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Panama City, FL Real Estate News

By Jeff Payne, Panama City Real Estate
(The Payne Group at Keller Williams Success Realty)
 Just a friendly reminder NO FRIDAY FEST IN JULY Downtown Panama City comes alive with Music, Food, and Fun on the first Friday of the month, starting in March and running through November. Local businesses stay open till 8pm and the festivities run until 10pm, providing a great opportunity to shop, eat and have a great time. If you are a regular or you have never attended, then grab a friend, grab your family and join us for Friday Fest!   **THE NEXT "FRIDAY FEST" WILL BE FRIDAY, AUGUST 1st** NO FRIDAY FEST IN JULY DUE TO "SALUTE TO FREEDOM" AT THE PC MARINA SEE YOU THERE
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By Keshia Guerrero
(Weichert Realtors - Medallion Lighthouse)
Map provided courtesy of the Florida Department of Transportation. Copyright by State of Florida, Department of Transportation. Panama City Beach Florida: for those somewhat familiar with this coastal town the name may bring visions of Spring Break.  Or for those unfamiliar, like a lot of people I know, the name may draw a blank to its location in Florida.  While traveling out of state, I am usually asked "Is that near Miami"?  The answer as you can tell from the map is No; Panama City is a beautiful Northwest Florida town that is on the verge of Greatness!  With many up and coming improvements including recently developed shopping & entertainment complex (Pier Park) http://www.pcbeach.org/pierparkdemographics.shtml and a over $300 million dollar International Airport currently under c...
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By Mary Sowell, Panama City Fl Real Estate
(Keller Williams Success Realty)
It just keeps getting better Bay! And this time the good news is the Bay County Public Library moved into a newly constructed building at 898 W. 11th Street. This new location is conveniently located next to the new Bay County Administrative Building Site and walkable from the Downtown Panama City, Garden Club, and St. Andrews areas. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held on Friday, May 16th and attendees were treated to refreshments, speeches and a look at the new facilities.   The new location has over 5500 square feet adding much needed space to the crowded former facility on the Panama City Marina which had only 2700 square feet. All new shelving was purchased by the Bay County Commission which gave the library 50% more shelving. This allowed for less crowding and for collections to b...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
"Have you lost your mind?" That's the question I wanted to asked a woman this week, when she said that her and her husband was going to wait to buy, because the market was "DOWN" right now. Wow! That's like saying I'm going to wait to fill my tank up, until the price goes up another 20 cents. We are in a full blown buyer's market right now. Just 3 years ago people were offering over asking price, in the hopes of being highest bidder, and they were "settling" for homes that were "close enough", because selection was so low. Now buyers have plenty to choose from, interest rates are still incredibly low and sellers are willing to listen to offers. If you are waiting for the market to squeak down a little more, just to get in at the absolute bottom, you may want to rethink that. The only wa...
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By Todd Sabatini
(Keller Williams Success Realty)
TODD SABATINI CENTURY 21-SMITH&ASSOCIATES INC. 850-230-2350 WORK 850-819-4073 CELL TODDSABATINI@AOL.COM Residential - DSF Click photo to enlarge or view multi-photos. MLS#: 377968 OfficeFile#: ListPrice: $289,000 Status: Active Last Change: 05/12/2008 ApproxSF: 2,200 Address: 136 H L SUDDUTH DR $/Sqft: $131.36   PANAMA CITY, FL TotalRooms: Bedrooms:3 Zip: 32404 Baths Full/Half: 2/ Con Docs:   Fractional Ownership:   MainArea: 05 BE-Bay County-East Stories: 1 SubArea: 0501 - Callaway/Parker/Springfield YearBuilt: 1972 Subdiv: LANNIE ROWE LAKE ESTATES U-10 ImmOcc? Y ParcelID: 07127-750-000 ConstrStat: ConstrCmplt ElemSch: Callaway Middle: Everitt High: Rutherford Dir: Highway 98 East to Cherry St. turn left continue to H L Sudduth turn right home is on the right. Legal: Lannie Rowe Lake E...
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By Todd Sabatini
(Keller Williams Success Realty)
TODD SABATINI CENTURY 21-SMITH&ASSOCIATES INC. 850-230-2350 WORK 850-819-4073 CELL TODDSABATINI@AOL.COM Residential - DSF Click photo to enlarge or view multi-photos. MLS#: 376382 OfficeFile#: ListPrice: $107,000 Status: Active Last Change: 06/09/2008 ApproxSF: 1,220 Address: 647 HWY 22A $/Sqft: $87.70   Parker, FL TotalRooms: Bedrooms:2 Zip: 32404 Baths Full/Half: 1/ Con Docs:   Fractional Ownership:   MainArea: 05 BE-Bay County-East Stories: 1 SubArea: 0501 - Callaway/Parker/Springfield YearBuilt: 1945 Subdiv: W.H. PARKER ImmOcc? Y ParcelID: 25173-000-000 ConstrStat: ConstrCmplt ElemSch: Parker Middle: Rosenwald High: Rutherford Dir: Tyndall Pkwy. East to Lake turn right, follow to Hwy 22A turn right, 2nd. house on right across from school. Legal: W H Parker Plat (9.18) 119A4 Beg 72' ...
