Survey: Sellers Waiting Out Pandemic Are Ready to List

Homeowners have had all the usual reasons to sell over the past two years – marriages, deaths, children, etc. – but many hunkered down during the pandemic, and some feared the housing market because selling might be easy but finding a new home? Not so much.

A survey conducted by HarrisX for realtor.com, however, suggests that many of those people might be planning to list their home in 2022, with 65% of them planning to do so this winter and spring. The survey of 2,583 consumers was conducted online in September-October 2021.

Many sellers, however, want to set an asking price higher than they think their home is worth, and they expect buyer bidding wars.

When will sellers list? (more…)

Would you like free money for the holidays?

I usually listen to WGB 1030 in Boston on my morning walk and this week I have heard Billy Costa’s ads for Unclaimed Property in Massachusetts. This rang a bell for me as I have found unclaimed property at least twice and received checks.

Click on FindMassMoney and you will find this statement:
“The Unclaimed Property Division is holding over $3 billion in unclaimed funds for the citizens and businesses of the Commonwealth. The Division holds these lost funds until they are claimed by either the original owner or their heirs. Claiming property is fast, easy and free.”

It sure is.

And encouraged by my successes in Massachusetts I have received unclaimed property from Connecticut, where I lived in the 1980s, and today have filed a claim in California for my wife, also from the 1980s. And you can search in other States where you have connections – just type in XState Unclaimed Property and Mr.Google will do the rest. This is the link in Florida: FLTreasureHunt.

So, if it is actually my property, is it really free? I leave you to contemplate this existential question as you bank your check. (more…)

What Makes a Home a Smart Home?

If a property has a reliable internet connection and “smart” items in at least three categories, it is considered a smart home. “Just having a few devices in specific categories – such as certain lighting, security cameras, or appliances – qualifies a home to be a smart home.”

“These homes were once only for the ultrarich, but we’ve gone from only super-wealthy people like Bill Gates having these products to every home now having at least one or two smart items.” (more…)

15-Acre Naples, Florida, Retreat With a Menagerie With Monkeys Lists for $9.5 Million

A 15-acre Florida compound that comes complete with multiple residences, a tennis court and an animal menagerie has come to the market for $9.5 million.

The solar-powered estate, which claims to be “hurricane-proof,” is designed for living off the grid and it “offers a rare opportunity to own a tranquil, sustainable oasis in Naples,” listing agent Priscilla Kellerhouse said in a statement.

A 10,000-square-foot salmon-hued home is the compound’s main residence. The five-bedroom spread has an open floor plan, high ceilings, columns and marble floors.

(more…)

Is Your Home (and Home Insurance) Ready for Extreme Weather?

Hurricanes. Heat waves. Earthquakes. Tornadoes. Today’s headlines are awash in extreme weather, and whether you blame climate change or just plain bad luck, the simple truth is that the damage from these disasters is impossible to ignore.

Realtor.com® teamed up with HarrisX to conduct a poll of 3,026 adults on their extreme weather concerns and homeowners insurance know-how—and the results suggest that many Americans may be more vulnerable than we think.

Here are some of the key highlights: (more…)

Prediction: Lots of International Buyers Over the Next Year

NEW YORK – In June, when real estate agent Nitin Gupta took two clients to see a new housing development in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a sales representative for the builder told him all the units were gone.

The builder had planned to sell 100 homes to investors out of roughly 1,500 he was planning to build. Investors had come to the site the day before, the rep told Gupta, and another agent had pitched the homes to a group of buyers in China over Zoom.

“He said, ‘The people were saying, I want one, I want two, I want three. Boom, boom, boom,” Gupta recalls. “The agent sold about 50 to 60 homes and the builder had sold 130 homes the first day.”

While the global COVID-19 pandemic has squashed sales of U.S. homes to foreign buyers over the last year, local buyers should be prepared for a rebound in competition from other countries in the next 12 months, economists say.

Texas, Gupta’s state, ranked as the third-most-popular destination for foreign real estate buyers between April 2020 and March 2021, according to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors. Florida and California claim the top two spots, while Arizona, New Jersey and New York follow Texas. (more…)

Tourism making major comeback in Naples and Collier County

April’s tourist numbers naturally show a huge increase from a year ago, when the national lockdown was underway, but more relevantly they are also show strong gains compared with 2019:

– A 9% increase in visitors
– A 24% increase in room nights
– A 20% increase in economic impact
– A 2% increase in occupancy

In Collier County, April might have been a bit unusual, drawing visitors here who may have wanted to come sooner, but waited to get vaccinated — or just to feel more comfortable with traveling, according to Anne Wittine, the director of data analysis for Research Data Services, the county’s tourism consultant. (more…)

Tom Brady’s modest new Yacht

Tom Brady has decided that it is time to upgrade from his current boat, a 55-footer made famous in February when the Super Bowl QB (and GOAT) launched the Lombardi trophy from the stern across the water to another yacht during the Buccaneers’ victory boat parade.

“Moving down to Tampa Bay last year, I live right on this beautiful bay — Old Hillsborough Bay — and the first thing I did when I got here was say, ‘I need a boat. I gotta be able to get out on this beautiful water.’ And I was able to do it,”

“I think the 77 will be a little bit more suited for what we need it for down here, which is a few more day trips and weekend trips,” Brady said of the upgrade.

Tom Brady; Wajer

I wonder if the new boat will have a platform as a stable base from which to throw next year’s trophy to Gronk? (more…)

Naples housing market – onwards and upwards

The March 2021 Market Report, released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), shows that March was the highest performing month in the 13 years NABOR has tracked these metrics.

Sellers are raising prices and multiple offers are still coming in,” said Budge Huskey, CEO, Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “This is because inventory is limited, and more sellers are realizing now is a good time to place their home on the market and get top value in the current market conditions!”

Broker analysts predict the level of demand experienced in March is sustainable and should be expected to continue for the next few months, or longer. “Season was disrupted this year because many people elected to hold off relocating until they were fully vaccinated,” added Huskey. “Agents also report that many seasonal visitors are staying longer than in previous years, possibly because they can afford to wait in anticipation of more homes becoming available in the luxury market. I believe we’ll continue to see more newcomers from northern states looking for homes in the high end in the coming months. Beyond that, and as we enter the summer season, we might begin to see a second wave of international buyers entering our market as travel restrictions begin to relax.”

Median closed prices in March increased 12.2 percent to $415,000 (the highest median price increase month/month on record since 2008) from $370,000 in March 2020. In March 2021, there were just 1,819 homes in inventory (the lowest it has been since 2014), which was a 73.2 percent decrease from 6,795 homes in inventory in March 2020.

The March report revealed that the Naples area now has only a 1.6 month supply of homes available to buyers
Naples Housing Market

The following charts give a visual summary of market activity: (more…)

How to Win a Naples Smart Home plus Mercedes plus $100k Cash

Note: you can enter twice a day until June 11.

HGTV Naples

Click 2021 Smart Home tour for more photos. (more…)