Your Source for Palm Coast Real Estate

The Palm Coast Homes Show Is Now Mobile!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:49:45 -0600

Earlier this year when I started www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com, the goal was to provide buyers an easy and powerful means to shop for Real Estate locally in the Palm Coast & Flagler County , FL area as well as provide sellers a means to get the most exposure for their property they wish to sell. As I shop through other websites myself, I have found it to be tedious and often limited to generic criteria such as price and sqaure footage. The shopper is then left with a list of homes that are scattered over the area and are left trying to narrow it down from there. Location is often the feature that people want to start with first. Therefore, one of the most powerful features I wanted to provide shoppers was the ability to start with neighborhood first and then allow them the ability to filter that list down. The feedback has been great from visitors and they love this particular aspect starting their searches. You can visit the Listings by Neighborhood at the Palm Coast Home Show to see more.

I know at times that buyers want to go out on the road on their own and shop for properties even after we are working together. Obviously there are inherent challenges to driving around looking at properties, you can't get the same information and views that you can while on the Palm Coast Home Show looking at properties for sale. I wanted to find a solution that puts all of that same information in your hands while out on the road. And that's why I am very excited to bring you the MyAgent IPhone App (Blackberry & Android Phone Apps coming soon) which allows you to take The Palm Coast Home Show with you on the road. This little application (myAgent App) simply requires you to download it for FREE and enter the agent code of 4082. After that you are on your way. These are just a few of the great features:

This application will locate your phone through the installed GPS and automatically properties for sale around your location.
Filter the list by price, bedrooms, square footge
Get details, satellite views, and photos of the property
Scheduling a showing or getting more information is simple with my information available at the top of every search. Just give me a call or send me an email.
It's that simple

If you have any questions,

don't hesitate to contact me to find out more about this powerful new feature of the Palm coast Home Show. I am committed to providing customers with the best level of service possible and bringing the most powerful

tools available for this important and exciting time in your life.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Palm Coast & Flagler County Home Sales By Price Bracket

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:47:02 -0600

Just knowing how many homes is not always enough. It's important for those thinking of selling to know what the buyer make up of an area is in order to have reasonable expectations when thinking of selling. Front and foremost, as of the beginning of November we are about 8% above last year in terms of the total number of homes sold with 1166 for the county compared to 1074 from the same period last year. So what homes are selling? Let's take a look:

As can see, the primary price range in the area is up to $200k. About 41% of all homes sold in the area so far have been short sales. And about 1% being foreclosures. In that $0 to $200k price range, about 48% of all sales have been short sales.

The next thing to look at is how long can I expect it to take my house to sell? This varies on a variety of factors, but the stats for the area for the year are as follows:

As you can see for the most part, the $0 to $200k has the lowest number of days on the market in the area.

In terms of overall performance this year, we are seeing some very positive signs. As I said in the beginning of this year, the prices will not change until number of sales increases and number of homes for sale goes down which we are seeing both. The more important component being the number of sales. We are currently about 8% higher than this time last year in overall number of Residential home sales in Flagler County:

Because of this we are also starting to see a "flattening out" of median prices in the area. Number of sales and median price will react about a year a part. Therefore, the quantity of sales increase is very important and a very positive sign for the future of the area.

*Statistics based upon the Flagler County Association of Realtors MLS from 1/1/2009 through 11/2/2009. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Selling Your Home: Is Price Or Advertising More Important?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:26:25 -0500

I read a great article this morning by Donna Harris, a Realtor with ReMax Austin Skyline, entitled "Real Estate Opinions - Is it the Pricing or the Marketing?". In the article, Donna does an excellent job highlighting two scenarios of properties that have yet to be sold. The first being a situation where there has been a lot of showing activity but no offers. The second being a multiple price reduction scenario that has yielded little or no activity. The question that comes up quite a bit with sellers is which is more important, price or advertising? I say that it is a balance of both for all properties and all market conditions.

The formula that I have found to work best when listing a property is:

Priced Right + Marketing & Advertising To The Widest Possible Buyer Audience + Great Presentation = Showings => Offers => SOLD

Through this type of strategy, you always have a component to revisit that may need to be tweaked or revised to get to the result of SOLD. The most important part of being able to make any decisions in any part of this is to get feedback. Feedback from buyer showings is crucial and the most common. I look for trends such as "Priced a bit too high" which tells us the obvious . . . revisit price. Price is great feedback though because it's the perfect opportunity to ask for an offer which gets the negotiation process in motion. Other feedback may be "Too small" which may be a staging and presentation issue that can be revisited and tweaked to give a more open feel. So forth and so on. No showings is a time to ask for some by partnering with other people in your office or other Realtors in the area and schedule a preview of the property to get feedback.

To give you a real world scenario, a family within my neighborhood had their house for sale on their own for about a year with no reaction. When I first heard the price they were asking, I thought that might be the issue. They asked my opinion. I did an analysis, and found that the price really wasn't "out of line". The house was gorgeous and offered a lot of great features to highlight. So we put things in motion at the same price point. The result, multiple showings in the first week and an offer within 4 days. Sold in less than 30 days at more than they expected to get. Here, advertising and follow-up to showings was the issue.

