What does Short Sale do to Credit & Credit FICO score vs Foreclosure

Audio Podcast that I liked.
How does a Short Sale affect Credit? << Click for Podcast Audio
from: Rob Stewart, Short Sale Realtor with Burbach Realty, Hope Consulting.
Q&A on Short Sales.
How does a short sale affect your credit & credit score?

Answer varies with one biggest question. What is your credit to start with? People that went into short sale being late on credit cards, late on car payments,  12 months late on mortgage, this was the first positive thing they did for their credit & their score actually went up. Credit bureau sees it is they are doing something actually positive to fix their financial situation, vs going into foreclosure & default.  People that have never missed a payment, but did short sale got hit pretty bad.

Average hit to FICO score is 75 points, but what you got to know what is far more important that hit on score is the affect that a foreclosure will do. Knock you 200-300 points, stay on records for 7 years, hard to rent, credit card may decline you. With a short sale will be on your record with FHA for about 2 years, and as long as you get your score back up and could potentially buy another home quickly, especially if everything else on credit is clean. Credit impact varies on a whole bunch of factors.

http://blog.chadstewart.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

SHIP has Money to Lend

SHIP has money to lend

SHIP applicants in Columbia, Lafayette, Madison,
Suwannee, and Union County can qualify for down
SHIP payment assistance for amounts between
$12,000 to $25,000 depending on household income
and total number of family members.

Applicants in Columbia, Suwannee and Madison
County must attend a home ownership class.

The next classes are scheduled for October 19th and
20th for Columbia County and December 5th and 6th for
Suwannee County.

Each county has its own lending criteria. For more
information contact Matt Pearson.

mattpearson@suwanneeec.net

Res.net Foreclosure & Short Sale Managment Real Estate

For Immediate Release:


Chad Stewart, Broker Associate with Burbach Realty has just completed training & is now a RES.net REO certified Agent. The AMP certification course give agents the opportunity to advance their REO real estate business skils.



Res.net AMP puts the agent at the center of the RES.NET community, ultimately empowering their position in the real estate transaction. From start to finish, the Accelerated Management Platform (AMP) connects agents to a community of real estate profession­als, buyers, and sellers and provides them with tools to accomplish work in the most efficient manner pos­sible

July 27, 2011
Attention: Selling Agents
Freddie Mac First Look Initiative Extended to Second Home Purchasers
Effective August 1, 2011, Freddie Mac will offer second home purchasers the opportunity to purchase HomeSteps homes through the Freddie Mac First Look Initiative. The First Look Initiative supports Freddie Mac's mission to stabilize communities and support housing recovery through the creation of affordable home ownership opportunities.
This on-going initiative offers owner occupant homebuyers, second home purchasers, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grantees and non-profits engaged in community stabilization efforts the ability to purchase HomeSteps homes during their initial 15 days of listing without competition from investors.
Please Note:

• The purchaser does not need to be a first time homebuyer to be eligible; however, they must be buying the home as their residence.
• The Affidavit of Owner Occupancy has been updated and should be used on all new sales.
• The 15 day Initiative time period is based on MLS days, not the date of the listing broker listing.
• In Nevada, Freddie Mac's First Look Initiative window is 30 days.

Lake City Florida - Columbia County Real Estate Market update

Lake City FL Homes Info

Greetings! Chad Stewart here with Burbach Realty Services, I just wanted to give you a quick update about our real estate market. Right now in Lake City - Columbia County, we have over 375 homes on the market. With about 75 real estate single family homes sales over the past 3 months, we have around 15 months of supply. While this is still alot, this is down from 17-22 months in previous quarters showing a slight improvement in the market.

Of those 375 homes in the county listed for sale, just over 74 of them (19%) are Foreclosures or Short Sales. Only 18 Foreclosures on the market, but 56 short sales for sale or 14% of the listings.

Of all 2011 YTD single family residential home sales here in Lake City, FL, Columbia County, Florida, and Fort White area, there is a total of 119 sales year to date, 51 of those are Foreclosures & short Sales.

Detailed Look
19% of the Listings are Foreclosures & Short sales, but
43% of the Sales are Foreclosures & Short sales.
31% of the sales are Foreclosures.
10% of the sales are Short Sales.
Average Home Sale: $117,000 & Median is $101,000
Average Foreclosure-Short Sale: $95,900 & Median is $79,000

Pending Sales follows along with sales as well although more weighted to pending short sales because they can take much longer & more difficult to actually close. Currently there are 42 pending home sales, 23 of those pending sales or approx 54% are foreclosures & short sales. 11 of those 23 are foreclosures and 12 are short sales.

Given these stats, you can see why hiring a quality Real Estate Pro that is knowledgeable in the area sales, especially short sales negotiations, and has a state of the art marketing plan can be important.

Thanks again. Please comment below if you find these stats interesting. - Chad

Lake City FL Real Estate Newsletter

Lake City FL Real Estate

Housing Trends Real Estate eNewsletter is just posted.

Check it out here

http://chadstewart.housingtrendsenewsletter.com/?Newsletter_ID=271

How to Sell your Home - Realtor in Lake City FL Real Estate

Great Video about how to sell your home.
For a Lake City FL Home or to sell any real estate in Lake City, FL Contact a Real Estate Pro - Chad Stewart - Burbach Realty Services

Why Use a Professional Realtor

Buying house can be an exciting time for a Buyer, and selling a house can be an exciting time for a seller, but its important to make sure you use a Professional Realtor who is experienced & knowledgeable to help both the buyer & the seller thru the transaction..

This graph help explains some fo the work involved, AFTER the sales contract is signed. Not to metion the details & work needed to get the buyer & seller together in the market in the first place.

