YEAR END MARKET REVIEW!

Alright everyone -- the calendar's changing, but before it does, let's look back at the year in real estate!

WEST ST. TAMMANY
Homes SOLD = 1,426
Homes currently on the market = 1,309

EAST ST. TAMMANY
Homes SOLD = 891
Homes currently on the market = 998

EAST JEFFERSON
Homes SOLD = 1,419
Homes currently on the market = 1,245

WEST JEFFERSON
Homes SOLD = 987
Homes currently on the market = 984

ORLEANS
Homes SOLD = 2,022
Homes currently on the market = 2,038

WOULD YOU LIKE the stats for your own area / neighborhood?  EMAIL ME - deborah_shrable@yahoo.com

(All stats are for single family detached & townhome listings.  "Currently on the market" means "active," "pending," or "under contract."  Information taken from the MLXchange.  All information deemed reliable, but not guaranteed)

Ok, the grass really IS greener...

if this is the view from your house --

This is the exterior of the house viewed from the beach -- in the heart of Seaside, FL

Pretty nice, huh?   This will set you back a cool $6.2 MIL!  And that's for a whopping 2,800 sq ft.   Oh, but the listing says that "supermodels, movie stars, prime ministers, and discerning families from across the country" have stayed there -- so that makes it worth it, right?

Just returned recently from a 3-day vacay to the Destin area.  My parents had never seen the 30-A area so I wanted to take them for a driving tour.  They couldn't quite believe it.  The real estate just goes on and on and on.  I don't think I'd ever driven too much off of Hwy 30 and actually taken some of the side streets through Watercolor and Seaside.  Unbelievable.  And that these are people's SECOND homes!   I realize they rent them out, but still!   In this economy, surely they're not seeing the rental income they used to.  I wonder what the foreclosure rate is?

Fell in LOVE with a new-ish community further east from Seaside called Alys Beach.  Totally different look from the colorful cottages of the rest of South Walton.  ALL WHITE -- total Mediterranean look.  When I win the lottery (and I AM going to one of these days -- have to buy tickets, though), this is where I'm buying my vacation home --

Yes, this is someone's private courtyard with pool.  I WANT!

Martha does it again

Martha Stewart just can't stop - she started at Kmart, now she's on to Macy's, Home Decorators Collection, she was already selling home decor items at Home Depot and now she's added a LINE OF KITCHEN CABINETS rolling out this month.  Oh, and she's also got a line of pet items at Pet Smart. 

Clearly that little prison stint hasn't affected her career.

I checked out the display at our local Home Depot.  I really like the cabinets.  They're made by Masterbrand which makes multiple lines of cabinets carried by Home Depot, Lowes as well as specialty kitchen cabinet dealers.  They are laminate, but it's not laminate like you're thinking.  The process they use these days to manufacture laminate-finish cabinets is very different.  I would like off-white cabinets in our kitchen when we build, and unfortunately she doesn't really have an off-white color in her line. If she did, I would definitely consider them -- they're a GREAT price point.

Color me...

Not so sure about some of the trends shown HERE

I guess after compiling lots of ideas for our house, through both the Internet as well as various local showhouses, I am still planning on going pretty neutral with our decor (especially wall color), with some accents of my favorite sage green, and some "spa" blue, a la this --

 These people feel stronger colors are the trendy way to go these days.  What do you think?   Is the mustard and avacado kitchen poised to make a big comeback?   They talk about the colors of the 80s making a resurgence.  PLEASE, oh please tell me we won't see kelly green and salmon again --- uuuugggghhhh!!!!

How I kill way too much time...

As some of you know, my husband has been deployed to Iraq this year.  It has been about as bad as I thought it would be.  Not worse, in the sense that I feel like I have been really strong.  But not any better than I thought it would be -- I miss him terribly.  Luckily for technology we talk everyday, and usually get to see each other on Skype.

