Gary Waters -Real estate agent Viera Suntree Melbourne and Rockledge FL

The 55+ active lifestyle community of Heritage Isle in Viera (Melbourne, Florida) continues to be active (pun intended!).

During the month of June 2009 there were five houses that closed in Heritage Isle. The lowest selling price was a 2 bedroom 2 bath 1 car garage patio home that sold for $138,000 (short sale). There are 11 properties under contract as well. Of these 7 are short sales. Anyone familiar with the short sale process knows these may take months to close.

Now for those looking to purchase in Heritage Isle, take heart, there are plenty of properties to choose from! As of today there are 34 active properties in the Brevard MLS system. There is one short sale at $117,000 (a 2/2 patio style home) which is really below the other prices in the development. The other 7 lowest priced homes are 2 bedrooms units as well but are priced from $158,000 to about $168,000.

The remaining 27 properties are 3 and 4 bedroom single family units ranging in size from about 1,600 sq ft to a high of 3,200 sq ft (under air conditioning). The prices for these units range from $184,900 to a high of $349,900.

Some folks choose Heritage Isle for its maintenance free lifestyle. Some choose because of its location in Viera near new developments, golf courses, new shopping, restaurants and more. Some choose Heritage Isle for its 21,000 square foot club house, pools, fitness facilities, and more. Regardless of your reason, if a 55+ community is in your plans, Heritage Isle deserves a look!

Call me if I can provide you information on any of Brevard County, Florida's 55+ communities including Viera's Grand Isle and Indian River Colony Club. I can be reached directly at 321-693-3850 or by email .

Gary Waters, Florida licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Baytree Realty, Rockledge, Florida.

Read my blog Florida Homes for Sale.

Brevard County Florida has much to offer its residents. Some choose to retire here to enjoy the pleasant climate, recreational opportunities, proximity to other Florida attractions and more.

Some choose to relocate here for an employment opportunity with one of the high technology employers in the area be it Rockwell Collins, Harris Corporation, Kennedy Space Center, or any of the others.

Some choose to make a winter home of the 55+ communities in Viera such as Heritage Isle or Grand Isle. Many former military officers choose the lifestyle offered by the Indian River Colony Club in Viera.

I have spoken with some who choose Brevard County because oft the quality education offered by the Brevard County Public Schools!

Some choose to relocate here because of our proximity to Orlando. Depending on your specific location you may only be a half hour or 45 minutes away from Orlando so some choose to live here while working in Orlando!

Regardless of reason, if you are considering a move to Brevard County, Florida, please contact me if I can assist you in any way. Some of the links below will provide you with more information:

Florida Homes for Sale

Gary Waters - Real Estate Agent Suntree Viera Melbourne Rockledge Florida

Observations from a Viera Florida Realtor

Moving to Brevard County Florida

Florida Homes for Sale - Melbourne, Viera, Rockledge, Suntree

Brevard County Florida MLS

Gary Waters, Florida licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Baytree Realty, Rockledge, Florida.

I am always surprised at how the narrative of many "short sale" listings start with the obvious: "short sale, seller motivated."

Perhaps I am missing something but I would think that most, if not all, short sellers are motivated.

I think a much more important piece of information that could be included would be this:

"short sale, lender motivated."

Selling your home is a stressful process that should not be entered into lightly. A few years ago a seller's stress mostly consisted mostly of "which offer do I accept?"

I am a realist.

To be able to discern the lender's motivation is almost impossible. Sure you can discuss the process with the lender's loss mitigation folks. Sure you can get an offer accepted or rejected at some point. Sure you can evaluate the seller's motivation but not rarely the lender. I have read a couple of listings where the agent remarks "Bank Says Make Offer!" I wonder, really? Did they say that? And if there are two lenders which one is motivated? Bet it is not the second place lien holder!

If you truly could assess the lender's motivation then you would not have to submit 14 offers the way Broker Bryant Tutas in Poinciana Florida does for his buyers!

Why shouldn't the seller be motivated? It really is not fashionable to own vacant houses...at least not yet!

Gary Waters, Century 21 Baytree Realty, Rockledge, Florida, putting buyers and sellers together along Florida's Space Coast.

Late last week I about a third of the way through my lawn mowing "chore" and the Sears Craftsman mower died. I loaded it up in the car and headed to Merritt Island for the Sears repair facility. I got there and it was closed - closed as in no longer in business. I called the store and was told to drop the mower off and I could have it back by July 8th!

That is when I made the decision... post the mower on Craigslist and put it out by the street. The mower was only a couple of years old but had been in the shop too many times. Needless to say I am no longer a Sears Craftsman fan!

The next thing I did was go searching for a lawn service.

I went on the Internet and searched. I went on Craigslist.com and searched. I sent a couple of emails requesting quotes. I called a couple of services.

Then I saw a lady in the CVS/Pharmacy who was married to "Your Lawn Guy." I wrote down my address on a business card. That was Sunday. On Monday I had a lawn service. On Tuesday, my lawn was taken care of in a much better fashion than I ever did. I was very disappointed in the "other" services who failed to even follow through on a lead!

In my 50 or so years I have always cut my own grass. This was the first time someone else did it for me and it felt nice. More importantly, it looked nice.

If you are in the Viera, Suntree, Cocoa and Merritt Island areas and need a lawn service, give The Lawn Guy a call! Here is a link to his web site Your Lawn Guy. He (Eric Brown) will get back to you.

Tell him you were referred by Gary Waters, Century 21 Baytree Realty - your Viera, Suntree and Rockledge real estate specialist. Please read my blog Florida Homes for Sale.

I know the title implies the time honored question...the chicken or the egg? But the answer is...the sale or the purchase?

I was speaking with someone a couple of days ago who had accompanied a friend to see a listing. She told me she had no real estate agent and had searched Google for "Short Sale Brevard County" and I was the first name in the results. This Internet stuff really does work!

She was unfamiliar with the "short sale" process but was curious. As there are literally hundreds of short sales in central Brevard County, Florida, I was happy to tell her all I knew. Some may say that took only a couple fo minutes...OK, funny!

I explained the process involved the purchase of a home where the sale is subject to third party (lender) approval. I discussed her current residence and if there was a need (or desire) to sell it before gaining mortagge loan approval. In her case I believe she may be able to qualify without selling but I recommended she discuss the scenario with a knowledgeable lender.

So, will the sale come first or the purchase? It will depend on her lender and intentions.

Some are now entering the market to take advantage of the lower prices. Some are taking a long term view and selling existing homes for less in exchange for purchasing a newer, larger home for less. Some are converting the older homes to rental properties.

If either of these scenarios fit your circumstance and goals, please contact me to discuss how I may assist you in buying or selling real estate along Florida's Space Coast.

Gary Waters, Florida licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Baytree Realty, Rockledge, Florida. Call me directly at 321-693-3850 or email me at agent@moving2brevard.com.

Please visit my blog Florida Homes For Sale.