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Tallahassee, FL Real Estate News

By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
1628 New Legend CT, Tallahassee, FL Click here to Get Directions$$425,000 3 Beds - 2 Baths - Photos Maps & Local Schools Print Take a first look at the OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, November 24th from 2pm-4pm!! Located on a quiet cul-de-sac inside Golden Eagle, a premier NE Tallahassee gated golf course community, this amazing home has PLENTY to offer! An inviting foyer welcomes you to soaring ceilings throughout with tray and vaulted ceilings up to 21 feet tall! The warm engineered wood floors flow into the first floor owner's suite where you will find two walk in closets, tile walk in shower, huge soaking jetted tub, and dual sink vanity. The two separate living areas provide ample space to spread out. Corian counters in kitchen with SS appliances, large island for plenty of storage, and a w...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
1628 New Legend CT, Tallahassee, FL Click here to Get Directions$$425,000 3 Beds - 2 Baths - Photos Maps & Local Schools Print Take a first look at the OPEN HOUSE on Sunday, November 24th from 2pm-4pm!! Located on a quiet cul-de-sac inside Golden Eagle, a premier NE Tallahassee gated golf course community, this amazing home has PLENTY to offer! An inviting foyer welcomes you to soaring ceilings throughout with tray and vaulted ceilings up to 21 feet tall! The warm engineered wood floors flow into the first floor owner's suite where you will find two walk in closets, tile walk in shower, huge soaking jetted tub, and dual sink vanity. The two separate living areas provide ample space to spread out. Corian counters in kitchen with SS appliances, large island for plenty of storage, and a w...
Comments 3
By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
5707 Sioux Dr, Tallahassee, FL Click here to Get Directions$430000 4 Beds - 2 Baths - 10890 sqft Lot Photos Maps & Local Schools Print Welcome to this beautifully maintained home in Swift Creek Woods, offering the perfect blend of style and convenience. Enjoy an open floor plan with a spacious Living Room, gourmet Kitchen featuring Corian countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a cozy Breakfast Nook. Recent updates include vinyl plank flooring, a Solar Panel system (2022), and a new irrigation system (2024) for the lush private backyard. The large Master Suite boasts a jetted tub and walk-in closet. With a screened patio, gas fireplace, gas range, and side-entry two-car Garage, this home is move-in ready in a prime location near schools and Alford Greenway Park. Follow This Home
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
2511 Golden Park Ln, Tallahassee, FL Click here to Get Directions$185000 2 Beds - 2 Baths - 3049.2 sqft Lot Photos Maps & Local Schools Print New Flooring, new paint. Great location, well maintained. Near I-10, easy access to Restaurants, Shopping Downtown, Colleges. Open floor plan, loft overseeing the family room. Private fenced backyard. Community swimming pool, HOA maintenance includes lawn care. As is with right to inspect. Follow This Home
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Ok...so Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC's Mad Money, comes completely unglued on the Federal Reserve Board for creating economic ‘Armageddon' with the current state of the bond market (if you haven't seen this you have to check it out)...It seems that the Donald can't even hold together a mortgage company nowadays... The Housing Bubble you ask?   And yet the Fed himself is holding steady to his anti-inflation guns by offering no plans to bail out the flailing lenders nor stimulate the housing slump... So...What Gives on the lending front?  Understandably we've seen a shift in high LTV sub-prime and Alt A financing.  I mean come on right?  100% financing with every type of documentation type ranging from No Doc to Stated Income and everything in between.  Like we didn't see that one coming....
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By Tim Kelly, Realtor, Tallahassee, Florida
(Armor Realty)
The key to a quick sale is determining what your home is worth.  Everyone knows that you say?  Anyone can go online and determine the value of a home but knowing what a Buyer is willing to pay for your particular property will get your home sold quickly. A Realtor® can help you price your home competitively with other similar homes in your area.  In our current real estate market it is imperative that your home not only be the best quality but the best price.  With so many homes on the market right now, Buyers have a lot to choose from.  Make the right move and hire a real estate professional to help you sell your home and you can save yourself a great deal of time, effort and stress.   You need a Realtor® who can be up front and honest about the value of your home.  Many sellers feel i...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN??? Ever ask yourself that question when something went wrong in your home or one of your investment properties? I know I have and I know that there are ways to prevent or at least minimize those mishaps.  Just think about the benefits... Preventative maintenance minimizes larger maintenance You can plan out repair/maintenance costs A well maintained home can be a safer home Your property can be worth more Your house will definitely show better You are protecting your investment You can sleep easy at night Let's take a look at some steps we can take to make our homes safer and save us money in the long run. Some of these tasks can be demanding so please seek professional help when needed and remember the time and money you spend in preventative maintenance will save y...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
A Buyer's Guide to the Tallahassee Real Estate MarketFor the informed buyer, opportunity just may be knocking on your door right now.  The interest rates are still great and there are plenty of properties on the market from which to choose.  Many sellers are offering incentives to purchase.  If you are waiting for the market to hit rock bottom, you just may be as lucky as those sellers who were waiting for the market to peak before they sold and missed it.  Now they wish they wish they had not waited.  Another plus for the buyer is the possible passing of the proposed property tax amendment in January which will lower property taxes for the new home owner as well as the investor.   If you don't think current interest rates are great.....you need to take a look back at the last 30 years ...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