Home & Real Estate Listed in Lake City, FL - Video Tour of Home

Beautiful Home in Lake City FL Listed for Sale. Check out this Video Tour. Listing agent in Chad Stewart with Burbach Realty Services. Home listed for $227,900. Upscale home in Callway subdivision of Lake City. This is well worth seeing & a great value for what is included in this top quality built home.

Foundation Announces Columbia County - Lake City FL as the First Six Pillars Community in the State of Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Juli Puckett, jpuckett@FLFoundation.org


(850) 521-1217
Foundation Announces Columbia County as the First

Six Pillars Community in the State of Florida

Tallahassee, Florida (January 28, 2011) – The Florida Chamber Foundation announced that Columbia County has completed the steps to becoming the first Six Pillars Community in the State of Florida during a press conference today. The event took place at Columbia County High School’s Career Center with local leaders who spearheaded this effort for the County’s economic future.

In August of 2009, Columbia County IDA started out on a mission to develop a strategic plan for their community. After a presentation by the Florida Chamber Foundation on the 2030 Project to community leaders, the Columbia County IDA recognized the importance of aligning their efforts with what was being done on a state level by the Foundation.

“Florida is embarking on a new economy and communities across the state must take an active role in designing the future of their regions,” said Dr. Dale Brill, president of the Florida Chamber Foundation. “Columbia County sets the example of how to effectively plan for a new economy that they will be a part of.”

In order to become a Six Pillars Community, a municipality in Florida must complete a 10-step process focused around the Six Pillars for Florida’s Future framework. This framework serves as an organizing force for strategic planning at local, regional and state levels. It provides a means of harnessing fragmented viewpoints into a common and consistent conversation so that thoughtful and productive planning can take place. This ensures that communities across the state of Florida will design plans unique to their area – all connected by a common language that bubbles up to inform the state plan.
“We had a dedicated team of community leaders made up primarily of private business but also included local government, who worked tirelessly to position Columbia County as a player in economic development,” said Gina Reynolds, Deputy Director, Columbia County IDA. “The Six Pillars Community designation offers us the power of collective resources and a unified vision which will bubble up to state-wide efforts.”

The Columbia County IDA identified five strategic goals that will position the county for prosperity, high-wage jobs, and the ability to compete in a global market:

1. The Right Portfolio of Sites

2. High Performing RACEC Catalyst Site

3. Unprecedented Customer Service

4. Outstanding Market Communications

5. Engaged and Informed Partners

Implementation of the strategic goals has been a team effort of community leaders. A trained and equipped workforce is important to the future of the community’s prosperity. Community educators took the lead and developed a Career Academy for Global Logistics at Columbia High School and a Bachelors Degree in Global Logistics at Florida Gateway College. Coupled with the Employ Florida Banner Center for Global Logistics at Florida Gateway College, Columbia County is preparing their workforce in one of their target industries.

Preparations are already underway by working groups focusing on specific areas of development. The working groups will have input into the overall direction and marketing efforts of economic development

SugarSync for 2011 vs Dropbox vs LiveMesh - Great Service for Real Estate Agents

I have been using SugarSync for a month or so now & just upgraded to the paid version. You can get 30 GB of storage, sync, and back for $4.99 a month. If you work with folders in Windows XP or Windows 7 alot, this is a great service & a excellent value.

Example: I am a real estate agent & each of my customers whether they are my sellers (listings) or my buyers, each one of them has a folder. Now that I am nearly 100% all digital in my personal real estate files, I have Mozy to do a once a day backup of my files, but now I also use SugarSync as a 2nd backup. However, the primary purpose of my SugarSync is not the backup its the Sync!

When I go to a closing, I only need to bring my iPad, quicky sync that customers folder to the iPad for offline use, and off I go. Every single file is quickly & easily uploaded for backup & sync as I use my computer.

Also the service allows incredible ease of access & sync with about any device including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry.

I use a Blackberry Bold as well & there is a great app for viewing & sharing files. Another example is I was recently driving thru a bank teller drive thru when I got a call from another real estate agent. He wanted copies of deed restrictions of one of my listings. I simply grabbed my Blackberry Bold, selected the customers file I needed, clicked the deed restrictions, clicked email, put agent email, & within seconds, the other agent had a email link to download the deed restrictions quickly & easily.

Just another way a real estate agent can keep very up todate, very efficient, & very organized with technology, and all for very reasonable.

Hope you like my real estate tech tip. If you are interested in signing up for a FREE SugarSync 5GB account, click here and you will get 500mb bonus storage. Again its FREE, No credit card required. Its well worth trying out. - Thanks & take care. - Chad

Here is a site that Scott Britt from Britt Surveying showed me that is very helpful with property elevations ect….. http://www.labins.org/
This is a topo site that is run by FSU with input from surveyers around the state.

From Burbach Realty Services, Real Estate Agents in the Lake City, FL area.

Columbia County - Lake City FL Houses for Sale - Market Data - Real Estate

Interesting Columbia County, Lake City FL Housing market stats to ponder:

• Current residential home total listing inventory in Columbia County is 396.

• Closed sales since Jan 1 total 296 and annualized this will be around 322 closed sales which shows a current inventory supply of 14+ months. (A normal functioning real estate market will have a 6-8 month inventory supply)

Sold stats by price/current active listings in this price range: (closed sales only through Dec 8 not to Dec 31)

100k or less: 111 sales/106 active listings
100-150k: 92 sales/95 active listings
150-200k: 51 sales/75 active listings
200-300k: 36 sales/80 active listings
300-400k: 4 sales/21 active listings
400k +: 2 sales/19 active listings

• YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE WHERE THE ACTION HAS BEEN! 150k OR LESS THERE HAS BEEN OVER 200 SALES IN 11 MONTHS CUTTING THE INVENTORY IN THAT PRICE RANGE TO AROUND 10 MONTHS
• THE MID RANGE OF 150-200k HAS BEEN SOFT AND SHOWS 16 MONTHS OF INVENTORY. (A HEALTHY MARKET IS 6-8 MOS. INVENTORY)
• THE UGLY PART IS 200k AND UP WITH THE DEAD ZONE ABOVE 300k WHERE ONLY 6 SALES HAVE OCCURRED. WITH ONLY 42 SALES IN THIS PRICE RANGE, AND 120 CURRENT LISTINGS, WE SHOW A 30 MONTH SUPPLY IN THIS PRICE RANGE!

