Tips for Selling Your Home by Jonathan Lammers
——————————————————————————–
With a little preparation and the guidance of a professional real estate agent, you can help make the sale of your home go much more smoothly. Key factors include setting the proper price, effective marketing, and making your home sparkle inside and out.

Inspect Your House
Before putting your house on the market, a seller’s inspection is highly recommended. The inspection can help identify previously unknown problems, as well as give you time to make any necessary repairs or renovations. Likewise, many states require sellers to disclose known problems with their house. (Florida is one of these states - JB)
Consider hiring a professional home inspector, as they can often identify problems that are easily overlooked by a novice. Important things to look for include leaks, evidence of wood rot and wood-destroying pests, structural integrity and a thorough assessment of major systems such as the plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems.

Find the Right Agent
The right agent can help you set an appropriate price, advertise and show the house to buyers, handle negotiations, draw up offers and coordinate the closing. In short, they can help you sell your home in less time, with less aggravation, and for more money.
To find the right agent, you can start by asking family or friends for a recommendation, or try using the “Find an Agent” feature of the homesandland.com website. Agents who advertise in Homes & Land magazine are top professionals, and can help give your home prime exposure. Next, contact the agent and set up a meeting for a listing presentation.
This gives you an opportunity to hear the agent’s plans for selling your property, as well as learn other important factors such as:

- Information about the current market and comparable sales
- Plans for marketing the house, including advertising and open houses
- How long the agent has worked in the community, former clients, etc.
- How much money you’ll net based on different selling prices.

Give Your Home “Curb Appeal”
Even if your home is in good shape, there are probably a few things you can do to make it really sparkle. This is what’s known as “curb appeal,” and experts agree that making a good first impression is a crucial factor in attracting buyers. Improving your home’s curb appeal can be as easy as tidying up the yard, washing windows, touching up exterior paint or even adding a new bed of flowers.

Cleanliness and Clutter
Houses look a lot smaller if they’re crammed full of belongings–and you can’t just hide it in the garage either. Buyers like to imagine storage spaces full of their belongings, not yours. Get rid of clutter, and give the house a top-to-bottom cleaning. In particular, make sure the kitchens and bathrooms are immaculate. Buyers will notice right away if these rooms aren’t spotless.
If you want to go the extra mile, you might even consider “staging” your house for showings. This can be as simple as adding houseplants and some decorative lamps, all the way to hiring an interior designer to bring in elaborate rugs, antique furniture and expensive artworks.

Getting Your House Ready Inside and Out:

Exterior
- Mow the yard, trim hedges and edge sidewalks and driveways
- Wash the windows, and repair screens and shutters
- Clean oil spots from the driveway
- Pressure wash the outside, or touch up paint if necessary
- Keep the entryway attractive

Interior
- Remove clutter and dust all surfaces
- Touch-up paint scuffs
- Thoroughly clean the kitchen and bathrooms
- Mop floors, shampoo carpets and clean fireplaces
- Organize closets so they appear spacious as possible
- Clear out the garage by holding a sale or donating items to charity
- Make sure light switches and the doorbell work
- Store excessive photographs, trophies or other knick-knacks
- Consider adding plants or other items to “stage” your home

Summary Points
1. Inspect your home and make any necessary repairs or renovations
2. Find an agent to represent you
3. Tidy the exterior and give your home curb appeal
4. Thoroughly clean the interior and get rid of unneeded items

What’s happening in the Ocala/Marion County MLS (yesterday’s listings, price changes, etc.) Ocala MLS E-update

Make Your Home Energy-Efficient by Kathy Scott
——————————————————————————–
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans spend an average of $1400 a year on energy bills, 45 percent of that comes from the heating and cooling of their home. Increasing the efficiency of your heating and cooling appliances can substantially reduce your annual costs up to 30 percent per year. Even more importantly, making your home energy-efficient helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improves the quality of our air.

