14th Annual Fall AutoFest in Zephyrhills, Florida - 10/31/08 10:07 PM
On November 13-16, 2008  the 14th Annual Fall AutoFest will take place in Zephyrhills at Festival Park, just south of town. Some of the major events will be: Collector Car Auctions Automotive and Antique Swap Meet Car Corral Vintage Auto Exhibition Racing Car Show Camping available from Thursday thru Sunday For more information and driving directions/map you can visit www.zephyrhillsfestivals.com or www.zephyrhillsauction.com You can also call: 1-800-303-CARS or 813-258-6726   Sounds like a nice way to spend a fall day here in Florida to me! Have a great time and let us know what you thought about the event if you … (0 comments)

Watch Those Speed Limits Around Zephyrhills and Pasco County, Florida - 10/24/08 10:51 AM
In the past the Zephyrhills and Pasco County law enforcement officers have been reasonably flexible when it came to issuing speeding tickets. Depending on the circumstances, they would sometimes let you go with a warning unless you were WAY over the limits. However, one of my family members (who easily qualifies for Social Security) was ticketed within the city limits. She was distracted momentarily and did not see the flashing lights near a school that indicated the speed limit had been temporarily dropped from 30 miles per hour to 15. The ticket cost her $279 and that is a lot for … (0 comments)

Weak Housing Market and Lower Inflation Drop Mortgage Interest Rates - 10/23/08 03:02 PM
Last week mortgage rates took a half of a percentage point jump! Some were saying that this week they would go even higher. However, today 10/23/08 Freddie Mac reported that the average mortgage interest rate for 30 year fixed-rate mortgages was 6.04% (6.01% in the southeast), down from 6.46% a week ago. The average interest rate for 15 year fixed-rate mortgages was 5.72%, down from 6.14% last week. A year ago the 30 year rate was 6.33%.
News of diminished inflationary worries and a still weaker housing market worked together to lower average mortgage interest rates. Consumer prices were basically … (0 comments)

Dark House + Yipping Dogs + Unfriendly Occupant = NO SALE! - 10/22/08 07:55 PM
Today in Zephyrhills, Florida we had our agents tour, or "caravan". For those of you who are not real estate agents, this is the time many of the agents visit the properties that have recently come on the market. Often agents know what their buyers are looking for and when they see something on tour that meets the customers' needs, they can get the home sold quickly.
Of course this does not happen every week, but on several occasions I have seen homes that I knew would make some of my buyers happy. With a call and a visit by the … (0 comments)

Recent Financial Crisis Fails to Hurt Confidence in Florida Real Estate - 10/21/08 12:41 PM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The national economic crisis has failed to rattle Florida real estate experts, who, despite serious concerns about the availability of financing, remain surprisingly calm about market conditions within the state, a new University of Florida survey finds.
The most recent quarterly survey of Florida real estate trends completed in September shows the investment outlook for various types of properties remains steady, said Wayne Archer, executive director of UF's Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies.
“People who have responded to our surveys have not lost their faith in Florida as a place to be and a place to invest,” … (0 comments)

Early Voting Begins on October 20, 2008 in Zephyrhills, Pasco County, Florida - 10/18/08 11:09 AM
The Pasco County Supervisor of Elections has issued the schedule for early voting here in Pasco County, Florida. Voting will begin on October 20th. You can see the full schedule by clicking on the following link: http://www.pascovotes.com/pasevot.asp You can find a complete list of regular polling places in the county by clicking on the following link: http://www.pascovotes.com/polplace.htm 
The early voting locations will likely be different from the ones on the list. Click on the link below or call the Election Office to be sure of where you should go. Since we will be using new scanned ballots this year, voting … (0 comments)

Holy Cow! After Recent Declines in Mortgage Interest Rates, They Take a Large Jump: Freddie Mac - 10/16/08 04:44 PM
Just when it looked like the economic relief package that our government and others around the world had put into place to stop the market free-falling, now US mortgage interest rates take a large jump! Today 10/16/08 Freddie Mac reported that the average mortgage interest rate for 30 year fixed-rate mortgages was 6.46% (6.51% in the southeast), up from 5.94% a week ago. The average interest rate for 15 year fixed-rate mortgages was 6.14%, up from 5.63% last week. Those are not minor jumps! A year ago the 30 year rate was 6.40%.
Interest rates rose to an 8 week … (0 comments)

Don't Forget to Turn Your Clocks Back on November 2, 2008 - 10/16/08 04:06 PM
On Sunday, November 2nd we need to remember to turn our clocks back 1 hour as Daylight Saving Time ends for 2008. It is hard to believe that it is that time again. For me it is always difficult to have the sunrises and sunsets change so dramatically. Oh well, it has to be done or we won't be on time for anything.
So remember to change all of your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday that weekend!
… (0 comments)

West Florida Better Business Bureau - A Great Resource for Home Buyers & Sellers - 10/14/08 01:04 PM
Often people that move to Zephyrhills are unfamiliar with the service providers that work in our area. Of course a good place to find information is to seek recommendations from friends, family, and neighbors. If they have had a good experience with a contractor or other provider, then your odds are better as well. We do have some wonderful companies here in central Florida, but we have a few "fly-by-night" outfits as well.
Another great place to check out a company is the West Florida Better Business Bureau. Through them you can check to see the service record and the complaints, … (0 comments)

Aluminum Cans Recycling Drop-Off at CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty in Zephyrhills, Florida - 10/13/08 02:34 PM
Are you a person that likes to recycle your used aluminum cans? Well, you have a collection site not faraway from where you live here on the westside of Zephyrhills, Florida. At our CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. office at 34619 State Road 54, Zephyrhills near the intersection of Morris Bridge Road and Eiland Boulevard (SR 54) we have a collection box. It is in the shape of a little house and sits at the back of our parking lot. If you enter from the main highway and go straight back in the parking lot, you cannot miss it.
The … (0 comments)

