The Waterfront Home in Jacksonville Everyone Wants:

1. Good Location:  Ponte Vedra, Atlantic Beach, San Marco, Mandarin, or Ortega. 
2. Family Sized:  3000-4000 Square feet.
3. House:  4 bedrooms, 3 baths newer home built within last 10 years OR a home that has been completely gutted and updated to today’s standards
4. Pool with hot tub
   
5. 3 car garage minimum, 4th bay would be a bonus
6. Condition:  Near perfect or needs some TLC (nothing more than paint, carpet, new appliances, and some granite)
7. Dock:  Deep water with a lift, and not in need of repair
8. Price:  Under $500,000

NEWS FLASH:  Not happening.  You can find similar houses, sometimes within those areas of town for those prices, however they aren’t on the water. 

Are there “Deals” out there?  YES!  Absolutely.  But they usually don’t have the criteria that everyone wants.  The house may be in major disrepair, the location may not be one of the most desirable, the house may be original 1959 with not a paint brush since.  That’s usually what makes it a deal…..because it’s hard to sell at retail price.  A seller’s financial condition may mean you can pick up a home for a little less than market value, but half price?  No.  Home Owners with great houses who hit a financial problem and become forced to sell, will sell at a discount in order to move the property fast but don’t expect half price. 

Based on most of those criteria above, here is a list of homes currently for sale (updated daily): 

Showing properties 1 - 13 of 13. See more Waterfront Dream.
(all data current as of 2/22/2012)

1. $1,350,000 : 485 South Roscoe Boulevard Ext, PONTE VEDRA BEACH
   
   4 beds, 3 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 4,430 sq ft

   Lot size: 17,625 sq ft

   Year built: 2000

   Parking spots: 4

   Listed with KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY ATLANTIC
2. $1,900,000 : 14174 Mandarin, JACKSONVILLE
   
   4 beds, 5 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 5,476 sq ft

   Lot size: 2.98 ac

   Year built: 1978

   Parking spots: 2

   Listed with NORVILLE REALTY INC
3. $2,900,000 : 4127 Ortega, JACKSONVILLE
   
   4 beds, 5 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 6,558 sq ft

   Year built: 2008

   Parking spots: 4

   Listed with PRUDENTIAL NETWORK REALTY
4. $3,300,000 : 4430 Landover, JACKSONVILLE
   
   5 beds, 5 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 6,201 sq ft

   Lot size: 97.00 ac

   Year built: 1948

   Parking spots: 2

   Listed with MANORMOR SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
5. $3,885,000 : 3515 Beauclerc North, JACKSONVILLE
   
   7 beds, 6 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 7,950 sq ft

   Year built: 2006

   Parking spots: 4

   Listed with LIFESTYLES REALTY WEB
6. $2,200,000 : 331 South Roscoe, PONTE VEDRA BEACH
   
   5 beds, 6 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 6,960 sq ft

   Lot size: 24,400 sq ft

   Year built: 2008

   Parking spots: 3

   Listed with WATSON REALTY CORP
7. $1,100,000 : 1868 Christopher Point South, JACKSONVILLE
   
   5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 5,439 sq ft

   Lot size: 90.00 ac

   Year built: 2007

   Parking spots: 2

   Listed with PRUDENTIAL NETWORK REALTY
8. $1,695,000 : 185 North Roscoe, PONTE VEDRA BEACH
   
   5 beds, 4 full, 2 part baths

   Home size: 5,860 sq ft

   Lot size: 30,000 sq ft

   Year built: 2006

   Parking spots: 3

   Listed with PONTE VEDRA CLUB REALTY, INC.
9. $2,390,000 : 4637 Ortega, JACKSONVILLE
   
   5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 5,628 sq ft

   Lot size: 26,300 sq ft

   Year built: 1909

   Parking spots: 3

   Listed with PRUDENTIAL NETWORK REALTY
10. $4,800,000 : 345 Ponte Vedra, PONTE VEDRA BEACH
    
