If no news is good news, then we've had a very good week as there is still no oil and now no Bonnie. We've also had another good week in real estate, with two sales, four new contracts, five new listings, and eight price changes.  No change in our inventory, though,  hanging steady at 415, with 164 houses and 251 lots listed for sale in the MLS in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass, and C-30 Corridor market.

Both of our sales were on the Cape, starting with a short sale on this  4-bedroom, 4 1/2 bath, 3,789 square feet home in Seagrass built in 2005 which went under contract with a list price of $449,900.  What I don't understand is the county having this one assessed at $498,852 which seems pretty high based on sales we've been seeing lately.  It appears the sellers gave $385,000 for the lot alone in October 2004.  On Monday the bank let the sellers accept $400,000 for it, just a little below the original list price in May 2006 of $1.379M. I've shown this house several times, so I'm familiar with it.  Even thought it's relatively new it has had some leaking issues; the last time I was in it there was a large section of ceiling on the second level which hasd been saturated at some point, and there were water damage stains around several A/C ceiling air vents.

Our second sale was a gulf view, quarter-acre lot measuring 52′ by 160′ in Turtle Dunes subdivision about a half mile north of Scallop Cove.  This one was also a short sale having last sold in June 2004 for $390,000.  The sellers put it back on the market just nine months later in March 2005 for $625,000, but the boom had burst by then and it's been on the market ever since. It finally went under contract in April with a list price of $150,000, and closed this week for $127,500, not too far off the county's assessment of $140,000.

Now onto our four new contracts, also all of which are on the Cape, and we'll start on the south side and work our way north. First up is a bank-owned gulf front lot on Louisiana Lane which is in a beachfront micro-subdivision seaward of Surfside Estates. This 50′ wide by 497′ deep half-acre lot last sold as recently as April 2007 for $400,000. The sellers lost it to the bank who put it on the market in June for $228,450, but soon after dropped that to $184,950, well below the county's assessment of $235,000.

OK - here's the one that caused such a feeding frenzy last week - the interior lot at Jubilation that the bank tossed out on the market with the give-away price tag of just $39,000. Almost immediately the listing agent was juggling multiple offers and this week the bank finally found one they could live with and it is now under contract with no contingencies, scheduled to close by August 4th. I'm betting this one goes for above list with that many offers in on it. This sale is going to be such a comp buster. That list price is less than half the county's assessed value of $85,000, and just 8-cents on the dollar for the $475,000 it sold for in April 2005.

Our third new contract is a bay view lot just a couple hundred feet south of Scallop Cove,  a lovely piece of property, high and dry, good elevation and great view. It also has an attractive price tag at just $99,000 considering it includes the use of an extremely well-built dock. It's good size, measuring 91′ by 238′.  No past sales info on this one as when it last sold it was part of a larger parcel which was subsequently subdivided. I think the county has this one a bit low at just $77,000.

Our fourth and final new contract is yet another bank-owned property, this one an interior lot on the north end of the Cape in Sunset Pointe.  The bank has this one listed for $44,500, which is 12-cents on the dollar for its previous sale price of $355,000 in September 2006. The county's pretty close on this one, having it at an even $50,000.

These bank-bargain give-aways we've been seeing so many of lately make choosing picks of the week a bit of a challenge as after some of those steals it's hard to get excited about "normal" additions and changes, and that's the case this week. Nothing in the new listings and price changes just screams out to me so I'm going to hold off until next week.

So that's a wrap for this week. I hope you have a chance to come on down to the beach and enjoy the Cape. The oil is nowhere in sight and Bonnie is not even on our radar screen so it looks like a decent week of sunshine shaping up. If you're in the area stop on by my office and say hello. And if you're interested in learning more about property whether buying or selling, give me a call at 850-227-5197 or send me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth. Have a great weekend, and thanks so much for taking time to stop by today.

