Merritt Island, FL

Florida Today continues to report that sales have picked up in Brevard county. There is speculation, or at least hope, that we have hit bottom or are very close to bottom. What I do know is that since my last post on waterfront homes in Merritt Island, the sales have doubled. According to the MLS, over the last 90 days 31 waterfront homes sold. The majority of these are canal-navigational homes on Sykes Creek.

Waterfront homes sold in Merritt Island over the last 90 days:

• Between $190,000 and $300,000 12 homes were sold
• Between $300,000 and $400,000 15 homes were sold
• One sold for $475,000
• One sold for $540,000
• One sold for $1.36 million
• Ones sold for $2.6 million

At the height of the market, in 2004 and 2005, a home that is now selling for about $300,000 was selling for around $500,000. Short sales and foreclosures have driven home sales down and it seems that sellers have finally realized that they need to price their homes accordingly. If you are looking at buying a waterfront home there are a lot of choices. Interest rates are historically low. And you may benefit from the stimulus package. The latest report I have seen on the proposed housing stimulus offers an $8,000 tax credit (you do not have to re-pay this amount, it is a true tax credit) for purchasing a home, however this will be phased out for couples earning more than $150,000 or single people making more than $75,000. This report can be found at: http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/n1-021309.cfm

Here is a break down of Merritt Island waterfront homes currently on the market today:

• 20 homes between $180,000 and $250,000
• 22 homes between $250,000 and $350,000
• 16 homes between $350,000 and $450,000
• 19 homes between $450,000 and $650,000
• 26 homes between $650,000 and $850,000
• 6 homes between $850,000 and $1million
• 19 homes over $1million

If you are considering a move to Merritt Island, Florida check out this list of links for information on schools, parks, the Chamber of Commerce and more. Please call me for additional information on homes in Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach and the surrounding areas.

Heidi Delvenne

Licensed, Florida REALTOR®
Florida Properties For Sale, LLC
321-289-8953 hdelvenne@yahoo.com www.HeidiDelvenne.com

I love driving along the Indian River Lagoon, it is so peaceful and there is so much to take in. South Merritt Island in Brevard County Florida is a magical place to live, work, and play. Mangos and avocados are plentiful in Merritt Island and residents often place them out by the road in carts. All you have to do is pull over and get some! Although I don't live on the island, I will be working in South Merritt Island this weekend. No, I have not given up on real estate, quite the opposite. I am so blessed to be interviewing for the job of listing and selling a beautiful home there, and I get to drive along the Indian River as I go to work!

While quiet and laid back, South Merritt Island in Central Florida is just minutes away from a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and entertainment! Not enough shopping at Merritt Square Mall? Why not take in a movie or two. If you love the water, you can live in Merritt Island and be a little over ten minutes from Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, and Ron Jon's. You will welcome your drive back home winding along the river bank on South Tropical Trail after your full day of activities.

Free avocados and mangos. I love what I do, and I love living near places like south Merritt Island. I can't wait to drive to work this weekend!

(I am getting ready to go now, and I am so excited! It is going to be a GREAT day no matter what, at the very least I can get some avocados and mangos, while I watch dolphins frolic in the Indian River Lagoon!)

Denise Shockey RE/MAX Absolute

321-446-4994 www.deniseshockey.com

Located 45 minutes East of Orlando, Merritt Island in Brevard County, is a great place to call home. It is surrounded by water from the Indian River Lagoon to the Banana River with Sykes Creek and Newfound Harbor in between. If you are looking to live in tropical paradise look no further. The island is an hour from Orlando's theme parks and attractions and a mere 5 minutes from the ocean. Visit Cape Canaveral for a seafood dinner and an evening on a casino ship. Play in the sand and then shop at Ron Jon's Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach.

Merritt Island offers all the conveniences of a city, such as the Merritt Square Mall complete with movie theatre and major retail chain stores, including Circuit City, Home Depot, Office Depot, TJ Maxx, Toys R Us, Target and Walmart, without city taxes. The area is a haven for wildlife including dolphins, manatees, alligators, bald eagles, ospreys, sea turtles, bobcats and even the elusive Florida panther. And if you, like my husband and I, enjoy boating you can either find a home with a boat dock or house your boat at a local marina.

Many of our local neighborhoods with modest homes on the water were built to accommodate NASA engineers working at the JFK Space Center in the late 60's and early 70's. A few of my personal favorite, moderately priced neighborhoods built around canals include Villa de Palmas, Waterway Manor and Diana Shores. There are also lovely, moderately priced river front homes all along North Banana River Drive. According to City-Data.com the population of Merritt Island exceeded 40,000 in July 2007.

Currently there are 576 active single family listings in our local MLS, 82 of these are listed as canal navigational and 90 are listed as river front. The canal navigational homes listed start at US$180,000 with the highest priced listed for $1,299,000, approximately half of those listings are under $350,000. Over the last 90 days 16 canal navigational homes sold between $180,000 and $460,000. Over the last 90 days 4 river front homes were sold for $310,000, $464,500, $925,000 and $1,350,000.

If you are considering a move to Merritt Island, Florida check out this list of links for information on schools, parks, the Chamber of Commerce and more. Please call me for additional information on homes in Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indialantic, Indian Harbor Beach and surrounding areas.

Heidi Delvenne

REALTOR®
Florida Properties For Sale, LLC
321-289-8953

hdelvenne@yahoo.com

www.HeidiDelvenne.com

(courtesy of pelican island audubon society)

One of the many things that I like about living in VERO BEACH FLORIDA is the ability
to view some amazing animals in their natural habitat. I love being able to sit at
the beach and watch the Osprey fishing for lunch or dinner, it is just such an awesome
sight. I am a member of the local Audubon Society and we regularly have morning
hikes, and are able to watch some incredible animals that make Vero Beach their
home.

(courtesy of pelican island audubon society)

I received an e-mail from the PELICAN ISLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY that they had
discovered the nesting area of Black-necked Stilts at the MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGE. I wanted to share the pictures and information with you, of course
with their approval. You can learn more about these beautiful birds and the wonderful
work that the PELICAN ISLAND AUDUBON SOCIETY DOES by visiting their website;
www.PelicanIslandAudubon.org.

Please visit my website for information on VERO BEACH; www.VeroPremierProperties.com

Barbara Martino-Sliva, Realtor, e-PRO
NAR - Transnational Referral Certified
THORPE/SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
www.VeroPremierProperties.com
www.VeroPremierPropertiesBlog.com
www.ThorpeSir.com
BARBARA@martino-sliva.com

Please contact Barbara Martino-Sliva for customized Real Estate Services
in Vero Beach Florida.

BLACK-NECKED STILTS, MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REGUGE,MERRITT
ISLAND FLORIDA