Leo's Blog

v Are my address numbers the recommended size?

v Are my address numbers visible from 100 feet?

v Do my address numbers have a contrasting color from the structure?

v Are my trees or shrubbery blocking my numbers?

v Do I need to trim the trees and shrubbery?

v Are the neighborhood street signs in good repair and visible?

v Are my address numbers the recommended size?

v Are my address numbers visible from 100 feet?

v Do my address numbers have a contrasting color from the structure?

v Are my trees or shrubbery blocking my numbers?

v Do I need to trim the trees and shrubbery?

v Are the neighborhood street signs in good repair and visible

Good selling,

Leo

One of my sellers was contacted today by a bank to notify him that they are going to start foreclosure proceedings. Maybe now this bank will assign a loss mitigator. The sellers and I have only been able to speak to customer service representatives.

The property is listed below assessed value. The problem is, so is another one. Pulte, the builder, is selling a new one for about the same price. Unbelievable. The builders are competing with the short sales and foreclosures.

Good selling,

Leo

SPRING MAINTENANCE TIPS:

Outside the House - Up High

Good selling,

Leo

Mortgage Companies don't have the same process. Some give you a loss mitagator. This way you have the same person each time you call.

Not the company I am working with now... I have customer service and end up with whoever answeres the phone. They pull up the same info on the computer. They say that it does not go to loss mitagation till I have a valad offer.

The sellers have notifyed the Mortgage Company and have submitted a hardship letter. I guess the seller could stop there. They thought they had to send in the information requested in the Mortgage Company's short sale packsge, located on their web site. I thought they were instructed to do that, so I did not say anything.

I have a feeling that ther Mortgage Company thought that there was a contract for sale on the property. The owner said they asled him if he signed a contract and the owner said yes. The contract the owners signed was the listing contract.

Everything is stalled till I get a contract on their place. It's not going to be easy. The carpet needs replacing and the sellers have no money. There is another short sale on the same street. It's identical to my listing. The remarks say it shows like a model. My listing is prices $200 below the other one. I am hoping that because my seller house is on a pond, the prices will be made up for the carpet.

Good selling,

Leo

Q. Are pets allowed in your community?
A. Yes. Ask your sales counselor for a copy of the guidelines and requirements for having pets within the community.


Q. Are there any special incentives to retiring in Florida?
A. Yes. $25,000 homestead exemption. The Homestead Exemption Act provides for homeowners to exempt $25,000 of the assessed value off their home and thereby pay less real estate taxes. There are stipulations such as it must be a primary residence and timing issues


Q. Are there medical facilities convenient to Sweetwater?

A. Yes, there are 3 medical facilities within a 7-mile radius of Sweetwater. There is the Renowned Mayo Clinic, St. Luke’s Hospital and Baptist Wellness Center which is 1/4 of a mile away


Q. Are there everyday shopping and services nearby?

A. Yes, there is a lot of shopping and services convenient to Sweetwater. Jacksonville’s largest mall is only a 10- minute drive from the community. There are stores such as Walgreens, Publix, Steinmart, etc all within a mile of the property. 10 banks, dry cleaning services and a plethora of restaurants are all within 3 miles of the Sweetwater.


Q. Are there age requirements for residents?

A. Yes, the by-laws of the Sweetwater Homeowners' Association require that residences must have one owner/occupant who is at least 55 years old. No residents under 19 years of age may live permanently in Sweetwater. Of course, a person under the age of 19 may be a guest. However, such guests are not permitted to stay for more than 90 days in any consecutive 12-month period, subject to reasonable regulations that the board of the Homeowners' Association may adopt from time to time.


Q. How do I find out if my medical insurance will carry into Florida?

A. Call your insurance carrier or the Florida Department of Insurance.


Q. How far is the beach from Sweetwater? How far is downtown Jacksonville?

A. Sweetwater is a short ten-minute drive to Jacksonville’s beaches. It takes approximately 15 minutes to go downtown from Sweetwater.


Q. How long has Del Webb been in business?

A. Del Webb's 75-year history began in the building industry in 1928. Mr. Del Webb was the pioneer of the Active Adult Lifestyle in 1960 when he started the first Sun City, and we are still perfecting that lifestyle today, over 40 years later. Pulte Homes purchased Del Webb in 2001 to marry superior home building with unmatched lifestyle communities.


Q. Will there be a golf course at Sweetwater?

A. There is not a golf course on the Sweetwater property – but the staff at Sweetwater has worked on golf packages for Sweetwater residents with many golf courses in the surrounding area. There are 3 golf courses within 5 miles of Sweetwater.


Q. How many clubs and activities will there be at Sweetwater?

A. There will be a lot of chartered clubs, other clubs and activities available at Sweetwater. Typical Del Webb communities offer between 20-100 clubs depending on the size of the community. There will be a lot of activities provided by our lifestyle staff. Sweetwater offers a 20,000 square foot recreation center named Summerland Hall that will offer an indoor heated pool, billiards room, multi purpose rooms, arts and crafts room, business center, reading room, yoga/pilates and aerobics room and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. Outside of Summerland Hall will be an outdoor pool, bocce ball courts, tennis courts, lighted walking and nature trails, outdoor pavilion and more!


