Casselberry (Orlando, Brandon: middle-class, for sale, apartments)

[onwillowbay]

I need some help. We (my husband (66), me and my 83 year old mother) moved 8 months ago to Olive Branch MS. Our home STILL HASN'T SOLD. What is going on? It's in Lakehurst. We spent about $30,000 on double pane windows and a trane seer 16 a/c unit, tons of upgrades, 3000 sq. ft. and dropped the price 100,000. Finally we took it off the market to wait a month or so and let it show up as a new listing instead of one that has been for sale for over 200 days. WHAT IS HAPPENING? Any relief in sight? Diane

[Magnulus]

This place is saturated with homes and apartments and alot of people want to rent. This place is full of poor/lower-middle-class people who cannot actually afford to buy homes anymore, especially with property taxes and insurance woes.

You just have to be patient and wait, maybe it will sell. I wouldn't drop the price you are asking for right away, though, but just keep tabs of what other houses in the area are actually selling for. I think most of the upgrades you made to the house will not help it sell faster, in fact upgrades rarely do help. Casselberry is no longer a very desireable place to live, not when there are other, more desireable communities with less crime and more ammenities.

My dad is living in the same dream land, thinking about selling his house in Brandon and thinking his houses will sell for buttloads of money, and he says I am a naysayer, full of doom and gloom. Wrong, all the houses around here are taking a hit. The housing prices got totally out of control relative to wages.

[onwillowbay]

I agree. Our investments in the upgrades won't help much. What I am hoping for is that with next year being an election year, and with the Feds dropping rates (possibly 2 more times before 2007 year end) that the credit criteria for buyers will change this horrific situation into a seller's market once again. Our realtor wants us to dropt he price about $50,000 BUT WHY/ We are thelowest by $10,000 in this exclusive gated community so why drop it (commission?). It's very devastating, especiallys ince my husbenad is 66 and can't retire until it sells. I'm 56, a paralegal, went to work for a fabulous internation law firm. My first assignment was to close 40 deals in a 60 day period. I accomplished this and even found the time to get an ACP (advanced paralegal credential) ...the day I got my credential was the day all deals were closed and on the very next day myposition was eliminated. NOW I am on unemployment and thinking of going back to school I'm so sick of working with unscrupulous law firms/attorneys. Something is guiding me to teach (at age 56?)....Thinks just keep going from bad to worse. The housing condition in Florida is absolutely horrendous.

[bdpop]

I believe on of the biggest problems is the meidan home prices are not in line with the median salary here in Central Florida. It all just doesn't add up. How can someone making 40k, which I was told is good pay in Orlando, afford a $250k home?

[onwillowbay]

Well after over a year and our house in Casselberry not selling, we are moving back into it. We came up to the memphis TN area 9 months ago and things up here are AWFUL. Low pay, worse jobs, worse crime, and now we are stuck with TWO houses. PLUS medical help up here is unbelievable. This is truly the "old south"...doesn't matter a darn what you know...it's "who" you know. Today, after another week of gloomy weather, we've decided to head back to Florida and move into our old house. I can make (I think) at least more than what I make here PLUS I won't have to work for a verbally abusive bully boss that throws temper tantrums and staplers when he gets mad. Tomorrow we start packing.

[bdpop]

Maybe it worked out for the best then. I wish you the best.