Vero Beach Florida Homes

Speak up or please give up complaining—about local transportation plans at least.

One of my many joys about returning to the Vero Beach area after a visit elsewhere is the relative lack of traffic here compared to the places I visit.  However, perhaps you have some ideas about how to improve upon an already good situation.  If so, you are invited to participate in the long-term 25 year transportation plans for Indian River County. 

Do you wish we had more local public transportation, and/or passenger rail service north, south, or west?  Has the current oil spill developed a heretofore un-awakened urge to travel without your personal automobile everywhere you go? 

In order to better enjoy the great outdoors, do you wish we had more bike paths?  Should we increase the miles of sidewalks we have?  If so, where would you suggest these or other transportation amenities be constructed?

Could turn lanes help to alleviate waiting for others to turn left on certain well-traveled roads?  If so, where?  Even somewhat more mundane issues like coordination of traffic lights might be an issue you could recommend for improvement. 

What about Interstate 95 and access to the Turnpike?  Should there be more exits in our area?  Should Interstate 95 be widened in our area to coincide with the widening north and south of our county?

Whatever you envision for your future transportation in the Vero Beach area, you are in luck!   Our Indian River County government is asking for public opinions in a series for open forums – no registration required.  Speak up on May 24^th from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Gifford Community Center, 855 43^rd Ave, May 25^th from 9:45 to 10:15 at the County Administration Bldg B, Conference room 501, 1800 27^th St, May 25 1:30 to 3pm North Indian River Library, 1001 Sebastian Blvd, or May 25 4 to 6pm at the Riverhouse, 305 Acacia Rd. 

Online might be more convenient for you. If so, log on to greenirc2035.org to share your views.  You could even win a $100 gift certificate.

Indian River State College on the Treasure Coast of Florida celebrates their 50th Anniversary this year with the largest graduating class in its history.  Over 2,000 students received diplomas.  The former Indian River Community College became a state college in 2008, and offers campus locations in Vero Beach and in Fort Pierce to conveniently serve Florida’s Treasure Coast.  In addition to Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Business Technology, Graphic Design, Civil Engineering, Health Care, including Medical Emergency Technology, Security and Loss Prevention, Corrections, Firefighting and Fire Science, Indian River has recently added bachelor degree programs in Human Services, Digital Media, and Biology.

Congratulations!  Sixteen secondary school students from Indian River County and nine students from St Lucie County were honored at the state level in the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists State Science and Engineering Fair in Orlando.  This year only one St Lucie student, who attends the academic magnet school Lincoln Park Academy, won a category and will move on to the national competition in San Jose, California to present his environmental science project. 

Two Indian River County Storm Grove Middle School students won a trip to Syracuse University in New York in this years Kids Science Challenge sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Sebastian - Vero Beach Florida recently hosted the 2010 annual National Scholastic Surfing Association East Coast Championships — the 17th held here on the Treasure Coast at the Sebastian inlet.  The 4 day event did not disappoint the 200 contestants who praised the consistent waves, commonly thought to be the best surfing venue on the east coast.  Summer usually calms the waves in this area, however, so if you are looking for a challenge, try to visit in the early spring.

Selling a home in Vero Beach or Hutchinson Island can be a very personal experience. After all, this is the place you’ve lived for years. Maybe you renovated the interior with your own two hands. Maybe you got married here. Maybe this is even where you raised your kids. No matter what it is that makes your home, well, home, the decision to sell isn’t one that comes lightly to everyone.

The personal attachment we all have to our homes is part of the reason it can be difficult to sell a Florida home.

• Homeowners who associate positive memories with a house are more likely to value it at higher than the market rate. This can make it difficult to find a balance between what you think your home is worth and what it will reasonably sell for.

• Staging a home you love (and still live in) can be more challenging than staging an empty space. Packing away your personal belongings (e.g., pictures, knick knacks, books) to give your home a more streamlined and sell-able look for up to months at a time can put a strain on your enjoyment of the home selling and buying process.

• It can also be hard to put all your trust in another person’s hands. Selling a home in Vero Beach and the outlying areas often requires that you have open houses, walk-throughs, and open doors to everyone from real estate agents to nosy neighbors. Having others view your home – oftentimes while you are not there – requires that you put personal reservations about privacy aside.

Although this paints a rather bleak portrait of what selling a home entails, the truth is that people buy and sell homes every day. They upgrade to new family homes in Vero Beach suburbs and move to downtown condos with chic views – and are usually more than happy with the outcome.

