vacancies go down; rentable units remain scarce…so prices renters pay continue to go up.

Will this Catch-22 situation persist forever? Most likely not: the broad economic news is that this year’s steady job growth coupled with the pronounced turnaround in builder confidence is likely to loosen the supply stranglehold. Last Tuesday, there was also the kind of news that can prompt builders to really get going: government data showed purchases of new U.S. homes surged (particularly in the Northeast and West), with sales of new homes soaring 24% so far in 2015. That’s the best showing since 2007.

Of course, before supply outstrips demand, the situation puts landlords in an advantageous position. Martin County investors who bought rentable properties during the downturn can now enjoy steady returns from their properties, or decide to sell in a robust market. If you are leaning in that direction, it’s the perfect time to give me a call!

Martin County Renters Contemplate National Trend to Rising Rates

 

 

July 2015 Market Report for Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

07.07.15 by

July 2015 Market Report for Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

There are currently 5 homes for sale in Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound, FL.  Listing prices range from $635,000 to $1,249,000 for an average list price of $774,780. or a price per square foot of living area of $241.88.

There are three homes under contract which have not closed to date.  List prices are from $514,900 to $699,000 or $218.22 per sq. ft. of living area.

In the past 12 months, 9 homes have sold in Osprey Cove with sales prices ranging from $445,000 to $689,900 for an average sale price of $545,000 or $206.41 per sq. ft. of living area. These sales averaged 613 days on the market and sales prices averaged 96% of list price.

Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

Clubhouse

Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound, Florida is a waterfront community off of Gomez Avenue in the vibrant Hobe Sound area of Martin County, Florida.  It is also known as the Osprey Cove Yacht Club and boasts 32 deep water boat slips just off the Intracoastal Waterway.  There are only 86 homes in this gated community that broke ground in late 2000 with homes being completed from 2000 through 2006.   Homes range in size from 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, 2 car garage homes of 2,230 sq. ft. to 5 bedroom, 4 and 1/2 bathroom, 3 car garage pool homes of over 4,000 sq. ft. of living area.  There’s also a community pool and tennis court available to all residents.

Osprey Cove in Hobe SoundFor boaters, the docks are approximately 5 miles from the Saint Lucie Inlet of Martin County and just under 10 miles from the Jupiter Inlet in Palm Beach County.  All Osprey Cove residents enjoy easy access to shopping, restaurants and the pristine beaches of Jupiter Island in Martin County.

Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

For families, the Martin County School District is one of the highest rated in Florida and children attend the Hobe Sound elementary school, Murray middle school and South Fork high school.  There are also a number of excellent private schools located nearby, including the Pine School.

Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

You can find additional information at the Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound Homeowner’s Association web page.

July 2015 Market Report for Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

For any questions you may have about Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound, please call the Gabe Sanders real estate team at 772-323-6996 or Contact Us Here

Hobe Sound Florida Real Estate

Residential Homes, Condos and Land
Waterfront and Golf Course Communities in Martin and Saint Lucie Counties

July 2015 Market Report for Osprey Cove in Hobe Sound

Jensen Beach Open Houses are an Absolute Must! (Or are They?)

07.06.15 by

 Jensen Beach Open Houses are an Absolute Must!
(Or are They?)

 Jensen Beach FL

For years, there was little debate about the need for open houses in Jensen Beach: almost without exception, unless the seller of a Jensen Beach home objected, at least one or two open houses were an accepted part of how most real estate agents went about marketing the property.

Today, along with all the other changes that define modern real estate marketing, the potency of open houses is up for serious debate. Virtual online tours are increasingly popular among Treasure Coast real estate sellers and buyers—the ‘use’ statistics that tell agents how often the different parts of their sites are viewed prove that. Since open houses were formerly held in order to display a property to members of the general public—and since virtual tours do the same thing—it’s truly a question that deserves a hard look.

Here are three of the main reasons I see frequently cited for why open houses are still useful—and some both pros and cons for each:

  1. Open Houses Can Bring Higher Prices

Pro: Open houses are most important for high demand properties when there is low inventory for similar homes. It can be possible to stage open houses in combination with delayed offer reviews—in this scenario, the seller hosts several open houses leading up to a final date when he or she will review competing offers.

Con: The same is accomplished with well-produced virtual tours. Interested viewers then contact the agent, who is able to qualify the prospects who will be invited for an actual on-site showing. Competing offers are just as likely to develop.

  1. Open Houses Are More Convenient for Sellers

Pro: People want to sell their Jensen Beach homes as quickly as possible if for no other reason than they must keep their houses spotless and organized while on the market. Open houses are one way for sellers to have to prepare fewer times for their home to be displayed to buyers.

Con: Virtual tours accomplish the same thing for a far broader cross-section of the public. Professional photographers use their photo session to record the property at its spotless best, which is then on display 24/7/365—not just for one or two days!

  1. Open Houses are More Convenient for Prospective Buyers

Pro: Interested parties can pop in for an on-site tour without the hassle of contacting the agent and scheduling an appointment—basically, of making even a minor level of commitment in advance of knowing much about the property. Open houses thus broaden the property’s exposure.

Con: Serious home shoppers are going online en masse; the effort expended on an open house is better spent preparing for interested, qualified buyers.

