Stuart FL Homes with Docks Under $750,000

Stuart FL Homes with Docks for Under $750,000

Martin County Florida is blessed with numerous waterways and two rivers. The Indian River (which is also the Intracoastal Waterway) and the Saint Lucie River. There are numerous creeks, tributaries and canals that have homes with private docks that can access our waterways for those wishing to either fish, play or just ride the waters of Martin County.

Below is a showcase of some waterfront homes in the Stuart area of Martin County with private ocean access docks for under $750,000.

This is a selection of the available waterfront homes with private docks listed in Stuart FL.

Click here to search for all homes with docks in Stuart FL

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Tres Belle August 2015 Market Report

08.24.15 by Gabe Sanders

Tres Belle August 2015 Market Report

August 2015 Market Update:

There are 7 homes currently for sale in the Tres Belle subdivision of Stuart FL. Listing prices are from $579,900 to $1,067,183 for an average list price of $774,840 and works out to $201.60 per sq. ft. of living area. A number of these homes are new construction from Kolter Homes. Those interested, please ask about our new home buyer rebate program.

There are currently 2 homes under contract with list prices of $550,0000 and $649,900 for an average list price for these pending sales of $599,950 or $171.46 per sq. ft. of living area.

21 homes have sold in the past 12 months. Ranging in sales price from $480,000 to $765,714. The average sales price was $615,657 which comes out to $183.52 per sq. ft. of living area. These homes sold on average of 122 days on market days with sales prices at 98% of list price.

The Tres Belle Estates in Stuart FL is a Kolter Homes development of approximately 167 homes on a minimum of ½ acre lots located just east of Kanner Highway on Cove Road in Stuart FL.

The first homes were completed in 2007 and construction and sales of new homes continue to this date (August 2015). Homes range in size from a minimum of 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with over 2,500 sq. ft. of living area up to 4 and 5 bedroom, 5 bath homes with close to 4,500 sq. ft. of living area.

Tres Belle is located adjacent to the Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park which has miles and miles of rugged and scenic trails. Also, close to shopping on US-1 as well as at the intersection of Cove Rd and Kanner Hwy. Martin Memorial Hospital South is only a few minutes away. A consistently highly rated medical facility. For those looking to commute or just be close to the Interstate, I-95 is only a minute or two away.

For boaters, there are an abundance of waterways and boat ramps and marinas are only a short ride and only a few minutes to your choice of beaches at either Stuart or Jupiter Island.

Tres Belle is located in the ‘A’ rated school district of Martin County with children currently slated for Crystal Lake elementary, David L. Anderson middle and South Fork high schools.

The HOA fees are $588 per quarter and include maintenance of the common areas as well as Cable TV. This is a pet friendly community.

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Tres Belle August 2015 Market Report

Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report July 2015

08.14.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report July 2015

Stuart Real Estate Snapshot for ZIP Code 34996, Condo Sales for July 2015

For July 2015 in the 34996 Zip Code area of Stuart, Florida :

There are currently 92 active condo listings (Down by 10 condos last month).

42 Condo sales are pending and awaiting close or lender approval (Increased by 16 condos from June).

16 Condos Sold in July (Decreased by 10 condos from June)

The Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market moderated a bit for July. Closed sales were down from the previous month and unfortunately the inventory continues to drop. Surprisingly there was a large jump in pending sales which is a good indication for continued strong activity for the remainder of the summer..

The current absorption rate for the Stuart Florida condos in ZIP Code 34996 – increased to 5.8 months from June’s 3.9 months. Drifting close to a balanced market for July. A balanced market is considered to occur when the absorption rate is from 6 to 7 months.

The numbers for July 2014 were: 143 active listings, 45 pending sales and 11 closed sales. Better activity this year even though our inventory is significantly lower than it was in July of 2014.

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Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report July 2015

Stuart FL 34994 Condo Market Report July 2015

08.12.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart FL 34994 Condo Market Report July 2015

Stuart Real Estate Snapshot for ZIP Code 34994, Condo Sales for July 2015

For July 2015 in the 34994 Zip Code area of Stuart, Florida :

There are currently 83 active condo listings (Unchanged from June).