It is good to see so many visitors enjoying their summer vacations here at the beach as we've been worried that people would stay away because of all the fear mongering from the media.  Thankfully, for now at least, our coast remains clear.  Folks weren't all just soaking up rays, either; six of them picked up the title to their own little piece of paradise while they were here.  No new contracts this week, but we added a dozen new listings to the menu, moving our total inventory back up to 415, with 162 homes and 253 lots listed in the MLS in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 market. Only six sellers decided to try new price tags.

  All the sales action was in land as all six of our sales were lots, and four of those were in Ovation on the Cape, with three on the bayside and one gulf front. These were all four developer release sales, and apparently the developers meant it when they said they were firm on those price reductions they posted in late March as all four sold for full list. Two interior lots sold for $50,000, one bay view along the crescent overlooking the common area went for $125,000, and a gulf front sold for $299,000. Who wouldn't want a gulf front lot like this?

Now THAT'S a vacation souvenir!

Over on the south side of the Cape in Piney Woods someone else decided they wanted some gulf front to call their own, and picked up this one-acre beauty for $250,000. The lot measures 51′ by 755′ and was listed for $265,000. Even though it last sold in mid-2004 for $675,000, it was not advertised as a short sale.   The county had valued it at $200,000.

And now for something totally mind-blowing. You are not going to believe our sixth sale. It's located in Stillwater, a small subdivision out on C-30 almost to the Franklin County line.  It's a bank-owned lot which sold in October 2005 for $174,000. The bank had it listed for $28,500, or roughly half the county's assessed value of $55,000. Some savvy buyer walked away with it for just $6,500!  That is NOT a typo. That's less than 4 cents on the dollar.  I'm still having a hard time digesting this one. Unbelievable . . .

No new contracts so we'll jump stright to my Pick of the Week from our twelve new listings, and I have a terrific gulf front value for you.

  If you're a fan of Indian Pass, you won't want to miss out on this opportunity to own a beautiful gulf front lot for only $219,000. This nearly half-acre property is 48′ wide by roughly 408′ deep, and according to the MLS, plans and permits are approved for a 2 story, 2712 square foot 4-bedroom, 4 1/2-bathroom gulf front home with a private gulf front swimming pool, and will be included in the sale. It's a short sale, so you'll need to remember that good things come to those who are willing to wait, in this case for the bank to make up its mind.  The sellers paid $640,000 for it in October 2004; the county currently has it assessed at $200,000.

And now for my Price Change Pick of the Week from our six new price tags - I'm going with yet another gulf front, this one on the south side of Cape San Blas on Louisiana Lane.

This bank-owned 50′ wide, half-acre gulf front lot that last sold in April 2007 for $400,000. They've had it listed for $228,450, which is reasonable enough, but this week they dropped that to $184,900 which is well below its assessed value of $235,000.  This will probably trigger a feeding frenzy much like the one last week's $39,000 Jubilation lot did.

That does it for this week. If you're looking for great values, they're out there. Let me know what you'd like to find and I'll see what I can do. Give me a call on my cell at 850-227-5197 or shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com and we can start the search. I hope you have a great weekend - stay cool and keep hydrated. It's HOT out there! Thanks for taking time out to stop by.

Another great week here on the Cape with clear skies, clean beaches, happy vacationers and folks shopping for real estate. We had one person go to closing, two new contracts, thirteen new listings, and seven price changes.  Our inventory shot up over three per cent, unfortunately, gaining 13 over last week, with 405 active MLS listings in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor market, with 161 homes and 244 lots. Let's see what buyers are up to.

Our solo sale of the week is a gulf-front home on the Cape in Tucker Shores which is that micro-subdivision of six homes just past the rocks at Stumphole.  This one's a bit unusual in that it last sold just this past January for $433,000, and they then put it back on the market several months later with a list price of $699,000, or a 63% mark up. It's a nice home, 2,642 square foot with 5 bedrooms, 5 baths and an in-ground pool. On Thursday our savy sellers pocketed a nice profit when they picked up a check for $550,000 at the closing table.  $117,000 in just six months. Nicely done.