The highs and lows of a sales career can by trying to say the least. It is important to re-evaluate your goals periodically and to remind yourself WHY you chose real estate as a career. True inspiration and motivation is hard to come by.  I find that the most inspiring stories are those that involve an individual that has overcome extreme obstacles to accomplish their goals. Part of the goal setting process is identifying "obstacles" to success. What are your obstacles? What is keeping you from reaching your goals? Come see me to help brainstorm ideas around your obstacles. I will be teaching a goal setting class on Tuesday at 11:00 in our training room at Century 21 First Realty. Please find this week's training schedule below. Everyone's hard work is much appreciated. Third Week of Au...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
It didn't Appraise?  Seriously?How many times have you uttered those words to your favorite lender when they called to tell you that your deal closing in 3 days has an ‘appraisal issue?'  Probably been hearing it a little more lately since the sub-prime and Alt A lending market has been in tight downward spiral right?  That being said it's a good time to brush up on the Fannie Mae standards for valuing property.  I find a good source to stay current on such is the Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Company (MGIC) website.  It provides a streamlined search of the underwriting guides without having to navigate through the Fannie Mae site which can be tedious.  Here is a great reference that we refer to frequently regarding comparable properties.And here's a couple of valuable (yet dreadfully pa...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Are you ready for some Football? Do not miss the Century 21 First Realty Sales Meeting this Thursday! Century 21 First Realty will be announcing its Greatest Sales Competition ever! Who are the Coaches? (We had to go outside the box to bring in talent...not Dave, not Joe...who could it be?) What does the Winning Team Win? What does the Losing Team Lose? What Team will you be on? 
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Faith, Courage & ConvictionI was doing some research about a Tallahassee Legend, Gene Cox, and was surprised that not much existed about him on the Internet. Sure, if you google "Gene Cox", plenty shows up based upon the fact that we named our local football stadium Gene Cox Stadium. However, with over 300 wins as a high school football coach, entry into every conceivable Hall of Fame, and the love and respect from the hundreds of kids that played for him, I figured there would be a trove of information out there. Unfortunately, that is not the case.I am neither a great writer, nor a proficient historian, but I was determined to find or place some type of record or history of Gene Cox on the internet. After linking through hundreds of sites, I found exactly what I was looking for. A clo...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Brittany Estates is the Premier Mobile Home Park in Tallahassee, Florida. Featuring a community clubhouse, swimming pool and lounge area, basketball courts, and recreational area, Brittany Estates has it all. Brittany Estates is conveniently located on Capital Circle SW, near the intersection of I-10, and is within blocks of shopping, dining, and entertainment. With nearly 300 mobile homes in the park, Brittany Estates is a great place to live. Homes are available in one, two and three bedroom configurations, with units that are as new as one-year old. Call us today at (850) 509-8030 for a time to see it all. You can also inquire about Brittany Estates availability by Email.
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Good Faith Estimates Part II,  Title Charges...What are They?Back on the topic of Good Faith Estimates...I want to take a look at the section labeled Title Charges. I am always trying to save our Buyers money, and some Mortgage un-professionals are not working to support this cause. I find most mortgage originators to be hard-working and highly ethical, but there are those that we must guard against to better serve our Buyers. As discussed previously, Title Charges are not lender specific and predominantly a function of 2 things: The purchase price of your house (Title Insurance policies are based on a % of the purchase price) Closing Fees charged by the Attorney or Title Company you chose for your closing. Most Importantly...understand that Good Lenders will represent this fee accurate...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Good Faith Estimates Part I, Loan Product and Associated Fees As promised I am posting the first entry on analyzing Good Faith Estimates to aid in your lender evaluation process. A Good Faith Estimate or GFE is an estimate or range of charges that you should expect from a lender regarding closing costs on a specific mortgage product for a specific property. It is very important to understand that a Good Faith Estimate is loan product specific, lender specific, and property specific. Why is this? Two reasons…Reason 1 is that loan associated costs may vary between lenders and loan products. Reason 2 is that property taxes and insurance costs will vary between each property. Bottom Line…Generic GFEs will give you a good idea of what type of loan you can qualify for but ensure you request a...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
I am curious, are you really tracking your business? No, I mean REALLY Tracking Your Business? No kidding, Confess! Tell Us All out here what you are doing!Well, here's my story (and I'm sticking to it) of what we are doing at Century 21 First Realty to get a better ROI (that's Return On Investment for those of you who don't count your money often) on all those dollars that we are spending to bring leads in the door.First of all, we only hire the best professional sales people to work directly with our customers. What is the use of generating business if it only falls into the hands of people who are not trained to help Real Estate Buyers and Real Estate Sellers? Secondly, we have created a Quality Service Department to assist the agents in the follow-up of leads and actually use this d...
