Joe's Ocala Real Estate Blog

Ocala 55+ Community Map

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:45:44 -0500

I have created a Google Map showing the location of all Ocala area 55 plus communities. Eventuaaly I plan to put a link from the place marks to blog entries that will discribe each community. If you're not familiar with Google Maps, you can zoom in and out, move the map around with your mouse and even get an aereal view. For a breif discription of Ocala 55 Plus Retirement communitiies visit my web site. This is the link to my Ocala 55+ Communities Map.

Ocala area weather October 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:21 -0500

The weather here in Ocala has been unusually warm for October. As a matter of fact it's been so hot that we have set records for he date several times. Here is how it has been. So far, half way through October, it's been in the low to mid 90's almost every day. It should be in the mid to high 80's and getting dryer all the time. October is also the beginning of the dry season where the afternoon thunderstorms stop, the humidity goes away and it doesn't rain for weeks om end. If you'd like to know more about Ocala weather visit my new web page that has all sorts of Ocala weather info.

Ocala Golf course Communities

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:53:39 -0500

GolfLink.com ranks Ocala as number 8 in it's list of Florida golf destinations. In addition of some great golf courses like Golden Hills, which just hosted the 2009 U.S Woman's Mid amateur Championship, Ocala has some really great Golf Course Communities. These great communities combined, with the fact that the Ocala area has the second lowest median home price in Florida, makes for some pretty great deals on homes. You can actually buy a home right on a golf course here in Ocala for under $200,000.00. Interestedin finding out more about Ocala Golf Course Communities? Call or email me and I can send you a list of Ocala area golf course homes for sale. There has never been a better time to buy.

Vacant Land NW Ocala Marion County Florida

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:31:48 -0500

This is a very nice 10 acre lot of cleared and partially fenced pasture land in the town of Citra which is just NW of Ocala. This land is located on a quiet tree lined street in an area of really nice farms.

Offered at only $175,000.00

Contact me any time about this property or other Ocala Farm Properties

The state of Ocala real estate September 09

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:59:00 -0500

I've been busy with mu other blog and neglected my real estate market reports here on Active Rain. In August Ocala real estate sales were up a little from July. Both months were huge improvements from a year ago. We still have a fairly considtant number of listings, hovering around 5,500. That's over 19 months of inventory and it doesn't seem to be going down fast. Inventory is down a lot sinve last year though.

Our market is still driven by short sales and foreclosures which combined account for around 40% of all sales. Our market has improved so much do to bargain hunters realizing that now is the time to buy and get the best selection.

If you're interested in Ocala Foreclosures just contact me and I'll send you a list.

Ocala real estate market report for June 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:21:48 -0500

$100.00 to $100,000.00	162
$100,001.00 to $200,000.00	129
$200,001.00 to $300,000.00	22
$300,001.00 to $500,000.00	5
$500,000.00 plus	1

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH	319

TOTAL ACTIVE LISTINGS FOR MONTH	5,439

The above statistics are for single family homes sold in Marion county and do not include FSBO, builder sales not on the MLS, farms, commerial or vacant land.

The good news is there was a huge increase in sales in June. The bad news is that shoert sales and foreclosures still dominate our market.

Read my complete analysis on my other Ocala real estate blog

Short Sales in Ocala Florida

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:15:52 -0500

I've had a lot to say about Ocala Short Sales both in my Ocala real estate blog and in my Ocala Foreclosure Guide on my web site. I'm not crazy about short sales but I'm gradually changing my mind.

I'm very excited by the fact that my new broker, Coral Shores Realty, has a program through their affiliated title company where the title companies lawyer will prepare a short sale package and handle all the negotiations with the lender. I think this is a huge step in the right direction for sellers needing short sale help here in Ocala.

From the buyers side I still prefer foreclosures to short sales but I think a greater percentage are closing as Realtors get better at them and banks get more and better trained staff.