The first of our two contracts is also on the Cape, this one an interior home in San Blas Plantation on the south side.   It's a bank-owned 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 1,620 square foot home with a list price of just $149,900, way below the county's assessed value of $228,490.  It last sold in February 2005 for $490,000 and the sellers put it back on the market just six months later with a $695,000 price tag but that bus had been long gone by that time and they eventually lost it to the bank.

It's all happening on the Cape this week as our second contract is in Sunset Pointe up alongside the entrance to the state park. It's a quarter acre lot with a list price of $119,000.  The county has a different opinion and has it assessed at $50,000. This one sold in February 2003 for $200,000 and then more than double that for $437,000 in mid-2005. Ouch.

It's Picks of the Week time and this week we have thirteen new listings from which to choose and folks, we have a winner.

In Jubilation, also on the south side of the Cape, RBC bank put this interior lot up for sale with a price tag of just $39,000 which is a terrific value for property in such a nice subdivision. Jubilation has a lovely gulf front community pool and walkway to the beach. This is another community done by Ashwood Development who also did Ovation on the north end of the Cape. The lot measures 50′ by 80′ and it's also "X" zone.  This lot last sold in the summer of 2004 for $273,000. That $39K price tag is far less than half the county's assessed value of $70,000.

Secluded Dunes is one of the most aptly named neighborhoods ever, tucked away as it is at the end of the road so to speak as the northern-most community on the Cape, and this week it's the location of my price change Pick of the Week. I like this gulf front lot which moves just a smidgen in price from $299,000 down to $295,000 but for gulf front in such a lovely area I think it's a good value.

That's a wrap for this week. If any of those new listings or price changes caught your eye, give me a call. My cell number is 850-227-781 and my email address is sherri@sherridodsworth.com . There are terrific values to be had.  I hope you have a great weekend, and I really appreciate your taking a few minutes out  to stop by today.

Our beaches were busy this morning with crews of turtle patrol volunteers, representatives from NOAA, The Interior Department, National Fish and Wildlife,  Florida Fish and Wildlife, news crews from CNN and the AP, FED EX PR guys and curious onlookers.  The assembled were all there to either participate in or just watch loggerhead turtle eggs being removed from nests and carefully placed into styrofoam containers to prepare them for travelling via special climate controlled FED EX Custom Critical delivery vans to an incubator at Cape Canaveral on the east coast of Florida.

Onlookers and Turtle Patrol Volunteers watched as eggs were removed from the nest located on the southern end of Cape San Blas across from Scallop Cove.   They were huddled around the nest to try and keep as much sunlight out of it as possible to help shield the eggs. The area was roped off to keep too many people from crowding the nest.   Today's rescue was originally planned as an afternoon or early evening training session for the volunteers, but they received word late yesterday that FED EX had planned to make it a media event to promote their Custom Critical units, and everything was switched to early morning.

Photo by Willa Cleveland

I handed my camera to my friend Willa who is a Turtle Patrol volunteer and she took this photo of eggs in the nest being removed by Jessica McKenzie, the Turtle Patrol Coordinator.

Photo by Willa Cleveland

The eggs were then carefully placed into two styrofoam coolers with sand to protect them during their travels.  The coolers had to be held throughout the process to prevent their being jostled and disturbing the fragile contents. 107 loggerhead turtle eggs were rescued from the nest this morning. This was part of a carefully coordinated rescue mission to rescue eggs from all along the Panhandle coast.

I saw crews from CNN and AP and possibly some other outlets.  I just had a call from a friend who said CNN ran the story around mid-day today but I haven't had a chance to see it.  USA Today featured the story on page 4A today in an edition that had to have gone to press before the event took place, and NPR has posted the AP story on their website.

The FED EX driver noted the irony of his needing to refuel at the BP station on the Cape before he could leave as the next nearest gas station is over 17 miles away.

The watching and waiting continue as we still remain mercifully untouched by the oil. There are small armies of BP contractors patroling the beaches daily even though the nearest oil reported is all the way over on the western edge of Panama City Beach. So our beaches are still beautiful and property managers are very nearly sold out for the holiday weekend.  On the sale side we had a bit busier week this week and managed to have three sales and one new contract,  five new listings and two price changes. A number of listings expired on the 30th so our inventory takes a nice dip, coming in below 400 at 392, down a healthy 15 from last week, with 157 homes and 235 lots listed for sale in the MLS in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor market.  Let's see what changed hands at the closing table.

