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Tag Archives: Hallandale Florida

A Look Back at South Florida Real Estate Activity in 2011

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The year 2011 was marked by increasing sales volumes, international home buyers using cash only and depressed home prices, according to a recent report from the Miami Association of Realtors.

Continue reading to learn more about how the South Florida real estate market fared at the end of 2011 – and what local real estate experts are predicting for 2012.

Florida Homes for Sale in the Aventura, Hallandale and Golden Beach Areas

Here’s an overview of some of the trends that South Florida REALTORS saw on the local housing market in 2011:

  • International home buyers spent about $3.5 billion in cash on distressed South Florida real estate
  • Although home sales increased and the total housing inventory decreased in South Florida, home prices remained relatively stagnant.
  • The South Florida rental market saw growth as former home owners became renters.
  • The home inventory in South Florida dropped to 28,000, or by about 40 percent.
  • Meanwhile, the shadow inventory of foreclosed homes that are not listed for sale yet increased to more than 200,000.
  • South Florida existing home sales increased at a slower rate than earlier in the year, although median home prices began to increase.
  • In Miami-Dade County, there were 1,064 condo sales in November, up 2 percent from November 2010.
  • Meanwhile, single family home sales increased by 11 percent year-over-year, to 755.
  • In Broward County, there were 1,089 condo sales in November, down 1 percent from November 2010.
  • Meanwhile, single-family home sales increased by 22 percent year-over-year, to 961.

Analysts are cautiously optimistic about what 2012 will bring for the South Florida real estate market.

While some believe that there isn’t likely to be any real market rebounds until 2013, others believe housing market activity will improve considerably in 2012.

Here are three predictions that the Miami Association of Realtors made for the new year:

  • Home prices will remain low. Experts believe that the high number of distressed properties on the market will keep home values depressed. As an illustration, more than half of all South Florida home sales in November involved a foreclosure or short sale. In a normal market, those types of properties would have made up less than 5 percent of sales.
  • There will be an increase in foreclosed properties on the South Florida real estate market. In 2011, there was a slowdown in foreclosed properties entering the market as banks dealt with a backlog of court repossession paperwork. But experts predict that slowdown will end in 2012, possibly dragging down home values further.
  • More people invest in the rental market, fueling South Florida home sales. While it may seem counter intuitive, an increasing number of South Florida investors are buying homes to turn them into rental properties because of the high demand for rental properties in the area. This in turn is helping create activity on the local real estate market.

Your South Florida Real Estate Expert

While we may not be out of the woods yet, there are plenty of signs to suggest that the sluggish South Florida real estate market is beginning to improve.

The year 2012 may become a turning point on the South Florida real estate market.

For expert advice on the best way to navigate the local housing market as a home buyer or a home seller, make sure to contact me, Scott Patterson.

As your South Florida real estate expert, I have extensive experience working in such local housing markets as:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Update for July

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The MIAMI Association of REALTORS recently released some data that describe the current state of the South Florida real estate market.

One of the group’s biggest conclusions was that Broward housing inventory has fallen below a six month supply. Keep in mind this is averaged out for all price ranges, however when it’s broken up in different price range categories from like $1-2 Million, or $2-3 Million and up the picture is much different as there are more month’s supply, in other words the the higher the price range, the more inventory there currently is.

For example today in Broward County we have approximately 83 months supply of single family homes over 3 million dollars and less than 4 months supply for single family homes less than 300,000.

The group found that inventory of residential listings in Broward County fell by 27 percent – or from 20,143 in May 2010 to 12,742.

Comparatively, total housing inventory nationally only fell by 1 percent.

This is great news for interested South Florida home sellers.  After all, as there become fewer homes there are on the South Florida real estate market, demand for South Florida homes will inevitably rise.

When demand for South Florida homes rises, South Florida home sellers will have more bargaining room when it comes to selling their South Florida home.

