Photos from John S Murphy *Patrick AFB Specialist*
A pair of Sandhill Cranes. I'm pretty sure there are more cranes than people living in Viera ;)Located in: Viera, FL
This article is part of "The Patrick AFB Online Relocation Package".
I am very excited to offer a new FREE premium offer on my website: The "Discover The Space Coast" DVD. It is a professionally done video tour that is over thirty minutes in length. It will take you on a tour of the areas surrounding Patrick Air Force Base, highlighting shopping, schools, parks, and various local points of interest.
The areas of Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera/Suntree, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Satellite and Indian Harbour Beaches are all covered. It truely is a fine production and almost a must have for those of you PCSing to the area. It will give you a good "feel" for each of the areas and might help you to decide where you want to live.
Click Here to request your TOTALY FREE copy.
*Photos from Video courtesy of CC Video, Melbourne FL
John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.
Patrick AFB News And Events Blog
Why Call Your Blog "Space Junk"? Well, what is space junk? It is objects orbiting the earth, that no longer have any useful purpose. After very little and not too careful consideration, it seemed to be the obvious choice. This blog is going to be about news, events, and real estate issues as well as other "junk" tailored to the military moving to the Space Coast and Patrick AFB Area, and those already living here. Hopefully these articles will serve some useful purpose, but if they don't ... look out for the debris.
Here you will find all the articles is in one place. This is a work in progress and will continue to have more information added on a regular basis. If you have an idea for an article, let me know.
Latest:
| It Doesn't Take A Rocket Scientist - But It Helps If You Are One. - 03/28/08 10:28 AM There Really Are Rocket Scientists: I was afforded a great opportunity this past week. Being a member of the Military Affairs Council from the Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce, we were privileged to have our March meeting at the Morrell Operations Center (MOC) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Morrell Operations Center ... |
| More Property Tax Relief For Deployed Patrick AFB Personnel ... FL House Votes Yes. - 03/25/08 09:13 AM Is More Property Tax Relief On The Way For Veterans? Recently, The Florida State House passed Tax relief for Florida's veterans. What this bill would do is to exempt Patrick AFB military personnel and all military from Ad Valorem property taxes on their Florida homesteaded property while they are doing duty outside ... |
John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website.
There Really Are Rocket Scientists:
I was afforded a great opportunity this past week. Being a member of the Military Affairs Council from the Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce, we were privileged to have our March meeting at the Morrell Operations Center (MOC) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Morrell Operations Center was until recently know as the Range Operations Control Center, and it was renamed after General Jimmey R. Morrell, who was the first commander of the 45th Space Wing.
For those who don't know what happens at the MOC, it is the base of all the launches on the Eastern Range. It handles the launches and the command and control systems for the range, and tracks and monitors the performance of the rockets and space shuttles. It was truly a fascinating experience.
We were given a Wing Mission Briefing by vice commander Col. Butler, followed by a tour of the Center. We were able to sit at the actual consoles that are used during the launches, which was pretty cool, and we were briefed by a few officers who are actual "rocket scientists" that talked about their mission, upcoming launches, securing the site for launches, and safety to the public. Sitting there, I really wished I was one, for no other reason than I could use the "rocket scientist" line. 2008 looks to be a busy year, with over 20 launches scheduled at this point.
I always knew that weather was important to the launches; things have to be almost perfect. After the briefing by the 45th weather squadron, I got a new appreciation for it. Various weather conditions can affect the launches, and the one I found most interesting is lightning. Being that Florida is the "lightning rod" for the U.S. It has more lightning strikes than the rest of the country. Obviously lightning could damage the vehicle, and it is very important to take that into account when launching rockets, when considering both natural and the phenomenon of triggered lightning. I was amazed by all the protocol it takes to get a rocket off the ground. It's a wonder it ever happens, but with these great dedicated men and women it does.
If you ever get a chance to visit the MOC, don't pass it up. I know that these tours are rare and I really want to thank all of those involved for their knowledge and gracious hospitality. For me it was a very special event.
John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and is the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that primarily specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website.
Recently, The Florida State House passed Tax relief for Florida's veterans. What this bill would do is to exempt Patrick AFB military personnel and all military from Ad Valorem property taxes on their Florida homesteaded property while they are doing duty outside of the US in designated military operations. This would come in the form of a credit that is calculated by the amount of time deployed. The exact amount and method of this credit has yet to be established. The measure was passed unanimously by the Florida House, but has yet to been voted on by the Senate. There was a similar bill that passed the house last year, but didn't go anywhere in the Senate. Hopefully with the large tax reform measure that passed last year, the Senate will vote on this joint resolution. This would be an amendment to the state constitution that would require a 60% affirmative vote from the electorate in the November 2008 general elections. If passed, the bill would take effect for the 2010 tax year.
The idea behind the bill has been credited to Michael Waldrop, a former Army Reserve Infantry Captain. Michael had been lobbying lawmakers in Tallahassee for tax relief for veterans, while he was stationed in Afghanistan. Waldrop was and adviser to the Afghan army, and is a recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
The related bill in the Florida Senate is SJR 2384; it has been introduced, but has not yet had a committee hearing. You can contact your Florida State Senator and ask them to support this bill. You can find your State Senator, by going to the Florida State Senate website and entering your nine digit zip code.
I think this is a really small measure that we, the residents of Florida, could adopt. We all know that are taxes are too high, and we should all get more tax relief, but I think for those men and women doing their difficult and dangerous jobs overseas this is the least we can do.
John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and is the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that primarily specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website.
