Slice of Paradise / Little Lake Kerr $719,000

14540 NE 250th Avenue Salt Springs, FL 32134

Slice of Paradise on Little Lake Kerr on 4.28 Acres with 464′ of lakefront and dock! Truly, a one of kind property for Salt Springs with paved road access and close to everything! Arriving at the property you will find a gated and fenced property, welcoming you into the canopy of large oaks, magnolias, palms, fruit trees and more. The 10’x20′ covered front wood porch deck overlooks beautiful lake sunsets and welcomes you into the spacious living room. Living room has vaulted ceiling and Florida Limestone wood burning fireplace(updated LVP flooring in 2019). Original home was built in 1948 and over the years has been updated to include 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2325 square feet of living square feet under heat and air. Main bedroom is located upstairs and is spacious at 25.5’x15.5′. Main bathroom includes steel tub, tile surround, and huge closet. 3 guest bedrooms are cozy in size and located downstairs. Just off the living room is spacious sitting room with Florida Limestone wall, lots of windows providing natural light and full bathroom with tile shower surround. Kitchen is perfect size for a couple chefs to prepare their favorite meals, huge pantry and dining area to relax and enjoy with family and friends. Home includes 3 HVAC units for maximum comfort(newest unit was installed in 2021). Outside is a 24’x24′ barn-like garage/workshop which includes power, water and outdoor shower. Property provides lots of privacy with canals on North and South side of the property. Located in the heart of the Ocala National Forest w/ beautiful Salt Springs swim area, boat launch and short ride to Lake George and the St. Johns River. Salt Springs is also home to miles and miles of ATV/SxS, Horseback and hiking Florida Scenic trails. Great fishing year round in the many lakes, rivers and forest ponds, and don’t forget about the excellent hunting too. Close to local shopping including grocery store, Dollar General, hardware, gas station, great restaurants, entertainment and more. Only short 30 minute drive to Ocala or Palatka for all your needs.

ASKING PRICE $749,000

  • 4 Bedrooms 
  • 2 Bathrooms
  • 2,325 Living Sq. Ft 
  • 4.28 Acres
  • 464′ Lakefront
  • 20’x20′ Barn-Like Garage/Workshop

 

Questions To Ask When Buying Homeowners Insurance

For many homebuyers, property insurance is a detail, a box to be checked off on the way to closing. But details are important and missteps can be expensive. Purchasing insurance may not be as fun as choosing new furniture and paint colors, but it’s a critical part of the homebuying process. Your homeowners insurance policy is a financial safety net in case of a disaster, so you’ll want to ask a few important questions to make sure you have the coverage you need at a price you can afford.

What’s the dwelling coverage per square foot?

Imagine that a fire burned your house to the ground and your policy didn’t pay out enough to rebuild it. That could happen if your dwelling coverage – the part of your policy that covers the structure of your home – is too low.

To prevent this, don’t simply accept the initial dwelling coverage amount an insurance company recommends. “Insurance companies use replacement cost calculators, but they’re not 100% accurate by any means,” says Ryan Andrew, president of The Andrew Agency, an independent insurance agency serving Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

For a more accurate estimate, ask your insurer to send someone to your house for a replacement evaluation, suggests Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit that advocates for insurance consumers. You can also ask a local builder who specializes in new construction to estimate your home’s rebuilding cost per square foot.

Once you’ve chosen an appropriate dwelling limit, consider adding extended replacement cost coverage to your policy. With this coverage, your insurer will pay 10% to 50% more than your dwelling coverage amount to help you rebuild. This could save you thousands of dollars if building prices spike for unforeseen reasons such as a lumber shortage or high demand after a disaster.

A typically pricier option, guaranteed replacement cost coverage, will pay to rebuild your home regardless of expense.

Do I have multiple deductibles?

Homeowners may not realize that on some policies, higher deductibles may apply for claims due to wind, hail, named storms or other disasters.

For example, say a hurricane causes wind damage to your roof. Your insurance policy might have a wind deductible worth 5% of your dwelling coverage rather than the $1,000 deductible that applies to most other claims, Andrew says. So if your house were covered for $250,000, you’d have to pay for the first $12,500 of damage before your insurer paid anything.

Getting quotes from multiple insurers may help you reduce or eliminate these high deductibles.

What isn’t covered?

You might be unpleasantly surprised by your policy’s exclusions. “Flood insurance, which is excluded on almost all homeowners policies, is definitely a big one,” Andrew says, adding that this is especially important for homeowners with finished basements.

Even houses that aren’t near a body of water could experience flooding during heavy downpours, Andrew says, and a standard homeowners policy is unlikely to cover any damage.

You can buy flood insurance through companies that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. The program’s average flood claim payout was $52,000 in 2019.

Andrew also suggests adding water backup coverage to your policy. This pays for damage due to water backing up into your house from sewer lines, sump pumps or other water lines.

Another common coverage gap involves keeping up with current building laws. “If you have to make improvements when you’re repairing or replacing (your home) because the codes have changed since your house was built, a typical policy will exclude that,” Bach says. Though this can be particularly expensive for older homes, “even a house that was built five years ago is out of code,” Andrew says.

Both Bach and Andrew recommend adding ordinance or law coverage to your policy to handle these expenses.

How can I save?

While having the right coverage is generally more important than paying the bare minimum, there are discounts to make your policy more affordable. Andrew suggests buying your car, homeowners and other insurance through the same company to take advantage of bundling discounts, which can save you 20% or more.

“The best way to bring down the price without sacrificing coverage is to raise your deductible,” Bach says. Being willing to pay for smaller repairs yourself rather than filing claims will help keep your premiums low.

If you’re confused about coverage and discounts, reach out to an insurance agent to talk through your options. “Take a little extra time to understand what it is that you’re purchasing,” Andrew says. “For most people a house is the most expensive asset they have.”

Housing Demand

Happy Thursday, Everyone! 

If you have followed my blog you know for the past several months I have talked about the housing shortage that we’re currently facing. Check out this article that Florida Realtors just posted! The U.S. needs 3.3 million more homes to satisfy the housing demand. 

https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2020/03/study-us-needs-33m-more-homes-satisfy-demand

If you have given any consideration to selling now is the time!

Call me! I would love to help (352) 577-9171 

Worst Advice for Home Buyers!

Happy Monday! When buying a home you hear all different types of advice and opinions from your family, friends and peers. Check out this article posted by Realtor.com ~ worst advice given to home buyers. 

  • Prices are going down (FALSE) 
  • You don’t need a Realtor (USING A REALTOR IS FREE FOR YOU! PAID BY THE SELLER) 
  • Make lowball offers (THIS ISN’T ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.) 
  • Don’t obtain a home inspection (FALSE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST INVESTMENT YOU WILL MAKE) 

Link to full article >>>

https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/worst-home-buying-advice/?cid=soc%5Ffy20_TW_RDCFY20_Buyi

Please call me for all of your real estate needs! I would love to help! (352) 577-9171 

Monthly Market Detail Report – June 2015

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 yearPrices 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

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