Gainesville FL Real Estate Blog

Gainesville Homes For Sale:

21530 NW 209 Terrace, High Springs FL 32643

MLS# 314040

Ten acres in High Springs with a three bedroom two bath mobile home. This home has a large deck out back and a huge sunroom on the front. Home needs some updating and TLC but has lots of potential.

Learn more about 21530 NW 209 Terrace and other Gainesville homes for sale by visiting GatorHomes.com and MyGatorCondo.com

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Gainesville Homes For Sale:

3410 SE 45th Street, Ocala FL 34880

MLS# 307836

Nice single family home, situated on two beautiful and secluded acres.  This home boasts high ceilings and a large kitchen with a breakfast nook.  The garage even has a shower.  This home offers country living in the city.

Learn more about 3410 SE 45th Street and other Gainesville homes for sale by visiting GatorHomes.com and MyGatorCondo.com.

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Gainesville Homes For Sale:

3970 SW 20th Unit 911 Avenue, Gainesville FL 32608
MLS# 304595

Location and price are the two options that suite this unit the best.  Great two bedroom, two and half bath townhome, built in 2002.  This home is on bus route and is close to UF, Va, Shands, near shopping, restaurants, and entertainment.  There is assigned parking.  All appliances.  Two master suites upstairs, each has its own bathroom, good closet space, high ceilings and good natural light.  Large great room with spacious dining area, charming kitchen with wood cabinets and lots of counter space.  All tile downstairs.  Why rent when you can own, be your own landlord and take advantage of taxes and depreciation.  Internet service part of Condo dues.

Learn more about 3970 SW 20th Unit 911 and other Gainesville homes for sale by visiting Gatorhomes.com and MyGatorCondo.com.

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Gainesville Homes For Sale:

504 NW 89th Street, Gainesville FL 32607

MLS# 304175

Super-sized!!  This home offers large rooms which include a living, family, and dining room.   The bedrooms boast large closets and the kitchen has an eat in space that accommodates a full dining table.  You can view the oversize pool and 1 acre private back yard with numerous fruit trees from the large screened porch.  Country setting that is close to everything.  Builder/owner has remodeled extensively, crown molding thru out, 2 Ac units (1 heat pump, 1 gas heat) Lots of beautiful oak cabinets, 3 year old appliances, 7 year old roof, foyer with lighted shadow boxes, cedar lined hall closet, solar heated pool and much more.  Must see to appreciate!

Learn more about 504 NW 89th Street and other Gainesville homes by visiting Gatorhomes.com and MyGatorCondo.com.

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Gainesville Homes For Sale:

3930 SW 2nd Avenue, Gainesville FL 32607

Space & location! Enjoy relaxing walks through this established neighborhood or walk to shopping, restaurants and the theater. Open spaces invite you back home to this owner occupied 4/2 with a converted bonus room. The resort-like back yard is perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Designer styled interior spaces and a location close to everything are just two of the features you get with this great Anglewood home!

Learn more about 3930 SW 2nd Avenue and other Gainesville real estate by visiting Gatorhomes.com and Mygatorcondo.com.

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Will Gainesville Home Buyers Benefit From Stimulus Bill? 

It looks as if our legislators in Washington are finally making positive steps toward fixing the house mess and helping Gainesville home buyers by including housing legislation in the Economic Stimulus Bill.

Yesterday, the Lieberman/Isakson Amendment was included in the senate version of the Economic Stimulus Bill by a unanimous voice vote. This amendment would provide a Tax Credit to all home buyers at the rate of 10% of the sales price up to a limit of $15,000. The credit would be available for a one year period to all purchasers of primary residences.

Now, the senate expects to debate Amendment 353, a proposal by Senator John Ensign (R-NV) that would provide 30 year fixed financing at a rate of about 4%, for anyone purchasing a primary residence.

If these two provisions are included in the final passage of a stimulus bill they could have a positive impact on Gainesville real estate.

This legislation has passed the Senate, but the entire bill does need to go back to the House, and be signed by the President. There could be many changes before this happens, or not pass at all.

But is it light at the end of the tunnel for Gainesville home buyers and would help the housing crisis immensely as you can imagine.

Visit GatorHomes.com to learn more about Gainesville real estate.

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One of the biggest decision Gainesville second-home buyers must decide is whether or not to rent their property when they are not using it. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one-half of all second-home owners leave their home unoccupied for more than 330 days a year. The question becomes, will your vacation home be a financial burden or a financial cow with the rental income is can generate, thus paying for itself

Renting does have its pros and cons. Some owners don’t like the idea of ‘strangers’ in their home. Others don’t want the hassle of being a landlord, especially a long distance landlord. And then there is the decision to give up the prime vacation season for rental income. The flip side is renting your vacation home provides a stream of easy money.

