My Christmas Gift – In loving Memory of Jamie and Lillian Caulk
December 24th, 2011 Categories: Real Estate News
I met Missy Caulk through Active Rain over 6 years ago and all I can say is to know Missy is to love her. Through her I also met her daughter Christa, an amazingly strong woman in her own right and her husband, Bob Stewart. Even though we live thousands of miles away, social media and the RE.net community has allowed us to become good friends with them.
On Christmas Eve, I am also reminded that there is probably no greater love than a parent for their child. I know how much my world changed when we had our two boys, Sean and Alex, and yet I can not begin to fathom what it would be like to have them gone tomorrow, unexpectedly struck down in a car accident or sudden health issues. But this is exactly what happened not once but twice to Missy and her amazing family in the last 2 months.
First, Missy’s 27 year old son, Jamie died in October as a result of a car accident and then her 11 week old grand daughter Lillian (they lovingly called her Lillie Bear) died suddenly as well. Your can read more about it here:
- http://www.annarbor.com/news/saline/family-friends-remember-saline-native-who-died-after-crash-in-tennessee/
- http://annarbor.com/news/saline/families-mourn-loss-of-11-week-old-lillian-caulk-niece-of-recent-crash-victim-jamie-caulk/
- http://jjmediaonline.com/2011/11/we-remember-jamie-caulk/
Like so many people that care about them, I have cried and grieved and prayed and struggled with how to best be there for them in this time of unimaginable grief. They are all amazing, strong, faithful people and they ask for nothing but I was thrilled when a friend of hers, Carol Grubb, whom I’d met with Missy 3 years ago reached out to tell me about their local plan to dedicate a park bench in a special place in Jamie and Lillie Bear’s honor. She asked if I could help let all of Missy, Christa and Bob’s online friends know about it so they could also be a part of this memorial project. Of course I said yes!
If you’re like me, you may be feeling the same way…WOW, finally something I can do for them to bring them some joy, some peace, some love in action…after all isn’t this the real reason for Christmas and the goal, to do for other and strive to live like it’s Christmas all year long. The cost of getting this memorial bench done has been estimated at around $3,000 which could be as simple as 300 people donating $10 each or the cost of one meal out, or giving up coffee for a week to give a family a special peaceful place to honor and remember their loved ones. My hope is that this makes the Caulk’s family Christmas a little brighter and this is one Christmas gift that I’m thrilled to be able to give a little joy, that’s Christmas to me ;D
Carol shared with me that when the Caulk family members learned of park bench memorial they were so excited and Missy, a mother and grandmother that’s lost so much, smiled at the thought of having a happy place in their honor. So as we approach Christmas tomorrow and count down to the New Year I would ask you to consider making a donation to the “The Jamie & Lillian Caulk Memorial Fund” to take this from and idea to a reality – I’ve put together a minute and a half video that shares my thoughts about the project and invite you to watch it.
So how can you help?
3 Ways…
- Continue to pray for the Caulk family
- Help get the word out by sharing this post on Facebook, Active Rain, Twitter to those that know Missy, Christa, Jamie, Bob and all the Caulks or consider doing your own blog post
- Make a donation
How to Make a Donation (no gift is too small):
Make checks payable to “The Jamie & Lillian Caulk Memorial Fund”
Mail those checks to:
Carol Grubb
3647 W. Greenook Dr.
Ann Arbor, MI 48301
Or send a Paypal (as a gift so all funds go to them) to cyndeehaydon@gmail.com and put “The Jamie & Lillian Caulk Memorial Fund” in the memo
Along with your donation, Carol has requested each person’s name or names & email addresses because she will be giving the Caulk’s a card from everyone and she also wants to keep you informed of the details of the upcoming picnic / dedication that is being planned for early to mid-May when the bench is ready.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call me either ;D
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How we prepare for Christmas in Clearwater Beach Florida
December 13th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Island Estates Florida
Clearwater Beach Florida – This past weekend was the annual Island Estates Yacht Club Holiday Boat Parade. This parade is held along the Clearwater Beach intercoastal waterways and starts at the Island Estates Yacht Club and weaves it’s way up and down the waterfront Island Estates homes and condos then also past Coachman Park. The parade is always held a week or two before Christmas and is a memorial to members of the Island Estates Yacht Club that died in the last year.
