Posts Tagged ‘Information’

Manatee Property Tax Information
It’s official, Ken Burton Jr. was on my good side for all of 2008 and I did not even know it until August! I have a feeling some may disagree. It appears as though his leadership within the county of Manatee, Florida has made a modest

Money, Money, Moneeeey

reduction in Anna Maria Island property taxes. I received my personal property tax letter early in the afternoon and waited until late in the evening to open the proposed property taxes. I expected very little in the way of property tax reductions so I was ready for a bad night with a great deal of tossing and turning over the best way to appeal the escalated property taxes.

I have so little faith and am embarrassed to admit my pessimism. I was elated to see Manatee County got my personal property values correct. I have to admit that I quickly moved into denial just after opening my estimated property tax letter. There must be something I am missing?? I reviewed my property value estimates with a fine tooth comb and sure enough, Ken got it right! Wow!

Once the 25% reduction in property taxes sank in, I immediately moved my attention to thoughts of property taxes for all of Anna Maria Island. The following day at Island Real Estate I consulted a Real Estate professional that has one property in Anna Maria City and Holmes Beach. He confirmed the same thing, YES, Manatee County calculated his property values correctly after our 2 year price correction!

So in total, I reviewed two duplexes in Holmes Beach, Property Values were right on. Three single family homes in Holmes Beach, property Values were correct. One Vacant lot in Anna Maria City, property value was about 15% high. Two Single Family homes in Anna Maria city and both property values were correct. This is fantastic news! Now for the bad news. After consulting a Bradenton Beach Condominium owner it appears as though Bradenton Beach owners may not be as happy with their reduction in 2008 property taxes as the rest of Anna Maria Island owners.

If you feel your property values are too high speak with your Anna Maria Island property specialist or email me to determine the value of your Anna Maria Island Real Estate. Do NOT wait to start this process as you only have 25 days to submit your appeal. This correlates into around a September 12th date so DO NOT procrastinate! Often times you

need a professional to help with the appeal process and if you need recommendations for help don’t hesitate to contact me.

I hope the mail provides for as pleasant surprise as I received…

Anna Maria Island Real Estate has a strong head of steam versus 2007 and 2006. Reviewing the chart below you can see in more detail each segment of Anna Maria, FL Real Estate.

For single family residential Real Estate on Anna Maria Island our transaction levels are up over 40% versus 2007. Continuing to be just as impressive are 2008 single family transaction levels. They are up 40%+ versus 2007. Condos and multi-family transactions are substantially up versus 2007 and continues the positive real estate news on Anna Maria Island.

Anna Maria Transaction Graph

Single family residential average square foot values continue to hold steady while multi-family, and condos continue to slip in value.

Anna Maria Real Estate prices

If you are interested in single family property on Anna Maria Island we expect 2009 to begin a modest appreciation period. Condos, vacant land, and multi-family will see a leveling period in 2009. Of course this data is for information only and should not be the only decision making information used to purchase your Anna Maria, Florida Real Estate. Please visit our website for more information on Anna Maria Island as well as Real Estate property for sale.

Anna Maria Restaurants

Anna Maria Island continues to make headlines in world wide press. Sure, I suppose if we looked hard enough anyone could find some headline about Anna Maria Island once a week. Perhaps your in Firestone, Colorado, or Bristol, Rhode Island or New York City and fall upon an article about Anna Maria Island. Ok, not so much of a big de…al? Wait a second, New York City is a pretty big town last I checked.

Yup, that is right. A few weeks ago in the end of July 2009 the New York Times Travel section headlined Anna Maria Island Restaurants. The New York Times writer Cindy Price got it “write.” She captured Anna Maria Island with accurate “taste” tests of Anna Maria Island. The article featured many of the great Anna Maria Island restaurants that we all know and love. Cindy writes about stumbling across such a phenomenal place that you want to pinch yourself to be sure it is real.

