Jacksonville Beach, FL

On Sunday, January 18, in front of Jacksonville Beach City Hall, over 100 people waved Israeli flags and US flags, in support of peace in Israel.

"Self defense is not just a basic human right," explained Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky, "it is an obligation. We are here today to make sure people can hear the other side of the negative media coverage about Israel."

The sun was shining as people kibbutzed with old friends and made new friends. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department was out in full force to make sure the rally for peace went off without a hitch. The day before Martin Luther King Day, and two days before the presidential inauguration, it was a great day for flag waving.

Have you heard this commercial?

It starts with two women talking to one another about one's new home,

• Female 1: "How can you afford this? You make the same salary as I do! You're only 30 years old!"
• Female 2: "I know! I called BNI for a list of foreclosed properties and now I have this 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home for less than $300 a month!"
• Female 1: "That's less than I pay in rent!"
• Female 2: "Call BNI - and you can find a house just like mine"

That's the general gist, not the exact verbiage. So, I called BNI (Bargain Network) to see what the deal was, more out of curiosity than anything else. They ask for my zip code, and then pull up a list of 9,000 properties for sale, in my area, which include foreclosures, for sale by owners, agent listings - pretty much the soup to nuts of everything for sale in my area. Ok, so basically, the current Multiple Listing Service plus for sale by owner. Something I can access for FREE, as well as my customers.

The cost? For the first 30 days, I only pay for the shipping and handling which is $1.95. Every week thereafter, if I do not cancel, I'm charged $9.95 a week.

Ok, so let's do the math: $9.95 a week x 4 weeks =$39.80 a month.

Save yourself the money, and work with a Realtor - Realtors are experts in the neighborhoods you are interested in, and can help you make a solid investment. As a buyer, you do not pay for a Realtor to work with you, other than a mutual commitment. Realtors are paid by the property sellers in our area of Northeast Florida.

Realtors experience and guidance = PRICELESS

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Vanguard GMAC. She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net

This only happens once or twice a year, so PLAN NOW and save yourself the long drive over the ditch!

Saturday, April 25th, 2009, between the hours of 8:30 am and 3:00 pm representatives from the City of Jacksonville will have a mobile hazardous waste vehicle at Atlantic Beach City Hall (located at 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, Florida) to collect hazardous waste items such as: paint, paint thinners, rechargeable batteries, photographic chemicals, antifreeze, lawn & garden chemicals, pool chemicals, aerosol cans, pesticides, small propane (lp) tanks, fire extinguishers, thermometers and thermostats, fertilizer, acids, car care chemicals, drain cleaners, varnish/shellac, ammunition, used oil, flares, pc monitors, terminals, cpu's, keyboards, TV's/VCR's, printers/scanners, stereo equipment, desk/mobile phones, pagers, power tools and small kitchen appliances..

The following items will not be accepted for collection: biohazardous (medical waste), explosives, tires and commercial or business waste and large household appliances.

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Vanguard GMAC. She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net

There has been a lot of coverage in the press about the pros and cons of the $7500 first time home buyer tax credit - I personally think the tax credit is a good idea to help eligible first time home buyers stop renting and start building equity.

In our particular economy, with the lowest interest rates in four or more decades, any interested party who has good credit (required) and a 3.5% minimum down payment (required), should be researching their opportunities today.

Why? For all the benefits of home ownership. You will be building equity versus wasting rent on a place that you will not own. You will get tax benefits, aside from the above-mentioned tax credit, on your mortgage interest that you pay each year. More importantly, you will have a home to call your own, where you can raise your family, have friends over for cookouts, and make memories.

You can learn more about the $7500 tax credit here:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=186831,00.html

I've helped many first time home buyers purchase their first home, and I explain the process every step of the way so you know what is going on and what to expect. Visit my website for more information about me at www.carolzingone.com, or call me at 904/993-9048 for a consultation.

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Vanguard GMAC. She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net

Here are the numbers of active property listings, those under contract, and sold properties for Single Family Homes in Jacksonville Beach, FL for 2008:

• Active 771 active listings for Single Family Homes (no condos)
• Pending 136 pending (inspections & financing have been done)
• Sold 125 sold
• New Listings 539

Active listings have decreased by 10% year to year, which indicates unmotivated sellers pulling their listings off the market, which is a good thing.

The pending listings have decreased 4% year to year, which is basically flat. New listings have decreased 17% year to year, another indicator that homeowners who were "testing the waters" have decided to wait the current market conditions out.

Sold listings are down 8% year to year, which is really not that much. This points to the media obsession about how horrible the market is, and here in Jacksonville Beach, that is simply not the case. This years' sold figures equate to 10.41 houses sold per month, while last year, it was 11.41 homes per month.

Here are the 2007 numbers for comparison:

• Active 858 active listings for Single Family Homes (no condos)
• Pending 143 pending (inspections/financing have been done)
• Sold 137 sold
• New Listings 652

It's a great time to buy - whether for a first time homebuyer or an investor. I can show you the right home for your needs, that fits your lifestyle and budget. If you are a first time home buyer, there are powerful resources to help you stop renting and start owning.

If you are considering selling, contact me for a complimentary market analysis - I'll show you exactly what the competition looks like compared to your house, and show you my exclusive marketing plan for your home.

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with a 100% Customer Satisfaction Rating in Jacksonville Beach, FL with Vanguard GMAC. She helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West and Greater Jacksonville, FL areas. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or via email at carolzingone@clearwire.net

(Data is compiled from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, and reflects Realtor sales. Sales not involving a Realtor are not included.)