Duncan Real Estate in the News

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
January 7, 2009
I am told that New Year resolutions never seem to work, mostly because resolutions tend to be too general. In fact I read an analysis for a recent “Resolution” study which showed that although 52% of participants were confident they’d succeed with their goals, only 12% actually did. Read More...

KEEP THE MARKET IN PERSPECTIVE

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
December 31, 2008
A realtor on Longboat Key sparked my interest with her review of the Sarasota market in a recent newsletter by saying that people hold the wrong impression that the only properties selling on the market these days are short sales and foreclosures--far from the truth. Read More...

TEST THE WATER, ONLY IF YOU’RE SERIOUS!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
December 17, 2008
The Manatee Association of Realtors’ Market Dynamics report comes out at the end of every month, providing a view of movement in both the single family and condo markets for every month for the previous two years. Now that I’ve seen the latest report, I must reiterate that Island real estate paints a far better picture than that of the overall County. Read More...

Florida Realtors Are Pretty Darn Good!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
December 10, 2008
Florida Realtors may have sold $200,000 less than the national median volume of $1.6 million in 2007, and they may have closed three transactions less than the average realtor across the nation last year, but in almost every other way, Florida realtors mirror the national average, sometimes minutely better or minutely worse. Read More...

And We Are Off! The Island,That Is.

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
December 3, 2008
Since last week’s report relayed the growing number of sales in Manatee County, this week I am concentrating on MLS data as it relates to Anna Maria Island. Interestingly, the Island currently shows four more sales in November this year than the five that closed last year for the same three week period. Read More...
The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
November 26, 2008
Recent reports by many of the national and state realtor organizations reveal that property sales are on the rise. Being the curious broker I am, a look at Manatee County’s MLS data for the first two weeks of November, versus the first two weeks of November last year, shows that our “season’s” start is looking good! Read More...

DON’T PASS UP AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY ON THE WATER!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
November 19, 2008
As we all know, real estate prices have been steadily dropping and making homes much more affordable than they were two years ago. I’m now telling my customers to consider buying property on the water, be it Gulf, bay, or canal front, where sales in the last year have gone as low as $292,000 for a two-bedroom/one-bath condo on a canal. Read More...

Don't Limit Your Choices When Looking for a Great Buy!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
November 12, 2008
Everyone, it seems, is looking for a great deal if they are thinking about buying real estate these days. And, so should they, since great buys are everywhere. However, many buyers seem to focus almost entirely on seeking out foreclosures or short sales. Read More...

Your Realtor Is Your Best Ally

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
November 5, 2008
A recent study by the Florida Association of Realtors of homebuyers who bought homes in the months of April, May and June this year is a good snapshot of the homebuyer market in general. Read More...

ONLY YOUR REALTOR KNOWS FOR SURE …

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
October 29, 2008
On a recent listing appointment–canal front property with a dock and pool–the sellers and I held a long conversation on pricing their home. The sellers had recently looked on a popular home valuation Web site, and were convinced their property was worth $75,000 more than my comparative market analysis showed. Read More...

Where Have All The Buyers Gone???

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
October 22, 2008
A look at the summary of statistics just released by the Manatee Association of Realtors for the period September 2006 through September 2007 on market dynamics is an impressive revelation about a market that’s been steadily going down in price and up in inventory since 2006. This in turn shows that sellers are still facing pressure to get pricing down, at least for the short term, and that buyers, whose numbers have diminished based on the slowing number of sales, are still in the driver’s seat. Read More...

My Two Words of Advice? Tangible Assets!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
October 15, 2008
While the volatility of the financial markets in the past couple of weeks continues to weaken the confidence and trust of the consumer, my advice is veer your attention toward the real estate market. Read More...

What a difference a day at the spa makes!

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
October 8, 2008
A good realtor always keeps her eyes and ears open for valuable insights, and that might include during time spent at the Spa for some sorely needed R&R. In fact, the masseuse who took all the pressure off my nerves last week also sparked a gem of a thought, as she told me that no professional should stop gaining education. Read More...

Anna Maria Island: A Bit of Old Florida

TheStreet.com
October 7, 2008
These days, it's getting harder and harder to find a taste of old Florida. Miami is a perennial favorite for the glitz and nightlife, and the Palm Beach social scene can't be beat, but if you're looking for an unpretentious beach town without a celebrity or a velvet rope in sight, head to Anna Maria Island. Read More...

Making The Best Of A Situation

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
September 24, 2008
The news on Wall Street last week certainly did very little to help consumer confidence, particularly with regard to the stock and housing markets. However, if there is any good news coming out of Lehman’s bankruptcy, Merrill’s purchase by Bank of America and AIG’s bailout, it’s this: the fixed 30-year mortgage interest rate came down last week to 5.65% with the 15-year fixed at 5.125%. Read More...

Counting on Uncle Sam, Mae and Mac

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
September 17, 2008
Early this month, the government announced that it would place Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under conservatorship, essentially becoming the nation’s largest mortgage lender. Read More...

East Side? Water Side? What’s the Best Choice?

The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper
September 10, 2008
We are soon getting back to that time of year, when our vacationers and part-time residents return to our county and begin thinking about making a second home purchase. Read More...