“Just when you think you’ve seen everything under its proverbial sun, you stumble across a place like Anna Maria Island — a seven-mile slip of cushy white sand tucked in the Gulf of Mexico where you can dump the car, rent a bike, swim in smooth, teal waters and eat remarkably well.” New York Times.

Not to be critical but Price did miss one great resource for restaurant information. Island Real Estate’s Anna Maria Island Restaurant informational page. It lists at least 25 restaurants on it’s page with links of pictures and real descriptions of what you can expect with comments from other travelers. Click the link for Anna Maria Island Restaurant Information.

For now, Ms. Cindy Price is my new hero. Thank you New York Times as well as Ms. Price. For the full New York Times Article….more.

Hotel for Family

Anna Maria Island tourism is way up versus last year. Many companies are not seeing the dramatic increase in tourism but most do agree, this is probably the best year ever for vacation rental occupancy. Vacation rentals offer a phenomenal value for families. Instead of renting out several hotel rooms, families are finding that renting an Anna Maria Island house equipped with a kitchen offers fantastic value.

“I can rent a vacation home on Anna Maria Island, split it with another family and cook great meals on the barbecue, pool side. The savings in dining out and booking a home that sleeps both families paid for our airline tickets down to Anna Maria Island from Buffalo, NY said Mary.”

Many are taking advantage of Anna Maria Island for a more economic vacation this year. Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island is seeing a lot of travelers from Sarasota, Lakeland, Tampa, Orlando, and St. Pete this year.

Rick Catlin wrote a fantastic article in the Islander newspaper that uses several of our statistics at Island Real Estate vacation rentals. Read below for Anna Maria Island continuing to make its own headlines….

Island may set summer tourism record

by Rick Catlin. Islander Reporter
7/14/09

If advance reservations for Island accommodations mean anything, Anna Maria Island could easily be headed for a record-setting summer tourist season.

Following the Islandwide sellout of accommodations for the July 4 weekend, Island accommodation owners and managers are reporting advance reservations for July and August that are well ahead of last year’s numbers.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Larry Chatt, head of Island Real Estate’s vacation rental department.

Advance reservations for July are already up 60 percent from last year, while August reservations are 30 percent ahead of August 2008, he said.

“Reservations are through the roof,” Chatt said, observing that advance reservations for October, traditionally the start of the winter tourist season, are already up 85 percent from last year.

“The level of positive press nationwide that the Island has received this past year has been extremely helpful,” said Chatt. “More and more people are discovering the Island and saying, ‘That’s where I want to go.’”

A number of summer vacationers are going to Walt Disney World in Orlando, then bringing the family to the Island for rest and relaxation, Chatt said.

Another reason for the tourist upswing is value for money, said David Teitelbaum of the Tradewinds, Tortuga and Surfside motels in Bradenton Beach.

“People realize they can get the old Florida atmosphere at a great price on the Island. They’re not paying a fortune to get a two-bedroom unit with a kitchen for a week or two,” he said.

“Our bookings are far ahead of last year,” Teitelbaum said. “I predict we will have our best summer ever. The July 4 weekend was fantastic, a sell-out, and we’re getting a tremendous amount of calls for reservations in late July and August.”

And summer specials for a vacation rental are really helping tourism, added Chatt.

On Island Real Estate’s Web site, one of the most popular links is for available specials.

“People really do see that they can get value for money, particularly with a special offer,” he said.

For more of this article or other Anna Maria Island news visit the Islander Newspaper…

For more information on Anna Maria Island Vacation rentals or if you are in the arena for your little “peace” of paradise on Anna Maria Island visit my Anna Maria Island real estate investor specialist website.

Pool Holiday Rental

We continue to see signs of the housing turn around. It appears as though the first time home buyers credit of up to $8000 is beginning to take hold. Construction starts in United States for the month of June jumped 11% as compared to the month of May. The last four out of six months, housing starts have been up. It doesn’t hurt that home builders are in a rush to finish homes by November for their buyers to take advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit.