    4 beds, 5 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 6,144 sq ft

    Lot size: 14,089 sq ft

    Year built: 1988

    Parking spots: 2

    Listed with WATSON REALTY CORP
11. $1,950,000 : 7020 San Fernando, JACKSONVILLE
    
    5 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths

    Home size: 4,342 sq ft

    Year built: 1957

    Parking spots: 3

    Listed with MANORMOR SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
12. $2,095,000 : 4589 Ortega, JACKSONVILLE
    
    5 beds, 5 full, 2 part baths

    Home size: 6,653 sq ft

    Lot size: 31,200 sq ft

    Year built: 1933

    Parking spots: 3

    Listed with WATSON REALTY CORP
13. $6,900,000 : 1235 Terrace Oaks, JACKSONVILLE
    
    5 beds, 6 full, 2 part baths

    Home size: 8,831 sq ft

    Lot size: 320.00 ac

    Year built: 1987

    Parking spots: 3

    Listed with MANORMOR SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

The Waterfront Home Everyone Wants originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on February 22, 2012.

A NO Nonsense Guide to Get Top Dollar!

1. Hire Top Tier Talent:  A professional Realtor, meet Brad Officer Jacksonville REALTOR, will be honest with you about the market, the price of your home, and the condition.  They will also market your home better than 99% of the other Realtors out there.  Think I’m wrong:  Check out the horrible pictures of great homes that are for sale on Realtor.com.  How do home sellers not fire their agent immediately?
2. Curb Appeal:  Pressure wash everything, new mulch, water the lawn religiously, trim hedges and bushes, plant flowers, paint mailbox, fertilize everything.  Keep on it until day of closing.
3. Interior:  Declutter everything, remove your family photo wall, toss old outdated furniture, paint all base boards, touch up paint walls, paint loud colors with muted colors.  CLEAN everything!  Have your “no filter” friend come over and pick it apart…..clean it again.  Last but not least:  Hire a stager!  For $300 your house gets an A-grade treatment. 
4. Professional Photography:  I provide this to my listings.  What a difference it makes when a photographer has the appropriate real estate photography equipment and knows how to use it.  Even more of a difference when the home owner has completed the items #2 and #3 above.
5. Hire an Inspector:  Pay $300-$400 for a certified home inspection.  Get all items repaired that were noted.  We’ll provide every buyer’s agent with a copy of the inspection report and a copy of the repairs completed. 
6. Hire an Appraiser:  Pay $300+/- for a certified appraisal.  We provide every buyer’s agent with the appraisal report.
7. Info Binder:  Take all your warranty items, mechanical manuals, etc, and have professionally bound.  It will be your house’s manual. 
8. List Price BELOW value:  That’s right!  List the house for sale below the appraised value and below the competing properties for sale.  Why? 
1. It’s a HUGE buyer’s market!
2. Those “list prices” your neighbors are attempting to get, they will never get in this market.
3. Your house will be the best in curb appeal, interior appeal, marketed the best, and will now be priced the best….this will create DEMAND!
4. DEMAND creates Multiple offers:  A high class problem to have, but multiple offers will drive up the price. 
9. Dogs and Cats No More:  They gotta go.  Friends or family should take them.  Kennel if you have to.  You may not smell them, but your home shoppers do. 
10. The Little Things will Kill You:  Keep toilet lids down, soap bottles filled up, trash cans emptied, avoid take out boxes in the fridge, keep full rolls of toilet paper on the rings, no dirty dishes, remove all signs that owner is a smoker, keep dirty clothes hidden, small kitchen appliances are not counter top art, sliding glass doors should be smooth and debris free, keep windows smudge free. 
11. Show Show Show:  Never ever deny a showing.  Keep the house in top condition at all times knowing a showing is happening today whether it’s scheduled or not.
    
