May 29, 2009
HERNANDO COUNTY
It’s time again for the Annual Hurricane and Safety Expo! Saturday, May 30, 2009 starting at 9:00 a.m. and wrapping things up at 2:00 p.m. at 6131 Commercial Way in Weeki Wachee Springs, Hernando County, Florida, come and join us for vendors, mermaid and animal shows, music, hurricane safety demonstrations and presentations. The theme this year is “Keeping You Informed – Before the Storm”. For more information please call (352)754-4083 or visit the Hernando County Sheriffs website.
Sweetfields Farms amazing sunflower maze outside of Masyrktown, Hernando County, Florida is surviving the rainy weather as of late and is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on the weekends. The farm is located at 17250 Benes Roush Rd and the admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children. Cash only!
CITRUS COUNTY
The Levee Music Bar and Grill in Dunnellon, Citrus County, Florida will be rocking the house this weekend, with a couple live bands from around the country. Josh & the Cross Eyed Mosquitoes will hitting the stage at 8:00 p.m. tonight, dishing out some fabulous Blues and Southern Rock tunes! Tomorrow night starting at 8:00 p.m. head on over to listen to Tampa Tina & The Delta Aces for some good ol’ fashion Rockabilly! Admission is free to both shows! The Levee Music Bar & Grill is located at 20583 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more information, feel free to call 352-465-3890.
In Floral City, Citrus County, Florida, Regal Railways will be hosting a train show and swap meet on Saturday starting at 10:00 a.m. and ‘chugging’ through until 3:00 p.m. at Adventureland, located at 6440 S. Florida Ave. Admission to the show is $4 for adults and children under 12 are free. For more information please call 727-244-1341.
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May 28, 2009
According to a survey taken by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida, consumer confidence has jumped six points last month! Last year at this time consumer confidence dropped to the lowest that it has been in the 25 year history of the index.
Due to the low house prices and the signs that the economy appears to be stabilizing, the largest jump in confidence was on purchasing “big-ticket items”, such as appliances, cars and homes. This could be a good sign for the economy; however, there are many other influences that can determine when the economy will recover, such as government bail outs and bankruptcy of large enterprises.
The effects that the Florida state budget will have on residents within the state, as well as the possibility of bankruptcy for GMC and Chrysler could affect consumer confidence in the near future.
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May 27, 2009
An 18% increase in existing home sales for April marked the eighth consecutive month in a row, on a year-to-year comparison, that Florida has shown a significant rise in real estate sales activity, according to the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR).
With the total of Florida’s home sales at 13,111, April’s numbers showed an increase when compared to last month, as well. Existing condominium sales also increased by 21%, compared to this time last year, while increasing 6.2% compared to March of 2009.
Although, the National real estate market is showing some signs of stabilization, it appears that Florida is well on the way to recovery!
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May 26, 2009
Five years ago, Village Services Cooperative signed a contract with FDS Disposal Inc. for trash pick-up in Citrus Hills. On the first of April of this year, the two companies have embarked on a recycling program for the community, offering once-a-week curbside single-stream recycling for a nominal fee. In ‘greenhorn’ terms, single-stream recycling means that you would not have to sort through your materials; they will do it for you at the plant.
To date, 20% of the Citrus Hills residents have jumped on the recycling band-wagon, however, the program will not begin migrating to other communities, such as Black Diamond, Pine Ridge or Sugarmill Woods, until another 10% of the residents are willing to participate in the program. During its first month, FDS was able to save 29 tons of trash from being hauled off to the county landfill!
Way to Go Green Citrus County!
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May 21, 2009
According to the Hernando County Association of Realtors (HCAR), home sales have increased by 28% this quarter! Brokers and agents have found themselves busy again with multiple offers and in some cases, even the bidding wars have begun!
Over half of the home sales have been foreclosures or short sales bringing the median price of the homes sold in Hernando County, Florida to just a touch over $100,000. The current market provides an opportunity to purchase your very own dream home in Florida for a record low price!
