What is Real Estate

Writen by Tracey Kirchain

Whether you're looking for the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan area or the serenity of spending time in a nature sanctuary, Jacksonville Florida offers an area that suits your lifestyle and will surely please.

Jacksonville, Florida (Duval County) is the largest city in the region and the largest city by land mass in the State of Florida. Because of its large land area, it offers homebuyers a unique opportunity of convenience and a high quality of life.

Currently, Jacksonville continues to go through tremendous amounts of growth in all areas of the city. As with any large city, the more established areas are going through more of a revitalization rather than growth. So rather than focusing on the established areas let's look at the hottest growth areas in Jacksonville right now.

Just as a note they're listed numerically but not by order of importance, that being said let's discover some of the most intriguing areas Jacksonville has to offer.

1. Duval County North
(Including North Jacksonville)

Whether it's fishing, recreational water sports or just enjoying breathtaking views many of the developments in this part of Jacksonville offer waterfront communities and easy access to the St. John's River. Its close proximity to the Jacksonville International Airport makes it ideal for those who like or need to travel. Furthermore, this part of Jacksonville remains the best-kept secret in the entire state. The amount of home you get for your money makes it an absolute bargain. Appealing neighborhoods include Broward Cove, Hidden Lake Estates and Biscayne Bay Town homes.

2. Duval County East
(Including Arlington,Atlantic Beach,Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Intracoastal West)

The Arlington area,home to Jacksonville University, is a staple of this part of Jacksonville. Additionally some of Northeast Florida's most precious environmental and historical landmarks reside in this area as well. Although much of the Arlington area is already well developed, a new and exciting growth area is beginning to emerge.

Informally known as Intracoastal West many new multifamily projects are popping up everywhere. These include Harbor Town, Mira Vista and Waters Edge.

The beaches, which include Mayport, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Jacksonville Beach all form one continuous coastal city. Fun,lively pubs and restaurants attract affluent homebuyers who enjoy a laid-back environment, upscale condominiums and oceanfront property.

3. Duval County South
(Including Southside,and Mandarin)

As one of Northeast Florida's largest concentration of office parks hotels and apartment complexes, it has naturally evolved into a hotbed of condominium activity. Some of the notable areas for condominiums are Point Meadows Place and Villagio. Lastly, Mandarin contains some of Northeast Florida's most affluent riverfront developments and home sites.

4. Duval County West

This area of Jacksonville has plenty a room for growth. Depending on your price range, you should have no problem finding a home that fits your needs. On the low end Academy Park or Brighton Park, offer two and three-bedroom two-story floor plans with square footage of up to 1682 feet. On the high end, there's Dawson's Creek and Emily's Walk that price into the 300 thousands. No matter what your budget you should have no problem finding a home in this area.

5. Clay County
(Including Argyle Forest,Fleming Island,Green Cove Springs, and Orange Park)

Located south of Jacksonville, Clay County has experienced an amazing 32.9% growth rate over the last decade. With many for Fortune 500 companies establishing a presence in the area, this becomes an ideal spot to live. The same principles apply to Clay County as they do with Duval County West. There are homes that should fit any budget and lifestyle. Some of the most popular developments include Doctors Inlet Reserve, Spencer's Plantation, and Fleming Island plantation just to name a few.

6. St.John's County
(Including North St. John's County,Ponte Vedra Beach,and St.Augustine)

St. John's County enjoys many different amenities whether your passion is playing golf or spend time at the beach you should have no problem finding fun outdoor activities. Along the shores of Ponte Vedra and St. Augustine Beach, you'll find multimillion-dollar oceanfront mansions and condominiums. Further inland to the SW the World Golf Village is becoming an ever-increasingly popular destination and in demand place to live.

Home prices generally start in the upper one hundreds and top out over the million-dollar mark. Renowned for its high-level school system this area is becoming very popular for those with a more liberal budget.

This just highlights some of the most popular areas of Jacksonville Florida. It gives you a broad overview of what's available. Depending on your budget it should be no problem finding a suitable home for you and your family.

Are you tired of having to search on your own? Tracey Kirchain works as an agent for Prudential Network Realty in Jacksonville, Florida. She will help you find the home you're looking for quickly and easily. Selling can also be challenging. Enlisting the help of a professional agent saves time and money.

Visit http://www.homesalesofjax.com for more great Jacksonville Real Estate information.

Writen by Lee Dobbins

Having your house appraised can be a scary step in the moving process, especially if you don't know what to expect. Will your house pass muster or will they find some hidden defects and problems lurking in the basement and attic? Should you scrub the house clean?

Don't worry – this isn't a test of how clean you keep your house or even if your house has problems (that will be for the home inspector to find out). The appraiser is there to determine a fair market value for your home. Whether you are selling the house or refinancing, this is a common part of the process and the inspector is quite used to traipsing about peoples homes in all kinds of disarray so you need not be embarrassed if your house is messy and it will not affect the value the appraiser puts on the property.

Determining the market value of your home is necessary so that your lender knows the home is valued at or above the amount of money you are borrowing. An appraisal is an estimate of worth. It is an opinion but is not entirely a subjective process. The FNMA, Federal National Mortgage Association sets up the guidelines and assigns values to certain assets of your home to ensure a fair sale.

The value of your home will be determined by comparing it to similar area properties that have sold in the past few months. The appraiser looks for properties that have the same number of bedrooms, baths, square footage and amenities like a fireplace or garage in your neighborhood or town. They start by looking at your neighborhood to find comparable sales or properties in similar neighborhoods that share similar characteristics of lifestyles, income level of residents, surroundings, average age and home values. A valid appraisal can be done when 3 or more properties similar to your own have been found.

