Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate’

Why rent when you can buy? New Price – $89,100 – Sorry off Market

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Are you renting on Anna Maria Island or in Bradenton? Why rent annually when you can begin to build equity in real estate? Fantastic 2 bedroom 2 bath furnished condo located in Wildwood Springs for $89,100. That’s right, $89,100. With assistance for first time home buyers and property prices rolled back more than 5 years now is the perfect time. The lowest 2 bedroom condo in Wildwood Springs is ripe to be picked up by a renter that wants to start to build equity and potentially take advantage of some Federal Income Tax relief.

More details on the second floor Bradenton Condominium… The enclosed lanai opens to wonderful tropical landscaping. The condominium complex has tennis courts, pools, and plenty of sidewalks. Property includes one carport and includes furnishings. Kitchen is equipped with newer appliances including a ceramic top stove with built in stove fan and microwave. Tons of closet storage, outdoor storage and big master bedroom with attached bath. Just minutes from lots of shopping and gorgeous white Anna Maria beaches. Lowest price on market and ready to move in. Price has just been reduced, act now before it is too late.

For more information on this fantastic condo please give me a call at (941) 345-1288. I am a Real Estate Professional with Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island, Inc

Florida Association of Realtor announces new logo

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Florida Realtor Logo

Florida Realtor Logo

I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Florida Association of Realtors® Board of directors meeting in Orlando on August 24th, 2009. Some important topics were discussed that impact all property owners in the State of Florida. Strategies concerning the progression of a National Wind insurance program was briefly discussed as well as a Foreign reprieve to green cards being issued without the requirement for employment for individuals with the fiscal fortitude to support an above average retirement lifestyle in the United States.

The consolidation of the FAR 9 and FAR/BAR contract was debated and discussed. It was a fantastic conference thrown by the Florida Association of Realtors® which I am proud to be a member of as well as a part of the 2009 Leadership academy team.

Finally, the big announcement was our associations new name for marketing purposes. No longer FAR or Florida Association of Realtors. We are now simply known as Florida Realtors®. Simple, classic, corporate and contemporary. I have been unable to find a clean logo that I could paste into my blog but will continue to watch for the “launch” of the new logo.

Florida Realtors® are the “bomb” and if you are not using a Florida Realtor® for the purchase or sale of your real estate then you are missing out on using a highly trained professional that works to a strict code of ethics. Our code of ethics is used to ensure we provide the service you demand and a Florida Realtor® demands of themselves. For a link to my Florida Living Network website.

Time 2 buy, new housing starts hits double digits

Monday, July 27th, 2009
Holiday pool vacation rental

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.

Inventory Absorption for Anna Maria Island

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.

Is it Time to buy in Florida?

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

May 2009, Florida’s Existing Home and Condo Sales Up.

ORLANDO, Fla., June 23, 2009 – Florida’s existing home sales rose in May – the ninth month in a row that sales

Florida Real Estate

Florida Real Estate

activity increased in year-to-year comparisons. This is according to the latest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR).

Florida real estate sales showed gains over the previous month’s sales in both existing home and existing condo real estate markets. More impressive is for the first time in many months, the Florida median sales price in May rose over the previous month’s figure, April.

Existing home sales rose 16% for the month of May with a total of 13,921 homes sold compared to 12,044 homes sold in May 2008, according to FAR. Florida Realtors reported existing home sales in May, increased 6.2% over April’s activity. Florida existing condos rose 21 % for sales in May and existing condo sales in May rose 3.8 % versus April.

“The improving sales of existing single family homes and condos is a trend we have been seeing for several months in Florida – what is new in this month’s data release is that we are seeing evidence of prices beginning to firm,” says Dr. Sean Snaith, director for the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness. “While one month of data does not a trend make, it is the first green shoot we have seen in some time as far as prices are concerned; until prices stop declining, we cannot state with confidence that the housing market has stabilized. Sales have risen to levels we have not seen since 2006, though the economy still faces headwinds. As credit markets begin to thaw this will help speed along this process of recovery in the housing market.”

Statistics courtesy of Florida Association of Realtors.

Palm Gables Fantastic buy on Anna Maria Island – For Sale

Friday, June 19th, 2009
Palm Gables Direct Gulf Front

Palm Gables Complex

Palm Gable is a new condominium complex located directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The luxury condominium is in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island. The pool is in front of the complex which is fairly rare on Anna Maria, Fl. 108 36th street has been listed for sale, $1,490,000. The three bedroom, two and a half bath has more than 2000 square feet with lots of custom features. Several built in cabinets, custom electronics, and granite can be found everywhere.