EscapeHomes.com offers advice and tips when considering a Gainesville vacation home purchase and deciding whether renting out that home is right for you:

Before You Buy
If you already know you will rent your vacation home, consider these questions as you look at properties:

•  Is there a rental market in the area?
•  What is the average rent that your neighbors receive?
•  If you are looking in a development, are there any by-laws which restrict your rental capabilities?
•  Is this a seasonal area or year-round location?

The answers to these questions will help you select a more lucrative property for your vacation home.

Rental Seasons
How do you decide when to rent your property and when to use it yourself? Since you are buying primarily for your own fun and enjoyment, you shouldn’t sacrifice this. If the home is in a one-season area, for example, summers at the Maine coast, then giving up that time of year for rental income defeats the purpose of having the home. In this case, you might look for a long-term (9-month) renter for the off-season, among the local population, while you use it in the summer. On the other hand, if you buy a winter ski condo or chalet, it is still highly rentable in the summer time for the mountaineering types. If you buy a property for weekend use, perhaps there are local people who need a Monday-Friday escape option. In short, if you balance your own needs with the market demands, you get both fun and money.

Practical Considerations
For successful renting, first find out the going rental market rate. Second, determine if you want to market it yourself, or use a rental agent. Self-marketing takes time, but often generates more qualified renters as you are not competing with all the other properties of an agent. Third, be sure to arrange for a property manager. This is different from a rental agency. The manager will take 10 to 20 percent of the rent, and free you up from cleaning, being on call for maintenance (especially important if you live far away), and dealing with the daily needs of the renters.

Make it Personal
By far, the most important factor in success is your personal investment in the process. This means your personal contact with your renters. From a simple welcome note and local maps to a thank-you note and on-going contact, your relationship creates a repeat flow of guests who not only love your second home as much as you do but also pay for the privilege of using it. What could be better?

If you are considering buying a Gainesville vacation home, give us a call, 352-332-8841, we are glad to provide you with the information you need to make a good buying and renting decision.

Think you want to rent out your Gainesville vacation home, but don’t want to handle the day-to-day details yourself, we can recommend a Gainesville Property Manager.

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7 Reasons To Own Your Own Gainesville FL Home

You’ve probably seen lots of financial arguments about why you should invest in Gainesville real estate and own your own home rather than rent. This includes budgeting (no rent increases) and the tax savings you’ll most likely have. Now we’re going to give you some reasons you probably haven’t heard.

1. Freedom to pursue other goals in life once the major goal of home ownership is achieved.

Strange as it sounds, many of our first-time buyers have told us that once they bought the house, other things in their life started to fall into place. It’s as if not owning took so much of their mental energy that other goals were not worked on until that big goal was reached. So buy a home and get on with your life!

2. A greater sense of belonging to the community.

Once you own a home, you feel more attached to the city in which you live. You’re more interested in what happens in Gainesville, to the roads, schools, and shopping areas. Some people even become involved in local politics.

3. A commitment to something, a sense of stability.

Home ownership is an anchor, something that cannot be pulled out from under you. You’ll never get a notice that you have to move. You’re kids will never have to change schools. It gives you freedom to plan years ahead.

4. You can change things, a feeling of being in control.

It’s your home. You can add to it, remodel it, change the landscaping, do whatever projects you want. You have a feeling of being in control of something in your life. At work we don’t always have control of what happens, but your home is your castle and you have dominion over it. You can see what you’re building take shape before your eyes.

5. More control over the children than in an apartment complex

In a neighborhood, kids usually play in the yards or go to friend’s houses a few doors away. Our clients have told us that in an apartment complex they never knew where the kids were. They could be in any of hundreds of apartments, doing who knows what. In a home you get to know the neighbors and watch out for each other’s kids.

6. Children do better in school and feel more secure.

This one surprised us, but buyers have reported to us that their kids calmed down in school after they bought a house. We don’t know why, but it seems to work that way. We remember a single mom watching her son play in the yard, making steps in the slope and building things. She didn’t have to tell him to leave everything alone, like she did at the apartment complex. I guess kids feel the same need for control we adults do.

7. Time and money saved by not going to the Laundromat.

A small point, but if you have kids, you know the value of this one. You gain a whole evening a week when you buy a house! The wash gets done in between other things, or while you’re at work. What would you do with the extra evening you’ll have? How about going out for dessert with your spouse with all those quarters?

We’ve been in a home of our own for so long; we take these benefits for granted. We forgot what it’s like to be renters! If you have anything you can add to the list, please let us know via email. We would love to hear from you! 

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