Real Estate Broker/Associate (941) 232-2216
Posts tagged Lots on the water
SEPTEMBER 2010 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN GALLETTO, Realtor; Anna Maria Island, FL.
Sep 18th
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER 2010
Sales for the month of August continue to be strong up 26% from last year with 29 (SF-16, Con-10, Dup-2 & Lot-1) properties sold compared to 23 (SF-15, Con-6, Dup-0 & Lot-2) in 2009. Year-to-date sales through August 31, 2010 also continue to be strong up 36% at 198 (SF-119, Con-56, Dup-15 & Lot-8) compared to August 31, 2009 Year-to date at 146 (SF-78, Con-53, Dup-6 & Lot-9). As you can see from the numbers, sales of single family homes and duplex’s are up significantly over last year where as condos and lots are about the same. Sales this year have significantly exceeded 2009 almost every month. If we only matched 2009 sales for the remaining months of the year, total sales for 2010 would come in at 286 well above the average total sales on the island of 250. Based on where we are and the continued strong number of pended sales of 66 (SF-33, Con-21, Dup-8 & Lot-4), I believe total sales for 2010 will come in very close to 300. If that’s the case it will be a very strong sales year with the most sales since 2005. Remembering that 2003 to 2005 were the peak sales years on the island, total sales from 2003 to 2009 were 2003-325, 2004-378, 2005-438, 2006-138, 2007-199, 2008-211, & 2009-234. In August Island Real Estate put 8 properties under contract and closed 5 properties.
Inventory dropped a little from last month’s 544 to 540 (SF-262, Con-186, Dup-36, Lot-56). Again, when the inventory level gets below 500 then we should see a significant rise in average and median property values. Distressed properties (bank owned & short sales) have dropped down from July’s 53 to 44 in August (SF-19, Con-18, Dup-4 & Lot-3). Distressed property sales year-to-date has been about 25% (SF-28, Con-15, Dup-7 & Lot-1 = 51) of the total sales year-to-date (198) on the island.
Two of Frank & Al’s Great Buy’s have been reduced from last month which make them even better buy’s. 787 Jacaranda a 3 bedroom/2 bath elevated, totally remodeled home only steps to the beach has been reduced to $599,000. The North Point Harbor canal lot at 718 Key Royale Drive has been reduced to $379,000. A great buy that just came on the market is 3302 6th Ave, a 4-plex with four 2 bedroom/2 bath units’ only steps to the beach. This property has plenty of room for a pool and with a pool and 30% down the revenue it could produce would cover all operating expenses and debt service and produce positive cash flow. This would be a great investment property for someone. There are not many 4-plex’s on the island and even less that are close enough to the beach to cash flow.
Interest rates are at their lowest in 40 years with rates as low as 4.4% for a 30 year fixed for a first or second home mortgage up to $417,000. Financing for condos in stable associations, which include most of the condo associations on the island, is available with 25% down. Jumbo mortgages ( above $417,000) are readily available at 1.5– 2 points above the regular first or second home rate. If your planning on buying, now’s the time.
For those of you who have a rental property or are considering buying one, this year has again been very good for rentals. By this time of year 80%-90% of the rental income is in and the last quarter is pretty quite except for the holiday weekends. This is the time of the year that the locals enjoy because it is a little quieter. If you plan to visit the island this fall the rental rates this time of the year are the lowest so call my rental girls to book.
Projected assessments for 2010 came out last month and it looks like in general taxes will come down a just a little more this year. Assessments now are currently pretty close to market value and unless budgets increase will stay pretty close to market value going forward.
In summary, sales on the island continue to be strong and still on track to be significantly higher than last year. Sales continue to be skewed to the low end with 90% less than $700K which is underestimating a little the average and median sales price compared to past years.
Ask Alan -THE Realtor for other great real estate on Anna Maria Island, FL.
Call Realtor ALAN GALLETTO 941.232.2216 of Island Real Estate.
August 2010 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN GALLETTO, Realtor; Anna Maria Island, FL.