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By Carol Palacios
(Century 21 Manausa & Associates)
When you bought your home you probably used the services of a real estate agent. You found that agent through a referral from friends or family, or through some sort of marketing or advertisement. The agent helped you in many ways and eventually you found the house of your dreams, made an offer, closed on it, and finally moved in.For some reason, the time has come to sell your home and you need a real estate agent again. Many home sellers tend to think that all real estate agents are similar -they perform their duties in the same manner and have the same standards of service.... Not True!Being a sensible seller, you decide to interview several real estate firms/agents for the job of successfully getting your home sold. At this point, you have a fairly good idea of what you think your ho...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S HOW YOU SAY ITNonverbal messages are an essential component of effective communication whether in a business or social setting. We communicate with each other in ways far beyond merely speech. Body language helps to enhance the meaning of what we say and to impress upon others emotion, feelings, context and all sorts of communicable expressions. Here are Seven Ways that you can improve your nonverbal communication skills.Eye contact: Eye contact, an important channel of interpersonal communication, helps regulate the flow of communication. And it signals interest in others. Furthermore, eye contact with audiences increases the speaker's credibility. People who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth and credib...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Lead to LeaseToday everyone wants information immediately. The internet, newspaper, flyers and other advertising provide this type of initial information to perspective tenants but how do you take someone from looking at information to signing a lease.The answer is a good system and immediate follow-up from a qualified professional.You would be surprised how many companies rely on someone to leave a message and then follow-up with that "Lead" sometime later. Actually, only 29% of callers who get an answering device will leave a message. A good receptionist, that can record initial information, is invaluable because they are talking to a real person that can capture the customer's needs upfront and be able to direct them to the correct person immediately. This also allows you to track th...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Welcome to Golden Eagle PlantationGolden Eagle Plantation is home to some of the finest golf course living in the Southeast. Situated in the Northeast part of Tallahassee, FL, Golden Eagle provides for luxurious private living with all the amenities of being "in town." I have selected a few snapshots of homes in Golden Eagle in order to provide a "feel" for its great atmosphere.Golden Eagle County ClubOf course, no great golf course community is complete without a great golf course. The following is a summary from the Golden Eagle Country Club web site:Golden Eagle's foremost attraction is its 18-hole golf course, designed by world renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio. The course sprawls 6,965 yards from the back tees. It was rated "the most challenging course in Florida" by the Uni...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Tallahassee Real Estate Market Update - June 2007The June figures are in, and they confirm what we already knew.... The Tallahassee Real Estate Market, while down from the boom markets, is alive and hanging in there. Where prices in most Florida Real Estate Markets have come down considerably, Average Sales Prices in the Tallahassee Real Estate Market are only slightly down. All of the enclosed charts and graphs were compiled by information provided by a third-party, Real Estate Sales Information company (Metro Market Trends).The strongest performing sector is the Tallahassee Condominium Market, showing modest decreases in average sales prices and sporting the second best year on record in terms of Tallahassee Condominium units sold. With the continued growth of the Florida College syst...
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By Tim Kelly, Realtor, Tallahassee, Florida
(Armor Realty)
Active Rain is a fine real estate network, and I'll be here browsing often, so keep an eye on this spot! Not being too new to Tallahassee, or the Real Estate market, but new to Active Rain, there are some things I'd like you to know about me.First of all, I enjoy sports, as a graduate of FSU, of course college football and college basketball are tops on my list.Secondly, I've lived in Tallahassee since starting at FSU in 1985, so I've been here well over 20 years.Lastly, just a quick mention that I've teamed up with an old friend, Lisa Carey and another friend at Russel Construction to offer you top rated homes at reasonable prices.If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.My website is http://www.timothykelly.com                 
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
The Real Estate Industry Gets with the Times (online)!Buying a house used to center around the Real Estate Section of the local newspaper. Or, it meant driving through your favorite neighborhoods on Sunday to look for Open Houses.  Well, the times have changed and many Newspaper and Real Estate Companies are paying the price.  The Real Estate Companies that thrive are the ones that will embrace the change.In a recent article released nationally through the AP reported that three of the top newspaper publishers by circulation have posted large drops during the second quarter. Gannet Company reported a 9.9% drop, McClatchy a 19% drop, and Tribune reported a whopping 24% drop.  According to experts, much of this drop is directly related to the effectiveness of the newspaper companies to se...
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By Joe Manausa - Tallahassee, FL, Tallahassee Real Estate
(Joe Manausa Real Estate)
Training Schedule at Century 21 First Realty   July/Aug 2007Monday the 30th- How to Communicate With Your Sellers, with John E. Whetsel.  Between changes in the Market and changes in Technology, it can be easy to forget what motivates your Sellers! The simple truth is that they will do business with the associate and company that can relate to them. Come to this training to make sure that you can relate to your Sellers!Tuesday the 31st- Financially Qualifying the Buyer, with Joe Manausa. How many Agents have heard mortgage representatives say, "Underwriting standards have become MUCH tougher!" Do you know if this is fact or fiction? Make sure you are giving your buyers and yourself, all opportunities to buy a property and make a sale! Come to this training to learn to financially quali...
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