Selling Real Estate Archives | Page 4 of 5

Housing Market Update: Real Estate Chess Match

June 22, 2021 by Gary Cardillo

For years now we’ve been advised by real estate attorneys to use the FAR BAR AS IS purchase contract with right to inspect. The reason for this is that while it does protect the buyer, it takes some of the ambiguity out in determining if an item in the home is functioning as intended. To give you an example of why this has been the contract of choice, several years ago we had a client looking to purchase a condominium that had been renovated due to damages stemming from Chinese drywall. During the home inspection we found the granite counter top in the kitchen had been cracked in half around the sink during installation. The seller epoxied the seams, but the buyers were not pleased, as while the seam was cleverly joined with the epoxy, the joint was still very rough to the touch. The seller said he wasn’t going to replace the counter top and the buyer didn’t want to take it “as is,” so the buyer used their right during the inspection period to cancel the contract and get a full refund of their deposit. When speaking with the law firm who suggested we use this purchase agreement, the attorney stated, “this is why we tell you to use this purchase agreement as while the buyer wasn’t pleased with the look of the repaired granite, it was still functioning as intended as it was supporting weight and wasn’t leaking, thus it was performing as designed. If your buyer hadn’t used this “AS IS” contract that we have suggested, they wouldn’t have had the ability to cancel their contract and receive a full refund of their deposit.”

However, during this market this “AS IS” contract is being used in a manner that wasn’t originally intended. Since homes have been selling at such a frantic pace, many buyers who are out of town are using this contract to purchase properties sight unseen, or only seen virtually. Then once they arrive they use their inspection period to determine if they want to continue moving forward with the purchase of the property or cancel the contract now that they are viewing the property in person. Some buyers have even submitted contracts on several properties, had them accepted, and then used their inspection period to cancel off those properties that didn’t appeal to them and keep the one that does.

To counter this approach many sellers are starting to request the contract with repair terms that can be capped be used as it takes away the buyers ability to cancel the contract in “the buyer’s sole discretion.” Since offers have accelerated at the pace they have due to low inventory levels, bidding wars are more commonplace, resulting in purchase offers where the purchase price cannot be supported by an appraisal. To avoid a contract being cancelled by the buyer due to the offer they made not being supported by an appraisal, sellers are now requesting appraisal contingencies to be removed from the contract in many cases.

Housing Market Update In a Nutshell

February 11, 2021 by Gary Cardillo

Unless you haven’t been watching the news or seeing the number cars with out of state license plates traveling our roads, let me tell you there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people who are now calling Florida “home” on a full time basis. As I’ve mentioned many times in our previous newsletters, last January we were hearing people saying it was the inclement weather and high taxes that had them strongly considering a move to Florida however, when Covid hit, it changed the market dynamics.

No longer did people want to live in densely populated areas, commute via mass transit and work in the tight quarters of commercial office buildings. Employers found production levels didn’t decrease as anticipated and were now allowing their employees to work remotely. As a result instead of waiting for retirement to move to Florida, they were making the lifestyle change now, and for some cities, it has become a mass exodus!

Florida and Texas are two states seeing a tremendous influx of people looking to relocate on a permanent basis and with very low inventory levels the competition for existing homes has been fierce. In fact some of major builders such as Lennar have put a “sales hold” on some of their developments so construction can catch up with sales.

Recently we had three of our listings sell in one day, and well over full price. Our most recent listing had 28 confirmed showings within 12 hours and 15 offers, with the accepted high offer almost $80,000 over full list price….yes, you read it correctly! Agents were telling us of their frustrations in not having their offers accepted when bidding $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 and more over list price. Buyers who wanted to give some thought to the home they viewed before making an offer found themselves on the outside looking in as the property went pending shortly thereafter.

While this may seem reminiscent during the real estate boom in 2004-2006, it is a very different scenario. Sub-prime mortgages and other forms of loans were being approved for buyers who under normal circumstances would never have been able to qualify. Inventory levels were much higher and the speculation that baby boomers were headed to Florida for the next 20-30 years had everyone giddy the sky wasn’t going to fall. Appraiser’s couldn’t keep up with the increases and started giving valuations on properties that were called into question years later.