This is one of my favorite things about living in Clearwater Beach FL in December 
– Hope you enjoyed the video of this year’s Clearwater Beach Florida boat parade - we had a great vantage point from Belle Harbor Condos boat slips. What a beautiful night it was with a full moon and all. If you have any photos or pictures I’d love to share them here too – email them to cyndee at sandbarstosunsets dot com – What’s your favorite thing to do to prepare for Christmas??
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Clearwater Beach Realtor Explains Bank Owned Homes Property Taxes
November 14th, 2011 Categories: Real Estate News
Clearwater Beach Realtor explains Bank Owned Home Property Taxes
Cyndee Haydon, Realtor in Clearwater Beach FL with Charles Rutenberg Realty. Talking today and answering some questions I get about Pinellas County Property taxes as it relates to bank owned homes. We help a lot of clients with finding great Clearwater beach short sales and bank-owned homes and condos, and one of the things people ask me is how will a short sale or bank-owned property deal where we actually bought a condo, town home or house for under market value… How does that affect Pinellas Property taxes?
Here’s a video where I step you through this exact scenario and the transcription is included here:
If I Pay Less Aren’t My Taxes Lower?
How does that translate? I want to show you an example today. Hopefully understand that while you may get a great deal on the purchase price, your property taxes will be balanced with every other kind of comparable property regardless of the price you paid for your bank owned home. The property assessor is funding our schools, our county, our work, and is looking to determine their sales comp and just market value to assess a property.
So let’s take a look at this property. This is a 3000 square foot townhome on the water in St. Pete Beach. This was a bank-owned townhome on the water and it sold for $522,000 in May of this year. Okay. So May of this year, they paid $522,000. Now the property tax bills come out, and you look, here in the property appraiser’s site, and it talks about sales comps or comparisons. And there they look at other properties to determine what they think or what they’re going to base that value on.
Now I want to give you a look at what those numbers look like because when you look here, there’s all kinds of homes, townhomes, condos on the water in St. Pete Beach, but you can see they range everywhere from 950 square feet, 920 square feet all the way up to 2800, and here’s one 3070 sq ft. Again, when they aggregate all that, their just market value and the way they come across is $708,523 for this property, which is a difference of over $180,000 from what they paid for it .
Now, once they have that number they typically take @ 85% of that to come up with their just market value, and that’s the number that your taxes are calculated using… The millage gets multiplied by it to come up with your tax number. Now, one other variable that can come into play is if it is your primary residence and you’re homesteaded, you actually get about $50,000 off of the just market value. So instead of being the $602,000, it would be closer to $552,000. Now, one of the things here is because it was a bank owned home, it was not homesteaded in this year. So for this person, this year it only qualifies for the State of Florida 10%, non-homesteaded cap. We’re hoping we’ll see that drop to 5% they are working on an ammendment to do this, but that’s what it is right now.
So again, the millage… Here’s the millage number 18.2940, which, if you want to think about it, that’s about 1.82%, 1.83% of the just market value, so in this case it’s the $602,245. So the taxes, again for this year, paid in arrears, are $11,740.47. One of the things that is good news to see is… Again, this was waterfront new construction. So you can see how up until 2009, the taxes were just based on the land when the developer has to fund a project until it was titled and stuff and completed. He didn’t… It didn’t change. Again, in 2010, they were assessed just market at was much lower however that was before some other properties that sold, and the market was worse in 2010. In 2011, again, looking at the year in review, they assessed it at $602,000 (Off their sales comp number of $708,532). So the good news is that he paid $522,000 for the property and again, it was a bank-owned waterfont home in St Pete Beach and it appears to be a good deal based on… Based on what we’re seeing here.