The Anna Maria Island complex boasts plenty of parking with gated access. The huge outdoor patio is perfect for enjoying Florida as well as the million dollar sunsets. One last note, the luxury property allows weekly rentals which are sure to assist with operational expenses. Direct Gulf Front vacation rentals typically demand $3000 per week in high season and a little more than $2000 in the low season which is early Fall. For more information on investment property tips be sure to visit my Anna Maria Island Vacation rental blog.

Give me a call if you are interested in this luxury condo for sale or visit Island Real Estate’s exclusive luxury real estate site.
The image above is an aerial of the Palm Gable Complex as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Holmes Beach Luxury pool

Holmes Beach luxury

Pool Side at Palm Gable Resort on Anna Maria Island, Florida.
Palm Gable Gulf Views in Holmes Beach

Luxury Living Gulf Side

Palm Gable luxury gulf front living.  Located in Holmes Beach, Fl.

Holmes Beach Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Gorgeous great room

Gorgeous Palm Gable Great Room

It’s a Great Time to Buy on Anna Maria Island

Sunday, June 7th, 2009

It’s still a great time to buy on Anna Maria Island although inventory has dropped again and our inventory has moved down slightly on the island. In addition, the amount of inventory has dipped to below 30 months.]

A few things point to the bottom has come and gone for Anna Maria Island Real Estate. Firstly, in the month of April, Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island sales professionals averaged more than one contract every other day. The sales activity was similar to the highest activity months in 2004 and 2005. I suspect in the next few months we will see a continued drop in inventory and more importantly a substantial drop in the amount of months of inventory on hand. As supply continues to drop, prices will increase.

In addition, interest rates last week inched above 5.0% with several economists claiming our economic low has come and gone and we would see an improvement in the economy later this year.

Anna Maria Real Estate Inventory

Anna Maria Island Real Estate Inventory

Act now, there are still a few real estate deals in Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria City.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Anna Maria Island & Florida Real Estate News

Friday, May 8th, 2009
Anna Maria news and information

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.

Lastly and most importantly, the legislation session approved bill SJR 532 to be voted on by Florida voters. This bill limits the annual property tax assessment annually to 5% for non homesteaded properties. This is a great first step to making our Anna Maria Island paradise more affordable for everyone regardless of of which state the owner lives in.
For more information on Anna Maria Island Real Estate, be sure to visit my website which provides information on Anna Maria Island, Vacation Rentals, and Anna Maria Real Estate.

Great American Realtor Days – 2009

Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Great American Realtor Days - 2009

Florida Realtor Days

I had the opportunity to attend the Great American Realtor days in Tallahassee, Florida. I cannot say I enjoyed the drive from Anna Maria Island although I did have the chance to visit a few towns I have never had the pleasure of visiting. The most interesting visit was a small fishing village just North of Tampa called Cedar Key. Cedar Key is a very small village with the closest grocery store being 30 miles away. Their real estate has started to pick up in the last month and the realtor I spoke with proudly stated there were 2 contracts pending for her office which has not happened since 2006.

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) has the event very well planned. One meeting prepared the ~1000 real estate professionals with the talking points of our visits with our local representatives. Some of our highlights of the talking points were SB 1718, SB 2250, and HB 809 which was legislation to reduce the current eviction fees for landlords of $265. In addition, we worked to be sure our representatives knew we supported HB 7057 and SB 532 which limits the growth of property tax assessments on businesses, second homes, and non-homesteaded properties to a cap of 5% annually. Finally the last legislation that caught my eye was legislation that supports a “preponderance of evidence” for challenging property tax assessments. SB 1006 and HB 521 changes the philosophy of property owners challenging their assessments. Instead of a property owner proving their property is lower in value, the local tax collector must prove the value of your property is correct. There is a subtle difference between the two but if passed it could make a large impact on the ease of fighting your property value estimates. The above links for each individual bill is a link to the progress of each bill in Tallahassee. In addition for a list of more legislation visit FAR’s website.

Florida Realtor days - House of representatives

Realtor Days - House

Our local boards made appointments with our local representatives so we could have about a half an hour with them during their open session. While the Manatee board chose not to attend the Great American Realtor days, (GARD) I was able to attend a few very well run meetings with the real estate board from Naples and they were a well oiled machine. It was very impressive.
Lastly I was able to attend the open session of legislation in Tallahassee. The most interesting point was while our political representatives were discussing legislation points there was a “circus” occurring on the political floor. Pictures being taken and conversations occurring were just a few of the activities taking place as the politicians voted on legislation. It is difficult to understand how our politicians can be productive in open session when a “circus” is occurring on the floor but I have always learned not to judge a book by its cover…
Great American Realtor Days Fun

Part of 2009 Florida Leadership Academy

FAR has a lunch and dinner networking function that is fabulous. Wonderful food and wonderful company. The event was closed out with Cynthia Shelton and Charlie Christ giving a speech to the Florida Realtors on hand. Cynthia quoted some staggering first quarter real estate results for areas of Florida. Cape Coral, Miami-Dade, Naples, Tampa were among the few quoted with real estate transactions for the first quarter up more than 20% with some as high as 80% more transactions versus the first quarter of 2008. Unbelievable…Now is the time to buy!