Still too many short sales never close and go to foreclosure. If you are a seller and want to know more about Ocala Short Sales feel free to contact me any time. I'd be glad to help.

Ocala First Time Buyers Tax Credit

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:47:30 -0500

The government is offering a tax credit of $8,000- to first time buyers here in Ocala Florida. If you have not owned a house in the past 3 years you probably qualify. The thing is that you must close on your new home by the end of this year. That means you have to get a house under contract by early November of this year. You need to start looking now!

This is a credit and not a deduction. You don't need to owe $8,000- in taxes. Yes, you can get a lot more in tax credit than you owe. That's free money! Buy a house. Prices and interest rates haven't been this low in years.

Learn more about the First Time Buyers Tax Credit in Ocala FL

Everything you wanted to know about Ocala real estate

Ocala weather June 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:21:55 -0500

The weather here in Ocala FL in June is just plain hot and humid. June is the beginning of the wet season here in Ocala. We get regular afternoon thunderstorms caused by winds off the Atlantic colliding with winds off the Gulf of Mexico. June is also the beginning of Hurricane season. Ocala is one of the least hurricane prone areas of the state of Florida.

Although I don't really like the humidity I do like a nice hot summer. As I'm fond of saying, the heat and humidity are a small price to pay for no winter.

Interested in reading more about Ocala real estate then visit my other blog.

Want to see what home prices are like here in Ocala? See my Ocala MLS search.

Ocala Real Estate Market May 09

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:56:01 -0500

$100.00 to $100,000.00	112
$100,001.00 to $200,000.00	111
$200,001.00 to $300,000.00	25
$300,001.00 to $500,000.00	8
$500,000.00 plus	3

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH	259

TOTAL ACTIVE LISTINGS FOR MONTH	5,888

** Only homes listed & sold on the Ocala Marion county MLS. Does not include For Sale by Owners, Farms, vacant land or Builders not listed on the MLS. Numbers subject to change due to late reports from Brokers.

Please visit my new Ocala Real Estate Blog for additional information and other market reports

Cherry Wood 55+ community for Sale

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:15:14 -0500

This is a great affordable retirement home in a very nice SW Ocala 55+ community.

1254 SQ FT Living

2 bedroom

2 bath

2 car garage

.23 acre lot

Active 55+ community

Club house

Community Pool

$99,900.00

HOA fee $133.00/month

Home features bright open living room,formal dining area, breakfast nook, good sized kitchen with plenty of cabinet & counter space,huge laundry room, 2 car garage and nice screened lanai. Maint. fee includes trash,basic cable, club house & pool.

See more images of this Cherry Wood home for sale.

Check out my Guide to Ocala 55 Plus communities

Sale in Rolling Hills

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:52 -0500

ROLLING HILLS SALE MAY 29, 2009

2135 sq ft Living

1.16 acre lot

3 bedroom

2 bath

office

Center island kitchen

2 car garage

Not a short sale

Not a Foreclosure

List Price $200,000.00

Sale Price $170,000.00

This home was sold by an investor. Unlike short sales and foreclosures the AC was never turned off. This just goes to show that there are deals out there other than and in this case better than bank sales.

See images of this house on my Featured Listings page on my web site.

Why a buyers market is better than a sellers market

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:04:05 -0500

So in a sellers market you sell your home fast and you get top dollar. So what, unless you're going to live in your car from now on you'll need to buy another house. In a sellers market you will pay top dollar and have a poor selection.

In a buyers market you will have to sell low or not at all. However you can then go off into a buyers market with a ton of inventory and get a steal of a deal.

The best of all scenarios is reserved for the first time buyers. They are the ones who can buy low without having to sell low. This combined with the first time buyers tax credit, income tax deductions and record low interest rates makes owning cheaper than renting.

Looking for a house in Ocala? Check out my Free Ocala MLS Search

Now is the time to buy that retirement home!

