March 2010

Good news for FL sellers?

Shayla Twit

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 1:56pm. 118 Views, 0 Comments.

Do we finally have GOOD news for FL area sellers?:* The FL market tends to follow the CA market* And CA has seen a recent rebound in the home price index over the past eight months in a row* Buyers in CA are starting to see prices creep upwards* In my work with Buyers, it has become more and more common that the most aggressively priced listings receive multiple offers and are selling for above asking price* Prime example: golf course front home in Sarasota, 3000sf, foreclosure, listed for $240k, less than a week later they received ten offer and the home sold for over $300k* The largest monthly gain was in Los Angeles where prices rose 1.8% from December* Realtors out there sense that the worst of the downturn is over and the FL area is starting to…

Black Mold

Monday, March 22nd, 2010 at 6:56am. 172 Views, 0 Comments.

Black mold is black-green growth with a slimy consistency that can develop in homes. It can be found in places like walls, ceiling tiles, floor, wood rafters, insulation and the attic. In the presence of moisture, mold spores that are carried in by the air, people or animals can grow into black mold.

It is pretty common to see this toxic substance in foreclosures due to the lack of maintenance and likelihood that the air conditioner has been turned for an extended period of time. It grows well in a moist and dark environment. In Florida toxic black mold can grow well because of the temperate climate.

Black mold is a health hazard and has been known to cause lung problems such as bronchities and asthma. It has also been linked to deaths of babies due to…

February sales stats for Sarasota real estate market

Shayla Twit

Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 8:01am. 225 Views, 0 Comments.

Every month the Sarasota Board of Realtors releases the sales stats.  Here are the highlights for February:

* Sales were up 49%!

* Total sales reached 528.

* The number of Pending transactions wwere 967, which is the 2nd highest total over the previous 4yrs and up 23% over Feb '09.

* The statistics continue to reflect a recovering Sarasota market.

* Median sale prices rose in Feb for condos, while slipping slightly for single family homes.

* The median sale price for a single family home was $150,000, down 4 percent from January's $156,250, but up 5.6 percent over last February's figure of $142,000.

* For condos, the median price rose to $169,000 from last month's level of $165,000, a 2.4 percent increase.

* Distressed property sales represented 47% percent of…

FL as it compares to the rest of the country...

Shayla Twit

Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 1:02pm. 98 Views, 0 Comments.

How does FL compare to the rest of the country in terms or real estate?:

* NATIONALLY, sales in January fell to the lowest since the summer of 2009.

* The National Association of Realtors {NAR} said sales fell 7.2% 

* Florida’s January report was issued by FAR.  In stark contrast to the national sales results, Florida's existing home sales rose in January, marking 17 months that sales activity has increased in the year-to-year comparison.  Existing home sales increased 28% last month with a total of 10,465 homes sold statewide compared to 8,174 homes sold in January 2009. January's statewide sales of existing condos rose 81% compared to the previous year's sales figure.

* 16 Florida cities reported increased existing home sales in January.

* FLORIDA'S Median…