Tag: Orlando Realtors

Hunters Creek, FL – My Favorite Neighborhood

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Hunters Creek

Hunters Creek is a great place to raise a family. As a matter of fact, in 2011, the writers at both “CNN/Money” as well as “Money” magazine were soo impressed with Hunters Creek as a neighborhood that they both ranked it the 21st best place to live in the whole US on their top 100 list.

The criteria that was used to make this determination included housing, education, financial, quality of life, weather data and also leisure and culture.

Because I live and work in Hunters Creek, I can tell you first hand that Hunters Creek absolutely backs up all the hype and in my opinion, it should be even higher on that list of the best places to live in the US. I’ve always found it impressive how the planners were able to fit so many great things into one neighborhood. From the A schools to the parks and nearby shopping all nestled in untouched conservation areas that are home to just about every species of Florida wild life.  

Housing in Hunters Creek

Because of my profession as an Orlando real estate Broker, I’m very familiar with the Hunters Creek real estate market. Even through the housing market of 2007, Hunters Creek didn’t suffer as much as some other less desirable Orlando neighborhoods. And having sold hundreds of Hunters Creek homes throughout the years, I can tell you that whenever I get a listing in the Hunters Creek area it won’t last for very long. Hunters Creek property values are almost back where they were back in 2006 mainly because it seems that everyone wants to live here… I can’t say that I blame them.

The Parks at Hunters Creek

Parks located in Hunters Creek are very well laid out and are fully equipped to entertain today’s young families.  You can find the following amenities in just about any of the several parks located in Hunters Creek.

    Community center with game room for kids

kayaking

    Fishing docks

    Kayaking

    Soccer fields

    Baseball / softball fields

    Basketball courts

    Volleyball courts

    Racquetball courts

    Tennis courts

   Golf Course

    Multi-purpose fields

    Picnic tables

    Restrooms

    Walking paths

    Tot lot (shade structure)

    Dog parks

    Shuffleboard

  World's Favorite Sport

 

Hunters Creek Schools

Whether you have a newborn or a teenager as well as everyone else in between, the Schools in Hunters Creek have you covered across the board. One of my favorite things about this neighborhood is that I can walk both of my sons to an A rated elementary to school every morning. Then once they’re ready for middle school, it’s only just a few more blocks away.

Here’s a list of schools located in Hunters Creek

Pre-Kindergarten-        Primrose School of Hunter’s Creek

Elementary schools-    Hunter’s Creek Elementary School

                                          Endeavor Elementary School

                                          West Creek Elementary School

                                          John Young Elementary School

Middle School               Hunter’s Creek Middle School

                                         Freedom Middle School

High schools                   Freedom High School

In addition to everything mentioned above, Hunters Creek hosts several events throughout the year such as “Bunny in the Park” during Easter where they turn Osprey Park into a mini amusement park for both kids and adults providing games, rides, activities, raffles, food and live

entertainment. Another popular event that’s just around the corner is “Hunter’s Creep Nights” haunted house and hayride. This is a Halloween activity where kids can go through a haunted house as well enjoy a scary hay ride throughout Osprey Park. The event also allows children from the community to not only participate and be part of the haunted house but also constructing it.  

 

 

 

If you’re looking to buy or sell a property in my favorite neighborhood- Hunters Creek, it would be my pleasure to help you accomplish your goals. Just contact me, Jenny Zamora at https://orlandorealtyconsultants.com/   or call 407-902-7750.

Jenny Zamora Realtor

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Orlando Real Estate makes top 5 in the country list for booming markets

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 ORLANDO   # 5

A recent ZipRealty report has put Orlando real estate in the No: 5 spots in a list of booming real state locations in the United States. All of the 10 markets featured in this list have been hand-picked for their excellent public schools. Orlando owes its 5th position to the highly reputed Seminole County Public School which holds a score of 7.8 on a scale of 1 to 10. The ZipRealty report also indicates that Orlando home prices have witnessed a 26% year-on-year rise to nearly $145,000.

 Accessibility to good schools has always been a top priority consideration for home buyers who are looking to relocate and Orlando clearly has what it takes in this respect. Companies hoping to recruit the cream of the available talent often highlight the excellent schooling available to attract skilled employees to its ranks. This could be great news for sellers who are looking for good Orlando short sale opportunities since it means that more buyers may be viewing this location favorably. In fact, the appearance of Orlando on this top 10 list can make the job easier for short sale realtors representing sellers.

 Chinese Show Interest in Orlando Properties

 A recent trend also indicates that buyers should view Orlando’s properties favorably. International investors appear to be keen on buying real estate here. The Chinese, in particular, who have been investing in key locations across the United States in recent times, are also adding Orlando to their list of possible investment destinations.

 In fact, a Hong King based firm, Gaw Capital Partners has plans to raise $500 million to invest in commercial property in Orlando among other places. The fund’s manager describes Orlando as an ‘innovation center’. If investors like these increase their attention on Orlando properties, the housing recovery is bound to get impetus and in turn, prices are likely to move upwards. For sellers in need of a short sale, achieving a reasonable price for their property may become easier in such circumstances.

 An increase in Flood Insurance Premium may Impact Housing

 On the negative side, analysts are worried that the increase in flood insurance premiums may dampen the enthusiasm for properties in low-lying areas across Orlando. Many have predicted that the rate hike will subdue housing recovery here and/ or cause a decline in property values. In the words of Governor Risk Scott, the unfair consequences of the National Flood Insurance Program reforms could devastate real estate values across all of Florida. However, as experts point out the rate hike is likely to impact only specific pockets within Florida where the wealthiest of the State’s denizens reside.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Orlando Realtor’s income up by 25%

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Recent studies by the National Association of Realtors show signs of promise for today’s real estate professionals. For the second year in a row, business activity rose for real estate agents since 2011. The gross median income for an Orlando realtor in 2011 was $34,900.00 and in 2012 it shows that realtors made an average of $43,500.00. The numbers aren’t in for 2013 yet but you can bet that the average Orlando realtor’s income is even more than it was in 2012. This is great for the industry because more agents will be able to continue working as agents instead of having to find another job because of market conditions, as was the case in 2007-2008 when soo many agents just weren’t making enough money to survive.