Every Treasure Coast home for sale presents uniquely individual marketing opportunities and challenges. Ruling out open houses (or ruling them in) as a one-size-fits-all solution is not the way I expand the reach and appeal of the properties I represent. To talk about how we can maximize your own Treasure Coast real estate opportunity, just give me a call!

 Jensen Beach Open Houses are an Absolute Must!
(Or are They?)

Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach July 2015 Market Update

07.06.15 by

Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach July 2015 Market Update

As of July 2015 there is only one condo available for sale in Portofino.  It is a 2 BR condo listed for $101,500 or $95.31 per sq. ft. of living area.

There are no condos pending at this time.

In the past 12 months, 10 condos have sold, ranging in sales price from $54,600 to $90,169 for an average sales price of $68,286 which equals a price per sq. ft. of $73.77.  The average days on market was 25 days and the average list to sales price ratio was an incredible 119%

Portofino condos remain in high demand and sales prices continue to rise.  Many of the units continue to be controlled by the former developer who has not released them for sale and continues to run a rental program.

Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach are one of the newest condominium subdivisions in Martin County.  Originally built as an upscale apartment complex around 2000, this development was turned into condominiums and began sales in 2005.  Due to the downturn in the housing market, not all units were sold and some are now being offered for lease.  Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach July 2015 Market Update features 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units with separate garage parking as an added purchase when available.  Unit sizes are 802 sq. ft. for the 1 Bedroom 1 bath, 1074 sq. ft. for the 2 Bedroom 2 bath, and 1252 sq. ft. for the 3 Bedroom 2 bath.

The Condo Owners Association fees range from $190 to $315 per month depending on unit size and for garage owners, there’s an additional $20 per month charge.  Fees include the extensive grounds and gated entry as well as the amenities, which include a large community pool, heated whirlpool, state of the art fitness center, indoor racquetball court, tennis court, playground and a private clubhouse with a full kitchen.

All ages are welcome in Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach.   Children attend Martin County’s highly rated school system, currently at Jensen Beach elementary school, Stuart middle school and Jensen Beach high school.  Portofino Condos is close to the Treasure Coast mall as well as numerous shops and restaurants, medical facilities and only a few minutes to the waterways of Martin County and the beaches of Hutchinson Island.

For information about sales or rentals of Portofino Condos in Jensen Beach, please call the Gabe Sanders real estate team at 772-323-6996 or contact us here.

 

Jensen Beach Florida Real Estate

Residential Homes, Condos and Land
Waterfront and Golf Course Communities in Martin and Saint Lucie Counties

Portofino Condos at Jensen Beach July 2015 Market Update

Heads-Up: Stuart Mortgage Rate isn’t Standing Still

07.05.15 by

Heads-Up: Stuart Mortgage Rate isn’t Standing Still

 Stuart-Florida-Homes[1] Lake tuscany home 3

In case you set your alarm clock to go off when it was time to buy a home, that clang you may be hearing from somewhere in the distance could be it (figuratively speaking, of course). The reason has to do with the direction of Stuart mortgage rates (among others).

Now, I realize this could come across a little bit like Aesop’s boy who cried ‘Wolf’ since a year and a half ago the experts were unanimous in predicting that mortgage rates would rise throughout 2014 (to at least 5%, if I remember correctly). And not only did they not jump—after a short rise, they actually fell!

The experts were wrong. To the extent I agreed with their call, I was, too—but at least I wasn’t lonely. And I also try to be clear that predicting the future of any financial movement is never a sure thing. The same is true today…but…

Last week, less than a week after the Federal Reserve monetary policymakers emerged from their meeting, Bankrate web commentator Janna Herron published a view that sent alarm bells ringing in my head. It makes so much sense, I feel compelled to share it. Already publicized in the rest of the media was the announcement that 15 of the 17 Fed officials now agree that they expect to raise the federal funds rate at some point within the next 6 months (and one expert was quoted as expecting that as early as September or October). Fifteen out of 17 is a 88% majority, so it couldn’t get much clearer. The funds rate has been cemented to the ground at precisely zero for almost seven years. Since 2008.

Stuart mortgage rates are based upon that Fed funds rate. When it rises, mortgage rates have to rise, or lenders would have to be reclassified as charitable enterprises (not likely). The reasons given for the Fed governors’ near-unanimous prediction are both the rise in the pace of job gains and, as was reported, “The Fed also noted improvement in housing.”

Now, that news may have prompted Stuart mortgage-rate watchers to sit up and take notice—but not necessarily have them hearing alarm bells going off. But there were two other pieces of information:

  • First, the current national mortgage rates reported last week rose. They were pegged at just over the 52-week average for 30-year fixed loans, but at 4.13% it remained below the 4.33% of a year before. In other words, still (perhaps momentarily) in the historically basement-level range.
  • Second, new mortgage activity began to rise, moving 1.6% up from a week before. Applications had been dropping, but now they were on the move. This while home builder confidence levels soared, with expectations hitting the highest levels in nearly a decade.

As with any batch of economic numbers, the signs can be interpreted in multiple ways, but one way sure does seem to stand out: mortgage rates are attractive now, housing activity is almost certainly on the rise, and mortgage rates and monthly payments are very likely to become more expensive. The same thought may be occurring to more and more people as we enter the summer home-buying season: “What if I could pay less every month for the same home…for the next 30 years…”

Note to Treasure Coast home-buyers. Listen carefully: that could be the sound of your own alarm bell going off! If you think you hear it, now would be a great time to give me a call!