More than a decade ago, the EPA launched the Energy Star program, voluntary labeling designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products. Today, more than a thousand companies and organizations have partnered with the federal government labeling energy-efficient appliances, office equipment, home electronics and more. Since that time, Americans have purchased more than one billion products with the Energy Star label.

If you’re building a home or in the market for new appliances, make sure the product you purchase has the Energy Star logo on it. For those not currently in the market for new heating and cooling appliances, there are still many ways to improve your home’s energy-efficiency.

First, have your heating and cooling equipment serviced annually and change your air filters monthly. A dirty filter can stall the circulating air flow, requiring more energy to cool or heat your home. Air escaping through doors and windows can make a room feel colder or warmer in the winter and summer months respectively and requires your system to work overtime as well. Weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows is an inexpensive way to keep air from leaking and disallows the outside air to filter in, which is a major cause of room variations, and a great way to reduce your energy bills. Insulating ceilings is another cost-effective solution, reducing heat loss and gains and providing a more even temperature distribution around the home.

The EPA and the Department of Energy also advises that homeowners consider replacing their thermostat with a programmable model that can store as many as four or more temperature settings daily, adjusting the temperature lower or higher while the home is empty.

Other products in your home can also drain energy, though none as much as your heating and cooling system – water heater (11%), washer and dryer (10%), lighting (7%), refrigerator (6%), dishwasher (2%), television/VCR/DVD (2%), computer and monitor (2%), and others include various household products such as stoves, ovens, microwaves and small appliances (15%). Use Energy Star backed products when purchasing or replacing these items. While taken individually, the change in your energy costs may be limited, the EPA claims that if “half of all American homes replace one standard television with an Energy Star model, the change would be equal to shutting down a power plant.”

The home mortgage industry is now starting to take notice of energy-efficient homes as well. Since the cost of utilities can often be one of the homeowner’s highest monthly costs, borrowers may qualify for higher loans if their home meets or exceeds the requirements of an energy-efficient home. To learn more about lowering your home energy costs, visit www.EnergyStar.org. The site offers unbiased information for hiring contractors, energy auditors and more, and provides useful quizzes for consumers to determine their energy needs and how to avoid repair nightmares.

What’s happening in the Ocala/Marion County MLS (yesterday’s listings, price changes, etc.) Ocala MLS E-update

See my comments at the bottom of the article.

Survey: Homeowners cautiously optimistic about real estate market
Orlando Business Journal - July 6, 2006

A new survey shows that 58 percent of Florida homeowners think the value of their homes will continue to rise over the next 12 months, despite indications that the state’s unprecedented five-year housing boom is waning.

The annual survey, commissioned by Orlando-based Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, polled more than 1,000 homeowners throughout the state between May and June. Detailed results can be found at www.fundhomeinfo.com.

Seventy-one percent of Floridians polled cite “affordability” as the biggest obstacle to homeownership in the state, an 18 percent increase when compared with results from a similar survey conducted in 2005.

Other obstacles cited include the complexity of the real estate process, assembling a qualified real estate team and the loan process.

Floridians are split in their views about whether now is a good or a bad time to buy real estate, with 43 percent of Orlando residents surveyed slightly more likely to believe that now is a good time to buy a home than in regions such as Broward County, 39 percent, and Tampa, 42 percent.

The majority of homeowners in Florida, 78 percent, say they are not planning on purchasing a house or condo in the next two years.

Hurricanes also were still on the mind of homeowners, with nearly half of all respondents, 47 percent, saying they were concerned about being hit by a storm.

Sixteen percent of homeowners cite the impact of a housing bubble as their biggest concern, with even fewer citing rising mortgage interest rates — 13 percent — depreciating home values — 5 percent — or becoming the victim of real estate fraud — 1 percent — as their biggest real estate concern in Florida.

“As the Florida real estate market continues to soften it is reassuring to see Florida homeowners generally optimistic about the next 12 months,” says Charles J. Kovaleski, president and CEO of privately held Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund.

