[willbo1]

To answer the original question, 4 months on the market and counting here in St. Petersburg. Very few people have even come to look. Getting very frustrated.

[121804]

Interesting here in Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte area.

Many, many homes for sale. You will see a lot of activity for anything new & under $200.

Case in point, I stopped in to an open house on a brand new 4/2/2 b/c of 3 things: curb appeal, the sign that said impact windows, & $179,900.

Builder taking a $10k hit but had to sell this home in order to keep on building & the bank.

I was in there for about 50 mins & 7 other couples walked in for the same reasons I had.

House sold in 6 days.

We are actually using this builder along w/ 3 other couples from their 6 day open house.

Builders wife had an open house every day & said she'd have one every day until the home sold.

Long story short...
Curb appeal
Have something that no one else in your price point does (in this case, it was hardi-plank, impact windows, & a logical price point for the area)
Sell at the price that people are going to want to buy (for me, landscaping sells. It means less for us to initally do & just looks nice)

[Edvard]

If you don't sell by June, it won't sell this year. Consider renting it out. I'm doing that with several houses because they eat up money standing vacant. A Realtor or real estate lawyer can handle it all for you. Next few weeks is about it for this year, and if there are any storms this summer, next year wll be worse.

[121804]

And see, a bunch of advice we are hearing is to shop around during July/August when it is super hot & there is not much activity.

We know that if a named storm is out there, no insurance policy will write & if a storm hits & we are looking, well...

All I am saying is that you may still have some people who are looking & trying to play the market during this time.

Maybe we are naive. Not sure All we know is that we will not pay above a certain amount here b/c of the general nature of the market & our pocketbooks

[tallrick]

Stick to your price point. If prices don't fall to where they should be, move someplace else. But if you get the price you want go ahead and buy. Florida's main problem is overpriced real estate but if you beat that you may enjoy a good life here after all!

[WhyMe]

New member, had to post about this subject.

I returned from the central gulf coast Sunday. I went on vacation, and to look at homes. This is the second year my wife and myself have been there looking for a semi-retirement place to live.

We want a nice home with some privacy in the rear and a pool. We found Sugarmill Woods In Homosassa, and have spent a week there for each of the past two years looking at homes and relaxing.

Some of the homes I looked at this time last year are still on the market at a much lower price, and will need to go down some more before they sell.

Here are a few of the problems which are detaining our moving from here to the Homosassa area, but applies to other areas as well.

Some parts of the complex are older and the houses are seriously out of date, both in fixtures and layout. The people moved into them 20-30 years ago, did no updating, but still want the price of a much newer home.

The newer used homes are priced even higher than the older ones.

I can buy a new home for less that a decent used one, but there is always the mature landscaping lacking, and most prime spots with good greenbelts are gone. (a greenbelt is a must have, as well as a deed restricted community)

The property taxes for new purchasers are a joke.

The insurance rates are also a joke, for both home and auto.

I am in my very early 50's and want a part-time job, while my wife wants a full time job. We thought we would have to settle for a little less money that we now make. It turns out we would have to settle for almost no money.

There are no jobs in this area. A year ago there were at least jobs at the nuclear plant and Home Depot, now there are none in the paper. I even looked in the St. Pete paper, and there are almost no jobs listed there either.

There are only two of us, but there is no way we can afford to move into a house, no matter how low the price may be, if we will have no money to pay for it.

The mortgauge is just part of the monthly expenses compared to everything else you have to add in just to cover the cost of ownership.

We really want to move there. I have some health problems which are much improved when I am in the climate of that paticular area, but I can't move there and then go bankrupt.


In summation:

There are thousands upon thousands of older homes in developments that people with money will not buy, but will build new instead. People with $7.00 per hr. jobs can't afford a house and the related expenses.

Insurance companies and tax rates are sending people running for the hills.

Hurricanes have scared quite a few people away.

Many people who moved to Florida in the land rush are now dying off, or moving to nursing homes, putting even more houses on the market.

Banking is tight now.

There are NO JOBS.

I hate to say this, but most homes for sale now will be worth at least 20% less by fall, and down even more this time next year.

I feel sorry for those of you trying to sell. Remember Texas had a huge land depression in the 80's. They recovered, but oil prices rose and carried their recovery. What will carry Floridas?

I am not bashing Florida, or anyone who lives there. These are just observations from someone who wants to move there, but can not afford to under the current conditions.

[phoenixxphyre]

I don't think it's just FL--I mean, I live in OH (and granted it's Toledo in which there are also no jobs) and on my street alone there were 8 houses for sale, many of which have been on the market for almost a year and since my grandma recently passed that adds another.

I'm not sure how viable an option it is for people who are trying to sell so they can move to other states, but what about renting? A lot of ppl especially with the job market as it is can't afford to buy a home, might not even be able to rent one alone, but could easily divvy the bedrooms between friends and split the rent. At least then it wouldn't be standing vacant (which at least around here actually increases the insurance) and you might even make money in the meantime.

[Seabeacon]

We have had our house on the market for 3 1/2 weeks and had the first people come see it just this morning. Yeah, I'm depressed.

[JSnFla]

real estate agents are jumping out of windows or just waiting tables now

[121804]

Unfortunate for the sellers but lucky for buyers like my family...we will never, ever, ever purchase a home in the particular area we are for more than $189. Nope. No way. We know that hubby will probably be transferred in 4-6 yrs & we either want something we can sell for a low price down the road or we will rent for the remainder of our time here in Charlotte County.

I would love to own a home. LOVE. I am honestly afraid of buying a home anywhere anymore for what so many sellers are enduring right now.