






























Exceeding Expectations - Getting Results
“This past year, the still-tight inventory of homes for sale in Florida couldn’t meet growing buyer demand,” says2018 Florida Realtors President Christine Hansen, broker-owner with Century 21 Hansen Realty in Fort Lauderdale. “If supply could have kept pace, home sales likely would have been even stronger in 2017 – and of course, the state also felt the impact of Hurricane Irma that made landfall in the Keys on Sept. 10, 2017.
“Florida’s economy is growing, the jobs outlook remains strong and more people are moving to the Sunshine State. And while mortgage interest rates are rising, they are still at favorably low levels. All of these factors are positive signs for the state’s housing market in 2018.”
Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 271,868 in 2017, up 1.2 percent compared to the 2016 figure, according to data from Florida Realtors research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations.
Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017:
The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in 2017 was $237,500, up 8 percent from the previous year. New pending sales for existing single-family homes rose 0.1 percent in 2017 compared to 2016.
Looking at Florida’s year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 111,088 units sold statewide in 2017, up 2.9 percent from 2016. The closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and foreclosures statewide in 2017 compared to the previous year: Short sales for condo-townhouse properties declined 37.6 percent and foreclosures dropped 49.2 percent; short sales for single-family homes dropped 36.9 percent while foreclosures declined 46.5 percent.
Another strong indicator for the Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017:
The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 2017 was $172,500, up 7.8 percent over the previous year. New pending sales for townhouse-condos for the year increased 2.3 percent compared to a year ago.
At the end of 2017 and also for 4Q 2017, inventory for single-family homes stood at a 3.6-months’ supply, while inventory for townhouse-condo properties was at a 5.6-months’ supply, according to Florida Realtors.
“Overall, 2017 was a strong year for single-family home resales in Florida,” says Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor. “New listings of existing homes priced between $200,000 and $600,000 were up in a significant way compared to 2016, but these properties were quickly absorbed thanks to strong buyer demand driven by Florida’s booming economy. As a result, mid-range inventory remained somewhat flat on a year-over-year basis, while the number of listings priced below $200,000 continued to decline dramatically.
“Annual sales growth in Florida’s resale market for single-family luxury homes nearly ground to a halt in 2016, but this segment experienced a decent uptick in sales in 2017. Fewer new listings and more realistic pricing expectations by sellers were likely contributors to this renewed growth. The housing shortage impacting Florida and the rest of the nation continues to be contained to the lower price tiers, whereas the opposite issue – an overabundance of listings – is having the opposite impact on many local luxury markets.”
The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.99 percent for 2017, up significantly from the previous year’s average of 3.65 percent, according to Freddie Mac.
Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 63,436 in the fourth quarter of 2017, up 2 percent compared to the year-ago figure, according to data from Florida Realtors research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. Closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.
“The fourth quarter figures show that the vast majority of Florida’s local housing markets recovered quite quickly from Hurricane Irma,” O’Connor notes. “Closed sales were up year-over-year, and prices continued to climb as if nothing happened at all. Inventory continued to fall in the fourth quarter as well, so the longer-term trends in the housing market as of the beginning of 2017 appear to have remained in place at year’s end.”
The statewide median sales price for existing single-family homes for the quarter was $240,000, up 7.2 percent from 4Q 2016. New pending sales for existing single-family homes for the quarter rose 5.4 percent compared to a year ago, while new listings increased 4 percent.
Looking at Florida’s year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 25,544 units sold statewide in 4Q 2017, up 4.7 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and foreclosures statewide in the fourth quarter compared to the same time a year ago: Short sales for condo-townhouse properties declined 24.9 percent and foreclosures dropped 41.8 percent; short sales for single-family homes dropped 34.4 percent and foreclosures declined 44.3 percent.
The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 4Q 2017 was $175,000, up 6.6 percent over the previous year. New pending sales for townhouse-condos for the quarter increased 8.7 percent compared to a year ago, while new listings rose 6.8 percent.
To see the full statewide housing activity reports including this Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017 report, go to Florida Realtors Research & Statistics section on floridarealtors.org.
Realtors also have access to local market stats (password protected) on Florida Realtors’ website.