Sep 8th
Sales continue to run above average with sales for July at 18 (SF-11, Con-4, Dup-2 & Lot-1) up from last year’s 16 (SF-9, Con-6, Dup-0 & Lot-1). July 2010 Y-T-D sales are up 39% at 169 (SF-103, Con-46, Dup-13 & Lot-7) over July 2009 Y-T-D at 123 (SF-63, Con-47, Dup-6 & Lot-7). As you can see from the numbers the main reason for the big increase in sales this year is the increase in single family sales. The other three types of properties sales are running about even with last year. The sales numbers are still on track to exceed the average of 250 this year as demonstrated by the sales for the last 12 months at 280 and the continued strong pending sales (properties under contract) at 63 (SF-33, Con-20, Dup-7 & Lot-3). In July Island Real Estate put 4 properties under contract and closed 5 properties.
Inventory has remained stable, in the mid 500’s, since the first of the year and is currently at 544 (SF-266, Con-189, Dup-38 & Lot-51). Again the normal inventory level on the island is between 450 and 500 properties for sale so we continue to hover just above the norm. When the inventory drops below 500 and stays in that range or lower than I believe we will begin to see a significant increase in average and median sales prices on the island. Distressed properties (bank owned & short sales) have bumped up a little over last month and are currently at 53 (SF-19, Con-25, Dup-5 & Lot-4). The increase was due primarily to the increase in condos from 17 to 25. The mainland, in comparison, is still in the 30% plus range of inventory of distressed properties. The number of sales on the mainland are up about 13% over the same period last year but median sale prices are continuing to drop, down 12% over last year.
Well two more of Frank & Al
The Gulf oil spill seems to be plugged so that’s good news for the whole Gulf region. We here in southwest Florida have not seen any oil and don’t expect to see any. The beaches are still there normal white sugar sand texture and the waters blue/green clear.
In summary, the number of sales on the island continue to be strong up significantly over last year and look to continue in that direction based on the continued strong number of pended sales. The distribution of sales continues to be skewed to the low end with 90% of sales less than $700,000 and 5% over $1 million. Average and median sales prices have not increased significantly and probably won’t until the inventory drops below 500. There are still some very good deals out there on properties in good locations that would be great rentals for second home buyers but they are becoming less every day. With 30 year fixed interest rates at 4.74% down from 5.42% last year the numbers aren’t going to work any better than right now. If you’re planning on buying a property in the next year now is the time to buy something while there still are good buys in great locations.
Canal Front Lot :: $379,000 was $399K:: 718 Key Royale in North Point Harbor, HOLMES BEACH, FL – ANNA MARIA ISLAND
Jun 23rd
Anna Maria Island Canal front lot
One of the few vacant Canal Front lots available in Key Royale located within the North Point Harbor Community. Community Pool, Tennis Court and Club House available to owners and their guests. Dock is already in place. Plans are available for this site or bring your plans and build your dream house, plenty of room for a private pool too!
Dock View
Ask Alan -THE Realtor for other great real estate on Anna Maria Island, FL.
Call Realtor ALAN GALLETTO 941.232.2216 of Island Real Estate.
JUNE 2010 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN GALLETTO, Realtor; Anna Maria Island, FL.
Jun 23rd
May continues the strong sales performance we have been seeing since mid 2009. There were 28 properties sold in May (SF-20, Con- 6, Dup- 1 & Lot- 1) compared to 23 (SF- 11, Con- 10, Dup- 2 & Lot- 0) in 2009. Island Real Estate sales continue to be strong in May with 12 properties put under contract and 12 closings in May (10 of them on the island 36% of the island sales for May). As you can see from the charts below Y-T-D through May 31, 2010 sales are up 64% over the same period in 2009. Average and median sales prices are still trending up for single family and multi-family properties and condos are still down due mostly to the skew of sales so far this year to the low end. The number of properties sold in the last 12 months is up again to 282 which reflects the strong sales in the second half of 2009 and continuing into the first half of 2010. If this continues we will do well over the average of 250 sales per year on the island. Pending sales (properties under contract) continue to be strong with 66 properties ( SF-38, Con- 20, Dup- 4 & Lot- 4) currently pended.
Inventory which was at 543 last month has stayed flat at 549 (SF- 261, Con- 192, Dup- 44 & Lot- 52). Over the past 10 months it has fluctuated between 498 and 575. The continued strong pended sales will put downward pressure on the inventory. Distressed properties (short sales and bank owned) are currently at 47, about the same as this time last month. Distressed sales continue to be about 8% of the inventory and 20% of the sales.