Okay, So I have to say it. The time to buy is NOW. I know what you’re thinking …. “Well, what else would a real estate agent tell me?” The strong seller’s market that existed last year has now turned into a market with very nice equilibrium pricing. I mean, come on, the median price for a single family home in Florida is $160,000. That’s not bad considering the fact that you get to live in beautiful, sunny Florida. Okay, so I’m biased. I love Florida. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But, to assume that the price of homes here is going to drop is wrong. I invite you to take a look at the facts. Pull up the statistics from the National Association of Realtors and see what you find. Florida is a great place to live and more people who live in other states realize that every year. Am I cautiously optimistic about the real estate market here? I’d say that I’m wildly optimistic about the market for real estate here.

Every out of state buyer that I work with asks me about hurricanes. Here’s my question for you, how many days notice do you get before an earthquake? How about a tornado, or tsunami, or anything else for that matter? Homes that are built here are built to a specific building code that was instituted after Hurricane Andrew. This code is constantly updated.

Anyway, that’s just my 2 cents. Take care and have a great rest of the week.

- Justin

What’s happening in the Ocala/Marion County MLS (yesterday’s listings, price changes, etc.) Ocala MLS E-update

I think we’re seeing a lot of the same thing in Central Florida, specifically Volusia and Marion counties. Enjoy!

Exceptions are in Northeast, Western states and Chicago Metro Area

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2006—Three months ago, HouseHunt’s “Current Market Conditions” survey showed that the overall U.S. housing market was close to a rare balance between buyer demand and seller supply for the first time in eight years. HouseHunt’s latest quarterly survey shows that equilibrium has been achieved: 41 percent of member agents said more buyers than sellers; 40 percent said more sellers than buyers; and 19 percent reported a 50/50 balance.

Most notable exceptions are in the Northeast, the Chicago metro area, and in the Western states. Home buyers outnumber sellers by considerable margins in Chicago and the West, while sellers outnumber buyers in the Northeast.

Additional proof of a balanced national market between buyers and sellers are reported by the National Association of Realtors, which estimated a 6.5 month supply of unsold homes in its May report. An inventory supply of 5.5 to 6.0 months is considered to be balanced.

HouseHunt’s second quarter national survey also found:

Fifty-six percent of member agents said it is now taking, on average, more than 60 days from listing to contract to sell a house. This is up from 55 percent in the first quarter and 35 percent a year ago. Twenty-eight percent said it is taking more than 90 days to contract. Only 15 percent of existing homes are selling in 30 days or less.

Housing inventories are continuing to increase: 86 percent now report a good supply in virtually all price ranges; this is up from 81 percent in the first quarter and 38 percent a year ago.

Sixty-six percent of member agents reported that annual home price appreciation is now five percent or less; this is down from 8-10 percent a year ago. Home price appreciation of more than 10 percent is now 16 percent, on average.

The percentage of home sellers getting 95 percent or more of asking prices is currently 68 percent, compared to 90 percent a year ago. Three months ago it was 75 percent.

Multiple offers from home buyers are also down substantially; the current estimate is 32 percent. It was 39 percent in the first quarter and 70 percent a year ago.

First-time buyers still account for one of three home sales nationally. Repeat and move-up buyers are the most active in higher priced markets. Recent home price appreciation and rising mortgage interest rates has, on average, only a minimal negative effect on first-time buyers. Exceptions are marginal qualifiers.

Ben Garrett of West USA Realty, exclusive HouseHunt agent for Chandler, AZ, noted in his Real Trends report: “All of Chandler is growing because of increased job opportunities. The significant increase in hoe properties has died down. Investors have moved out, helping supply and demand. We continue to see growth in Greater Phoenix.” Median home price is $400,000.

Sharon Combs of Long & Foster, exclusive HouseHunt agent for Winchester, VA, reported more sellers than buyers, with 60-90 days average time on the market: “National builders are giving as much as $100,000 in extras and closing costs on existing inventory homes.”