© 2018 Florida Realtors®
Read the full article about Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017 on The Florida Realtors Website here: The full FAR article
Keywords
Home-buying tips for single-income women
SEATTLE – April 23, 2018 –
Real estate website Estately recently conducted a study showing how America’s gender wage gap affects
home affordability and ownership for women.
To find out, Estately used 2016 U.S. Census data to compare men’s and women’s median salaries in the 50 most populated U.S. cities. Based on those salaries and assuming a monthly mortgage payment of 28 percent of the gross monthly income, the site used a mortgage calculator to determine the maximum home price each salary could afford.
Topics in this article:
Read the full article “Home-buying tips for single-income women” on The Florida Realtors Website here:
Home-buying tips for single-income women
Home-buying tips for single-income women, Copyright © 2018 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
This article originally appeared on Credit.com.
The article was published on the Florida Realtors Website.
© 2018 Florida Realtors®
Keywords
Would you like to get an overview over the closing cost to expect as a typical buyer ?
Here is a very good infographic prepared by the Florida Realtors Association.
Click the image below to learn more!
A new window with an infographic in a pdf file about closing costs
will open and you can download or print the article!
Enjoy
Gitta
Keywords:
Closing Costs, Buyer, Infographic, PDF, download, FAR, Florida Realtors Association, Bying, Selling, Home, Property, Real Estate.
Residential home prices began to peak in some parts of the country as early as 2005, according to the report. Home prices collapsed in 2007, when Wall Street began to back out of residential mortgage-backed securities. After falling 33 percent during the recession, prices in most markets have returned to peak levels, growing 51 percent nationally since bottoming out in March 2011.
The average home price is now 1 percent higher than it was at the peak in 2006, and the average year-over-year home equity gain was $14,888 in the third quarter of 2017. This indicates the housing market has widely recovered.
While the nation’s average home price has stabilized, not all of the 50 states are back to their pre-recession price levels. Nevada suffered the biggest drop during the recession, with a 60 percent peak-to-trough decline in home prices. Even after experiencing a 93 percent increase from its trough-to-current home price level, Nevada home prices are still 23 percent below the pre-recession peak, and 9 percent of mortgaged properties remained underwater in the third quarter of 2017.
Some states faired relatively well through the national housing downturn, with 10 posting peak-to-trough declines of less than 10 percent. North Dakota’s peak-to-trough decline was the smallest at 2 percent. Due in part to the energy boom, North Dakota home prices have risen 48 percent above the prior peak in July 2008.
Similarly, Nebraska and Iowa home prices both dropped by 5 percent during the recession. Nebraska now stands 27 percent higher than its lowest home price level during the recession, and Iowa is now 15 percent above its prior peak in 2006.
“Homeowners in the United States experienced a run-up in prices from the early 2000s to 2006, and then saw the trend reverse with steady declines through 2011,” said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. “After reaching bottom in 2011, our national price index is up more than 50 percent. West Coast states, such as California, Washington and Oregon are seeing some of the largest trough-to-current growth rates in home prices.
“Greater demand and lower supply – as well as booming job markets – have given some of the hardest-hit housing markets a boost in home prices. Yet, many are still not back to pre-crash levels.”
Local job market dynamics and other factors helped determine the severity of the housing downturn at the regional level. Las Vegas, Miami and Chicago each arrived at their respective peaks at different times during the boom and experienced significant peak-to-trough home price declines during the recession. These markets have been slower to recover and their home prices are below their pre-recession peaks.
Other metro areas such as San Francisco and Denver, which both have technology sectors and low unemployment, have experienced consistent home price growth. In the third quarter of 2017, the average year-over-year equity gain in San Francisco and Denver was $73,217, and $22,102, respectively, and only 1 percent of homes in those markets remained underwater.
The data in this report represents home price activity reported through December 2017 and home equity data through the third quarter of 2017.
Evaluating housing market since the Great Recession, © 2018 Florida Realtors®
Read the full article “Evaluating the housing market since the Great Recession” on The Florida Realtors Website here:
Evaluating the housing market since the Great Recession
Keywords
“This past year, the still-tight inventory of homes for sale in Florida couldn’t meet growing buyer demand,” says2018 Florida Realtors President Christine Hansen, broker-owner with Century 21 Hansen Realty in Fort Lauderdale. “If supply could have kept pace, home sales likely would have been even stronger in 2017 – and of course, the state also felt the impact of Hurricane Irma that made landfall in the Keys on Sept. 10, 2017.