The first of our three sales is a spacious 3,368 square foot, 6-bedroom, 4-bath first tier home on Cabo San Lucas, about a quarter mile north of Scallop Cove. Since it was built in 2002 it and the two gulf front homes in front of it have been a very popular set of rentals for weddings.  Originally listed in early 2009 for $999,999, the county currently has it assessed at $351,762 and it went under contract with a list price of $499,000.  On Thursday they went to closing and the buyers picked it up for $465,000.  That's a lot of house in a good location for a great price.

Our second sale is a little bit further north on the Cape to this 51′ wide gulf front lot on Clipper Way in Feather Sound which was priced to sell at $220,000,  real close to the county's assessed value of $200,000.  It was Christmas in July for some savvy buyer as they picked it up this week for an unbelievable $150,000.  Amazing considering it last sold in May of 2004 for $550,000.

We're heading off the Cape and over onto the C-30 Corridor to Simmons Bayou for our third sale. This is a modest 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,300 square foot home with some what of a distant bay view which was listed for $165,000, well above the county's estimate of $112,795.  The sellers got nearly asking price for it, closing on Wednesday for $155,000. 

Only one new contract this week, and it's a foreclosed gulf front home at Brighton by the Sea also out  along C-30. This is a 3-bedroom, 4-bath, 2,475 square foot Key West style home built in 1998.  The homes at Brighton share a gulf front pool and a wide, stable stretch of beach. Federal flood insurance is available in this area as it is outside the CBRA zone. The sellers bought it at the market peak in August 2004 for $689,000 and it went under contract on Wednesday with a list price less than half that, $325,900. That hurts.  Anyway, there aren't any contingencies in the contract to be fulfilled, and the parties plan to close by July 29th.

I am booked solid today showing property and am out of time for blogging so I will post this much and if I get back in at a reasonable time this afternoon I'll revise it to add the Picks of the Week from our five new listings and two price changes. Busy is good! I hope you have a great holiday weekend - be safe and try to make it here to the beach this weekend if you can. The only thing more gorgeous than our beaches right now is the weather. If you need any  info on our beauiful real estate, give me a call on my cell at 850-227-5197 or shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com.  Thanks so much for stopping by today.

.What a difference a week makes - much quieter this week, with somewhat slower sales activity compared with what we've been seeing recently, with only one sale and one new contract, and just four new listings and three price changes. As a result, our inventory is virtually unchanged, up just three to 407 with 158 homes and 249 lots for sale  in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor market. Before we get started,  I know the first thing everyone wants to know is how are the beaches?  I'm happy to report our beaches are still clean and gorgeous and open for fun in the sun.  Here's a shot from my neighborhod yesterday afternoon.

And that's where you'll find me later this afternoon. OK, now down to business.

Our solo sale of the week was the quartershare 3-bedroom, 3 1/2 bath townhouse at Barrier Dunes that went under contract just last week. With this ownership, the four owners rotate weeks where each has one week to use the home every four weeks. This owner had their share listed for $60,000 and it was just what my buyers were in the market for, and on Monday they picked it up for just $50,000.

Our one new contract is on this bank-owned fixer-upper over in Indian Summer near Turtle Beach Inn at Indian Pass. It's a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,583 square foot first tier home in real need of some TLC. The bank has it listed for $225,000 which is pretty close to the $210,856 county assessment. There are contingencies to be met so don't know yet when they hope to close.

Quick week this week as I'm not seeing anything knock-my-socks-off exceptional among our four new listings to merit Pick of the Week Status. There may be a gem among the three price changes, but before I recommend this gulf front lot reduced from $279,000 to $150,000 as a Price Change Pick of the Week, I want to do some more research and make sure it's a lot you can actually do something worthwhile with. If it is, I'll write it up and feature it as a mid-week special. Here's a photo.

