palm coast: Trulia Adds “Trulia Estimates”: Novelty or Not?
- 03/21/12 04:25 AM
Let me start by saying, Trulia.com and Zillow.com are great companies that I think bring great additional resources for home shopping to consumers. I love their websites and resources they offer. Zillow.com became a hit with it’s “Zestimate”. Just recently Trulia.com launched, what I am guessing is a competitive response to Zillow’s “Zestimates”, called “Trulia Estimates”. These are these companies attempts to provide real-time property valuation using proprietary algorithms. Sounds simple enough right? Think again.
One of the things any Real Estate Professional will tell you they wish was automated is . . . property pricing. This is one of the … (0 comments)
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palm coast: Seller Advice: Things To Be Aware Of With “Flat Fee” Selling
- 03/03/12 02:43 AM
If you’ve been thinking about selling your house you may have come across the advice to to a “For Sale By Owner”. Whether selling yourself or through an agent, advertising online and in an MLS (notice that I didn’t say “the MLS”, and I’ll explain this more in a moment) is extremely important nowadays. Some real estate companies have begun offering what is called “flat-fee selling” as a “for sale by owner” option. This might sound like a great option, but you really have to be careful here as a seller.
First, what is a “flat fee” option? Simply put; instead … (0 comments)
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palm coast: 2011 Palm Coast/Flagler County Market Recap
- 01/11/12 04:37 AM
So how did the local market do for 2011? Very well, and here's just a few highlishgts on the Residential Housing sales in the area:
A total of 1,665 houses closed from January 1st to December 31, 2011 The total number of sales was up 14% compared to 2010 when 1,460 houses closed 82% of all houses sold were in the price range up to $199,999 The luxury market ($500k+) also saw a slight uptick as well making up 3% of the area houses sold compared to 2% for 2010 3 bedroom homes were the most popular making up 62% of … (0 comments)
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palm coast: Looking Up: Palm Coast/Flagler County Real Estate Recap
- 11/15/11 04:32 AM
We're through October and the local real estate market has been another year of some real positives. It's also been a year of interesting devlopments too.
Highlights through October (Click here for a full market report):
Inventory levels remain lower. As of 11/14/2011 there are 1024 houses for sale in Flagler County and 762 in Palm Coast. Palm Coast alone has typically remained above 900 for the last few years. The number of house sales has increased 10% compared to this period last year. There have been 1,345 houses that have closed through October 31st. Palm Coast has contributed … (1 comments)
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palm coast: Flagler County/Palm Coast Market Highlights
- 10/19/11 04:42 AM
Can you believe it's Fall already and the end of the year is fast approaching? I know I can't. "How's the market? " is the common question I hear, and there really are some some things about our local market. Here's just a few from the residential housing portion:
Inventory levels at their lowest in recent years
The number of houses for sale over the last few years in Flagler County has rarely dipped below 1,100 (and 900 for Palm Coast) at any given point in time. As of today, there are 986 homes for sale in Flagler County and 739 … (0 comments)
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palm coast: Google+: Hands-On Review
- 07/12/11 08:56 AM
By now you've probably heard about Google's latest entry into the social networking arena with Google+. This is Google's latest entrance into the social networking arena. And they have done a stellar job. The service is far 'cleaner' with a more common sense type of approach than Facebook. The design allows users to overcome some of the challenges Facebook has for Realtors and users such as:
Circles - This feature allows you to easily group people. Unlike the lists in Facebook, the circles feature allows you to choose what you share and to whom. Plus it allows you to view posts … (5 comments)
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palm coast: Flagler County/Palm Coast Market Update 5/9/2011
- 05/09/11 04:45 AM
As the age old question goes in Real Estate, "How's the market doing?" In Flagler County and Palm Coast, FL . . . very postive. You can get a full break down of Residential Home Market Statistics for the area at PalmCoastHomeShow.com. But here's an overview of the market as of today:
There are 1196 homes for sale in Flagler County and 887 in Palm Coast. Both are some of the lowest levels of inventory in the last few years. Of the homes for sale 27% are 'short sales' in Flagler County and 32% in Palm Coast. Foreclosures represent 2% … (0 comments)
