Hurrican Irma Affects September Home Sales

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Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is off to a great start to a productive week! No matter what type of business you’re in, I’m sure Hurricane Irma has affected your September financial projections. Check out this article that Florida Realtors posted regarding home sales for September. If you currently have your property listed for sale this may explain why you have had less activity these past few weeks. http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=2&id=358077

If anyone has any questions or if there is anything I can do to help you with your real estate needs, please give me a call today!

Take Care, 

Duke Rountree 

 

Prepping Your Home for the Holidays!

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Good Morning Everyone!

Who all is excited about the holiday’s approaching? It’s hard to believe that holiday season is upon us, but I love it! Family gathered together, great homemade food, memories being made…there is nothing better than that!

How do you prepare for the holidays? Have you stuck with the traditional check off to-do list with lots of things that need to be checked off? Or have you created a new system that works better for you?

Check out this list of ideas that may help you that myhomeideas posted!
http://www.myhomeideas.com/holidays/prep-home-holidays
A few of these ideas might just make the holiday season less stressful on you.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

-Duke

Would you Live in a Haunted House?!?

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Good Day All,

I hope everyone is having a great week. With Halloween right around the corner I figured it would be a great time to talk about haunted houses. Would you ever consider living in a haunted house? The excitement of hearing footsteps when no one is in site? Or how about sleeping in a room where someone might have been murdered or taken from there home?

A recent survey of 1,000 people found that a little over 30% of people said they would consider living in a haunted house, 25% said maybe, while 42% of people said no way. What do you think? Would you consider the excitement of living in a haunted house?

I hope everyone is enjoying the excitement and cooler temperatures that comes with October and Halloween!

-Duke

Fall in Marion County!

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Good Day All, 

Who all loves the season of fall? The crisp air, cooler temperatures, bonfires, time spent with family. There is nothing better!  I know for me fall is my favorite time of year and especially here in Marion County. There are so many out door activities for you and your family or friends to take part in. From Oktoberfest, The Art Walk to The Downtown Square there is always something fun to do! 

Below are a few links to some of my favorite fall events! 

October 6, 2017 from 5-9pm

  • Oktoberfest at Circle Square Commons – Here is a link with more information on this                                                                 event http://www.ocalamarion.com/event/oktoberfest-circle-square-commons/?instance_id=40465

October 13, 2017 from 7:30-9:30

  • After Dark in the Park Movie Event – Here is a link with more information on this event. http://www.ocalamarion.com/event/dark-park-movies-rogue-one-star-wars/?instance_id=40211

October 20, 2017 from 9am-5pm 

  • Recycled Art Exhibit at The Discovery Center – Here is a link with more information on this event. http://www.ocalamarion.com/event/recycled-art-exhibit/?instance_id=40506

October 28, 2017 All Day Event 

  • Marion County Fair at Baseline Road – Here is a link with more information on this event. http://www.ocalamarion.com/event/marion-county-fair/?instance_id=40455

There are several other events that may interest you throughout the fall season. Go check them out here!  http://www.ocalamarion.com/event 

I hope everyone is having a great start to the fall season! 

-Duke Rountree 

 

What to expect from your real estate agent!

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Good Day All, 

Have you ever really thought about what a real estate agent does? Any realtor can list your home for sale and put a sign out front, but do they have a plan to get your home sold? Here are just a few ways on how I, Duke Rountree, Broker and Owner of Rountree Realty Corp. plans on getting your home SOLD. 

  • A Developed Strategy –  Contact me today for your property specific marketing strategy. 
  • Advertising – professional photography including drone, 3-D virtual tour, property pages, blog post, etc. 
  • Preparations for Listing your Home – Detailed list of idea’s to help make your home stand out to a potential buyer. 
  • Communication –  Updates every step of the way to make sure you’re involved in the selling process. 
  • Area-specific Pricing Expertise – 18+ years of real estate experience to benefit you! 
  • Accountability – The last thing I want is for a client to be unhappy. I do everything I can to make the process of selling your home as easy and stress free as possible for you. 

If you have given any consideration to selling your home I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you! I’m sure my experience and success can work for you!  

Duke Rountree 

Apple: Real Estate Apps

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Who all is excited for the new iPhone? I’m sure some of you have already pre-ordered and are waiting on the anticipated arrival of your new device. What are you most excited about with the new device and operating system? For some it maybe the faster speed or better camera, but I’m most excited for all of the new features for real estate professionals. Whether you’re a realtor, potential buyer or seller, you may find this new technology extremely helpful. Below are a few key pointers to look for.

  • Homesnap, which allows users to see the property lines to a property they’re walking. 
  • PLNAR, generates floor plans without the need to manually measure and document room dimensions.
  • Magicplan, allows users to create floor plans while walking and automatically computes the required amount of materials for DIY projects, such as paint or flooring, based on the plan dimensions. 
  • Houzz- whose View in My Room 3D feature allows users to preview more than 500,000 images of furniture and decor products from the Houzz Shop and move them around and position them to see how they look. 

Here a link to an article with more information on these features. 

https://www.inman.com/2017/09/19/thanks-apple-real-estate-apps-just-got-a-huge-ar-boost/?utm_campaign=AddThis&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social#.WcOuqjENXTI.email

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions on the latest from Apple. 

Take Care, 

Duke Rountree 

Hurricane Irma-We’re Here to Help!

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Good Day All, 

As most of you know last week the State of Florida took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma. Marion County was deeply impacted and more than we ever expected. Rountree Realty is very fortunate to be up and running as several offices and businesses are still without power and water and are still unable to open. 

