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• First-Time Home Buyers Setting Records

  MSC Marketing 2:44 pm on November 19, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: 2009 Realtors Conference & Expo, consumer confidence (53), First Time Home Buyers (23), home buyers (115), housing affordability (45), long-term investment (18), market cycles (5), market emotion (30), market share (36), real estate (165), residential   Filed under: Buyer Info, Seller Info, The Housing Market

  NAR Survey Shows First-Time Home Buyers Set Record in Past Year

  Source, National Association of Realtors®

  First-time home buyers reached the highest market share on record during the past year, according to the latest consumer survey of home buyers and sellers. The study was released here today at the 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.

  The 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is the latest in a series of large national NAR surveys evaluating demographics, preferences, marketing and experiences of recent home buyers and sellers. Among national surveys, NAR’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is unprecedented in size and scope.

  Paul Bishop, NAR vice president of research, said several factors have been at play. “Tax incentives, record high affordability conditions and a pent-up demand brought a record share of first-time home buyers into the market,” he said. “These buyers are critical to housing and a general economic recovery because the market always heals from the bottom up – they absorb inventory, free existing owners to make a trade and stimulate related goods and services.”

  For more information, contact:
  Walter Molony 202/383-1177 wmolony@realtors.org

  (More …)

  
   
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• In The Gulf, Enough Islands to Match Any Personality

  MSC Marketing 10:16 am on November 11, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: Anna Maria Island (3), Bradenton (10), FL (4), home buyers (115), Lido Key, Longboat Key (3), Manatee (28), real estate (165), residential, Sarasota (63), The Gulf Islands (5), Vacation (15), Venice (4)   Filed under: Bradenton, Sarasota, The Gulf Islands

  By Andrea Sachs  – THE WASHINGTON POST
  Sunday, November 8, 2009

  Anna Maria Island: Low-key and all-natural

  Anna Maria Island is Florida as a living diorama, with no chain hotels, a speed limit that never exceeds 35 mph and a building limit of three stories. It is also home to a genteel first lady.

  “We are loath to go the route of Longboat Key, with condo high-rises,” said Rhea Chiles, the wife of former Florida governor Lawton Chiles, whose family has owned property here since 1958. “The look of the place has been passed down from one generation to another. It’s all of those words: quaint, neighborly, natural.”

  Chiles was the visionary behind the Studio at Gulf and Pine, a multi-use space that exhibits local artworks, including a painting of her own, and holds classes, such as the book club I was making her late for. So I left Chiles to her plot twists for the turns of a kayak.

  Shawn Duytschaver, whose family opened the first gift shop on Anna Maria, owns Native Rentals, where he rents boats and preps guests before pushing them off to fend for themselves. He suggested that I paddle Robinson Preserve, a 400-acre mangrove and salt marsh reserve that opened last year and is buffered from motorized traffic. (By comparison, he said that around nearby Lido Key, kayakers must contend with the din of boats and cars.)

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• Tax Credit May Offer Foreclosure Buffer

  MSC Marketing 10:57 am on November 10, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: Bradenton (10), home buyers (115), housing affordability (45), long-term investment (18), market cycles (5), market emotion (30), median home prices (11), real estate (165), reluctant buyers (13), residential, Sarasota (63)   Filed under: Bradenton, Buyer Info, Sarasota, Seller Info

  By Tom Bayles, Tuesday, November 10, 2009

  

  Stan Humpfries, Zillow.com Chief Economist

  Home values are still falling in the Sarasota-Bradenton market, but the trend is showing signs of slowing — and might slow further with the recent passage of an extended home buyers tax credit, Zillow.com’s chief economist said Monday.

  Stan Humphries, who last month predicted through an analysis of the regional market for the Herald-Tribune that a new wave of foreclosures would further depress prices in Manatee and Sarasota counties, said Congress’ move to extend the tax credit both in length and breadth could ameliorate some of the potential drop in Southwest Florida.

  “We could see a bump in demand that could partially offset the increased supply of foreclosed homes on the market,” said Humphries, chief economist for the online home valuation service. “The credits are likely to bring continued stabilization in prices over this period versus the price declines that we almost certainly would see otherwise.“  Zillow released an analysis on Monday that showed home values in Sarasota-Bradenton fell 14 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period in 2008. Prices in the Charlotte County market dropped 10 percent during the same time frame. But prices in the region were near what is considered statistically flat from the second quarter to the third, which ended in September.