Information Gathered from Lake City, FL MLS From Charlie Sparks, My former Broker With Westfield Realty Group

Lake City FL Commercial Office & Retail Space for Lease

We have several excellent centers in Lake City, FL with commercial office or retails space available for lease. These are top quality centers are a variety of locations & prices.

These are location owned by Westfield Realty Group's sister company, Westfield Investment Group.

See the flyers here. PDF file.

J.P. Morgan - 4th Qtr 2010 - Guide to the Markets

Here is tons of data regarding the markets, real estate, economy, business & more. Lots of charts, graphs & statistics.
Here is the report. Opens PDF.

Columbia County General Flood Zone Info

Here is some general information from Columbia County about Flood Zone information for the area. Helpful info to have when buying land & real estate in the Lake City, FL area

Click here for the info

10 Things You Can Do Today To Improve Your Credit

10 things you can do to improve your credit.. There are some incredible deasl when buying a house right now, but if your credit is less than 620 range, you may miss out on the great prices & interest rates.

Now is the time to take a closer look at your credit & do all you can to get it as best you can.

http://credit.about.com/od/creditrepair/tp/improvecredit.htm

Lake City FL has great houses for sale right now in many price ranges, contact a quality lender today to get started on your loan application & find out your score.

For all your real estate, housing, MLS search, foreclosure needs for the Lake City, FL area. Come back to http://www.chadstewart.com/ & start searching.

Lake City - Columbia County FL - Inland Port

This is from Florida Trend - & Cynthia Barnett - all credit goes to them.


Off U.S. Highway 90 outside Columbia County's Lake City, a big white sign stands incongruously in front of a forest of young pine trees: "Future Site of Inland Port." After years of work, the state and 14 counties launched the 2,500-acre industrial-development project this fall to create a catalyst for business investment in a region that suffered low wages and high unemployment rates well before the economic downturn.


http://www.floridatrend.com/article.asp?aID=53684

This is great news for the Lake City - Columbia County Florida area. This brings not only long term recognition to the area, but along with it brings new higher wage jobs, more regional county industry & business growth, and  positive planned growth.

Just up the road on Hwy 90 from this site is a great multi use industrial facility for sale. Check it out here. http://www.industrialpropertyfl.com/

Also in Live Oak, FL is a prime retail & commercial development tract. See link http://commercialpropertyfla.com/

 - Chad Stewart - Pro Realtor - Westfield Realty Group.

New Real Estate Home Listing in Lake City FL by Chad Stewart - Westfield Realty

Cute & Affordable Home listed in Lake City, FL. This home is in a great location close to town , schools, & shopping. In good condition & great price for this house at $89,900. The house is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath,  and is on a 1/2 acre lot.
Furniture & all Appliances included, Fridge, Stove, Dishwasher, Washer & Dryer, 2 sheds.

First get pre-qualified by a local Lake City, FL lender, then contact me or your Realtor for a showing. If you need a local lender recommendation. Click here. http://www.chadstewart.com/Featured_Lenders.html
Here is a map link to the property.

Updated Video Tour - Lake City FL Real Estate

Lake City, FL Real Estate - Home for Sale in Callawy Subdivision. Very Nice. 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Upscale Interior, Quality Built, Huge Back Porch, large kitchen, 2,293 sq ft heated. 3698 sq ft under roof, plus workshop.

Upscale House & Real Estate for Sale in Lake City FL

Very nice house for sale in Callaway here in Lake City, FL. Well built with lots of features. 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, about 2,293 sq ft. Large enclosed back porch with disappearing sliding doors! Wow, Check this out today. Link to youtube here. Call to schedule your tour today.


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Commercial Real Estate in Live Oak, FL - Suwannee County

55 +/- acre prime development tract located across the street from Wal-Mart on Hwy 129 in Live Oak, FL. This is in high commercial activity growth corridor ½ mile south of Interstate 10, in Suwannee County, FL.


http://www.commercialpropertyfla.com/

The Inland Port project in Lake City got good press in the Gainesville Sun today.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100807/ARTICLES/8071009&tc=email_newsletter

The Psychology of Real Esate - Interesting

Here is an interesting article about how people think & see real estate choices & options.
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-psychology-of-real-estate.html

I definetly would reccomend painting and recarpeting if your home is showing too many signs of aging or wear an tear. This will help the buyers get past the cost & hassle of having to redo it themselves after they purchase. Most buyers will over compensate about 2-3 times for these type of items.

Example: If a buyer walks into a moderate home that needs new paint & flooring, rather than see or estimate it till take $2,500 for paint & carpet, they will estimate $5,000 to $7,500 just to be safe & offer that much less. Its good for both buyers & sellers to understand this & think logically about it to make the best decisions.

Thanks. Check back again - Chad Stewart - Westfield Realty Group - Lake City FL Real Estate Broker Associate.

Homes are extremely affordable, Especially Lake City FL Homes & Real Estate

FAR affordability index. Still running at historic highs. The average buyer has nearly twice the income necessary to buy the median priced home financed with the average fixed rate mortgage loan.

Click Here

Columbia County - Lake City FL Regional Inustrial Development News

RePost from Columbia County FL Industrial Development Authority newsletter. Lake City, FL is definetly a up & coming place for regional development, and long term growth & stability for Florida.

