Category Archives: Uncategorized

Holidays-What to Expect

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Traditionally, showings go down during the holiday season. However, the showings that do occur tend to be serious buyers. We’ve sold several homes this week, and we’re still negotiating a few sales before Christmas.

The week between Christmas and New Years tends to be very busy. We have a lot of visitors to SW Florida during the week. They tend to be new to the market. Some buy, many come back later in the year after deciding SW Florida is a nice place to own property. Activity is gernerally slow from Jan 1-January 15, then showings pick up again.

Our team has been very busy listing properties. We will have several enter the market just after the holidays. During 2005, we had a difficult time keeping more than 5 properties in inventory as they would sell so fast. We’re getting back to normal at 70.

The Ellis Team has always carried listings for years, except for the last two or so. The reason is we advertise homes more and expose them properly to the market. We call it a Flight to Quality. When the market turns just a bit, the relative in the business or the Realtor down the street offering a deal just doesn’t seem like a deal anymore. Sellers want their home sold, and they want to trust the Realtor working for them will do everything possible to sell their home, not skimp on costs.

Look for more homes to enter the market after the Holidays, and for buyer activity to pick up. View Ellis Team listings, or View entire MLS if you’d like to see properties currently for sale. For more information, listen to our Weekly Radio Show Online, or visit our Website or call us at 800-860-4042

Rates will Climb and Mortgages will get Longer in 2006

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Rates will Climb and Mortgages will get Longer in 2006. That’s the word from the California Association of Mortgage Brokers.

Many believe 40 year loans will become more popular. This comes as a surprise to many Americans, but in fact in some parts of the world loans are paid off over many generations. Even if rates go up from their current levels, they’re still historically low. What’s making homes unafordable right now is mostly the large run-up in prices over the last three years.

We’ve had tremendous price increases, increasing interest rates, insurance rates, and property taxes. All are pressuring the first-time buyer at once, making homes largely unaffordable for those that missed the big boom. We’ll keep you posted throughout 2006 as to how the market performs.

National City Corp says Naples 82.3 Percent Overvalued

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National City Corp.’s latest quarterly study says that 38 percent of the top 299 metro housing markets "are extremely overvalued and at risk for a price correction."

National City says the Naples real estate market is 82.3 percent overvalued.

Other "extremely overvalued" Florida markets include Port St. Lucie (68.1 Percent), West Palm Beach (56.9 percent), Sarasota (55.6 percent), Miami (55.3 percent), Vero Beach (54.3 percent) and Fort Lauderdale (52.8 percent).

We’ll keep watching, but Cape Coral/Fort Myers Florida does Not appear to be on their list

New Riverfront Listing

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New Riverfront Listing located on 2.62 acres. Spectacular river riews from master bedroom, family room, dining room, and kitchen. Extra building on property with in-law suite. Designed with oversized doors for boat or RV.


Many extras like bamboo floors, Australian Cypress wood floors, and much more. Call us for more information on this home, or other riverfront homes.

Property Insurance

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Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s board on Thursday approved an average statewide rate hike of 44 percent for homeowners in high-risk areas. This increase, which still has to be OK’d by state regulators, follows a 16.2 percent increase in high-risk coastal areas that was approved last February.

Mortgage Rates The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped slightly this week to 6.3 percent. Financial markets seemed to like signals from the Federal Reserve that its string of interest rate hikes could be drawing to a close.

The Perfect Home

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Whether you’re buying or selling in today’s market, don’t fret about last year’s prices. Just as sellers cannot sell when prices may have been better, buyers can’t undo time and buy at last year’s prices.

Find out how much home you can afford upfront. Get pre-qualified You’ll want to be happy in the home you’re in, not the home you wish you had bought in the past or the home you cannot afford. Getting pre-qualified upfront sets reasonable expectations. There is nothing worse than looking at homes above your price range, then having to settle for a lesser home because he bank said so.

You’ll also want to be comfortable with your payment. Sometimes you can afford much more home than the monthly payment you’re willing to spend, and that’s OK too. Our agents can Represent you , assisting you to make a better decision for you and your family.

Remember, there is no Perfect home. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn’t design and build the perfect home. One day you’d want a home in the mountains, another a gorgeous home on the beach. I could go on and on here, but you get the point. You’ll want to focus on your needs first, and also what would make you happy. Buying a home is all about choices, and together we help you make the best choice for you. Everyone is different, so we really have to listen to you. We’ll ask lots of questions.

The best home for you may not be the home I’d choose, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s not about us. It’s about You! Good luck, and happy house-hunting. If you’d like more information about SWFL, visit Topagent.com If you’d like to view properties in MLS, search for yourself at Leecountyonline.com. Here is the link Ellis Team Featured Listings .

