September has come to a close and it’s time to start looking forward to fall.
In our October issue of our monthly newsletter, you will find fall events, featured listings, and market trends. Click the link below to check it out.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of your real estate needs.
Duke Rountree
Rountree Realty Corp.
Broker / Owner
Call / Text 352-572-1739
Info@Search352Homes.com
Search352Homes.com
Have you thought about selling your home? It can seem overwhelming and confusing at times. That’s why Rountree Realty has a step by step plan to get it done!
When you reach out to Duke Rountree with Rountree Realty Team, here is what will happen:
First Step: Consultation and CMA (Comparative Market Analysis)
Second Step: Pricing and Marketing Preparation
Step 4: Follow up and Feedback
Rountree Realty Team and Duke Rountree are dedicated to helping people sell their homes and assisting every step of the way. Contact us to get your home sold!
Good Day All,
I hope everyone is having a great week!! The weekend is almost here and I’m sure your weekend is jammed packed with preparations and holiday activities! Lately, I’ve seen so many homeowners listing their homes with Realtors based out of Jacksonville, Orlando and even some in South Florida. For the homeowners that are doing this, I have 2 questions for you.
Why? And Do You Know Who You’re Hiring?
Below are just a few questions you should ask Realtors when you’re interviewing them to list your property.
Have you seen all of the marketing that is included when you list with Rountree Realty? Professional Photography, 3-D Tour, Floorplan of Home, Social Media Marketing Campaigns, Website Article and MORE!! Below is an example showing just a few of these items. >>>
http://bit.ly/HomewithHwy315Frontage
For More Info on How I Can Help You SELL Your Property and Provide the RESULTS You Deserve Please Contact Me! (352) 577-9171 or Email Info@Search352Homes.com
Good Day All,
I hope everyone is having a great week!! Can you believe that it is almost December 1st? The countdown to Christmas is here!! This may surprise you that a Realtor is telling you this, but now is NOT the time to list your home! I know it’s a shocker, but below are a few reasons why you want to wait and list your home for sale after the New Year.
I hope you find this information helpful!! Just remember list with me in January, but call me today so we can get a plan together!
Call/Text (352) 577-9171 or Email Info@Search352Homes.com
Good Afternoon All,
I hope everyone is having a great start to your Monday! Who has filed their income taxes and is just waiting for your refund to hit their bank account? Have you given any consideration as to what you’re going to do with your tax refund? Here’s an idea for you…INVEST IN YOURSELF AND BUY A HOME!!! Buying a home is one of the best financial decisions you can make! Below are just a few reasons what you should invest in yourself and buy a home NOW!
1.) Low Interest Rates, BUT on the Rise- The average 30 year fixed interest rate is about 4.5%. This is still incredibly low, but over the past 8 weeks we have been seeing an increase in rates.
2.) Home Values- Sale prices and home values are on the rise! This is a good thing! We want values to go up gradually which means if you purchase now, hopefully within a year or so you will have positive equity in your home!
3.) Home Inventory- Most home sellers think about listing their home in the spring. They know the hard Florida winters are behind us and home buyers are ready to purchase!
4.) More Cash in Your Pocket- Did you know parts of Marion County and surrounding areas qualify for 100% USDA financing? Meaning no down payment for you! Let’s chat on how we can negotiate the seller paying some of your closing cost so at the end, you have keys in your hand with very little money out of pocket!
5.) Tax Benefits- Have you thought of all of the tax benefits of purchasing a home? Tax write offs, mortgage insurance, homestead tax exemption, etc. I’m sure your accountant will have even more tax benefits for you!
If you have any questions or want to get started today with your home purchase please contact us. We would love to have the opportunity to help assist you with ALL of your real estate needs. Thank you!
2015 is turning into an excellent year for sellers because of rising home prices, increased demand from home buyers and 
less 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)
Florida currently has 3 home buyer programs available;
In the Ocala/Marion real estate market, conditions continue to be even as fewer houses become available compared to his time last year. June 2015 found an decrease in the number of new listings, active listings and pending sales were up for single-family homes, according to information from Ocala Marion County Association or Realtors®.
The 877 new listings in June 2015 represented a -2.6 percent decrease over previous year. Active listings decreased 8 percent to 3,083 over the same period. Pending sales had a high jump in June, with the 656 pending listings in for the month, indicating a 7 percent increase over June 2014. Actual sales of single-family homes also increased over the same period.
The Ocala Marion County Association or Realtors® reports that in June, a total of 606 single homes were sold in the Ocala/Marion County area. This represents a 12.8% percent increase over sales in previous year. Prices in the Ocala/Marion County real estate market continue to climb during that year-long period. The median price of a single-family home in the Ocala/Marion County area increased 6.4 percent between June/2014 and June/2015, to $116,000.
Average home prices declined -3.7 percent during that period to $145,862. The closed sales by sales price during the year
increased in all price categories except for “less than $50k and over $1,ooo,ooo. Homes spend an average of 73 days on the market in Ocala/Marion County, which is decrease from June/2014 of 38.1 percent year-over-year. Generally higher prices, limited availability, and quicker sales of those homes that come up for sale make the Marion County real estate market a favorable environment for sellers, and because of the great value in our area buyers can find quality homes far cheaper than average rent prices for the area.
Rountree Realty provides expert real estate services to residential buyers and sellers in Marion County including Ocala, Fort McCoy, Anthony, Sparr, Citra, Salt Springs, Orange Springs and and surrounding communities. Contact us today for more information on local real estate and for professional assistance navigating this sometimes complex home market.
This report describes member activity for the association and is not confined to any specific geographic area. Statistics for each month compiled from MLS feeds on the 15th day of following month. Data released July 22, 2015, produced by the Florida REALTORS®
When you begin to consider remodeling or home improvements, homeowners should consider the return on investment(ROI) or recouping of their costs. Many updates are preformed simply because the homeowner desires that upgraded kitchen or bathroom. It is important to remember that many, if not most, updates are not great ROI, because they are more for personal reasons rather than a cost vs. value.
“It can be a daunting task to even decide on what home improvement projects to undertake, let alone to physically tackle and complete them,” says National Association of Realtors (NAR) President Chris Polychron. “Realtors know what buyers are looking for during their search, and curb appeal is and always will be important. That explains why Realtors once again rated exterior projects as some of the most attractive and valuable for homeowners.”
Seeing these reports now for many years in a row I have noticed one update that always stands above the rest in terms of cost vs value; the steel entry door. According to Realtors, a new steel entry door returns about 101.8% of its costs upon resale compared to 96.6% last year. For my sellers and marketing the property to future home buyers we always start at the curb first and front entry way next. These areas are two of the most important areas to focus. Why, because first impressions do matter and the entrance to every home being marketed for sale should be warm and inviting. If you cannot afford to replace the front door, then we suggest a good painting and replacing all door hardware for that fresh and clean look.
The good news is the steel entry door is consistently the least expensive project in the report.
Rounding out the top 10 projects in terms of cost recouped:
© 2015 Florida Realtors® http://www.floridarealtors.org/NewsAndEvents/article.cfm?p=2&id=317926
Existing-home sales continued to rise in October and are now up year-over-year for the first time in 2014, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says during a Nov. 20 press conference in Washington. This is good news for our local Ocala/ Marion County market because the inventory is moving closer to a balanced market. The largest issue facing the future is a lack of inventory in many price ranges. If you are a seller and thinking your home might not be worth what you owe, you could be be mistaken. There are still great deals to be found for buyers too. Want to chat more about real estate or discuss your homes value, please contact me today.