Lakeland Fl Homes for Sale, Real Estate and more...

head_left_image

Realtors® and Client Relationships - How is your Relationship with your Client?

Realtors® and Client Relationships - How is your Relationship with your Client?

Early on in my career when first being employed in sales back in Germany, I always was told by my supervisor: “Der Kunde ist Koenig”, which translates to “The client is king”. To this day, it is stated as my motto on my Active Rain profile.   

After reading Gary Woltal’s blog,  “Why being a little pregnant doesn’t work with serious Realtors®” , I commented on his blog that, “this should be rule number 1, but, yes there is a but, there is always exception to a rule. My exception is with a client that I have known for three years and worked with for the last two years.”  

Home BuyerActually it goes back three years ago when the family was looking for a home in Lakeland.  With Lakeland being centrally located between Tampa and Orlando and the wife taking on a new position in Tampa, husband employed in Orlando; unsure of whether or not Lakeland would be their new city, I recommended leasing a single family home until they made a decision on when they want to purchase their next home.  During this time, I kept in contact with them send listings of homes within their price range.  In their first year of leasing, every once and a while we have viewed a few homes, however, of the few homes that they liked, most of them were grossly overpriced.  It became then apparent that they wanted to look outside of Lakeland because at the same time the husband was looking into another employment opportunity in the Tampa area which did not develop.  With the uncertainty in the employment sector for both husband and wife and a baby on the way, it became more of a fear to purchase for a while.  The job market had changed again for the wife and for the last six months we have been actively looking and bidding on properties.  Patience, persistence and communication pays off, they are now under contract to purchase a beautiful home in the Orlando area, which is scheduled to close within the next month.  

The reality here is, had my clients purchased a house last year or the year before, they would have had to resell the home resulting in a financial loss that may not be recovered for years to come.

There are more experiences or stories similar to this one I could tell.  When reflecting back to the years of experience in real estate, relying on my instinct, understanding my clients’ needs and expectations, these are the key components of recognizing the true value of Realtor® and client relationships.  When I’m being hired by my clients as their Realtor®, whether as their buyer’s agent or their selling agent, I continue to stay true to my motto, “The client is king”.The Client is King

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

Polk County and Florida Existing Home Sales Remained Strong for November 2009

Polk County Real Estate MarketThe Florida Association of Realtors® reports that existing home sales rose 61% in November from the previous year, showing for the past 15 months that overall real estate sales in the State of Florida have increased.  While much credit is given for the extended and expanded homebuyers tax credit for the increased sales activity in the past, the decline in home values and sales prices resulting from the increased sales of distressed properties and foreclosures.

Florida’s median sales price for existing homes last month continued downwardly to $139,000 for a 12% ($158,200) decrease from the previous year and less than 1% ($140,300) from the previous month.

The Polk County’s overall housing prices improved slightly.

589 existing homes sold – a slight decrease of 3.6% from the previous month (612 sold homes) in Polk County – an increase in sales activity of 220 Polk County homes sold from the previous year. Overall Polk’s median price for existing homes increased from the previous month to $104,900; however, dipped 17% from the previous year of $127,000. 

Take a look at the city you live in or want to move to and see what the numbers are for November 2009 for existing home sales - single family homes, condominiums, manufactured homes -including distressed properties in Polk County.

City                                                  Average Sold Price             Median Sold Price        # of Homes Sold

AUBURNDALE

110,156

125,000

21

BARTOW

92,496

79,000

21

CLERMONT

54,833

62,500

3

DAVENPORT

137,355

132,500

110

DUNDEE

78,342

86,625

3

EAGLE LAKE

82,425

88,350

4

FORT MEADE

74,467

67,500

6

FROSTPROOF

103,925

70,000

6

HAINES CITY

118,744

115,000

43

HOMELAND

27,500

27,500

1

INDIAN LAKE ESTATES

43,000

43,000

1

KATHLEEN

160,000

160,000

1

KISSIMMEE

99,265

70,000

17

LAKE ALFRED

89,283

97,350

6

LAKE WALES

79,657

57,500

14

LAKELAND

122,591

119,000

174

MULBERRY

112,090

125,100

25

POINCIANA

94,498

79,500

57

POLK CITY

50,667

50,000

3

WINTER HAVEN

102,082

90,000

73

 

Let’s take a look at the distressed Polk County real estate market!

Distressed properties, which includes Bank owned, pre-foreclosure, in foreclosure and short sales count for 57% of our total sales in Polk County for the month of November.

