Today, approximately 85% of buyers begin their home search on the internet. And, studies indicate that they look for several weeks before contacting an agent to help in their search. There is more information at a buyer’s fingertips than ever before. And, today’s buyer is sharp. They do their homework and they know where to find the information they need.

But wait, not so fast.

Is it as simple as that?

Well, not always.

Real estate is local in nature. And, a Realtor’s job is to educate the buyer to the local market conditions and to provide them with as much information as possible. We want to assist a buyer in helping them find the house that suits their wants, as well as their needs.

The scope of the market has changed immensely over the past several years, due it’s cyclical nature. And, it will continue to do so. Today, in Brevard County we are seeing a large number of short sale properties. Our foreclosure inventory has been dwindling due to the robo signing debacle. (Although we are hearing that 2012 will be the year of more foreclosures hitting our market.) And, as surprising as it is to some, we are seeing multiple offers situations on houses under $250,000. The "good ones" are going first and quickly. That may be the most important information we are trying to get out to our buyers.

International buyers, second home buyers from various Northern states, and investors are all scooping up deals on Brevard County real estate. We have heard that 20% to 40% of the buyers in the market today are investors, with 60% of them being new investors.

We’ve been in situations where we’ve had buyers that found a house that suited their wants, their needs, and their budgets. The buyers were tickled. However, some buyers want to take time to think about it, and understandably so. This is the biggest purchase of their lives. However, a week or two later, when they are ready to move forward, the house they wanted was under contract with another buyer.

It’s a difficult situation for the discouraged buyer that did not get the property, as they have to go back out and start all over in search of another house. Then, it’s only natural for them to compare the other houses they see to the one that got away. And, it seems that the ones that catch their eye are other properties that are already under contract. It’s like a case of, "I want what she’s got."

So, when out looking for a house in Brevard County FL, remember we are back to multiple offer situations. The good ones are moving off the market, quickly. Be sure you’ve got your preapproval letter in hand when you head out. And once we’ve done our homework, be sure you’re ready to go.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

M & M Real Estate, Inc.

Residential, Investment and Relocations

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545 or 321-733-6080

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit me on my Google Profile Page

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

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Welcome 2012!

I’m ready! Let’s make incredible things happen this year!

A Happy New Year to All!

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

M & M Real Estate, Inc.

Residential, Investment and Relocations

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545 or 321-733-6080

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit me on my Google Profile Page

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you

Oh, the hustle and bustle of the season. The busiest time of year… the real estate market has been very busy! And, this season keeps us running around.

I have been trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Last night I was at the mall with my friend, Michele, scrambling around trying to come up with last minute gifts (so unusual for me, I really dislike last minute running). As we watched the lines of people milling through the mall, with bundles of packages in their arms I couldn’t help but ask, "What’s it all for?"

Sometimes at Christmastime it just all seems like too much.

When I asked my girls, Stephanie and Sam, what they wanted for Christmas, they told me that they didn’t want or need anything. And, then after careful thought Sam said, " I could use a tube of Chap Stick and some socks."

I don’t buy my girls everything, and I never have. Their friends have many more fancy gizmos and gadgets than they have ever have had. And, that’s okay. I believe that they should work for the things that they really want. Life doesn’t provide handouts. There’s no free ride.

After further contemplation, they both chimed in and said they just wanted some quality "girl" time together. I love spending time with my girls. As they have gotten older, things have changed. They have come into their own and they have their own friends, outside activities, dancing, cheerleaderleading, volunteering, babysitting… their lives outside of the house. So, we spend less and less time together. That’s what we raise them for, right? We want them to be independent and to go off on their own some day, as strong, self assured young adults.

Life has us running this way and that, and even more so this time of year… scrambling to "buy" things for each other. But, I truly don’t believe that presents can be bought from any store. I love presents that come from the heart… pictures of a wonderful memory, a video, a hand made gift or card, a handwritten letter… something sentimental. Now those are true gifts.

Quality time, time to spend with my girls… that will be the best gift ever! A day in the kitchen of baking cookies, making a gingerbread house and stuffing the turkey will be magical. A day at the beach in our 70 degree weather or a bicycle ride to the park are perfect. We will surely head over to Downtown Disney to see the Christmas lights and to Gaylord Palms Resort to see the ICE show.

Time with my girls… that’s what it’s all for!

This time of year is for spending time with the people in our lives that mean the most to us.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

M & M Real Estate, Inc.

Residential, Investment and Relocations

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545 or 321-733-6080

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit me on my Google Profile Page

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Statistics for Brevard County FL Real Estate, November 2011…

Currently there are:

3226 residential listings for sale

1264 rental listings available

897 condos for sale

221 townhouses for sale

90 income producing properties

2292 vacant parcels for sale

Brevard County FL Real Estate, including single family residential, condo, townhouse and vacant lots:

There were 696 new listings.

There were 354 sold listings.

Average sales price was $154,202.

Average days on the market were 121.

For single family residential units only:

There were 500 new listings.

This is a decrease of 4.17% from November 2010 of 480 listings.

There were 292 sold listings.

This is an increase of 6.18% from November 2010 of 275 sold listings.

The average sale price in November 2011 was $136,820.

This is a decrease of 1.30% from November 2010 of $138,626.

Average days on the market were 120, a 1.64% decrease from November 2010 of 122 days.