One way to get past issues of trust and privacy is to put your home in the hands of a real estate agent you trust. Your agent works as an advocate for you and your house, making sure that everything proceeds safely and with a minimal hassle. And because your agent knows the Hutchinson Island real estate landscape, it’s easier to settle on a price and a staging set up that will get you faster results.

Ginny Mitchell has been working in the Florida area for years, and knows exactly what it is that makes local homebuyers interested. To minimize your anxiety and sell a FL home quickly and easily, feel free to call our office today.

The National Merit Exam ranks as a national measure of educational scholarship.  Vero Beach proudly recognized 3 local students who ranked in the top 8400 students nationally who won scholarship money awards from a field of 1.5 million students from 22,000 high schools.  Vero Beach High School announced 8 National Merit Scholars this year, with 2 winning scholarship money so far.  Vero Beach St Edwards private school honored 1 scholarship money award winner this year.  Congratulations to these 3 fine scholars!

Finding the right home in Vero Beach isn’t always as easy as relying on a checklist of square footage, number of bathrooms, and the upkeep of the yard. Although these types of features are important when determining where you want to live and raise a family, another important consideration is the neighborhood where your dream house is situated.

Vero Beach and Hutchinson Island homes for sale are noted for their family-friendly communities and idyllic backdrop, but that doesn’t mean that every home is ideally placed. Before you purchase a home in any Florida city, it’s important to research what the rest of the neighborhood has to offer.

Schools

Schools are the number one consideration when it comes to choosing a good neighborhood in FL. If you have kids, the reasons are easy to spot: you want your children to have access to a good, safe education. However, even homeowners without kids need to keep this issue in mind, especially if you plan on selling the house some day. Top-rated schools will not only keep your property value high, but they’ll also serve as an appeal to potential homebuyers in the future.

Crime and Sex Offenders

Few people want to live where they feel unsafe or fear for their families. That’s why you should always check the crime rate and search for registered sex offenders in the area. Never take a neighborhood at face value; a place that looks charming during the day might have a high rate of break-ins, while a neighborhood that looks less savory might actually have a strict neighborhood watch program in place and several policeman living nearby.

Walkability/Livability

Suburbs in the region of Vero Beach are generally good places for a slower pace of life, but the ability to walk to the market, the park, or to run simple errands might not be as high as what you can find in a more urban center. At the same time, Vero Beach suburbs might be better for taking a scenic evening stroll. When determining where you want to live in Florida, keep in mind what is more important for your lifestyle: being near amenities, or being near other families with similar goals as you.

The same is true for things like construction zones, local garbage plants, train tracks, playgrounds, dogs, or industrial zones nearby. Make sure you take a walk through your potential neighborhood during the day and in the evening to see what types of noises, smells, and sights you will have to get used to.

The Neighbors

Nothing tells you more about a neighborhood in Hutchinson Island than the neighbors. Does everyone keep their homes and yards in good order? If a visually-appealing community is important to you, you might want to look around to make sure everyone else feels the same way. You might also want to investigate why. Is upkeep important to the neighbors, or is it held in place by strict homeowners’ association rules? Are you ready to make the same level of commitment?

Also, you’ll want to determine the types of people who live nearby. Is there a large percentage of young families? Teenagers? Professionals who are rarely at home? Although these things can and will change, they will tell you a lot about the overall neighborhood culture.

Neighbors also matter when it comes to the type and sizes of homes they have. Are there a large number of foreclosures? That could indicate a lowering neighborhood value. Are the other houses very different than yours in terms of value? (Note: Being surrounded in houses much higher in value than yours means that you may pay more in property taxes. Houses with a lower value means that you may end up having a difficult time selling in the future.)

Buying Your New Vero Beach Home

Buying a home, whether it’s in the center of Vero Beach or on the outskirts of Indian River Shores, is a big undertaking. It’s important to look beyond the physical structure of your dream house to notice all that’s going on around you. After all, the place you call home is about more than four bedrooms and three baths; it’s about your way of life.

If you’re ready to learn more about purchasing a home in FL, contact Ginny Mitchell today. We’ll match you with the perfect home—including neighborhood amenities.

If you’re getting ready to sell a home in Vero Beach, you probably have a checklist of ideas for making your home more marketable. FL homes tend to sell better when they have more immediate appeal; for example, well-tended yards, impeccable siding, and a welcoming kitchen can go a long way in enticing homebuyers in the area. There are a number of ways you and your real estate agent can work together to make these things happen, and one of the best ideas is to ensure that you’re engaging all of the senses.

Sight

When selling a Hutchinson Island home or preparing your Vero Beach home for viewing, you should pay attention to both the big picture and the details of your house.

