Carol Clawson

Brisk home sales and firm prices in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach and throughout Palm Beach County are solid indicators that the housing market hit bottom last winter.

From February when a low median price of $228,100 for a single family home in Palm Beach County was hit, prices advanced seven percent, to $245,200, by July, according to statistics released today by the Florida Association of Realtors. And sales numbers remain significant with 859 homes sold in July compared with 652 a year ago, an increase of nearly 25 percent.

Savvy buyers are dominating the market acquiring homes at bargain prices during this period. And many communities where prices were low and the number of available homes high are now seeing just one or two units on the market.

Not long ago there were 20 or so homes homes and townhomes for sale in the Palm Beach Gardens community of Montecito. Today there are just two townhomes and six single family homes available. Prices of many homes were below builders prices in 2004 when the community was new.

While there are still large numbers of homes available for sale, the best homes priced right are selling quickly.

If you have been waiting for the bottom of the market it is time now to get into the housing market.

If you are ready to buy now or soon, The Weiss-Clawson Team wants to work with you. We are knowledgeable about the real estate market throughout Palm Beach County and provide updated pricing information to our clients. Please contact The Weiss-Clawson Team directly.

We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you.

There are still hundreds of Palm Beach Gardens country club homes available at affordable prices throughout the area. Here are some examples.

BallenIsles currently has 96 homes on the market with 49 properties priced at or below $700,000. The lowest priced homes in the community can be had in the low $300,000's.

A search of BallenIsles homes with four bedrooms and a maximum of 4300 square feet under air that sold this year shows the average dollars per square foot at about $206. That means a four bedroom home of 3600 square feet should sell for just above $740,000.

In Ibis Country Club there are 192 homes on the market, 113 of these priced at or under $500,000 and 45 homes priced at or under $300,000. The lowest priced homes in Ibis are on the market at prices under $200,000.

A search in Ibis similar to the one completed for BallenIsles -- looking for that four bedroom home with a maximum of 4300 square feet under air puts the average dollars per square for this property at $178.50. That means a 3600 square foot four bedroom home in Ibis should sell for just over $640,000.

With sales increasing and prices appearing to stabilize over the past few months, it is a great time to buy that home you have been eyeing. We are not expecting prices to tumble again, so those waiting for the bottom of the market should begin their search before the summer ends.

The Weiss-Clawson Team researches property values throughout the area to bring the most up to date information to our clients. We are knowledgeable about homes in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach and throughout Palm Beach County.

Please contact The Weiss-Clawson Team directly for your real estate needs. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you.

Foreclosures in the Palm Beach Gardens area and throughout Palm Beach County are soaring.

More than 14,000 homes in Palm Beach County were in some form of foreclosure during the first half of 2009, up 23 percent from the first six months of 2008, according to RealtyTrac.

This comes as no surprise to most realtors working to get short sale deals completed between buyers and the bank or those faceless, nameless "investors" that are holding billions of dollars of mortgage paper.

Many of the short sales fail after realtors work months to find the right home for a buyer, analyze sales in the community that the buyer selects, prepare an offer that should be accepted by anyone knowing the property being sold short and the local market conditions.

Yet, time after time, the bank or those faceless investors reject a respectable short sale offer only to face foreclosure months later. And while they wait for a better offer that never materializes, costs of taxes, homeowner fees and maintenance increases so that at the end of the day, the bank or the investors get far less money than they could have achieved if they accepted the respectable short sale offer.

This realtor struggles to understand the rationale behind banks rejecting respectable offers.

Until banks start making real estate sales decisions based on market reality rather than wish lists, we will continue to see significant increases in foreclosures throughout Palm Beach County because short sales will not be achievable.

So stop thinking you will be getting a great deal on a short sale. More than likely your offer will not be accepted, the bank will want more money that the property is worth and you will have invested months of emotion in a house you will never buy.

There are plenty of homes on the market where price can be negotiated in good faith and a closing date certain can be achieved.

The Weiss-Clawson Team researches communities throughout Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County to provide the most up to date market information to our clients. Please contact us directly to discuss your real estate interested. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you.

The number of homes sold in Palm Beach Gardens and throughout Palm Beach County is increasing as buyers find outstanding opportunities to purchase property at rock bottom prices.

About 500 homes sold in Palm Beach Gardens from January through June, 2009 with more than have of the homes priced under $300,000 and nearly 400 priced under $500,000 according to statistics from the Regional Multiple Listing Service.

In PGA National, for example, 92 homes sold in the first six months of the year and 45 of those homes were priced at or under $300,000. Today there are 262 homes on the market in PGA National with 149 priced under $300,000.

In Mirasol, one of the higher end country club communities in Palm Beach Gardens there were 25 homes sold in the first six months of the year with a few closing in the $400,000's Today there are 115 homes on the market in Mirasol including nine short sales ranging in price from $425,000 up to $1.6 million.l

While the summer months are traditionally a weak home selling period, it could be an outstanding time for buyers of vacation homes or year 'round residences to buy property. The supply is high and prices continue to limp toward a bottom point.

The Weiss-Clawson Team researches home sales in all Palm Beach Gardens country club communities and is knowledgeable about real estate trends throughout the area. Please contact us directly for real estate information in any community throughout Palm Beach County. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you.

Prices of home in Palm Beach Gardens' area country club communities are coming down in price. This may be the best time to get off the fence and buy a great vacation or permanent home in one of our area's sought after country club community.

Ibis Country Club, located on the fringe of the Loxahatchee Nature Preserve, now has more than 25 homes on the market priced at or below $250,000. Some are short sales and at least one is a foreclosure, but the price is right. A few of the homes are located on the golf course and many have pools.

Living at Ibis requires at least a social membership in the club, but it is a full amenity facility with three championship golf courses, a large and active tennis program, remodeled fitness center, large swimming pool and wonderful restaurant and clubhouse. Memberships including most amenities are available at varying prices.

The Weiss-Clawson Team is knowledgeable about sales and homes on the market in Ibis and in many Palm Beach Gardens area communities, both country club and others. Please contact us directly if you are interested in buying or selling a home in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach or any Palm Beach County community. We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you.