  • 250 sold homes were Bank Owned – median price $75,000 – Days on Market 26
  • 80 sold homes were Short Sales – median price $115,500 – Days on Market 111

The data for this report was obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”.

 

For all of your Polk County home search, click on the search picture below:

 

Your Polk County Home Search

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

New HUD-1 Settlement Statement Explained for Homebuyers

Lakeland Home Homebuyers that finance their newly purchased Lakeland real estate will be signing a new version of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement beginning January 1, 2010.  While the new form resembles its old form, there are significant changes on page 2 from lines 800 through 1300 in which certain charges that a Lakeland borrower was shown on the Good Faith Estimates given by their lender are carried over to the updated HUD-1 Settlement Statement.  This will give Lakeland home buyers and those looking to refinance Lakeland homes a clearer picture of what they have been quoted by their lender to as opposed to what they are actually paying for it at the closing table.

The biggest change in the HUD-1 Settlement Statement is the addition of page 3 which states that certain charges can and cannot increase, and charges that in total cannot increase more than 10%.  For example fees that cannot exceed 10% or more are:

  • Government recording charges
  • Mortgage insurance premium
  • Survey

And for the first time, some of the charges stated in the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) must coincide with the HUD-1. These are:

  • Our origination charge (lender’s origination fee)
  • Your credit or charge (points) for the specific interest rate chosen
  • Your adjusted origination charges
  • Transfer taxes

Moreover, the addition of the loan terms are reiterated in plain English on page three of the HUD-1 Settlement Statement, which outlines the terms of the loan you previously agreed with your lender in a somewhat of a “Question and Answer” form.

What exactly is my monthly mortgage payment?The only thing I want to point out regarding the stated term, “your initial monthly amount owed for principal, interest and any mortgage insurance”, there is no mention for any escrow, only a box for a check-mark for Principal, Interest, and Mortgage Insurance. However, the mentioning of Escrow is found on the bottom, which states, “Total monthly amount owed including escrow amount payments”.

The bottom line here is: What is really missing is the total monthly payment written in one place – Principal, Interest, Mortgage Insurance, and Escrow – and that are borrowers’ primary concern.

Furthermore, the new HUD-1 Settlement Statement clearly does not allow that any junk fees be added and therefore may save Lakeland Homebuyers and folks seeking refinancing additional monies.

I must say that altogether I agree with the overall improvements of the Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 Settlement Statement.  Although I’m hoping these forms do not add any more confusion for the Lakeland homebuyers when purchasing their Lakeland Real Estate in the future, it certainly is the mortgage brokers and Realtors® responsibility to go over the Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 Settlement Statement in detail to clear up any confusion prior to the closing or settlement date.

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

Lakeland Real Estate Update 12/01/09-12/15/09

Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1901 homes for sale throughout Lakeland – as of 12/21/09. Newly listed homes for the period of December 1st through December 15th totaled 126 Lakeland homes recently came on the market. A 16% increase from the my previous report. The average sales price of Lakeland homes listed with area Realtors® increased to $200,409.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

1 duplex listed for $119,900

4 condos listed with an average sales price of $119,925

16 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $79,284

1 Townhomes/Villas listed for $49,500

104 single family homes with an average price of $174,525

For a more detailed report such as distressed properties and map please continue to read by clicking this link.

 

 

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

Lakeland Real Estate Housing for November 2009

Lakeland Real Estate Housing for November 2009

Despite Polk County’s unemployment numbers in the double digits, Lakeland Florida sales activity continued strong for the month of November.

Lakeland Homes sold in November: 174 - previous month:  177 – previous year November 08: 106 sold

 

Lakeland Florida Real Estate Market November 2009

Which zip codes represents the most sales activities since January 2009?

Lakeland

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Grand Total

33801

20

12

15

21

13

16

17

12

20

27

20

193

33803

11

10

16

18

16

19

26

19

22

25

20

202

33805

12

11

12

9

5

10

14

14

8

14

12

121

33809

13

12

16

11

18

17

16

17

25

17

21

183

33810

25

31

34

31

46

37

40

33

42

46

43

408

33811

10

16

17

18

18

22

20

15

22

15

18

191

33812

10

5

8

13

7

9

16

15

10

9

13

115

33813

9

25

27

28

26

33

35

38

29

22

24

296

33815

5

3

7

5

7

6

4

3

5

2

3

50

Grand Total

115

125

152

154

156

169

188

166

183

177

174

1759

 

November - average sales price $122,590

Previous month: $115,952 (+ 5.7%) – previous year November 08: $159,241(-23%)

November - median sales price $119,000

Previous month: $107,000 (+11%) – previous year November 08: $142,500 (-16.5%)

The graph below represents average and median prices in Lakeland for various categories.

