For-sale-by-owner residential transactions are less than 15% of all home listings nationwide. According to a 2008 survey of homebuyers and sellers conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®, 68% of respondents sold their homes through a real estate professional. Of that percentage, 8% tried unsuccessfully to sell on their own. Only 13% of respondents sold their own homes. Further, the research shows that 50% of those homeowners who did successfully sell their homes without a real estate professional's help vowed never to do it again, because of the complexities and hassles associated with the transaction. Among the major problems cited: Holding open houses Arranging for appraisals and inspections Understanding and filing paperwork Helping buyers obtain financing Having time to ... 04/18/2010

Roof and Gutters Repair or replace loose, damaged or blistered shingles Clean gutters and downspout strainers Check gutters for leaks and proper alignment Inspect flashings around roof stacks, vents, skylights and chimneys Clear obstructions from vents, louvers and chimneys Check fascias and soffits for decay and peeling paint Inspect chimney for any loose or missing mortar Exterior Walls Re-nail loose siding and check for warping or decay Paint siding, if necessary Check masonry walls for cracks or any other damage Replace loose or missing caulking Driveway Repair concrete or blacktop, if necessary Garage Lubricate hinges and other hardware on your garage door Inspect doors and windows for any peeling paint Check condition of glazing around all windows Test electrical outlets Foundatio... 04/18/2010

Pensacola, Florida Real Estate We here at the Charles Stallions Real Estate Services continuously monitor local real estate statistics to keep our clients informed and ahead of the real estate trends.  Below you will find Pensacola, Florida real estate statistic. For last months stats scroll down, call me or e-mail for even more details. What can I do to sell my home for more money? SELLERS TIP # 2 . A Snapshot of the Pensacola, Florida Housing Market   Available Homes                         = 1924 FORECLOSURES/ Short Sales        = 339 New listings this month                = 309 Current Homes Under Contract      = 550 Homes Sold In Last 30 Days       = 208 Average Days On The Market      =145 Average Sales Price                   = $121,864 List Price to Sales Price              = 96... 04/17/2010

Ashley Brown, graduate of Gulf Breeze High School and proform on both dates. She has been to Broadway and an alumni of Pensacola Childrens Chorus. While she is no football or boxing legend, she is a local hero with as many fans to boot. While she will be showcasing her talents to benefit both the Symphony and Pensacola Childrens Chorus, it is sure to be like ole home week. Her other Broadway credits include Belle in "Beauty and The Beast," and she has also starred in the national tour of Disney's "On The Record." She originated the title role of Mary Poppins on Broadway, and received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress.  WHAT: Pensacola Symphony Orchestra presents "Uncommon Woman" featuring Ashley Brown.WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 11... 04/16/2010

Grab the leash and your pooch and head down to Seville Square for Woofapalooza 2010-Pensacola's Pet Parade and Music Festival on April 25, 2010.  The fun begins at 2pm with a parade starting at The Governmental Center (City hall of Pensacola) and heading east down Government Street to Seville Square where great music and fun await!  Woofapalooza is an annual event held in downtown Pensacola that helps raise funds for the local pet shelters.  Last year, 30+ animals were adopted and over 2000 participants helped raise hundreds of dollars for the local shelters.   There is fun to be had by all with costume prizes including, "Best Dressed Pet", "Best Float", "Best Team", "Ugliest Dog", and my personal favorite, "Best Owner Pet Look-a-like."  Registration for the Pet Parade begins Sunday at ... 04/16/2010

It's no wonder that NAR says that, "90% of all buyers used the internet to search." We have seen this first hand, and especially over the last few months. When people relocate to other states, it's a long distance move. These people usually start by researching the city on the Internet. More times than not, they find one of our 1,100+ relocation websites. If they're serious, they'll request help in a possible home purchase. Due to a very large demand, we need a Buyer's Agent in Pensacola that is able to assist these prospective home buyers. These families and individuals are wanting assistance from a Realtor, and if you would like to get in contact with them, we need to talk soon. Time is of the essence, and we only need 1 Realtor to be able to contact these people. We NEVER send people... 04/09/2010

Moving to Pensacola, in the NAS area? Toby Moore has specialized in real estate in that area for over 7 years. He knows the values and deals of each and every neighborhood around the base and can lead you in the right direction to geting the most home for your dollar. Checkout his past client testimonials at http://www.toby-moore.com today! Or reach him direct at 850-572-8025 Toby Moore  ><> 04/07/2010

