Choosing a Realtor is a task that many people learn the hard way that their choice wasn't necessarily the best way.  I'd like to offer some suggestions as to How To Choose A Realtor That Is Right For You! 1. Never just look for a brand name.  Now that may be a broad statement, but let me explain:  When you walk into any office there could be 2 agents, 10 agents or 50 agents.  Each agent may or may not represent you in the same way.2.  Putting your house on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is the job of any agent from any company associated with MLS.Did you know that all agents and all real estate companies may not be associated with MLS.  Now that's not always a bad thing, it may not be a good thing either.  3.  Price, Oh Yes Price!Reality is not always the motivation of agents and/or sel... 04/27/2016

Accumulating money for the down payment, when buying a home, is difficult and can be a struggle. However, various kinds of mortgages are available, for prospective homeowners. They are available for everyone belonging to different income brackets while some even offer 3.5% of the value of the home as a down-payment.It is possible to get a mortgage with no money down with the biggest credit unions, Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).There are other options to buy a home, with no money down, that a potential homeowner can venture into like applying for a zero-down mortgage as the low-income applicant or the 80-20 Mortgage, said Central Florida real estate Fred Franks homes for sale in Ocala FL. There are o... 04/09/2016

I truly enjoy working with first time home buyers, and even more with people who have served our Great Country.  This home offers this family plenty of living space to grow and a bounty of property to enjoy for years to come.  It was my absolute pleasure to work with these buyers, now owners!  Sometimes as a Realtor you hit it off well with people while other times report develops over time.  We hit it off well from day 1 to day of close.  What an awesome and memorable experience for me and them.This home was Another VA financed Home Sold In Ocala Florida, the options for VA are very good for those who qualify.  If you're thinking of buying a home and have your VA Eligibility by all means use it.   There are homes to choose from in every price range so let's get started! Sara Homan, Rea... 04/06/2016

Our office in Gainesville wrote a blog about the current state of inventory in Gainesville & Ocala.Check out these numbers!On top of that, quite a few neighborhoods in Gainesville have fewer than 3 months inventory right now.  In Gainesville (and to a lesser extent Ocala), we are seeing a seller's market in many areas, the likes of which we haven't seen in almost a decade! 09/15/2015

The City of Ocala received approval from Marion County for a community redevelopment area to revitalize the area between I-75 and downtown (on SR 40 & US 27).The idea is to improve the "first impression" drivers get when they first get off the highway.Check out our blog entry on for more info! 08/03/2015

A Bloomberg article cites Ocala as 1 of the 18 areas that will see the most economic growth in 2016.Largely due to abundant communities to attract retiring Baby Boomers, Ocala is forecast to see over 4% growth next year.Ocala joins Homosassa Springs, Orlando, The Villages, & Sebring as areas of central Florida cited by this study as hubs of growth in 2016. 07/20/2015

The Ocala FHA Home Loan continues to be a popular home financing option for home buyers in Marion County.  FHA is a Government backed home loan program that offers flexible terms and qualifying.  Low down payment of only 3.5 percent,  No pre payment or early payoff penalties, and plenty of fixed rate options are just a few of the FHA loan benefits. Below we have listed basic information you need to know before applying for an FHA loan in Ocala, purchase or refinance.   The Department of Housing and Urban Development, otherwise known as HUD, oversees the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) which is the administrator of the government’s home loan insurance platform. The FHA insures the loan of a qualified borrower for the lender.  FHA loans are underwritten and processed by approved Flor... 07/19/2015

Not too long ago, the idea that an area of Ocala would have fewer than 3 months inventory would have been unthinkable.  And yet...Timberwood is in southwest Ocala, with homes in the $250k range, and demand is greatly outpacing supply right now.  Typically 1 or 2 homes in Timberwood sell every month, and as of this writing, there are only 2 homes on the market.Homes in Timberwood typically sell for around $95/sqft, which has held steady over the past year.  06/26/2015

 So, you are considering purchasing your first home in Ocala? Congrats on taking the first step, home buying is definitely a big achievement and deserves a celebration. But hold tight... Before you start attending open houses in Ocala and searching real-estate listings online, you need to know a few important things. If you are not a cash-buyer and require mortgage financing,  you must make sure that you qualify for a mortgage and find the best deal in the market. Taking out new home loan is probably going to be the biggest financial commitment you are likely to make, therefore, you need to make sure that you fulfill this commitment successfully. Here are some great tips to help you buy your first piece of real estate and qualify for a mortgage. 1.      Review Your Credit Reports Your c... 06/22/2015

 Earlier this year I got a call from an out of area agent who had a homeowner in my area with a lovely farm property that he wanted and needed to sell.  I thought this would be an average sale that was like any other listing, but I was wrong.  This lovely home on 37+ acres was absolutely pristine, in prime condition, private, has horse trail access on 3 sides, a dream barn, meticulously maintained pastures which was fenced and cross fenced, it was the most picturesque home.The bottom line is that we listed and sold (in contract) this home in 10 days!  Referrals do come through Active Rain!    I'm Sara Homan, Realtor in Ocala Florida.  If you are looking for a home or farm in the Ocala/Marion County area give me a call and let me find the home or farm that's right for you!352-209-4044  06/20/2015

Ocala is 1 of the thoroughbreed breeding capitals of the world.  The first horse farm in Ocala started in the 1940s and today there are over 450 of them, employing over 10,000 people.We have a page on our site dedicated to Ocala horse farms for sale -- right now there are over 300 farms (mostly horse farms) on the market in Marion County.Horse properties are definitely a unique market.  Right now, just 3 local firms have the listings for half of those 300 farms!   A new firm cracking that market might make for some long faces (see what I did there?). 06/14/2015