So let's look at the role each of these play within the selling strategy:

Priced Right - Pricing is one of the most difficult things to do. Data has to support the price and is commonly known as a Comparable Market Analysis. "Shooting from the hip" or simply pricing at the same price as the same number of bedrooms house down the street is not the best strategy. Pricing can be a real challenge in today's market because of the volatility over the last few years, but still important to make every effort to "get it right the first time". Some common myths I find with price:
- "I'll start higher and if nothing happens, I'll just reduce the price and advertise that." - Price reductions are a reality of the selling process and have to be done at times, but pricing right the first time has better benefits. That 'Price Reduced' can get a reaction but can also put you in a less optimal position during negotiation. Buyers can perceive the owner to be 'desperate'.
- "Price it low to get multiple offers and hope for a 'bidding war'" - This is a gamble and can backfire with obvious repercussions. Reducing a price is usually understood. Increasing a price later on rarely (or never) makes sense to anyone.
- "It's all about price and that's why I'm not getting showings" - You can have the best house, priced perfectly, and if no one knows about it . . . price isn't the problem.
Marketing & Advertising With Great Presentation - There are obviously three components here (Marketing - the story, Advertising - the mechanism to get that story out, & Great Presentation - enticing to buyers to want to come and see). Each compliments the other.
- Marketing is about telling "the story" of the home. The features that stand-out and their benefits. Who the home would appeal to.
- Advertising is the mechanism to get the "word out" to the widest possible buyer audience. This is both online and offline. And it encompasses both buyers directly and other Realtors within the area.
- Great Presentation is achieved by looking through a buyer's eyes. "Can I picture myself living there?" is the question I always ask and this is where those staging things come in. Reduce clutter, take down personal photos and things, etc. This should also be done BEFORE taking any photographs. Buyers don't want to see something drastically different than what they saw in an advertisement.
Showings is the goal. Showings are what gets a property sold. Pricing and advertising play a significant role in this. Online shoppers usually put a price range in or are getting properties emailed to them within a particular price range. If it's within their price range but has less features than others or is presented poorly, it will get passed over. Here's some key components about showings:
- Be available any time. We all try our best to make showings convenient for sellers, but potential buyer schedules are different and can come out of nowhere at times. It is best to accommodate "out of the blue" showings as best you can.
- Feedback is key. Not all showings will yield an offer, but they are all valuable in terms of feedback. That feedback can offer great insight to something to tweak (i.e. staging, pricing, etc.) that if reacted to in a timely manner can greatly reduce 'days on the market'.
Offers are always a great thing even if they aren't what we expected. This puts the negotiation process in motion. Offers are usually a sign that the other components are working well. Some key things to keep in mind with offers:
- Be open-minded. Yes, buyers tend to "low ball" initial offers and it can become a back-and-forth scenario for a short period of time. Keep in mind, just as you (the seller) wants to get the best financial benefit out of the deal . . . so does the buyer (which you will most likely be next).
- This DOES NOT mean that all offers should be accepted. Every situation is unique and some negotiations just do not work out. Offers should be reasonable and knowing the market data is key to keeping the offers reasonable.
- Either way, offers show real interest and that is always positive.

There is obviously a ton which could be written on all of these components. The key to successful selling is having a strategic plan and working the plan. 'The Plan' is the formula I gave above and quickly identifying 'weak areas' and taking the necessary steps to correct them quickly leads to more success in selling your property. Feedback is always welcome.

Thanks and have a great day. And a big thank you to Donna Harris for her article.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast
"Excellence Is Our Trademark"
Call me at (386) 446-5930
Email me at Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Flagler County/Palm Coast Market Update 10-14-09

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:25:07 -0500

I had said at the beginning of the year, that it would be interesting. And it has been just that. Moreso, it's been a year for some real positives in the area.

Palm Coast closed September 7% above the Residential Home Sales compared to the same time last year (961 vs. 894).
The number of listings remains dramatically lower than previous years.
Short Sales have been consistent at about 35% of all Residential Home listings in the area.
The number of Residential Home Foreclosures remains very low at about 21 for sale with 167 sold for the year at only 57 Days-On-The-Market
Plus more

This has been a year so far that has shown alot of stabilization and a bit of an upturn. All of which is very positive compared to the past couple of years. The one question that remains on owners, buyers, and sellers' minds is price. Average Price still remains lower than previous years, but can not change for the positive without stabilization which we are seeing now. So if buyers were ever wondering if now is the time to buy? Well, the answer is most certainly . . . yes. As a buyer there are many things to consider to get the best deal, but most importantly . . . selection, price, and interest rates. Selection has gone down. Price remains lower for now. And interest rates are hand-down the lowest historically. As I read in an article this past year, this will be the year to say I am glad I bought then (or something to that effect), and I couldn't agree more.

Here's some statistics for the Palm Coast area and visit the Market Report page at PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the full area report.

*Residential Houses*
Active	1008
Lowest	$65,000
Highest	$1,350,000
Average List Price	$247,130
Median List Price	$189,000
Pending Sales	158
Lowest	$69,000
Highest	$449,900
Average List Price	$161,639
Median List Price	$142,500
Sold (September 2009)	118
Lowest	$58,000
Highest	$535,000
Average Selling Price	$164,642
Median Selling Price	$139,700
Average Days on Market	151
Sold Year to date (Jan-Sept 2009)	961
Lowest	$47,200
Highest	$1,060,000
Average Selling Price	$160,719
Median Selling Price	$135,000
Average Days on Market	151

"Bringing Real Estate To Life"

Kathleen West, Realtor
Kathleen West
Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast
"Excellence Is Our Trademark"
Call me at (386) 446-5930
Email me at Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com

Palm Coast Home Show | Promote Your Page Too

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Beautiful Saltwater Canal Home With Solar Heated Pool

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:23:12 -0500

Saltwater Canal Home With Solar Heated Pool

Overview
Maps
Photos
Features
Description

$249,900

Single Family Home
For Sale

Main Features

3 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
Interior: 1481 sqft
Lot: 8,750 sqft

Location

16 Cedardale Ct
Palm Coast, FL 32137

Kathleen West

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast
(386) 446-5930
Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
http://www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com

Listed by: Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

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Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Beautiful 4 Bedroom Loaded With Comfort & Charm

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:23:16 -0500

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Palm Harbor Golf Course Update As Of 8/13/09

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:39:22 -0500

Just recently, I received another update from the Friends of Golf Steering Committee who had recently met with Kemper Sports and the construction team. Their update contained the following:

1. The course is doing well. Sprigging was completed last Friday on the entire course. The rains which took place in mid-May caused some immediate problems, but these were overcome and things are now back on target. They have actually begun mowing greens on the first 11 holes that were sprigged. The greens have been sprigged with Bermuda Tifdwarf. The fairways and tees are Celebration Bermuda, a new strain of Bermuda which exhibits exceptional shade tolerance. Fairways, tees, greens and immediate rough should be in good shape for an opening in the fall. The sequence of holes is still in question and it has not yet been decided whether a change will be made from the previous configuration. The request for quotations on carts are already out to several companies. There will be no GPS since it is not cost effective.