The Columbia County Industrial Development Authority is busy working on several projects for the betterment of Columbia County, the region and the state. To keep you up to date with activities involving economic development in Columbia County, we have attached several articles for your perusal. If you missed previously released articles and columns, they can be viewed by visiting our link on the County’s website, http://www.columbiacountyfla.com/IDA.asp  or you may click on one of the links to previous articles provided below. We are working diligently to develop our own website and will notify you upon completion.

Recent links relevant to economic development in Columbia County:

IDA Column: Historic meeting marks unified effort to transforms area’s economy : http://www.lakecityjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=15&SubSectionID=75&ArticleID=6172
Jacksonville Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/06/28/daily4.html?ana=e_du_pap
St. Leo University preparing students for International Trade: Here

Officials discuss major projects to prepare Columbia County as Inland Port: Article Here

Poole, Huddleston and Reynolds selected for Florida Chamber Foundation’s Caucus System: Link Here

Plum Creek and Columbia County Team Up for Job Creation: http://www.plumcreek.com/tabid/73/itemid/981/Plum-Creek-and-Columbia-County-Team-Up-for-Job-Cre.aspx

Foundation Grants Making Impact on Education: Read here
The Columbia County Industrial Development Authority Board meets the first Wednesday of every month at 8:30 a.m. at the Lake Shore Hospital Authority. The meetings are open to the public and we welcome your attendance.

Posted by Chad Stewart, Westfield Realty Group, Credit goes to article writers, and CCFLIda

Homebuyer Tax credit extension.

Repost of FL Realtors Information:
Congress extends homebuyer tax credit and flood insurance

The U.S. Senate passed two bills last evening previously passed by the House. Both bills still need President Obama's signature to become law, but that's expected to happen quickly.

Homebuyer tax credit:
The Senate passed HR 5623, which extends the mandatory closing date to qualify for the homebuyer tax credit. The contract deadline does not change - homebuyers must have a contract signed by April 30, 2010 (an exception for active duty military) - but the previous closing deadline of June 30, 2010, has been extended to Sept. 30, 2010. The National Association of Realtors estimates that the approved bill will benefit more than 14,000 deals in Florida.

Lake City FL Phone Book & Directories

If you are looking for a Phone Book for the Lake City, FL area. Here are a couple resources for you. Of course Google is what I use for searching for real estate or anything about a city like Lake City, FL, but sometimes it might be nice to just browse the phone book.

Local Edge - the Talking Phone Book - Lake City - Live Oak
http://www.localedge.com/laci

At&t - Bellsouth - Real Yellow Pages for Lake City
http://www.realpageslive.com/WebProject.asp?BookCode=lkf09htm&from=2


Google Local

Here is an encouraging report. We continue to build on the good news momentum.


http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=238713

More Keep up with Mortgage Payments

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=237847
This is a good sign. Note the comment about strategic foreclosures. I think you will see this problem fade as the banks toughen up and the economy strengthens. I think we will look back at 2010 as the big washout year. It will carry into future year(s) but this may be the high water mark this year. - from: Charlie Sparks. Broker at Westfield Realty Group.

Open House - Come Visit Me in Lake City, FL

Come Visit me April 10-11. We are participating in a statewide Florida Open House even, April 10-11.

I will be at a house located at 205 SW Scott Place, Lake City, FL. This is in the Russwood subdivision. A brand new top quality home. Spacious Floor Plan, has 4 bedrooms plus an office. Two living areas, two dining areass, covered porch and a triple garage. All of this priced at only $298,900! Give me a call 386-867-1782. Directions, Take Branford Hwy (SR 247) south to Troy Rd, west to Russwood subdivision, go to back of development to house. Click Here for a Map.

View Larger Map

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Florida Open House Event April 10-11

Statewide Open House Event April 10-11. Come visit me in Lake City, FL

Housing Tax Credits at a Glance

http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/glance.php

Short Sale Sellers - Read the Paperwork

Attention Short Sale Sellers... Read the Fine Print..

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=233552

Flood Zone Mapping & Information

Finding FEMA flood zone maps for real estate properties has become easier & easier.

I wanted all to know that for the counties around there in North Florida its even easier than ever.

First get the parcel # of the property, land or home you are looking at.

Second, go to http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/ Click the county are inquiring about, click go, and type in or past the parcel number you are interested in. This will map the property with a nice aerial map & highlited your parcel. I will show any flood zones in the are. You can also click the legend button to see what everythign means.

If the property is in a flood zone, this does not mean the end of it. Flood insurance is very affordable, usually costing only around $300 per year. Ask a Realtor for more details.

Here are the county property appraisers sites along with the corresponding flood zone site.

Columbia County - Lake City, FL - Fort White, FL

http://g2.columbia.floridapa.com/

http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/

Suwannee County - Live Oak, FL - Branford, FL

http://www.suwanneepa.com/

http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/

Hamilton County - Jasper, FL - Jennings, FL - White Springs, FL

http://www.hamiltonpa.com/

http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/

Union County - Lake Butler, FL - Providence, FL

http://g2.union.floridapa.com/index.asp?

http://www.srwmdfloodreport.com/

The FEMA - Suwannee River map site also has the following counties: Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union.

Lake City FL Real Estate Listing - New Video Tour Just Posted

Great property. This is a1,776 sq ft concrete block stucco house with some nice acreage. 4 acres is fenced for animals or horses, with small farm shelter. Nice trees on front part of property.

House is open style floor plan, upgraded Corian kitchen countertops. Big back room could be used for 3rd bedroom or den with access to back patio. Price has just been reduced. This place is well worth the visit.
.. Property is just over the border in Suwannee county, but has a Lake City, FL address.

Custom Home In Preserve at Laurel Lake - Great Value

We now have the Cambridge model available in the Preserve at Laurel Lakes. This is a great value at $194,900 customized to your preferences. 3 bedroom, 2 bath. This comes out to an amazing price of only $106.50 per sq ft. Quality home by Isaac Construction.



