Above and Beyond Atlantic Beach Real Estate

I'm Glad Atlantic Beach Has Photographers More Faithful Than I Am!

2008-08-25T14:59:00.003-04:00

I hope I'm holding my own on the good works needed to get to heaven, because I sure am paving a road to somewhere else with a lot of good intentions!

I didn't get out and about in Atlantic Beach during Tropical Storm Fay and take photographs like I intended to, so I'm really glad some others did!

From what I've seen and heard, aside from some power outages, Fay didn't cause anyone too much trouble in Atlantic Beach.

I don't know nana_cindy42 on flickr, but she posted a short video from her home in Atlantic Beach, as well as some great stills from other spots around the beach showing Fay's powerful wind and rain.

I don't know nickytheblade on flickr either, but she posted a couple of early shots of Fay taken on August 20 (Tuesday) at 12:30pm from 1st Street in Atlantic Beach - one directly over the water and one that included people on the beach.

On youtube I found some more Atlantic Beach neighbors I don't know, stonewareporcelain and wadefallin, who both posted short videos of Fay in Atlantic Beach, and you'll see they were actually in the same location (but took different footage). What are the odds of two different people shooting the effects of Fay in Atlantic Beach from the same spot?! Pretty amazing!

I am impressed and inspired by these amateur photojournalist neighbors! Hopefully the next time I'll start getting out there more with my camera!

Not that I want a next time..

You hear that, Gustav? Don't bother getting yourself "organized" into a tropical storm or hurricane!

Just stay away!

Here's the Latest Data on Local Real Estate Sales...and All Real Estate is Local!

2008-08-15T10:13:00.008-04:00

All real estate is local - that's a fact! Don't worry about what you read in the national media. Don't even worry about what you read about the State of Florida. Just pay attention to what's happening in your backyard.

Here are the details from the latest Market Watch Report from the Northeast Florida Association of REALTORS® for 2Q 2008 property sales in Atlantic Beach, zip code 32233:

Avg Price	Price Chg*	# Sold	# Sold Chg*	Avg DOM	% of Asking Price
$350,500	-29.89%	46	15.00%	142	90.1%

*Compared to 2Q 2007

If you're interested, you may click on this link for the full Market Watch Report for Duval County for 2Q 2008, which includes the labor market, the overall housing market stats and detail for other zip codes in Duval County.

Atlantic Beach real estate sales seem to be kind of a good news/bad news story - the percentage change in the number of homes sold in Atlantic Beach is the only one in Duval County that increased, yet the percentage change in price, the number of days on the market and the percentage of asking price that homes in Atlantic Beach sold for is about average.

Interesting.

Jacksonville is #9 of Forbes 10 Best Cities to Buy A Home!

2008-08-04T15:51:00.002-04:00

Those of us who live here already know it, but it's nice to see "someone in the know" acknowledging that, Jacksonville, FL is one of the 10 Best Cities to buy a home! Right now! Read more on what's good about Jacksonville in this July 2008 Forbes article.

Those of us who live here know that if Jacksonville is great, Atlantic Beach is even better!

Have You Checked Out The New Atlantic Beach Blog?

2008-07-24T13:34:00.003-04:00

I read about mayportcorridor.blogspot.com in the Beaches Leader a few weeks ago and, like a lot of interesting items I read, I intended to check it out. Also like a lot of my intentions, it took me several weeks to get to it...but I'm really glad I did!

Lindsay, Jonathan, Erin and Mo have done a great job in getting a conversation going about the issues facing the western area of Atlantic Beach!

I love Atlantic Beach, and I'm proud of its residents, government, public servants, and sense of community. I believe Atlantic Beach is one of the few areas left where a true sense of community spirit still exists.

In many ways I think of Atlantic Beach as a secret treasure, and I consider myself fortunate to have lived here for over 15 years. Here's why:

Miles of non-commercial oceanfront- thank you city fathers past and present!
Superb parks and community events - thank you Timmy Johnson!
Involved citizens - too many to thank individually!
Eclectic home styles - thank you homeowners, architects and builders!
Many wonderful shopping/dining options within walking distance to many residents - thank you merchants!

Atlantic Beach is a close-to-idyllic place to live. All the active and neighborly residents, city commissioners, city employees, and business owners contribute to this precious pearl we call home.

