• Monday, September 14th, 2009
Source: money.cnn.com
Thinking about your post-work home? You’ll get huge bang for your buck — plus lots of other perks — in these towns.
Category: Englewood Information
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• Thursday, August 13th, 2009
The Consequences of Overpricing
marketing 12:09 pm on August 11, 2009 | 0
Tags: home buyers (33), market emotion (14), median home prices (3), Overpricing (2), real estate (33), reluctant buyers (5), residential (30) Filed under: Buyer Info, Communities, Seller Info
In today’s market you cannot be competitive if you overprice your property. Read this brief, interesting article to learn more.
Category: Marketing
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• Monday, August 10th, 2009
Englewood’s Star Rises
Michael Saunders & Company 10:20 am on July 31, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
Tags: charlotte (10), Englewood (2)
Recently, Tripadvisor.com named Englewood, FL SECOND on a list of top emerging destinations in the U.S. This is very exciting and positive news for our area as well as for the company! Please see the article below that recently ran in the Charlotte Sun Newspaper:
Englewood is second on a list of top emerging U.S. destinations, according to TripAdvisor.com.
It is No. 1 in terms of being the best, affordable neighborhood to retire to in the U.S., according to walletpop.com.
In less than a year Englewood has scored high on several quality-of-life indexes and the accolades are beginning to pay dividends.
“You can’t buy that kind of publicity and recognition — you can’t put a price on it. It’s beyond anyone’s budget,” said Becky Bovell, director of the Charlotte Harbor Visitor and Conventions Bureau.
Now Englewood will be featured in stories appearing in “Southern Boating Magazine” in August and again in October in “PassageMaker,” a magazine for trawler and ocean motor boats.
Sarasota-based freelance writer Dottie Rutledge writes marine destination stories. She traveled to Englewood on a 50-foot yacht for the Southern Boating story, bringing along Jim Raycroft, a Boston and Fort Lauderdale-based marine photographer.
Englewood’s old Florida charm and unspoiled quality make it an ideal candidate for the magazines she writes for, Rutledge said.
“This is the first time we’ve looked at Englewood, partly because it was voted by Travelocity as one of the top 10 destinations,” Rutledge said. “The downtown’s a fun place to be. The whole town is so affordable.”
The type of accolades that Englewood has received lately depict it as an emerging destination. That will have a positive impact on the bureau’s own marketing efforts, Bovell said.
The bureau is responsible for marketing the area’s beaches and natural places using money from tourist tax dollars.
“We’re expected to do that — it’s our job,” Bovell said. “When it’s someone whose opinion readers respect, it has much more significance.”
Vacationers often say beaches are the top draw but when an area receives this type of recognition, it goes beyond one criterion, Bovell said.
“Many different elements have come together to warrant this type of recognition. The recognition will help the area grow in a balanced way,” she said.
What Englewood has going for it are a combination of natural, cultural and historical amenities, according to its promoters.
“In my view they combine to offer visitors a sense of place,” Bovell said. “I think that’s what people are looking of now — an experience that is comfortable, hospitable and welcoming. Englewood has those things and the various media outlets and travel organizations are beginning to recognize that.”
Category: Englewood Information
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• Friday, August 07th, 2009
Bringing the Dream of Homeownership Within Reach
As part of its plan to stimulate the U.S. housing market and address the economic challenges facing our nation, Congress has passed legislation that grants a tax credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers.
Here is more information about how the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit can help prospective home buyers become part of the American dream.
Breaking news: Tax Credit Can Be Used on Closing Costs
Who Qualifies?
First-time home buyers who purchase homes between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009.
To qualify as a “first-time home buyer” the purchaser or his/her spouse may not have owned a residence during the three years prior to the purchase.
Which Properties Are Eligible?
The 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit may be applied to primary residences, including: single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and co-ops.
How Much Will the Credit Be?
The maximum allowable credit for home buyers is $8,000. Each home buyer’s tax credit is determined by two factors:
The price of the home—the credit is equal to 10% of the purchase price of the home, up to $8,000.
The buyer’s income—single buyers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000—may receive the maximum tax credit.