There continues to be some great opportunities out there for some great buys. The special email that I sent out a few weeks ago on a short sale at Starfish Beach condo (a 4 unit condo complex like Palm Isle Village) we have already put under contract this week. Those good buys go fast. There are some great opportunities on Frank & Al’s Great Buys this month. For those looking to build a new canal home 718 Key Royale Dr. is a terrific buy at $399,000. This is the lowest price water front lot for sale on the island. There is also a set of plans for a 3,300 sq ft home that goes along with it. With building cost down to $100-$125/sq ft (compared to $300/sq ft at the peak) now is the time to build that custom canal home. For those of you looking for a 2bedroom/2 bath condo close to the beach, 3702 6th Ave unit 4 is a great buy at $259,000. It’s a block to the beach and with a new kitchen, two large porches you can’t buy anything this close to the beach at this price. On the luxury end 108 36th St the new condo unit at Palm Gables listed at $1,490,000 was custom built for this owner and has never been rented. This unit has great panoramic gulf views and would be a terrific rental. Last but not least 200 & 202 38th St., which is a short sale, is a good buy at the list price but who knows what the bank will accept. I think a good offer to the bank for both units would be $1.2million to 1.3million which at $1.3 million would be a steal ($650K a unit) for these 3,100 & 2,500 square foot units. They currently do $55K and $65K in rentals and with a little “fluffing” and “buffing” (spending under $10K) they could easily do $70K and $80K. Palm Isle Village is still the best buy on the island for one and two bedroom condos close to the beach. With 25% down, they just about break even after tax, and there is nothing else on the island that matches this investment.
As I stated last month, the number of sales transactions are significantly up but the distribution of sales are skewed to the low end with 90% of the sales under $700K. In spite of this the average and median sales prices are trending up. The sales by quarter chart will not be updated until the end of June but with 56 properties sold in April and May, the Q2-2010 trend will be significantly up. In summary the number of sales on the island is significantly up while sales prices are down about 35% from the peak in 2006. Inventory is settling down to historical norms and distressed properties are stable and low. Sales for May were up 22% from last year and Y-T-D sales through May of this year were up 55% over last year.
May 2010 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN GALLETTO, Realtor Anna Maria Island, FL.
May 19th
April sales continues the strong sales performance for 2010 and the sales activity remains very strong here on Anna MAria Island, FL. There were 28 properties sold in April (SF-16, Con-11, Dup-1 & Lots-0) compared to 21 (SF-10,Con-9,Dup-1 & Lot-1) in 2009. Island Real Estate sales continue to be strong with 10 properties put under contract and 9 closings in April (32% of the closing on the island). Since January 1st I, Alan Galletto, have personally closed over $6,000,000 worth of property. From the charts below Y-T-D through April 30, 2010 sales are up 66% over the same period in 2009. If you look at the Year end 2009 average & median sales prices and compare them to the previous 12 months and April 30, 2010 average & median sales prices you can see that single family homes, duplex’s & lots are trending up and condos have leveled off. If this trend continues we will see some appreciation in properties by the end of the year. Again, this month the properties sold in the last 12 months are up to 275 compared to the previous 12 months of 267. This is also a very good trend and shows sales on Anna Maria Island, FL. continuing to increase. Another good sign in the market is pending sales (properties under contract) is very strong at 71 (SF-46, Con-18, Dup-3 & Lot-4). Last month at this time there were 63 properties pended. Inventory, which last month had bumped up to 567, has dropped down to 543. Over the last 9 months it has been fluctuating between 498 and 575. As I said above, sales look to continue to be strong over the next several months which will continue to pull the inventory down. Distressed properties (short sales & bank owned) last month dropped to 33 and this month bumped up to 43. Distressed properties on Anna Maria Island, FL continue to be low at 6%-8% of the inventory compared to 26% on the mainland.
For another consecutive month one of Frank Davis & Alan Galletto’s Great Buys has gone under contract. The canal home at 521 69th St. Holmes Beach on Anna MAria FL. went under contract and is due to close the end of June. This month we still have 5806 Imperiore, Holmes BEach on Anna Maria, FL. listed at $389,000 a 2 bedroom/2 bath totally remodeled and turnkey furnished. For those of you looking for an entry level condo 100 yards to the beach check out 3702 6th Ave. #4 Holmeas Beach, Anna Maria FL. now listed at $259,000. You can’t get this close to the beach for this price. We still have our luxury picks 108 36th St. Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, FL. a beautifully appointed condo in Palm Gables listed at $1,490,000. You have to see this property to appreciate it. Also please check out 200/202 38th St. Holmes BEach on Anna Maria Island, FL. ($895K & $775K) a two unit gulf view condo well under market for units with Gulf Views.