24 Condo sales are pending and awaiting close or lender approval. (Decreased by 10 condo from last month)

20 Condos Sold in July (Down by 3 condos from June).

The Stuart FL 34994 Condo market showed strong activity for July 2015. Inventory didn’t go down this month, which is really the only positive as sales slowed for the month. Though still an active market especially since we are well into the slower months for condo sales.

The one month absorption rate increased to 4.2 months compared to last month’s 3.6. Continuing as a seller’s market. Typically a real estate market is considered to be a balanced market with an absorption rate of 6 to 7 months. Meaning neither the buyers or sellers have an advantage in the real estate market.

Last July the numbers were 118 active listings, 40 pending sales, and 25 closed sales. For the 34994 zip code area of Stuart there was considerably greater activity in 2014, though the inventory was quite a bit larger as well.

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Stuart Florida Market Report ZIP Code 34994 – Condo, July 2015

The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart August 2015 Market Report

08.04.15 by Gabe Sanders

The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart August 2015 Market Report

August 2015 Market Update:

There are 7 homes currently for sale in the Yacht and Country Club of Stuart. Listing prices are from $215,900 to $499,000 for an average list price of $380,271 which works out to $154.30 per sq. ft. of living area.

There are currently 4 homes under contract ranging in list price from $269,000 to $570,000. The average list price of these pending sales is $372,225 or $157.81 per sq. ft. of living area.

36 homes have sold in the past 12 months. Ranging in sales price from $184,000 to $740,000. The average sales price was $350,565 which comes out to $138.43 per sq. ft. of living area. These homes sold on average in 84 days with sales prices at 94% of list price.

The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart, Florida Golf Course

One of the first gated golf communities in Martin County, the , Florida remains among the preeminent communities on Florida’s Treasure Coast for both the golf and yachting enthusiast. This fine gate guarded community boasts water front homes that are only minutes from the Saint Lucie inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. Easy access for day trips to the Bahamas and back and a true fisherman’s paradise.

The ‘Stuart’ golf course at the Yacht & Country Club of Stuart, Florida features a professional 18 hole course with 6,466 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71 . The course rating is 71.2 and it has a slope rating of 125 on Bermuda grass. Driving range and putting greens are also provided at this club.

The clubhouse at the Yacht and Country Club of Stuart offers a professionally appointed fitness center with a a resident massage therapist. Tennis is provided by ix lighted Har-tru tennis courts and also residents are provided with two lighted croquet lawns.

There is a heated swimming pool open daily and water aerobics is offered on a weekly basis. The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart has a formal Dining Room that has earned itself a reputation as one of Stuart’s finest dining establishments. Also offered is the “Grill Room” for those who would like to enjoy a more casual dining experience.

Truly a wonderful place to call home.

Search here for available homes in the Yacht and Country Club of Stuart, Florida

The Yacht and Country Club of Stuart August 2015 Market Report

Another Emerald Lakes Home Sold

08.03.15 by Gabe Sanders

Another Emerald Lakes Home Sold

We found the perfect buyer for this single family home in Emerald Lakes in Stuart, FL 4357 SE Scotland Cay Way sold for $200,000. We negotiated a number of repair concessions from the sellers that they didn’t want to do. It was our knowledge of contracts and our negotiating skills that made this happen.

This is a one owner 3 bedroom 2 full bath 2 car garage single family home located in south Stuart. This well maintained home has found it’s new owner. Low HOA fees include landscaping. An ideal winter getaway with minimal maintenance required or the perfect full time home to enjoy your carefree Florida lifestyle. All ages are welcome and this is a pet friendly community.

The community of Emerald Lakes lies n the Port Salerno area of Stuart, Florida and consists of 400 2 and 3 bedroom town homes and 130 single family villas. The town homes and villas are governed by two separate home owners association yet share many of the same amenities.

Spread out over 100 acres of beautiful Florida landscape, with 3 ‘Emerald Lakes’, miles of walking paths, 7 tennis courts, 3 heated pools and two club houses. Very conveniently located within walking distance of a Publix Grocery store, Beall’s, Walgreen’s, Banks, Gold’s Gym, etc.

