Venice, FL

More commonly known as the "South Jetty" or Casey's Pass to area residents, Humphris Park is widely known as the perfect spot for fishing, surfing (during season), picnics, sailboat watching, and enjoying the beautiful Florida sunsets along the Gulf of Mexico. Located at the very end of Tarpon Center Drive on the Island of Venice, the 2-mile park is a great place to relax.

This is a wonderful spot to bring the whole family as there are restrooms on-site, picnic table, park benches, and of course, the iconic Anita's Sandcastle. Known for the "World's Best Beach Dog", Anita's is fast becoming one of Florida's famous Hot Dog Stands. But hot dogs are not the only thing on the menu: Up early for the first catch of the day? Come by for coffee and breakfast! Polish sausage, nachos and cheese, and an array of cold beverages and frozen treats are on hand to cool you off from a day in the sun.

The South Jetty and Anita's Sandcastle are just around corner from the Herron Group listing at the Beleza and across the Jetty to Casey Key.

Nick Herron & Kathleen Herron of the Herron Group would be glad to show you any of the properties listed on any of the golf course communities or Sarasota's Barrier Island of Casey Key, Manasota Key, Siesta Key, Lido Key, Longboat Key or Island of Venice. Call 941.350.5035.

Beach, Bay or Back Nine...Live the Dream

I have been a Realtor almost a year now in one of the toughest real estate markets in history. It has been a challenge putting buyers and sellers together and making deals happen. But I have been doing well and my hard work is starting to pay off. I am busy, my phone is ringing, I am getting listings, receiving offers and then suddenly one of my deals falls through because of the new appraisal laws that have been implemented to prevent mortgage fraud. I can't believe that this new law meant to protect the general public is now back firing and people are losing out on the "American Dream" of home ownership. Not to mention all the hard work the professionals; seller's agents, buyer's agents and mortgage brokers are put into trying to get the deals to close.

Two months ago my sellers accepted an offer on their second home in North Port Florida. They were so excited that they were finally going to be able to move on and not have to maintain this second home of theirs and may be enjoy life a little with the proceeds from the sale. This was the buyers "first home" and they could not have been more excited. The buyers were already approved for financing (USDA Financing). They worked really hard to find the perfect home. The buyer's agent told me that over the course of several months she must have shown her buyers over 60 homes before they put an offer in on my seller's home.

Then the appraisal came in $15,000 short of the contract price. My sellers disappointed but agreed to lower the price to the value of the appraisal and the closing was scheduled. A few days before closing we were notified that the lender was not able to close in time. They just were too busy to get it together to close and so my sellers agreed to a 15 day extension. We are now a month and a half into this and 2 hours before the scheduled closing I am notified by the title company that the mortgage company is not ready to close again. The lender apparently pulled "AVM" comps 4 days prior to closing and the comps did not match the appraisal. The mortgage broker and buyer's agent both told me that they had 9 supporting comps and are going to resubmit to the lender for approval and to be patient. Based on this information my sellers again agreed to sign another extension for 10 more days.

This time, three days before closing we were notified that the lender won't close. The lender will not accept manual comps submitted by the mortgage broker. They will only accept the comps they received from the appraisal management company. These computerize appraisals are using distressed properties (short sales and bank owned properties) to determine their values. I have read that some of these appraisals are over 30% off on their values. This has been extremely difficult for all involved. The sellers want to sell their home, the buyers who have been working so hard to own their first home are devastated and all the professionals involved do not get paid.

The new rules meant to put a wall between mortgage lenders and appraisers are hurting home sales in Venice Real Estate Market and will single handedly cause our home values to drop like a rock. This is, and will be, contributing to many deals lost and is bringing down the market as a whole. All the efforts made by the government to spur the recovery of the housing market will be lost if something is not done soon.

Contact Kari A. Battaglia, licensed Realtor® in Venice Florida at 941-270-1851 to list your home, answer questions or to help you in your search for homes for sale in Venice Florida. I currently serve customers in Venice Florida, Englewood Florida, Nokomis Florida and Laurel Florida communities. I also have Tennessee properties available in the Chattanooga area. Call me to receive a list of Tennessee properties available for sale.

Contact me by email at Kari@DiscoverVeniceRealEstate.com. Need information fast, call me direct at 941-270-1851. Copyright©2009. By Kari A. Battaglia. All Rights Reserved.

Kari A. Battaglia, GRI - Realtor®, Broker Associate - Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate - 331 W Venice Ave., Venice, FL 34285 - 941-270-1851 direct - 941-484-9715 - office 800-969-1990 toll free - Kari@KariBattaglia.com

www.DiscoverVeniceRealEstate.com - view my listings, find valuable community info, links and more www.VeniceAreaHomesBlog.com - read my blog about news & info for Venice Real Estate www.FloridaMoves.com/Kari.Battaglia- free MLS home search, search for Venice real estate, Nokomis real estate, Englewood real estate and more.

The approach of the 4^th of July holiday weekend brings on a time of reflection. Reflection of the struggles we overcame to become the great nation we are today. Despite the economic hardships we face as a nation; despite the political, religious, and sociological differences we face as a people, we come together every year at this time to celebrate our independence.

The first Independence Day celebration was said to take place in Philadelphia in 1777. They held an official dinner, 13-gun salute, parades, picnics, fireworks, and decorated in red, white, and blue. Today we celebrate in much the same manner. Our cities and towns hold parades, our families get together for picnics and BBQ's, and then we all, in our own way, watch the fireworks. Whether it is out over the Statue of Liberty, over the Golden Gate Bridge, on the TV, or while sitting on the beach in paradise, we will watch the red, white, and blue bursts of light gleaming across the sky.