2. Plans are ongoing for the purchase of a new triple-wide clubhouse. It was decided that the used one previously discussed was not suitable. It is expected that this purchase should take place in the next 2-3 weeks. The plan is for about 3,000 square feet with a food facility which has interior seating for about 40 and an outside deck which would handle another 40 or 50. This deck would be open-air at the start, with the idea of covering or screening it at a later date, as finances permit.

3. By the end of August there should be a General Manager and a Sales and Marketing Manager in place. At about the same time, information will be published regarding rates and player programs...........we know that everyone is waiting patiently for this information. Memberships will most likely be in the form of an annual discount pass or frequent player program and there will be a discount for City residents.

4. An inter-active website for the course is currently being brought online. It should be accessible sometime in the next two weeks. We will give you the web address just as soon as it is made available to us. At that time you will be able to go in and look around and begin populating an e-mail database. There will also be a link on the website for those who wish to investigate employment opportunities at Palm Harbor.

The construction team has asked that we pass on a request to our members to please refrain from visiting the interior of the course. It is a work in progress and will benefit greatly from a strict "no traffic" policy ........This includes bicycles, walking, and...........heaven forbid!!............. golf clubs!!

We are at last almost ready to cross over the finish line!!!

Friends of Golf Steering Committee

I also wanted to take a moment and thank The Friends Of Golf Steering Committee. This group is very passionate about the game and all that it brings to our community. Your work and dedication to golf in our area is greatly appreciated. And also a big thank you to all who are working so hard to bring Palm Harbor Golf Course back to us. The course is a special part of Palm Coast, and we are all looking forward to seeing it re-opened

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Flagler County/Palm Coast Market Report July 2009

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:14:54 -0500

We are seeing some very postive signs in the area and much needed stabilization. So why is stabilization important? Because value can not recover without it. Just a recap of some of the postives from the Residential House market:

Number of listings is remaining at their lowest levels in the last few years @ 1,342 for all of Flagler County & 969 for Palm Coast
Number of Sales is slightly above this time last year with 773 houses for all of Flagler County & 716 for Palm Coast Year-to-Date.
Foreclosures for sale have remained very light at 20 for all of Flagler County and 17 for Palm Coast.

Click here to see the full market statistics for the area.

Short Sales

This is one area which has had many concerned, but agian there are some real postives in respect to Short Sales in the area. Of the total number of properties for sale right now, Short Sales comprise 28% of the listings for all of Flagler County & 35% of the listings for all of Palm Coast. The great thing is that Short Sales (one of the most difficult property scenarios to sell) comprise 50% of Residential House sales for all of Flagler County & 43% of Residential House sales for all of Palm Coast. Although these types of sales can be lengthier than normal sales, these properties are selling.

Flagler County Active Residential Houses For Sale

Palm Coast Active Residential Houses For Sale

Click here to see the full market statistics for the area.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Presentation & Short Sales: Why Sellers Are Missing Out With Short Sales

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:12:11 -0500

It's no secret that many owners today find themselves in situations of having to sell their home as a "short sale". It's not an easy time for these owner. They are having difficulty making the payments, other life situations are probably adding to the stress (i.e. loss of a job, divorce, etc.), and the property has become more of a burden than a "pride and joy" in their lives. But these owners actually have a significant competitive advantage over regular property listings . . . buyer attention. Why? Buyers look for "deals". Short sales have a buyer expectation of "deal" associated with them in much the same way as ‘foreclosures'. Obviously, unlike foreclosures . . . the seller still owns the house and must get the most for the property to be able to minimize the difference owed and negotiate with the bank how to handle that differnce after close (i.e. ‘forgive', repayment plan, etc.).

So why are short sales remaining on the market far longer than all properties sold in the area? Many would probably say that it's the lenders' fault. They are holding things up. Partly true, but I will tell you that condition and presentation are rearing an ugly hand in the whole process. And owners are missing out on relieving themselves a lot of stress by not addressing these things to help move the process along quicker. Let me explain.

Let's look at this from a buyer standpoint. You go out to shop for a house. What are you looking for? The most you can get and at the best possible price, right? Right. We all do. You look for the "deals". So what are the "deals" in Real Estate? Foreclosures and . . . Short Sales. Most buyers don't want to deal with auctions for foreclosures and only have about 20 to choose from that are straight-up listings right now in Palm Coast. So what do they look for next? Short Sales in which there are a little over 300 to choose from. So what is our expectation as buyers when we go to purchase "deals"? Our expectation is lowered in terms of condition and we are willing to overlook minor issues in lieu of deep discounts. So when a buyer arrives at a foreclosure, they already have in their mind that it probably will need some work and probably has damage, but they will negotiate hard on the price. Guess what they expect when they get to short sales? That the property will need some work and probably has damage, but they will negotiate hard on the price. So what happens when a buyer arrives at the foreclosure that is immaculate and barely been lived in? It sells quick and the buyer will offer close to or at the list price because their expectation is exceeded and they know it will not last. So what happens when a buyer visits a short sale that is immaculate and is presented well? It sells quick and the buyer will offer close to or at the list price because their expectation is exceeded and they know it will not last. Making sense yet?

