Neptune Beach, FL

Here are the July 2010 stats and 2009 for comparison -

2010

• 4 Homes Sold
• Lowest price: $175,000
• Highest price: $363,000
• Shortest Days on Market: 3
• Longest Days on Market: 398

2009

• 10 homes sold
• Lowest price: $175,000
• Highest price: $1,150,000
• Shortest Days on Market: 0
• Longest Days on Market: 415

Well, I know this looks downright depressing, however, I caution readers to realize the buyers in the month of July probably didn't have a hope for the tax credit (they were too late) and there were just fewer buyers. Many people vacation during July as school starts in the 3^rd week of August.

The pricing on the bottom side of the spectrum is stable year to year, which is great news when so many other areas are still seeing declines from 2009 prices.

The days on market is also fairly stable, another indication the sellers are pricing homes correctly, which will help to reduce inventory.

Properly priced and properly presented properties are STILL selling - currently, the Jacksonville area has about 10 months of inventory (housing supply), and homes can and do sell in very few days on market.

If you are ready to list your home, call me for a comparable market analysis to see what price range you should list in, and to learn more about what sets myself and Prudential Network Realty apart from the competition.

If you or someone you know is considering a short sale, please have them contact me for a no-obligation confidential interview about their current situation and how best for them to move forward. I hold the Certified Distressed Property Expert, and am one of a mere 18,000 who do so - I can help salvage their credit, and their future.

In our current economic environment, we have seen an unprecedented increase in foreclosures, deed in lieu of foreclosures and short sales of home mortgages across the United States.

Many homeowners are losing their homes due to many reasons including job loss, unexpected medical expenses and life circumstances. Fast forward to changed circumstances, those homeowners are now in a position to buy a home again. The mortgage lender will look at the type of circumstance that led to loss of the home and what the potential buyer has accomplished since the foreclosure or short sale.

What about a short sale?

For buyers who have sold a home previously by a short sale, the guidelines for future purchase are slightly different and less stringent.

• If the short sale occurred due to financial mismanagement, they must wait a minimum of four years from the date of the short sale.

• Minimum credit score of 680 is required along with acceptable evidence buyer has re- established an acceptable credit history.

What about a short sale with extenuating circumstances?

If the short sale occurred due to extenuating circumstances, they would need to wait a minimum of two years.

• The borrower would need to write a detailed letter of explanation outlining the reasons for the financial difficulties that were beyond their control and what has changed demonstrating that the circumstance that caused the difficulty is unlikely to recur.

• Supporting documentation with the letter would also be required. Most importantly, the buyer would have to show there was no unacceptable credit prior to the problems. It's no mystery that selling your home as a short sale is a much better option than a foreclosure or a deed in lieu of foreclosure.

In either instance homeowners will experience heartache and stress as they go through the process. Following the guidelines above gives assurance that there is opportunity to purchase another home in the future.

Any homeowner considering a short sale needs the professional guidance of a team, consisting of a Realtor, a tax advisor, a financial planner, and an attorney. The best advice is to do something before it is too late.

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with Prudential Network Realty. Recently honored as the Realtor of the Year for Northeast Florida - an award based on community service, professional qualifications and other attributes, Carol 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.

If you have parents who are in the process of considering a move to an active adult community, you should consider Brookdale Cypress Village!

Conveniently located adjacent to Mayo Clinic on a 120 acre campus, Brookdale Cypress Village offers a Culinary Art Institute and trademarked dining program. With innovative senior care provided onsite, Cypress Village offers outpatient rehab and home health care services.

Cypress Village offers LifeCare on all of their apartments, and on several of the homes they own. This gives residents the following benefits:

• Centralized healthcare on one campus
• Ability to control future long-term healthcare costs.
• Priority access to Assisted Living, Healthcare and rehab services.

Their "Care For Life" guarantee offers:

• You will never be asked to leave if you run out of money
• Assurance that you will never have to move again.

The tax benefits of Life Care:

• Is considered by IRS as pre-paid healthcare
• You may be able to deduct a percentage of the non-refundable amount of Entrance Fee paid in the year you moved in.
• You may be able to deduct a percentage of the monthly service fee.

For more information, contact either Brookdale Cypress Village at 904/223-6100 or their website:

http://www.brookdaleliving.com/cypress-village

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with Prudential Network Realty in Atlantic Beach, FL. Recently honored as Realtor of the Year for Northeast Florida, an award based on community service, professional qualifications, and other attributes. Carol helps buyers and sellers throughout the Beaches, Intracoastal West, and Greater Jacksonville area. She offers specific expertise to Seniors, and has worked with Cypress Village for the past four year. She can be reached at 904/993-9048 or www.carolzingone.com

Jacksonville Beach is once again hosting a summer jazz series, and today is the second concert.

Tonight is the second concert of the 9th Annual Summer Jazz Series. June's concert started things off with a bang, and July's concert promises to turn up the heat with another multi-talented line-up of performers.

Headlining is guitarist Nick Colionne with his unforgettable sound and fabulous on-stage outfits. Nick takes the stage at 7:30 pm. At 6:00 pm the all-star lineup of TIZER featuring Lao Tizer and violinist Karen Briggs will perform. Opening the show at 5:00 pm is alto saxophonist Will Donato.

Come out and enjoy this wonderful combination of music, and sea breezes, for free! Bring your blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy refreshments and food available for purchase from local vendors. Entertainment begins at 5:00 p.m.

And, no, you do not have to live in Jacksonville Beach to come and enjoy!

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with Prudential Network Realty. Recently honored as the Realtor of the Year for Northeast Florida - an award based on community service, professional qualifications and other attributes, Carol 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.

Many people now have a neighboring house ths is what we in the industry consider "distressed", meaning it's a short sale, on it's way to foreclosure, or a foreclosure. This means, in all likelihood that the yard is no being maintained, and it looks awful.

Additionally, the unmaintained yard is an invitation for all sorts of other issues, including: weeds, vermin, squatters - the list goes on and on.

What can you do? Here are some options to consider, so you can at least take some action towards a resolution:

1. Appeal to the Homeowner's Association. There may not be budget to take care of the yard, especially if the homeowner is behind on their dues, but the property condition does reflect on the entire community and should be addressed.
2. Take care of the yard either yourself, or have you and your neighbors pitch in to have a weekly mow/blow/cut/edge. I know this means more money out of your pocket, but if there is not HOA, or, if the HOA declines to take care of it, this is another option. I assure you, the homeowner is embarrassed already and probably does not like pulling up to their house either, assuming they are still living there.
3. If the house is already listed, or has a lockbox on it: contact the asset manager or servicing company to tell them the condition of the property. Believe me, they handle so many properties, and have different parties they contract out to, they may not know first-hand how the yard looks today.
4. Check your city ordinance to see what the limit is on yard growth, whether it's lawn or weeds. I saw a sign on my way back from the gym recently, and it was a city posted notice that the yard was in violation of the ordinance, meaning the homeowner has 20 days (in my area) to rectify the issue without being fined.

Good luck! If you have other ideas, please let me know!

Carol Zingone is a Broker Associate with Prudential Network Realty. Recently honored as the Realtor of the Year for Northeast Florida - an award based on community service, professional qualifications and other attributes, Carol 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.