We will be watching from our own paradise listing (The Beleza on Venice Beach unit 704) as the fireworks burst over the Jetties. This year, as in all years past and all to come, those fireworks will bring on a renewed sense of how proud we are to live in this country, how proud we are of our service men and women who fight for our freedom, and how lucky we are to be living the American dream.

On the Island of Venice as of today according to MY Florida Regional Multiple Listing Service there are 84 active single family homes for sale priced from $97,800 to $2,700,000. There are 7 single family homes in sale pending and 33 homes have sold this year.

There are 153 active condos on the market priced from $64,900 to $1,599,000. There are 18 condos in sale pending and 59 Island of Venice condos have sold this year.

Nick Herron & Kathleen Herron of the Herron Group / RE/MAX Alliance Group would be glad to show you any of the properties listed on Sarasota Barrier Islands of Island of Venice, Casey Key, Siesta Key, Manasota Key, Longboat and Lido Key. Call 941.350.5035 or 800.789.6580.

Beach, Bay or Back Nine...Live the Dream

The number of single family homes pending in the Venice real estate market jumped in April 2009, up over 116% from 15 months ago from 222 properties pending to 480 properties*, an indicator of buyers interest in the Venice real estate market. Even though the number of available homes for sale in Venice continues to decline, we are still in a Buyer's market. If you are considering selling your home there are steps you can take to ensure a successful sale.

Know Your Competition

Knowing your competition is the key to getting your home sold. If you are not aware of what you are up against you will be dead in the water. In today's market, your competition (other homes like yours that are currently for sale) is strong and everyone is competing for the same thing; the buyers attention. Start to look at houses for sale from the buyer's perspective. Find out what your neighbor's are offering, visit open houses on the weekends, and discover what kind of incentives builders are offering for new homes. Listen to what the buyers are saying and what they are looking for in a home. This will help you prepare your home for sale and give you that needed edge over your competition.

Pricing your home is the key to selling quickly

Internet exposure, curb appeal, the right color of paint, open houses and yard signs - it's all part of attracting the right buyer. But the right buyers also need to know they're buying for the right price. Pricing your home correctly from the start is extremely important. Buyers will overlook your home even if it is priced "just a little too high." You need to realize that today's market is what it is. You cannot dwell on what your home was worth two years ago, or what your neighbour got for their home six months ago, but focus on what you can get in today's market. Your home is a commodity and is only worth what buyers are willing to pay for it NOW. If you price your home "just a little high" you will be chasing the market and eventually receive less money for your home that if you priced your home right to begin with.

Turnkey conditions

In a buyer's market your home needs to be ready for immediate occupancy. Two or three years ago not replacing old and smelly carpets or painting those scuffed up walls was acceptable. Not in today's real estate market. Make sure all appliances are in working order, walls are freshly painted, and the yard is well manicured and depersonalize your home so buyers can envision what their stuff will look like in your home.

Be prepared to negotiate

Today's buyers are savvy, they are doing their homework and know the current real estate market conditions. If you priced your home just 5% to 8% more than you expected to get you should attract multiple buyers which discourages low offers and you will find out pretty quickly if the buyers are willing to pay what you are offering. If a home is priced 10% to 20% higher than the current market is bearing, buyers typically submit low offers with contingencies. If the buyers are getting a mortgage then your home needs to appraise for what you are asking. If the home does not appraise you need to drop the negotiated price or the buyer can walk and loose a willing and able buyer.

Offer incentives

Pricing your home correctly is not the only strategy to getting your home sold. Offering incentives is another way to attract buyers. You can get a creative as you like and I have even seen brand new cars offered to homebuyers. You don't need to get as crazy as that to bring attention to your home. Some ideas for incentives; offer homebuyers a home warranty, pay for closing cost, pay for discount points towards lower the mortgage rate on buyers loan or offer a golf membership with the sale of your home. Making incentives does not guarantee that your home will be sold but making your home stand out from the crowd will certain increase your chances for a sale.

Contact Kari A. Battaglia, licensed Realtor® in Venice Florida at 941-270-1851 to list your home, answer questions or to help you in your search for homes for sale in Venice Florida. I currently serve customers in Venice Florida, Englewood Florida, Nokomis Florida and Laurel Florida communities. I also have Tennessee properties available in the Chattanooga area. Call me to receive a list of Tennessee properties available for sale.

Contact me by email at Kari@DiscoverVeniceRealEstate.com. Need information fast, call me direct at 941-270-1851. Copyright© 2009. By Kari A. Battaglia, All Rights Reserved.

Kari A. Battaglia, GRI - Realtor®, Broker Associate - Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate - 331 W Venice Ave., Venice, FL 34285 - 941-270-1851 direct - 941-484-9715 - office 800-969-1990 toll free - Kari@KariBattaglia.com

www.DiscoverVeniceRealEstate.com - view my listings, find valuable community info, links and more www.VeniceAreaHomesBlog.com - read my blog about news & info for Venice Real Estate www.FloridaMoves.com/Kari.Battaglia- free MLS home search, search for Venice real estate, Nokomis real estate, Englewood real estate and more

*All information obtained from data supplied by the Mid-Florida Regional MLS. MLS does not guarantee or responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by MLS does not reflect all real estate activities in the market. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.