Real Estate Darwinism

Pinellas County Florida - Well all home owners, investors and others got some bad news today - Leon County Circuit Court ripped Amendment 5 off the November ballot.  We still have a chance because the State will appeal the ruling and it will ultimately be decided by Florida's Supreme Court. 

Govenor Crist Weigh's In on Court's Ruling

In the Florida Capital News Crist weighs in. Crist said Cooper's ruling "doesn't mean anything" because whichever side lost was certain to kick it up to the Supreme Court. "I was disappointed but not dismayed. It will be appealed - I think everybody knows that," said Crist. "I hope it stays on the ballot because I like the will of the people. I want them to weigh in. I want them to have that power because they're the boss."

The Florida Association of Realtors, which supported the amendment, decried Cooper's ruling saying "Homeownership is a fundamental right, and Floridians deserve a say on how their property is taxed," said Chuck Bonfiglio, president of the Florida Association of Realtors, in a prepared statement. "We are shocked that the court decided to deny property owners' the ability to dramatically lower their property tax rates."

We as Clearwater Realtors and home owners we are definitely planning to Vote YES for Amendment 5 Property taxes. We believe it's good for Clearwater Real Estate buyers, residents and renters because everyone should experience savings.  We also believe it will help home sellers since it will make homes more affordable and more appealing to buyers who do not qualify for homestead exemptions.     

Did you know that Florida property taxes have doubled over last 6 years?

Amendment 5 is proposing a sales tax 1% or less to fund education.

If approved it is predicted that Florida property owners could see 25-40% property tax deduction in 2010 if Amendment 5 had passed. This would help local Floridians across the board by sharing the cost of education with all local residents and tourists.  

One of the most important things Amendment 5 will do for our clients (people buying vacation homes or invests in Clearwater Beach and the Clearwater area)  is provide a  5% annual property tax cap on all non-homestead property (which was set at 10% this past February)  It's important for Florida home owners to understand what's at stake.  

Additional aritcles discussing Amendment 5 being removed from the ballot:

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Dunedin Florida - Dunedin is a great place to live and Highland Woods luxury Homes are some the most desirable of Pinellas County and all of Dunedin real estate.  This centrally located gated community of 87 home, mostly 4 and 5 bedroom homes is one of  Dunedin's newer neighborhoods, being built in 2002, most of these are screened pool homes as well.

Highland Woods Homes for Sale - Dunedin Real Estate   

When checking the Tampa Bay MLS today there are currently 20 homes out of 87 in the Highland Woods neighborhood are for sale - that's almost 25% of the whole neighborhood. (not ideal in any market) When checking the Pinellas County public records - 3 Highland Wood homes are in pre-foreclosure and one is in the final judgement phase of foreclosure.   

A closer look at houses on the market:

• Of the 20 homes for sale - all but 2 of them are pool homes;
• The cheapest Highland Woods home for sale is $320,000 and it has 3 bedroom 2 bath and no pool;
• The most expensive Highland Woods home for sale is $619,000 and it has 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths and a pool;

• The average Highland Woods home for sale asking prices is a little over $150 a square foot.  

Highland Woods Homes SOLD - Dunedin Real Estate

So what's been happening Highland Woods Dunedin real estate market? Well for the last seven months only about 1 home a month has been selling (since March 2008) . Also of note is the fact that no Highland Woods homes sold in January or February of 2008. One has sold every month except May, however there is 1 currently pending and 1 Highland woods home is active with contract.  

So what's happened to the price of homes in Highland Woods Dunedin FL this year? This is the questions home buyers always want to know. Well we discussed that the fact that at least 5 people have been in some stage of pre-foreclosure, short sale, foreclosure or bank owned REO - and so it's no surprise that SOLD prices have decreased the last months. The last Highland Woods home sold was a foreclosure and sold for $114 a square foot - OUCH!  Not counting this distressed home we've seen home prices go from $156 a square foot in March to $137 a square foot in June with the foreclosure in July.

So where are Highland Woods home prices now? Well it will be interesting to see what the two homes under contract end up selling for. We are seeing more homes selling and yet when you have 20 months of inventory in this neighborhood - there's no doubt it's still a strong buyer's market by definition.

The good news is that for homebuyers looking for newer luxury Dunedin pool homes - these need to be a the top of your list. And if you're someone who is looking for a Dunedin home for sale in a gate community - you've found one of Dunedin's best neighborhoods - call us to see any of these Dunedin homes for sale.        

 Dunedin Luxury Real Estate

Are you looking to buy Dunedin luxury real estate? Pool Homes, Gated Community? Luxury Homes? Begin you search of the Tampa Bay MLS now or call us today at (727) 710-8036. Here's what some of our past clients have to say about how we helped them....

** CLICK ON PHOTOS BELOW TO SEE CLIENT VIDEO TESTIMONIALS **

Tampa Bay Home and Condo Buyers tell us that selecting a Tampa Bay Real Estate Agent especially online or from a distance, can be a challenge. Some of our past clients agreed to share their experiences and tell you why they think you should work with us.Click on the photos below and meet some of our clients and now friends...we'd love to be YOUR choice too!

*The above information and images are Copyright © 2007 Jack and Cyndee Haydon, Clearwater Realtors your   Pinellas County Real Estate resource and may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published. All rights reserved. Plagiarism will be detected and is punishable by law. 

Clearwater Florida - With lots of homes for sale and foreclosures in Tampa Bay up by 29% it's still competitive for sellers in most Clearwater neighborhoods, home sellers wants to know what they need to do to get their home sold today in Clearwater when we stil have a strong buyers market. Clearwater homes that are selling have done the 10 steps listed below. 

The proven recipe for success contains two main parts - The home seller has one part and the Realtor has a part. Together you can make it happen. Missy Caulk, Ann Arbor Real Estate Associate Broker is a guest author today and shares the following proven home seller tips:   

10 Easy Steps to Sell Your Home in Clearwater Florida

1)  Hire a technology Realtor

2)  Curb Appeal

Make sure your Clearwater home's first impression is a good one. Paint the front door, trim the hedges, plant some flowers. Simple really and remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

3)  Hire the Realtor that tells you the truth

4)  Price it right from the beginning.

Don't be like many unsuccessful home sellers and reduce the price of your home for sale later just to find you're chasing the market down. Homes for sale in Clearwater like homes in Ann Arbor MI need to be priced in the top 5 best homes to look at for buyers. Price it right in the beginning.

5)  Make sure your Tampa Bay Realtor has a huge internet presence

6)  When you have a home for sale...it's professionally staged.

7)  Use a Tampa Bay Realtor that gets the most exposure for your home.

8)  Use multiple photos and a virtual tour on every home, Clearwater buyers want to see multiple photos. I can't tell you the number of times I get called from my search site, which is a direct  feed from the MLS, with a buyer requesting more photos. Not my listing but they find it on line and want to see more. In this case there is never too many good photos.

9)  Make sure your Realtor uses a Tampa Bay MLS home search site to bring more buyers exposure to the market.

10)  De-clutter.

Throw away, pack it up, move it out. If your not using it then get rid of it. Take it to Salvation Army or Hospice of the Suncoast.

***Notice any pattern in this ? Thought so...***