Vero Beach Florida Homes

2010 July Vero Beach FL Island Home Sales Update

ginnymitchell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:34:39 +0000

Barrier island sales of 22 houses matched sales from the previous month but were 29% lower priced than June 2009. A distressed house sold in the Dunes for $185,000 and there were 8 more sales under $500,000. The big surprise was that there 6 houses that sold for over $1,000,000 in June. One in the Moorings, one in Johns Island, 3 in Orchid Island, and one for $2,600,000 on Little Harbour Lane. This magnificent 4800 sq ft riverfront house had been on the market since July 2007 when it was priced at $4,950,000. Our advice is that in this declining market, if you want to sell, price it properly at the beginning rather than following the market down.

2010 July Vero Beach Island Home Sales Update

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2010 July Vero Beach Island Condo Sales Update

ginnymitchell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:31:22 +0000

Barrier island condo sales of 13 units held their own in June compared to the previous month and June of 2009. There were 4 units that sold for under $200,000, one in Park Shores, 2 in Sea Oaks, and one in the Racquet Club. One unit sold in Palm Island Plantation for $625,000.

2010 July Vero Beach FL Island Condo Sales

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2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Market - Home Sales

ginnymitchell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:25:27 +0000

June was another strong sales month for houses in Vero Beach, Indian River County. Sales were even with the previous month and just a tad higher than June 2009. Of the 163 houses that sold in June, 39 were bank owned and 28 were short sales, which is 41%, similar to the proceeding months.

On the mainland there were 113 houses that sold for under $200,000. Many were very nice homes that sold for over $300,000 from 4 to 6 years ago and 2 homes that sold for over $400,000 in old Sugar Mill Estates and the Polo Grounds.

2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Market Update - Home Sales

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2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Condo Sales Update

ginnymitchell — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:14:14 +0000

Good news for sales of condos county wide. Sales increased 20% from the previous month and 38% from June 2009. This increase was driven by low priced sales on the Vero Beach mainland. There were 35 condos that sold for under $100,000 including a couple of very nice units in Grand Harbor. Again on the mainland, a unit at Royal Palm Pointe sold for $750,000, which sold for $1,200,000 in August of 2005. It had been on the market for 15 months and sold for 53% of original asking price, and 32% less than listing price at the time of the sale. The deals are out there for buyers and like this sale, the listing price is sometimes just a Sellers wish, not the realistic value.

2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Condo Sale Update

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2010 July North Hutchinson Island Home Sales

ginnymitchell — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:01:44 +0000

Happy days are here again la la la la, la la la. June sales at 16 units was the best month since July 2004—more than twice as many as the previous month and twice as many as June 2009. There was one short sale and one Bank owned property. Deals galore.

· Paragon 5 North sold for $600,000

· Seaward 2200 sqft top floor for $375,000

· Bryn Mawr 5th floor corner in building A for $130,000 (needed work)

· Atrium 4th floor for $421,000

There are quite a few properties under contract at this time, which indicates that higher sales will hold for a while.

2010 July North Hutchinson Island Real Estate Sales Update

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2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Update - Median Sales

ginnymitchell — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:54:23 +0000

There was as increase of about 15% in the median price of houses sold in Indian River Count in June. However, this was still about 15% lower June of last year. The number of house sold during the month stayed consistent at 163 which was about the same as June 2009. The units sold this month are still being artificially propped up by the tax rebate which was due to expire at the end of June but was extended. The contract date was not extended, however, which mean that no new sales are eligible for the tax rebate.

There are still other factors which will continue to fuel real estate sales.

· Interest rates are at a 30 year low.

· Inventory is still very high; 2927 houses and condos for sale In Indian River county and approximately 300 for sale on N Hutchinson Island

· Prices are still low, there are just over 1400 homes for sale in IRC under $200,000

· Distressed sales are here for a few more years as banks are not flooding the market, which would lower prices even more.

· Investors and foreign buyers are returning to the market.