If you are looking for a place to build a new home, and just haven't quite found what you are looking for, then you need to discover Robinson's Mill Pensacola.  Located East of Chemstrand Road off Kingfield Road in Northeast Pensacola, this is a platted subdivision that is waiting for you to build the first home!  The entryway is very unique with a working waterwheel and professional landscaping.  There are a total of 61 lots in the 38 acre development, ready to be built upon.  The lot sizes range from around 1/3 acre to just under 1 acre, and are currently priced from $39,550-$49,900 per lot.  Utilities are available on each lot, and you can choose how much of the native vegetation to keep as you clear the lot for your new home. This is a covenant restricted neighborhood with architect... 04/06/2010

If you are the type of person who loves an established neighborhood with non-cookie cutter homes and mature landscaping, then Thousand Oaks Pensacola lives up to it's name!  Hurricane Ivan did do some damage and took out quite a few trees, but you would never know it driving through the neighborhood today.  Although the main entrance to the Thousand Oaks Pensacola subdivision on Chemstrand Road is very nice, I actually prefer the Kingsfield (on Dueling Oaks) entrance, which is covered on both sides by towering oak trees.  My family likes to bike down Dueling Oaks to the turtle pond (actually a neighbor's yard, but they never seem to mind when the kids bring bread crumbs for the fish and turtles).  The kids also love the turtle pond because they can watch the ponies in the pasture behind... 04/06/2010

The American Diabetes Association is teaming up with thousands of cyclists across 40 states, including PENSACOLA, FL, who are “pedaling toward finding a cure” for diabetes. Over 23 million Americans suffer from diabetes and over 57 million with pre-diabetes. You don’t have to be a seasoned cyclist to participate in the ride. There are several different routes so you can pick the one that’s right for you. The Pensacola Tour will be held on April 10, 2010, and begins at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze. The ride will take you over the Pensacola Bay Bridge into historic Pensacola and back over the bridge down Highway 98 through the National Seashore, along the beaches of Navarre and Pensacola, and returning to the Andrews Institute. Tanya Petty, a participant from last year’s Tour de C... 04/05/2010

A primary reason that many residents love East Hill Pensacola is that the area has a very good walkability score.  With an overall neighborhood scoring of 77 (0 being the least walkable, 100 being the most walkable), it’s easy to see why those that love the ‘old fashioned’ idea of neighborhood amenities love living in East Hill Pensacola.     What makes East Hill Pensacola such a walkable neighborhood?  Being walkable means that instead of needing to jump in the car to find amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, parks, schools, banking, and other services, these are within close enough distance (preferably within 1/2 mile, but up to one mile) so that you can walk to them.   Some of my favorite “amenities” in the East Hill Pensacola neighborhood are:   Ozone’s- Best Pizza in Pen... 04/04/2010

If you are looking for places to take your kids to play or to have a picnic, you may want to visit some of the East Hill Pensacola Parks.  The city planners did a great job when planning out the East Hill Pensacola neighborhood- there are many open areas with great parks on many of the residential blocks in the neighborhood.  Among the best of the parks with playground equipment, you may want to try the following:   Andalusia Square- located at Cervantes and 15th Avenue Bayview Park- located at 20th Avenue & Blount Street Cobb Center- located at 6th Avenue & Mallory Cordova Square- located at 11th Avenue & Brainerd Estramadura Square- located at 15th Avenue & Lakeview Granada Square- located at Cervantes & 10th Avenue Lamancha Square- located at Cross & 14th (look for our new Green Hom... 04/02/2010

Yes, it’s true- Spring has arrived and East Hill, Pensacola is alive with color from all the blooming foliage!  As one of Pensacola’s oldest neighborhoods, East Hill Pensacola has  mature landscaping throughout most of the homes in the neighborhood.  If you want to take a picturesque drive through the neighborhood, you will likely see azaleas, spirea, dogwoods, gardenias (not in bloom yet), flowering pears, redbuds, grancy greybeards, Japanese Magnolias (look for the pink flowers on otherwise bare trees), and so much more!  Many homeowners also have blueberry bushes in their yards, which are also currently blooming.  Let’s hope they have many blooming buds for plentiful berries this season!     East Hill Pensacola is one of my favorite areas in the city.  Towering oak trees (try drivin... 04/02/2010

