REAL ESTATE FORECAST
There's positive news about the real estate market in 2007: Analysts note that interest rates will remain at historically low levels, homebuyers will see more opportunities and, nationwide, home prices will trend upward or remain stable in 2007.
Read the full story:
http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n4-121306.cfm

Rates Fall for Fifth Consecutive WeekThe average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 6.14 percent, its lowest point since Jan. 26 of this year, according to Freddie Mac.

Here is a intersting article I found. Some of the site are very useful, but cannot take the place of a knowledgable & professionally prepared comparative market analysis. Read on. - Chad

NEW REAL ESTATE SITE LISTS HEADY PRICES
You might have heard this piece of wisdom: A man with one clock always knows what time it is. A man with two clocks is never sure. The old saw applies to the rapidly expanding number of sites that estimate your home's value. First came Zillow (www.zillow.com) and its "Zestimates," which launched with a splash earlier this year. Realtors and consumer advocates gripe that Zillow's estimates are inaccurate and confusing. Now comes CyberHomes (www.cyberhomes.com), the Zillow-like site just launched by title insurance giant Fidelity National Information Services. Both sites make it nearly effortless to look up home values. So, The Palm Beach Post ran some homes currently listed for sale and compared the prices to the valuations offered by Zillow, CyberHomes and county property appraisers' sites. The results? The numbers are all over the place, with CyberHomes offering especially optimistic values. CyberHomes was above the asking price for four homes looked at. The lesson? Don't take these tools too seriously.

Copyright © 2006 The Palm Beach Post, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. courtesty & credit to above & planetrealtor.

INTERNET
Today’s homebuyers and sellers increasingly access information on real estate Web sites to become better educated about the housing market. A recent NAR survey found that 77 percent of buyers used the Internet to search for a home in 2005, compared to only 2 percent of buyers a decade earlier.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n3-11022006

IT'S NOT THE SUNSHINE -- IT'S THE TAXES
At least one expert is advising Florida's snowbirds to make it official:
Declare legal residence in Florida and spend less time up north. In doing so, says Allan R. Lipman, an attorney licensed to practice law in both New York and Florida, snowbirds will save money in property taxes, courtesy of Florida's Save Our Homes (SOH) property tax cap -- a protection that does not exist in other states.
credit to
http://planetrealtor.com/Florida/News

Four ways to foster a fast sale in a slow market
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Oct. 10, 2006 -- A tougher housing market means that real estate practitioners must take every opportunity to get their listings noticed. Here are some ways that sellers can work with their practitioners to foster a faster sale:

• Exposure, exposure, exposure. Sure, it may inconvenient to have buyers visit the home at unpredictable times. But limiting the times at which buyers can view the house may mean that they’ll look at other homes instead. “More showings equals greater interest equals greater likelihood for more money,” says David Martz, an associate with Re/Max Valley Properties near San Jose, Calif.

• Lookers come; sellers go. Sellers should leave the house when buyers arrive. Having the sellers around can make buyers uncomfortable. “Their very presence can be contrary to the merchandising experience,” says John Dozier, owner of Cupertino Properties.

• Competitive commissions. Make sure the commission being offered to the buyer's agent is competitive, even if the seller’s agent is offering to take a smaller than usual commission. Otherwise, buyers' agents could focus on other homes first.

• No surprises. Don’t forget to mention things that could make a buyer or a buyer’s agent feel disappointed the first time they see the property: a bad roof, a foundation that needs major repairs. Disclose these flaws in the listing notes as well as the legal disclosures so buyer’s agents can prepare their clients before showing them the property.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
Despite a cooling housing market, real estate investment funds are up about 22.16 percent so far this year, and are on track to top the market for the seventh straight year, according to Lipper Inc.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-10042006

Super-Luxury Homes,

This is quite the article, Residential listing prices are making history, for the first tim ever prices have gone over $100 million dollars, thats $100,000,000.00 for a house!!!

