Why Isn’t My House Selling – Destin Florida

August 6, 2018 by Leave a Comment

 

I was recently asked to review an expired Destin Florida listing. The home seller was dismayed that hardly anyone had looked at his Destin Florida house during his previous listing period. It was well priced, so that wasn’t the issue. I read through the old MLS (Multiple Listing Service) description and it was bland and generic. “Immaculate”, “must see”, and “motivated” were some of the terms used. How did that make the house stand out?

When writing an MLS description (with the help of a well-worn thesaurus) one thing I focus on is the uniqueness of a property. Here are some questions to give the description a little wow factor and ideas to tickle your creative brain – “imagine” how someone would “live” in the house. Alternatively, how does the “house” live? What are the home seller’s favorite features? What makes it unique? Of course, you can use the words “beautiful” and “lovely”, but why is the house so?  Does it have an enormous deck, pergola, and hot tub in the backyard meant for sinking into each evening while being lulled by the wind in the trees? Is the kitchen edgy with its mirrored backsplash reflecting the host’s good taste? When entering the home, are your eyes teased to seek little architectural delights, like built-in wall niches?  Property descriptions in the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors’ system are limited to just 800 characters in the main field.  Some agents ramble on filling up entire supplements.  You have to do that in a few cases, but normally, it’s not a good idea. Why? Because the internet is filled with syndications of MLS house listings sent to hundreds of websites and a potential home buyer is scanning thousands of listings. The message must get the point across fast.

Further analyzing the expired Destin listing, I noticed the biggest flaw of all. In the public remarks, it said “easy show”.  That is a Realtor term, not a consumer-oriented term.  And to the contrary, it was not easy to show. There was no lockbox, the listing broker stated he must accompany all showings and it reiterated “appointment only”. (The last is redundant because most listings shown in Destin are by appointment anyway.)  What does that mean to a buyer’s agent? That the house is not easy to show at all.  Picture this scenario – you are a buyer’s real estate agent and you receive a call from someone coming to Destin for one day to look at homes.  This particular home is in the buyer’s price range and matches her desired square footage, room count and year built. The issue is there are also 15 other homes that may be suitable. Given the time frame, the buyer’s agent can select eight homes to show.  Guess what? This house won’t be on the list. Why? Because it’s not easy to show!

There are myriad reasons why houses don’t sell.  Price, marketing and availability are three.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Things to Know

SOLD Emerald Village, 688 Randall Roberts Rd., Fort Walton Beach, FL Hurlburt Field

August 3, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This exceptional home at 688 Randall Roberts Rd., Fort Walton Beach, Florida just sold! The Emerald Village house was built in 2000 and totally remodeled in 2018. Some of the highlights of 688 Randall Roberts Rd. were the floorplan – huge open spaces from the kitchen, eat-in area, living room and to the Florida room, as you can see in the above photo. Tucked around the corner were two bedrooms and bathroom.  At the front of the home there was an office with vaulted ceiling and formal dining room. The master bedroom had a walk-in closet. As for the remodeling, all details including new door hardware, faucets, lights, granite counters in the kitchen and bathrooms were added. Everything was painted in soothing colors.  The carpets were brand new.  At 2120 square feet not including the sunroom, the Randall Roberts home offered spaces for families or couples looking for flexible room setups.  One of the benefits of this side of the street was the wooded area behind the property. Many of the houses in Emerald Village back right up to other houses, but this home had more privacy because there was no house behind it. Emerald Village subdivision is very popular because it’s located across from one of the main entrances to Hurlburt Field, a large Air Force base.

688 Randall Roberts Rd. sold in just 39 days to a VA buyer with some credit back from the seller to help with closing costs! The VA appraisal noted no repairs necessary.

688 Randall Roberts Road, Fort Walton Beach, Florida sold for $278,000. This is one of the highest sales prices in the neighborhood.

How may I help you?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Fort Walton Beach Florida Tagged With: ,

Under Contract – 1854 Seahawk Lane, Holley by the Sea, Navarre FL 32566

August 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

UNDER CONTRACT! 1854 Seahawk Lane, Holley by the Sea in Navarre Florida is now a pending sale in less than 30 days! Beautifully updated, this 2459 square foot house is freshly painted, has new carpet,  new granite kitchen with center island and new stainless steel appliances!  There is a bonus Florida room with French doors which faces the wooded backyard. The master suite is in its own wing and measures more than 14 feet by 16 feet. The floor plan includes an office plus formal dining room.

Holley by the Sea offers swimming, fitness, tennis, basketball, waterfront fishing and beach access, playgrounds, baseballs fields and camping!  This is one of the most popular communities near Hurlburt Field and in all of Navarre.  Located between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, Holley by the Sea is close to Navarre Beach, a tranquil stretch of land with miles of state park at Gulf Islands National Seashore that harkens back to old Florida.