  Meanwhile, another set of data from housing tracker Metrostudy also found some signs of life in new home construction in Southwest Florida.

  Builders in the region started more homes in the third quarter than in the previous two quarters combined, and the boost was not limited to the lower price ranges, which has been where the builders who have remained busy during the downturn have focused.

  There were 155 new homes started in the region at a price below $200,000 during the most recent quarter, a 9.9 percent increase from the second quarter. In the $200,000 to $350,000 range, there were 131 starts, up 4 percent. Forty-three homes priced above $350,000 were started in the third quarter, nearly double the second quarter tally, Metrostudy reported.

  The company also uses finished vacant inventory as a fundamental indicator to monitor the health of housing markets. That inventory in this region dropped 30 percent in all price ranges, though the total still remains above a level of equilibrium, Metrostudy said.

  HOME FACTS

  The Zillow Home Value Index measures the value of all homes, not just those those that were on the market and sold. The online home valuation service released this data Monday on Southwest Florida’s real estate market.

  SARASOTA-BRADENTON
  
  Nearly 50 percent of single-family homes with mortgages were underwater at the end of September.

  Homes that sold for a loss numbered 47.2 percent of all homes sold in September.

  Home values dropped an average 14.3 percent in September compared with the same month in 2008 to $155,300. But in the short-term, home values were nearly statistically flat with a drop of 1.1 percent from the second quarter to the third.

  CHARLOTTE COUNTY-NORTH PORT
  
  About 40 percent of single-family homes with mortgages were underwater at the end of September.

  Homes that sold for a loss numbered about 41 percent of all homes sold in September.

  Home values dropped by 10.6 percent in September compared with the same month in 2008 to $122,400. But similar to Sarasota-Bradenton, the drop was nearly statistically flat with an increase of 1.1 percent from the second quarter to the third.

  SOURCE: Zillow.com

  Related Links:

  • Slump? What slump? For some Realtors, business is thriving
  • Is the recession waning?
  • Home prices edge up
  • Housing bottom? Analysts wary
  • Home sales heat up while prices stay flat
  • National home sales rise 9.4 percent

  To view the entire article, click here.

  
   
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• President Signs Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension

  MSC Marketing 8:56 am on November 10, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: consumer confidence (53), home buyers (115), housing affordability (45), market emotion (30), maximum opportunity (12), median home prices (11), real estate (165), residential, Sarasota (63), second home buyers (19), Tax Credit (9)   Filed under: Buyer Info, Communities, Sarasota, Seller Info, The Housing Market

  Tax Credit Extension

  President Obama signed H.R. 3548 Friday morning, enacting into law an extension, and adjustment, of the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers. Among other things, the extension adds money for certain move-up buyers; creates one deadline for signing a contract and a later deadline for closing; changes income requirements; and limits a purchased home’s cost to $800,000.

  “Extending the homebuyer tax credit and expanding it to reach more homebuyers is the right thing to do,” says 2009 Florida Realtors® President Cynthia Shelton. “It is critical to maintaining the positive momentum we’ve been experiencing in the housing market and in the overall economy. Florida Realtors applaud congressional leaders for taking action to extend the homebuyer tax credit into 2010, which will help Florida families realize their dream of homeownership, improve our communities and strengthen our economy.”

  Adds John Sebree, Florida Realtors vice president of public policy, “Florida residents enjoy two additional advantages. The Florida Homebuyer Opportunity Program (FHOP), created by the Florida Legislature earlier this year, still has approximately $28 million that first-time homebuyers can access and use toward their downpayment. And move-up buyers now have the ability to ‘port’ their current property tax savings to a new home.”

  To view the entire article, click here.

  
   
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• Bradenton's Village of the Arts

  MSC Marketing 5:02 pm on November 4, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton (10), Farmer's Market, home buyers (115), Manatee (28), market share (36), real estate (165), residential, South Florida Museum   Filed under: Bradenton

  

  Village Voices & Eclectic Art Emporium is in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts, a reclaimed neighborhood. (Vanessa Rodgers/Bradenton Area Cvb)

  Revitalized Bradenton Brims with Artistic Flair

  By Beth D’Addono of the Boston Globe

  BRADENTON, Fla. – Turn onto 12th Street West, and it’s clear that this isn’t your average neighborhood. Instead of the usual bungalows, there is a riot of lime green picket fencing, a mural that pairs Frida Kahlo with an emaciated Christ figure, and a giant cow statue painted blue. And that’s just within two blocks.

