It can be a challenge to stay patient when selling your home. But Davidson Realty pros say if your home has been on the market more than three months without any serious offers, it’s a sign something is off. Here are four caution signs our Jacksonville and St. Augustine realtors watch for when selling a home.
No showings: Typically a home buyer will look at 10-15 homes before choosing a home. Too few or no showings, is a pretty clear sign that buyers may be rejecting your home based on price from the moment they see the listing.
No offers: If buyers are viewing your home yet you receive no offers, this can be a sign that buyers may not be rejecting the price but the home itself. This is when it’s time to consult your Realtor to find out buyers’ concerns with your home so issues can be fixed as soon as possible. Alternatively, sellers may provide an allowance to buyers so they can fix problems after a sale.
I love beer…most any kind of beer, so you can imagine I was extremely excited to hear that we now have a brewery right around the corner from our St. Augustine golf course community. Mile Marker Brewing is located right off SR 16 near the outlet malls. What that means to me is no more driving to Jacksonville Beach for delicious microbrews. Now, the delicious microbrews have come to me!
Mile Marker currently has five beers on tap – Mile Marker Zero (Key West Kölsch-style Ale), Mile Marker 1565 (Red Ale), Mile Marker 82 (Islamorada IPA), Ben’s Too Peachy (Kölsch-style Ale with peach), and a honey ale (Kölsch-style Ale with honey). They have a Pecan Brown Ale and an Oatmeal Stout brewing which will be ready to serve in the next couple of weeks.
Both national homebuilders and local custom homebuilders are stirring up activity in our master planned golf community. A range of projects are now underway in the King & Bear which is great news for World Golf Village homeowners, our Davidson Realty agents and the north St. Johns County economy. Here’s a taste of what’s happening in our St. Augustine, Florida neighborhood.
We call Lynn Whitley, a Davidson Realty Agent and Turnberry homeowner, a “Super Resident” because she takes advantage of all that World Golf Village has to offer, almost on a daily basis. The best way to get to know Lynn is to take a glimpse at how she spends her day. So we asked Lynn to tell us in her own words how she spent an average work day and we tagged along to snap some photos.
Friday, February 10
My day started with coffee and breakfast at home in Turnberry, then a quick ride to the fitness center at the King & Bear. When the weather is nice, (which is most of the time for us St. Augustine residents), I get some extra exercise by riding over on my bicycle, since it is only about four miles from where I live in Turnberry. A morning workout gives me energy to power through my day.
At Davidson Realty, we are doing away with flyer boxes and using new technology (texting) for potential buyers to get information on our listings sent to their mobile phones on-the-spot. I stopped at my listing on Sluder Estates Lane on the way home from my workout and removed the flyer box, relocated my name rider to the bottom of the sign and added the texting rider to the sign.
Are you aware that a potential buyer typically knows within 15 seconds if he or she is interested in a home? Did you know that recent studies show that over 90% of potential buyers begin their home search on the internet?
Presentation is everything! Staging is simply emphasizing your home’s best features so that it will stand out from the competition and allows buyers to connect emotionally and visualize themselves living there. For those of you that are considering putting your home on the market in the near future, here are some things to get you started:
1. Consider Curb Appeal – Potential buyers need to fall in love with your home from the street. Power wash walkways and roofs, trim bushes, remove weeds, plant flowers, replace dated or rusted light fixtures . . . make a good first impression.
2. Clean, Clean, Clean – I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a clean, fresh smelling home. Don’t forget rugs, closets, cabinets and garages. Buyers are buying the entire home, so they will look there.
3. De-Clutter – Get rid of absolutely everything that is not necessary and anything that prevents a buyer from seeing your homes’ beautiful features or how the space is really meant to be used.
4. De-Personalize – As much as you love your family photos, awards and religious artifacts, buyers will have a difficult time visualizing themselves living in the home. Pack them away now and get a jump on what you will have to do anyway when your home sells.
Serenata Beach Club, located between St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra, is the perfect place to unwind all year round on the wide, uncrowded beaches of St. Johns County. This 12,000 square-foot private membership beach club feels like a luxury resort, complete with two 4,000 square- foot swimming pools, a children’s play pool with a variety of water features, fully equipped locker facilities and fitness center with personal trainers on staff, gourmet dining for lunch and dinner and, of course, an oceanfront location that is breathtaking ! Davidson Realty agent, Jock Ochiltree is not only a member at Serenata, but also a resident. He was happy to show us how he spends time taking advantage of the beautiful Florida weather in the video above.
More than 50 works by renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent will be on display at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens from February 16 through May 6, 2012 as part of the exhibit: Impressionism and Post Impressionism from The High Museum of Art. The exhibit illustrates the emergence of Impressionism in France during the 1870s, the movement’s evolution to Post-Impressionism, and its later influence on American artists. “This progressive look provides a unique perspective of one of the most controversial, significant and ultimately widely popular artistic movements,” said Hope McMath, Director of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. “We’re thrilled to bring this must-see collection to The Cummer and the city of Jacksonville.”
On Monday, Jan. 23rd the state Department of Education released their annual grades for county schools based on the 2011 FCAT results (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test), and various other categories. For the fourth straight year, the St. Johns County School District is ranked number one in the entire state of Florida! With 67 total school Districts and 3,078 public and charter schools in all of Florida, it is quite an accomplishment to be consistently at the top each school year.
A lot of credit needs to be given to the students throughout St. Johns County for their hard work, dedication and performances, which is reflected by their overall school grades. But the teaching staff in St. Johns County needs a standing ovation for the above and beyond attitude they put forth everyday to ensure our children’s bright futures.
That is why more than ever, we as a community need to come together and show our appreciation towards our local teaching staff. As of January 30th and running until February 13th, Davidson Realty’s 4th quarter of Davidson Appreciates Teachers is kicking off. They will be collecting nominations for all the resource teachers at Mill Creek Elementary and Wards Creek Elementary Schools, including PE, Guidance Counselors, Art, Media Specialists, Music, Computer and Spanish.
I have now experienced 55 opportunities to commit to and deliver on a New Year’s Resolution – having my first at the age of 5. I don’t know about you – but my success in these endeavors comes and goes – and can be difficult to gauge.
Like Jerry Seinfeld at the rental car counter – complaining about how easy it is for them to take a reservation – but how hard it is for them to keep it – my track record with resolutions is a bit the same.
The experts have all sorts of tried and true ways to make resolutions, and more importantly, help you keep them. Their advice says that one should start with a set, specific goal – make a plan, then write it down. Once you are clear – you need to enlist support and stay the course. As the year progresses – they say you need to adopt the simple mantra, “how can I make it happen” – and just keep asking yourself that question. Supposedly – over and over, this self-driven effort (with all the extra encouragement you can get) will produce great results.
Leading home builder Inland Homes boasted a strong finish to 2011 with the closing of 13 new homes in December in The Cascades, World Golf Village’s active adult retirement community. The company’s total closings for the year came in at 45. “Inland Homes has a high-quality and well-priced product and that was reflected in their strong numbers for the year,” said Mirtha Barzaga, Realtor with Davidson Realty. “Buyers especially love that Inland Homes come standard with an impressive list of upgrades,” added Barzaga.
It can be a challenge to stay patient when selling your home. But Davidson Realty pros say if your home has been on the market more than three months without any serious offers, it’s a sign something is off. Here are four caution signs our Jacksonville and St. Augustine realtors watch for when selling a home.
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