12. Tighten down the contract:  High binders upfront and minimal/no weasel contingencies.  After all, we have an inspection report and an appraisal already….what other contingencies do we need?  I’d even prefer to sell “As Is” now that we have all the inspections completed and corrected.
13. Clean and Close!  Pack up, move out, have the property professionally cleaned for the new buyers.  Sign the docs and get your check.

Take this approach and I can guarantee:  You will get the absolute top dollar for your home in the least amount of time! 

What ever you do, don’t fall into the trap of pricing high just to see if someone will come along and pay an inflated price.  You’ll waste your time and most likely reduce the actual sale price vs. taking my approach above.  Why is this?  The longer your home sits, the less buyers will look at it….it’s a proven fact in our industry. 

Happy Home Selling!

Jacksonville Real Estate

How to get absolute top dollar for your home for sale originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on February 15, 2012.

How to Short Sale?

1. Contact a Short Sale REALTOR.  A good, professional REALTOR who has been doing short sales for a few years can quickly help you determine your short saleability.  CAUTION: Most agents have done very few short sales and most did not want to do short sales until it became half the real estate market, therefore make sure you are working with an actual short sale specialists.  Meet Brad.
2. Consult with a Short Sale Attorney.  Short Sales are a legal process, they are not a Real Estate Marketing and Sales process.  I get paid to market and sell your property.  It’s what I’m trained to do, it’s what I’m exceptionally good at, and it’s what all REALTORS should be doing.  We are not attorneys, however a short sale is a very legal process with binding terms being negotiated and determined by your bank and whoever is doing the negotiations on your behalf…..which better be an attorney and NOT A REALTOR.  Need a Jacksonville Short Sale Attorney?  Contact me, and I can refer you to the right ones.  FYI – Free consultation & should you decide to hire them, the fee is minimal.
3. List your Home for Sale.  It’s time to start the marketing and sales process.  A few great articles on selling fast:  Homes Sell Fast,  Six Mistakes Home Sellers Make, and Why This Home Sold in 5 Days!
4. Under Contract.  Once we have a good offer with good terms that we determine will be acceptable by your bank, you and the Buyers enter into a binding contract.  The contract as well as all your financial docs get uploaded to your bank/s.
5. Short Sale Process:  Basically 90 days or less for an approval.  During that time period your bank values the property, analyzes your financial hardship, and eventually after much arm twisting issues an approval letter.
6. Closing Date:  The closing date is scheduled for 30-45 days from the approval letter date.  It could be as fast as 5 days or as long as 45…..much depends on the buyer’s type of financing.  You vacate the house a few days before, have it professionally cleaned for the new buyers, and get to closing to get rid of this underwater mortgage!

To dive into the details further, we’ve compiled about everything you would need to know about Short Sales here:  Short Sale Information

How To Short Sale originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on February 13, 2012.

Job Relocation Short Sale with Suntrust

The banks are starting to get more realistic on the housing market and short sales.  People move for a variety of reasons but it’s almost always due to a life change: Job relo, marriage, divorce, growing family, empty nesters, loss of income, gain in income, etc.

None of these life changes are going to stop happening in ANY economy….good, bad, or neutral.

Unfortunately, for too long the banks have been unrealistic about allowing short sales on some of these life changes, but those times have changed.  A job relocation is not something that should ever keep you from moving up and out if need be.  If you can keep your old house, keep it and rent it.  If you don’t have the ability to handle the financial impact of having a rental property, then you have to sell the house.  By the way, EVERYONE under estimates the cost of having a rental property, myself included.

This short sale was a job relocation.  The job was better, by far, and a must go situation.  The bank was Suntrust.  Suntrust is really not that good with short sales, and that’s heavily frosted with sugar!

Like so many short sales with a bank like Suntrust that takes 90-120 days to get an approval, the first buyer walks at the end of 90 days just to have the approval come in only a few weeks later.  Luckily we sold it again for the bank approved price, and went to closing……it took a while to get to closing on this one.