Just a few miles away are numerous Golf Courses, Martin County’s famous waterways, marinas and beaches and also within minutes of I-95 for easy access to locations both north and south. Fort Lauderdale is only a little over an hour to the south and Disney World is just over 2 hours to the north. A perfect location!

Residents of Emerald lakes enjoy the good life with low HOA fees and an excellent management staff for both Home Owners’ Associations.

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Another Emerald Lakes Home Sold

To Buy or Not to Buy: First Time Stuart Home Buyer Question

07.29.15 by Gabe Sanders

To Buy or Not to Buy: First Time Stuart Home Buyer Question

Historically low mortgage interest rates have been a lifeline for many Stuart first time home buyers in recent years, keeping home ownership within reach for many who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to make the leap. For them, and for all the other than first time area home buyers, the fact that home values have continued to rise has been an added boon.

But, as just about every mortgage industry expert will tell you, the gig is almost up for those rock bottom rates. Yet the question for many first time home buyers remains: is it time to buy or not?

It’s a good time to take a hard look a few of the known facts—

According to web giant Zillow, as of Q1 2015, potential home buyers should expect to spend about 15% of their income on a mortgage for an average home in the U.S. When you compare this with the historical averages, it makes today’s rates temptingly low: the typical percentage has been closer to 21%. In terms of dollars spent monthly, that’s a big (and terrific) difference!

At the same time, the historical average has a typical renter shelling out 24% of income. Today, that’s closer to 30%…making first time home ownership that much more inviting.

Taken together, Zillow’s new calculations definitely appear to make finding a home to buy the more affordable option. On the other hand, it’s also true that a number of factors work against first time home buyers—in Stuart and nationwide. College debt, for one, is far more of an obstacle than it used to be. And the other side of those all-time high monthly rents in many places are making it that much harder for would-be first time home buyers to save for a down payment. But with the widespread phenomenon of growth in rents outpacing growth in home values, the rental affordability problem isn’t likely to improve any time soon. With mortgage rates likely to be on the increase as early as this fall, the long term outlook may not grow rosier as time passes. The implied takeaway: strike now while the iron is hot!

Whether this real estate foray is your first or tenth, if you’ve been considering taking advantage of this summer’s Treasure Coast home buying bargains, contact me today for an introduction to a qualified mortgage broker—and to discuss whether this might not just be the perfect time to start your search!

How Today Stacks Up for Would-be Stuart First Time Homebuyers

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Sold

07.25.15 by Gabe Sanders

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Sold

Fantastic downtown Stuart location in the Royal Oak Towers of Stuart FL has been sold by the Gabe Sanders BlueWater realty team. The sales price was $95,000. This condo was sold prior to actually coming onto the MLS, though it was through a cooperating broker.

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.

Search for Royal Oak Towers Condos for Sale

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 Sold

Sweet Sorrow? When it’s Parting Time with Your Realtor®

07.23.15 by Gabe Sanders

Sweet Sorrow? When it’s Parting Time with Your Realtor^®

It’s true of any commercial offering: sometimes a perfectly saleable item doesn’t move off the shelves as rapidly as predicted. Real estate is no exception—not every Stuart home is sold as quickly as its owner and the property’s Realtor^® wish. When that happens, and the term of the original listing expires, an important decision must be made: should the listing be renewed, or should another Stuart Realtor be enlisted to try a different approach?

If you have been dissatisfied with the amount of effort your current Stuart Realtor has demonstrated up to now, the decision will be easier than otherwise—especially if you have already communicated your impression and been less than overwhelmed by the response. You are right to expect that your Stuart Realtor will have posted attractive, accurate listing material for the MLS, has included your property in the advertising program that goes out to the community, and has been diligent and professional in showings and (if it was agreed upon) open house presentations. You should have been able to contact her or him within a reasonable amount of time when communications were called for, been satisfied by the punctuality of appointments when scheduled.

If performance in any of these basics has been unsatisfactory, it’s entirely reasonable to entertain a change in representation. On the other hand, if your Realtor has not disappointed in any dimension, you are left in a problematical situation—one which has no clear-cut solution. Whether or not your inclination is to stick with the team in place, to make the right decision you need more information. The best guidance is—get it!

