Posted on June 15, 2009 by Nick Firios
Our sales continue to be strong as well as our median price holding steady for the first time in a long time. Spread the word, “It’s a great time to buy Central Florida real estate and time is running out for first time home buyers to take advantage of the government’s $8,000 1st Time Home Buyer Tax Credit!”
According to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA), the number of homes that sold in May 2009 outpaced the number of homes sold in May 2008 by nearly 38%. May 2008 sold 1,347 homes and May 2009 sold 1,854 homes. ORRA updated the median price for April’09 numbers to reflect $130,000 instead of originally having a median price of $132,900. This makes the median price for April’09 the same as the median price with May’09 and is 38.51% below May 2008 median price.
Our ‘Pending’ sales increased again in May 2009 and are still going very strong with 6,603 homes under contract. We are still experiencing over double the number of homes under contract than we did a year ago. May 2008 had only 3,225 homes under contract. This is more evidence of greater sales occurring in the coming months.
For a consecutive 5 months running, the number of homes for sale have now decreased by another 1,071 homes on the market compared to the previous month of April 2009 numbers. We are now a little over 5,800 less homes on the market from this time last year. We are currently at 19,123 homes for sale in May 2009 compared to 25,015 homes for sale in May 2008. Single family homes make up 13,734 of the 19,123 homes on the market, while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas. Click Here to visit ORRA’s web site for even more stats. Your business and referrals are extremely important to my business. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate in the Central Florida area.
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Posted on May 15, 2009 by Nick Firios
The Central Florida real estate market continues to be on the right track to a more balanced housing market. The Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s (ORRA) latest monthly statistics indicates that, yet again, the number of homes that sold in April 2009 outpaced the number of homes sold in April 2008 by 41.43%. April 2008 sold 1,231 homes and April 2009 sold 1,741 homes. Our areas median price dropped again to $132,900, which is 37.01% below April 2008 median price, but it is showing signs of flattening out.
With our median price becoming more affordable and interest rates still below 5%, along with the incentive of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, we should continue to gain even more sales in the coming months. Spread the word: “It’s a great time to buy!”
Our ‘Pending’ sales increased again in April 2009 and are still going very strong with 5,818 homes under contract. We are still experiencing over double the number of homes under contract than we did a year ago. April 2008 had only 2,853 homes under contract. This is more evidence of greater sales occurring in the coming months.
For a consecutive 4 months running, the number of homes for sale have now decreased by another 1,254 homes on the market compared to the previous month of March 2009 numbers. We are now over 5,000 less homes on the market from this time last year. We are currently at 20,194 homes for sale in April 2009 compared to 25,436 homes for sale in April 2008. Single family homes make up 14,472 of the 20,194 homes on the market, while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas. Click Here to visit ORRA’s web site for even more stats. Your business and referrals are the lifeblood of my business. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate in the Central Florida area.
Filed under: Central FL Housing Market Trends, Central Florida, Real Estate News | Tagged: Central Florida, central florida homes for sale, Central Florida Real Estate, homes for sale, Orlando Homes For Sale, Orlando Real Estate, real estate | Leave a Comment »
Posted on April 20, 2009 by Nick Firios
Has the Central Florida real estate market hit bottom yet? Not sure, but we are definitely on the right track. The Central Florida real estate market receives, yet again, more good news in it’s monthly housing sales according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s (ORRA) latest monthly statistics. Once again, the number of homes that sold in March 2009 outpaced the number of homes sold in March 2008 by a whopping 47.59%. March 2008 sold 1,120 homes and March 2009 sold 1,653 homes. It’s getting hotter out there! Temperature wise and real estate market wise! With our areas median price dropping yet again to $137,000 and interest rates dropping yet again to below 5% and along with the incentive of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, we are set and ready to gain even more sales in the coming months. Spread the word: “It’s a great time to buy!”
ORRA stats show that March 2009 median price is now 37.73% below March 2008 median price. Our ‘Pending’ sales increased again in March 2009 and are still going very strong with 4,906 homes under contract which represents over double the number of homes under contract in March 2009 than in March 2008 having only 2,398.