Check my web site www.AlanGalletto.com to look at the average and median sales prices at the end of 2009 and compare them to the last 12– 75% of the total sales were months sales and the 2010 year-to-date sales you can see that all four types of properties average & median sales prices are trending up. That, along with a continued increase in sales volume, are all good signs for the island market. What is also interesting is that the average & median sales prices as well as sales volume are up and at the same time high end sales are only a small fraction of the total sales. In 2006 – 56% of the total sales were under $700K. In 2007- 78% of the total sales were under $700K. In 2008 under $700K. In 2009 – 90% of the total sales were under $700K. In 2010 Y-T-D through April – 92% of the total sales were under $700K. You can see that although the number of sales are up, a smaller proportion of the total sales are over $700K than in previous years. That would understate the increase in average and median sales prices. The sales by quarter chart shows just the first quarter of 2010 until we get the full 2nd quarter numbers but based on Aprils sales and the strong pended contracts I would expect the sales to continue trending up.
Next month begins hurricane season (June 1 – November 30) so I’ve included an updated map of all the US hurricane landfalls from 1950 – 2009 which shows that the Florida west coast is less vulnerable than most of the US coastline.
Keep those calls and e-mails coming! We love hearing from you……Alan & Frank
Ask Alan -THE Realtor for other great real estate on Anna Maria Island, FL.
Call Realtor ALAN GALLETTO 941.232.2216 of Island Real Estate.
April 2010 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN GALLETTO, Realtor Anna Maria Island, FL.
Apr 13th
Sales continue to boom on Anna Maria Island with 34 properties sold in March (SF-21, Con-5, Dup-5 & Lot-3) versus 17 (SF-10, Con-5, Dup-1 & Lot-1) in 2009. After lower than normal sales (less than 20 per month) in the first half of 2009, sales went to higher than normal (over 20 per month) in the last half of 2009 and continued right into the first quarter of 2010. As you can see from the charts below sales for the first quarter of 2010 were 74 properties versus 41 for the first quarter of 2009, an 80% increase. Sales continue to look strong over the next couple months as well with pending sales at 63 (SF-33, Con-23, Dup-4 & Lot-3). Island Real Estate continues to show strong sales with 14 new contracts and 14 closings in March. I have sold 12 properties in the last six months totaling $10,391,000 in sales. As you can see from the historical graphs, single family and multi-Family transactions are trending significantly up. Average sale prices for single family, Multi-family & condos also are trending up. In the last 12 months there were 267 properties sold as compared to the previous 12 months of 250 which again reflects very positive sales growth. Based on these trends I feel we will see sales for 2010 of over 250 properties on the island.
Inventory has bumped up about 5% this month to 567 (SF-277, Con-200, Dup-45 & Lot-45). The increase was primarily in single family homes and because of the strong sales over the last 9 months I think the inventory will flatten out to below 500 in the next few months. Still the inventory is at a two year low. Distressed (short sales, foreclosures & bank owned) properties have dropped from 45 last month to 33 this month or 6% of the inventory. Of the 267 properties sold in the last 12 months about 20% of them were distressed properties 56 (SF-22, Con-25, Dup-7 & Lot-2) versus 50% of the sales on the mainland in Manatee County.
Another one of Frank & Al’s Great buy’s from last month went under contract. A cute little island cottage, 2305 Ave B listed at $339,000, is under contract and is due to close by the end of April. For those of you who feel they missed out and are looking for something similar, check out this month’s recommended entry level single family home 5806 Imperiore listed at $389,000 a 2 bedroom/2bath totally remodeled island cottage 2 blocks from the beach. For a great condo buy don’t forget Palm Isle Village, the 11 unit 1 and 2 bedroom condos across the street from the beach. There are 7 units left for sale and the Cost of Ownership on these are the lowest on the island. You can own one of these units for $57/month to $343 per month. The single family home at 4002 6th Ave. listed at $400K that I said was the best buy for single family homes last month went under contract….you have to move fast. The best new condo buy, by far, on the island is 108 36th St Palm Gables listed at $1,490,000. This 3 bedroom/2.5 bath unit is exquisitely decorated and furnished. The quality of this direct gulf front unit is surpassed only by Vista Grande who’s only two units that were for sale closed last month.