What you are seeing now are not only retirees, but those looking to make lifestyle changes prior to retirement, both vying for short supply of available properties. Unlike the market back in 2004-2006, this market is not being driven by investors and speculations. We are in a market where there is strong demand and short supply. With the cold weather now hitting the north, those that were contemplating a lifestyle change are acting with a sense of urgency, adding an additional strain to an already robust market. Sensing their opportunity may be slipping away we have seen an immense uptick in offers well above list price. What was a market characterized by gradual growth, we are now seeing the realization by some this may be their last opportunity for some time and are willing to pay a premium for it.

As always if you have any real estate questions, feel free to reach out garycardillo@wesellpg.com 941.916.0939

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, the Real Estate Market is Booming!

August 31, 2020 by Gary Cardillo

The coronavirus pandemic doesn’t seem to be making the Charlotte County housing market sick. The market is seeing a surge in listings and buyers continue making offers.

With inventory levels so low, if there was ever a time in which to sell your home, this would be it! As of July, the median is 49 days on the market, a trend that is 9 days less from last year, and I see it moving lower in the next few months. Looking at sales of homes over the last year, the market in our area is highly active. In July of 2019, there were 345 homes sold in our area where for July 2020 we had 488 sales. Recently Punta Gorda was in the top 3 cities for people who are relocating to Florida. A lot of interest in our housing market is coming from people relocating from the north looking to escape the harsh winter weather and high taxes, but with concerns from this pandemic are looking to move to areas with less congestion where they can work remotely and avoid mass transit. With the influx of those moving to the area competition is fierce which has resulted in the median price of homes rising to $237,450. So not only are our sales looking good, but the price of our homes are attractive as well. Homes valued in the $250,000-$350,000 range are the most popular among buyers right now.

With mortgage rates at record lows, some buyers who are self -employed are having a harder time qualifying due additional qualifying guidelines stemming from the impact of the pandemic. Others are challenged in trying to get pre-qualified fast enough in order to submit offers quickly on what has become a very limited supply of inventory. Buyers shopping for a home in our area should first get pre-approved so they know what they CAN buy. Second, you need that pre-approval or proof of funds letter as sellers don’t want to tie up their properties for those who can’t qualify. In short, get pre-qualified and if you see a house you better act on it. If you are someone who has a hard time making up your mind now is not the time to just be looking. Homes have hit the market and are immediately going under contract when priced well and buyers are trying to make their offers very attractive in order to outbid their competition.

An article I read recently, “More Buyers Nix Inspections as Bidding Wars Heat Up”, a Redfin agent study found that almost one in five offers (19.9%) waived the inspection contingency to make their offers more attractive. This study was done with agents in select major US markets. The previous year it was 13.2%. Although, I understand why some are doing this I do feel this is a major part of home buying not to skimp on.

Our local newspaper mentioned how single family home permits in Charlotte County were on the rise with 216 permits were issued for the month of July which is up over 189 from the same time period a year ago. The value of the permits were $58.5M which is a $9M jump over the previous two July’s. This also represents a 14.3% jump year to year which runs from October to September. 1,791 single family home permits have been issued representing a 22.7% increase over 2019 year to date, and we still have 2 months to go. Total permits account for $487.9M, more than 2019 with 2 months to go and Charlotte County has outpaced the rest of the state which had a 17.1% increase over 2019.

We have a good education system, good government and we offer a vibrant waterfront town with many medical options nearby and our crime is low. It is just a great place to live and why we love to call it home!

If you are looking to sell, do the following to help it sell sooner rather than later. If your house is cleaned, updated, priced right and has a pool/view your days on the market will be less. Buyers are looking for those recreational activities to keep their families busy as they work from home. And of course you can reach out to me anytime if you would like a free market analysis. As we say to all of our clients, “We will be there with you every step of the way.”

-Gary Cardillo

5 Current Tax Deductions When Selling a Home: Did You Take Them All?

March 1, 2019 by Gary Cardillo

But there’s also a new tax code—aka the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—causing quite a bit of confusion this filing season. Rest assured that if you sold your home last year (or are planning to in the future), the tax deductions may amount to sizable savings when you file with the IRS.

You’ll want to know all the tax deductions (as well as tax exemptions or other write-offs) at your disposal. So here’s a rundown.