Florida Unveils Phone Number For Unlicensed Activity Complaints

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Many don’t realize that performing any real estatte service in Florida is a 3rd degree felony. Sometimes it’s as innocent as helping a neighbor rent their home, or helping sell a friends home. The problem is, when unlicensed people perform real estate services, mistakes are made and somebody gets hurt, even unintentionally.

Here is the phone number to report such activity. 866-532-1440 Here is a link to an article about this.

Florida’s Home Resales’ Median Price Rises 28 Percent in October

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ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 28, 2005 — Home sales statistics from the Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR) show that home prices continued to rise but the number of sales fell in October, notably in southern areas directly impacted by Hurricane Wilma’s march across the state. Most insurers stopped issuing new policies when the hurricane neared Florida, and, following the storm, some lenders required a re-inspection of properties before they would release mortgage money.

Despite storm problems, however, the state’s median home price rose 28 percent in October to $241,000 from $188,800 in October 2004. In September 2005, the median price was $247,800. In October 2000, FAR records show the statewide median sales price was $116,100, resulting in an increase of 107 percent over the five-year-period.

Many Realtors across the state report gains in housing supply, giving buyers a larger selection of homes to consider. Statewide, a total of 16,029 existing single-family homes sold last month compared to 16,844 homes a year ago for a decrease of 5 percent, according to FAR.

The national median existing-home price in September was $212,000, up 13.4 percent from the previous September’s median price of $187,000, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). In California, the statewide median resales price was $543,980 in September; in New York, the median price was $275,000; and in North Carolina, the average resales price was $208,097. Make sure you visit Vegas Valley Inspections`s official website to have your prospective home inspected.

Interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.07 percent in October, a slight increase from the average 5.72 percent in October 2004. FAR’s sales figures reflect closings, which typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

Among the state’s larger markets, the Daytona Beach metropolitan statistical area (MSA) reported that 1,037 homes sold in October for an 18 percent gain over October 2004 home sales of 881. The median home price in Daytona Beach rose 35 percent over the same time period, from $165,000 in October 2004 to $223,300 in October 2005. You can get your home professionally inspected by Home Inspector Las Vegas, NV
Shawn M. Goepfert, president of the Daytona Beach Area Association of Realtors and owner of Ideal Realty of Volusia, says that demand for Daytona-area homes is now catching up with supply. “We started 2005 off with only about 1,000 residential listings, really robust sales and it taking only about two or three weeks to get a contract,” Goepfert says. “That demand really pushed up our sales price, but in the last 30 days, our inventory has increased to about 3,000 residential listings.”

Other larger MSAs with strong sales and price increases include Jacksonville, with 1,504 home sales in October for a 38 percent gain over October 2004 sales numbers; and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, with 3,735 homes sold for an increase of 4 percent over the same time period. Prices also rose in both markets over the year. In Jacksonville, the median price rose 20 percent to $191,600; in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater the median price rose 35 percent to $225,700.

In Fort Myers-Cape Coral the median price rose 65% from $195,300 to $322,000, while the number of sales fell 52% from 555 in October 2004 to 264 in October 2005. According to Brett Ellis, Realtor with The Ellis Team at RE/MAX Realty Group in Fort Myers, FL, these numbers are not surprising. “Hurricane Wilma affected sales for certain in October, both before and after the storm. This storm took forever to get here, and once it hit closings were delayed due to power outages and re-inspections. We do see an increasing supply in inventory, which means the days of 65% price increases are probably over. This time next year I think we’ll see moderate price gains as the market begins to level out.”

Among the state’s smaller MSAs, Lakeland-Winter Haven posted a 24 percent gain in home sales in October, with 513 homes changing hands compared to 414 homes a year ago. The market’s median sales price rose 50 percent in October to $173,500; last year, it was $115,500.
“I think people have discovered our little secret,” says Peggy Daley, treasurer of the Lakeland Association of Realtors and a Realtor with ImperiaLakes Realty Services in Lakeland. “We’ve got the best of everything. People are moving here in droves from South Florida, plus people from the North keep coming down and quickly realize that we’re centrally located with easy access to Tampa or Orlando — but without the traffic.”

Other smaller MSAs that posted gains in the number of homes sold in October include Ocala, where 482 homes sold for a 15 percent jump; and Tallahassee, where 393 homes sold for an 18 percent increase. The median sales price in those markets also rose. In Ocala, it rose 38 percent to $159,200; and in Tallahassee, 19 percent to $172,700.

A chart showing statistics for Florida and its 20 MSAs is available by clicking here . The chart compares the volume of existing, single-family home sales and median sales prices in October 2005 to October 2004, based on Realtor transactions.

Courtesy of the Florida Association of Realtors, the University of Florida Real Estate Research Center and The Ellis Team.