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:14:54 -0500

Yes now is the time to buy that Ocala retirement home even if you're not ready to retire. If you think about it we are near or at the bottom of the market. Interest rates are at historical lows. Thanks to our politicians higher interest rates are inevitable. If you can afford to keep your present home until the market starts back up and sell it at a better price several years from now, then you could have the best of both worlds. Buy low and sell high. I didn't actually think of this idea myself. Several people from up north have contacted me recently about pursuing this very idea. It makes a lot of sense in you can pull it off.

For more about Ocala Real Estate visit my other blog.

See my Free Ocala MLS search too.

Ocala real estate market report April 09

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:49:29 -0500

$100.00 to $100,000.00	106
$100,001.00 to $200,000.00	97
$200,001.00 to $300,000.00	17
$300,001.00 to $500,000.00	5
$500,000.00 plus	4

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH	229

TOTAL ACTIVE LISTINGS FOR MONTH	5,940

Sales in April were 229 homes in Marion County. That's a large increase over January at 142, February at 188 and about the same as March which was 220. Total listings also dropped below 6,000 which is great news.

See my other Ocala real estate blog for analyisis of this report and more blogging.

My new Ocala Real Estate Blog

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:14:39 -0500

I know that a lot of people read my blog here on Active Rain and I just wanted to do a post to let everyone know that I have just finished a new outside blog built on a word press platform. It is called OcalaRealEstateTalk.com I think that anyone who reads my AR blog will want to read OcalaRealEstateTalk also.

Ocala weather report May 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:12:03 -0500

It's only May 4th and the I can feel the humidity coming back. The temperature hit 90 over the week end, which is hot for this time of year. I hate to turn on the AC so early.

I like to finish any outdoor projects by the end of May. Summer in Ocala is for laying by the pool and not doing yard chores except for driving around on the riding lawn mower.

All my 2009 Ocala weather reports are now on my other blog at OcalaRealEstateTalk.com

Date Palm Flower Ocala Florida May 09

Ocala weather report April 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:02:58 -0500

The weather in Ocala during April is great. No humidity, warm temps in the 80's, cool nights in the 60's. No need for the AC so you save on the electric bill. Just a great time of the year.

If you interested in Ocala weather you can find all my weather reports for 2009 at OcalaRealEstateTalk.com

Flowering Jasmine Vine SW Ocala FL

Ocala Real Estate Market Report April 2009

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:46:55 -0500

$100.00 to $100,000.00	111
$100,001.00 to $200,000.00	88
$200,001.00 to $300,000.00	17
$300,001.00 to $500,000.00	4
$500,000.00 plus	1

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH	221

TOTAL ACTIVE LISTINGS FOR MONTH	6,664

For complete analysis and comentary see my Ocala Real Estate Market Reports on my new OcalaRealEstateTalk blog.

Ocala Real Estate Sales Feb 09

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:51:00 -0500

OCALA REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT

HOMES SOLD IN February 2009

$100,000.00 and less...........................83

$100,001.00 to $200,000.00.................71

$200,001.00 to $300,000.00.................19

$300,001.00 to $500,000.00...................5

$500,001.00 plus...................................3

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH..............181

ACTIVE LISTINGS............................6,464

Read comments and analysis of my Ocala Real Estate Market Report

Ocala Florida weather for March 09

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:30:14 -0500

March is the beginning of spring here in Ocala Florida. The temperatures during the day are up in the hogh 70's or even low 80's. The air is dry with no humidity. The night time temps go down to the 50's. Lawns that were brown and dormant from the winter start to turn green and the azaleas start to bloom.

If you're sick of another winter up north maybe now is he time to look at homes in Ocala. Prices haven't been this low in years. Selection has never been better. We have the lowest median home price in Florida.

Intersted in Ocala real estate?

