Palm Coast, FL

Wow..wow…wow…wow..wow!!!!!

On June 30th, 2009, a Palm Coast Saltwater Canal home with an pool, 80’ of bulkheaded waterfrontage, two canals off the Intracoastal Waterway, 3 Bed/2Bath/2Car garage and over 1980 living square feet under heat and air…Closed Sale for $185,000….no that is not a TYPO….it Closed sale for $185,000…..that is under $100.00 per square foot with the LOT!!!!

If you break out the lot and figure it at $81K…the price of the sale of the lot at 6 S. Coral Reef Ct..(NO…this is NOT across from duplexes) in March of 2009 according to the public records in the Flagler County Taxrolls …that makes the square foot price for this home $52.31 per square foot….huh???? OH and did I mention…it has an in -ground pool…..YUP!!!! Wow…wow…wow!!!!

Now, the reason that this is so significant, this was NOT a distressed “Short Sale” or “Bank Owned Property” according to the original MLS Listing. That means…IT IS A COMP for future appraisals on the canals!!!

I would also like to point out that the original list price on this house was $297,900 and the last list price prior to closing was $239,800. So that equates to a 48% discount off of the original listed price and a 33% discount off the last listed price. hmmmm....like I always tell my customers....there is no such thing as an offer that is too low...you never know a sellers motvation until you submit an offer..and you never get anything unless you ask for it.

This is great news for buyers working with a REALTOR as a buyer’s agent, that knows this market, will give you a huge advantage when it comes to negotiating with the seller.

For sellers…this is not good news at all. Especially with the new HVCC program regarding appraisals. It is already being discussed that the HVCC is causing major problems for home valuations and killing up to as many as an estimated 25% of all currently pending home transactions. There are 33 saltwater canal homes currently pending or contingent sale…it will be very interesting to see what the final sale prices are on these homes…. when and IF they make it to closing.

Are you ready to start your search for your future home??

Featuring everything from bank-owned foreclosed homes under $100K up to luxurious Oceanfront Homes and Condominiums...you will find everything you need in one place.

Kristi Ross - REALTOR - With over 14 years of experience in buying, selling, managing & investing in real property personally in addition to being a very active, full time REALTOR in Palm Coast/Flagler County, Florida for 7 years ....I have learned that information is power and I am an advocate for customer empowerment.

You can sign up to be on the list of first to know when properties meeting your ideal criteria are newly listed, go pending or are sold.

I was talking with my daughter and realized there is a lot of misunderstanding as to the role of a REALTOR in the home buying process.

She and her husband think that they must pay for a REALTOR to help them search for a home and assist them in their home search. I explained the details to them about Buyer's Brokers, Transaction Brokers, and non representative brokers. How many REALTORS earn their commission from the sellers not necessarily the buyers, and how a buyer's contract would work.

After talking with her, I came to the conclusion that our young public has not been educated as to our various business models and the business of our business.

I was further working with a young couple searching for their first house, along with the husband's mother. When I first met with the couple, he asked me what my commission was for the sale. I explained that my commission was not a thing to be concerned over as it was set by the seller. When his mother joined him she asked the same question. She seemed to feel that I was going to show them homes that gave the highest commission only and not all the homes they could qualify for. She then accused me of not wanting to show them short sales because they took a lot of time and that I may not be paid for them.

I explained the Code of Ethics as it applies to REALTORS and told her that our business is based upon customer trust and referrals - she seemed to feel otherwise. When I also explained that the time for a short sale was not my concern but could be her children's concern to include the fact that while waiting for a bank approval they could be edged out by another offer, she seemed non-plussed.

Although we as REALTORS are doing our best to get the word out as to our capabilities, our duties to our customers, and our commission structures - it seems we've forgotten to tell our clients and customers that there are differing business models out there, that one business may have a different way of bringing an end result to a client/customer than others - and that the rules in one state vary from other states and areas.

I work to educate my customers, family, and friends about the business and what we do, especially the new and potentially new buyers - I hope all of us do this as it adds more credibility to our business and is the foundation of trust we so sorely need when people think of Real Estate Professionals.

Flagler County – Oceanside Condos – Updated July 2009

Active vs. Sold- Oceanside Condos - July, 2009

There is an astounding amount of Oceanside Condominium inventory on the market today in Flagler County & Palm Coast, FL that doesn’t appear to going away anytime soon. A quick ratio of Listings/Sales = 4 years of inventory on the market, an impossible amount to sell in any market conditions! Yes, real estate is local and when it comes to condos in this area...real estate is very HYPER - Local. Looking closer at the data gives us some clues as to what is selling and what is not.....READ MORE

Kristi Ross - REALTOR - With over 13 years of experience in buying, selling, managing & investing in real property personally in addition to being a very active, full time REALTOR in Palm Coast/Flagler County, Florida for over 7 years ....I have learned that information is power and I am an advocate for customer empowerment.

Please feel free to search the MLS for free at my website www.Palm-Coast-Hot-Properties.com. You can sign up to be on the list of first to know when properties meeting your ideal criteria are newly listed, go pending or are sold.

* all data was collected from the Flagler County MLS.

11 Collinson Court Palm Coast, FL 32137

A unique one-of-a-kind Mariani custom-built home located on a saltwater basin. 3 bedrooms (2 masters), 3 full baths. Some of the many upgrades and features include: See-thru fireplace between living room and den, built-in china cabinet and buffet in dining room, abundance of closets and other built-ins. Large propane tank to fuel whole-house generator and fireplace. Florida room under heat and air, handicapped accessible 18'x35' boat dock has water, electric, boat lift, security lights, sink and built-in seating area to relax and enjoy the basin view. AND MORE. Great location in excellent neighborhood. JUST REDUCED FROM $440,000 TO $399,900.

*All Information is gathered from the FLGMLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed

Phew...Good news for June Saltwater Canal Homes Sales.....but is it temporary?

We have seen the traditional seasonal increase in sales volume for the month of June on the Saltwater Canals in Palm Coast, FL. Boating season is here and during this time of the year, we always see an increase in the sale of these types of homes....but oddly.... the inventory of available SWC homes is once again increasing.

Both listing and sold prices ticked up significantly for the month of June. This may be due to less "Short Sale" homes coming on the market.

For Current Statistics and more information, click to READ MORE

Area Information about the Saltwater Canals

When designing Palm Coast in 1969, ITT development group put in a unique 23 mile navigable Saltwater Canal system with access to the Intracoastal Waterway. The saltwater canal neighborhoods are divided up into sections and most of the street names begin with the letter "C". Most of the saltwater canals are 80' wide and can accommodate large boats. The Saltwater Canals are all within the City limits of Palm Coast and do not have HOA fees or boat dock fees.

You can just pull your boat up behind your home at your own private dock.

Because of the real estate downturn of home and vacant land prices in Northern Florida...you can now find affordable saltwater canal that sold for hundreds of thousands more just a few short years ago.

A significant decrease is prices has again occurred just within the last 6 months...making the prices of saltwater canal homes very attractive

Kristi Ross - REALTOR - With over 14 years of experience in buying, selling, managing & investing in real property personally in addition to being a very active, full time REALTOR in Palm Coast/Flagler County, Florida for 7 years ....I have learned that information is power and I am an advocate for customer empowerment.

You can sign up to be on the list of first to know when properties meeting your ideal criteria are newly listed, go pending or are sold.

The above statistical data was gathered from the Flagler county MLS and is not to be guaranteed reliable or accurate and is for informational purposes only.

The search homes information is provided through IDX. Kristi L. Ross PA, Hawk Beach Realty, My Broker or associates are not in anyway responsible for any mistaken information provided.