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Gainesville, FL Real Estate News

By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Newsweek magazine just released its annual ranking of the 1,300 top public high schools throughout the United States.  Here is how Gainesville's high schools fared:   Buchholz High School: #86 (2008 ranking: #112)   Eastside High School: #20 (2008 ranking: #29)   Gainesville High School: #377 (2008 ranking: #542)   For more detailed information on how the rankings were determined, please click on the link below for the full Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/201160/?s=gainesville&q=2009/rank/1
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Currently there are 142 homes listed as short sales in the Gainesville Florida area.  They range in price from $69,000 all the way up to $649,900 for a 4500+ square foot executive pool home. What is a short sale, and why should I care? A short sale happens when a homeowner ends up owing more on the home than it is currently worth in today's marketplace, and the lender is willing to take less than what the homeowner owes.   Why would a lender want to do that?  Because they will be able to collect more money than if the homeowner ends up going into foreclosure and/or bankruptcy. Why is a short sale a "good" thing for sellers?  "Good" here is a relative term, because being in a "short sale" position is not a situation that would give any seller the warm fuzzies.  Knowing you can no longer ...
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By Christine Bohn, The Bohn Team, Gainesville FL
(RE/MAX Professionals)
As a workaholic Realtor in Gainesville Florida since 1999, I am still learning every day.  But I have found a great way to relay my opinion of our current real estate market in Gainesville.  If people ask me how things are with real estate, I love to share my opinion. It is a Price War and a Beauty Pageant all blended together. We are all familiar with the term price war.   And we all know what a beauty pageant is too. So just imagine the two terms placed into our Multiple Listing Service in Gainesville.  The Buyers want to find the nicest home for the lowest price. So, when I do a thorough market analysis for a potential listing client, I want to make sure that I explain that previous "closed sales" do not determine my suggested "list price" on their home.   We can't trust the comps on...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Haile Area - Detached, Single-Family Homes Sold April 1 through May 31, 2009   Number of homes sold: 13 List Price Average:            $401,529 Sales Price Average:          $380,394 List to sell variance:           95% Average Days on Market:    162   Average price by number of bedrooms:                            3 bedrooms                      4+ bedrooms Average list price                                                                 $156,633                           $474,998 Average sales price                                                              $162,000                           $445,912 List to sell variance:                                                             103%                                 94%   Neighborhoods sold: HP/Founders Hill - 1 HP/Katelyn Lane -...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
                                        Haile Area – Detached, Single-Family Home Sales – January 1-March 31, 2009Total homes sold 1Q09:    18List price average:               $324,308Sale price average:              $303,108List to sell variance:             94%Average Days on Market:      134Average price by # of bedrooms:        3 bedrooms        4+ bedroomsAverage list price                                       $246,473              $446,621Average sales price                                    $234,900              $410,293List to sell variance:                                        95%                    92%Neighborhoods sold:HP/Katelyn Lane – 1HP/Preserve – 2HP/Haile Market Square – 2HP/Southgate – 1HP/Laurel Park – 2HP/Hampstead Park – 1HP/Oakmont – 1HP/Sutherland Crossing – 1...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Located in Southwest Gainesville, Haile Plantation is an award-winning New Urbanism development.  The community is named after Thomas Evans Haile, a Sea Island cotton grower who moved from South Carolina with his family and 66 African slaves to establish a cotton plantation in the area in 1854.  The original plantation home still stands and is open on weekends. The first homes were built in this planned community in the late 1970's.  Haile Village Center is the hub of the community, and features a mix of businesses, retail establishments, and residences.  Haile Plantation is in the Alachua County School District. The community is zoned for blue-ribbon award-winning Kanapaha Middle School and Buchholz High School. Haile Village Center is home to a bustling Farmer's Market every Saturday ...