Heads-Up: Stuart Mortgage Rate isn’t Standing Still

the Florida Club July 2015 Market Activity

07.05.15 by

the Florida Club July 2015 Market Activity

Stuart, Florida

As of July, 2015:

There are currently no Florida Club homes for sale.  All of the available homes have either sold or are under contract.

There is 1 home under contract awaiting the sale.  The list price was $246,900 or $161.58 per sq. ft. of living area.  This home was on the market for only 8 days prior to going under contract.

In the past 12 months, 43 homes have sold in the Florida Club with sales prices ranging from $210,000 to $454,000 for an average sales price of $284,634 which equals $150.00 per square foot of living area.  The average days on market was 60 days with a 96% list to sales price ratio.

Conveniently located at the gateway to Stuart, Florida and Martin County, the Florida Club is a DiVosta built golf club community located off Kanner Highway and within minutes of I-95. This non-equity golf club community consists of 433 homes.  113 homes in the estates section of the Florida Club featuring larger lots and spacious estate sized homes.  Many with both lake or golf course views and a few with both.  The remaining Florida Club homes feature either single family or attached one story villas, many also with golf course and/or lake views.  Residents of the Florida Club can enjoy daily golf or if the wish can forgo being a member and just enjoy the benefits of living in a wonderful gated community without the expense of golf club membership.  Additionally for those wishing to play only occasional (or just seasonal) golf, the Florida Club is open for non-members.

As of this writing, homes can be purchased in the Florida Club from the mid to high $100’s for villas to the upper $400’s for larger estate homes. Perfect for anyone who wants the convenience of easy access to I-95 with Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, just a quick trip to the south and Orlando to the north. Yet still only minutes to the wonderful Atlantic Beaches of both Stuart or Hobe Sound and Jupiter Island.

The Martin County location ensures low property taxes and ‘A’ rated school system. Enjoy the Florida sunshine and all that this friendly neighborhood has to offer.

For more information about golf at the Florida Club July 2015 Market Activity please visit their web site: Florida Club Web Site and watch their welcome video below:

Search for all Florida Club Homes for Sale in Stuart Florida

View all of our listings

Stuart Florida Real Estate is presented by:
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

the Florida Club July 2015 Market Activity

Summerfield Golf Club Market Update for July 2015

07.04.15 by

Summerfield Golf Club Market Update for July 2015 – Home of the Champions Golf Club

Summerfield Golf Club

As of July 2015:
There are 6 homes on the market in Summerfield ranging in listing price from $318,000 to $598,000 for an average of $416,798 which equals $162.55 per square foot of living area.

There are 6 homes under contract (pending) awaiting their closing. Listing prices are from $292,000 to $469,000 for an average of $363,166 which equates to $161.14 per square foot of living area.

In the past 12 months, 33 homes have sold.  Sales prices ranged from $175,000 to $511,900 for an average sales price of $304,283 which equals $149.06 per square foot of living area.  The average days on market for these sales was 77 days and the average list to sales price was at 96%.

Summerfield Golf Club is located on over 275 acres and hosts a little over 500 single family homes adjoining the Champions Golf Course.  Selected as one of the top 10 Golf Courses he nation by Golf Magazine in 1995, it is the first public golf course awarded the Audubon Signature Sanctuary Statuary because of its natural beauty.  This Tom Fazio designed course is open to the public with very reasonable membership fees.  Visit the Champions Course web site for more information at http://www.thechampionsgolfclub.com/

Summerfield Golf Club

The residential section is known as Summerfield Golf Club and is a secured gated community with homes ranging in size from smaller 2 bedroom coach homes of around 1500 square feet up to 5 bedroom estate homes boasting over 3,000 square feet of living area.

the Champions Club at Summerfield

Summerfield boasts an exceptionally large community pool and clubhouse with dining and entertainment facilities, fitness center and a professional 6 court Tennis club.  All of these amenities available at very reasonable HOA fees, along with the convenience of on-site manager to handle any issues that may arise.

Summerfield Golf Club

Very conveniently located near US-1 and Cove Rd, residents can enjoy close proximity to shopping, medical facilities with downtown Stuart only minutes away and only 30 minutes to the palm Beaches.  Easy access to I-95 where travel to Orlando or Miami is only 2 hours by car.

the Champions Club at Summerfield

Summerfield Golf Club

The following homes are currently available for sale in Summerfield:

Summerfield Golf Club Homes for Sale

Stuart Florida Real Estate

Summerfield Golf Club Market Update for July 2015

Keeping an Eye on Mortgage Experiment for Palm City Buyers

07.03.15 by

Keeping an Eye on Mortgage Experiment for Palm City Buyers

Treasure Coast home buying activity may be going great guns, but for some would-be buyers, credit score woes are still a stubborn obstacle. That’s why we have been keeping an eye on the new pilot project that was announced late last year. This was the one called the “Wealth Building Home Loan.” It’s an experiment aimed at opening up home ownership options, particularly for first time home buyers. Bank of America and Citibank were first to sign up for the program, said to “take a fresh approach to affordable mortgage lending.” It sounds like a pretty good idea!