Our little Anna Maria island there are not many folks taking advantage of the first time home buyers incentive. Most feel as though Real Estate resort areas LEAD the market. I would hope everyone agrees that Anna Maria Island is a resort area. So, if the rest of the United States Market is moving out of the housing slump then it is investors are too late for Anna Maria Island’s low. I believe our little Anna Maria Island is a resort area and is a LEADING indicator for home sales information.

Absorption rates of real estate is a very important indicator. Nationwide our absorption rate moved down from 10.2 months of real estate inventory for sale to 8.8 months. (Source CNBC) Investors are entering the market due to low interest rates and fantastic real estate buys.

Below you will find Quarter 2, 2009 Anna Maria Island Real Estate inventory absorption chart. This shows the past number of years of inventory we have had on Anna Maria Island. The most important aspect of the chart below is the blue line which shows the amount of inventory on the island by quarter. It is an absorption figure which shows number of months of Anna Maria Island property for sale. It is a simple calculation. If there are 500 properties for sale and for the past quarter we averaged 50 properties sold per month then our inventory absorption is 10 months or there is an equivalent of 10 months of inventory on hand. The most important part of the chart below is our absorption level relative to previous periods of time.

This chart is property of Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island and Alan Galletto and should not be duplicated.

Anna Maria Island Inventory

See the story below thanks to the Associated Press on the seven month high for housing starts… For more information on Anna Maria Island Real Estate for sale visit Island Real Estate’s website.

updated 1:49 p.m. ET, Fri., July 17, 2009

WASHINGTON – Construction of new U.S. homes rose in June to the highest level in seven months as builders rushed to pour foundations for homes that must be completed by the end of November for first-time buyers to take advantage of a special tax break.

The Commerce Department said Friday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 3.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 582,000 units, from an upwardly revised rate of 562,000 in May.

It was better than the 530,000-unit pace economists expected, and was the second straight monthly increase after April’s record low of 479,000 units.

There has been a great deal of positive press in the past 8 months for Anna Maria Island. Newspapers, magazines, and as of late music videos. That is right, a music video was shot on Anna Maria Island. Of course anyone that has visited the island understands the draw. Those have not are learning from publications that do a fantastic job of explaining what it is we love about Anna Maria Island.

The music video is by Shinedown’s and titled “Second Chance.” It probably is important to note it has taken top honors in various music video countdowns. I will keep my fingers crossed that it will make an MTV award appearance so more folks hear about Anna Maria Island. Anyways, to take a look at it go to VH1 and you will probably recognize the Starfish Company as well as Bean Point and some tough to spot scenes in Holmes Beach by the Pure station. A few

Rockin in Anna Maria

months back I was having a quick bite to eat at Tortilla Bay and noticed buses and a ton of lights over at the Pure station on Marina Drive and Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, FL. Asked “What is going on over there?” Music video I was told. “Wow!”

View video on VH1. Now we need a movie! By the way it is a nice song and pretty popular if you don’t recognize the title. I think it has just become one of my favorite songs.

The Florida Association of Realtors has published a follow up to rental scams. Although they focus their article more on longer term rentals I believe there needs to be caution used in regards to the seasonal rental market.

Slow for Rental Scams

The original article leads readers to believe that the scam is mostly occurring on the Gulf Coast however feedback after the original story hit “Early Bird” many Florida Real Estate professionals came forward with similar feedback. Below a few additional suggestions have been made that I think would be helpful to educate us all regarding on-going rental scams.

“Donna Fries, a Panama City Beach Realtor, says the scam operates in her area too. She says the fraudulent ad uses the real owner’s name or the Realtor’s name, but a contact method that goes only to the criminals.

She offers the following suggestions for detecting the scam:

• The Craigslist ad is a carbon copy of the original ad with correct spelling, good English and a photo. Follow-up email responses, however, usually have incorrect spelling and awkward English.