Download flyer..

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Walk Away or Short Sale

NOW YOU KNOW
Banks pursuing payback from walkaways
Increasingly aggressive mortgage lenders seek money from former owners who had a short sale or walked away. Read more.

Short sales are no easy deal. Be sure you know what the terms are when you sell, many times there be not be many options. But so you know, many Banks are not looking too favorably on Short sales that are more walk aways than real hardship issues.

FHA incentive to buy Now!

If you were planning to go the FHA loan route when buying your house, you might want to move quickly...

The Federal Housing Administration is strenthening thier reserves... but what this means for the average homeowner is tighter criteria & higher PMI rates...

• MIP, mortgage insurance premium will increase.
• Higher Credit score required
• Seller concessions lowered from 6% to 3%

Just another reason for buyers to make their move NOW!
Here are some more details on it... or contact one of our preferred lenders now to get prequalified... For all other real estate questions for the Lake City area, feel free to call or email.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=230552

Best Month to Sell your House

Do you want to sell a home in 2010? You may want to think January instead of June.. With the new tax credit expiring in April, you will probably see more early year home buyers vs the May-June market.

New Listing! 944 acre regional development potential.

One of a kind property at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Interstate 75, here in Lake City, this 944 acre is prime long term development potential. With the expansion of the port in Jacksonville and distribution and overall development potential of north central Florida, this property is worth a serious look.

All the details are at a new site launched called http://www.flahub.com/ Welcome to the new HUB of distribution & industrial growth in Florida.

Homebuyer and Home Buyers Tax Credit $8,000.

Greetings,

2010 is here!  As you may know the tax credit is back again with $8,000 for first time Home Buyers, and now also qualified REPEAT BUYERS can receive a credit of up to $6,500 for homes purchased between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

There are a few items that you need to make sure you qualify for, so I have attached some useful documents for you to print out & read, but this is very much real money. And its a tax credit not tax deduction. If you file your taxes individually, and you make over $125,000 per year the tax credit phases out. Anything less and you get the full credit.  Over $225,000 for married couples filing jointly it begins to phase out.

Downloads:

• $8,000 tax credit flyer.
• Save now with Tax Credit Details flyer.
• Tax Credit Changes FAQ
• Tax Credit Changes Comparison Chart.

US now renters' market.

U.S. now a renters' market


Reis Inc. says the apartment vacancy rate ended 2009 at 8%, and rents dipped 3%, led by cities that once had brisk growth. Read more. Click the title link.

Great Rates Today! Check this out from preferred lender

Columbia County FL School Zone Maps

Columbia County School Zone Maps!! Nice. Been looking for this. :)
You can check out the maps to find out what school your future home is located in here in Lake City, FL. Columbia County, FL School Zone....

http://www.columbia.k12.fl.us/schoolzones.html

Natonal Property Values Chart

This is pretty interesting, if you draw a average trend line from prior decades, it still equals a slow average value increase. These charts really show the abnormality of the recent boom & then crase...

Short sales: Playing by the new rules
The U.S. Treasury hopes to speed transactions under new rules, but details count. Realtors should understand the process. Read more.

Click here to view the file with all the details... lots of pages...

New Mapping Links - Lake City FL Real Estate Maps

Here are a few more of my mapping & data integration test today..

Check out the bing map here...
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=30.163284737060415~-82.6371002196172&lvl=12&sty=r&cid=D08284CF0AD70187!1791

More Geocoding on some higher priced ranged homes in Lake City, FL area...
http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=b79bff4f84e7f4095431ced95068b027

More Google mappping options for real estate by Chad Stewart...
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=30.190541,-82.65976&spn=0.208321,0.301094&z=12&msid=104192750246703441241.000479fd0a1c26b45d8b0

Here are some great houses!!
http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=fd10240ef068cf35ba12d2e70393d960

Nice listings of Lake City FL properties on Google...
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&output=georss&msid=104192750246703441241.000479fd0a1c26b45d8b0

Mapping & Data Tools

There are some very cool tools for exporting your listings to google maps, google base, msn maps etc...

If you want to get all your listings, or even several hundred listings from your MLS on the maps & web for all to see., check out these steps.. (extensive knowlege of excel, tab delimited text files, google earth, general data management required)

First export all your data files, etc into an excel file & save as a tab delimted.

Using this website at http://www.batchgeocode.com/

It will automatically add a latitude & longitute to each listing... you can then save as a KML Google Earth file, or save as a webpage like this.. http://www.batchgeocode.com/map/?i=d583d2a021ed09c64ded46c4383dfd15

Then in Google maps you can import the KML file to create a cool page with all your listings mapped..

or save as another rss feed, webpage,etc... http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&output=georss&msid=104192750246703441241.000479fc0d5ef072a01c1

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104192750246703441241.000479fc0d5ef072a01c1&z=10


View Lake City FL Homes & Real Estate in a larger map

Good Florida overview--website
http://www.fldashboard.com/

Take a look at the affordability index...it is off the charts at 166.

This means the average buyer has 166% of the necessary income to buy a median priced home.
http://bit.ly/91pRDL

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=227866

this looks like it will make the short sale process much easier!

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=227870

A good report from the "always optimistic" Lawrence Yun

Obama signs bill: Buyer tax credit extended
It's now law: Buyers get 5 more months to sign a contract, 7 more months to close; Fla. downpayment aid program extended; some move-up buyers get $6,500. Read more.

Realtors roll up sleeves to move property???
It takes a lot more work - home repairs, forms, time and money - to go from a listing to a closing these days. Read more.

From JAX business - Jacksonville Port Expansion

This is great news for the Lake City, FL area... As you may know, the port in Jacksonville has experience growth & could be experiencing even more... The Panama Canal is expanding as well allowing larger ships to come thru from Asia & other area...

