Archive for March, 2011
Swimming pools in Ocala 55+ communities
I often get buyers who are looking for a pool home in a 55+ retirement community. There are very few homes with private pools in 55+ communities. Retirement communities all have clubhouses with a community pool. Some have outdoor and indoor pools. Others like Oak Run have several pools. If you prefer a private pool of your own then you should be looking in the non 55+ communities because 99% of 55+ listings do not have private pools.
Non 55+ communities usually don’t have a clubhouse and activities but there are plenty of retired residents every where here in Ocala. I live in a non 55+ community and when I go to my HOA meetings I’m one of the younger residents and I’m 56!
Ocala Real Estate Market Report February 2011
| $10,000 to $100,000 | 242 |
| $100,001 to $200,000 | 63 |
| $200,001 to $300,000 | 14 |
| $300,001 to $500,000 | 5 |
| $500,000 plus | 2 |
| Total residential sales | 328 |
| Foreclosures | 148 |
| Short Sales | 36 |
| Farms | 12 |
| Active Listings | 4740 |
Sales were good for February but the big news is a decline in the number of listings. For the first time since I can remember listings went below 5,000. At one time in late 07 and early 08 we were up around 7500. We still have a little over 14 months of inventory but that’s way below the 30 months of inventory during those dark days of 2008.
As you can see we’re still selling plenty of foreclosures most of which are in the Shores and Marion Oaks. Short sales still lag behind foreclosures in the number of sales. Banks still can’t seem to get a handle on short sales and move then in a reasonable period of time. Short sales take from 8 weeks to 6 months or more to close and most buyers can’t or won’t wait that long.
It’s great weather in March in Ocala. The 80′s every day with no humidity and very little rain. Housing prices are the lowest in Florida. Call me, email me or use my Dream Home Finder and I’ll find you a house.
Statistics used for this blog post are from the Ocala Marion County MLS and are deemed to be accurate at the time this blog was written but are not guaranteed. All information is time sensitive and subject to change without notice. Home sales are for Marion County only and do not include FSBO, homes sold by builders or by auction that were not listed on the MLS, commercial properties or vacant land
Ocala Florida weather March 2011
It’s March and spring has sprung here in Ocala. The grass has turned from winter brown to green. An azalea in my yard has a few flowers. The day time temperatures are in the low 80′s. The nights are in the mid 50′s. I don’t need any heat or air conditioning so this is a month of lower electric bills. It’s dry with no humidity. March is one of the best months of the year here in central Florida.
Actually things began to warm up in mid February after a cold January and record cold December. January was unusually wet for the dry season but we saw almost no rain at all in February. We had several hard frosts but not as bad as last year.
If it’s still the dead of winter where you live then think about coming to Ocala. We have the lowest median home prices in Florida. As I always like to say “The hot humid summers are a small price to pay for no winters”