For a bigger picture viewpoint, try to see everything with fresh eyes. When you pull into the driveway, what overall impression does the house give you? Is it clean and well-cared for? Does it look like the sort of place a family would want to live?

Then, as you walk up to the front door, pay closer attention to the little things: the state of the flowerbeds, a cracked panel of siding, or an unsightly satellite dish at one corner of the house. These little things are often the easiest to fix in terms of time and money.

Do the same thing as you walk through each room of your house. Take a quick survey from the doorway, and then walk through to make note of smaller defects. Different homebuyers look at different things, so it’s best to ensure that even the littlest problems are attended to.

Sound

The sounds of an ideal Florida home are pleasing to the ear, and you should do your best to keep them that way. Avoid running any noisy appliances when you’re expecting potential homebuyers to stop by. Televisions, radios, and even kids playing outside can all contribute negatively to the experience. When possible, you should either opt for silence (to demonstrate the peacefulness of your home) or use light background music that won’t be offensive to anyone. If you live near the water or wilderness, you might also open a few key windows to let in the most natural sounds.

Smell

It’s long been held as a “rule” of real estate that you should bake cookies or light a vanilla-scented candle when you show your home. These traditional smells are ones that most people associate with happy memories, which can trigger better feelings about your FL home for sale.

While you don’t have to stick to traditional baking smells, the idea is a good one. However, if you use scents, choose ones that are inoffensive, are hypo-allergenic, and aren’t too obvious. You can also choose smells suited to particular rooms. Light and airy scents are well-suited to bathrooms, while the baking smells tend to do better in living rooms and kitchens.

Touch

In most cases, you don’t want people walking through your home to touch your personal possessions. However, the sense of touch can be important. Plush carpeting is welcoming in bedrooms and living spaces, while cool hardwood or tile makes a kitchen feel cleaner and more efficient. Crisp, clean appliances promise a treat for the fingertips even if the potential homebuyers don’t make actual physical contact.

For the sense of touch, it’s best to promise a great tactile experience, rather than actually provide one. Place soft furnishings next to clean architectural lines. Throw a cozy blanket over some leather furniture. Choose draperies that are either light and airy or heavy and warm, depending on the mood you want to set.

Taste

When you have an open house in Vero Beach, keeping appetizer trays on hand can go a long way in making a good impression. Elegant sandwiches, tasty tarts, and other bite-sized treats cause people to linger and take a better stock of their surroundings. Food at a open house, while potentially messy, is also more likely to draw other real estate agents. At the end of the day, greater exposure – whether it’s potential buyers or real estate professionals other than your own Ginny Mitchell – means a greater likelihood that your home will sell quickly and easily.

Selling a FL Home

A house is more likely to sell if it seems like a home. When you engage all the senses, you’re doing more than showcasing the physical features of your house – you’re demonstrating how comfortable and welcoming it is. And in today’s market, taking those few extra steps can make a huge difference in how quickly your Vero Beach, Hutchinson Island, Indian River Shores home sells.

Median prices of houses sold in Indian River County moved up a little from $135,000 in January to $138,000 but was still 5% lower than February 2009. At least we are moving in the right direction. As you can see from the graph, except for a couple of spikes, the median price has stayed pretty consistent over the last year. The number of bank-owned sales and Short Sales were 49% of the total houses sold. 

Sales of the lower priced homes continue to increase, partially because of the tax credit, which will expire at the end of April, partly because of low prices and finally because of low interest rates. It is the perfect storm of opportunity for the selling of lower priced houses. 

Lower priced condos are still selling well because many are sold for cash. It’s quite challenging to get a mortgage on a condo. It can be done, but lenders are very thorough when checking out the condo associations. There are restrictions on the number of investors, the number of rentals, the number of non-resident owners and the number of distressed (foreclosure and short sale) units in the complex. 

Higher priced and island property sales are slow because there are fewer buyers who feel confident enough in the over all economy to purchase a higher priced home or a second home. 

2010 March Median Home Sales

Not so good for Single family home sales on the Island in February.  Up only 2 units from January, and it was the worst February sales month in 7 years. Inventory is increasing. Usually we see a pretty good jump in February because homes purchased in January by snowbirds are starting to close in February. 

 Prices were moderated also. Only 2 homes sold for over $500,000. One in Indian Trails and one in Silver Shores. There were 5 homes that sold for under $300,000, one in Summerplace for $221,000, and several others in the central beach area. 