If the Buyer(s)’ Income Exceeds These Limits, Can He/She Still Get a Credit?
Yes, some buyers may still be eligible for the credit.
The credit decreases for buyers who earn between $75,000 and $95,000 for single buyers and between $150,000 and $170,000 for home buyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Home buyers earning more than the maximum qualifying income—over $95,000 for singles and over $170,000 for couples are not eligible for the credit.
Will the Tax Credit Need to Be Repaid?
No. The buyer does not need to repay the tax credit, if he/she occupies the home for three years or more. However, if the property is sold during the three-year period, the credit will be recouped on the sale.
Category: Real Estate News
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• Thursday, August 06th, 2009
Uptrend Continues in Pending Home Sales
marketing 1:11 pm on August 6, 2009 | 0
Tags: consumer confidence (20), home buyers (31), housing affordability (9), market emotion (13), real estate (31), reluctant buyers (4), residential (28) Filed under: Buyer Info, Seller Info, Uncategorized
Washington, August 04, 2009
Pending home sales are up for the fifth consecutive month, the first time in six years for such a streak, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
The Pending Home Sales Index,1 a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in June, rose 3.6 percent to 94.6 from an upwardly revised reading of 91.3 in May, and is 6.7 percent above June 2008 when it was 88.7. The last time there were five consecutive monthly gains was in July 2003.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said a combination of positive market factors is fueling the gains. “Historically low mortgage interest rates, affordable home prices and large selection are encouraging buyers who’ve been on the sidelines. Activity has been consistently much stronger for lower priced homes,” he said. “Because it may take as long as two months to close on a home after signing a contract, first-time buyers must act fairly soon to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit because they must close on the sale by November 30.” – National Association of Realtors.
To read the entire article, please click here.
Information about NAR is available at http://www.realtor.org.
Category: Real Estate News
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• Tuesday, August 04th, 2009
Green Real Estate Doesn’t Mean Fake Palm Trees
By Lance Winslow
It seems that green real estate is really in and now everyone is onboard. Not only the environmentalist, but also the unions, the builders, the government and even all the citizens are all for Green real estate. What is very interesting to note is the extreme lengths that commercial real estate developers will go to, in order to try to promote their projects is green.
Not long ago I was at a local city planning commission and a builder had a project, and he spent half of the presentation talking about how his project was environmentally friendly, took advantage of alternative energy, and was on the leading edge of green technologies. He even went so far as to note that the cell phone tower on the property looked just like a palm tree, and at first glance you could even tell it was a cell tower.
Still, what does Green real estate have to do with fake cell towers that look like palm trees? Nothing, absolutely nothing and this led me to wonder if we were taking this green movement a little too far, covering up the truth, hiding the facts, and pretending to be the “big greeny” that we really aren’t.
Although to this particular real estate developers credit, he did have solar panels, special double-pained windows, floor heating, an architecture that promoted use of the sun to help control the climate inside, it’s too bad we don’t build all of our buildings this way, and it’s too bad we are starting now. If all of our buildings were energy-efficient we’d save a whole lot of energy, and increase efficiency, we should have done this decades ago. Please consider all this.
Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor – Lance Winslow’s Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises for instance one of Lance Winslow’s favorite companies on the team; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Green-Real-Estate-Doesnt-Mean-Fake-Palm-Trees&id=2701029
Category: Real Estate News
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• Tuesday, August 04th, 2009
Giant Leap by Nick Churton
marketing 10:19 am on August 4, 2009 | 0
Tags: consumer confidence (19), home buyers (30), housing affordability (8), market emotion (12), market recovery, median income (2), reluctant buyers (3), residential (27), second home buyers (4) Filed under: Buyer Info, Seller Info
Mayfair International Realty – August Market Comment by Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty
Giant Leap
On the 40th Anniversary of the first moon landing Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty’s London office, reflects that the UK and US real estate markets are now remarkably similar and thinks that taking a “giant leap” in today’s market may be a very good step indeed.
Forty years ago three brave men risked their lives to make a giant leap for mankind. The Apollo X1 mission to put a man on the moon, and go where no man had gone before, held the planet in thrall. It was the end of the ‘60s and Britain had swung for almost a decade. But, as a counterpoint to the successful moon landing, back on earth the wheels were coming off. The decade-long free spending party had come to an end.