Q. How many homes will be in the community upon completion?

A. 997 homes


Q. Is Sweetwater a gated community?

A. Yes.


Q. Is there R.V. storage available at Sweetwater?

A. Sweetwater does not provide R.V. Storage, but there are many facilities around Jacksonville for such storage. Ask your sales counselor for details.


Q. What about area colleges and educational programs?

A. There are several local colleges including: Florida Community College Deerwood Campus located approximately 4 miles from Sweetwater and the University of North Florida located approximately 7 miles from Sweetwater. These campuses offer Continuing Education services and 2-4 year degree programs.

Q. What are some the most popular activities and recreation in the area?

A. Jacksonville’s beaches and Intracoastal Waterway offer a lot of outdoor activities including boating, swimming, fishing, surfing, jet skiing, snorkeling, canoeing, kayaking and more. Entertainment attractions include the beautiful city of St. Augustine, Amelia Island, Jekyll Island, museums downtown, the Jacksonville Jaguars Football and the Suns Baseball Team. Downtown Jacksonville offers art walks, symphonies, a farmer’s market and much more.


Q. What are the most important features to consider when selecting a new home community?

A. Most people consider the most important things to be: Location, Lifestyle, Amenities, and Value. You get the best of all of these at Sweetwater by Del Webb.


Q. Are you allowed to have a fence in your yard?

A. Specific fencing in the rear of the home is allowed. Ask your sales associate for a copy of the guidelines.


Q. Can my children and grandchildren visit?

A. Absolutely. Children and grandchildren under the age of 18 are welcome and may visit for up to 90 calendar days per year.


Q. What are the prices of the homes?

A. Sweetwater by Del Webb offer three different home types. We have single-family homes, carriage homes and condominium homes. Single-family homes start in the mid $200’s. Carriage homes begin in the low to mid $200’s. Condominium homes start in the low to mid $200’s.


Q. What airports are close to Sweetwater?

A. Jacksonville International Airport (commercial airport) is approximately 25 miles from Sweetwater. Craig Municipal Airport that handles executive and commuter planes is located approximately 10 miles from Sweetwater.


Q. Where are the nearest worship centers?

A. There are worship centers throughout the Southside and Baymeadows area catering to almost all religious affiliations.



Q. Where is Sweetwater in relations to Orlando? Miami?

A. Sweetwater is approximately a 1.5 - hour drive to Orlando (Orlando is southwest of Jacksonville in the central part of the state) and approximately 4 hours to Miami (Miami is south of Jacksonville in the southern part of the state).

  I love this paper. They always "tell it like it is."

Good selling,

Leo

Jacksonville Business Journal - May 13, 2008 http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/05/12/daily12.html

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 2:21 PM EDT

Home, condo sales drop sharply in 1Q

Jacksonville Business Journal

Sales of existing single-family homes and condominiums in Northeast Florida dropped another 36 percent and 40 percent, respectively, in the first quarter, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.

Sales of single-family homes fell in 17 of the 20 markets tracked by FAR, with one market reporting a 1 percent increase based on incomplete numbers. Fourteen of the markets reported sales that were down at least 20 percent from a year earlier.

In Northeast Florida there were 2,119 single-family homes sold in the first three months of the year compared to 3,294 homes sold during the same period last year. In the same period, 267 condos were sold, compared to 445 a year ago.

Median sales prices were also down locally for homes and condos. Single-family home prices fell 6 percent to $185,300, and condo prices fell 8 percent to $146,800.

Statewide, single-family home sales fell 26 percent, while the median sales price of those homes fell 15 percent to $202,300.

Condo sales were down 23 percent across the state while the median sales price of $178,400 was down 17 percent.

FAR officials strove to put a positive spin on the numbers.

"If we look at what is happening month-over-month for 2008, it appears that the bottom [of the housing slowdown] may be here," said FAR President Chuck Bonfiglio. "We are now seeing more activity, more sales and even prices starting to rise in some markets. So I believe that there are some really good signs in many areas of our state."

All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

I found out that mortgage companies have no standards for short sales. They may want a CMA when you list the property or they may want one when you have a contract for sale.

From contract to close, may take 3 months or it may take 6 months.

They may want the property listed at a brake even purchase price for a month, then reduce it to a reasonable (CMA) price. The problem is the mortgage company will not tell you this. They will question you about it after the fact, depending on the mortgage company.

Good selling,

Leo

This will sound too simple to the sellers. There may only be one buyer for your property in two months. If you are not in the right position, the buyer won't even look.

The property has to be at the lowest price of the comparables. If it's not, the price had better be darn close to it or the property won't be looked at and you are wasting everyone's time.

Good selling,

Leo