Before you decide whether or not to extend the relationship, ask your agent to review the days on market (DOM) for similar nearby Martin County properties. An analysis will show whether yours is the only slow-moving property, or whether it has simply hit a lull in neighborhood activity.
Ask yourself whether you have paid attention to the suggestions offered by your current Realtor. If you have chosen to bypass any of them, this could be an appropriate point at which to reappraise.
If you have had many showings with few offers forthcoming, it’s a pretty good sign that your asking price is higher than prospective buyers believe is justified. If that’s the case, changing Realtors alone isn’t likely to have the desired effect. You’ll need to fix whatever problems visitors are seeing…or else lower the price.

If a hard-headed analysis tells you that switching Stuart Realtors is warranted, don’t worry too much about the reaction you will get. Most Realtors are very professional; they know that clients do occasionally change representation for a number of reasons, and that hard feelings are simply not warranted. Be ready to interview several agents and to compare what they offer. Pay extra attention to how they propose to stimulate activity—you are well-positioned to appraise their ideas!

For my clients, in addition to an energetic marketing approach, I put a premium on keeping the highest quality communications flowing at all times. Give me a call whenever you have a Martin County real estate query!

Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report June 2015

07.14.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report June 2015

Stuart Real Estate Snapshot for ZIP Code 34996, Condo Sales for June 2015

For June 2015 in the 34996 Zip Code area of Stuart, Florida :

There are currently 102 active condo listings (Down by 1 condos last month).

28 Condo sales are pending and awaiting close or lender approval (Decreased by 11 condos from May).

26 Condos Sold in June (Decreased by 7 condos from May)

The Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market continued to be very active through June. We are seeing a small slowdown of the activity level in this very hot segment of the Stuart FL condo market. Though, we remain in a sellers market. I anticipate some more easing as we go into the summer and fall months.

The current absorption rate for the Stuart Florida condos in ZIP Code 34996 – increased to 3.9 months from May’s 3.1 months. Still a strong sellers market but soon to turn as we go into the summer months. A balanced market is considered to occur when the absorption rate is from 6 to 7 months.

The numbers for June 2014 were: 139 active listings, 33 pending sales and 17 closed sales. Considerably stronger activity this year even though there’s a significant decrease in inventory as compared to last year.

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Stuart Florida Real Estate presented by:
Gabe Sanders

Stuart FL 34996 Condo Market Report June 2015

Tropical Paradise Waterfront Lot Sold

07.14.15 by Gabe Sanders

Tropical Paradise Waterfront Lot Sold

Sorry, but you missed it. This Tropical Paradise waterfront lot sold for full price of $75,000 by the Gabe Sanders BlueWater Realty Team.

Paved driveway and pad in place. Existing mobile home has been removed. There’s 81 feet of waterfront with ocean access suitable for a smaller boat that can go under two fixed bridges with approximately 6′ clearance. Community has an RV boat storage lot with one space for every resident. Great opportunity in a wonderful friendly community.

The Tropical Paradise community is a subdivision with modular and manufactured homes that are slowly replacing the original mobile homes that were in place.

Click here for more information and pictures

Search for Tropical Paradise homes for Sale

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

Tropical Paradise Waterfront Lot Sold

Stuart Homes for Sale Get Boost from National Forecast

07.13.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart Homes for Sale Get Boost from National Forecast

Suppose you are a Stuart homeowner who intends to move to a different home eventually, but for the moment, you aren’t under any particular deadline pressure that would dictate when you have to put your home on the market. In that case, you’re likely to keep tabs on overall market conditions, awaiting what looks like circumstances favor those with homes for sale.

Twice a year, the National Association of Realtors^® issues their economists’ midyear forecast—it appeared last week. For those with homes for sale in Stuart (or anyone thinking about adding theirs to the homes already for sale), the outlook was heartening.

The forecast was for the greater U.S. economy to improve, bouncing back from the weather-blasted winter stall which made the first quarter a disappointment. Subsequently, consumer spending opened up, causing expectation that the GDP would rise in the remainder of the year. Overall, the forecast for 2015 was positive, though lukewarm. As a whole, the year promises to be “not bad but not great.”