This article is part of "The Patrick AFB Online Relocation Package".
Recent History For Home Values In Brevard County FL, "Florida's Space Coast":
The median home price in Brevard County, like almost everywhere else, has declined since its highs in 2005. It had to - from 2003 to 2005, the median single-family home price shot up 72%* in two years. That was "silly appreciation" and was one of the highest in the country. This was way ahead of what the "normal" appreciation would have been, and should have been. It was fueled by a lot of speculation, new construction, cheap money, and the overall hot market. It did create quite a problem though. For first-time homebuyers, and many already living in the area, saw that they had been priced out of the market. In addition, Florida's "unique" property tax caps functionally kept people already living in Florida from moving up or downsizing. If they moved to a new home, their property taxes would have increased dramatically. The obvious result was too few buyers and too many homes for sale.
On January 29th 2008, the property tax issue was somewhat relived by a referendum vote, although more needs to be done. The change will allow a significant number of Florida residents to move up from that starter home or downsize. This has generated a new pool of buyers that have been basically "trapped" in their homes for the past few years.
At the end of 2007, we were still about 15%* ahead of the median price of 2004, but after the first half of 2008, the median home price is down 14.5%** from the median price of 2007. That puts home prices right now slightly below 2004 levels.
One caveat for those still on the sidelines - by the time you realize that the bottom has been reached, you are already too late, and things are on the upswing. Timing the bottom is a risky venture.
*Chart data from Brevard County MLS: Sold; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities
Right now presents a great buying opportunity for those looking to get into the market. With interests rates still at historic lows, now just might be the time. There are many financing programs available to ALL military personnel moving into and around Brevard County: VA loans and the Florida Heroes program to name a few.
There are still many homes on the market (but inventory has been shrinking), which allows, you as the buyer, to find the right home for you, at a good price.
If you are selling a home, and, it is priced correctly, IT WILL SELL. I have done this many times in this buyers market. Pricing, strong marketing, and excellent condition of your home are the keys to accomplishing this. Understand that you are not going to get the premium prices that you could have in 2005, but if you bought your home before 2004, you probably will get more than you paid for it.
*Chart Data From Brevard County MLS: Sold; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities
Data from Brevard County MLS: Sold , Residential
After an average of 3% declines in median home values per quarter in 2007 and an 8% decline in the first quarter for 2008 things appear to be settling down. The median home price from the end of the 1st quarter of 2008 to the end of the 2nd quarter fell only 1.7%. This is reflected with moderate demand and a declining inventory of homes on the market. We may be starting to bottom out.
ABSORPTION RATE is a calculated ratio that can show you the relationship between supply and demand. It is calculated by the total number of homes for sale at the end of the month divided by the total number of homes sold. The ratio represents how many months it would take to sell all the homes on the market at the current pace.
The Average Residential Absorption Rates For Brevard County:
2004: 3
2005: 5
2006: 14
2007: 17
2008: 17 (1/1/08-7/31/08)
Looking at these numbers and trends, you can see that Brevard County is definitely in a "Buyers'" Market.
What does all this mean?
Now is your opportunity!
Brevard County is great place to live, and this is just one of those inevitable cycles in the real estate market. The unemployment rate in Brevard is lower than the national average; we have a lot of high tech industries hiring in the area, plus the weather is fantastic! The market will rebound!
At AmericanAirmanHomes.com, you can download the Brevard County Real Estate Market Report. If you want, you can print it out and hang it on your fridge next to the spelling test.
John S Murphy is a full-time REALTOR® with RE/MAX Elite in Melbourne, FL, and the creator of AmericanAirmanHomes.com, a website that specializes in Military PCS, DoD, civilian, and retired military relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida. Please feel free to visit the website where you can search the entire Brevard County MLS.
*Based on Brevard County MLS Data: Sold 1/1/03 -12/31/07; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities
** Based On Brevard County MLS Data: Sold 1/1/08 - 6/30/08; Residential; Excluding 55+ communities
I specialize and offer real estate services for military, civilian, retired and DoD personnel moving to and from the Patrick AFB, FL area.
After getting into real estate, I soon realized that you can't be everything to everyone. After working with several Air Force families, I found that I really enjoyed helping them find their new home. So I decided to specailize in that market and launched AmericanAirmanHomes.com.
I have over 17 years of sales and marketing experience, as well as running my own business. I am completely dedicated to make the military move a successful one. You can find out more about my Patrick AFB Real Estate team at my website.
Here are Some of My Blogs:
This blog is a collection of information and articles created for and online relocation package. It should make a PCS move to Patrick AFB easier.
This blog is primarily a collection of articles related Patrick AFB news, events, and commentary.
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John S Murphy is a "self proclaimed" Philosopher - Poet - REALTOR®, in the great tradition of the other great Philosopher - Poet - REALTOR®s.
He is considered by many to be a raconteur, a man-about-town, overall swell guy, and is believed to have a keen perspective into the human condition.*
But most of the time, he specializes in Military PCS and DoD relocations to and from the Patrick AFB area in Florida.
*John S Murphy is not endorsed by other Philosopher - Poet - REALTORS®, and your own human condition may vary.
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I've created the real estate website AmericanAirmanHomes.com to cater to the special needs of military members that are moving into and out of the Patrick AFB Area. It is a complete resource. There is a section for Patrick AFB Real Estate and Patrick AFB housing information, where people can look at featured listings as well as search the Brevard County MLS. For those unfamiliar with the area, there is also a section for area highlights with a virtual tour of the area surrounding Patrick AFB.
Here are some recent testimonials from my clients.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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