It's that time of year again - the Fall 2009 Gainesville, FL Parade of Homes starts next weekend! Dates and Times:Saturday, October 3, 2009, 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sunday, October 4, 2009, 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Saturday, October 10, 2009, 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sunday, October 11, 2009, 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sponsored by the Builders Association of North Central Florida, the Fall 2009 Parade of Homes is an opportunity for the Gainesville community to preview the best new homes that the local builders have to offer. Admission is free! Pictures, descriptions, floorplans, and directions for each of the Parade Homes will be available in the Fall 2009 Parade Brochure inserted in the Saturday, October 3rd Gainesville Sun newspaper and also available at each Parade location. For more information about the 2009 ... 09/24/2009

Life in Haile Plantation Thomas Evans Haile and his wife Serena Esther Haile brought their 5 children and their 66 slaves  to Alachua County from Camden, South Carolina in 1854 to establish a Sea Island cotton plantation which they named Kanapaha.   According to the book "Florida's Antebellum Homes" by Lewis N. Wynne and John T. Parks, the cotton plantation was very successful, and Thomas Haile became a wealthy Florida planter as a result.  His mother Amelia was the richest planter in Alachua County. "A strong supporter of secession and the Confederacy, Thomas Haile participated in the Civil War as a cavalry officer and his oldest son, John, served as a private. Following the war, Haile returned to Kanapaha to grow cotton. A disastrous harvest soon thereafter forced him to declare bankr... 09/20/2009

Yep, it's still 92 degrees today.  Ugggg, I am ready for fall weather.  This is just one of many, Banana Spiders that have taken up lodging around my house.   We always know we are at the end of summer when the Banana Spiders are as big as my hand (yes, a little exaggerated- but not much)....but sheesh these spiders just gross me out. Yes, and this is the lady....the males are much smaller, and I think she eats him too.   The webs are so strong, and they are in heaven now catching & eating all the love bugs.   In fact the webs are so big and strong they will knock you off your riding lawn mower.  Fall weather with a good cool spell with make them all go away....... I've been playing with my new camera.....and love it.   Not a bad close up for an amateur photographer. 09/20/2009

SAVE THE DATE!!    It's that time of year again..... RE/MAX Professionals Inc. proudly presentsthe 2009       "ART THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD"     Our 8th Annual Childrens Art Auction.                   The theme this year is "UNDER THE BIG TOP" ** This art is titled "The Circus Trio in Hats" by Chanz Marks, Age 9 (Acrylic on Canvas).     WHEN:     Thursday, October 29, 2009              WHERE:    UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute                  * Special VIP Reception at 5:30 pm                           * Live Auction Begins at 7:00 pm Food, Music, Fine Art - Live and Silent Auction $ 35.00 per Person  or $ 50.00 per person for VIP Reception   All proceeds benefit our LOCAL Shands Kids & Childrens Miracle Network at Shands Childrens Hospital at the University of Florida... 09/15/2009

Haile Plantation Home Sales Trends 2005-2009   The following chart illustrates the median home price trends in the Haile Plantation area for the months of January through July in the years 2005 through 2009.  The Haile Plantation area includes the following neighborhoods: Eloise Gardens, Garison Way, Grande View Estates, HP/Albury Round, HP/Amelia Gardens, HP/Annadale Round, HP/Ashleigh Circle, HP/Bedford Square, HP/Benjamins Grove, HP/Bennets Garden, HP/Buellers Way, HP/Camden Court, HP/Cameron Park, HP/Carlton Court, HP/Century Oaks, HP/Charleston Park, HP/Chestnut Hill, HP/Chickasaw Way, HP/Colson Corner, HP/Evans Hollow, HP/Fairhaven, HP/Founders Hill, HP/Grahams Mill, HP/Haile Market Square, HP/Hampstead Park, HP/Heritage Green, HP/Hickory Walk, HP/India Station, HP/Indigo Square, ... 08/29/2009

Gainesville Home Sales Trends   Breaking down Gainesville MLS statistics, an analysis of Gainesville home sales from January through July for the past five years brings into stark focus the market's decline. So far this year 746 homes have sold in Gainesville, down from 867 in 2008. In concert with the slide in the number of Gainesville homes sold, Gainesville home prices have declined as well.  The median price of Gainesville homes sold in 2009 is $185,804, down from $212,100 last year. "According to housing industry analysts with the National Association of Realtors(R) (NAR), sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes. The median is the midpoint; half the ... 08/21/2009