After visitng a lot of short sale properties and visitng houses that owners wish to sell that will be short sales, it's apparent that condition and presentation is holding a lot of these owners back. It's understandable that the property has become a part of their stress. But it's also a fact that to reduce a good amount of that stress is to get the property sold quickly. To do that, the owner has to be able to bring to the lender a reasonable offer that will minimize the loss as much as possible. So what can short sale sellers in terms of presentation to capitalize on the attention they have from buyers without having to incur further or minmal costs:

Make it your goal NOT to allow the property to be foreclosed on.
Keep the lawn cut. Trim the bushes. Keep the yard looking nice. Curb appeal!
Patch up any minor damage in the house such as chips in paint.
Clean up any clutter and put any storage items out of the way. If you have to, box it up and put it in the garage neatly. Stored items in a garage are normally understood by most buyers. The living areas are most important to them.
Take down all personal pictures and items.
Keep the house clean.
And other basic staging when selling.

Sound familiar? It's all the basic staging items that regular sellers already know. Unfortunately, many short sellers are not doing these things and playing right into the buyer ‘foreclosure' expectation and missing out. The hard part as any seller will tell you, is getting showings. And I can tell you, showings with great presentation will sell much quicker than those with no so great presentation. Short sales are getting the showings. Presentation will increase the chances of getting the property sold much quicker.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Flagler County & Palm Coast Market Report 7/12/09

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:47:08 -0500

We are seeing very positive signs at this point with the number Palm Coast residential homes sales for the year slightly above the same period last year. We are also seeing the number of homes for sale dropping slighly from month to month. Below are the stats for Flagler County. Click here to to get the full report which includes Palm Coast, FL.

*Residential Houses*
Active	1400
Lowest	$54,900
Highest	$5,450,000
Average List Price	$365,047
Median List Price	$233,200
Pending Sales	152
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,999,999
Average List Price	$204,940
Median List Price	$149,995
Sold (June 2009)	134
Lowest	$70,000
Highest	$875,000
Average Selling Price	$178,394
Median Selling Price	$178,394
Average Days on Market	185
Sold Year to date (Jan-June 2009)	631
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$1,060,000
Average Selling Price	$174,745
Median Selling Price	$139,900
Average Days on Market	156
*Residential Houses (Lender Owned)*
Active	21
Lowest	$54,900
Highest	$215,000
Average List Price	$135,083
Median List Price	$135,000
Pending Sales	18
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$239,000
Average List Price	$120,144
Median List Price	$121,250
Sold (June 2009)	15
Lowest	$78,000
Highest	$206,200
Average Selling Price	$125,835
Median Selling Price	$120,000
Average Days on Market	76
Sold Year to date (Jan-June 2009)	113
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$1,060,000
Average Selling Price	$158,804
Median Selling Price	$120,000
Average Days on Market	68
*Residential Houses (Short Sales)*
Active	350
Lowest	$69,000
Highest	$1,700,000
Average List Price	$189,282
Median List Price	$149,000
Pending Sales	53
Lowest	$70,000
Highest	$595,000
Average List Price	$165,545
Median List Price	$135,000
Sold (June 2009)	53
Lowest	$75,000
Highest	$773,000
Average Selling Price	$141,633
Median Selling Price	$125,000
Average Days on Market	200
Sold Year to date (Jan-June 2009)	250
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$975,000
Average Selling Price	$148,368
Median Selling Price	$130,000
Average Days on Market	193

Disclaimer: Information based upon the Flagler County Association of Realtors MLS as of 7/12/2009 for Residential Houses. Information may be deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

The Florida Housing Opportunity Down Payment Assistance Program & The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: Know The Facts

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:45:16 -0500

The 'Florida Housing Opportunity Program' allows qualifying buyers the opportunity to use the 'First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program' as down payment monies. Under provisions of the Fedral Tax Credit program, FHA-approved lenders and non-profits were granted the ability to provide loans for access to the credit for down payment assistance. Instead of creating new offices, Florida chose to utilize it's existing home buyer assistance offices known as SHIP. Sounds great and easy, but buyers need to be fully aware of the program before trying to take advantage of it's benefits.

1. The program is administered by local Florida SHIP offices and guidelines for eligibility apply in terms of income level, what is considered 'eligible housing', and purchase price levels. (Click here for the SHIP website)

2. The monies provided for down payment are a loan that the qualifying recipient agrees to repay the loan within 18 months and namely from a qualifying recipient's 2009 income tax refund. Remember, the Tax Credit is not a guaranteed refund check. The Tax Credit applies to one's tax liability for the year. Therefore if the recipient is liable for $1,000 in income tax to be paid and qualifies for the maximum $8,000 tax credit, the tax refund to the recipient is $7,000 ($8,000 - $1,000) and are still obligated to repay the $8,000 on the loan for the down payment. As you can see, the recipient would still need to come up with and additional $1,000 to repay the loan for the down payment.

3. The program is planned to begin August 1, 2009 although it effectively kicked off July 1, 2009 for qualifying Florida Home Buyers. Because monies to fund the program are built up from existing home sales doc stamps income; this may not be the same for all localities due to filing timelines from the local governments. Check with your local Realtor or SHIP office to find out if the program is available.

The biggest difference between the programs is that tax credit does not have to be repaid. The credit reduces an eligile person's tax liability by up to $8,000. In additional, because the tax credit program is Federal and the down payment assistance program is State; buyers may qualify for the Federal and not the down payment program. Again, the down payment assistance program will be determined by the local Florida SHIP office.

This is obviously a great option for qualifying home buyers. Consult with your Realtor or the local SHIP office for more information or direction.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

The Real Power Of The IPhone: It's In The Apps

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:06:50 -0500

When you watch the commercials for the IPhone and see the sleek design, the bubbly colorful icons, and the touchscreen; it seems like a really interesting gadget. It's when you get a hold of one and begin to play around with the features, sift through the features, and start to play around with the 1000's of add-on applications that you quickly realize how much Apple has truly revolutionized the mobile world. The real power . . . is definitely in the add-on applications, known as 'Apps'.