At the end of the day, the seller got out of a house heavily underwater and the buyer purchased a great home that had been well cared for in a great neighborhood.

Another successful Suntrust Short Sale!

Thanks for vising our Jacksonville Real Estate site.  If you need more information about short sales, visit Short Sale Realtor Jacksonville.

Suntrust Short Sale Successful Closing Jacksonville Florida originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on February 9, 2012.

Another Wells Fargo Short Sale completed in Jacksonville!

Condos have seen the worst of the loss in value.  That’s my opinion, and not statistically researched yet.  I rarely am involved in a short sale of a condo that has anything more than 50% current market value vs. amount mortgaged.  This particular condo short sale was no different.

The condo market is HOT!  I can’t seem to list a condo anywhere near the beach or the Gate Parkway area without it selling in under 30 days.  The investors are buying them up as fast as they can see them, and I’ve even had several offers “sight unseen”.

Most investor condo buyers are all cash.  That being said, most of the condo communities are now “cash only” purchases as the conventional and government backed financing options are not available in these communities due to 2 major roadblocks:  #1 the high percentage of investor owned units, and #2 the high percentage of delinquent Condo Association Fees.  Those 2 items have helped to drive down the price.

This particular short sale with Wells Fargo was fairly smooth.  The seller, like so many others, attempted a loan modification for what seems like over a year.  They had no success and were so frustrated with the entire process.  (in my opinion, loan mod is a horrible idea for almost everyone as you are just lowering an interest rate on a extremely over mortgaged property).  The seller finally gave up on the process and turned to short selling.

Deficiency balance was waived by Wells Fargo, and the seller was able to close this chapter and move on.  A very happy Seller!

The investor got a screaming deal on a Jacksonville condo close to the beach and had it rented the second we closed.  Instant cash flow!

Thanks for visiting our Jacksonville Real Estate site.  If you’d like more information about Short Sales, visit our Jacksonville Short Sale Realtors page.

Wells Fargo Short Sale complete – Jacksonville Short Sale originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on February 8, 2012.

#1 Home Buyer Frustration:  Can’t find a home that is updated, properly cared for, and priced appropriately.

Why is this so hard?

There are SO MANY home buyers currently shopping for homes, and they can’t find a home.  They have cash in the bank for the down payment.  They have already been pre-approved for a mortgage and they have it in writing.  They are carrying around a checkbook to write a binder deposit the second they find the right house.  They’ve even engaged a professional Realtor.

On the FLIP side: I see SO MANY homes that have been on the market for over a year.  I’ve even seen homes on the market for over 1000 days on the MLS!  That’s horrendous.

Why are there so many homes on the market and there are so many buyers that can’t find a home?  Why can’t these 2 groups meet up?  My opinion:

1. PRICE: When it sits it won’t sell.  The home has to get showings ASAP from the start.  If showings are happening and no offers are coming in, it’s probably a combination of the price and the condition.  Lower the price and correct the condition, and do it fast!
2. CONDITION: I can’t believe some of the homes I see on the market.  Completely trashed.  A full lack of routine maintenance.  All in all a lack of responsibility and pride in ownership.  I agree with most buyers’ comments when they see a house in bad condition:  “If the place is this dirty when they are trying to sell it, this house hasn’t been maintained….ever”.
3. OUTDATED: When a home is outdated it looks tired and expensive.  Sellers must think like a buyer.  Buyers want clean, crisp, new, shiny.  When buyers look at outdated homes, they are adding up the dollars.  New kitchen, appliances, bathroom updates, flooring, lighting, paint, door handles and hinges, etc.  Most buyers in this market are FHA or VA here in Jacksonville.  They don’t have the money for all those updates.  They could get an FHA construction loan called a 203K, BUT and that’s a big BUT, the full loan amount MUST be under the repaired appraisal value.  For this to work, sellers have to sell at the appropriate discount.

