Andrea Mills YourHighlandsCountyRealtor

I decided to change the format of my monthly Market Trends to make it easier for sellers as well as buyers to understand my numbers. I've played around with excell tables, neat up and down arrows in red and green only to realize that it's still not user friendly. So, here it goes:

List prices as well as sale prices for residential homes (this includes condos, townhomes/villas and mobile homes on owned land) have dropped by ca. $20,000 from October 2008:

Average List Price Oct 2008: $158,157
Average List Price Nov 2008: $135,406 = down by $22,752 or 14.39% - and a whopping 19.30% from November last year.

Average Sale Price Oct 2008: $147,044
Average Sale Price Nov 2008: $125,464 = down by $21,580 or 14.68% - and a whopping 19.77% from November last year.

If there are still any buyers out there wondering when is the best time to buy..........IT'S RIGHT NOW!!!

On average it took 159 days to sell a home in Highlands County in November 2008. That is, if the home was priced right. Overpriced homes are still sitting on the market without showings and potential buyers. The majority of homes sold were cash transactions.

The most popular price range for buyers is $150,000 and under. The most popular zip code is 33872, which includes Sun'n'Lakes, Sebring Hills, Sebring Country Estates, Golf Hammock, Sebring Falls, Clearview Terrace and Grand Prix Heights.

Highlands County has experienced the lowest number of sales since 2004, namely 59.

Just in case you would like to see my numbers, they are available to download as pdf file.

If you own property in Highlands County and need to sell, give us a call. We can help you price your home competitively and get it ready for the market. 863-202-0729 or 863-202-5017

Our website, www.millsrealestate.net, was created for YOU, sellers and buyers! Feel free to use it:)

Highlands County Market Update for November 2008
Single Family Homes, Mobiles on owned/rented land, Townhouses/Villas, Duplexes, Condos

HIGHLANDS COUNTY

Days on the Market: 143
Number of Sales: 80
Average List Price: $158,158
Average Sale Price: $147,044
Sold to Original Ratio: 79.77%
Sold to List Ratio: 92.97%
Absorption Rate: 25.95
Amount of Sales* by Price Range:
Under $100,000: 37
$100,000-$150,000: 22
$150,000-$200,000: 11
$200,000-$250,000 6
$250,000-$300,000 1
$300,000 and up 0

AVON PARK

Days on the Market: 146
Number of Sales: 8
Average List Price: $88,606
Average Sale Price: $78,203
Sold to Original Ratio: 75.87%
Sold to List Ratio: 88.26%
Absorption Rate: 26.57
Amount of Sales* by Price Range:
Under $100,000: 7
$100,000-$150,000: -
$150,000-$200,000: -
$200,000-$250,000 -
$250,000-$300,000 -
$300,000 and up 1

SEBRING

Days on the Market: 113
Number of Sales: 46
Average List Price: $135,560
Average Sale Price: $126,106
Sold to Original Ratio: 81.51%
Sold to List Ratio: 93.02%
Absorption Rate: 26.18
Amount of Sales* by Price Range:
Under $100,000: 22
$100,000-$150,000: 15
$150,000-$200,000: 9
$200,000-$250,000 3
$250,000-$300,000 -
$300,000 and up 1

LAKE PLACID

Days on the Market: 184
Number of Sales: 20
Average List Price: $238,863
Average Sale Price: $224,240
Sold to Original Ratio: 78.62%
Sold to List Ratio: 93.88%
Absorption Rate: 32.23
Amount of Sales* by Price Range:
Under $100,000: 8
$100,000-$150,000: 12
$150,000-$200,000: 2
$200,000-$250,000 3
$250,000-$300,000 1
$300,000 and up 3