If you have plans to come to the beach right now there doesn't seem to be any reason to change those plans at least for the next couple weeks. I will keep you posted as I hear updates, and don't hesitate to call or write for the latest info. My cell phone is 850-227-5197 and my email is sherri@sherridodsworth.com . Have a wonderful summer weekend and thanks so much for stopping by today.

OK - by Cape standards, summer officially began, Saturday, June 19, because it was the first day of the 2010 Scallop Season. The governor decided to move the date up by nearly two weeks to encourage visitors to come down early. Our beaches are still beautiful and open for business, and several visitors this were so impressed with our waterfront properties they bought some for themselves.  Sales remained strong with three closings, and two new contracts, while three new listings entered the competition and eight sellers opted for new price tags.  Our inventory remains unchanged from last week, at 404, with 155 homes and 249 lots for sale in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor markets. Let's see who went to closing.

The first of our three sales is this elegant bay front home on Cape San Blas which has been on the market looking for a buyer since May 2005 when the sellers initially listed it for $1.475M.  By the time it went under contract a few weeks ago, that list price was down to $750,000. On Monday they went to the closing table and accepted a check for $675,000, not too far off from the county's current assessed value of $607,358.  It's a 3,455 square foot, 3-bedroom home on over 2 acres with 130′ of waterfront. Our second sale is a bit more modest home, also on the Cape, this one a 1,352 square foot, 3-bedroom beach cottage on Cape San Blas Road in Peninsula Estates about a half mile south of the state park entrance.   It was built by Piergiovanni back in '94 and has been well maintained over the years.  The sellers only put it on the market a couple of weeks ago, priced it right and so were able to attract a buyer in no time. They were apparently highly motivated as they listed it for $279,900 but took $219,500 for it. I think the county's assessment on this one at $170,555 was a bit low. We have yet another bargain gulf front lot for our third sale, this one  a 75′ wide one at Indian Pass which also went for well below its list price of $399,000. The sellers have owned it since 1990 when they bought it for a mere $32,500. On Wednesday they let it go for just $280,000, or $3,733 per waterfront foot, which puts it almost dead on the money with the county's guesstimate of  $266,000. More gulf front for the first of our two new contracts, this one over on the Cape in Tucker Shores which is that micro-subdivision of six homes just past the rocks at Stumphole.  This one's a bit unusual in that it last sold just this past January for $433,000, and have it back on the market with a list price of $699,000, or a 63% mark up. It's a nice home, 2,642 square foot with 5 bedrooms, 5 baths and an in-ground pool. It went under contract on Friday with no contingencies and is scheduled to close by July 8th. Our other contract is also a bit different from what we typically see - it's a quarter-share ownership in a 3-bedroom, 3 1/2 bath Barrier Dunes townhouse. With this ownership, the four owners rotate weeks where each has one week to use the home every four weeks. This owner had their share listed for $60,000 and it was just what my buyers were in the market for, so we're under contract scheduled to close in one week. I am amazed at how busy the past few weeks have been - I've been showing property daily, responding to requests for info, and getting properties ready to list which is great but I hate not having gotten this post out on time. I'm already working on getting together my info for this coming Saturday's update so I intend to be back on track. I appreciate all the emails of concern I've had in the past two days from readers asking if I'm ok because my blog hadn't been updated.  Thanks so much for keeping me honest!  If you want real estate info or just want to know what's going on with the oil spill, please feel free to pick up the phone and call me at 850-227-7891 or shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com. Have a great week.

The headlines haven't scared off buyers but seem to actually be fueling increased interest in real estate around here as sales remain strong. We had a better than average week, with three sales and three new contracts, eight each new listings and new price tags. Not much change in our inventory, closing down just two from last week, to 404, with 155 homes and 249 lots for sale in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor markets. Let's see what caught buyers' attention.

We'll head out along the C-30 Corridor where the first of our three sales is this Key West-style second tier gulf view home in Money Bayou. It's a cozy 758 square foot 2-bedroom, 2-bath beach retreat which last sold in May 2004 for $340,000.  It's not listed as a short sale even though it went under contract with a list price of $259,900. It closed for $237,000, way above the county's assessment of $157,655.

