feb 2015

Kate Fontenot
Our market here in south Florida is
on the move. In some areas and price
ranges, there is extremely low inventory,
and in others, there is a great choice of
properties for buyers looking to purchase.
It doesn’t seem to be a ‘buyers’
market or a ‘sellers’ market, but more of a
good market for both buyers and sellers.
Interest rates remaining low is encouraging
buyers to stretch a little further to
purchase that long-term home, rather
than settling for a smaller less expensive starter home. New construction
is everywhere, which is great for the market as a whole.
It sends the message to potential buyers that the economy is stable
and looks to be in the future. This is because a new build can take
up to a year or so to complete, depending on the development.
There are more corporate relocation buyers and sellers, which also
sends a message about the economy as a whole. Buyers and sellers,
who have been on the fence for the last few years, are out in numbers
looking to upsize or downsize, but stay local. This in itself
speaks volumes as to the strength in our local markets. Sellers are
also realizing that in order to get top dollar and to sell quickly,
they must prepare their homes in advance. With social media and
the Internet, a picture speaks a thousand words. Prepare, stage and
photograph, and they will come.
Kate Fontenot, P.A., is with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate.
She has been a realtor for 14 years.
Bobbi Mechler
During my nearly thirty year south
Florida real estate career, I have experienced
every kind of market—hot or cold,
buyers’ or sellers’… and now, thankfully,
I find myself in another evolving real
estate market. Looking back, nothing
could have prepared me for the meteoric
rise of the early 2000s, followed by
the dramatic fall from grace in 2006,
cranked, but certainly not caused, by
Hurricane Wilma. The big question for
all realtors from 2006 through 2010 was: How low can it go? At
times, it seemed the capacity for the fall was a bottomless pit, and
the mantra for every hard-working, experienced realtor was the
Gloria Gaynor song I Will Survive! The fall, however, did have
a positive effect on our industry. We were purged of the realtors
who joined the industry thinking they could make a quick buck
and the ones who were less than ethical in their shenanigans with
lenders, appraisers and title companies. All those people, realtors
and their accomplices, are thankfully gone. We finally reached the
years of 2011 and 2012, which I refer to as our ‘flat line’ years
because we had hit bottom. The fall was over, but the rise had not
yet begun. Fortunately, for the last couple of years, the average sale
price in the Parkland area has increased 7% each year, a substantial
and healthy growth. The common denominator between the
strong realtor and the Parkland market is we both have something
of great value to offer. Hence, we have survived!
Bobbi Mechler, of the Mechler Group, is with RE/MAX ParkCreek.
She has been a realtor for almost 30 years.
Grace A. Noethen
The residential real estate market in
South Florida has been stabilizing in the
last few years. The market has improved
in some neighborhoods more than in
others, with some communities showing
signs of appreciation. There continues to
be a shortage of inventory in the mid to
low price range, meaning that there are
relatively more buyers in those markets
than homes for sale. Buyers in these
markets should be prepared to move quickly, as homes are selling
at a record pace when compared to previous years. Short sales are
still prevalent, as many homeowners still owe more than their
homes are worth. However, sales of REOs (or bank-owned properties)
have declined. The high-end resale market continues to
be sluggish in some markets, due in part to the volume of new
construction. P
Grace A. Noethen, P.A., is with RE/MAX Advantage Plus. She has
been a realtor for 35 years - 30 of those in south Florida.
the PARKLANDER 105