Advice for Buyers: If you find a great home in great condition and priced appropriately for today’s market, you better jump on it.  It will be gone soon and you’ll be one of those buyers looking at 100 homes before finally finding another one.  Another scenario:  If you find a great home in a great location, but it’s in disrepair or is horribly outdated or it’s overpriced, make an offer!  Don’t pass it up especially if it has been on the market for a while.  I can promise you the owners want the home sold, and maybe your low offer will help them realize their home isn’t the palace they thought it was.

Advice for Sellers: Do the exact opposite of what so many home sellers do.  Do these things:  Clean, make repairs, de-clutter, paint touch ups or repaint, new mulch, flowers, remove weeds, clean windows, and price that home to sell!  Do that, and the home is gone faster than your neighbors will ever believe.  If your home is currently sitting on the market with no showings or showings with no contracts and your listing agent isn’t recommending a plan of action…..fire them. 

Call us, we will tell you the truth about your home, the condition, the price, and we will market it correctly, get showings, and sell it!

Contact Brad Officer & Company:  Jacksonville Realtors

Too many homes are outdated and in disrepair originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on January 26, 2012.

I love that I get to see so many great views on a near daily basis.  Why would you not want to wake up with this in your backyard?

This home is another great buy on the St Johns river in Jacksonville Florida.  Like so many riverfront homes that are closer to town, this one needs work….a lot of work.  Many of these homes were built in the 50′s and 60′s, but have solid construction.  They just need monster updating.

For those who are willing and can afford to purchase older, outdated properties, and then turn them into current, more livable homes, there is great opportunity in the water!  Search Homes For Sale on the River in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville waterfront homes – Views from the field originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on January 16, 2012.

Avondale Home For Short Sale!

Great Bungalow just hit the market for sale in Avondale.  Within 24 hours of pushing the big green GO button on our marketing machine, we had already generated 4 showings on this excellent home.

Top 6 Reasons to See This Avondale Home Before it’s Sold

1. Location: This home sits right in the middle of what most consider the best location in Avondale!  Just 1 block from the River, 2 blocks from the Shops of Avondale.
   
2. Lifestyle: Walk to one of the small family diners for breakfast on Saturday morning, or meet your buddies for drinks and dinner at one of the posh Avondale restaurants.  In my opinion, your lifestyle is defined by what is most easily accessible to your home.  This Avondale location offers amenities!
3. Move in Condition: As Avondale offers beautiful historic homes, many of them are in major disrepair with years and years of “lipstick” remodels.  This home is an exception.  You will be able to instantly notice this home is solid and well cared for.
   
4. Yard: Wait till you see the back yard.  It’s large with a separate storage garage and the entire yard is landscaped and fenced.
   
5. Deck: The previous owners appreciated the outdoor space in this home and expanded the deck to take full advantage.  Add your own grill or Big Green Egg, some outdoor furniture, and call your buddies.
   
6. Short Sale: Unlike so many homes on the market, this home is priced aggressively and in line with the current market value.  Follow this link if you need information about Short Sales in Jacksonville.

Set up a showing for this home?  Contact Brad Officer, Jacksonville Realtor.

Avondale Home For Short Sale originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on January 16, 2012.

1. The Jacksonville Real Estate market will continue to improve.
   • Improve means more sales, it does not mean increase in prices.
2. Jacksonville real estate prices continue to decline.
   • Less declines in the low $100k – $200k range  (this price point is HOT!)
     