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palm coast: 2010 Palm Coast & Flagler County Housing Recap
- 01/08/11 11:27 AM
At the beginning of 2010 I had said it was going to be a very interesting year. The tax credit was showing some promise to help boost home sales, but it remained to be seen as to what the effect would be once that credit ended. Initially contracts had to closed by June 30th. This spurred sales to perform very well in the first half of the year with the area running about 15% above the year before in terms of the number of sales and then fell off in July and the proceeding months. The year ended basically even with … (0 comments)
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palm coast: The 'For Sale' Sign Just Got Better
- 11/27/10 02:01 AM
The 'For Sale' sign on the lawn of a property is still alive and well and continues to serve a purpose . . . letting others know the property is for sale. In fact, buyers still continue to find properties of interest by these signs and continue to take drives to look for them in an area of interest. But the sign has always had a huge barrier . . . the lack of information. You basically get 3 bits of information from the sign:
That the property is for sale The company and agent the property is listed with A … (9 comments)
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palm coast: Two Great Tech Marketing Options You Might Have Missed
- 11/12/10 02:02 AM
We're always exploring new options and services that are out there and particularly like the word 'FREE' in any advertising. Over the last few weeks we've found two newer options that you might have missed.
The first is www.Paper.Li This service takes Twitter feeds (i.e. a member, hastag, or a list) and creates a custom automated online newspaper-looking site. The paper provides vistors with a very rich reading experience that can be updated daily, weekley, or twice per day. It also adds in automated announcements on Twitter that your new edition is available. Check out two I created this week:
Kathleen … (25 comments)
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palm coast: Why Interest Rate Can Be The Better Benefit Than a Tax Credit
- 09/17/10 06:03 AM
The national average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is an astonshing 4.29%. Many buyers were obviously motivated by the tax credits last year and unfortunately the record-low interest rates get overshadowed. Are these rates a better benefit to make the decision to buy now if you are considering purchasing a home? Well let's do the math and you'll see that the truth is that these rates are the better benefit.
Let's take a $100,000 loan at 30 years fixed today at 4.50%.
Payment would be $506.69 (principal and interest) Total interest over the life of the loan would be … (3 comments)
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palm coast: Flagler County Sees Soft July But Still Up For The Year
- 08/27/10 03:46 AM
Like the rest of the country, Flagler County and Palm Coast saw a dip in the number of home sale closing in July to the tune of about 28%. 103 homes closed in July of this year compared to 142 in July of 2009. Year to date, the area still remains 7% above last year through August 25th in terms of the number of home sales. August through 8/25/10 has seen 82 closings and is slightly below the same period in August last year when 94 homes closed.
The dip in the number of closings in July this year was … (0 comments)
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palm coast: How To Decide What a Good Offer Is
- 08/13/10 04:27 AM
So you searched through homes. You've visited each one. And you've narrowed it down to which homes(s) your are interested in. Now it's time to make the offer. The question becomes . . . how much? This is the part that is a little more complex than most people think and a lot of factors should be taken into account.
Remember, an offer is the first step in negotiation. It is about opening up the door to a conversation. Offers that are reasonable and have attractiveness to them can lead to a very good discussion that is very beneficial to both … (2 comments)
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palm coast: Palm Coast State of The Market 6/24/10
- 06/24/10 03:27 AM
Everyone is continuing to keep an eye on the housing market nationally and locally to see the effect of the Tax Credit program which ended in April. The terms of the program were that contracts needed to be signed by 4/30/10 and closing occur no later than 6/30/10. Realistically, many of those closings would have occurred in May for contracts signed in April. So June and July are key months to look at in reagrds to impacts. We are still seeing strong numbers in the area compared to 2009 in Palm Coast which comprises the majority of the activity in the … (1 comments)
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palm coast: My Daughter, The Graduate!