I am well aware of the areas that need improvement, in some cases significant improvement, for Atlantic Beach to become the best it can be. Those areas are being addressed in a very effective way by the authors of, and commenters on, Mayport Corridor -What's Happening. Kudos to Lindsay, Jonathan, Mo and Erin for getting the ball rolling, and to the city for approaching the areas needing improvement head-on! Brickbats (as Folio Weekly would say) to the parties who diminish the desirability of Atlantic Beach! Drug dealers, owners of substandard properties, criminals, listen up! The proud people of Atlantic Beach are banding together to reclaim their jewel!

I look forward to good things ahead, and I want to be one of the people taking the steps that will get us there!

My Fun Time With Obama and McCain

2008-07-17T14:40:00.002-04:00

Real estate has been a little slow in Atlantic Beach lately, so I decided to have some fun!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Please Help Find Peter Cagle

2008-07-14T20:01:00.006-04:00

Please click on the title above for more information about Peter Cagle, who has been missing since last week. Here's another news story as well.

I'm hoping anyone who reads this will pray for Pete's safe return to his home, family and friends. Perhaps someone may even know something about where he may be.

Lucy Needs A Home

2008-06-26T11:10:00.002-04:00

Sweet lab mix, guessing 6-8 months old, unspayed female, needs a new home!

She started her life in Atlantic Beach, is now living in Jacksonville Beach, but is willing to relocate. :-)

Can you help?

A Short Explanation of Why Tim Russert Mattered

2008-06-18T11:24:00.003-04:00

I was glued to all things Tim Russert last Friday and through the weekend - on both the internet and television. I couldn't put into words exactly why I felt so incredibly sad about his death and why I wanted to see and learn as much about him as I could.

I just knew there was going to be a big, gaping hole in our world without him! Not just the world of politics, but the entire world. The world of good, authentic, honest, caring, interesting, fun, intelligent people. People who make a real difference in the world!

I'm not sure on which level I most related to him - the northeast U.S. roots we shared, his D.C. connection which is where I grew up, his Catholicism, his sharing of what his father (and entire family) meant to him, his ability to set aside party politics and views to address our country's concerns, his transparency. I related to him on all those levels, and probably more I can't articulate at this point.

It turns out it's okay that I couldn't pull my thoughts together to communicate what I think about Tim Russert, because Drew McClellan has done it for me!

If you want to read a very accurate and succinct piece about why Tim Russert mattered, please read "Tim Russert -- a lesson in branding" on Drew's Marketing Minute.

I really couldn't have said it better myself!

Falling Down on the Blog

2008-06-17T23:40:00.002-04:00

Since blogging seems to be the only thing keeping me busy these days, you'd think I'd be doing more posting. Unfortunately I've spent more time reading than writing, so I'm sort of falling down on the blog...I mean job!

Obviously the May numbers have been out for a couple of weeks, since it is now already June 17. I think I avoid blogging about Atlantic Beach real estate sales to avoid having to look at the numbers...that way I can stay in my optimistic bliss and not face the reality that sales are not where I (and every other Atlantic Beach, FL property owner!) hoped they would be.

We're in the middle of the buying season...I just know the news will be better at the end of June and July!

In Case You Were Thinking of Blaming GAAP for the Subprime Market Meltdown...

2008-06-05T17:43:00.004-04:00

CPAs near and far want you to know that Generally Accepted Accounting Principles did not cause the market collapse. Just sayin'.

There's No Shortage of Culprits in the Real Estate/Mortgage Meltdown

2008-06-05T09:45:00.004-04:00

There's no doubt we in the City of Atlantic Beach, FL, along with the entire Jacksonville metro area, have felt the impact of what has come to be known as "the subprime mortgage meltdown."

You might be a homeowner who can't afford the adjusted payments on an ARM or wants/needs to sell, a REALTOR® who earns a living selling property in Atlantic Beach, a real estate attorney who had a large portion of your business in real estate closings, a contractor or subcontractor who provided services to home buyers and/or sellers, a surveyor or appraiser.

You may not be directly involved in real estate, but your finances may have been affected because all the people who do make a living in real estate - or are trying to sell their home - have less discretionary income to spend at your restaurant or your shop or for using your professional services.

Like you, I've read or listened to hundreds of articles and analyses regarding the current condition of the real estate and mortgage markets on national, state and local levels.

There has been finger pointing at almost every possible group responsible except one. Perhaps you've been one of the finger pointers. I was, too! Even Warren Buffet knows who's to blame. But the more I think about it, the more I conclude that all the usual suspects can take part of the blame, and I also include one lesser-blamed group: homeowners.