   • Faster and more declines in the $300k+ range
   • As unemployment in Jacksonville currently remains one of the highest in the country, and Jacksonville being one of the most over built and biggest price bubbles in the country, I don’t believe we are out of the woods yet.
3. Supply of houses for sale stays high.
   • Early spring to mid summer, I anticipate a flood of new listings based on many of my contacts.
   • Foreclosures are widely noted to be resuming and will start hitting the market again.
4. Non-Distressed Sellers accept reality.
   • the reality that their home’s value will not miraculously bounce back to 2006 levels.
   • the reality that that 1 special buyer isn’t falling in love with their over priced house.
   • We see non-distressed sellers finally getting aggressive with pricing.
5. Significant increase in Short Sales.
   • Many who have been barely hanging on, finally accept their temporary fate.
   • More short sales in higher priced neighborhoods are sure to come this year.
   • Many who have not been paying the mortgage finally decide to be proactive versus living in fear of the day they get kicked out for good by the bank.
6. Real Estate becomes a smart investment…..again.
   • With much talk of lowest interest rates and bottoming prices, real estate investing will get hot again.
   • The smartest investors go with the buy and hold, vs flipping.
7. Rental prices keep rising
   • If I had a dollar for every call I get…..
   • As more x-homeowners become renters, demand is increasing
   • Further evidence that real estate continues to be a great investment
8. The year of the best deal
   • 2012 may very well be the perfect storm for the perfect purchase
   • Rates are historically low, plenty of inventory to choose from, prices are very low, affordability is very low
   • Jacksonville has been noted nationally as one of the best buys for real estate investing
   • If we all agree the bubble officially burst in 2007, it’s been 5 long years of historic price declines, 6 counting 2012.  It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing a slight upward trend again.
     
   • Even I’m shopping for another home this year!
     
9. Sellers and Buyers continue to hear real estate news differently
   • “The market is improving”, “Increase in foreclosures”, “Prices are rising in some areas”, “Year over year sales are up”, “Delinquency rates rise”, etc.
   • Buyers always hear the “prices should be lower” news
   • Sellers always hear the “real estate market is rebounding” news
   • It will take smart real estate agents to help their buyers and sellers decipher the news as it relates to their specific market and neighborhood.
10. Fewer Jacksonville REALTORS than in 2011
    • year over year, the number of REALTORS in Jacksonville has declined since 2006
    • It’s not cheap to stay as a non producing member, so many of the part timers finally relinquish their status as a REALTOR.
11. Brad Officer & Company continues the pattern of growth and outperforming the average
    • For 2011 we did 3.75 times more transactions than the average REALTOR
    • The average REALTOR spends about $630 annually on technology….we see technology as an investment as opposed to an expense and we continue to divert cash towards it, and far more than the average.
    • The average REALTOR spends $250 annually on their website.  I think it shows in their sites!
    • Our #1 measure for customer satisfaction continues to rise:  Referrals from previous clients!
    • I track everything, and all categories are on the rise:  Buyer inquiries, website search sign ups, Seller inquiries, new listing appointments, new listings taken, hits to the website, google bing & yahoo searches, and the absolute most important:  CUSTOMER Satisfaction.
      

2012 Jacksonville Real Estate Predictions originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on January 3, 2012.

Wells Fargo Short Sale in Jacksonville FL

Heron’s Landing Condos are near the corner of Hodges and Beach Blvd.  Gated community with a clubhouse and pool, this has been an excellent investment opportunity with it’s proximity to UNF, the beach, and the price.

At $82,000, this 3 bed, 2 bath END UNIT, TOP FLOOR condo is available for a CASH ONLY purchase.

Why Cash Only?  Most lenders and government backed mortgages will not lend money against many condo communities for a number of reasons.  The leading reason for most newer/affordable condo communities:  percentage of investors to primary residents too high.  That’s right, if the smart money is in, the government is out….go figure.

These sell fast, so if you have interest, please give our office a call ASAP…..showing appointments started scheduling as soon as this condo hit the MLS yesterday!

Jacksonville Real Estate

Jacksonville REALTOR

Herons Landing Condo Just Listed originally appeared on Jacksonville Real Estate | Waterfront Homes | Jacksonville Short Sale | Brad Officer - REALTOR Jacksonville Real Estate Agent on December 21, 2011.