        Southwest Gainesville Homes Sold January through July 2009 - statistics from Gainesville MLS     Coleen DeGroff, MBA Specializing in drama-free realty for the hassle-averse Ten percent of my proceeds support the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, an organization dedicated to building a standalone, full-service children's hospital in Gainesville, Florida.     08/16/2009

What's Sold in Northwest Gainesville January through July 2009   **statistics compiled from Gainesville MLS**   Coleen DeGroff, MBA Your Gainesville, FL Realtor Gator Nation Relocation - Specializing in drama-free realty for the hassle-averse Coldwell Banker M. M. Parrish, Realtors Gainesville, Florida 08/16/2009

Anybody who knows me at all knows that I am missing the sports strand on my DNA.  However, you can't live in the backyard of The Swamp without learning a few things mighty darn quick: Royal blue and orange make a fine color combo....especially when worn together.    "Who's Urban Meyer?" is not a good thing to ask around these parts.   If planning a trip out to eat the night before game day (and it does not matter whether the game is home or away), you MUST wear orange....or blue....or both.  Otherwise you're going to look like a Seminolian out-of-towner.  Trust me when I tell you this is not a good thing.   Alabama is right around the corner driving distance-wise....so if that's where the Gators are playing, that's where you'd better be.  And if you are ANY kind of fan at all, you will ... 08/07/2009

Gainesville, Florida's top plumber is Plumbing Now!! I recently needed a plumber to handle a plumbing emergency in the Gainesville, FL area, and called Plumbing Now - I was thouroughly impressed with the experience. The name Plumbing Now describes their service perfectly. Their friendly office manager was a delight to work with & answered all my inital questions while scheduling the service call. They lived up to their name, Plumbing NOW, & sent a plumber out within minutes, not days. The plumber that came out, Jake was extremely knowledgable, and fixed numerous other issues while he was there. Their prices were extremely reasonable & their professionalism far surpassed any other plumbing company I've dealt with in the past. I've used other plumbers from Gainesville Florida before, and... 07/31/2009

Buying vs. Renting in Gainesville, Florida "An Associated Press analysis of 45 metro areas finds the gap between the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home and the median rent has shrunk from $777 a month to just $221 in the past three years."... "In some metro areas, including Cleveland, Atlanta, Indianapolis and St. Louis, the gap was less than $100 a month. And home prices are expected to fall faster than rents this year, which means the gap should get even smaller." From "Buying is now cost-effective for some renters: As housing prices fall, the gap between mortgage payment and rent closes" - Associated Press, July 21, 2009 A recent report released by the Florida Association of Realtors bears out these statistics. In June 2009, 207 homes sold in the Gainesville area, comp... 07/24/2009

Town of Tioga: A Brief Photo Tour Moving to the Gainesville Florida area? Not sure where to start? There are many charming neighborhoods throughout Gainesville....Town of Tioga is just one of them! This pedestrian-friendly master-planned community in the Southwest Gainesville area features walking and biking trails, a community pool, tennis and basketball courts, and many shops and restaurants. Enjoy this brief photo tour....and if you would like to see more, give me a holler! Sincerely, Coleen DeGroff, MBA Your Gainesville, Florida Realtor Gator Nation Relocation - Specializing in drama-free realty for the hassle-averse Coldwell Banker M. M. Parrish, Realtors Gainesville, Florida (352) 372-5375   07/20/2009

Haile Plantation Homes Sold April 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009 *Information compiled from Gainesville MLS data*                          Total homes sold 2Q09:                   30            (2Q08: 61) List price average                       $333,563      (2Q08: $391,107) Sales price average                      $317,174      (2Q08 $368,231) List to sell variance                    95%           (2Q08: 95%)   Average price by # bedrooms:      3 bedrooms                  4+ bedrooms Average list price                $209,045 (2Q08: $278,570)  $434,034 (2Q08: $471,917) Average sales price               $204,855 (2Q08: $265,139)  $408,887 (2Q08: $408,887) List to sell variance             98% (2Q08: 95%)             94% (2Q08: 94%) Neighborhoods sold 2Q09: HP/Founders Hill - 2 HP/Grahams Mill... 07/05/2009

Haile Plantation Market Activity June 21 - 27, 2009 During the week of June 21 through June 27, six homes were sold (closed) in the Haile Plantation area. Homes ranged from a 4 bedroom/2 bathroom home listed for $239,000 to a 4 bedroom/4 bathroom home listed for $409,900. During that same period, two homes in Haile Plantation went under contract. Located just five miles from the University of Florida and Shands Hospital, the award-winning New Urbanist community of Haile Plantation features "A" rated schools, a Gary Player signature golf course, and miles of walking and biking trails.   Coleen DeGroff, MBA Your Gainesville, Florida REALTOR Gator Nation Relocation - Specializing in Drama-Free Realty for the Hassle-Averse Coldwell Banker M. M. Parrish, Realtors Gainesville, Florida 32606 (... 06/28/2009