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By Todd Sabatini
(Keller Williams Success Realty)
Residential - DSF Click photo to enlarge or view multi-photos. MLS#: 383161 OfficeFile#: ListPrice: $399,000 Status: Active Last Change: 06/12/2008 ApproxSF: 2,375 Address: 4700 GRANTS MILL RD $/Sqft: $168.00   LYNN HAVEN, FL TotalRooms: Bedrooms:4 Zip: 32444 Baths Full/Half: 2/ Con Docs:   Ownership/Sale Type:   MainArea: 02 BC-Bay County-Central Stories: 1 SubArea: 0203 - Lynn Haven/College Point YearBuilt: 2005 Subdiv: GRANT'S MILL PHASE I OccStat: Occupied ParcelID: 11352-546-000 ImmOcc? Y     ConstrStat: ConstrCmplt ElemSch: Tommy Smith Middle: Merritt Brown High: Mosley Dir: Highway 390 towards Highway 231 turn left into Grant's mill sub-division first house on the right. Lot: Blk: Sctn: 12 Twnshp: 3S Rng: 14W Legal: GRANTS MILL PHASE 1 LOT 46 MAP 115D ORB 2524 P 243 Beautiful ho...
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By Todd Sabatini
(Keller Williams Success Realty)
Residential - DSF Click photo to enlarge or view multi-photos. MLS#: 382876 OfficeFile#: ListPrice: $329,000 Status: Active Last Change: 06/09/2008 ApproxSF: 2,050 Address: 4010 RIVERSIDE DR $/Sqft: $160.49   PANAMA CITY, FL TotalRooms: Bedrooms:3 Zip: 32404 Baths Full/Half: 2/ Con Docs:   Ownership/Sale Type:   MainArea: 02 BC-Bay County-Central Stories: 1 SubArea: 0203 - Lynn Haven/College Point YearBuilt: 2005 Subdiv: RIVERSIDE OccStat: Occupied ParcelID: 11476-120-220 ImmOcc? Y     ConstrStat: ConstrCmplt ElemSch: Tommy Smith Middle: Merritt Brown High: Mosley Dir: North on 231 to Cato Road turn left and follow to left on riverside drive # 4010 Lot: Blk: Sctn: 13 Twnshp: 3S Rng: 14W Legal: Riverside ph 2 lot 52 orb 418 p 4004 orb 2202 p 1159 map 116a orb 2528 p 958 orb 2601 p 1604 ...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts, Realtor® Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty Buyers are drawn to homes that appeal to their senses. This is important to remember when preparing your home for an Open House. Through sight, sound and smell, buyers should leave your home with a lasting impression. Here are some tips to showcase your home in the best-possible light. Exterior Start outside by inspecting the front of your home from across the street. Does it have curb appeal? It should look inviting, with a trimmed lawn and flowerbed and a freshly painted front door. Polish door handles and knockers and replace worn items such as a rusty doorbell. Consider adding a new doormat and flowering plants at the entrance.  Do the windows need cleaning? Be sure to remove oil stains from the driveway. Next check the s...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
AOL just featured "The Top Five Places to Own a Vaction Home", as rated by SmartMoney.com and beautiful Panama City Florida was #1! Here is the article, as it appeared on AOL By Kelli B. Grant, Reporter, SmartMoney.com Credit-crunch-squeezed homeowners and investors are unloading second homes en masse, offering up desirable vacation properties at some pretty steep discounts. "When the market is down and there's blood in the streets, someone else's misfortune could work in your favor," says Ken Kamen, president of New Jersey-based Mercadien Asset Management. Buying now entails some risk, however. After all, prices could drop even further. But for those looking to hold a property long term for a family vacation spot or eventual retirement retreat should feel confident that they'll recoup ...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
How Does the Escrow Process Work? By Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty One of the stages of the home buying process is escrow. This process begins when the offer is accepted and ends once the financing is approved and the buyer and seller have fulfilled their requirements. So how does it work? A neutral third party agent of the principals-buyer, seller, lender and borrower-is designated the escrow holder. This agent assists with the transfer of ownership by ensuring that the terms of the transaction are completed including safeguarding all funds (including the buyer's deposit) and documents. The escrow holder keeps track of obligations of the seller or buyer. For example, if the seller is required to supply a termite inspection, the escrow holder will make sure it is fulf...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty  Only for the rare few sellers, simply placing a "For Sale" yard sign on the front lawn creates a line of traffic filled with potential buyers. If you want buyers to see your home, you've got to find them.  The key is marketing.  To get the most exposure for your home, you should have a marketing plan with clear objectives and specifically outlines the resources that will be used to reach potential buyers. Each marketing plan should be designed around your property and capitalize on its most desirable features.  Therefore, you need to be honest with your real estate professional about the condition of your home, and the final price you are willing to accept for your home.  Next, you need to determine what marketing options work best t...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck RobertsPrudential Shimmering Sands Realty  Home-price adjustments in markets around the country have opened doors of opportunity for many renters. If you are transitioning from renter to homeowner, the prospect of making such a large investment may be exciting, while at the same time overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. Here are six common mistakes to avoid. 1. Not understanding the homebuying process. Educate yourself. Find a homebuyer seminar that you can attend or research online. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Web site (www.hud.gov) has an entire section devoted to homebuyers with common questions of first-time homebuyers, mortgage and home-buying programs information, downloadable tools such as a wish list and home-shopping checklist, tips on sele...