“Florida’s economy is growing, the jobs outlook remains strong and more people are moving to the Sunshine State. And while mortgage interest rates are rising, they are still at favorably low levels. All of these factors are positive signs for the state’s housing market in 2018.”
Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 271,868 in 2017, up 1.2 percent compared to the 2016 figure, according to data from Florida Realtors research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations.
Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017:
The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes in 2017 was $237,500, up 8 percent from the previous year. New pending sales for existing single-family homes rose 0.1 percent in 2017 compared to 2016.
Looking at Florida’s year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 111,088 units sold statewide in 2017, up 2.9 percent from 2016. The closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and foreclosures statewide in 2017 compared to the previous year: Short sales for condo-townhouse properties declined 37.6 percent and foreclosures dropped 49.2 percent; short sales for single-family homes dropped 36.9 percent while foreclosures declined 46.5 percent.
Another strong indicator for the Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017:
The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 2017 was $172,500, up 7.8 percent over the previous year. New pending sales for townhouse-condos for the year increased 2.3 percent compared to a year ago.
At the end of 2017 and also for 4Q 2017, inventory for single-family homes stood at a 3.6-months’ supply, while inventory for townhouse-condo properties was at a 5.6-months’ supply, according to Florida Realtors.
“Overall, 2017 was a strong year for single-family home resales in Florida,” says Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor. “New listings of existing homes priced between $200,000 and $600,000 were up in a significant way compared to 2016, but these properties were quickly absorbed thanks to strong buyer demand driven by Florida’s booming economy. As a result, mid-range inventory remained somewhat flat on a year-over-year basis, while the number of listings priced below $200,000 continued to decline dramatically.
“Annual sales growth in Florida’s resale market for single-family luxury homes nearly ground to a halt in 2016, but this segment experienced a decent uptick in sales in 2017. Fewer new listings and more realistic pricing expectations by sellers were likely contributors to this renewed growth. The housing shortage impacting Florida and the rest of the nation continues to be contained to the lower price tiers, whereas the opposite issue – an overabundance of listings – is having the opposite impact on many local luxury markets.”
The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.99 percent for 2017, up significantly from the previous year’s average of 3.65 percent, according to Freddie Mac.
Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 63,436 in the fourth quarter of 2017, up 2 percent compared to the year-ago figure, according to data from Florida Realtors research department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. Closed sales typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.
“The fourth quarter figures show that the vast majority of Florida’s local housing markets recovered quite quickly from Hurricane Irma,” O’Connor notes. “Closed sales were up year-over-year, and prices continued to climb as if nothing happened at all. Inventory continued to fall in the fourth quarter as well, so the longer-term trends in the housing market as of the beginning of 2017 appear to have remained in place at year’s end.”
The statewide median sales price for existing single-family homes for the quarter was $240,000, up 7.2 percent from 4Q 2016. New pending sales for existing single-family homes for the quarter rose 5.4 percent compared to a year ago, while new listings increased 4 percent.
Looking at Florida’s year-to-year comparison for sales of townhouse-condos, a total of 25,544 units sold statewide in 4Q 2017, up 4.7 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. The closed sales data reflected fewer short sales and foreclosures statewide in the fourth quarter compared to the same time a year ago: Short sales for condo-townhouse properties declined 24.9 percent and foreclosures dropped 41.8 percent; short sales for single-family homes dropped 34.4 percent and foreclosures declined 44.3 percent.
The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in 4Q 2017 was $175,000, up 6.6 percent over the previous year. New pending sales for townhouse-condos for the quarter increased 8.7 percent compared to a year ago, while new listings rose 6.8 percent.
To see the full statewide housing activity reports including this Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017 report, go to Florida Realtors Research & Statistics section on floridarealtors.org.
Realtors also have access to local market stats (password protected) on Florida Realtors’ website.
© 2018 Florida Realtors®
Read the full article about Florida Home Sales Price Gains 2017 on The Florida Realtors Website here: The full FAR article
Keywords
Why home staging ?
A lot of my customers are leaving their homes while we start the listing process, taking most if not all of their furniture with them.
Others are still living in their homes, but furniture placement and decoration are often “personal taste” like the collection of dolls, photos, pillows, rugs, vases etc. or just “living with that since a long time” like clutter on top of cabinets, collected cardboard boxes or sport articles.