  Here's the steal of the week. Our second sale is this 50′ wide gorgeous gulf front lot on Indian Pass overlooking St. Vincent Island Wildlife Reserve which sold for full list price of only $125,000, way below the county's assessment of $200,000.  Amazingly this wasn't a short sale despite the fact it last sold in March 2005 for $700,000.  This is proof that now is a good time to pick up some great investments.

Our third and final sale takes us to the Cape, where this interior lot in Surfside Estates on the south side of the Cape listed for $55,000 sold for $45,000. That's just about right on the money as far as the county is concerned as they have it pegged at $40,000. The sellers bought it as one in a bundle of lots (I believe six in all) for which they paid a total of $108,000 back in June of 1995, so even at $45,000 they should be ok.

On to our three new contracts, two of which, coincidentally enough, are homes in Peninsula Estates located about a half mile south of the state park entrance.  The first is this handsome 3-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 1,352 square foot beach cottage on the gulf side of Cape San Blas Road which went under contract last Saturday with an attractive list price of $279,900.  It was built by Piergiovanni back in '94 and has been well maintained over the years. No contingencies on the contract, and the parties plan to close by the 22nd of June.

On Sandlewood Blvd. on the bay side of Peninsula Estates our second new contract is a short sale on a 5-bedroom, 3-bath, 1,368 square foot home circa 1990 in need of a good bit of TLC at this point. Originally listed in March for $285,000, the sellers dropped that to a far more realistic $185,000 on May 9 at which price it didn't take too long to attract a buyer.  The county has it valued at $154,579 so it will be interesting to see what the bank finally accepts.

Our third and final new contract takes us back out along the C-30 Corridor for yet another short sale, this one a steal of a deal at its current list price of just $300,000. This is a very nice first tier home, a spacious 1,884 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 3 baths built as a spec home in 2008 with an original price tag of $729,900.  The market has obviously changed since then to the point where the county now has it valued at just $240,349.  Check out the view from this home:

In a week where we had a sale on a 50′ wide gulf front lot with a magnificent view go for $125,000 it's hard to find anything among our new listings and price changes that can compete with that, so we'll let the Picks of the Week ride this week. Until then, our beaches are clean and clear with no oil forecast to reach us during the upcoming week if current conditions prevail, so if you've been planning on coming down, please do. Governor Crist announced yesterday that the state will open scallop season early this year on June 19 instead of July 1 to encourage visitors to come on down. For now, the only oil on our beaches is suntan oil and we're praying it stays that way. 

Let me know if you'd like to find out more about what's currently available. Call me on my cell at 850-227-5197 or shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com .  Have a great week, hope to hear from you, and thanks so much for taking time out of your day to stop by.

Tourists may be looking elsewhere for their summer vacations but buyer interest has definitely stayed focused on the Cape with temptingly low prices on quality coastal properties.  Only one closing, but we have an impressive  six new contracts. We added five new listings to the mix, and four sellers lowered their prices.  All that activity brought our inventory down by four to 406, with 158 homes and 248 lots listed for sale in the MLS in the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor market.  Lots to look at today so let's get started.

The first of our six new contracts is a spacious 3,368 square foot, 6-bedroom, 4-bath first tier home on Cabo San Lucas, about a quarter mile north of Scallop Cove. Since it was built in 2002 it and the two gulf front homes in front of it have been a very popular set of rentals for weddings.  Originally listed in early 2009 for $999,999, the county currently has it assessed at $351,762 and it goes under contract with a list price of $499,000.

Next up is a large corner lot on the bayside of Ovation with a list price of just $75,000, real close to the county's assessment of $65,000.  This is one of the group of developer lots that were lowered in price back at the end of March.  No contingencies to be met on this one and it's scheduled to close by August first.

Buyers are loving the new low gulf front prices and they're snapping them up right and left. Three of our six contracts are gulf front, the first of which is this large one-acre, 51′ wide lot in Piney Wods subdivision on the south side of the beach which last sold in mid-2004 for $675,000. It's currently assessed at $200,000 and went under contract last Saturday with a list price of $265,000.