Amid All the Economic Turmoil, Average Mortgage Interest Rates Finally Drop - Freddie Mac - 10/09/08 02:01 PM
Last week with the rumors of a relief package for the financial market in the news, the average mortgage interest rates hardly reacted. Finally, a week later, we saw rates fall below 6.0%. Today 10/9/08 Freddie Mac reported that the average mortgage interest rate for 30 year fixed-rate mortgages was 5.94% (5.88% in the southeast), down from 6.10% a week ago. The average interest rate for 15 year fixed-rate mortgages was 5.63%, down from 5.78% last week. A year ago the 30 year rate was 6.40%. This week's fall was the first in 3 weeks!
As I reported yesterday, pending home … (0 comments)

Pending Home Sales Up, Even In This Gloomy Economic Situation says NAR - 10/08/08 12:31 PM

WASHINGTON, October 08, 2008 - Pending home sales activity surged as buyers took advantage of low home prices and affordable interest rates, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
The Pending Home Sales Index,1 a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in August, jumped 7.4 percent to 93.4 from an upwardly revised reading of 87.0 in July, and is 8.8 percent higher than August 2007 when it stood at 85.8. The index is at the highest level since June 2007 when it stood at 101.4.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home buyers were responding to improved affordability. “What we’re … (0 comments)

Flu Shot Clinic at CENTURY 21 Office in Zephyrhills, Florida on November 6th - 10/07/08 02:12 PM
THIS CLINIC IS NOW OVER. NEXT CLINIC IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 15, 2009 FROM 9:00 am TO NOON AT OUR OFFICES JUST AS WE DID IN 2008. As we did last year, the Visiting Nurse Association will be administering flu shot vaccinations at our CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc. offices at 34619 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, Florida from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 6, 2008. We will have juice and cookies available as you wait for your turn.
The cost of each shot is $25. However, Medicare Part B will cover the costs for those in that … (1 comments)

It Pays to Shop Around for Best Property Insurance Prices in Zephyrhills, Florida - 10/04/08 07:30 PM
I was speaking with two other agents in our office yesterday and we were comparing the experiences that our customers were having as they searched for home insurance. It appears that since we have not recently been hit by a large storm, they have more options. However, the prices for the same coverage can vary greatly. One home buyer recently checked out two companies for coverage. One quoted him $1,200 for a policy and another said they could give him the same coverage for just over $600! That is a BIG difference. If he had not called more than one agency … (0 comments)

Music & Motorcycles and Veterans Parade in Zephyrhills, Florida - Nov. 8, 2008 - 10/03/08 01:05 PM
On Saturday, November8, 2008 from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM a lot will be happening in downtown Zephyrhills, Florida. Officially the event is called Music and Motorcyles, but includes a lot more.
At 11:00 AM there will be a Hike for Hospice at Zephyr Park to raise funds for our local hospice network. Teams can register at 9:30 AM that same day. At 2:00 PM there will be a Veterans Parade to honor those citizens that have served our country in its military over the years. From 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM there will be judging of motorcycles in 12 different … (0 comments)

Freddie Mac: Average Fixed-Rate Mortgage Interest Rates Barely Higher - 10/02/08 01:40 PM
Even with all of the mess on Wall Street during the past two weeks, average mortgage interest rates on fixed-rate loans only inched upward a tad. Today 10/2/08 Freddie Mac reported that the average mortgage interest rate for 30 year fixed-rate mortgages was 6.10% (6.11% in the southeast), up from 6.09% a week ago. The average interest rate for 15 year fixed-rate mortgages was 5.78%, up from 5.77% last week. A year ago the 30 year rate was 6.37%.
Interest rates on short-term adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) actually went down a bit. But not all that much.
It is being … (0 comments)

Halloween Howl in Zephyrhills, Florida on October 25, 2008 - 10/02/08 10:21 AM
Halloween Howl in Zephyrhills, Florida
When: Saturday, October 25th from 4 PM to 9 PM (Haunted House Open Oct. 24th from 6-10 PM, Oct. 25th from 4 - 10 PM, Oct. 31 from 6 - 10 PM)
Where: Downtown Zephyrhills, FL on 5th Avenue
Events Planned:
Hayrides Haunted House (see schedule above) Carnival Games Safe trick-or-treating Inflatables for kids (slides, obstacle course, bounce) Train Ride Clowns Face Painting Cake Walk Great Food Karaoke Star Wars Characters Blood Net Van for blood donors And much more!!! Children's Parade at 7 PM on October 25th on 5th Avenue.
For more information call the … (0 comments)

My October 2008 Zephyrhills/Florida Real Estate Newsletter is Ready for Download - 10/01/08 01:46 PM
My October 2008 Real Estate Newsletter is now available for download as a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file. Just click on the following link: Download october_2008_newsletter.pdf
If you would like to receive these newsletters automatically in the future each month, just send me an e-mail and let me know. I would be glad to add you to my e-mailing list. You can e-mail me at: jelwell1@tampabay.rr.com
I also invite you to visit my my website where I think you will find a lot of useful information. To get there just click on the following link: www.jelwell.century21bnr.com
… (0 comments)

 
John Elwell (CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc.) Rainmaker_large

John Elwell

Zephyrhills, FL

More about me…

CENTURY 21 Bill Nye Realty, Inc.

Address: 34619 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, FL, 33541

Office Phone: (813) 715-6810

Cell Phone: (813) 783-4444

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Real estate news, opinions, and listings from Zephyrhills, Pasco County, Florida and the west central region of Florida in general. Licensed in Florida.


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