Rountree Realty is all about helping others in our community – it’s what we do best! It is a lot easier to get through difficult times when you have the support of others and that is why we’re here! If there is anything that we can do to help you please give us a call. I have a list of trusted vendors that would be able to help with roofing, electrical, tree removal, well/septic and more!

Below is also a few links to organizations that would also be able to help assist you. 

I hope all of you and your families are safe from the storm.  Again, if there is anything we can do to help you, please give me a call at (352) 572-1739. 

Sincerely,

Duke Rountree

 

 

Hurricane Irma!

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 Rountree Realty wishes everyone across of the State of Florida a safe few days while preparing for Hurricane Irma. Please take proper precautions in order to prepare your families and home for the hurricane. Here are a few tips while preparing for a hurricane. 

Preparation for a Hurricane

Below is a checklist of a few things to consider while preparing. 

  • Have an evacuation plan and know where the emergency shelters are in your area. Check your local Sheriffs office website or  with your local School Board for a list of emergency shelters. 
  • Put together an emergency supply kit. Make sure you include flashlights, batteries, disinfectant wipes, first aid supplies, non-perishable foods, water, etc. 
  • Create a family emergency communication plan. Whether your family is in one home or several homes have a communication plan. There are also several local alert systems for emergency notifications. 
  • Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting possible. That away if you loose power your food will be as cold as possible to last longer while you’re without power. 
  • Try to keep all cell phones fully charged and use as minimal as possible. Adjust phone settings such as apps, usage, display settings, etc. to help keep your phone charged as long as possible. 
  • Secure all loose items on the exterior of your home such as patio furniture, rain gutters, tree limbs and overgrown bushes, etc. 
  • Keep your vehicles gas level as full as possible. Also check fluid levels as well as tire pressure to make sure you car is ready for travel just in case you need to evacuate with short notice. 

After a Hurricane

Here is list of things to do once the hurricane has past. 

  • Check with local authorities for updates and instructions. 
  • Check-In with family members to make sure everyone is okay. 
  • Watch out for power lines down and debris. 
  • If your property has damage from the hurricane please take photos as soon as possible. Your insurance provider may require photos in order to process a claim. 
  • If you can do anything to prevent further damage to your property please do so. 

We hope you find this information helpful while preparing for Hurricane Irma. We will continue to think about your families in the upcoming days. 

Take Care, 

Your Rountree Realty Family

 

3 Things to Know about the Marion County, Florida Sales Tax Initiative

Posted by Duke Rountree on

 

Marion County Logo

1. Vote: March 15, 2016

2. Why: It’s on the ballot because the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved putting this sales tax option before county voters. The county is faced with a backlog of projects (e.g., road maintenance and expansion) and equipment needs (e.g., public safety gear and vehicles). These investments were postponed to keep property taxes low during our community’s economic downturn.

3. What it covers: If passed, the 1-percent sales tax would fund specific public safety equipment needs for law enforcement, fire rescue and emergency medical services, as well as transportation capital road projects for Marion County and its municipalities (Belleview, Dunnellon, Ocala, Reddick and McIntosh). The temporary tax would be levied over a period of four years (Jan. 1, 2017-Dec. 31, 2020), and would generate an estimated $166 million over those years.

A sales tax means visitors would help pay for the roads and public safety services they use while in Marion County, since the 1% is levied on purchases, and not properties. 

To read full “Sales Tax Initiative” 

Source: http://marioncountyfl.org/about/board-of-county-commissioners/sales-tax-option

3 Reasons Why… It’s Great Time for Sellers Aug 2015

Posted by Duke Rountree on

2015 is turning into an excellent year for sellers because of rising home prices, increased demand from home buyers and happy houseless overall seller competition for most U.S. and Ocala Marion County Homeowners

 

1. Stronger demand from buyers… Demand from buyers has remained high and less competition(homes for sale), is making 2015 a fantastic year for many Marion County home owners. There is currently a larger pool of buyers, including first time buyers, boomerang buyers)previous owners who lost their home to foreclosure or short sale), and traditional owner-occupant buyers.

2. Home prices on the rise…Across the nation home and condo sellers in the first half of the year sold for an average of 13% above original asking price. Homes in the median price range have increased 6.4% since 2014 based on the June – Monthly Market Reports from Florida Association of Realtors for the Ocala/Marion County area. “So far in 2015, [sellers] are realizing the biggest gains in home price appreciation since 2007,” Blomquist says. “In June, sellers sold for above estimated market value on average for the first time in nearly two years.” Median sales prices of existing-homes pushed above the previous 2006 peak to a record high in June, the National Association of REALTORS® reported this week. The median existing-home price for all housing types was $236,400 in June – surpassing the peak median sales price set in July 2006 at $230,400.

3. Less Seller competition… New listings have decreased year over year by -2.6% and pending homes sales have increased 7%. Ocala/Marion County inventory has also decreased -8% and currently there is only a 6 month supply of inventory. This means if no other homes were placed on the market in the coming months it would take 6 months for ALL homes to be sold. Also the decrease in the number of distressed properties has fallen -11.8% and these sales accounts for less than 10% of all closed sales.

It is important to remember that location is the biggest factors in considering all of the numbers and statistics. It is important to find a trusted real estate professional that is knowledgable about your local market to discuss in further detail. Want to know the value of your home…Contact me today for a “free, no obligation” market analysis of your home and property.

 

Source: Realtormag.realtor.org – DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015″2015 Great Year to Sell,” RealtyTrac (July 22, 2015)