Just a few blocks away our fourth contract is on an interior lot in Surfside Estates listed for $55,000.  This one last sold as part of a 9-lot package with a total price of $108,000 or a little over $12,000 each. The county has this one at $40,000.

We're heading out towards Indian Pass for our last two contracts, stopping first at this 75′ wide gulf front lot in Treasure Shores which went under contract on Sunday with a list price of $399,900. It's not listed as a short sale even though the sellers paid $675,000 for it in October 2007.  I'm interested in seeing what this finally goes for as it was sold in early 2002 to a previous owner for $380,000 and my sense is that we're back to roughly 2001/2002 prices so this sale will be a good indicator. The county has it assessed very conservatively at just $300,000.

Our sixth and final contract is over on Canoe Lane at Indian Pass where this 75′ wide gulf front with a list price of $399,000 went under contract on Friday. The seller has been trying to move this property for some time now, having intially listed it in January of 2006 for a cool $1.285M.  He wasn't trying to flip it either as he's owned it since 1990 when he bought it for a mere $32,500 which is about $52,674 in today's money when I run it through my handy inflation calculator.  I'm not sure why the county has this one at $266,000 when it's the same width as the Treasure Shores lot and they're both FEMA flood insurance eligible.

I'm not seeing anything among our new listings or price changes worthy of Pick of the Week status so I'll pass on those this week, even though one of the new listings is a gulf front, bank-owned lot for just $209,000. You're saying to yourself Whattt?????  No, not going to recommend it as it's on White Sands Drive and the gulf front homes along this stretch have been fighting a non-stop battle with erosion for the past fifteen years and even with the restoration, I think the lots are too shallow for comfort. The house that was previously located on this lot was moved onto a first tier lot for that very reason.

We're hoping the oil stays away, but don't you stay away if you're looking for terrific values on coastal properties. Whether you're interested in buying or selling, I'd love to hear from you. Try me on my cell at 850-227-5197 or shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com . Have a great week and thanks so much for stopping by today.

WOW! You might think it was the 4th of July instead of Memorial Day with all the figurative fireworks going on around here.  I think we set a sales activity record this week: we had five closings and four new contracts. That's a lot of real estate changing hands.  In other activity we added ten new listings to the menu, and marked down eleven other properties.  Our inventory swelled by four, coming in at 410, with 160 houses and 250 lots listed in the MLS for the Cape San Blas, Indian Pass and C-30 Corridor market. We have a lot of territory to cover today so let's jump right in.

 Our five sales included one house and four lots. We'll start with the house, which is this 4-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,129 spec home located up in Sunset Pointe on the Cape just outside the state park. It's a lovely home but the only views of the water from it are mere glimpses from the upstair bedrooms.  The devleoper built it in 2007 when he listed it for $795,000 but never found any takers. It went under contract this week with a list price of $450,000 and closed on Thursday for just $335,000.  Somebody made a bold offer and hit the seller at just the right moment and picked themselves up a terrific new home. The county's estimate of value seems low at just $262,500.

Sunset Pointe was a hot spot this week as our second sale was on a bank-owned interior lot there with a list price of $69,000 which last sold in early 2004 for $205,000.  My buyers were looking for a quiet, secluded place to get away from it all and this property definitely satisfies that.  They offered $46,000 cash, the bank signed off on it, and we have another story with a very happy ending.

 

There are some great deals to be had on gulf front lots these days as illustrated by our third sale.  Just a couple hundred feet south of Scallop Cove is where this  lot with pilings aleady in place sold  for full list price of $219,000, well below the current assessed value of $304,400.  It's a 50′ wide  lot which sold just this past January as a bank-owned lot for $75,000.  Back in January 2004 when it was still part of a 100′ wide lot, that whole lot sold for $1,035,000. My how times change. 

