Discover Citrus County
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 24, 2008
Citrus County’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine
2007-2008 Edition
Discover Citrus County Magazine
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Florida Tax Amendment 1 FAQs
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 23, 2008
Q: When will the changes from Amendment 1 show up on tax bills?A: For those who are eligible, benefits from portability, the additional homestead exemption and the $25,000 exemption for tangible personal property will show up on 2008 tax bills. Read the rest of this entry »
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Homosassa Florida
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 22, 2008
Homosassa, Florida is home to one the state’s more impressive wildlife parks and rehabilitation facilities. The Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is often home to large numbers of ‘migratory’ manatees, which frequent the area due to its springs and relatively warm waters.
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The upside of Florida real estate: 20 market positives
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 21, 2008
The upside of Florida real estate: 20 market positives
Let’s take a look at some of the opportunities and positive indicators for the future of Florida’s real estate market. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Real Estate Citrus County, Real Estate News | No Comments »
Panel Proposal May Revamp Property Taxes
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 21, 2008
The Dean Document
The Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission on Monday advanced
a proposed amendment to the state constitution which would eliminate the main property tax for the state’s public schools. This proposed amendment, if passed by voter in November, would then replace lost revenue with a slight sales tax increase. Read the rest of this entry »
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How to calculate Florida tax portability benefits
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 21, 2008
Topics: Real Estate Citrus County | No Comments »
Florida Property Tax plan forces hand of lawmakers
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 21, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – March 20, 2008 – The tax cut that voters will be asked to approve in November will do more than save property owners money. It will force lawmakers to do what they have refused to do for nearly 70 years: modernize sales-tax rules to raise revenue from products and services that have never been taxed. Read the rest of this entry »
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Florida Homeowner’s Insurance Update
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 21, 2008
In another major setback for Florida’s troubled property insurance market, State Farm Florida announced it would stop writing new policies effective March 1. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Top Ten Reasons It’s a Great Time To Buy Real Estate!
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 18, 2008
1) Selection, selection, selection. There are about 57,000 resale homes on the market in Maricopa county(Phoenix). Regardless of the price range a buyer desires, there are plenty of houses from which to choose. Read the rest of this entry »
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2008 Citrus County Fair!
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 17, 2008
Click here for Citrus County Fair Assoc.
Belle City Amusements workers Ryan Shott, left, and Chris Armstrong position the front of this fiberglass car high atop the Rock and Roll ride Thursday morning at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. The fast-paced, head-banging ride is comprised of some 800 parts and more than 6,500 lights, according to those piecing it together. The fair and its ride-filled midway opens at 5 p.m. today at the Citrus County Fairgrounds, just south of Inverness.
The Citrus County Fair is all about tradition, and that includes the location as well.
The fun kicks off today as the fair marks its 60th year at the fairgrounds on U.S. 41, just south of Inverness. Read the rest of this entry »
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Citrus County Florida – 8 Great Reasons to Live Here
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
1) Affordable Living, NO state income taxes!
According to a recent survey of American Chamber of Commerce Researchers association, living in Citrus County costs 43% less than Boston, 25% less than Chicago and 56% less than New York City to name just a few. Citrus County ranks among the least expensive of growing counties in which to live.
You can save thousands of dollars per year on living expenses such as electricity, property taxes, auto insurance, home insurance, clothing and entertainment. On top of these exciting benefits there is no state Income tax in Florida and the sales tax in Citrus County is only 6% with food and prescription drugs exempt. Read the rest of this entry »
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US Census Bureau Citrus County Quick Facts
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
US Census Bureau Citrus County Quick Fact
People QuickFacts Citrus County
Population, 2006 estimate 138,143 Read the rest of this entry »
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Citrus Springs is great for investment again!
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
We have wonderful lots available in Citrus Springs Florida. Prices from $10,000. Citrus Springs is a dual golf course community. It is a lovely deed-restricted single-family home community that is really growing. Convenient to shopping and amenities in Crystal River, Beverly Hills, Dunnellon, and Ocala.
Call for more information, Our Phones Are Always On!
Alison Markham, GRI, Realtor®/Steven McClory, Realtor®
Exit Realty Leaders 730 N. Suncoast Blvd. Crystal River, FL 34429
www.naturecoastliving.com info@naturecoastliving.com
1.352.422.3998 (Mobile – Steven)
1.352.697.0761 (Mobile – Alison)
1.866.795.3396 (Toll Free)
Topics: Citrus County Noteworthy | Comments Off on Citrus Springs is great for investment again!