Another positive note for March’s numbers is that we decreased by another 720 homes on the market compared to the previous month of February 2009 numbers. We are now over 4,000 less homes on the market in March 2009 than in March 2008 continueing to decrease our inventory. We are currently at 21,448 homes for sale in March 2009 compared to 25,472 homes for sale in March 2008. Single family homes make up 15,407 of the 21,448 homes on the market, while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas. Click Here to visit ORRA’s web site for even more stats. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate in the Central Florida area.
Filed under: Central FL Housing Market Trends, Central Florida, Real Estate News | Tagged: Central Florida, central florida homes for sale, Central Florida Real Estate, homes for sale, Orlando Homes For Sale, Orlando Real Estate, real estate | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 25, 2009 by Nick Firios
The Central Florida real estate market receives more good news in it’s monthly housing sales according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s (ORRA) latest monthly statistics. Once again, the number of homes that sold in February 2009 outpaced the number of homes sold in February 2008 by a little over 28%. February 2008 sold 951 homes and February 2009 sold 1,219 homes. It’s getting hot out there! With our areas median price dropping yet again to $145,500 and interest rates dropping yet again to 5% or below and along with the incentive of the $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers, we are set and ready to gain even more sales in the coming months. Spread the word: “It’s a great time to buy!”
ORRA stats show that February 2009 median price is now 34.75% below February 2008 median price. Our ‘Pending’ sales increased again in February 2009 and are still going very strong with 4,348 homes under contract which represents over double the number of homes under contract in February 2009 than in February 2008 with only 2,175.
Another positive note for February’s numbers is that we decreased by 445 homes on the market compared to the previous month of January 2009 numbers. we are still 3,000 less homes on the market in February 2009 than in February 2008. We are currently at 22,168 homes for sale in February 2009 compared to 25,984 homes for sale in February 2008. Single family homes make up 16,057 of the 22,168 homes on the market, while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas. Click Here to visit ORRA’s web site for even more stats. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling real estate in the Central Florida area.
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Posted on March 16, 2009 by Nick Firios
Enjoy a practically brand new home with plenty of room and large fenced-in back yard with paver patio and no direct neighbors to the rear. This home has been completely remodeled by builder/investor with all permits, inspections and approval from Orange County Building Dept. Beautiful inside and out. Home had fire damage from previous owners and was completely rebuilt, taken back to exterior walls, existing slab w/tile and interior wood studs. Features new drywall, new HVAC, new electric, new plumbing, new roof, new insulation, new windows, new carpet, new kitchen and baths, new appliances, new doors & trim, new paint, landscaped with irrigation and inside utility room. You don’t want to miss this home! Ready for quick close! CLICK HERE for more info!
Filed under: Central Florida, My Listings | Tagged: Central Florida, central florida homes for sale, Central Florida Real Estate, homes for sale, Orlando Homes For Sale, Orlando Real Estate, real estate | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 3, 2009 by Nick Firios
Ready for quick closing. Come enjoy the best of what Florida has to offer in this custom built home featuring cherry wood floors throughout main living areas, 42” cherry kitchen cabinets, double pane windows, custom wood window sills, custom wood shelving, wrought iron railings, crown molding, wine cellar, 5 ¼” base boards, large rooms including a 17’x 33’ bonus/media room and canal frontage with access to Lake Markham. Back bedroom could be used as guest suite or mother-in-law suite having a separate entrance and full bath. This is a completely new home and has never been lived in since it was rebuilt from ground up in 2006. Plenty of room on roughly ½ acre for boat/RV parking/storage. Live just minutes from fine dining, shopping and entertainment with nearby Seminole Town Center mall, walking/bike trails, state-of-the-art equestrian center, soccer facilities and one of the finest parks in Seminole County, Sylvan Lake Park. Easy access to all of Central Florida with nearby I-4 & the 417. CLICK HERE for more information.
Filed under: Central Florida, My Listings | Tagged: Central Florida, central florida homes for sale, Central Florida Real Estate, homes for sale, Orlando Homes For Sale, Orlando Real Estate, real estate | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 1, 2009 by Nick Firios
1st TIME HOME BUYERS DON’T MISS OUT. You have a limited time to take advantage of the 2009 1st time home buyer tax credit of up to $8,000.