If you look at the sales by quarter chart you can see that from the peak (Q2-2005) quarterly sales on the island has only popped up above the average for two quarters until Q2-2009. Since Q2-2009 it has been consistently above the average quarterly sales. This is consistent with the fact that we have had strong sales from mid 2009 right into the first quarter of 2010. I personally have sold 12 properties in the last six months which adds up to $10,391,000 so you can see things are very healthy. The good deals on the island for people willing to do major renovation are becoming fewer and fewer but there are still great buys across the board because of the current market pricing. Of the 267 properties sold in the last 12 months Island Real Estate sold over 20% of them and half of those we had both sides of the sale. Another mile stone was that our website had over 100,000 hits per month in February and March. That means somewhere around 75-80% of the people searching the island are hitting our website. The market is good in Paradise….hurray and get a piece.
Keep in touch, we love to hear from you……….Alan & Frank
Corner Lakefront Conforming Duplex Lot real estate in Holmes Beach on anna Maria Island FL, SOLD by Realtor Alan Galletto
Jan 15th
$375,000.00 :: 308 68th Street, Holmes Beach, FL
SOLD for $345,000.00 -FEB. 2010 Ask Alan -THE Realtor for other great vacant lots on Anna Maria…
Corner Lakefront Lot
Large conforming corner DUPLEX lot with Lake frontage.
Just 3 short blocks to the sugar sand beaches of Holmes Beach on beautiful Anna Maria Island.
Call Realtor ALAN GALLETTO – 941-232-2216 of Island Real Estate.
December 2009 Real Estate Newsletter Anna Maria Island FL Realtor Alan Galletto
Dec 26th
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and we hope your Holidays are full of happiness and joy.
As we approach the end of another year the Anna Maria Island Real Estate Market continues to improve for 2009. Sales for November 2009 were up again a healthy 30% (SF-9, Con-8, Dup-1 & Lot-1 = 19) over November 2008 sales (SF-8, Con-4, Dup-1 & Lot-2 = 15). Sales have been consistently strong the past seven months and for the first time this year sales for 2009 (205) are ahead of 2008 (202). Pended properties (properties currently under contract) also continue to be very strong at 61 (SF-34, Con-22, Dup-4 & Lot-1). Of those 61 pended properties 39 of them are scheduled to close in December. If only half of them close by year end we will definitely beat 2008 sales by a healthy number.
Distressed properties (short sales, foreclosed & bank owned) continue to be below 10% at 40 (SF-13, Con-25, Dup-1 & Lot-1) the majority of them condo’s and most of them short sales and most of them less than $500K. The inventory remains about the same from last month with it currently at 502 (SF-242,Con-186, Dup-40 & Lot-34). It broke 500 earlier this month and got down to 498. The good news is that the inventory trend is down and the sales trend id upwards.
Financing for single family and multifamily properties is relatively easy with 20% down and good credit and the rates are still at an all time low. I’m seeing current 30 year conforming fixed rates at around $5.37%. Appraisers doing appraisals for banks, until recently, stated the island market as a declining market,- that has changed. The island market isn’t designated in appraisals as a declining market anymore. This, along with the numbers we are seeing, points to a rising market. For those of you currently looking for financing HUD is requiring all financial institutions to provide a new Good Faith Estimate (GFE). The new GFE is 3 pages long instead of the old one page GFE. It will include the loan origination charges (the charge for getting the loan), all other settlement services (appraisal, credit report, home inspection…etc) and all the other things you are used to seeing on a GFE such as loan amount, interest rate & monthly principal & interest. What’s new about this new GFE is not only the form but that the HUD-1 (settlement statement) at closing must match the original GFE within the allowed tolerances (some charges can’t change and others can vary by 10%). If there is a change or variance above the tolerance allowed then the lender must reimburse the buyer/borrower for the excess at closing or within 30 days. These new rules will apply to all mortgages beginning in January1, 2010 but some banks are already beginning to use them. Ask your lender to explain them in detail.