2010 March Island Home Sales 5 year graphMixed results this month for condo sales on the island, better than the last 2 years, but less than January. There were some good deals also. One unit in Del Mar sold for $112,000, 2 in Park shores for around $180,000 and one in the Moorings in South Passage for $250,000. The higher priced sale was $325,000 in Bay Tree east of A1A. Absent were sales in the higher priced and luxury buildings. Inventory was up 8 units to 458. 2010 March Condo Sales 5 Year Graph

Good news for home sales Indian River County-wide—up in February to over January with 108 homes sold—the best February in 4 years. On the mainland, prices were still on the low side with 44% of the homes sold under $100,000, and 78% were under $200,000. Six homes sold for over $300,000. Investors with cash are still taking advantage of the low priced properties, many times at the expense of a first time Buyers who are getting a mortgage.  At the high end there were some good values purchased in Ansley Park, 4 bedroom 3200 sq ft houses for $325,000 and $350,000. The highest priced house sold was 4 bedroom, 3200 sq ft in Kingswood Estates.

A great sales month, in quantity at least, for condos in Indian River County, the best February in 5 years. However, most of the increase in sales was on the mainland.  The snow birds and investors were buying up the low-priced units—15 out of the 29 sales on the mainland were in Vista Royale or Vista Gardens. On the low end, 3 Vista 1 bedroom units were purchased for under $30,000, and on the high end there was a Grand Harbor condo that sold for $500,000 and one in Royal Palm Pointe that sold for $950,000.  We expect these low-priced units to keep selling even though their list prices are gradually moving up.   

2010 March County Condo Sales 5 Year Graph

On North Hutchinson Island February 2010 was a tough sales month with only 3 sales, which was more than half of what was sold in January but the same as February 2009. One corner unit in Atlantic View sold for $245,000, a corner unit in Ocean Harbour North for $190,000 and a nice Townhouse in the Sands for $200,000. Traffic and calls have tapered off at our office on Hutchinson Island probably because of the weather. Previous years have shown a rebound in March, so let’s hope it happens again.

2010 March NHI Sales 5 Year Graph

The median sales price of homes in Indian River County stayed constant compared to December 2009. However the price did drop 10% from January 2009.  These statistical results are influenced by more lower priced homes that are being purchased by first time buyers utilizing the tax credit. Also, investors are snapping up the low priced homes to rent or flip. There were 29 foreclosures and 14 short sales representing 40% of the houses sold in January. Time on the market is coming down as sellers realize that they have to compete with the banks that are setting prices low so the homes will sell fast. 

2010 February Median Home Sales - 5 Year Comparison Graph

In general there seem to be more snow birds this year, and the weather has become more challenging up North, so sales should continue to improve.

Homes sales on the island were fairly good in January, typical of this time of year and better than last January. January sales are properties that went under contract in November and December of last year, which as holiday months are usually less active for home sales.  Prices held their own with an oceanfront short sale selling for $1,750,000 and one in Windsor selling for $2,250,000. At the other end there was a hurricane damaged house in Indian Trails that sold for $300,000 and a couple in central beach that sold for under $400,000.

 On the island condo sales were the best in the last 5 years.  Only the peak year of 2004 was better. Prices have moderated, which is probably the main reason for strong sales. Probably very few of these condo sales qualified for a tax credit as most are second homes. There were 4 units that sold under $300,000 including 2 in Park Shores and one in South Passage at the Moorings. There were 2 units that sold for over $500,000, one in Sea Oaks for $550,000 and one on the ocean in Baytree for $780,000. 

Not a great sales month for mainland houses in Indian River County compared to the last 9 or 10 months, but it was the best January in 3 years.. Prices ranged from 8 houses selling for under $50,000 mostly in the south county up to one home in Hobart Landing for $420,000. Of the 88 homes that sold on the mainland, 72 sold for $200,000 or less. 80% of the homes sold were under 2000 square feet in size.

2010 February Median Mainland Condo Sales - 5 Year Comparison Graph

On North Hutchinson Island 6 units sold in January. It doesn’t sound like much but it was the best January in 6 years. Prices are becoming stable, and activity is strong so we expect a good season. 2 condos sold in Atlantic View, one was a short sale on the 2nd floor for $105,000 and the other a nice buy that was bank owned on the 18th floor for $173,000. The highest price sale was in Ocean Harbour Tower, a 3 bedroom condo on the 6th floor for $334,000.

2010 February Median Island Condo Sales - 5 Year Comparison Graph

2010 February Median Island Home Sales - 5 Year Comparison Graph

2010 February North Hutchinson Island Sales - 5 Year Comparison Graph