Click for news story link.. all credit ito JaxBizJrn

Lake City, Florida is primed area for distrubution & light manufacturing growth for many reasons... 1st the obvisous connection to the article above... When frieght comes into Jax to get to most of Florida, will load onto trucks & then onto the Interstates..

Well Lake City, FL sits at the intersection of 2 major interstates, I-10 running East West from Jacksonville, to Tallahassee, to Pensacola, and I-75 running down from Atlanta, GA thru Ocala and all the way thru Tampa to Naples...

2nd Lake City is a quality of life destination. The landscape, the people, the springs with fresh water & more make Columbia County a inviting place to live.

The size of our community is just the right size that we are aggressively looking for development opportunity to grow our town effectively.

Contact me, Chad Stewart at Westfield Realty for industrial, commercial, large land tracts & information on this area... http://www.chadstewart.com

Foreclosures slow as courts get bogged down
The process extends the pain for homeowners, banks and courts; Miami-Dade alone has 135,000 in the pipeline. Read more.

NOW YOU KNOW
Fewer short sales come up short
While obstacles remain, real estate agents say banks are more willing to negotiate prices upfront. Read more.

Buyers.. Make your move.. Home Prices Up Again in June as Housing Crisis Eases

Home Prices Up Again in June as Housing Crisis Eases
http://www.cnbc.com/id/32550485

Updated IDX search for Lake City FL Real Estate MLS.....
http://realestate.chadstewart.com/

Didn't really loose in housing free fall

From Florida Association of Realtors...

"You didn’t really lose in housing free fall..... ORLANDO – Aug. 11, 2009 – Stan Smith has some news for longtime homeowners having a pity party over falling house prices in Central Florida: New research shows that current home values are just about where they would have been if the real-estate bubble had never inflated and burst.

A long-term view of the market reveals that, even though prices rose and fell dramatically in recent years, they appear to have settled back into historic patterns, according to an analysis by Smith, a University of Central Florida finance professor."
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=221351

Blogged by Chad Stewart - Westfield Realty Group in Lake City, FL

Foreclosures Short Sales - from Lake City FL

Foreclosure bargains are disappearing...Some houses go under contract less than 90 minutes after they're put on the market, says the founder of Foreclosure.com
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?id=221235

Here in Lake City, FL similar case as well....

41 home listings in Columbia county, Lake City FL are Bank, Foreclosure, or Short Sales,
That is out of 433 total home listings... Only 10% of the listings...

164 homes sold this year in the county...
58 of those were Bank owned, Foreclosures, or Short Sales...
Again roughly 30% of the market is this...

Chad.

$8,000 tax credit for downpayment

They came out with the $8,000 tax credit that you can use for a downpayment, however the program is limited to SHIP qualifications only.

Contact me for more info, otherwise contact the local SHIP office.However, the $8,000 as a tax credit, not tax deduction, but a real tax credit has a much broader qualification range, first time home buyer, not owned a home in the last 3 years, and some income limitations, otherwise yea, get $8,000 credit. Now thats nice..

My website with all my contact info is http://www.chadstewart.com/ Check it out or contact me with any questions.

The Basics: 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
From Realtor.org
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.
http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit

8,000 reasons to get off the fence.

8,000 Reasons for you to get off the fence.
Check out $8,000 dollar bill & then click this to check out & print the flyer.
There's never been a better time to buy a home. Really.

Real Estate is awesome.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES
All credit goes to Early Bird News for these...
Citizens insurance approves rate changes
Florida's largest property insurer approved a 10% rate hike for many customers, but a 10% rate decrease for some. Read more.
Appeals court upholds 'Save Our Homes'
Alabama residents had filed a suit alleging that it discriminates against property owners who aren't full-time residents. Read more.
Lawsuit filed against growth management bill
Local governments asked a circuit court to reject the law, saying it's an unfunded mandate that Florida law bans. Read more.
Your home's worth: Who can tell these days?
Should home value calculations consider nearby distressed property? Appraisers, real-estate agents and owners disagree. Read more.
Poll: Would-be homebuyers still cautious. More than half say they're not prepared to jump into the market, with a fear of job loss their No. 1 reason. Read more.

From Florida Assoc of Realtors... Tips & Info sites for home loans...

• Bankrate.com: www.bankrate.com/brm/green/mtg/mort1a.asp Good primer on different types of mortgage borrowing.

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.: www.mortgageinfocenter.com/tips/default.asp Offers dozens of mortgage borrowing tips over five pages.

Study: Housing Market in Lake City, FL

This is an article that was published in the Lake City Reporter yesterday. Written by Jeff M. Hardison.. & all credit goes to him & the Lake City Reporter...

This explains how the trend of more sale & activity but lower prices is still moving up north in Florida, still reaching into the Lake City, FL area. Here is the article.

__________________

Statewide numbers for Realtor sales of single-family existing homes looked good in May of 2009, according to the North Florida Forecaster newsletter. The newsletter is a publication of the Lake City Board of Realtors. People who are in the house-buying mode as end users will find Lake City to be a good market now, said Lake City Board of Realtors Executive Vice President Dan Gherna.

A trend of property prices being drastically reduced is moving northward, Gherna said, as reflected by Ocala showing a 1 percent increase in the number of Realtor sales of single-family existing homes in May 2009 over May 2008.

In Ocala, there was a 22 percent decrease in median prices of homes sold in May of 2008 compared with May of 2009 — dropping from $143,100 to $111,600.

“It’s encouraging to see Ocala’s results,” he said.Gherna said the Lake City-Live Oak market reflects low sales from May in comparison with the same month in 2008.“The bad markets are Gainesville, Lake City and Tallahassee,” he said.Gherna said a 13 percent reduced median sales price from $150,000 in May of 2008 to $130,000 in May of 2009 for the Lake City-Live Oak market is not significant enough to expect a dramatic increase in sales.