• Scammers offer rental prices up to 40 percent below actual value, making it an attractive deal. If potential renters see identical ads in different locations with different prices, the lower-priced one is probably a scam.

• Criminals ask for deposit and rent money to be sent by Western Union or another method that works like cash, and it usually can’t be tracked or refunded.

• Many times, they use a foreign phone calling card that cannot be traced.”

I want to help. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call or email me. Have a great day and remember….if your rental seems too good to be true, proceed with extreme caution.

Property Tips

It seems we need to keep an eye out for scams every minute of our lives. Phishing scams, banking scams and now rental scams. The latest scam takes advantage of Annual Renters however it could be applied to bank owned Vacation Rentals as well.
See the article below thanks to Florida Association of Realtors…

“TAMPA, Fla. – July 14, 2009 – Property managers along the Gulf Coast beware: Criminals in the area are lifting rental listings, fraudulently adding their name as a contact, and posting it on Craigslist. The consumer sees a legitimate listing, but then contacts the criminal to request more information. A report has been filed with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department regarding a specific incident in Hernando County. According to the sheriff’s office, criminals have gone to extraordinary means to collect the first month’s rent and a security deposit. In some cases, they have drilled into lockboxes and placed renters in properties. Tenants who pay the criminals then believe they have a legal tenancy. The case has been turned over to investigators with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, though Pasco County law enforcement authorities also remain on the alert for additional incidents. So far, the problem seems limited to the central Gulf Coast area, but it could be duplicated anywhere in the state. If Realtors suspect a similar crime has occurred, they should call the local police or sheriff’s office rather than try to deal with the problem.”

So how do we become educated consumers to be sure we don’t fall into the craigslist or classified advertisement scam?

#1) When speaking with the individual does the opportunity seem to good to be true?
#2) Ask the person listing the property if they are the owner or a property manager.
#2A) If property owner, ask for their full name and go to public records and verify the address is owned by this

Rental Scams

person.
#2B) If it is a property manager ask for their website and call the number on the website and ask for the individual you were speaking with. All property managers these days have a website!
#3) The lister should have plenty of digital photos of the property. Ask for plenty of photos.
#4) If the lister is promoting a vacation rental most would normally have a website. Check out the website.
#5) Most owners participate in a community organization that helps them rent their property like a chamber of commerce. Ask the lister where they participate and call the community organization for more information. Get the phone number from the world wide web NOT the lister! They could give their girlfriends number and after the conversation you would be no wiser.
#6) If all the above ideas get you no where and the lister has reasonable reasons why you cannot follow through on the points above then I would strongly suggest you move on to another property. If you cannot move on, ask very pointed questions about the property. Where is the hot water heater? Where is the electrical panel? Is there a garbage disposal and a dishwasher?

If renting long term NEVER give money prior to walking through the home. Remember if you have upfront concerns regarding the legitimacy of the lister then walking through the property alone with a potential thief is EVEN WORSE. Is your life worth a great deal on an annual rental?

Information

There is no doubt a great deal can be had by going directly with an owner. With a good deal comes risk. Working with a property management company like Island Real Estate certainly limits a tenant’s or vacationers risks.

For more information on Annual Rental properties available on Anna Maria Island and Bradenton, Fl visit Island Real Estate’s Annual rental website.

For more information on Anna Maria Island Vacation Rentals managed by a team of professionals visit Island Real Estate’s website.

News and Information

There is some fabulous news for Florida home owners. More specifically, Anna Maria Island vacation home owners and potential buyers of Anna Maria Island Real Estate.

Firstly, HB 521 was passed which puts the home owner in the drivers seat when appealing assessment values of their home. Currently the burden of proof lies with the Anna Maria Island home owner to prove the property assessment is incorrect with Ken Burton Jr. Not any more. Bill HB 521 changes the burden of proof to be on our local tax assessor to prove their estimated value is correct.