Newly Built Homes Find Limited Sales

Even as the home buying season gets into full swing, newly built homes are facing limited, flat sales according to a news release published by the National Association of Home Builders. May numbers indicated little change in the number of new homes sold compared to the previous month.

To further exacerbate the problem, Associated Builders and Contractors is reporting that construction material costs rose in May. Citing numbers released by the U.S. Labor Department, the Association views the increase as a cause for concern.

For a buyer looking to purchase a newly constructed home or those who wish to build a home, this news translates to competitive prices, good values and many selections for them to choose from. Area builders are inviting potential customers to take a look at their product by holding sales events, offering to pay a buyers mortgage payment if the homeowner loses their job, and other incentives designed to catch the buyer’s eye. Future homeowners will want to do their homework and research comparable properties on the market, visit several builders in their area and be confident they have negotiated the very best deal possible before making their final decision.


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We ain’t getting no younger baby!

A report from the Census Bureau says that the number of people in the world 65 or over will triple by 2050. The projected numbers are 516 million in 2009 to 1.53 billion in 2050. From a REALTOR in Florida’s point of view, the increase of world citizens should equal a steady influx of retirees wanting to spend their golden years in active adult communities, condos and town homes.

Of course all these new senior citizens will require some additional adjustments and changes.

• The President in 2050 will need to ask congress for a bailout to keep businesses that offer senior citizens discount afloat.
• Environmentalists will push for the development of eco-friendly materials to be used in the manufacturing of walking canes citing concern over the disappearing forests.
• Network TV prime time programming will be from the hours of 4 a.m. until 7 a.m. in order to reach a larger portion of the population that are awake.
• 911 will be changed to just 1 to make it easier to dial and remember.
• Restaurants will display, “No shoes, no dentures, no service” signs.

There is a strong possibility that I will be a card-carrying member of that group in 2050. As fair warning to everyone reading this, I never plan on relinquishing my driver’s license.

Buyers are jumping through hoops to buy bank owned houses

Because it may be possible to buy a bank owned home at a good price, homebuyers are having to be patient and accepting of bank requirements in order to have an opportunity to own a previously foreclosed home of owning. Real estate agents on the other hand are often frustrated at the hoop jumping they and their buyer must do in order to get an offer accepted.

Buyers and agents are discovering when buying bank owned homes:

• Brand new bank owned listings are going under contract or have multiple offers within hours of hitting the market.
• In multiple offer situations banks are asking that buyers consider submitting a revised offer that is their “highest and best”.
• Buyers are often given a limited window in which they can conduct their inspections. Having a home inspected prior to buying is important and especially so given that most lenders make it clear the buyer is buying the home “as is”.
• In some cases listing agents are seemingly so busy that it becomes a frustrating chore for the buyer’s agent to contact the listing agent to discuss the offer or the home prior to making the offer or even after the offer has been submitted.
• Even when the lender indicates they may accept an offer submitted by a buyer, most lenders make it clear that there is no real acceptance until the bank has received all paperwork, reviewed and delivered the addendum and contract back to the buyer. There never seems to be a time frame in which the bank must accomplish this task that results in buyers waiting longer than customary before finding out if they bought the home.

Still, patient buyers who are well informed of the entire process at the beginning by their REALTOR, end up at the closing table purchasing what most believe to be good deals. Buyers can increase their chances of an offer being accepted on an REO property by using a real estate agent who understands the process from start to finish. To be introduced to such an agent, contact me.

Save on property taxes in Florida by paying early

Property taxes are due before April 1st of the year. A Florida homeowner can save on their property taxes by paying early. Tax statements start arriving in November and if you pay the tax in November will receive a 4% discount. If you pay your property taxes in December you will receive a 3% discount, 2% if paid in January and 1% if you pay your taxes in February.

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When are property taxes due in Florida?

Q: We purchased a home in Florida and are unsure when property taxes are due?

Congratulations for buying a home! Owning a home comes with many responsibilities including paying Florida property taxes. You should receive your property tax statement around November 1st. You property taxes are not considered delinquent until April 1. There are discounts available for paying early.