Quentin Green, exclusive HouseHunt agent for Lincoln Park Homes in the Chicago metro area, said that average home prices are down 5-10 percent in the past year: “Our market has quieted down tremendously over the past 60 days. What sold last year in 15 to 30 days is taking 69 to 90 days to sell, at minimum. Higher end properties are taking 180 to 360 days.”

Lee Seaton of Prudential R.E. Professionals, exclusive HouseHunt agent for Eugene, OR, reported a 50/50 market for buyers and sellers: “There are many more listings for buyers to choose from and sales are taking a little longer, but prices are stable or gradually rising.” Move-up buyers are most active.

Also reporting a 50/50 market is Allen Gabrielski of Richard A. Weidel Realtors, exclusive HouseHunt agent for Bridgewater, NJ, Township: “Our late spring market is just beginning to move. Entry market homes in the $250,000 to $400,000 price range are selling faster.” Median home price is $600,000.

“We welcome a balanced, more orderly marketplace for both the consumer and real estate professionals,” said Michael Bearden, president and CEO of HouseHunt, Inc. “Double-digit price appreciation is simply not sustainable for a multi-year period and will eventually drive away entry level buyers.”

What’s happening today in the Ocala/Marion County MLS (today’s listings, price changes, etc.) Ocala MLS E-update

Here’s an interesting article from the Ocala Star Banner.

County votes to raise road impact fees again
Board also will hire new consultant after failure to agree on fee formula.

BY SUSAN LATHAM CARR
THE STAR-BANNER

OCALA - The Marion County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to raise transportation impact fees again in January and to hire a new consultant to devise a formula that will shift more of the burden away from businesses and onto homebuyers.

The commission’s decision came less than a week after interim road impact fees went into effect. On July 1, the fee for a single-family home was raised temporarily, to $3,678 from $2,212. Now, that fee will increase again, to $5,143 in January.

The commission has been trying since 2005 to develop new road impact fees. They hired consultant Tindale-Oliver & Associates Inc. to help develop new rates.

In 2005, the consultant recommended that the county charge single-family homes $5,143 per unit. But the commission did not like some of the rates the consultant recommended for businesses.

Commissioners said that residential development makes up about 90 percent of the building in the county and, as such, should pay a higher impact fee.

The commission continued to wrestle with the problem and, in May, voted to raise the rates slightly beginning in July. That increase would last six months while the consultant worked on developing a new formula.

But, apparently, the consultant was not meeting expectations and would not have a new formula by December, when the impact fee ordinance expires.

“I am not sure we are going to have a meeting of the minds,” Commissioner Andy Kesselring told the commission about his meetings with Robert P. Wallace, Tindale-Oliver’s vice president. “They just haven’t been able to recommend any other way.”

He said that a 20,000-square-foot doctor’s office would cost $300,000 in impact fees, and that businesses need some relief.

“I think every county - nobody is happy when the numbers come back,” Commissioner Stan McClain said. “It has to be the methodology.”

Kesselring suggested another consultant be hired. He also was concerned about the loss of revenue for the county.

“Every month we don’t collect the full amount of impact fees we are losing substantial dollars,” Kesselring said. For that reason, he suggested that the rate be raised to Tindale-Oliver’s original recommendation.

Commissioner Charlie Stone agreed with Kesselring, but he did not wish to raise the fees again to the full rate until January.

Commissioner Randy Harris was concerned that some businesses have put their plans in abeyance waiting for a final decision.

“Some are the very services we would like to see in areas to cut down on traffic driving into town,” Harris said. He wondered if it would be possible to allow businesses to pay impact fees over three years.

“One of the sticking points was equal protection,” Kesselring said, pointing to legal issues. “Tindale-Oliver didn’t think you could do that. It has to apply to all land uses.”

Have a great day!

- Justin