  Welcome to Village of the Arts, a funky collection of more than 35 galleries, studios, cafes, and shops stretching between 9th Street and 16th Street West, and 9th and 14th Street West in what was once a rough section just south of downtown Bradenton, 50 miles south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

  Formerly a place known for crack houses and prostitutes, Village of the Arts started as a grass-roots attempt to reclaim the neighborhood by a few brave artists in search of cheap real estate and a community. A decade later, what began as a social experiment has become a reason for locals and visitors to spend time away from Bradenton’s sandy beaches.

  Bonni Brown was one of the first to stake a claim. The former New York clinical social worker opened a bakery cafe in September 1999. “We bought this place from a man arrested for shooting at crackheads. Got a great deal.’’ Today, the 100-year-old building houses Bonni Bakes, a friendly spot to have fresh mango lassi, a curried chicken salad sandwich, and a slice of red velvet cake. “We still get locals who’ve lived here all their lives and say, ‘When did all this happen?’ We’ve finally got some signs up, which will help a lot.’’

  Brenda Smoak is the newest kid on the block. She opened Alchemy, a fair trade consignment shop representing 145 artists, in early October, leaving her gallery in Silver Springs, Md., behind. “I moved here because of this place – it felt like a community,’’ Smoak said. (More …)

  
   
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• Quick Facts- 3rd Quarter of Christie's Great Estates

  MSC Marketing 3:57 pm on October 20, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: agents (23), global affiliations (24), historical prices (4), Luxury (28), real estate (165), residential, web statistics (31)   Filed under: Global Affiliates, International Currency, Statistics, Web Stats 2009

  Here are some quick facts from The 3^rd Quarter of Christie’s Great Estates including top real estate sales, web statistics for http://www.christiesgreatestates.com and top listings .

  

  Here are some quick facts from The 3rd Quarter of Christie’s Great Estates.

  
   
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• One Exceptional Network

  MSC Marketing 3:37 pm on October 13, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: consumer confidence (53), global affiliations (24), home buyers (115), real estate (165), residential   Filed under: Buyer Info, Global Affiliates, Seller Info

  Through our connection to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, we are connected to a premier network of powerful real estate resources.

  Around the world, the finest real estate firms are united under the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® banner, forming a global network that more people rely upon to buy and sell homes than any other real estate organization.

  Click image to see full size chart in printable form:

  

  
   
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• Leading RE - Still The Leader

  MSC Marketing 2:47 pm on October 13, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: competitive information (50), home buyers (115), real estate (165), residential, web statistics (31)   Filed under: Buyer Info, Charts, Global Affiliates, Statistics

  As an affiliate of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, we benefit from the worldwide reach of a powerful real estate network. Share the latest home sale information with your clients.

  Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® continues to outpace the competition, even during a difficult market. Our outstanding firms are taking a larger slice of the shrinking pie. - Leading Real Estate Companies Of The World

  Click image to see full size chart in printable form:
  

  
   
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• Top Brokers Report - For The Past 12 Months in Sarasota County

  MSC Marketing 4:10 pm on October 7, 2009 | Comments:0
  Tags: competitive information (50), home buyers (115), real estate (165), residential, Sarasota (63)   Filed under: Buyer Info, Charts, Communities, Sarasota, Statistics

  Michael Saunders & Company dominates the local market share for properties in all prices ranges throughout Sarasota (Total Sales by Volume Market Share).

  

  
   
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• The Clock is Ticking

  MSC Marketing 11:27 am on September 25, 2009 | Comments:1
  Tags: consumer confidence (53), First Time Home Buyers (23), housing affordability (45), market emotion (30), real estate (165), residential   Filed under: Buyer Info, Communities, Seller Info, The Housing Market

  An invaluable resource is now available for you to promote the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit. Please follow the link to download the PDF, which you can distribute to your contacts. Time is of the essence — the deadline to apply for the tax credit is November 30th.

  For more information see Sunday’s Sarasota Herald-Tribune article, “Two Minute Warning” or click here to read it now: The Two-Minute Warning

  Click image to view full size in printable form.