When Is a Good Time to Buy Lakeland Fl Sandpiper Golf  Community Homes for Sale

When is a good time to buy Lakeland Fl Sandpiper golf community homes for sale? Getting the right timing in buying a home can save you lots of money and hassle.

If you are in no rush to buy a Sandpiper golf front home for sale in Lakeland, make sure you carefully analyze your finances and the real estate market first before you go shopping for homes. What is your credit standing? Are prices of homes rising or falling? Have you just reovered from bankruptcy?

Here are a few more tips to get the timing right in buying Lakeland Sandpiper golf community homes for sale:

1. Watch home prices. Look carefully at the market in the area you wish to buy. Are prices of homes for sale in Sandpiper golf community rising or falling? If home prices are going up, you may need to buy immediately. If prices are falling, analyze how fast they are decreasing. If the prices are falling slowly and you need to move out your old home soon, then it may not be worth waiting for a much lower price on the Sandpiper golf front home for sale. If prices are falling faster, then you may want to wait for a lower price,

2. Interest-free loans and tax credits. Tax credits and other government programs for homebuyers may not always be available, but make sure you always check on any upcoming programs. Also check with your realtor if you are entitled to tax credits, loans, or other benefits for homebuyers.

3. Save for a Down Payment. Most mortgage lenders require a 20% downpayment. If you do not have cash on hand for a downpayment, will your family or friends be willing to loan you the money? If you will not be able to come up with the money for downpayment as well closing costs, now may not be the right time to buy a Lakeland Fl golf home for sale.

4. Know Your Credit Standing. What is your credit score? How can you improve it? You could check the minimum credit rating required for a mortgage and try to buy when the benchmark is lowered. But the best strategy is to make sure your credit is in good standing before buying a home.

5. Are you going through a bankruptcy? If you have been bankrupt the past within the past 3 to 5 years, then it would be almost impossible to get a new loan.

6. Shop around for mortgage rates. Look for the best rates and terms that you think will be reasonable for you as a 55+ home buyer. Don’t be shy to haggle with banks.

7. Know the best season and time to buy. In real estate, spring is always  the busiest  time with more homes for sale. Many sellers will compete for your offer. On the other hand, this may also mean tough competition from fellow buyers. Another downside is, real estate agents may be a lot busier in spring which may lead to delays in closing and higher interest rates for the buyer.  For moving companies, summer is also a busy season, which means they will charge higher rates.

Winter holidays are the best time to make an offer on a Sandpiper golf community home for sale because sellers tend to become more flexible and have a spirit of generosity. Since most families are on vacation or attending reunions, there will be less buyers out in the market so you have less competition for that Sandpiper golf community home for sale.

January – June 2013 Market Report for Sandpiper Golf and Country Club Real Estate Market

January – June 2013 Market Report for Sandpiper Golf and Country Club Real Estate Market

Lakeland Florida’s  Sandpiper Golf and Country Club in a 55+ community for adults with an active lifestyle. Located in North Lakeland, this affordable community is only a few minutes from Interstate 4. Residents of Sandpiper Golf and Country Club have easy access to shopping, medical facilities, and churches. Open for all, visitors and buyers of Lakeland FL Sandpiper Golf Homes for sale  can access Sandpiper Golf community through any of its 6 entrances  from North Socrum Loop, Walt Williams Road, and Old Polk City Road.

Mid-Year Market Report for Sandpiper Golf and Country Club in Lakeland Fl

As of June 2013, there have been a total of 28 closed home sales in the Sandpiper Golf and Country Club community. The average selling price of these homes was $115,582, which is 10% higher than the previous mid-year period. The median price was $114,000, which is a 5% increase from the previous mid-year period. The inventory of homes is 2 homes less than the previous first half of last year, with a lower average selling price of of $105,277 compares to 2012’s median price of $109,450.

Here is a more specific breakdown of the market report based on the type of home, since there is a considerable difference between 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom homes.

2-Bedroom/ 2-Bathroom Homes

Most of the homes sold in Lakeland Fl Sandpiper Golf and Country Club community were 2-bedroom/ 2-bath homes. The average price of the 21 homes sold was $108,706 and  the median price was $110,000. This is 2 homes less than last year’s 23 homes sold. But the homes sold in 2012 had a lower average price of $96,222 and a median price of $102,000.

3-Bedroom/ 2-Bath Homes

A total of seven 3-bedroom/ 2-bath homes were sold from January to June 2013, which, coincidentally, is the same number of homes sold during the previous year. The average selling price of these homes that sold until the middle of the year was $136, 214 and a median price of $129,000. During the same period last year, the average selling price was $135,029 while the median price was $140,000.

Monthly Breakdown of Homes Sold in Sandpiper Golf and Country Club

January:  3 homes sold at an  average price of $112,833 compared to 3 homes sold in January 2012 with an average price of $104,800.

February: 4 homes sold at an average price of $130,250 compared to 5 homes sold in February  2012 with an average price of  $112,580.

March: 13 homes sold at an average price of $109,278 compared to 4 homes sold in March 2012 with an average price of  $108,375.

April:  3 homes sold at an average price of $103,233  compared to 4 homes sold in April 2012 with an average price of  $109,875.