More Information on the Current State of the South Florida Real Estate Market

Here’s some additional data that the MIAMI Association of REALTORS recently released:

  • Condominium sales in Broward County increased from 1,348 in May 2010 to 1,537 in May 2011.  That’s a 14 percent increase year-over-year.
  • Single-family home sales increased by 6 percent – or from 1,078 in May 2010 to 1,142 in May 2011.
  • Cash transactions made up 60 percent of all closed residential sales in May
  • Statewide, condo sales increased by 17 percent while single-family home sales increased by 3 percent.
  • Meanwhile, national homes sales decreased by 15.3 percent during that same period.
  • The average sales price of condominiums on the South Florida real estate market increased by 3.7  percent from May 2010 and May 2011.
  • The average sales price for single-family homes on the South Florida real estate market decreased by 2.3 percent from May 2010 and May 2011.
  • Statewide, the median sales price for condos increased by 2 percent from May 2010 and May 2011.
  • Statewide, the median sales price for single-family homes decreased by 5 percent from May 2010 and May 2011.

Entering the South Florida Real Estate Market as a Home Seller

If you’ve been considering selling your South Florida home, now is a great time to do so!

As the inventory of South Florida homes for sale continues to decrease, South Florida home sellers will have more of a say when it comes to setting a sales price.

As a South Florida real estate expert, I’ll be happy to walk you through what I can do for you as a South Florida home seller.

This includes answering any questions you might have, developing an aggressive South Florida marketing plan for your home, and providing you with such South Florida home selling resources as:

Until next time,

Scott

 

Mexicans Increasingly Investing in South Florida Real Estate

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For months I have been telling you about how Brazilian nationals have been spurring activity on the South Florida real estate market by investing in South Florida homes for sale.

Now it appears that another group of foreign nationals are finding South Florida real estate increasingly attractive: Mexicans.

According to a recent article in the Miami Herald, Mexicans find that South Florida is a safe place to invest their money outside of their home country, where violence has steadily increased over the years.

South Florida Real Estate Market Attracting International Buyers

While Mexican nationals have historically invested in properties in border cities such as El Paso and San Diego, an increasing number of Mexicans are investing in South Florida, specifically Miami.

By some estimate, Mexican investors have invested about $30 million in the South Florida real estate.

And according to the Commerce Department’s international trade administration, Mexicans made a direct investment of $31 billion in the United States in 2008.

Most experts attribute the surge in Mexican nationals investing in the United States to the violence that is occurring across the border.

Since the Mexican president Felipe Calderon launched a war on drug cartels in late 2006, more than 40,000 Mexicans have been killed in the fighting.

Consequently, the United States has issued an increasing number of visas to Mexicans.  Between 2007 and 2009, the number of visas for Mexican investors grew from 15,000 to 21,000.

In 2009, about 250 Mexicans were granted asylum in the United States.

Purchasing a South Florida Home for Sale

As a South Florida real estate expert, I have years of experience working with international buyers.

If you’re thinking about relocating to South Florida from another country  – or from another part of the United States – then contact me, Scott Patterson.

I’ll help make navigating the South Florida real estate market exponentially easier with my exclusive South Florida home buying tools.  These include:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Update for June

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Several South Florida cities saw increases in their property values in 2010, according to a recent article in The Miami Herald.

Although property values for both commercial and residential real estate are still down in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for 2010, they’re still doing considerably better than in 2008 or 2009.

Continue reading to learn more about how specific South Florida communities stacked up in terms of property values.

South Florida Property Values

According to the most recent data:

  • 10 municipalities in Miami-Dade County saw increases in value in 2010.  In contrast, all 37 municipalities saw decreases in value in 2009.
  • Downtown Miami saw the largest year-over-year value increases in South Florida.  The community’s tax base grew by 10.9 percent in 2010.  In 2009, Downtown Miami’s tax base decreased by 11.2 percent.
  • In 2009, new construction in downtown Miami was valued at $362 million.  In 2010, that value had climbed to $1.4 billion.
  • Key Biscayne’s taxable property value grew by 1.5 percent.
  • Sunny Isle’s taxable property value grew by 2.9 percent.
  • Pinecrest’s taxable property value grew by 0.8 percent.
  • New construction in Miami-Dade County fell from $2.7 billion to $1.5 billion.
  • New construction in Broward County also fell, from $1.5 billion to $633 million.
  • Homestead taxable property value fell by 9.6 percent. Still, that’s considerably better than in 2009, when property values in Homestead dropped by more than 31 percent.
  • Florida City’s taxable property value fell by 15.4 percent.

According to most South Florida real estate analysts, the recent numbers suggest that the South Florida real estate market has weathered the worst of the recent housing bust, but a complete recovery might not be for several months or even years.

