Mark Cohen

Despite a slower real estate market the local economy of the Gainesville Florida area is relatively strong and vibrant.

Alachua County and Gainesville actually gained population and jobs during the last year. Positive growth in the midst of statewide negativity is certainly a reason for optimism.

Of course we have a ways to go to get back to a more balanced real estate market. But this part of Florida has a history of being more stabile. Our market didn't rise as fast or much as other places so it hasn't fallen as fast or much either.

Both the University of Florida (about 50,000 students) and Santa Fe College (about 17,000 students) contribute to our stability.

Take a look at www.GainesvilleFloridaHomes.com and learn about North-Central Florida, The Heart of Florida and the Gainesville area.

Since the beginning of January 2009 I have had increasing activity from potential buyers in the Gainesville, Florida area. There has been more interest in all kinds of real estate properties. I have had calls from local people, from other cities and states, and from several Asian countries.

I have had more requests to show single-family homes, vacant land, and industrial properties. It appears to be an across the board increase in prospects.

However, this increased potential buyer activity, although very welcome, has not resulted in an increase in closings. Of course, closings are what really count. If you look at it as a "numbers game" as many people do, then eventually the additional activity should result in additional closings. But I look at real estate as a "relationships game" where the additional interaction is what eventually brings addtional closings.

I have determined that there are 2 reasons why the increased activity hasn't resulted in more closings. Firstly, I have had numerous buyers and sellers who would not agree to a mutually satisfactory price. The buyers are seeking super low bargain prices and the sellers believe the market will soon rebound bigtime. Sooner or later both sides will have to face reality and meet in the middle, but that hasn't happened yet.

Secondly, buyers who in the recent past would have easily qualified for a mortgage loan are now failing to meet the latest standards. Unless all three legs of the lending stool are superior - very high credit score, very large down payment, and sufficiently high income, the loan won't be approved. Buyers almost have to prove they don't need the loan in order to get it.

I have visited many banks, large and small, recently during working hours where most of the loan officers were sitting around in one office with nothing to do but shoot the breeze. So, if the banks won't make the loans, I'm convinced that there are others who will.

I have resorted to trying to connect potential buyers with private individuals who have money they need to put to work. With time deposits paying almost nothing in interest, I am seeking people who might want a 6 or 7 percent return on investment. I am convinced that there are private lenders who will take a risk lending to buyers who will put a 25% - 45% down payment on a home with a 10 - 15 year loan.

If you fit into this category, you have $100,000 to $200,000 that is earning almost nothing in a Certificate of Deposit, you can afford to tie it up for 10 -15 years at 6% - 7%, don't mind the risk of possibly having to foreclose on a home (there's always a risk no matter how well the borrower is screened), then let's talk.

Mark Cohen, Broker
Eyemark Realty
Gainesville, Florida
mark@eyemarkrealty.com

Calendar of Festivals & Events Gainesville & Vicinity (North Central Florida)
JANUARY EVENTS
Stephen Foster Day at Stephen Foster State Park. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Gainesville. Great Air Potato Round-up throughout Gainesville & Alachua County. Hoggetowne Medieval Faire.

FEBRUARY EVENTS
Scramble for Kids Golf Tournament at U. of Florida Golf Course. Ocala Draft Horse Show. Olustee Battle Festival and Reenactment in Lake City. Chocolate & Champaign Gala at U. of Florida Reitz Union Ballroom. Gainesville Gator Criterium Bike Race on Downtown streets. Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show at Alachua County Fairgrounds.

MARCH EVENTS
Spring Garden Festival at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville. Kid's Carnival at the O'Connell Center U. of Florida. Walk-America March of Dimes Gainesville. Putting on the Ritz for Children's Home Society at Oaks Mall Gainesville. Gator Nationals NHRA Gainesville Raceway. Great American Cleanup - Keep Alachua County & Gainesville Beautiful. Spotlight on Youth Talent Show at U. of Florida Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Florida Relays hosted by U. of Florida Track Team at Percy Beard Stadium. Spring Garden Festival. Spring Pilgrimage.

APRIL EVENTS
Spring Parade of Homes. Orange & Blue Football Game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Florida Field. TREE-mendous Appreciation Day. Friend's of Library Book Sale. SFCC Spring Arts Festival. Downtown Alachua Spring Festival. Great American Cleanup Day. Ribfest. Easter Egg Hunt. Chris Collinsworth Golf Benefit. Celebrate the Child. 5th Avenue Arts Festival. Stop Children's Cancer Annual Fantasy Event. Alachua County Youth Orchestra Spring Concert. Farm and Forest Festival. Electro-Acoustic Music Festival. Heart of Florida Air Show. Pops on the Downtown Plaza. Suwannee Music Festival. Old Florida Celebration of the Arts in Cedar Key. Antique Market and Garden Show.