So, no change there then – particularly as none of us really knows now what is going to happen next, any more than we did in the early ‘70s. But life and economics appear to have come full circle.
The real estate market is certainly going where it has never gone before. We are in un-chartered territory with the market very finely balanced indeed. On one hand it could remain on its present – albeit shallow – upward trajectory. On the other we could experience the double bounce or ‘W’ shaped recession, about which some economists and media commentators seem keen to remind us.
From a real estate point of view there seems little doubt that, although there is a large question mark hanging over where the market may go next, now does seem a pivotal time for home movers. If the recovery continues, the rate of increase in real estate values should ultimately rise. So now would be a very good time to buy. Were the market to slip back and values slide then it would be a smart move to sell. Moving home always features profit and loss – the financial advantage of selling almost always cancels out the disadvantage of buying, or vice versa depending on the market.
The first six months of this year have defied most market predictions. Activity has been high, and in some places demand has even exceeded supply. That was not in the script, but is a welcome sign of tentative market recovery. So too is the news from the house builders that they are seeing their best sales results in three years.
Buying real estate in this market may seem to some like a giant leap into the unknown: not quite like risking one’s life and flying to the moon for the first time, but a bold step nevertheless. However, when weighed against some of the good signs of recovery then the bold move now may very well prove to be the shrewd one. – Nick Churton of Mayfair International Realty’s
Category: Marketing
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• Monday, August 03rd, 2009
Delivering Your Home Exponentially – Affiliate Distribution
marketing 4:28 pm on July 13, 2009 | 0
Tags: global affiliations (8), home buyers (29), housing affordability (7), investment comparison (3), long-term investment (5), real estate (30), residential (26), web exposure (10) Filed under: Buyer Info, Charts, Global Affiliates, Seller Info
Michael Saunders & Company shares information on your listed home with all major real estate channels, including 700+ real estate broker websites, 500+ newspaper websites and the local MLS board to find the right buyer.
Click image to view full size in printable form.
Category: Marketing
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• Sunday, August 02nd, 2009
The Neighborhood Report – Englewood
John Butzko 3:00 pm on July 9, 2009 | 1 Permalink | Reply
Tags: Englewood (2), financing (2), first time buyer (4), foreclosures (5), Mortgage (9), short sales (2), tax credit (11)
Visitors from around the world choose Englewood for its unspoiled beaches and some of the richest fishing grounds found in the Gulf of Mexico. Staffed by an exceptional team of area specialists, our Englewood office is strategically located at the intersection of Highway 776 and Beach Road, along the shores of Lemon Bay.
How’s the Market in Englewood?
According to Barbara Fendley Saputo, branch manager of Michael Saunders & Company’s Englewood office, business to date in 2009 has surpassed 2008 in the same timeframe by 27 percent. Every component necessary to make this an opportune time for a buyer is in place:
- Low interest rates
- Reasonable prices
- Favorable exchange rates for foreign buyers (More …)
Category: Englewood Information
| One Comment
• Sunday, August 02nd, 2009
Updates from July, 2009
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author: Ann Stickel 12:05 pm on July 29, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
Tags: homeownership, Mortgage (9)
Here is a piece of encouraging news for everyone in our industry. It is comforting to know that consumers still believe in homeownership and recognize this as the ideal time to buy. With reduced home prices matched with low interest rates, we are experiencing a true recipe for real estate success. The big question now: Who is still sitting on the fence?”
Market In Review: The Wells Fargo View Sm
Despite the ups and downs in the economy, Americans still believe in the dream of homeownership. According to the June PULSE Top 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas Survey, 83 percent of consumers believe buying a home is a good financial decision.
Attitudes of respondents in their prime home purchasing years (ages 25 to 44) had not been adversely affected by the market in the past several years.
In fact, three-fourths of survey respondents said now is a good time to purchase a home because of home price declines. Low interest rates (see chart), tax benefits, and seller incentives also remain attractive for consumers looking to purchase their first home or move up from their current home.
Category: Mortgage News
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