There are literally 1000's of add-on applications available and more coming everyday. Although games are very popular, there are an amazing amount of the little apps that help organize and make life a little bit easier and a ton of them are FREE (many also have a cost ranging from .99 on up). I'll admit that I haven't been "sold" on this device but when my husband upgraded the software on his ITouch and we began exploring these add-on, we both quickly realized how beneficial this device can be. For example, do you have a ton of store discount cards that you fumble to find or are dangling from your keychain? Ever wonder when someone would make it simple? Someone has! A company known as www.MyCardStar.com developed an app that you simply select the store, enter your number for the card, and it produces and stores the barcode on your phone which can be scanned at the store.

Many of the applications also utilize the built in GPS and email to make finding things easier when you are unfamiliar with your surroundings and/or want to 'share' the information with others. One of our personal favorites is the i.TV app. This powerful little add-on allows you to pull up the latest movies, rad a synopsis, watch a preview, shows the nearest (automatically from your GPS locator) theaters and showtimes, and gives directions to the theater. Netflix subscriber? You can also add the movie to you Netflix que so you'll never miss another movie when it comes out on DVD. And as the company name suggests, there is the TV portion which allows you to pull up your local programming and if you have a Tivo, you can set it to record right on your phone.

It would be impossible to go through them all, but there are apps for almost anything you can think of. The grocery store lists and recipe guides, religion, news, business, book buying, dining out, ereaders, conversions, social networking, so forth and so on. Visit Apple's App store today to browse through the apps available. And here's some of our personal favorites (all of these are FREE as well since we have been surfing through to see what they really can do).

Barnes & Noble - Shop for books, get a synopsis, reserve it at the nearest store, find events goingon at the closest store and email share it with a friend, and much more. A definite for Book lovers.
ITranslate - Type in a word or phrase and translate it into one of the 42 languages available. Perfect for the traveler.
Epicurious - Thousands of great recipes and shopping lists.
WikiHow - If you can wonder about how to do something, it's probably in this one. How to change a tire, deliver a baby, perform CPR, start a fire, organize a closet, so forth and so on.
Grocery Gadget - Set up up lists, keep track of spending as your shopping, coupons, import recipes, email your lists, and much more. This free version is limited to one list and 20 items, but you can get the pay version for $2.99 which unlocks a whole lot more.
OpenTable - Find restaurants nearby, get directions, view the menu, and book reservations.
And there are more.

I'm not personally a big gadget person. I want things that are real-world and make life easier, and this device and all of those out there putting together these wonderful applications, have definitely created something truly amazing. It defitnitely is on my list for the next cell phone.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Not All Short Sales Are The Same: Short Sale Myths

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:10:47 -0500

For anyone who has been shopping for Real Estate over the last year or two or if you are just beginning to shop, you would be hard pressed not to come across the term "Short Sale" on a least a few properties. Here in Palm Coast, houses for sale as a "Short Sale" represent a little over 30% of all houses for listed for sale in our MLS. I find myself talking short sale explanations on almost a daily basis with both buyers and sellers. I am also finding that many people have either made inaccurate assumptions or received inaccurate advice regarding "short sales". Since this type of sale situation is a reality for today's buyer and seller (and will be for probably a while longer), I wanted to address some of these common "myths" regarding "short sales".

First, one must understand what a "short sale" is and is not. The term "short sale" is used to denote a situation where a seller is distressed and is attempting to sell their property to avoid foreclosure but the property will not sell for equal to the amount or more than what is owed. Since the seller is 'distressed' (having difficulty making payments and unable to pay the difference with selling the property), the seller is also asking the lender to make arrangements to handle the difference with them.

With that said, let's look at some of the "myths" (or misconceptions) associated with "short sales":

Buyers

Short sale is the same as foreclosure and the bank wants to 'unload it' as quick as possible. First, a "short sale" IS NOT a 'foreclosure". "Foreclosure" is the situation where the lender has seized possession of the property. A "short sale" is a pre-foreclosure option for a borrower, and the borrower still has possession of the property. Therefore, the lender is seeking the borrower to sell the property for as little loss as possible and has agreed to work with the borrower in reagrds to any unpaid difference.
The bank has to 'forgive' the difference on all "short sales". Actually, it is up to each inidivdual lender how they handle these situations and the options they provide to the borrower(s). The lender is NOT obligated to do anything for that matter. The "short sale" is simply an option provided by many lenders, and it is also means to make potential buyers aware of the special circumstances regarding the sale of that property.
Since it is a short sale, I can offer a lot lower than what the property is listed for. Actually, you often have less 'wiggle room' for negotiation because it is not solely up to the owner as to what can be accepted. The lender is also involved in the acceptance of offers. The lender does not say "yes" or "no" to offers, but rather provides an amount they are willing to accept as a difference in what is owed. In addition, there is also the negotiation of how the difference will be handled with the borrower which is often times not 100% agreed upon up front. Remember, the lender is attempting to minimize their loss as much as possible NOT just 'get it sold quickly'.

Sellers

I owe more than what houses are selling for, so I can sell as a "short sale" and won't have to be responsible for the difference. Again, a "short sale" is a pre-foreclosure scenario. Therefore, a lender will not even consider "short sale" negotiations with a borrower until the can show that they are having difficulty making payments and must sell to avoid foreclosure. The lender will also want to see that there is an inability to pay the difference between what is owed and what the property will sell for. And more importantly, keep in mind that each individual lender will handle this differently according to their policies.
Since it is negotiation with the lender, why do I need a Realtor? A Realtor experienced in short sale scenarios is valuable in assisting you with the three parts of these difficult situations . . . initial negotiation and filing with the lender to offer the property for sale as a short sale, offering and advertising the property to get offers, and negotiation with both the lender and buyer to get the sale finalized. The Realtor should also keep in constant communication with the lender as well especially when an offer has been submitted from a potential buyer.
With all of this hassle, I should just let the bank foreclose. This is a difficult and stressful time, but it is important to make sure you are weighing all of your options. Foreclosure can having credit repercussions that last longer than a short sale. "Abandonments" and foreclosures may result in income tax obligations that are greater than a short sale scenarion. See the The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation for more information on "debt forgiveness". See also the IRS's Publication 4861 for examples and explanation of tax obligations.
Buyers don't want to even look at short sales because they are too difficult to purchase. Not true, and buyers know that short sales can often times be great purchases and often in better condition than foreclosure properties may be. A property offered for sale as a short sale should not be offered with the same diligence as any other property. The goal is the same . . . to get it sold for the owner at the best financial benefit.