Estate size lot, 1 1/2 acres, Inverness Highlands
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
Country charm just minutes from historic downtown Inverness. The Highlands is a Homes Only neighborhood with no deed restrictions. Shed,camper,boat, RV s OK. Take a look, bring your checkbook! MLS 313500 $55,000
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Citrus Hills Golf Course Lot
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
Golf Course Lot! Lovely 1/2 acre on The Meadows Golf Course, Citrus Hills. Tee-riffic place to build your dream home. MLS 323306 $89,000
Call for more information or to schedule your personal showing.
Alison Markham, GRI, Realtor®/Steven McClory, Realtor®
Exit Realty Leaders 730 N. Suncoast Blvd. Crystal River, FL 34429
www.naturecoastliving.com info@naturecoastliving.com
1.352.422.3998 (Mobile – Steven)
1.352.697.0761 (Mobile – Alison)
1.866.795.3396 (Toll Free) Read the rest of this entry »
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Real Estate Investment 101: Becoming a Landlord
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 16, 2008
When you decide to buy a piece of real estate in order to pursue a business as a landlord, you are making an exciting and potentially financially-freeing decision. After all, simply owning real estate is an excellent investment. In addition, taking this real estate and turning it into an apartment or other form of rental property can provide for a steady flow of income. Nonetheless, there are several things you should know before you buy that first piece of real estate and enter into the world of renting. Read the rest of this entry »
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Homeowner’s Insurance
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 15, 2008
March 2008
It pays $$$ to shop for your homeowner’s insurance. We request quotes from each of the following companies for our buyers. Check the rates each year, you’ll be surprised how much you can save!
Remember, the age of the home, condition/age of your roof, and proximity to a fire hydrant all play major parts in the price of your home insurance quote.
Allstate
352-563-2323
FAX: 352-563-2570
Steve Centola
8110 S Suncoast Blvd
Homosassa FL 3446
Phone: 352-382-4400
FAX:352-382-5600
stevecentola@allstate.com
Affiliated Insurance
352-621-1925
FAX: 352-563-0135
Bell Family Insurance
5388 S. Suncoast Blvd.
Homosassa, FL 34446
352-628-6168
FAX: 352-628-6210
Nancy Bell
Brice Insurance Agency
352-344-1277
FAX: 352-344-2851
Farm Bureau
352-344-9450
FAX: 352-344-0163
Fero & Sons Insurance
352-746-5580
FAX: 352-746-0128
Fitzpatrick Insurance
352-726-0700
FAX: 352-726-1609
Heritage Insurance Inc.
352-563-0991
FAX: 352-442-0427
Insurance Den
352-628-2331
352-628-5619 FAX
insdencrew@aol.com
King Insurance Professionals
PMB #218
3491-11 Thomasville Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32309
Phone: 866-388-6691
Phone: 850-241-2200
Fax: 888-215-6450
E-mail: info@southernfig.com ddickey@kinginspro.com
Lassiter Ware Insurance
352-726-3818
FAX: 888-883-8680
Nationwide
352-795-1008
888-469-3119
FAX: 352-795-4605
O’Brien Insurance Agency
352-563-0749
FAX: 352-563-0941
The Hagar Group
352-726-1691
FAX: 352-726-0033
Safeway Insurance Center Inc.
7854 E. Gulf to Lake Hwy
Inverness, FL 34450
safewayinsurance@embarqmail.com
352-341-4014
Cell: 352-422-6325
Fax: 352-341-5014
Natalya N. Zummo
Sheldon Palmes Insurance
352-628-1030
FAX: 352-628-2055
Statefarm Insurance
352-795-4747
FAX: 352-795-0902
Sydnia Perry Insurance
352-726-8838
FAX: 352-
Van Allen Insurance Agency
352-637-5191
FAX: 352-637-2396
West Coast Insurers
352-726-0550
FAX: 352-563-2870
Topics: Home Improvement, Real Estate Citrus County | No Comments »
School Zones Citrus County Florida
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 15, 2008
Welcome to the Citrus County School Board Planning and Growth Management Department. We hope you will find all of the information helpful. Please feel free to browse around and check back often as we will make every effort to update the site as necessary. We welcome your input and suggestions for our web site. Thank you for visiting.
http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/pgm/ Read the rest of this entry »
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EXIT Realty exposes listings best!
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 13, 2008
When you list your home with a real estate professional chances are that another agent in the MLS system will actually procure your buyer. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is an unbeatable marketing tool.