The Lake City-Live Oak market showed a 22 percent decrease in the number of sales, dropping from 41 houses sold in May of 2008 to 32 homes sold in May of 2009, Gherna said.

“Our distress property sales were only 30 percent,” he said. This compares to South Florida, where they are upwards of 80 percent.”

The Fort Myers-Cape Coral market showed the most significant positive sales increase by going up 72 percent when comparing figures from May 2008 and May 2009. There were 823 houses sold in that market in May of 2008 and that jumped to 1,417 houses sold in May of 2009.The median price of houses in Fort Myers-Cape Coral dropped by 58 percent, from $212,400 in May of 2008 to $88,500 in May of 2009.“In Fort Myers and Cape Coral,” Gherna said, “it looks like a war zone. There are new subdivisions where people are not mowing and windows are broken. Banks see these homes as a liability.”

Gainesville, Tallahassee, Lake City-Live Oak and Sarasota-Bradenton markets are the only double-digit negative Realtor sales figures for May of 2009 compared with May of 2008.Of the 21 markets reviewed by a survey of Multiple Listing Services sales levels from Florida’s Realtors, only Panama City showed a single digit 7 percent drop in median prices from $190,000 in May of 2008 to $167,500 in May of 2008. All other areas dropped prices from 58 percent to 10 percent.

Youtube, Old campsites, & Real Estate

Chad Stewart is now on Youtube as well... Check out videos & home tours & keep checking back.... If you are a Realtor & are not yet using Youtube or many of these online marketing & networking sites, you might as well get started. You need to keep your listing exposed to absolutly as many people as you possibly can.

Here is my Youtube channel if you want to check it out. http://www.youtube.com/user/chadrealestate101

You can even post the videos right in your blog like this... Check out some of these "homes" ... You definetly want to make sure you have an agent on the ground to check out sites, so you don't end up buying a place like this not knowing what you are getting into... wow, quite the place to drive thru....

Chad Stewart - Westfield Realty is on Twitter

Follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/ChadRealEstate

South Florida market looking better Threats still exist, however, says NAR Economist Lawrence Yun, who spoke at Miami's International Real Estate Congress. Read more

Short Sale & Foreclosure Report for Lake City, FL

Lake City, FL is definitely experiencing more short sales, foreclosures, & over REO or Bank owned properties & home sales than even just 1 year ago. Although we still do not seem to be even close to south Florida in terms of a REO dominated market to the levels of a 80-90% range. Locally we are at about 30% of our home sale business is Foreclosures & Short Sales.

152 residential properties sold YTD Jan thru June 13th 2009 in my north FL county (Columbia Count) "rural FL" 49 of those were REO, Foreclosure, Shortsales or approximatly 30% of the Market. Median sales price for all 152 sales YTD was $114,450 or about 80% of original list price for 2009 YTD.

Last Year, 2008 YTD thru 6-13-2008, by comparison there were 186 sales YTD with only maybe 15 or so REO,Foreclosure, or Short Sales being only about 8% of the market. Median sales price for these were $145,000. Selling at 89% of original list price.

Information pulled by Chad Stewart with Westfield Realty Group out of the Lake City North FL MLS. Lake City FL Board of Realtors.

Chad Stewart - Real Estate Blogger author.

http://www.chadstewart.com

Pending Home Sales Up 6.7%, Biggest Gain in Over 7 Years http://www.cnbc.com/id/31063170

1099-c Cancellation of Debt on Foreclosure or short Sale

Wondering about a 1099-c regarding cancellation of debt on a foreclosure or short sale. You may qualify for NOT paying taxex on that "income"
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174034,00.html

Homebuyers credit!!! :)

Governor signs $8K homebuyer credit into law
On July 1, first-time Florida buyers who quality for the federal $8,000 tax credit can use it toward a downpayment. Read more.
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-052709.cfm

Lake City, FL Real Estate Sale

Home sold in Eastside Village. Only on the Market for 4 days!! But really only 1 business day. Wow. This goes to show price it right & still you can sell quickly in Lake City, FL. This was not a short sale or foreclosure.

Big Improvement to First-Time Buyer Tax Credit
Under a new FHA rule, lenders can allow first-time home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment. Otherwise, buyers wouldn't get the money until they receive their tax return.
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009051202?OpenDocument

Florida Real Estate Market.

FLORIDA REAL ESTATE

A monthly UF survey finds an increase in confidence for the Florida real estate market. "Positive responses ... lead us to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel," says Timothy Becker, director of UF's Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies. According to Becker, many respondents believe that government stimulus efforts are working.

Read the full story:
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-051309.cfm

Latest Listing & Youtube Video Test.
Maple Ln for $99,900. Lake City, FL Real Estate.

Short Sales & Foreclosures,

This article has important things to keep in mind when dealing with sellers that wish to walk the path of a short sale, foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure.

http://www.brokeragentsocial.com/article.php?article_id=308

Tax Credit

Limited time to partake in the $8000 tax credit!

