Get The Most of Your Tax Return-Buy a Home!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

 

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!

***List Your Home TODAY***

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

 

Good Afternoon Everyone, 

I hope everyone is having a great week! Today’s topic of discussion – SELLING Your Home NOW! 

Why do you think right now is a good time to sell your home? Maybe you’ve heard the real estate market is doing well? Or maybe you’ve had a friend or family member sell their home and have positive equity? Both of those are good reasons to sell, but here are 5 top reasons to SELL your home TODAY! 

1.) Low Mortgage Interest Rates! – Right now you can borrow money to purchase a home with record low interest rates! You may think well isn’t this a reason for a buyer to purchase a home? You’re correct, but this is a HUGE benefit for sellers. Right now Realtors like myself have buyers just waiting for homes to hit the market. Inventory is extremely low and the real estate market needs your home to be listed for sale TODAY! 

2.) Home Prices are on the Rise! – Home prices are continuing to rise throughout the United States. In 2017 we finished out the year with a 5.5% year to year increase with home values on the rise! 

3.) Millennials! – Millennials are ready to purchase a home! With an economy on the rise, millennials are in the position to purchase one of the best investments! They’re graduating college, starting careers and getting married! Perfect time in their life to invest in a home. 

4.) Money in Savings! – Not all, but some people are finally able to have money in savings!. They have made it through the hard times and feel stable with their finances. That being said, a lot of people are starting to look into purchasing a home. 

5.) Low Inventory- I discussed a little bit of this topic with # 1 and Low Interest Rates. Inventory is EXTREMELY low. I have a portfolio of buyers who are just waiting for the average family home to hit the market! They’re preapproved and ready to go! All we need is a home like yours to be listed for sale! 

If you have any questions about listing your home or purchasing a home, I would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss your real estate needs. As always I’m here to help every step of the way! 

Duke Rountree – Info@HomesForSaleOcalaMarion.com – (352) 572-1739

Veterans Day Events-20% Off Services!

Posted by R_yn5_@_ul on

Good Day All, 

I hope everyone is having a great day! Check out these fun family events to honor and celebrate our Veterans this weekend! 

http://fun4ocalakids.com/Whats-Happening/Veterans-Day-Events/

There are a lot of activities here in Marion County and surrounding areas to have fun with the family!

Oh and don’t forget that Rountree Realty gives back 20% of earned commission to our Veterans! Contact me today for more info. (352) 572-1739 or info@homesforsaleocalamarion.com. 

-Duke

Monthly Market Detail Report – June 2015

Posted by Duke Rountree on

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®

Existing Home Sales Continue to Rise In October 2014

Posted by Duke Rountree on

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.

 

https://www.homesforsaleocalamarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ocala_MSA_Single_Family_Homes_2014-10_Summary-2.pdf

 

What Are Benefits of Working with REALTOR® & Rountree Realty

Posted by Duke Rountree on

What Are Benefits of Working with REALTOR®rlogo

 

Experience: The typical REALTOR® has 11 years of experience 80% of REALTORS®  have over 6 years. With an average of 8 transaction sides closed per year, the knowledge your REALTOR®  possesses is invaluable in the success of residential and commercial advertising, appraising, renting, leasing, buying, selling, auctions or exchanges.

Education: Real Estate Associates must complete 63 initial hours of education before licensure and an additional 45 hours before 2 year anniversary. Brokers must have 2 years experience in real estate field and complete 72 hours of coursework to obtain Broker license with an additional 60 hours to completed within 2 years. Also, 30% of REALTORS have a Bachelors or some college experience.

Local Expert: A Realtor that specializes in a local market will know things that are not appearing on the listing information online; they’ll know more about the neighborhood. Letting a Realtor take what is a very emotional decision and apply objective criteria is one of the largest benefits.And when it’s time to write an offer, they’ll know what other properties have sold for and the intricacies of those properties, the differentiating features, so then you can get the best deal for your money.

So I would say it’s ok to shop on your own, but absolutely retain a trained professional REALTOR® for one of the most important purchases that you’ll make in your entire lifetime.Only real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) can call themselves REALTORS®. All REALTORS® adhere to NAR’s strict Code of Ethics, which is based on professionalism and protection of the public. That’s why all real estate licensees are NOT the same. “Dedicated to serving America’s property owners at local, state, and national levels, the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate®, is the largest professional association at 1 million members strong. So, whether you’re buying or selling a home – it pays to work with a REALTOR®. Look for the REALTOR® logo when choosing your real estate agent. -Courtesy of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®”

“Perform at your best when you best is required. Your best is required each day.” John Wooden

Ocala, Florida Area Local Market Report 2011 – 3rd Quarter

Posted by Duke Rountree on

TODAYS MARKET…. Median Price and Existing home Sales

All real estate is local and every market is unique. Remember that when you hear reports from the major new networks. We are seeing some positive signs in the Ocala / Marion County Market with the Median Home Price now at $80,900 with 1-year Appreciation at -1.6% and a 3 year Appreciation of a whooping -40.1%. This relatively recent correction in local home prices wiped out most of the equity gained over the last 7 years. State Existing Home Sales(2011 Q3 vs 2010 Q3) is at +10.6% for Florida and Nationally 17%.

FORECLOSURE info by type…

The market share of Foreclosures by type is 88.3% are Prime Loans, 5.1% are Sub-Prime Loans and 6.6% are Alt-A Loans. There has been a decline of both 60 and 90 day delinquency rates over the most recent 6-month period suggests a decline in local foreclosure rates in the near future.

AFFORDABILITY….

Based on Ratio of Local Mortgage Servicing Cost to Income, Ocala has typically been more affordable than most markets. For example the Monthly Mortgage Payment to Income for Ocala is 6.6% compared to 15.5% in the United States for 2010 and 5.7% locally for 2011 and 13.9% nationally with the historical average at 11.3% locally and 22% nationally. The price to income ratio has fallen as well and is below the historical average.

So what does this all mean?

Well it could mean we are close to reaching the bottom of the housing value slide. But it will take a strong economy and more local jobs for the housing market to continue gaining traction. There is less inventory on the market with an increase in buyer activity, compared to the same time last year. We are a long way from seeing appreciation in our homes but hopefully close to reaching the bottom and no more depreciation of value.

“Until Next Time”