Brevard County Schools Did it Again!

 

Brevard County Schools took third place in the state, with 84% of schools receiving a grade “A”.

The scoring is based on scores that students get on the FCAT, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.  “A” rated schools are awarded $75 per student.

All of Brevard County Middle Schools earned an “A” for the fourth year in a row.

St. John and Gilchrist County took 1st and 2nd place in the state.

We love to pass this information along to potential homebuyers, as we receive so many inquiries as to the quality of our local schools.

Another great reason to consider living in Brevard County Florida!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

So Many Parks to Visit, It’s So Hard to Decide

 

My teenage daughters are ready to visit a couple of theme parks sometime during their Summer vacation.  We have visited all of the Disney Parks: the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom over the years, multiple times.  My girls favorite is the Magic Kingdom, as the park is filled with rides.  They love Space Mountain, their famous roller coaster.  They also enjoy Thunder Mountain, another roller coaster.  Splash Mountain is a water ride with one big drop.  My favorite of the theme parks is Epcot, as there is so much culture there.  

The parks are only 45 minutes away from us, in Orlando, so it’s a quick jump in the car and short drive over. In Orlando we can also visit Sea World, Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Wet ‘n Wild, Aquatica, or Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Wonderworks.

This year we are thinking that we will head over to Tampa, on the west coast of the state, to visit Busch Gardens.  This is just over a 2 hour drive. Busch Gardens has a lot of roller coasters. They are running a special where you pay one admission, and that gives you 2 days in 2 parks. The first day you can go to Busch Gardens and the second day you can visit Tampa’s water park, Adventure Island.  We haven’t been to either of these parks yet.    

We are in such a great central location here in Brevard County, it’s hard to decide where to go. And it’s great because they’re all in our own backyard!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Some Homes are Becoming Stale

When buyers are out looking at homes they always ask how long a house has been on the market. This question can often provide some valuable insight. How motivated is the seller?  How flexible is he on price?

Currently there are 981 single family, condos and townhouses for sale in Melbourne Florida in the MLS, Multiple Listing Service.  Over 100 of these properties have been on the market for at least a year and many much longer. Three properties have been on the market for over 1000 days. These 100 properties are stale.  These sellers are in a precarious position. They may appear unwilling to budge, or unmotivated, perhaps unrealistic in the eyes of a buyer.  Perhaps they truly can’t budge on their price, based on what they owe on their mortgage.

Are the houses continuing to be shown or have buyers and agents lost interest in them after all this time? Did they have consistent showings when they first went on the market?  Is a serious buyer going to make an offer close to the asking price on one of these homes? Or, are they going to make a low ball offer, if they make any offer at all?

The question from the buyer then becomes, ‘what’s wrong with this home since it’s been on the market so long?’ ‘Well, I’m not sure I want it, because apparently no one else wants it either.’

Price drives the real estate market today, and the longer a home sits on the market, typically the less a seller is going to get for his property.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Brevard County real estate.

Remove the Debris from Your Gutters

With rainy season here, now is a great time to be sure that the gutters on your house are clean and free of debris.

You want to be sure that your gutters are pulling the rain off of your roof, and taking the water out away from your house.  When they are working efficiently they can help prevent flooding issues and unnecessary damage to your home.

When your gutters are clogged with leaves and debris they can overflow and become detached from the house.  Often times this causes other issues such as water and wood rot issues in doors, windows, on various sections of the home. 

When cleaning your gutters you may use a yard blower to get the excess debris removed or use a regular small garden shovel.  You may be able to use a garden hose to free up the debris in the bottom of the gutters.  Be sure that the water is running freely through the gutters when you are finished.

If you are uncomfortable with the thought of getting up on a ladder or getting on your roof, it may be best to hire someone else to clean those gutters out for you.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Brevard County real estate.

Market Report for Lake Washington Area of Melbourne Florida

In the Lake Washington Area of Melbourne:

There are currently 122 homes for sale. These include single family, as well as mobile homes.

There are currently 41 properties under contract. Some of these have been under contract for several months, as they are short sales, pending lender approval.

There have been 72 homes that have sold in 2009.

$            1  – $  250,000      58 properties       11 of these were foreclosures    14  short sales

$  251,000 – $  500,000       12 properties         1 of these was a foreclosure     4  short sales

$  501,000 – $  750,000       1 property

$  750,001 – $1,000,000      0

$1,000,000+                               1 property

Some of these sold properties remained on the market for as many as 462 days, 673 days, 722 days, 938 days.

Our Lake Washington market has become quite active. And, we are seeing many homes selling, with multiple offers.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®,  Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

99 Cent Bowling this Sunday

 

The Brunswick Harbour Lanes will have 99 cent a game bowling this Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  This is a great way for a family to spend some quality time together. A family of four can bowl 4 games for less than $20.00!  What a great deal! 

When they aren’t running this particular special, normally, if you arrive on a Sunday morning before 10:00 for bowling, then all the games you play are 99 cents a game.  You really can’t beat it.