How It Works

The Wealth Building Home Loan is a mortgage that runs for 15 years at a fixed interest rate. Because the term is so short, equity builds rapidly. The payments are more manageable than any reality-grounded Palm City mortgage watcher would think because discount points can be used to buy the interest rate down to…well, “zero”! Since no down payment is generally required, home buyers can apply their available cash to purchasing those points. Since that sounds almost too good to be true, we’ve been keeping an eye open for progress reports.

Extra Help for Buyers with Modest Income

Qualifying for the mortgages would emphasize home buyer income rather than credit score. This would be a real godsend to the many people still rebuilding their credit after the economic downturn. Furthermore, interest would be set at three-fourths of a percent lower than the 30-year FHA rate—which makes sense, since shorter terms mean lower lender risk—with additional points to be offered at special bargain prices.

A Game-Changing Approach

The loan program is piloted through The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, which secured underwriting from BofA and Citibank. It’s intended to be “a game changer,” because equity ownership takes place rapidly. Already in the first three years of a WBHL, 77% of the monthly payments pay off the principal, rather than the 68% that goes to interest under a standard 30-year mortgage. The effect is to accumulate a significant ownership stake almost from the word ‘go’—and more ownership equates to better loan performance.

When last checked, the program was in “pilot project” status (still in the initial shakedown phase) while the innovators who came up with the idea figure out how to make the loans widely available. So far, so good, apparently—we’ll keep an eye on developments to see if the program is greenlighted by the two underwriters.

In the meantime, Treasure Coast mortgage-seekers have a wide variety of currently available options for taking advantage of the great buys viewable on this morning’s Palm City listings. Give me a call for a no-obligation discussion of how you can take advantage of today’s opportunities!

Keeping an Eye on Mortgage Experiment for Palm City Buyers

Stuart Real Estate Sales Success Means Pricing-Right First!

07.02.15 by

Stuart Real Estate Sales Success Means Pricing-Right First!

 

Today’s Stuart real estate market is an alien landscape compared with what it was ten years ago, when it seemed as if a seller could just plant a sign in the front yard and wait for competing offers to roll in. This summer’s real estate scene is equally unlike that of five years ago, when many properties could languish for long months with few showings and fewer legitimate offers.

It’s been a welcome return to a more stable, predictable Martin County real estate climate. With sale prices rising at a sustainable rate and the average days on market making a return to levels approaching historical norms, Treasure Coast real estate participants—both buyers and sellers—gain confidence on what to expect on both sides of home selling transactions. Particularly for Stuart homeowners who are planning to list, that means that their properly prepared property is much more likely to garner a reasonable offer within a reasonable time frame.

This outcome is only likely when sellers prepare their properties in a deliberate manner. Fix up, de-clutter, renovate, clean—all the common tips that are touchstones for making a strong positive first impression apply. Doing it all before listing is a best practice, just as waiting for buyer feedback to tell you what’s awry is not. Be your own Devil’s Advocate when it comes to repair and maintenance issues as you assess whether you should sell the property as-is, or order repairs. Careful, open-eyed preparation has real value. It makes it much less likely that a pre-closing home inspection will catch everyone by surprise. You put yourself in a solid negotiating position when your home hits the Stuart real estate scene as ready as you can make it.

Preparing the property is Job One, but Job One-and-a-Half is preparing yourself for what you are hoping to achieve. Make sure you have penciled out what the bottom line financial outcome is going to be, which includes what you owe, what price your home is likely to bring, and how the ensuing costs will work out as you move to your next destination.

The biggest unknown is, of course, your property’s ultimate sale price. While online valuation models like Zillow’s are easy to use, they can yield results that are so wide of the mark as to be seriously misleading. Have your real estate agent create the up-to-the-minute comparative market analysis (CMA) which will set out how homes similar in location and amenities have performed in recent months. Those listing and sales prices are the strongest indicators of how your home is likely to fare in this summer’s market—and provide a realistic pointer to what your asking price should be.

Today’s consumers are inundated with information online. With 92% percent of real estate buyers searching via their iPhones, notepads, computers, and all the rest of our electronic paraphernalia, increasingly the tendency is to make quick decisions, often based on price and photos. In a world where consumers swipe or click through hundreds of pieces of information a day, it’s much more easy to be overlooked if your price seems out of line. That puts a premium on right-pricing the first time out. It’s also not a bad idea to have a firm idea in your own mind of your absolute rock-bottom number should be—one that makes sense when your long term goals are taken into account.

This summer promises to be a fine time to enter our Stuart real estate market. I’ll be standing by to assist in all the ways that have proved to be most effective—so why not give me a call?

Stuart Real Estate Sales Success Means Pricing-Right First!

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Coming Soon

07.02.15 by

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Coming Soon

Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart FL

Fantastic downtown Stuart location in the Royal Oak Towers of Stuart FL will be coming on the market soon by the Gabe Sanders BlueWater Realty Team.  The anticipated list price is $99,900 and for a sneak peek give us a call.

Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart

Downtown Stuart Condo, 2 bedroom, 2 bath completely renovated with tile floors, corian counter tops, stainless steel appliances, hurricane impact windows, 1 covered parking, top floor unit with elevator. Lots of natural light with open floor plan. Conveniently located, walk to downtown restaurants, the Lyric and shops. Just minutes from the beach.  All ages are welcome and 1 large pet is permitted.

Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart

Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart Royal Oak Towers in Downtown Stuart

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Coming Soon

Search for Royal Oak Towers Condos for Sale

Search the Martin County MLS

More information about Stuart Florida Real Estate can be found on the Gabe Sanders BlueWater Realty team’s web site.

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Coming Soon

 

 

Few Sewalls Point Listings Will Top This One!

07.01.15 by

Few Sewalls Point Listings Will Top This One!

Côte d’Azur

LE PLAN DE LA TOUR – VILLA FOR SALE

Putting together a Sewalls Point listing is serious business. It has to be brief, to-the-point, and at the same time, engaging. The photos and language of a Sewalls Point listing is the tip of the marketing spear: if it’s dull, and just a repetition of the specifics that are enumerated in the columns of numbers that follow, it’s less likely to get more than a glance from potential buyers.

At the same time, every Stuart listing has to be fastidiously accurate. If it exaggerates or mischaracterizes a property’s features, it will waste time and effort by creating traffic from prospects who were never going to be interested in the first place. They’ll be rightly annoyed. A well-crafted listing for a Sewalls Point home will highlight the distinctive features that make it stand out from the crowd. It will attract qualified buyers who will want to investigate further.

As a matter of course, we in the real estate profession check out lots of listings from many other areas. It’s part of the job, keeping abreast of what is new elsewhere—comparing how others in other areas meet the challenges of language and imagery. Of course, after years of experience, you encounter few surprises.

But last week there was news of a listing unlike any other. I’m not sure that the details and language are going to be useful for describing many Stuart properties, since this detailed a foreign estate (on the Côte d’Azur) being put on the market by “a talented artist and musician.” The asking price is $25+ million, so it’s also a bit pricey for most buyers. But as an attention-getter, this listing ranks right up there at the top.

First off, the talented artist and musician is Johnny Depp, whose comings and goings generate headlines at all times. The listing language, in fact, is most precisely quoted by the Australian Domain real estate site—rather than a French source. The Australian public has been keeping track of Depp because of his continuing brush with authorities there over alleged dog-smuggling activities (his Yorkies, Pistol and Boo, are now safely out of the country). Domain tells us that the estate consists of “more than a dozen buildings, including a main house, several guest cottages, a chapel, a bar & restaurant, a workshop/garage, a staff house and much more.”

Students of listing lingo might decide that this descriptor belongs in the ‘subtly understated’ category, particularly when the “much more” is teased out: the estate, it turns out, is actually a small Provençal village. More than a decade ago, Depp bought an entire early-19th-century village. It may have been a bit run down—but it did include its own church (the actor turned it into a guest cottage, with the confessional becoming a wardrobe). Depp took on the project as a sort of extreme DIY project. The restaurant became his dining room. He brought in a covered wagon for another guesthouse (it’s unclear how that worked out).

Not every Sewalls Point listing rates being quoted in a feature story in The Wall Street Journal, but this one surely did. “A wine cave in the main house has a Pirates of the Caribbean motif,” according to the Journal (as one reader commented, “Go get’m Sparrow!”).

You don’t have to have a French village, though, if you are thinking of adding your own estate to this summer’s Stuart listings. Just give me a call!

Few Sewalls Point Listings Will Top This One!

Selling a Palm City Home Yourself is a Lonely Proposition

06.30.15 by

Selling a Palm City Home Yourself is a Lonely Proposition

 FSBO

You pronounce it “FIZZ-bow.”

That’s FSBO: For Sale by Owner, and it’s the Road Less Traveled by area homeowners bent on selling a home in Palm City as economically as possible. It does seem to make common sense, after all. It’s the homeowner who knows the ins and outs of their own home best—so who could be more qualified to show it off to the buyers who’ll be lined up, waiting to take a look?

And even more to the point, why lose any part of the sale proceeds to some Martin County real estate agent? It can’t be rocket science to fill out the paperwork and complete the sale. Isn’t that just common sense?

For those considering selling a home themselves, even cursory research is likely to result in one nagging question. The latest sampling from the NAR shows that the vast majority—88%, in fact—of today’s successful sellers are assisted by a real estate agent. That proportion has been growing, lately, too: it’s up 19 percentage points since 2001. This has to give rise to the nagging question: “If it’s common sense, how come the vast majority eventually wind up going with a real estate agent?”

What actually happens in a sale plays a large part, starting with an examination of the bottom line of actual sales. It reflects the fact that the customary commission percentage that goes to real estate professionals is split in two, with half going to the seller’s and half to the buyer’s agent. So the net “savings” a FSBO seller stands to realize is half of the usual initial assumption when the buyer is professionally introduced by the buyer’s representative.

Unless the buyer just appears on his or her own.

Which brings up a couple of other potential problems. If the buyer shows up on the seller’s doorstep, who has qualified him or her? (Short answer: nobody). It’s awkward and practically impossible for a homeowner to interview every prospective buyer in depth before showing the home, but having strangers in your Palm City home with no outside record of the event is at best an iffy prospect. The fact is, most qualified home buyers see the advantage of teaming with a licensed Martin County real estate agent, whose market knowledge is up to the minute, and who will assist them every step of the way at no cost to themselves. Those qualified buyers stand to be a FSBO’s likeliest prospects, in which case the potential ‘savings’ from a do-it-yourself strategy are halved.