Some newsletter readers are paying attention to Frank and Al’s Great Buys. Since last month’s newsletter a client made a cash offer on 211 69th St (a duplex) and closed on it a few days ago. This great duplex, remodeled, close to the beach with two garages sold for $445,000. The new property in this month’s great buys is a single family charming bungalow in the north end of Bradenton Beach. It’s a ground level, cutely remodeled, 3 bedroom 1.5 bath which is currently being used as a rental. It’s one block to Bay sunrises and three very short blocks to the beach and listed at a great price. Check out the virtual tour.
Rentals is closing the year very strong. Island Real Estate rentals are up about 20% for 2009 and there are strong bookings into 2010. Since we have implemented a quality assurance program the ratings we are getting from our guests satisfaction surveys have improved dramatically. Happy guests mean return guests and return guests mean higher occupancy for our owners.
To summarize, the island market sales continue to build and we will close 2009 with about a 10% increase in sales over 2008. Sales are trending up and inventory is in the normal range and trending down and I think the island market is on a solid base to show some appreciation by the end of 2010.
November 2009 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN Galletto, Realtor Anna Maria Island, FL.
Nov 27th
The Anna Maria Island Real Estate Market continues to show strong and consistent improvement for 2009. Sales for October were again over 200% ( SF-10, Con-8, Dup-1 & Lot-0 = 19) of October 2008 sales ( SF-7, Con-0, Dup-1 & Lot-0 = 8). October Y-T-D sales for 2009 are now equal to sales for the same period in 2008 (186 vs. 187). The consistently strong monthly sales for the second half of 2009 have brought us from 32% behind 2008 sales at mid-year to even with 2008 sales through October 2009. With pended sales (properties under contract) still strong at 57 (SF-32, Con-19, Dup-4 & Lot-2) 2009 is still on track to exceed 2008 sales on the island.
Distressed properties (short sales, foreclosed & bank owned) have bumped up a little to 35 (SF-12, Con-18, Dup-3 & Lot-2). Of the 12 single family distressed properties 11 are short sales and 9 of them are listed between $199K and $599K. Of the 18 distressed condos 17 are short sales and 15 are listed between $99K and $415K. Additional good news is that the inventory on the island continues to decrease with it currently at 500 (SF-244, Con-180, Dup-43 & Lot-33). As I mentioned in past newsletters the normal balance of inventory for the island is between 450 and 500 properties for sale. An inventory below 400 begins to turn into a sellers market because the demand begins to outstrip the supply.
Taxes came down in 2008 for most properties and based on this years Trim notices, it looks like they will come down again for 2009. Assessed values for the three cities on the island are down from 2008. Bradenton Beach assessed value for properties for 2009 is down 16.63% from last year, the highest of the three cities. The City of Anna Maria is down 9.08% and the City of Holmes Beach is down 8.66%. Manatee County (the majority of the tax) plans to use reserves to make up most of the short fall for the county. The three cities on the island plan to keep their millage rates at or near where they are currently. Since the assessed values are down the taxes should go down again for 2009 on most properties.
Frank and Al’s Great Buy’s this month has only one change from last month. The addition for this month is 211 69th St a duplex that is very close to the beach listed at $499,000. It has a 2/3 bedroom and 2 bath updated seasonal unit on one side and a 2 bedroom 1 bath with an annual renter on the other side. The annual unit has been just upgraded with new tile throughout. For those who are looking for an entry level property on the island 312 64th St (one unit of a 2 unit condo’ed duplex with a common pool) has large square footage (2010) with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, a large 2 car garage and it’s a short sale at $329,000.
Rental income is up significantly over last year due mostly to all the continued good press Anna Maria Island is getting around the country and around the world. The latest was an article in Islands Magazine that picked islands around the world by category such as Best unplugged Experience (Kauai), Best for History Lessons (Capri), Best for Family Reunions (Virgin Gorda)….etc. and the winner for Best Quaint Island (Anna Maria Island)…..we knew that. Also, the Washington Post travel section has been running a series on Florida west coast beaches and Anna Maria Island got a lot of great press. Speaking of rentals, the City of Holmes Beach commission squeaked through (in the dead of night) a change in the comp plan about 6 months ago of the rental policy in the residential (R-1 zoned) low density part of the city. This change in the comp plan changes the minimum rental policy for the residential low density zoned area (see attached chart) from 1 week to 1 month. That will significantly affect the rental capability of any property owned in that part of Holmes Beach. Don’t hesitate to contact me for more information.