Nov 1 Terror Trail - Humane Society
Nov 1 Sebring Recreation Club
Nov 1 Harvest Home Festival-Handmade Crafts & Bake Goods
Nov 1 CCC Festival Highlands Hammock State Park
Nov 2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 Beauty and the Beast at Highlands Little Theatre
Nov 3, 10, 17, 24 Horse & Pony Rides
Nov 4 General Election
Nov 4, 11, 18, 25 Bingo - Sebring Lions Club
Nov 4, 6 Heartland Idol on the Circle in Sebring
Nov 5 - Nov 8 13th Annual Fall Fuel Up
Nov 5 Comedy Night
Nov 6 Rotary Apple Sale
Nov 7 Highlands Art League - Sunset in the Villages
Nov 7 1 YEAR CELEBRATION $1 Move In
Nov 7 Beauty and the Beast at Highlands Little Theatre
Nov 8 13th Annual Fall Fuel Up
Nov 8 Miss Lake Place Pageant
Nov 8 Harvest Moon Sidewalk Sale & Farmers Market
Nov 8 Saturday Night Cruise Car Show
Nov 10 Womens Club Arts luncheon
Nov 11 VETERANS DAY CEREMONIES IN SEBRING
Nov 11 Home Buyer's Seminar
Nov 12 Ladies Lunch Club Wednesday
Nov 13 Music with the Masters
Nov 14 Sebring Chamber of Commerce Results Seminar
Nov 14 Balloon Festival
Nov 14 HIGHLANDS COUNTY BOYS & GIRLS CLUB FALL BALLOON FESTIVAL
Nov 14 Gallery/Downtown Walk
Nov 15 Boys & Girls Club 3rd Annual Balloon Festival
Nov 15 Harvest Moon Sidewalk and Farmers Market
Nov 15 HFRWN Annual Fashion Show
Nov 16 BBQ Dinner
Nov 18 Sebring Chamber of Commerce Membership Breakfast
Nov 20 Sebring Chamber of Commerce After Hours Mixer
Nov 22 Golf Tournament - Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Association
Nov 22 1st Annual Golf Tournament for Humane Society
Nov 24 - Nov 28 Horsmeanship Day Camp

Oct 2 Lake Placid Annual Banquet

Oct 2 - Oct 4 Apple / Harvest Festival

Oct 2 18 Hole Clergy / Ministers Tournament

Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Heartland Idol on the Circle in Sebring

Oct 3 - Oct 5 Run to the Heartland

Oct 3, 5, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 Terror Trail - Humane Society

Oct 3 Highlands Art League - Sunset in the Villages

Oct 3 RHYTHMS

Oct 4 5th Annual Charity Bass Tournament

Oct 6, 13, 20, 27 Horse & Pony Rides

Oct 6, 13, 20 Sebring Recreation Club

Oct 7 Event at CROWN POINTE of SEBRING

Oct 7 MOMS Club of Sebring Open House

Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 Bingo - Sebring Lions Club

Oct 7 Discover Wellness - Affinity Health Professionals

Oct 8 Ladies Lunch Club Wednesday

Oct 9 Leadership Highlands Alumni Luncheon

Oct 9 10th Annual March of Dimes Signature Chef's Auction at Four Points by Sheraton

Oct 11 Master Gardeners of Highlands County

Oct 11 Family Fun Fair - Faith Lutheran Church

Oct 11 Saturday Night Cruise Car Show

Oct 11 Highlands Shrine Fund Raising Dinner

Oct 12 Fly-In Breakfast

Oct 13 Woman's Club of Sebring

Oct 14 Sebring Chamber of Commerce Membership Breakfast

Oct 16 Tri Chamber After Hours Business Mixer

Oct 18 Lake Placid Chamber Annual Golf Tournament

Oct 18 Harvest Moon Sidewalk Sale and Farmers Market

Oct 18 Arc's A Nite at the Races

Oct 21 EDC Annual Banquet

Oct 23 Woodlawn Elementary Fall Fun Fest

Oct 23 Economic Development Center Annual Banquet
Oct 25 American Red Cross Garage Sale

Oct 25 Sebring Historical Society Quarterly Luncheon Meeting

Oct 25 YMCA Haunted House

Oct 27 Sebring Recreation Club - Ice Cream Shuffleboard

Oct 31 HALLOWEEN DOWNTOWN

Oct 31 - Nov 1 Woman's Club of Sebring - Huge Annual Flea Market

Oct 31 Halloween Trick or Treat