Which homeowners? All homeowners. The new homeowners who wanted to buy more than they could really afford, no matter the consequences down the road. The existing homeowners who used their new-found home equity as a cash machine to buys toys and trinkets, take vacations, or invest in speculative real estate, etc.

Today I read a great article in Townhall magazine that confirms the role of homeowners in the "blame game" - something we don't hear mainstream media talk much about. Unfortunately the article doesn't seem to appear on the Townhall website, only in this month's print edition. (You can sign up for a free subscription on the website- look in the left hand column.) The article is written by Terry Jones (Associate Editor of Investors Business Daily) and titled "Playing the Subprime Blame Game," and it squarely and accurately places some (well, ok, a lot!) of the responsibility for the current real estate and mortgage market correction on the shoulders of homeowners.

If you're a homeowner, maybe (hopefully) you were smart enough not to make the over-buying or over-refinancing mistakes.

Just like, if you're a mortgage broker or lender, maybe you were astute enough to see that customers would have problems down the road so you didn't offer them risky, "financing under any circumstances" loans. Maybe you didn't turn your head when your customers wanted to slightly overstate their income or understate their expenses, even if it meant losing the deal.

Or if you're an appraiser, maybe you were honest and conservative enough not to "stretch" the value of the home, even if it meant the buyer, seller or REALTOR® got mad at you.

Maybe you're an investment broker/analyst and advised against those CDOs for your client or employer's portfolio. Better yet, if you're an industry analyst, maybe you tried to warn the lenders and Wall Street about what might happen.

Finally, if you're a real estate investor (or wannabe) maybe you restrained yourself during the buying frenzy and bought only properties you would have bought anyway, or didn't buy real estate at all if you didn't know what you were doing, just "cuz everyone else is!" BTW - that's the very time not to invest! When "everyone" is doing it, and pretty much everyone was investing in real estate, that's equivalent to turning out the lights...the party's over and it's time to go home!

In any event, there are plenty of culprits to identify.

Let's stop finger pointing and get to the hard work of getting through the market correction.

Let's take our knocks, minimize them as much as we can, and go on about our business.

Let's hope the government doesn't get any more involved than it already has. Emergency assistance (read: bailouts) are for unpredictable (natural, terrorist, etc.) disasters, not for ridiculously optimistic people who thought real estate would continue double digit appreciation forever! And who's really getting bailed out, anyway? Seems to me it's less homeowner bailout and more (fill-in-the-blank) bailout. As Americans living in a free market, it's our legal and God-given right to live free in both our micro and macro economies. That means we are free to make choices and free to enjoy or suffer the results of those choices.

My guess is the next six or so months will continue to be slow, simply because we're facing that uncertainty that comes with a Presidential election. The signs of the times indicate improvement in the real estate market: job growth, low unemployment, continuing low interest rates, etc.

So let's forget about finger-pointing!

We can get through this by helping each other out.

So go on about your day and

I Think Deutsche Bank Employees From New Jersey Would LOVE Atlantic Beach, Don't You?!

2008-06-02T19:25:00.002-04:00

Despite the (media-induced?) difficulties in the real estate market nationally and locally, Jacksonville and its neighboring coastal cities like Atlantic Beach are poised for an influx of jobs. Jobs that will hire local folks and also bring in people who are relocating. How lucky we are that Deutsche Bank is considering a move to Jacksonville. I think Atlantic Beach would be a great place for employees to buy or rent a home.

In either case, I'm sure Atlantic Beach would be thrilled to extend a welcome and some "Southern Hospitality" to new neighbors!

Atlantic Beach Real Estate Up and Down - Both Good News!

2008-05-07T15:17:00.003-04:00

By that headline, I mean that the number of property sales in Atlantic Beach is up, higher than in almost a year, with 19 sales during the month of April (vs. 10 in March) . The last time there were more than 19 property sales in Atlantic Beach was June, 2007 with 20 sales...hooray!

What's down is the "months of inventory," which was a little over 16 months in April. That's still higher than what we're used to but a lot better than 30+ months' inventory in March. May, 2007 was the last time we had fewer months' inventory than we had in April, 2008.

You can check out this analysis for more details, and I'll be posting some volume, average and median price analysis soon.