EXIT Realty Leaders takes this a step further….. List with us and get 3 times the exposure.
For no additional cost to the buyer or seller, EXIT Realty Leaders will submit your home’s listing to the Citrus County MLS, Mid-Florida (Tampa to Orlando) MLS and the South Florida (Miami) MLS systems.
Why is this important for our Sellers’ exposure?
- Three separate listings on Realtor.com
- An agent in anyone of those three MLS systems can bring or send their qualified buyer to Citrus County and be fully compensated for half of the sale.
- We will even do the work for them with the EXIT 100% referral network.
- Florida buyers are moving away from excessive growth and congestion and Citrus County is just what they are looking for, EXIT helps them find you.
- Citrus County has approximately 700 Realtors® in the system, but Tampa, Orlando and Miami have tens of thousands of Realtors®. That’s easy math, isn’t it?
100% Referral Network – The ability to capture non-existent buyers. The 100% Referral Network is a central location where you can upload your listing(s) by agreeing to pay a 100% referral fee. You can easily manage your properties online, as the site is extremely user friendly. This tool is a wonderful listing tool that will create more exposure for your sellers. By submitting a listing to www.100percentreferral.com you are agreeing to offer a 100%
referral fee on the buying side of that listing. EXIT REALTY FLORIDA is aggressively marketing this site, through e-mail campaigns, magazine ads, cold calling campaigns, etc., in order to drive traffic to it.
Please refer to the terms and use located on www.100percentreferral.com for additional information.
Call 866 795 3396 for more on these programs and all the marketing benefits of EXIT Realty Leaders.
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3 Key Ways to Buy Foreclosed Properties
By Alison Markham, Broker-Associate, GRI, Realtor® | March 13, 2008
It’s not as easy as the infomercials make it look
By Alex Markels
Posted February 13, 2008
More than a million foreclosed and “distressed” properties are expected to hit the market this year, from two-bedroom starter homes to 20-room mansions. But while the banks that own many of them are now preparing to sell them en masse at auction, most of the best properties will be sold long before the gavel comes down.
Homeowners unable to refinance—but still with plenty of equity—can simply put their houses on the market, while those underwater can plead with their banks to let them “short-sell” for less than they owe on the mortgage.Those who can’t sell before they’re foreclosed on will be evicted and their houses auctioned off. Whether on the steps of the local courthouse or through private sales, bidding typically starts at or just below what’s still outstanding on the mortgage, plus fees and court costs—which isn’t a deal if the property’s market value has sunk below that.
More often than not, the bank takes back the house and hires a real estate agent to sell it, sometimes at far less than what was owed on it. So which stage offers the best opportunity to buy on the cheap?
Here are the upsides and downsides of each:
Pre-foreclosures. This entry point offers both the best and worst of the often messy business of investing in foreclosed property. On the one hand, if you can contact a distressed homeowner as soon as or even before his troubles become public knowledge (usually in the form of a “notice of default” listing in the newspaper), you’re ahead of the competition and in position to work out a deal. On the other hand, you’re approaching the hapless homeowner when he’s at his lowest, or even worse, still in denial of the reality he faces. Already on edge, many facing foreclosure are warned to be wary of strangers approaching them with quick fixes, and with good reason. “That’s when the vultures show up,” says real estate attorney Oliver Frascona, who notes that fraudsters posing as so-called foreclosure consultants often try to get involved at this stage in the process.
Anyone with misgivings about profiting from someone else’s misery has plenty of reason to steer clear. The irony, however, is that this is the point when a would-be can actually do some good, helping an owner avoid the all but permanent taint of a foreclosure. Although involuntarily selling one’s house is sure to be heart-wrenching, a fair offer can at the very least create a path to financial recovery. That said, foreclosure experts warn buyers to avoid getting entangled in the seller’s personal affairs. “A reasonable offer is all you owe them,” says real estate broker Ralph Roberts, author of the book Foreclosure Investing for Dummies.
Those who want to avoid direct contact with a distressed seller have another option: the short sale. Such homes, which are often put on the market with the help of a real estate agent, are priced below what the owner owes on the mortgage and must be approved by the bank. The advantage, of course, is that you have every opportunity to do your due diligence and make an offer without having to engage the seller directly. The disadvantage is that once the house is on the market, you’re competing with everyone looking for a deal. Meanwhile, even if your offer is accepted, it could take weeks, even months, for the bank to respond.