MAY EVENTS
Kid's Fest at Gainesville Downtown Community Plaza. Fifth Avenue Arts Festival in Gainesville. Symphony Under the Stars for Habitat for Humanity. National Drinkable Water Week. Farm and Forest Festival Morningside Nature Center. Pioneer Days Celebration High Springs. Newberry Cultural Arts Super-Fest. Williston Arts and Crafts Festival. Florida Folk Festival at Stephen Foster State Park. Windsor Zucchini Festival. Newberry Watermelon Festival. Antique Bottle Show. Sports Card Show.

JUNE EVENTS
University of Florida & FFGC Gardening & Floral Design Seminar at UF Hilton Hotel. Affordable Housing Expo. Yulee Railroad Days Celebration in Archer. Black Music Month Celebration. Emergency Preparedness Expo.

JULY EVENTS
Fan Fare and Fireworks at UF Bandshell. Boat Parade in Lake Santa Fe Melrose. Generation Connection Summer Camp. Williston Independence Day. Many cities and towns have 4th of July Fireworks.

AUGUST EVENTS
Cross Creek Summer Festival.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS
Florida Music and Film Harvest Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. Olustee Civil War Expo Olustee State Park. Possum Creek Fall Festival. Southeast Regional Firefighter Challenge. Downtown Gainesville Latino Hispanic Festival.

OCTOBER EVENTS
Fall Parade of Homes. Gainesville Literary Festival. International Fair-Marketplace-Plant Sale at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. Alachua Music Festival. Chamber of Commerce Pro-Am Golf Classic. McIntosh 1890's Festival. Thornebrook Art Festival. Starke Fall Festival. Cedar Key Seafood Festival. Jaycees Halloween Haunted House. Friend's of Library Book Sale. Florida Renaissance Festival Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. Gainesville & Ocala Light The Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of N. FL. Gainesville Butterflyfest. Alachua Harvest Moon Festival. African Drumming, Workshop. High Springs Fall Festival. Alachua Creative Crafters Show. Eyes of a Child Art Auction. Hawthorne Hog Festival. Melrose Pumpkin Festival. Haile Plantation Oktoberfest. Waldo Fall Festival.

NOVEMBER EVENTS
Alachua County Fair. Gainesville Downtown Festival & Art Show. Micanopy Fall Harvest Festival. Downtown Gainesville Jazz and Blues Festival. Micanopy Fall Arts and Crafts Festival. Alzheimer's Society Memory Walk. Craft Festival at O'Connell Center. Gainesville Chamber Orchestra Annual Beethoven Concert. Chambers Farm Pow Wow. Suwannee Music Weekend at White Springs.

DECEMBER EVENTS
O'Connell Center Arts and Crafts Show. Alachua Dickens Festival. Festival of Lights in White Springs. Dudley Farm Fall Gathering.

Event Month is Not Guaranteed. Sometimes Events Are Rescheduled.

This life-style information about Gainesville, Florida is brought to you by:
Mark Cohen
Broker
Eyemark Realty, Inc.
Gainesville, Florida
www.EyemarkRealty.com
www.GainesvilleFloridaHomes.com
www.MarkCohenRealEstate.com
Mark Cohen can be contacted through any of these three websites.

Gainesville Florida Area Active Recreation, Parks, and Theme Parks (North Central Florida)

