Orlando Real Estate’s Perfect Storm

In 2014, the Orlando real estate market recovered significantly. Home sale prices rose and continue to rise and at the same time, mortgage interest rates remain relatively low. These conditions created the perfect storm of opportunities for those looking to buy or sell Orlando real estate.

Different real estate markets across the nation are typically labeled as being either a “buyer’s market” or a “seller’s market”, which is what makes the Orlando real estate market so special right now. It’s both a buyer’s and seller’s market! More and more buyers are being attracted to the market yet the number of Orlando homes for sale remains low compared to the demand. The low-interest rates allow homes to remain affordable while the supply and demand still help sellers to get top dollar for their homes.

New Homes Expected To Drive Down Prices of Older Homes

The bad news is that these market conditions won’t last forever. Moving into 2015 more and more Orlando homeowners are expected to put their homes on the market and home builders are busy developing brand new neighborhoods throughout Orlando and Kissimmee. These new homes will create a lot of competition for homeowners that have older homes thus driving prices downward, especially when builders/developers reveal the incentives they will offer buyers to move into one of their brand new homes. Given a choice of buying brand new or used, I can’t think of anyone that would prefer to buy a used home or anything else for that matter, especially when the homes are in the same price range.


No matter what your situation has been over the past few years, chances are that it’s changed. Lately, when I’m asked to provide a potential seller with a free home valuation report, they become both shocked and happy when I show them how much I can sell their Orlando home for. I also express to them how the real estate market is ever-changing and home values can drop just as easily as they can rise.

My advice to homeowners that are serious about selling is that they should explore their options sooner than later. Homeowners should beware of trying to convince themselves of holding off on selling a home solely because they believe that their home’s value will continue to go up.

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The Time To Sell Your Orlando Home Is Now!

If you’ve been wanting to sell your Orlando home but keep putting it off, you may want to stop procrastinating. according to the NAR National Association of Realtors, the housing inventory in the Orlando real estate market is way below average when compared to December of 2013.

When the supply of homes on the market is this low, it puts the seller in a great position for negotiating. Right now, homes that are priced accurately and nicely staged don’t last very long in today’s market. The truth is that if want to make an offer on an Orlando property, you should act fast.

Lately, we’ve been getting multiple full as well as above asking price offers on properties in as little as 24 hours after listing them on the MLS. It’s painfully obvious that right now sellers are in the driver’s seat and have very little competition due to the lack of inventory in the Orlando real estate market. However, with inventory slowly but surely rising, homeowners should act now in order to enjoy the reduced amount of competition that they will have while their home is on the market.

Low mortgage rates are also a big contributing factor to the current real estate market favoring sellers. Interest rates are still low and there are many incentives for those who want to buy now.

Sellers Who Wait Run The Risk Of Losing Thousands

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. This also holds true when talking about real estate. I remember back in 2007 when the real estate market crashed Nation in what seemed to be from one day to the next. Homeowners and especially investors that were holding on to Orlando real estate thinking they would eventually sell for a huge payday were suddenly scrambling to sell. Then when the banks stopped lending, it all came crashing down.

It wasn’t long before home values in nice Orlando neighborhoods were cut in half and in some cases even less. I don’t believe that we’ll see another market crash as we saw in 2007 anytime soon but I do think that this seller’s market we are currently experiencing will eventually cycle back around to being a buyer’s market. 

Orlando homeowners should keep this in mind if they’re on the fence about selling. Sure it’s possible to eke out a few more thousand if you wait a little longer but it’s also possible that you’ll end up selling your home for much less than you expected by waiting too long.

Find out how much your Orlando Home is Worth

 

 

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Value of Orlando Homes Predicted to Increase by 7.3% in 2015

Orlando Homes On The Upswing

It is an excellent time for homeowners in the Orlando area. The value of homes in the Orlando metropolitan area is predicted to increase by 7.3 percent in 2015. According to the Real Estate Market Report published by Zillow, this rise easily beats the national prediction of 2.9 percent.

Other predictions

Other than the predicted increase in home values, there are a number of other predictions about the Orlando real estate residential market embedded in the report:

* The average Orlando real estate home value will increase by 15 percent every year. The value has increased to about $161,300. In the other facet, values also decreased in short term and dipped by 1.1 percent in the period between April and May. According to Orlando realtors, home values in the Orlando metropolitan area are now back to the levels witnessed from 2004 to 2007.
* The average rental value increased by 4.4 percent every year to reach $1,296.
* The inventory of total listed for sale residences increased 36.5 percent every year and increased by 4.4 percent every month in May.

When considered all over the United States, the listed for-sale home inventory increased in May and jumped 11.8 percent. Another fact that should be considered here is that a majority of these gains were achieved among residences that are priced in top one-third and middle home values. According to Orlando Realtors, the sale of homes in affordable Orlando real estate – the kind of property favored by people who are buying their homes for the first time – decreased every year in 28 of the country’s biggest metro jurisdictions. These findings came up when the numbers were crunched by Zillow.

