I read an article yesterday on Foxnews.com.  The article was about the real estate market turning to a sellers market because of the lack of inventory, and different ways for buyers to get the house they want.  One way they focused on was finding a "pocket listing".  

The article did a nice job describing what a pocket listing is...but I will summarize.  A pocket listing is a listing that is not advertised on the MLS, or anywhere else....yet.  

Most top producing agents know of upcoming listings that they will have about 1-3 weeks before they actually hit the MLS. There are many reasons why...usually it boils down to 2 reasons though.  The first is that the homeowner wants a little time to follow the suggestions the listing agent recommends, to bring them top dollar.  The second reason is that it takes about a week to get a professional photographer out to the house, and to get everything uploaded into the mls.  Some agents do not do professional photos (most don't)...but most of the top producing agents do (or should!).

So how do you find out about these pocket listings?!?  The only real way is to find a top agent, at a top office, who is hungry for business, and networks well.  I, and my team, are those agents.  We are top producers, work in an office with several other top producers, and network outside of our office with other top agents.  I can tell you at this very moment I know of 4 homes coming to the market in North Port, in the next 3 weeks...all of which would be happy to allow a buyer a 'sneak peek'.  There are 4 of us on our team that talk daily...you do the math.  If each of us know of 3-4 homes, that is 12-16 pocket listings that we can find out about with just a quick phone call to each other!  A quick walk around our office can get word on a few more.  Networking beyond our office is effective too...and actually not very time consuming for this reason: Everyone has heard of the 80/20 rule.  In real estate is it more of a 90/10 rule.  The top 10% of realtors do about 90% of the business....so it is a small group of us that really can/do reach out to each other to find out about each others upcoming listings.

If you are looking for the 'edge' in your home buying experience, this is it!  All you have to do is reach out to one of us today!  All it takes is a quick call or email to let us know you are ready to buy, and what you are looking for.  If there is nothing right now, we will remember you!  

This applies not only to North Port homes for sale...but also, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda!  

Using a USDA Loans in North Port, FL?  Better hurry!

The new maps have been released for USDA home loan eligibility.  Of note for those of us in North Port is that starting October 1, 2014 you cannot use a USDA loan for a home in our area.  They have re-classified North Port as ineligible.  

The good news is, you still have a month to find a home and get a USDA loan!  If you apply for a USDA loan by October 1, you are good even if it closes after October 1.  So if you plan to buy a USDA home, ACT now!

Who Wants a Deal on a House?!?!

Everyone wants a deal!  Me too!  We all love getting a great price on anything....my wife is an excellent coupon/discount shopper and brags about the deals she gets at the local stores.  

In Real Estate it is my job to get you the best price on a house when you are buying a house....and for sellers, it is to price the home correctly to get it sold in a minimal amount of time, at the best price.  Every Seller wants the most they can get for their home, and every buyer wants to pay the least amount they can.

What does a good deal look like in the current real estate market in North Port, FL?  Anything below the average of what others are paying is a good deal in my book!  So what is the average?  Currently homes are selling for 97% of list price, on average in North Port.  Below is a graph that I generated that shows the Sale Price vs. the List Price for the last five years, just in North Port, FL.  I also cover Port Charlotte, Englewood, and Punta Gorda (with offices in all those towns)...so if you would like me to send you a graph for those cities...please let me know.  

People ask if I will submit a lowball offer for them.  The short answer...absolutely.  I never shy away from the chance to save people money.  Every situation is different though, and sometimes in a multiple offer situation (or something is new on the market and priced below market value) we need to act fast, and come in with a strong offer.  If you are looking for the perfect house in North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, or Englewood...contact me & lets get you a DEAL!

I have been guiding my clients on the market conditions in North Port, FL...but now it is front page news in the North Port Sun Newspaper too!  The big headline reads "PROPERTY VALUES UP."

Still on the sidelines waiting for the right time to buy?  Wait no more.  

The market declined, and house values lost about 60% of their value in North Port during the real estate crash.  The year before last, values increased about 4%, this year values have increased over 8%!!  

If you are on the market looking to buy real estate in North Port, FL....now is the time.  I have people come down and decide to wait until next year to buy....it is your choice...but just realize that the $150,000 house today, will be $162,000 next year if things keep trending at the same rate.  

This is good news for those waiting to sell as well!  If you got a market value on your home a couple years ago and it was $150,000.  Then last year it would have gone up to $156,000....this year it would be $168,480!  So, if you were upside down in your mortgage and needed to sell...now may be the right time!  Contact me for a free market analysis.

I am happy to announce a new tool geared towards all the "sellers" visiting my website.

It is a new home valuation tool.  I still am working on some of the stats that it uses (pool, waterfront, etc)...but have a good range incorporated in it.  The range of: below, average, above...accounts for some of those big features.

If you are considering selling your home, give it a try!  Enter your info, and I will follow up with a real CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) as well.

Here is the link: http://www.northporthouses.com/cma/property-valuation/

What is going on with the laws on Flood Insurance?  I get asked this all the time.  The truth of the matter is, I am a real estate agent, not an insurance agent.  But...I do like to give at least a brief overview of what some of the changes are.  I will always refer you for more accurate data to a licensed insurance agent though.

I was reminded of the nature of the worries about flooding while visiting the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa. They had a big wheel that discussed the different flood planes.  It was called the "Wheel of Misfortune" and you could spin it to see where the wheel stopped spinning (if it landed on a 50 or 100 year flood plane, you lose).  It was very ominous.  

So, how will the flood rate changes affect you?  Well...luckily the government just made some changes to the law, and the bottom line is there may be an additional fee when you first get insurance (I have heard $50 and $250), they are bring back the subsidized rates, and they have a cap on how much the insurance can go up each year (I have heard 15-18%).  That is good news!  

Every time I list a house I am asked this question.  It is a good question! 

The answer depends on many things...but I will give you an answer based on averages for the local area.  The reason I said 'it depends' is because if the home is underpriced...it will sell in a day.  If it is overpriced, it may never sell (at least not until the market catches up to the price).  It also depends on the age of your home, the price range, the condition, the neighborhood, and the current market dynamics.

The following data is compiled from our local MLS for North Port, Port Charlotte & Punta Gorda.

Here are the numbers: (look at the price range, then at the Avg DOM...which stands for Average Days on Market):

So the short answer to the question is: 107 days on the market and then plan for 4-6 weeks to close after you get a contract.  The long answer...it depends on the price.  

If you are thinking about selling your home.  Lets sit down and look at the numbers specific to your house.  I can drill down to get an average based on the exact qualities of your home.