Active Recreation, Parks, and Trails (Hiking, Bicycle, and Horse Riding Trails)
Alachua County Park System www.alachuacounty.us
Black Prong Equestrian Center (Horse facilities and trails, Bronson)
http://blackprong.com
Blue Springs Park (High Springs) www.bluespringspark.com
City of Gainesville Park System www.cityofgainesville.org
Devil's Millhopper Geological Site (huge sinkhole with stairway, Gainesville)
www.floridaparks.org/devilsmillhopper Gainesville - Hawthorne Trail (16 miles, Boulware Springs to Lochloosa to Hawthorne)
www.floridastateparks.org/gainesville-hawthorne
Ginnie Springs Outdoors (Campground & Dive Resort, Santa Fe River, High Springs)
www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com
Goethe State Forest (53,398 acres, Horse trails, camping, Bronson)
www.fl-dof.com/state_forests/Goethe.html
Heart of Florida Scenic Trail (Alachua and Marion Counties)
www.floridaseden.org/trails/index.php
Ichetucknee Springs State Park (Tubing down the river, Fort White)
www.floridastateparks.org/ichetuckneesprings
Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway (Hiking Trails, Ocala)
www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/cfg/default.htm
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park (Keystone Heights)
www.floridastateparks.org/goldhead
Nature Coast Trail (Chiefland - Cross City - Trenton - Fanning Springs)
www.originalflorida.org
Poe Springs Park (202 acres, Santa Fe River, High Springs)
www.visitgainesville.net/photogallery/poesprings.htm
Santa Fe River (Canoeing, High Springs) www.santaferiver.com
Silver River State Park (Silver Springs, Ocala)
www.floridastateparks.org/Silverriver
Suwannee River Wilderness Trail www.floridastateparks.org/wilderness

Theme Parks
Silver Springs Nature Theme Park (350 acres, Glass Bottom
Boats, Unique Animals, Ocala) www.silversprings.com
Wild Waters Waterpark (Silver Springs, Ocala) www.wildwaterspark.com

This life-style information about Gainesville, Florida is brought to you by:
Mark Cohen
Broker
Eyemark Realty, Inc.
Gainesville, Florida
www.EyemarkRealty.com
www.GainesvilleFloridaHomes.com
www.MarkCohenRealEstate.com
Mark Cohen can be contacted through any of these three websites.

Gainesville Florida Area (North Central Florida) Golf Courses & Tennis Centers
Golf Courses within 40 miles of Gainesville, Florida
City of Gainesville Ironwood Golf Course (Gainesville) www.ironwoodgolf.net or
www.cityofgainesville.org/ironwood
City of Ocala Municipal Golf Course 1 www.ocalafl.org
City of Ocala Municipal Golf Course 2 (formerly Pine Oaks) www.ocalafl.org
Chiefland & Country Club (Chiefland) www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/261.htm
Country Club of Ocala (Ocala) http://privategolfocala.com
Gainesville Country Club (Gainesville) www.gainesvillegolf.cc/sites/courses/view.asp?id=334&page=8312
Golden Hills Golf Club (Ocala) www.goldenhillscc.com
Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club www.goldenocala.com
Haile Plantation Golf & Country Club (Gainesville) www.haileplantationgolf.com/index.htm
Keystone Golf & Country Club (Keystone Heights) www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/415.htm
Meadowbrook Golf Club (Gainesville) www.gainesvillesbestgolf.com
Ocala Palms Golf Club (Ocala) www.ocalapalms.com
Palatka Municipal Golf Course (Palatka) www.palatkagolfclub.com
Quail Heights Country Club (Lake City) www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/431.htm
Rolling Greens Country Club (Ocala) www.golflink.com/golf-courses/course.asp?course=216445
Southern Oaks Golf Club (Lake City) www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/430.htm
Starke Municipal Golf Course (Starke) www.golflink.com/golf-courses/course.asp?course=224345
Turkey Creek Golf & Country Club (formerly Plantation Oaks, Alachua) www.plantationoaksgolf.com
University of Florida Mark Bostic Golf Course (Gainesville) www.ufgolfcourse.com/course
West End Golf Course (Gainesville) www.westendgolf.com
Williston Golf & Country Club (Williston) www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/937.htm

Tennis Centers (in and near Gainesville, Florida)
Alachua County (many courts in county parks) www.alachuacounty.us
City of Gainesville (city parks all over town) www.cityofgainesville.org
DB Tennis and Racquet Club (clay and hard, Gainesville) www.dbtennis.com
Joyce Oransky Tennis Center at Westside Park (lighted hard courts, Gainesville) www.cityofgainesville.org
The 300 Club (clay & hard, Gainesville) http://user.gru.net/The300club/fee.htm
UF Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex (University of Florida, lighted outdoor and indoor courts)
www.gatorzone.com/facilities/?venue=tennm&sport=tennm

This life-style information about Gainesville, Florida is brought to you by:
Mark Cohen
Broker
Eyemark Realty, Inc.
Gainesville, Florida
www.EyemarkRealty.com
www.GainesvilleFloridaHomes.com
www.MarkCohenRealEstate.com
Mark Cohen can be contacted through any of these three websites.