Investing in South Florida Real Estate

Now is actually a fantastic time to invest in South Florida real estate.

Why? Because South Florida home values are still fractions of what they used to be before the South Florida housing bubble burst.

Thus, South Florida home buyers have the opportunity to get a great deal on a piece of South Florida real estate before prices start climbing.

If you’re interested in investing in South Florida real estate, then contact me, Scott Patterson.

As your South Florida real estate expert, I’ll answer any questions you might have about the South Florida real estate market as well as tell you about all of  South Florida neighborhoods, including:

Until next time,

Scott

Several New South Florida Condominiums Planned

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The Related Group, a prominent Miami-based developer, plans to break ground on six new high rise condominiums in the next year, according to a recent article in the Miami Herald.

The development group recently created a new partnership with Miami-based marketing firm International Sales Group.

The partnership, now called Related ISG, plans to market the six new condominiums to international buyers, particularly those living in Latin America.

Purchasing a South Florida Condominium For Sale

According to the article in The Miami Herald, Related ISG’s strategy is to focus on those buyers who invest with nothing but cash. The company hopes such investments will help pay for much of the construction costs upfront.

Although most of the details about the projects are unknown, the developer did provide locations of the proposed six condos:

  • Two will be built in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami
  • One will be a waterfront condominium community in North Miami
  • Two will be waterfront condominium communities in the Hallandale and Hollywood area.

Although the South Florida real estate market has struggled with a number of homes underwater as well as a large inventory of unsold condominiums, Related ISG said that the high demand for South Florida real estate by Latin American investors as well as recent strong condo sales justify the company’s plans.

And according to one estimate, buyers will pay as much as 80 percent of the purchase price before the building has ever been completed.  This minimizes the risk that these new condominiums will go into foreclosure, said spokespeople from Related ISG.

Thinking About Investing in a South Florida Condominium for Sale?

Now is a fantastic time to do so!

Contact me,  Scott Patterson, today to talk with me about all of the  luxury condominiums in the various South Florida communities, including:

Until next time,

Scott

Affordability on South Florida Real Estate Market is Breaking Records

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I recently read a rather interesting article in The Palm Beach Post that discussed the record-breaking affordability on South Florida homes for sale.

Evidently, affordability on Palm Beach County homes for sale reached a new high during the first quarter of 2011.

Palm Beach County isn’t the only county that’s enjoying this record-breaking affordability.  Broward County as well as Miami-Dade County are also experiencing fantastic affordability on their homes for sale.

Purchasing A South Florida Home for Sale

There is a lot of data on the South Florida real estate market that illustrate just how affordable South Florida homes are right now:

  • A median-income family in South Florida could have purchased 77.5 percent of all the homes sold in the first quarter of 2011.
  • According to the National Association of Home Builders, the last time homes were this affordable in Palm Beach County was in early 1999, when a median-income family in South Florida could have purchased 77.4 percent of all the homes sold that year.
  • In comparison, a median-income family in South Florida could have only afforded about 30 percent of Palm Beach County homes during the real estate boom.

So what exactly is causing this great affordability in South Florida? A few factors are at play right now, including:

  • Low home prices
  • Steady incomes
  • Low mortgage rates

And even though home sales have picked up in recent months, it hasn’t caused prices to rise like they did during the housing boom a couple of years ago.

This is great news for South Florida home buyers looking for a deal on the South Florida real estate market.

Navigating the South Florida Real Estate Market

There’s never been a better time to be a South Florida home buyer.   With record low interest rates and low South Florida list prices, there’s a good chance that you’ll find an amazing deal on a South Florida home for sale.

As a South Florida real estate expert, I am experienced working in several of the area real estate markets, including:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Update

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Last time I discussed with you a trend on the South Florida real estate market in which home prices are dropping and South Florida home buyer interest is rising.

Today I’d like to discuss with you a recent report by Zillow.com that further breaks down the drop in South Florida home prices.

Zillow.com is a Seattle-based company that studies real estate trends all across the country.

South Florida Homes for Sale

According to the recent report by Zillow.com, South Florida home values decreased by 12.8 percent during the first quarter of 2011 when compared to the first quarter of 2010.

Compared with the 25 largest metropolitan areas, the South Florida area (which includes Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County) ranked number five for steepest drops in home values.