So that’s a little bit about how the property taxes work. If you have questions, feel free to give me a call. Cyndee Haydon, Charles Rutenberg Realty. My phone number is 727-710-8035. I’d be happy to help you. Again, we specialize in both helping buyers and sellers of short sale… I mean, of all properties but, obviously in this market, there’s still a lot of short sales, bank-owned and other distressed properties, and, again, you may have questions and we’re happy to help.
So I hope you found that helpful and, again, that’s a little bit about not understanding when you have your Pinellas County Property taxes, whether you get a good deal or not, the property taxes are going to go off the value. So again, important for people to understand and one of the reasons we often tell people if they gave you a property, sometimes you couldn’t afford to maintain the costs and upkeep. So hopefully you found that helpful and, again, feel free to visit our website, www.sandbarstosunsets.com, serving all of our 26 miles of beautiful beaches here on the Gulf Coast from Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach FL
And remember if you are looking to buy or sell in the St Pete – Clearwater Beach Area, Jack and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the market with you and your particular situation. Just give us a call for the most up today information that’s happening in the Beach real estate markets along our 26 miles of beaches.
Clearwater Beach Real Estate
And if you’re looking for a Clearwater Beach Realtor we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience – helping you buy or sell your Beach condos in Clearwater Beach to St Pete Beach.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Beach Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727-710-8035 or Jack @ 727-710-8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon, Realtors
Charles Rutenberg Realty
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater Beach Real Estate Trends including Short Sales – REOs
November 2nd, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Real Estate Market Reports
Clearwater Beach Short Sales – Foreclosure Report for September 2011
Clearwater Beach FL - Update from your Clearwater Beach short sale specialists on what’s selling and how is the Clearwater Beach real estate market being impacted by property distressed sales. Here’s what’s really selling in Clearwater beach right now. You hear a lot in the news and we’re getting to that time of year when everyone starts coming down and if you listen to the news you;d think we’re giving property away – not true – here are the facts and a little bit of a reality check for September 2011.
Watch the Video to see detailed analysis, pictures, MLS info and more this months Clearwater Beach Real Estate Market Report
Clearwater Beach Condos Selling
There were 272 Clearwater Beach condos for sale and 68 pending sales including 44 which are Clearwater Beach short sales. Now let’s look at what really sold with regards to Clearwater Beach Real Estate last month be him sold:
- 27 Clearwater Beach condos sold
- 2 were Clearwater Beach Short Sales
- 3 were Clearwater Beach Foreclosures / Bank Owned / REOS
Clearwater Beach Houses Selling
There were 70 homes for sale along with 14 additional Clearwater Beach homes for sale under contract and 6 that are Clearwater Beach short sales. Now let’s look at what really sold with regards to Clearwater Beach Homes for Sale last month be him sold:
- 6 Clearwater Beach homes sold (Includes Island Estates, Sand Key & Clearwater Beach area)
- 0 were Clearwater Beach Short Sales
- 2 were Clearwater Beach homes that were Foreclosures / Bank Owned / REOS
FACT: Less than 20% of what’s selling are Clearwater Beach short sales or foreclosures. In addition I would say that at any moment in time at least 20% of the market is going to be distressed sales because you always have got divorced going or people are relocating or their financial situation is changing, people get laid off or lose their jobs. It’s for all these reasons and more that I still the best deals that are often negotiating offers on properties have equity and the Clearwater Beach sellers can make a deal because they’re motivated.
FACT: This was a quick update to let you know that the bottom line on Clearwater Beach real estate is that there are currently 50 short sales in Clearwater Beach with accepted offers pending bank approval and only two a month are successfully closing that means 96% may just be wishes and dreams and serious Clearwater Beach buyers can be missing the real opportunities in this market. Inventory is way down since May of this year and prices are inching up and interest rates are at historic lows – What are you waiting for. Now is the time to take advantage of this market.