Rents

All over the US, rents fell a little in May compared to April. It was a reduction of 0.1 percent and the median rent was calculated as $1,310. National rents (year on year basis) increased to 2.3 percent in the previous month (May).

In May, value of homes all over the US increased by 0.1 percent as compared to April and touched $172,300. This marked its consecutive rise in 28 months when considered year over year. In May, the value of homes increased in Orlando by 5.4 percent. This yearly appreciation in values is the slowest when considered for more than one year. Average rate of interest paid by purchasers decreased to touch 4.39 percent in April.

 

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EDC of Metro Orlando Brings Seven Projects and 2100 Construction Jobs to Central Florida

 

The Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission started its Brand Orlando campaign with a lot of vigor and the results of the effort have been positive. The EDC has managed to rope in seven new construction projects at various sites in Orlando.

Hard work of the EDC has finally paid off. The Commission has been striving hard to make this happen, from several high-level meetings with site consultants to pick up lucrative sites to discussions with brand executives to pitch these sites as favorable to the real estate business community; it has been a tough ride. But, it all seems to be worth the effort, states Holly Weidman, the executive vice president of the Commission.

Orlando Realtors work together with backing from EDC

Orlando real estate agents have been pitching the cause independently, but with them coming together as a team and with the backing of the EDC, the region has finally gained the interest it deserved. The EDC has marketed Orlando as a region of opportunity for the infrastructure sector, highlighting prospects other than the well-known tourism industry. They have focused on local businesses, traditional architecture, the rapport between the University of Florida and the business community, and the sense of communion with local communities.

 New jobs will boost the economy

The developments have spread cheer among realtors and buyers alike. Everyone is now anticipating a flurry of activities that will give way to about 2100 new construction jobs, giving the economy of the region a big boost. Existing businesses are also likely to spread their base in the region. Apart from pumping money into the markets through construction activities, a lot of local businesses, allied infrastructure, and manufacturing services are likely to find the requisite kick start, bringing in more cash flow and making the region a prospective hot spot for high-profile investments.

The EDC, although happy with the turn of events, is not complacent with its recent success. It is continuing with its crusade and giving out tips to real estate agents in Orlando on how to pick the right sites, how to market them and how to retain their USP – the tourism industry as their stronghold. They are very clear with their vision on making the region the hottest market for real estate business. They are keeping a tab on competition and fluctuations in the volatile real estate market, to stay on top of the tide.

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Median Orlando Home Prices in Shoot 24 Percent Up at the Close of 2013

 Wednesday reinforced positive sentiments among Orlando realtors as the Orlando Regional Realtor Association released its yearly report about the Orlando real estate market. The report revealed that the average Orlando Home price for properties in the city saw a 24 percent hike in the previous year. This 2013 rise in median home prices marks an all-time high since the economic downturn of early 2006 that took the housing market down with it.

Key takeaways from the report

 The median home price in the core Orlando real estate market was $149,625, in 2013. Back in 2012, the corresponding figure stood $28,000 below, at $121,000. The last time Orlando real estate agents had seen such a hike was just before the housing bubble in 2005.

Median house prices rose by more than 33 percent that year. The same upturn of events was seen in 2013. The report holds that 2013 saw the sale of 6.54 percent more homes, than the previous year. Compared to the 28,765 homes that were sold in 2012, 30,645 were sold in 2013, showing just where top Orlando realtors had been busy the year.

Comparing the statistics for December alone, aggregate median home prices were up by 20.87 percent compared to the previous year. In the December of 2012, the aggregate for Orlando was $132,500. The 20.87 percent boost brought up aggregate median house prices for all of Orlando to $160,150 in the December of 2013.

The Christmas month also saw a 3.32 percent hike in the median home price of Orlando real estate properties from the previous month. Compared to the median price of $155,000 in November 2013, December registered the median price of $160,150. Real estate agents in Orlando sold 2367 homes in December – 11.55 percent more than their November tally.

Prime reasons attributed to the up-turn

 Orlando Regional Realtor Association’s chairman, Zola Szerencses remarked that the competition between investors and buyers helped reverse the sunken-mortgaged conditions for many property owners.

Industry experts list low inventory during the first two quarters as a positive influence. The second and third quarters presented prospects with low-interest rates – boosting confidence and increasing sales.

Despite the promising upturns, the median prices in the Orlando real estate industry remain considerably low compared to the peak Orlando realtors saw in July 2007. The real estate bubble was about to burst and median prices for the Orlando neighborhood homes peaked at $264,000. For 2014, economists have predicted a flattening up of the sales and price increase to about five percent.

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