Thanks to Cookie Douglas for the photo while our politicians were in session. She specializes in Fort Myers real estate.

Florida Leadership group 2009 Tallahassee

2009 Florida Leadership Academy

Time 2 buy on Anna Maria Island – More Reasons

Saturday, April 11th, 2009
It seems at least on Anna Maria Island, Florida activity has picked up in the last two weeks. The transaction volume the Island Real Estate professional sales staff has been generating seems like a flashback to the 2005 real estate days. This is no joke. With the exception of two days, the first 10 days of April a real estate professional with Island Real Estate of Anna Maria, Inc has put a property under contract. Yes, that is right. Almost every day in the month of April a sales professional with JUST Island Real Estate has been involved with a property going under contract. Granted the property has not closed but the amount of buyers on the island has increased to 2005 levels for the past few weeks.

Most other full time sales professionals on Anna Maria say the same thing. Busy, busy, busy…so, what are you waiting for? If you are on the sidelines, waiting for the bottom you may have already missed it. Interest rates are at all time lows, banks are approving financing, and sellers are more aware of market pricing.

Come visit Island Real Estate where our sales staff can find your “peace” of paradise. If you are looking for a property that will generate rental income production give me a call and I can help. I live and work on Anna Maria Island and am ready to help.
As usual I have included a great buy below…
Pine Avenue Restoration Exterior

Pine Avenue Restoration

If you are looking for retail space that provides great walk in traffic, Pine Avenue Restoration project is a must visit. Swing by Island Real Estate’s second office on 401 Pine Avenue where you can walk over to the newly constructed space as well as view future renderings of the Pine Avenue project.

Did I mention you can live and work in paradise? That’s right, an option to purchase the entire building is available. The project boasts two floors, retail space on the ground level and residential space above. The first two buildings offer 2500 sq feet of Retail and 2000 square feet of residential space. However, retail space can be built to suit. So, live above your boutique shop with a rear entrance and pool. Walk to work everyday and enjoy the amenities Anna Maria City Village has to offer.

September 2008 Anna Maria Island Real Estate Market information

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008
Anna Maria Island in September and October becomes pretty quiet every year. Typically most locals find they schedule the majority of their vacation during this time. September is a beautiful month in the domestic U.S.A and the height of Hurricane season is in September so it all makes sense and we all set our seasonal watch to a slow season in

Condo for sale Sign

Condo for Sale

Sept/Oct.

So, September transactions are typically slower than the rest of the year. That was the case this year and our September stock market tumble put everyone on the edge of their seat. I looked away for a week and a half and the DOW lost 2000 points. Yikes, we saw many prospective buyers head to the sidelines awaiting more news on the stability of world wide financial markets.

Anna Maria Island Single family Real Estate transactions are up 28% YTD, Condominium transactions are flat versus 2007, and multi-family transactions are triple as compared to last year.
Below you will find the average single family residential average SOLD prices for year over year. The dotted line shows 10% appreciation. Average single family homes since 2000 have appreciated at a rate more than 10%. Wondering where to further diversify your stock portfolio?
The below chart shows multi-family and condominium average SOLD prices for the past 8 years. Both property types have continued to slip in 2008 however the transaction volume versus inventory for multi-family Anna Maria Island Real Estate would lead us to believe that 2008 will be the low for multi-family properties. Condominiums are a bit more difficult to predict. We could see further slippage in 2009 however only time will tell and of course if I had a crystal ball – well you know the rest of the story but this is just on person’s opinion who lives and breathes Anna Maria, Fl Real Estate.
Single Family Real Estate Sales

Single Family Sales information

Be sure to call with questions or if you believe I can help further diversify your financial portfolio with Anna Maria Island property. I am not a CPA, however I can provide initial guidance regarding passive losses, passive income, and in many cases help find an investment property that creates a lower Federal income tax base with limited negative cash flow burden. Rental income from a vacation rental plays a large part in your Anna Maria Real Estate investment. I can help ensure the location you choose as well as the amenities of the investment property will be sure to reach your Anna Maria rental investment goals.
A continued thanks to Alan Galletto of Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island, Inc for supplying data to support the charts above. Please Note, I nor Island Real Estate of Anna Maria Island inc make any guarantees of the data above and all data is supplied by Mid Florida Multiple listing service.