To fill the lonely evenings (as if I don't have SOOO much else I could / should be getting done) I plan out the house we hope to build when he gets home.  At some point I stumbled on to

THE GARDEN WEB HOME FORUMS

If you love home design / decorating / remodelling / all things about kitchens, you should check out this place.  People are discussing every single aspect of designing and remodelling their homes.  You can tell some have unlimited funds and have no idea a recession is going on, and it's both interesting and depressing to read their posts.  But you really can learn a lot.  I have killed way too much time there...

Credit Score Lesson of the Day

There is SO much emphasis put on credit scores these days.   Your credit score affects your insurance rate, whether or not you get that 0% interest offer on a new car, and MOST IMPORTANTLY - whether or not you'll qualify for a mortgage when it comes time to buy a home.

Here's a fantastic article that explains how even unused credit cards can affect your FICO (credit) score.

Hey Buyer! Come here buyer!

Want to attract buyers to your home?   This is what buyers are looking for, according to a recent study by Avid Ratings:

10 Home Features Buyers Want


Home designers and builders speaking at the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas say that buyers are seeking cost-effective features and rejecting things that don’t have lasting value.
“It's all about family togetherness – casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces," says Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio.
Paul Cardis, CEO of Avid Ratings, which conducts an annual survey of buyer preferences, identified these must-haves in new homes:
1. Large kitchens with islands
2. Energy efficiency, including energy-efficient appliances, super insulation, and high-efficiency windows.
3. Home offices
4. Main-floor master suite
5. Outdoor living space
6. Ceiling fans
7. Soaking tub in the master suite and/or an oversize shower with a seating area
8. Stone and brick exteriors rather than stucco or vinyl
9. Community walking paths and playgrounds
10. Two-car garages, but three-car garages are even more desirable

Source: MarketWatch, Steve Kerch (01/30/2010)

SO...If you're getting ready to build or remodel, keep this Top 10 List in mind and BOOST your resale value!!!

(Article originally posted on realtor.org: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010020101?OpenDocument )

Housing in 2010

No one has a crystal ball, and you can find lots of different opinions on what will happen in the housing market this year, but here's one analysis that's interesting>

You're My Inspiration...

Don't ask me why I felt the need to channel a cheesy "Chicago" song as the title of this post...

http://www.houzz.com/
I found this web site several months ago. If you need some INSPIRATION for a redecorating project, this web site's kind of fun to check out. You can search by room, so if you're looking for a new color scheme for your bedroom, or trying to decide where to get started remodelling your kitchen, you can get lots of ideas from this one site.

As my husband and I have been planning the house we want to build (sometime this next decade, I hope *sarcasm*), I have been checking out this site for ideas. You can really get sucked in -- there are 1,000s of pics posted.

FREE MONEY when you buy a house! *

Okay, so there are a few catches (* PLEASE read the information provided in the links -- you must qualify in order to get this $$$)

IRS guidelines about tax credit

National Association of Realtors article on Tax Credit

Seriously, this is an amazing opportunity. Last year, the tax credit was only for first-time homebuyers. It was set to expire on November 30, 2009. However, Congress voted to extend the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit, and in the process, extend it to also apply to people who already own homes. For existing homeowners, you have to have lived in a home for 5 (consecutive years) of the past 8 years (8 years immediately prior to the purchase date of the new home being purchased).

First-time Homebuyer credit = $8,000
Existing Homeowner tax credit = up to $6,500

SOOOO........ Don't sit on the fence! This WILL run out in a few months! Plus interest rates are still GREAT!

http://www.buywithdeborah.com/

LOCAL REAL ESTATE STATISTICS: December 2009

SOLD in Mandeville = 40
SOLD in Madisonville = 20
SOLD in Covington = 17

Wondering what that house sold for down the street? Have you driven past a house that's for sale and wondered what the price is? ASK ME! deborah_shrable@yahoo.com

(All information gathered from GSREIN MLXchange. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Mandeville is defined as MLS areas 201 & 204. Madisonville is defined as MLS area 205. Covington is defined here as the "southern Covington" MLS areas of 202 & 203. Statistics are for single-family dwellings only.)