May: 6 homes sold at an average price of 120,067 compared to 6 homes sold  in the previous year with an average price of $103,217.

June: 3 homes sold at an average price of $121,967 compared to 8 homes sold at an average price of $98,588 during the same month last  year.

Types of Lakeland Fl Sandpiper Golf and Country Club Homes For Sale

Inventory of Sandpiper Golf community homes for sale is decreasing. During the past years, inventory of homes for sale in Sandpiper Golf and Country Club  was at an average of 20 homes. This year, there are only 10 Sandpiper Golf community homes for sale in the market and 6 homes under contract and scheduled to close between August to November of this year.

There are approximately 1200 homes in Sandpiper Golf and Country Club ranging from 900-2,000 square feet. Homes here were built in the late 80’s through the late 90’s and have 2 to 3 bedrooms with a variety of floor plans, vaulted ceilings, and upgrades such as enclosed patios, kitchen appliances, tile/carpet/laminate flooring, etc. Most of the homes here are vacation homes for Snow Birds and winter residents. Permanent residents in Sandpiper golf community homes enjoy an active lifestyle with activities like golfing, swimming, exercising, walking, social gatherings, dining and much more.

If you want to learn more about  Lakeland FL Homes for Sale in the Sandpiper Golf and Country Club 55+ Community,  click here or just call Petra Norris at 863-619-6918.

Can any realtor do a Lakeland Fl short sale?

Can any realtor do a Lakeland Fl short sale?

Definitely not! Also self-proclaimed "experts" usually have very restricted experience and hardly any training in any way. This might be probably the most detrimental Short Sale Myths out there these days.

Lakeland  Fl real estate brokers go on a 65 hour education class that's made up mainly to teach these individuals about laws and regulations of agency and fiduciary duty on the client. Lakeland  Fl agents are trained about the fundamental agreements utilized in real estate transactions and ways to steer clear of legal cases by sensibly defending clients and themselves from legal responsibility.

If Lakeland  Fl agents would like further training, numerous short sales accreditations like CDPE or SFR are obtainable. These include a couple of day courses that train realtors the essential fundamentals of Lakeland  Fl short sales and exactly how they operate. Exactly what does this imply in your case? Well, a realtor who may never have sold a short sale may take their 65 hour class to understand legal contracts then an additional 14 hour course on short sales and they have the right to call themselves an "Expert" at short sales. Really? With what field did you know in which a 14 hour class instantly makes you a "specialized expert?"

A short sale is among the most challenging and complicated dealings just about anywhere, in almost any industry. By no means, at any time rely on short sale to those who have closed under 50 transactions throughout the last 2 years. Should your bank is actually difficult to do business with, you will end up threatening essentially the most crucial transactions in your lifetime without any actual guarantee that they may be much better at it than you would be alone.

If you are looking for a Lakeland FL Homes for sale or is looking for a short sale, you can always call a professional Lakeland Fl short sale agent like Petra Norris! You can always call reach her thru phone, 863-619-6918 or via email at petra [at] PetraNorris.com.

Top Five Reasons Why you Should Choose Lakeland Fl short sale over Foreclosures

Top Five Reasons Why you Should Choose Lakeland Fl short sale over Foreclosures

If you have believed that short sales and foreclosures are just the same or a foreclosure is better than a short sale, you must have been blinded by different short sale myths. Let me give you the truths and reasons why a short sale in Lakeland Fl is actually beneficial for you over a foreclosure.

Short sale has little impact on your credit score.

Reported by Alex Charfen, founding father of the Charfen Distressed Property Institute, a short sale can impact your credit rating by as low as 50 points if you are shelling out all the other bills promptly. And, in certain historical cases, short sales could have little damaging effect on your credit score in any way. On the other hand, based on Realtor.com, a foreclosure could affect your credit score by as much as 300 points. Even though credit effect may differ, gurus concur that a short sale affects credit score a lot less compared to a foreclosure. A short sale also, will just become part of home-owners record while foreclosure will be part of your permanent public record.

Short sale does not negatively affect your chances of obtaining a mortgage in the future.

Because a short sale does not affect your credit score greatly, you still have higher chances of getting a mortgage in the future. A foreclosure will give you a very slim chance of getting a loan in the future because of your very low credit score.

You have the ability to eliminate deficiency judgment.

In a foreclosure, you will lose your Lakeland Fl home without getting any penny plus you're going to pay for the deficiency even after the foreclosure! A short sale on the other hand will give you the ability to eliminate the deficiency depending on your own or your Lakeland Fl short sale agent's ability to negotiate.

Short sales rarely affect security clearance.

Foreclosure will almost constantly have negative effect on your security clearance while short sales rarely affect security clearances. Security clearances are important since most of the industries today like telecom, software development, and government agencies require this.

Short sales will not affect your current and future employment.

Employers these days also review an employee’s credit history. Low credit history affects your chance of getting or losing a job. Unlike foreclosures, short sales are not recorded on credit report.

If you are thinking of having your Lakeland FL home for Sale or are considering a Short Sale in Lakeland, you can always call Petra Norris! She is an experienced Lakeland Fl short sale agent that can get the job done successfully! You can always call reach her thru phone, 863-619-6918 or via email at petra [at] PetraNorris.com.