2010 July Vero Beach FL Real Estate Median Sales

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“Fixing” Your Home’s Layout

Ginny Mitchell — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:40:04 +0000

One of the first things homebuyers look for when shopping for Florida real estate is the layout of the house. Like the location of the house and its overall size, layout is one of the things about a home that cannot be changed without a very large time and money investment.

In the current Vero Beach real estate market, many of the things that make a house unique – its paint color, flooring, the kitchen counters, and even the size or type of the windows – are being upgraded to entice buyers. But if your home has a restricting layout, which makes the house look smaller, darker, or inaccessible, you might have a difficult time making a “quick fix” to increase your chances of a fast sale.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to make your FL home for sale more appealing. If you do have a layout that might be sending out the wrong signals, you can try the following.

Remove the clutter. Staging your house is an important part of any home selling process, but never more so than when your layout might be confining or restrictive. Extra furniture, shelves, tables, and even the rack where you hang your coats all add to the inaccessibility of the house as a whole. By displaying your space as open and clearly as possible, you are allowing homebuyers to see the house through fresh eyes.

Add room dividers. A very long (or even a tiny) living room or a bathroom that is taken up almost entirely by a washer and dryer can be a difficult sell, because buyers might not see how the space is livable. Room dividers, or screens set up in strategic locations, are one of the tricks that decorators often rely on to maximize space, since they add clean lines and more storage opportunities.

Open up the entryway. Although this task might require a little bit of construction work on your part, opening up the home’s foyer to make it more appealing and inviting is often all you need to do to allow your home to shine. Most homebuyers make a decision about a house within the first 6 seconds, so you have to make those seconds really count.

Adjust your bedrooms. If your Hutchinson Island house has adjoining bedrooms, or if your Indian River Shores condo has a bedroom right off the kitchen, you might want to re-market the space. Few people want to sleep in a room that offers reduced privacy, but if you stage it and/or list it as an office, a library, a playroom, or even an add-on, homebuyers might be more tempted.

The FL real estate market is on its way up, but selling a home can still be a challenge – especially if you own a challenging home. By taking a little extra time to adjust the way you see your house, as well as the way it is presented to others, it is possible sell that house faster and with a higher price point.

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Vero Beach Area Harbor Branch Offers Help for Gulf Oil Spill

ginnymitchell — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:10:01 +0000

Biological science doctoral students at Florida Atlantic University at Harbor Branch Treasure Coast campus have worked around the clock to gather marshland plant and animal samples from various gulf coast locations before crude oil hit the barrier islands and beaches. Now that oil has fouled the beaches in many gulf locations, the students will continue to monitor the environmental effects of the spill to help with restoration process. The impact of the oil spill is devastating the Gulf coast on so many levels, from ecology to tourism, all affecting people’s livelihoods.

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Vero Beach Area Science Students Win International Awards

ginnymitchell — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:51:35 +0000

Eight students from the Vero Beach / Treasure Coast FL area qualified at the Florida State Science Fair to compete with students from 60 nations around the world at the Intel International Science Fair held in San Jose, California. Kirk Henf from Sebastian River High School and Stephanie Hoskins from Lincoln Park Academy both earned 3^rd place awards, Henf in the biochemistry division, and Hoskins in microbiology. Congratulations to all of the students and teacher / mentors who participated at this impressive level of accomplishment.

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Florida FCAT Tests Require Reading Competency

ginnymitchell — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:44:39 +0000

Florida 3rd grade students, including the Vero Beach area, recently received FCAT test results that will determine their promotion to 4^th grade. Indian River County students improved slightly with 74% of 3^rd grade students reading at or above grade level reading competency. and 86% scored well enough to pass the test. Student math scores are reported but do not determine promotion. Students who did not pass are offered free intensive reading summer sessions and another chance to pass the test. There are some special exceptions for students who demonstrate competency on other tests or students with disabilities who have received the additional remediation but still cannot pass. Several area schools showed improvements with Beachland scoring 93% of students passing, Osceola with 97% passing, and Fellsmere with 83% passing.

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