So if you’re somebody who really wants to know what’s going on in the beach market I’d be happy to help you our team specializes in Clearwater Beach real estate as well as helping sellers with short sales and avoid foreclosure visit our site specifically for sellers here > Clearwater Beach FL Short Sales
Clearwater Beach FL Short Sale Agents Help avoid foreclosure
If you are someone who has short sale questions, someone who wants to avoid foreclosure, want to do a loan modification and need help Right Now then I suggest you pick up the phone and call Jack Haydon directly at 727-422-8901 right now.
He can help you and answer your questions or put you in contact with the other members on our team. A Certified Public Accountant, an Attorney experienced in Short Sales and more. You can be comfortable knowing there is never any pressure from us, just helpful information to educate and empower you in this process.Cyndee & Jack Haydon, Clearwater Beach Realtors with Charles Rutenberg Realty.
Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. We can not give legal or tax advice. It is highly recommended that you consult with an attorney and tax accountant regarding the specifics of your situation to determine the best solution for you.
Also helping home owners with Belleair Beach Short Sales | Indian Rocks Beach Short Sales | Indian Shores Short Sales | Redington Short Sales | Madeira Beach Short Sales | Treasure Island Short Sales | St Pete Beach Short Sales
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Short Sales in Clearwater Beach FL – What is a Short Sale
October 6th, 2011 Categories: Home Seller Tips, Short Sales
Short Sales In Clearwater Beach FL Help
Clearwater Beach Florida – We meet so many people who need more information on What is a short sale? How do I qualify for a short Sale? Who will pay the Realtor(R) commission for Clearwater Beach Short Sales?
Today wanted to share a video telling you a little more about Jack and I, your Clearwater Beach short sale agents and our efforts to educate and empower people who may find themselves looking to do a Clearwater Beach Short Sale.
If you have questions about selling your beach condo or waterfront home we would be happy to answer your questions and let you know how we can best help you as well as other resources out there to help you through the short sale process.
We moved on the beaches in 1991 and we saw average prices on Clearwater Beach condos rise to over $700,00 to todays average price which is around $350,000. If you missed it, this week we shared the latest Clearwater Beach Real Estate Trends for condos in our real estate market update . We also showed the dramatic drop in inventory (which is great news for sellers) and prices are inching up (more great news condo and home sellers). Even with all these Clearwater beach real estate market trends favoring sellers – here’s no way for those sellers to make up the 50% drop in Clearwater Beach property values that’s occurred for those who bought around the 2007 spike. Many good people have been caught in this real estate market correction which is why understanding your options, not sticking your head in the sand is important when you need to sell Clearwater Beach condos or waterfront homes.
If you are someone who has short sale questions, someone who wants to avoid foreclosure, want to do a loan modification and need help Right Now then I suggest you pick up the phone and call Jack Haydon directly at 727-422-8901 right now.
He can help you and answer your questions or put you in contact with the other members on our team. A Certified Public Accountant, an Attorney experienced in Short Sales and more. You can be comfortable knowing there is never any pressure from us, just helpful information to educate and empower you in this process.Cyndee & Jack Haydon, Clearwater Beach Realtors with Charles Rutenberg Realty.
Disclaimer: The content provided is for informational purposes only. We can not give legal or tax advice. It is highly recommended that you consult with an attorney and tax accountant regarding the specifics of your situation to determine the best solution for you.
