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Last Friday the Space Coast Association of Realtors sponsored a luncheon which featured our very own Port Canaveral - the soon to be #1 cruise port in THE WORLD. Ralph Kennedy, Member Canaveral Port Authority gave a compelling talk about the future of The Port and it's impact on the local economy. Most people think of the Space Program as the heavy hitter in local employment. I was happily surprised to hear that Port Canaveral (directly and indirectly) employs some 23,000 people. The expansion of the Port will create an additional 3,500 jobs. The impact on the local economy is huge with more than $43 million paid in local taxes and $87 million going to the state of Florida. I never knew! Did you? I don't want to bore you with a lot of figures but this one is staggering: The Port's contribution to Brevard County is more than $3 billion which accounts for 10% of the county's total output.
Part of the expansion is brought about by commitments from the large cruise lines like Disney, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean who will be bringing in 3 of the new super ships which carry 4,000 passengers each. Plans include a new cruise terminal, fuel tank depot, hotel with convention center, parking garage, restaurants and retail space with the goal of getting visitors out into the community to experience all we have to offer.
In a time where cut-backs are the buzz-word of the day, it's very uplifting to hear about expansions on the scale of our local Port Authority at Port Canaveral in Brevard County, FL. It's a win/win for everyone!
As an FYI for all those who need a vacation - would that be you :-) some of the best deals in cruising are out of this port. I know for a fact since I booked a fabulous 4 niter that's right around the corner, can hardly wait!
If you're flying into Orlando International Airport, the distance is about 45 miles with drive time being about the same - 45-50 minutes. If you're wondering what's to do besides Disney, please read one of my others posts outlining some of our fun things!
My Town - TITUSVILLE FL - C'mon...let me show you around
Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com
http://activerain.com/blogs/homesweethomeflorida
Since many people have been asking what Florida's passing of " Amendment 1" will mean
to their 2008 tax bill, I will attempt to shed some light on it's intention. There are two
components to the Amendment. One is an additional $25,000 in homestead exemption,
the other is the ability to transfer a portion of tax savings through the Save Our Homes
assessment cap of 3% that has been in effect since 1995.
First - the additional Homestead Exemption
Let's analyze this using a more realistic number.
Assessed Value: $175,000
Less current exemption of $25,000 creates a taxable value of $150,000 for the school
district (meaning we do not benefit from the additional homestead on the portion that is
school taxes). As an example, Titusville is charged 21 mills in taxes, with the school
portion being 7.53 mills
Less additional exemption (175,000-50,000) creates a taxable value of $125,000 for the
rest of our real estate tax bill
To summarize: The first $25,000 exemption will be on an assessed value of $150,000
The second $25,000 exemption will be on an assessed value of $125,000
Until we get our 2008 tax bill we don't know exactly what our savings will be. Here's hoping :-)
Second - The Portability Side of the Amendment
Once again there are two calculations which can be applied to portability. One if your new
house has a higher market value than the one you just sold. The second if your new house
has a lower market value than the one you most recently sold. The maximum portability
transferred cannot exceed $500,000 and you must have had homestead in 2007. The
following slides are pretty self explanatory, but if you have any ???'s drop me a line and I'll
do my best to answer them or point you in the right direction. Hopefully this helps clear up
a lot of the confusion surrounding Amendment 1.


Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com
http://activerain.com/blogs/homesweethomeflorida
Friday kicks off the 2008/2009 season for the Titusville Playhouse at the Historic Emma Parrish Theater