- 05/30/10 04:00 AM
My Daughter, The Graduate! Posted on May 30, 2010 by Kathleen West, Realtor | Edit Today, I am a very proud Mom. Yesterday I sat with my husband and father as we watched my daughter Patricia graduate high school. As a parent, it’s a day that sneaks up on you so fast. It’s a day of a lot of “It seems just like yesterday . . . “. And it’s a day that you realize that your child really has grown up. Most importantly, it’s a day that truly makes you proud. My little girl overcame challenges, leaped hurdles, and reached … (1 comments)
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palm coast: 2010 Flagler County Housing Market Sees 17% Gain
- 05/07/10 04:28 AM
Through April of this year, the number of Flagler County residential homes sold has risen 17% compared to the same period in 2009. This period in 2009 saw 378 homes sold with 2010 seeing 442. 83% of those sales were up to $209,000 compared to 81% in 2009. Median price during these periods saw a decline 7% which was driven by the increase in the rise in the number of lower priced homes being sold. See the price bracket breakdown below.
The number of homes for sale today remains significantly lower than the level it has been over the last few … (1 comments)
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palm coast: How Much Is Poor Presentation Costing You?
- 04/15/10 03:41 AM
One of the difficult things to do in terms of listing homes for sale is putting a dollar value on upgrades and/or worn elements in a house that may need replacing. Sellers obviously want to know the bottom line with all things optimal and their home would sell at the suggested list price. We all want to get the most we can out of our homes and needing to improve the presentation can often be something that sellers do not want to do (i.e. replacing worn/stained carpeting, painting walls, etc.). But these minors fixes to the overall presentation can actually cost … (1 comments)
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palm coast: Last Month For the Home Buyer Tax Credit
- 04/04/10 02:49 AM
For buyers searching for their next home, we are in the final stretch to take advantage of the Home Buyer Tax Credit. To qualify for this credit, the contract must be signed by April 30th and close by June 30th or this year. It’s important to understand that an offer made by April 30th does not qualify. The offer must be accepted and signed off on (creating an binding sales contract) by April 30th.
What is the Tax Credit? There are two types:
1. First Time Home Buyers – This credit applies to buyers of a principal residence and have not … (0 comments)
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palm coast: Understanding Market Performance
- 03/13/10 02:58 AM
The other morning I looked at the front page of an area newspaper, The Daytona Beach News Journal, and saw the top headline “Home-Sales Pace Cools Off”. Just below the headline and to the left were the number of sales of homes in Volusia and Flagler Counties for December 2009 & January 2010 with January being lower. So I’m thinking . . . so? January is always a lower month in terms of the number of sales with December often peaking up just before the end of the tax year. Even more interesting is that the article goes on to state how January … (0 comments)
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palm coast: Understanding What Zillow's Zestimate Is and Isn't
- 02/25/10 02:49 AM
First of all, this article is in no way meant to put Zillow and their Zestimate 'down'. Zillow has done a great job producing a place to shop for properties from both Real Estate professionals and owners. But after reading local forum posts, internet articles, and conversations with others that have begun to view Zillow's Zestimate as 'gospel' in terms of price it is obvious that people are not understanding the concept. For example, I recently read an article from a Real Estate investor who was questioning the need for appraisers since Zillow offers the Zestimate. Commenters agreed that this was … (2 comments)
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Let me start by saying, Trulia.com and Zillow.com are great companies that I think bring great additional resources for home shopping to consumers. I love their websites and resources they offer. Zillow.com became a hit with it’s “Zestimate”. Just recently Trulia.com launched, what I am guessing is a competitive response to Zillow’s “Zestimates”, called “Trulia Estimates”. These are these companies attempts to provide real-time property valuation using proprietary algorithms. Sounds simple enough right? Think again.
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