Empty rooms, like cluttered or very personalized rooms, make it difficult for buyers to “see themselves” living in that space and of course make it harder to sell.
That’s why we do home staging.
We stage empty rooms with furniture like beds and nightstands, wall pictures, window treatments, tables with dining sets, Florida room seats and pillows, decorations, bathrooms with towels and colored soap blocks, making the home look “live in ready” and giving the buyer a picture how it could “look like”.
And we are cleaning out clutter, sometimes move furniture or even get “some stuff” out of the house to make it look roomier.
My team and I know how important home staging is, and we see the results in time on market, offers, and of course feedback from my colleagues.
While it’s easy for a seller to SEE the difference, it’s always great if you get a positive feedback from acknowledged and reputable sources about home staging.
So I was very glad to see this report in our Florida Realtor Magazine.
Here are a few images from this home staging report 2017 and below a link to the whole article.
Hope you enjoy this! If so, feel free to share it and leave a comment.
©2017 National Association of REALTORS®
Moving overeas- while this article is primarily targeting Real Estate professionals, I thought it might be useful to many of my customers as well.
If you need more information, of course I am CIPS certified and as you probably guess, as a German citizen know a LOT about the European market
and can help you in making decisions, finding spaces and making contact!
Hope this “moving overseas” article is useful to you!
Posted in International Real Estate, NAR Global, Research, by Charlee Gibson on February 2, 2018
However, have you considered looking at the countries Americans are moving to?
The U.S. State Department estimated that 9 million U.S. citizens lived abroad in 2016, which is a substantial increase over the previous decade.
REALTORS® located both in the U.S. and abroad can benefit from understanding who is buying abroad,
where they are buying, and what’s driving their decision to move.
1. Where are Americans moving?
Check out where REALTORS® report their clients were moving in NAR’s
2017 Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate.
2. Why are they moving?
Americans choose to move abroad for a variety of reasons, and understanding these influencing factors
can help you market your services to them.
For instance, someone purchasing a vacation home now might ultimately plan to use it for retirement.
Have your RSPS or SRES designation, in addition to CIPS? Use those credentials to market yourself!
3. What referral contacts do I have in those countries?
After identifying what markets are hotspots for those in your market, check to see if there’s a CIPS designee
in that market to assist potential clients.
By using your network to share referral business, you are putting your client (and reputation) in the hands
of someone who is trained in international transactions and opening the door for that designee to send future
referral business to you.
There are nearly 4,000 CIPS designees in 48 countries.
Search for a CIPS designee and start making the connections you can’t afford not to have.
Charlee Gibson is a Marketing Coordinator for the National Association of REALTORS® Commercial & Global Services division.
She can be reached at cgibson@realtors.org.
I am proud and humbled being voted the “Realtor of the Year 2017″ by the Realtors Association of Citrus County !
I ‘m especially proud that I had the support of my RACC Board of Directors colleagues and the past and present President”,
and humbled because there are so many other Realtors doing a great job in here in Citrus County!
More about this award for me as “Realtor of the Year” and the achievements of my colleague Rob Tessmer Jr.
at Coldwell Banker Investors Realty awarded the “President’s’ distinguished Service Award for 2017”
in teh article of our home town newspaper, the Citrus County Chronicle, that I have copied below!
A big thank you to all who have voted me to the “Realtor of the Year” !!
SHARON ANDERSON
For the Chronicle
Two Realtors from Coldwell Banker Investors Realty of Citrus County took home the gold, so to speak, when
the Realtors Association of Citrus County (RACC) designated them the recipients of two of its most coveted awards for 2017.
Gitta Barth was named “Realtor of the Year” and outgoing RACC President Donnie Bass selected Rob Tessmer Jr.
to receive the “President’s Distinguished Service” Award.
The announcements were made at the annual RACC Installation and Awards Dinner, held December 16 at the Plantation on Crystal River.
“These awards are given to those who have provided outstanding service to their fellow Realtors, their community, and to the local, state
or national Realtor associations,” reads a news release from the Coldwell Banker’s office in Inverness.
“Congratulations to both Gitta and Rob Jr. for receiving these awards as acknowledgement for their hard work and
exceptional commitment to the real estate business.”