There are obviously other rumors and opinions which can go around, and it is important to get the truth and facts when it comes to short sales for both buyers and sellers. For assistance with short sales in the Flagler County/Palm Coast, FL areas, fell free to contact me today.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Great Resource Volunteer Opportunities & Serving Your Community

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:19:52 -0500

Service work is one of the most rewarding things I have found in life. Volunteering time and talent within your community offers so many great gifts. The people you meet, the friendships that are born, the great feeling of a smile on another's face are just a few of those gifts I've experienced.

The www.Serve.gov website is a great resource to start if you are wondering what you could do in your community. We all have various passions and talents, and all can be very beneficial to your local community. Remember, the little things can be huge in another's life.

Click here for a a list of volunteer needs in the Flagler County, FL and surrounding areas.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Kemper Still Aiming For Palm Harbor Golf Opening In Fall 2009

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:15:30 -0500

Despite an excess of recent rain, Kemper Sports stated that they are "are still aiming for a target opening date in the Fall" in a letter to the Friends of Golf dated 5/18/09. While driving past the course it is noticeable all of the work that is being done, the progress, and the challenges faced to restore the course. Residents near the course are eager to see the course brought back to life. Many of whom built in that are specifically because of the golf-community aspect of the subdivision and know the potential impact to their property values without an operational course.

The new course is owned by the City of Palm Coast and its residents. Course Fees have not been set at this time. Earlier this year, the City Council stated that fees will be set by the City and plan to announce those fees prior to opening, but management of the course will be with an outside contractor. Kemper golf was contracted to manage the course operations and also announced the hiring of Bryan Plummer, who has 20+ years of resort and similar property management experience & education, as Superintendent of the course.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Palm Coast Sees Huge Reduction in Houses For Sale Compared to Last Year

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:39:42 -0500

As most sellers know, the more options buyers have . . . the more challenging it can be to sell. Good news in Palm Coast is that compared to to time last year, the number of houses for sale has reduced almost in half (roughly 44% lower than last year). In fact, this is one of the lowest periods for inventory in the past few years. We currently have about 1,050 homes for sale in Palm Coast.

So what does less homes for sale mean for sellers:

1. 1. Obviously less selection which means less competition.
  2. Better negotiation position

But for those things to happen, buyers have to be present. We are running slightly down (-2%) compared to last year in Palm Coast through May for residential home sales. We are very much beginning to see stabilization in the area in terms of number of sales. This is very important in terms of price which is on most owner's minds. Remember, price can not change until buyers are consistently present and inventories go down which we are beginning to see both happen. Again, all positive signs.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Twitter Resources

Sat, 23 May 2009 12:06:53 -0500

Interestingly enough, Twitter has a large following other than just Tweeters. There are a ton of free resources for use, graphics, inteface etc. Thought I'd share some:

TweetLister.com - A free olnine Real Estate listing service tied to Twitter which also allows to to schedule automatic tweets of your listing over a period of time.
JustTweetit.com - A great online resource for all thins Twitter including graphics, directory, and much more.
Books - Yes, people have written a ton of books on just Twitter. Click here for a list and order from Barnes & Noble.
Twitter Graphics by Randa Clay Design. 'Follow Me' buttons, insight, and more.
TweetDeck - Great standalone application that is free and provides for column views of tweets, direct messages, etc. all on one screen. Plus it adds features to shorten URL's right underneath the Tweet box rather than having to go to another site like www.TinyUrl.com
Tweet Pictures with TwitPic - Great site to upod pics and it creates a little URL to Tweet.
Search Twitter - Great site to search for Tweets and Tweeters pertiaing to specific topics such as Real Estate.
Celebrity Tweet - Find Celebrities using Twitter
Twitter Status - Having issues, find out if there is an outage or issues with the service.
Twitter Rank - We all like rankings. Find out where you rank on Twitter. My rank is . . . um . . . '0'. This isn't that great of a site and obviously has it's issues with accuracy but it's an interesting novelty thing.
Twitter Grader - Similar to the site above and on this one I rank 147,000 out of 2M. Much better site obviously.
Twitter Value - So how much are you 'worth' on Twitter? Find out. I'm apparently worth $136. Location Location Loaction!!!!
Widgets -
- From Twitter which includes HTML for adding into other websites but also easy ways to add the Twitter widget to other sites such as Facebook
- From Widgetbox for adding onto websites and blogs

And there is a ton more. Kind of crazy, but fun as well.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Flagler County & Palm Coast Sees Significant Decline In Number of Houses For Sale

Fri, 22 May 2009 11:49:09 -0500

Many in the area remember over the last two years that it was not uncommon to see 2000+ houses for sale in the area. In fact, many are still under the impression that the level is still that high. The good news is that the number of houses for sale in Palm Coast and Flagler County has significantly dropped. As of 5/16/09 we have 1095 Residential Houses for sale in Palm Coast and 1502 for all of Flagler County (See a full market report for the area).

The biggest contributor are properties designated as 'Short Sales' (occurs when the owner owes more than the property can sell for). Short Sales contribute 393 of the listings or 26% of all listings in the county. Currently 63 are pending for sale in Flagler County. Short sales will remain a significant part of houses offered for sale for some time. There have been several issues that have hindered short sales including lengthy timeframe to get responses back from banks, varying policies depending on lenders, and a lack of guarantees which have caused "surprises" at closings and sales to be lost. Since these are situations where the lender will be receiving less than what is owed to them, they naturally want to minimize that loss as much as possible. Coupled with the fact that the lenders saw a flood of these cases go through departments that were not able to handle the volume or had not developed policy or processes since the situation is a rarity in real estate. Recently, the government has stepped in to bring both incentives to lenders and consistency to the process. Click here to get more information on these updates. We have seen over the last year better response times from lenders in terms of offers and more upfront information and direction form the lenders to make the process more efficient.