To increase your chances of getting a thumbs up, be sure to do your homework, including a thorough market analysis of what comparable homes have sold for, and submit your research along with your offer. “If you come in with all the statistics and can make the case that yours is a fair price, they’re more likely to take it,” says Pat Lashinsky, chief executive of real estate brokerage ZipRealty. And whatever you do, “don’t try to low-ball the bank because they won’t go for it.”
Public auctions. The very idea is irresistible. Find your dream house, head for the courthouse steps, and bid whatever you think the place is worth. Unfortunately, the public auction stage of the foreclosure process rarely presents easy pickings. Although the exact method of disposition varies widely by both state and county, the general process is that the homeowner is sent a “notice of default” and given a certain amount of time—usually about 90 days—to “cure” the loan and bring payments up to date. If the homeowner doesn’t, the bank then sues to repossess the house, which the court or a trustee then auctions off to the highest bidder.
The caveat is that the highest bidder must offer at least $1 above what the bank is owed on the property, then make a nonrefundable deposit—usually between 10 and 15 percent—and arrange financing within 30 days. In most cases, however, even a bid that’s just $1 over the outstanding mortgage is substantially more than the house is worth. The result is the exact opposite of the sort of auctions you read about in the arts pages: a short, utterly boring affair in which no one even bothers to make a bid.
In some places, the owner may then have one last chance to “redeem” the property, paying off the entire loan amount, plus fees and expenses. Such situations are exceedingly rare, however, as few can finagle a new loan at that point, let alone come up with enough cash to pay off the old one.
Equally rare are situations in which homeowners who still have equity are nonetheless foreclosed on and their properties auctioned off. “Some people who come to me are just in denial,” attorney Frascona says of some who simply refuse to sell before they’re evicted. “But they usually to come to their senses by the time I’m done with them.”
Even if they don’t, buyers lucky enough to ferret out a “found money” situation still face risks. First and foremost is that fact that publicly auctioned homes are sold “as is,” and there’s usually little or no opportunity to tour the house, let alone arrange for a full-blown home inspection. Fixing that leaky water heater or protecting the house from termites is usually low on a cash-strapped homeowner’s priority list, which means such houses are often fixer-uppers.
Even worse are situations in which soon-to-be-evicted homeowners take out their frustrations through sabotage. “They were so angry that they poured cement into all the drains and blocked up all the plumbing,” ZipRealty’s Lashinsky recalls of the evicted owners of one property, which cost the new owner about $25,000 to fix.
Owners often leave behind other problems in the form of unpaid taxes and other liens against the property. Back taxes are considered “superliens” that must be paid off by whoever takes ownership of the property. In some states, a foreclosure extinguishes junior-level liens, such as second mortgages, credit card debt, and the like. Others, however, require the new owner to pay off mechanics’ liens, such as the money still owed to the repairman who fixed the central air conditioning system last summer.
Information on such debts is usually available through the local county clerk and recorder and the local treasurer’s office. Title companies, too, are often willing to do a free cursory “errors and omissions,” or E&O, search for prospective customers, although they don’t always pick up every outstanding debt.
Bank-owned sales. The last stage of the foreclosure process may offer the smallest upside over the short run but the surest investment over the longer run.
By the time a homeowner has been foreclosed on and evicted, plenty of would-be investors have already had and passed up their chance to buy the house, usually for good reason.
Unable to get what it’s owed, the bank then hires an outside real estate agent to put the place on the market, usually for somewhat less than what was originally owed on the mortgage. Spying a potential deal, would-be investors then circle back. Free now to tour the home and do all the due diligence needed to make an informed decision, many nonetheless continue to low-ball the bank and get rebuffed in the process.
Abandoned and unkept, such houses often sit on the market for months — even a year or more — gathering weeds and dust until someone finally hits the bank’s target price. As with buying houses during the pre-foreclosure “short sale” period, the best strategy for getting the bank to sell is to offer a fair price and back it up with hard copies of all the research you’ve done to get there.
Of course, good things may also come to those who wait. With few signs of a bottom to the market and inventories of unsold houses continuing to increase, some major banks are already engaging post-foreclosure auctioneers to sell off their properties en masse. Well publicized in advance, such sales can offer advantages over government-administered foreclosure auctions, allowing prospective bidders to tour the homes in advance, and can even offer help with financing.
Recent auctions in Southern California and Florida have disposed of hundreds of homes in a single day, at prices as much as 40 percent off what the houses previously sold for. Even then, however, “it remains to be seen how many of those people actually got a deal,” broker Roberts says of home prices that continue to fall in many areas.
Topics: Real Estate Citrus County, Real Estate News | No Comments »