Detroit and Atlanta tied for the largest annual decline in home values at 17.3 percent.

Here’s what else the real estate website reported about our South Florida real estate market:

  • South Florida home values have dropped to 2002 levels.
  • Miami-Dade and Broward County home values are less than half of what they were five years ago.

And although Zillow.com previously predicted that the national housing market would bottom out by late 2011, experts are now saying that the housing market won’t bottom out until 2012.

Since Florida’s housing market crashed before much of the rest of the country, my prediction is that our housing market will bottom out earlier than that.

Purchasing a South Florida Home for Sale

The news from Zillow.com is likely grim news for South Florida home sellers looking to get a great price for their South Florida home for sale.

But for South Florida home buyers, conditions are just right to enter the South Florida real estate market.

For more information contact me today to further discuss your options on the South Florida real estate market as a South Florida home buyer.

Feel free to browse some of our amazing residential communities in South Florida online.  These include:

Until next time,

Scott

South Florida Real Estate Market Update for First Quarter, 2011

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Our South Florida real estate company is expected to sell more total South Florida properties this year than ever before , according to Ron Shuffield, president of our company, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Inc. Realtors

Here’s some of the  South Florida real estate market news Ron recently shared with us:

  • Miami home and condo sales in the first quarter are up by 38 percent year over year.
  • Broward County home and condo sales in the first quarter are up by 9 percent year over year!
  • There is 55 percent less South Florida property inventory than three years ago.

All of this is great news for both South Florida home buyers and South Florida home sellers.

For South Florida home buyers, it means that they can find great deals on homes on the South Florida real estate market. After all, the median sales price has been steadily dropping over the last four to five years.

For South Florida home sellers, it means that the market will soon begin shifting in their favor.  Think about it:  the more home sales there are, the less inventory there is on the South Florida real estate market.

That scarcity of homes for sale, coupled with the demand for South Florida real estate, means that home prices will start to climb once again.

Learn more about the current state of the South Florida real estate market by watching the below video from our company’s president.

Entering the South Florida Real Estate Market

If you’re thinking about entering the South Florida real estate market as a home buyer or home seller, contact me, Scott Patterson, your South Florida real estate expert, today.

I’ll provide you with a number of invaluable South Florida real estate resources and help make navigating the South Florida real estate market easier for you and your family.

Until next time,

Scott

Brazilians Play a Major Role in the South Florida Real Estate Market, Reports Show

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Brazilians are playing an increasingly important role on the South Florida real estate market, according to recent South Florida real estate market data.

Although Brazilians have been investing in Miami real estate since at least the 1990s, there seems to have been an increase in recent years.

This trend is partly because of the favorable currency conversion rate as well as increased Brazilian spending power, experts say.

Here are some more recent findings as they relate to Brazilian home buyers on the South Florida real estate market:

  • According to a recent Franklin Templeton survey of foreign investors,  70 percent of  Brazilians surveyed said they plan to invest money overseas this year.
  • Miami is ranked 8th for foreign investment in real estate in the United States.  New York, Washington, DC, Boston and San Francisco are the top places for foreign investment.

Investing in South Florida Real Estate

In addition to a favorable conversion rate, there are plenty of reasons to explain why so many Brazilians are choosing to invest in South Florida real estate:

Purchasing a South Florida Home or Condo for Sale

Have you recently been considering relocating to South Florida? If so, you’ll want an experience South Florida REALTOR to guide you through the process.

Contact me, Scott Patterson, today to learn more about all of the South Florida home buyer resources we offer to South Florida home buyers, including:

Until next time,

Scott

New South Florida Real Estate Website Unveiled to Help South Florida Home Buyers and Sellers

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I  have some exciting news for interested South Florida home buyers and home sellers. We recently redesigned our website to make it easier for you to navigate the South Florida real estate market!

Here’s a look at some of the features we recently added or improved:

Personalized South Florida Real Estate Service

I strive to give every interested South Florida home buyer and home seller the best service possible.   That’s why we also added some of these social features to our website that helps us stay connected to you:

Thinking About Entering the South Florida Real Estate Market?

With our newly designed website, it’s never been easier to navigate the South Florida Real Estate market!

Contact me, Scott Patterson, your Aventura area real estate expert today, to learn more about what we can do for you.

Until next time,

Scott