SEE YOUR NEIGHBORS HOUSE! Video Open Houses & Other JUICY Details

This is a small, well-kept subdivision bounded by 102^nd Ave. to the South and Oakhurst Rd. to the West.  It is comprised of approximately 60 homes which mostly consist of 3 to 4 bedrooms and 2 to 3 baths.  Most of the homes have pools and family rooms and all have a two car garage as well.  The square footage of the homes range from approximately 1500 to 2700 heated square feet.  The major portion of the homes were constructed by Arthur Rutenberg and as such, have the classic angled style of a Rutenberg home.  The subdivision was so named because of the beautiful Oak Trees which line the entrance into the subdivision from Oakhurst Road!

The subdivision is located in zip code 33774 and is zoned for all Seminole schools: Oakhurst Elementary located on Antilles or 137^th St. and Seminole Middle and Seminole High both on 131^st St. in Seminole.

This lovely subdivision is a deed restricted community. The homeowner association dues are only $35 per year.  This area is nicely cared for with sidewalks and street lights and only has two entrances so not much through traffic!

There is much to choose from for shopping.  There are 2 Publix stores – one on Indian Rocks Rd. about one mile north and another on Oakhurst Rd. approx.  ½ mile south.  There is also the Westside shopping center on Walsingham Rd. around the corner with a Starbucks, 5 Guys and Mario’s Pizza.  Up the street on Indian Rocks Rd., there is also more shopping and restaurants.  The subdivision is also conveniently located approximately a mile and a half from Indian Rocks Beach over the Walsingham Bridge.

If you would like a list of homes currently available in the vicinity or a market update on recent sales in this desirable area, please drop me an email at: DonovanHomes@yahoo.com and I’ll be happy to help!

Good Morning ,

I had called yesterday with regard to an email I got from one of the folks who came to the open house. .

Based on my 30 years of experience, my assessment of your property, feedback from numerous buyers before, during and after the open house, plus what other realtors have indicated to me, the offer below, is a very viable and good offer in our present market.

Prices are still on a downward slide. I know this offer is not what you want to hear, but this is our current reality. When I have a home that is priced right, I generally get between 5 to 10 showings per week from other realtors.  For the last two weeks, I have had only one showing from any other realtor.  Yes, we do get lots of "curiosity" calls and visits because of the sign - but this has NOT translated into viable candidates as you well know....

The other agent whose customer did make the offer of a trade of their home in …. (which I checked on the value of their present home & its worth about $70,000) plus the $125,000 mortgage would total $195,000. Not that you would take that one - but it is another confirmation that I am correct in my assessment of what the eventual sales price would be....

I sincerely hope you will consider this offer, as the longer you wait, the more detrimental it could be. Taxes and expenses still have to be paid. A home that is not lived in, even if you continue to come down to keep an eye on it, will cost you more money and be more of a risk in the long run. If an insurance company is aware the home is unoccupied, insurance rates sometimes get raised or canceled altogether.....

These buyers are sincere and they are a nice family who would love and care for your dad's home and bring it back to life!

I apologize for being so candid so early in the sale, however the realities of the last five years of our real estate disaster have prompted me to do so earlier, rather than later.  I see properties sitting on the market for over two years, only to languish and become shop worn and get even lower prices when they do finally sell.  I urge you to seriously consider this offer now.  Like any unpleasant action that is required, sometimes it is better to "grit your teeth", take your loss and move on and get it behind you with no more worries, headaches or aggravation!

The other option to confirm or negate what I am telling you, is for you to order an independent bank appraisal.  This way you can see what a bank would appraise and be willing to loan on the property. As I am sure you are aware, even if we were to get a buyer down the road for a lot more, we might end up getting thwarted when the bank turns them down for their loan because the house doesn't appraise.  (Please keep in mind that the sites you refer to that state a value much more optimistic than what I am advising also have a disclaimer that their figures are for informational purposes only. Time and time again, in tracking their proposed value versus the final sales price,  I have found their figures to be very inaccurate based on ACTUAL, sales prices, because theirs is a COMPUTER generated appraisal only, they never actually see the home!)

O.K.  I've said what I need to say to you as your real estate professional.  The rest is up to you.  Steve's offer is in his email below.  Please seriously consider!