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Saint Cloud, FL Real Estate News

By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
The role of REALTOR® is often one which is misunderstood.  It conjures imagery of a suit claded attache carrying, fast talking snake oil salesman. But in reality, Realtors® come in all shapes and sizes. Basically we are Marketing Experts.  Anyone who has tried to sell a home themselves, can attest to the fact that it is not an easy feat partiularly in this market.  Few Sellers however, have a true detailed knowledge of what a home is truly worth, or a plan to effectively and efficiently sell their home.  Their prices are often subjective.  Their resources to determine value are not neccessarily accurate and in reality they no viable way of pre-screen perspective buyers. THE MAIN OBJECTION- independant sellers have to hiring a professional REALTOR® is paying the commission.  They don't r...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
OLD HOMES COULD HOLD A SECRET WINDFALL- LITERALLY IN THE WINDOWS.  How does a tax credit of up to $1500 sound?  On top of the home buyers credit, homes with windows older than 15 years who upgrade to more energy efficient windows will also qualify for an additional tax credit. With the economy tightening up, many homeowners are not making many improvements, The key is selcting the improvements to make which will pay you back. Windows, & skylights qualify. So when buying older homes, be aware of the hidden benefits that may be as transparent as glass!  There is money available throughout 2010 and the credit comes off your taxable income.  
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
Did you happen to catch this little ditty?  ABC REPORTS HOME PRICES PREDICTED TO PLUNGE IN 2010 REALLY?  If you have not read this please take a minute and do so.  The writer seems to use a rather broad brush to paint a bleak picture. Florida is comprisedf of 64 Counties- not all are suffering to the extent this writer would have the average reader believe. Below is my response to him. In my market of  Osceola County, sales prices are in fact rising. We hit bottom last December, and sales have consistently risen along with price gains since that time.  I think generalizing that the entire state is expected to "plunge" inaccurate.    There are depressed areas everywhere in particular Poinciana for instance which is serious trouble, but even there sales are increasing as banks strive to l...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
REAL ESTATE TRENDS FOR 2010   By: Allison Stewart, Broker-Assoc, Contributing Writer     If you have been following my Real Estate column in St. Cloud in The News over the past year, you may have seen some pertinent articles which addressed topics before they were all over the National News. The Recession for example, or the increase in home sales, the shift from larger homes to smaller ones and the impact the world economy would have in our neck of the woods.    The economy certainly is of major concern to most St. Cloud, Florida residents, the business sector has been hard hit as consumers scale back purchases.  Sales of commercial property have been sluggish, and more businesses have closed rather than sold.   Commercial property is particularly difficult to sell due to impact fees w...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
St. Cloud Florida, Small businesses which the owners have worked in some cases for decades have hit hard times.  But an alarming number of business owners are choosing to close their doors as opposed to selling their businesses. Of course each time this happens more people are out of work.  The alternative is find an aggressive agent to facilitate the sale of your business and can structure a sales price which will attract buyers.   There is hidden value in an established business most people take for granted. The key is ticking off all the pproper boxes. FOREIGN INVESTORS HAVE SPECIFIC CRITERIA        I am asked frequently by foreign investors to find business opportunities for them. This is in part due to Visa requirements.  A surprising number of small businesses are poorly documente...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
DIANE'S CREATIONS AND TEA ROOM IN ST. CLOUD FLORIDA MAY JUST BE ONE OF THE COOLEST PLACES YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.  Located at 1023 New York Avenue, St. Cloud Florida 34769, it is a hidden jewel and a really unique place to visit and eat when in St. Cloud, Florida.  It also has some of the best fresh cooked delights you will ever taste.  As a leading Realtor in St. Cloud FloridaI am always looking for unique places to take buyers during our house hunting outings, this one is absolutely a gem. When visiting St. Cloud Florida make a point to stop in for lunch, browse the antiques and original crafts that Diane's Creations & Tea Room is famous for.   Diane's Creations & Tea Room is open from 11:30-6pm Tuesday -Friday and from 11:30am-5pm on Saturdays.   Diane Watkin's is the owner of Diane's Cr...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
DID YOU KNOW THAT SALES IN DECEMBER GENERALLY ARE HIGHER? the holidays are a great time to go house hunting especially in my area of St. Cloud, Florida, perhaps it is because of the close proximity to the major attractions, or beaches. In part it is because more visitors come to the Orlando Area during the winter months.  As a result, many visitors decide, Florida may be the perfect place to buy a home. As a result, sales go up.   ARE YOU DREAMING  OF A NEW HOME?  THE REASON MOST EXPERTS AGREE IS BECAUSE BUYERS ARE IN A BUYING MINDSET.  Sellers conversely are in a more giving mindset which leads to greater compromise.  Sellers who have relocated or are planning to are more likely to want to sell their homes before the end of the year.   This can be very advantageous to buyers who are al...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