OPENING NIGHT - Friday August 15th, come on out and enjoy SWEENEY TODD
THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
A musical thriller in two acts. Book by Hugh Wheeler, from an Adaptation by Christopher Bond
Directed by: Christina Robinson. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Here's a teaser to whet your curiosity!!!
"Victorian London, a mighty industrial city, the heart of a great empire: The Ballad of Sweeney Todd begins, setting the scene for the awful tale about to unfold."
Box Office: Open Mon.-Fri. - 9:am-5:pm
Will call opens one hour before show time.
Tickets may be reserved with VISA, MasterCard or Discover: 321-268-1125
301 Julia Street, Titusville 32781
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girl, born and raised in Montreal; lived in St. Petersburg, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale (Lighthouse Point) and West Palm Beach (Lake Worth) areas. Point being these are large areas, full of infrastructure, shopping, restaurants and things to do at every turn. Titusville's a small town by comparison - about 45,000 folks call it home. It took some time but I finally feel at home here myself. At first all I really liked was the lack of traffic which is a big reason why we moved north. As the first holiday season approached I began to have second thoughts about the decision. There were clearly only two choices - sit around and mope or get out there and make things happen. Being a spirited Scottish lass I opted for door #2. We hosted a few small parties, invited neighbors, and friends from down south, started mingling and actively going out to discover our new back yard. Incidentally, I don't believe a problem exists that can't be remedied with food, wine, and friends! We're talking localism here ;-)
Canaveral National Seashore Playalinda, 24 miles of unspoiled beach not one single condo - daily fee $3.00 per person or $35.00 for an annual pass (no fee change in 2008). There are several parking areas with toilet only. Be aware the last area on the route is a nude beach. Playalinda is the beach where each year, from May through August, thousands ofLoggerhead, leatherback, and green sea turtles come ashore to lay theireggs. Each turtle can lay approximately 600 eggs. Guided tours are available in this environmentally sensitive habitat.
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I want to take you back to April 2005. Harbor Pointe, the stunning new condo
development in Titusville Florida, directly on the Indian River, was pre-selling in
Building 3. The market was booming and sales were brisk. Here's a price sheet
showing what you would have paid to own a unit in Harbor Pointe in April 2005
That was then.....

Here are some of the amenities at Harbor Pointe





Here is a complete list of the amenities you get at Harbor Pointe

Fast forward to August 2008....this is now!
There are currently 31 units for sale in Harbor Pointe priced from $275,000 to $595,000
(I left off 2 penthouses). I will post the floor plans below so you can compare prices to
models. There are 10 short sales (pre-foreclosures). Here's the breakdown:
3 Dory $279,000, $319,900 , $449,900
9 Catamaran $275,000 - $517,721
7 Beacon $289,500 - $399,900
12 Admiral/Equator $399,900 - $595,000
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Harbor Pointe Floor Plans This is in PDF format and requires Adobe Reader.
Feel free to save a copy. If you need them in jpeg format just
e-Mail Gail
For up to date information on what's current in Harbor Pointe Condominium.......
For everything you need to make an informed buying decision......
Your "GO-TO" person for Titusville FL Real Estate, Homes and Condos for
sale in Titusville FL, and all your Brevard County Real Estate needs call.....

Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida
This is a quickie report to give an overview of market activity in Titusville
without regard to MLS areas. If you own a house, condo, or townhouse in
Titusville (MLS areas 102, 103 or 104) this information is for you, without
having to wade through all the numbers.
There are currently 837 active listings in Titusville
There have been 238 closings in the past 6 months
Simply stated it will take 21.10 months to absorb the inventory of properties
for sale at the current levels.
The formula is simple: # of sales in 6 months divided by 6 = absorption rate
# of listings divided by absorption rate = number of months to absorb.
There are 9,384 single family residences currently listed in Brevard MLS
6,913 single family houses
1,935 condos
536 townhouses
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida

Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ANALYZING ACTIVE LISTINGS, PENDING &
CONTINGENT SALES, AND SHORT SALES ALL BROKEN DOWN BY PRICE POINTS.
If your listing is in this market area, you will have to be patient and work with
your agent to get the pricing right. Read on for absorption rates, it's not pretty!
MLS Area 103 - Garden St. to S.R. 50 (Cheney Highway) - Titusville FL
In MLS Area 103 Currently there are:
508 active listings priced from $19,900 - $999,999
109 listed from $ 19,900 - $100,000 (12 short sales)
155 listed from $104,900 - $150,000 (12 short sales)
91 listed from $153,000 - $200,000 (14 short sales)
36 listed from $202,900 - $250,000 ( 2 short sales)
27 listed from $255,000 - $300,000 ( 4 short sales)
15 listed from $309,900 - $349,900
25 listed from $355,000 - $400,000 ( 3 short sales)
21 listed from $414,900 - $499,900 ( 3 short sales)
19 listed from $517,721 - $600,000 ( 1 short sale)
4 listed from $629,000 - $698,000
6 listed from $848,000 - $999,900
There are 43 properties under contract awaiting closing - breakdown as follows:
13 properties are pending (contingencies removed)
8 listed from $59,900 - $162,400
3 listed from $244,900 - $283,000
1 listed at $480,900
1 listed at $649,900
30 properties are under contract with contingencies - breakdown as follows:
11 listed from $ 44,500 - $ 99,900 (6 short sales)
16 listed from $144,900 - $199,900 (4 short sales)
1 listed at $315,000 (short sale)
1 listed at $399,900 (short sale)
1 listed at $595,000
121 properties have closed since January 29, 2008 (6 months) from $40,000 - $899,000
44 sold between $ 40,000 - $100,000
55 sold between $102,000 - $197,000
16 sold between $204,900 - $297,000
4 sold between $308,000 - $365,000
1 sold for $415,000
1 sold for $899,000
According to the MLS, 5 of these closing were short sales.
Applying the Absorption Rate Formula says it will take the market 25.19 months
to absorb the current inventory of homes in MLS area 103. Since this is the first
report for MLS area 103, a statement as to conditions improving or not will have
to wait for the next report. Meantime if you have any questions, please feel free
to contact me.
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida

Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
MLS Area 102 - State Road 46 to Garden St. - Titusville FL
Currently there are:
220 active listings priced from $29,950 - $695,000
53 listed from $29,950 - $100,000
108 listed from $104,000 - $199,900
30 listed from $205,000 - $250,000
12 listed from $255,000 - $299,900
9 listed from $315,000 - $389,900
6 listed from $424,900 - $499,000
1 listed at $510,000
1 listed at $695,000
*22 are marked as short sales
There are 22 properties awaiting closing, breakdown as follows:
7 properties are pending (contingencies removed) list price ranging from $116,990 - $199,900
7 properties are under contract with contingencies, list price from $62,900 - $89,900
6 properties are under contract with contingencies, list price from $104,000 - $164,900
1 property under contract, listed at $249,900
1 property under contract, listed at $549,900
*3 are marked as short sales
75 Houses have closed since January 28, 2008 (6 months)
23 sold from $44,000 - $100,000
44 sold from $101,000 - $175,000
5 sold from $200,000 - $280,000
3 sold from $300,000 - $342,000
*1 was marked as a short sale
Applying the Absorption Rate Formula says it will take the market 17.6 months
to absorb the current inventory of homes in MLS area 102. Since this is the first
report for MLS area 102, a statement as to conditions improving or not will have
to wait for the next report. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida

Gail MacMillan Broker-Realtor®
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
At Home With Diversity (AHWD)
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
e-PRO Internet Certified (e-PRO)
Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI)
Relocation Specialist
Titusville, Florida
Cell: 321.544.6808
MLS Area 104 - State Road 50 (Cheney Hwy) to Kings Hwy - July 12, 2008
105 active listings priced from $69,500 to $1,500,000
*10 short sales
11 properties are under contract ranging in price from $88,900 to $875,000
*1 short sale
45 houses have closed since January 1, 2008
44 houses have closed in the past 6 months (used for Absorption Rate)
The Absorption Rate Formula would indicate the market taking 14.32 months
to absorb the current inventory of homes in MLS Area 104. However if I add
in the homes under contract (without accounting for any new listings prior to
these closings) the absorption period is reduced to 11.45 months. This is
the second improvement in a row, further supporting an improving market.
See links below for comparison. This is a great time to buy Titusville FL
real estate.
Real Estate Market Report/Absorption Rates - Titusville FL (MLS Area 104) - May 2008
Real Estate Market Report/Absorption Rates - Titusville FL (MLS Area 104) - Feb. 2008
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida
Gail MacMillan - Broker
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com 
FAWN LAKE - MARKET REPORT - July 12, 2008
There are 18 active listings:
$279,900 - $299,900 - 3 listings
$309,000 - $397,000 - 6 listings
$419,000 - $469,000 - 6 listings
$599,700 - $599,900 - 2 listings
$799,900 - 1 listing
2 properties are under contract:
3210 Pheasant Trail - Listed $369,000 MLS #495530
3065 Green Turtle Circle - Listed $299,900 MLS #511645
There have been 4 closings in Fawn Lake in 2008:
5400 Canvasback Dr. closed 1/31/08 - Listed $359,900 Closed $330,000 MLS #489980
5220 Amy Way closed 5/1/08 - Listed $439,900 Closed $405,000 MLS #503012
3209 Pheasant Trail closed 5/27/08 - Listed $329,900 Closed $310,000 MLS #478667
3095 Fawn Lake Blvd. closed 6/9/08 - Listed $304,900 Closed $275,000 (short sale)
FAWN LAKE - Mims, Brevard County FL - Market Report May 2008 (MLS AREA 101)
FAWN LAKE - Mims, Brevard County FL - Market Report Feb 2008 (MLS area 101)
I can help you find your Home Sweet Home in Florida ![]()
Gail MacMillan - Broker
Home Sweet Home Florida Realty, Inc.
www.HomeSweetHomeFlorida.com

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