Gainesville Homes For Sale

I am asked constantly about the state of the Gainesville real estate market and for perdictions for the coming year.  To help address these important questions, I am honored to have a guest writer, Emma Crawford, featured today with an article as result of her extensive research. 

According to Emma, “The post-recession economy looks to the real estate sector for indications that recovery is on the horizon. An uptick in home sales and home values provides some hope that the real estate market may have bottomed out and optimism is in order for 2012. This may be the case here in Gainesville where the last quarter of 2011 showed strong numbers for closed and pending home sales. In addition, market trends point to lower inventories and quicker closings.

The numbers tell the story. The Gainesville Florida Homes Market Report shows that closed sales rose from only 97 in October 2011 to 109 in November and 195 in December. In 2011, total homes sold for the Gainesville area reached 2,071 with 84 percent of these homes priced below $250,000. Buyers could also be swayed by rising rental rates in the area. Gainesville apartments saw an upswing of $130 a month in 2011 and this rising rate could only push those who are on the fence onto the buying side.

The average price for Gainesville residential home sales was placed at $116,000 between October and December 2011. This represents a 23 percent price drop compared to the same period in 2010. However, the last quarter was particularly encouraging in terms of how quickly home listings went to closing. In October, it took an average of 179 days to sell a home. By November, the average dropped to 159 days. In December 2011, Gainesville homes for sale were averaging only 96 days on the market. While these numbers are nowhere near as frenzied as the days when home flipping was the norm, they augur well for 2012 real estate sales.

Renewed activity in Gainesville real estate can be attributed to investors and bargain-hunters seeking to invest in Alachua County’s largest city. The presence of the University of Florida has served to prop up Gainesville’s local economy even while the rest of state suffered. Student housing has always been a bright spot for the Gainesville real estate market.

This early in 2012, inventories of resale homes have declined by 23 percent compared to December 2011. Home prices are up 33 percent to $120,000 compared to $81,000 in December. Real estate professionals expect distressed properties in Gainesville to add to inventories as homes stuck in the foreclosure fiasco enter the pipeline as short sales or foreclosures. This can only whet buyer interest as there are definitely bargains to be had in short sale or foreclosure transactions.”

Thanks Emma for these insights.  We look forward to her joining us in the future with additional articles relating to the Gainesville real estate market.  

It’s about that time again in the Gainesville Fl area! The crisp/cool air, countless beautiful shades of colors, and plenty of enjoyable evenings around the bonfire await us. Yet, amidst all these great things, there are certain preparations that you need to be aware of when getting your Gainesville real estate and home ready for the fall season as well.
As a Gainesville area homeowner, it’s important that you take certain steps in order to protect your home’s condition and also your wallet.

So let’s explore 5 key areas that you ought to review over the upcoming weeks to be fully equipped for what lies ahead:

• Routine furnace maintenance: Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment for your furnace. While trying to juggle work obligations, kids, school, chores, and much more, this is one of those areas that can easily be overlooked.
  
  
  But a couple hundred dollars now is much more reasonable than a few thousand later. Keep your furnace in good working condition and make sure you’re prepared for the colder temperatures.
• Clean off your roof: As the leaves begin to fall, it’s important that you protect your roof from unnecessary moisture. Take the time to clean off any debris that builds up before the winter months and ensure that your roof is patched from any basic wear and tear.
  
  
  This will be especially vital when winter snow begins to accumulate. Also, clear out your gutters and scan the area around your chimney as well. If there seems to be any places where water could leak in than it may be time to call a professional.
• Prepare Your Pipes: First of all, don’t forget to unscrew any hoses or nozzles attached to the outside faucets. For those who are using underground sprinklers, take the time to push out any remaining water from the summer. Also, cleaning your septic system may be beneficial before the temperatures hit freezing.
• Basic Crack Repair & Landscape: For those who have minor sidewalk or concrete damage, now may be a good time to fill some of those areas with something like Quikrete to avoid further damage. This can help to keep water and moisture out, especially once snow hits. Also, make sure to clear out the areas around your house where leaves have fallen, and cut back any other trees or shrubbery.
• Insulation & Energy Efficiency: This can be a huge money waster! For those who are rarely at home and constantly on the run, you may want to consider investing in a programmable thermostat. This can save you hundreds of dollars alone by cutting back on unnecessary energy costs. Especially with the rise in most utilities costs, this should certainly be considered.
  
  
  Also, are there areas around your windows, doors or elsewhere that may be allowing draughts to enter your home? Consider either having these places sealed or maybe investing in some new materials. Depending on how long you plan to live at your current residence, the cost could certainly be justified.

Hopefully you have found these 5 tips to be helpful and informative when preparing your Gainesville real estate and or home for the coming winter months. Please visit us again soon, as we update our website with other useful tips on a regular basis.

I have noticed recently ,as I traveled around the Gainesville area assisting folks buy and sell Gainesville real estate, a number of pumpkin patches beginning to sprout up all over the place. There is a nice one that I pass in Alachua, Florida that seems to have a wide selection and draws quite a crowd. I normally do not get involved in carving pumpkins and know very little about this custom. So I did a little research to find out more about this autumn activity and thought I would pass it on to you in way of a blog post. It seems that Jack-o’-lanterns are a staple come October, and carving pumpkins is a favorite autumn activity. Seems like overnight, pumpkin patches sprout throughout our Gainesville area communities. Each year, we spend an evening fashioning faces onto various pumpkins—a somewhat silly task, if you really think about it. So why do we slice ‘n’ dice these gourds—and just who is this Jack fellow anyway? As is true with many Halloween customs, the jack-o’-lantern as we know it stems from an old Irish tradition. In fact, many of our Halloween customs have Irish ties, due in large part to the influx of Irish immigrants during the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s. Back in Ireland, it was common practice to carve lanterns from vegetables—especially turnips. In fact, early jack-o’-lanterns were actually turnips—not pumpkins—carved with scary faces to ward off wandering spirits. Once the tradition reached America, the larger, easier-to-carve pumpkin became the norm for jack-o’-lantern making.
Going back even further, we find the legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy soul who tricked the Devil one too many times. In one version of this old folktale, Jack convinces the Devil to climb a tree and gather some fruit. Thinking he’s outsmarted the Devil, Jack carves a cross into the tree’s trunk, trapping the Devil in its limbs. Jack agrees to free the Devil under the condition that the Devil spares Jack’s soul. Time passed, and when Jack died, he learned that his unscrupulous life denied him entrance to Heaven. And because the Devil promised to reject his soul, Jack was left to roam the earth. As a parting gift, the Devil mockingly gave Jack a piece of coal with which Jack made his ever-popular lantern.
The practice of carving jack-o’-lanterns originated in Ireland and Scotland as a way to ward off wandering spirits like the dreaded Jack the Lantern. I imagine the original jack-o’-lantern didn’t cast as big of a smile as ours do today. So now you have the rest of the story. As you travel this fall throughout the Gainesville and Alachua county area and observe the different Jack-o-Lanterns, you know the history.