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts, Realtor Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty You want to get the best price for your home, plus sell it in the least amount of time. In a buyers' market such as the one emerging now, homes will take longer to sell. Therefore, it's important that you make the right moves at the very beginning of your homeselling process to remain competitive. Here are some common traps that many homeowners fall into and how to avoid them. 1. Over-pricing - It's easy to think your home is worth more than the current market may support, particularly after the long run-up in home prices. Since home prices have cooled in markets around the country, home sellers must be prepared to negotiate on price and terms, and stay flexible to other stipulations benefiting the buyer. Sellers must also kee...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty  Should a buyer get a home inspection for a home they are buying? Should a seller order a home inspection prior to putting the property on the market? There are advantages for both.  Simply put, a home inspection is a visual examination of both the physical structure and major systems of the entire home including: walls, ceilings, floors, decks, exterior covering, the roof, foundation, insulation and ventilation, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning. It is not an appraisal to validate the value of a home, nor a pass/fail exam. A third-party inspector will give a report on the physical condition and suggest repairs. Buyers For buyers, a home inspection clause in the written offer that makes the purchase contingent upon the...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty Shopping for a home is an exciting adventure and it's easy to get lost in a sea of dazzling for-sale homes and all of their fabulous amenities - which can cause you to temporarily forget that a large backyard is your top priority. To keep yourself focused, take time to identify and organize exactly what you're looking for in a home by creating thorough "must-have" and "wish" lists before you begin home shopping. You may also want to make a third list that details your dislikes. To get started ask yourself these questions: Which items and features must your home have? Which items and features would you like to have, but could live without? What would your dream house include? And, what features or issue must you avoid? For the must-have...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty As with all industries, real estate professionals have developed a lingo and acronyms to help them communicate with each other more easily. For the first-time homebuyer (and even some veterans), making sense of property listings can sometimes leave you feeling like you're deciphering the DaVinci Code. Let's take a look at a sample real estate listing: 2,500 sf on a c-d-s, 2BR, 2.5BA, CA, spac grt rm w/ wbfp, grmet kit, det gar Looks a lot like alphabet soup. However, using this type of abbreviated property description saves valuable advertising space. Some abbreviations you'll probably encounters are: •·         AC or A/C: air conditioning •·         BA: bathroom •·         BR: bedroom •·         CA: central air •·         C-D-S: cul d...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
"Can You Afford That House?" By: Chuck RobertsPrudential Shimmering Sands Realty  Before you start searching for your dream home, you first need to determine a price range you can afford. According to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), depending on the consumer's current debt ratio, most people can typically afford to pay 31 percent of their gross monthly income for mortgage payments. For example, if you earn $50,000 annually, then your monthly income is about $4,167. Thirty-one percent of that is $1,292. There are several online tools to calculate a monthly mortgage you can afford using factors such as your current monthly expenses, down payment and the interest rate. You can also work with a lender to get pre-qualified for a loan. This estimate will help you gauge how much mone...
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By Chuck Roberts
(Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty)
By: Chuck Roberts Prudential Shimmering Sands Realty As the real estate market continues to stabilize, sellers may find that their property remains on the market significantly longer than the days of "list today, sold tomorrow." There is also more competition for buyers. So, it can be frustrating to put your home on the market, expecting a fast sale, only to find that after six months you're still waiting for an offer. This is especially true if you need to move quickly and leave your unsold home vacant. Besides creating a marketing challenge, a vacant home can also be a target for vandalism. Here are strategies you can use to hasten a sale and protect your property during the process. •·         Instead of producing a spacious appearance, an empty room tends to look smaller than a furn...
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By Jan Evett, Broker Associate, 20 years+ in real estate
(The Premier Property Group LLC)
Show your love, respect, admiration, dedication, and pride in the United States Armed Forces!       Saturday, May 17, 2008   10:00 am - Meet the Main Street Striders at the Visual Arts Center, corner of 4th St and Harrison Avenue 11:00 am - Enjoy Patriotic Music by Margo Anderson at the Panama City Marina                     ARMED FORCES DAY is May 17, 2008. This is a nation-wide celebration to honor the US military men and women who have served or are now serving our country. President Harry Truman led the way to establish a holiday honoring the military to commemorate the unification of the brances of the armed forces under the Department of Defense. In 1949, Secretary of Defense, Louis Johnson, announced the creation of Armed Forces Day.               Join the Main Street Striders on...
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