But as a working reality, FSBO sellers run a substantial risk that those hoped-for calls from active agents may be slow to materialize. It is often the case that local agents, noting that the home is a FSBO, place it low on the list of properties their clients have time to tour. Among other indicators, a FSBO listing on the MLS signals to the Martin County real estate community that the owner is not truly serious about selling the home—else why is it not part of a professional office’s marketing package? Too, buyers’ agents work to protect their clients from difficult situations, and many FSBO sellers are not well-versed and experienced in negotiating and selling houses. Problems can erupt. All things being equal, it means that FSBOs get few showing requests.

Plus, any advertising costs will be paid for out of the owner’s own pocket—an expensive strategy.

It’s pretty clear why almost 9 out of 10 homeowners selling a home go with a qualified real estate agent. I hope you agree—and decide to give me a call!

Selling a Palm City Home Yourself is a Lonely Proposition

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos

06.30.15 by

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos

The May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos as reported by Florida Realtors had a very difficult month of May for the volume of sales.  Closed sales were down by 30.6% (was up by 8.6% in April) while new sales under contract (new pending sales) decreased by 25.8% (was down by 21.5% in April).

The median sales price increased by 11.5% (down 19.5% in April) and the average sales price increased by 16.5% (was up by 0.8% in April).  Back to price increases after a setback last month.

The inventory of available townhouses and condos decreased by 38 units from last month to 596 properties, which is also down from last May by 26.9%. Current supply of inventory decreased to 5.7 months, from April’s 5.9 months. This is 27.0% lower than last year. The St Lucie County townhouse and condo market is now in a sellers’ market, typically a 6 month inventory is considered a balanced market showing no advantage to either buyers or sellers.  Unfortunately, there’s not enough inventory to sustain a growing volume of sales.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos

Click here to view or download the full report:
May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos

To view the latest set of reports from Florida Realtors for the state of Florida, Martin County and Saint Lucie County, please visit GabeSanders.com and select Market Data.

Market information is courtesy of Florida Realtors Research. For additional information and historical archives please visit the Florida Realtors Research page.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Townhouses and Condos

Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

06.29.15 by

Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

 Bank owned

If you are one of those Stuart homeowners who has been gladdened to see property values continuing to rebound, you have also been pleased at the steady decline in the wave of foreclosures that were part of the global financial crisis. When the subprime mortgage crisis triggered widespread financial dislocation, many homeowners felt the repercussions. Every Stuart foreclosure that resulted weighed on neighborhood property values, which reflect the dollar amounts paid when nearby homes change hands.

Even most people whose livelihoods were unaffected—who kept their jobs or businesses and continued to make their mortgage payments without difficulty—could have suffered as a result. When the apparent equity of a home dwindled, so too was the amount lenders were willing to lend for refinancing. The comfort provided by fat home equity lines of credit (the HELOCs) suddenly melted when their maximums were cut, or even withdrawn altogether. HELOCs, after all, were a major component in the foreclosure phenomenon. The whole atmosphere caused confidence to be shaken.

But ‘buy low, sell high’ is a proven investment strategy—and ‘buying low’ is an opportunity that typically arises when fear is in the air. Many large institutional investment outfits looked at the situation and apparently asked themselves, what’s more “real” than real estate? They dived into the panic, buying up distressed residences in droves, paying rock-bottom foreclosure prices.

For many homeowners, though, the real effect was psychological. After all, when your major asset is your home, any Stuart foreclosure can be seen as having the effect of bringing your apparent net worth down.

RealtyTrac is the national scorekeeper for foreclosures and REOs (Real Estate Owned, or bank repossessions); and last month they continued to provide comforting news. Although there are ups and downs in the month-to-month stats, the overall trend continues to decline from the high in September 2013. In fact, there was a small uptick in REOs in April, which might seem like bad news; but REOs are actually completed foreclosures—at the same time, foreclosure starts continued their long slide downward.

Daren Blomquist of RealtyTrac was quoted with more good news, confirming that “the overall increase in foreclosure activity in April is a continuation of the clean-up phase” of the housing crisis. But even better was this: “Foreclosure starts nationwide are now running consistently below pre-crisis levels.”

It does seem as if this season is a choice time for sellers to enter the revived market. If you would like to explore the possibilities for your own property, or are ready to start the search for a Stuart home of your own, please do give me a call!

 Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

 

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes

06.29.15 by

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes is struggling with the volume of sales while at the same time showing continued price increases.  Closed sales were off by 19.8% (in April they were up by 12.1%) and new sales under contract (new pending sales) decreased by 31.3% (they were down by 18.7% last month).

Both median and average sales prices continue strong gains with increases of 18.2% and 13.1% respectively from last May (For April these numbers were 20.9% and 25.8%).  These price increases, while good news for sellers, are making single family homes less affordable in the St. Lucie County market area.

The inventory of active listings decreased in May (from last month) by 143 homes to 1,590, and this is  lower than last year’s inventory by 21.9%.  The current supply of inventory is only 3.3 months (a 27.2% decrease from last year). The Saint Lucie County single family home market remains in a very strong sellers market.  We are seeing a reduction in volume of sales because either there isn’t enough inventory available on the market or prices are becoming to high.  We remain in a pretty extreme sellers market for St Lucie County single family home sale.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes

Click here to view or download the full report:
May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes

To view the latest set of reports from Florida Realtors for the state of Florida, Martin County and Saint Lucie County, please visit GabeSanders.com and select Market Data.