WHERE DO THE LOCALS GO IN ST. CLOUD FLORIDA? Main Street Uptown Grill is now up for sale. (Pete and Peg's old place)  It was known for pizza and all you can eat seafood catfish.  Unfortunately the downtown district has been hard in the recession, and several places have closed that being one of them along with the St. Cloud Hotel, bar and Restaurant, and Ruth's Deli. The Hunter Arms Hotel is still open, it dates back to 1926 and is an awesome place to stop, stay and see when visiting St. Cloud Florida which has a wonderful Art Deco style and a lovely restaurant adjacent to it called The Silver Lining Cafe (The owners are from NY) and it has an absolutely delightful dining garden in the rear for dining alfresco! Capello's Pizza just opened onthe corner of 192 & New York Avenue and they f...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
As 2009 draws close to an end, many people in St. Cloud, Florida will happily be counting their returns. Not holidays gifts which fail to fit, are the wrong size, color, or label.  No, they will be counting the dollars their tax returns will give them for having bought a home this year.  Closing costs, moving expenses, insurance, and mortgage interest may all be tax deductible.  Add to that, the tax incentive of up to $8000.  They will be easy to recognize, they will be the ones grinning in April 2010.  Many will be grinning for years to come, as they realize the potential advantages of having bought a home when prices were at their lowest point in nearly a decade.  They will be the envy of those who procrastinated when they reveal what they paid for their home five years from now.  Con...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program provides financial incentives and simplifies the procedures for completing short sales, a growing practice in which a lender agrees to accept the sale price of a home to pay off a mortgage even if the price falls short of the amount owed, according to an announcement by the U.S. Treasury. The U.S. Treasury has set long-awaited guidance on a plan for mortgage companies to expedite the  "short sales" of homes and other loan modification alternatives designed to stem a rising tide of foreclosures. Barriers that have often sidelined short sales for instance the time it takes a bank to approve an offer, refusing to free borrowers from debt and satisfying claims of subordinate lenders (which recently have been on the rise) will now have gui...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE ECONOMY?  WONDERING IF LAND IS A GOOD INVESTMENT?  The economy is of concern to many people these days.  Consumer confidence has risen slightly.  While consumers seem relunctant to throw much force into renewing the housing boom-remember the expression "Dirt Cheap"?  Well the best deals may in the dirt itself. In St. Cloud Florida, there are some. Typcially when the housing market rises, raw land (lots) follow as consumer looked for ways to hedge rising home prices and consider buiding vs buying a existing home. As a result, land prices also escalated especially in the boom years.  Subsequently, when the market crashed, land prices also slid down in value, making them attractive purchases for long term investors.  ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF OWNING RAW LAND IS THE...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
Cheesy promos- We have all seen them, sent them or received them, but what do customers really want?  A Real Estate Agent/Broker they can count on, or a calendar that is too small to write on?  I think the overwhelming consensus would be option A: An agent they can count on.  Yet every holiday season the plain brown carton arrives at the office and agents set out on their annual task of preparing their holiday mailings. Being a Progressive Agent, and comfortable in my Market of St. Cloud Florida I cannot recall seeing a single cheesy Realtor Calendar on any of the refrigerators in homes I have visited.  There is no shortage of Real Estate Agents here in St. Cloud, Florida given the number of pendings and closing  (335 in fact in  the last 30 days)    Yet, there hasn't been a marketing p...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
   HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS  DO DECORATIONS HELP OR HINDER A SALE?               We have all heard the song, "There is no place like home for the holidays" and home sales in December are expected to continue their consecutive rise. The holidays bring with them a buying mind set among consumers, this also applies to home buyers.    Does decorating your home for the holidays help or hinder a potential sale?   That depends on how they are done.  Garish displays generally do not attract the type of attention a home seller may want.  Too many decorations are distracting from the home which is really where to want to keep a buyer focused. Too few, look like a half hearted effort and may make a buyer think that other things in the home may not have been attended too.  So how can one achieve the b...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
80% OF CONSUMERS DID THIS ON BLACK FRIDAY- A CLEAR SIGN THINGS ARE CHANGING...            Consumer confidence appears to be on the rise despite the fact that the economy is far from improving. Consumers actually have more input into what the economy does than they realize.  Many are usurping their control in subtle ways. TAKING CONTROL OF WHAT THEY SPEND AND HOW                                                               There was no lack of "consumer confidence" evident as shoppers waited in long lines for opportunities to snatch up discounted electronics, housewares and toys.   In fact, on average consumers will spend nearly $700 in gifts this year, maximizing their dollars with super sales, and specials.  It is not so much what they are buying, but how they are paying for their pur...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