I got this idea from a sports talk radio show that I usually have on in the background while I'm getting ready for work in the morning.  It's a series of numbers and each number has its own relevance in today's local Real Estate market.  And by local in mean the Pensacola, FL Real Estate market where things seems to be picking up just a bit.  And here are the numbers: 8.13     The percentage increase of closed sales for Res. Detached, Res. Attached, Condo & Manufactured Home units sold YTD versus the same 3 month period last year. 17.4     The number of months worth of inventory currently on the market in our local market. 281      Total number of cash buyers since the begining of the new year..almost 25% of all sold terms. 1135    Total number of distressed listings currently on the ma... 03/30/2010

East Hill Pensacola Green Certified Home Construction Update! For those of you that are following our progress, you will be pleased to hear that GROUND HAS BEEN BROKEN on the new East Hill Pensacola Green Certified Home!!!  The footers will be going in this week (weather permitting- it's raining today in Pensacola!).  The lot is located at 1509 E Cross Street  Pensacola, Florida. This East Hill Pensacola Green Certified Home is being built to obtain both the Florida Green Building Coalition "Gold" Certification, and the National Association of Homebuilders "Gold" Certification, as well as being  built to Energy Star standards with a HERS energy rating.  The Green Home Certifications will show potential Owners that the home has been built for energy efficiency, water conservation, and en... 03/25/2010

The short of this is, it will not cost you anything and will help thousands here in our area. If you like to read about the help these folks give then click and it will explain what they do. If you are afraid of giving your e-mail out and being spammed by Pepsi, you will not. Several of us filled this out and didn't check any of the boxes and after a month we have not recieved anything spam or junk mail.   Please click and vote for this very worthy cause. Yes it will ask you to sign up but as long as you don't check any boxes you will not be contacted. Several of us did this a few weeks ago and have not recieved any spam or even an e-mail for Pepsi or the others. This is such a heart wrenching cause and this will go a long way to help and it is FREE.   United Way of Escambia County seek... 03/17/2010

$950 -$950 Bedrooms:3.0 +/- Sq Ft:1623 Type:Unfurn. Rental Baths F/H:2/0 Stories:1.0 MLS ID:386221 Year Built:1981 Lot Size:0 Print Pic 1 Pic 2 Property Description   Breakfast Room/Nook, Tile Floor, W/W Carpet, Additional Storage, Cable Available, Ceiling Fans, High Speed Internet Available, Laundry Inside, W/D Hookups , Backyard Fence, Porch, Privacy Fence, Screened Porch Property Features   Rental Property Status: Active Area: West Pensacola County: ESCAMBIA Year Built: 1981 3 total bedroom(s) 2 total bath(s) 2 total full bath(s) Approximately 1623 sq. ft. Single story Type: Residential Detached 2 car garage Central air conditioning Central heat Elementary School: NAVY POINT - 07 Middle School: WARRINGTON - 07 High School: ESCAMBIA - 07 03/13/2010

Whether you're planning a move across town or across the country, making the move hassle-free is what it is all about. Besides the traditional garage sale and packing of boxes, there are a few details you won't want to forget before you begin loading the truck: Make Moving Easier in Pensacola Florida 32504 Plan Ahead Experts in Pensacola Florida recommend scheduling moves at least one month in advance, especially during the peak-moving season between May and September. Some estimates indicate 80 percent of all moving and storage business is done when schools are out. That's when employees are most likely to be transferred. Ask Questions Take the time to get as much information as possible from moving companies before selecting one. Check on truck size and availability. Ask about moving... 03/13/2010

When you decide to sell your home, you want the highest possible return from its sale. Determining price is the most critical step in preparing your home for sale. Pricing Right Is Key To preparing your home for sale in Pensacola Florida 32503Obviously, pricing your property too low won't provide the best return. You are apt to be deluged with lookers and may get many offers, but you could lose thousands of dollars on your family's largest investment. Likewise, pricing a property too high is risky. Homes priced too high miss their target market. Qualified buyers who might find the home just right for their needs won't know your home, or make an offer on it, because it is out of their price range. If they are shown an overpriced home for sale during its early marketing stages and do not... 03/13/2010

Please join us on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 for a FREE Home Energy Rating Seminar hosted by Energy Rater Kevin Ward, owner of Aire Value.  What is the importance of a home energy rating, and how can you get one?  RSVP now to find out!  Call Kevin Ward at 850-525-3453 to reserve your space.  Lunch will be provided courtesy of Gulf Power.   03/08/2010