Now don't rush right out and put your home on the market...my advice is still to keep your home off the market unless you absolutely have to sell. Remember the law of supply and demand. If we want to see price increase, we need less supply that demand. That's still not the case, but we're moving in the right direction.

If you do need to sell your home, pricing it right is the key. This is no time to be playing the games we used to play "back in the day." The market will not support over-priced homes at this time. It's really not a good idea to price higher than what you want with the thinking that a buyer will offer less than what you're asking. The buyer might offer less than asking price, but a good agent will be able to help you defend the list price of your home and negotiate a close-to-full-price contract. If we get the real estate market more in balance, neither buyers nor sellers will be in a position to have a "take it or leave it" attitude. It will be better for everyone.

If you or someone you know is in the unfortunate circumstance of preforeclosure, you might want to (have them) get in touch with me. I've been working as a Certified Loss Mitigation Consultant with a foreclosure prevention company and also as a Short Sale Specialist.

If you can afford your home but got behind in your payments and are having trouble catching up, foreclosure prevention is a very real possibility. If you can't afford your home any longer due to a change in income, expenses or interest rate, then a short sale is probably the way to go. Your credit score will suffer some (it may have already), but handled properly you could settle with the mortgage lender for less than you owe and avoid having a foreclosure or a deficiency judgment.

While I'm adept in handling a successful foreclosure prevention or short sale, if you're considering bankruptcy you need to talk to your attorney. Often times bankruptcy only postpones the foreclosure, doesn't protect your credit score, and results in a situation that's worse than before. To find out any tax consequences that a short sale may have for you, please consult with a tax adviser. What I know about possible tax ramifications is all second hand and definitely not official, so I wouldn't dare advise you!

Keep smiling! Things are looking up! "On the fence" investors and/or buyers should start making decisions before significant price increases come along.

Now if we could do something about those gas prices...

The WSJ and My Broker Can't BOTH Be Wrong

2008-05-07T15:07:00.004-04:00

...so they must be right!

The Wall Street Journal said this yesterday. My broker, Pete Dalton, Vanguard Realty Inc., sent out an email titled "The Housing Crisis is Over!" (exclamation point his, not mine!) including the text of the WSJ opinion column.

This is good news! I'm happy!

If You Don't Really NEED To Sell Your Home...

2008-04-25T16:06:00.008-04:00

...then please take it off the market! This isn't the time to "test the waters."

And if you really need to sell your home, price it right.

The simple economics of supply and demand translates into trouble for everyone trying to sell right now. If you have listed your home at an even-slightly-higher-than-market price right now, and don't really need to sell, you'll be helping everyone, including yourself. The fewer homes on the market, the higher the prices will be.

I make a living selling homes. I haven't sold many lately. Buyers are wary...there are too many homes to choose from and they can't make a decision...they aren't sure prices are at (or even close to) the bottom yet.

The trickle down effect is huge...local businesses suffer when so many professionals have to cut their discretionary spending.

In addition to REALTORS, there are many other professionals who earn a living only when homes sell: real estate attorneys, title companies,mortgage lenders, surveyors, appraisers, home inspectors, etc. All of us have had a significant decrease in income for the last 18 months. That hurts all the wonderful businesses in Atlantic Beach, from restaurants to shops and hairdressers to physicians.

Do your part for the local economy...if you can, take your home off the market!

It's Hard to Believe the Number of Local Properties in Pre-Foreclosure

2008-04-13T19:56:00.008-04:00

I have recently participated in a lot of classes about ways to help families who are facing foreclosure. One way is for people, who don't want to move, keep their home. The other option is a short sale, which helps those who know they can no longer afford their home but owe more than it's worth in the current market.

I decided to takea look at the lis pendens filed in Duval County from April 1 through today...an unbelievable 392!! That's hard to accept!

I can probably help some of these folks.

People who know me know I like to help people...a little too much, sometimes! (Just ask Father Kelly at St. Paul's - he'll tell you about the "knights of the road" I got a little overly involved with over the years I worked at the Church!)

I haven't looked at them closely to see how many are at the beach. I want to stay close to home, I've lived in Atlantic Beach for 15 years (and five years in Ponte Vedra if that counts as living at the beach...lol) and I know beaches real estate in better than I know the rest of the greater Jacksonville area. Having moved here before the price of real estate at the beach exploded, while Jacksonville Beach was still a "blighted" area, I remember the small town feel the beaches had (and still does to a great extent). I know many beaches residents simply from working in the St. Paul's Catholic Church office for 10 years. I want to help these people!