Ocala MLS search

My other Ocala real estate blog

First Time Buyers Tax credit

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:22:12 -0600

Attention Ocala first time home buyers. The federal government wants to help you to buy a house with a first time buyers tax credit. Home prices in Ocala had dropped dramatically from the high prices of 2006-07. Interest rates are at historical lows. Foreclosures in Ocala are down right cheap! If all this wasn't enough now you can get a tax credit too.

Here's the important stuff.

First time buyers only but this means that you haven't owned a house in the last 3 years
It's a tax credit and not a deduction. That means the entire amount goes back to the first-time buyer unlike deductions, such as mortgage interest, that are subtracted from your gross income. So if you qualify for $8,000, you get $8,000, even if they would not owe that much in taxes. Yes, this means if you don't owe $8,000- in taxes the IRS will send you a check.
Income limit: A married couples' modified adjusted gross income should be under $150,000 and single filers' should be less than $75,000.
The tax credit applies to homes purchased between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009.
The tax credit can be claimed on 2008 income tax forms even though the purchase took place in 2009. Theoretically a buyer could close on a home the same day that the president signs the bill into law, fill out their income tax forms the next day, and receive their tax credit.

These are just a few of the major points effecting Ocala first time buyers tax credit. More info below.

Many first time buyers in Ocala are looking at forecloues.

Ocala Foreclosure Guide

February weather in Ocala Florida

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:28:47 -0600

Let me begin by recapping the weather for the month of January. It was crazy cold last month with some days as much as 20 degrees below normal. High temperatures in January are supposed to be in the low 70's. This year temperatures were in the 50's and 60's most of the time. I had people who have lived in Ocala their entire lives tell me this is one of the coldest winters that they can remember.

Hopefully February will bring more seasonal temperatues back. We should be in the 70's most dqays and the 50's at night this month. Let's hope so.

Interested in living in Ocala? Ocala MLS search

Camellia flower

SW Ocala

January 09

Marion Landing Home for Sale

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:56:47 -0600

2 BEDROOM

2 BATHROOM

BUILT 1996

1638 SQ FT LIVING

2445 SQ FT UNDER ROOF

55+ COMMUNITY

THIS LARGE 2 BEDROOM 2 BATH HOME WITH BONUS ROOM IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, KITCHEN HAS OAK CABINETS & BREAKFAST NOOK, OPEN LIVING ROOM & FORMAL DINING W/CATHEDRAL CEILINGS, LARGE MASTER BEDROOM, ENCLOSED FLORIDA ROOM, OVERSIZED 2-CAR GARAGE IS 537 SQ FT!! MATURE LANDSCAPING. THIS HOME IS IN AN ACTIVE 55+ COMMUNITY WITH CLUB HOUSE & POOL. GREAT SW OCALA LOCATION

THIS LISTING HAS EXPIRED ON THE MLS. IT MAY OR MAY NOT GET RELISTED BY ANOTHER BROKER. CALL OR EMAIL FOR MORE INFO

Ocala Florida Real Estate Market report

Joe Dallorso ~ Ocala Real Estate (Coral Shores Realty) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:29:10 -0600

OCALA REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT

HOMES SOLD IN December 2008

$100,000.00 and less...........................72

$100,001.00 to $200,000.00.................101

$200,001.00 to $300,000.00..................21

$300,001.00 to $500,000.00..................10

$500,001.00 plus...................................5

TOTAL SALES FOR THE MONTH..............209

ACTIVE LISTINGS..............................6,663 CAMELIA SW OCALA JAN 09

** Only homes listed & sold on the Ocala Marion county MLS. Does not include For Sale by Owner or Builders not listed on the MLS. Numbers subject to change due to late reports from Brokers.

Sales for December were pretty good. Most closings in December were from offers made 30 to 45 days previously and do not reflect the holiday season.

The big news is that for the first time in a very long time inventory began to decline. We are finally under the 7,000 units mark and hopefully we will go much lower.

It is an incredible buying opportunity here in Ocala. Don't miss out!!