1854 Seahawk Lane, Navarre Florida is scheduled to close in August 2018.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Navarre Florida Tagged With:

Lot 5 Warwick Drive JUST SOLD in Shalimar Florida 32579

July 31, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Lot 5 Warwick Drive, Shalimar Florida just sold in less than 60 days.  Finding residential building lots is not so easy in Fort Walton Beach Florida or Shalimar, especially for lots this size.  Lot 5 Warwick Drive was almost three-quarters of an acre with dimensions of 75 x 400 feet. Located across the street from Chula Vista Bayou and enjoying the neighborhood park, boat launch and swimming area at Longwood/Poquito Bayou Park, this parcel was very attractive for either building a grand home or perhaps even splitting the lot to have a rear piece. The Poquito Bayou lot was located close to Eglin Air Force Base and also a short commute to Hurlburt Field, VPS airport and Niceville Florida.

Lot 5 Warwick Drive, Shalimar Florida sold for $155,000.

How may I help you?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Fort Walton Beach Florida, Shalimar Florida, Things to Know Tagged With: ,

The Magic Number in Selling Your Home

July 30, 2018 by Leave a Comment

What is your property worth? How much do you want for it? Those are two very different things. Even in the strong market in and around Destin Florida, sellers often overprice their homes, condos and lots when selling.  They do this for various reasons, for the same reasons that occur in every market.  Here is a laundry list of reasons for overpricing:

  1. The seller “needs” a certain amount of money to pay off other things, such as personal loans, cars, mortgages on other real property, or to buy a new home valued at “x”.
  2. The seller feels the property is worth what they originally paid plus the actual cost of any improvements they made plus holding period profit, plus any capital gains they must pay (if it’s an investment property or they’ve held it for a short period of time).
  3. The seller has a “magic” number.  For example, “We need to sell for $500,000, or $200,000, or $2,000,000, etc.”. There is a dream number where they can do all the things they wish financially and have leftover. It has no basis in reality. It cannot be a variation of their magic number, for example, “$190,000″ or $487,000”.
  4. The seller feels his property is worth what the neighbor’s sold for or more, because his is better.

The value of a property is not what we “need”, what we “wish”, how much we “need to pay for other things”, what our “right return is”, or a “magic number”. Those are common lines of reasoning for overpricing a property. The market tells us what it’s worth. If the market feels a property is overpriced, there will be no offers, or offers will be far lower than list price. Historically, the closer a property is priced to where it should sell, the more it will sell for, the closer to the original list price and in a shorter period of time.

What is the definition of market value?  According to Fannie Mae, “market value is the most probable price that a property should bring in a competitive and open market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, the buyer and seller, each acting prudently, knowledgeably and assuming the price is not affected by undue stimulus”. How can you get true market value? First, start with a market analysis by your trusted real estate agent. Do not rely on often erroneous automatic valuation systems, such as Zillow and Trulia, whose sites cannot fine tune differences between comparable properties. Then, once on the market, realize that the market itself will be giving you feedback.  Here are the clues that you are overpriced – no one is looking at your property, or many are looking but you get no offers, or you get very low offers. Remember pricing a house, condo or lot is an art, not a science. If you are getting clues from the market that your list price is too high, lower it.

 

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Things to Know Tagged With: ,

SOLD in 7 Days! 403 Westlake Ct, Lakeside at Bluewater Bay, Niceville, Florida 32578

July 27, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This Lakeside at Bluewater Bay condo sold in seven days! 403 Westlake Court, Unit 5, on the lake and across from the Bluewater Bay tennis center and courts, was clean and impeccable! Neutral, white modern decor, located on the first floor and offering a spectacular lake setting, this Niceville Florida condo was hard to resist!   Lakeside at BWB Unit 403 was built in 2000 and had three bedrooms and two full bathrooms.  The kitchen was open to the living room with a lovely suspended open cabinet. The water view brought a pleasant vista to the living room, kitchen and master bedroom.

Why is Bluewater Bay such an attractive place to live? Bluewater Bay is a planned community with mature trees, numerous golf courses, marina, tennis center with 12 clay courts, clubhouse, community pools, two restaurants including Bluewater Bay Sports Bar & Grill and Schooners Dockside Restaurant, and more. Bluewater Bay is convenient to Eglin Air and Destin beaches.