If you, or someone you know, is facing foreclosure, ask them to call me at 591-8520. If they find it too embarrassing, or they're paralyzed by feeling overwhelmed, you can call me. Tell me a little bit about their situation and I'll let you know if I think I can help them. No questions asked. Just give me the facts as you know them - the most important being the estimated value of their home (use zillow.com for starters - not always accurate, but at least close) and the balance on their mortgage(s).

Sometimes people experience a financial setback (job less, illness, etc.) and are back on their feet, but can't pay the full amount due to the lender (who won't accept a partial payment). I may be able to negotiate a successful "loss mitigation" that would allow them to stay in their home.

If staying in the home just isn't possible, I can also help with what's known as a "short sale," where I negotiate with the lender to accept a payoff that's less than the full loan balance. The seller doesn't get any cash from the sale of their home, but hopefully keeps a foreclosure off their credit record making it easier to buy again in the future.

Please, let me know whoI can help.

And whatever you do, don't get involved with some of the, uhhhh less savory (opportunists) shall we say, who's tactics are not the most ethical. Remember - friends don't let friends deed their home over before closing!!!

You'll Never Say "I'm Bored" Around Here!

2008-04-11T10:09:00.011-04:00

Why doesn't everyone want to live in Atlantic Beach, FL?! I just can't understand it! I've lived here for over 15 years and I can't imagine living anywhere else!

I don't have time to write about all the things that make Atlantic Beach such a great place to live, so chose one of the best to start. It's a biggy! Maybe the biggest, except for the ocean and beach!

It's here. I think the number and quality of events that take place at Atlantic Beach city parks are beyond compare for a city our size. Tim Johnson, the director of Atlantic Beach Parks and Recreation, has been doing an awesome job for year! Timmy's office happens to be across from my home, and I've watched him come and go for years. He always has a smile and a wave!

We're lucky to have the city management and government that we do. Great things have happened and will continue to happen in Atlantic Beach!

Eight Tips for Selling a High-End Home in a Soft Market

2008-04-08T21:59:00.004-04:00

I read an article published in January on the forbes dot com website that outlined eight suggestions to enhance the success of selling a high-end home in a soft real estate market. Since Atlantic Beach has more than a few high-end homes, I thought it would be prudent to share those tips here.

To be clear, each of the following tips is taken directly from the forbes dot com article, but the explanatory comments following are mine. I want to make sure forbes dot com receives no undeserved criticism or praise!

Tip #1 - Proper pricing. - There's a school of thought that pricing low, possibly even a little under the market value of the home, is a smart marketing tactic. Often that low pricing generates a lot of interest and may even result in competitive offers - real good news for the seller! The most attention a new listing receives is during the first two weeks of the listing. Homes that are priced too high during the first two weeks almost never sell for maximum price. Even in a good market, new listings that are priced to high suffer immediate disregard and end up becoming old, stale listings. Right or wrong, buyers assume that there must be something wrong with the home if it's been on the market that long. It doesn't usually occur to buyers that maybe the home is simply overpriced. In their minds they have already begun to envision the hidden nightmare. If, by chance, the early looker likes the home and considers making an offer, one of two things may happen - either they talk themselves out of making the offer assuming the seller will not consider an offer as low as theirs after being on the market such a short time or makes the offer and the seller decides not to accept such a low offer after being on the market such a short time. It's all downhill from their...by the time the seller realizes a lower price is necessary, opportunities have been missed and the listing ends up chasing the lowest priced comp to the end. The importance of proper pricing cannot be overemphasized!

Tip #2 - Hire a REALTOR. - Hey now, that's Forbes talking, not me! I do agree with this tip, though! There are a number of important reasons to use a REALTOR, but probably the most convincing is looking at sales data shows that, in most cases, homes that were listed in the local MLS by a local REALTOR sell for more than homes sold by owner. I can provide that data...just ask for it if you don't believe me. If that's not reason enough, there are some other reasons that are harder to quantify. Some examples: expert advice on need for staging/fixing up; aggressive marketing; offer evaluation; negotiations that the seller finds hard to do on their own behalf; follow-up ability with buyer's lender; facilitating showings and inspections, etc.