In Feb’09, Congress passed legislation that truly helps out 1st time home buyers. Since the 2008 Stimulus package was passed last summer giving 1st time home buyers a $7,500 tax credit, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) had been pushing for an upgrade. You see, the 2008 tax credit presented 1st time home buyers with a $7,500 tax credit that needed to be paid back over a 15 year period. NAR was seeking for a change to the 2008 tax credit and was hoping it would be increased to $15,000 and not have to be paid back. When all was said and done with the 2009 Stimulus package, we ended up with an $8,000 tax credit that does not have to be paid back. For example, if the 1st time home buyer qualified for the full $8,000 tax credit and say they owed the IRS on their 2009 taxes $2,000. They would not owe anything to the IRS and the IRS would write them a check back for $6,000. This is GREAT NEWS and a good start to hopefully help the housing market back on track.
Of course there are a few stipulations/requirements to the credit, but basically, if a 1st time home buyer closes on a home on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009, they could qualify for the $8,000 tax credit on their 2009 taxes or even possibly on their 2008 tax returns. The 1st time home buyer should check with their tax adviser to be sure. Now keep in mind that the law defines a ”first time home buyer” as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the 3 year period prior to purchasing a home.
The amount of the tax credit is 10% of the purchase price. So a property of $80,000 or more would qualify the 1st time home buyer to take full advantage of the $8,000 tax credit. If the property was purchased for $60,000, then you would qualify for a $6,000 tax credit. The first time home buyer would only have a repayment requirement if the home was sold within 3 years from the date of purchase. There are income requirements for the 1st time home buyer to qualify. CLICK HERE for much more complete information formulated and presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) on the 2009 tax credit.
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Posted on February 27, 2009 by Nick Firios
Attention to detail is what sets this home apart from the rest with many custom upgrades. Expect to be impressed upon entering this beautiful home with it’s travertine floors and winding staircase. Entertain in an impeccable custom kitchen with 42” cherry cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Relax by the solar heated screened-in pool and patio areas. Other features include crown molding, kitchen under-cabinet lighting, master bath jetted tub, inside utility room, 4 camera perimeter security system and more. Live in the Wekiva area in a wonderful subdivision with private setting near cul-de-sac. Live just minutes from Wekiwa Springs State Park and enjoy nearby major shopping and dining experiences. CLICK HERE for more info.
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Posted on February 17, 2009 by Nick Firios
The Central Florida real estate market continues to get more affordable according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s (ORRA) latest monthly statistics. We continue to experience historically low interest rates hovering around 5% and our affordable index rose even higher in the month of January 2009 due to our median home price dropping yet again to $148,274. ORRA stats show that January 2009 median price is now 33.06% below January 2008 median price. However, homes sales were up in January 2009 compared to January 2008 by 17.71%. 957 homes sold in Jan’09 compared to 813 homes selling in Jan’08. Our ‘Pending’ sales increased again in January 2009 and are still going very strong with 3,830 homes under contract which represents over double the number of homes under contract in January 2009 than in January 2008.
We increased slightly with the number of homes on the market by 89 homes in January 2009 than in December 2008 for a month to month comparison. However we are still roughly 3,000 less homes on the market in January 2009 than in January 2008. We are currently at 22,613 homes for sale in January 2009 compared to 25,724 homes for sale in January 2008. Single family homes make up 16,403 of the 22,613 while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas. Click Here to visit ORRA’s web site for even more stats.
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Posted on January 15, 2009 by Nick Firios
“It’s a great time to buy” has been an on going theme for the Central Florida real estate market. Those in the real estate industry have been able to make this statement for a while and this month and start of the year for 2009 is no different. We are experiencing historically low interest rates hovering around 5% and our affordable index is still low with our areas median home price at $169,900. Accoring to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA), December 2008 was the first month in a long while that showed an increase in our areas median home price by increasing 2.35% over November 2008, but still 24.49% below December 2007 numbers. December 2008 sales posted about 229 more sales than December 2007. Our ‘Pending’ sales are still going very strong holding over 3,000 homes under contract which represents over double the number of homes under contract in December 2008 than in December 2007.
Another positive sign for market stability is that we’ve showed another monthly drop in the number of homes on the market by our biggest drop in a long while. We dropped almost 2,000 homes off the market between December 2008 and November 2008. We are currently at 22,524 homes for sale in December 2008 compared to 24,408 homes for sale in November 2008. Single family homes make up 16,420 of the 22,524 while the remaining numbers are comprised of condos, duplexes, town homes and villas.
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