The other big question on seller and buyer minds is concerning foreclosures. This is an area where the Flagler County made significant progress over the last year with sell-thorughs and use of the short sale option. Currently the area has only a handful of foreclosure houses for sale (designated as 'Lender Owned' in the Flagler County MLS). Click here to see the foreclosure properties for sale in the area. There are currently 244 properties filed with the Flagler County Clerk of Courts Office at this time. Foreclosures are obviously attractive to buyers because of price, but can often be in need of repairs. An inspection by a licensed home inspector will give you a clear idea of repairs which need to be made allowing you to get the most accurate picture of the total cost of the purchase.

In terms of sales, Flagler County has had 462 Residential Houses sold through 5/22/09 compared to 478 the same period last year. So we are beginning to see the number of sales "flatten out" which is a positive sign for the future. We began to see the same "flattening out" in terms of median prices last year. Again these are both positive signs to stabilization in the market.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Tweetdeck

Sun, 17 May 2009 14:09:55 -0500

Again, been playing around with Twitter since it's "all the craze", and I gotta say I am having some fun with it. Even got up to almost 300 followers in less than a week. I don't use Twitter and am not real happy with the interface online. A friend told me about Tweeterdeck. This is a great standalone application that provides 3 columns of views for updates, replies, and direct messages. It's still in beat format and the latest version is sais to correct some issues with ealrier versions. All-in-all it's a great little application if you are a Twitter user. By the way, just wondering if now that I am on Twitter . . . am I to consider myself a Tweeter? The lingo is throwing me for a loop.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Flagler County & Palm Coast Market Report 5/16/09

Sat, 16 May 2009 18:57:51 -0500

*Residential Houses*
Active	1502
Lowest	$39,900
Highest	$5,450,000
Average List Price	$376,848
Median List Price	$234,450
Pending Sales	188
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,399,999
Average List Price	$224,265
Median List Price	$169,900
Sold (April 2009)	114
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$959,150
Average Selling Price	$172,192
Median Selling Price	$139,950
Average Days on Market	139
Sold Year to date (Jan-Apr 2009)	380
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$975,000
Average Selling Price	$170,024
Median Selling Price	$139,000
Average Days on Market	134
*Residential Houses (Lender Owned)*
Active	17
Lowest	$79,899
Highest	$1,750,000
Average List Price	$247,894
Median List Price	$147,900
Pending Sales	22
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,399,000
Average List Price	$233,055
Median List Price	$133,200
Sold (April 2009)	16
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$425,000
Average Selling Price	$137,631
Median Selling Price	$116,200
Average Days on Market	67
Sold Year to date (Jan-Feb 2009)	79
Lowest	$45,900
Highest	$535,000
Average Selling Price	$140,393
Median Selling Price	$115,000
Average Days on Market	59
*Residential Houses (Short Sales)*
Active	393
Lowest	$39,900
Highest	$1,199,000
Average List Price	$185,098
Median List Price	$149,000
Pending Sales	63
Lowest	$74,900
Highest	$595,000
Average List Price	$158,924
Median List Price	$150,000
Sold (April 2009)	46
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$132,500
Average Selling Price	$149,118
Median Selling Price	$132,500
Average Days on Market	174
Sold Year to date (Jan-Apr 2009)	151
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$975,000
Average Selling Price	$154,955
Median Selling Price	$135,000
Average Days on Market	169

*Residential Houses*
Active	1095
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,495,000
Average List Price	$251,603
Median List Price	$195,000
Pending Sales	171
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,399,000
Average List Price	$198,324
Median List Price	$159,900
Sold (April 2009)	102
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$635,000
Average Selling Price	$155,641
Median Selling Price	$137,000
Average Days on Market	137
Sold Year to date (Jan-Apr 2009)	352
Lowest	$47,200
Highest	$975,000
Average Selling Price	$159,358
Median Selling Price	$135,000
Average Days on Market	132
*Residential Houses (Lender Owned)*
Active	14
Lowest	$79,899
Highest	$224,900
Average List Price	$144,600
Median List Price	$132,950
Pending Sales	19
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$1,399,000
Average List Price	$187,279
Median List Price	$124,900
Sold (April 2009)	13
Lowest	$86,000
Highest	$205,000
Average Selling Price	$127,746
Median Selling Price	$119,500
Average Days on Market	61
Sold Year to date (Jan-Apr 2009)	72
Lowest	$47,200
Highest	$535,000
Average Selling Price	$135,877
Median Selling Price	$115,000
Average Days on Market	52
*Residential Houses (Short Sales)*
Active	362
Lowest	$69,900
Highest	$788,000
Average List Price	$165,384
Median List Price	$146,200
Pending Sales	60
Lowest	$74,900
Highest	$279,000
Average List Price	$150,837
Median List Price	$149,950
Sold (April 2009)	44
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$635,000
Average Selling Price	$147,828
Median Selling Price	$129,000
Average Days on Market	168
Sold Year to date (Jan-Apr 2009)	147
Lowest	$60,000
Highest	$975,000
Average Selling Price	$151,528
Median Selling Price	$133,000
Average Days on Market	164

Disclaimer: Information based upon the Flagler County Association of Realtors MLS as of 5/16/2009 for Residential Houses. Information may be deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Custom Twitter Background

Thu, 14 May 2009 18:28:56 -0500

I am newer to Twitter I will admit. Just playing around with it and found that I really don't like the background options, and I really didn't like the online background creators either. Since the background is simply an image, I realized you can simply use Photoshop to create my own custom background. Here's how:

Set an image size of 1200x768 pixels. This can be a picture or colored background.
On the left hand side put your branding and keep it within 70 pixels from the left.
Save it as a JPG file under 800kb and upload to your twitter account.