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By Christine Bohn, The Bohn Team, Gainesville FL
(RE/MAX Professionals)
OK....is that western TV tune stuck in your head now?? I know...it should be RAW HIDE...not Roll ON Sorry, I just needed a comic relief - because.....I am as busy as can be !!  To be honest, I am so busy with ACTIVE BUYERS and MOTIVATED SELLERS.  The combination of those two important factors has turned the Gainesville Florida - Alachua County real estate market into our prime season. For the last 3 weeks, I have had some fun & excited buyers here in Gainesville area market.  Many are from out of town - looking for condos & townhomes for their sons & daughters that will be here at the University of Florida.  Some are incoming dental & medical students.  One coming here for masters degrees.   It's the beginning of peak season in Gainesville-Alachua county Real Estate. Two of my buyers ar...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Heartening news out of the Research Studies Group at the University of Florida....for the first time since 2006, when the economy first began slowing down, it appears as if the Florida real estate market may very well be nearing the end of its steep slide.   Full article, along with video, may be found here:   http://news.ufl.edu/2009/05/12/real-estate-survey-3/
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
      NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER TAX CREDITFrequently Asked Questions    In 2008, Congress enacted a $7500 tax credit designed to be an incentive for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home.  The credit was designed as a mechanism to decrease the over-supply of homes for sale.    For 2009, Congress has increased the credit to $8000 and made several additional improvements.  This revised $8000 tax credit applies to purchases on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.    Tax Credits -- The Basics  1.  What’s this new homebuyer tax incentive for 2009?  The 2008 $7500, repayable credit is increased to $8000 and the repayment feature is eliminated for 2009 purchasers.  Any home that is purchased for $80,000 or more qualifies for the full $8000 amount...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Florida Sales Report - March 2009 Existing Condominiums     Realtor Sales Median Sales Price Statewide & Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)    March 2009    March 2008    % Chge    March 2009    March 2008    % Chge STATEWIDE* (1)       4,388 3,503   25 $108,700   $172,300 -37 STATEWIDE-YEAR-TO-DATE 10,142 8,554 19 $110,100 $177,000 -38 Daytona Beach 104 71 46 $177,800 $190,000 -6 Fort Lauderdale 781 611 28 $82,100 $137,000 -40 Fort Myers-Cape Coral 358 234 53 $126,200 $196,400 -36 Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie 92 69 33 $86,700 $182,500 -52 Fort Walton Beach 65 59 10 $279,200 $383,300 -27 Gainesville 26 66 -61 $116,000 $135,000 -14 Jacksonville 104 101   3 $129,500 $152,700 -15 Lakeland-Winter Haven 12 10 20 $85,000 $86,700 -2 Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay 113 91 24 $123,100 $164,300 -2...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
  Florida Sales Report - March 2009 Single-Family, Existing Homes     Realtor Sales Median Sales Price Statewide & Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)    March 2009    March 2008    % Chge    March 2009    March 2008    % Chge STATEWIDE* (1)          13,085   10,080   30     $141,300 $201,700 -30 STATEWIDE-YEAR-TO-DATE       31,393 25,071 25 $141,000    $202,300 -30 Daytona Beach             577 486 19 $130,900    $172,800 -24 Fort Lauderdale 680 463 47 $219,500    $311,400 -30 Fort Myers-Cape Coral 1,464 501 192 $88,500    $212,500 -58 Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie 493 387 27 $118,000 $169,700 -30 Fort Walton Beach 184 189 -3 $181,500 $197,000 -8 Gainesville 146 153 -5 $168,000 $198,900 -16 Jacksonville 903 822 10 $146,400 $188,900 -22 Lakeland-Winter Haven 315 289  9 $108,800 $150,000 ...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
So you've decided to sell your house!  Preparing for a life transition can be a very exciting time and also JUST a tad stressful. :) As you are preparing your home for sale and readying for those all-important showings which will hopefully yield a buyer waving a contract around, keep this image in mind: HGTV meets the Queen of England. You want your place to look as sparse and clutter-free as possible -- which is more than a little difficult because you live in your home.  But the sick and twisted thing is that even though you live there, it has to look -- as close as you can make it -- like you don't. All personal pics, knick-knacks (keep just a select few), books, magazines, etc. should be stored....preferably in a storage unit and not stuffed under your bed.  And please....for the lo...