Central Florida 55+ Real Estate
& Lifestyle Blog

You’ll find our blog to be a wealth of information, covering everything from local market statistics and home values to community happenings. That’s because we care about the Central Florida 55+ community and want to help you find your place in it. Please reach out if you have any questions at all. We’d love to talk with you!

Curious about local real estate?

So are we! Every month we review trends in our real estate market and consider the number of homes on the market in each price tier, the amount of time particular homes have been listed for sale, specific neighborhood trends, the median price and square footage of each home sold and so much more. We invite you to do the same!

Get Local Market Reports Sent Directly to You

You can sign up here to receive your own market report, delivered as often as you like! It contains current information on pending, active and just sold properties so you can see actual homes in your neighborhood. You can review your area on a larger scale, as well, by refining your search to include properties across the city or county. As you notice price and size trends, please contact us for clarification or to have any questions answered.

We can definitely fill you in on details that are not listed on the report and help you determine the best home for you. If you are wondering if now is the time to sell, please try out our INSTANT home value tool. You’ll get an estimate on the value of your property in today’s market. Either way, we hope to hear from you soon as you get to know our neighborhoods and local real estate market better.

June 30, 2023

Key Reasons To Use a Real Estate Agent When You Sell [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights

  • An agent is a really important part of selling your home because they bring a lot of skill and expertise to the sales process.
  • They’ll explain what’s happening today, what that means for you, and how to price and market your house. They’re also skilled negotiators and well versed in the contracts and disclosures involved.
  • Let’s connect to ensure you have an expert helping you sell your house successfully.
June 29, 2023

Where Will You Go If You Sell? Newly Built Homes Might Be the Answer.



Do you want to sell your house, but hesitate because you’re worried you won’t be able to find your next home in today’s market? You're not alone, but there’s some good news that may ease your worries. New home construction is up and is becoming an increasingly significant part of the housing inventory. This is also true for Central Florida with many new communities and expansion of existing communities.

That means when you go to put your house on the market this summer, considering newly built homes is crucial for expanding the options you’ll have for your next move.

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June 26, 2023

The True Cost of Selling Your House on Your Own



Selling your house is no simple task. While some homeowners opt to sell their homes on their own, known as a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), they often encounter various challenges without the guidance of a real estate agent. If you’re currently considering selling your house on your own, here’s what you should know.

The most recent Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveyed homeowners who’d recently sold their own homes and asked what difficulties they faced. Those sellers say some of the greatest challenges were prepping their home for sale, pricing it right, and properly managing the required paperwork, just to name a few.

When it comes to selling your most valuable asset, consider the invaluable support that a real estate agent can provide. By partnering with an agent, you can navigate the complexities of the selling process with confidence. Here are just a few of the many ways an agent is essential to your home sale:

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June 24, 2023

Beware Top Scams Affecting Older Americans

Scam Alert

Today, if you are fortunate enough not to have been subject to a scam, or an attempted one, you may be in the minority, especially if you are over 50. Older Americans are among the most targeted group for fraud, and for multiple reasons: they tend to be more trusting, have sizable nest eggs, and have less technical knowledge.

And it's not who we may consider "elderly" - it is "cognitively intact, community-dwelling" older Americans. Let's face it, that is most of us, or our parents, or our family and friends. 

There are a broad range of stats, and regardless of what they say, most are disturbing. In this article, we will take a look at the impact and trends, as well as the top 5 scams affecting older Americans.

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June 21, 2023

Eco-Friendly, Energy-Efficient Homes Attract Buyers



Are you planning to sell your house? If so, you may be surprised to hear just how much buyers value energy efficiency and eco-friendly features today. This is especially true as summer officially kicks off.

In fact, the 2023 Realtors and Sustainability Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows 48% of agents or brokers have noticed consumers are interested in sustainability.

 So, if you’re considering selling your house, here's why it matters to you.

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June 20, 2023

Why the Median Home Price Is Meaningless in Today’s Market



The National Association of Realtors (NAR) will release its latest Existing Home Sales (EHS) report later this week. This monthly report provides information on the sales volume and price trend for previously owned homes. In the upcoming release, it’ll likely say home prices are down. This may feel a bit confusing, especially if you’ve been following along and seeing the blogs saying that home prices have bottomed out and turned a corner.

So, why will this likely say home prices are falling when so many other price reports say they’re going back up? It all depends on the methodology of each report. NAR reports on the median sales price, while some other sources use repeat sales prices. Here’s how those approaches differ.

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June 12, 2023

Are Home Prices Going Up or Down? That Depends…



Media coverage about what’s happening with home prices can be confusing. A large part of that is due to the type of data being used and what they’re choosing to draw attention to. For home prices, there are two different methods used to compare home prices over different time periods: year-over-year (Y-O-Y) and month-over-month (M-O-M). Here's an explanation of each. 

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June 7, 2023

The Main Reason Mortgage Rates Are So High



Today’s mortgage rates are top-of-mind for many homebuyers right now. As a result, if you’re thinking about buying for the first time or selling your current house to move into a home that better fits your needs, you may be asking yourself these two questions: 

  1. Why Are Mortgage Rates So High?
  2. When Will Rates Go Back Down?

Here’s context you need to help answer those questions.

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June 5, 2023

Oops! Home Prices Didn’t Crash After All



During the fourth quarter of last year, many housing experts predicted home prices were going to crash this year. Here are a few of those forecasts:

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May 30, 2023

Today’s Real Estate Market: The ‘Unicorns’ Have Galloped Off



Comparing real estate metrics from one year to another can be challenging in a normal housing market. That’s due to possible variability in the market making the comparison less meaningful or accurate. Unpredictable events can have a significant impact on the circumstances and outcomes being compared. 

Comparing this year’s numbers to the two ‘unicorn’ years we just experienced is almost worthless. Let's delve into why. 

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