I was glancing over some data today in our Neighborhood Analyzer and I stumbled on a couple major areas that are in a full-blown seller's market right now.One of them that stood out was Ocala Waterway, where, on average, about 5 homes per month sell.  Right now there are just over 20 homes on the market there, which means inventory is a very low 4 months!The region overall is between 6-8 months of inventory, so Ocala Waterway is a bit of an outlier.  That said, might have to look at a postcard campaign there... Click here to read more!  06/10/2015

Let's check in with Fore Ranch, a popular master-planned community in SW Ocala.Over the past year, just about 4 homes a month have sold in Fore Ranch:Activity has dropped a bit over the winter/spring, but prices have gone up:Sellers aren't coming off their prices by more about 4% during that span, as well.But the best news is that as of today there are only 22 homes for sale in Fore Ranch, and given the activity over the past year, it means Fore Ranch has just 6 months of inventory:6 months inventory signals a "balanced" market, meaning neither a seller's market nor a buyer's market.All of this data is always available on our website, here, and it's automatically updated daily.  :-) 06/08/2015

Florida is the sinkhole capital of North America.  The area just north of Tampa Bay including portions of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando Counties has been dubbed "sinkhole alley" by many people.  Our firm has been buying and fixing sinkhole damage homes all over Florida since 2008.  We buy them in Tampa, Orlando, Ocala, Gainesville, the Villages, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Spring Hill, Leesburg, and the rest of FL.  Check out this home we are working on in Ocala Florida. We buy sinkhole homes.     www.WeBuySinkhole.com     407-739-5773   05/27/2015

The colt that received his early training by Marion County-based J.B. McKathan, has put Ocala horse racing on the map once again!  This past Saturday, American Pharoah crossed the finish line, winning the $2.2 million 141st Kentucky Derby by a length.  As the race favorite at 3-1 odds the Marion County-connected Thoroughbred pulled ahead to win in the last 100 yards.  Twelve of the 18 horses in the race had Marion County-area connections before launching racing careers that qualified them for one of the most prestigious races in the world.   Click here for more information on how to make Marion County, Florida your home today!   05/04/2015

Ocala area home buyers don't have many options in 2015 for $0 down home mortgage financing.   The good news is the USDA Rural Housing loan still offers 100% financing in selected parts of Marion and Alachua county.  There ARE still plenty of locations just outside of Gainesville /  Ocala where you can purchase a home with no money down thanks to the USDA home loan!   For those buyers that qualify, 100% financing is available bringing the dream of home ownership within reach. With low fixed 30 year interest rates and flexible guidelines a USDA mortgage could help you achieve your dream of homeownership. There are certain eligibility criteria that must be met for both the borrower and the property. Borrowers must meet certain income, credit and employment requirements. The home to be purc... 04/25/2015

Highland Homes is expanding its presence in Ocala, Florida by adding 43 additional home sites at the Meadow Glenn community. These home sites offer brand new opportunities for buyers to build their perfect Florida home in this widely popular community.  Meadow Glenn is an all-ages, gated community in the beautiful city of Ocala, Florida. Located to the west of Interstate 75 and a few miles south of the FL-200/SW College Road, this community provides convenient access to major roadways. With shopping, dining, outdoor activities and grocery stores within a few miles, homeowners will never be far away from anything they need. Buyers wishing to build a home at Meadow Glenn can choose from more than 10 stylish floor plans ranging from 1,250 to 3,315 square feet of living space, including ope... 03/30/2015

Absolutley! The Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series, for players 10 to 12 years old, will be returning to Ocala, Fl. in the Summer of 2016. Officials with Babe Ruth League Inc. and Rotary Sportsplex of Marion County signed a deal this week to host this event in either late July or early August, 2016. The event will run a 7 day course with a minimum of 10 teams from across North America competing in the tournament. Each team is expected to bring between 12 to 14 players, plus family members who are expected to give a healthy boost to our local economy during the event.    Prior reports show the economic impact in Marion County of last year’s Babe Ruth World Series was $1.9 million.   Looks like a HOME run for all of us!   03/18/2015

I Went to the Podiatrist for Brain Surgery… If you needed brain surgery, would you go to the Doctor who happens to be a podiatrist just because you know someone who works there? A Medical Doctor after all is a Medical Doctor and they can all help people with any ailment, right? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Now that’s just silly and we all know that to not be the case. Yet people think a mortgage company is a mortgage company and can offer all kinds of mortgages, and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. This is the story about a client who experienced this contrast first hand, but first let’s learn about the differences between the types of mortgages. Reverse Mortgages and Forward Mortgages (conventional, FHA, VA, etc. that all require payments) are, simply, polar opposites. When a Mortgage Loan ... 02/23/2015

The Ocala, FL Horse Industry Started with a Rose?  Yes, it is true.  We have a gentleman by the name of Carl Rose to thank for our thriving equine industry in Marion County, Florida.  In 1939, Carl Rose built Rosemere Farm on land that would eventually become home to the College of Central Florida and Paddock Mall. I wonder he had a crystal ball to envision just how much the horse industry would mean to our area three-quarters of a century later? $2.62 Billion Dollars- The yearly amount of  monetary impact the horse industry has on our "Horse Capital of the World": HITS (Horses In The Sun)- The HITS 500-acre horse park hosts an array of competitive equine events, drawing international riders to the grounds off County Road 475. OBS- The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. conducts thoroughbred auc... 02/19/2015