I used a red background, texturized it, and just added my website name down the side with the text rotated 90 degrees to the left. Fun stuff to play around with.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Stunning Custom Home For Sale In Beautiful Golf Community

Mon, 04 May 2009 15:51:43 -0500

Stunning Custom Home In Prestigious Golf Course Community

$179,900

Location:
8 Eastgate Ln
Palm Coast, FL 32164

Map and Directions

Description

Stunning custom home located in the prestigious golf community, Cypress Knoll. Features many custom upgrades such as oversized tile flooring, custom cabinets, custom lighting, garden tub, 3-car garage, and many more. You are captivated as you walk through the full-light double entry doors. This is a must see home and is in move-in ready. Close to schools, shopping at the new Town Center, and beautiful area beaches. *Short Sale. Lender Approval Required

Photos

Features

Single Family Home
3-Car Garage
Custom Cabinets
Custom Lighting
Tile Floors
Large Back Yard
Move-in Ready

Listed by

Kathy West

Phone: (386) 446-5930

Listing agent/broker: Trademark Realty Group of PC

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for more information.

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Traditional Buying or Auction Buying?

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:38:00 -0500

Real Estate auctions have gotten increased exposure, and buyers often ask me if this is the best way to get a great deal on a property. The answer to that really depends on the individual buyer. There are some things to keep in mind regarding auctions:

Selection is limited - Properties available for sale through auctions are normally distressed sales and a much smaller selection compared to listings on an MLS.
Condition - These types of properties usually require maintenance and the potential buyer should always insure they visit the property prior to the auction with a knowlegable expert to identify necessary reapirs and an estimate of total costs.
Be Prepared With Several Properties In Mind - This is similar to any home search and buying a property. Remember, you will be up against a visible large group that will also be bidding on the property. So you can get out bid.
You are on your own - This is probably the most important component. If you are not familiar or are uncomfortable with auction environments they can be quick-paced and confusing. Your preparation, scheduling of visits, researching of the property, gaining capital (many properties require cash-on-hand), closing the deal is all on you.
Competition - Keep in mind that many of those who attend auctions and purchase there are experienced in this and often are investors with cash on hand. Most are not the normal homebuyer. So you will be competing with individuals that do this for a living to make profits off of the property and they will be agreesive with great deals.
Financing - Some properties it auctions may allow for financing. Many will need cash to close. So you will need a significant amount of cash on hand as well as the ability to finance to insure you are able to bid on the widest range of properties.

So if you are not experienced in this area, and not in a position to do all of the leg-work involved in getting educated and prepared; it may not be the best option. Remember that all the while you are getting ready for the auction dates, you may be missing out on great deals available already.

Click here to visit the 'Market Report' page to see the full statistics for Flagler County and Palm Coast, FL.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

Palm Coast Sees 2% Gain Over Number of Houses Sold Compared To Last Year!

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:00:35 -0500

The latest Real Estate Market Report for Flagler County and Palm Coast can be found on www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com. Palm Coast is up 2% year-to-date in the number of Residential Houses sold compared to last this time last year.

Click here to visit the 'Market Report' page to see the full statistics for Flagler County and Palm Coast, FL.

Visit www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com for the most powerful and comprehensive property search in the area!

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

4 Top Questions On Buyers And Seller's Minds

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:49:19 -0500

Realtor Magazine's latest edition had a great article about 4 questions that are on most buyers and sellers minds today. I wanted to touch on them concerning the Flagler & Palm Coast areas here in Florida.

Why are the prices of homes substantially in today's market?
1. A: Homes typically have appreciated at a rate of around 4% to 5% per year and it's not unusual to see values fluctuate during the first 4 to 5 years of ownership. During the boom a few years ago, values had appreciated at rates of much higher than normal. We are at a point now, where the market is correcting itself.
2. This becomes the situation when it too many properties become available for sale. Typically an area should be around a 5 to 6 month supply. We are currently around a 12 to 14 month supply for residential homes available for sale.
Where are prices headed next?
1. A: This is probably the biggest question on most people's minds. It is difficult to tell right now, but there are indicators that things will begin heading in a much better direction than the last few years. Typically the number of sales and prices have reacted about a year differently than one another in the area. We are seeing the number of sales beginning to "flatten out" which is a very good indicator. We are also seeing Palm Coast and Flagler County contunue to be a significant growth area and is projected to grow 10% over the next 4 years according to Florida Trend. Performance this year will definitely be one to watch. But if you are ready to buy, this is a great time to act especially with the historically great interest rates often time in the 4% to 5% range currently.
Should I buy now?
1. A: Most would think I'll just say "yes" because I'm a Realtor. But truth be told from a buyer's standpoint, this is definitely a great time to buy. Great prices, good negotiation position, great selection, and great interest rates. The conditions are perfect for buyers in the area.
Is owning a home really a great investment?
1. A: I've been a renter and a homeowner. I'll take homeownership every time. Right now, monthly rents can be right around the same if not more than monthly mortgage payments. Therefore, I am getting no financial benefit to paying rent each month in comparison to making a mortgage payment and owning. Ownership allows you the tax benefits of deductions for interest and property taxes. It also allows you the ability to sell later on and most often earn a profit to use towards another property if you must move. It is also something you can stay in for a long period of time, pay your loan down, and take the cash later on when selling possibly at retirement age. The most important thing with ownership is knowing what you can afford (pre-approval from a lender and disciplined personal budgeting).

Kathleen West, Realtor

Trademark Realty Group of Palm Coast

2 Pine Lakes Parkway, Suite 1
Palm Coast, FL 32137
Office: (386) 446-5930
Email: Kathleen@PalmCoastHomeShow.com
www.PalmCoastHomeShow.com
"Bringing Real Estate to Life"

*After Downloading the MyAgent App,
enter 'Agent Code' 4082 and you're set!

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Palm Coast Sees 2% Gain Over Number of Houses Sold Compared To Last Year!

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