To summarize the island market, sales have surged the second half of this year to make up a 35% deficit we had in June to match 2008 sales through October Y-T-D. I expect a continued strong performance for the last two months of the year so that 2009 sales will exceed 2008 by at least 10%. Inventories have been continuing down to their lowest level since the 4th quarter of 2005. The island market is on a solid base to show some appreciation by the end of 2010.
PLease sign up for more statistics, graphs and info for the monthly newsletter in full at AlanGalletto.com; Your Condo, Multifamily, Single Family, Vacant Lot, Commercial and Specialist in Luxury Gulf Front Properties Realtor for Anna Maria Island, FL.
October 2009 Real Estate Newsletter ALAN Galletto, Realtor Anna Maria Island, FL.
Oct 13th
Consistently good is how I would characterize the Anna Maria Island Real Estate market for 2009. Sales for the month of September were over 250% (SF-9, Con-11, Dup-0 & Lot-2 = 22) of 2008 sales (SF-3, Con-1, Dup-3 & Lot-1 = 8). Sep. Y-T-D sales for 2009 are now only 9% behind 2008 (167 vs. 182). Where as for 2008, sales per month fluctuated from 8 to 41, sales in 2009 have been more consistently steady ranging from 15 to 23 per month and in line with the traditional number of sales per month on the island. In the first 6 months of the year, sales for 2009 were 32% below 2008. Through September we are only 9% behind 2008 because of the fact that sales in the third quarter of 2009 were much stronger then 2008. Based on the continued strong pending (properties under contract) sales numbers, 52 (SF-31, Con-18, Dup-3 & Lot-0) I expect we will close the last 3 months with strong enough sales numbers to exceed last years sales.
Distressed Properties (short sales, pre-foreclosures, in-foreclosures & bank owned) are still very low on the island (19) and are expected to continue to stay very low. The inventory continues to decline slowly as we approach the normal inventory level for the island. Currently the inventory is at 514 (SF-251, Con-184, Dup-40 & Lot-39) which is unchanged from last month. Again, we’re looking to get the inventory under 500 which is the norm for the island market.
Sellers, I’ve said this before and it continues to be true….If you want to sell your property you have to list it as close to the market as possible. A property that just sold for $495,000 is a good example of chasing the market down. It was a townhouse, 3BR/2Bath, west of gulf drive a block to the beach which was on the market two years starting at a list price of $995,000. The price was slowly reduced over time until it finally sold last week. If the seller had listed it at $699,000 originally it would probably have sold in the $600,000’s (based on similar properties sold 2 years ago) and the seller would have saved a year and a half of carrying costs.
Buyers, there aren’t many distressed properties on the island and most of them aren’t necessarily the best buys. If you’re planning on offsetting some of your operating cost with renting your property, then you have to look at your total cost of ownership, that is, what rental revenue the property can generate minus all the operating expenses and the debt service. At the price that property is selling for today on the island, a property that is a normal “arms length transaction” in a good location will have a lower cost of ownership then most distressed properties. I can help you with this analysis on any properties you’re considering.
Frank and Al’s Great Buy’s this month has something for everyone. The property at 204 Archer Way listed at $349,000 that was under contract is back on the market. There was no problem with the property, the buyer couldn’t get her financing together. This is a great starter single family home only a block to the beach. The “early bird special” direct bay front Condo I included last month has already gone under contract within 2 weeks of being listed. Another great buy on the list is the 3 bedroom/3.5 bath, 2400 sq ft condo with Gulf Views at $775,000. This property currently does $50,000 a year in rental income. The short sale 4bedroom, 2 baths, 2,040 sq ft at 312 64th St listed at $329,000 is a great buy. It’s a short sale…..make an offer at $200,000, you never know what the bank will take. I closed two short sales this month that were a couple hundred thousand dollars under the mortgage.
To summarize the island market, we’re very close to traditional inventory levels and at the lowest inventory level since the end of 2005. Due to strong sales the last few months, year-to-date sales are down only 9% from 2008 and it looks like we will exceed 2008 sales (212) by the end of the year because pending sales continue to be strong. Average and median sales price’s for all types of properties continue to stay level and distressed properties continue to remain low (19). Please don’t hesitate to call for more specific information. Be sure to visit your realtor website at www.alangalletto.com for listings and more info.
Alan Galletto
6101 Marina Drive