Also helping home owners with Belleair Beach Short Sales | Indian Rocks Beach Short Sales | Indian Shores Short Sales | Redington Short Sales | Madeira Beach Short Sales | Treasure Island Short Sales | St Pete Beach Short Sales
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Sand Key FL | Enjoy The Columbia Restaurant and Help Fight Cancer
October 3rd, 2011 Categories: Sand Key Florida, Things to do
Sand Key FL Dining at The Columbia Helps Fight Cancer
Sand Key Florida – I got this in my email today and wanted to share about what The Columbia on Sand Key FL (and at their other 6 restaurants) is doing for the next month. I love it when businesses take the initiative to help make our communities a better place to live. Thank you to the Columbia and to the Gonzmart family.
Add one part research,one part education,mix in community support andyou’ve got a recipe to fight adolescent and young adult (AYA) osteosarcoma cancer.
The making of the White Sangria at The Columbia on Sand Key FL
Eat at Sand Key Restraurant and Participate in Dining for Life
During the Dining for Life campaign, The Columbia’s customers can donate any amount they wish to their check. The Columbia and the Gonzmart family will match the donation, and donate more than $500,000 in the fight against adolescent and young adult cancer.
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Clearwater Beach Real Estate Market Trends | Condos
October 2nd, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Real Estate Market Reports
Clearwater Beach Real Estate Market Trends – Condos for Sale
Clearwater Beach Florida – Here is a look at what Clearwater Beach real estate listings for condos that sold on Clearwater Beach, Sand Key and Island Estates all in the 33767 zip code. We’ll also look at the median Clearwater Beach condo price however with such a variety of properties from Gulf Front to Intercoastal to some not on the water at all it’s important to look at the trend however we can give you detailed information about whatever type of property you are looking to buy or sell to understand the real relevant sales. The most important thing to note here is what we’ve been saying which is the number of Clearwater Beach condos for sale is going down and the median price is going up.
Trends for Clearwater Beach Condos for Sale – Sept 2011
This month there were 24 condos sold on Clearwater Beach and of that only 4 were distressed condos. 3 were Clearwater Beach foreclosures and one was a Clearwater Beach short sale so 5 our of 6 condos sold were not distressed contrary to what some reading the media might think.
Also of interest is that 10 out of the 24 Clearwater Beach condos sold got a loan which is a good sign meaning the prices on condos for sale are appraising and lenders are lending.
Not sure if you heard but on Oct. 1st the Jumbo loan limits were lowered as were the FHA loan limits. While we rarely get involved with FHA loans on Clearwater Beach in the short time those rate limits getting lowered will put a downward pressure on the market in my opinion.
How’d the Clearwater Beach Condo price bands break out
(3) condos sold for between $100-$199,000
(8) condos sold for between $200-$299,000
(5) condos sold for between $300-$399,000
(4) condos sold for between $400-$499,000
(2) condos sold for between $500-$599,000
(2) condos sold for between $600-$699,000
(1) condos sold for between $700-$799,000
(0) condos sold for between $800,000 and up
Want to get our Weekly Beach Condo Reports – Sign up below
Trends for Clearwater Beach Condos for Sale – 3rd Qtr 2011
We really saw the market start to change around May because we had lots of backlogged short sales got approved and finally off the market and yet new beach condos haven’t been filling their spots. Typically summer sales for Clearwater beach condos are slow but most Clearwater beach real estate agents will tell you that this summer was different. I know we were busy all summer and this year has been steady. For many buyers on the sidelines I believe they sense that we’ve reached “the bottom” and in addition to that the Stock market hasn’t been performing so well. You gotta ask yourself, if you’ve been thinking about it – why not buy a piece of paradise that has an upside and is fun to use – at least that’s what we’ve been hearing.
Trends for Clearwater Beach Condos for Sale for Last 180 days – 2nd & 3rd Qtr 2011
This graph gives you a six month look at what’s been happening as you can see prices have moved steadily upward and most condos for sale on Clearwater Beach are going to start at $350,000 and up if you are in a 2/2 gulf front unit. 3 bedrooms are $600,00 and up and getting harder and harder to find at that $600,000 price point for as well. You can start to see why we believe prices will continue to inch upward – the supply and demand supports this as well. Also fewer distressed properties on the market means more stable market prices in our experience.