Once the appraiser has these homes, there will be some adjustments made to take into consideration features that your home has the others don't or features they have that you don't. These features have nothing to do with your décor – they are based solely on house size, rooms and amenities so your hot pink kitchen will not affect the value of your home appraisal!

The process is quite methodical and done to standard practices so you need not worry. If you are moving and you have hired a realtor, you will find the appraisal will come in right on the button for what they have valued your home at. Most realtors know the market quite well so you needn't worry that your buyer won't be able to secure funding because of your home appraisal.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.moving-and-more.com where you can learn more about moving and selling your house.

Writen by Raynor James

Whether you are selling a house, townhouse, condo or apartment, there are universal tips that will help it sell. Primary among those tips are making sure your home "shows well."

First impressions of a home go a long way to determining how quickly it will sell. Here are a few suggestions that will make your home show well.

1. Be sure the approach to your home is clean, tidy and well groomed. Any brass should be polished, paint on the door should be in good condition and the door should be washed clean of fingerprints and paw marks.

2. If your home is a single family house, be sure the grass is cut, leaves raked, plant beds mulched and weeded, etc.

3. If your home is in a multi-family building, be sure the approach and hall to your home is clean even if it is not your job!

4. Be sure your home is tidy and uncluttered. This includes closets, cabinets, garages, and other storage areas. When "stuffed," no amount of storage "shows" as adequate. When really messy, no room looks charming.

5. Make any repairs that are noticeably needed. Door handles and locks should fit well and firmly. Exterior doors should shut and lock solidly. Drains and downspouts should be firmly attached and clear of debris so water flows freely. Attached light fixtures should be firmly attached. All switches should turn on whatever they were designed to turn on -- light, fan, disposal, etc.

6. Conventional wisdom dictates your home should be "neutralized." You can't really go wrong following this advice. You know the drill -- beige or soft gray carpet, beige, gray, or taupe walls, white or off-white woodwork and ceilings. Sometimes a very soft gold or a soft sage green can also "read" as neutral.

7. If you have a sure sense of decorating (you probably do if family and friends frequently ask your advice and you enjoy making decorating decisions), and especially if you plan to leave color coordinated window treatments, you might leave more definite colors in place understanding that a potential buyer with no imagination might be put off by them and not think to request a "redecorating allowance" in a contract offer. Still, beautiful decorating which is not neutral undeniably attracts some buyers.

8. If your carpet is in poor condition, but you cannot afford to replace it, get several neutral samples in a mid-price range from a local carpet store, spread them on the floor, and add a note stating that you will be glad to provide a carpet allowance from the proceeds of settlement.

9. Dark homes show badly. Make sure lamps are on and lampshades are straight with the seams toward a wall. Make sure there is as much natural light as possible; have curtains, shades and blinds open.

Buyers are looking for a home they can see themselves living in. Follow the above tips and you will position your home to sell quickly.

Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our "sell my home" page at http://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your home for free for one month. Visit http://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm to see homes for sale by owner.

Writen by Christine Hancock

Much of the condo hotel market in the U. S. started in Florida. The residences there command 600,000-800,000 for a studio. I bedrooms start around $750,000. $1,000,000. 2 Bedrooms Start over the 1,000,000 price range.

These permanent residences feature all the furnishings and amenities of a luxury hotel — such as world-class restaurants, 24-hour concierge, security, valet, housekeeping, and room service.

Joel Greene of the Condo Hotel Center says a rental option provided by the condo hotel management company allows owners to receive a portion — often about 50 percent — of the rental income of their specific unit when away.

Taylor says developers favor waterfront, mountainside, and downtown areas with strong demand for upscale lodging. Myrtle Beach, S.C.; South Florida; and Las Vegas have fast-growing condo-hotel markets that favor high-end travelers and boomers looking for a high-amenity pied-à-terre. Chicago, Washington D.C., and Phoenix are starting to get in on the condo hotel market, the most notable is the Trump Building in Chicago, studios are starting at $800,000.

"Boomers are looking for a vacation lifestyle of spacious accommodations, dining activities, and entertainment," Taylor says. "They demand extra services and luxurious amenities."

Here's how the Condo hotel concept works. You purchase a condo/hotel in a world class hotel. Use the residence whenever you like. When your away, put the residence in the hotel's rental program and share the revenue with the hotel. The hotel's management company takes care of all the management issues such as cleaning, renting and maintaining.

These residences offer the best of both worlds, a hassle free residence in a world class luxury hotel with rent revenue that you receive helps offset the costs of owing a 2nd or 3rd home. As well as the potential for appreciation.

Christine Hancock
http://www.getanewhome.net

Christine began her real estate career proving herself a top producer on a new high rise development. This experience gave her valuable knowledge of construction as well as the buying process and resulted in 4-million dollars in sales during her first year.

Writen by Ahmed El-Naggar

Real estate is one of the most important subjects today, but there are a lot of people buying and selling real estate randomly and wasting thousands of dollars. This article will let you know what are the ten mistakes that a lot of people made when buying or selling their real estate.

So if you are going to buy or sell your real estate then you should read this carefully. These are the biggest ten mistakes everyone makes when Buying or Selling Real Estate:-

1. Not finding the right real estate agent.
2. Not knowing what the buyer or seller wants.
3. Not pricing a property properly.
4. Not knowing how to structure a more profitable transaction.
5. Not knowing how to sell a property quickly & easily.
6. Not knowing what clauses to use or avoid in a real estate contract.
7. Not knowing how to save substantially on taxes when selling a property.
8. Not offering seller-financing when selling.
9. Not offering seller-financing when purchasing.
10. Not understanding how to safely earn 20% or more with trust deeds and mortgages.

Now after you read these ten big mistakes you are protected and now you can save your money, but always remember these mistakes. You may save them in paper or something so you can always remember them.

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