403 Westlake Court, Lakeside at Bluewater Bay, Niceville, Florida sold for $219,900 – full price – in seven days.

How may I help you?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Niceville Florida Tagged With:

VA Compromise Short Sale Under Contract – 118 Ferry Rd. NE, Fort Walton Beach Florida – 32548

July 27, 2018 by Leave a Comment

This VA Compromise short sale is now under contract! 119 Ferry Rd., NE in Fort Walton Beach Florida is pending and awaiting short sale approval. What is a VA Compromise Sale? It is a type of short sale specifically for Veterans Administration or VA home mortgage loans. A short sale occurs when real property, such as a house or townhouse, is sold with proceeds (net sale amount) less than sufficient to pay off the mortgage or mortgages. A VA Compromise Sale follows these guidelines:

  1. You may only sell the home for fair market value
  2. The closing costs must be reasonable and customary
  3. You must have a valid financial hardship, such as loss of income, disability, divorce, etc.
  4. There should not be a second mortgage on your property in most cases
  5. You should ensure your sales contract is “contingent and/or subject to the approval of a VA Compromise Sale”

Note that VA Compromise Sales will affect the veteran’s remaining “entitlement” which is the benefit that allows them to obtain a VA mortgage.  The entitlement that was used to purchase the property will not be available for a future home purchase unless paid back. Often,  however, there is leftover entitlement that can be used for another VA mortgage. I’ve helped many veterans with VA Compromise short sales who were able to buy another home.  VA Compromise Sales are common near Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Navarre, Niceville, Destin Florida and surrounding areas.

A possible benefit to a VA Compromise Sale is that you may be eligible for $1500 in relocation assistance. In most cases, this will be paid to you if your lender, also called mortgage or loan servicer, agrees and the net proceeds from the sale are at least 85.05% of the appraised value. Finally, a deficiency judgment is not typically pursued, where the VA or your lender will try to recoup their loss, unless your original VA mortgage was obtained prior to 1990 and no fraud, misrepresentation or bad faith were evident.

Questions?

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Fort Walton Beach Florida, Short Sale Approvals Tagged With:

Developer Lots – 212 Driftwood Rd., Miramar Beach Destin Florida – Walk to Beach

July 20, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Opportunity to build new homes in Miramar Beach, Destin Florida within walking distance to the Gulf of Mexico beaches at 212 Driftwood Road. This South Walton, Miramar Beach-Destin area building lot is potentially subdividable to four lots, south of Highway 98 and about 1000 feet to the beach. Just south of Miramar Plaza, there is public beach access at Miramar Beach with a lovely boardwalk and Pompano Joe’s restaurant right down Driftwood Road! This .63 acre South Walton development lot is zoned Neighborhood Infill, which allows eight units per acre, subject to Walton County approval.  Smaller lots adjacent to this property have recent new home sales of over $1,000,000. Think about the prospects of building multiple new homes on one of the few remaining large lots within walking distance to the beach. It’s a rare opportunity to take advantage of interest in the vibrant Destin, Florida real estate market. This corner parcel is ideally located between Destin and Sandestin, 2.5 from Destin Commons and yards from the Gulf of Mexico!

Watch the video of 212 Driftwood Road, Miramar Beach Florida below:

Here is the aerial perspective showing the relationship to Miramar Beach public access from this .63 acre parcel.

212 Driftwood Road, Miramar Beach Florida is offered for sale for $1,100,000.

If you are considering this valuable business and development opportunity to split the lot into four parcels and construct new homes in Miramar Beach, Florida, contact listing broker today.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Destin Florida, Miramar Beach Florida

1854 Seahawk Lane, Holley by the Sea, 4 Bedroom Home for Sale, Updated! Navarre FL 32566

June 26, 2018 by

Beautifully updated home in Holley by the Sea at 1854 Seahawk Lane, Navarre Florida! This spacious home is freshly painted, has new carpet,  new granite kitchen with center island and brand new stainless steel appliances! The cabinetry in the kitchen and master bath has been updated.  The floor plan is split bedroom, with the master bedroom in its own wing.  Style, you want? Arched doorways add elegance!  Enjoy the large Florida room with French doors facing wooded backyard.  Across the street, there is an empty lot reserved by Holley by the Sea, offering more privacy.  This four bedroom home is 2459 square feet with two full bathrooms.   Holley by the Sea has multiple swimming pools, tennis courts, fishing pier, beach access, camping, rec center, exercise room, pavilions, playground, basketball, baseball fields and more! Location, you want? This home at 1854 Seahawk Lane is convenient to Hurlburt Field and Navarre Beach with miles of sand and State park.

1854 Seahawk Lane is offered for $275,000.00.  Watch the virtual tour.

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

Filed Under: Navarre Florida Tagged With:

My Latest Zillow Review – and “She Speaks Italian”!

June 15, 2018 by

My most recent Zillow review brings on the smiles! Thank you, Kate and family, for allowing me to help you sell your Bluewater Bay property!

 

It’s Wendy… It’s Sold!

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, Rulnick Realty, Inc.
Call 850-650-7883 ext 204
Email Wendy: [email protected]

Wendy Rulnick, Broker, sells real estate in Destin, Santa Rosa Beach, 30A, Miramar Beach, Seagrove Beach, Watercolor, Sandestin, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Bluewater Bay, Navarre, Florida.

 

Filed Under: Niceville Florida, Things to Know
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