Tip #3 - Quick fixes. - Not every repair and freshening up pay off. The most important are the proverbial "curb appeal" - the buyer's very first impression of the home. The second first impression occurs when the buyer walks through the door. Light and the absence of odors are critical. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

Tip #4 - Incentives. - You never know what might turn a prospective buyer on, but you might strike the right chord with a new car in the garage to go with the house or a new surround sound stereo/flat screen TV system in the family room. It's hard to know if you recoup your costs on these kinds of incentives, but if they provide nothing more than a faster sale when you need it, incentives like this can be well worth it!

Tip #5 - Web brokers. - This is the direct opposite of Tip #2, but if you feel confident enough to handle all the aspects of the selling experience on your own, you could save the commission. A web broker usually charges a nominal flat fee to list your property in the local MLS and you could break even...after all, the buyer expects some of that savings, too!

Tip #6 - Staging. - If the home your selling is full of outdated decor or vacant, sometimes the services of a professional home stager can make a huge difference. Buyers form images of what the home could look like for them, but that's harder to do when the decorating is lacking or the home is vacant. A vacant home makes it difficult to visualize perspectives, such as how a king-size bed will fit in the master, or whether the sofa or china cabinet will fit in a desired spot. A professional home stager knows all the tricks of the trade to make the living space appear larger or more cozy or lighter or whatever is needed. Pricing varies, from someone who already has the necessary items on hand and charges an hourly rate/rental fee and a staff to do painting and/or minor updating to someone who simply charges an hourly rate to complete a plan that you will put into effect to someone who leases/purchases the necessary items and uses a mark-up for their compensation.

Tip #7 Tax considerations. - Depending on the sellers circumstances, there are times when what might appear to be a loss actually works to the seller's benefit. It is necessary to consult a tax accountant and/or attorney on this matter, but factors such as working out of the home or gains on other investments might create an opportunity to sell for a lower price and take the tax benefits from that situation.

Tip #6 - Consider renting out. - If there is no reasonable way for you to get the value of your home in the current real estate market, renting your home might be a great short-term option. With the number of foreclosures currently in process, it appears there will be a number of families needing to rent. If the numbers work out for you, and you stand to lose a lot selling at this time, renting your home might be the best solution.

Well, there they are - from Forbes through me to you! Hope they help!

Safety in Numbers?

2008-02-25T13:07:00.009-05:00

I just finished reviewing the Northeast Florida Multiple Listing Service/Northeast Florida Association of Realtors 4th Quarter 2007 Market Watch Report

The Report's home sales data by zip code for Duval County follows. I apologize for the appearance - those of you close to my age will probably need your reading glasses. (The look really bothers the perfectionist in me!)

Atlantic Beach average sale price increased 19% in the 4th quarter over the 3rd quarter! W00t! Wait...proceed with caution!

Before we get excited about a 19% increase, only 104 "average days on market" and a 97.4% sale/list price ratio, let's look at all the facts.

"Average sale price increase" is impacted by the location of sold homes. Home prices in Atlantic Beach vary greatly by location. If all 17 sales were in a neighborhood where the price range is $225,000 to $325,000, would a 19% increase also apply to oceanfront homes? If 16 homes sold in the $150,000-$200,000 range, and one was an oceanfront home that sold for $2,000,000, is 19% still a reliable increase in average sale price?

Another consideration is that "average days on market" and "% of sold/list price" only looks at one listing at one point in time: the active listing when the property sold.

Here's why this is important.

The property may (likely)have been listed more than once, under different listing numbers. This happens if the listing expires and a new REALTOR® is hired. This can also happen when a listing expires and the REALTOR® decides to relist under a new number so the listing seems newer on the MLS. "Average days on market" only counts the one listing in effect at the time the property was sold and closed.

Similarly, the sale/list price ratio only looks at the list price on the day the property went under contract. The list price may have been reduced significantly from the original asking price. If the original list price was $500,000 and was reduced over time to a more reasonable (for the market) $425,000, then a $399,000 sale price would be a 94% "sale/list price at the time it sold." The ratio when looking at "sale/original list price is only an 80%.

So..."days on market" is a MINIMUM days on market, and the "% of sale/list price" is dressed up in its Sunday best!

Fortunately, our MLS has the data needed to draw more meaningful conclusions, such as which 17 homes sold, whether a property was listed under more than one listing number, and the list price history. It's labor intensive to research and most people don't seem to care, but...this information is critical when helping a buyer determine an offer price or a seller determine a realistic listing price!

Why Use Irrupt?