1. Selling costs

Good news! These deductions are still allowed under the new tax law as long as they are directly tied to the sale of the home and a married couple—or a single taxpayer—lived in the home for at least two out of the five years preceding the sale. Another caveat: The home must be a principal residence and not an investment property.

“You can deduct any costs associated with selling the home—including legal fees, escrow fees, advertising costs, and real estate agent commissions,” says Joshua Zimmelman, president of Westwood Tax and Consulting in Rockville Center, NY.

This could also include home staging fees, according to Thomas J. Williams, a tax accountant who operates Your Small Biz Accountant in Kissimmee, FL.

Just remember that you can’t deduct these costs in the same way as, say, mortgage interest. Instead, you subtract them from the sales price of your home, which in turn positively affects your capital gains tax.

2. Home improvements and repairs

Score again. The new tax law left this deduction as well. If you renovated a few rooms to make your home more marketable (and so you can fetch a higher sales price), now you can deduct those upgrade costs as well. This includes painting the house or repairing the roof or water heater.

But there’s a catch, and it all boils down to timing.

“If you needed to make home improvements in order to sell your home, you can deduct those expenses as selling costs as long as they were made within 90 days of the closing,” says Zimmelman.

3. Property taxes

This deduction is still allowed, but your total deductions are capped at $10,000, Zimmelman says.

If you were dutifully paying your property taxes up to the point when you sold your home, you can deduct the amount you paid in property taxes this year up to $10,000.

4. Mortgage interest

As with property taxes, you can deduct the interest on your mortgage for the portion of the year you owned your home. However, the rules have changed slightly from last year.

Just remember that under the new tax code, new homeowners (and home sellers) can deduct the interest on up to only $750,000 of mortgage debt, though homeowners who got their mortgage before Dec. 15, 2017, can continue deducting up to the original amount up to $1 million, according to Zimmelman.

Note that the mortgage interest and property taxes are itemized deductions. This means that for it to work in your favor, all of your itemized deductions need to be greater than the new standard deduction, which the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled to $12,200 for individuals, $18,350 for heads of household, and $24,400 for married couples filing jointly (for comparison, it used to be $12,700 for married couples filing jointly).

5. But what’s up with capital gains tax for sellers?

Lawmakers tried to change the capital gains rule, but it managed to survive—so it’s still one home sellers can use. It isn’t technically a deduction (it’s an exclusion), but you’re still going to like it.

As a reminder, capital gains are your profits from selling your home—whatever cash is left after paying off your expenses, plus any outstanding mortgage debt. And yes, these profits are taxed as income. But here’s the good news: You can exclude up to $250,000 of the capital gains from the sale if you’re single, and $500,000 if married. The only big catch is you must have lived in your home at least two of the past five years.

However, look for the rules of this exemption to possibly change in a future tax bill.

Ralph DiBugnara, president of Home Qualified and vice president at Residential Home Funding, says lawmakers might push to change this so that homeowners would have to live in the property for five of the past eight years, instead of two out of five.

By Margaret Heidenry | Feb 28, 2019

Local Real Estate Recap: January-August 2018

September 25, 2018 by Gary Cardillo

Since we cover a large area people are always asking, “How are things selling in Sarasota (City) and Venice (City) as well as our area?” Well, here is what is going on in those markets as well as ours.

Sarasota saw a 2.8% increase in the number of homes that sold from January 1st through August 31st this year compared to the same time period last year. Home prices were also on the rise increasing 6.9%.

Condos sales were up 9.1% with the average price increasing 15.8%. This jump was greatly influenced by the condo sales closest to the water and downtown areas where prices have risen dramatically.

Venice saw a 2.3% increase in home sales with the average selling price increasing by almost 7%. Condominiums outpaced homes sales posting a 7.6% increase with the average selling price rising by 4.3%.

Charlotte County homes saw a robust 11.2% increase in sales with the average home selling for almost 8.5% higher than the previous year. Condominium sales increased by 15.6% with the average selling price increasing by almost 5.5%.

The boating communities of Punta Gorda Isles and Burnt Store Isles always are of interest to our readers. Home sales rose in these developments by over 17.7% with the average selling price increasing by 3.4%. Condominium sales were even with last year increasing slightly in price by just under 2%.

And as always if you want to know specifically about your home, feel free to email/call us anytime!

*Sales figures pulled from MLS data.