First-time home buyers are taking advantage of the $8,000 tax credit, investors are buying again and who can blame them? With record low interest rates and home prices, amazing incentives and opportunities, purchasing a home in today’s market is smarter than investing in the stock market!
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May 20, 2009
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the nations largest mortgage lenders, are still suffering major financial difficulties, according to CNNMoney. Both agencies were taken over by the government last year in an effort to reduce the size of the companies’ mortgage holdings.
The downfall of these agencies could be detrimental to the housing market, as 73% of the mortgages in the second half of 2008 orignated from these two companies. They are also key parts to the Obama Administration’s foreclosure prevention plan, which includes a loan refinance plan for home owners that have mortgages that are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
To find out if your loan is backed by one of these companies, dial 1-800-7FANNIE for Fannie Mae information or visit Freddie Mac’s website. You can also phone your lender or servicer, they can point you in the right direction.
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May 19, 2009
According to CNNMoney, a government report released last week showed record lows for initial construction and building permits in April of 2009. This is the lowest reading since the government started keeping records in 1959.
Although, the report indicates that the housing starts are at an all time low, the same report also shows signs of some stabilization in the single-family housing market. As an added bonus, new construction of single-family homes showed a slight incline in April. With signs of stabilization in the single-family market and inclines in the new construction of single-family homes, it would seem reasonable to assume that this side of the market may very well be showing signs of bottoming out.
Once the prices begin to bottom out, they have no other place to go but up. By the summer of this year, all the real estate incentives that the Obama Administration has put into place will have had several months to start working, sales should begin to pick up drastically, if this happens, prices should stabilize.
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May 18, 2009
Freddie Mac reported last week that 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgage rates are on a slight incline. Although, they have in no way come close to what the rates were at this time last year, they are indeed rising.
The rates were down to 4.78% during the month of April this year, which is lowest that Freddie Mac has seen since the company began their survey back in 1971. However, according to the survey, the rates have risen to 4.84% last week, which still leaves them below 5%, but does show an incline.
Freddie Mac checks the mortgage rates from lenders all over the nation every Monday and Wednesday, and although the rates can change from day to day, the rise in rates has occurred two weeks in a row.
With the low interest rates and all the first-time homebuyers’ perks, purchasing a home at this time could be the smartest investment move that you could make. Don’t miss the boat and lose out on the opportunity to get in on the incredible real estate deals of today!
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May 15, 2009
Here in Florida, we have more seasons than just winter, spring, summer and fall! Take Hurricane Season, for example, this season runs from June 1 until Nov 31st, which means that it is right around the corner! There are a few things that you can do to make sure that you are prepared, so you will not find yourself scrambling around at the last minute:
Make sure that your flood insurance is in order – Many people are under the impression that flood insurance is automatically covered by your home owner’s policy, this is not the case.
Start stocking up for your Disaster Supply Kit – canned foods, batteries, bottled water, can opener, cooking tools, paper plates and plastic utensils, first aid kit, and a battery operated radio are standard supplies to keep on hand.
Make sure that all your pets’ immunizations are up to date – you never know if you’ll have to evacuate and place your pets in a shelter. Make sure that you have a carrier and leash as well.
Making sure that these few things are taken care of, can ease your mind in a stressful time.
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May 14, 2009
According to a real estate survey taking by the University of Florida in March of 2009, residents of Florida are beginning to feel more comfortable with the real estate market. Timothy Becker, director of University of Florida’s Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies, believes that home prices will continue to fall, due to lenders wishing to get the multitude of properties off of their books.
So, why are Floridians optimistic? Maybe is the increased home sales that have been reported by the Florida Association of Realtors for three consecutive quarters. The first quarter of this year showed a 25% increase in existing home sales in comparison to the fourth quarter of last year and the numbers keep rising!
What once seemed like a hopeless situation is taking a turn for the better. Homes are selling again, which only means that prices will rise again. Although Becker believes that prices may still drop, he may be right, but they won’t drop much lower than they are now and the time frame to get in on the first-time home buyer perks is running out. Take advantage of the incredible deals out there today, before it’s too late and the prices begin to rise once more.
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