Clearwater Beach Short Sales and Foreclosures
In summary when looking at Clearwater Beach short sales for the month of September we only had 1 short sale sell. We are seeing less and less short sales on the market. On the flip side we have 3 foreclosures – bank owned – REO – (Real Estate Owned) sales this past month and ironically as I mentioned they accounted for both the highest beach condo sold and the lowest prices beach condos sold. If you’d like more information about Clearwater Beach Short Sales and particularly if you are a home owner who wants to know more about the process and how to avoid it along with foreclosure we invite you to visit our Clearwater Beach Short Sales with extensive videos and information.
And remember if you are looking to buy or sell in the Clearwater Beach Area, Jack and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the market with you and your particular situation. Just give us a cal for the most up today information that’s happening in the Clearwater Beach real estate market.
Clearwater Beach Real Estate
And if you’re looking for a Clearwater Beach Realtor we’d like you to know that we are passionate about being your real estate advocate. We’re committed to delivering Results daily based on Integrity, Knowledge & Experience – helping you find the perfect Clearwater Beach condos for sale.
We’d like to be YOUR Clearwater Beach Real Estate Team!
Call Cyndee @ 727-710-8035 or Jack @ 727-710-8036
Warmly,
Cyndee and Jack Haydon, Realtors
Charles Rutenberg Realty
Clearwater Beach Real Estate
1545 S. Belcher Rd
Clearwater Florida 33764
727-710-8035 (Cyndee’s cell)
727-710-8036 (Jack’s cell)
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Clearwater Florida Rolls Out Red Carpet for Dolphin Tale Movie | Winter the Dolphin
September 20th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Beach Florida, Things to do
Clearwater Florida hosts Red Carpet Premiere for Dolphin Tale Movie
Clearwater Florida – I am so excited to be going to the Red Carpet Premiere of the Dolphin Tale Movie at Ruth Eckerd Hall tomorrow for Winter the Dolphin’s big debut. Our family has been life time members of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium for almost 15 years and know the great work they do. It’s wonderful that this movie will bring them more attention and visitors so they can do more good for marine animals in our area. I’m equally glad that supporting this premiere will also help benefit two non-profits – the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
I actually took some time last week to stop by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and get some pictures and video of Winter during a CBS interview. It was great timing because she was showing off her best stuff – Check out the video below >>
Dolphin Tale – Clearwater Florida ‘s own Winter the Dolphin’s True Story
If you’re no familiar with Winter’s story or the Dolphin Tale movie, here’s the Trailer and an except from their recent press release:
Dolphin Tale, a Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment 3-D major motion picture, was inspired by the true story of Winter the Dolphin, who lost her tail in a crab trap and learned to swim again using a prosthetic tail. Her ability to overcome a life-threatening injury, coupled with her amazing personality, have inspired people from around the world to overcome their own life challenges. This family-friendly film will bring her story and Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s mission of marine life rescue, rehabilitation and release to the big screen.
If you want to attend the Red Carpet Premiere in 3D – there are still seats available at 2pm on Tuesday so go to http://www.rutheckerdhall.com/event/red-carpet-screening-event/9607/?loc=event-buy- and use coupon code: WINTER50 to get a 50% discount on tickets for the event – $49.50 vs $99.00 Maybe we’ll see you there ;D
Ruth Eckerd Hall is located 1111 North McMullen Booth Road Clearwater FL 33759
Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Clearwater Beach
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the restoring and preserving of our marine life and environment through leadership in education, research and the rescue and rehabilitation and release of marine life. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium also has additional dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more.
If you’re looking for a worthwhile cause I highly recommend the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and we’ve already received some calls for people wanting to buy Clearwater Beach condos near Winter the Dolphin and we can help with that too!