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Online resources to help you find a Central Florida home

There are numerous online resources available to you as a homebuyer searching for a home in the Central Florida area. These resources allow you the homebuyer to get a detailed view of what is available. Unlike the ‘old days’ when agents used newspapers or home magazines to advertise their homes for sale, the customer can now be confident that the homes they are viewing online are the most recent available.

A huge benefit of searching online compared to searching for a home with print media is you can see nearly every home for sale instead of just seeing a small sample of homes that the Broker chose to advertise. The following are two of the better online sources for finding a home in Central Florida.

My Website and Blog

If you are a potential homebuyer reading this blog I have a comprehensive home search feature just for you. This home search feature is free. You can access this feature by clicking on the Florida map located to the upper left of this post or by clicking here.

You will be able to search for homes for sale throughout Central Florida including the cities of, Orlando, Kissimmee, DeLand, Deltona, Windermere, Sanford, Winter Park, Clermont or Lake Mary. You will be able to search for residential/single family homes, condos, town homes, mobile homes, land, commercial property, multi-family/investment property and even rentals.

You can search for specific features including searching by price, square feet and number of bedrooms, the number of baths, waterfront homes and pool homes.

Once you have reviewed the search results you can contact me or call me to receive additional information or to schedule a time to view the home or homes. This search tool and home search feature is not only available here it is also accessible from gregstaker.com along with additional useful home buying and selling web pages.

HUD Acquired Homes for Sale

National Home Management Solutions manages the inventory of HUD homes for sale in Florida. Homebuyers can search for a house or place a bid on a HUD property with the assistance of a real estate broker.

This site will allow you to search for a HUD home by city, county or zip code and contains property details for homes throughout Florida not just Central Florida.

Detailed information is included with each individual property including financing options, photos, property condition reports and information on how to place a bid on a HUD home.

Not only will the home search sites mentioned above give the ability to find homes for sale but they also provide a wealth of information on how to buy or sell a home. Enjoy your searching; give me a call when you are ready to visit a few of the homes you find.

Turn in Ten Tires to Transfer Station

There is a tongue twister for you that you can have hours of enjoyment trying to say over and over really fast, or if you would rather, on July 18th you can turn in old tires to Seminole County for disposal and it won’t cost you anything. In order to take advantage of the FREE Tire Amnesty Day you will need to take the tires to Central Transfer Station. Call (407) 665-2260.


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Casselberry Community Cleanup Day

Residents of Casselberry on Saturday, July 18th from 8 a.m. until Noon, can drop off unwanted construction related materials to special dumpsters the City will have available at 200 N. Triplet Lake Dr. The trash and materials that can be dropped off include: steel, glass, brick, concrete, asphalt, roofing material, pipe, wallboard, lumber, and large tree stumps.

For a list of items that will not be accepted and additional information about the cleanup day, you can call the Public Works Department at (407) 262-7700, ext. 1225 or visit the online announcement.


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Free sample of foreclosed homes in Orlando

I have a lot of web pages and blog posts where I offer to send you a free list of foreclosed homes in your area. I am fully aware that there are websites that charge you to receive these types of lists so my offering something for free that others charge for may be hard for you to believe.

I offer these free lists because I want to sell you a home. Qualified buyers or investors can review these lists and when they find a home that interests them, I am available to not only show the home but I can also handle the transaction from start to finish.

The following is a sample of the free list of foreclosed homes for sale right now in Orlando. This is just 11 of the nearly 600 homes listed for sale. If you would like the complete list or a list of foreclosed homes in you area, contact me.

Just click on the image to enlarge.

Where do you want to live?

Where do you want to live?

Are you moving to Florida from far away or moving from just down the street? One of the first decisions when buying a home is deciding where you would like to live, where the home or condo that you will buy is located.

We can help you narrow down your search for a home. We can search for a home in a area as broad as a Florida county. We can narrow the search to only include homes in a specific city, zip code or town. We can drill down our search to show homes or condos for sale in a specific neighborhood or community in a city or town and yes we can even search for homes on a street of your choice.

Where do you want to live? We can help you find a home for sale that is located there.


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