Source: Melbourne Association of Realtors

Brevard County showed a 6.18% increase in the number of properties sold from November 2010 to 2011. And, we noticed an increase of just 1.30% in average sales price from last year. It appears that we are experiencing a bit of stability in our market. Prices are not dropping drastically as in years past. And we ar finding that properties are steadily moving off the market.

We currently have a large number of investors and some second/vacation home buyers in the market. Buyers still have an interest in relocating to our area because of the Florida sunshine, the Indian and Banana rivers and the beautiful sandy beaches. There are also some nice tax incentives here in Florida. (Please consult a CPA or tax accountant for more info on taxes.)

Today, Brevard County prices are relatively inexpensive compared to neighboring cities in Florida.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

M & M Real Estate, Inc.

Residential, Investment and Relocations

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit me on my Google Profile Page

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you

This morning we woke up to a slight nip in the air. It’s a refreshing sign that Winter is just around the corner. When we wander out we see holiday lights up already and signs that Christmas is right around the corner.

Today marks the final day of Hurricane Season. And, all has been quiet in our area. Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 and we kept our fingers crossed that we weren’t going to be hit with any inclement weather. The only storm this year that made landfall was Irene in August. So, we’ve been blessed.

So, good bye Atlantic Hurricane Season!

And, let us welcome in a Florida Winter.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

This morning we woke up to a slight nip in the air. It’s a refreshing sign that Winter is just around the corner. When we wander out we see holiday lights up already and signs that Christmas is right around the corner.

Today marks the final day of Hurricane Season. And, all has been quiet in our area. Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 and we kept our fingers crossed that we weren’t going to be hit with any inclement weather. The only storm this year that made landfall was Irene in August. So, we’ve been blessed.

So, good bye Atlantic Hurricane Season!

And, let us welcome in a Florida Winter.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Here we are again, it’s time to fall back. Daylight Savings time ends and we start Standard time again.

Before you go to bed tonight, don’t forget to set your clocks back by one hour. It will be lighter in the mornings and and earlier in the evenings. We’ll get a chance to catch a glimpse of those incredible sunsets just a bit earlier than we did before.

Enjoy that extra hour of sleep you’ll get tonight.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you

Well, that may not be the case for everyone.

Many owners anticipated a drop in taxes, because the market values on their homes dropped.

Owners of homesteaded properties are protected by Florida Save Our Homes. The assessed value of a homesteaded property cannot increase by more than 3% per year. So, when our Brevard County Real Estate prices were increasing from 2001 to 2006, owners were protected. Their assessed values did not skyrocket, although their market values did.

Prices or market values have been declining over the last several years. In some areas we have seen some stability in prices recently. But, some owners of homesteaded properties are seeing their taxable values increasing, thus causing an increase in taxes. For some Brevard County Homeowners, it’s because the 3% cap never allowed taxable values to catch up to market values. Brevard County property appraisers can continue to increase the assessed value of a property as long as it stays below market value.

If you look closely at your tax bill and compare it to prior year bills, the total millage rate in Melbourne for 2011 is 22.0301. In 2010, the millage rate was 19.9629. In 2009, it had been 18.4861. So, your market value may be decreasing, but the millage value rate is on the increase.

Even though the market value of a property is declining, the taxable value under Florida Save Our Homes can increase. And, increased millage rates can push that number higher.

For some, they have seen their market values drop below their assessed values. For those who have seen a decrease in their tax bills, some feel they aren’t seeing as large a decrease as they should, due to the increased millage rates. It seems to be a double edged sword for many.

So when your tax bill arrives in the mail and you see that market values have dropped, will your property taxes have dropped, too?

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you

The Census Bureau has reported in the past year there has been an increase of 1.4 million households from homeownership to renting. Some new to the rental market are owners that lost their homes to foreclosure, or sold them in a short sale (selling for less than today’s market value).

With this surge of new tenants, rents are on the upswing, after several years of falling. We have seen a 5.17% annual increase in rents. Some predictions indicate that rents will continue up in the next year.

Statistics indicate that 20% to 40% of properties today are being purchased by investors. Approximately 60% of these are considered new investors.

Rental houses are a great way to create wealth over time. Tenants pay the rent, hopefully covering the principal, interest, taxes and insurance on a property. And, when home prices are up, it can be an opportune time to sell.
Owning investment properties since 1996 has proved profitable for me. I have bought, rehabbed and resold. I have sold several over the years when prices were high. But, I prefer to buy, hold and collect the rents.

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you

Another incredible sunset in Cape Canaveral, Florida

Sandy Shores, Melbourne FL REALTOR®

Specializing in Residential, Investment and Relocation Real Estate

We have a team of professionals to facilitate your Short Sale.

Melbourne Real Estate / Palm Bay Real Estate

321-253-4545

SandyShoresMelbourne@hotmail.com

____________________________________________

Serving Brevard County Florida for 15 Years

Brevard County Resident for 36 Years

Melbourne, Palm Bay, Suntree, Viera, Rockledge,

Cocoa, Canaveral Groves, Titusville, Mims, Melbourne Beach,

Indialantic, Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach,

Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral

______________________________________________

I buy, sell, rent, own and manage Investment Property.

Visit Melbourne FL Real Estate Talk on Facebook and "Like" Us There

Let me that for you