Market information is courtesy of Florida Realtors Research. For additional information and historical archives please visit the Florida Realtors Research page.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail St Lucie County Single Family Homes

Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

06.28.15 by

Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

 BlueWater Real Estate

A few of our Stuart professionals operate as one-person enterprises, but that’s unusual. Even a one-doctor medical practice has back-up staff. Most lawyers, even if they aren’t in a partnership arrangement, have at least one assistant or secretary to help. Small commercial businesses are called ‘mom and pop’ operations because…well, you get the picture. Almost any serious enterprise takes a team effort to get anywhere—especially in this day and age.

So it’s no surprise that when they set about buying an Martin County home or selling their own, most Stuart folks don’t take on the project all by themselves. Even though the average American family buys a new home every 7 to 10 years, constantly changing state and local regulations make keeping up with them a professional-level challenge. And even though the first part of the buying process—finding the most likely listed properties—can be started from your computer, as soon as the winnowing begins, the knowledge of a Stuart real estate agent—someone who lives and breathes real estate—soon becomes crucial.

As we wade deeper into the 2016 election cycle, one of the themes that keeps coming up is “leadership”—the ability to recruit and direct expert help. When buying or selling a Martin County home, it’s no different: you want the team you assemble to be as strong as possible. That will free you for your most important leadership role, the decision-making. The first order of business is to find an agent who will not only assist with all the real estate transactional details, but also help identify and recommend other reliable professionals you will need in successive steps of the process. Since finding that agent starts with you, here are some tips to help focus your selection:

  • Everyone responds differently to differing personalities. What type of person do you click with? Do you envision a real estate agent who is a straight shooter—who will deliver realistic advice, a bubbly personality full of optimism—or perhaps a bit of both? Jot down the personality traits that you would like to see in your agent.
  • Identify needs unique to your situation. If you’re house hunting on a tight budget and need a home fast, you want an agent experienced in finding affordable options. If you’re selling an expensive home in a much-sought-after neighborhood, you might want a Stuart real estate agent who’s sold high-end properties in the neighborhood.
  • Ask colleagues, neighbors, and friends for recommendations. Don’t collect referrals from just one source. Everyone in your neighborhood might use the same agent, but a colleague might have another recommendation. You want to shop around for an agent, so don’t rely on just one referral.
  • Check credentials. A credentialed real estate agent is absolutely essential. Of course, nix any agent who isn’t licensed in our state.
  • Interview your short list. When you meet with potential agents, ask for a list of recent sales completed near your price point. See if you are comfortable with how the agent prefers to communicate: phone, email, text, or a mix. Finally, request the contact information for a few recent clients to check references—and then check them!

Finding your perfect real estate agent starts with the effort put in by the leader: you. I hope your search includes this real estate agent…in fact, why not start by giving me a call!

Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos

06.28.15 by

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos activity decreased in volume from last year while still showing some exceptionally strong price gains.  Year to year closed sales were down by 4.7% (was down by 9.5% in April) as well as new sales under contract (new pending sales) was down by 11.7% from May 2014 (decreased 19.2% in April).

The median sales price was up by 38.0% (was down by 1.1% in April) while the average sales price increased by 42.2% (was down by 5.0% in April) as compared to May of 2014.  Back into some exceptionally strong price gains.

The inventory of available townhouses and condos has decreased by 31 units to 424 properties from last month, this is 25.0% less inventory than was available in May of 2014.  For May there was a 3.9 month supply of inventory (a 31.8% decrease from last year).  A very strong sellers market for townhouses and condos in Martin County.  Buyers are in need of additional inventory for their potential purchases.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos

Click here to view or download the full report:
May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos

To view the latest set of reports from Florida Realtors for the state of Florida, Martin County and Saint Lucie County, please visit GabeSanders.com and select Market Data.

Market information is courtesy of Florida Realtors Research. For additional information and historical archives please visit the Florida Realtors Research page.

May 2015 Monthly Market Detail Martin County Townhouses and Condos

Florida Mortgage Rates on the Rise? Bellwether Signals Clues

06.27.15 by

Florida Mortgage Rates on the Rise? Bellwether Signals Clues

 Home Mortggage Rates

If you’ve ever had the kind of neighbor who is apt to borrow something (like your hedge trimmer), only to later complain about how it performed, you know how much patience it takes to hold your tongue. The Mortgage Bankers Association would be justified if they felt that way about me: I read their website, and sometimes quote it in posts about current Stuart mortgage rates—but it sure makes for dull reading!

Anyway, with apologies to their (undoubtedly hard-working) writing staff, last week’s blog about national mortgage rates was as numbers-heavy as usual, yet still held a contradiction…but one that actually makes perfect sense. It also flags what could be seen as a bellwether that Stuart home buyers and sellers would be hard-pressed to ignore.

The apparent contradiction was that mortgage rates were on the increase: national mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loans rose to 4.17%, which is the highest they’ve been since November. This is for conforming loans; the jumbos (greater than $417,000) went north as well, up to 4.15%.

As everyone knows, low mortgage interest rates are terrific for our Martin County residential home sales. The low monthly payments that they create make homeownership more affordable for a greater number of buyers. So when rates increase and monthly payments go up, it should create a drag on the market. The apparent contradiction in the MBA release was that the increase in rates was accompanied by an increase in mortgage applications. And it was a big one: up 8.4% from the week before.