Real estate agents that have been at it for a while of course make considerably more. Agents that have been in the business for more than 8 years showed an average income of $58,300.00 for 2012. It’s like anything else in life, the more work you put into it, the more reward you will get from it. On the opposite end of the scale are newbie realtors [2 years or less] who only averaged $$9,700.00. For these agents, they are facing an uphill battle and more than half of these newer agents will get frustrated and eventually seek employment elsewhere.

Realtors Working twice as Hard for the Same Money

Studies also show that a realtor back in the most recent peak of the Orlando real estate market in 2006 was making twice the amount of money for the same amount of work. Now the tables have turned. A realtor these days has to work double-time in order to make the same income they were making 7 years ago. With all the new laws and regulations in place, realtors have to really know what they’re doing. Not too many transactions are easy to get closed, there seems to always be an obstacle or two or three, especially when you’re trying to close on a short sale. Real estate transactions these days require skill, competence as well as patience to get them closed.

 

Orlando short sale expert

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

A Few Simple Tricks That Will Help You Maximize Your Profit When Selling Your Home

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

When people are moving to a new place it is quite normal that they will actually not need the previous one anymore. You have two options on how to proceed here: you can either sell the property or give it for rent.

Selling is considered the most reasonable action you can do in this situation as you only sell the place once, take the money and stop worrying about it. However, here comes the very important part of how to successfully sell your place so that you can be sure you will take it at a good price. The next piece of advice should give you some basic details on what you have to do in order to maximize the profit of your home sale. The first thing you have to do is make sure your place is visually exciting. After all, everyone is interested in appearance no matter what they say. So if you want more prospective buyers make your place visually attractive. Clean it well and make sure to repair everything that is broken or malfunctioning.

Remember, the most important rule that applies here is that if you want to sell your place at a great price you should make people find in your home something they cannot find anywhere else. So if you have a beautiful garden make it gorgeous, plant as many flowers as possible, clean everything unnecessary and make sure to remove all the weeds. We understand that renovating procedures might be a bit expensive but they are the way to a successful deal. And we can assure you that the amount of money you are going to invest in order to renovate the place will return as a part of the price. The truth is that there are people who want to pay more money but to make sure they are moving into a really great house. You can also think about whether you want to sell the place with the furniture as many people prefer to buy already furnished places so that they could simply move in. And if this is the situation and you are looking at selling your place this way you can be sure that any investment is absolutely worth it.

The simple truth is that when you announce your home is for sale you are actually publicly exposing it to be viewed and commented on. And you should arrange everything to present the place in the best possible light. A simple sign saying “For Sale” is not enough to bring you, customers. You need to actively promote it via all possible means such as the Internet, local newspapers and magazines even in the local shop. Make sure the place looks appealing not only from the inside. After all who will wish to come and see it from the inside if it does not look attractive? Make sure the lawn is well mowed and there is no trash in the garage or in the basement. And if you have too many items at least make sure you have arranged them in a way to looks organized and tidy.

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields

Orlando Home Sales Show Continued Increase

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

Rising interest rates and property values drive Orlando sales up by fifteen percent

The numbers are in and home sales are up! Median home prices jumped more than 25% this July compared to July of 2012. This is the greatest increase we’ve seen year to year since the peak of the Orlando real estate market back in 2006, as reported by the Orlando REALTOR Association.

Steve Merchant, the current ORRA Chairman, says that continued price increases are jump-starting buyers to take action. People have a sense of urgency now because they feel like soon they will be out of reach of still getting a good deal on an Orlando home. Mortgage interest rates are on the rise just as fast as home prices and potential home buyers are trying to get in on a good opportunity while they still can. It’s now wonder why home sales are up by fifteen percent when compared to July of last year.

Click here to  check out current market statistics, mortgage rates, as well as how many new listings are coming on to the market.

Are We Headed for Another Bubble Burst?

With this dramatic increase in home sales and property values over the past couple of years, one can easily speculate and say that we are headed for another market crash sooner than later. When you look at it, this was kind of the same pattern that was taking place back in 2004-05. Property values were increasing at astronomical levels, buyers were like hungry sharks and banks were lending money like it was going out of style. It’s impossible to predict how all of this will play out over the next year or two but I’m hoping that people don’t forget what not only Orlando went through but what the entire nation went through when the market crashed in 2007.

Potential home buyers should beware to not fall into that trap of feeling of having to buy a property as if their life depended on it.  Many times I will recommend to certain clients to rent as another option to buying. To some people it just makes more sense to rent and even though I lose a potential buyer by doing this, it’s my job as an Orlando realtor to do what’s in the best interest of my client.  I believe that many home buyers are set up to fail just as soon as they sign those closing papers. You have to be realistic with your financial situation. People tend to let their emotions get involved when purchasing a home and that’s OK to a certain extent but it can also get you into deep water. Don’t let that thought of yourself having margaritas with your friends in the pool of that house you just fell in love with [that you really can’t afford] cloud your judgement. Buying in a new house is a special feeling kinda like being a newlywed. However, just like a marriage if you picked the wrong one, your headed for some pretty rough times. 

 

Orlando Real Estate Broker

Let's Keep In Touch!

New ORC Form Lead

"*" indicates required fields