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-042409.cfm

Florida Real Estate Market

Here is some great news..., yes buyers get in there & start making your move. Well priced properties are selling quick. - Chad Stewart - Lake City, FL

RECOVERY ON THE WAY?
Housing Predictor - which monitors over 250 residential property markets nationwide - says Florida appears to be emerging from the realty slump before any other state, including California. The Sunshine State is seeing population growth, and single-family home and condominium sales have been on the rise for more than six months. Foreclosures and short sales presently account for approximately 67 percent of all sales and often are not included in real estate agents' tallies. Additionally, banks in many Florida housing markets are cranking out more home loans, and sellers finance almost 20 percent of all sales.
Source: First???EmailWire.com (04/21/09) © Copyright 2009 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

OPEN HOUSES
Despite a changing market, many real estate professionals say open houses still effectively showcase a home. "Anything you can do helps," says Trudy Severa, a sales associate in Reston, Va. "It's a numbers game, and there is no way to know the residual effects [that an open house can have]."Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-041409.cfm

RENTERS
Renters who have never missed a payment sometimes find themselves on the street because a landlord lost their house to foreclosure. But for $25 per year, a new program, RealtyTrac Renter Alerts, will monitor the home and inform renters about any foreclosure activity.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-040609.cfm

Look at this. NAR housing affordability index at 173. This is the best index since they started keeping records.

http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-040109.cfm

GOOD TIME TO BUY
There are signs that the housing market is starting to look healthier as many people realize it's a good time to buy a home. One of the best reasons: Uncle Sam is there to help first-time buyers, who are entitled to a maximum $8,000 tax credit on the purchase of their home.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-033109.cfm

HOME SALES
Florida's existing home sales rose 24 percent in January, making it the fifth month in a row that sales activity increased year-to-year, according to the latest housing data from FAR. Florida Realtors also reported a 13 percent gain in statewide sales of existing condos last month. NAR reported that nationwide sales of existing homes - all housing types - fell 5.3 percent last month; at the same time, inventories fell to a two-year low.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-022509.cfm

HOMEBUYER TAX CREDIT
The current version of the economic stimulus contains a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers only, though it does not have to be paid back if the house is owned for three years or more. The amount is far less than the $15,000 initially expected, and analysts say it will provide only a modest boost to the U.S. housing market.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-021309.cfm

"The Day the Market got better"

I was working hard in my office on new listings on Feb 9th, 2009, when my phone range.

...It was a investment prospect I had last talked to in August of 2007!!!! He was interested in making a purchase again after not have done anything in the past.., well should we say long time...
...A short time before that a land seller called that had not relisted his property, he was now ready to "do something"
...While getting my oil change, the attendant say my real estate name tage & said "I want to buy a home now!"
...a before that I had a development prospect interested again in developing a new retail center...He had been waiting things out for 9 months to a year.

It felt like that on Feb 9th, there was a surge of new activity, especially these "out of the blue" calls of people ready to get things moving again.

So I have officially labled Feb 9th as the day I reached the bottom of the market in terms of activity levels, no where left but up from here... Really throughout he start of the year, buyer, seller, prospect activity has really picked up, and I think it picked up even more in Feb of 2009.
I actually got pretty excited, I love the real estate business (even in a softer market) so I get really excited to see some activity levels coming back again.

So I am officially labeling Feb 9th, 2009 the day the market got better.

Thats all for now..I'm off to market another property, get that happy buyer & happy seller together for a wonderful deal.
Has anybody else had one of these "moments"?? I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment.
Chad.
www.chadstewart.com

COMMERCIAL
The commercial real estate industry applauded the government's move to include commercial mortgages in a key lending program Tuesday, but experts said the plan's lack of details is disconcerting.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-021109.cfm

MARKETING
Many potential buyers think they won't qualify for a mortgage, and that they must have a substantial downpayment first. But some Realtors are using that information to their advantage, hosting "Why Rent Events" that instruct shoppers on how to buy a home right now.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-020409.cfm

Here are some things to watch for when shopping for homes or land online... I have designed my www.chadstewart.com website to be automatically updated dailey with accurate information, but still contacting a Realtor directly is the best way to get best info.
Thanks. Have a great day.

ONLINE SHOPPERS NEED YOU.
Home shopping alone - without the help of a professional even when online - can become a huge handicap for home buyers. Here are four reasons:

• Late information. Shoppers who limit themselves to only looking at real estate Web sites will overlook some very good properties, possibly one that is perfect for them, and they won't get up-to-the minute information.
• Fake listings. Web operators sometimes try to collect page views with fake listings to pump up their advertising returns, and that wastes the time of real home shoppers. It's also frustrating for shoppers to find an interesting home that's not available.
Questionable information. Home value Web sites only go so far. Sites like Zillow.com and Cyberhomes.com put prices out there that may or may not be an accurate reflection of neighborhood or housing value. Working with a professional means the buyer gets the benefit of a broader range of knowledgeable resources.
• Process help. Once a home shopper has found a property, working with a pro means they'll follow the right path to close the deal. For anyone except experienced investors, going it totally alone can be risky.

MORTGAGES
Don't believe everything you read, says NAR. As part of a housing story, a number of media outlets say buyers now need a 20 percent downpayment to get into a home, which is not true. FHA mortgages, for example, require only a 3.5 percent downpayment.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-010609.cfm

FLORIDA CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
Consumer confidence among Floridians rose five points to 67 in December, reflecting optimism about new presidential leadership in 2009, a University of Florida study finds. Housing prices continue to fall, although some areas of Florida appear to have turned the corner and may benefit from the spring real estate season, says Chris McCarty, director of UF's Survey Research Center.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-010509.cfm

Home Affordibility

Wow!! the National Association of Realtors just released the affordibility index for November 2008, it has reached 142...

On this index the higher the number the more affordable it is to buy a home based on interest rates, median home prices, and median income ...

This truly is one of the best times to purchase a home even in the past 20 to 30 years!!!

Great rates, Great prices, things are looking good for 2009.

Fannie Mae said Monday it's finalizing a plan to help renters stay in their homes even if their landlord enters foreclosure. The mortgage giant says renters who can make their monthly payments could be offered a new lease or given cash to help move to a new home.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n2-121608.cfm

REAL ESTATE TRENDS
When the economy shrinks, so does the size of housing, sending the popularity of tiny apartments and condos soaring as construction costs rise and financial markets fall. Developers are also responding to buyers' penchant for urban living and their environmental awareness.Read the full story:http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n3-120808.cfm