Currently bowling shoe rentals are $3.99 + tax.  That drives the cost of bowling up.  My husband and I already had our own bowling shoes. I went to the local thrift store, and was able to pick up 3 pair of bowling shoes for $1.00 a pair.  Two pairs looked like they had never been worn.

   

So, head on over to Brunswick Harbour Lanes for 99 cent bowling.  You’ll have a great time!

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores REALTOR®, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I also buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

 

Property Tax Estimates for Buyers

 

With so many new buyers in the market today, and property values decreasing, we like to be able to provide our buyers with an idea of what their upcoming property taxes will be.

Property taxes here in Brevard County Florida are paid in arrears.  Property tax bills come out at the beginning of November for the current year. So, in November 2009, your property tax bill will cover January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. The bills will be based on values from January of 2009.

Today, buyers should be aware that the current taxes on a property are based on a January 2008 property value. 

For an estimate of what upcoming taxes may be, the Brevard County Tax Assessors office best advice is to go to the property tax estimator on their website.  Find the millage rate for the city where you are purchasing, and input the price of the home you are buying.  This will give you an approximate value of what your upcoming taxes may be.

Now, be aware if you are going to occupy the property as your primary residence, you may be eligible for  homestead exemption. But you will need to file prior to March 1, 2010.  This could give you an approximate savings of $450 on the first $25,000 of taxable value of the property and an approximate $240 exemption on the next $25,000 taxable value of the property.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Brevard County real estate.

Should I Buy the Biggest, Nicest House on the Block?

We have been getting calls from investors that are looking to purchase investment property. They want to take advantage of our low prices and interest rates. Some want to buy a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood, with top of the line appliances and amenities. The feeling is that the nicer the property, the better clientele will be attracted to the property, so the more money they will collect in rent, thus the more money they will make.

There are many fallacies to real estate investing, and owning the nicest and biggest house on the block is one of them. 

Real estate is local in nature. And, each market across the country is different. So, I can only speak about and from my experience with Brevard County Florida real estate.

Real estate investing is all about the numbers. If the figures don’t work on paper, forget it.  The property should bring you positive cash flow today. Not tomorrow. Don’t buy with the thought that,  ‘I’ll hold it, and make a bundle when I sell.’  Look where that thinking got investors in 2005.  Stuck. Remember, tomorrow doesn’t always come in investing.

Houses in the $1000 a month price range and over are difficult to rent.  Often they sit empty for months, awaiting that “perfect” tenant.  The taxes and insurance are high. Often they have association fees. But, what is a perfect tenant?  Some owners have told me that they want only tenants with no children (we aren’t allowed to discriminate, unless it is an adult only community), no pets, non smokers and perfect credit. In my opinion these qualities don’t make a perfect tenant. People with perfect credit don’t need to rent for an extended period of time, and will quickly move to buy a house. Then, a vacancy will gobble up your cash flow.

Today, many of the calls we get come from prospective tenants with blemished credit, due to an unforeseen short sale or foreclosure.  Often times these people make exceptional tenants.

For me, I prefer smaller properties in the $650.00 to $850.00 price range. Smaller houses rent for more money per square foot than larger houses do. Currently, this range is where a high percentage of tenant calls originate. There are a larger number of tenants that qualify for these properties, as the rent is affordable. They stay rented for longer than larger properties and the taxes and insurance are less than on a larger property, often with no association fees.

It’s a great time to invest in Brevard County Florida real estate. But, do your homework first.  Make sure the numbers work on paper before you go out and and start looking. And remember, not everyone is cut out to be a landlord.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne/Palm Bay FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Brevard County real estate.

Breathtaking Pieces by a Local Satellite Beach Artist

Recently, I worked with a wonderful seller that has been painting for over 60 years.  He spends his days and nights painting.  His house was filled with his incredible artwork.  He has some of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen.  Up until the recent estate sale that was conducted on his house, as he was liquidating his parents furnishings. he had never sold a single one of his paintings.  People had always asked over the years if they could buy a piece or two from him, but he always declined their offers. 

In the estate sale he sold nearly 20 of his beautiful paintings, literally within a week. People answered internet ads and came from different areas to buy his gorgeous art. He still has pieces that are available for sale.

This is just one of his beautiful paintings he had hanging in his home.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News

How Many Houses Can You Remember?

I received a call a couple of days ago from a listing agent on a condominum that I showed a week earlier.  She asked me for some feedback on the showing.  Hmmm. I thought. Funny thing about it was I didn’t even immediately recognize the address of the property.  I’ve seen alot of houses with different buyers in the past several weeks, I’m guessing probably over 50 single family homes.  And, I’ve probably seen about half that number of condos.

Now, for me, if my buyers aren’t interested in a property, the ones they don’t have an interest in all become blended together, after a couple of days. I typically have a tendency to put those properties out of my mind.  Maybe it’s old-timers kicking in.  I focus on the homes that the buyers have put on their final list, and find out as much I can about them.

So, listing agents, please forgive me, if sometimes, I can’t remember your listing that my buyer ruled out.  My brain can only handle so much information.

This article is authored by

Sandy Shores Realtor, Melbourne FL Real Estate

Brevard County Real Estate & Investing

Palm Bay Florida Real Estate News