Re/Max World Long Drive Championship Local Qualifier- In Gainesville !! Saturday, July 18 3:00pm to 8:00pm at Ironwood Golf Course, Gainesville, FL         Locally sponsored by Paul Ferraro Insurance this is a qualifying event for the national event seen on Espn. Come out and see how you stack up against others in our region as a long ball hitter. 3 Division available. Show up and Tee up no pre reg required but get there early. Bleachers for spectating. Free to Watch !! Price: $40 per 6 balls, pay as often was you wish Phone: (352) 376-9800 Age Suitability: All Ages Locally sponsored by Paul Ferraro Insurance this is a qualifying event for the national event seen on ESPN. Come out and see how you stack up against others in our region as a long ball hitter. 3 Division available. Show up ... 06/28/2009

The Savvy Homebuyer's and Homeseller's Guide to Gainesville Real Estate   So, you've decided to buy a home in Gainesville.  First off, CONGRATULATIONS!!  Investing in real estate -- over the long term -- is one of the surest ways to increase your wealth. Besides the most important things to consider when choosing your home....location, amenities, school district, distance to work, etc.....what other factors should you take into consideration? One of the factors often overlooked in a homebuyer's decision-making process is the absorption rate, which is the numerical representation of the supply of homes vs. the demand for homes in any specific area.    A buyer's market is defined as a market where there is more than 7 months' worth of homes to sell in a given area or at a given price poin... 06/26/2009

2233 SW 39th way Gainesville, Fl 32607 Great Investment Opportunity! Below Market Value! Home Photo Gallery Virtual Tour Property Map Payment Info Request Showing Contact Me Jack Patton,Smart Move Team Broker Associate Office:352-222-5334 Mobile:352-222-5334 Website:Visit Website Price : $240,000 Bedrooms : 8 Bathrooms : 4 Square Foot : 3,504 Community : Mill Run County : Alachua Property Type : Condo or Townhouse Year Built : 1983 MLS Number : 305217 click for more information and pictures Property Description Great Investment Opportunity with this four unit quad. townhome unit. This property is priced below the market value for quick sale. This property is a single stand along building of 4 seperate townhomes of 2 bedrooms, 2 bath each. These townhomes are on seperate tax parcels and... 06/20/2009

One of the things that always bugged me when we'd be moving somewhere new was all the digging around I ended up doing to find pics of local areas to give me a "feel" for what those places were like before we could make our exploratory trip to visit. Of course, I suppose this was back before the invention of fire.....so I could be dating myself. Anyway....with the advent of YouTube, all that has changed.....and I wanted to make sure that our community, Haile Plantation, was represented! So, for your viewing pleasure, I bring you "Visions of Haile Plantation".....my first-ever YouTube posting thingy! Enjoy! Oh, and don't bother making popcorn....it'll still be cooking in the microwave after this clip is over. :) Please visit me at http://gatornationrelocation.com to learn about Gainesvill... 06/18/2009

June 16, 2009 There are 127 homes presently available for sale in the Haile Plantation area. The homes range in price from $125,000 for a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom home all the way up to a 5 bedroom/3.5 bathroom executive home listed for more than $2.5 million. There are 44 3 bedroom/2 bathroom homes currently for sale in the Haile Plantation area,  priced from $125,000 for approximately 1300 square feet up to $695,000 for about 4800 square feet. Haile Plantation encompasses several highly-acclaimed schools including Wiles Elementary School, Chiles Elementary School, Kanapaha Middle School, and Buchholz High School.  Please visit the Alachua County Public Schools website for zoning maps and school information. 06/15/2009

A favorite with locals, the Haile Village Farmers Market in Haile Plantation happens every Saturday throughout the year from 8:30 until Noon.     White canopies dot the tree-lined boulevard where area farmers and local vendors display myriad offerings including organic baked goods, freshly picked fruits and vegetables, garden plants, and homemade dog biscuits.                 Savoring the tranquil setting, market goers pack Haile Plantation Village’s sidewalk cafes for breakfast or a cup of coffee with friends.  Eating fresh has never been such fun!S.W. 91st Terrace, Haile Village Center, Haile Plantation, Gainesville, Florida 32608 06/13/2009