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Clearwater Florida – Best Places to Retire by Money Magazine
September 18th, 2011 Categories: Clearwater Florida
Clearwater Florida Ranked in top 25 Best Places to Retire but Why Wait?
Clearwater Florida - Money Magazine recently published it’s Top 25 Best Places to Retire and Clearwater Florida made their list. They shared with their readers what we’ve been saying for a long time – Clearwater Florida (including Clearwater Beach) is “the quintessential Florida beach town”. Noting that while Clearwater real estate prices may have been out of reach for many during the boom a few years ago – with prices down around 50% it’s a great value for the quality of life you get. Money mentions that with no state income tax in Florida and with all the short sales and foreclosures happening the median Clearwater home prices are now below $150,000 (which was $305,000 in 2007) so now people are finding it’s a great time to buy a home and a great place to downsize and enjoy the Florida lifestyle.
Clearwater Beach real estate prices are down too however I think that when they say you can get a 2 bedroom condo on the beach for $200,000 it’s getting harder and harder to do and those wouldn’t be on the sand or with the direct views – however you can still buy a gulf front 2 bedroom Clearwater beach condo starting in the low $300,000s and some condos on the intercoastal or not on any water at all are even less expensive. However 3 bedroom condos are pushing $600,000 on the low side and up (Though we sold 3 under $400,000 in the last 2 months on neighboring beaches so we can also let you know about them as well).
- Search all properties for sale >> Clearwater Beach Real Estate for sale today
Also Cape Coral Florida made the list of 25 Best Places to Retire so if you can also search all Cape Coral FL properties for sale;
Why is Clearwater Florida a Great Place to Live?
Other great things they shared are things we’ve been writing about for years about living in Clearwater such as:
- Clearwater is a bike friendly city – Our bike trails include Ream Wilson, Pinellas Trail and the Progess Energy Trail (See all bike trails here);
- Clearwater has little in the way of crime and congestion and is easy to get around; It also passes my 30 minute rule – where it’s 30 minutes to everything – St Petersburg, Tampa International Airport, Tarpon Springs, etc.
- Clearwater has lots of dining, restaurants, shopping, golf and performing arts like the premeire of Dolphin Tale at Ruth Eckerd Hall this week;
- Clearwater definitely has some of best beaches in the United States – Clearwater Beach at Pier 60, Caladessi Island from North Clearwter Beach and Sand Key Park and was even awarded Best Family Beach on the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago;
In addition, back in 2008 I wrote an article Clearwater Florida is a Great Place to call Home and here few are some other awards Clearwater Beach had received as well:
- Clearwater Beach named Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico by Dr Beach;
- USATODAY.com readers have ranked Clearwater Beach in Top 10 US beaches;
- The Travel Channel named Clearwater the ˜Best Activity Beach in the United States;
- Conde Nast Traveler has also called Clearwater Beach ˜Best City Beach on the Gulf of Mexico;
- Designated a Blue Wave Beach signifying nations cleanest and safest beaches;
- Top 20 Park Beaches in the US – 2007 – Caledesi Island State Park – Dunedin, Florida by Reserve Americas Campgrounds and Outdoor Awards
- Top 25 Top Canoeing Spots in the US – 2007 – Caledesi Island State Park – Dunedin, Florida by Reserve Americas Campgrounds and Outdoor Awards
- Fort De Soto Park, Sand Key Beach, Clearwater Beach and Caledesi Park were recognized National Healthy Beaches Campaign and each won the Healthy Beach Award,
- 13 Pinellas County Beaches annually receive the Blue Wave Award. Given by the nonprofit Clean Beaches Council, the Blue Wave Award is Americas first national environmental beach certification program
Why Wait to Retire – Clearwater Florida Is A Great Place to Live At Any Age
It’s Easy to see why Clearwater made Money Magazines 2011 list of Top Places to Retire. We say, why wait because Clearwater Florida is definitely one of the best places to retire and we’ve been enjoying it for over 20 years and love sharing it with others so we say “Why wait?”