2008-02-24T19:46:00.004-05:00

I like words and language, and I'm always interested in learning a new word to use in conversation or writing. I subscribe to dictionary.com "Word of the Day" and today's word has me puzzled.

The word is "irrupt." If you're still with me, and interested in my confusion, the first definition is "To burst in forcibly or suddenly; to intrude."

The reason I'm confused is I'm wondering why someone would ever want to use "irrupt" instead of the more commonly-known "erupt?" I haven't researched it, but tt seems to mean the same thing. And while I like learning new words, I don't learn them just to impress. If I learn a word that more accurately says what I want to say, that's great! But in this case, I'm perfectly happy with "erupt."

If anyone has an explanation of when "irrupt" might be more accurate than "erupt," I'd love to know!

P.S. I'm also a lover of proper grammar! I'm very careful to use proper grammar, because it's one of my pet peeves to hear/read someone using improper grammar. I know I make mistakes, but since my grammar is probably better that the "average" American's, it's not pointed out very frequently.

Another day I'll expound on the grammatical errors that irritate me the most!

26.2 With Donna

2008-02-17T13:34:00.017-05:00

Little ole Atlantic Beach is getting almost as exciting as New York City. Not only do we have two Starbucks across the street from each other (ok, truthfully, the second one is in Neptune Beach), but today we had a marathon! Runners from all over the world arrived in Jacksonville over the last few days to take part in this marathon.

It was a beautiful day, with clear sunny skies and temperature in the low 70's. It was a glorious day for outdoor activities. What more could runners want?

Many streets were closed, packed with well-wishers and supporters along the way. The route passed right in front of my home, which was very exciting!

On both sides of the street lots of marathon activity was going on: medical tent, water and sports drink stations, families and friends with signs and lawn chairs, and misting fans for the runners. Music was playing and fans were shouting their support and encouragement.

Alene Reta had the fastest full-marathon time with 2:21:58. Tadesse Abebe had the fastest half-marathon time at 1:11:40.

Check out this excellent photo album of the marathon. called Racewatch, on Picasa.

Here We (Don't) Go Again?

2008-02-15T12:33:00.007-05:00

I keep saying I'm going to start attending Atlantic Beach City Commission meeting. I even have them posted on my calendar, along with the yoga classes I want to attend but never do! Then the meeting date arrives and I'm too tired/too busy/too lazy to get to the meeting.

After reading an article in Wednesday's Beaches Leader I am recommitting myself to being there! I don't want to miss the many interesting and important and entertaining things going on! The article doesn't appear in the online edition, but the subject is included in Drew Dixon's blog.

Now that we have (mostly) private property rights advocates sitting on the AB City Commission, we are finally able to look at removing the hotly-contested Floor Area Ration from the community character ordinance.

FAR has to do with how much floor space can be contained within the four walls of a home. I've never been sure why anyone in Atlantic Beach cares. From what I have learned, FAR is factor used predominantly in a commercial and multi-family buildings, not single family residences. It's used to make sure that a building that meets exterior dimension zoning regulations doesn't violate other zoning regulations, such as minimum parking or density. Prior to the community character study and subsequent ordinance, I'm not aware that we had any parking or density problems in the area of Atlantic Beach to which the ordinance applies.

What we did have were residents who were unhappy that their neighbors had rebuilt larger homes than were originally on their lots. These homes were built within the existing (and might I say, for the most part, reasonable) building and zoning codes. The reality was that in order to support the rapidly rising property values in the Jacksonville and beaches area between 2000-2005, we needed the freedom to allow homeowners make their home functional for the way families live today

Unlike the 60's and 70's, when most of these homes were originally built, homes today are used a lot differently and home buyers have different expections than homeowners at that time. Today, each child generally has their own room. Two full bathrooms are a must. Garages are needed, not just for cars, but for all the other equipment of our lives...surfboards, bikes, fishing gear, etc. Our consumer society means we need more storage than was needed back then. That means larger closets, more cabinet space in the kitchen, and extra storage wherever it can be found. Higher ceilings are desired.

I don't understand why Commissioner Woods wants the FAR to remain in the ordinance as "optional." If it's optional, then it doesn't need to be in the ordinance, does it? I would think anything in an ordinance is mandatory...isn't that the purpose of an ordinance?

I'm hoping as this issue goes to the community development board and public hearings are held, friction among neighbors doesn't rise to the level it rose to at first pass.

Todd Rundgren says it best.