Check out this article.

http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-10022006

Quality Isaac Construction built home features: stone & hardy board exterior, maple cabinets, 10’ ceilings, crown molding, stone fireplace with gas logs, pecan hardwood floors, his/her wi closets, oversize Jacuzzi, rain head, 3020 sq ft under roof, 2’’ plantation blinds & more.

Over 10 acres of beautiful land has a fish pond, part planted pine & grass pasture land. 32X36 Pole barn, 12x14 shed, 2nd septic for RV hookup, large oaks, pecan trees, paved circle drive….

Call for your personal tour today.

PENDING HOME SALES
Pending home sales are up, a sign that a stabilization is taking place in the housing market, according to NAR. The index, based on contracts signed in August, rose 4.3 percent to a level of 110.1 from a reading of 105.6 in July, but it's 14.1 percent lower than August 2005.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n3-10032006

Grettings,

Have you checked out www.Trulia.com lately? Its still really just in the beta stage & runs a little slow, but there are some quite useful tools on there for finding home values, mapping software, etc.

The market analysis is very broad & not specific information or adjustment for advantages that your home may have. Feel free to email with any questions or if you would like additional market analysis done on your property.

Chad.

Shaq Takes Jump Shot into Real EstateBasketball star Shaquille O'Neal has started a real estate development company that already has bought more than $50 million in properties.good."Source: Bloomberg News (09/20/2006)

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2006092107?OpenDocument

MORTGAGE RATES
Rates on 30-year mortgages fell this week to 6.40 percent, its lowest level in six months, according to Freddie Mac's weekly nationwide survey. Rates hit a four-year high of 6.80 percent on July 20, but investors' inflation fears have subsided, easing the pressure on mortgage rates.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n1-09222006

PROPERTY INSURANCE
It won't be much, but Florida homeowners -- especially those in counties with higher damage from sinkholes -- soon could see a dip in their skyrocketing homeowners insurance costs.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n3-09082006

Mortgage Rates Decline to 5-Month LowLast week’s better-than-expected reading on the Consumer Price Index helped to push mortgage rates down to a five-month low, according to Bankrate.com’s weekly mortgage survey of large lenders.
The average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.48 percent, the lowest since March 29, while the average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage, popular for refinancing, dropped by a similar amount to 6.19 percent

Home warranties can be a very useful tool for avoiding alot of hassles with all the mechanical items in a house. The company, Old Republic would be an excellent choice. I have been very impressed with their service, website, account executives, etc.

http://www.orhp.com/

AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE
A good home in good condition in a good neighborhood offered at a fair price will still sell in a reasonable amount of time, experts say.
But in today's market, some owners want to offer a little extra incentive to help their home sell as quickly as possible. Here are some
suggestions:
• Pay homeowners' association fees for up to two years.
• Pay the buyer's home insurance for up to a year.
• Offer a bonus to the buyer's agent.
• Buy down the mortgage rate by a percentage point or two to lower the buyer's monthly payment.
• Pay closing costs.
• Replace all the appliances with new ones

Excellent location in desirable neighborhood on a great lot. Home features a spacious master bath with large garden tub, large wi closet, gas log fireplace, back porch wired for cable, & much more. All stainless steel appliances included! Also wired for a well.

New listing in Lake City, Florida. Beautiful home for sale.
Location! Location! Quiet & quality neighborhood, very close to schools, town, shops, & hospital.

This home features: Quality bathroom tile in large master bath, open floorplan, tall vaulted ceilings, accents, large back screened-in porch, back yard patio & more. Call for a personal tour today.

PROPERTY INSURANCE
News reports focus on the large property insurers that are canceling policies and cutting back on coverage, but some small insurers see Florida as an opportunity for growth. Since the start of 2005, 24 new insurance companies have entered the state and opened their doors for business.
Read the full story:
http://www.planetrealtor.com/florida/news/daily/news.cfm?article=n5-08092006