Cyndee & Jack Haydon are experienced Clearwater Beach real estate agents with Charles Rutenberg Realty helping buyers and sellers in todays market. Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists and also Certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Resources so you can be comfortable calling them if you are looking for help from an experienced Clearwater Beach FL Short Sales Agent.
Call them at (727) 710-8036
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Socially Savvy Real Estate Success Stories | Clearwater Beach FL
August 16th, 2011 Categories: Social Media Musings
Social Media Success Stories in Clearwater Beach FL Real Estate
You may hear a lot about “social media” and wonder what it has to do with buying or selling a Clearwater Beach condo or home in today’s real estate market. We believe social media for Realtors is not optional because today social media for real estate agents has become an extension of what we’ve always done locally, it’s just as likely our first connection will occur online. Those that know us, know we’re very pragmatic, so this is not just a “feel good” series. So what is Social Media?
I like Wikipedia’s definition:
”Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue ” …and that really is the point isn’t it?
Ideally when we connect online, we will start an interactive dialogue and conversation. It may start with sharing information, activities, photos and more with our friends, family & community but isn’t it all just noise if we’re not moving towards two way communication? We’ve found since we started them in 2006 our blogs continue to be the hub of our social media activities. They allow us to educate, connect and help Clearwater Beach rela estate buyers and sellers, many of whom then happily share their real estate experiences with others.
This article kicks off our new series where weekly we will discuss some of our socially savvy real estate experiences and success stories. We’ll also share our insights on how using these “web based and mobile technology tools” are currently helping our clients.
The bottom line is social media is here to stay and when you work with a Socially Savvy Realtor(R), we believe you will have a much better real estate experience.
We’re constantly raising the bar as new opportunities become available. An example is the fact that we’ve recently purchased a new state-of-the-art Canon video camcorder like news media professionals use because we are in the process of increasing our use of video on our blogs. Are you surprised to learn that we’re in the minority? A recent Mashable infographic sited that:
- 73% of homeowners are more likely to list with a Realtor(R) that is willing to do video, but only 12% of the real estate industry current even have a YouTube account and I’ve heard that less than 1% are actually utilizing video in any way today. In case you’re wondering we’ve had our Youtube channel since 2007 and our we pioneered video testimonials and the first one we did has now been viewed over 9450 times by people just like you.
Here is is..
How Social Media Will Make Your Real Estate Experience Better
We are looking forward to sharing on a variety of practical ways we’re using Social Media including:
- How Social Media allows us to be more accessible and transparent to everyone so you know what you see is what you’re getting
- How Social Media has allowed us to offer you social proof so you can make more informed decisions
- How we’re helping our clients after the sale using our social media & real estate knowledge and skills
- How we are able to more effectively and quantifiably market your properties to find the right buyer anywhere in the world
- How we can offer our community local knowledge and expertise via our blogs, facebook fan page, youtube channel, twitter stream & more
Connecting Socially Online with your Beach Real Estate Agent
Do you realize how empowered you are today? You have the opportunity to learn a lot about all the best real estate agents, like us, before you choose to hire them. We’d encourage you to take advantage of it. Especially since your investment in real estate is often some of your largest and knowledge is power. We would love to connect with you here or wherever you’re most comfortable, here’s where you can find us today
So today’s quick tip is to check out this new tool, XeeSM.com, that allows us to put all our social media connections in one place and as they say “moving from reactive participation to proactive engagement”.
Of course no sooner than I update it we all know there will be changes. That’s why this tool is so helpful because now all my information is in one place so it’s much easier to keep it updated. For example I can add to it as new opportunities arise like last month when Google launched it’s new Google Plus application.
- What’s your favorite Social Media tip or tool?
We’d love to have you share it in the comments below and as always if you’ve got any questions about the Clearwater Beach real estate market – we’re happy to help. We love living the Florida Lifestyle and helping others do it to!
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