More gulf front in the news, this time over on Canoe Lane near Indian Pass where this one-acre lot with 75′ of waterfront sold on Thursday for just $280,000, way below the list price of $485,000 and more in line with the county's assessment of $262,500.   Another bold offer richly rewarded.

And now for something completely different as they say. Our fifth and final sale takes us out along the C-30 Corridor east of the world famous Indian Pass Raw Bar to this bank-owned three-quarter acre lagoon view lot measuring 70′ by 500′ with a list price of just $33,000 and which sold for $28,000 cash. Sweet. It last sold in early 2005 for $169,000. The county's assessed value on this one is $40,000.

Now on to our four new contracts, beginning with this bay-front estate quality home on Cape San Blas listed for $750,000.  Situated on over 2-acres on St. Joe Bay, it has all the bells and whistles. Here's the description from the MLS:

Fabulous home on pristine St. Joseph Bay decorated colorfully and fun with tons of detail and quality items. This home features an elevator, two master suites, 10′ ceilings, a bunk room, a media room, a weather station, plenty of storage, Corian counters, 2 fireplaces, and 2 living rooms. This is a must see to appreciate the value and beauty! Storage galore with approx. 1000+ sq. ft. for boat & related water sports gear. Easily accessible to the shared dock on the Bay. Local architect designed the south master suite. The home features high ceilings, two master bedroom areas each with large tiled bathroom double sinks, whirpool tub, large walk-in closets, and abundant natural light. Storage throughout the house with great closets, and a dream kitchen. Built-in grill in the sun-room overlooking St. Joseph Bay. Ample parking for at least 4-5

It's a beauty on a unique piece of land. The owners have been trying to sell it since the beginning of 2006 when they first put it on the market with a list price of $1.475M. It's current list of $607,358 is more in line with the county's assessment of $607,358.

More gulf front with our second new contract, this one on the south side of the Cape where this 3-bedroom, 2-bath vintage 1983 home sitting on a spacious 1 1/4 acre gulf front parcel is listed as a short sale for $274,900. That's a far cry from the $1.8M the home originally listed for in January 2006. The seller's current list is way below the county's estimate of $327,680.

Folks were shopping waterfront deals this week and our third contract is no exception. Here's a bank-owned quarter acre lot with 50′ of gulf front on the Cape with a list price of just $225,000.  As you can see in the photo this one, too, is just a little south of Scallop Cove. The lot last sold in mid-2007 for $895,000 and prior to that in late 2004 for $675,000. The county currently has this one pegged at an even $200,000.

  It's as if we had a Blue Light Special on gulf front lots this week, as our fourth and final new contract is also on one, this one my Price Change Pick of the Week just last week. It's a 50′ beauty our near the point on Indian Pass listed for just $125,000 and NOT as a short sale or foreclosure even though it last sold in early 2005 for $700,000. The owners put it back on the market the following month with a $1.35M price tag, but never found a taker. These are the types of price cuts you need to be poised to pounce on quickly because they just don't stay on the shelf for very long.

There are several interesting properties among our ten new listings, but my New Listing Pick of the Week goes to this bank-owned second tier ot on Cottage Lane near Indian Pass listed for only $47,500.  The subdivision is The Cottages at Indian Summer and each of the lots includes deeded access to the beach, and there is a community opool as well.  Federal flood insurance is available for this area saving you money on insurance.  The bank has this one priced way below the county's assessed value of $75,000.

I have a Price Change Pick of the Week, too, and it should look god to all those people out there apparently hungry for good gulf front.

This 50′ wide gulf front lot lot at Indian was my New Listing Pick of the Week three weeks ago when it debuted in the MLS $249,000. I liked it then and I love it even more now that it's available for only $225,000.  If you're familiar with the Pass, it's about two lots past where the great big blue antebellum-style house is located on the north side of the road.  It's not bank-owned or a short sale so it shouldn't be any problem getting it to closing.

That about wraps it up for this week's review. Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you'd like more info on these or any other properties, just shoot me an email to sherri@sherridodsworth.com or call me on my cell at 850-227-5197.  Have a great holiday weekend and don't forget to take a few moments to remember those who gave their all to give us our freedom.