Most commentators were united about the phenomenon, and it’s hard to disagree. In addition to the natural surge that comes with the season (spring and summer are always expected to be quite active), consumers are seeing the uptick in mortgage rates and suspecting that rates will head higher. That’s nudging them to action, causing them to jump in now, while rates are still attractive—especially compared with historical averages.

CNBC’s Diana Olick agreed that such sharp increases actually help the home-buying market. She quotes one lender’s take about the buyers: “They understand that ‘wait a minute, rates are at an all-time low, let’s react now, let’s react before they go higher.’”

It’s far from a certainty that rates will continue to take off. Lots of us remember last year, when almost all the experts predicted a rise, yet mortgage interest rates headed in the opposite direction…and stayed there! But you can hardly blame area buyers if they go with the national trend and decide that locking in today’s rates is a prudent move: it’s a bird in the hand.

If you have been thinking along the same lines, I hope you will give me a call!

 

Florida Mortgage Rates on the Rise? Bellwether Signals Clues

Stuart FL Listing Prices Reflect the Market (or Wishful Thinking)

06.26.15 by

Stuart FL Listing Prices Reflect the Market (or Wishful Thinking)

 Legacy Cove in Stuart FL

A Martin County listing can be a smash hit when the pictures show a property that’s cosmetically appealing, the copy rings true, and the details hit the sweet spot where features and value are a match for the best the area has to offer. But it still might not be as effective as it should be if one other detail is a little bit off. It’s a detail that can cause qualified buyers—the ones who should be a home’s most interested prospects— to miss the whole show.

I suppose that calling that part of a Stuart listing a “detail” is like calling the end score of the NBA’s final playoff a detail—or calling the final vote count in an election a “factor.” It may be just one element of many, but it is uniquely important. In a Stuart listing, it’s often the first element that shoppers specify when they’re picking which area homes they will consider. If it’s not thoughtfully calibrated to fall within the parameters they name, the results may suffer considerably.

Of course, the “detail” we’re talking about is the price on the listing, and choosing the “right” one is the object. We’re looking for a number that will help a home sell quickly at the highest price possible. If the neighborhood comps—the prices paid and asked for nearby area homes with similar features—were all that mattered, coming up with the most suitable listing price would be a cut-and-dried affair. But there are other factors that need to be taken into account. Some are easy to determine, some…not so much.

  • the Stuart residential market is a moving target, sometimes building from a lower level, sometimes echoing the latest transactions, sometimes losing momentum.
  • competitive Martin County listing prices reflect either other sellers’ best estimates of that market for their properties, or else their personal opinions of what they think the market should be–but there’s no way to verify which!
  • the final selling price of any home is determined not only by the seller’s situation, but by the buyer’s, also, which is a factor which cannot be determined in advance.

That’s why there is no universally agreed-upon formulas to rely upon, and since there is no way to determine what outcome would have resulted if a different price had been chosen, there’s also no way to verify after the fact if the absolute “best” one was chosen—even if everyone considers the sale a great success! Web titan Zillow says, “if the home sells within a few days of listing, chances are you listed too low” yet if a higher price had been chosen, causing that home to linger for months on the market, it wouldn’t have been listed too low. On the other hand, if the listing price were set to court multiple offers, a quick sale could mean a higher selling price was achieved. There’s simply no way to know for sure.

Put it all together and you have to figure that arriving at the right listing price is really more of an art than a science. I help clients by pooling my extensive Stuart experience, up-to-the minute market knowledge, and detailed examination of the property’s unique attributes to suggest the range of listing prices I judge most likely to achieve the Holy Grail—a quick sale at top dollar! If you’d like, we can get together for a no-obligation discussion of your own property’s listing prospects. It’s a great reason to give me a call!

Tennis Villas June 2015 Market Report

06.26.15 by

Tennis Villas June 2015 Market Report

As of June 2015, there are 4 active listings in Tennis Villas. The list prices are $229,000 and $261,000 for an average listing price of $243,250 which equates to $272.75 per sq. ft. of living area.

There are currently no condos under contract or pending in the Tennis Villas

5 condos have sold in the past 12 months. Sales prices ranged from $210,000 to $255,000 with an average of $229,600 or $242.48 per sq. ft. of living area. These sales averaged 93% of listing price with an average days on market of 178 days.

Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation

About Tennis Villas

For those looking to live in a resort setting with the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean close by as well as a full service Marina, golf course, restaurants and fitness facilities without paying the premium price of most resorts, then the Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation might just be the place for you.

Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation

The Tennis Villas are condos located just off the golf course and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River (Intracoastal) to the west. There are 92 units built in 1978 and 1979. They are all two bedroom and two bathroom condos with 871 sq. ft. of living area.  The Tennis Villas are pet friendly and will allow one pet.

 Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation Tennis Villas in Indian River Plantation

The Tennis Villas are in an excellent location, just a short walk to the beach and there’s a courtesy tram that is available to take residents and guests around the sprawling facilities of the Marriott resort at Indian River Plantation. Just a short drive to the grocery store, historic downtown Stuart and the many, many amenities that Martin County FL has to offer.

 Hutchinson Island Real Estate

 

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Tennis Villas Homes for Sale

Tennis Villas June 2015 Market Report