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Home Sales in Northwest Gainesville January 1, 2009-March 31, 2009**information compiled from GACAR MLS sales statistics**Total homes sold in Northwest Gainesville 1Q09       99NW 39th Avenue Area – 43rd St. I-75             4North 43rd Street Area                                26NW 16th Ave/Blvd Area                                 7Newberry Rd. S. Side Region                         3Glen Springs/NW 39th Ave Area                   13NW 6th Street Area                                      5N of UF Area                                                2SR 121 North of US 441 Area                        3NW Gvl W of I-75                                       20N Jonesville Area                                         7CR 231 Area                                               1Millhopper R...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Melisa Miller found her calling at age 14 or 15 on a church youth mission trip to Mexico, where she first hung drywall at an orphanage expansion.   Today, she leads a nonprofit organization of 400 volunteers who repair 25 homes a year for low-income homeowners around Gainesville.   Read the full inspiring story here, in today's Gainesville Sun:   http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090419/ARTICLES/904189982/1002/NEWS01?Title=Rebuilding-Gainesville-one-home-at-a-time
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
On April 25, 2009, Rebuilding Together North Central Florida joins thousands of volunteers throughout the nation in National Rebuilding Day 2009! Approximately 80 volunteers will donate their time on Saturday to provide free emergency repairs for 5 Gainesville area families in need. Sponsoring this year's event are Rotary International, Charles Perry Construction, Gainesville Jaycees, and GRU.  Please contact miller@rebuildgainesville.org or visit http://www.rebuildgainesville.org to learn how you can get involved.    
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Southwest Gainesville Home SalesJanuary 1, 2009 to March 31, 2009 **Information compiled from GACAR MLS sales statistics.**Total homes sold in Southwest Gainesville 1Q09:    62    Broken down by area:Arredondo/Kanapaha        17    Haile Area            18    Idylwild             4    Newberry Rd. South    19    North of UF        2    South Gainesville Area    1    South Parker Road Area    1    Arredondo/Kanapaha AreaListing Price Average     $279,997         (1Q08:  $291,563)Selling Price Average     $265,204         (1Q08:  $278,744)List-to-Sell Percent         94.72        (1Q08: 95.6)Average Days on Market     124         (1Q08: 142)     Neighborhoods Sold:  Kanapaha Pines-2; Meadows on the Prairie-5; Long Leaf-5; Mentone-1;  Meadows of Kanapaha-1; Willow Oak Plantation-1;  Farms ...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
On Sunday, April 26, 2009, from 8 to 10 AM,  The Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society at UF´s College of Medicine is hosting its first ever Trot for Tots, a 5K run/walk to raise money for the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation. A healthy, happy 3 year old, Sebastian Ferrero died  at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida in October 2007 as a result of a medication overdose followed by a series of preventable medical errors. Sebastian's parents, Horst and Luisa Ferrero, formed the Sebastian Ferrero Foundation to advocate and fundraise for a state-of-the-art, full service children's hospital in Gainesville while promoting excellence in patient safety and insuring that all families are treated with compassion, courtesy, and dignity. Born from their worst nightmare come true, the Ferreros efforts hav...
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
Just when I thought the Sparrow Condos website for residents couldn't get any better, I found this page!   Newly updated (since the last time I'd visited), not only does this Sparrow Condo webpage outline the amenities available to its residents, it also has great pics of the Sparrow community!   For anyone considering building a new "nest" at Sparrow, this is invaluable info.....check it out!   http://sparrowcondos.com/amenities-sparrow-condominiums.php
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
I have to say, I have not seen many sites of condo communities that provide such wonderful up-to-date information for their residents!  I stumbled upon this link when I was dinking around on the Internets one day (because, frankly, I have no life).....thought I'd share it with you all!   http://sparrowcondos.com/
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By Coleen DeGroff, Haile Plantation Real Estate - Gainesville FL
(Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors)
I just saw this video and I filled up with emotion.....it expresses so well what Mahatma Gandhi said..... "You must be the change you want to see in the world"   Watching this brought me into my happy place, and I just wanted to share it with the rest of you.   Have a great day, and blessings to you all!   Coleen :)   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg
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