 LaLakeland Florida Real Estate Market November 2009

 

What are the various average prices in each Lakeland zip code?

 

Take a look at my spreadsheet below. I’ve separated the report by zip code instead of school zones; it gives you a more accurate report in my opinion. The data and graphs for this report were obtained from the Mid-Florida Regional MLS, it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This report does not include “For Sale By Owner”. The numbers highlighted in pink represents the zip codes where average sold prices have exceeded.

 

Lakeland Florida Real Estate Market November 2009

Distressed properties in Lakeland, Florida

For the month of November, Lakeland’s real estate market of distressed homes and bank-owned (REO) properties had a market share of 53%. There were a total of 92 properties sold in November compared to 36 distressed Lakeland homes sold the year prior, according to Mid-Florida Regional MLS.

  • Average days on market (DOM) for bank-owned properties are 60 days
  • Average days on market (DOM) for other distressed properties are 158 days.

29 Distressed Homes Sold - average sold price $124,506 – median sold price $115,000

63 Bank-owned (REO) sold – average sold price $89,084 – median sold price $75,000

 

If you are interested in a specific area or neighborhood, feel free to contact me at petra@petranorris.com or click the search button below.

 

Your Lakeland Home Search

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

Lakeland Real Estate Update - 11/16/09-11/30/09

Update for the Lakeland real estate market! Currently, there are 1906 homes for sale throughout Lakeland - as of 12/07/09. Newly listed homes for the period of November 16th through November 30th totaled 109 Lakeland homes recently came on the market. A 28% decline from the previous my previous report. The average sales price of Lakeland homes listed with area Realtors® increased to $202,841.

The types of homes and average prices just listed in Lakeland, Florida according to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) are as follows:

2 condos listed with an average sales price of $189,950

6 mobile homes listed with an average sales price of $46,116

7 Townhomes/Villas listed with an average sales price of $94,925

94 single family homes with an average price of $180,829

Lakeland's newest homes listed! The priciest Lakeland real estate is a 2007 pool home; featuring 6 bedrooms and 4 ½  baths with over 5,300 square feet of living space currently offered for $947,500 located in the Eaglebrooke Community.  On the contrary, the cheapest Lakeland home newly listed is a 2 bedroom 2 baths listed for only $16,200 - just over $20.00 per square foot - located in the Country View Estates subdivision.

Please continue to read my detailed Lakeland Real Estate Market update by clicking the link.

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918
 

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Holiday Happenings” – December 4th, 2009

First Friday in Lakeland Florida – Local Event “Holiday Happenings” – December 4th, 2009

Christmas Lights - LakelandC’mon down – Downtown Lakeland is all decked out with Holiday lights! Enjoy the sounds of holiday music that will be performed around downtown Lakeland; take your picture with Santa at the General Store and much, much more during Lakeland, Florida’s First Friday local event “Holiday Happenings”. Get some holiday shopping done, stores will be open late!

Did you miss Thursday’s annual Lakeland Christmas Parade? You don’t want to miss this special occasion with your family and friends. With all Lakeland First Friday events, Downtown Lakeland Partnership has always done an outstanding job organizing, which it only gets better with each and every month. Folks coming to downtown Lakeland comingling, shopping, dining and having a good time.

What can you expect to see in and around Munn Park?

It all starts at 6:00 p.m. with many school groups performing at various locations downtown:

Carlton Palmore – 7pm – Main & Kentucky
Sleepy Hill – 6pm & 7:30 – Kentucky & Pine
All Saints – 7:30 – Kentucky & Lemon

Christmas Lights - LakelandAt J. Rowan Galleries on S. Kentucky Ave:

6:00p.m.              LCMA Jazz Band I
6:55p.m.              LCMA Full Orchestra
7:15 p.m.             LCMA Advanced Chorus
8:00p.m.              LCMA Jazz Band II

Inside J Rowan Galleries on S. Kentucky Ave:

6:15p.m.              LCMA Guitar Ensemble
6:30p.m.              LCMA Guitar Ensemble
6:45p.m.              LCMA Guitar Ensemble

Suzuki Strings performing in front of Fast Frame at 6pm

Stop by at the classic car show!

 

 

Petra Norris - REALTOR®, SFR
Managing Broker - CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
 
CDV TransAtlantic Inc
(863) 619-6918