Real Estate marketing is the cornerstone of our business.  If you read the featured post here on Active Rain yesterday INTERESTING INFO ON WHO IS BUYING AND HOW THE MARKET HEALS ITSELF FROM THE BOTTOM UP a recent survey shed some interesting light on how the market is changing and how those changes are affecting sales which are on the rise. LESS THAN 1% A Nationwide survey recently revealed that less than 1% of all home buyers who purchased their homes in the past year did NOT learn about the home they purchased from a Home Book or Magazine.  If you are spending your advertising dollars in this medium you may want rethink it. You are missing 99% of successful buyers.  In fact 90% of them, used the Internet at some point prior to purchase. They generally started their search online and t...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
The market always heals from the bottom up" according to Paul Bishop, National Association of Realtors Vice President of Research. According to the recently released sales numbers 47% of buyers this past year were first time home buyers.  Surpassing the previous high record of first time purchasers set back in 1991  "These buyers are critical to housing and a general economic recovery ...they absorb inventory, free existing owners to make a trade and stimulate related goods and services " said Bishop.  He compared this rise to the last recession in 1991, where the same dynamic played out "first time home buyers started the chain reaction that led the nation out of recession" he said.   Bishop credits tax incentives,record high affordability, and pent up buyer demand to this spike in rec...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
DO AMERICANS UNDERSTAND HOW THE GLOBAL ECONOMY REALLY AFFECTS WHAT THEIR HOUSE IS WORTH?  Sadly, for the vast majority, the answer would have to be no.    Do we understand the difference between inflation and deflation? Deflation is what is causing your homes to be worth less.  If asked the majority of Americans fear inflation, but without it, their homes will never recover lost value.  INFLATION VS DEFLATION I recently stumbled across an arguement for inflation entitled "Overcoming America's Debt Overhang" it is a long read, but worth the time and effort. It explains in great detail why inflation is necessary and how in  the long term it will actually help the US recover.   WHEN WILL THE MARKET RECOVER?               It depends on whom you ask.  Conditions, supply and restrictions now ...
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By Mark Horan, "The Resident Chef" - Resident Team Realty LLC &
(Resident Team Realty, LLC & Toni's Property Management LLC)
Elementary economics is being manipulate in the local housing market here in Kissimmee and Saint Cloud , Florida. Supply and Demand. It appears that the supply is being controlled by the banks. As the market has stabilized, inventories are declining. Bank Owned homes under $200,000 have been priced between $68 and $82 a square foot. In this past week, the trend has been to price these distressed properties at $100 a square foot. If there are buyers, and the inventories are drying up, these prices are bound to raise. Inventories are being manipulated. There are many families in homes that they have stopped paying their mortgage for 10 months or more, and the foreclosure process hasn't even been started. Traditionally, 3 missed payments triggers a foreclosure filed. The delay, the lenders...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
Selling a home can be a very emotional experience. Suddenly the "enhanced value" becomes intertwined with emotion as the walk through becomes a trip down memory lane.  What is valuable to one person may not be relevant to another.    Over time, people do things to their homes which have great personal meaning.  The key word is personal.   It may not necessarily add value to your home, no matter how much you love it. I recently met with a lovely couple who have a home they wish to sell in St. Cloud Florida.  They contacted me having heard good things, seeing my articles in the local St, Cloud Florida News (paper), and here on Activerain as well. The home has been lovingly maintained.   Every corner had been dusted and the home was beyond immaculate we decided to sit in the Florida Room w...
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By Allison Stewart, St. Cloud Fl Realtor, Osceola County Real Estate 407-616-9904
(St.Cloud Homes )
MAKING "QUICK CASH" IN THE CURRENT HOUSING MARKET IS STILL POSSIBLE.  If you have been sitting on the sidelines wondering if you should stay in stocks or diversify your portfolio, you may want to take a closer look at the housing market once again. DOES A 20-50% PROFIT MARGIN EXCITE YOU? There are not too many stocks or bond options that are paying 20% out there today. However, with some careful research finding a distressed home and repairing and remarketing it could easily yield 20-50% if done properly. WHERE THERE IS A  SHORTAGE OF FORECLOSURE AND SHORT SALE HOMES THERE IS ROOM FOR PROFIT TO GROW.    The key is careful selection.  REALTORS® making use of the new innovations to the MLS system can pinpoint short sale and foreclosure homes accurately.  They can also select specific sub ...
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