On the other hand, focusing narrowly on the outlook for U.S. housing market activity—homes for sale—the upside momentum was already decidedly more in evidence. The prospects for any single one of the Martin County homes for sale depend upon a combination of factors, but if national activity is any reflection, the latest numbers packed what you could call a “6-7-8-9 punch”:

Existing home sales in May notched a high water mark not seen in 6 years (and the 2009 level had been artificially inflated because of an $8,000 homebuyer tax credit).
New home sales hit the highest level in 7
Housing permits to build new homes registered an 8 year high.
Pending contracts to buy existing homes for sale reached a 9 year high.

Examining the demographics behind the figures, it was clear that, for the first time in quite a while, first-time buyers are back. Last year during the same period, only 27% of buyers were first-timers. They now make up a more normal 32%. As prices brought by homes for sale continued to rebound, institutional investors were disappearing from the scene, creating a more typical mix of buyers.

A major part of the reason why homes for sale were fetching “stronger than normal home price growth” had to do with a shortage of inventory—ascribed to the volume of new homes being built (or not being built). The rule of thumb is generally for about 1.5 million new homes to be constructed per year, a mark that’s failed to be realized for a number of years. In 2009, only 550,000 home were built—and the total had barely reached a million through last year. But now, with optimism among homebuilders at newly robust levels, it’s expected that normal output will have fully resumed by 2017.

The other major factor boosting sale prices was the specter of mortgage rate increases. Rising mortgage rates “initially rush buyers to decide”—just the kind of sign that could tip the scales for a homeowner who’s been waiting to add their property to the homes for sale in Stuart. Should you decide that this summer is shaping up to have just the conditions you’ve been waiting for, I hope you’ll give me a call for a no-obligation consultation!

Stuart Homes for Sale Get Boost from National Forecast

Stuart FL 34994 Condo Market Report June 2015

07.12.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart FL 34994 Condo Market Report June 2015

Stuart Real Estate Snapshot for ZIP Code 34994, Condo Sales for June 2015

For June 2015 in the 34994 Zip Code area of Stuart, Florida :

There are currently 83 active condo listings (Decreased by 8 condos from May).

34 Condo sales are pending and awaiting close or lender approval. (Decreased by 4 condo from last month)

23 Condos Sold in June (Up by 4 condos from May).

The Stuart FL 34994 Condo market showed strong activity for June 2015. Slightly less inventory and pending sales for June, while closed sales were up slightly. This segment of the market remains quite active.

The one month absorption rate decreased to 3.6 months compared to last month’s 4.8. Continuing as a very strong seller’s market. Typically a real estate market is considered to be a balanced market with an absorption rate of 6 to 7 months. Meaning neither the buyers or sellers have an advantage in the real estate market.

Last June the numbers were 111 active listings, 46 pending sales, and 23 closed sales. For the 34994 zip code area of Stuart there was considerably greater activity last year.

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

Stuart Florida Market Report ZIP Code 34994 – Condo, June 2015

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Under Contract

07.10.15 by Gabe Sanders

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Under Contract

Fantastic downtown Stuart location in the Royal Oak Towers of Stuart FL has now gone under contract during the sneak peek version of this listing. The list price was $99,900. If you have a condo that is in Martin County that you need to sell quickly and for the best price, give us a call for a no obligation consultation.

Search for Royal Oak Towers Condos for Sale

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 Under Contract

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

07.05.15 by Gabe Sanders

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

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

Stuart Real Estate Sales Success Means Pricing-Right First!

07.02.15 by Gabe Sanders

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 Gabe Sanders

Royal Oaks Tower Condo in Downtown Stuart Coming Soon

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.

Search for Royal Oak Towers Condos for Sale

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 Gabe Sanders

Few Sewalls Point Listings Will Top This One!

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!

Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

06.29.15 by Gabe Sanders

Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

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

Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

06.28.15 by Gabe Sanders

Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

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!

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Few Sewalls Point Listings Will Top This One!

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Stuart Foreclosure Listings Continue Downward Momentum

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Leadership and Finding the Ideal Martin County Real Estate Agent

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Sweet Sorrow? When it’s Parting Time with Your Realtor^®